The 1981 Major League Baseball season culminated with the Los Angeles Dodgers defeating the New York Yankees in the World Series, capturing the franchise's fifth World Series title. The season had a players' strike, which lasted from June 12 to July 31, and split the season into two halves. Teams that won their division in each half of the season advanced to the playoffs. This was the first split season in American League history, and second for the National League, which had played a split season in .
The All-Star Game was originally scheduled for July 14, but was postponed due to the strike. It was ultimately played on August 9, as a prelude to the second half of the season, which began the following day.Chronology of the Baseball Strike, Associated Press (The New York Times, archives), August 1, 1981.
Standings
American League
National League
Postseason
Bracket
NOTE: Due to a strike in mid-season, the season was divided into a first half and a second half. The division winner of the first half (denoted E1, W1) played the division winner of the second half (denoted E2, W2).
Statistical leaders Statistic American League National League AVG Carney Lansford BOS .336 Bill Madlock PIT .341 HR Tony Armas OAKDwight Evans BOSBobby Grich CALEddie Murray BAL 22 Mike Schmidt PHI 31 RBIs Eddie Murray BAL 78 Mike Schmidt PHI 91 Wins Dennis Martínez BALSteve McCatty OAKJack Morris DETPete Vuckovich MIL 14 Tom Seaver CIN 14 ERA Dave Righetti NYY 2.05 Nolan Ryan HOU 1.69 SO Len Barker CLE 127 Fernando Valenzuela LAD 180 SV Rollie Fingers MIL 28 Bruce Sutter STL 25 SB Rickey Henderson OAK 56 Tim Raines MON 71
Awards and honors Baseball Hall of Fame Rube Foster Bob Gibson Johnny Mize
+Baseball Writers' Association of America AwardsBBWAA AwardNational LeagueAmerican LeagueRookie of the YearFernando Valenzuela (LAD)Dave Righetti (NYY)Cy Young AwardFernando Valenzuela (LAD)Rollie Fingers (MIL)Most Valuable PlayerMike Schmidt (PHI)Rollie Fingers (MIL)Gold Glove AwardsPositionNational LeagueAmerican LeaguePitcherSteve Carlton (PHI)Mike Norris (OAK)CatcherGary Carter (MON)Jim Sundberg (TEX)First BasemanKeith Hernandez (STL)Mike Squires (CWS)Second BasemanManny Trillo (PHI)Frank White (KC)Third BasemanMike Schmidt (PHI)Buddy Bell (TEX)ShortstopOzzie Smith (SD)Alan Trammell (DET)OutfieldersDusty Baker (LAD)Dwight Evans (BOS)Andre Dawson (MON)Rickey Henderson (OAK)Garry Maddox (PHI)Dwayne Murphy (OAK)Silver Slugger AwardsPitcher/Designated HitterFernando Valenzuela (LAD)Al Oliver (TEX)CatcherGary Carter (MON)Carlton Fisk (CWS)First BasemanPete Rose (PHI)Cecil Cooper (MIL)Second BasemanManny Trillo (PHI)Bobby Grich (CAL)Third BasemanMike Schmidt (PHI)Carney Lansford (BOS)ShortstopDave Concepción (CIN)Rick Burleson (CAL)OutfieldersDusty Baker (LAD)Dwight Evans (BOS)Andre Dawson (MON)Rickey Henderson (OAK)George Foster (CIN)Dave Winfield (NYY)
Other awards Outstanding Designated Hitter Award: Greg Luzinski (CWS) Roberto Clemente Award (Humanitarian): Steve Garvey (LAD) Rolaids Relief Man Award: Rollie Fingers (MIL, American); Bruce Sutter (STL, National).
Player of the Month Month American League National League April Ken Singleton Dave Concepción May Dwight Evans Art Howe August Cecil Cooper Mike Schmidt September Eddie MurrayWillie Wilson Gary Matthews
Pitcher of the Month Month American League National League April Matt Keough Fernando Valenzuela May Mark Clear Charlie Lea August Ron Guidry Rick CampEd Whitson September Larry GuraDennis Martínez Tom Seaver
Home field attendance Team nameWinsHome attendanceLos Angeles Dodgers63 −31.5%2,381,292 −26.7%42,523Philadelphia Phillies59 −35.2%1,638,752 −38.2%29,795New York Yankees59 −42.7%1,614,353 −38.6%31,654Montreal Expos60 −33.3%1,534,564 −30.5%27,403California Angels51 −21.5%1,441,545 −37.3%26,695Houston Astros61 −34.4%1,321,282 −42.0%25,907Oakland Athletics64 −22.9%1,304,05254.8%23,287Kansas City Royals50 −48.5%1,279,403 −44.1%27,221Detroit Tigers60 −28.6%1,149,144 −35.6%20,894Cincinnati Reds66 −25.8%1,093,730 −45.9%20,254Boston Red Sox59 −28.9%1,060,379 −45.8%20,007Baltimore Orioles59 −41.0%1,024,247 −43.0%18,623St. Louis Cardinals59 −20.3%1,010,247 −27.1%19,061Chicago White Sox54 −22.9%946,651 −21.1%19,319Milwaukee Brewers62 −27.9%874,292 −52.9%17,843Texas Rangers57 −25.0%850,076 −29.1%15,180Toronto Blue Jays37 −44.8%755,083 −46.1%14,247New York Mets41 −38.8%704,244 −40.9%13,543Cleveland Indians52 −34.2%661,395 −36.0%12,248Seattle Mariners44 −25.4%636,276 −23.9%11,163San Francisco Giants56 −25.3%632,274 −42.3%11,930Chicago Cubs38 −40.6%565,637 −53.1%9,752Pittsburgh Pirates46 −44.6%541,789 −67.1%10,623Atlanta Braves50 −38.3%535,418 −48.9%10,708San Diego Padres41 −43.8%519,161 −54.4%9,439Minnesota Twins41 −46.8%469,090 −39.0%7,690
Television coverage Network Day of week Announcers ABC Monday nightsSunday afternoons Keith Jackson, Howard Cosell, Don Drysdale, Al Michaels, Jim Palmer, Bob Uecker NBC Saturday afternoons Joe Garagiola, Tony Kubek, Dick Enberg, Tom Seaver, Merle Harmon, Ron Luciano USA Thursday nights Jim Woods, Nelson Briles, Monte Moore, Wes Parker
Events January–March January 15 – In his first year of eligibility, former St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Bob Gibson is the only person elected to the Hall of Fame by the Baseball Writers' Association of America. Players falling short of the 301 votes needed for election include Don Drysdale (243), Gil Hodges (241), Harmon Killebrew (239), Hoyt Wilhelm (238) and Juan Marichal (233). January 23 – Fred Lynn was traded by the Boston Red Sox with Steve Renko to the California Angels for Frank Tanana, Jim Dorsey, and Joe Rudi. February 12 – Reputedly because the Boston Red Sox mailed out his contract two days late, catcher Carlton Fisk is declared a free agent. He will later sign with the Chicago White Sox. March 11 – Johnny Mize and Rube Foster are elected to the Hall of Fame by the Special Veterans Committee. Mize hit .312 with 359 home runs in 15 seasons for the Cardinals and New York Giants, while Foster was a star pitcher, manager and pioneer of the Negro leagues during the first quarter of the 20th century.
April–June April 9 – After pitcher Jerry Reuss pulls a muscle, rookie Fernando Valenzuela is given his first starting assignment. His first Major League start results in a five-hit shutout. It is the beginning of what will be called "Fernandomania" in Southern California. April 10 – Carlton Fisk debuts with the Chicago White Sox, coincidentally in Fenway Park against his former team, the Boston Red Sox. Fisk hits a three-run home run in the eighth to secure a 5–3 win for Chicago. April 18 – Tom Seaver of the Cincinnati Reds records his 3000th career strikeout. Keith Hernandez is the victim. April 18–19 – Minor league teams from Pawtucket and Rochester clash in a 33 inning game that extends eight hours and 25 minutes; the longest professional baseball game up to that time. Future Hall of Famers Wade Boggs and Cal Ripken Jr. go a combined 6-for-25 in the game. April 27 – Just 18 days after his first start, Fernando Valenzuela has grabbed the attention of the baseball world. In just his fifth start, he pitches his fourth complete game shutout running his record to 5–0 with a microscopic 0.20 ERA. He is also batting over .400 to help his own cause. April 29 – Steve Carlton of the Philadelphia Phillies records his 3000th career strikeout. April 1981 is the only month in history to have two pitchers reach this milestone. He is the first left-handed pitcher in Major League history to reach that mark. May 10 – In the second game of a doubleheader, Charlie Lea of the Montreal Expos no-hits the San Francisco Giants 4–0, the first no-hitter ever pitched at Olympic Stadium. May 15 – Len Barker of the Cleveland Indians pitches a perfect game against the Toronto Blue Jays, 3–0, at Cleveland Municipal Stadium. He struck out 11, all swinging, after the third inning and never had a 3-ball count on any batter on a misty, rain-soaked night where only 7,290 fans took in the game. Current Indians broadcaster Rick Manning caught the 27th out of the night on a fly ball to center field. Barker's catcher, Ron Hassey will later catch Dennis Martínez's 1991 perfect game making him the first catcher in history to catch two perfect games. May 25 – Carl Yastrzemski plays in his 3,000th major league game, scoring the winning run in Boston's 8–7 triumph over Cleveland. Yaz joins Ty Cobb, Stan Musial and Hank Aaron as the fourth major leaguer to appear in 3,000 games. May 28 – After Kansas City Royals player Amos Otis hits a grounder along the third-base line at the Seattle Kingdome, Mariners player Lenny Randle gets down onto his hands and knees and blows on the ball, in an attempt to make it a foul ball.. June 5 – Nolan Ryan issues the 1,777th walk in his career, breaking the record previously held by Early Wynn. June 10 – Pete Rose hits a Nolan Ryan pitch for the 3,630th safe hit of his career; tying Stan Musial's National League record for career hits. June 12 – After meeting with major league owners for most of the previous day, players' union chief Marvin Miller announces, "We have accomplished nothing. The strike is on", thus beginning the longest labor action to date in baseball history. By the time the season resumes on August 10, 712 games (nearly 34 percent of the season schedule) will have been canceled. June 16 – In the midst of the players' strike, William Wrigley III announces the sale of the Chicago Cubs to the Tribune Company for $20 million. This ends the decades long association between the Wrigley family and the Cubs. June 23 - Also in the midst of the players' strike, the Pawtucket Red Sox and the Rochester Red Wings resumed the longest game in professional baseball history at McCoy Stadium, after the game was adjourned on April 19th due to darkness. Pawtucket won in the bottom of the 33rd after just 18 minutes of play.
July–September August 6 – As a result of the nearly two-month interruption in play because of the strike, major league owners elect to split the 1981 season into two halves, with the first-place teams from each half in each division (or a division's runner-up team in the second half, if the same club were to win both halves (The Sporting News Official Baseball Guide for 1982, p. 13) meeting in a best-of-five divisional playoff series. The last time the major leagues had played a split season was 1892. The Oakland Athletics, New York Yankees, Philadelphia Phillies and Los Angeles Dodgers suddenly find themselves guaranteed playoff spots as first-half champions (a problem noted at this time is that those teams will not have much left to play for in that year's regular season). August 9 – At Cleveland Stadium, the National League wins its tenth consecutive All-Star Game over the American League, 5–4. Gary Carter hits two home runs and is selected the MVP. The 1981 Midsummer Classic becomes the first and, as of 2020, the only All-Star Game ever played on a Sunday, and the second ever played during the month of August, the first having taken place on August 3, 1959. September 4 – In the conclusion of the longest game in Fenway Park history, the Seattle Mariners beat the Boston Red Sox 8–7 in 20 innings. The game began on September 3, but was suspended after 19 innings with the score tied 7–7. September 6 – Despite having won the first-half American League East title, New York Yankees manager Gene Michael is replaced by Bob Lemon, who managed the club in 1978–79. The Yankees are under .500 in the second half of the season. September 6 – The Los Angeles Dodgers' Fernando Valenzuela beats the St. Louis Cardinals 5–0 to tie the National League record of seven shutouts by a rookie pitcher. September 26 – Nolan Ryan of the Houston Astros breaks the record of four no hitters by pitcher Sandy Koufax by pitching his fifth career no hitter in the Astrodome against, coincidentally, Koufax's former team, the Los Angeles Dodgers.