1981 Los Angeles Dodgers season
Dodgers won World Series amid strike-split season and Fernandomania.
The 1981 Los Angeles Dodgers season was the 92nd for the franchise, their 24th in Los Angeles, and their 20th at Dodger Stadium. Rookie pitcher Fernando Valenzuela sparked a phenomenon known as 'Fernandomania' by pitching a shutout on opening day, and he later won both the Rookie of the Year and Cy Young Awards. The season was split into two halves by a two-month players' strike, and the Dodgers won the National League West in the first half before advancing to win the World Series.
Quick Facts
- Season
- 1981
- League
- National League
- Division
- West
- Ballpark
- Dodger Stadium
- City
- Los Angeles
- Record
- 63–47 (63, 47) (Overall)
- 36–21 (36, 21) (First half)
- 27–26 (27, 26) (Second half)
- Divisional place
- 2nd (Overall)
- 1st (First half)
- 4th (Second half)
- Owners
- Peter O'Malley
Facts from the source article.
Postseason
In the divisional series, the Dodgers fell behind the Houston Astros two games to zero but won the next three to take the series. They then faced the Montreal Expos in the 1981 NLCS, winning three games to two after a ninth-inning home run by Rick Monday in Game 5. The series was played at Dodger Stadium and Olympic Stadium.
Major League Baseball draft
The Dodgers drafted 33 players in the June draft and 18 in the January draft; eight of those eventually played in the Major Leagues. They received an extra second-round pick from the Houston Astros as compensation for losing free agent pitcher Don Sutton. Their first-round pick was shortstop Dave Anderson from the University of Memphis, who played 10 major league seasons, eight with the Dodgers. The draft also included pitchers Sid Fernandez (round 3) and John Franco (round 5), both later traded to the New York Mets.
More in Los Angeles Dodgers Seasons
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