World Series 1981

Lore & Background

Due to the players' strike, which ran from June 12 to August 8, the 1981 season was split into two halves, with the first-place teams from each half in each division (or a wild card team if the same club won both halves, although this did not occur in any division) meeting in the best-of-five League Division Series (this division series was a one-off occasion; it was not until 1994 that the Division Series would be implemented on a permanent basis). The four survivors would then move on to the two best-of-five League Championship Series. The expanded playoffs led to Game 1 of the World Series being pushed back to October 20, the latest starting date for a Fall Classic up to that time. The split-season decision was not a popular one, both among teams and their fans. The arrangement resulted in teams with the best overall record in either their division or league that year being left out of the postseason, in particular the Cincinnati Reds, who had the best overall record in the majors, and the St. Louis Cardinals, who finished with the best overall record in the NL East. Though the teams with the best record in the American League East and West did win their divisions, the Yankees finished 3rd overall in the AL East while the Kansas City Royals finished 4th overall with a losing 50–53 record. This was the seventh meeting between teams from Los Angeles and New York City for a major professional sports championship. This previously occurred in three World Series (1963, 1977, 1978) and three NBA Finals (1970, 1972, 1973), and would be the last until the 2014 Stanley Cup Final.

In Their Own Story

The cool November air inside Dodger Stadium was electric as the final out was recorded. The roar from the stands was not just noise; it was a release of two decades of waiting. Ron Cey, Pedro Guerrero, and Steve Yeager stood near home plate, their names etched into history as co-MVPs, a rare testament to a team effort that refused to be defined by a single star. Tommy Lasorda, his cap pulled low, wiped sweat from his brow, looking out at the sea of blue. The strike had threatened to cancel everything, but here they were, champions of a fractured season, proving that when the pieces came together, Los Angeles could conquer even the mighty Yankees.

Reader's Guide

The Dodgers got to the Series with help from Mexican-born rookie phenom Fernando Valenzuela, who won his first eight games including five by shutout. Valenzuela would pitch eight shutouts in all and win both the National League's Rookie of the Year and Cy Young awards. Joining Valenzuela in the rotation were veterans Burt Hooton (11–6, 2.28) and Jerry Reuss (10–4, 2.30). The core of the position players remained intact with perennial all-star Steve Garvey at first, Davey Lopes at second, Bill Russell at shortstop, and team leader in home runs with 13, Ron Cey at third. Budding star, Pedro Guerrero, would move to the outfield becoming a regular starter for the first time in his career, in place of the aging and often injured Reggie Smith. The Dodgers led the NL West prior to the strike, and clinched a postseason berth to the expanded postseason. In the NLDS, the Dodgers defeated the Houston Astros in five games. In the NLCS, the Dodgers narrowly defeated the Montreal Expos, also in five games to return to the World Series for the fourth time in seven seasons. Manager Tommy Lasorda was looking for his first World Series win in his fifth full season with the Dodgers after losing to the Yankees in 1977 and 1978. The Yankees, managed by Bob Lemon (in his second stint, having replaced Gene Michael), had a losing second-half (25–26) but won the first-half (34–22) to qualify for the playoffs. Ace starter Ron Guidry won 11 games against while rookie Dave Righetti emerged as an important starter, winning eight games with a 2.05 ERA. Righetti would win the American League's Rookie of the Year award. Reliever Goose Gossage recorded 20 saves with an 0.77 ERA, striking out 48 in 47 innings. Dave Winfield was signed as a free agent in the off-season, joined another all-star, Reggie Jackson, in the outfield. Winfield led the Yankees with 25 doubles and 68 RBIs. Winfield's huge contract (US$21 million over 10 years), was added to an already strong lineup. The Yankees returned to the postseason as they led the American League East in the season's first half. In the ALDS, the Yankees took on the Milwaukee Brewers, who made their postseason debut, and defeated them in five games to return to the ALCS for the fifth time in the past six seasons. In the ALCS, the Yankees swept the Oakland Athletics to return to the World Series for the fourth time in six seasons.

Did You Know?

• This is the most recent World Series that a team won after losing the first two games on the road, the next previous instance being the Yankees' victory over the Dodgers in the 1978 World Series.
• This was the last meeting between teams from New York City and Los Angeles for a major professional sports championship until the Los Angeles Kings and New York Rangers reached the NHL's 2014 Stanley Cup Final, as well a
• The Dodgers-Yankees matchup has been the most frequent pairing in World Series history.