1981 American League Division Series

Overview

The 1981 American League Division Series matched the first-half and second-half winners from both the AL East and AL West in best-of-five series, with the victors moving on to the AL Championship Series. If one team had claimed both halves, a wild card—the division’s second-place club by full-season record—would have entered, but this never happened in either league. The format was not intended to continue beyond 1981, though the Division Series later became a permanent fixture after MLB shifted to three divisions per league.

The second-half champions hosted the opening two games, while the first-half champions hosted any remaining games; this schedule was set in August, regardless of the teams’ actual records. If a team had won both halves, it would have hosted all games except the first, which the wild card team would have hosted. In the East, the New York Yankees (first-half, 34–22) beat the Milwaukee Brewers (second-half, 31–22) three games to two. In the West, the Oakland Athletics (first-half, 37–23) swept the Kansas City Royals (second-half, 30–23) three games to none.

The Royals became the first team to reach the postseason with a record at or below .500, finishing 50–53 overall after a 20–30 first half. They also made a midseason managerial change, going 30–40 under Jim Frey and then 20–13 under Dick Howser. Kansas City remained the only such team until the 2020 Astros and Brewers, who each went 29–31. The Yankees and Athletics then faced off in the ALCS, with New York winning the pennant before losing to the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 1981 World Series.

Oakland vs. Kansas City

Mike Norris faced Dennis Leonard in Game 1. Both pitchers were on their game and the game was scoreless through three innings. In the top of the fourth, the A's got a boost on a three-run home run by Wayne Gross. Dwayne Murphy's homer in the eighth put the game away as Norris went on to pitch a four-hit complete game shutout.

Steve McCatty and Mike Jones dueled in Game 2. After giving up an RBI double to Tony Armas in the first, Jones settled into a groove and kept the A's from scoring for the next six innings.

McCatty gave up a run in the bottom of the fifth on Willie Wilson's RBI hit. In the eighth, Armas again delivered the game-winning RBI double to make it 2–1 A's. McCatty went on to pitch a complete game masterpiece.

Game 3 pitted Larry Gura against Rick Langford. With their backs to the wall, the Royals and Gura ran into trouble in the first.

Tony Armas came through once again with another RBI hit that scored Rickey Henderson. An error by Frank White in the third allowed another run to score to make it 2–0 A's. The Royals scratched out a run in the fourth on Amos Otis's forceout.

In the bottom of the fourth the A's scored two runs on a Dave McKay homer and an RBI double by Dwayne Murphy. Langford allowed only one run in 7 1/3 innings despite giving up ten hits. Dave Beard closed out the series with a save in the ninth.

New York vs. Milwaukee

The Brewers and Yankees met in October for the first time since the 1958 World Series. In Game 1, Ron Guidry started for New York against Moose Haas. Milwaukee got on the board in the second inning with an RBI single from Charlie Moore. Robin Yount added a sacrifice fly in the third to make it 2-0.

The Yankees answered in the fourth. Oscar Gamble tied the game with a two-run homer, and Rick Cerone followed with a two-run double to put New York ahead for good. Ted Simmons cut the deficit with an RBI single, but in the ninth, a Yount error allowed a crucial run off Rollie Fingers. Goose Gossage closed out the game.

Game 2

Game 2 saw Dave Righetti face Mike Caldwell. Milwaukee needed a win to stay alive.

Caldwell held the Yankees to one run through eight innings, a solo homer by Lou Piniella in the fourth. But Caldwell stayed in for the ninth and gave up a two-run shot to Reggie Jackson. Dave Winfield had three hits, Righetti threw six shutout innings with four hits allowed, and Gossage earned his second straight save.

Game 3

In Game 3, Randy Lerch opposed Tommy John. Both pitchers were sharp. John got a run in the fourth on Bob Watson’s RBI single.

The Yankees seemed headed for a sweep until the seventh. Ted Simmons hit a two-run homer to give the Brewers the lead, and Sal Bando added an RBI single for a 3-1 edge. New York answered quickly with back-to-back RBI singles in the bottom of the seventh to tie the game.

Paul Molitor led off the eighth with a homer, and after John allowed a single to Yount, Simmons doubled in another run to make it 5-3. Fingers got the win in relief and shut down the Yankees in the ninth. This was Milwaukee’s first postseason victory.

Game 4

For Game 4, Pete Vuckovich started for the Brewers against Rick Reuschel. Milwaukee jumped ahead 2-0 in the fourth on a Cecil Cooper sacrifice fly and a Ben Oglivie RBI double. New York got one back in the sixth on a Lou Piniella fielder’s choice. The Yankees had chances to clinch in the seventh and ninth innings, but Fingers escaped both times to earn the save and tie the series at two games each.