1981 Los Angeles Dodgers season

1981 Los Angeles Dodgers
1981 Los Angeles Dodgers
World Series Champions; National League Champions; National League West Co-Champions
League	National League
Division	West
Ballpark	Dodger Stadium
City	Los Angeles
Record	63–47 (.573) (Overall); 36–21 (.632) (First half); 27–26 (.509) (Second half)
Divisional place	2nd (Overall); 1st (First half); 4th (Second half)
Owners	Peter O'Malley
General managers	Al Campanis
Managers	Tommy Lasorda
Television	KTTV (11); Vin Scully, Jerry Doggett, Ross Porter ; ONTV ; Geoff Witcher, Al Downing
Radio	KABC ; Vin Scully, Jerry Doggett, Ross Porter ; KTNQ ; Jaime Jarrín, Rudy Hoyos

Last updated January 13, 2025

The 1981 Los Angeles Dodgers season got off to a strong start when rookie pitcher Fernando Valenzuela pitched a shutout on opening day, starting the craze that came to be known as "Fernandomania." Fernando went on to win both the Rookie of the Year and Cy Young Awards.

The season was divided into two halves because of a two-month long mid-season players' strike. The Dodgers won the National League West in the first half and advanced to the playoffs. They beat the Houston Astros in the NLDS and the Montreal Expos in the NLCS before beating the New York Yankees to win the World Series.

Offseason

December 4, 1980: Don Sutton signed with the Houston Astros as a free agent.
March 30, 1981: Acquired Ken Landreaux ^[1] from the Minnesota Twins for Mickey Hatcher and Matt Reeves^[2]

Regular season

Season standings

v
t
e
NL West
Team	W	L	Pct.	GB	Home	Road
Cincinnati Reds	66	42	.611	—	32‍–‍22	34‍–‍20
Los Angeles Dodgers	63	47	.573	4	33‍–‍23	30‍–‍24
Houston Astros	61	49	.555	6	31‍–‍20	30‍–‍29
San Francisco Giants	56	55	.505	11½	29‍–‍24	27‍–‍31
Atlanta Braves	50	56	.472	15	22‍–‍27	28‍–‍29
San Diego Padres	41	69	.373	26	20‍–‍35	21‍–‍34

NL West First Half Standings	W	L	Pct.	GB
Los Angeles Dodgers	36	21	.632	—
Cincinnati Reds	35	21	.625	1⁄2
Houston Astros	28	29	.491	8
Atlanta Braves	25	29	.463	9+1⁄2
San Francisco Giants	27	32	.458	10
San Diego Padres	23	33	.411	12+1⁄2

NL West Second Half Standings	W	L	Pct.	GB
Houston Astros	33	20	.623	—
Cincinnati Reds	31	21	.596	1+1⁄2
San Francisco Giants	29	23	.558	3+1⁄2
Los Angeles Dodgers	27	26	.509	6
Atlanta Braves	25	27	.481	7+1⁄2
San Diego Padres	18	36	.333	15+1⁄2

Record vs. opponents

1981 National League record v t e Sources:
Team	ATL	CHC	CIN	HOU	LAD	MON	NYM	PHI	PIT	SD	SF	STL
Atlanta	—	3–2–1	6–5	4–8	7–7	3–7	3–3	4–5	2–3	9–6	5–7	4–3
Chicago	2–3–1	—	1–5	1–6	6–4	4–7	5–8–1	2–10	4–10	3–3	5–5	5–4–1
Cincinnati	5–6	5–1	—	8–4	8–8	5–4	7–3	5–2	4–2	10–2	9–5	0–5
Houston	8–4	6–1	4–8	—	4–8	5–2	6–3	4–6	2–4	11–3	9–6	2–4
Los Angeles	7–7	4–6	8–8	8–4	—	5–2	5–1	3–3	5–1	6–5	7–5	5–5
Montreal	7–3	7–4	4–5	2–5	2–5	—	9–3	7–4	10–3	4–2	2–5	6–9
New York	3–3	8–5–1	3–7	3–6	1–5	3–9	—	7–7	3–6–1	2–5	2–4	6–5
Philadelphia	5-4	10–2	2–5	6–4	3–3	4–7	7–7	—	7–5	4–2	4–3	7–6
Pittsburgh	3–2	10–4	2–4	4–2	1–5	3–10	6–3–1	5–7	—	6–4	3–7	3–8
San Diego	6–9	3–3	2–10	3–11	5–6	2–4	5–2	2–4	4–6	—	6–7	3–7
San Francisco	7–5	5–5	5–9	6–9	5–7	5–2	4–2	3–4	7–3	7–6	—	2–3
St. Louis	3–4	4–5–1	5–0	4–2	5–5	9–6	5–6	6–7	8–3	7–3	3–2	—

Opening Day lineup


Opening Day starters
Name	Position
Davey Lopes	Second baseman
Ken Landreaux	Center fielder
Dusty Baker	Left fielder
Steve Garvey	First baseman
Ron Cey	Third baseman
Pedro Guerrero	Right fielder
Mike Scioscia	Catcher
Bill Russell	Shortstop
Fernando Valenzuela	Starting pitcher

Roster

1981 Los Angeles Dodgers

Roster

Pitchers

Catchers

Infielders

Outfielders

Manager

2 Tommy Lasorda

Coaches

Starting pitchers stats

Note: G = Games pitched; GS = Games started; IP = Innings pitched; ERA = Earned run average; W/L = Wins/Losses; BB = Walks allowed; SO = Strikeouts; CG = Complete games

Name	G	GS	IP	ERA	W/L	BB	SO	CG
Fernando Valenzuela	25	25	192.1	2.48	13-7	61	180	11
Burt Hooton	23	23	142.1	2.28	11-6	33	74	5
Bob Welch	23	23	141.1	3.44	9-5	41	88	2
Jerry Reuss	22	22	152.2	2.30	10-4	27	51	8

Relief pitchers stats

Note: G = Games pitched; GS = Games started; IP = Innings pitched; ERA = Earned run average; W/L = Wins/Losses; BB = Walks allowed; SO = Strikeouts; SV = Saves

Name	G	GS	IP	ERA	W/L	BB	SO	SV
Steve Howe	41	0	54.0	2.50	5-3	18	32	8
Bobby Castillo	34	1	50.2	5.33	2-4	18	32	5
Dave Stewart	32	0	43.1	2.49	4-3	14	29	6
Terry Forster	21	0	30.2	4.11	0-1	15	17	0
Dave Goltz	26	8	77.0	4.09	2-7	25	48	1
Rick Sutcliffe	14	6	47.0	4.02	2-2	20	16	0
Tom Niedenfuer	17	0	26.0	3.81	3-1	6	12	2
Alejandro Peña	14	0	25.1	2.84	1-1	11	14	2
Ted Power	5	2	14.1	3.14	1-3	7	7	0

Batting stats

Note: Pos = Position; G = Games played; AB = At bats; Avg. = Batting average; R = Runs scored; H = Hits; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in; SB = Stolen bases

Name	Pos	G	AB	Avg.	R	H	HR	RBI	SB
Mike Scioscia	C	93	290	.276	27	80	2	29	0
Steve Yeager	C	42	86	.209	5	18	3	7	0
Jerry Grote	C	2	2	.000	0	0	0	0	0
Steve Garvey	1B	110	431	.283	63	122	10	64	3
Davey Lopes	2B	58	214	.289	35	44	5	17	20
Bill Russell	SS	82	262	.233	20	61	0	22	2
Ron Cey	3B	85	312	.288	42	90	13	50	0
Derrel Thomas	2B/3B/SS/OF	80	218	.248	25	54	4	24	7
Steve Sax	2B	31	119	.277	15	33	2	9	5
Pepe Frías	SS/2B/3B	25	36	.250	6	9	0	3	0
Reggie Smith	1B	41	35	.200	5	7	1	8	0
Mike Marshall	1B/3B/OF	14	25	.200	2	5	0	1	0
Gary Weiss	SS	14	19	.105	2	2	0	1	0
Jack Perconte	2B	8	9	.222	2	2	0	1	1
Dusty Baker	OF	103	400	.320	48	128	9	49	10
Pedro Guerrero	OF/3B/1B	98	347	.300	46	104	12	48	5
Ken Landreaux	OF	99	390	.251	48	98	7	41	18
Rick Monday	OF	66	130	.315	24	41	11	25	1
Jay Johnstone	OF/1B	61	83	.205	8	17	3	6	0
Ron Roenicke	OF	22	47	.234	6	11	0	0	1
Joe Ferguson	OF	17	14	.143	2	2	0	1	0
Candy Maldonado	OF	11	12	.093	0	1	0	0	0
Bobby Mitchell	OF	10	5	.125	0	1	0	0	0
Mark Bradley	OF	9	6	.167	2	1	0	0	0

Postseason

1981 National League Division Series

In the divisional series, the Dodgers fell behind the Houston Astros two games to zero but came back to win the next three games to take the series and advance to the LCS.

Game 1

October 6, The Astrodome, Houston, Texas

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Los Angeles	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	0	1	2	0
Houston	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	0	2	3	8	0
W: Nolan Ryan (1-0) L: Dave Stewart (0-1)
HRs: LA– Steve Garvey (1) HOU– Alan Ashby (1)

Game 2

October 7, The Astrodome, Houston, Texas

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	R	H	E
Los Angeles	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	9	1
Houston	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	1	9	0
W: Joe Sambito (1-0) L: Dave Stewart (0-2)
HRs: LA– none HOU– none

Game 3

October 9, Dodger Stadium, Los Angeles

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Houston	0	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	3	2
Los Angeles	3	0	0	0	0	3	0	0	X	6	10	0
W: Burt Hooton (1-0) L: Bob Knepper (0-1)
HRs: HOU– Art Howe (1) LA– Steve Garvey (2)

Game 4

October 10, Dodger Stadium, Los Angeles

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Houston	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	1	4	0
Los Angeles	0	0	0	0	1	0	1	0	X	2	4	0
W: Fernando Valenzuela (1-0) L: Vern Ruhle (0-1)
HRs: HOU– none LA– Pedro Guerrero (1)

Game 5

October 11, Dodger Stadium, Los Angeles

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Houston	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	5	3
Los Angeles	0	0	0	0	0	3	1	0	X	4	7	2
W: Jerry Reuss (1-0) L: Nolan Ryan (1-1)
HRs: HOU– none LA– none

1981 National League Championship Series

The Dodgers faced the Montreal Expos in the 1981 NLCS and beat them three games to two, thanks to a ninth-inning home run by Rick Monday in Game 5.

Game 1

October 13, Dodger Stadium, Los Angeles

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Montreal	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	1	9	0
Los Angeles	0	2	0	0	0	0	0	3	X	5	8	0
W: Burt Hooton (1-0) L: Bill Gullickson (0-1)
HRs: MON– None LAD– Pedro Guerrero (1), Mike Scioscia (1)
Pitchers: MON– Gullickson, Reardon (8) LAD– Hooton, Welch (8), Howe (9)
Attendance: 51,273

Game 2

October 14, Dodger Stadium, Los Angeles

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Montreal	0	2	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	3	10	1
Los Angeles	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	5	1
W: Ray Burris (1-0) L: Fernando Valenzuela (0-1)
HRs: MON– None LAD– None
Pitchers: MON– Burris LAD– Valenzuela, Niedenfuer (7), Forster (7), Pena (7), Castillo (9)
Attendance: 53,463

Game 3

October 16, Olympic Stadium, Montreal, Quebec

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Los Angeles	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	1	7	0
Montreal	0	0	0	0	0	4	0	0	X	4	7	1
W: Steve Rogers (1-0) L: Jerry Reuss (0-1)
HRs: LAD– None MON– Jerry White (1)
Pitchers: LAD– Reuss, Pena (8) MON– Rogers
Attendance: 54,372

Game 4

October 17, Olympic Stadium, Montreal, Quebec

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Los Angeles	0	0	1	0	0	0	0	2	4	7	12	1
Montreal	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	1	5	1
W: Burt Hooton (2-0) L: Bill Gullickson (0-2)
HRs: LAD– Steve Garvey (1) MON– None
Pitchers: LAD– Hooton, Welch (8), Howe (9) MON– Gullickson, Fryman (8), Sosa (9), Lee (9)
Attendance: 54,499

Game 5

October 19, Olympic Stadium, Montreal, Quebec

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Los Angeles	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	1	2	6	0
Montreal	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	3	1
W: Fernando Valenzuela (1-1) L: Steve Rogers (1-1) SV: Bob Welch (1)
HRs: LAD– Rick Monday (1) MON– None
Pitchers: LAD– Valenzuela, Welch (9) MON– Burris, Rogers (9)
Attendance: 36,491

1981 World Series

The Dodgers met the New York Yankees in the World Series once again, this time beating them in six games to claim their first championship since 1965.

Game 1

October 20, Yankee Stadium, New York

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Los Angeles	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	2	0	3	5	0
New York	3	0	1	1	0	0	0	0	X	5	6	0
W: Ron Guidry (1-0) L: Jerry Reuss (0-1) SV: Goose Gossage (1)
HRs: LAD– Steve Yeager (1) NY– Bob Watson (1)

Game 2

October 21, Yankee Stadium, New York

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Los Angeles	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	4	2
New York	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	2	X	3	6	1
W: Tommy John (1-0) L: Burt Hooton (0-1) SV: Goose Gossage (2)
HRs: LAD– none NY– none

Game 3

October 23, Dodger Stadium, Los Angeles

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
New York	0	2	2	0	0	0	0	0	0	4	9	0
Los Angeles	3	0	0	0	2	0	0	0	X	5	11	1
W: Fernando Valenzuela (1-0) L: George Frazier (0-1) SV: none)
HRs: NY– Rick Cerone (1), Bob Watson (2) LA– Ron Cey (1)

Game 4

October 24, Dodger Stadium, Los Angeles

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
New York	2	1	1	0	0	2	0	1	0	7	13	1
Los Angeles	0	0	2	0	1	3	2	0	X	8	14	2
W: Steve Howe (1-0) L: George Frazier (0-2) SV: none)
HRs: NY– Willie Randolph (1), Reggie Jackson (1) LA– Jay Johnstone (1)

Game 5

October 25, Dodger Stadium, Los Angeles

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
New York	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	5	0
Los Angeles	0	0	0	0	0	2	0	0	X	2	4	3
W: Jerry Reuss (1-1) L: Ron Guidry (1-1) SV: none
HRs: NY– none LA– Pedro Guerrero (1), Steve Yeager (2)

Game 6

October 28, Yankee Stadium, New York

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Los Angeles	0	0	0	1	3	4	0	1	0	9	13	1
New York	0	0	1	0	0	1	0	0	0	2	7	2
W: Burt Hooton (1-1) L: George Frazier (0-3) SV: Steve Howe (1)
HRs: LAD– Pedro Guerrero (2) NY– Willie Randolph (2)

1981 awards

1981 Major League Baseball All-Star Game
- Fernando Valenzuela starter
- Davey Lopes starter
- Dusty Baker reserve
- Steve Garvey reserve
- Pedro Guerrero reserve
- Burt Hooton reserve
National League Rookie of the Year
- Fernando Valenzuela
National League Cy Young Award
- Fernando Valenzuela
NLCS Most Valuable Player
- Burt Hooton
World Series Most Valuable Player
Gold Glove Award
- Dusty Baker
Roberto Clemente Award
- Steve Garvey

Baseball Digest Rookie All-Star
- Dave Stewart
- Fernando Valenzuela
TSN Rookie Pitcher of the Year Award
- Fernando Valenzuela
TSN Pitcher of the Year Award
- Fernando Valenzuela
Silver Slugger Award
- Fernando Valenzuela
- Dusty Baker
TSN Major League Player of the Year Award
- Fernando Valenzuela
TSN National League All-Star
- Fernando Valenzuela
- Pedro Guerrero
NL Pitcher of the Month
- Fernando Valenzuela (April 1981)
NL Player of the Week
- Fernando Valenzuela (Apr. 6–12)
- Ron Cey (May 11–17)
- Fernando Valenzuela (Aug. 31 – Sep. 6)

Farm system

Level	Team	League	Manager
AAA	Albuquerque Dukes	Pacific Coast League	Del Crandall
AA	San Antonio Dodgers	Texas League	Don LeJohn
High A	Lodi Dodgers	California League	Terry Collins
High A	Vero Beach Dodgers	Florida State League	Stan Wasiak
Rookie	Lethbridge Dodgers	Pioneer League	Gary LaRocque

Teams in BOLD won League Championships

Major League Baseball Draft

The Dodgers drafted 33 players in the June draft and 18 in the January draft. Of those, eight players would eventually play in the Major Leagues. They received an extra pick in the 2nd round from the Houston Astros as compensation for the loss of free agent pitcher Don Sutton.

The Dodgers first round pick in the June draft was shortstop Dave Anderson from the University of Memphis. He played 10 seasons in the Majors (8 of them with the Dodgers), primarily as a utility infielder. The draft also included pitchers Sid Fernandez (round 3) and John Franco (round 5), both of whom would have lengthy Major League careers primarily with the New York Mets after the Dodgers traded them.

1981 Draft Picks

January draft

^[3]

Round	Name	Position	School	Signed	Career span	Highest level
1	Kelvin White	RHP	Cosumnes River College	No
2	Robert Seymour	OF	Sacramento City College	Yes	1981–1982	A
3	Frederick Bass	3B	Sacramento City College	Yes	1981	A
4	John Sylvia	SS	College of the Sequoias	Yes	1981–1982	A
5	Jack Loop	1B	Pasadena City College	No
6	Eugene Steinbach	C	Georgia Perimeter College	Yes	1981–1994	AA
7	Brad Harlow	SS	Cosumnes River College	No
8	Brett Radland	RHP	Valencia Community College	No
9	Jon Van Dort	OF	Chaffey College	No
10	Larry Riddle	RHP	Alvin Community College	No Red Sox-1984	1984	A
11	Andy Hargrove	RHP	Barstow Community College	No
12	James Sewell	OF	Sacramento City College	No
13	Ronnie Chapman	2B	Louisburg College	No Blue Jays-1982	1982–1986	AA
14	James Woods	IF	San Jacinto College	No
15	Charles Byers	3B	Chaffey College	No
16	Benny Distefano	1B	Alvin Community College	No Pirates-1982	1982–1993	MLB

January secondary phase

^[4]

Round	Name	Position	School	Signed	Career span	Highest level
1	Shayne Hammond	LHP	Southeastern Illinois College	Yes	1981–1983	AA
2	Tom DiCeglio	SS	Gulf Coast Community College	No Twins-1984	1984–1986	A

June draft

^[5]

Round	Name	Position	School	Signed	Career span	Highest level
1	Dave Anderson	SS	University of Memphis	Yes	1981–1992	MLB
2	Sid Bream	1B	Liberty University	Yes	1981–1994	MLB
2	Lemmie Miller	OF	Arizona State University	Yes	1981–1989	MLB
3	Sid Fernandez	LHP	Kaiser High School	No Angels-1984	1981–2001	MLB
4	Steven Boncore	C	University of La Verne	Yes	1981–1983	A
5	John Franco	LHP	St. John's University	Yes	1981–2005	MLB
6	Brian Williams	OF	South High School	Yes	1981–1986	A
7	Michael Beuder	LHP	Santa Clara University	Yes	1981–1983	A
8	Gregory Chinn	OF	California State University, Sacramento	Yes	1981–1983	A
9	Stu Pederson	OF	University of Southern California	Yes	1981–1992	MLB
10	Mark Pirruccello	C	California State University, Fullerton	No Royals-1982	1982–1984	AA
11	Gregory Carne	RHP	Redondo High School	Yes	1981–1984	A
12	Peyton Mosher	RHP	University of Georgia	Yes	1981–1984	A
13	David Anderson	RHP	University of Nevada, Reno	Yes	1982–1990	AAA
14	Dean Rennicke	RHP	University of Wisconsin–Madison	Yes	1981–1985	AAA
15	Jimmy Guillen	RHP	Roosevelt High School	No
16	Harold Perkins	SS	California State University, Los Angeles	Yes	1981–1991	AAA
17	Christopher Chavez	SS	University of Nebraska at Lincoln	Yes	1981–1982	AA
18	Jerry Bendorf	SS	Gonzaga University	Yes	1981–1982	AA
19	Jeffrey Greene	SS	University of Vermont	Yes	1981	Rookie
20	Tim Criswell	RHP	Carrollton High School	No Dodgers-1983	1983–1987	AA
21	John Gregory	1B	Lake Worth High School	Yes	1981–1984	A
22	Craig Thompson	OF	Dallas Baptist University	Yes	1981–1982	A
23	William Murray	2B	University of San Francisco	Yes	1981	A
24	Steven Young	OF	Chambersburg High School	Yes	1981	Rookie
25	Robert Philps	RHP	Carmichaels High School	No
26	Charles Beard	RHP	California State University, Sacramento	Yes	1981–1983	A
27	David Dunlap	IF	California State University, Sacramento	No
28	Brett Davis	OF	Pearland High School	No
29	Jeff Carter	IF	Evanston Township High School	No Giants-1985	1985–1996	AAA
30	Ronald Robbins	RHP	Louisiana State University at Alexandria	No Blue Jays-1983	1983–1984	A

June secondary phase

^[6]

Round	Name	Position	School	Signed	Career span	Highest level
1	Ralph Bryant	OF	Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College	Yes	1981–1996	MLB
2	Michael Moore	C	Edmonds Community College	Yes	1981–1982	A
3	Ethan McHenry	RHP	Yakima Valley Community College	No

Notes

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The 1985 Los Angeles Dodgers season was the 96th season for the Los Angeles Dodgers franchise in Major League Baseball (MLB), their 28th season in Los Angeles, California, and their 23rd season playing their home games at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles California. The team won the National League West before losing to the St. Louis Cardinals in the NLCS. Fernando Valenzuela set a major league record for most consecutive innings at the start of a season without allowing an earned run (41).

The 1983 Los Angeles Dodgers rebounded from being eliminated from the playoffs on the final day of the previous season to win their second National League West title in three years, but lost in the NLCS to the Philadelphia Phillies 3 games to 1.

The 1980 Los Angeles Dodgers finished the season in second place in the National League West, one game behind the Houston Astros. After the 162-game regular season, the Dodgers and Astros were tied in first place in the Western Division. The two teams faced off in a 1-game playoff on October 6, 1980 at Dodger Stadium, which the Astros won 7–1 behind a complete-game victory by pitcher Joe Niekro. Don Sutton set a Dodger record with his 52nd career shutout this season and the Dodgers also hosted the All-Star game for the first time.

The 1979 Los Angeles Dodgers season was the 90th season for the Los Angeles Dodgers franchise in Major League Baseball (MLB), their 22nd season in Los Angeles, California, and their 17th season playing their home games at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles California. The team finished the season in third place in the National League West. Near the end of the season, owner Walter O'Malley died, and the ownership of the team went to his son, Peter.

The 1978 Los Angeles Dodgers season was the 89th season for the Los Angeles Dodgers franchise in Major League Baseball (MLB), their 21st season in Los Angeles, California, and their 16th season playing their home games at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles California.

The 1977 Los Angeles Dodgers season saw Tommy Lasorda in his first full season at the helm of the Dodgers, replacing longtime manager Walter Alston as manager of the team near the end of the previous season. The Dodgers won the National League West by 10 games and defeated the Philadelphia Phillies in four games in the NLCS, then lost to the New York Yankees in the World Series. This edition of the Dodgers featured the first quartet of teammates that hit 30 or more home runs: Steve Garvey with 33, Reggie Smith with 32, and Dusty Baker and Ron Cey, who both hit 30. The Dodgers duplicated this feat again 20 years later in 1997.

The 1974 Los Angeles Dodgers won the National League West by four games over the Cincinnati Reds, then beat the Pittsburgh Pirates in the NLCS before losing to the Oakland Athletics in the World Series.

The 1981 Montreal Expos season was the 13th season in franchise history. They made it to the postseason for the first time in franchise history. Their playoff run ended in the NLCS against the Los Angeles Dodgers, with Rick Monday hitting a ninth-inning solo home run in game 5, subsequently referred to as "Blue Monday" by Expos fans. This was the closest the Expos ever got to a World Series appearance while in Montreal. This was also their last time winning a playoff series until 2019, which they won the Wild Card game. In addition, their 31-year playoff drought after this season is currently the longest in the Divisional era.

The 2008 Los Angeles Dodgers season featured the Dodgers celebrating their Golden Anniversary in Southern California under new manager Joe Torre as they won the National League West for the first time since 2004, and returned to the postseason after missing the playoffs in 2007. The Dodgers did not peak until September when the won 17–8, which was highlighted by the acquisition of superstar outfielder Manny Ramirez. Ramirez hit .396 with 17 HRs in 53 games after the trade on July 31. They swept the Chicago Cubs in the NLDS to advance to the NLCS. It was their first playoff series win since 1988 when they went on to win the World Series. However, they lost to the Philadelphia Phillies in five games in the NLCS.

The 1986 Houston Astros season was the 25th season for the Major League Baseball (MLB) franchise in Houston, Texas. For the second time in team history, the Astros won the National League West; it was their third postseason appearance the past seven seasons, and it would be their last for eleven years.

The 1980 Major League Baseball season concluded with the Philadelphia Phillies winning their first World Series championship.

The 1965 Major League Baseball season was contested from April 12 to October 14, 1965. The Los Angeles Dodgers and Minnesota Twins were the regular season champions of the National League and American League, respectively. The Dodgers then defeated the Twins in the World Series, four games to three.

Gerrit Alan Cole is an American professional baseball pitcher for the New York Yankees of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played in MLB for the Pittsburgh Pirates and Houston Astros. Cole played for the baseball team at Orange Lutheran High School and was selected by the Yankees in the first round of the 2008 MLB Draft. Cole opted not to sign and instead attended the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), where he played college baseball for the UCLA Bruins.

The 1981 Major League Baseball postseason was the playoff tournament of Major League Baseball for the 1981 season. 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. Teams faced each other in a League Division Series for the first time, a round of the postseason that did not return until 1995, where it became a permanent addition. The winners of the LDS moved on to the League Championship Series to determine the pennant winners that face each other in the World Series.

References

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[1] "Ken Landreaux Stats".

[2] Matt Reeves

[3] 1981 Los Angeles Dodgers Picks in the MLB January Draft-Regular Phase

[4] 1981 Los Angeles Dodgers Picks in the MLB January Draft-Secondary Phase

[5] 1981 Los Angeles Dodgers Picks in the MLB June Amateur Draft

[6] 1981 Los Angeles Dodgers Picks in the MLB June Draft-Secondary Phase

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[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

v t e World Series champions
1900s	1903: Boston Americans 1904: No series 1905: New York Giants 1906: Chicago White Sox 1907: Chicago Cubs 1908: Chicago Cubs 1909: Pittsburgh Pirates
1910s	1910: Philadelphia Athletics 1911: Philadelphia Athletics 1912: Boston Red Sox 1913: Philadelphia Athletics 1914: Boston Braves 1915: Boston Red Sox 1916: Boston Red Sox 1917: Chicago White Sox 1918: Boston Red Sox 1919: Cincinnati Reds
1920s	1920: Cleveland Indians 1921: New York Giants 1922: New York Giants 1923: New York Yankees 1924: Washington Senators 1925: Pittsburgh Pirates 1926: St. Louis Cardinals 1927: New York Yankees 1928: New York Yankees 1929: Philadelphia Athletics
1930s	1930: Philadelphia Athletics 1931: St. Louis Cardinals 1932: New York Yankees 1933: New York Giants 1934: St. Louis Cardinals 1935: Detroit Tigers 1936: New York Yankees 1937: New York Yankees 1938: New York Yankees 1939: New York Yankees
1940s	1940: Cincinnati Reds 1941: New York Yankees 1942: St. Louis Cardinals 1943: New York Yankees 1944: St. Louis Cardinals 1945: Detroit Tigers 1946: St. Louis Cardinals 1947: New York Yankees 1948: Cleveland Indians 1949: New York Yankees
1950s	1950: New York Yankees 1951: New York Yankees 1952: New York Yankees 1953: New York Yankees 1954: New York Giants 1955: Brooklyn Dodgers 1956: New York Yankees 1957: Milwaukee Braves 1958: New York Yankees 1959: Los Angeles Dodgers
1960s	1960: Pittsburgh Pirates 1961: New York Yankees 1962: New York Yankees 1963: Los Angeles Dodgers 1964: St. Louis Cardinals 1965: Los Angeles Dodgers 1966: Baltimore Orioles 1967: St. Louis Cardinals 1968: Detroit Tigers 1969: New York Mets
1970s	1970: Baltimore Orioles 1971: Pittsburgh Pirates 1972: Oakland Athletics 1973: Oakland Athletics 1974: Oakland Athletics 1975: Cincinnati Reds 1976: Cincinnati Reds 1977: New York Yankees 1978: New York Yankees 1979: Pittsburgh Pirates
1980s	1980: Philadelphia Phillies 1981: Los Angeles Dodgers 1982: St. Louis Cardinals 1983: Baltimore Orioles 1984: Detroit Tigers 1985: Kansas City Royals 1986: New York Mets 1987: Minnesota Twins 1988: Los Angeles Dodgers 1989: Oakland Athletics
1990s	1990: Cincinnati Reds 1991: Minnesota Twins 1992: Toronto Blue Jays 1993: Toronto Blue Jays 1994: No series 1995: Atlanta Braves 1996: New York Yankees 1997: Florida Marlins 1998: New York Yankees 1999: New York Yankees
2000s	2000: New York Yankees 2001: Arizona Diamondbacks 2002: Anaheim Angels 2003: Florida Marlins 2004: Boston Red Sox 2005: Chicago White Sox 2006: St. Louis Cardinals 2007: Boston Red Sox 2008: Philadelphia Phillies 2009: New York Yankees
2010s	2010: San Francisco Giants 2011: St. Louis Cardinals 2012: San Francisco Giants 2013: Boston Red Sox 2014: San Francisco Giants 2015: Kansas City Royals 2016: Chicago Cubs 2017: Houston Astros 2018: Boston Red Sox 2019: Washington Nationals
2020s	2020: Los Angeles Dodgers 2021: Atlanta Braves 2022: Houston Astros 2023: Texas Rangers 2024: Los Angeles Dodgers

v t e National League champions
1870s	1876: Chicago White Stockings 1877: Boston Red Caps 1878: Boston Red Caps 1879: Providence Grays
1880s	1880: Chicago White Stockings 1881: Chicago White Stockings 1882: Chicago White Stockings 1883: Boston Beaneaters 1884: Providence Grays 1885: Chicago White Stockings 1886: Chicago White Stockings 1887: Detroit Wolverines 1888: New York Giants 1889: New York Giants
1890s	1890: Brooklyn Bridegrooms 1891: Boston Beaneaters 1892: Boston Beaneaters 1893: Boston Beaneaters 1894: Baltimore Orioles 1895: Baltimore Orioles 1896: Baltimore Orioles 1897: Boston Beaneaters 1898: Boston Beaneaters 1899: Brooklyn Superbas
1900s	1900: Brooklyn Superbas 1901: Pittsburgh Pirates 1902: Pittsburgh Pirates 1903: Pittsburgh Pirates 1904: New York Giants 1905: New York Giants 1906: Chicago Cubs 1907: Chicago Cubs 1908: Chicago Cubs 1909: Pittsburgh Pirates
1910s	1910: Chicago Cubs 1911: New York Giants 1912: New York Giants 1913: New York Giants 1914: Boston Braves 1915: Philadelphia Phillies 1916: Brooklyn Robins 1917: New York Giants 1918: Chicago Cubs 1919: Cincinnati Reds
1920s	1920: Brooklyn Robins 1921: New York Giants 1922: New York Giants 1923: New York Giants 1924: New York Giants 1925: Pittsburgh Pirates 1926: St. Louis Cardinals 1927: Pittsburgh Pirates 1928: St. Louis Cardinals 1929: Chicago Cubs
1930s	1930: St. Louis Cardinals 1931: St. Louis Cardinals 1932: Chicago Cubs 1933: New York Giants 1934: St. Louis Cardinals 1935: Chicago Cubs 1936: New York Giants 1937: New York Giants 1938: Chicago Cubs 1939: Cincinnati Reds
1940s	1940: Cincinnati Reds 1941: Brooklyn Dodgers 1942: St. Louis Cardinals 1943: St. Louis Cardinals 1944: St. Louis Cardinals 1945: Chicago Cubs 1946: St. Louis Cardinals 1947: Brooklyn Dodgers 1948: Boston Braves 1949: Brooklyn Dodgers
1950s	1950: Philadelphia Phillies 1951: New York Giants 1952: Brooklyn Dodgers 1953: Brooklyn Dodgers 1954: New York Giants 1955: Brooklyn Dodgers 1956: Brooklyn Dodgers 1957: Milwaukee Braves 1958: Milwaukee Braves 1959: Los Angeles Dodgers
1960s	1960: Pittsburgh Pirates 1961: Cincinnati Reds 1962: San Francisco Giants 1963: Los Angeles Dodgers 1964: St. Louis Cardinals 1965: Los Angeles Dodgers 1966: Los Angeles Dodgers 1967: St. Louis Cardinals 1968: St. Louis Cardinals 1969: New York Mets
1970s	1970: Cincinnati Reds 1971: Pittsburgh Pirates 1972: Cincinnati Reds 1973: New York Mets 1974: Los Angeles Dodgers 1975: Cincinnati Reds 1976: Cincinnati Reds 1977: Los Angeles Dodgers 1978: Los Angeles Dodgers 1979: Pittsburgh Pirates
1980s	1980: Philadelphia Phillies 1981: Los Angeles Dodgers 1982: St. Louis Cardinals 1983: Philadelphia Phillies 1984: San Diego Padres 1985: St. Louis Cardinals 1986: New York Mets 1987: St. Louis Cardinals 1988: Los Angeles Dodgers 1989: San Francisco Giants
1990s	1990: Cincinnati Reds 1991: Atlanta Braves 1992: Atlanta Braves 1993: Philadelphia Phillies 1994: No champion 1995: Atlanta Braves 1996: Atlanta Braves 1997: Florida Marlins 1998: San Diego Padres 1999: Atlanta Braves
2000s	2000: New York Mets 2001: Arizona Diamondbacks 2002: San Francisco Giants 2003: Florida Marlins 2004: St. Louis Cardinals 2005: Houston Astros 2006: St. Louis Cardinals 2007: Colorado Rockies 2008: Philadelphia Phillies 2009: Philadelphia Phillies
2010s	2010: San Francisco Giants 2011: St. Louis Cardinals 2012: San Francisco Giants 2013: St. Louis Cardinals 2014: San Francisco Giants 2015: New York Mets 2016: Chicago Cubs 2017: Los Angeles Dodgers 2018: Los Angeles Dodgers 2019: Washington Nationals
2020s	2020: Los Angeles Dodgers 2021: Atlanta Braves 2022: Philadelphia Phillies 2023: Arizona Diamondbacks 2024: Los Angeles Dodgers

v t e National League West champions
1960s	1969: Atlanta Braves
1970s	1970: Cincinnati Reds 1971: San Francisco Giants 1972: Cincinnati Reds 1973: Cincinnati Reds 1974: Los Angeles Dodgers 1975: Cincinnati Reds 1976: Cincinnati Reds 1977: Los Angeles Dodgers 1978: Los Angeles Dodgers 1979: Cincinnati Reds
1980s	1980: Houston Astros 1981: Los Angeles Dodgers 1982: Atlanta Braves 1983: Los Angeles Dodgers 1984: San Diego Padres 1985: Los Angeles Dodgers 1986: Houston Astros 1987: San Francisco Giants 1988: Los Angeles Dodgers 1989: San Francisco Giants
1990s	1990: Cincinnati Reds 1991: Atlanta Braves 1992: Atlanta Braves 1993: Atlanta Braves 1994: No champion 1995: Los Angeles Dodgers 1996: San Diego Padres 1997: San Francisco Giants 1998: San Diego Padres 1999: Arizona Diamondbacks
2000s	2000: San Francisco Giants 2001: Arizona Diamondbacks 2002: Arizona Diamondbacks 2003: San Francisco Giants 2004: Los Angeles Dodgers 2005: San Diego Padres 2006: San Diego Padres 2007: Arizona Diamondbacks 2008: Los Angeles Dodgers 2009: Los Angeles Dodgers
2010s	2010: San Francisco Giants 2011: Arizona Diamondbacks 2012: San Francisco Giants 2013: Los Angeles Dodgers 2014: Los Angeles Dodgers 2015: Los Angeles Dodgers 2016: Los Angeles Dodgers 2017: Los Angeles Dodgers 2018: Los Angeles Dodgers 2019: Los Angeles Dodgers
2020s	2020: Los Angeles Dodgers 2021: San Francisco Giants 2022: Los Angeles Dodgers 2023: Los Angeles Dodgers 2024: Los Angeles Dodgers

v t e Los Angeles Dodgers 1981 World Series champions
6 Steve Garvey 7 Steve Yeager (World Series MVP) 8 Reggie Smith 10 Ron Cey (World Series MVP) 12 Dusty Baker 14 Mike Scioscia 15 Davey Lopes 16 Rick Monday 18 Bill Russell 21 Jay Johnstone 26 Alejandro Peña 28 Pedro Guerrero (World Series MVP) 30 Derrel Thomas 34 Fernando Valenzuela (NL ROY & NL CYA) 35 Bob Welch 37 Bobby Castillo 38 Dave Goltz 41 Jerry Reuss 44 Ken Landreaux 46 Burt Hooton (NLCS MVP) 48 Dave Stewart 49 Tom Niedenfuer 51 Terry Forster 52 Steve Sax 57 Steve Howe
Manager 2 Tommy Lasorda Coaches 11 Manny Mota 29 Ron Perranoski 33 Danny Ozark 54 Monty Basgall 58 Mark Cresse
Regular season National League Division Series National League Championship Series Dodgers–Yankees rivalry

1981 Los Angeles Dodgers season

Contents

Offseason

Regular season

Season standings

Record vs. opponents

Opening Day lineup

Roster

Starting pitchers stats

Relief pitchers stats

Batting stats

Postseason

1981 National League Division Series

Game 1

Game 2

Game 3

Game 4

Game 5

1981 National League Championship Series

Game 1

Game 2

Game 3

Game 4

Game 5

1981 World Series

Game 1

Game 2

Game 3

Game 4

Game 5

Game 6

1981 awards

Farm system

Major League Baseball Draft

January draft

January secondary phase

June draft

June secondary phase

Notes

Related Research Articles

References

External links