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. This was the only postseason where MLB used a divisional-based playoff structure instead of a conference-based one.
In the American League, the New York Yankees and Kansas City Royals both made their fifth appearances in the past six years, the Oakland Athletics returned to the postseason for the first time since 1975, and the Milwaukee Brewers made their first postseason appearance in franchise history, and was only the first of two postseason appearances that the Brewers made during their time in the American League. This was the Yankees’ last postseason appearance until 1995.
In the National League, the Houston Astros made their second straight appearance, the Philadelphia Phillies returned for the fifth time in the past six years, the Los Angeles Dodgers made their fourth appearance in the past six years, and the Montreal Expos made their first postseason appearance in franchise history, and their only appearance during their time in Montreal, as the team did not return to the postseason again until 2012 after they moved to Washington, D.C. to become the Washington Nationals.
The postseason began on October 6, 1981, and ended on October 28, 1981, with the Dodgers defeating the Yankees in six games in the 1981 World Series. It was the fifth title for the Dodgers overall and their first since 1965.
Due to the strike-shortened season, the teams that finished first in their divisions during each half of the season qualified for the postseason. This was the last edition of the postseason to feature four teams per league until 1995 when the LDS was made a permanent addition to the format.
NOTE: Due to the 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).
This was the first postseason meeting between the Athletics and Royals. The Athletics swept the defending American League champion Royals to return to the ALCS for the first time since 1975.
Mike Norris pitched a four-hit complete game shutout as the Athletics stole Game 1 on the road. In Game 2, Steve McCatty delivered another complete-game performance for the Athletics as they won 2–1 to go up 2–0 in the series headed to Oakland. In Game 3, a two-run homer from Dave McKay helped seal an Athletics victory as they completed the sweep to advance.
Both teams would meet again in the 2014 AL Wild Card, which the Royals won 9–8 in 12 innings before falling in the World Series that year.
The Yankees fended off a late comeback by the Brewers to win the series in five games to advance to the ALCS for the second year in a row.
In Game 1, the Brewers jumped out to an early lead, but the Yankees put up four runs in the top of the fourth thanks to a two-run blast from Oscar Gamble and a two-run RBI double by Rick Cerone to take the lead for good and win. Dave Righetti pitched six innings of shutout ball and Goose Gossage got his second straight save as the Yankees won Game 2 by a 3-0 score to take a 2–0 series lead headed to the Bronx. In Game 3, a leadoff home run from Paul Molitor in the top of the eighth helped break a 3-3 tie and put the Brewers in the lead for good as they won their first postseason game in franchise history. Pete Vuckovich pitched five shutout innings and Rollie Fingers earned a save as the Brewers won to force a decisive fifth game. In Game 5, the Brewers jumped out to an early 2-0 lead, but like in Game 1, the Yankees put up four runs in the fourth to take the lead for good and advance, thanks to home runs from Gamble and Reggie Jackson.
The Brewers would return to the postseason the next year and even make the World Series as well, but they would fall to the St. Louis Cardinals in seven games after being eleven outs away from the championship in Game 7.
This was the first postseason meeting between the Dodgers and Astros. The Dodgers rallied from a two games to none series hole to defeat the Astros in five games, and advanced to the NLCS for the fourth time in eight years.
Game 1 was a pitchers' duel between Houston's Nolan Ryan and Los Angeles' Dave Stewart, which was won by the former as the Astros won on a walk-off two-run home run from Alan Ashby. Game 2 was another pitchers' duel between both teams' bullpens that lasted 11 innings, and the Astros would prevail again as Denny Walling won the game for Houston with an RBI single to right field. When the series shifted to Los Angeles, the Dodgers got on the board in Game 3, winning 6–1 to avoid a sweep. Game 4 was another pitchers duel, this time between the Dodgers' Fernando Valenzuela and the Astros' Vern Ruhle. Both pitched a complete game, but Valenzuela took the win as the Dodgers prevailed 2–1 to even the series. Game 5 was a pitchers' duel yet again, featuring Ryan for the Astros and Jerry Reuss for the Dodgers. Reuss won the duel as he pitched a five-hit shutout as the Dodgers won 4–0.
In 2017, after joining the American League, the Astros would meet the Dodgers again in the 2017 World Series, which the Astros won in seven games for their first World Series title.
(E1) Philadelphia Phillies vs. (E2) Montreal Expos
This was the first postseason series played outside of the United States. In their only playoff series win in Quebec, Canada, the Expos fended off a late comeback by the defending World Series champion Phillies to win the series in five games and advance to the NLCS for the first time in franchise history.
The Expos won their first playoff game in franchise history in Game 1 thanks to a solid pitching performance from Steve Rogers. Bill Gullickson and closer Jeff Reardon helped keep the Phillies' offense at bay in Game 2 as the Expos won 3–1, taking a 2–0 series lead headed to Philadelphia. In Game 3, the Phillies jumped out to a big lead and did not relinquish it, winning 6–2 to avoid a sweep. Game 4 was an offensive duel which the Phillies won in extra innings to even the series, capped off by a walk-off solo home run from George Vukovich. However, the Expos would ultimately prevail in Game 5, 3–0, as Rogers pitched a six-hit shutout in the Expos' only playoff series win in Montreal.
The series is the only postseason matchup in the rivalry between the Phillies and Expos. This would also be the last playoff series won by the Expos/Nationals franchise until 2019, and the only playoff series won by a Canadian-based team until the Toronto Blue Jays won the American League pennant in 1992.
This was the first postseason meeting between the Yankees and Athletics. The Yankees swept the Athletics, and returned to the World Series for the fourth time in six years (in the process denying a rematch of the 1974 World Series between the Athletics and Dodgers).
This ALCS was heavily lopsided in favor of the Yankees – the only close contest of the series was in Game 1, which the Yankees won 3–1. The Yankees then blew out the Athletics in Game 2 by ten runs to take a 2–0 series lead headed to Oakland. The Yankees completed the sweep in Game 3 as Dave Righetti and closer Ron Davis shut down the Athletics' offense, winning 4–0.
This was the last time the Yankees won the AL pennant until 1996, where they defeated the Baltimore Orioles in five games en route to a World Series title.
The Athletics would return to the ALCS in 1988, where they swept the Boston Red Sox before falling in the World Series. This was the last edition of the postseason to feature a team led by manager Billy Martin (the Athletics), who passed away in a car accident in 1989.
Both teams would face each other again in the ALDS in 2000 and 2001, as well as the 2018 AL Wild Card Game, with all three being won by the Yankees.
This was the first postseason meeting between the Dodgers and Expos. The Dodgers narrowly defeated the Expos in five games, returning to the World Series for the fourth time in eight years.
Burt Hooton pitched seven innings of shutout ball as the Dodgers took Game 1. Game 2 was a pitchers’ duel between Montreal’s Ray Burris and Los Angeles’ Fernando Valenzuela which was won by the former as Burris pitched a complete game shutout in an Expos victory in Game 2 to even the series headed to Montreal. In the first LCS game played in Canada, Steve Rogers pitched another complete game and a three-run homer from Jerry White in the bottom of the sixth secured an Expos victory in Game 3, now one win away from the World Series. However, it would be the Expos’ last playoff victory in Quebec. Hooton once again stymied by the Expos’ offense in Game 4 as the Dodgers prevailed in a blowout win to force a decisive fifth game. In Game 5, Valenzuela would redeem himself on the mound as he pitched eight solid innings, only surrendering one run. With the game tied after eight, Expos manager Jim Fanning made the decision to retire Burris after eight innings and put in Rogers on relief duty on two-days rest. However, this decision proved to be fatal for the Expos. With two out in the top of the ninth, Rogers surrendered a go-ahead solo homer to Rick Monday that put the Dodgers in the lead for good, effectively securing the pennant in what became known as "Blue Monday" in Expos’ lore. Game 5 was the last postseason game ever played at Olympic Stadium.
This would be the last appearance in the NLCS by the Expos/Nationals franchise until 2019, where they swept the St. Louis Cardinals en route to the franchise's first World Series title.
In the eleventh World Series meeting in the history of the Dodgers–Yankees rivalry, the Dodgers rallied from a two games to none series deficit to defeat the Yankees in six games to capture their first World Series title since 1965. This series was a reverse of the 1978 World Series, which the Yankees won in six games after trailing two games to none.
The Yankees held off a late rally by the Dodgers to take Game 1 by a 5–3 score, and Tommy John and Goose Gossage helped shut out the Dodgers in Game 2 to go up 2–0 in the series headed to Los Angeles. The Dodgers rallied late in the fifth inning of Game 3 to get on the board, and Fernando Valenzuela pitched a complete game for the Dodgers. Game 4 was a slugfest that was won by the Dodgers, 8–7, to even the series. Jerry Reuss outdueled Ron Guidry in Game 5 as Reuss pitched a complete game in a 2–1 Dodgers victory, giving the Dodgers a 3–2 series lead headed back to the Bronx. The Dodgers blew out the Yankees in Game 6 to capture the title.
The Dodgers were the last visiting team to win the World Series at Yankee Stadium until the Florida Marlins did so in 2003. The Dodgers would make one more appearance in the World Series later this decade in 1988, where they famously upset the heavily favored Oakland Athletics in five games.
This would be the last postseason appearance by the Yankees until 1995, as the franchise entered a rare and unusual slump for the next fourteen seasons. They would not return to the World Series again until 1996, where they defeated the Atlanta Braves in six games, marking the start of a dynasty for the Yankees.
NBC televised both LCS nationally in the United States. Each team's local broadcaster also televised coverage of LCS games. ABC aired the World Series.
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