| Tournament details | |
|---|---|
| Dates | October 4–16, 1983 [1] |
| Teams | 4 |
| Final positions | |
| Champions | Baltimore Orioles (3rd title) |
| Runner-up | Philadelphia Phillies (4th World Series appearance) |
| Awards | |
| MVP | Rick Dempsey (BAL) |
The 1983 Major League Baseball postseason was the playoff tournament of Major League Baseball for the 1983 season. The winners of each division advance to the postseason and face each other in a League Championship Series to determine the pennant winners that face each other in the World Series.
In the American League, the Baltimore Orioles made their seventh postseason appearance in the past fifteen years, and the Chicago White Sox made their first postseason appearance of the Divisional Era, marking the first time since 1959 that a Chicago MLB team made the postseason. This was the White Sox’s last postseason appearance until 1993, and Baltimore’s last postseason appearance until 1996.
In the National League, the Philadelphia Phillies returned to the postseason for the sixth time in eight years, and the Los Angeles Dodgers were making their fifth postseason appearance in the last seven years. This was Philadelphia’s last postseason appearance until 1993.
The playoffs began on October 4, 1983, and concluded on October 16, 1983, with the Orioles defeating the Phillies in five games in the 1983 World Series. This was the first title since 1970 for the Orioles and third overall.
The following teams qualified for the postseason:
| League Championship Series (ALCS, NLCS) | World Series | |||||||
| East | Baltimore | 3 | ||||||
| West | Chicago White Sox | 1 | ||||||
| AL | Baltimore | 4 | ||||||
| NL | Philadelphia | 1 | ||||||
| East | Philadelphia | 3 | ||||||
| West | Los Angeles | 1 | ||||||
Baltimore won the series, 3–1.
| Game | Date | Score | Location | Time | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | October 5 | Chicago White Sox – 2, Baltimore Orioles – 1 | Memorial Stadium | 2:38 | 51,289 [6] |
| 2 | October 6 | Chicago White Sox – 0, Baltimore Orioles – 4 | Memorial Stadium | 2:51 | 52,347 [7] |
| 3 | October 7 | Baltimore Orioles – 11, Chicago White Sox – 1 | Comiskey Park (I) | 2:58 | 46,635 [8] |
| 4 | October 8 | Baltimore Orioles – 3, Chicago White Sox – 0 (10) | Comiskey Park (I) | 3:41 | 45,477 [9] |
The Orioles defeated the White Sox in four games to reach their second World Series in the past five years.
The White Sox stole Game 1 on the road as starting pitcher LaMarr Hoyt nearly pitched a complete-game shutout. Mike Boddicker pitched a complete-game shutout for the Orioles in Game 2 as they won 4–0 to even the series. In Chicago, the Orioles blew out the White Sox in Game 3 by ten runs, and then shut out the White Sox again in an extra-inning Game 4 to secure the pennant. Game 4 of the 1983 ALCS was the last postseason game ever played at Comiskey Park.
This is the most recent pennant win by the Orioles as of 2025. They would not return to the ALCS until 1996, which they would lose to the eventual World Series champion New York Yankees in five games. The Orioles also returned to the ALCS in 1997 and 2014, but lost both to the Cleveland Indians and Kansas City Royals respectively. Aside from the Seattle Mariners, who have yet to win a pennant, the Orioles currently hold the longest pennant drought of any American League team as of 2025, which now stands at 42 years.
The White Sox would not return to the postseason again until 1993, where they would lose to the eventual back-to-back World Series champion Toronto Blue Jays in six games in the ALCS.
Philadelphia won the series, 3–1.
| Game | Date | Score | Location | Time | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | October 4 | Philadelphia Phillies – 1, Los Angeles Dodgers – 0 | Dodger Stadium | 2:17 | 55,254 [10] |
| 2 | October 5 | Philadelphia Phillies – 1, Los Angeles Dodgers – 4 | Dodger Stadium | 2:44 | 55,967 [11] |
| 3 | October 7 | Los Angeles Dodgers – 2, Philadelphia Phillies – 7 | Veterans Stadium | 2:51 | 53,490 [12] |
| 4 | October 8 | Los Angeles Dodgers – 2, Philadelphia Phillies – 7 | Veterans Stadium | 2:50 | 64,494 [13] |
This was the third time in seven years that these two teams faced each other in the NLCS. The Phillies finally defeated the Dodgers and advanced to the World Series for the second time in four years (in the process denying a rematch of the 1966 World Series between the Dodgers and Orioles).
Both teams split the first two games in Los Angeles - Steve Carlton and Al Holland preserved a 1–0 shutout for the Phillies in Game 1, while the Dodgers won Game 2, 4–1, to even the series headed to Philadelphia. Charles Hudson pitched a complete game for the Phillies as they blew out the Dodgers in Game 3. The Phillies clinched the pennant in Game 4 by blowing out the Dodgers again.
The Phillies would win their next NL pennant a decade later over the Atlanta Braves in six games before falling in the World Series. The Dodgers returned to the NLCS in 1985, but fell in six games to the St. Louis Cardinals. They would win their next pennant in 1988 over the New York Mets in seven games.
The Dodgers and Phillies would face off again in the 2008 and 2009 NLCS, with both series being won by the Phillies.
Baltimore won the series, 4–1.
| Game | Date | Score | Location | Time | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | October 11 | Philadelphia Phillies – 2, Baltimore Orioles – 1 | Memorial Stadium | 2:22 | 52,204 [14] |
| 2 | October 12 | Philadelphia Phillies – 1, Baltimore Orioles – 4 | Memorial Stadium | 2:27 | 52,132 [15] |
| 3 | October 14 | Baltimore Orioles – 3, Philadelphia Phillies – 2 | Veterans Stadium | 2:35 | 65,792 [16] |
| 4 | October 15 | Baltimore Orioles – 5, Philadelphia Phillies – 4 | Veterans Stadium | 2:50 | 66,947 [17] |
| 5 | October 16 | Baltimore Orioles – 5, Philadelphia Phillies – 0 | Veterans Stadium | 2:21 | 67,064 [18] |
This was the third Maryland-Pennsylvania World Series matchup (1971, 1979). The Orioles previously lost the last two meetings to the Pittsburgh Pirates in seven games. The Orioles defeated the Phillies in five games to win their first title since 1970, and their third overall.
In Baltimore, the Phillies stole Game 1 on the road, while the Orioles evened the series in Game 2 off a complete game performance from Mike Boddicker. Game 2 remains the most recent World Series game played in Baltimore to date. When the series shifted to Philadelphia, long-time Orioles pitching legend Jim Palmer helped preserve a 3–2 Oriole lead in Game 3 to take the series lead. Tippy Martinez fended off a late Phillies' rally as the Orioles won 5–4 to take a 3–1 series lead. The Orioles clinched the title in Game 5, 5–0, as Scott McGregor pitched a five-hit complete-game shutout.
The Phillies would return to the World Series in 1993, but they would fall to the Toronto Blue Jays in six games. They would eventually win the World Series again in 2008 over the Tampa Bay Rays in five games.
As of 2025, this is the last World Series to feature the Orioles, and was their last postseason appearance until 1996.
The 1983 World Series was the last postseason series ever played at Memorial Stadium.
NBC televised both LCS nationally in the United States. This was the last year that each team's local broadcaster was allowed to also televise coverage of LCS games.
ABC aired the World Series.
