1981 AL
From BR Bullpen
| 1981 in baseball |
|---|
| 1981 American League |
| Cuban National League |
| Japanese baseball |
| National League |
| << 1980 1982 >> |
The 1981 season of the American League was the eighty-first season of the league.
Contents |
[edit] Season summary
[edit] Standings
- Italics indicates half winner, Bold indicates league champion, Bold/Italics indicates World Series champion
[edit] Total Standings
| Rank | Team | G | W | L | T | WPCT | GB | RS (RS/G) | RA (RA/G) | AVG | OBP | SLG | ERA | FPCT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eastern Division | ||||||||||||||
| 1 | Milwaukee Brewers | 109 | 62 | 47 | 0 | .569 | -.- | 493 (4.52) | 459 (4.21) | 0.257 | 0.312 | 0.391 | 3.91 | 0.982 |
| 2 | Baltimore Orioles | 105 | 59 | 46 | 0 | .562 | 1.0 | 429 (4.09) | 437 (4.16) | 0.251 | 0.328 | 0.379 | 3.70 | 0.983 |
| 3 | New York Yankees | 107 | 59 | 48 | 0 | .551 | 2.0 | 421 (3.93) | 343 (3.21) | 0.252 | 0.327 | 0.391 | 2.90 | 0.982 |
| 4 | Detroit Tigers | 109 | 60 | 49 | 0 | .550 | 2.0 | 427 (3.92) | 404 (3.71) | 0.256 | 0.331 | 0.368 | 3.53 | 0.985 |
| 5 | Boston Red Sox | 108 | 59 | 49 | 0 | .546 | 2.5 | 519 (4.81) | 481 (4.45) | 0.275 | 0.341 | 0.399 | 3.81 | 0.979 |
| 6 | Cleveland Indians | 103 | 52 | 51 | 0 | .505 | 7.0 | 431 (4.18) | 442 (4.29) | 0.263 | 0.329 | 0.351 | 3.88 | 0.978 |
| 7 | Toronto Blue Jays | 106 | 37 | 69 | 0 | .349 | 23.5 | 329 (3.10) | 466 (4.40) | 0.226 | 0.284 | 0.330 | 3.82 | 0.974 |
| Western Division | ||||||||||||||
| 1 | Oakland Athletics | 109 | 64 | 45 | 0 | .587 | -.- | 458 (4.20) | 403 (3.70) | 0.247 | 0.312 | 0.379 | 3.30 | 0.980 |
| 2 | Texas Rangers | 105 | 57 | 48 | 0 | .543 | 5.0 | 452 (4.30) | 389 (3.70) | 0.270 | 0.326 | 0.369 | 3.40 | 0.984 |
| 3 | Chicago White Sox | 106 | 54 | 52 | 0 | .509 | 8.5 | 476 (4.49) | 423 (3.99) | 0.272 | 0.331 | 0.387 | 3.47 | 0.979 |
| 4 | Kansas City Royals | 103 | 50 | 53 | 0 | .485 | 11.0 | 397 (3.85) | 405 (3.93) | 0.267 | 0.325 | 0.383 | 3.56 | 0.982 |
| 5 | California Angels | 110 | 51 | 59 | 0 | .464 | 13.5 | 476 (4.33) | 453 (4.12) | 0.256 | 0.328 | 0.380 | 3.70 | 0.977 |
| 6 | Seattle Mariners | 110 | 44 | 65 | 1 | .400 | 20.0 | 426 (3.87) | 521 (4.74) | 0.251 | 0.311 | 0.368 | 4.23 | 0.979 |
| 7 | Minnesota Twins | 110 | 41 | 68 | 1 | .373 | 23.0 | 378 (3.44) | 486 (4.42) | 0.240 | 0.293 | 0.338 | 3.98 | 0.978 |
[edit] Half Standings
[edit] First Half
| Rank | Team | G | W | L | T | WPCT | GB | RS | RA | Rank | Team | G | W | L | T | WPCT | GB | RS | RA | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eastern Division | Western Division | |||||||||||||||||||
| New York Yankees | E | 56 | 34 | 22 | 0 | .607 | -.- | Oakland Athletics (-.-) | (249) | 60 | 37 | 23 | 0 | .617 | ||||||
| Baltimore Orioles | E | 54 | 31 | 23 | 0 | .574 | 2.0 | Texas Rangers (1.5) | (269) | 55 | 33 | 22 | 0 | .600 | ||||||
| Milwaukee Brewers | E | 56 | 31 | 25 | 0 | .554 | 3.0 | Chicago White Sox (2.5) | (250) | 53 | 31 | 22 | 0 | .585 | ||||||
| Detroit Tigers | E | 57 | 31 | 26 | 0 | .544 | 3.5 | California Angels (6.0) | (267) | 60 | 31 | 29 | 0 | .517 | ||||||
| Boston Red Sox | E | 56 | 30 | 26 | 0 | .536 | 4.0 | Kansas City Royals (12.0) | (181) | 50 | 20 | 30 | 0 | .400 | ||||||
| Cleveland Indians | E | 50 | 26 | 24 | 0 | .520 | 5.0 | Seattle Mariners (14.5) | (213) | 58 | 21 | 36 | 1 | .368 | ||||||
| Toronto Blue Jays | E | 58 | 16 | 42 | 0 | .276 | 19.0 | Minnesota Twins (18.0) | (180) | 57 | 17 | 39 | 1 | .304 | ||||||
[edit] Second Half
| Rank | Team | G | W | L | T | WPCT | GB | RS | RA | Rank | Team | G | W | L | T | WPCT | GB | RS | RA | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eastern Division | Western Division | |||||||||||||||||||
| Milwaukee Brewers | W | 53 | 31 | 22 | 0 | .585 | -.- | Kansas City Royals (-.-) | (216) | 53 | 30 | 23 | 0 | .566 | ||||||
| Boston Red Sox | W | 52 | 29 | 23 | 0 | .558 | 1.5 | Oakland Athletics (1.0) | (209) | 49 | 27 | 22 | 0 | .551 | ||||||
| Detroit Tigers | W | 52 | 29 | 23 | 0 | .558 | 1.5 | Texas Rangers (4.5) | (183) | 50 | 24 | 26 | 0 | .480 | ||||||
| Baltimore Orioles | W | 51 | 28 | 23 | 0 | .549 | 2.0 | Minnesota Twins (6.0) | (198) | 53 | 24 | 29 | 0 | .453 | ||||||
| Cleveland Indians | W | 53 | 26 | 27 | 0 | .491 | 5.0 | Seattle Mariners (6.5) | (213) | 52 | 23 | 29 | 0 | .442 | ||||||
| New York Yankees | W | 51 | 25 | 26 | 0 | .490 | 5.0 | Chicago White Sox (7.0) | (226) | 53 | 23 | 30 | 0 | .434 | ||||||
| Toronto Blue Jays | W | 48 | 21 | 27 | 0 | .438 | 7.5 | California Angels (8.5) | (209) | 50 | 20 | 30 | 0 | .400 | ||||||
[edit] League leaders
- Bold indicates league record, Italics indicate all-time record
[edit] Batting
[edit] Pitching
[edit] All-Star Game
The American League lost the fifty-second midsummer classic at Cleveland Stadium in Cleveland, OH on Sunday, August 9, 1981 by a score of 5 to 4. The league's manager was Jim Frey.
[edit] Postseason
The 1981 American League playoffs featured the champions of the first half and second half in each of the league's two divisions. The teams competed in a best-of-five Division Series, followed by a best-of-five League Championship Series. The winner of the League Championship Series represented the league in the World Series.
| Division Series | Championship Series | |||||||
| East. (1 h.) | New York Yankees | 3 | ||||||
| East. (2 h.) | Milwaukee Brewers | 2 | ||||||
| East. | New York Yankees | 3 | ||||||
| West. | Oakland Athletics | 0 | ||||||
| West. (1 h.) | Oakland Athletics | 3 | ||||||
| West. (2 h.) | Kansas City Royals | 0 | ||||||
In the World Series, the American League champion New York Yankees were defeated by the National League's Los Angeles Dodgers, 4 games to 2.
[edit] Award winners
The winner of the league's Most Valuable Player Award, given its Most Valuable Player, was Rollie Fingers, a pitcher with the Milwaukee Brewers. In the award's voting, he had 319 out of a possible 392 points and 15 first place votes.
The winner of the league's Cy Young Award, given its best pitcher, was Rollie Fingers of the Milwaukee Brewers. In the award's voting, he had 126 out of a possible 140 points and 22 first place votes.
The winner of the league's Rookie of the Year Award, given its best rookie player, was Dave Righetti, a pitcher with the New York Yankees. In the award's voting, he had 127 out of a possible 140 points and 23 first place votes.
[edit] Gold Gloves
The following players won the Gold Glove Award, given to the league's best fielders as voted upon by its managers and coaches, at their respective position.
[edit] Silver Sluggers
The following players won the Silver Slugger Award, given to the league's best fielders as voted upon by its managers and coaches, at their respective position.
[edit] Hall of Fame Game
The 1981 Hall of Fame Game was scheduled to be played on August 3 at Doubleday Field in Cooperstown, NY near the National Baseball Hall of Fame. The game between the Oakland Athletics and the Cincinnati Reds canceled due to the players' strike.
[edit] Notable events
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