1981 World Series

From SoSH

1 Series Information
2 Box Scores
3 Trivia
4 External Links

Series Information

The 1981 World Series matched the New York Yankees against the Los Angeles Dodgers, marking their third meeting in the Series in five years. The Dodgers won the Series in six games for their first title since 1965, and their first victory over the Yankees since 1963.

Managers: Bob Lemon (New York) & Tommy Lasorda (Los Angeles)
Venues: Yankee Stadium (New York) & Dodger Stadium (Los Angeles)
Series MVP: Ron Cey, Pedro Guerrero, and Steve Yeager (Los Angeles)

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Box Scores

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Game 1: October 20, 1981 at Yankee Stadium

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Los Angeles Dodgers	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	2	0	3	5	0
New York Yankees	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)
HR: LAD – Steve Yeager (1) NYY – Bob Watson (1)

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Game 2: October 21, 1981 at Yankee Stadium

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Los Angeles Dodgers	4	0	1	1	0	0	1	0	0	0	4	2
New York Yankees	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 (1)
HR: LAD – None NYY – None

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Game 3: October 23, 1981 at Dodger Stadium

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
New York Yankees	0	2	2	0	0	0	0	0	0	4	9	0
Los Angeles Dodgers	3	0	0	0	2	0	0	0	X	5	11	1
W: Fernando Valenzuela (1-0) L: George Frazier (0-1) Sv: None
HR: LAD – Ron Cey (1) NYY – Bob Watson (2), Rick Cerone (1)

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Game 4: October 24, 1981 at Dodger Stadium

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
New York Yankees	2	1	1	0	0	2	0	1	0	7	13	1
Los Angeles Dodgers	0	0	2	0	1	3	2	0	X	8	14	2
W: Steve Howe (1-0) L: George Frazier (0-2) Sv: None
HR: LAD – Jay Johnstone (1) NYY – Willie Randolph (1), Reggie Jackson (1)

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Game 5: October 25, 1981 at Dodger Stadium

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
New York Yankees	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	5	0
Los Angeles Dodgers	0	0	0	0	0	0	2	0	X	2	4	3
W: Jerry Reuss (1-1) L: Ron Guidry (1-1) Sv: None
HR: LAD – Steve Yeager (2), Pedro Guerrero (1) NYY – None

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Game 6: October 28, 1981 at Yankee Stadium

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Los Angeles Dodgers	0	0	0	1	3	4	0	1	0	9	13	1
New York Yankees	0	0	1	0	0	1	0	0	0	2	7	2
W: Burt Hooton (1-1) L: George Fraier (0-3) Sv: Steve Howe (1)
HR: LAD – Pedro Guerrero (2) NYY – Willie Randolph (2)

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Trivia

The Los Angeles Dodgers were the first National League team in World Series history to lose the first two games, then sweep their opponent during the next four contests. Ironically, the New York Yankees were the first to accomplish the feat against the Dodgers in 1978.

The 1981 World Series Most Valuable Player Award was the first in World Series history to be awarded to more than one player. It was split between Ron Cey, Pedro Guerrero, and catcher Steve Yeager. More than one player winning the MVP Award in a single World Series wouldn't happen again until 20 years later when Curt Schilling and Randy Johnson of the Arizona Diamondbacks did it against the New York Yankees.

Yankees owner George Steinbrenner, who allegedly got into a fistfight with unknown assailants in a Los Angeles elevator during the 1981 World Series, was so frustrated with star outfielder Dave Winfield's performance (having just one hit in 22 at-bats) during the entire World Series, that he went on to dub Winfeld the dubious title of Mr. May. Winfield would ultimately have the last laugh as a member of the Toronto Blue Jays when he knocked in the World Series clinching run in Game 6 of the 1992 World Series against the Atlanta Braves.

Yankees pitcher George Frazier tied a World Series record for losing three of the six games in 1981. The only other pitcher to lose that many was the Chicago White Sox's Lefty Williams, who intentionally lost his three starts in the infamous Black Sox Scandal of the 1919 World Series.

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