1981 Boston Red Sox season

The 1981 Boston Red Sox season was the 81st season in the franchise's Major League Baseball history. Due to the 1981 Major League Baseball strike, play during the regular season was suspended for 50 days, and the season was split into two halves, with playoff teams determined by records from each half of the season. In the first half of the season, the Red Sox finished fifth in the American League East with a record of 30 wins and 26 losses, four games behind the New York Yankees. In the second half of the season, the Red Sox finished tied for second in the division with a record of 29 wins and 23 losses, ​1 1⁄2 games behind the Milwaukee Brewers. The Red Sox' overall record for the season was 59 wins and 49 losses.

1981 Boston Red Sox
Major League affiliations
Location
Results
Record
  • 1st half: 30–26 (.536)
  • 2nd half: 29–23 (.558)
  • Overall: 59–49 (.546)
Divisional place
  • 1st half: 5th (4 GB)
  • 2nd half: 2nd (tied; ​1 1⁄2 GB)
Other information
Owner(s)Buddy LeRoux, Haywood Sullivan, Jean Yawkey
General manager(s)Haywood Sullivan
Manager(s)Ralph Houk
Local televisionWSBK-TV, Ch. 38
(Ned Martin, Ken Harrelson)
Local radioWITS-AM 1510
(Ken Coleman, Jon Miller)
StatsESPN.com
BB-reference
< Previous season     Next season >

Offseason

Regular season
Record by month[3]
MonthRecordCumulativeAL EastRef.
WonLostWonLostPositionGB
April79795th​3 1⁄2[4]
May181225215th4[5]
June5530265th4[6]
 Second half 
August1191193rd (tie)​1 1⁄2[7]
September161327223rd​1 1⁄2[8]
October2129232nd (tie)​1 1⁄2[9]

Season standings
AL East W L Pct. GB Home Road
Milwaukee Brewers 6247 0.569 — 28–21 34–26
Baltimore Orioles 5946 0.562 1 33–22 26–24
New York Yankees 5948 0.551 2 32–19 27–29
Detroit Tigers 6049 0.550 2 32–23 28–26
Boston Red Sox 5949 0.546 2½ 30–23 29–26
Cleveland Indians 5251 0.505 7 25–29 27–22
Toronto Blue Jays 3769 0.349 23½ 17–36 20–33
AL East
First Half Standings		 W L Pct. GB
New York Yankees3422.607—
Baltimore Orioles3123.5742
Milwaukee Brewers3125.5543
Detroit Tigers3126.544​3 1⁄2
Boston Red Sox3026.5364
Cleveland Indians2624.5205
Toronto Blue Jays1642.27619
AL East
Second Half Standings		 W L Pct. GB
Milwaukee Brewers3122.585—
Boston Red Sox2923.558​1 1⁄2
Detroit Tigers2923.558​1 1⁄2
Baltimore Orioles2823.5492
Cleveland Indians2627.4915
New York Yankees2526.4905
Toronto Blue Jays2127.438​7 1⁄2

Record vs. opponents
1981 American League Records

Sources:
Team BAL BOS CAL CWS CLE DET KC MIL MIN NYY OAK SEA TEX TOR
Baltimore —2–26–63–64–26–75–32–46–07–67–54–22–15–2
Boston 2–2—2–45–47–66–13–36–72–53–37–59–33–64–0
California 6–64–2—6–77–53–30–64–33–32–22–86–42–46–6
Chicago 6–34–57–6—2–53–32–04–12–45–77–63–32–47–5
Cleveland 2–46–75–75–2—1–54–43–62–17–53–28–42–24–2
Detroit 7–61–63–33–35–1—3–25–89–33–71–25–19–36–4
Kansas City 3–53–36–00–24–42–3—4–59–42–103–36–73–45–3
Milwaukee 4–27–63–41–46–38–55–4—9–33–34–22–24–56–4
Minnesota 0–65–23–34–21–23–94–93–9—3–32–83–6–15–85–1
New York 6–73–32–27–55–77–310–23–33–3—4–32–35–42–3
Oakland 5–75–78–26–72–32–13–32–48–23–4—6–14–210–2
Seattle 2–43–94–63–34–81–57–62–26–3–13–21–6—5–83–3
Texas 1–26–34–24–22–23–94–35–48–54–52–48–5—6–2
Toronto 2–50–46–65–72–44–63–54–61–53–22–103–32–6—

Notable transactions

Opening Day lineup
24Dwight EvansRF
11Dave Stapleton2B
26Joe Rudi    DH
14Jim RiceLF
  5Tony Pérez1B
  4Carney Lansford3B
18Glenn HoffmanSS
39Gary AllensonC
  3Rick MillerCF
43Dennis Eckersley    P

Source:[12]

The Chicago White Sox defeated the Red Sox on Opening Day, 5–3. It was the first game that Carlton Fisk played for the White Sox, after 11 seasons with the Red Sox; Fisk hit a three-run home run in the eighth inning.[13]

Roster
1981 Boston Red Sox
Roster
Pitchers Catchers

Infielders

 Outfielders

Designated hitters

 Manager

Coaches

Statistical leaders
Dwight Evans
CategoryPlayerStatistic
Youngest playerRich Gedman
John Lickert		21
Oldest playerCarl Yastrzemski41
Wins Above ReplacementDwight Evans6.7

Source:[14]

Batting
Abbr.CategoryPlayerStatistic
GGames playedDwight Evans108
Jim Rice
PAPlate appearancesDwight Evans504
ABAt batsJim Rice451
RRuns scoredDwight Evans84
HHitsCarney Lansford134
2BDoublesCarney Lansford23
3BTriplesDwight Evans4
HRHome runsDwight Evans22
RBIRuns batted inDwight Evans71
SBStolen basesCarney Lansford15
CSCaught stealingCarney Lansford10
BBBase on ballsDwight Evans85
SOStrikeoutsDwight Evans85
BABatting averageCarney Lansford.336
OBPOn-base percentageDwight Evans.415
SLGSlugging percentageDwight Evans.522
OPSOn-base plus sluggingDwight Evans.937
OPS+Adjusted OPSDwight Evans163
TBTotal basesDwight Evans215
GIDPGrounded into double playJim Rice14
HBPHit by pitchJim Rice3
SHSacrifice hitsJerry Remy13
SFSacrifice fliesJim Rice7
IBBIntentional base on ballsCarl Yastrzemski4

Source:[14]

Pitching
Abbr.CategoryPlayerStatistic
WWinsBob Stanley10
Mike Torrez
LLossesFrank Tanana10
W-L %Winning percentageMike Torrez.769 (10–3)
ERAEarned run averageChuck Rainey2.70
GGames pitchedBob Stanley35
GSGames startedDennis Eckersley23
Frank Tanana
GFGames finishedBill Campbell23
CGComplete gamesDennis Eckersley8
SHOShutoutsDennis Eckersley2
Frank Tanana
SVSavesMark Clear9
IPInnings pitchedDennis Eckersley154
SOStrikeoutsMark Clear82
WHIPWalks plus hits per inning pitchedBob Ojeda1.131

Source:[14]

Awards and honors
All-Star Game

Farm system
See also: Minor League Baseball
Level Team League Manager
AAA Pawtucket Red Sox International League Joe Morgan
AA Bristol Red Sox Eastern League Tony Torchia
A Winston-Salem Red Sox Carolina League Buddy Hunter
A Winter Haven Red Sox Florida State League Rac Slider
A-Short Season Elmira Suns New York–Penn League Dick Berardino

LEAGUE CHAMPIONS: Bristol

Source:[15]

References
  1. Cole, Milton; Kaplan, Jim (2009). The Boston Red Sox: An Illustrated History. North Dighton, Massachusetts: World Publications Group. p. 58. ISBN 1-57215-412-8.
  2. Joe Rudi page at Baseball Reference
  3. "The 1981 Boston Red Sox". Retrosheet. Retrieved October 11, 2020.
  4. https://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1981/04301981.htm
  5. https://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1981/05311981.htm
  6. https://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1981/06111981.htm
  7. https://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1981/08311981.htm
  8. https://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1981/09301981.htm
  9. https://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1981/10051981.htm
  10. Dick Drago page at Baseball Reference
  11. Steve Lyons page at Baseball Reference
  12. "Chicago White Sox 5, Boston Red Sox 3". Retrosheet. April 10, 1981. Retrieved October 11, 2020.
  13. Wancho, Joseph. "April 10, 1981: Carlton Fisk homers in return to Fenway Park". SABR. Retrieved October 11, 2020.
  14. "1981 Boston Red Sox Statistics". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved October 13, 2020.
  15. Johnson, Lloyd; Wolff, Miles, eds. (1997). The Encyclopedia of Minor League Baseball (2nd ed.). Durham, North Carolina: Baseball America. ISBN 978-0-9637189-8-3.
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