The 1981 New York Yankees season was the 79th season for the Yankees….finishing the season at 59 – 48 and two games back of the Milwaukee Brewers….whom they beat 3 – 2 in the ALDS….then they swept the Oakland Athletics in the ALCS….for their only pennant of the 1980’s….however, they lost in the World Series in 6 games to the Los Angeles Dodgers. New York was managed by Gene Michael and Bob Lemon….playing their home games at Yankee Stadium.
During the off-season prior to the 1981 campaign….the Yanks made some significant transactions….as on November 18, 1980….they traded Brad Gulden with $150,000 to the Seattle Mariners for a player to be named later and Larry Milbourne. The Seattle Mariners sent back Brad Gulden (May 18, 1981) to the New York Yankees to complete the trade…..so,in effect, Brad Gulden was traded for himself….which has never happened again in MLB history. Then on December 15, 1980….the Yanks signed future Hall of Fame OF Dave Winfield as a Free Agent…..and on February 16, 1981 they traded Rafael Santana to the St. Louis Cardinals for pitcher George Frazier….as they finished the off-season with a trade on March 31, 1981 of Chris Welsh, Ruppert Jones, Joe Lefebvre, and Tim Lollar to the San Diego Padres for Jerry Mumphrey and John Pacella.
The Yankees also made some significant moves during the 1981 season as on April 6, 1981 they signed free agent catcher Johnny Oates…..then on May 20, 1981 they send 1B Jim Spencer and P Tom Underwood to the Oakland Athletics for 1B Dave Revering and P Mike Patterson. On June 12, 1981, they traded P Doug Bird, P Mike Griffin and $400,000 cash to the Cubs for P Rick Reuschel…..and made their final trade of the year on August 19, 1981 by sending Pat Tabler to the Cubs for P Bill Caudill and P Jay Howell
In the June 8, 1981 draft….the New York Yankees drafted P John Elway in the 2nd round.…P Phil Lombardi in the 3rd round.…P Eric Plunk in the 4th round….1B Fred McGriff in the 9th round.,,,as both Plunk and McGriff signed.
The team finished in first place in the American League East for the first half of the season with a 34-22 record….but finished fifth in the second half with a 25-26 record….as the season was suspended for 50 days due to the infamous “1981 players strike”….and the league chose as its playoff teams….the division winners from the first and second halves of the season, respectively….so the Yanks made the playoffs when they would not have during a regular non-strike season.
MLB – Original Baseball Card 1981 New York Yankees Team Card – Gene Michael, ManagerMLB – Original Baseball Card 1981 Autograph New York Yankees All Star Pitcher Rich “Goose” Gossage MLB – Original Baseball Card 1981 Autograph Boston Red Sox / New York Yankees 3B Butch Hobson MLB – Original Baseball Card 1981 New York Yankees OF Oscar GambleMLB – Original Baseball Card 1981 New York Yankees Pitcher Tom UnderwoodMLB – Original Baseball Card 1981 New York Yankees Pitcher Luis TiantMLB – Original Baseball Card 1981 New York Yankees SS-2B Larry MilbourneMLB – Original Baseball Card 1981 New York Yankees 1B Dave ReveringMLB – Original Baseball Card 1981 New York Yankees Pitcher Dave LaRocheMLB – Original Baseball Card 1981 New York Yankees Pitcher Rick ReuschelMLB – Original Baseball Card 1981 New York Yankees SS-3B-2B Fred StanleyMLB – Original Baseball Card 1981 New York Yankees 1B Bob WatsonMLB – Original Baseball Card 1981 New York Yankees Pitcher Gene NelsonMLB – Original Baseball Card 1981 New York Yankees Catcher Johnny OatesMLB – Original Baseball Card 1981 New York Yankees 2B Willie RandolphMLB – Original Baseball Card 1981 New York Yankees 1B Jim SpencerMLB – Original Baseball Card 1981 New York Yankees 3B Graig NettlesMLB – Original Baseball Card 1981 New York Yankees OF Lou PinellaMLB – Original Baseball Card 1981 New York Yankees DH-1B Eric SoderholmMLB – Original Baseball Card 1981 New York Yankees OF Bobby MurcerMLB – Original Baseball Card 1981 New York Yankees Pitcher Gaylord PerryMLB – Original Baseball Card 1981 New York Yankees 3B Aurelio RodriquezMLB – Original Baseball Card 1981 New York Yankees Pitcher Mike GriffinMLB – Original Baseball Card 1981 New York Yankees Pitcher Tommy JohnMLB – Original Baseball Card 1981 New York Yankees Pitcher Rudy MayMLB – Original Baseball Card 1981 New York Yankees All Star Pitcher Rich “Goose” GossageMLB – Original Baseball Card 1981 New York Yankees All Star OF Reggie JacksonMLB – Original Baseball Card 1981 New York Yankees OF Joe LefebvreMLB – Original Baseball Card 1981 New York Yankees OF Oscar GambleMLB – Original Baseball Card 1981 New York Yankees Pitcher Ron Guidry MLB – Original Baseball Card 1981 New York Yankees OF Ruppert JonesMLB – Original Baseball Card 1981 New York Yankees 2B Brian DoyleMLB – Original Baseball Card 1981 New York Yankees Catcher Rick CeroneMLB – Original Baseball Card 1981 New York Yankees Pitcher Ron DavisMLB – Original Baseball Card 1981 New York Yankees OF Bobby BrownMLB – Original Baseball Card 1981 New York Yankees Pitcher Doug BirdMLB – Original Baseball Card 1981 New York Yankees All Star SS Bucky DentMLB – Original Baseball Card 1981 Autograph New York Yankees 3B Graig NettlesMLB – Original Baseball Card 1981 Autograph New York Yankees OF Bobby MurcerMLB – Original Baseball Card 1980 Earned Run Average Leaders – A. L. New York Yankees Rudy May & N. L. Los Angeles Dodger Don SuttonMLB – Original Baseball Card 1980 Home Run Leaders Card – A. L. New York Yankees OF Reggie Jackson & Milwaukee Brewers OF Ben Oglivie – N. L. Philadelphia Phillies 3B Mike SchmidtMLB – Original Baseball Card 1981 Toronto Blue Jays / New York Yankees 3B Danny AingeMLB – Original Baseball Card 1981 Seattle Mariners Pitcher Ken ClayMLB – Original Baseball Card 1981 Minnesota Twins / New York Yankees Catcher Butch WynegarMLB – Original Baseball Card 1981 San Francisco Giants / New York Yankees Pitcher John MontefuscoMLB – Original Baseball Card 1981 California Angels / New York Yankees Pitcher Dave LaRocheMLB – Original Baseball Card 1981 Cincinnati Reds / New York Yankees OF Ken GriffeyMLB – Original Baseball Card 1981 Pittsburgh Pirates / New York Yankees SS Tim FoliMLB – Original Baseball Card 1981 Cleveland Indians / New York Yankees 3B Toby HarrahMLB – Original Baseball Card 1981 San Diego Padres / New York Yankees OF Dave WinfieldMLB – Original Baseball Card 1981 Pittsburgh Pirates / New York Yankees OF Omar MorenoMLB – Original Baseball Card 1981 Detroit Tigers / New York Yankees Of Steve KempMLB – Original Baseball Card 1981 Oakland A’s / New York Yankees OF Rickie HendersonMLB – Original Baseball Card 1981 Oakland A’s / New York Yankees Pitcher Matt KeoughMLB – Original Baseball Card 1981 San Diego Padres / New York Yankees OF Ruppert Jones
