1981 All-Star Game

1981 All-Star Game

This year the American League almost got a reprieve because of a players' strike that ran from June 12 to July 31 (with teams resuming play August 10). The original All-Star Game on July 14 was canceled. Instead, the game reset as a prelude to resuming play. It was the second All-Star Game played in August.

Many fans were still upset about the strike and most baseball purists feel that it has never fully recovered from this labor dispute. Despite the disgruntled fans, this game surprisingly had the largest crowd ever in attendance.

Once again the American League led the majority of the game and held the National League in check. That was until the eighth inning when Rollie Fingers walked Ozzie Smith. Then with Mike Easler at bat, Smith stole second and, when the throw went into center field, Smith took out for third. He was caught in a rundown and tagged out. The American League seemed to still be in control, but then Easler walked. In classic National League fashion, Mike Schmidt stepped up to the plate and pounded the ball, hitting the two-run game-winner.

"I don't mind telling you that this is a pretty big kick to me. I'm a guy who played fourteen years in the minors and never made the majors. Plenty of times I didn't even know what I'd be doing for a living, much less managing a Major League All-Star team." - 1981 American League All-Star Manager Jim Frey

1981 All-Star Game 1981 All-Star Game Official Program
1981 All-Star Game Fast Facts
Game Number	52
Date / Box Score	08-09-1981
Location	Municipal Stadium
Attendance (Rank)	72,086
M.V.P. Award	Gary Carter
League Items	A.L.	N.L.
Starting Pitchers	Jack Morris	Fernando Valenzuela
Managers	Jim Frey	Dallas Green
Coaches	Dave Garcia	Bill Virdon
	Don Zimmer	Dick Williams
Honorary Captains	Bob Feller	Warren Spahn
1981 All-Star Game Fast Facts

1981 All-Star Game Line Score
1981 All-Star Game Capsule
League	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
National	0	0	0	0	1	1	1	2	0	5	9	1
American	0	1	0	0	0	3	0	0	0	4	11	1
N.L. Pitcher(s)						A.L. Pitcher(s)
Fernando Valenzuela Tom Seaver (2nd) Bob Knepper (3rd) Burt Hooton (5th) Dick Ruthven (6th) Vida Blue (W, 7th) Nolan Ryan (8th) Bruce Sutter (S, 9th)						Jack Morris Len Barker (3rd) Ken Forsch (5th) Mike Norris (6th) Ron Davis (7th) Rollie Fingers (L, 8th) Dave Stieb (8th) -
N.L. Home Runs						A.L. Home Runs
Gary Carter (5th) Dave Parker (6th) Gary Carter (7th) Mike Schmidt (8th)						Ken Singleton (2nd) - - -

1981 All-Star Game National League All-Star Squad
Lineup	Name	Team	Position	Notes
	Dusty Baker	Los Angeles Dodgers	OF
	Bruce Benedict	Atlanta Braves	C
	Vida Blue	San Francisco Giants	P
	Bill Buckner	Chicago Cubs	1B
	Steve Carlton	Philadelphia Phillies	P	Did Not Pitch
7.	Gary Carter	Montreal Expos	C
2.	Dave Concepcion	Cincinnati Reds	SS
6.	Andre Dawson	Montreal Expos	OF
	Mike Easler	Pittsburgh Pirates	OF
5.	George Foster	Cincinnati Reds	OF
	Phil Garner	Pittsburgh Pirates	2B
	Steve Garvey	Los Angeles Dodgers	1B
	Pedro Guerrero	Los Angeles Dodgers	OF
	Burt Hooton	Los Angeles Dodgers	P
	Terry Kennedy	San Diego Padres	C
	Bob Knepper	Houston Astros	P
8.	Davey Lopes	Los Angeles Dodgers	2B
	Bill Madlock	Pittsburgh Pirates	3B
3.	Dave Parker	Pittsburgh Pirates	OF
	Tim Raines	Montreal Expos	OF
1.	Pete Rose	Philadelphia Phillies	1B
	Dick Ruthven	Philadelphia Phillies	P
	Nolan Ryan	Houston Astros	P
4.	Mike Schmidt	Philadelphia Phillies	3B
	Tom Seaver	Cincinnati Reds	P
	Ozzie Smith	San Diego Padres	SS
	Bruce Sutter	St. Louis Cardinals	P
	Manny Trillo	Philadelphia Phillies	2B
9.	Fernando Valenzuela	Los Angeles Dodgers	P	Starting Pitcher
	Joel Youngblood	New York Mets	OF
BOLD = Fan's choice to start the game (Manager chooses pitcher).

1981 All-Star Game American League All-Star Squad
Lineup	Name	Team	Position	Notes
	Tony Armas	Oakland Athletics	OF
	Len Barker	Cleveland Indians	P
	Buddy Bell	Texas Rangers	3B
3.	George Brett	Kansas City Royals	3B
	Rick Burleson	California Angels	SS
	Britt Burns	Chicago White Sox	P	Did Not Pitch
1.	Rod Carew	California Angels	1B
	Doug Corbett	Minnesota Twins	P	Did Not Pitch
	Ron Davis	New York Yankees	P
8.	Bucky Dent	New York Yankees	SS
	Bo Diaz	Cleveland Indians	C
	Dwight Evans	Boston Red Sox	OF
	Rollie Fingers	Milwaukee Brewers	P
7.	Carlton Fisk	Chicago White Sox	C
	Ken Forsch	California Angels	P
	Rich Gossage	New York Yankees	P	Injured
6.	Reggie Jackson	New York Yankees	OF
	Fred Lynn	California Angels	OF
	Scott McGregor	Baltimore Orioles	P	Did Not Pitch
9.	Jack Morris	Detroit Tigers	P	Starting Pitcher
	Eddie Murray	Baltimore Orioles	1B
	Mike Norris	Oakland Athletics	P
	Al Oliver	Texas Rangers	1B
	Tom Paciorek	Seattle Mariners	OF
2.	Willie Randolph	New York Yankees	2B
	Ted Simmons	Milwaukee Brewers	C
5.	Ken Singleton	Baltimore Orioles	OF
	Dave Stieb	Toronto Blue Jays	P
	Gorman Thomas	Milwaukee Brewers	OF
	Frank White	Kansas City Royals	2B
4.	Dave Winfield	New York Yankees	OF
BOLD = Fan's choice to start the game (Manager chooses pitcher).

Did you know that All-Star records were set during the 1981 Midsummer Classic for largest crowd / attendance ever (72,086) and most players ever used by both leagues (fifty-six)?

Gary Carter slammed two home runs during this game and won the All-Star Most Valuable Player Award. Players before him who had two longs balls during the same All-Star Game:

Two Home Runs During One Midsummer Classic
(1933 through 1980)

Arky Vaughan N.L. 1941 All-Star Game

Ted Williams A.L. 1946 All-Star Game

Al Rosen A.L. 1954 All-Star Game

Willie McCovey N.L. 1969 All-Star Game

A hall of fame ending featured Mike Schmidt hitting a go-ahead eighth inning home run off of closer Rollie Fingers. Following the game Schmidt said, "It (the home run) was as good as I ever felt running around the bases. As good as the World Series."

Copyright © 2000-2009. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy. Design by Geisler Young. Hosted by Hosting 4 Less.
Part of the Baseball Almanac family: 755 Home Runs | Baseball Box Scores | Baseball Fever | Football Almanac | Pigskin Fever | Today in Baseball History.