Do we consider the 1981 "Division Series" as a playoff appearance?

[TwinsBrewersWorldSeries]

I've seen it listed some places as a playoff appearance and not listed in other places (ESPN). I actually didn't realize that season was cut in two because of the strike. I was looking through ESPN this morning and couldn't figure out why we weren't listed in the playoffs for 1981 when we had the best division record, and then I realized there was a Division playoff that year...

[Patrick425]

I do. I remember that year and even thought the Brewers made the playoffs it was very disappointing. The Brewers had great teams from 78-82 and I feel like they got cheated in 81. Overall they had the best record in the division (if you combined the two "half seasons") and I'd like to believe that, with out the strike, they would have won the division anyways and not had to play the "division series" against the Yankees.

 

If there was a wild card back then, I think the Brewers would have made the playoffs in both 78 and 79.

 

The team that really got the shaft in 1981 was the Reds. They finished 2nd in their division in both halves and did not make the playoffs even though I believe they had the best record in baseball (if you combined the two halves).

[Warning Track Power]

I would say yes. Baseball Reference has it as a playoff appearance, as seen below.

http://www.baseball-reference.com/postseason/1981_WS.shtml

 

Additionally, the Brewers website calls it a playoff appearance.

http://mlb.mlb.com/mil/history/timeline.jsp

I believe the Brewers have a wall banner in LF indicating the playoff appearance.

 

I guess I look at it as a pre-cursor to the old version of the Wild Card.

[davego]

Sure. It's the playoffs. We have a banner that says so.

[Dead Simmons]

[quote="Patrick425"}

 

The team that really got the shaft in 1981 was the Reds. They finished 2nd in their division in both halves and did not make the playoffs even though I believe they had the best record in baseball (if you combined the two halves).

 

Close, but it was the Cards that had the most wins in the combined halves. Odd that the Brews and Cards both got retribution the very next year.

[Patrick425]

[quote name="Patrick425"}

 

The team that really got the shaft in 1981 was the Reds. They finished 2nd in their division in both halves and did not make the playoffs even though I believe they had the best record in baseball (if you combined the two halves).

 

Close' date=' but it was the Cards that had the most wins in the combined halves. Odd that the Brews and Cards both got retribution the very next year.[/quote]

 

Actually it was the Reds:

 

http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1981/Y_1981.htm

 

Reds: 66-42

Cards: 59-43-1

 

Regardless - They both had the best overall record in their respective divisions and neither went to the playoffs. Good trivia questions.

[RockCoCougars]

I believe that the Reds hoisted a 'best record in baseball' banner at Riverfront in '82. At any rate, the '81 playoff definitely counts in my book.

[Dead Simmons]

[quote name="Patrick425"}

 

The team that really got the shaft in 1981 was the Reds. They finished 2nd in their division in both halves and did not make the playoffs even though I believe they had the best record in baseball (if you combined the two halves).

 

Close' date=' but it was the Cards that had the most wins in the combined halves. Odd that the Brews and Cards both got retribution the very next year.[/quote]

 

Actually it was the Reds:

 

http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1981/Y_1981.htm

 

Reds: 66-42

Cards: 59-43-1

 

Regardless - They both had the best overall record in their respective divisions and neither went to the playoffs. Good trivia questions.

_______________________________________________________________

I knew that the Cardinals had the best record in the East because it was a sore spot for fans for years. The Deckinger blown call in '85 made us forget about it.

 

I had surely forgotten that the Ohio Reds were in the West.

[JohnBriggs12]

The 81 season as it was constructed was totally bogus. If a team "won" the first half, what incentive did it have to win the 2nd? Besides the first half "winners" were declared after the fact, and thus didn't have any pressure. MLB did what they did to generate interest everywhere. It totally turned me off. Brewers should not have had to beat a team in their own division that they had a better overall record than for the season.

 

Brewers were 62-47. Yankees had only the 4th best record in the East at 59-48. Royals got in the playoffs with a sub .500 record overall at 50-53. They were 10 games under .500 when the strike started, and got a clean slate. Ridiculous.

 

If it were up to me, I'd throw out everything about 1981. No titles were legit. Worst year in baseball in my lifetime. I have many fond memories of the Brewers from that era but none are from 81. The strike and the subsequent make em up as we go postseason was a black mark on the game. Worse than 94 in my opinion.

[Patrick425]

Another example of what a odd year it was...Rollie Fingers won both the MVP and Cy Young.

[Dead Simmons]

Another example of what a odd year it was...Rollie Fingers won both the MVP and Cy Young.

That business of pitchers winning both prizes is just wrong. (sorry Gibson) How can you compare a pitcher to a position player? It's not apples and oranges, it's night and day.

[logan82]

That was when closers were actually used correctly. They would be brought in earlier in the game and go multiple innings. I would have no no problem with a pitcher like that winning MVP.

[Dead Simmons]

I blame this insane practice on Tony La Russa. Since he "invented" the closer in Eckersly and rode the double switch into the ground all the managers have been trying to show that they are smart too.

 

He would use the entire bullpen often. It was maddening.