1981 Clincher

[rickh150]

Wanted to pass this goodie on......

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Xr4NfSifvFw

Love Fingers and Simmons.... reaction is priceless.

Nice interview on field after the game with Bryant Gumbel.

[Baldkin]

That was awesome.

Thanks.

 

Crowd was LOUD!

Almost no one wearing anything Brewers related (imagine that today!)

[Mass Haas]

So sweet, thanks. My 18-year-old then self thanks you, too.

 

Roy Howell with the toy no-flap helmet.

 

Everyone with the stirrups.

 

If I were commissioner, my first duty would be to abandon the full-season wild card and go to the split-season division format. Down the stretch in late June, down the stretch in September.

 

Great fun, and yes, good point on the lack of merchandise sales back then.

[StearnsFTW]

I'm pretty sure I'm in there somewhere. I'll have to look again. I know I was there. Early 10th birthday present from my big brother.

[rickh150]

Such a fun ending.... I never saw this footage before (just Fingers' last pitch). Did you rush the field?

[MNBrew]

....Almost no one wearing anything Brewers related (imagine that today!)

You could hardly find and Brewers apparel to buy in those days. MLB was incredibly under-represented in the merchandising/apparel world for years. Finally by the mid-'80s you could find a few things including "official" caps (Roman Pro was the brand then) at Merle Harmon's Fan Fair at Mayfair Mall and assorted baseball card dealers around town (there was a pretty good one, and I remember what it looked like, but its name and location I've forgotten decades ago). I remember getting my first authentic jersey in the late '80s for about $85, which seemed like a mint at the time.

 

I'm pretty sure I was glued to my TV that afternoon because I sure haven't seen replays of that game and the ending all looked very familiar.

[JohnBriggs12]

So sweet, thanks. My 18-year-old then self thanks you, too.

 

Roy Howell with the toy no-flap helmet.

 

Everyone with the stirrups.

 

If I were commissioner, my first duty would be to abandon the full-season wild card and go to the split-season division format. Down the stretch in late June, down the stretch in September.

 

Great fun, and yes, good point on the lack of merchandise sales back then.

 

Please no on the split seasons. It was a joke. 1981 was a miserable season. Brewers had the best team and June, July and half of August there was no baseball and even with a better overall record than the Yankees, they had to play them in a playoff series.. I couldn't get excited about what were fake made up on the fly playoffs. Teams that "won" the first half didn't go through any pressure of a race, then had playoffs assured and didn't need to do anything in the 2nd half.

 

Reds had the best overall record in the NL West but didn't qualify for playoffs. Same with Cardinals in the NL East. Yankees had the 4th best overall record in the AL East. No way they deserved to be in the postseason. Same goes for Royals who were no better than 4th in the AL West.

[rickh150]

So sweet, thanks. My 18-year-old then self thanks you, too.

 

Roy Howell with the toy no-flap helmet.

 

Everyone with the stirrups.

 

If I were commissioner, my first duty would be to abandon the full-season wild card and go to the split-season division format. Down the stretch in late June, down the stretch in September.

 

Great fun, and yes, good point on the lack of merchandise sales back then.

 

Please no on the split seasons. It was a joke. 1981 was a miserable season. Brewers had the best team and June, July and half of August there was no baseball and even with a better overall record than the Yankees, they had to play them in a playoff series.. I couldn't get excited about what were fake made up on the fly playoffs. Teams that "won" the first half didn't go through any pressure of a race, then had playoffs assured and didn't need to do anything in the 2nd half.

 

Reds had the best overall record in the NL West but didn't qualify for playoffs. Same with Cardinals in the NL East. Yankees had the 4th best overall record in the AL East. No way they deserved to be in the postseason. Same goes for Royals who were no better than 4th in the AL West.

 

What would have happened if Yanks won 2nd half too?

[hurricanecrush]

I was at that game. I was 13 and didn't appreciate its significance, I thought they were going back every year.

 

A couple observations. It seemed like the Tigers pitcher never really got set during his delivery out of the stretch. And it was odd seeing a closer (Fingers) pitch out of the windup.

[Jimbo]

 

What would have happened if Yanks won 2nd half too?

 

IIRC, the Yanks would have played the AL East team with the second best overall record. (Same scenario with any of the other three divisions).

[rickh150]

 

What would have happened if Yanks won 2nd half too?

 

IIRC, the Yanks would have played the AL East team with the second best overall record. (Same scenario with any of the other three divisions).

 

Thanks.... always wondered about that.