1981 Pittsburgh Pirates season
Encyclopedia
The Pittsburgh Pirates
season was the 100th in franchise history.
met with Pirates management in April 1981 about moving the club to New Orleans when the Pirates were unhappy with their lease at Three Rivers Stadium
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Pittsburgh Pirates
The Pittsburgh Pirates are a Major League Baseball club based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They play in the Central Division of the National League, and are five-time World Series Champions...
season was the 100th in franchise history.
Offseason
- December 9, 1980: Bert BlylevenBert BlylevenBert Blyleven is a former Major League Baseball pitcher who played from to , and was best known for his curveball. Blyleven was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2011...
and Manny SanguillénManny SanguillenManuel De Jesus Sanguillen Magan, better known as Manny Sanguillen or "Sangy" , is a former professional baseball player who was a catcher in the Major Leagues. He was named to the All-Star team three times, in , , and . He played primarily for the Pittsburgh Pirates, but also for the Oakland...
were traded by the Pirates to the Cleveland IndiansCleveland IndiansThe Cleveland Indians are a professional baseball team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. Since , they have played in Progressive Field. The team's spring training facility is in Goodyear, Arizona...
for Gary AlexanderGary Alexander (baseball)Gary Wayne Alexander is a former catcher in Major League Baseball who played for the San Francisco Giants , Oakland Athletics , Cleveland Indians and Pittsburgh Pirates...
, Víctor Cruz, Rafael VásquezRafael Vásquez (baseball)Rafael Vásquez Santiago is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. Vásquez pitched in 9 games for the Seattle Mariners in .-Sources:...
, and Bob OwchinkoBob OwchinkoRobert Dennis Owchinko is a former professional baseball pitcher. A left-handed pitcher, he played all or part of ten seasons in Major League Baseball, between 1976 and 1986, for the San Diego Padres, Cleveland Indians, Oakland Athletics, Pittsburgh Pirates, Cincinnati Reds, and Montreal...
. - January 19, 1981: Larvell BlanksLarvell BlanksLarvell Blanks is a retired American Major League Baseball infielder.Drafted by the Atlanta Braves in the 3rd round of the 1969 MLB amateur draft, Blanks would make his Major League Baseball debut with the Atlanta Braves on July 19, 1972, and appeared in his final game on August 3, 1980.Blanks'...
was Signed as a Free Agent with the Pittsburgh Pirates. - February 23, 1981: Luis TiantLuis TiantLuis Clemente Tiant Vega , born November 23, 1940 in Marianao, Cuba, , is a former right-handed starting pitcher in Major League Baseball who played for the Cleveland Indians , Minnesota Twins , Boston Red Sox , New York Yankees , Pittsburgh Pirates and California Angels...
was signed as a free agent by the Pirates.
Regular season
Officials of the Louisiana SuperdomeLouisiana Superdome
The Mercedes-Benz Superdome, previously known as the Louisiana Superdome and colloquially known as the Superdome, is a sports and exhibition arena located in the Central Business District of New Orleans, Louisiana, USA...
met with Pirates management in April 1981 about moving the club to New Orleans when the Pirates were unhappy with their lease at Three Rivers Stadium
Three Rivers Stadium
Three Rivers Stadium was a multi-purpose stadium located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania from 1970 to 2000. It was home to the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Pittsburgh Steelers, the city's Major League Baseball franchise and National Football League franchise respectively.Built as a replacement to...
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Notable transactions
- April 6, 1981: Bob Owchinko was traded by the Pirates to the Oakland AthleticsOakland AthleticsThe Oakland Athletics are a Major League Baseball team based in Oakland, California. The Athletics are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From to the present, the Athletics have played in the O.co Coliseum....
for a player to be named later. The Athletics completed the deal by sending Ernie CamachoErnie CamachoErnest Carlos Camacho is a former professional baseball player who pitched in the Major Leagues from 1980–1981 and 1983-1990.In 1984, Camacho lead the Cleveland Indians in saves with 23.-External links:...
to the Pirates on April 10. - May 4, 1981: Willie Horton was signed as a free agent by the Pirates.
- June 8, 1981: 1981 Major League Baseball Draft1981 Major League Baseball Draft-First round selections:The following are the first round picks in the 1981 Major League Baseball draft.- Other notable players :*John Elway was drafted by the New York Yankees in the 2nd round of the 1981 amateur draft...
- Lee TunnellLee TunnellByron Lee Tunnell is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. Tunnell pitched all or part of six seasons in the majors, between and , for the Pittsburgh Pirates, St. Louis Cardinals, and Minnesota Twins...
was drafted by the Pirates in the 2nd round. - Lance JohnsonLance JohnsonKenneth Lance Johnson is a retired Major League Baseball player. At the age of 24, Johnson broke into the big leagues on July 10, 1987, with the St. Louis Cardinals after being drafted by them in the 6th round of the 1984 amateur draft. In 1987 Johnson, playing for the Louisville Redbirds, was...
was drafted by the Pirates in the 30th round, but did not sign.
- Lee Tunnell
- July 11, 1981: Bobby BonillaBobby BonillaRoberto Martin Antonio "Bobby" Bonilla is a former player in Major League Baseball who played from 1986 to 2001. Known in his playing days as "Bobby Bo," Bonilla is of Puerto Rican descent.-Playing career:...
was signed as an amateur free agent by the Pirates. - August 20, 1981: John MilnerJohn MilnerJohn David Milner was an American first baseman and left fielder in Major League Baseball. A native of Atlanta, Georgia, he grew up a huge Hank Aaron fan, even appropriating his idol's nickname, "The Hammer." He was a member of the "We Are Family" Pittsburgh Pirates team that won the World Series...
was traded by the Pirates to the Montreal ExposWashington NationalsThe Washington Nationals are a professional baseball team based in Washington, D.C. The Nationals are a member of the Eastern Division of the National League of Major League Baseball . The team moved into the newly built Nationals Park in 2008, after playing their first three seasons in RFK Stadium...
for Willie MontañezWillie MontañezGuillermo Montañez Naranjo is a former Major League Baseball first baseman. Even though he was productive, Montañez often carried the label "hot dog" for the whimsical manner in which he approached the game. After hitting home runs, he would trot very slowly around the bases, shuffling his feet on...
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Roster
| 1981 Pittsburgh Pirates | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Roster | |||||||||
| Pitchers | Catchers Infielders |
Outfielders Other batters |
Manager Coaches (pitching) (third base) (first base) (hitting) |
||||||
Starters by position
Note: Pos = Position; G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in| Pos | Player | G | AB | H | Avg. | HR | RBI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C | 66 | 210 | 63 | .300 | 2 | 17 | |
| 1B | 86 | 223 | 54 | .242 | 15 | 42 | |
| CF | 103 | 434 | 120 | .276 | 1 | 35 | |
| RF | 67 | 240 | 62 | .258 | 9 | 48 |
Other batters
Note: G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in| Player | G | AB | H | Avg. | HR | RBI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 39 | 88 | 19 | .216 | 2 | 8 | |
| 38 | 60 | 17 | .283 | 0 | 9 | |
| 34 | 59 | 14 | .237 | 2 | 9 | |
| 21 | 47 | 10 | .213 | 1 | 6 | |
| 29 | 38 | 10 | .263 | 1 | 1 | |
Starting pitchers
Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts| Player | G | IP | W | L | ERA | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 21 | 136.1 | 9 | 4 | 3.89 | 76 | |
| 22 | 127 | 8 | 6 | 3.12 | 38 | |
| 14 | 93.2 | 6 | 3 | 2.50 | 48 | |
| 17 | 86.1 | 2 | 7 | 3.96 | 46 | |
| 9 | 57.1 | 2 | 5 | 3.92 | 32 | |
| 6 | 40.2 | 2 | 2 | 3.54 | 14 |
Other pitchers
Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts| Player | G | IP | W | L | ERA | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 27 | 74 | 4 | 5 | 3.77 | 65 | |
| 7 | 21.2 | 0 | 1 | 4.98 | 11 | |
| 5 | 19.2 | 1 | 2 | 5.95 | 8 |
Relief pitchers
Note: G = Games pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; SV = Saves; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts| Player | G | W | L | SV | ERA | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 33 | 1 | 3 | 9 | 4.54 | 23 | |
| 45 | 5 | 5 | 3 | 2.49 | 34 | |
| 22 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2.65 | 28 | |
| 16 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 5.87 | 17 | |
| 12 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2.75 | 5 |
Awards and honors
1981 Major League Baseball All-Star Game1981 Major League Baseball All-Star Game
The 1981 Major League Baseball All-Star Game was the 52nd playing of the midsummer classic between the all-stars of the American League and National League , the two leagues comprising Major League Baseball. The game was held on August 9, 1981, at Cleveland Stadium in Cleveland, Ohio, the home of...
- Dave ParkerDave ParkerDavid Gene "The Cobra" Parker is an American former player in Major League Baseball. He was the 1978 National League MVP and a two-time batting champion. Parker was the first professional athlete to earn an average of one million dollars per year, having signed a 5-year, $5 million dollar contract...
, RF, Starter - Bill MadlockBill MadlockBill "Mad Dog" Madlock, Jr. is a former Major League Baseball player. From 1973 to 1987, Madlock was a right-handed hitter who won several National League batting titles. His record of four batting titles as a third baseman would be eclipsed in 1988 by Wade Boggs. Since 1970, only Tony Gwynn has...
, 3B, Reserve - Mike EaslerMike EaslerMichael Anthony Easler is a retired Major League Baseball outfielder who enjoyed a 14 year major league career from 1973 to 1987 with the Houston Astros, Pittsburgh Pirates, Philadelphia Phillies, California Angels, Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees...
, OF, Reserve - Phil GarnerPhil GarnerPhilip Mason Garner is a former infielder in Major League Baseball for the Oakland Athletics, Pittsburgh Pirates, Houston Astros, Los Angeles Dodgers, and San Francisco Giants from 1973 to 1988...
, 2B, Reserve