1981 Toronto Blue Jays season


The 1981 Toronto Blue Jays season was the franchise's fifth season of Major League Baseball. It resulted in the Blue Jays finishing seventh in the American League East with a record of 37 wins and 69 losses. The season was suspended for 50 days due to the 1981 players' strike, and the league chose as its playoff teams the division winners from the first and second halves of the season, respectively.

Offseason

The Blue Jays were one of the worst teams in the majors in the first half of the split season, as the Blue Jays had a record of 16 wins and 42 losses, a percentage of.276. Although the Blue Jays had future stars Jesse Barfield, George Bell, and Lloyd Moseby in the lineup, the team continued to struggle.
On May 15, 1981, Len Barker of the Cleveland Indians pitched a perfect game against the Blue Jays. It was the tenth perfect game ever pitched, is one of only seventeen in the history of the major leagues, and remains the last no-hitter thrown by an Indian.
The result of the season was one of the more controversial times in franchise history. The President of the Blue Jays, Peter Bavasi, went to see the team in Anaheim against the California Angels. Bavasi's father, Buzzie Bavasi was the president of the Angels, and his team had gotten off to a lacklustre start. Buzzie wanted to fire Angels manager Jim Fregosi, and Peter Bavasi had the idea to fire his manager, Bobby Mattick. Both thought it would be big news if father and son fired their manager on the same night. One of the Blue Jays executives advised the Jays Vice-Chairman of the Board, Peter Hardy. After a brief conversation, Hardy made it clear to Peter Bavasi that Mattick would not be fired in this way.
After the strike was resolved, the Blue Jays started the second half of the season with a close to.500 winning percentage. Peter Bavasi was heard to muse aloud the requirement to print World Series tickets. The Jays would finish the second half with 21 wins and 27 losses, seven and a half games out of first place. Despite the attempted Bavasi firing, Mattick would resign as manager at the end of the season. On November 22, 1981, Hardy forced Bavasi to resign from the Blue Jays.

Season standings

Record vs. opponents

Opening Day starters

Game log

Player stats

Batting

Starters by position

Note: Pos = position; G = Games played; AB = At bats; R = Runs scored; H = Hits; 2B = Doubles; 3B = Triples; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in; Avg = Batting average; SB = Stolen bases
PosPlayerGABRH2B3BAvg.HRRBISB
C74195164690.2361165
1B94290347261.24817431
2B64250246381.25211313
3B86246204662.1870148
SS1013883081196.2090218
LF852882071150.2471213
CF1003783688162.23394311
RF66227215074.2204284
DH80240325192.21311280

Other batters

Note: G = Games played; AB = At bats; R = Runs scored; H = Hits; 2B = Doubles; 3B = Triples; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in; Avg = Batting average; SB = Stolen bases
PlayerGABRH2B3BAvg.HRRBISB
702151752110.2420102
61111151931.1714102
60163193821.2335123
45128132981.2274211
378541720.200061
327371850.247050
259572232.232294
254751120.234040
165061540.300010
14281400.143010
8151310.200000
790110.111000

Pitching

Starting pitchers

Note: G = Games pitched; GS = Games started; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; R = Runs allowed; ER = Earned runs allowed; BB = Walks allowed; K = Strikeouts
PlayerGGSIPWLERARERBBK
2525183.211103.1970656189
2222125.06124.9077686456
121171.0294.3141343529

Other pitchers

Note: G = Games pitched; GS = Games started; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; SV = Saves; ERA = Earned run average; R = Runs allowed; ER = Earned runs allowed; BB = Walks allowed; K = Strikeouts
PlayerGGSIPWLSVERARERBBK
2919129.271313.6863534471
211397.22703.9651433141
201190.15503.8942393533

Relief pitchers

Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; SV = Saves; ERA = Earned run average; R = Runs allowed; ER = Earned runs allowed; BB = Walks allowed; K = Strikeouts
PlayerGIPWLSVERARERBBK
4060.015102.8524192138
3962.01272.6123182527
3553.01203.4020202325
2035.00405.9125232016
1215.00004.2011765
1115.11001.1722512
814.20007.36161279
11.00009.001100

Award winners

All-Star Game