1984 – The San Diego Padres take a lead in an NLCS game for the first time, and they go on to down the Chicago Cubs, 7 – 1, in Game 3.
1983 – In the NLCS opener, Mike Schmidt’s 1st-inning home run and Al Holland’s clutch relief pitching to get out of an 8th-inning bases-loaded jam are enough for Philadelphia to top Los Angeles, 1 – 0.
1981 – Houston finishes the strike-ravaged season with a 5-3 victory over the Dodgers. Scott Loucks and Alan Knicely star as Dave Smith is the winning pitcher. The Astros win the second-half N.L. West title with a 30-23 record. Their full-season record is 58-52, third best in the division behind Cincinnati and first-half champion Los Angeles, who they will meet in a first-ever divisional playoff series.
The Reds, who blank Atlanta, 3-0, finish with the best record in the National League strike-shortened season (66-42), but will not participate in the postseason. The team does not qualify because the Dodgers and Astros post better records, respectively, for the first half (pre-strike) and second half (post-strike) of play in the Western Division and will face one another in the first-ever ‘NLDS’, under a plan instituted midseason by Giants executive Al Rosen to salvage the season.
October 4, 1980 – At Fenway Park, Boston Red Sox collects 22 hits but still loses to visiting Toronto‚ 7-6 in 17 innings. The Jays have 17 hits‚ including a game-tying 9th inning 2-run Homerun by Lloyd Moseby‚ off Bob Stanley. Stanley also gives up the game-winning hit to Dane Iorg in the…
On October 4, 1980, Minnie Minoso of the Chicago White Sox becomes the second player to play in five decades. Appearing in his first game since 1976, the 57-year-old Minoso comes to bat as a pinch-hitter. The former Negro Leagues star made his major league debut in 1949.
The 17-1 trouncing of the of the Twins proves to be a very historic day for Willie Wilson. The Royals outfielder is the first big league player to be credited with 700 at-bats in one season, sets the American League record for singles in a season with 184, and joins Garry Templeton to become only the second switch-hitter in history to collect 100 hits from each side of the plate.
The New York Yankees clinch their fourth AL East title in five seasons, beating Detroit, 5 – 2, in the first game of a doubleheader. Reggie Jackson hits his 41st home run of the season and will share the league home run crown with Ben Oglivie of the Milwaukee Brewers.
Mike Schmidt’s two-run home run off Stan Bahnsen in the top of the 11th inning gives Philadelphia a 6 – 4 win over Montreal and the NL East title. The home run is Schmidt’s 48th of the season, breaking Eddie Mathews’ single-season record for third basemen set in 1953.
1979 – Baltimore takes a 9 – 1 lead in the ALCS Game 1, but the Angels score seven runs in the last four innings only to fall short, 9 – 8. Eddie Murray drives in four runs for Baltimore.
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