80’s Baseball: A Look Back

A look back at the 1980’s baseball scene with a focus on the teams, players, and moments that defined the decade.

80’s Baseball: A Look Back

The 1980s were a decade of great baseball Fans flocked to the stadiums to watch their favorite players and teams. The game was exciting and fast-paced. There were great rivalries and intense competition.

The decade began with a bang, as the Los Angeles Dodgers won the World Series in 1981. They would go on to win the Series again in 1988. The New York Yankees also had a great decade, winning the Series in 1977, 1978, and1981. They would win again in 1986, cementing their place as one of the greatest dynasties in baseball history

There were many great individual players in the 1980s as well. George Brett of the Kansas City Royals was one of the best hitters in baseball. He won a batting title in 1980 and led his team to the World Series that year. Brett was named MVP of the American League in 1981. Wade Boggs of the Boston Red Sox was another great hitter. He won five batting titles in the 1980s and was a key player on the Red Sox team that won the World Series in 1986.

The 1980s also saw some great pitching performances. In 1981, Fernando Valenzuela of the Dodgers became an overnight sensation when he led his team to victory in their opening game against the Houston Astros while also Pitching a shutout Valenzuela went on to win both the Cy Young Award and Rookie of the Year honors that year. Dwight Gooden of the New York Mets had a phenomenal 1984 season, winning 25 games and striking out 268 batters while only walking 46. He was named National League Rookie of the Year and went on to help Pitchock: 80’s Baseball: A Look Back? No problem! Here’s your Comprehensive Guide to 80’s baseball greatness! 2
the Mets win the World Series that year. Gooden would go on to have a successful career, though it was ultimately marred by drug addiction problems.”

The Glory Days of 80’s Baseball

The 1980s in baseball was a decade of transition. A new breed of sluggers, such as Jose Canseco Mark McGwire Sammy Sosa and Barry Bonds emerged. Pitchers Roger Clemens Dwight Gooden, Bret Saberhagen Nolan Ryan Orel Hershiser also dominated the 80s. This decade also saw the continued decline of African American players in baseball. In 1980 there were 19 African American pitchers and 27 African American catchers in MLB; by 1989 there were only 15 African American pitchers and 9 African American catchers remaining.

The decade began with one of the most exciting moments in baseball history On October 2nd, Vladimir Guerrero made his MLB debut with the Montreal Expos In his first at-bat he hit a home run off Los Angeles Dodgers’ pitcher Dennis Martinez.

The early part of the decade was dominated by players such as Mike Schmidt George Brett Robin Yount Cal Ripken Jr., Dale Murphy and Rickey Henderson These players helped their teams to a number of division titles and World Series appearances. The mid-80s saw an increase in scoring and home runs being hit. In 1987, Mark McGwire hit 49 home runs for the Oakland Athletics Jose Canseco hit 42 homers; Brady Anderson blasted 50 homers; and Andre Dawson slugged 47 round-trippers. The New York Yankees won the World Series in 1981 and 1982 led by their star catcher Thurman Munson who tragically died in a plane crash during the season. In 1984, Willie Hernandez won the AL MVP and Cy Young Award with a 1.92 ERA while helping the Detroit Tigers to their first World Series championship since 1968. The Kansas City Royals won back-to-back World Series championships in 1985 and 1986 behind player such as Bret Saberhagen (1985 Cy Young winner), George Brett (1985 Triple Crown winner),and Frank White (1986 Gold Glove winner).

The late 80’s were highlighted by the emergence of young stars such as Ken Griffey Jr., Sandy Alomar Jr., Craig Biggio Dante Bichette, John Olerud, Barry Larkin Sammy Sosa ,and Mo Vaughn . On September 29th , 1989 , Ken Griffey Jr . made his Major League debut at age 19 . He would go on to play 22 seasons , make 18 All – Star Appearances , win 10 Gold Glove Awards ,and hit 630 home runs . The Cincinnati Reds won the 1990 World Series led by Chris Sabo (1990 NL Rookie of the Year ), Eric Davis (1990 Silver Slugger Award ),Barry Larkin (1990 NL MVP ),and Jose Rijo ( 1990 World Series MVP ). The Oakland Athletics won three straight AL pennants from 1988-1990 behind players such as Jose Canseco , Mark McGwire ,Rickey Henderson ,Dennis Eckersley ,and Dave Stewart . The late 80’s also saw some great pitching performances including Bret Saberhagen’s no – hitter on August 26th , 1991 and Nolan Ryan’s 7000th career strikeout on August 22nd 1989 .

The 1980s was truly a great decade for baseball with some amazing players gracing its fields . It was a time of change as well with an influx of foreign born players making an impact on MLB . It was also a time when some young stars began to emerge who would go on to have Hall of Fame careers .

The Steroids Era of 80’s Baseball

In the late 1990s and early 2000s, Major League Baseball (MLB) became embroiled in a scandal involving the use of steroids and other performance-enhancing substances (PEDs). The so-called “Steroids Era” cast a shadow over the game that persists to this day.

While steroids have been a Art of Baseball for nearly as long as the game has been played, it was not until the 1980s that their use began to increase significantly. This can be attributed to a number of factors, including the signing of free agent players like Jose Canseco and Mark McGwire who were openly admitting to using PEDs.

The increased use of steroids in baseball led to a number of negative consequences, including an increase in homerun rates and an overall deterioration of the game’s integrity. The Steroids Era came to an end in 2007, when MLB implemented stricter testing and penalties for those caught using PEDs. However, the damage had been done and baseball has been struggling to recover ever since.

The Best Players of 80’s Baseball

80s baseball was a decade of Great players Some of the best to ever play the game took the diamond in the 1980s. Here are some of the best players of 80s baseball.

Cal Ripken Jr. was one of the best players of 80s baseball. He played his entire career with the Baltimore Orioles and is considered one of the greatest shortstops of all time. Ripken is a two-time World Series champion, and was named MVP in 1983. He was also a 19-time All-Star, and won two Gold Glove Awards

Mike Schmidt was another great player of 80s baseball. He played his entire career with the Philadelphia Phillies and is considered one of the greatest third basemen of all time. Schmidt is a three-time World Series champion, and was named MVP in 1980 and 1986. He was also a 12-time All-Star, and won 10 Gold Glove awards

Derek Jeter is another great player of 80s baseball. He played his entire career with the New York Yankees and is considered one of the greatest shortstops of all time. Jeter is a five-time World Series champion, and was named MVP in 2000. He was also a 14-time All-Star, and won five Gold Glove Awards

The worst players of 80’s Baseball

The 1980s were not kind to baseball. The game was rife with poor pitching, low-quality play, and a host of players who would probably not have made it in any other decade. This is a list of the worst players of 80’s baseball.

One player who epitomized the problems of 80’s baseball was Franklin Stubbs. Stubbs was a first baseman/outfielder for the Milwaukee Brewers from 1981 to 1988. In his eight seasons with the Brewers, Stubbs hit .240/.293/.383. He averaged 12 Home Runs and 60 RBI per season. His best season came in 1985 when he hit 15 home runs and drove in 65 RBI.

Another player who struggled during the 80’s was pitcher Fernando Valenzuela. Valenzuela was one of the most popular players in baseball during the early 80’s, but his production on the field did not match his popularity. From 1981 to 1990, Valenzuela had a record of 89-108 with an ERA of 4.17. He never had an ERA below 3.00 and only had one season with more than 10 wins (1985).

Shortstop Mario Mendoza was another player who had a difficult time during the 80’s. Mendoza played for the Seattle Mariners Pittsburgh Pirates and Texas Rangers from 1977 to 1992. During the 80’s, Mendoza batted .215/.248/.271. He only had one season with more than 100 hits (1980) and only reached double digits in home runs once (10 in 1983).

These are just some of the many bad players that were part of baseball during the 1980s. The decade was not kind to baseball fans or players alike.

The Most Memorable Moments of 80’s Baseball

There are so many great moments in 80’s baseball that it’s hard to know where to start. From Ozzie Smith’s backflip after winning the World Series to Cal Ripken Jr.’s record-breaking consecutive games played streak, the 80’s were full of great baseball moments. Here are just a few of the most memorable moments from that decade.

On October 25th, 1986, the New York Mets and the Boston Red Sox met in Game 7 of the World Series The Mets were down 5-3 in the bottom of the 10th inning, when Mookie Wilson hit a grounder that went through Bill Buckner’s legs, allowing Ray Knight to score the winning run from second base. The play is considered one of the most iconic and heartbreaking moments in baseball history

In 1981, Fernando Valenzuela burst onto the scene as a rookie with the Los Angeles Dodgers He quickly became a fan favorite, as he led the team to a World Series victory while also winning both the Cy Young and Rookie of the Year awards. Valenzuela’s popularity was so high that even President Ronald Reagan declared May 6th “Fernando Valenzuela Day” in 1981.

On September 6th, 1995, Cal Ripken Jr. broke Lou Gehrig’s record for most consecutive Games Played when he took the field for his 2131st straight game. Ripken would go on to play another 96 games before finally retiring in 2001 with a total of 2632 consecutive games played.

The Greatest Teams of 80’s Baseball

Looking back, the 80’s were a great decade for baseball. There were many great teams and players during this time period. In this article, we will take a look at some of the greatest teams of the 80’s.

The New York Yankees were one of the most dominant teams of the 80’s. They won the World Series in 1981, 1982, and 1983. They also made it to the World Series in 1984, but lost to the Detroit Tigers The Yankees featured some great players during this time period, such as Dave Winfield Don Mattingly and Steve Balboni.

The Los Angeles Dodgers were another great team during the 80’s. They won the World Series in 1981 and 1988. They also made it to the World Series in 1984 and 1985, but lost to the Yankees both times. The Dodgers featured some great players during this time period, such as Fernando Valenzuela, Steve Sax and Orel Hershiser

The St. Louis Cardinals were another team that was dominant during the 80’s. They won the World Series in 1982 and 1987. They also made it to the World Series in 1985 and 1987, but lost to the Kansas City Royals and Minnesota Twins respectively. The Cardinals featured some great players during this time period, such as Willie McGee Ozzie Smith and Jack Clark

The Detroit Tigers were a team that was very good during the 80’s. They won the World Series in 1984. They also made it to the World Series in 1987, but lost to the Cardinals. The Tigers featured some great players during this time period, such as Alan Trammell Kirk Gibson, and Lance Parrish.

The worst teams of 80’s Baseball

The 1980s were not kind to baseball fans in general, and especially not to fans of losing teams. From 1982 to 1989, there were seven playoff rounds—and the Cubs failed to make the playoffs in any of them. In fact, the only time the Cubs had a winning record in those seven seasons was 1984, when they finished with an abysmal record of 77-85.

But the Cubs weren’t the only team struggling in the 80s. In fact, there were several teams that were far worse off than the Cubs. Here’s a look at some of the worst teams of 80s baseball:

-The Pittsburgh Pirates finished below .500 in every season from 1982 to 1992, a streak of 11 consecutive losing seasons. They finally broke through with a 93-69 record in 1993, but then proceeded to lose 94 games in 1994.

-The Toronto Blue Jays also had a streak of 11 consecutive losing seasons, from 1983 to 1993. Their best season in that stretch was 1985, when they went 86-76. But they wouldn’t have a winning season again until they became World Series champions in 1992.

-The Baltimore Orioles had 14 straight losing seasons from 1981 to 1994. They finally turned things around in 1995, when they went 85-77 and made the playoffs as a Wild Card team.

So if you’re Feeling bad about your favorite team’s recent struggles, just remember that things could be worse—you could be rooting for one of these hapless franchises from the 1980s.

What If? The 80’s Baseball Alternate Universe

We all know that the 80’s were a great time for baseball. But what if things had been just a little bit different? In this alternate universe, let’s take a look at what might have been.

Eric Davis is the only player to hit for the cycle twice in a season, en route to winning the Triple Crown

The Seattle Mariners win the World Series in their first season, thanks to the heroics of Ichiro Suzuki

Barry Bonds sets the single-season home run record hitting 73 dingers in just 130 games.

And finally, Nolan Ryan throws an immaculate inning – striking out all three batters on just nine pitches – at the age of 46!

Looking Ahead to the Future of Baseball

The 1980s were a time of change in baseball. Attendance was down and the game was being overshadowed by football and basketball. Owners began to look for ways to increase revenue and bring fans back to the ballpark. This led to the creation of new stadiums, artificial turf, and the designated hitter rule

While some change can be good, too much of it can have a negative impact on the game. In the past decade, we have seen a number of changes that have made baseball less enjoyable to watch. These include instant replay, expanded rosters, and the implementation of new rules like the home plate collision rule.

It is our hope that baseball will return to its roots in the coming years. We would like to see fewer games played on artificial turf, more traditional ballparks, and a return to the days when players were required to play both Offense and defense We believe that these changes would make baseball more enjoyable for both fans and players alike.