The power tandem of third baseman Mike Schmidt and leftfielder Greg Luzinski anchored the best offense in the National League. They combined for 77 home runs and 231 RBIs. Each had an on-base percentage over .390 and a slugging percentage over .570. Though Schmidt would have a much better career, it was “The Bull”, as Luzinski was nicknamed, that was actually a little bit better with the bat
Lasorda took over a team that had been a consistent contender since the age of divisional play began in 1969. The Dodgers finished second in the NL West six times from 1970-76, and they won the division—and the NL pennant—in 1974 before losing to the Oakland A’s in the World Series.
Pitching was the heart of the team…
The Los Angeles Dodgers and Philadelphia Phillies carried on a lively postseason rivalry, meeting three times in seven years for the National League pennant. The 1977 NLCS was the first of those meetings, and after at least two instances of the Phillies appearing ready to take control, it was the Dodgers who snatched it back and won the pennant.
The New York Yankees and Los Angeles Dodgers were old sparring partners in the World Series. Their eight previous meetings in the Fall Classic were the most of any matchup combination and they had met six times in ten years (1947-56) when the Dodgers were still in Brooklyn. They met again in 1963 after the Dodgers moved west. So perhaps it was appropriate that the Yankees’ first championship in sixteen years—and first under the ownership of George Steinbrenner—came over the Dodgers in the 1977 World Series.
The Tigers had been in a holding pattern since their AL East title of 1972—save for a 102-loss year in 1975, they were never awful, but nor did they ever break 90 wins and seriously contend. Anderson contended in 1981, won 92 games in 1983, and the 1984 Detroit Tigers were the big breakthrough that dominated wire-to-wire and won the city’s first World Series title since 1968.
The San Diego Padres had lived a lifeless existence since their founding in 1969. The first thirteen years saw one winning season and no finishes higher than fourth in the six-team NL West. The front office made the decision to hire Dick Williams and three years later the hire bore great fruit, as the 1984 San Diego Padres became the first team in franchise history to reach the World Series.
The North Side of Chicago has never been renowned for baseball excellence, and the early part of the 1980s was no exception. The beloved Chicago Cubs, after finishing second in the old NL East in 1969, 1970 and 1972 had finished under .500 in each of the ensuing eleven years, including a 91-loss season in 1983. A managerial change of a series of big trades made the 1984 Chicago Cubs season one to remember.
The 1984 NLCS saw two fresh faces arrive on the October stage. The Chicago Cubs and San Diego Padres each won their first division titles since advent of divisional play in 1969, and met in the League Championship Series. It was a series that began looking like a rout, before shifting gears and ending with an epic Saturday night and Sunday afternoon in San Diego.
It was expected that Detroit would win decisively and the fact they did so in five games shows the Tigers met expectations. But if you were a Tiger fan living through it in the moment, there were some nervous moments, as the Padres played competitive baseball throughout this Fall Classic and continually fought back whenever Detroit threatened to blow games open.
Joe Torre enjoyed one of the great managing careers in MLB history. The bulk of the success came with the New York Yankees, but it also included a playoff team in Atlanta at the beginning of his career and two more in Los Angeles at the end. The 2009 Los Angeles Dodgers were Torre’s last contender.
The 2009 Los Angeles Angels were the product of a proud organization that had built an excellent reputation in the ‘00s for good, fundamental baseball. The arrival of Mike Scioscia as manager in 2000 effected the change and they won the World Series in 2002. The Angels continued to be a solid contender, winning four more AL West titles and reaching the American League Championship Series in 2005. But they had one big bugaboo and it was the Boston Red Sox.
The 1982 St. Louis Cardinals inherited the legacy of the National League’s proudest franchise, but one that was—relatively speaking—a dry spell. After going to consecutive World Series in 1967-68 and winning one, this great baseball city had been quiet in October. Baseball expanded in 1969, the leagues split into two divisions each, but St. Louis didn’t win the new NL East.