1981: Los Angeles Dodgers over New York Yankees (6 games)
1982: St. Louis Cardinals over Milwaukee Brewers (7 games)
1983: Baltimore Orioles over Philadelphia Phillies (5 games)
1984: Detroit Tigers over San Diego Padres (5 games)
1985: Kansas City Royals over St. Louis Cardinals (7 games)
1986: New York Mets over Boston Red Sox (7 games)
1987: Minnesota Twins over St. Louis Cardinals (7 games)
1988: Los Angeles Dodgers over Oakland Athletics (5 games)
1989: Oakland Athletics over San Francisco Giants
THE CONTACT KINGS: Wade Boggs & Tony Gwynn
Boggs and Gwynn were the premier contact hitters of their era. They both won multiple batting titles—Boggs, five and Gwynn, eight—and each won four straight batting titles to join Ty Cobb, Rogers Hornsby, and Rod Carew as the only players to do so. Gwynn and Boggs each hit over .350 in four straight seasons, the only players to do so since 1931.
GWYNN'S INCREDIBLE CONSISTENCY
Since Gwynn debuted in 1982, a hitter has finished a season with a batting average above .350 only 46 times. Gwynn has seven of those seasons, the most of any player in that span. Gwynn batted .300 in every season but his rookie year, giving him a record 19 straight seasons above .300.
OTHER DECADE STANDOUTS:
Mike Schmidt (PHI): 313 home runs in the 1980s, 5 NL home run titles
Rickey Henderson (OAK): The stolen base king who redefined speed
Dale Murphy (ATL): Back-to-back NL MVP winner (1982-83)
ROGER CLEMENS - "The Rocket"
He was one of the most dominant pitchers in major league history, tallying 354 wins, a 3.12 earned run average (ERA), and 4,672 strikeouts, the third-most all time. An 11-time MLB All-Star and two-time World Series champion, Clemens won seven Cy Young Awards, more than any other pitcher in history. His dominance began in the mid-1980s with the Red Sox.
DECADE PITCHING LEGENDS:
Dave Stieb (TOR): Best ERA+ (126) among pitchers with 1,500+ innings
Dwight Gooden (NYM): "Doc" dominated the mid-80s with electric stuff
Fernando Valenzuela (LAD): "Fernandomania" captured the nation's attention
Orel Hershiser (LAD): 1988 Cy Young winner with legendary scoreless streak
Batting Average Kings:
• George Brett hit .390 in 1980 for Kansas City – one of the highest single-season averages in modern baseball
• Wade Boggs led the decade with a .352 average and won 5 AL batting titles
• Tony Gwynn won 4 NL batting titles
Power and Production:
• Andre Dawson and Mark McGwire each hit 49 home runs in 1987
• Don Mattingly drove in 145 runs in 1985 for the Yankees
This era proved that speed kills – literally changing how teams approached the game and forcing defenses to constantly stay on their toes.
The 84 Tigers are truly one of the very best WS teams of all time. This powerhouse squad dominated from start to finish, showcasing the kind of complete team baseball that defined championship clubs of the era.
The 1980s featured an incredible mix of established veterans and emerging stars, creating a unique baseball ecosystem where speed and pitching ruled the diamond. This was the last decade before the offensive explosion of the 1990s, making it a true bridge between baseball's traditional past and modern future.
COMING NEXT ISSUE:
• Statistic leaders and team standings for my "Electrifying 80s" season
• In-depth look at the fortunes of the Boston Red Sox
• Spotlight features on top players
Celebrating MLB's Most Dynamic Decade in MLB The Show 23
Follow my channel playlist @greenmonster37ft for 80s baseball livestreams and highlights!
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