1981 California League season
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| 1981 California League season | |
|---|---|
| League | California League |
| Sport | Baseball |
| Duration | April 10 – August 30 |
| Games | 140 |
| Teams | 8 |
| Regular season | |
| League champions | Visalia Oaks |
| Season MVP | Kent Hrbek, Visalia Oaks |
| Playoffs | |
| League champions | Lodi Dodgers |
| Runners-up | Visalia Oaks |
The 1981 California League was a Class A baseball season played between April 10 and August 30. Eight teams played a 140-game schedule, as four teams qualified for the playoffs.
The Lodi Dodgers won the California League championship, as they defeated the Visalia Oaks in the final round of the playoffs.
- As the league went down to eight teams, the divisional format was abandoned in 1981.
Team changes
- The Salinas Angels disbanded.
- The Redwood Pioneers began a new affiliation with the California Angels.
- The San Jose Missions ended their affiliation with the Seattle Mariners.
Teams
Map of teams
Regular season
Summary
- The Visalia Oaks finished with the best record in the regular season for the first time since 1978.
Standings
| California League | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team | Win | Loss | % | GB |
| Visalia Oaks | 87 | 53 | .621 | – |
| Reno Silver Sox | 81 | 58 | .583 | 5.5 |
| Lodi Dodgers | 73 | 67 | .521 | 14 |
| Stockton Ports | 68 | 71 | .489 | 18.5 |
| Modesto A's | 67 | 71 | .486 | 19 |
| Redwood Pioneers | 66 | 74 | .471 | 22 |
| Fresno Giants | 63 | 77 | .450 | 25 |
| San Jose Missions | 53 | 87 | .379 | 35 |
League Leaders
Batting leaders
| Stat | Player | Total |
|---|---|---|
| AVG | Kent Hrbek, Visalia Oaks | .379 |
| H | George Hinshaw, Reno Silver Sox | 189 |
| R | Steve Garcia, Reno Silver Sox | 120 |
| 2B | Scotti Madison, Visalia Oaks | 32 |
| 3B | Lyle Brackenridge, Visalia Oaks Joe Scherger, Reno Silver Sox | 10 |
| HR | Rob Deer, Fresno Giants | 33 |
| RBI | George Hinshaw, Reno Silver Sox | 131 |
| SB | Rusty McNealy, San Jose Missions | 63 |
Pitching leaders
Playoffs
- The playoff format changed to a 1 vs. 4 and 2 vs. 3 semi-final round.
- The Lodi Dodgers won their third California League championship, as they defeated the Visalia Oaks in five games.
Playoff bracket
| Semi-finals | Finals | ||||||||
| 1 | Visalia | 2 | |||||||
| 4 | Stockton | 1 | |||||||
| 1 | Visalia | 2 | |||||||
| 3 | Lodi | 3 | |||||||
| 2 | Reno | 0 | |||||||
| 3 | Lodi | 3 | |||||||
Awards
| California League awards | |
|---|---|
| Award name | Recipient |
| Most Valuable Player | Kent Hrbek, Visalia Oaks |