Midwest League 1981

Summary

• Midwest League Champion: Wausau Timbers (Mariners)
• Team with Best Won/Lost Record: Wausau Timbers (Mariners) 84/48, .636
• Most Valuable Player: Ed Saavedra (Waterloo/Indians)
• Prospect of the Year: Harold Reynolds (Wausau/Mariners)
• Manager of the Year: Gomer Hodge (Waterloo/Indians)

• League Attendance: 602,793
  • 8 teams in two divisions played a 136 game, split-season schedule.
  • The MWL had teams in Iowa and Wisconsin.

Overview

Composite 1981 Won/Lost Record for Each Team

                 Nickname   Affiliate Won Lost  Pct (Rank)
Appleton         Foxes      White Sox  54  80  .403  (6)
Burlington       Bees       Brewers    54  81  .400  (7)
Cedar Rapids     Reds       Reds       65  68  .489  (5)
Clinton          Giants     Giants     52  80  .394  (8)
Quad City        Cubs       Cubs       77  58  .570  (3)
Waterloo         Indians    Indians    81  55  .596  (2)
Wausau           Timbers    Mariners   84  48  .636  (1)
Wisconsin Rapids Twins      Twins      68  65  .511  (4)

First Half

Wausau           41 23 .641  ---                  Quad City            37 29 .561  ---
Waterloo         40 29 .600  2.0                  Cedar Rapids         37 29 .561  ---
Wisconsin Rapids 36 29 .554  5.5                  Burlington           21 45 .318 16.0
Appleton         29 36 .446 12.5                  Clinton              21 45 .318 16.0

Note: Quad City declared Southern Division champion for the first half on the basis of winning the regularly-scheduled game on July 2, which was used as a tie-breaker.

Second Half

Wausau           43 25 .632  ---                  Quad City            40 29 .580  ---
Waterloo         41 29 .586  3.0                  Burlington           33 36 .478  7.0
Wisconsin Rapids 32 36 .471 11.0                  Clinton              31 35 .470  7.5
Appleton         25 44 .362 18.5                  Cedar Rapids         28 39 .418 11.0

1981 Post Season

Round 1:
Wausau d. Waterloo, 2-1
Quad City d. Cedar Rapids, 2-1

Championship:
Wausau d. Quad City, 2-0

1981 All-Star Game

1981 League Changes

Sources

• Lloyd Johnson & Miles Wolff, Encyclopedia of Minor League Baseball (Durham: Baseball America, 2007)
• 1981 All-American Baseball News Minor League and College Baseball Statistics Report
• 1982 Sporting News Guide
• 1989 Midwest League Record Book
• 1982 Midwest League Media Guide
• 1981 Programs/Yearbooks:
  •