In shortened season, stars still had chance to shine in 1981

The season began with Fernandomania and ended with a classic World Series matchup between the Dodgers and Yankees. Mike Schmidt slugged his way to a second consecutive MVP, and Nolan Ryan pitched another no-hitter.

But perhaps the best way to describe baseball in 1981 is by recounting Pete Rose’s pursuit of the National League’s career hits record. He tied the mark in June, then had to wait until August to break it — because a strike shut down the sport for about two months.

All Rose could do was make regular visits to the batting cage while he waited.

“I went there every freaking day,” Rose said.

If baseball is able to come back at all this year, fans should be prepared for a significantly shortened season, and that 1981 campaign may be the most relevant comparison available. The season was split in two by a labor dispute, but when the sport finally returned, its stars still had an abbreviated chance to shine.

“The chaos, the change, the uniqueness, the intensity — all of those elements absolutely factor into how memorable that entire time is,” said Steve Rogers, the right-hander whose Montreal Expos made their first postseason appearance in 1981.

The early days of the ’81 season were dominated by Fernando Valenzuela. The Mexican rookie took Los Angeles by storm, winning his first eight starts for the Dodgers and throwing shutouts in five of them.

By the time the strike began, Rose was in the spotlight. He was with the defending champion Phillies then, and on June 10, he entered Philadelphia’s last game before the strike needing one hit to tie Stan Musial’s NL mark of 3,630.

Ryan was on the mound against the Phillies, and Rose tied the record with a first-inning single off him. Then Rose struck out in his next three chances against the Houston...

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