Games : 1981 National League Top 25

Finding the American or National League leader in virtually every hitting & pitching statistic is easy-to-do. Finding the top 25 players during any given season is far more challenging. Baseball Almanac has taken away that difficult problem and is pleased to present the data you requested:

"Although baseball decided to extend the regular season deeper into October to play 162 games (after the 09-11 disaster), why not just play 154? Baseball has dealt with shortened seasons before. (Bud) Selig spoke about the sanctity of playing 162 games, but baseball played 154 games until 1961. Baseball should have just let the games go and continued with the current schedule." - Joe Morgan on ESPN (September 19, 2001)
 

1981 Games Leaders

Top 25 in the National League

Gary Lucas 57 San Diego Padres 1
Greg Minton 55 San Francisco Giants 2
Tom Hume 51 Cincinnati Reds 3
Dick Tidrow 51 Chicago Cubs  
Joe Sambito 49 Houston Astros 5
Rick Camp 48 Atlanta Braves 6
Sparky Lyle 48 Philadelphia Phillies  
Bruce Sutter 48 St. Louis Cardinals  
Al Holland 47 San Francisco Giants 9
Fred Breining 45 San Francisco Giants 10
Grant Jackson 45 Pittsburgh Pirates  
Montreal Expos  
Kent Tekulve 45 Pittsburgh Pirates  
Neil Allen 43 New York Mets 13
Jeff Reardon 43 New York Mets  
Montreal Expos  
Doug Capilla 42 Chicago Cubs 15
John Littlefield 42 San Diego Padres  
Dave Smith 42 Houston Astros  
Steve Howe 41 Los Angeles Dodgers 18
Jim Kaat 41 St. Louis Cardinals  
Joe Price 41 Cincinnati Reds  
Lee Smith 40 Chicago Cubs 21
Ron Reed 39 Philadelphia Phillies 22
John Urrea 38 San Diego Padres 23
Danny Boone 37 San Diego Padres 24
Frank LaCorte 37 Houston Astros  



The first player from the Angels franchise (they were the California Angels at the time) to wear the number twenty-five was Bob Perry.

Jim Thome wore number twenty-five since he first came up with the Cleveland Indians making him the franchise record holder for that particular number (Mike Garcia is second).

Future Hall of Famer Sammy Sosa is best known for wearing number twenty-one; however, when the young slugger played for the Chicago White Sox (1989-1991) he only wore number twenty-five.