When the Dodgers won in ‘81

First-day cover signed by Pedro Guerrero, Jay Johnstone and Ron Cey.

In 1981, I was in sixth grade and fully enjoying all things sports.

My favorite baseball team was unquestionably the Toronto Blue Jays, but the 1981 World Series featured two of the most glamorous franchises in baseball: the New York Yankees and the Los Angeles Dodgers.

That October, my afternoon school bus ride was dominated by discussion about the Dodgers and Yankees. As an American League fan, I was pulling for the Yankees, but I had a great deal of respect for the Dodgers.

Los Angeles had a sensational infield – first baseman Steve Garvey, second baseman Davey Lopes, shortstop Bill Russell and third baseman Ron Cey.

Their outfield was nearly as good, including all-star Pedro Guerrero, slugger Dusty Baker and speedy centerfielder Ken Landreaux.

That Dodger team won the World Series in six games – and Cey, Guerrero and catcher Steve Yeager shared MVP honors.

Although I was disappointed with the outcome, I became fascinated with the rich history of the Dodger franchise. My multi-signed Dodgers Stadium photo is one of the prized pieces in my collection.

This Dodger Stadium photo is signed by 21 players or coaches: Joe Moeller, Claude Osteen, Charlie Hough, Al Downing, Stan Williams, Doug Rau, Ron Cey, Wally Moon, Pedro Guerrero, Carl Erskine, Ken McMullen, Ben Hines, Joe Amalfitano, Mark Cresse, Dick Calmus, Chuck Essegian, Dick Tracewski, Steve Garvey, Tom Niedenfuer, Jay Howell and Franklin Stubbs.

One of the best things about the Dodgers history is its tradition of players making television appearances. For example, pitcher Don Drysdale and first baseman Wes Parker each appeared on episodes of The Brady Bunch. Herman Munster of The Munsters even tried out for the Dodgers.

And outfielder Al Ferrera appeared on both Gilligan’s Island and Batman.