Teams faced each other in a League Division Series for the first time, a round of the postseason that did not return until 1995, where it became a permanent addition.
This was the last edition of the postseason to feature four teams per league until 1995 when the LDS was made a permanent addition to the format.
The Athletics stole Game 1 in Kansas City, 4–0, as Mike Norris pitched a shutout, allowing only four hits.
The Yankees fended off a late comeback by the Brewers to win the series in 5 games to advance to the ALCS for the second year in a row.
Pete Vuckovich and Rollie Fingers kept the Yankees' offense at bay in Game 4 and helped the Brewers even the series.
The Brewers would return to the postseason the very next year, winning the ALCS against the California Angels before falling in the World Series.
The Astros would not return to the postseason again until 1986, where they fell to the eventual World Series champion New York Mets in six games in the NLCS.
Bill Gullickson and closer Jeff Reardon helped keep the Phillies' offense at bay in Game 2 as the Expos won 3–1, taking a 2–0 series lead headed to Philadelphia.
Game 4 was an offensive duel which the Phillies won in extra innings to even the series, capped off by a walk-off solo home run from George Vukovich.
The Yankees then blew out the Athletics in Game 2 by ten runs to take a 2–0 series lead headed to Oakland.
The Yankees completed the sweep in Game 3 as Dave Righetti and closer Ron Davis shut down the Athletics' offense, winning 4–0.
This was the last edition of the postseason to feature a team led by manager Billy Martin (the Athletics), who passed away in a car accident in 1989.
This was the last time the Yankees won the AL pennant until 1996, where they defeated the Baltimore Orioles in five games en route to a World Series title.
This was the last time the Athletics appeared in the postseason until 1988, where they swept the Boston Red Sox in the ALCS before falling in the World Series.
Game 3 was a pitchers' duel between Montreal's Steve Rogers and Los Angeles' Jerry Reuss – at first it appeared as Reuss would win the duel as the Dodgers led 1–0 going into the bottom of the sixth, but the Expos scored four unanswered runs thanks to an RBI single from Larry Parrish and a three-run home run from Jerry White, and Rogers ended up pitching a complete game as the Expos won 4–1.
The Dodgers were the last visiting team to win the World Series at Yankee Stadium until the Florida Marlins did so in 2003.
This was the last meeting between teams from New York City and Los Angeles for a major professional sports championship until the 2014 Stanley Cup Finals.
They would make one more appearance in the World Series later this decade in 1988, where they famously upset the heavily favored Oakland Athletics in five games.
This would be the last postseason appearance by the Yankees until 1995, as the franchise entered a rare and unusual slump for the next fourteen seasons.