Dodgers vs. Yankees World Series XII rivalry renewed
Yankees lead lifetime matchup 8-3 in most common Fall Classic opponents
It’s been 43 years since, last, the Dodgers and Yankees, two of the most storied franchises in major-league history, faced off in the World Series.
The Dodgers back in 1981 defeated the Yankees 4-2 in the finale of that unique split season, shortened due to a 49-day, mid-season player strike. An extra layer of playoffs that year compelled the Dodgers to win two series to qualify, beating the Astros and Expos, while the Yankees rolled over the Brewers and Oakland A’s.
Four decades later, this renewal of the most repeated Fall Classic throwdown in history, features no true underdog, instead, opponents with the second and third largest ‘24 payrolls, part of a record 12th time they have met. The first seven meetings were true Subway Series, the battle of the Boroughs, Brooklyn vs. the Bronx. Since their move west to Los Angeles in 1958, the two met four more times.
Following is a year-by-year summary of this famous East Coast/West Coast renewal.
1941 NY Yankees W4-1 Brooklyn Dodgers
This World Series, to put it in perspective, was played two months before the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor, with the rest of the world already deeply into World War II. Earlier that summer, the Yankees had mourned the death of their legendary star, the Iron Horse, Lou Gehrig, who had succumbed on June 2 to the effects of ALS, soon to be known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease.
The key moment in the ‘41 series, trailing two games to one in Game 4, with a 4-3 lead and two outs in the ninth, Dodgers catcher Mickey Owen boxed a Hugh Casey curveball on what should have been a game-ending Strike 3. The passed ball allowed Tommy Henrich to reach base, keying a four-run outburst. The Yankees won that game and then won the next day to capture the Series.
1947 NY Yankees W4-3 Brooklyn Dodgers
Two months following the end of WW II, Oct. 23, 1945, at a well-covered ceremony at team president, Branch Rickey’s office in Brooklyn, the Dodgers inked Negro Leagues star, Jackie Robinson, to a minor-league contract, bringing to an end a disgraceful, unofficial, but real MLB ban on signing African American players. It was a right move that paid off. Two seasons later, after Robinson played his initial season with the Triple-A Montreal Royals, he became the Dodgers first-baseman in ‘47, leading Brooklyn to the Fall Classic and a second Fall Classic date with the Yankees.
But this was not a traditional Bronx Bombers offence, with Joe DiMaggio being the only player with 20-plus home runs.
The most famous turning point and biggest play of the series arrived in the sixth inning, Game 6. The Dodgers trailed 8-5 with two on and two out, then watched as DiMaggio ripped a deep drive to left field headed for the short fence and a home run. But defensive replacement Al Gionfriddo raced over, reached up and brought it back, to save the game and force a Game 7, the next day, that the Yankees won.
1949 NY Yankees W4-1 Brooklyn Dodgers
The Yankees were led in ’49 by rookie manager Casey Stengel, squeezing through the regular season, into the World Series, winning two games at Yankee Stadium on the final weekend, to pass the Red Sox and clinch the pennant. The Dodgers also edged the Cardinals by a game in the NL race.
After swapping a pair of 1-0 decisions in the Bronx, the Yankees took the 4 Train, sweeping three at Ebbets Field to capture the ‘49 series, continuing to dominate their Octobers in New York.
1952 NY Yankees W4-3 Brooklyn Dodgers
The Yankees entered the ‘52 series riding high, with three straight WS wins over the Dodgers in the previous 11 years. The memory of that series, from anyone that was there to bear witness, is that the Yankees were heavily favoured and touted by local media, a fact that annoyed the Dodgers players and their fans.
The Dodgers carried the series to a Game 7, winner-take-all finale. The key play in G7 for the Yankees came on defence, with the bases loaded, bottom of the seventh, and two out. The Dodgers trailed 4-2 when Jackie Robinson lifted a high pop up near the mound, first baseman Joe Collins called for it, but lost sight of the ball as runners raced around the bases. Second baseman Billy Martin, at the last second, lunged into the play, diving and spearing the ball inches from the grass. Yankees in seven.
1953 NY Yankees W4-2 Brooklyn Dodgers
This became the fifth Fall Classic renewal of the Bombers and the Bums, all won by the Bombers, it was also the second year in a row, as history continued to repeat itself. The ceremonial first pitch at Yankee Stadium Game 1 was performed by Cy Young, the starter in 1903, for the first ever World Series.
The Yankees jumped ahead in the Series, winning two games in the Bronx, but the Dodgers tied it heading to Game 5 at Ebbetts Field. The Yankees rode home runs by Mickey Mantle and Billy Martin, banging out 25 hits, then won Game 6 at home to take the Series. Once again, for Dodgers fans, it was “Wait until next year.”
1955 Brooklyn Dodgers W4-2 NY Yankees
Next year actually turned into two years later, as the Giants, in between, had captured the NL pennant in ’54, but the Dodgers returned for another shot in ‘55. The Dodgers entered 0-7 lifetime in Series play, with the previous five defeats all vs. the Yankees.
How did they get there? The Dodgers rode a 22-2 season start to a 13.5 game winning margin over the Braves. There had been one notable addition to the Yankees roster, as they added the franchise’s first African-American player in 1955, catcher Elston Howard, becoming the 13th of 16 MLB teams to integrate. It was about time.
The Dodgers dropped the first two games in the Bronx, but roared back to win the next three. The series returned to Yankee Stadium, with the Bombers making their point, stepping up with five first-inning runs to even the series at three, setting up a winner-take-all. The Dodgers shocked the world, riding 23-year-old Johnny Podres to a complete-game 2-0 win, ending a seven World Series winless streak. Next year had finally arrived in Brooklyn.
1956 NY Yankees W4-3 Brooklyn Dodgers
The Dodgers roared into October, winning the first two at home, perhaps buoyed by the confidence of the previous Fall Classic win over the Yankees. But the story of the ’56 World Series was no doubt the one-game performance of 26-year-old journeyman starter, Don Larsen and his unexpected Game 5 gem, tossing the first and still the only MLB post-season perfect game, striking out seven.
Larsen had been the Game 2 loser, managing just four outs, allowing four unearned runs, then watching as his Yankees won Games 3-4 to even the series. Having pitched just three days earlier, it was not his turn to start.
On the morning of Game 5, Larsen showed up at Yankee Stadium after a hard night on the town with friends, only to arrive in the clubhouse and find the game ball in his shoe, which was the sign from MGR Casey Stengel, that he was getting the start. Remember, at the time there was the deadly combination of no World Series night games in MLB and no “last call” in Manhattan. The story was related to me years ago by the late Arthur Richman, a respected reporter at the time, in 1956, who went on to a lengthy front-office career with the Mets and Yankees. Game 5 was October 8 and the fact is that Larsen’s G2 start had come on Oct. 5. He was pitching on short rest, his third day. Larsen went to three balls just one time, vs. Pee Wee Reese in the first inning. There were just two big defensive plays behind him, the toughest coming on a Gil Hodges line-drive to left-centre run down and caught by Mickey Mantle.
But the Dodgers bounced back from the perfect-game loss to record a 1-0 win in 10 innings in Game 6. Then the Yankees jumped on Don Newcombe early in Game 7, cruising to a 9-0 win. The final out of the ‘56 series was a Jackie Robinson strikeout, also his last career major-league appearance.
1963 L.A. Dodgers W4-0 NY Yankees
In the years between’56 and ’63, the Dodgers had gone to the ’59 WS vs. the White Sox, while the Yankees went in 1957-58 (Braves), ’60 (Pirates), ’61 (Reds) and ’62 Giants. It was the Yankees second straight series against a former New York based team that had moved operations to California.
These west coast Dodgers relied on different skills. Built on pitching, speed and defence, they swept the Yankees, allowing four runs in four games, needing just one relief outing, that by Ron Perranoski in the ninth inning of Game 3. The tone of the series was set when Sandy Koufax struck out the first five Yankees he faced in Game 1 and the Dodgers scored four in the second inning. The rest was history. Koufax and Don Drysdale combined for three complete game wins.
1977 NY Yankees W4-2 L.A. Dodgers
There were storylines. Rookie Dodgers’ manager Tommy Lasorda was in his first year, taking over from Walter Alston. Yankees manager Billy Martin openly fought with his star outfielder Reggie Jackson in the Fenway Park dugout for a perceived lack of hustle. The Dodgers were the first team with four players at 30-plus home runs and Linda Ronstadt, prior to Game 3, performed arguably the greatest version of the National Anthem in Series history.
Then it was time for the legend of Mr. October. In Game 6 at Yankee Stadium, leading three to two, in what became a clinching game, Reggie Jackson homered on three straight swings against three different pitchers – Burt Hooton, Elias Sosa and Charlie Hough. Jackson hit .450, with 12 hits, five homers and eight RBIs. Mr. October was born as the Yankees earned their first Word Series crown since 1962 vs. the Giants.
1978 NY Yankees W4-2 L.A. Dodgers
There is always something new and exciting when these two teams meet. In the case of the ’78 Dodgers-Yankees Series, it was the Game 2 memory of an ultimate Power vs. Power matchup against which all other game-on-the-line World Series moments have been measured.
The moment arrived in Game 2, Dodger Stadium, top of the ninth, with Reggie Jackson settling in to face hard-throwing 21-year-old rookie, RHP Bob Welch, with the game on the line. The moment was palpable.
The Dodgers led 5-4, but the Bombers managed to put runners on first and second with one out against Terry Forster, trying for a three-inning save. Enter Welch. Thurman Munson popped up, bringing the swagger of Mr. October to the plate.
In Game 1, Jackson had a homer among his three hits. That, of course, was coming off his historic G6 three-homer performance that had knocked out the Dodgers the year before. What drama. No pitch clock, nothing but raw tension and a building crescendo of crowd noise. No on-screen strike box to distract. No scoreboard radar readings to tell you the kid was throwing very, very hard. The spotlight duel lasted nine pitches, including six hellacious Reggie hacks, ending in a huge Velcro-busting swing-and-miss for strike three, with the crowd erupting in relief and joy as their Dodgers took a two game to nothing lead heading to New York.
The series shifted to the Bronx, with the Yankees winning all three and taking a series lead heading back to Chavez Ravine, where Catfish Hunter in Game 6, bested Don Sutton, giving the Yankees their second straight series win over the Dodgers. Incidental to the outcome, Jackson got somewhat a measure of revenge in Game 6, smashing a home run in the far less ballyhooed rematch with Welch. Nevertheless, that Game 2 moment, that duel under the lights, is one that will live forever.
1981 L.A. Dodgers W4-2 NY Yankees
Everything about the ’81 post-season, to me, seemed anti-climactic. The Dodgers as they prepared for Game 1, were less than 24 hours removed from Blue Monday in Montreal, riding the euphoria of Rick Monday’s game-winning ninth inning homer vs. Steve Rogers that cost the Expos their best chance at a World Series.
The Yankees went on to take the first two games in the Bronx, but the Dodgers roared back to win the next four, duplicating what the Bombers had done to them in 1978, the last time they had met. The series turned around in Game 3, when 20-year-old rookie, the late Fernando Valenzuela stepped up with a complete game win. What stood out in this mostly forgettable series was Yankees reliever George Frazier suffering three losses in his three appearances.
For his handling of the pitching, manager Bob Lemon was roasted in Game 6, for his decision to pinch-hit for starter Tommy John in the bottom of the fourth, setting the stage for Frazier to enter and allow three runs, completing his hat-trick of losses. The Yankee bullpen in six games allowed 18 runs in 19 combined innings. Overall it was not much of a series, in fact, I should have stayed home after Blue Monday’s emotional devastation. Lemon was fired 14 games into the 1982 season.
I remember those '77 and '78 Series well as it coincided with the Jays first years and it seemed like the classic match up would be status quo. I also remember buying my first Sports Illustrated while on holiday in Cape Cod the summer of '77 and I think the Billy Martin/Jackson feud was on the cover. That got me hooked on SI.
It's also got me thinking about how sad the demise of the Oakland A's is. As a little kid I didn't follow baseball much, but couldn't help seeing the green and gold - best uniform colours in baseball - winning the WS and the great and quirky players the A's had. And the Harold Ballard of baseball Charlie Finlay. Gotta admit, I miss baseball from the 70s, even with all that artificial turf.