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David Schoenfield, ESPN Senior Author
There may be historical past and nostalgia and YouTube movies to scour via simply within the names alone: New York Yankees and Los Angeles Dodgers within the World Collection. It is a matchup of the 2 greatest groups from the 2024 season — a uncommon incidence on this age of expanded playoffs — and a showdown that requires a glance again on the 11 earlier World Collection between the 2 franchises.
That historical past started when the Dodgers had been nonetheless in Brooklyn, their residence for the primary seven of these World Collection battles earlier than the franchise moved to L.A. in 1958. The Yankees received six of these and in addition received in back-to-back years in 1977 and 1978. They final met in 1981 — Fernando Valenzuela’s memorable rookie season. Valenzuela’s shadow will now loom over this World Collection after his demise on Tuesday, a reminder not solely of his significance to the Dodgers and the Latin American neighborhood in Los Angeles, however of the final time these two historic franchises met with the whole lot on the road.
Let’s take just a little historical past lesson and look again at their 11 earlier matchups.
1941: Yankees over Dodgers (4-1)
Key spotlight: Dodgers catcher Mickey Owen’s dropped third strike results in a two-out profitable rally within the ninth inning of Sport 4.
The Yankees had been already eight-time World Collection champions once they met the Brooklyn Dodgers, who had performed in two World Collection however had by no means received and had been principally referred to as lovable losers, incomes the affectionate nickname “Dem Bums” from their followers. The Yankees featured Joe DiMaggio — this was the season he hit in 56 consecutive video games — whereas fellow outfielders Charlie Keller and Tommy Henrich additionally hit 30 residence runs, forming maybe the best outfield of all time. The Dodgers had NL MVP Dolph Camilli, who led the Nationwide League in residence runs and RBIs, and 22-year-old middle fielder Pete Reiser, who hit .343 however would finally see his profession finish early after crashing into too many outfield partitions.
In Sport 4, Brooklyn led 4-3 coming into the ninth, trying to tie the collection. With two outs, Dodgers reliever Hugh Casey struck out Henrich, however the ball bought by Owen, Henrich reached first base, and the Yankees went on to attain 4 runs. Casey, a consuming and boxing buddy of Ernest Hemingway, died younger at age 37, leaving Owen to shoulder the blame — certainly, for a very long time, it remained a well-known play in World Collection historical past. Owen would say Casey threw a tough slider when he was anticipating a gradual curveball. Dodgers shortstop Pee Wee Reese mentioned it was a spitball. The nice author Roger Angell, then a university scholar in attendance, would later say, “The second it occurred, all people knew the Yankees would win.” In fact. The Yankees at all times received; the Dodgers didn’t.
1947: Yankees over Dodgers (4-3)
Key spotlight: Yankees pitcher Invoice Bevens loses a no-hitter — and the sport — with two outs within the backside of the ninth.
Bevens, a hard-throwing — however wild — right-hander pitched his close to no-hitter in Sport 4, although he walked 10 batters within the sport. He had already allowed a run coming into the ultimate inning however had a 2-1 lead. He walked Carl Furillo with one out and pinch runner Al Gionfriddo stole second. With two outs, the Yankees deliberately walked Reiser. Cookie Lavagetto pinch hit and lined a two-run double off the wall in proper to win it for Brooklyn. It might be the ultimate hit of his profession. A distraught Bevens went out consuming till 5 a.m. after the sport.
The Yankees would win the collection anyway, because the Dodgers got here up quick in Jackie Robinson’s rookie season. It was a bizarre collection. Each Brooklyn starter bought knocked out early: 4 IP, 4 IP, 4⅓ IP, 0 IP, 4⅔ IP, 2⅔ IP within the first six video games. The Dodgers managed to drive a Sport 7 however had run out of choices: Supervisor Burt Shotton went with Hal Gregg, who had a 5.87 ERA that season (however had pitched seven good innings in reduction in Sport 4). Gregg bought knocked out within the fourth and the Yankees received 5-2 — with Bevens pitching 2⅔ scoreless innings of reduction.
1949: Yankees over Dodgers (4-1)
Key spotlight: Yankees win the opener 1-0 on Tommy Henrich’s walk-off residence run within the ninth.
Henrich’s residence run off Don Newcombe was not solely the primary walk-off residence run in World Collection historical past however stays the one walk-off residence run in a 1-0 sport within the World Collection (there have been simply two others in postseason historical past, by Jeff Kent within the 2004 NLCS and Oscar Gonzalez within the 2022 ALDS). The Dodgers would rebound with their very own 1-0 victory in Sport 2, however the Yankees would take the subsequent three video games.
Allie Reynolds, who beat Newcombe in Sport 1 and bought the save in Sport 4 with 3⅓ scoreless innings, was on his solution to turning into one of many many unsung World Collection heroes for the Yankees via the years. He would pitch in six World Collection between 1947 and 1953 — and the Yankees received all six. Reynolds went 7-2 with 4 saves and a 2.79 ERA, tossing two shutouts amongst his 9 begins and profitable one other with a 10-inning full sport.
1952: Yankees over Dodgers (4-3)
Key spotlight: Billy Martin saves Sport 7 for the Yankees with a lunging seize of an infield pop fly with the bases loaded within the seventh inning.
After dropping the NL pennant on the ultimate day of the season in 1950 after which dropping to the Giants on Bobby Thomson’s well-known residence run within the 1951 tiebreaker, the Dodgers made it again in 1952. The Yankees, in the meantime, had been going for a fourth straight World Collection championship.
In a collection stuffed with Monday morning quarterbacking, one of the crucial fascinating selections was Dodgers supervisor Walter Alston electing to start out 28-year-old soon-to-be-named Rookie of the 12 months Joe Black (though a veteran of the Negro Leagues) 3 times within the collection, after Black had began simply twice within the common season. The Dodgers had been with out Newcombe, their greatest starter via the years, as a result of he was within the navy in 1952 (and ’53). Black had gone 15-4 with a 2.15 ERA, with 54 of his 56 appearances in reduction.
It appeared prefer it may work. Black received the opener 4-2 because the Dodgers hit three residence runs. Reynolds outdueled Black 2-0 in Sport 4 to even the collection. Brooklyn received Sport 5 on Duke Snider’s go-ahead double within the eleventh inning. The Yankees received 3-2 in Sport 6 as Yogi Berra and Mickey Mantle homered. Sport 7 was tied 2-2 when Mantle homered off Black within the sixth. The Yankees added one other run within the seventh on Mantle’s RBI single. Within the backside of the seventh, the Dodgers loaded the bases with one out. Bob Kuzava got here on for the Yankees. He bought Snider to come out to 3rd base after which Robinson hit just a little pop fly simply to the proper of the pitcher’s mound. For a break up second, it appeared no Yankees infielder was going to get it, however then Martin raced in from second base and snagged the ball simply earlier than it hit the bottom. Kuzava breezed via the ultimate two innings and the Yankees, once more, had been the champs.
1953: Yankees over Dodgers (4-2)
Key spotlight: Martin’s RBI single within the backside of the ninth of Sport 6 wins it for the Yankees.
This was going to be the yr. It was one of the best Brooklyn group but, even with Newcombe nonetheless within the Military. The Dodgers went 105-49 behind the most effective offenses of all time: Snider (.329, 42 residence runs), Roy Campanella (.312, 41 residence runs), batting champ Furillo (.344), Robinson (.329, 95 RBIs), Gil Hodges (.302, 31 residence runs), Reese (.374 OBP, 108 runs) and Jim Gilliam (.383 OBP, 125 runs).
It was to not be. The Yankees received the primary two video games, then Brooklyn took the subsequent two. The Yankees hit 4 residence runs in an 11-7 victory in Sport 5. In Sport 6, Furillo hit a two-run homer within the prime of the ninth off Reynolds (pitching in reduction of Whitey Ford) to tie the rating. Within the backside of the ninth, nonetheless, Hank Bauer drew a stroll off Dodgers reliever Clem Labine, Mantle singled him to second after which Martin singled to middle to win the Collection.
As at all times, it was “wait ’til subsequent yr” for Dodgers followers.
1955: Dodgers over Yankees (4-3)
Key spotlight: Sandy Amoros makes a key working catch in left subject and 23-year-old Johnny Podres tosses a 2-0 shutout in Sport 7.
Subsequent yr would lastly come two years later. The Yankees received the primary two video games at Yankee Stadium — Newcombe getting bombed for 3 residence runs within the opener and the Yankees profitable 4-2 in Sport 2 with a four-run rally within the fourth inning. The Dodgers, nonetheless, received all three in Brooklyn: Podres tossed an entire sport in Sport 3; Campanella, Hodges and Snider homered in Sport 4; Snider hit two extra residence runs in Sport 5. The Yankees then pressured Sport 7 as Ford tossed an entire sport in Sport 6 and so they scored 5 runs within the first inning.
Sport 7. Yankee Stadium. Podres was in his third season, had simply turned 23 and had gone 9-10 with a 3.95 ERA. The Dodgers may have used Newcombe, who hadn’t pitched since Sport 1, however he would later say he had injured his arm in September, of which solely Alston was conscious. However Newcombe had by then additionally earned a repute as a pitcher who did not carry out properly in massive video games. Podres bought the ball.
The Dodgers scored within the fourth when Hodges’ two-out single plated Campanella. Hodges added a sac fly within the sixth. The Dodgers had pinch hit for second baseman Don Zimmer that inning, so Alston moved Gilliam from left subject to second base and inserted Amoros in left — upgrading the protection at each positions. Within the backside of the sixth, the Yankees bought a stroll from Martin and a bunt single from Gil McDougald to guide off the inning. Berra drove a ball into the left-field nook, however Amoros raced off and reached out to make a spectacular seize — and doubled McDougald off first base. Podres would end it off from there.
“I assure, there was extra celebrating in Brooklyn that day than there was for the tip of World Conflict II,” Buzzie Bavasi, the Dodgers’ normal supervisor on the time, would comment half a century later.
This was additionally the World Collection that featured Robinson’s well-known steal of residence — and Berra’s ensuing argument with umpire Invoice Summers. It got here in Sport 1 within the prime of the eighth inning with two outs and minimize the Yankees’ result in 6-5, which might find yourself the ultimate rating. Replays appear to indicate that Robinson was certainly secure, as Berra did not get his glove down in entrance of the plate, permitting Robinson to slip his foot in earlier than the tag was utilized. Whereas the steal finally did not have an effect on the sport, it stays the enduring picture of the Yankees-Dodgers rivalry from that period. And this is a enjoyable truth from that sport: Martin was caught attempting to steal residence within the sixth inning.
1956: Yankees over Dodgers (4-3)
Key spotlight: Don Larsen tosses an ideal sport for the Yankees in Sport 5.
Larsen was the shock starter for Sport 5 — supervisor Casey Stengel did not even announce his determination till the morning of the sport, with a ball positioned in Larsen’s locker to let him know (Larsen had confronted 10 batters in Sport 2, permitting 4 runs). The journeyman right-hander — he had gone 3-21 simply two years earlier than for the Orioles — proceeded to toss the one excellent sport in postseason historical past. Wrote Shirley Povich in The Washington Submit: “The million-to-one shot got here in. Hell froze over. A month of Sundays hit the calendar. Don Larsen right this moment pitched a no-hit, no-run, no-man-reach-first sport in a World Collection.”
The collection wasn’t over, although. The Dodgers received Sport 6 1-0 in 10 innings as Labine went the space. However Sport 7 was a 9-0 blowout for the Yankees as Berra homered twice off Newcombe. And identical to that, the New York-Brooklyn rivalry was over: The Dodgers performed only one extra season at Ebbets Area and departed for the solar and palm timber of Los Angeles.
1963: Dodgers over Yankees (4-0)
Key spotlight: Sandy Koufax pitches two complete-game wins, together with 15 strikeouts in Sport 1.
The previous Boys of Summer season had been gone, however the Dodgers now had Koufax and Don Drysdale. The Yankees had been nearing the tip of their decaying dynasty — 1964 could be their last pennant till 1976. Koufax set a then-World Collection document together with his 15 strikeouts, Drysdale tossed a 1-0 shutout in Sport 3 and Koufax beat Ford for a second time to finish the sweep.
1977: Yankees over Dodgers (4-2)
Key spotlight: Reggie Jackson swings 3 times within the clinching Sport 6 — and hits three residence runs.
It was a brand new era of gamers, with Jackson — the self-proclaimed “straw that stirs the drink” — main the Yankees after signing an enormous contract as a part of baseball’s first free agent class in 1977. The Dodgers featured Steve Garvey, Ron Cey, Reggie Smith, Dusty Baker and a deep pitching workers led by Corridor of Famer Don Sutton, 20-game winner Tommy John and Burt Hooton.
Jackson entered the World Collection in a droop. Supervisor Billy Martin, who had fought with Jackson all season, had benched him within the last sport of the American League Championship Collection. Then Jackson heated up. He homered in Sport 4 and once more in Sport 5. In Sport 6, he provided at simply three pitches, homering within the fourth, fifth and eighth innings, the ultimate one a humongous blast into the center-field bleachers. He rounded the bases to chants of “Reg-gie! Reg-gie!” Mr. October was born.
1978: Yankees over Dodgers (4-2)
Key spotlight: Rookie Bob Welch strikes out Jackson for the ultimate out in Sport 2 — however Reggie will get his revenge with a house run in Sport 6.
This was the World Collection the place Yankees third baseman Graig Nettles made a number of spectacular performs to crush Dodgers rallies and in addition the World Collection the place Jackson, the runner on first base, caught out his hip to deflect a throw from second base, permitting an important run to attain.
The Dodgers received the primary two video games at residence. Sport 2 was a 4-3 win with the hard-throwing Welch fanning Jackson in an epic nine-pitch battle with the go-ahead runs on base. With the assistance of Reggie’s hip, the Yankees received Sport 4, 4-3 in 10 innings. Sport 5 was a 12-2 blowout for the Yankees as rookie Jim Beattie pitched an entire sport and the Yankees pounded out 18 hits. In Sport 6, the Yankees had been up 3-2 within the sixth when Brian Doyle — a light-hitting backup second baseman enjoying solely as a result of Willie Randolph was injured — hit a giant RBI single after which later scored (Doyle hit .438 within the collection). Reggie then iced the collection with a two-run homer off Welch within the seventh.
1981: Dodgers over Yankees (4-2)
Key spotlight: Yankees reliever George Frazier loses three video games.
This was the yr of the break up season and Fernandomania, with the Yankees taking the primary two at residence and looking out like they’d beat the Dodgers as soon as once more. Then the Dodgers received 5-4 in Sport 3 behind Valenzuela’s full sport. He labored to the end line, strolling seven batters and throwing 147 pitches, however held on. In Sport 5, the Dodgers received 2-1 as Pedro Guerrero and Steve Yeager hit back-to-back residence runs off Ron Guidry within the seventh. The Dodgers clinched at Yankee Stadium when the Yankees controversially pinch hit for beginning pitcher Tommy John within the backside of the fourth of a 1-1 sport and Frazier got here on and instantly gave up three runs on the way in which to a 9-2 rout for the Dodgers.
The Yankees wouldn’t return to the World Collection till 1996 — and the Dodgers and Yankees wouldn’t meet once more within the World Collection till 43 years later. It is a new forged of characters, a brand new forged of stars — and new alternatives for historical past to be made.