At first, the World Series matchup of the Dodgers in opposition to the Yankees was a type of charming intra-city showdown of two New York Metropolis boroughs, blue collar Brooklyn, outfitted with a neighborhood known as Gravesend, in opposition to the pretentious Bronx, with the flamboyant Grand Concourse.
It was an intriguing matchup that carried bragging rights within the metropolis in addition to baseball’s world championship, and it caught the eye of sensible sports activities cartoonist Williard Mullin, who gave it the catchy nickname of “The Subway Sequence.” That was as a result of, in spite of everything, New York Metropolis’s fast transit system may get you from one ballpark to the opposite for simply 5 cents.
The journey will value significantly extra when it resumes on Friday for the twelfth time in a Broadway-meets-Sundown Boulevard model of baseball’s most frequent World Sequence rivalry. This one brings collectively this season’s winningest groups in a coast-to-coast collision that includes among the recreation’s largest stars within the Yankees’s Aaron Choose and Juan Soto, and the Dodgers’s Shohei Otani and Mookie Betts.
Their October showdowns have produced among the recreation’s most memorable moments, from Don Larsen’s good recreation and Reggie Jackson’s three straight residence runs to the one-handed circus catches of Al Gionfriddo and Sandy Amoros.
Yankees vs. Dodgers had a modest World Sequence starting
The Dodgers received their first Nationwide League pennant in 21 years in 1941 and located the Yankees, already developing a dynasty, ready for them within the World Sequence. It was the primary of their 12 Fall Basic conferences.
Mullin additionally gave them cartoon photos—a down-and-out however very proud Brooklyn Bum shuffling together with a ragtag wardrobe and a high-and-mighty New York Yankee, strutting round together with his chest out, celebrating his dominance of baseball.
This might be a match of the haves and the have-nots. The haves prevailed, however not with out one of many strangest performs in World Sequence historical past—the final out strikeout that as an alternative grew to become a game-turning rally for the Yankees.
The groups cut up the primary two video games at Yankee Stadium. The Yankees received Recreation 3 at Ebbets Area, however the Dodgers have been clinging to a 4-3 lead in Recreation 4—set, it appeared, to even the Sequence. Reliever Hugh Casey retired the primary two hitters and went to a 3-2 rely on Tommy Henrich after which broke off a depraved curveball—some thought it may need been a spitball. Henrich swung and missed, however the ball skipped previous catcher Mickey Owen. Henrich raced to first base. The Yankees had life.
Casey nonetheless wanted one out to seal the win. He by no means obtained it. Joe DiMaggio singled and Charlie Keller doubled, driving in two runs. The Yankees added two extra for a 7-4 victory that left the Dodgers surprised and Owen the goat. The Yankees received the subsequent day to clinch their ninth World Sequence triumph.
The 1947 World Sequence had Yogi and Jackie—however Invoice Bevens was the story
When the perimeters subsequent connected within the World Sequence in 1947, they included just a few notable new faces. Jackie Robinson broke the colour barrier with Brooklyn that season and received Rookie of the 12 months. And in Recreation 3, New York obtained the primary pinch-hit residence run in Sequence historical past by a rookie catcher named Yogi Berra.
However Recreation 4 was probably the most memorable of this Sequence as a result of Invoice Bevens, a marginal Yankees pitcher who received simply seven video games throughout the season, flirted with the primary no-hitter in World Sequence historical past.
Bevens carried a 2-1 lead into the underside of the ninth inning regardless of issuing eight walks. He then walked Carl Furillo by mistake and Pete Reiser deliberately. Cookie Lavagetto batted for Eddie Stanky and smashed a double off the right-field wall, ending the no-hit bid and successful the sport for Brooklyn. It was the final pitch Bevens threw within the main leagues.
The Yankees received Recreation 5 by 2-1, sending the Sequence again to the Bronx. The Dodgers led 8-5 in Recreation 6 however New York rallied within the sixth inning and had two males on base with two outs and DiMaggio at bat. The Yankees star despatched a drive that appeared headed for the left-field seats. AL Gionfriddo, inserted for protection firstly of the inning, took off on a lifeless run together with his again to the ball, twisted his physique on the final second and speared the shot for the out. DiMaggio, by no means one to point out emotion on the sector, kicked the filth in frustration.
The Dodgers held on to win that recreation, however New York took Recreation 7 and the Sequence. Like Bevens, Lavagetto and Gionfriddo by no means performed one other main league recreation.
The golden age of Dodgers vs. Yankees
Two years later, the 2 rivals have been again at it once more, this time with Casey Stengel managing the Yankees. The opening recreation of the 1949 Sequence was a traditional. The 2 groups have been scoreless by eight innings with Brooklyn’s Don Newcombe dueling the Allie Reynolds. Tommy Henrich led off the underside of the ninth inning with a house run, giving the Yankees a 1-0 victory over the Dodgers ace, who by no means received a World Sequence begin.
Brooklyn responded with its personal 1-0 victory in Recreation 2, with Preacher Roe outdueling Vic Raschi. Recreation 3 was tied 1-1 into the ninth inning when the Yankees scored thrice after which held on for a 4-3 victory. Brooklyn was on the ropes and New York moved in for the kill, besting Newcombe once more in Recreation 4 after which charging to a 10-1 lead in Recreation 5 and hanging on for a 10-6 victory within the clincher.
The rivalry resumed in 1952, beginning a stretch of 4 Subway Sequence in 5 years. Stengel’s Yankees received three of them, lacking solely in 1955 when the “Wait until subsequent 12 months!” Dodgers lastly captured their first World Sequence championship.
Brooklyn led the ’52 Sequence 3-2 earlier than residence runs in Recreation 6 by Berra and Mickey Mantle helped New York keep alive. Mantle’s homer and RBI single had New York clinging to a 4-2 lead in Recreation 7 when the Dodgers loaded the bases with two outs within the backside of the seventh. Robinson hit an infield popup that appeared destined to drop earlier than second baseman Billy Martin made a mad sprint to corral it for the third out. Brooklyn by no means threatened once more, and the Yankees had a fourth straight World Sequence title.
The Stengel dynasty claimed its fifth consecutive title in 1953, once more dispatching the Dodgers. Martin’s RBI within the backside of the ninth sealed it in Recreation 6, and the long run Yankees supervisor batted .500 within the Sequence.
After a 12 months off, the Subway Sequence resumed in 1955 and eventually after 5 tries, Brooklyn defeated the Yankees. The Dodgers additionally grew to become the primary workforce in Sequence historical past to drop the primary two video games and get well to seize the title. The star was left-hander Johnny Podres, who received Recreation 3 to begin the Dodgers restoration and Recreation 7 to clinch the title. Gil Hodges drove in two runs and Brooklyn was sitting on a 2-0 lead when freshman supervisor Walt Alston made a defensive change within the sixth inning, sending Cuban Sandy Amoros to play left subject.
With two runners on, Amoros was positioned towards heart when Berra despatched a slicing drive towards the left-field line. Amoros chased it down, thrusting his glove out for the catch after which relaying the ball to Pee Wee Reese, who threw to Hodges, finishing a rally-killing double play. Podres took it from there and eventually, subsequent 12 months had arrived for Brooklyn.
A 12 months later, Yankees right-hander Don Larsen pitched an ideal recreation, the primary no-hitter in World Sequence historical past. Larsen had been knocked out within the second inning of Recreation 2 however returned in Recreation 5 to throw his gem. He wanted simply 97 pitches, and when plate umpire Babe Pinelli known as strike three on pinch-hitter Dale Mitchell, it despatched Berra hurtling into his arms.
The Dodgers responded with Clem Labine, primarily a reliever, throwing 10 innings in a 1-0 victory. The Yankees got here again to assert one other title, driving a grand slam by Invoice Skowron and the hermetic pitching of Johnny Kucks to a 9-0 win in Recreation 7. It was the ultimate recreation of Robinson’s profession and the final time Brooklyn hosted a World Sequence.
The Dodgers go away Brooklyn, and Koufax, Jackson, and Steinbrenner enter the rivalry
After the Dodgers left for Los Angeles in 1957, the rivalry cooled till 1963 when it held a coast-to-coast showdown. This time, the Dodgers obtained even for all of the outdated disappointment with a four-game sweep. Within the opener, Sandy Koufax struck out 15, breaking Erskine’s Sequence report. Podres received Recreation 2 by 4-1 after which LA accomplished the sweep at residence when Don Drysdale shut New York out 1-0 and Koufax returned to win 2-1.
By 1977, free company had modified the face of baseball and the most important prize firstly of that period was slugger Reggie Jackson, who signed with the Yankees.
Jackson’s relationship with supervisor Martin was contentious, however within the World Sequence in opposition to the Dodgers, the outfielder carved an area for himself in Sequence historical past. Within the decisive sixth recreation, Jackson hit three residence runs, every on the primary pitch, matching a Sequence report set by Babe Ruth. His 5 residence runs within the Sequence helped the Yankees to a different world championship and earned Jackson the nickname Mr. October.
The 2 groups returned for the 1978 Sequence and the Dodgers jumped in entrance, sealing the second when Jackson struck out for the ultimate out of the sport. However the Yankees weren’t performed. They returned to New York and received the subsequent 4 video games, the primary Sequence workforce to drop the primary two after which win the Sequence in six video games.
The subsequent time they met, in 1981, the Dodgers reversed the end result, dropping the primary two video games after which successful 4 straight to seize the crown. Had been the Yankees pissed off? Nicely, proprietor George Steinbrenner obtained right into a lodge elevator dispute with some followers and emerged with a hand in a forged.
Now, 43 years later, with two vastly totally different casts, the rivalry resumes. It’s not a Subway Sequence, however nonetheless compelling for the historical past it already had written.
—Hal Bock, Related Press