Yankees-Dodgers Rivalry
Encyclopedia
The Yankees
–Dodgers
rivalry is one of the most well-known rivalries in Major League Baseball
. The two teams have met 11 times in the World Series
, more times than any other pair of teams from the American
and National League
s. The initial significance was embodied in the two teams' proximity in New York City
, when the Dodgers initially played in Brooklyn
. After the Dodgers moved to Los Angeles
in , the rivalry retained its significance as the two teams represented the dominant cities on each coast of the United States
, and since the 1980s
, the two largest cities in the United States.
Although the rivalry's significance arose from the two teams' numerous World Series meetings, the Yankees and Dodgers have not met in the World Series since . They would not play each other in a non-exhibition game until 2004, when they played a 3-game interleague
series. Their last meeting was in June 2010.
was in its infancy, and one of its charter franchises (which would eventually become the Yankees) was the original Baltimore Orioles. The league, however, recognized that it required a presence in New York City
, the country's largest market, in order to survive. Hence, it moved the Orioles to New York, which was already the home of two National League
franchises, the Brooklyn Dodgers
and New York Giants
. The new team was eventually called the New York Highlanders due to their home field being Hilltop Park
from 1903-1912.
After the Highlanders allowed the Giants to play at Hilltop Park when the latter's home stadium, the Polo Grounds
, was undergoing reconstruction from a fire, the Giants invited the Highlanders to share the Polo Grounds with them. Since the Highlanders were no longer playing at higher elevations, they changed their name to the New York Yankees. In 1921, the Giants gave the Yankees an eviction notice due to several factors, including jealousy over the Yankees bringing in more crowds than the Giants; Giants manager John McGraw preferring the dead ball era strategy over the slugging strategy of the Yankees as personified by Babe Ruth
; and the 1921 World Series
match-up between the two teams. That World Series became the first Subway Series
, as match-ups between the Dodgers and the Giants were not referred to as Subway Series. After losing to the Giants again the following year, the Yankees moved across the Harlem River
to the old Yankee Stadium in the Bronx, where they captured their first ever World Series from the Giants in 1923
.
. In Game 4, the Dodgers led by three runs going to the top of the ninth inning and wound up getting all three outs to still lose the game. The Yankees' Tommy Henrich
swung and missed with two strikes, but Dodger catcher Mickey Owen
failed to hold on to the ball, allowing Henrich to reach first base. Owen recollected the incident:
Joe DiMaggio
followed Henrich's at bat with a single before Charlie Keller
hit a double to drive in both Henrich and DiMaggio. Bill Dickey
followed with a walk and scored along with Keller on a Joe Gordon double to make the final score 7-4. The Yankees would go on to clinch the first series match-up between the two teams in the start of what would become a long-lasting rivalry.
had a dramatic moment in Game 6. The Dodgers' Al Gionfriddo
was placed in left field for defensive purposes and robbed Joe DiMaggio of a game-tying three-run home run. DiMaggio was visibly disgusted by the outcome of the play when rounding the bases in one of the few emotional displays of his career. The Dodgers won the game and forced a do-or-die Game 7, only to fall.
Dazzling defensive plays would be seen again, this time by the Yankees in the 1952 contest
, as Billy Martin
came outside the camera coverage area to catch a pop-fly after Brooklyn had threatened to take the lead in Game 7. Martin would go on to be the hero once more in the 1953 series
with a series record 12 hits, including the winning hit of the series-clinching game off of Clem Labine
.
Brooklyn signed Jackie Robinson
to not only break the color line
, but to bolster the lineup. Robinson, along with outfielder Duke Snider
and pitcher Don Newcombe
, sparked Brooklyn to four National League pennants between 1947
and 1953
. Each and every time during this period, however, the World Series ended in heartbreak for the Dodgers and gave the Dodger fans their rallying cry: "Wait 'til next year!"
, falling in seven games to the Yankees. That year's team suffered some ignominy in being on the losing end of Don Larsen
's perfect game
in Game 5, which was the first of only two no-hitter
s ever pitched in postseason play.
In both the 1955 and 1956 World Series, the home team won the first six games of the World Series, but lost Game 7. It would not be until when the home team won all seven games of a World Series. However, the Yankees would meet the unfortunate fate of being the first American League team to lose a World Series in which the home team won all seven games, in .
The 1956 World Series would be the last Subway Series of the 1900s and the last to include one of the National League's charter franchises.
and Don Drysdale
), a speedy shortstop (Maury Wills
) and a great outfielder (Tommy Davis
) to spark them to a pennant in 1963
. They swept the aging Yankees (consisting of Mickey Mantle
, Roger Maris
, and Whitey Ford
) in four straight games to win their second World Series since moving to Los Angeles, having won in , with the Bronx Bombers not taking a single lead against the powerful Los Angeles pitching staff in the entire series.
led a young Dodgers team to the 1977 World Series
where they faced Billy Martin
and the Yankees. The two managers were involved in a fist fight during the 1956 season while playing for the two teams they were now managing. The Yankees were coming off a controversy ridden season. Furious at their loss to The Big Red Machine
in the 1976 World Series
, owner George Steinbrenner
had signed slugger Reggie Jackson
to the team. Jackson immediately created friction in the clubhouse between himself and Bill Martin as well as captain Thurman Munson
, the defending AL MVP. New York City itself was going through a financial crisis under Mayor
Abraham Beame
and experienced the Son of Sam and a major blackout
, all chronicled in The Bronx is Burning
. Despite the controversy, the Yankees managed to play together and win the pennant to face the Dodgers in the World Series.
The Dodgers featured an infield of Steve Garvey
at first, Davey Lopes
at second, Ron Cey
at third, and Bill Russell
at shortstop, in addition to slugger Reggie Smith
, and pitching duo (Don Sutton and Tommy John
). In addition to Jackson and Munson, the Yankees had Bucky Dent
and Graig Nettles
, Cy Young Award-winning closer Sparky Lyle
, young pitcher Ron Guidry
, and speedsters Willie Randolph
and Mickey Rivers
. The Dodgers appeared primed to win the Series, but Reggie Jackson put on his "Mr. October" show as he hit three home runs in Game 6 off of 3 pitches to lead the Yanks to their first World Series championship since .
, the Yankees won their division in thrilling fashion, thanks in large part to a timely home run from Bucky Dent in a one-game playoff against the Boston Red Sox
. They went to the World Series for the third straight year where they faced the Dodgers for the second straight year. The Dodgers won the first two games of the Series thanks to rookie pitcher Bob Welch
, but New York won the next four to take the 75th Fall Classic.
won National League Rookie of the Year and Cy Young Award honors. But the Yankees had American League Rookie of the Year Dave Righetti
(who was traded from the Rangers in exchange for Lyle) and daunting 1-2 relief punch of set-up man Ron Davis and closer Rich Gossage
. The Yankees won the first two contests, but LA won the next four to claim their first World Series title since . Fallout from the series would eventually have Reggie Jackson be controversially dismissed a bit later and owner George Steinbrenner
to start a public feud with Dave Winfield
, who had a dismal performance in the series. After the series ended, Steinbrenner issued a public apology to the City of New York for his team's performance, while at the same time assuring the fans that plans to put the team together for 1982 would begin immediately. The Yankee owner was criticized heartily by players and press alike for doing so, as most people felt losing in the World Series was not something that needed to be apologized for.
This led to the Yankees not winning a World Series in the 1980s, the only decade they would not have won a championship since moving to the Bronx. In contrast, the Dodgers were able to defeat the Oakland Athletics in the 1988 World Series
(their ony World Series appearance since). It would be their last post-season meeting to date and the last time ever the Dodgers visited the old Yankee Stadium.
weekend series in June 2004 where they took two out of three contests. One ending had closer Éric Gagné
strike out Bernie Williams
for the final out. The third and final game was the ESPN Sunday Night game
that weekend.
The rivalry was renewed when Joe Torre
, who led the Yankees to four World Series championships, accepted a three year, $13 million contract to manage the Dodgers on November 1, 2007. He also brought along former Yankee first baseman Don Mattingly
and Larry Bowa
to his coaching staff. Coaches Rick Honeycutt
and Mariano Duncan
each played for both teams. Torre and left fielder Manny Ramirez
, who had been a part of the fierce Yankees – Red Sox rivalry before being traded to the Dodgers mid-season, led the Dodgers to the 2008 West Division Pennant. The Yankees failed to make the 2008 Postseason, ending their 13-year consecutive postseason appearance streak with 12 of which were under Torre's.
In 2009, Torre co-authored a book, The Yankee Years
, about his time in New York that criticized principal owner George Steinbrenner
and third baseman Alex Rodriguez
. Both teams made it to the playoffs that year, but the Dodgers lost in the NLCS for the second straight year to the defending champion
Philadelphia Phillies
, whom the Dodgers beat in the NLCS in 1977
and 1978
before losing to the Yankees in the World Series in both years, who would lose to the Yankees in the World Series
, giving New York their first championship since Torre left as manager.
The Yankees and Dodgers met again at Dodger Stadium for an interleague series from June 25–27, 2010. Joe Torre and Don Mattingly played against the Yankees, who won the series two games to one, for the first time since joining the Dodgers and Torre's first meeting with Rodriguez since the writing of Torre's book. Mattingly succeeded Torre as manager of the Dodgers after the 2010 season.
As of 2011, the Yankees have yet to host a regular-season interleague series against the Dodgers in the new Yankee Stadium
. The Dodgers never played a regular season game in the old Yankee Stadium.
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
–Dodgers
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are a professional baseball team based in Los Angeles, California. The Dodgers are members of Major League Baseball's National League West Division. Established in 1883, the team originated in Brooklyn, New York, where it was known by a number of nicknames before becoming...
rivalry is one of the most well-known rivalries in Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball rivalries
Rivalries in Major League Baseball , like in other sports, have occurred between many teams and cities. Rivalries have arisen for many different reasons, the primary ones include geographic proximity, familiarity with opponents, violence, and cultural, linguistic, or national pride.Interleague...
. The two teams have met 11 times in the World Series
World Series
The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball, played between the American League and National League champions since 1903. The winner of the World Series championship is determined through a best-of-seven playoff and awarded the Commissioner's Trophy...
, more times than any other pair of teams from the American
American League
The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the American League , is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league based in the Great Lakes states, which eventually aspired to major...
and National League
National League
The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League , is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball, and the world's oldest extant professional team sports league. Founded on February 2, 1876, to replace the National Association of Professional...
s. The initial significance was embodied in the two teams' proximity in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, when the Dodgers initially played in Brooklyn
Brooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
. After the Dodgers moved to Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
in , the rivalry retained its significance as the two teams represented the dominant cities on each coast of the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, and since the 1980s
Largest Cities in the United States by Population by Decade
]This entry tracks and ranks the population of the largest cities in the United States by decade, starting with the 1790 Census. For 1790 through 1990, tables are taken from "Population of the 100 Largest Cities and Other Urban Places in the United States: 1790 to 1990." For year 2000 rankings,...
, the two largest cities in the United States.
Although the rivalry's significance arose from the two teams' numerous World Series meetings, the Yankees and Dodgers have not met in the World Series since . They would not play each other in a non-exhibition game until 2004, when they played a 3-game interleague
Interleague play
Interleague play is the term used to describe regular season Major League Baseball games played between teams in different leagues, introduced in . Before the 1997 season, teams in the American League and National League did not meet during the regular season...
series. Their last meeting was in June 2010.
A New Team in Town, Subway Series Established
At the dawn of the 20th century, the American LeagueAmerican League
The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the American League , is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league based in the Great Lakes states, which eventually aspired to major...
was in its infancy, and one of its charter franchises (which would eventually become the Yankees) was the original Baltimore Orioles. The league, however, recognized that it required a presence in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, the country's largest market, in order to survive. Hence, it moved the Orioles to New York, which was already the home of two National League
National League
The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League , is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball, and the world's oldest extant professional team sports league. Founded on February 2, 1876, to replace the National Association of Professional...
franchises, the Brooklyn Dodgers
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are a professional baseball team based in Los Angeles, California. The Dodgers are members of Major League Baseball's National League West Division. Established in 1883, the team originated in Brooklyn, New York, where it was known by a number of nicknames before becoming...
and New York Giants
San Francisco Giants
The San Francisco Giants are a Major League Baseball team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the National League West Division....
. The new team was eventually called the New York Highlanders due to their home field being Hilltop Park
Hilltop Park
Hilltop Park was the nickname of a baseball park that formerly stood in the Washington Heights neighborhood of New York City. It was the home of the New York Yankees Major League Baseball club during 1903-1912 when they were known more often as the "Highlanders"...
from 1903-1912.
After the Highlanders allowed the Giants to play at Hilltop Park when the latter's home stadium, the Polo Grounds
Polo Grounds
The Polo Grounds was the name given to four different stadiums in Upper Manhattan, New York City, used by many professional teams in both baseball and American football from 1880 until 1963...
, was undergoing reconstruction from a fire, the Giants invited the Highlanders to share the Polo Grounds with them. Since the Highlanders were no longer playing at higher elevations, they changed their name to the New York Yankees. In 1921, the Giants gave the Yankees an eviction notice due to several factors, including jealousy over the Yankees bringing in more crowds than the Giants; Giants manager John McGraw preferring the dead ball era strategy over the slugging strategy of the Yankees as personified by Babe Ruth
Babe Ruth
George Herman Ruth, Jr. , best known as "Babe" Ruth and nicknamed "the Bambino" and "the Sultan of Swat", was an American Major League baseball player from 1914–1935...
; and the 1921 World Series
1921 World Series
In the 1921 World Series, the New York Giants beat the New York Yankees five games to three. This was the last of the experimental best-five-of-nine series....
match-up between the two teams. That World Series became the first Subway Series
Subway Series
The Subway Series is a series of Major League Baseball games played between teams based in New York City. The term's historic usage has been in reference to World Series games played between New York teams...
, as match-ups between the Dodgers and the Giants were not referred to as Subway Series. After losing to the Giants again the following year, the Yankees moved across the Harlem River
Harlem River
The Harlem River is a navigable tidal strait in New York City, USA that flows 8 miles between the Hudson River and the East River, separating the boroughs of Manhattan and the Bronx...
to the old Yankee Stadium in the Bronx, where they captured their first ever World Series from the Giants in 1923
1923 World Series
In the 1923 World Series, the New York Yankees beat the New York Giants in six games. This would be the first of the Yankees' 27 World Series championships...
.
1941: First meeting between the Bronx Bombers and "Dem Bums from Brooklyn"
The rivalry between the Yankees and Brooklyn Dodgers began when the teams first met in the 1941 World Series1941 World Series
The 1941 World Series matched the New York Yankees against the Brooklyn Dodgers, with the Yankees winning in five games to capture their fifth title in six years, and their ninth overall....
. In Game 4, the Dodgers led by three runs going to the top of the ninth inning and wound up getting all three outs to still lose the game. The Yankees' Tommy Henrich
Tommy Henrich
Thomas David "Tommy" Henrich , nicknamed "The Clutch" and "Old Reliable", was a Major League Baseball right fielder. He played his entire baseball career for the New York Yankees . He led the American League in triples twice and in runs scored once, also hitting 20 or more home runs four times...
swung and missed with two strikes, but Dodger catcher Mickey Owen
Mickey Owen
Arnold Malcolm "Mickey" Owen was a catcher for St. Louis Cardinals in Major League Baseball. Between 1937 and 1954, Owen played for the St. Louis Cardinals , Brooklyn Dodgers , Chicago Cubs and Boston Red Sox...
failed to hold on to the ball, allowing Henrich to reach first base. Owen recollected the incident:
"It was a great breaking curve that I should have had, but I guess the ball hit the side of my glove. It got away from me, and by the time I got hold of it, near the corner of the Brooklyn dugout, I couldn't have thrown anybody out at first."
Joe DiMaggio
Joe DiMaggio
Joseph Paul "Joe" DiMaggio , nicknamed "Joltin' Joe" and "The Yankee Clipper," was an American Major League Baseball center fielder who played his entire 13-year career for the New York Yankees. He is perhaps best known for his 56-game hitting streak , a record that still stands...
followed Henrich's at bat with a single before Charlie Keller
Charlie Keller
Charles Ernest "Charlie" Keller was a left fielder in Major League Baseball. From 1939 through 1952, Keller played for the New York Yankees and Detroit Tigers...
hit a double to drive in both Henrich and DiMaggio. Bill Dickey
Bill Dickey
William Malcolm Dickey was a Major League Baseball catcher and manager.He played his entire 19-year baseball career with the New York Yankees . During Dickey's playing career, the Yankees went to the World Series nine times, winning eight championships...
followed with a walk and scored along with Keller on a Joe Gordon double to make the final score 7-4. The Yankees would go on to clinch the first series match-up between the two teams in the start of what would become a long-lasting rivalry.
1947-1953: "Wait 'til next year!"
Six years later, the 1947 World Series1947 World Series
The 1947 World Series matched the New York Yankees against the Brooklyn Dodgers, with the Yankees winning the Series in seven games for their first title since , and the eleventh championship in team history...
had a dramatic moment in Game 6. The Dodgers' Al Gionfriddo
Al Gionfriddo
Albert Francis "Al" Gionfriddo was a slightly built 5' 6" and 165 lb. professional baseball outfielder who batted and threw left-handed. He made his major league debut on September 23, at the age of 22 with the Pittsburgh Pirates...
was placed in left field for defensive purposes and robbed Joe DiMaggio of a game-tying three-run home run. DiMaggio was visibly disgusted by the outcome of the play when rounding the bases in one of the few emotional displays of his career. The Dodgers won the game and forced a do-or-die Game 7, only to fall.
Dazzling defensive plays would be seen again, this time by the Yankees in the 1952 contest
1952 World Series
The 1952 World Series featured the three-time defending champion New York Yankees beating the Brooklyn Dodgers in seven games. The Yankees won their fourth straight title—tying the mark they set between 1936 and 1939 under manager Joe McCarthy, and Casey Stengel became the second manager in Major...
, as Billy Martin
Billy Martin
Alfred Manuel "Billy" Martin, Jr. was an American Major League Baseball second baseman and manager. He is best known as the manager of the New York Yankees, a position he held five different times...
came outside the camera coverage area to catch a pop-fly after Brooklyn had threatened to take the lead in Game 7. Martin would go on to be the hero once more in the 1953 series
1953 World Series
The 1953 World Series matched the four-time defending champion New York Yankees against the Brooklyn Dodgers in a rematch of the 1952 Series. The Yankees won in six games for their fifth straight title—a mark which has not been equalled—and their sixteenth overall...
with a series record 12 hits, including the winning hit of the series-clinching game off of Clem Labine
Clem Labine
Clement Walter Labine was an American right-handed relief pitcher in Major League Baseball best known for his years with the Brooklyn & Los Angeles Dodgers from 1950 to 1960...
.
Brooklyn signed Jackie Robinson
Jackie Robinson
Jack Roosevelt "Jackie" Robinson was the first black Major League Baseball player of the modern era. Robinson broke the baseball color line when he debuted with the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947...
to not only break the color line
Baseball color line
The color line in American baseball excluded players of black African descent from Organized Baseball, or the major leagues and affiliated minor leagues, until Jackie Robinson signed with the Brooklyn Dodgers organization for the 1946 season...
, but to bolster the lineup. Robinson, along with outfielder Duke Snider
Duke Snider
Edwin Donald "Duke" Snider , nicknamed "The Silver Fox" and "The Duke of Flatbush", was a Major League Baseball center fielder and left-handed batter who played for the Brooklyn and Los Angeles Dodgers , New York Mets , and San Francisco Giants .Snider was elected to the National Baseball Hall of...
and pitcher Don Newcombe
Don Newcombe
Donald Newcombe , nicknamed "Newk", is an American former Major League Baseball right-handed starting pitcher who played for the Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers , Cincinnati Reds and Cleveland Indians .Until 2011 when Detroit Tigers Pitcher Justin Verlander did it, Newcombe was the only baseball...
, sparked Brooklyn to four National League pennants between 1947
1947 Brooklyn Dodgers season
On April 15, Jackie Robinson was the opening day first baseman for the Brooklyn Dodgers, becoming the first black player in Major League Baseball since . Robinson went on to bat .297, score 125 runs, steal 29 bases and be named the very first Rookie of the Year...
and 1953
1953 Brooklyn Dodgers season
The 1953 Brooklyn Dodgers repeated as National League champions by posting a 105-49 record, as of 2011 the best winning percentage in team history...
. Each and every time during this period, however, the World Series ended in heartbreak for the Dodgers and gave the Dodger fans their rallying cry: "Wait 'til next year!"
1955: "This IS next year!"
Finally, in the Dodgers reversed matters, prevailing over the Yankees in seven games to win their only World Series in Brooklyn. Thus, came the slogan, This IS next year.1956: A "perfect" rematch
Brooklyn fell short of repeating the next season1956 World Series
The 1956 World Series of Major League Baseball was played between the New York Yankees and the defending champion Brooklyn Dodgers during the month of October 1956. The Series was a rematch of the 1955 World Series...
, falling in seven games to the Yankees. That year's team suffered some ignominy in being on the losing end of Don Larsen
Don Larsen
Donald James Larsen is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. During a 15-year baseball career, he pitched from 1953-67 for seven different teams. Larsen is best known for pitching the sixth perfect game in baseball history, doing so in game 5 of the 1956 World Series...
's perfect game
Perfect game
A perfect game is defined by Major League Baseball as a game in which a pitcher pitches a victory that lasts a minimum of nine innings and in which no opposing player reaches base. Thus, the pitcher cannot allow any hits, walks, hit batsmen, or any opposing player to reach base safely for any...
in Game 5, which was the first of only two no-hitter
No-hitter
A no-hitter is a baseball game in which one team has no hits. In Major League Baseball, the team must be without hits during the entire game, and the game must be at least nine innings. A pitcher who prevents the opposing team from achieving a hit is said to have "thrown a no-hitter"...
s ever pitched in postseason play.
In both the 1955 and 1956 World Series, the home team won the first six games of the World Series, but lost Game 7. It would not be until when the home team won all seven games of a World Series. However, the Yankees would meet the unfortunate fate of being the first American League team to lose a World Series in which the home team won all seven games, in .
The 1956 World Series would be the last Subway Series of the 1900s and the last to include one of the National League's charter franchises.
1963: Los Angeles Dodger win
After the Dodgers' move to Los Angeles for the 1958 season, it would take them two dominating pitchers (Sandy KoufaxSandy Koufax
Sanford "Sandy" Koufax is a former left-handed baseball pitcher who played his entire 12-year Major League Baseball career for the Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers...
and Don Drysdale
Don Drysdale
Donald Scott "Don" Drysdale was a Major League Baseball player and Hall of Fame right-handed pitcher with the Los Angeles Dodgers. He was one of the dominant starting pitchers of the 1960s, and became a radio and television broadcaster following his playing career...
), a speedy shortstop (Maury Wills
Maury Wills
Maurice Morning "Maury" Wills is a former Major League Baseball shortstop and switch-hitting batter who played most prominently with the Los Angeles Dodgers , and also with the Pittsburgh Pirates and Montreal Expos...
) and a great outfielder (Tommy Davis
Tommy Davis
Herman Thomas Davis, Jr. is an American former Major League Baseball left fielder and third baseman. He played from 1959-1976 for ten different teams, but he is best known for his years with the Los Angeles Dodgers. During an 18-year baseball career, Davis batted .294 with 153 home runs, 2,121...
) to spark them to a pennant in 1963
1963 Los Angeles Dodgers season
The Los Angeles Dodgers were led by pitcher Sandy Koufax, who won both the Cy Young Award and the Most Valuable Player Award. The team went 99–63 to win the National League title by six games over the runner-up St...
. They swept the aging Yankees (consisting of Mickey Mantle
Mickey Mantle
Mickey Charles Mantle was an American professional baseball player. Mantle is regarded by many to be the greatest switch hitter of all time, and one of the greatest players in baseball history. Mantle was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1974.Mantle was noted for his hitting...
, Roger Maris
Roger Maris
Roger Eugene Maris was an American Major League Baseball right fielder. During the 1961 season, he hit a record 61 home runs for the New York Yankees, breaking Babe Ruth's single-season record of 60 home runs...
, and Whitey Ford
Whitey Ford
Edward Charles "Whitey" Ford is a former Major League Baseball pitcher who spent his entire 18-year career with the New York Yankees. He was voted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1974.-Early life and career:...
) in four straight games to win their second World Series since moving to Los Angeles, having won in , with the Bronx Bombers not taking a single lead against the powerful Los Angeles pitching staff in the entire series.
1977: The Bronx is Burning
After 14 years, sophomore manager Tommy LasordaTommy Lasorda
Thomas Charles Lasorda is a former Major League baseball player and manager. marked his sixth decade in one capacity or another with the Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers organization, the longest non-continuous tenure anyone has had with the team, edging Dodger broadcaster Vin Scully...
led a young Dodgers team to the 1977 World Series
1977 World Series
-Game 1:Tuesday, October 11, 1977 at Yankee Stadium in Bronx, New YorkThe Dodgers drew first blood off Don Gullett in the first when Davey Lopes walked and scored on a Bill Russell triple. Ron Cey made it 2–0 on a sacrifice fly...
where they faced Billy Martin
Billy Martin
Alfred Manuel "Billy" Martin, Jr. was an American Major League Baseball second baseman and manager. He is best known as the manager of the New York Yankees, a position he held five different times...
and the Yankees. The two managers were involved in a fist fight during the 1956 season while playing for the two teams they were now managing. The Yankees were coming off a controversy ridden season. Furious at their loss to The Big Red Machine
The Big Red Machine
The Big Red Machine is the nickname given to the Cincinnati Reds baseball team which dominated the National League from 1970 to 1976, recognized as among the best in baseball. Over that span, the team won five National League Western Division titles, four National League pennants, and two World...
in the 1976 World Series
1976 World Series
The 1976 World Series matched the defending champion Cincinnati Reds of the National League against the New York Yankees of the American League, with the Reds sweeping the Series to repeat. The Reds became the only team to sweep an entire multi-tier postseason. The Reds are also the last National...
, owner George Steinbrenner
George Steinbrenner
George Michael Steinbrenner III was an American businessman who was the principal owner and managing partner of Major League Baseball's New York Yankees. During Steinbrenner's 37-year ownership from 1973 to his death in July 2010, the longest in club history, the Yankees earned seven World Series...
had signed slugger Reggie Jackson
Reggie Jackson
Reginald Martinez "Reggie" Jackson , nicknamed "Mr. October" for his clutch hitting in the postseason with the New York Yankees, is a former American Major League Baseball right fielder. During a 21-year baseball career, he played from 1967-1987 for four different teams. Jackson currently serves as...
to the team. Jackson immediately created friction in the clubhouse between himself and Bill Martin as well as captain Thurman Munson
Thurman Munson
Thurman Lee Munson was an American Major League Baseball catcher. He played his entire 11-year career for the New York Yankees...
, the defending AL MVP. New York City itself was going through a financial crisis under Mayor
Mayor of New York City
The Mayor of the City of New York is head of the executive branch of New York City's government. The mayor's office administers all city services, public property, police and fire protection, most public agencies, and enforces all city and state laws within New York City.The budget overseen by the...
Abraham Beame
Abraham Beame
Abraham David "Abe" Beame was mayor of New York City from 1974 to 1977. As such, he presided over the city during the fiscal crisis of the mid-1970s, during which the city was almost forced to declare bankruptcy....
and experienced the Son of Sam and a major blackout
New York City blackout of 1977
The New York City blackout of 1977 was an electricity blackout affected most of New York City from July 13, 1977 to July 14, 1977. The only neighborhoods in New York City that were not affected were in southern Queens, and neighborhoods of the Rockaways, which are part of the Long Island Lighting...
, all chronicled in The Bronx is Burning
The Bronx Is Burning
The Bronx Is Burning is a television drama that debuted on ESPN on July 9, 2007, after the 2007 MLB Home Run Derby. It is an eight-episode mini-series adapted from Jonathan Mahler's best-selling book, Ladies and Gentlemen, The Bronx Is Burning...
. Despite the controversy, the Yankees managed to play together and win the pennant to face the Dodgers in the World Series.
The Dodgers featured an infield of Steve Garvey
Steve Garvey
Steven Patrick Garvey , nicknamed "Mr. Clean" because of the squeaky clean image he held throughout his career in baseball, is a former Major League Baseball first baseman and current Southern California businessman...
at first, Davey Lopes
Davey Lopes
David Earle Lopes is a former second baseman and manager in Major League Baseball. He batted and threw right-handed. He is currently the first base coach for the Los Angeles Dodgers.He is of Cape Verdean descent.-Playing:...
at second, Ron Cey
Ron Cey
Ronald Charles Cey |Washington]]) is a former third baseman in Major League Baseball who played for the Los Angeles Dodgers , Chicago Cubs and Oakland Athletics . Cey batted and threw right-handed...
at third, and Bill Russell
Bill Russell (baseball)
William Ellis Russell is a former shortstop, coach and manager in Major League Baseball. Russell played his entire 18-year, 2,181-game career with the Los Angeles Dodgers as the starting shortstop for four National League pennant winners and one World Series champion...
at shortstop, in addition to slugger Reggie Smith
Reggie Smith
Carl Reginald Smith is a former Major League Baseball outfielder, coach and front office executive. During a 17-year big league career , Smith appeared in 1,987 games, hit 314 home runs and batted .287. He was a switch-hitter who threw right-handed. In his prime, he had one of the strongest...
, and pitching duo (Don Sutton and Tommy John
Tommy John
Thomas Edward John Jr. is a former left-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball whose 288 career victories rank as the seventh highest total among left-handers in major league history...
). In addition to Jackson and Munson, the Yankees had Bucky Dent
Bucky Dent
Russell Earl "Bucky" Dent , is a former American Major League Baseball player and manager. He earned two World Series rings as the starting shortstop for the New York Yankees in and , and was voted the World Series MVP in 1978...
and Graig Nettles
Graig Nettles
Graig Nettles , nicknamed "Puff", is a former Major League Baseball third baseman. During a 22-year baseball career, he played for the Minnesota Twins , Cleveland Indians , New York Yankees , San Diego Padres , Atlanta Braves and Montreal Expos .Nettles was one of the best...
, Cy Young Award-winning closer Sparky Lyle
Sparky Lyle
Albert Walter "Sparky" Lyle is an American former left-handed relief pitcher who spent sixteen seasons in Major League Baseball . He was a closer from 1969 to 1977, first for the Boston Red Sox and then the New York Yankees. A three-time All-Star, he won the American League Cy Young Award in 1977...
, young pitcher Ron Guidry
Ron Guidry
Ronald Ames Guidry , nicknamed "Louisiana Lightning" and "Gator", is a former Major League Baseball left-handed pitcher. He played his entire 14-year baseball career for the New York Yankees...
, and speedsters Willie Randolph
Willie Randolph
Willie Larry Randolph is a former Major League Baseball second baseman and manager, most recently the third base coach for the Baltimore Orioles...
and Mickey Rivers
Mickey Rivers
John Milton "Mickey" Rivers is a former Major League Baseball player from 1970-1984 for the California Angels, New York Yankees, and Texas Rangers...
. The Dodgers appeared primed to win the Series, but Reggie Jackson put on his "Mr. October" show as he hit three home runs in Game 6 off of 3 pitches to lead the Yanks to their first World Series championship since .
1978: Bucky Dent's Playoffs
The next season1978 in baseball
-Other champions:*Caribbean World Series: Indios de Mayagüez *College World Series: USC*Japan Series: Yakult Swallows over Hankyu Braves *Little League World Series: Pin-Kuang, Pin-Tung, Taiwan-Awards and honors:*Most Valuable Player...
, the Yankees won their division in thrilling fashion, thanks in large part to a timely home run from Bucky Dent in a one-game playoff against the Boston Red Sox
Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are a professional baseball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, and a member of Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight charter franchises, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park since . The "Red Sox"...
. They went to the World Series for the third straight year where they faced the Dodgers for the second straight year. The Dodgers won the first two games of the Series thanks to rookie pitcher Bob Welch
Bob Welch (baseball player)
Robert Lynn "Bob" Welch is a former starting pitcher in Major League Baseball who played for the Los Angeles Dodgers and Oakland Athletics . He played in college for Eastern Michigan. Welch was best known for his blazing fastball, and he is the last pitcher to win 27 games in a single season...
, but New York won the next four to take the 75th Fall Classic.
1981: Changing of the Guard
In , the fortunes turned in LA's favor, as rookie pitcher Fernando ValenzuelaFernando Valenzuela
Fernando Valenzuela Anguamea is a Mexican former left-handed pitcher, most notably with the Los Angeles Dodgers.In 1981, the 20-year-old Valenzuela took Los Angeles by storm, winning his first 8 decisions and leading the Dodgers to the World Championship...
won National League Rookie of the Year and Cy Young Award honors. But the Yankees had American League Rookie of the Year Dave Righetti
Dave Righetti
David Allan Righetti is a former left-handed pitcher for various Major League Baseball teams, primarily the New York Yankees. He is currently the pitching coach for the San Francisco Giants and was the first player in history to both pitch a no-hitter and also lead the league in saves in his career...
(who was traded from the Rangers in exchange for Lyle) and daunting 1-2 relief punch of set-up man Ron Davis and closer Rich Gossage
Rich Gossage
Richard Michael "Goose" Gossage is a former Major League Baseball right-handed relief pitcher. During a 22-year baseball career, he pitched from 1972-1994 for nine different teams, spending his best years with the New York Yankees and San Diego Padres. The nickname "Goose" is a play on his surname...
. The Yankees won the first two contests, but LA won the next four to claim their first World Series title since . Fallout from the series would eventually have Reggie Jackson be controversially dismissed a bit later and owner George Steinbrenner
George Steinbrenner
George Michael Steinbrenner III was an American businessman who was the principal owner and managing partner of Major League Baseball's New York Yankees. During Steinbrenner's 37-year ownership from 1973 to his death in July 2010, the longest in club history, the Yankees earned seven World Series...
to start a public feud with Dave Winfield
Dave Winfield
David Mark Winfield is an American former Major League Baseball outfielder. He is currently Executive Vice President/Senior Advisor of the San Diego Padres and an analyst for the ESPN program Baseball Tonight...
, who had a dismal performance in the series. After the series ended, Steinbrenner issued a public apology to the City of New York for his team's performance, while at the same time assuring the fans that plans to put the team together for 1982 would begin immediately. The Yankee owner was criticized heartily by players and press alike for doing so, as most people felt losing in the World Series was not something that needed to be apologized for.
This led to the Yankees not winning a World Series in the 1980s, the only decade they would not have won a championship since moving to the Bronx. In contrast, the Dodgers were able to defeat the Oakland Athletics in the 1988 World Series
1988 World Series
-Game 1:Saturday, October 15, 1988 at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, CaliforniaBecause of using ace Orel Hershiser in Game 7 of the NLCS, the Dodgers had to open with rookie Tim Belcher in Game 1. Meanwhile, Oakland sent a well-rested Dave Stewart to the mound. Both pitchers, however, would have...
(their ony World Series appearance since). It would be their last post-season meeting to date and the last time ever the Dodgers visited the old Yankee Stadium.
Rivalry in the 21st Century
After 23 years of not facing the Yankees, LA hosted the Bombers in an interleagueInterleague play
Interleague play is the term used to describe regular season Major League Baseball games played between teams in different leagues, introduced in . Before the 1997 season, teams in the American League and National League did not meet during the regular season...
weekend series in June 2004 where they took two out of three contests. One ending had closer Éric Gagné
Éric Gagné
Éric Serge Gagné is a former Major League Baseball pitcher.Signing with the Los Angeles Dodgers as a free agent in 1995, Gagné began his career as a starting pitcher...
strike out Bernie Williams
Bernie Williams
Bernabé Williams Figueroa Jr. is a former Major League Baseball outfielder and Puerto Rican musician.-Early life:...
for the final out. The third and final game was the ESPN Sunday Night game
Sunday Night Baseball
Sunday Night Baseball is the Major League Baseball exclusive game of the week that is televised Sunday nights at 8 p.m. ET on ESPN during the regular season...
that weekend.
The rivalry was renewed when Joe Torre
Joe Torre
Joseph Paul Torre is a former American professional baseball player and manager who currently serves as Major League Baseball’s Executive Vice President of Baseball Operations. A nine-time All-Star, he played in Major League Baseball as a catcher, first baseman and a third baseman for the...
, who led the Yankees to four World Series championships, accepted a three year, $13 million contract to manage the Dodgers on November 1, 2007. He also brought along former Yankee first baseman Don Mattingly
Don Mattingly
Donald Arthur "Don" Mattingly is a former Major League Baseball first baseman and current manager of the Los Angeles Dodgers. Nicknamed "The Hit Man" and "Donnie Baseball", he played his entire 14-year baseball career for the New York Yankees...
and Larry Bowa
Larry Bowa
Lawrence Robert Bowa is a former middle infielder, playing mainly as a shortstop, and manager in Major League Baseball.-Early life:...
to his coaching staff. Coaches Rick Honeycutt
Rick Honeycutt
Frederick Wayne "Rick" Honeycutt is the current pitching coach for the Los Angeles Dodgers. Honeycutt was a left-handed pitcher for 21 years from 1977 to 1997. He played with the Seattle Mariners, Texas Rangers, Los Angeles Dodgers, Oakland Athletics, New York Yankees, and the St. Louis Cardinals...
and Mariano Duncan
Mariano Duncan
Mariano Duncan Nalasco is a retired second baseman and shortstop who played for several Major League Baseball teams during his 12 year career. He was the infield coach and 1st base coach for the Los Angeles Dodgers under Managers Grady Little and Joe Torre...
each played for both teams. Torre and left fielder Manny Ramirez
Manny Ramírez
Manuel "Manny" Arístides Ramírez Onelcida is a retired Dominican-American professional baseball outfielder. He was recognized for great batting skill and power, a nine-time Silver Slugger and one of 25 players to hit 500 career home runs. Ramirez's 21 grand slams are third all-time, and his 28...
, who had been a part of the fierce Yankees – Red Sox rivalry before being traded to the Dodgers mid-season, led the Dodgers to the 2008 West Division Pennant. The Yankees failed to make the 2008 Postseason, ending their 13-year consecutive postseason appearance streak with 12 of which were under Torre's.
In 2009, Torre co-authored a book, The Yankee Years
The Yankee Years
The Yankee Years is a book written by Tom Verducci and Joe Torre. The book chronicles Torre's years as manager of Major League Baseball's New York Yankees from 1996 to 2007. It goes into great detail on Torre's relationship with the players, general manager Brian Cashman, team owner George...
, about his time in New York that criticized principal owner George Steinbrenner
George Steinbrenner
George Michael Steinbrenner III was an American businessman who was the principal owner and managing partner of Major League Baseball's New York Yankees. During Steinbrenner's 37-year ownership from 1973 to his death in July 2010, the longest in club history, the Yankees earned seven World Series...
and third baseman Alex Rodriguez
Alex Rodriguez
Alexander Emmanuel "Alex" Rodriguez is an American professional baseball third baseman with the New York Yankees of Major League Baseball. Known popularly by his nickname A-Rod, he previously played shortstop for the Seattle Mariners and the Texas Rangers.Rodriguez is considered one of the best...
. Both teams made it to the playoffs that year, but the Dodgers lost in the NLCS for the second straight year to the defending champion
2008 World Series
The 2008 World Series was the 104th World Series between the American and National Leagues for the championship of Major League Baseball. The Philadelphia Phillies as champions of the National League and the Tampa Bay Rays, as American League champions, competed to win four games out of a possible...
Philadelphia Phillies
Philadelphia Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies are a Major League Baseball team. They are the oldest continuous, one-name, one-city franchise in all of professional American sports, dating to 1883. The Phillies are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
, whom the Dodgers beat in the NLCS in 1977
1977 National League Championship Series
-Game 1:Tuesday, October 4, 1977 at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, CaliforniaThe Phillies took the opening game of the series, winning their first postseason game since Game 1 of the 1915 World Series...
and 1978
1978 National League Championship Series
-Game 1:Wednesday, October 4, 1978 at Veterans Stadium in Philadelphia, PennsylvaniaBecause of having to start an NL East-clinching game a few days earlier, Phillies ace Steve Carlton wasn't available for the start of the series, leaving the task to Larry Christenson...
before losing to the Yankees in the World Series in both years, who would lose to the Yankees in the World Series
2009 World Series
The 2009 World Series was the 105th edition of Major League Baseball's championship series. The best-of-seven playoff was contested between the Philadelphia Phillies, champions of the National League and defending World Series champions, and the New York Yankees, champions of the American League...
, giving New York their first championship since Torre left as manager.
The Yankees and Dodgers met again at Dodger Stadium for an interleague series from June 25–27, 2010. Joe Torre and Don Mattingly played against the Yankees, who won the series two games to one, for the first time since joining the Dodgers and Torre's first meeting with Rodriguez since the writing of Torre's book. Mattingly succeeded Torre as manager of the Dodgers after the 2010 season.
As of 2011, the Yankees have yet to host a regular-season interleague series against the Dodgers in the new Yankee Stadium
Yankee Stadium
Yankee Stadium was a stadium located in The Bronx in New York City, New York. It was the home ballpark of the New York Yankees from 1923 to 1973 and from 1976 to 2008. The stadium hosted 6,581 Yankees regular season home games during its 85-year history. It was also the former home of the New York...
. The Dodgers never played a regular season game in the old Yankee Stadium.
Histories
- Brooklyn DodgersHistory of the Brooklyn Dodgers-Early Brooklyn baseball:Brooklyn was home to numerous baseball clubs in the mid-1850s. Eight of 16 participants in the first convention were from Brooklyn, including the Atlantic, Eckford, and Excelsior clubs that combined to dominate play for most of the 1860s...
- Los Angeles DodgersHistory of the Los Angeles DodgersThe history of the Los Angeles Dodgers begins in the 19th century when the team was based in Brooklyn, New York.-Brooklyn Dodgers history:The franchise now known as the Dodgers was originally formed in 1883 as a member of the minor league Inter-State Association of Professional Baseball Clubs...
- New York YankeesHistory of the New York YankeesThe New York Yankees have a long history filled with many high points, milestones, and championships. With 27 world championships, they are the most successful team in Major League Baseball history, and have accomplished this feat with the help of such names as Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Joe DiMaggio,...