Introduction
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A rivalry that has spanned over the last century laid its roots in the Big Apple before the Dodgers ripped out the heart of a borough and moved out west. The interleague feud has been dormant, albeit percolating, until now, where a new generation of baseball fans will be introduced to one of the most long-standing, heated rivalries the game has ever seen.
The New York Yankees and Los Angeles Dodgers have met in the World Series more times than any other combination of teams, with the Yankees enjoying most of the success, 8-3. However, the clubs have split the last six meetings.
The Rivalry’s Origins
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New York has always been a National League town. The league was founded in 1876 with the Dodgers, who called Brooklyn home, and the Giants entering the fold in 1883. The Brooklyn franchise was as quirky and colorful as its fan base, first calling themselves the Grays, then the Bridegrooms after several team members got married during the 1888 season. They were nicknamed the Trolley Dodgers, a nod to the emerging dangers of the electric-powered vehicles that were beginning to take over Brooklyn from horse-powered transportation. The name was eventually shortened to Dodgers, but not officially full-time until the 1930s following a 15-year stretch in which they were known as the Robins.
The Beginning of the World Series Rivalry
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In 1913, the Dodgers played an exhibition game against a struggling 10-year-old American League franchise that had moved from Baltimore to New York in 1903 and was originally named the Highlanders. But after moving out of Hilltop Park, the franchise changed its name in 1903 to officially debut as the Yankees in that exhibition game against the Dodgers.
Brooklyn won the game 3-2 thanks to an inside-the-park home run from a former dental student named Casey Stengel, the man who would later manage the Yankees to seven World Series titles in 10 years from 1949 to 1958.
World Series Rivalry
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The Dodgers initially experienced more success over the first 20 years of the 20th century, winning two National League pennants in 1916 and 1920, but were beaten soundly by the powerhouse Boston Red Sox and the Cleveland Indians.
It was not until the Yankees acquired Babe Ruth that their fortunes changed, officially taking New York over from their National League counterparts. They won their first title in 1923 and proceeded to win seven more from 1927 to 1939. All the while, the hapless Dodgers finished above fourth place in the eight-team National League just three times during that span.
The Two Teams Meet in the World Series
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The two teams did not meet in the World Series until 1941, beginning a stretch in which they met seven times in 15 years in the Fall Classic.
1941: Brooklyn won the World Series, 4-3, after Mickey Owen failed to catch a curveball thrown by Hugh Casey with two outs in the ninth inning of Game 4, allowing the Yankees to score two runs and take the game and the series.
1947: The Dodgers made it back to the World Series thanks to the contributions of rookie Jackie Robinson and proceeded to overturn a 2-0 series deficit. Cookie Lavagetto’s famous walk-off double in Game 4 evened the series at 2-2. The two teams traded wins to force Game 7, but the Yankees won the title once again.
1949: Bobby Brown and Jerry Coleman combine for nine of the Yankees’ 20 runs scored to support a struggling Joe DiMaggio and Yogi Berra. The Bronx Bombers roll to a championship in five games.
1952: The Dodgers and Yankees traded wins in each of the first six games before a decisive Game 7 that saw Mickey Mantle break a 2-2 game with a sixth-inning home run that proved to be the game winner. Mantle hit .345 with two round-trippers in the series. Another Hall of Famer, Johnny Mize, batted .400 with three home runs and six RBI.
1953: The Yankees extended their World Series dominance to 5-0 over Brooklyn thanks to Billy Martin, who batted .500 with two home runs, two triples, and six RBI. He hit a walk-off single in Game 6 to give the Yankees a 4-3 win and another title.
1955: Finally, the Dodgers win their first-ever World Series, needing to do so in seven games. Duke Snider hit four home runs with seven RBI, but it was Gil Hodges who drove in both runs in a 2-0 Game 7 victory at Yankee Stadium while Johnny Podres hurled a complete-game shutout.
1956: Yogi Berra and Moose Skowron each drove in four runs in Game 7 as the Yankees reclaimed MLB’s throne with a 9-0 beatdown of Brooklyn. However, this series will forever be remembered for Don Larsen’s perfect game in Game 5 — the only perfect game in MLB postseason history.
1963: The rivalry officially enters its East Coast vs. West Coast era. The Dodgers abandoned Brooklyn for Los Angeles in 1958 and became a force to be reckoned with in the 60s. Behind the brilliance of Don Drysdale and Sandy Koufax — the latter considered one of the greatest big-game pitchers of all time — the Dodgers held the Yankees to four runs in four games, a Los Angeles sweep.
1977: The Yankees won their first World Series since 1962 by disposing of the Dodgers in six games, headlined by the emergence of Reggie Jackson’s “Mr. October” label. Jackson batted .450 with five home runs and eight RBI in the Series, but he will forever be remembered for Game 6 when he uncorked three consecutive home runs on three consecutive pitches.
1978: For the second straight year, the Yankees took the title home in six games. They overturned a 2-0 series deficit behind Jackson’s heroics yet again. He hit another four round-trippers in the Series, including a two-run shot in the clinching Game 6 win.
1981: The Dodgers turn the favor, overturning a 2-0 deficit to win in six games. Pedro Guerrero drove in five of his seven World Series RBI in the deciding Game 6, going 3-for-5 with a home run and a triple.
Conclusion
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The New York Yankees and Los Angeles Dodgers have met in the World Series more times than any other combination of teams, with the Yankees enjoying most of the success, 8-3. The teams have split the last six meetings, and the rivalry has become more intense and more global, spanning the East Coast and West Coast.
FAQs
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Q: How many times have the Yankees and Dodgers met in the World Series?
A: 11 times, with the Yankees enjoying most of the success, 8-3.
Q: What was the result of the 1941 World Series?
A: The Yankees won 4-3.
Q: Who were the key players for the Yankees in the 1952 World Series?
A: Mickey Mantle and Johnny Mize.
Q: Who was the hero of the 1977 World Series?
A: Reggie Jackson.
Q: How many perfect games has Don Larsen thrown in his career?
A: 1.
Note: The article does not include the extra information or introductory text.
