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20 vintage photos show the Yankees and Dodgers’ World Series matchups
October 29, 20240
At game one, even the bat boys got involved in the budding rivalry.
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After the Dodgers tied the series 1-1, the Yankees rebounded with three straight wins to win the 1941 World Series for their ninth championship title.
Yankee center fielder Joe DiMaggio was named MVP of the American League that season, finishing with 193 hits, 122 runs, and 30 home runs.
Six years later, the Yankees and Dodgers took the 1947 World Series all the way to game seven.
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However, Snider’s catch wasn’t enough to give the Dodgers the win, as the Yankees finished the game 10-6 to win the series.
A few years later, Snider made another gravity-defying catch during game four of the teams’ 1952 World Series matchup.
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Reese was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1984 and the Dodgers retired his number in 1984.
Rizzuto was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1994 and the Yankees retired his number in 1985.
Dodgers manager Chuck Dressen and Yankees manager Casey Stengel kept things friendly before game one of the 1953 World Series, with actor and comedian Sophie Tucker.
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Dodgers fans’ excitement didn’t last long, as a lone Yankee fan’s sign proved to be right once again with the words, “Bad news again, Dodger fans. Wait till next year.”
The Yankees won the 1953 World Series 4-2 for their fifth straight title.
The Dodgers’ Jackie Robinson stole home in game one of the 1955 World Series in one of the most iconic plays in baseball history.
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The Dodgers won game seven 2-0 with scores by Roy Campanella and Pee Wee Reese to bring the team its first-ever World Series title.
Campanella was named the National League MVP in 1955, while pitcher Johnny Podres was named the MVP of the World Series.
This was Jackie Robinson’s only championship win of his career.
Yankees pitcher Don Larsen pitched the only perfect game in World Series history during game five against the Dodgers on October 8, 1956.
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Mantle played a critical role in Larsen’s no-hitter, with a catch against Gil Hodges, representing a landmark year for the center fielder.
According to the Yankees, he had “one of the greatest seasons ever at the plate,” winning the Triple Crown with 52 home runs, 130 RBI, and a .353 average. He was also the American League MVP.
The Yankees retired Mantle’s number in 1969, and he was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1974.
Five years after moving to Los Angeles, the Dodgers faced the Yankees in the 1963 World Series.
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Koufax finished the 1963 season as World Series MVP, National League MVP, and winner of the Cy Young Award, which is given to the best pitchers.
He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1972.
The Yankees and Dodgers wouldn’t meet in a World Series again for more than a decade. They reunited in the championship in 1977.
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In 2021, the MLB listed the 1978 Yankees as having one of the “best postseason pushes” in league history to make it to the World Series.
Dodgers manager Tommy Lasorda had a heated exchange with an umpire during game four of the 1978 World Series.
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Just as the Yankees rallied in 1978, the Dodgers did the same during their 1981 World Series run, winning the series four games to two and marking the last time these two powerhouses faced off in the championships.
Los Angeles finished game six with a decisive 9-2 victory and the team named three MVPs of the series: Steve Yeager, Pedro Guerrero, and Ron Cey.
For the first time in 40 years, the Yankees and Dodgers are battling in the World Series.
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Yankees right fielder Aaron Judge and Dodgers pitcher and designated hitter Shohei Ohtani are two of the most dominant players in the league, with 58 and 54 home runs during the season, respectively.
They’re also two of its highest-paid players, as Ohtani signed a record-breaking 10-year, $700 million contract with the Dodgers in December 2023 and Judge signed a nine-year, $360 million contract with the Yankees in December 2022.
As the Dodgers eye a clean sweep, Judge told reporters on Monday after game three’s 4-2 loss, “We knew it was gonna be a dog fight, so we gotta come out swinging.”
He added, “We all know our backs are up against a wall, so now, we gotta … gotta get it going our way.”