1981 World Series
From BR Bullpen
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Los Angeles Dodgers (63-47, NL) over New York Yankees (59-48, AL) |
The 1981 World Series matched the New York Yankees against the Los Angeles Dodgers, marking their third meeting in the Series in five years. The Dodgers won the Series in six games for their first title since 1965, and their first victory over the Yankees since 1963.
The Los Angeles Dodgers won the National League West division (first half) over the Cincinnati Reds then defeated the Houston Astros, three games to two, in the NLDS then defeated the Montreal Expos, three games to two, in the NLCS. The New York Yankees won the American League East division over the Baltimore Orioles (first half) then defeated the Milwaukee Brewers, three games to two, in the ALDS, then defeated the Oakland Athletics, three games to none, in the ALCS.
Baseball was marred this summer by a two month player's strike starting at 12:30am on June 12th finally resuming play on August 10th. In total seven hundred and six games were scrapped, about 38% of the schedule. A make-shift playoffs were agreed upon by the owners pitting the first and second half winners leaving the team with the best overall record, the Cincinnati Reds (66-42), out of the postseason.
The Los Angeles Dodgers got to the Series with help from rookie phenom, Fernando Valenzuela, whose wicked screwball won him his first 8 games including 5 by shutout. The charismatic Mexican would pitch 8 shutouts in all and win the National League's Cy Young Award. Joining Valenzuela in the rotation, with fine seasons of their own, were veteran's, Burt Hooton (11-6, 2.28) and Jerry Reuss (10-4, 2.30). The core of the position players remained intact with perennial all-star Steve Garvey at first, Davey Lopes at second, Bill Russell at shortstop, and team leader in home runs with thirteen, Ron Cey at third. Budding star, Pedro Guerrero, would move to the outfield becoming a regular starter for the first time in his career.
Tommy Lasorda was looking for his first World Series win in his 5th full season with the Dodgers after losing to the New York Yankees in 1977 and 1978.
Bob Lemon's Yankees had a losing second-half (25-26) but managed to win the first-half (34-22) to qualify for the playoffs. Dependable Ron Guidry won 11 games (against 5 losses) with Dave Righetti coming into his own as a starter winning 8 games with a 2.05 ERA. Righetti would later move to the bullpen saving over 400 games from 1984 to 1990. Goose Gossage was unhittable saving 20 games with an incredible 0.77 ERA striking out 48 in 47 innings.
Dave Winfield was signed as a free agent in the off-season joining superstar Reggie Jackson in the outfield and would lead the club with 25 doubles and 68 RBIs. Winfield's huge contract, $21 million over 10 years, along with a strong lineup and terrific left-handed starting pitching, was not enough to deny the Dodgers their first World Series Championship since 1965.
Contents |
[edit] Summary
| Game | Score | Date | Location | Attendance | Time of Game |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dodgers – 3, Yankees – 5 | October 20 | Yankee Stadium (New York) | 56,470 | 2:32 |
| 2 | Dodgers – 0, Yankees – 3 | October 21 | Yankee Stadium (New York) | 56,505 | 2:29 |
| 3 | Yankees – 4, Dodgers – 5 | October 23 | Dodger Stadium (Los Angeles) | 56,236 | 3:04 |
| 4 | Yankees – 7, Dodgers – 8 | October 24 | Dodger Stadium (Los Angeles) | 56,242 | 3:32 |
| 5 | Yankees – 1, Dodgers – 2 | October 25 | Dodger Stadium (Los Angeles) | 56,115 | 2:19 |
| 6 | Dodgers – 9, Yankees – 2 | October 28 | Yankee Stadium (New York) | 56,513 | 3:09 |
[edit] Game 1
October 20, 1981 at Yankee Stadium in New York, New York
Bob Watson's first inning 3-run homer got the Yankees started, and Goose Gossage slammed the door shut on the Dodgers late rally.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
- - - - - - - - - - - -
Los Angeles Dodgers 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 2 0 3 5 0
New York Yankees 3 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 X 5 6 0
PITCHERS: LAD - Reuss, Castillo (3), Goltz (4), Niedenfuer (5), Stewart (8)
NYY - Guidry, Davis (8), Gossage (8)
WP - Guidry
LP - Reuss
SAVE - Gossage
HOME RUNS: LAD - Yeager
NYY - Watson
ATTENDANCE: 56,470
[edit] Game 2
October 21, 1981 at Yankee Stadium in New York, New York
Tommy John was brilliant in blanking his former team as the Yankees took a 2-0 series lead.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
- - - - - - - - - - - -
Los Angeles Dodgers 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 2
New York Yankees 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 2 X 3 6 1
PITCHERS: LAD - Hooton, Forster (7), Howe (8), Stewart (8)
NYY - John, Gossage (8)
WP - John
LP - Hooton
SAVE - Gossage
HOME RUNS: LAD - none
NYY - none
ATTENDANCE: 56,505
[edit] Game 3
October 23, 1981 at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, California
Ron Cey jump started the Dodgers with a 1st inning 3-run homer, but rookie phenom Valenzuela was not sharp and the Yankees battled back to take a 4-3 lead. The Dodgers pushed across two runs in the 5th, the go ahead run scoring on a double play. The Yankees threatened but Valenzuela constantly pitched out of trouble in his complete game victory. A key play came in the 7th when the Yankees had men on first and second with nobody out. But a sacrifice bunt was popped up, and Ron Cey made a diving catch and doubled the runner off 1st base to quell the rally.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
- - - - - - - - - - - -
New York Yankees 0 2 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 9 0
Los Angeles Dodgers 3 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 X 5 11 1
PITCHERS: NYY - Righetti, Frazier (3), May (5), Davis (8)
LAD - Valenzuela
WP - Valenzuela
LP - Frazier
SAVE - none
HOME RUNS: NYY - Watson, Cerone
LAD - Cey
ATTENDANCE: 56,236
[edit] Game 4
October 24, 1981 at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, California
The Yankees jumped out to a 4-0 lead, the Dodgers cut it to 4-3 but the Yankees stretched it out to 6-3 and turned the game over to their normally reliable bull pen. But Jay Johnstone's pinch hit 2-run homer off Ron Davis got the Dodgers back in the game. Davey Lopes then lofted a ball into right field that Reggie Jackson bumbled into a double. The flustered Davis forgot all about Lopes and went into a windup, enabling Lopes to easily steal 3rd. Lopes then tied the score when he came home on Bill Russell's single. The Dodgers got two more in the 7th off George Frazier, and held on despite Jackson's solo blast in the 8th.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
- - - - - - - - - - - -
New York Yankees 2 1 1 0 0 2 0 1 0 7 13 1
Los Angeles Dodgers 0 0 2 0 1 3 2 0 X 8 14 2
PITCHERS: NYY - Reuschel, May (4), Davis (5), Frazier (6), John (7)
LAD - Welch, Goltz (1), Forster (4), Niedenfuer (5), Howe (7)
WP - Howe
LP - Frazier
SAVE - none
HOME RUNS: NYY - Randolph, Jackson
LAD - Johnstone
ATTENDANCE: 56,242
[edit] Game 5
October 25, 1981 at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, California
In a rematch of game 1 pitchers, Ron Guidry and Jerry Reuss were brilliant. The Yankees nursed a 1-0 lead into the 7th, with Guidry tossing a 3 hit shutout. Then Pedro Guerrero and Steve Yeager hit back-to-back homers to almost the same spot in left center, and Reuss went all the way on a 4-hitter in the Dodger victory.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
- - - - - - - - - - - -
New York Yankees 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 5 0
Los Angeles Dodgers 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 X 2 4 3
PITCHERS: NYY - Guidry, Gossage (8)
LAD - Reuss
WP - Reuss
LP - Guidry
SAVE - none
HOME RUNS: NYY - none
LAD - Guerrero, Yeager
ATTENDANCE: 56,115
[edit] Game 6
October 28, 1981 at Yankee Stadium in New York, New York
After a travel day and a day of rain, the Yankees jumped out to a 1-0 lead on Willie Randolph's 1st-inning homer. The Dodgers tied it in the top of the 4th, and Yankee manager Bob Lemon pinch hit for a stunned Tommy John in the bottom of the 4th of a 1-1 game in which John was pitching well (John also pitched well in a game 2 shutout victory). The Yankee bullpen subsequently imploded as the Dodgers scored 7 times in the next two innings as they cruised to a 9-2 series clinching win.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
- - - - - - - - - - - -
Los Angeles Dodgers 0 0 0 1 3 4 0 1 0 9 13 1
New York Yankees 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 2 7 2
PITCHERS: LAD - Hooton, Howe (6)
NYY - John, Frazier (5), Davis (6), Reuschel (6), May (7), LaRoche (9)
WP - Hooton
LP - Frazier
SAVE - Howe
HOME RUNS: LAD - Guerrero
NYY - Randolph
ATTENDANCE: 56,513
[edit] Composite Box
1981 World Series (4-2): Los Angeles Dodgers (N.L.) over New York Yankees (A.L.)
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles Dodgers | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 7 | 7 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 27 | 51 | 9 |
| New York Yankees | 5 | 4 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 22 | 46 | 4 |
| Total Attendance: 338,081 Average Attendance: 56,347 | ||||||||||||
| Winning Player’s Share: – $unk, Losing Player’s Share – $28,845 * Includes Playoffs and World Series | ||||||||||||
[edit] Series Batting Stats
[edit] Los Angeles Dodgers
SERIES STATS | REGULAR SEASON Player G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO BA OBP SLG SB | AB H HR BA OPS SB +-------------------+-+---+--+--+--+--+--+---+--+--+-----+-----+-----+---+----+---+--+-----+-----+---+ Dusty Baker 6 24 3 4 0 0 0 1 1 6 .167 .192 .167 0 | 400 128 9 .320 .808 10 Bobby Castillo 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 | 9 4 0 .444 1.111 0 Ron Cey 6 20 3 7 0 0 1 6 3 3 .350 .458 .500 0 | 312 90 13 .288 .846 0 *Terry Forster 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 | 2 0 0 .000 .000 0 Steve Garvey 6 24 3 10 1 0 0 0 2 5 .417 .462 .458 0 | 431 122 10 .283 .732 3 Dave Goltz 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 | 17 1 0 .059 .217 0 Pedro Guerrero 6 21 2 7 1 1 2 7 2 6 .333 .417 .762 0 | 347 104 12 .300 .829 5 Burt Hooton 2 4 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 3 .000 .200 .000 0 | 42 8 0 .190 .523 0 *Steve Howe 3 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 .000 .000 .000 0 | 1 0 0 .000 .500 0 *Jay Johnstone 3 3 1 2 0 0 1 3 0 0 .667 .667 1.66 0 | 83 17 3 .205 .616 0 *Ken Landreaux 5 6 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 2 .167 .167 .333 1 | 390 98 7 .251 .664 18 Davey Lopes 6 22 6 5 1 0 0 2 4 3 .227 .346 .273 4 | 214 44 5 .206 .574 20 *Rick Monday 5 13 1 3 1 0 0 0 3 6 .231 .375 .308 0 | 130 41 11 .315 1.031 1 Tom Niedenfuer 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 | 0 0 0 0 *Jerry Reuss 2 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 2 .000 .250 .000 0 | 51 10 0 .196 .392 0 Bill Russell 6 25 1 6 0 0 0 2 0 1 .240 .240 .240 1 | 262 61 0 .233 .567 2 Steve Sax 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 .000 .000 0 | 119 33 2 .277 .662 5 *Mike Scioscia 3 4 1 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 .250 .400 .250 0 | 290 80 2 .276 .685 0 #Reggie Smith 2 2 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 .500 .500 .500 0 | 35 7 1 .200 .632 0 Dave Stewart 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 | 5 2 0 .400 1.300 0 #Derrel Thomas 5 7 2 0 0 0 0 1 1 2 .000 .125 .000 0 | 218 54 4 .248 .644 7 *Fernando Valenzuela 1 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 .000 .250 .000 0 | 64 16 0 .250 .543 0 Bob Welch 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 | 45 10 0 .222 .506 0 Steve Yeager 6 14 2 4 1 0 2 4 0 2 .286 .267 .786 0 | 86 18 3 .209 .598 0 +-------------------+-+---+--+--+--+--+--+---+--+--+-----+-----+-----+---+----+---+--+-----+-----+---+ Total 6 198 27 51 6 1 6 26 20 44 .258 .329 .389 6 | 82 .262 .696 73 * - bats left-handed, # - switch hits, ? - unknown, else - bats right-handed A + before season totals indicates the player was with multiple teams this year.
[edit] New York Yankees
SERIES STATS | REGULAR SEASON Player G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO BA OBP SLG SB | AB H HR BA OPS SB +-------------------+-+---+--+--+--+--+--+---+--+--+-----+-----+-----+---+----+---+--+-----+-----+---+ #Bobby Brown 4 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 .000 .000 .000 0 | 62 14 0 .226 .521 4 Rick Cerone 6 21 2 4 1 0 1 3 4 2 .190 .320 .381 0 | 234 57 2 .244 .618 0 Ron Davis 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 | 0 0 0 0 Barry Foote 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 .000 .000 .000 0 |+147 26 6 .177 .559 0 George Frazier 3 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 .000 .000 .000 0 | 0 0 0 0 *Oscar Gamble 3 6 1 2 0 0 0 1 1 0 .333 .429 .333 0 | 189 45 10 .238 .796 0 Rich Gossage 3 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 .000 .000 .000 0 | 0 0 0 0 *Ron Guidry 2 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 .000 .000 .000 0 | 0 0 0 0 *Reggie Jackson 3 12 3 4 1 0 1 1 2 3 .333 .429 .667 0 | 334 79 15 .237 .758 0 Tommy John 3 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 .000 .000 0 | 0 0 0 0 *Dave LaRoche 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 | 0 0 0 0 *Rudy May 3 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 .000 .000 0 | 0 0 0 0 #Larry Milbourne 6 20 2 5 2 0 0 3 4 0 .250 .375 .350 0 | 163 51 1 .313 .749 2 #Jerry Mumphrey 5 15 2 3 0 0 0 0 3 2 .200 .333 .200 1 | 319 98 6 .307 .783 14 *Bobby Murcer 4 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 .000 .000 0 | 117 31 6 .265 .801 0 *Graig Nettles 3 10 1 4 1 0 0 0 1 1 .400 .455 .500 0 | 349 85 15 .244 .731 0 Lou Piniella 6 16 2 7 1 0 0 3 0 1 .438 .438 .500 1 | 159 44 5 .277 .759 0 Willie Randolph 6 18 5 4 1 1 2 3 9 0 .222 .464 .722 1 | 357 83 2 .232 .641 14 Rick Reuschel 2 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 .000 .000 .000 0 |+ 25 2 0 .080 .195 0 *Dave Righetti 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 .000 .000 .000 0 | 0 0 0 0 Andre Robertson 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 | 19 5 0 .263 .579 1 Aurelio Rodriguez 4 12 1 5 0 0 0 0 1 2 .417 .462 .417 0 | 52 18 2 .346 .870 0 Bob Watson 6 22 2 7 1 0 2 7 3 0 .318 .385 .636 0 | 156 33 6 .212 .701 0 Dave Winfield 6 22 0 1 0 0 0 1 5 4 .045 .222 .045 1 | 388 114 13 .294 .824 11 +-------------------+-+---+--+--+--+--+--+---+--+--+-----+-----+-----+---+----+---+--+-----+-----+---+ Total 6 193 22 46 8 1 6 22 33 24 .238 .346 .383 4 | 100 .252 .718 47 * - bats left-handed, # - switch hits, ? - unknown, else - bats right-handed A + before season totals indicates the player was with multiple teams this year.
[edit] Series Pitching Stats
[edit] Los Angeles Dodgers
SERIES STATS | REGULAR SEASON Player G ERA W-L SV CG IP H ER BB SO | W-L IP ERA WHIP SO SV +-------------------+-+------+---+--+--+----+--+--+--+---+------+---+-----+-----+---+--+ *Jerry Reuss 2 3.86 1-1 0 1 11.7 10 5 3 8 | 10-4 153 2.30 1.08 51 Burt Hooton 2 1.59 1-1 0 0 11.3 8 2 9 3 | 11-6 142 2.28 1.10 74 *Fernando Valenzuela 1 4.00 1-0 0 1 9.0 9 4 7 6 | 13-7 192 2.48 1.05 180 *Steve Howe 3 3.86 1-0 1 0 7.0 7 3 1 4 | 5-3 54 2.50 1.28 32 8 Tom Niedenfuer 2 0.00 0-0 0 0 5.0 3 0 1 0 | 3-1 26 3.81 1.19 12 2 Dave Goltz 2 5.40 0-0 0 0 3.3 4 2 1 2 | 2-7 77 4.09 1.40 48 1 *Terry Forster 2 0.00 0-0 0 0 2.0 1 0 3 0 | 0-1 31 4.11 1.70 17 Dave Stewart 2 0.00 0-0 0 0 1.7 1 0 2 1 | 4-3 43 2.49 1.25 29 6 Bobby Castillo 1 9.00 0-0 0 0 1.0 0 1 5 0 | 2-4 51 5.33 1.46 35 5 Bob Welch 1 inf 0-0 0 0 0.0 3 2 1 0 | 9-5 141 3.44 1.29 88 +-------------------+-+------+---+--+--+----+--+--+--+---+------+---+-----+-----+---+--+ Total 3.29 4-2 1 2 52.0 46 19 33 24 | 3.01 1.210 * - throws left-handed, ? - unknown, else - throws right-handed A + before season totals indicates the player was with multiple teams this year.
[edit] New York Yankees
SERIES STATS | REGULAR SEASON Player G ERA W-L SV CG IP H ER BB SO | W-L IP ERA WHIP SO SV +-------------------+-+------+---+--+--+----+--+--+--+---+------+---+-----+-----+---+--+ *Ron Guidry 2 1.93 1-1 0 0 14.0 8 3 4 15 | 11-5 127 2.76 0.99 104 *Tommy John 3 0.69 1-0 0 0 13.0 11 1 0 8 | 9-8 140 2.63 1.24 50 *Rudy May 3 2.84 0-0 0 0 6.3 5 2 1 5 | 6-11 148 4.14 1.21 79 1 Rich Gossage 3 0.00 0-0 2 0 5.0 2 0 2 5 | 3-2 47 0.77 0.77 48 20 Rick Reuschel 2 4.91 0-0 0 0 3.7 7 2 3 2 |+ 8-11 156 3.11 1.25 75 George Frazier 3 17.18 0-3 0 0 3.7 9 7 3 2 | 0-1 28 1.63 1.34 17 3 Ron Davis 4 23.14 0-0 0 0 2.3 4 6 5 4 | 4-5 73 2.71 0.99 83 6 *Dave Righetti 1 13.50 0-0 0 0 2.0 5 3 2 1 | 8-4 105 2.05 1.07 89 *Dave LaRoche 1 0.00 0-0 0 0 1.0 0 0 0 2 | 4-1 47 2.49 1.15 24 +-------------------+-+------+---+--+--+----+--+--+--+---+------+---+-----+-----+---+--+ Total 4.24 2-4 2 0 51.0 51 24 20 44 | 2.90 1.180 * - throws left-handed, ? - unknown, else - throws right-handed A + before season totals indicates the player was with multiple teams this year.
[edit] Trivia
- The series is sometimes called "The World Series that Never Was." This refers to the fact that the team with the best overall record, the Cincinnati Reds did not make the playoffs due to a modified playoff schedule established by the Commissioner Bowie Kuhn due to a midseason strike. In the N.L. East, the St. Louis Cardinals had the best overall record, but failed to make the playoffs after finishing second in each half. However, it should be noted that the teams that won the first half and already were assured of a playoff spot often rested players and played a number of prospects in the 2nd half.
- The Los Angeles Dodgers were the first National League team in World Series history to lose the first two games, then sweep their opponent during the next four contests. Ironically, the New York Yankees were the first to accomplish the feat against the Dodgers in 1978, and again in their next World Series appearance 15 years later. Also, the 1955 Dodgers were the first to win a World Series after losing the first two games (although it took them seven games) - naturally against the Yankees. In 1956, the Yankees did the same thing to the Dodgers.
- The 1981 World Series Most Valuable Player Award was the first in World Series history to be awarded to more than one player. It was split between Ron Cey (who went seven-for-twenty, hit .350, and drove in six runs), Pedro Guerrero (who went seven-for-twenty-one, hit .333, hit two home runs, and drove in seven runs) and catcher Steve Yeager (who went 4 for 14, hit .286, hit two home runs and appeared behind the plate in all six games). More than one player winning the MVP Award in a single World Series wouldn't happen again until 20 years later when Curt Schilling and Randy Johnson of the Arizona Diamondbacks did it against the New York Yankees.
- Yankees owner George Steinbrenner, who allegedly got into a fistfight with unknown assailants in a Los Angeles elevator during the 1981 World Series, was so frustrated with star outfielder Dave Winfield's performance (having just one hit in 22 at-bats) during the entire World Series, that he went on to dub Winfeld the dubious title of Mr. May. Winfield would ultimately redeem himself as a member of the Toronto Blue Jays, when he knocked in the World Series clinching run in Game 6 of the 1992 World Series against the Atlanta Braves.
- Yankees pitcher George Frazier tied a World Series record for losing three of the six games in 1981. The only other pitcher to lose that many was the Chicago White Sox's Lefty Williams, who intentionally lost his three starts in the infamous 1919 World Series.
- World Series adversaries Graig Nettles (of the Yankees) and Steve Garvey (of the Dodgers) would go on to lead the San Diego Padres to their first ever National League pennant in 1984.
- As one of the television commentators during a game played in Yankee Stadium, Howard Cosell, in a context clearly referring to the Yankees, used the term "our pitchers." He was later criticized for such a partial statement and denied having made it. Cosell, by the way, grew up in Brooklyn, New York.
[edit] Further Reading
- Thomas Boswell: "Indecent Exposure", in Why Time Begins on Opening Day, Penguin Books, New York, NY, 1984, pp. 275-286.
- Rick Monday and Ken Gurnick: Rick Monday's Tales from the Dodger Dugout, Sports Publishing LLC, Champaign, IL, 2006.
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NL East Division Series (3-2) Expos over Phillies NL West Division Series (3-2) Dodgers over Astros | |||
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NL Championship Series (3-2) Dodgers over Expos | |||
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World Series (4-2) Dodgers over Yankees | |||
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AL Championship Series (3-0) Yankees over Athletics | |||
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AL East Division Series (3-2) Yankees over Brewers AL West Division Series (3-0) Athletics over Royals |
| Modern Major League Baseball World Series
Pre-1903 Postseason Series |
