YANKEES VS. DODGERS: A RICH HISTORY

As the New York Yankees look ahead to the 2024 World Series, they do so with the weight of history on their side—especially when it comes to their storied rivalry with the Los Angeles Dodgers.

For many of us,1978 and the 1981 World Series are most memorable. It is true that 1981 may have been a rare blemish in that history, but it only serves as a reminder of the Yankees’ resilience and determination to come back stronger. After all, this rivalry has largely belonged to the Bronx Bombers, and with that legacy, the Yankees are poised to reclaim their rightful place at the top in 2024.

Let’s rewind for a moment. In the 1978 World Series, the Dodgers jumped out to an early 2-0 lead, but the Yankees, true to their championship spirit, stormed back with four straight victories to win it all. Lou Piniella's clutch walk-off hit in Game 4 was a turning point, igniting the Yankees' charge. Then, in Game 5, captain Thurman Munson led the way with a heroic five-RBI performance, putting the Yankees in control. With their trademark resilience and determination, the Yankees proved once again why they are baseball’s most iconic and unstoppable team.

Then the rematch, 1981. The Yankees appeared to be on track for another triumph against the Dodgers, much like they had done countless times before. From Brooklyn to Los Angeles, the Yankees had consistently outplayed the Dodgers, with iconic victories in 1949, 1952, and 1953, leaving Dodgers fans heartbroken and frustrated. New York simply had the Dodgers’ number.

The 1981 Fall Classic started much the same way. The Yankees took the first two games at Yankee Stadium, and it seemed like another chapter of their dominance was about to unfold. But the series shifted to Dodger Stadium, and suddenly, the tide turned. Rookie sensation Fernando Valenzuela ignited the Dodgers with a Game 3 win, sparking a comeback that led to four straight victories and an unexpected championship for Los Angeles. Pedro Guerrero’s Game 6 heroics capped off the upset, with the Dodgers winning 9-2 and sending Yankees fans into shock.

It was a rare moment of disappointment for Yankees fans, but even that loss can be seen as fuel for the fire. George Steinbrenner, never one to accept defeat lightly, famously issued an apology to the people of New York after the series. It wasn’t just a statement—it was a promise that the Yankees would be back, stronger than ever. And if there’s one thing the Yankees have always done, they work to deliver on that promise.

History, after all, is a Yankee stronghold. While the Dodgers celebrated their 1981 victory, it’s important to remember that this rivalry leans heavily in New York’s favor. In 11 World Series matchups, the Yankees have won eight, including a 6-1 domination over the Brooklyn Dodgers before they packed their bags for Los Angeles. Even in moments of defeat, the Yankees have bounced back, often with a vengeance. The 1981 loss? Just a blip in the grand scheme of things.

 

Look back at the defining moments of this rivalry, and you’ll see why Yankees fans should feel confident heading into 2024. Don Larsen’s perfect game in 1956 is still the only one in World Series history, with Yogi Berra jumping into his arms in celebration. Johnny Kucks threw a three-hit shutout in Game 7 of that series, sending the Dodgers packing and cementing the Yankees' status as the team of destiny. The Bronx Bombers have been built on these legendary moments, and 2024 could very well be the next chapter.

Yes, the Yankees have faced adversity before, but that’s precisely what has shaped them into baseball’s most successful franchise. And if history is any indication, the Yankees have a knack for rising to the occasion when it matters most. As they gear up for another World Series run in 2024, it’s not just about the present—it’s about drawing strength from their past. The Dodgers may have gotten the better of them in 1981, but the Yankees have shown time and again that they know how to bounce back.

With a record of dominance over the Dodgers and a tradition of excellence in October, the Yankees are more than capable of writing a different ending in 2024. The ghosts of their past triumphs—Larsen, Berra, Mantle—are all there, ready to inspire this new generation of Yankees to reclaim the crown, Soto, Judge, Cole. 2024 could be the year they bring another World Series title back home.

So, as the Yankees march toward another Fall Classic, fans can take comfort in the fact that history—and the heart of a champion—are on their side. The 1981 World Series may have been a painful chapter, but it’s part of a larger narrative, one that has the Yankees standing tall as baseball’s most iconic and successful team. Come Friday, don’t be surprised if the Yankees are once again celebrating on top of the baseball world, proving that in the end, the Bronx always finds a way to win, especially this team.

--Alvin Izzo
BYB Yankee History Contributor

GERMAN FINALLY TURNS THE PAGE TOWARD GROWTH & WHAT ROLE MODELS NEED TO BE

The Story of the day is of course, Domingo German's Perfect Game.

Look, you cannot ignore a great moment in sports.  Last night, German did something that only 3 other Yankees have done before him. Don Larsen, David Wells and David Cone now are part of the Perfect Game club with German. A monster achievement, and definitely catapults him into a more glamourous, elite club in baseball.  It is something special.  With this moment comes maturity, comes being what a role model should be.  I know what you're thinking, and you're right... there's a life lesson here when it comes to German.

I saw it with my own eyes and when it happened, I had weird emotions about it.  Clearly the Yankees won. Clearly the A's were terrible.  But it felt weird to me because it was Domingo German. It wasn't jealousy. It wasn't hate. It was about integrity and character and maturity for me.  For me, my emotions weren't as large as I wanted them to be.  But when I see this man and the journey he took to get here, I was happy for him. Not as an athlete, but as a person. Does that make sense? 

Look, in sports we root for our teams... we root for our guys.  There's nothing better in sports. But something was off with this guy throughout his journey to get here. Yup, I look like I'm raining on this guy's parade. I should shut up, right? Maybe.  Last night when it happened my buddy texted me when it happened. My bud is a Phillies fan. He had no business watching German dominate, but that's the sweetness of sports. He found it, watched it, texted me because I'm the Yankee fan.  I was already falling asleep, so I went to bed with happiness for the Yankees, but fell right to sleep. This morning I wrote the first feeling I had about it.

Sporadic. That's how I've always seen German.  I always feel like this guy is trying to find his way.  The struggles, the accusation of beating his wife, the punishment, the getting caught cheating with substance on his hands... the nights of him getting shelled, the #0 which to him is a way of being provocative, but to me is subliminal for loser.  That's Sporadic to me. I almost feel like most people in sports haven't had a ride that turbulent.   Last night however, I saw a changed man, a long journey and a man that figured it out.

The 24th Perfect Game in MLB History

It Belongs to Domingo German pic.twitter.com/bPQtb9gbmf

— Barstool Sports (@barstoolsports) June 29, 2023

As the day goes on today, I will watch the highlights a lot, because over all I will be happy for the Yankees. And yes, to me it symbolizes that sporadic Domingo German turning the page of chaos and uncertainty. Today he looks more mature... more of a role model. Sure, maybe I'm over analyzing it. But that's why you come to BYB right?  

Domingo German deserves congratulations.  He's now in an elite group and because of that more will be expected of him.  He will need to be good the next time out. He will need to now show his own maturity... his own swagger and step up and lead by example.  Maybe that's what will be the difference for me being a true fan of German. Can he carry himself with poise?  Can he grow from this? Can he become a better pitcher and a better person?

I was watching and thinking about it this way. Second chances and redeeming ones self are important in everyone.  We judge people that make mistakes, but what if the person that was making the mistake was you own son or daughter. Would you judge, or would you root for them?

Hypothetical. What if German was my son and he beat his wife and was suspended from the MLB for a while? What would I do? I'd probably rip him behind closed doors, but I'd give him another chance.

What if my son was German and he was caught with substance on his hand and kicked out of a game because of it? Well, I'd rip him behind closed doors and then I'd give him another chance.  And so, as I write this here, I think ultimately, last night's Perfect Game for German was about second chances, wasn't it? It was about him finding his way, not only as a professional athlete, but in life too.

I am not a perfect person, no doubt about that. No one is.  But looking at it that way allows me to enjoy this Perfect Game more for German even more.  And when I think about it that way, he deserves all the praise in the world.  German is even closer to the top of his game, more mature (we hope) and able to stand tall through all the crap and say "Hey, I did this."  For me as a Yankee fan and father... those emotions blend at this moment, and I see that this is a good thing. A good thing for the Yankees, and definitely German.

I leave you with this. I saw this on Twitter and thought it made sense, especially in this situation.

In the case of German, in the case in how I emotionally processed this... it just makes sense. Learn from mistakes, move forward. 

Congrats to Domingo German.  Soak it in, you deserve this moment.  

FAMILY RIVALRY & THE LAST WORD

This story was written on the pages of Bleeding Yankee Blue on May 13, 2011. Not sure why is came back to my mind yesterday, but it did. I decided to republish it today.  Written by Christy Lee, one of our former BYB staff writers, it still holds up.

--Casey

When the Yankees face Boston, I have a lot on my mind. Although I’m more than a little pleased at the fact that Boston seems to be less than the “dream team” these days, I have mixed emotions about the rivalry.

All day, I keep looking at the phone, waiting for my Uncle Bruce to call me. He hasn’t. A huge Red Sox fan, he never missed an opportunity to call me and bust my chops a little. Or a LOT. The calls would start before the game and continue during the game. If the Yankees lost, I never heard the end of it.

Sometimes, I would pick up the phone to hear nothing but his laughter if Mariano blew a save. He would often forget that there was a two-hour time difference from Colorado, calling very late into the evening just to let me know that yes, he watched it, and yes- my team blew it.

Being the typical Sox fan, he could dish it out, but he couldn’t take it. I made it a point to call him when the Yankees signed Johnny Damon. He didn’t answer his phone. I took my picture next to a life-sized cutout of Derek Jeter and sent it to him; he sent me an envelope full of Red Sox confetti.

This back-and-forth razzing would last all season long. An avid fan, he could get downright mean and nasty about it. I don’t play like that, and it started to get on my nerves. So, I made it clear to him that I would no longer have these discussions with him. I declared a truce. He ignored this and continued to call anyway.

I tried to explain to him that a true fan loves their team; that hating another team was bad sportsmanship. He spent so much time hating the Yankees that it seemed that he didn’t really know what was going on in his own team’s camp. Look, I’m all for the rivalry against the Red Sox, but I don’t take it to the extreme. To love baseball, you have to love the game, respect good players, and think objectively. As painful as it is to say sometimes, I have respect for Big Papi as a player, and a person. 

My uncle would never, EVER, say something like that about Derek Jeter. So I just accepted it and continued the game with him. Sometimes, I felt like screaming at him, but I just laughed it off. I let the baseball Gods handle the karma for me.

When I visited his home near Denver this past summer, my point of view about my uncle was forever changed. Bruce had every ticket stub to every game that he ever went to. He loved the Colorado Rockies as much as he loved the Red Sox, and his home was filled with souvenirs not only from Coors Field and Fenway Park, but many stadiums throughout the MLB. Right there, on a little cul-de-sac nestled up against the Rocky Mountains, was his very own Baseball Hall of Fame.

As I looked around some more, I noticed something. Prominently displayed in his dining room was a collector’s edition plate commemorating Don Larsen’s Perfect Game. Don Larsen. A New York Yankee. I was thrown for a loop. I stood there, staring at it, and I thought for a long time. Then, it occurred to me. All this time, he really was a real baseball fan. He was playing this game with me as a way of making the 2,000 miles between us disappear. He was having fun and staying connected with me at the same time.

Earlier today, less than two hours before the first pitch at Yankee Stadium, I sat on my cell phone and accidentally dialed Bruce’s number. It rang forever, and he didn’t answer. This time, I know why. My Uncle Bruce died in July, leaving a pile of unused Red Sox and Rockies tickets, and leaving me to face this series without him.

And so, to my friends, Yankees fans and Red Sox fans alike, I say this: Enjoy this weekend. Enjoy the series. Enjoy every minute with your fellow fans, even your rivals. And to you, my dear uncle, in the spirit of family tradition, I say, with love… LET’S GO YANKEES!!!!!



--Christy Lee 

BYB Staff Writer
Twitter: @ladybleedsblue

A YANKEE LEGEND IS NOW GONE

Don Larsen has passed away. He was the only pitcher to have a Perfect Game in a World Series. Incredible. It's a sad day for the Yankee family.

Bloomberg writes:

"Don Larsen, who achieved baseball’s ultimate pitching feat on its biggest stage when he threw a perfect game for the New York Yankees in the 1956 World Series, has died. He was 90. Larsen’s agent, Andrew Levy, announced his death on Twitter. According to the Associated Press, Levy said the former pitcher died of esophageal cancer in Idaho."

And of course as you remember, he and Yogi Berra will always be connected as Yogi was his catcher.  Also, don't forget that BYB did alittle thing with Don a few years ago. Read DON LARSEN TALKS TO BLEEDING YANKEE BLUE from 2012. This was my favorite exchange in that chat:

BYB: What is the best part of forever being known as "the guy" who threw a perfect game in the 1956 World Series? 

Don Larsen: "That's one of those things I'll never forget with Yogi and I. What it meant to us then, and what it'll mean to us as time goes on; it'll never be forgotten." 

And you'll never be forgotten either Don. Prayers to your family. Rest in Peace.

WHAT JULY 4TH MEANS FOR THE YANKEES

Source: NY Daily News

35-years-ago today New York Yankee left-hander Dave Righetti threw the first no-hitter since Don Larsen pitched a perfect game in 1956.  He did it against the Red Sox in Yankee Stadium in 90 degree heat.  Fast forward to today, July 4, 2018, and we see veteran pitcher and clubhouse leader CC Sabathia take the hill against Atlanta after pitching only five days earlier against rival Sox for a key 8-1 win this season.  Today, despite our pitching challenges, we reflect on what July 4th means for the Yankees yesterday and what it means for them now.

July 4th is “Lou Gehrig Appreciation Day” A day that the legendary first base man spoke boldly and kindly to a sell out crowd about his illness and how he has been blessed to have been associated with the best family both on and off the field. "When you look around, wouldn’t you consider it a privilege to associate yourself with such fine-looking men as are standing in uniform in this ballpark today?" stated Gehrig in his farewell address to fans on July 4, 1939.  These words could be used to describe this year's team, who protect players who are slumping and high five those who contribute to the team's overall effectiveness.

Source: Newsday

July 4th is Yankee owner George Steinbrenner's birthday.  Today, the Boss would have been 88 years-old.  "Steinbrenner helped the Yankees experience the taste of success again in 1976, when it won its first pennant in 12 years. Although the team lost to the Cincinnati Reds in that year's World Series, New Yorkers were suddenly interested in their underdog team again," reported biography.com.  This sounds like deja vu all over again (thanks, Yogi).

Source: William Perlman | The Star-Ledger

Hal Steinbrenner spoke with YES Network's Meredith Marakovits this week and segments of the interview ran during the pre-game yesterday. In the interview, Steinbrenner mentioned his dad saying that he would like this Yankee team.  He also wasn't shy about what he intends to do by the trade deadline to lift the team much like his father did in 1976.  "I would have to see where we are, who the person is, how badly that position needs help, so to speak, but I will say, we have a considerable amount of money to spend and I'm not adverse to spending it," he said. "A considerable amount even staying under (the threshold). We've got some options there, flexibility."

Source: USA Today

July 4th has been both eventful and nostalgic for the Yankees.  The days past have contributed to today's successes and there are eerie similarities and connections to today's team.  Daring signings, like Darryl Strawberry, occurred on July 4th, which is potentially a symbol of what is to come for this Yankee team, a no-hitter gave birth on July 4th, and our Boss, George Steinbrenner was born on July 4th and he lived for teams like this one.  What's next in our July 4th legacy? A no-no, a celebratory win or a daring signing?  It's anyone's guess, but there is one thing for sure, there is nothing like baseball on July 4th especially in Yankee Stadium.

Happy Independence Day!

--Suzie Pinstripe
BYB Managing Editor
Twitter: @suzieprof

YOU GOTTA LOVE DON LARSEN!

This is just a small nugget I saw from WFAN about Don Larsen.  Now, if you are part of the BYB faithful, you know that we interviewed Mr. Larsen at the Yogi Berra Museum a few years back.

Read DON LARSEN TALKS TO BLEEDING YANKEE BLUE if you wanna catch up. That's when Yogi was alive, (I can't believe I'm saying that), and the event was wonderful.

Anyway,  WFAN's nugget goes like this:

"Sixty years later, that milestone still stands strong. It’s a mark that may last forever, and one that most baseball fans will remember Larsen for. The 87-year-old himself actually remembers it every single day... 'I probably think about it at least 10, 20 times a day,” Larsen told me on “The Jake Brown Show” on CBS Radio’s Play.it. “You know I get into wondering things or read the paper or this and that or watch the other sports when I read or watch it on TV. It automatically comes to me.'”

Don Larsen is one of the nicest men alive.  When we interview him in 2012, it was right around that time that he was auctioning off items so he could collect money for his grand kids, so they could go to college. He's got a great heart, and dammit he should think about that historic day alot, it was truly amazing. I love watching old tape of it.  As Larsen told us...

Don Larsen: "That's one of those things I'll never forget with Yogi and I. What it meant to us then, and what it'll mean to us as time goes on; it'll never be forgotten."

We love you Mr. Larsen.

IT WAS LIKE LOSING A FAMILY MEMBER

The passing of Yogi Berra last week was a very sad day for the Yankees, the fans and baseball as a whole. But it was really sad for me.

Athletes and other people are important parts of our life, whether we realize it or not. We will likely never get to meet 99% of the people of this nature that make an impact on our life, but we do appreciate it.

In August of 1995, Mickey Mantle passed away. I was just 11 years old at the time. I obviously never got to watch The Mick play but I remember watching a ceremony honoring him in my bedroom on my 12" color TV and I began to get emotional. It was because I had read and heard about him and how great of a player he was. It was because he meant so much to Yankees fans.

The passing of Yogi was a very somber day for baseball. Television and print media covered how great of a player he was and how he had a great impact on players and fans alike. His Yogisms are priceless and are used in everyday conversation. He was one guy that no one seemed to have anything negative to say about. That says a lot.

As a catcher myself growing up, I always like Yogi. I have often thought about what it would have been like to watch him play on a daily basis. I bet many people even from that generation wish the same. There was no YES Network, ESPN or MLB Network back then so the best way to see him play was to head out to the Bronx.

I've seen highlights and the final out of Don Larsen's Perfect game a myriad of times but it leaves me kind of unsatisfied. I would have loved to have watched him, and many other superstars of the past, over the course of an entire season or career like we have had the opportunity to do with the "core four" and others over the last three or so decades.

I look at players and ordinary run of the mill people who inspire others and it gives me motivation at times. As a baseball coach I find myself giving it my all in order to assure the players get the most out of the time on the field. I don't want accolades or a pat on the ass, I just want to better a young man who is in the process of maturing and learning about life. I want to make an impact, whether they realize it or not. That makes me satisfied.

I will sure miss seeing Yogi at The Stadium and listening to him talk. What we still have though are the memories shared to us from his friends and family, of which he had many. When an important member of an organization passes, it's like losing a family member, even though we had never met.


  
--Dan Lucia
BYB Writer
Twitter: @DManLucia

 


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BECAUSE OF SY BERGER & TOPPS, I'LL ALWAYS BE A KID

I wanted to wait until today to post this. Maybe because it makes me all fuzzy inside. Maybe because it's personally sad for me, or because it just brings me back to when things were simple...my childhood. This post is about Sy Berger. Sy was the designer of Topps baseball cards and he passed away at 91 this past weekend, read HERE.

Topps baseball cards were the first baseball card brand I was ever introduced to and to this day, I still own hundreds upon hundreds in a card collection that is neatly organized and being held for my children, to eventually pass to their children and so on. For me, it's become a tradition.

Card collecting was always a treat for me.  It was something that I did all of my childhood.  I remember being in my living room in 1975, and my father had bought me my first pack of Topps card.  I wasn't a die hard baseball fan at the time, I was little, but for some odd reason, I remember the card pack, mainly because each card was colorful... remember, it was the 70s.  The one card I remember from that living room in Kentucky? Ron Cey.

I still have it to this day.

Since then, I would be given a few packs for holidays in my stocking. Santa was good like that. I remember my dad bought me the entire box of unopened packs for my birthday in 1984.  I sat on my bed for hours opening and organizing those cards.  It was the most fun I had as a kid.  I thought at the time, "My dad bought me the whole box! I might have the best dad in the world!

Over time, if I had a few bucks, I'd buy my own.  Back then, baseball cards were on the counter of every store. There were no Targets, there were 5 and 10s and coffee shops, and every coffee shop had a glass counter with baseball cards in them. It was a great time to be a card collector and to be a kid.

My collection became bigger by the 1980s and like any kid, I aimed to try and get the good cards.  The 1982 Cal Ripken rookie card, the Don Mattingly rookie, not the Donruss or Fleer ones... the Topps one. You know, the one where you can just make out the #4 on his back. Mattingly wore #46 before he wore the now retired #23.

Topps was good like that... and I was loyal to Topps.  Even as a kid, I knew baseball cards needed to have that soft cardboard with the brown, grayish back full of stats, and not that fake looking glossy appearance of the others. I was never a fan of the Fleer white backs.  It looked like a knock off to me.

Topps was the card, and while I expanding to the others, I always went back to Topps.  They were the gold standard.

I remember sitting in my den as a kid, lining up my Topps cards according to the order of the lineup for that day's game.  I remember having the game on, Messer, White and Rizzuto did their thing, and as the players were lifted from the game, switched with defensive replacements or whatever, I'd replace them on my card lineup too.

I remember bringing my baseball card binder everywhere, always looking through my cards and finding facts about players, and even where they lived and what teams they played for before.  It made the summer vacation car rides better. Sy Berger had me hooked, and my hobby made me truly happy for years.

When I went away to college, the collecting stopped, but my parents didn't throw them out like other parents did to their kid's collections. My parents knew how much I loved it and when I graduated, and moved into my own place, my cards came with me, now about 3 boxes full. They were still all together, now in plastic, separated by YEAR with an index card that I hand wrote to separate each section.  It's the perfect collection... and it's mine.

I never graded a single card, because it was my opinion that collections needed to be personal. Mine was. I didn't fall into the trap of buying sets that I would never open.  What's the fun of that? I never looked for a mint card. I looked for cards that were unique, or something that stood out...something I liked. After all, it was my collection. For instance, there was a day in 1989 that I bought my first Don Larsen card.  The card had drawing on it's face and the seller, a guy in a jewelry store I used to go to, sold it to me for $2 bucks.  It probably isn't worth $1 at the time, but it was my first Larsen card. That's it above.

I remember being in Cape Cod with my parents and my dad brought me to a card shop.  It was my birthday and he bought me a 1958 Yogi Berra.  To this day, It might be my favorite Topps card in my collection.   In short... I remember where I was and what I bought and what it made me feel like when I held that Topps cards... that's because Topps did it better than the others. I fell in love with not only the hobby, but with the brand.

Sy Berger is a pioneer.  Sure, before Topps there was Goudey and Tobacco cards and I have those too, but it was Topps that dominated and made their cards better than all the rest.  Sy Berger once said this about his product in 2002:

"We wanted to make something attractive that would catch the eye." 

Well, for a kid who wanted a hobby back in the 1970s... he caught my eye and my heart and I am proud to say I've been a Topps card collector for 39 years.

My collection is now massive, deeply organized and mine... it's unique to me!  Most of all... It's overwhelmed with Topps baseball cards.

Thank you to Sy Berger.  Prayers for out to the Berger family.  Thanks for allowing me to go back to my childhood any time I want. All I have to do is go back to my collection at any moment, grab my card out and remember where I was when I bought them. It's always a pleasant moment. It was a much simpler life for me back then. It was one of the best times of my life.

My childhood never dies because of Sy Berger.



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THE TOP 12 MOMENTS IN YANKEES HISTORY: PART 1

The Yankees are often referred to as the most storied sports franchise in history. They are definitely the most well-known and the one with the longest history of success. There are many moments in its history that defined the organization, flashpoints that many of us – both young and old – remember with fondness and excitement.

We decided that it would be worth taking a stroll down memory lane, and pick out some of the greatest moments in Yankees history. One thing is for sure – you are going to think we missed a few. That is one of the problems with going through such an exercise with such a wildly successful team – there are too many great moments. So this is our view of the 12 greatest moments in Yankees history. We will present 12-7 to you here, and our next segment will have the top six.

12. David Cone, 1996 World Series, Game 3, 6th Inning

Let’s set the stage. The Yankees have made it to the World Series for the first time in 15 years, looking for their first win in a generation. They have not yet established their dominance or their playoff swagger. The Braves dominated games 1 and 2 at Yankee Stadium, and the Yankees could ill afford to go down 3-0. After taking a 2-0 lead, the Braves started to rally in the sixth. David Cone walks the pitcher to lead off the inning, and after a hit and another walk, power-hitting Fred McGriff walks to the plate with the bases loaded and one out. Joe Torre quickly sprints to the mound, puts up his hands, looks Cone in the eye, and famously asks, “Can you get him?” Cone responds in the affirmative, and proceeds to induce McGriff to pop out and retire the side after allowing only a single run. It was the first time the Yankees showed the ability to shut the Braves down, and it turned the tide. It would be the first of a World Series record 14 consecutive game win streak, which stands to this day. It would also be the first of four World Series Championships in five years, which would re-establish the Yankees as the dominant team in baseball.

11. The 1927 Home Run Race

When we hear home run race, we think of 1961 or 1998. The first real race to set the single-season home run record actually took place in 1927, and the combatants were the Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig. Ruth held the record at 59. Less than a decade removed from the dead ball era, that number was gargantuan, and these two were aiming for the 60’s. These two Yankees were going at it into September. On the morning of September 4, Ruth had 44 and Gehrig had 43 homers. Sixty was in sight, and these two were neck and neck. Inexplicably, Gehrig ran out of gas and would only hit 4 more through the end of the season. Ruth went on a tear, hitting 16 in his last 26 games, 3 of those games being multi-homer games for him. These two would anchor Murderer’s Row, and go on to win three World Series’ in the next 6 years.

10. Don Larsen’s Perfect Game

On October 8, 1956, the Yankees were locked in a 2-2 tie for the World Series against their archrivals, the Brooklyn Dodgers. The Dodgers had beaten them the year before in seven games, and this was a must-win. Don Larsen went out and threw the only perfect game in World Series history. From a historical perspective, having a record like that just adds luster to an already brilliant history. It also clearly had an impact on the Dodgers, who prior to that game averaged six runs per game. They would only score one more run for the rest of that Series.

9. The 1961 Home Run Race

Anytime it appears that someone might break a record, especially regarding home runs, some kind of frenzy kicks in and that’s all people talk about. That was certainly the case in 1961, when the M&M boys – Mickey Mantle and the reigning AL MVP Roger Maris – went on a chase to break Babe Ruth’s single-season home run record. The movie 61* documents it well, yet it is still hard to believe all the drama that surrounded that year. Between the debate over the validity of the new record because of length of the season, and the loss in perspective when some Yankee fans turned on Maris, it is hard to believe that Maris was able to maintain focus and break the record on the last game of the regular season. Ruth’s record stood for 34 years and Maris stood for 37, solidifying in a symbolic way the Yankees’ hitting dominance through the decades.

8. Bucky Dent’s Homer

The 1978 season was a storybook season, filled with heroics and epic battles that took them from deep valleys to high mountaintops. The climax clearly took place on a sunny Monday afternoon in Fenway, on the tie-breaking 163rd game. This was against the hated Boston Red Sox, with whom a bench-clearing brawl or two were not out of the question. When the game started, I was still in school, and I got home in time to see the Yankees trailing by two. I was able to watch one of the most glorious home runs of that Yankees generation – a 3-run home run over the Green Monster by Bucky Dent that put the Yankees on top and catapulted them to their 22nd World Series Championship.

7. Joe DiMaggio’s 56-Game Hitting Streak

If you ask me what one modern record of baseball will never be broken, I would have to say Joe DiMaggio’s hitting streak. Since the 1920’s, only two people have ever even reached 40 – Joe DiMaggio and Pete Rose. Today, if you reach 30, it makes big news, and you are only just over the halfway mark to the record. It is a testament to how good of a hitter Joltin’ Joe really was. Between May 15 and July 16, DiMaggio kept hitting them and they couldn’t keep him off the bases. As the story goes, he had several hard hit balls on July 17, but none of them got him a hit. He did reach base on a walk, which allowed him to extend his on-base streak to 73 games. If he had gotten a hit on July 17, it would have been a 73-game hitting streak. A 73-game hitting streak??? Unreal!

There you have it - the first half of the list. Stay tuned for the top 6 - it's going to be amazing!

--Ike Dimitriadis, BYB Senior Staff Writer
Twitter: @KingAgamemnon
My blog is: Shots from Murderer's Row






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