Yankees vs Dodgers

Lore & Background

The rivalry began in New York City, when the Dodgers played in Brooklyn and the Yankees in the Bronx. After the Dodgers moved to Los Angeles in 1958, the rivalry continued as the teams represented the two largest cities on each coast of the United States. Fan support has added to the notoriety of the series as both teams are supported by two of the largest fanbases in North America. Although the rivalry's significance arose from the two teams' numerous World Series meetings, the Yankees and Dodgers did not meet in the World Series between 1981 and 2024. They did not play each other again in a non-exhibition game until 2004, when they played a three-game interleague series. Nevertheless, games between the two teams have drawn sellout crowds. The two teams met in the 2024 World Series for the first time in 43 years, with the Dodgers winning the series in 5 games.

In Their Own Story

The air in Yankee Stadium hung heavy with the scent of hot dogs and anticipation. In the dugout, an old scout watched the batter from Los Angeles step into the box, his silhouette framed by the floodlights. He remembered the stories of Jackie Robinson stealing home and Sandy Koufax striking out the side in a World Series game decades prior. The pitcher wound up, the crack of the bat echoed like a gunshot, and for a moment, time collapsed. It wasn't just a game; it was a century of history replaying in real-time, the ghosts of Ebbets Field and the Bronx cheering as one team tried to silence the other once again.

Reader's Guide

The Yankees and Brooklyn Dodgers first met in the 1941 World Series. In Game 4, with the Yankees leading the series two games to one, the Dodgers led by one going to the top of the ninth inning and, with two outs, just barely missed getting the third out and wound up losing the game. With two outs, the Yankees' Tommy Henrich swung and missed with two strikes, but reached on a passed ball, as Dodger catcher Mickey Owen failed to hold on to the pitch. Henrich reached first base on the play. Joe DiMaggio followed Henrich's at bat with a single before Charlie Keller hit a double to drive in both Henrich and DiMaggio and give the Yankees a 5–4 lead. After Bill Dickey walked, he and Keller scored on a Joe Gordon double to make the final score 7–4. The next day, the Yankees clinched the first series match-up between the two teams. Six years later, the 1947 World Series 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. The Dodgers won the game and forced a do-or-die Game 7, only to fall. Dramatic 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. Every time during this period, however, the World Series ended poorly for the Dodgers and gave the Dodger fans their rallying cry: 'Wait 'til next year!' Finally, in 1955 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. Brooklyn fell short of repeating the next season, 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 three no-hitters ever pitched in postseason play. The 1956 World Series would be the last Subway Series of

Did You Know?

• The Yankees and Dodgers have met 12 times in the World Series, more than any other two teams.
• The Yankees have won eight World Series meetings, the Dodgers four.
• The teams did not meet in the World Series between 1981 and 2024.
• The Dodgers won the 2024 World Series in 5 games.
• Don Larsen pitched the first of only three no-hitters ever in postseason play in the 1956 World Series.