1978 World Series - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

Game 1

Tuesday, October 10, 1978 at Dodger Stadium

Dodger Stadium

Dodger Stadium, also sometimes called Chavez Ravine, is a stadium in Los Angeles. Located adjacent to Downtown Los Angeles, Dodger Stadium has been the home ballpark of Major League Baseball's Los Angeles Dodgers team since 1962...

in Los Angeles, California

Los Angeles, California

Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...

With Yankee ace Ron Guidry

Ron Guidry

Ronald Ames Guidry , nicknamed "Louisiana Lightning" and "Gator", is a former Major League Baseball left-handed pitcher. He played his entire 14-year baseball career for the New York Yankees...

unavailable at least until Game 3, the Dodgers pounded twenty-game winner Ed Figueroa

Ed Figueroa

Eduardo Figueroa Padilla , is a former Major League Baseball player. He holds the distinction of being the only pitcher from Puerto Rico to win twenty games in a season.-USMC:...

. Figueroa left after two innings, allowing home runs to Dusty Baker

Dusty Baker

Johnnie B. "Dusty" Baker, Jr. is a former player and current manager in Major League Baseball, currently the manager of the Cincinnati Reds. He enjoyed a 19-year career as a hard-hitting outfielder, mostly with the Atlanta Braves and Los Angeles Dodgers...

and Davey Lopes

Davey Lopes

David Earle Lopes is a former second baseman and manager in Major League Baseball. He batted and threw right-handed. He is currently the first base coach for the Los Angeles Dodgers.He is of Cape Verdean descent.-Playing:...

. Lopes would add a three-run shot in the fourth off Ken Clay

Ken Clay

Kenneth Earl Clay is a former Major League Baseball pitcher who played in the major leagues from to for the New York Yankees, Texas Rangers, and Seattle Mariners. Clay appeared at the Old-Timers' Day at Yankee Stadium...

to make it 6–0. Another Dodger run crossed the plate in the fifth; Ron Cey

Ron Cey

Ronald Charles Cey |Washington]]) is a former third baseman in Major League Baseball who played for the Los Angeles Dodgers , Chicago Cubs and Oakland Athletics . Cey batted and threw right-handed...

scoring on a Clay wild pitch.

The Yankees tried to claw back in the seventh as Reggie Jackson

Reggie Jackson

Reginald Martinez "Reggie" Jackson , nicknamed "Mr. October" for his clutch hitting in the postseason with the New York Yankees, is a former American Major League Baseball right fielder. During a 21-year baseball career, he played from 1967-1987 for four different teams. Jackson currently serves as...

homered and Bucky Dent

Bucky Dent

Russell Earl "Bucky" Dent , is a former American Major League Baseball player and manager. He earned two World Series rings as the starting shortstop for the New York Yankees in and , and was voted the World Series MVP in 1978...

singled in two runs, but the Dodgers bounced back with three of their own, two coming on a Bill North double. The Dodgers would cruise to an easy Game 1 win from there.

Game 2

Wednesday, October 11, 1978 at Dodger Stadium

Dodger Stadium

in Los Angeles, California

Los Angeles, California

Ron Cey

Ronald Charles Cey |Washington]]) is a former third baseman in Major League Baseball who played for the Los Angeles Dodgers , Chicago Cubs and Oakland Athletics . Cey batted and threw right-handed...

drove in all the Dodgers' runs with an RBI single in the fourth and a three-run homer in the sixth off Yankee starter Catfish Hunter

Catfish Hunter

James Augustus "Catfish" Hunter , was a Major League Baseball right-handed pitcher. During a 15-year baseball career, he pitched from 1965-1979 for both the Oakland Athletics and the New York Yankees...

. Reggie Jackson

Reggie Jackson

would try to keep pace by batting in all three of the Yankee runs with a two-run double and RBI groundout, but this game would be remembered for one memorable Jackson at-bat.

Rookie Bob Welch was brought in to pitch the ninth to save the game for Burt Hooton

Burt Hooton

Burt Carlton Hooton , nicknamed "Happy" , is a coach and former right-handed starting pitcher in Major League Baseball...

. He allowed Bucky Dent

Bucky Dent

and Willie Randolph

Willie Randolph

Willie Larry Randolph is a former Major League Baseball second baseman and manager, most recently the third base coach for the Baltimore Orioles...

to reach base between outs, bringing up Jackson. Welch ran the count to 3–2. Jackson fouled off several pitches before Welch finally got a fastball by him, sending the Dodger Stadium

Dodger Stadium

crowd into a frenzy.

In post-game interviews, Jackson initially blamed his striking out on Bucky Dent

Bucky Dent

running from second with the 3–2 pitch and distracting him from focusing on Welch. In later interviews, however, Jackson would give Welch his proper due.

Game 3

Friday, October 13, 1978 at Yankee Stadium in Bronx, New York
With the Yankees desperately needing a win, ace Ron Guidry

Ron Guidry

Ronald Ames Guidry , nicknamed "Louisiana Lightning" and "Gator", is a former Major League Baseball left-handed pitcher. He played his entire 14-year baseball career for the New York Yankees...

provided a victory aided by the defense of third baseman Graig Nettles

Graig Nettles

Graig Nettles , nicknamed "Puff", is a former Major League Baseball third baseman. During a 22-year baseball career, he played for the Minnesota Twins , Cleveland Indians , New York Yankees , San Diego Padres , Atlanta Braves and Montreal Expos .Nettles was one of the best...

.

Guidry pitched a complete game, even though he allowed eight hits, walked seven, and struck out only four. Nettles' defense saved at least four runs.

The Yankees got on the board in the first off Don Sutton on a Roy White

Roy White

Roy Hilton White is a former American professional baseball player and coach. He played his entire career in Major League Baseball as an outfielder for the New York Yankees between 1965 and 1979....

solo homer and added a run in the second on an RBI forceout by Bucky Dent

Bucky Dent

.

In the third, the Dodgers began to come back against an apparently tired Guidry. However, Yankees third-baseman, Graig Nettles, helped to stop the comeback with his defense. With a runner on third, Davey Lopes

Davey Lopes

lined hard to Nettles, saving a run. Bill Russell

Bill Russell (baseball)

William Ellis Russell is a former shortstop, coach and manager in Major League Baseball. Russell played his entire 18-year, 2,181-game career with the Los Angeles Dodgers as the starting shortstop for four National League pennant winners and one World Series champion...

followed with a single to drive in the Dodgers only run. The next batter, Reggie Smith

Reggie Smith

Carl Reginald Smith is a former Major League Baseball outfielder, coach and front office executive. During a 17-year big league career , Smith appeared in 1,987 games, hit 314 home runs and batted .287. He was a switch-hitter who threw right-handed. In his prime, he had one of the strongest...

, hit a hard ground ball to third. Nettles made a diving stop and threw to first to end the inning.

In the fifth, the Dodgers had runners on first and second with two outs when Smith came up to bat. Nettles made a diving stop of his liner down the third base line. Smith reached first, but no runs scored. The next batter hit into a force to Nettles to end the inning. The Dodgers loaded the bases again with two outs in the sixth, but Nettles made a great stop on a ball hit by Davey Lopes

Davey Lopes

to again complete a force play.

The Yankees would later add three more runs. Thurman Munson

Thurman Munson

Thurman Lee Munson was an American Major League Baseball catcher. He played his entire 11-year career for the New York Yankees...

and Reggie Jackson

Reggie Jackson

had RBI singles in the rally that put the game out of reach, despite an otherwise fine pitching performance by Sutton.

In the top of the ninth inning, when Lopes came to bat, he jokingly waved Nettles away from the third base line. Nettles shook it off.

Game 4

Saturday, October 14, 1978 at Yankee Stadium in Bronx, New York
Starters Ed Figueroa

Ed Figueroa

Eduardo Figueroa Padilla , is a former Major League Baseball player. He holds the distinction of being the only pitcher from Puerto Rico to win twenty games in a season.-USMC:...

and Tommy John

Tommy John

Thomas Edward John Jr. is a former left-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball whose 288 career victories rank as the seventh highest total among left-handers in major league history...

were locked in a scoreless duel before Reggie Smith

Reggie Smith

struck with a three-run homer in the top of the fifth. John continued his shutout through the fifth, but, in the Yankees' half of the sixth, things got a little crazy.

Reggie Jackson

Reggie Jackson

finally got the Yankees on the board with a one-out RBI single. With Thurman Munson

Thurman Munson

Thurman Lee Munson was an American Major League Baseball catcher. He played his entire 11-year career for the New York Yankees...

on second and Jackson on first, Lou Piniella

Lou Piniella

Louis Victor Piniella is a former Major League Baseball outfielder and manager. He has been nicknamed "Sweet Lou," both for his swing as a major league hitter and, facetiously, to describe his demeanor as a player and manager...

hit a low, soft liner that shortstop Bill Russell

Bill Russell (baseball)

fumbled (some claim intentionally). Russell recovered the ball, then stepped on second to force Jackson, but his attempted throw to first to complete the double play struck a "confused" Jackson in the right hip and caromed into foul territory. Munson scored, partially because first baseman Steve Garvey

Steve Garvey

Steven Patrick Garvey , nicknamed "Mr. Clean" because of the squeaky clean image he held throughout his career in baseball, is a former Major League Baseball first baseman and current Southern California businessman...

stopped to yell at the first-base umpire over the non-interference call before retrieving the ball.
The Dodgers' protests went for naught but would not had been necessary if Russell had made the proper play.
Thinking Russell was going to catch Piniella's liner, Munson retreated towards second and was on second base when Russell picked up the ball. Munson then turned to third and Russell stepped on second to force Jackson and threw to first. The inning would have been over if Russell had tagged Munson (out #2) and stepped on second (out #3) to force Jackson or Russell steps on second to force Jackson (out #2) and gets Munson in a rundown between second and third (out #3); the score would have remained 3–1, instead the score was then 3–2.

Later review of the play showed that Jackson had stopped mid-way between first and second when Russell had made his throw to first. As the ball carried very close to Jackson's immediate right, Jackson had moved his hips to the right just as the ball sailed past, deflecting the ball down the first base line. While Jackson continues to deny it, Dodger manager Tommy Lasorda, along with other eye witnesses, steadfastly believes the Yankee outfielder purposefully interfered in the play.

The Yankees tied it in the eighth when Munson doubled home Paul Blair

Paul Blair (baseball)

Paul L. D. Blair is a former outfielder who spent seventeen seasons in Major League Baseball with the Baltimore Orioles , New York Yankees and Cincinnati Reds...

. The score remained tied until the bottom of the tenth. Dodger rookie and Game 2 hero Bob Welch walked Roy White

Roy White

Roy Hilton White is a former American professional baseball player and coach. He played his entire career in Major League Baseball as an outfielder for the New York Yankees between 1965 and 1979....

with one out. After Welch retired Munson, Jackson strode to the plate for his first confrontation with Welch since Game 2. This time, Reggie got the better end by singling White to second. Lou Piniella

Lou Piniella

then lined a single to center, scoring White and tying the Series.

The bungled Russell/Jackson play changed the game and the entire Series; instead of the Dodgers going up 3–1 in games, the Series was then tied and the momentum shifted to the Yankees who outscored the Dodgers 19–4 in the final two games.

Game 5

Sunday, October 15, 1978 at Yankee Stadium in Bronx, New York
The Yankees took one step closer to a repeat World Series championship on the strength of an unexpected complete game victory by young Jim Beattie

Jim Beattie

James Louis Beattie is a former Major League Baseball player and executive who pitched in the major leagues from –....

. Beattie scattered nine Dodger hits and was buoyed by an eighteen-hit Yankee performance, including a World Series-record sixteen singles.

Early on, the Dodgers tried to run to take advantage of a sore-shouldered Thurman Munson

Thurman Munson

Thurman Lee Munson was an American Major League Baseball catcher. He played his entire 11-year career for the New York Yankees...

behind the plate. Davey Lopes

Davey Lopes

led the game off with a single, stole second, and scored on a Reggie Smith

Reggie Smith

single. The Dodgers stretched their lead to 2–0 in the third when Lopes scored again on a double by Bill Russell

Bill Russell (baseball)

.

But, that would be it as Beattie settled down. The Yankees countered with a four-run third on a two-run single by Munson and RBI singles by Roy White

Roy White

Roy Hilton White is a former American professional baseball player and coach. He played his entire career in Major League Baseball as an outfielder for the New York Yankees between 1965 and 1979....

and Lou Piniella

Lou Piniella

. They added three in the fourth, four in the seventh, and one in the eighth to complete the blowout. Munson was the star Yankee hitter with five RBIs, while White had three. The Dodgers were understandably distracted in this game, having lost the controversial Game 4 the day before.

Game 6

Tuesday, October 17, 1978 at Dodger Stadium

Dodger Stadium

in Los Angeles, California

Los Angeles, California

Game 6 turned out to be the Bucky Dent

Bucky Dent

–Brian Doyle

Brian Doyle (baseball)

Brian Reed Doyle is a former Major League Baseball infielder who played for the New York Yankees and Oakland A's. He played primarily as a second baseman. His brother, Denny Doyle, was also a Major League baseball player...

show.

Davey Lopes

Davey Lopes

gave the Dodger home crowd a ray of hope with a leadoff home run off Catfish Hunter

Catfish Hunter

. Dent and Doyle put the Yankees ahead in the second; Doyle with a two-run double, Dent with an RBI single. Lopes had an RBI single in the third to cut it to 3–2 through the fifth inning, but that would be it for the Dodgers. Sutton pitched well until the sixth.

Dent and Doyle pushed the score to 5–2 in the sixth with RBI singles and Reggie Jackson

Reggie Jackson

put the final nail in the coffin with a tremendous two-run blast in the seventh off his Game 2 nemesis, Bob Welch.

Dent would be named World Series MVP, batting .417 with 10 hits, 7 RBI, and 3 runs scored. Doyle would make a claim for the MVP himself with a .438 average, 7 hits, 2 RBI, and 4 runs.

While Lopes had a monster series with three homers and seven RBIs and Bill Russell

Bill Russell (baseball)

had eleven hits, the Dodgers' power hitters lack of production and the Dodgers shoddy defense was their downfall. Steve Garvey

Steve Garvey

(5-for-24, no RBIs) was no factor, and neither were Dusty Baker

Dusty Baker

(5 for 21, one RBI) or Ron Cey

Ron Cey

Ronald Charles Cey |Washington]]) is a former third baseman in Major League Baseball who played for the Los Angeles Dodgers , Chicago Cubs and Oakland Athletics . Cey batted and threw right-handed...

(no RBIs after Game 2) and the Dodgers defense committed seven errors.

Thurman Munson

Thurman Munson

Thurman Lee Munson was an American Major League Baseball catcher. He played his entire 11-year career for the New York Yankees...

caught the final out of the game on a foul pop by Ron Cey

Ron Cey

Ronald Charles Cey |Washington]]) is a former third baseman in Major League Baseball who played for the Los Angeles Dodgers , Chicago Cubs and Oakland Athletics . Cey batted and threw right-handed...

. Sadly, this would be the final post-season game of Munson's career before his death during the 1979 season.

Composite box

1978 World Series (4–2): New York Yankees
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...

(A.L.) over Los Angeles Dodgers

Los Angeles Dodgers

The Los Angeles Dodgers are a professional baseball team based in Los Angeles, California. The Dodgers are members of Major League Baseball's National League West Division. Established in 1883, the team originated in Brooklyn, New York, where it was known by a number of nicknames before becoming...

(N.L.)

Aftermath

This Series is tied with the 1980 World Series

1980 World Series

-Game 1:Tuesday, October 14, 1980 at Veterans Stadium in Philadelphia, PennsylvaniaThe Royals jumped on Philly rookie starter Bob Walk early with a pair of two run bombs—one by Amos Otis in the second and another by Willie Aikens in the third...

for the highest overall television ratings to date, with the six games averaging a Nielsen rating of 32.8 and a share of 56.

The Yankees

New York Yankees

The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...

became the last repeat World Champions until fifteen years later (–; Toronto Blue Jays

Toronto Blue Jays

The Toronto Blue Jays are a professional baseball team located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The Blue Jays are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball 's American League ....

). This would be the last time the Yankees would win a World Series until , the longest drought for the franchise. However, it may have ended in , if there had not been a strike that year, because they had the best record in the American League. The Dodgers would go on to win the World Series in , against the Yankees, and , against the Oakland Athletics

Oakland Athletics

The Oakland Athletics are a Major League Baseball team based in Oakland, California. The Athletics are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From to the present, the Athletics have played in the O.co Coliseum....

.

The Yankees

New York Yankees

The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...

won the last four games of the series after losing the first two. The Dodgers

Los Angeles Dodgers

would do that against them three years later

1981 World Series

The 1981 World Series matched the New York Yankees against the Los Angeles Dodgers, marking their third meeting in the Series in five years as well as a record eleventh Series meeting overall and last Series meeting to date...

.

This would be the last World Series championship, as well as the last major professional sports championship for the city of New York until the Yankees' cross-town rivals, the Mets

New York Mets

The New York Mets are a professional baseball team based in the borough of Queens in New York City, New York. They belong to Major League Baseball's National League East Division. One of baseball's first expansion teams, the Mets were founded in 1962 to replace New York's departed National League...

, won in .

External links

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