1978 World Series
1978 World Series | ||
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Ross Porter (in New York) Win Elliot | ||
ALCS | New York Yankees over Kansas City Royals (3–1) | |
NLCS | Los Angeles Dodgers over Philadelphia Phillies (3–1) | |
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The 1978 World Series was the
The 1978 series was the first of 10 consecutive years that saw 10 different teams win the World Series. The Los Angeles Dodgers would break the string with a World Series win in 1988, having won in 1981.
This series had two memorable confrontations between Dodgers rookie pitcher Bob Welch and the Yankees' Reggie Jackson. In Game 2, Welch struck out Jackson in the top of the ninth with two outs and the tying and go-ahead runs on base to end the game. Jackson would avenge the strikeout, when in Game 4 he singled off Welch which moved Roy White to second, from which White would score the game winning run on a Lou Piniella single to tie the series at 2-2. In Game 6, Jackson smashed a two-run homer off Welch in the seventh to increase the Yankees' lead to 7–2 and a Yankees' victory to win the series.
Background
New York Yankees
The
New York went 48–20 (.706) in their last 68 scheduled games, but lost on the final day to Cleveland to finish the regular season in a dead-heat with Boston at 99–63 (.611). The Yanks had to travel to Fenway for the one-game playoff on Monday, October 2. Down 2–0 after six innings, they won 5–4, made famous by light-hitting Bucky Dent's clutch three-run homer in the seventh inning (his fifth of the year). Ron Guidry won his 25th game (against only three losses) and Goose Gossage recorded the last eight outs for his 27th save, retiring Hall of Famer Carl Yastrzemski with the tying run at third base for the final out.
Los Angeles Dodgers
In the
During the World Series the Dodgers wore on their uniforms a black patch with the number 19 in dedication to coach
League Championship Series
In a repeat of the 1977 playoffs the Yankees again dispatched the Kansas City Royals, this time three games to one as the Dodgers did the same to the Philadelphia Phillies by the same margin. After losing the first two games of the World Series, the Yankees would become the first team to come back to win the Series in six. The Dodgers would duplicate that feat against the Yankees in the 1981 World Series.
Summary
AL New York Yankees (4) vs. NL Los Angeles Dodgers (2)
Game | Date | Score | Location | Time | Attendance |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | October 10 | New York Yankees – 5, Los Angeles Dodgers – 11 | Dodger Stadium | 2:48 | 55,997[7] |
2 | October 11 | New York Yankees – 3, Los Angeles Dodgers – 4 | Dodger Stadium | 2:37 | 55,982[8] |
3 | October 13 | Los Angeles Dodgers – 1, New York Yankees – 5 | Yankee Stadium | 2:27 | 56,447[9] |
4 | October 14 | Los Angeles Dodgers – 3, New York Yankees – 4 (10) | Yankee Stadium | 3:17 (:38 delay) | 56,445[10] |
5 | October 15 | Los Angeles Dodgers – 2, New York Yankees – 12 | Yankee Stadium | 2:56 | 56,448[11] |
6 | October 17 | New York Yankees – 7, Los Angeles Dodgers – 2 | Dodger Stadium | 2:34 | 55,985[12] |
Matchups
Game 1
Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E | |||||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
New York | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 9 | 1 | |||||||||||||||||||||
Los Angeles | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 1 | X | 11 | 15 | 2 | |||||||||||||||||||||
WP: Tommy John (1–0) LP: Ed Figueroa (0–1) Home runs: NYY: Reggie Jackson (1) LAD: Dusty Baker (1), Davey Lopes 2 (2) |
With Yankee ace
The Yankees tried to claw back in the seventh as Reggie Jackson homered and Bucky Dent 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
Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E | |||||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
New York | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 11 | 0 | |||||||||||||||||||||
Los Angeles | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | X | 4 | 7 | 0 | |||||||||||||||||||||
WP: Burt Hooton (1–0) LP: Catfish Hunter (0–1) Sv: Bob Welch (1) Home runs: NYY: None LAD: Ron Cey (1) |
Ron Cey drove in all the Dodgers' runs with a single in the fourth and a three-run homer in the sixth off Yankee starter Catfish Hunter. 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. The previous reliever, Terry Forster, had allowed Bucky Dent and Paul Blair 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 crowd into a frenzy.
In post-game interviews, Jackson initially blamed his striking out on 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
Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E | |||||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Los Angeles | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 8 | 0 | |||||||||||||||||||||
New York | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | X | 5 | 10 | 1 | |||||||||||||||||||||
WP: Ron Guidry (1–0) LP: Don Sutton (0–1) Home runs: LAD: None NYY: Roy White (1) |
With the Yankees desperately needing a win, ace Ron Guidry provided a victory aided by the stunning defense of third baseman Graig Nettles.
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 homer and added a run in the second on an RBI forceout by Bucky Dent.
In the third, the Dodgers began to come back against Guidry, who clearly did not have his best stuff. Bill North led off with a walk, stole second, then went to third on a Steve Yeager groundout. Davey Lopes hit a hard liner Nettles snared to turn a certain extra-base hit into a key out and temporarily save a run. Bill Russell followed with an infield single to score North and drive in the Dodgers' only run. The next batter, Reggie Smith, hit a hard ground ball to third. Nettles made a diving stop to save another extra-base hit and probable run, and threw Smith out at 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 knocked down Smith's sharply hit ground ball down the third base line. Smith reached first, but no runs scored. Steve Garvey, the next batter up, hit another hard ground ball down the third base line, and Nettles made a backhanded stop and forced Smith at second base to end the inning. The Dodgers loaded the bases again with two outs in the sixth inning, but Nettles again made a great stop on a ball hit by Davey Lopes, and threw to second to complete the inning-ending force play.
The Yankees would later add three more runs. Thurman Munson and Reggie Jackson had RBI singles in the rally that put the game out of reach.
Game 4
Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | R | H | E | ||||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Los Angeles | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 6 | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||
New York | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 9 | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||
WP: Goose Gossage (1–0) LP: Bob Welch (0–1) Home runs: LAD: Reggie Smith (1) NYY: None |
Starters Ed Figueroa and Tommy John were locked in a scoreless duel before Reggie Smith struck with a three-run homer in the top of the fifth inning. John continued his shutout through the fifth, but, in the Yankees' half of the sixth, they scored.
Reggie Jackson finally got the Yankees on the board with a one-out RBI single. With Thurman Munson on second and Jackson on first, Lou Piniella hit a low, soft liner that shortstop Bill Russell fumbled (some claim intentionally). Russell recovered the ball, then stepped on second to force Jackson, then 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 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 have 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. But of course, Russell had no reason to the think his throw would not reach first base.
Later review of the play clearly showed Jackson had stopped midway 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 continued to deny it, Dodgers manager Tommy Lasorda, along with other eyewitnesses, steadfastly believed the Yankees outfielder purposefully interfered in the play.[citation needed]
The Yankees tied it in the eighth when Munson doubled home Paul Blair. The score remained tied until the bottom of the tenth inning. Dodgers rookie and Game 2 hero Bob Welch walked Roy White with one out. After Welch retired Munson, Jackson strode to the plate for his first confrontation with Welch since Game 2. This time, Jackson got the better end by singling White to second. 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
Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E | |||||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Los Angeles | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 9 | 3 | |||||||||||||||||||||
New York | 0 | 0 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 1 | X | 12 | 18 | 0 | |||||||||||||||||||||
WP: Jim Beattie (1–0) LP: Burt Hooton (1–1) |
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. Beattie scattered nine Dodgers hits and was buoyed by an 18-hit Yankees performance, including a World Series-record 16 singles.
Early on, the Dodgers tried to run to take advantage of a sore-shouldered Thurman Munson behind the plate. Davey Lopes led off the game with a single, stole second, and scored on a Reggie Smith single. The Dodgers stretched their lead to 2–0 in the third when Lopes scored again on a double by Bill Russell.
But, that would be it as Beattie settled down and shut out the Dodgers the rest of the way. In the bottom of the third, after a leadoff walk and single, Roy White's RBI single cut the Dodgers' lead to 2–1. After a double steal, Munson's two-run single put the Yankees up 3–2. One out later, Lou Piniella's RBI single made it 4–2 Yankees and knocked starter Burt Hooton out of the game. Next inning, after two one-out singles, Mickey Rivers's RBI single and White's sacrifice fly made it 6–2 Yankees. Charlie Hough relieved Lance Rautzhan and allowed an RBI single to Munson. In the seventh, with runners on second and third and two outs, a strike three wild pitch by Hough to Rivers allowed a run to score and Rivers to reach first. White's RBI single made it 9–2 Yankees, then Munson's two-run double increased their lead to 11–2. They scored one more run in the eighth on Bucky Dent's RBI double off Hough as their 12–2 win gave them a 3–2 series lead heading back to Los Angeles.
Game 6
Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E | |||||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
New York | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 11 | 0 | |||||||||||||||||||||
Los Angeles | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 7 | 1 | |||||||||||||||||||||
WP: Catfish Hunter (1–1) LP: Don Sutton (0–2) Home runs: NYY: Reggie Jackson (2) LAD: Davey Lopes (3) |
Game 6 turned out to be the Bucky Dent–Brian Doyle show.
Davey Lopes gave the Dodgers home crowd a ray of hope with a leadoff home run off Catfish Hunter. Dent and Doyle put the Yankees ahead in the second; Doyle with an RBI double, Dent with an RBI single and an additional run scoring on an error on the play. 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 inning.
Dent and Doyle pushed the score to 5–2 in the sixth with RBI singles and Reggie Jackson put the final nail in the Dodgers coffin with a tremendous two-run blast in the seventh inning to get revenge against his Game 2 nemesis, Bob Welch.
Dent would be named World Series MVP, batting .417 with ten hits, seven RBI, and three runs scored. Doyle would make a claim for the MVP himself with a .438 average, seven hits, two RBI, and four runs.
While Lopes had a monster series with three homers and seven RBIs and Bill Russell had 11 hits, the Dodgers power hitters lack of production and the Dodgers shoddy defense was their downfall. Steve Garvey (5–for–24, no RBIs) was no factor, and neither were Dusty Baker (5–for–21, one RBI) or Ron Cey (no RBIs after Game 2) and the Dodgers defense committed seven errors.
Thurman Munson caught the final out of the game on a foul pop by Cey. This would be the final post-season game for Thurman Munson before his death during the 1979 season.
Composite box
1978 World Series (4–2): New York Yankees (A.L.) over Los Angeles Dodgers (N.L.)
Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | R | H | E | ||||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
New York Yankees | 1 | 4 | 6 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 13 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 36 | 68 | 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||
Los Angeles Dodgers | 2 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 23 | 52 | 7 | ||||||||||||||||||||
Total attendance: 337,304 Average attendance: 56,217 Winning player's share: $31,237 Losing player's share: $25,483[13] |
Broadcasting
NBC televised the Series, with Joe Garagiola on play-by-play and Tony Kubek and Tom Seaver providing color analysis. Curt Gowdy hosted the pregame shows and conducted interviews. This was the final World Series broadcast for Gowdy, who'd previously called play-by-play of the event for NBC from 1966 to 1975.
CBS Radio also broadcast the Series, with Yankees announcer Bill White calling the games in Los Angeles, Dodgers announcer Ross Porter calling the games in New York, and Win Elliot providing color commentary. This was the last time that local announcers for the participating teams would call games on the national World Series radio broadcast.
Aftermath
This Series is tied with the
The Yankees became the last repeat World Champions until 15 years later (1992–1993; Toronto Blue Jays). This was the last time the Yankees won a World Series until 1996, and the last World Series championship for the city of New York until the Yankees' cross-town rivals, the Mets, won in 1986 when they defeated the Red Sox four games to three. The Dodgers won the World Series in 1981, against the Yankees in the same way the Yankees won this series (losing the first two games, then winning the next four), and 1988, against the Oakland Athletics. For the Yankees, they again lost the first two games of the World Series in 1996 against the Atlanta Braves, then won the next four games.
Notes
- ^ "Major League Baseball & Major League Encyclopedia".
- ^ "Rematch in World Series starts with John Figueroa". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). Associated Press. October 10, 1978. p. 5C.
- ^ "Those Damn Yankees tie Red Sox for division lead". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). wire services. September 11, 1978. p. 3B.
- ^ Kindred, Dave. "Baseball, Friends Pay Last Respects to Gilliam," The Washington Post, Thursday, October 12, 1978. Retrieved October 25, 2020
- ^ 1978 World Series: New York Yankees over Los Angeles Dodgers (4–2) – Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved October 25, 2020
- ^ Quinn, Hal. "Ghost player in the sky," Maclean's, October 23, 1978. Retrieved October 25, 2020
- ^ "1978 World Series Game 1 - New York Yankees vs. Los Angeles Dodgers". Retrosheet. Retrieved September 13, 2009.
- ^ "1978 World Series Game 2 - New York Yankees vs. Los Angeles Dodgers". Retrosheet. Retrieved September 13, 2009.
- ^ "1978 World Series Game 3 - Los Angeles Dodgers vs. New York Yankees". Retrosheet. Retrieved September 13, 2009.
- ^ "1978 World Series Game 4 - Los Angeles Dodgers vs. New York Yankees". Retrosheet. Retrieved September 13, 2009.
- ^ "1978 World Series Game 5 - Los Angeles Dodgers vs. New York Yankees". Retrosheet. Retrieved September 13, 2009.
- ^ "1978 World Series Game 6 - New York Yankees vs. Los Angeles Dodgers". Retrosheet. Retrieved September 13, 2009.
- ^ "World Series Television Ratings". Baseball Almanac. Archived from the original on January 15, 2010. Retrieved January 31, 2010.
See also
- 1978 Japan Series
- Manhattan - Actors Woody Allen and Mariel Hemingway were in attendance for Game 3 at Yankee Stadium while filming the 1979 movie Manhattan. NBC's cameras caught the duo sitting behind the Yankees' dugout as third baseman Graig Nettles was running back to it at the end of the top of the third inning.
References
- Cohen, Richard M.; Neft, David S. (1990). The World Series: Complete Play-By-Play of Every Game, 1903–1989. New York: St. Martin's Press. pp. 371–376. ISBN 0-312-03960-3.
- Reichler, Joseph (1982). The Baseball Encyclopedia (5th ed.). Macmillan Publishing. p. 2206. ISBN 0-02-579010-2.
- Forman, Sean L. "1978 World Series". Baseball-Reference.com - Major League Statistics and Information. Archived from the original on November 30, 2007. Retrieved December 9, 2007.
External links
- 1978 World Series at WorldSeries.com via MLB.com
- 1978 World Series at Baseball Almanac
- 1978 World Series at Baseball-Reference.com
- The 1978 Post-Season Games (box scores and play-by-play) at Retrosheet
- History of the World Series - 1978 at The Sporting News. Archived from the original in May 2006.
- 1978 AL East Playoff at MLB.com Archived October 11, 2006, at the Wayback Machine
- The Yankee D Boys did Double Duty at SI.com
- The Sporting News' Baseball's 25 Greatest Moments: Over the Green Monster at SportingNews.com
- The 1978 New York Yankees at baseballlibrary.com
- The 1978 Los Angeles Dodgers at baseballlibrary.com