Pinstripe Alley - Appreciating the iconic moments of the Yankees' 27 World Series titlesBig boi dinger enthusiastshttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/51961/pinstripe_alley_minimal.png2013-11-05T12:00:29-05:00http://www.pinstripealley.com/rss/stream/48195592013-11-05T12:00:29-05:002013-11-05T12:00:29-05:00Appreciating iconic moments of the 27 titles (3/3)
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<figcaption>Jed Jacobsohn</figcaption>
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<p>Baseball sucks right now, so let's look back on the good times.</p> <p>The three-part series on iconic moments of the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.pinstripealley.com/">Yankees</a>' championships concludes with this post, which looks back on the final third of the titles, beginning in 1961.</p>
<h5>1961: "A bad year for the Babe"</h5>
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<p>In '61, the Yankees had an absolute juggernaut, one of the greatest teams in baseball history. After a rare <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/world-series">World Series</a> absence in '59 and an agonizing seven-game loss to the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.bucsdugout.com/">Pirates</a> in '60 on Bill Mazeroski's series-ending homer, old manager Casey Stengel was fired and replaced by former backup catcher Ralph Houk. He inherited a powerful team that somehow got better in '61 as Roger Maris won his second straight AL MVP with a record-breaking 61 homers to break Babe Ruth's single-season home run record and Mickey Mantle complemented Maris's mashing with a career-high 54 dingers of his own. The team set a record that lasted for 35 years with 240 homers as a team, and their pitching staff led by Cy Young Award winner Whitey Ford was also one of baseball's best. The '61 Yanks won 109 games to capture the AL pennant over a very good 101-win <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.blessyouboys.com/">Tigers</a> team, and they met young Frank Robinson and the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.redreporter.com/">Reds</a> in the World Series.</p>
<p>It only took five games for the Yankees to oust Cincinnati with a couple highlights coming in Ford's Game 1 two-hit shutout and Maris's ninth-inning solo homer at Crosley Field in Game 3 to lead the Yankees to a 3-2 victory. The most memorable moment likely came in Game 4 though, when Ford took the mound for the second time in the series. He was unaware of it until reporters informed him before the game, but he was aiming to take down another of Ruth's records. Back when he was a pitcher with the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.overthemonster.com/">Red Sox</a>, Ruth threw 29 2/3 consecutive scoreless innings in the World Series, a record that gave him great pride. However, Ford threw a pair of shutouts in '60 Fall Classic and combined with his Game 1 shutout in '61, he had 27 straight scoreless innings entering Game 4. Ford broke Ruth's record with five scoreless innings that day before leaving with an injury; the record officially fell after Elio Chacon bounced out to second base to end the third, his 30th straight scoreless innings. Even the Reds fans at Crosley Field gave Ford a nice ovation, and the record continued until it officially ended in the '62 World Series at 33 2/3 straight scoreless innings. After the game, Ford remarked that '61 was "a bad year for the Babe." The Yankees finished off the Reds the next day and Ford was named World Series MVP. <span>Mariano Rivera</span> broke Ford's playoff record, but his World Series mark still stands today.</p>
<h5>1962: A heart-stopping finish</h5>
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<p>Houk's Yankees faced a far greater challenge than the '61 Reds in the <a target="_blank" href="http://wapc.mlb.com/play/?content_id=12913769">'62 World Series</a>, as Willie Mays and Willie McCovey's <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.mccoveychronicles.com/">Giants</a> took them the distance in a seven-game classic. No one won consecutive games, weather delayed Game 6 by four days, and the Yankees somehow managed to prevail despite the hard-hitting Mantle and Elston Howard slugging under .200. The seventh game was as dramatic as any in baseball history with Giants ace Jack Sanford matching up with All-Star Ralph Terry.</p>
<p>Terry was most known for being on the mound when Mazeroski broke Yankees fans' hearts in the '60 World Series, but with the help of new pitching coach Johnny Sain, he had the best season of his career in '62. Although Sanford outpitched him in Game 2 at Candlestick Park by hurling a three-hit shutout, Terry emerged victorious in Game 5 at Yankee Stadium with a complete game 5-3 win. The rain allowed them to match up for a third time in the <a target="_blank" href="http://wapc.mlb.com/play/?content_id=25462183">San Francisco finale</a>, and it was one of the best pitching duels in World Series history. The Yankees appeared poised to break open the scoreless tie in the fifth with the top of the order coming up with the bases loaded and none out. However, they only got one run out of it, as Sanford coaxed a 6-4-3 double play from Tony Kubek and a Bobby Richardson pop-up. That one run was all Terry needed, even without much run support (the Yankees completely blew another bases loaded, none out jam in the eighth). Terry was perfect through 5 2/3 innings and spun a two-hit shutout through eight before returning to the mound in the ninth to finish off the 1-0 gem.</p>
<p>The Giants caught a break when catcher Howard was unable to grab a Matty Alou pop-up near the home dugout. After the game, Howard said someone hit him in the shoulder, but the Giants of course denied it, claiming they were trying to prevent him from falling. Whatever the reason, Alou had a second chance and beat out a drag bunt toward second base to lead off the inning. Matty's brother Felipe failed to bunt him over as Terry struck him out, then fanned Game 4 grand slam hero Chuck Hiller to send the Giants down to their last out. Mays wasn't a bad guy to have up as the last chance, and he proved it by slashing a 2-0 pitch for a double down the right field line. Normally, it would have scored the fastest Alou, but the ground was wet from the rain and Maris made an outstanding play to cut the ball off. He got it to the cutoff man, forcing Matty to stop at third. That brought up McCovey, who slugged a homer off Terry in Game 2 to lead the Giants to victory. Any miscue in the field would tie the game up, if not give the Giants their first World Series title on the West Coast. Since Mays was so fast, a single would make the Giants winners, too.</p>
<p>Terry elected to pitch to McCovey instead of walking him to faced Orlando Cepeda with the bases loaded and absolutely no margin for error. It was a tough decision, and for a moment, it looked awful as McCovey <a target="_blank" href="http://wapc.mlb.com/play/?content_id=5088387">crushed the bejesus</a> out of Terry's second pitch. Fortunately, the line drive went straight to Richardson to end the series in a 1-0 shutout. Terry, whose teammates carried him off the field, had redemption, and noted Giants fan Charles Schulz had <a href="http://giantspologrounds.files.wordpress.com/2013/04/browncrop.jpg" target="_blank">anguish</a>.</p>
<h5>1977: Reg-gie, Reg-gie, Reg-gie</h5>
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<p>To say that there was acrimony in the Yankees' clubhouse in '77 would be an understatement. There was chaos all year long as new slugger Reggie Jackson feuded with manager Billy Martin, who also feuded with George Steinbrenner while Reggie also had his differences with teammates loyal to captain Thurman Munson, who he criticized in Spring Training. Amid the discord, the Yankees found a way to win 100 games to capture their second straight AL East crown, and they <a href="http://wapc.mlb.com/play/?content_id=13062845" target="_blank">rallied from down one</a> in the ninth inning of the decisive Game 5 to win the ALCS over the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.royalsreview.com/">Royals</a>, clinching their second straight AL pennant after a 12-year drought from 1964-76. The Yankees had lost the previous three World Series they played in, and they faced Tommy Lasorda's <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.truebluela.com/">Los Angeles Dodgers</a> in the '77 Fall Classic hoping to turn the tide.</p>
<p>A <a href="http://wapc.mlb.com/play/?content_id=25630959" target="_blank">walk-off single</a> by Paul Blair in Game 1 gave the Yankees their first World Series win since '64. They lost the second game at Yankee Stadium, but went on to take two of three across the country at Dodger Stadium. Jackson hit a solo homer in Game 4 and another solo shot in his last at-bat of Game 5, foreshadowing what was to come back in the Bronx for Game 6. Burt Hooton started against Mike Torrez, and the Dodgers got off to a good start thanks to a two-run Steve Garvey triple. Chris Chambliss tied the score on a two-run homer after Jackson was walked on four pitches in the second, but Reggie Smith countered with a long ball of his own to give the Dodgers a 3-2 lead.</p>
<p>An inning later, Munson led off with a single and Jackson stepped in against Hooton. On the first pitch, he slugged a two-run homer to right field as the Yankees took a 4-3 lead that they would not relinquish. They scored another run that inning when Hooton was relieved by Elias Sosa, and in the fifth, Jackson hit the first pitch he saw for a screaming line drive to the short porch in right, another two-run homer. Pitching with a four-run margin, Torrez settled down and faced the minimum 12 batters from innings five through eight. Jackson led off the bottom of the eighth, but he faced knuckleballer Charlie Hough this time. It's no secret that facing a knuckler after having hit against normal velocity all day can be tricky. It did not matter to Reggie, who demolished Hough's first pitch for perhaps the longest homer to center field in the history of Yankee Stadium. He joined Babe Ruth as the only players to have <a href="http://wapc.mlb.com/play/?content_id=25449593" target="_blank">three-homer World Series games</a>, and going back to Game 5, it was four homers on four pitches for Reggie, an astounding achievement. The Yankees won 8-4 for their first title in 15 years, and Jackson was the World Series MVP.</p>
<h5>1978: Graig's glove turns the tide</h5>
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<p>Despite even more clubhouse tension in '78 that eventually led to Martin's ouster, the Yankees roared back from a 14 1/2 game deficit to force a one-game AL East playoff against the Red Sox, which was famously won thanks to light-hitting shortstop Bucky Dent's three-run homer. After dismissing in the Royals during the ALCS for the third straight year, the Yankees met the Dodgers in the World Series. To date, the '78 World Series is the only Fall Classic of the past 55 years to feature a rematch of the previous year's teams, and the Yankees sought to beat L.A. again. Bob Lemon's bunch promptly stumbled out of the gate at Dodger Stadium, losing both of the first two games, forcing them to return to the Bronx needing to win at least two games there to stay alive.</p>
<p>The Yankees finally got a chance to deploy AL Cy Young Award winner Ron Guidry in the series for Game 3. They took an early 2-0 lead on Hall of Famer Don Sutton on the strength of a solo homer by Roy White and a RBI groundout by Bucky Dent. The Dodgers' Bill Russell countered with a two-out single to score center fielder Bill North, cutting the score to 2-1 in the third. The offense was unable to build on this lead, so Guidry headed to the fifth with a slim one-run lead. A walk and two singles loaded the bases with two outs for the dangerous Steve Garvey, who smashed a hard grounder toward the left field line. However, Graig Nettles made an excellent stop to rob Garvey of a hit and forced the runner at second to end the inning, saving a pair of runs and the lead. Two innings later, Ron Cey came up with runners on second and third with two outs, and he hit a liner in the air near Nettles, who jumped to his left and made a great catch. Twice, Nettles had thwarted Dodger rallies with amazing plays, and the Yankees rewarded his terrific defense with insurance runs and a 5-1 victory. The Yankees won three games in a row and captured their second straight title.</p>
<h5>1996: Leyritz rocks the south</h5>
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<p>After 15 years away from the World Series, the Yankees finally returned in '96 with a superb squad mixed with youngsters like <span>Derek Jeter</span> and <span>Andy Pettitte</span>, players in their prime like <span>Bernie Williams</span> and Paul O'Neill, and experienced veterans, most notably David Cone and Cecil Fielder. New manager Joe Torre's well-organized team won the AL East, then dispatched a pair of talented <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.lonestarball.com/">Rangers</a> and <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.camdenchat.com/">Orioles</a> teams on their way to the World Series, dropping just two games on the way and going 5-0 on the road.</p>
<p>Despite this success, they were heavy underdogs to the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.talkingchop.com/">Atlanta Braves</a> in the World Series, and understandably so--Bobby Cox's team was in their fourth Fall Classic of the '90s. They were the defending champions, and their future Hall of Fame starting trio of <span>Greg Maddux</span>, <span>Tom Glavine</span>, and <span>John Smoltz</span> appeared unbeatable. Mystified by Smoltz and Maddux in the first two games at Yankee Stadium, the Yankees fell behind 0-2. Some thought the World Series over already, but behind Cone and Bernie, they avoided an 0-3 deficit with a Game 3 win.</p>
<p>However, the wheels came off from the get-go of Game 4. <span>Kenny Rogers</span> was awful; before they could blink, the Braves had a 6-0 lead and appeared well on their way to a 3-1 series lead. Undeterred, the Yankees cut the six-run deficit in half and put two runners on for catcher Jim Leyritz in the eighth. Flamethrowing closer <span>Mark Wohlers</span> hung a slider, and the Braves' lead was history. The Yankees won it in 10 to tie series, took the next two games to win their first Fall Classic in 18 years, and a dynasty was born.</p>
<h5>1998: Tino feels grand</h5>
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<p>The '98 Yankees were an amazingly good team that seemed to dominate everyone they faced. They just didn't have any weaknesses. They romped to a then-AL record 114 victories with an outstanding +309 run differential, swept the Rangers in the ALDS, and rebounded from an unexpected 2-1 ALCS deficit to beat Cleveland in six games. The World Series was not much of a contest, even though the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.gaslampball.com/">Padres</a> were a fine team. It still brought some memorable moments, especially in Game 1.</p>
<p>ALCS MVP David Wells did not bring his good stuff to Yankee Stadium for the opener, as San Diego touched him up for three homers to take a 5-2 lead. Padres ace Kevin Brown allowed just the two runs through six, but the Yankees knocked him out of the game and put two runners on for Chuck Knoblauch. He was the goat of ALCS Game 2 when he argued with the umpire rather than throwing out the game-winning run. Knoblauch atoned for his mistake by smashing a three-run homer, knotting the score at 5-5.</p>
<p>The rally was already exciting, and a few batters later, Tino Martinez had a chance to make it unforgettable with the bases loaded and the score still even. He has struggled in his playoff history to date, but after a close 2-2 pitch called a ball, Tino launched Donnie Wall's next pitch to the upper deck in right for a go-ahead grand slam. Yankee Stadium, now 75, literally shook. The Yankees won the next three games to sweep and secure their 24th World Series title.</p>
<h5>1999: Curtis drops the mic</h5>
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<p>Since the vast majority of the '98 team was back in '99, it should surprise no one that this team was just as sound. They won 98 games of their own and another AL East title thanks to MVP-caliber performances from Jeter and Bernie. Closer Mariano Rivera blew a couple saves in July, then decided that he had enough of this "giving up runs" business. He threw 43 consecutive scoreless innings throughout the rest of the year. The 11-2 record posted by the '98 Yankees in the playoffs was terrific, but the '99 squad was even better in the playoffs. They swept the Rangers in the first round for the second straight year and encountered no such major ALCS problems like the '98 team. The Red Sox were sent home after just have games; a blowout loss in Game 3 marked the '99 Yankees' only playoff defeat.</p>
<p>The Yankees encountered the Braves in the World Series for the second time in four years. Although the two teams appeared to be an even match this time, Torre's team ended up sweeping their second straight World Series. They deployed a Game 1 eighth inning rally to come back and defeat Maddux in Atlanta, then returned to the Bronx with a 2-0 lead after Cone dominated Game 2. The third game brought the Yankees' biggest challenge to date, as the Braves knocked Pettitte around to take a 5-1 lead. The tables turned on Yankee homers by little-known outfielder Chad Curtis, Tino, and for the second straight year, a late game-tying three-run homer by the light-hitting Knoblauch.</p>
<p>The game went to extra innings, and in the 11th, the Braves brought in Mike Remlinger. Curtis led off the inning, having only had a multi-homer game three times in 1,075 career games until then. He demolished Remlinger's pitch and sent it into the Braves' bullpen far over the left-center field wall. The game was over, and the next day, the series was over. His recent crimes and jail sentence have sadly put a black mark over this incredible moment and the greatest "drops mic" bat flip of all time. Dammit, Curtis.</p>
<h5>2000: Thousand-hopper for the three-peat</h5>
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<p>While '98 and '99 brought near-cakewalks to the AL East crown, 2000 brought an obstacle course of a season. Disappointing campaigns from several key members of the team and a 3-15 finish to the season led the team to finish with 87 wins, the lowest total they posted in a 162-game season over a span of 20 seasons from 1993-2012. Fortunately, it was enough to win a weak AL East anyway, and the Yankees played better baseball in October. Despite the improved play, they needed the maximum five games to beat the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.athleticsnation.com/">Athletics</a> in the ALDS and six of the seven possible games to send the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.lookoutlanding.com/">Mariners</a> home in the ALCS.</p>
<p>For the first time in 44 years, New York City had a Subway Series, as slugging catcher Mike Piazza's <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.amazinavenue.com/">Mets</a> won their first NL pennant since 1986 to reach the World Series. They led Game 1 late until closer <span>Armando Benitez</span> blew the save and surprise starter <span>Jose Vizcaino</span> lined a single to win it for the Yankees in extra innings. A dominant yet controversial start by <span>Roger Clemens</span> in Game 2 secured the Yankees' record 14th consecutive World Series victory, but the streak was broken when the Mets took Game 3 at Shea Stadium. Jeter halted the Mets' momentum with a leadoff homer in Game 4 and the Yankees took a 3-1 series lead with a 3-2 win.</p>
<p>The Mets turned to their ace, <span>Al Leiter</span>, to send the series back to Yankee Stadium. Leiter was up to the task, dominating the Yankees over eight innings with the only blemishes coming on solo homers by Bernie and Jeter. The Mets managed just two runs off Pettitte and the bullpen though, so Leiter returned to the mound in the ninth in a 2-2 tie. He struck out the first two batters and nearly fanned <span>Jorge Posada</span>, but the Yankees' catcher worked a walk. Scott Brosius singled and Torre sent veteran infielder Luis Sojo up to pinch-hit for the pitcher. Sojo grounded Leiter's 141st pitch up the middle on a thousand hops for a base hit, a single slow enough to score Posada and eventually Brosius when the throw home hit Posada and bounced into the dugout. Rivera closed out the Yankees' third straight title, a mind-boggling feat in this era of three-round playoffs.</p>
<h5>2009: Go go Godzilla</h5>
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<p>Although the Yankee spent the rest of the decade trying to win their 27th title, they came up short in October despite seven straight playoff appearances from 2001-07. Overall, they had made the playoffs for an AL record 13 straight years until the last season at Yankee Stadium ended without a playoff berth for the first time since 1993. They subsequently made big improvements in the off-season, bringing in the likes of <span>CC Sabathia</span>, <span>Mark Teixeira</span>, and <span>Nick Swisher</span> to complement their already-strong core of veterans. These roster adjustments helped the Yankees to 103 victories, which is still more than any team in the majors has recorded in one season since 2004. Big October contributions from <span>Alex Rodriguez</span> and Sabathia guided the Yankees to an ALDS sweep of the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.twinkietown.com/">Twins</a> and a six-game ALCS triumph over the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.halosheaven.com/">Angels</a>.</p>
<p>The <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.thegoodphight.com/">Phillies</a> were the defending World Series champions, and they made it back to the Fall Classic in '09 with a similarly great team. Led by deadline acquisition <span>Cliff Lee</span>, Philadelphia dominated Game 1, but the Yankees won three in a row between Yankee Stadium and Citizens Bank Park. Although they missed an opportunity to end the World Series when they lost Game 5, they returned to Yankee Stadium in Game 6 ready to close it out. Old nemesis <span>Pedro Martinez</span> started for the Phillies, and veteran DH Hideki Matsui roughed him up with both a two-run homer and a two-run single to give the Yankees a 4-0 lead. Pedro was done by the fifth, but "Godzilla" was not. He belted a two-run double to make the score 7-1, tying a single-game record for World Series RBI and essentially locking up World Series MVP honors with a .615/.643/1.385 triple slash in 14 plate appearances. A weak grounder from <span>Shane Victorino</span> against Rivera clinched the Yankees' 27th World Series title. Go go Godzilla.</p>
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https://www.pinstripealley.com/new-york-yankees-history/2013/11/5/5058052/best-yankees-moments-27-world-series-championshipsAndrew Mearns2013-11-01T16:00:05-04:002013-11-01T16:00:05-04:00Appreciating iconic moments of the 27 titles (2/3)
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<figcaption>Jed Jacobsohn</figcaption>
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<p>Baseball sucks right now, so let's look back on the good times.</p> <p>We continue yesterday's recount of the <a href="https://www.pinstripealley.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Yankees</a>' iconic <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/world-series" class="sbn-auto-link">World Series</a> championship moments with the Yankees' second of four titles during the '40s.</p>
<h5>1943: The Spud Show</h5>
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<p>It was wartime in '43 and the talent pool was depleted, but the <a href="https://www.vivaelbirdos.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Cardinals</a> were mostly unaffected by the player loss. They proved a formidable opponent for the Yankees in '42, handing DiMaggio his only World Series loss in 10 attempts. Led by AL MVP pitcher Spud Chandler in '43 though, the Yankees were not going to go down meekly against the Cardinals again. Chandler <a target="new" href="http://wapc.mlb.com/play/?content_id=29079021">beat the Cards</a> in Game 1 with a 4-2 complete game, and after his team built a 3-1 series lead five days later, he shut out Stan Musial and company in a 2-0 Game 5 victory. His ERA in the series was a sterling 0.50, and the Yankees reached double digits in total championships.</p>
<h5>1947: "Fireman" Joe to the resuce</h5>
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<p>Brooklyn and the Bucky Harris-led Yankees fought a tight <a target="new" href="http://wapc.mlb.com/play/?content_id=29497189">seven-game series</a> in '47, the only Fall Classic won by a non-Huggins/McCarthy/Stengel manager among the 18 titles from 1923-58. A four-hitter by Spec Shea at Ebbets Field in Game 5 pushed the <a href="https://www.truebluela.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Dodgers</a> to the brink of elimination going back to Yankee Stadium, but Brooklyn fought back to outslug the Yankees, 8-6 in Game 6, forcing a decisive seventh game. One of the goats of that Yankee loss was normally reliable reliever Joe Page, who blew a 5-4 lead in the sixth via four hits in five at-bats, leading Brooklyn to a four-run rally. Now in Game 7, he sat out in the bullpen to start the game, hoping for redemption.</p>
<p>Shea volunteered to start on just one day of rest, and he unsurprisingly looked very shaky within the first several batters. He did not last two innings, after which time, the score was 2-0, Brooklyn. The Yankees rallied for a run in the second on two walks and an RBI single by Phil Rizzuto, then took the lead by knocking Dodgers starter Hal Gregg out of the game in the fourth--Bobby Brown doubled to tie the game, and Tommy Henrich brought the go-ahead run home with a single to right field. Page took the mound after this rally and proceeded to stimy the Dodgers, retiring 13 Brooklyn batters in a row until a one-out single by Eddie Miksis in the ninth. By then, the score was 5-2, and Page clinched the victory when Bruce Edwards bounced into a 6-4-3 double play. Page was the hero for his five nearly-perfect innings, and the Yankees were champions again.</p>
<h5>1949: Ol' Reliable walks off Game 1</h5>
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<p>The Yankees and Dodgers met for a <a href="http://wapc.mlb.com/play/?content_id=29675551" target="_blank">rematch</a> two years after their '47 epic, but this time, it only took the Yankees five games to beat Brooklyn. The opener was one for the ages though, as Allie Reynolds and Don Newcombe dueled to a scoreless tie for eight innings. The two powerful teams combined for just seven hits. Reynolds threw a 1-2-3 ninth inning; on any normal day, that would have concluded a brilliant two-hit shutout, but the Yankees needed a run. They sent first baseman Tommy Henrich up to lead off the ninth against Newcombe. Broadcaster Mel Allen always liked to call Henrich "Ol' Reliable" for his propensity to deliver in timely situations. He did just that against Newcombe, slugging a solo homer to right field for a walk-off blast, the first in World Series history. Although the Yankees lost the next day, they swept the three games at Ebbets Field to capture the title, the first of seven in manager Casey Stengel's tenure.</p>
<h5>1950: Coleman secures 3-0 series lead</h5>
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<p>The Yankees won their second straight pennant in '50 with a rookie named Eddie Ford pitching well down the stretch. They faced a very young <a href="https://www.thegoodphight.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Philadelphia Phillies</a> team in the <a href="http://wapc.mlb.com/play/?content_id=29923909" target="new">World Series</a>, one where only a handful of players were over 23. Despite the age difference and the apparent mismatch given the four-game sweep, the Phillies were no pushovers. The Yankees barely won the opener 1-0 thanks to a two-hit shutout by Vic Raschi and the second game at Shibe Park 2-1 on a 10th inning solo homer by Joe DiMaggio against Hall of Fame starter Robin Roberts, a youngster who otherwise dazzled.</p>
<p>The third game featured arguably the biggest moment of the series when second baseman Jerry Coleman came to bat with two outs in the bottom of the ninth against Phillies reliever Russ Meyer. The Yankees had tied it up the previous inning on an error, and with two outs in the ninth, Gene Woodling and Rizzuto hit back-to-back singles to set the stage for Coleman, twice a war hero. He became a baseball hero as well by lining a single to left field to win the game, 3-2. The next day, the Yankees won behind Ford 5-2 to win their first consecutive titles since the late '30s.</p>
<h5>1951: Bauer brings down the <a href="https://www.mccoveychronicles.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Giants</a>
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<p>It was expected that '51 would be another Dodgers/Yankees World Series matchup, but the Giants came roaring down the stretch to tie the Dodgers in the NL standings, then won a three-game playoff on the "Shot Heard 'Round the World," Bobby Thomson's pennant-winning homer at the Polo Grounds. At first, it seemed that the Yankees would fall to the Miracle Giants as well since they lost two of the first three games in the series, a disappointing stretch that included rookie Mickey Mantle's horrifying knee injury in Game 2 that forever changed his career. However, the Yankees <a target="new" href="http://wapc.mlb.com/play/?content_id=30127007">stormed back</a> with power, emphasized by DiMaggio's final World Series homer in Game 4's 6-2 win and Rookie of the Year Gil McDougald's grand slam in a 13-1 Game 5 drubbing. The Yankees had a chance to close the series at Yankee Stadium out without needing a Game 7.</p>
<p>Reliable right fielder Hank Bauer came up in a 1-1 sixth inning tie with two outs and the bases loaded. Bauer was always a solid postseason performer and he later set a World Series record with a 17-game hitting streak. Facing Dave Koslo, Bauer shot one to deep left field, over Hall of Famer Monte Irvin's head. All three runners scored, and Bauer ended up on third base with a three-run triple. That was all she wrote for the Giants, and despite a ninth inning rally, reliever Bob Kuzava's last pitch ended up in Bauer's glove on a nice sliding catch. The Yankees secured their third consecutive World Series title.</p>
<h5>1952: Billy saves the day</h5>
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<p>The status quo returned to normal after two off-years as the Yankees and Dodgers again met in the <a target="new" href="http://wapc.mlb.com/play/?content_id=30484391">World Series</a>. Brooklyn and New York traded victories during the first six games; at one point in Game 6, the Yankees were on the road and nine outs from losing the series. Yogi Berra came up big with a <a target="new" href="http://wapc.mlb.com/play/?content_id=20952733">game-tying solo homer</a> to lead off the seventh though, and two more runs that included a <a target="new" href="http://wapc.mlb.com/play/?content_id=25399785">Mantle homer</a> (his first of a record 18 in World Series play) helped the Yankees avoid elimination with a 3-2 victory.</p>
<p>In Game 7, the Yankees took a 3-2 lead in the top of the sixth when Mantle took Brooklyn starter Joe Black <a target="new" href="http://wapc.mlb.com/play/?content_id=25398617">deep</a> with one out. The Yankees added an insurance run in the seventh, but starter Raschi got into in the bottom half of the frame. A single and two walks loaded the bases with only one man out, so Stengel called on Kuzava to get out of the jam. Kuzava got the dangerous Duke Snider to pop up to third base, leaving it up to Jackie Robinson to save the rally. Unfortunately for Brooklyn, Jackie popped up as well, to the right side of the pitcher's mound. Suddenly, it looked like no one would catch it, but second baseman Billy Martin charged in and caught it at the last second. The game would have been tied if not for Martin's save. Two innings later, the Yankees won their fourth title in a row, tying the record set by the '36-'39 Yanks.</p>
<h5>1953: Billy saves the day, Ep. II</h5>
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<p>For the second straight year, the Yankees and Dodgers met in the <a target="new" href="http://wapc.mlb.com/play/?content_id=30710701">World Series</a>, though it only went six games this time. The Yankees won the first two at Yankee Stadium, and the Dodgers countered by winning Games 3 and 4 at Ebbets Field. Four homers in the fifth game gave the Yankees a 3-2 series lead heading back to Yankee Stadium for Game 6. The star of the series thus far had undoubtedly been Martin, who saved the Yankees with his glove in '52 and now surprisingly excelled with his bat. He went 10-for-19 over the first five games with two triples and two homers, but the Martin show was far from over.</p>
<p>The Yankees jumped out to an early 3-0 lead on four hits, two walks, and an error. Ford allowed the Dodgers one run over seven innings before Reynolds relieved him in the eighth. He pitched through the inning and induced a fly ball from Gil Hodges to lead off the ninth. The Yankees were a mere two outs away from their fifth straight title when Reynolds walked Snider. That brought NL batting champ Carl Furillo to the plate, and he stunned the Yankee Stadium crowd with a game-tying two-run homer. The Yankees now needed a walk-off to clinch the series before Brooklyn rode the momentum of Furillo's homer to victory. They wasted no time against Clem Labine in the bottom of the ninth. Bauer walked to lead off the inning and with one out, Mantle beat out an infield single to push Bauer into scoring position. That brought up Martin, who singled up the middle for his then-series record 12th hit, the most important one of all. The Yankees set a record with their fifth straight championship, and Martin's 12 hits remains the record for a six-game series.</p>
<h5>1956: Larsen's perfecto</h5>
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<p>No shocker here. Most Yankee fans already know the story behind Don Larsen's amazing perfect game in Game 5 of the <a target="new" href="http://wapc.mlb.com/play/?content_id=31170767">'56 World Series</a>. The Dodgers and Yankees were back at it, but this time, Brooklyn was the defending World Series champion, having finally beaten the Yankees in the '55 Fall Classic. The Yankees proceeded to get pushed around by Brooklyn in the first two games at Ebbets Field, dropping both by a combined score of 19-11. Larsen was knocked out of Game 2 in the second inning, and he didn't think that Stengel would pitch him again during the series. The Yankees bounced back to take the next two games though, and Stengel gave the ball to Larsen on just two days' rest in Game 5. It was a bold move to pitch a guy with Larsen's unimpressive resume with at most three games left in the season, but that was Stengel.</p>
<p>Larsen decided to abandon the windup and pitch from the stretch the entire game. He pitched everything called by catcher Berra. McDougald made a superb play on Robinson smash to third base that caromed off Andy Carey's glove toward him, and he just barely threw Jackie out. Mantle homered to give Larsen some runs and made an outstanding running catch on a long fly ball by Gil Hodges to left-center field to preserve the gem. Larsen reached two outs in the ninth and fanned pinch-hitter Dale Mitchell to end the perfect game, still the only one in the history of the playoffs. Given the circumstances, it's been called the greatest game ever pitched, and it's difficult to dispute that claim. The Dodgers won Game 6 to force a seventh game at Ebbets Field, but the Yankees won it in a blowout, 9-0. Larsen was voted the Yankees' first ever official World Series MVP.</p>
<h5>1958: "Bullet" Bob completes 3-1 comeback</h5>
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<p>The Yankees' family took a tough loss this year when Bob Turley passed away at the end of March. Fifty-five years ago, he became a World Series hero against the Milwaukee <a href="https://www.talkingchop.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Braves</a>, who beat the Yankees in the '57 Fall Classic. A year later, they quickly put the Yankees' feet to the fire by winning three of the first four games. Only one team in the history of baseball had ever come back from a 3-1 deficit to win a World Series, and that had not been accomplished in 33 years.</p>
<p>In Game 5, the Yankees turned to Turley, their ace and the '58 Cy Young Award winner. The hard-throwing righthander was masterful, twirling a six-hit shutout as the Yankees pounded '57 nemesis Lew Burdette in a 7-0 win. Taking the fifth game was necessary to stave off elimination, but the Yankees had to win consecutive games on the road at Milwaukee's County Stadium to win the series. Game 6 took extra innings as Warren Spahn held the Yankees to two runs on six hits during the first nine. McDougald led off the tenth with a solo homer off Spahn and the Yankees added an insurance run reliever Ryne Duren who tried to complete his fifth inning of shutout ball. With two outs, the Braves rallied for a run, and they had the tying run at third and the series-winning run at first for Frank Torre. Taking no chances, Stengel called on Turley with just one day of rest to get the final out. He entered and got Torre to line out to second base, escaping the threat and forcing a Game 7.</p>
<p>For the final game, the Yankees started Larsen and held a 2-1 lead going into the bottom of the third. Larsen put two men on with one out and Stengel decided that he didn't want to risk the game with Larsen any longer. To the amazement of all, Turley came out of the bullpen again, this time with no rest, and he pitched the rest of the way, allowing just two hits and one run over 6 2/3 stellar frames. The Yankees completed their 3-1 series comeback, and it was almost entirely thanks to Turley. It's possible that the Yankees have never had another pitcher affect a World Series as dramatically as Turley did in 1958.</p>
<p>The three-part series concludes next time with a review of the most iconic of all nine World Series titles the Yankees have won in the past 52 years.</p>
<h4>More from Pinstripe Alley:</h4>
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https://www.pinstripealley.com/new-york-yankees-history/2013/11/1/5050850/best-yankees-moments-27-world-series-championshipsAndrew Mearns2013-10-31T13:00:18-04:002013-10-31T13:00:18-04:00Appreciating iconic moments of the 27 titles (1/3)
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<figcaption>Jed Jacobsohn</figcaption>
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<p>Baseball sucks right now, so let's look back on the good times.</p> <p>The 2013 baseball season has mercifully come to an end. <span>Mariano Rivera</span> and <span>Andy Pettitte</span> are gone from the team forever, <span>Derek Jeter</span> is a huge question mark for the rest of his career, the future looks bleak, and the <a href="https://www.pinstripealley.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Yankees</a>' biggest rival just won <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/world-series" class="sbn-auto-link">the World Series</a>.</p>
<p>Booooooo baseball. Booooo.</p>
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<strong>More</strong>: <a target="new" href="http://www.pinstripealley.com/new-york-yankees-history">Looking back at Yankees history</a>
</div>
<p>It's times like these when Yankees fans should do two things: 1) Get over it ASAP and think about how the team can best prepare for 2014 and beyond, and 2) Take a moment to appreciate all the amazing memories baseball has brought us over the years. Jason and Greg have articles scheduled today focused on the first point, so I will tackle the second the best way that I can--culling the MLB.com Video archives for the best moments (if available) of the Yankees' 27 World Series titles.</p>
<p>We are extremely fortunate to not be rooting for a team that hasn't won since the Teddy Roosevelt administration. Since the Yankees won their first championship in 1923, the longest we've gone without seeing the Yankees bring home the title was 18 years between 1978-96. The <a href="https://www.bluebirdbanter.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Blue Jays</a> haven't even made the playoffs in 20 years; <a href="https://www.royalsreview.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Royals</a> fans have been without October baseball for 28 years. Consider this series (which will come in three parts so these posts aren't too long) a coping method and end with the hope that the Yankees can reach baseball's plateau once again sometime soon.</p>
<h5>1923: Eighth inning rally for the title</h5>
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<p>For many of these older titles, there will not be individual moments available, but Yankees on Demand has fortunately done relatively short retrospectives on the championships. The Yankees' first title came in '23 against the crosstown rival New York <a href="https://www.mccoveychronicles.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Giants</a>, who beat them in the series both years prior. Babe Ruth and company finally exacted vengeance against John McGraw's boys in '23, their first season at Yankee Stadium. The biggest thrill likely came in the decisive sixth game when the Yankees were five outs from being forced to a Game 7 and facing a 4-1 deficit. After back-to-back singles by Wally Schang and Everett Scott though, Giants starter Art Nehf got wild, walking both pinch-hitter Fred Hofmann and pitcher pinch-hitter Joe Bush to force a run home. McGraw relieved him with Rosy Ryan; however, Ryan made matters worse by walking another run in to make it a 4-3 game. He surprisingly struck the mighty Ruth out and was an out away from escaping with the lead, but a grounder up the middle by Bob Meusel went for a single, scoring two runs and a third on center fielder Casey Stengel's wild throw to third (yes, THAT Casey Stengel). The five-run rally gave the Yankees a 6-4 lead that they held to win their first World Series title after 20 years of mostly shoddy American League baseball in New York.</p>
<h5>1927: A wild ending to a season for the ages</h5>
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<p>Murderers' Row. 110 wins. Sixty homers for the Babe. Forty-seven for Lou, plus 175 RBI. The top three ERA leaders in the AL all on the pitching staff. Six Hall of Famers. The '27 Yankees were arguably the greatest team to ever play the game, and many people know about those famous stats. They wrapped it up with a World Series romp over the <a href="https://www.bucsdugout.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Pittsburgh Pirates</a> in a four-game sweep. The ending was unlike any in World Series history though, one that I recapped a month and a half ago when writing about the <a href="http://www.pinstripealley.com/new-york-yankees-history/2013/9/10/4716138/yankees-history-ten-weirdest-endings-castillo-cust-walk-off-wild-pitch" target="_blank">craziest endings</a> in Yankees history:</p>
<blockquote>Pirates manager Donie Bush asked Johnny Miljus to pitch his seventh scoreless inning of the series in relief to send the game to extra innings. Miljus did not bring any control to his final inning. He walked Hall of Fame center fielder Earle Combs to lead off the ninth, then allowed a bunt single to shortstop Mark Koenig, who hit an under-the-radar .500 in the series. Miljus faced Ruth and uncorked a wild pitch to move the winning run to third base. At that point, he just gave up and intentionally walked Ruth to get to Gehrig. The bases were loaded with no one out, and Miljus had to somehow get the greatest first baseman in baseball history to not bring home the run. Somehow, someway, he did it and struck Gehrig out. Next up was Bob Meusel, an intimidating offensive threat himself. Yet again, Miljus struck out the fearsome batter.<br><br> Stunningly, Miljus seemed prepared to pull a "Houdini" act and escape this inning, though he had to face Hall of Fame second baseman Tony Lazzeri. "Poosh 'em up" Tony had been the goat of the previous World Series for striking out against a hung over Grover Cleveland Alexander with the bases loaded, but he could now be the hero. However, Miljus didn't give him the chance, as he threw his second wild pitch of the inning, allowing Combs to come home with the winning run to clinch the Yankees' second World Series championship and end the '27 season on an anticlimactic note. It remains the only time in World Series history that the season ended on a Wild Pitch. Again, imagine that happening today. Oh, the fun with reaction GIFs we would have...</blockquote>
<h5>1928: Ruth slugs three in sweeping finale</h5>
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<p>The '28 Yanks are not as famous their '27 predecessors, but they still won the AL pennant with 101 victories. They faced the <a href="https://www.vivaelbirdos.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Cardinals</a> in the World Series, seeking revenge for their seven-game loss in '26, when they blew a 3-2 series lead back in St. Louis and hungover Hall of Famer Grover Cleveland Alexander famously fanned Tony Lazzeri with the bases loaded. The '28 Yanks got their revenge and then some in a complete demolition of a fine St. Louis team. The Yanks outscored St. Louis 27-10 in the four-game sweep. Ruth and Gehrig combined to go an astounding 16-for-27 with four doubles, seven homers, seven walks, and a mind-boggling .593/.676/1.519 triple slash. Gehrig led with four homers, but per usual, Ruth stole the show by tying his own playoff record with <a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/SLN/SLN192810090.shtml" target="_blank">three homers</a> in the finale, with the last coming off Alexander. "Ol' Pete" was pounded to a 19.80 ERA in just five innings over two games. That's dominance.</p>
<h5>1932: The "Called Shot"</h5>
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<p>Once upon a time, there was a man named Babe Ruth who did unspeakable things to baseballs. Whether or not he actually called his shot for his 15th and final World Series homer has been debated throughout history, but there's no denying that he might have hit the longest homer in the nigh-100-year history of Wrigley Field in Game 3 of the <a target="new" href="http://wap.mlb.com/play/?content_id=27121255">'32 Fall Classic</a>. The Yankees set a series record with their 12th consecutive win in a another sweep, their last championship with Ruth.</p>
<h5>1936: Tight Game 6 finale becomes a laugher</h5>
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<p>The Yankees returned to the World Series after a brief three-year absence. They were without Ruth, but they now had the talents of an overwhelmingly talented 21-year-old rookie from San Francisco named Joe DiMaggio. It was another Subway Series against the Giants, and both teams put up a display of offense in Game 6. The Yankees sought to close out the Fall Classic at the Polo Grounds and the Giants tried to force a decisive Game 7 after falling behind in the series 3-1. The Yankees held a slim 6-5 lead going into the top of the ninth after leading the Giants 5-2 earlier in the game. Dick Coffman entered the game for the Giants and was horrible, allowing three hits, a walk, and a fielder's choice. Harry Gumbert relieved and wasn't much better, as the middle of the Yankees' order bludgeoned him with small ball: walk-single-walk-RBI groundout-single-walk. By the time the dust had cleared, the Yankees had dropped seven on the Giants and now held a commanding 13-5 lead. "Fireman" Johnny Murphy finished off the Giants with a 1-2-3 ninth for the Yankees' fifth World Series title.</p>
<h5>1937: The Giants get Goofed</h5>
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<p>The Yankees beat the Giants again in '37, this time in only five games. The star of the series was ace Lefty Gomez, probably the best pitcher in baseball that year. Had the World Series MVP been around, he <a target="new" href="http://www.pinstripealley.com/new-york-yankees-history/2013/10/14/4836406/pre-1956-world-series-mvps-new-york-yankees">likely would have won it</a>, as he went the distance twice with a 1.50 combined ERA. The Giants only pushed three runs across home plate against "Goofy" in 18 innings. He won the opener 8-1 and finished off the series with a 4-2 win in Game 5. The Fall Classic fittingly ended with the ball in his glove as Jo-Jo Moore hit a ground ball to Gehrig at first, who flipped to Gomez to clinch a second consecutive title.</p>
<h5>1938: Red's turn</h5>
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<p>If the '37 series was all about the Yankees' lefthanded ace, then the '38 Fall Classic was all about the Yankees' righthanded ace, Red Ruffing. The greatest righthanded pitcher in Yankees history, Ruffing originally arrived in New York from Boston in perhaps the second-worst trade in <a href="https://www.overthemonster.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Red Sox</a> history. Cedric Durst was awful, and Ruffing became a Hall of Famer in New York. The Yankees swept the <a href="https://www.bleedcubbieblue.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Cubs</a> again in '38, with Ruffing leading the way. He threw a complete game in the opener at Wrigley Field and won 3-1, then came back on three days' rest in Game 4 to close out the Cubbies with the Yankees holding a 3-0 series lead. Ruffing was also one of the most accomplished hitters of all pitchers in history and helped himself by breaking the scoreless tie with an RBI single in the second against non-Spaceman Bill Lee. The Yankees went on to score eight runs, and Ruffing threw a second complete game in an 8-3 victory. Babe Herman bounced back to Ruffing with two outs in the ninth, and Red threw to Gehrig at first to end it. The '36-'38 Yankees became the first team to three-peat.</p>
<h5>1939: Lombardi's Snooze</h5>
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<p>The '39 team is underrated in the record books. They won 106 games even with their beloved captain, Gehrig, sidelined with an incurable disease, and they had a ridiculous +411 run differential. They finished 17 games ahead of the second-place Red Sox and swept the World Series for the second straight year, this time against the <a href="https://www.redreporter.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Cincinnati Reds</a>. The most famous moment occurred in the tenth inning of Game 4 at Crosley Field with the score knotted at four. Reds ace Bucky Walters was in the game out of the bullpen for his third inning of relief, but he ran into trouble when he walked shortstop Frankie Crosetti to lead off the tenth and Red Rolfe bunted him to second base.</p>
<p>Shortstop Billy Myers booted a ball to allow Charlie Keller to reach base, bringing up the always-dangerous DiMaggio. With Keller running on the pitch, Joltin' Joe scorched a single to right field, scoring Crosetti to give the Yankees the lead, and Keller rounded third to try to score a second run. His knee collided with catcher Ernie Lombardi, jarring the ball loose and sending Lombardi into a likely-concussed daze. Seeing the ball on the ground, DiMaggio tried to score himself. Lombardi realized what was going on and tried to tag him out, but an excellent hook slide brought him home safely. The media called it "Lombardi's Snooze" and the Yankees clinched their fourth straight title when Wally Berger lined out to Crosetti in the bottom of the tenth to end it.</p>
<h5>1941: A strikeout becomes a victory</h5>
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<p>The Yankees and Brooklyn <a href="https://www.truebluela.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Dodgers</a> met in the World Series for <a target="new" href="http://wap.mlb.com/play/?content_id=28743025">the first time</a> in '41, and it quickly produced an amazing moment, recounted in the clip above. With Tommy Henrich at the plate, the Yankees were a strike away from having their 2-1 series lead evened; Brooklyn held a 4-3 lead in the ninth inning of Game 4. Hugh Casey through a pitch that quickly dove away, and Henrich swung over it for strike three. However, catcher Mickey Owen also missed it, allowing Henrich to reach base. The Yankees rallied to win, 7-4, and Tiny Bonham closed out the stunned Dodgers with a four-hitter in Game 5. The Yankees won their ninth World Series title.</p>
<p>Next time: the Yankees run roughshod over baseball with a record five titles in a row and Don Larsen achieves the unthinkable.</p>
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https://www.pinstripealley.com/new-york-yankees-history/2013/10/31/5050394/best-yankees-moments-27-world-series-championshipsAndrew Mearns