Dodger Momentum

The 1978 World Series turned out to be an unexpected repeat of the previous year’s battle between the New York Yankees and the Los Angeles Dodgers. During the 1977 six-game series the two teams traded shifting momentum.

LA actually outscored New York by two more total runs, but the Yankees took the series 4-2. This year Los Angeles started out in the friendly surroundings at Chavez Ravine, the home of Dodger Stadium.

The Friendly Confines

Los Angeles faithful started the 1978 World Series with a great deal of enthusiasm. That enthusiasm ballooned after the first two games at Dodger Stadium. LA built a seven run lead after six innings. They matched a three run Yankee top of the 7th with their own three run bottom half.

The Dodger bullpen

gave up a couple runs in the 8th, but LA coasted to an 11-5 victory in game one. The Yankees felt they still had a good chance of a split in California, as they sent their staff ace Catfish Hunter to the hill in game two. However, LA right hander Burt Hooton matched the New York star pitch for pitch.

Down only a run in the bottom of the 6th, Dodger third baseman Ron Cey smacked a three run homer off Hunter giving Los Angeles a 4-2 lead they would hold onto, securing a sweep of the first two games at Dodger Stadium.

Dodger momentum was building steam heading back east to Yankee Stadium.

Back to the Bronx

Fittingly, the Dodgers were enthusiastic about their two game lead in the 1978 World Series. However, when the Pinstripes took the field for game 3, the Yankees two had reason to be optimistic. Because of the way the regular season ended, the year’s best pitcher wasn’t available until the third game of the series.

Ron Guidry did not disappoint. Although he scattered eight base hits and an unchacteristic seven walks, only one Dodger crossed the plate. Guidry finished with a complete game and the Yanks cut the LA lead in half with a 5 – 1 win game three.

In the fourth game, first game starter Ed Figueroa redeemed himself. He was matching Dodger starter Bob Welch pitch for pitch until the 5th inning. Reggie Smith launched a dramatic three run homer to push the LA into the

lead.

New York would chisel away at the Dodger lead, albeit with one the more controversial plays in World Series history.

Reggie Jackson appeared to interfere with what would have been an inning out at first base. However, the ball deflected off Jackson and a second run scored cutting the LA lead to one.

Thurman Munson would double home a run in the eighth tying the game. The controversial play in the sixth seemed to plague the Dodgers. New York plated a walk-off run in the bottom of the 10th inning to pull even at two games apiece.

The Wheels Fall Off the Trolley Dodger

Although years removed from their time in Brooklyn, there were still hundreds of New York residents who worshipped the Dodgers. Although the series was tied at 2-2, there was sense of urgency missing from the LA dugout. It was as if one play had knocked the wheels off their trolley.

Los Angeles chipped away early, building a two run lead heading into the bottom of the 3rd inning. That point seemed to be the beginning of the end. New York pushed across seven runs in the 3rd and 4th innings and then coasted to an easy 12-2 shellacking.

No Sunshine in Southern

California

A series that left California with such promise now saw the Dodgers one game from losing to their arch rivals for a second consecutive year. LA would score in their first at bat for the second straight game, but other than a lone run in the 3rd inning, there would be no sunshine in Southern California on this day.

The Yankees would push across three runs in their half the 2nd inning and that is all starter Catfish Hunter would need. Hunter avoided trouble a couple of times, but handed the ball over to Yankee closer Goose Gossage with a five run advantage. The Goose would slam the door shut on the Dodger season, and New York would repeat as champions.

As late as July 1978, no one even thought the Yankees would be back in the World Series. A host of injuries left them double-digit games behind the Boston Red Sox in the AL East. By going an astonishing 48-20 to close the season, they earned a one-game winner-take-all match with Boston for the division title.

New York would meet Kansas City for a second year in a row, but dispatched them handily in four games. It set up a rematch of the 1977 series between two of the most fabled franchises in professional baseball.

For a couple games it looked the year of the Dodger. However, as the last out call echoed across Chavesz Ravine, the New York Yankees had earned their 22nd World Series Championship, culminating maybe the most thrilling year in the clubs storied history.