1977 World Series
From BR Bullpen
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New York Yankees (100-62, AL) vs. Los Angeles Dodgers (98-64, NL)
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The 1977 World Series matched the returning American League champion New York Yankees against the Los Angeles Dodgers of the National League, with the Yankees winning the Series in 6 games.
The New York Yankees returned to the Fall Classic after being swept by the Cincinnati Reds the previous year in an effort to redeem themselves. George Steinbrenner’s reputation as a free-spending businessman was evident during baseball’s first reentry draft signing slugger Reggie Jackson for $3 million (from Baltimore) and pitcher Don Gullett (from Cincinnati) for $2 million. Two other key players were acquired by the Yankees through trades. Shortstop Bucky Dent was picked up from the Chicago White Sox for outfielder Oscar Gamble, pitcher LaMarr Hoyt, and $200,000. And after only one year with the Oakland Athletics, pitcher Mike Torrez was traded for pitcher Dock Ellis, and utilitymen Marty Perez, and Larry Murray.
After a lackluster first half, the Yankees finished strong winning 38 of their last 51 games edging both the Boston Red Sox and the Baltimore Orioles by 2 ½ games. In amongst the star-laden lineup was an emerging superstar in the left arm of Ron Guidry. Early in the season Guidry was moved from the bullpen into the starting rotation, finishing with 16 wins against just 7 losses with a nice 2.82 ERA. The Yankees advanced to the World Series after beating the Kansas City Royals in an exciting 5th and final ALCS game winning it with 3 runs in the top of the 9th on a string of singles and a costly error by George Brett.
The National League champion Los Angeles Dodgers were skippered by first-year manager Tommy Lasorda. This 1977 club featured the first foursome to hit 30 or more homeruns in one Major League season (Steve Garvey-33, Reggie Smith-32, Ron Cey-30, and Dusty Baker-30). The deep pitching staff which led the National League in ERA, 3.22, were led by 20-game winner, Tommy John and closer Charlie Hough with 22 saves. The Dodgers won 22 of their first 26 games winning the Western Division easily by 10 games over the Cincinnati Reds and then eliminated the Philadelphia Phillies in the NLCS in 4 games.
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[edit] Summary
| Game | Score | Date | Location | Attendance | Time of Game |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dodgers – 3, Yankees – 4 (12 inns) | October 11 | Yankee Stadium | 56,668 | 3:24 |
| 2 | Dodgers – 6, Yankees – 1 | October 12 | Yankee Stadium | 56,691 | 2:27 |
| 3 | Yankees – 5, Dodgers – 3 | October 14 | Dodger Stadium | 55,992 | 2:31 |
| 4 | Yankees – 4, Dodgers – 2 | October 15 | Dodger Stadium | 55,995 | 2:07 |
| 5 | Yankees – 4, Dodgers – 10 | October 16 | Dodger Stadium | 55,995 | 2:29 |
| 6 | Dodgers – 4, Yankees – 8 | October 18 | Yankee Stadium | 56,407 | 2:18 |
[edit] Game 1
October 11, 1977 at Yankee Stadium in New York, New York
A controversial call cost the Dodgers a run in the 9th inning, and the Yankees won it in the 12th. The Dodgers rallied for a run in the 9th, and Steve Garvey, trying to score the go ahead run was called out (TV replays showed he had clearly beaten Thurman Munson's tag).
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 R H E
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Los Angeles Dodgers 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 3 6 0
New York Yankees 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 1 4 11 0
PITCHERS: LAD - Sutton, Rautzhan (8), Sosa (8), Garman (9), Rhoden (12)
NYY - Gullett, Lyle (9)
WP - Lyle
LP - Rhoden
SAVE - none
HOME RUNS: LAD - none
NYY - Randolph
ATTENDANCE: 56,668
[edit] Game 2
October 12, 1977 at Yankee Stadium in New York, New York
The Dodgers rebounded from their game 1 disappointment by hitting 4 home runs in support of Burt Hooton's 5-hitter.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
- - - - - - - - - - - -
Los Angeles Dodgers 2 1 2 0 0 0 0 0 1 6 9 0
New York Yankees 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 5 0
PITCHERS: LAD - Hooton
NYY - Hunter, Tidrow (3), Clay (6), Lyle (9)
WP - Hooton
LP - Hunter
SAVE - none
HOME RUNS: LAD - Cey, Yeager, Smith, Garvey
NYY - none
ATTENDANCE: 56,691
[edit] Game 3
October 14, 1977 at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, California
After Dusty Baker's 3-run homer tied the game in the 3rd, the Yankees pushed across single runs in the 4th and 5th while Mike Torrez tossed a complete game win.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
- - - - - - - - - - - -
New York Yankees 3 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 5 10 0
Los Angeles Dodgers 0 0 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 7 1
PITCHERS: NYY - Torrez
LAD - John, Hough (7)
WP - Torrez
LP - John
SAVE - none
HOME RUNS: NYY - none
LAD - Baker
ATTENDANCE: 55,992
[edit] Game 4
October 15, 1977 at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, California
Ron Guidry tossed a 4-hitter and Lou Piniella's leaping catch robbed Ron Cey of a 3-run homer as the Yankees took a commanding 3-1 series lead.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
- - - - - - - - - - - -
New York Yankees 0 3 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 4 7 0
Los Angeles Dodgers 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 4 0
PITCHERS: NYY - Guidry
LAD - Rau, Rhoden (2), Garman (9)
WP - Guidry
LP - Rau
SAVE - none
HOME RUNS: NYY - Jackson
LAD - Lopes
ATTENDANCE: 55,995
[edit] Game 5
October 16, 1977 at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, California
The Dodgers were familiar with Don Gullett from his days with the Reds and they roughed him up in a 10-4 win that sent the series back to New York. Don Sutton pitched the complete game victory.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
- - - - - - - - - - - -
New York Yankees 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 2 0 4 9 2
Los Angeles Dodgers 1 0 0 4 3 2 0 0 X 10 13 0
PITCHERS: NYY - Gullett, Clay (5), Tidrow (6), Hunter (7)
LAD - Sutton
WP - Sutton
LP - Gullett
SAVE - none
HOME RUNS: NYY - Munson, Jackson
LAD - Yeager, Smith
ATTENDANCE: 55,955
[edit] Game 6
October 18, 1977 at Yankee Stadium in New York, New York
One of the best known single-game performances: Reggie Jackson hits 3 home runs on 3 consecutive pitches.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
- - - - - - - - - - - -
Los Angeles Dodgers 2 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 4 9 0
New York Yankees 0 2 0 3 2 0 0 1 X 8 8 1
PITCHERS: LAD - Hooton, Sosa (4), Rau (5), Hough (7)
NYY - Torrez
WP - Torrez
LP - Hooton
SAVE - none
HOME RUNS: LAD - Smith
NYY - Chambliss, Jackson (3)
ATTENDANCE: 56,407
[edit] Composite Box
1977 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 | 11 | 12 | R | H | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York Yankees | 4 | 5 | 0 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 26 | 50 | 3 |
| Los Angeles Dodgers | 7 | 1 | 8 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 28 | 48 | 1 |
| Total Attendance: 337,708 Average Attendance: 56,285 | |||||||||||||||
| Winning Player’s Share: – $27,758, Losing Player’s Share – $20,899 * Includes Playoffs and World Series | |||||||||||||||
[edit] Trivia
- Guys named "Reggie" combined for 8 home runs in the series; 3 by the Dodgers' Reggie Smith, and 5 by the Yankees' Reggie Jackson.
- Reggie Jackson's three home runs in Game 6 tied a record that Babe Ruth had set on two occasions (in Game 4 of the 1926 Series and Game 4 of the 1928 World Series).
- Each of Jackson's blasts came on his first swing, and each was hit off of a different pitcher. (Since Jackson had hit a home run in his final plate appearance of Game 5, and had walked on four straight pitches in his first plate appearance of Game 6, that meant he had "officially" hit four World Series home runs on four consecutive swings of the bat - a record not likely ever to be broken.) The first two were hit into "Ruthville" in the not-very-distant right field area; the third was a truly "Ruthian" drive to the bleachers in straightaway center, into "the black". Howard Cosell, a member of the TV broadcast team, was moved to yell, " Oh, what a blow!"
Reggie Jackson's 4 homeruns on 4 consecutive swings:
Game Date Inning Pitcher Result
5 October 16 8th Don Sutton Home run
6 October 18 2nd Burt Hooton Walk (on 4 pitches)
6 October 18 4th Burt Hooton Home run
6 October 18 5th Elias Sosa Home run
6 October 18 8th Charlie Hough Home run
- This was the first World Series - since television of the Series started in 1947 - not to be televised, at least in part, by rival network NBC. NBC was the exclusive broadcaster of the Series from 1950-1976.
- It was also the first time that the participating teams' local announcers were not featured during game play on the network telecast, though the Yankees' Bill White and the Dodgers' Ross Porter did pre-game TV features and White handled the post-game celebration in the Yankee cluhouse after they clinched the title. White and Porter would do portions of the CBS Radio play-by-play.
- The 1977 New York Yankees is one of the key plot points, along with the Son of Sam and the New York City Blackout of 1977, in the movie "Summer of Sam" directed by (Yankees fan) Spike Lee.
- In 2007, the 1977 New York Yankees were the subject of the ESPN mini-series "The Bronx is Burning".
[edit] Quote(s)
- Ladies and Gentlemen...The Bronx is burning--Howard Cosell's famous quote after seeing a burning abandoned school in The Bronx in Game Two.
- Reggie...Reggie...Reggie.- The Yankee Stadium crowd chanting of Reggie Jackson's name.}
- Jackson with four runs batted in, sends a fly ball to center field and deep! That's going to be way back! And that's going to be gone! Reggie Jackson has hit his third home run of the game! -- Ross Porter on the CBS Radio Network.
- OH, WHAT A BLOW! What a way to top it off. Forget about who the Most Valuable Player is in the World Series! How this man has responded to pressure! Oh, what a beam on his face. How can you blame him? He's answered the whole WORLD! After all the furor, after all the hassling, it comes down to this! - Howard Cosell after Reggie Jackson's third home run of Game 6.
[edit] Stats
[edit] New York Yankees
[edit] Batting
Note: G = Games played; AB = At Bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting Average; HR = Home Runs; RBI = Runs Batted In
| Player | G | AB | H | Avg. | HR | RBI |
|---|
[edit] Pitching
Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts
| Player | G | IP | W | L | ERA | SO |
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[edit] Los Angeles Dodgers
[edit] Batting
Note: G = Games played; AB = At Bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting Average; HR = Home Runs; RBI = Runs Batted In
| Player | G | AB | H | Avg. | HR | RBI |
|---|
[edit] Pitching
Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts
| Player | G | IP | W | L | ERA | SO |
|---|
[edit] Reference(s)
Neft, David S., and Richard M. Cohen. The World Series. 1st ed. New York: St Martins, 1990. (Neft and Cohen 365-370)
[edit] External links
- 1977 World Series at WorldSeries.com (MLB.com)
- Coverage of Game 6 at MLB.com
- 1977 World Series at Baseball-Almanac.com
- REGGIE REGGIE REGGIE at SI.com
- History of the World Series - 1977 at SportingNews.com
- 1977 World Series box scores and play-by-play at Retrosheet.org
- The 1977 New York Yankees at baseballlibrary.com
- The 1977 Los Angeles Dodgers at baseballlibrary.com
- MLB.com review on 1977 World Series DVD set
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NL Championship Series (3-1) Dodgers over Phillies | |||
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World Series (4-2) Yankees over Dodgers | |||
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AL Championship Series (3-2) Yankees over Royals |
| Modern Major League Baseball World Series
Pre-1903 Postseason Series |
