1977 World Series

The 1977 World Series matched the New York Yankees against the Los Angeles Dodgers, with the Yankees winning in six games to capture their first title since 1962, and their 21st overall.

It was the first meeting of the Yankees and Dodgers in the Fall Classic since 1963.

Managers: Billy Martin (New York), Tommy Lasorda (Los Angeles)

Umpires: Nestor Chylak (AL), Ed Sudol (NL), Larry McCoy (AL), Jerry Dale (NL), Jim Evans (AL), John McSherry (NL)

Series MVP: Reggie Jackson (New York)

Television: ABC (Keith Jackson, Howard Cosell and Tom Seaver announcing). This was the first World Series since 1947 not to be televised by rival network NBC. It was also the first time that the participating teams' local announcers were not featured on the network telecast.

Game 1
October 11, 1977 at Yankee Stadium (New York Yankees) 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

Game 2
October 12, 1977 at Yankee Stadium (New York Yankees) 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

Game 3
October 14, 1977 at Dodger Stadium (Los Angeles Dodgers) 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

Game 4
October 15, 1977 at Dodger Stadium (Los Angeles Dodgers) 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

Game 5
October 16, 1977 at Dodger Stadium (Los Angeles Dodgers) 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

Game 6
October 18, 1977 at Yankee Stadium (New York Yankees) 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



Trivia

 * 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 the first pitch of an at-bat, and each was hit off of a different pitcher. 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, "What a blow!"


 * mlb.com coverage of Game 6


 * The World Series had not been decided in six games since 1959. The odds against such a gap happening again are steep. Even if you assume that all results, 4-0, 4-1, 4-2 and 4-3 have an equal chance of occurring (they don't, a 4-2 series is the most likely result, tied with 4-3), the odds that one six-game series will not occur in seventeen years would be about 133 to 1 ($$3^{17}/4^{17}$$). Given that the real random probability of a 4-2 series is actually about 31%, the real odds against are more like 549 to 1 ($$69^{17}/100^{17}$$).


 * An explanation of this phenomenon