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The Dodgers–Yankees rivalry is one of the biggest
rivalries A rivalry is the state of two people or groups engaging in a lasting competitive relationship. Rivalry is the "against each other" spirit between two competing sides. The relationship itself may also be called "a rivalry", and each participant ...
in
Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball league composed of 30 teams, divided equally between the National League (baseball), National League (NL) and the American League (AL), with 29 in the United States and 1 in Canada. MLB i ...
. The
Los Angeles Dodgers The Los Angeles Dodgers are an American professional baseball team based in Los Angeles. The Dodgers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League West, West Div ...
are a member club of the
National League National League often refers to: *National League (baseball), one of the two baseball leagues constituting Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada *National League (division), the fifth division of the English football (soccer) system ...
(NL)
West West is one of the four cardinal directions or points of the compass. It is the opposite direction from east and is the direction in which the Sun sets on the Earth. Etymology The word "west" is a Germanic word passed into some Romance langu ...
division, and the
New York Yankees The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Am ...
are a member club of the
American League The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the American League (AL), is the younger of two sports leagues, leagues constituting Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western L ...
(AL)
East East is one of the four cardinal directions or points of the compass. It is the opposite direction from west and is the direction from which the Sun rises on the Earth. Etymology As in other languages, the word is formed from the fact that ea ...
division. The teams have met 12 times in the
World Series The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball (MLB). It has been contested since between the champion teams of the American League (AL) and the National League (NL). The winning team, determined through a best- ...
, more than any other two teams, with the Yankees winning eight times. The rivalry began in New York City, when the Dodgers played in
Brooklyn Brooklyn is a Boroughs of New York City, borough of New York City located at the westernmost end of Long Island in the New York (state), State of New York. Formerly an independent city, the borough is coextensive with Kings County, one of twelv ...
and the Yankees in the
Bronx The Bronx ( ) is the northernmost of the five Boroughs of New York City, boroughs of New York City, coextensive with Bronx County, in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York. It shares a land border with Westchester County, New York, West ...
. After the Dodgers moved to Los Angeles in , the rivalry continued as the teams represented two of the largest cities on each coast of the United States. Fan support has added to the notoriety of the series as both teams are supported by two of the largest fanbases in North America. Although the rivalry's significance arose from the two teams' numerous World Series meetings, the Yankees and Dodgers did not meet in the World Series between and . They did not play each other again in a non-exhibition game until 2004, when they played a three-game interleague series. Nevertheless, games between the two teams have drawn sellout crowds. The two teams met in the
2024 World Series The 2024 World Series was the World Series, championship series of Major League Baseball's (MLB) 2024 Major League Baseball season, 2024 season. The 120th edition of the World Series, it was a best-of-seven playoff between the National League (b ...
for the first time in 43 years, with the Dodgers winning the series in 5 games.


World Series matchups


A new team in town, new stadiums built, Subway Series established

At the dawn of the 20th century, the
American League The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the American League (AL), is the younger of two sports leagues, leagues constituting Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western L ...
was in its infancy, and one of its charter franchises was the original Baltimore Orioles, was replaced by a franchise in New York. The league, however, recognized that it required a presence in New York City, the country's largest market, in order to survive. Hence, it moved the Orioles to New York, which was already the home of two
National League National League often refers to: *National League (baseball), one of the two baseball leagues constituting Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada *National League (division), the fifth division of the English football (soccer) system ...
franchises, the
Brooklyn Dodgers The Brooklyn Dodgers were a Major League Baseball team founded in 1883 as the Brooklyn Grays. In 1884, it became a member of the American Association as the Brooklyn Atlantics before joining the National League in 1890. They remained in Brook ...
and
New York Giants The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Giants compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. The ...
. The new team was eventually called the New York Highlanders due to their home field being
Hilltop Park Hilltop Park was a ballpark in the Washington Heights neighborhood of Manhattan in New York City. It was the home of the New York Yankees of Major League Baseball from 1903 to 1912 when they were known as the "Highlanders". It was also the temp ...
from 1903 to 1912. After the Highlanders allowed the Giants to play at Hilltop Park when the latter's home stadium, the
Polo Grounds The Polo Grounds was the name of three stadiums in Upper Manhattan, New York City, used mainly for professional baseball and American football from 1880 to 1963. The original Polo Grounds, opened in 1876 and demolished in 1889, was built for the ...
, was undergoing reconstruction from a fire, the Giants invited the Highlanders to share the Polo Grounds with them. Since the Highlanders were no longer playing at higher elevations, they changed their name to the New York Yankees. The Dodgers also opened up their new field,
Ebbets Field Ebbets Field was a Major League Baseball stadium in the Flatbush, Brooklyn, Flatbush section of Brooklyn, New York City, New York. It is mainly known for having been the home of the History of the Brooklyn Dodgers, Brooklyn Dodgers baseball tea ...
, in Brooklyn. Their opening game at the stadium was an exhibition game against the Highlanders on April 5, where future Yankee manager
Casey Stengel Charles Dillon "Casey" Stengel (; July 30, 1890 – September 29, 1975) was an American Major League Baseball right fielder and Manager (baseball), manager, best known as the manager of the championship New York Yankees of the 1950s and later, t ...
had the game-winning hit for the Dodgers. The Highlanders would officially be called the Yankees later that year. In 1920, the Giants notified the Yankees that they would have to find a new stadium of their own for the 1921 season. The Giants rescinded that eviction notice and allowed the Yankees to stay until the end of the 1922 season, when the Giants renovated the Polo Grounds and increased seating capacity from 38,000 to 50,000. Before that however, the
1921 World Series The 1921 World Series was the championship series in Major League Baseball for the 1921 season. The 18th edition of the World Series, it matched the National League champion New York Giants and the American League champion New York Yankees. Th ...
between the Giants and Yankees became the first Subway Series, as match-ups between the Dodgers and the Giants were not referred to as Subway Series. After losing to the Giants in that World Series and again the following year, the Yankees moved across the
Harlem River The Harlem River is an tidal strait in New York City, flowing between the Hudson River and the East River and separating the island of Manhattan from the Bronx on the United States mainland. The northern stretch, also called the Spuyten Duyvi ...
to the original Yankee Stadium in the
Bronx The Bronx ( ) is the northernmost of the five Boroughs of New York City, boroughs of New York City, coextensive with Bronx County, in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York. It shares a land border with Westchester County, New York, West ...
, where they captured their first World Series from the Giants in
1923 In Greece, this year contained only 352 days as 13 days was skipped to achieve the calendrical switch from Julian to Gregorian Calendar. It happened there that Wednesday, 15 February ''(Julian Calendar)'' was followed by Thursday, 1 March ' ...
.


1941: First meeting between the Bronx Bombers and "Dem Bums"

The Yankees and Brooklyn Dodgers first met in the
1941 World Series The 1941 World Series, the last before the entry of the United States into the Second World War, matched the New York Yankees against the Brooklyn Dodgers, with the Yankees winning in five games to capture their fifth title in six years, and the ...
. In Game 4, with the Yankees leading the series two games to one, the Dodgers led by one going to the top of the ninth inning and, with two outs, just barely missed getting the third out and wound up losing the game. With two outs, the Yankees'
Tommy Henrich Thomas David Henrich (February 20, 1913 – December 1, 2009), nicknamed "the Clutch" and "Old Reliable", was an Americans, American professional baseball player of German American, German descent. He played his entire Major League Baseball c ...
swung and missed with two strikes, but reached on a passed ball, as Dodger catcher Mickey Owen failed to hold on to the pitch. Henrich reached first base on the play. Owen recalled the incident:
Joe DiMaggio Joseph Paul DiMaggio (; born Giuseppe Paolo DiMaggio, ; November 25, 1914 – March 8, 1999), nicknamed "Joltin' Joe", "the Yankee Clipper" and "Joe D.", was an American professional baseball center fielder who played his entire 13-year career ...
followed Henrich's at bat with a single before
Charlie Keller Charles Ernest Keller (September 12, 1916 – May 23, 1990) was an American professional baseball player. He played as a left fielder in Major League Baseball from 1939 through 1952 for the New York Yankees (1939–1943, 1945–1949, 1952) and De ...
hit a double to drive in both Henrich and DiMaggio and give the Yankees a 5–4 lead. After
Bill Dickey William Malcolm Dickey (June 6, 1907 – November 12, 1993) was an American professional baseball catcher and manager. He played in Major League Baseball with the New York Yankees for 17 seasons. Dickey managed the Yankees as a player-manager i ...
walked, he and Keller scored on a Joe Gordon double to make the final score 7–4. The next day, the Yankees clinched the first series match-up between the two teams in the start of what would become a long-lasting rivalry.


1947–53: "Wait 'til ''next'' year!"

Six years later, the
1947 World Series The 1947 World Series matched the 1947 New York Yankees season, New York Yankees against the 1947 Brooklyn Dodgers season, Brooklyn Dodgers. The Yankees won the Series in seven games for their 11th World Series championship in team history. Yan ...
had a dramatic moment in Game 6. The Dodgers'
Al Gionfriddo Albert Francis Gionfriddo (March 8, 1922 – March 14, 2003) was an American professional baseball player who played in Major League Baseball as an outfielder. Career Gionfriddo made his major league debut on September 23, at the age of 22 wit ...
was placed in left field for defensive purposes and robbed Joe DiMaggio of a game-tying three-run home run. DiMaggio was visibly disgusted by the outcome of the play when rounding the bases in one of the few emotional displays of his career. The Dodgers won the game and forced a do-or-die Game 7, only to fall. Dramatic defensive plays would be seen again, this time by the Yankees in the 1952 contest, as Billy Martin came outside the camera coverage area to catch a pop-fly after Brooklyn had threatened to take the lead in Game 7. Martin would go on to be the hero once more in the 1953 series with a series record 12 hits, including the winning hit of the series-clinching game off of
Clem Labine Clement Walter Labine (August 6, 1926 – March 2, 2007) was an American right-handed relief pitcher in Major League Baseball (MLB) best known for his years with the Brooklyn / Los Angeles Dodgers from 1950 to 1960. As a key member of the Dod ...
. Brooklyn signed
Jackie Robinson Jack Roosevelt Robinson (January 31, 1919 – October 24, 1972) was an American professional baseball player who became the first Black American to play in Major League Baseball (MLB) in the modern era. Robinson broke the Baseball color line, ...
to not only break the color line, but to bolster the lineup. Robinson, along with outfielder
Duke Snider Edwin Donald "Duke" Snider (September 19, 1926 – February 27, 2011), nicknamed "the Duke of Flatbush", was an American professional baseball player. Primarily a center fielder, he spent most of his Major League Baseball (MLB) career playing f ...
and pitcher
Don Newcombe Donald Newcombe (June 14, 1926 – February 19, 2019), nicknamed "Newk", was an American professional baseball pitcher who played ten non-consecutive seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB). He began his career in the Negro National League and en ...
, sparked Brooklyn to four National League pennants between
1947 It was the first year of the Cold War, which would last until 1991, ending with the dissolution of the Soviet Union. Events January * January–February – Winter of 1946–47 in the United Kingdom: The worst snowfall in the country i ...
and
1953 Events January * January 6 – The Asian Socialist Conference opens in Rangoon, Burma. * January 12 – Estonian émigrés found a Estonian government-in-exile, government-in-exile in Oslo. * January 14 ** Marshal Josip Broz Tito ...
. Every time during this period, however, the World Series ended poorly for the Dodgers and gave the Dodger fans their rallying cry: "Wait 'til ''next'' year!" During the 1953 World Series, long time Dodgers announcer
Red Barber Walter Lanier "Red" Barber (February 17, 1908 – October 22, 1992) was an American sports announcer and author. Nicknamed "The Ol' Redhead", he was primarily identified with broadcasts of Major League Baseball, calling play-by-play across four ...
refused to man the broadcast booth due to a compensation dispute with
Gillette Gillette is an American brand of safety razors and other personal care products including shaving supplies, owned by the multi-national corporation Procter & Gamble (P&G). Based in Boston, Massachusetts, United States, it was owned by The Gil ...
. Barber jumped ship to the Yankees and joined
Mel Allen Mel Allen (born Melvin Allen Israel; February 14, 1913 – June 16, 1996) was an American sportscaster, best known for his long tenure as the primary play-by-play announcer for the New York Yankees. During the peak of his career in the 1940s, 1 ...
to call the games for the Yankees. Struggling to find a replacement, the Dodgers gave the call to a 25-year-old named
Vin Scully Vincent Edward Scully (November 29, 1927 – August 2, 2022) was an American sportscaster, best known for his broadcast work in Major League Baseball. Scully was the play-by-play announcer for the Brooklyn / Los Angeles Dodgers for sixty-se ...
, the youngest man to ever call a World Series game for a major network. Scully would continue as a Dodgers broadcaster for another six decades.


1955: "This ''IS'' next year!"

Finally, in the Dodgers reversed matters, prevailing over the Yankees in seven games to win their only World Series in Brooklyn. Thus came the slogan, ''This IS next year''.


1956: Don Larsen's perfect game

Brooklyn fell short of repeating the next season, falling in seven games to the Yankees. That year's team suffered some ignominy in being on the losing end of Don Larsen's perfect game in Game 5, which was the first of only three
no-hitter In baseball, a no-hitter or no-hit game is a game in which a team does not record a hit (baseball), hit through conventional methods. Major League Baseball (MLB) officially defines a no-hitter as a completed game in which a team that batted in ...
s ever pitched in postseason play. In both the 1955 and 1956 World Series, the home team won the first six games of the World Series, but lost Game 7. It would not be until when the home team won all seven games of a World Series. However, the Yankees became the first American League team to lose a World Series in which the home team won all seven games, in . The 1956 World Series would be the last Subway Series of the 1900s and the last to include one of the National League's charter franchises.


1963: Los Angeles Dodgers win

After the Dodgers' move to Los Angeles for the 1958 season, it would take them two dominating pitchers (
Sandy Koufax Sanford Koufax (; né Braun; born December 30, 1935), nicknamed "the Left Arm of God", is an American former baseball pitcher who played 12 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Brooklyn Dodgers, Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers from 195 ...
and Don Drysdale), a speedy shortstop (
Maury Wills Maurice Morning Wills (October 2, 1932 – September 19, 2022) was an American professional baseball player and manager. He played in Major League Baseball as a shortstop from 1959 to 1972, most prominently as an integral member of the Los Ange ...
) and a proficient outfielder ( Tommy Davis) to spark them to a pennant in
1963 Events January * January 1 – Bogle–Chandler case: Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation scientist Dr. Gilbert Bogle and Mrs. Margaret Chandler are found dead (presumed poisoned), in bushland near the Lane Cove ...
. They swept the Yankees (consisting of
Mickey Mantle Mickey Charles Mantle (October 20, 1931 – August 13, 1995), nicknamed "the Mick" and "the Commerce Comet", was an American professional baseball player who played his entire Major League Baseball (MLB) career (1951–1968) with the New York ...
,
Roger Maris Roger Eugene Maris (born Maras; September 10, 1934 – December 14, 1985) was an American professional baseball right fielder who played 12 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB). He is best known for setting a new List of Major League Baseball p ...
, and
Whitey Ford Edward Charles "Whitey" Ford (October 21, 1928 – October 8, 2020), nicknamed "the Chairman of the Board", was an American professional baseball pitcher who played his entire 16-year Major League Baseball (MLB) career with the New York Yankees. ...
) in four straight games to win their second World Series since moving to Los Angeles, having won in , with the Bronx Bombers not taking a single lead against the powerful Los Angeles pitching staff and being limited to just four runs in the entire series, the first meeting between teams from
New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...
and
Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...
for a major professional sports championship. Dodgers broadcaster
Vin Scully Vincent Edward Scully (November 29, 1927 – August 2, 2022) was an American sportscaster, best known for his broadcast work in Major League Baseball. Scully was the play-by-play announcer for the Brooklyn / Los Angeles Dodgers for sixty-se ...
said that although the Dodgers won four World Series titles in 10 years, he said that this championship was the biggest of those four because "the ultimate was not only beating the Yankees but sweeping them in four", but said that "to New York fans it was still the old Brooklyn Dodgers and there was a lot of bitterness toward them."


1977: The Bronx Is Burning

After 14 years, sophomore manager Tommy Lasorda led a young Dodgers team to the
1977 World Series The 1977 World Series was the championship series of Major League Baseball's (MLB) 1977 season. The 74th edition of the World Series, it was a best-of-seven playoff played between the American League (AL) champion New York Yankees and the Nati ...
where they faced Billy Martin and the Yankees. The two managers were involved in a fist fight during the 1956 season while playing for the two teams they were now managing. The Yankees were coming off a controversy ridden season. Furious at their loss to The Big Red Machine in the
1976 World Series The 1976 World Series was the World Series, championship series of Major League Baseball's (MLB) 1976 Major League Baseball season, 1976 season. The 73rd edition of the World Series, it was a best-of-seven playoff played between the National Leag ...
, owner
George Steinbrenner George Michael Steinbrenner III (July 4, 1930July 13, 2010) was an American businessman who was the principal owner and managing partner of Major League Baseball's New York Yankees from 1973 until his death in 2010. He was the longest-serving own ...
had signed slugger
Reggie Jackson Reginald Martinez Jackson (born May 18, 1946) is an American former professional baseball right fielder who played 21 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Kansas City / Oakland Athletics, Baltimore Orioles, New York Yankees, and Cal ...
to the team. Jackson immediately created friction in the clubhouse between himself and Billy Martin as well as captain Thurman Munson, the defending AL MVP. New York City itself was going through a financial crisis under
Mayor In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a Municipal corporation, municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilitie ...
Abraham Beame and experienced the
Son of Sam David Richard Berkowitz (born Richard David Falco; June 1, 1953), also known as the Son of Sam and the .44 Caliber Killer, is an American serial killer and former United States Army, U.S. Army soldier who committed a series of stabbings and ...
and a major blackout, all chronicled in '' The Bronx Is Burning''. Despite the controversy, the Yankees managed to play together and win the pennant to face the Dodgers in the World Series. The Dodgers featured an infield of
Steve Garvey Steven Patrick Garvey (born December 22, 1948) is an American former professional Major League Baseball player who played first baseman for the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres from 1969 to 1987. Garvey began his major league career wit ...
at first, Davey Lopes at second,
Ron Cey Ronald Charles Cey (; born February 15, 1948), nicknamed "the Penguin," is an American former professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball as a third baseman from through , most notably as an integral member of the Los Angel ...
at third, and
Bill Russell William Felton Russell (February 12, 1934 – July 31, 2022) was an American professional basketball player who played Center (basketball), center for the Boston Celtics of the National Basketball Association (NBA) from 1956 to 1969. He was t ...
at shortstop, in addition to slugger
Reggie Smith Carl Reginald Smith (born April 2, 1945) is an American former professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) as an outfielder and afterwards served as a coach and front office executive. He also played in the Nippon Pr ...
, and pitching duo (
Don Sutton Donald Howard Sutton (April 2, 1945 – January 19, 2021) was an American professional baseball pitcher who played 23 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB), primarily for the Los Angeles Dodgers. Sutton won a total of 324 games, pitched 58 s ...
and Tommy John). In addition to Jackson and Munson, the Yankees had Bucky Dent and
Graig Nettles Graig Nettles (born August 20, 1944), nicknamed "Puff", is an American former Major League Baseball third baseman. During a 22-year baseball career, he played for the Minnesota Twins (1967–1969), Cleveland Indians (1970–1972), New York Yankee ...
, Cy Young Award-winning closer
Sparky Lyle Albert Walter "Sparky" Lyle (born July 22, 1944) is an American professional baseball pitcher who spent sixteen seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1967 through 1982. He was a relief pitcher for the Boston Red Sox, New York Yankees, Texa ...
, young pitcher
Ron Guidry Ronald Ames Guidry (; born August 28, 1950), nicknamed "Louisiana Lightning" and "Gator", is an American former professional baseball pitcher who played 14 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the New York Yankees. Guidry was also the pitch ...
, and speedsters
Willie Randolph William Larry Randolph (born July 6, 1954) is an American former professional baseball second baseman, coach, and manager. During an 18-year career in Major League Baseball (MLB), he played from 1975 to 1992 for six different teams, most notabl ...
and Mickey Rivers. The Dodgers appeared primed to win the Series, but Reggie Jackson put on his "Mr. October" show as he hit three home runs in Game 6 off three pitches to lead the Yanks to their first World Series championship since .


1978: Bucky Dent's Playoffs

The next season, the Yankees won their division, thanks in large part to a timely home run from Bucky Dent in a one-game playoff against the
Boston Red Sox The Boston Red Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Boston. The Red Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League East, East Division. Founded in as one of the Ameri ...
. They went to the World Series for the third straight year where they faced the Dodgers for the second straight year. The Dodgers won the first two games of the Series thanks to rookie pitcher Bob Welch, but New York won the next four to take the 75th Fall Classic.


1981: Changing of the Guard

In , the fortunes turned in LA's favor, as rookie pitcher
Fernando Valenzuela Fernando Valenzuela Anguamea (; November 1, 1960 – October 22, 2024), nicknamed "El Toro", was a Mexican professional baseball pitcher. Valenzuela played 17 Major League Baseball (MLB) seasons, from 1980 to 1997 (except for a one-year sabba ...
won National League Rookie of the Year and Cy Young Award honors. But the Yankees had American League Rookie of the Year Dave Righetti (who was traded from the Rangers in exchange for Lyle) and the 1–2 relief punch of set-up man Ron Davis and closer Rich Gossage. The Yankees won the first two contests, but LA, led by Valenzuela and first baseman
Steve Garvey Steven Patrick Garvey (born December 22, 1948) is an American former professional Major League Baseball player who played first baseman for the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres from 1969 to 1987. Garvey began his major league career wit ...
, won the next four to claim their first World Series title since in a strike-shortened
season A season is a division of the year based on changes in weather, ecology, and the number of daylight hours in a given region. On Earth, seasons are the result of the axial parallelism of Earth's axial tilt, tilted orbit around the Sun. In temperat ...
. Fallout from the series led to Reggie Jackson being controversially dismissed a bit later, and owner
George Steinbrenner George Michael Steinbrenner III (July 4, 1930July 13, 2010) was an American businessman who was the principal owner and managing partner of Major League Baseball's New York Yankees from 1973 until his death in 2010. He was the longest-serving own ...
started a public feud with
Dave Winfield David Mark Winfield (born October 3, 1951) is an American former Major League Baseball (MLB) right fielder. He is the special assistant to the executive director of the Major League Baseball Players Association. Over his 22-year career, he playe ...
, who had a poor performance in the series. After the series ended, Steinbrenner issued a public apology to the City of New York for his team's performance, while at the same time assuring the fans that plans to put the team together for 1982 would begin immediately. Players and press alike criticized the owner for doing this, as most people felt losing in the World Series was not something that needed to be apologized for. Lasorda said of the revenge for what Jackson did to the Dodgers in 1977 and 1978: "We were suffering and the guy was making a fool out of us. I was hoping and praying we would get another shot at him." This led to the Yankees not winning a World Series in the 1980s, one of two decades they would not win a championship since moving to the Bronx (the other being the 2010s). In contrast, the Dodgers were able to defeat the Oakland Athletics in the
1988 World Series The 1988 World Series was the championship series of Major League Baseball's (MLB) 1988 season. The 85th edition of the World Series, it was a best-of-seven playoff played between the American League (AL) champion Oakland Athletics and the ...
. It would be their last post-season meeting until the 2024 World Series, the last time ever the Dodgers visited the old Yankee Stadium, and the last meeting between teams from New York City and Los Angeles for a major professional sports championship until the
2014 Stanley Cup Final The 2014 Stanley Cup Finals was the championship series of the National Hockey League's (NHL) season, and the culmination of the 2014 Stanley Cup playoffs. The League realigned its divisions prior to the season, and changed the structure of t ...
.


Rivalry in the 21st century


Interleague matchups

The introduction of
interleague play Interleague play in Major League Baseball refers to regular-season baseball games played between an American League (AL) team and a National League (NL) team. Interleague play was first introduced during the 1997 Major League Baseball season. ...
in 1997 allowed the Yankees and Dodgers to play each other in the regular season. For the first several decades of interleague play, however, the Dodgers and Yankees had different regular interleague partners: the Dodgers typically played the
Angels An angel is a spiritual (without a physical body), heavenly, or supernatural being, usually humanoid with bird-like wings, often depicted as a messenger or intermediary between God (the transcendent) and humanity (the profane) in variou ...
, and the Yankees typically played the Mets. Before the adoption of universal interleague play in 2023, the Dodgers and Yankees played only five interleague series. In addition, the Dodgers never played a regular season series at the original Yankee Stadium. Dodgers-Yankees matchups have tended to be popular with fans, and frequently result in sell-out crowds. The first time the Dodgers visited the Bronx since interleague play was introduced, in June 2013, their doubleheader sold out the new
Yankee Stadium Yankee Stadium is a baseball stadium located in the Bronx in New York City. It is the home field of Major League Baseball’s New York Yankees and New York City FC of Major League Soccer. The stadium opened in April 2009, replacing the Yankee S ...
.Yankee greats Joe Torre and Don Mattingly managed the Dodgers from 2008 to 2010 and 2011 to 2015, respectively, adding more flavor to the Dodgers-Yankees series in 2010 and 2013. During the 2010 season, the Yankees and Dodgers played at Dodger Stadium on June 25–27, the first time that Torre and Mattingly faced the Yankees as Dodger coaches. The Yankees were victorious, winning the series two games to one. The teams met again during the 2013 season. The doubleheader of June 19 was not just the Dodgers' return to the Bronx after a long absence; it was also Mattingly's first return to the Bronx as a game participant since the Dodgers promoted him to manager following Torre's retirement. (Mattingly had previously visited the new Yankee Stadium on the night they honored George Steinbrenner with a monument in Monument Park.) The Dodgers and Yankees have played each other in every regular season since 2023.


2024 World Series

In
2024 The year saw the list of ongoing armed conflicts, continuation of major armed conflicts, including the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the Myanmar civil war (2021–present), Myanmar civil war, the Sudanese civil war (2023–present), Sudane ...
, the Dodgers and Yankees finished with the best records in the National and American Leagues, and met in the
World Series The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball (MLB). It has been contested since between the champion teams of the American League (AL) and the National League (NL). The winning team, determined through a best- ...
for the first time in 43 years. The Dodgers won the first three games and took the title in five games. However, aside from Game 4 (which Dodgers manager Dave Roberts was said to have punted due to a lack of healthy starting pitchers), each game was reasonably competitive. Writing for
ESPN ESPN (an initialism of their original name, which was the Entertainment and Sports Programming Network) is an American international basic cable sports channel owned by the Walt Disney Company (80% and operational control) and Hearst Commu ...
, Jeff Passan noted that although the Dodgers "scored 25 runs to the Yankees' 24 ... the Dodgers won the World Series in convincing fashion, over five games, because they were better in close contests." In particular, the Yankees surrendered an extra-inning, walk-off grand slam to Freddie Freeman in Game 1 and a 5-0 lead in Game 5.


Season-by-season results

, - style="background:#f2f2f2; font-weight:bold;" ,
1941 World Series The 1941 World Series, the last before the entry of the United States into the Second World War, matched the New York Yankees against the Brooklyn Dodgers, with the Yankees winning in five games to capture their fifth title in six years, and the ...
, style=";" , Yankees , style=";" , 41 , style=";" , Yankees, 30 , Tie, 11 , style=";" , Yankees
41 , First postseason meeting and Subway Series between the two teams, first Yankees win , - style="background:#f2f2f2; font-weight:bold;" ,
1947 World Series The 1947 World Series matched the 1947 New York Yankees season, New York Yankees against the 1947 Brooklyn Dodgers season, Brooklyn Dodgers. The Yankees won the Series in seven games for their 11th World Series championship in team history. Yan ...
, style=";" , Yankees , style=";" , 43 , style=";" , Dodgers, 21 , style=";" , Yankees, 31 , style=";" , Yankees
84 , Second postseason meeting , - style="background:#f2f2f2; font-weight:bold;" ,
1949 World Series The 1949 World Series featured the 1949 New York Yankees season, New York Yankees and 1949 Brooklyn Dodgers season, Brooklyn Dodgers, with the Yankees winning in five games for their second defeat of the Dodgers in three years, and the 12th cham ...
, style=";" , Yankees , style=";" , 41 , style=";" , Yankees, 30 , Tie, 11 , style=";" , Yankees
125 , Third postseason meeting , - style="background:#f2f2f2; font-weight:bold;" ,
1952 World Series The 1952 World Series featured the 3-time defending champions New York Yankees beating the Brooklyn Dodgers in seven games. The Yankees won their 4th consecutive title, tying the mark they set in 1936–1939 under manager Joe McCarthy, and Cas ...
, style=";" , Yankees , style=";" , 43 , style=";" , Yankees, 31 , style=";" , Dodgers, 21 , style=";" , Yankees
168 , Fourth postseason meeting , - style="background:#f2f2f2; font-weight:bold;" , 1953 World Series , style=";" , Yankees , style=";" , 42 , style=";" , Dodgers, 21 , style=";" , Yankees, 30 , style=";" , Yankees
2010 , Fifth postseason meeting , - style="background:#f2f2f2; font-weight:bold;" ,
1955 World Series The 1955 World Series was the World Series, championship series of Major League Baseball's (MLB) 1955 Major League Baseball season, 1955 season. The 52nd edition of the World Series, it was a best-of-seven playoff that matched the National Leagu ...
, style=";" , Dodgers , style=";" , 43 , style=";" , Dodgers, 30 , style=";" , Yankees, 31 , style=";" , Yankees
2314 , Sixth postseason meeting, first Dodgers win , - style="background:#f2f2f2; font-weight:bold;" ,
1956 World Series The 1956 World Series was the World Series, championship series of Major League Baseball's (MLB) 1956 Major League Baseball season, 1956 season. The 53rd edition of the World Series, it was a best-of-seven playoff that matched the American Leagu ...
, style=";" , Yankees , style=";" , 43 , style=";" , Dodgers, 31 , style=";" , Yankees, 30 , style=";" , Yankees
2717 , Seventh postseason meeting, last Subway Series between the two teams , - style="background:#f2f2f2; font-weight:bold;" ,
1963 World Series The 1963 World Series was the championship series of Major League Baseball's (MLB) 1963 season. The 60th edition of the World Series, it was a best-of-seven playoff that matched the American League (AL) champion and two-time defending World Se ...
, style=";" , Dodgers , style=";" , 40 , style=";" , Dodgers, 20 , style=";" , Dodgers, 20 , style=";" , Yankees
2721 , Eighth postseason meeting, Dodgers sweep } , - style="background:#f2f2f2; font-weight:bold;" ,
1977 World Series The 1977 World Series was the championship series of Major League Baseball's (MLB) 1977 season. The 74th edition of the World Series, it was a best-of-seven playoff played between the American League (AL) champion New York Yankees and the Nati ...
, style=";" , Yankees , style=";" , 42 , style=";" , Yankees, 21 , style=";" , Yankees, 21 , style=";" , Yankees
3123 , Ninth postseason meeting , - style="background:#f2f2f2; font-weight:bold;" ,
1978 World Series The 1978 World Series was the championship series of Major League Baseball's (MLB) 1978 season. The 75th edition of the World Series, it was a best-of-seven playoff played between the American League (AL) champion New York Yankees and the Nat ...
, style=";" , Yankees , style=";" , 42 , style=";" , Dodgers, 21 , style=";" , Yankees, 30 , style=";" , Yankees
3525 , Tenth postseason meeting , - style="background:#f2f2f2; font-weight:bold;" ,
1981 World Series The 1981 World Series was the World Series, championship series of Major League Baseball's (MLB) 1981 Major League Baseball season, 1981 season. The 78th edition of the World Series, it was a best-of-seven playoff played between the American Lea ...
, style=";" , Dodgers , style=";" , 42 , style=";" , Dodgers, 30 , style=";" , Yankees, 21 , style=";" , Yankees
3729 , Eleventh postseason meeting , - , , style=";" , Dodgers , style=";" , 21 , style=";" , Dodgers, 21 , ''no games'' , style=";" , Yankees
3831 , , - , , style=";" , Yankees , style=";" , 21 , style=";" , Yankees, 21 , ''no games'' , style=";" , Yankees
4032 , , - , , Tie , 22 , Tie, 11 , Tie, 11 , style=";" , Yankees
4234 , , - , , style=";" , Dodgers , style=";" , 21 , ''no games'' , style=";" , Dodgers, 21 , style=";" , Yankees
4336 , , - , , style=";" , Yankees , style=";" , 21 , style=";" , Yankees, 21 , ''no games'' , style=";" , Yankees
4537 , , - , , style=";" , Yankees , style=";" , 21 , style=";" , Yankees, 21 , ''no games'' , style=";" , Yankees
4738 , Permanent adoption of the three-game series format, with location alternating every season. , - , , style=";" , Dodgers , style=";" , 21 , ''no games'' , style=";" , Dodgers, 21 , style=";" , Yankees
4840 , , - style="background:#f2f2f2; font-weight:bold;" ,
2024 World Series The 2024 World Series was the World Series, championship series of Major League Baseball's (MLB) 2024 Major League Baseball season, 2024 season. The 120th edition of the World Series, it was a best-of-seven playoff between the National League (b ...
, style=";" , Dodgers , style=";" , 41 , style=";" , Dodgers, 20 , style=";" , Dodgers, 21 , style=";" , Yankees
4944 , Twelfth postseason meeting. First since 1981. , - , , style=";" , Dodgers , style=";" , 21 , style=";" , Dodgers, 21 , ''no games'' , style=";" , Yankees
5046 , , - , Regular season games , style=";" , Dodgers , style=";" , 1312 , style=";" , Yankees, 98 , style=";" , Dodgers, 53 , , - , Postseason games , style=";" , Yankees , style=";" , 3833 , style=";" , Dodgers, 2115 , style=";" , Yankees, 2312 , , - , Postseason series , style=";" , Yankees , style=";" , 84 , style=";" , Dodgers, 84 , style=";" , Yankees, 732 , World Series: , , , , , , , , , , , , - , Regular and postseason , style=";" , Yankees , style=";" , 5046 , style=";" , Dodgers, 2924 , style=";" , Yankees, 2617 ,


See also

* Dodgers–Giants rivalry * Giants–Yankees rivalry * Mets–Yankees rivalry


Histories

*
Brooklyn Dodgers The Brooklyn Dodgers were a Major League Baseball team founded in 1883 as the Brooklyn Grays. In 1884, it became a member of the American Association as the Brooklyn Atlantics before joining the National League in 1890. They remained in Brook ...
*
Los Angeles Dodgers The Los Angeles Dodgers are an American professional baseball team based in Los Angeles. The Dodgers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League West, West Div ...
*
New York Yankees The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Am ...


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Dodgers-Yankees rivalry Major League Baseball rivalries Los Angeles Dodgers New York Yankees Baseball in New York City Major League Baseball in New York City