1977 World Series

vs. 1977 World Series (4-2) New York Yankees (100-62, AL) vs. Los Angeles Dodgers (98-64, NL) BR 1977 WS Summary

Introduction

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 in an effort to redeem themselves after having been swept by the Cincinnati Reds the previous year. 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 obtained 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 home runs 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.

Umpires

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

Recap

AL New York Yankees (4) vs. NL Los Angeles Dodgers (2)

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

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

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 five-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

Game 3

October 14, 1977 at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, California

After Dusty Baker's three-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

Game 4

October 15, 1977 at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, California

Ron Guidry tossed a four-hitter and Lou Piniella's leaping catch robbed Ron Cey of a three-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

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

Game 6

October 18, 1977 at Yankee Stadium in New York, New York

One of the best known single-game performances ever occured in Game 6: Reggie Jackson hit three home runs on three consecutive pitches off three different pitchers.

                                 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

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

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 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 of Yankee Stadium; 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 home runs 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 telecasts of the Series started in 1947 - not to be televised, at least in part, by NBC (NBC's rival, ABC was the broadcaster). NBC was the exclusive broadcaster of the Series from 1950 to 1976. The play-by-play announcers alternated between Al Michaels and Keith Jackson.
• 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 are one of the key plot points, along with the "Son of Sam" (serial killer David Berkowitz) 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".

Quotes

• Ladies and Gentlemen...The Bronx is burning - Howard Cosell's famous quote after seeing a burning abandoned school in The Bronx in Game 2.
• 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.

References

• David S. Neft and Richard M. Cohen: The World Series, 1st ed., St Martins Press, New York, NY, 1990, pp. 365-370.

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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