For the first time since 1981, two of sports' most storied franchises, the New York Yankees and Los Angeles Dodgers, will meet in the World Series.
This matchup in the Fall Classic may have been the first in more than 40 years, but the two have faced off 11 times, the most in MLB history. As such, some of the most iconic moments in MLB postseason history have come from these two teams facing off on baseball's biggest stage.
Let's take a look at one of the undisputed moments in World Series history.
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Here, New York Yankees pitcher Don Larsen delivered a three-strike pitch to Dodgers pinch hitter Dale Mitchell for the final out of the first complete game in World Series history. Second baseman Billy Martin stands in front of the scoreboard and it tells the story. The Yankees won 2-0. (Getty Images)
Yankees pitcher Don Larsen pitched a perfect game against the Brooklyn Dodgers
The 27-year-old right-hander from Michigan City, Indiana, was still playing in Brooklyn, New York when he took the mound for the Yankees in Game 5 of the 1956 World Series against the Dodgers.
Larsen took the ball in his hands, hoping to perform better than he did in Game 2 of this series, when he was ejected in the second inning in a 13-8 loss to Brooklyn. The Yankees were working with Larsen giving them a 6-0 lead, but he couldn't get things going.
However, Larsen had to forget what happened in the past, as the Yankees won Games 3 and 4, tying the series at two games each.
What happened there was that Larsen made MLB history and still stands as the only perfect game in World Series history.
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Larsen needed just 97 pitches to get through the game, and the legendary Pee Wee Reese was the only Dodgers batter to reach a three-ball count.
In addition to Reese, the lineup that day included Hall of Famers such as Jackie Robinson, Duke Snyder, Gil Hodges, and Roy Campanella, and Larsen's ability to not even allow a runner on first base showed how dominant he was. It showed how warm it was.
The closest a Dodgers batter came to getting on base was when Robinson hit a line drive into the glove of Andy Carey at third base. The ball eventually went to shortstop Gil McDougald, who forced the speedy Robinson to first base and out.
Hodges was also able to fire Larsen's pitch deep into center field, but the speedy Mickey Mantle chased it and caught it.
Larsen recalled a perfect game in 2016. bergen recordswhere he said that when he found out he was getting the start, he simply didn't want to ruin it for the team.
Here's a battery whose names join other baseball immortals: Yankees pitcher Don Larsen (left) and catcher Yogi Berra. Battery in Game 5 of the 1956 World Series, the first perfect game in World Series history. Larsen pitched and Berra called and caught the ball, holding the Dodgers to 97 pitches with no hits, no runs, and no walks. With the 2-0 victory, the Yanks were one game away from winning the World Series. (Getty Images)
“The ball going into my shoe meant you were going to start. I was very surprised,” Larsen said. “I looked at the damn thing and said, 'Oh no, don't screw this up again.'”
Larsen has repeatedly pointed out how much control he had on his pitches that day, and the fact that he needed just 97 pitches to go through nine innings says it all. His patented no-windup throw to home plate was adopted during the 1956 campaign, giving him more control over his pitches.
If Yogi Berra hadn't completed the pitcher and catcher battery in Game 5, Larsen would never have taken the mound. Larsen told the Bergen Record that Berra, who was known to be talkative, “didn't say anything to me” during the match. The perfect game began to become a reality.
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“Nobody talked to me much,” Larsen added. “I didn't really like it.”
When the top of the 9th inning rolled around, Mantle hit a home run in the fourth inning, and Hank Bauer hit a single two innings later, giving the Yankees just a two-run lead.
Larsen was initially scheduled to start against Carl Furillo, but was able to get him to fly out to Bauer for the first out of the first inning. Then the always dangerous Campanella came to bat, but hit a grounder to second baseman Billy Martin, which was properly handled as an out for two.
Finally, the Dodgers sent career .312 hitter Dale Mitchell to the plate as a last hope to get someone on base. But it was no surprise that Larsen threw another perfect fastball to strike out Mitchell, complete the game, and send the Yankee Stadium crowd into a frenzy.
Berra sprinted toward Larsen, and one of the most distinctive moments in baseball occurred. Bella jumped into Larsen's arms.
Yankees catcher #8 Yogi Berra jumps up and down while hugging teammate Don Larsen in response to Larsen's feat of pitching the first perfect game in World Series history in Game 5 of the series. The tall right-hander led his team to a 2-0 win and a 3-2 lead in the series. (Getty Images)
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“When Yogi jumped on me, I kind of looked away while he was doing it,” Larsen said. “Dale turned around to argue, but no one was there. And here I was with Yogi in my arms. It was kind of funny.”
Since Larsen's perfect game, the only no-hitter in World Series history was a joint effort by the Houston Astros, with Cristian Javier, Brian Abreu, Rafael Montero, and Ryan Pressley all joining the Phillies in the 2022 Fall Classic. He was held without a hit.
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