#24. 1938 World Champion New York Yankees v. #97. 1977 World Champion New York Yankees
The 7th Yankees World Champions vs. the 21st Yankees World Champions. Winners advance the Final Four, playing for the pennant. They face the winners of the 1970 Orioles v. 1998 Yankees. 3 out of the 4 teams in this half of the bracket are Yankees. They have no teams remaining in the bottom half of the bracket, that means, it will not be Yankees v. Yankees in the World Series (only the Orioles have the chance to do that)
Yankees 99-53 (Pythag 97-55) Mgr Joe McCarthy
Won AL Pennant
d. Cubs 4-0 to win World Series
d. #105 1957 Braves 2-0 (MVP-Joe Gordon)
d. #41 2019 Dodgers 3-1 (MVP-Frankie Crosetti/Joe Gordon)
d. #56 2001 Mariners 3-1 (MVP-Joe DiMaggio/Bill Dickey)
d. #40 1995 Indians 4-1 (MVP0 Joe DiMaggio)
All-Stars Bill Dickey (2nd AL MVP) Joe DiMaggio, Lou Gehrig, Lefty Gomez, Johnny Murphy, Red Rolfe, Red Ruffing (4th AL MVP)
Hall of Fame: Bill Dickey, Joe DiMaggio, Lou Gehrig, Lefty Gomez, Joe Gordon, Red Ruffing, Joe McCarthy
Another Joe McCarthy team, third straight World Championship for the Yankees, it hadn't been done before. They win it again next year. Won the AL by 9.5.
Yankees 100-62 (Pythag: 99-63) Mgr. Billy Martin
Won AL East
d. Royals 3-2 in ALCS
d. Dodgers 4-2 in World Series (MVP-Reggie Jackson)
d. #32. 2007 Red Sox 2-1 (MVP-Reggie Jackson)
d. #33 1943 Cardinals 3-1 (MVP-Graig Nettles)
d. #65 1984 Tigers 3-2 (MVP-Chris Chambliss/Don Gullett)
d. #16 1975 Reds 4-1 (MVP-Graig Nettles)
All-Stars: OF Reggie Jackson, RP Sparky Lyle (AL Cy Young) C Thurman Munson, 3B Graig Nettles (5th AL MVP) 2B Willie Randolph
Hall of Famers: Catfish Hunter, Reggie Jackson, Bobby Cox (first base coach)
Reggie's first year in New York; also the year of the blackout. Steinbrenner feuded with Billy - Billy feuded with Reggie. Reggie said he was the straw that stirs the drink - it's the Bronx Zoo Yankees. The front half of back to back Champions.
REGION ONE RECAP - HOW THE 1977 YANKEES GOT HERE
The 1977 Yankees were the 97th overall seed so had to climb a steep hill. First to fall was the 32nd seed, the 2007 Red Sox; the Yanks lost the first game, making them a game from elimination right off the bat. Cliff Johnson and Lou Piniella homered in game 2 and the Yankees beat Curt Schilling to force game 3. They went to Fenway and beat the Sox, Reggie Jackson hit a 3 run homer and was named MVP.
Next to fall was the 33rd seed, the 1943 Cardinals. In game 1, New York trailed 6-2 in the 9th inning and scored 9 runs and in game 2, a Graig Nettles two run homer in the 13th gave the Yanks a 4-2 win. The Yanks dropped game 3, but Ron Guidry gave up 2 hits in 8 innings and the Yanks shut out St Louis 8-0 to clinch the series. Nettles was named MVP.
The Regional Semi-Final saw the Yanks take on the 65th seeded '84 Tigers; Detroit took game one; Cliff Johnson hit two game two homers to even the series. Detroit took Game 3 on an 8 RBI day for Ruppert Jones and once again, the Yanks were a loss away from elimination. Guidry again came up big, complete game 10-3 win. Another winner take all game on the road - Chris Chambliss provided the Yanks their only runs with a 3 run homer, Don Gullett thew 118 pitches, with the tying and winning runs on base - Sparky Lyle struck out Darrell Evans to end the series.
And then the biggest hurdle of all - in the Region 1 Final the Yankees faced the 16th overall seed, the Big Red Machine, the '75 Reds. The Yanks lost game one, but again it was Guidry who brought them back, 8 innings, 6 Ks, Lyle striking out Pete Rose with the bases loaded to end the game. The Yankees blasted through game 3 with a tournament record 21 runs, Chambliss with a half dozen RBI. Nettles' 4th homer of the series paced the Yanks to a game 4 win and then New York wrapped it up in game 5 when Roy White hit two homers and Nettles hit his 5th of the series and took another MVP.
REGION EIGHT RECAP - HOW THE 1938 YANKEES GOT HERE.
The 1938 Yankees came into the tournament as the 24th overall seed; Gehrig/DiMaggio/Dickey, you would have expected they'd perform and they have performed. It started against Hank Aaron and the 105th seeded Milwaukee Braves. Red Ruffing went 8 innings to win game one and then the Yanks went to Milwaukee, took game 2 and swept the Braves. Joe Gordon was the MVP on the strength of a homer and a couple of doubles.
The 2017 Dodgers won Region 2 - in Round 2, the '38 Yankees faced the 2019 Dodgers, the 41st seed. Ruffing again got New York off to a good start, 8 innings, one allowed in a 2-1 game one win. Clayton Kershaw handed New York its first loss in game 2 - but the Yankee offense came through in Game 3 at Dodger Stadium; Frankie Crosetti driving in 5. New York ended it in Game 4, Ruffing winning 7-6. Joe Gordon hit a 3 run homer and he and Crosetti shared MVP.
In the Regional Semi-Final, the Yankees took on the 2001 Mariners, the 56th overall seed. New York dropped game one, but Tommy Henrich hit 2 game two homers, Lefty Gomez threw 129 pitches, and the Yankees evened the series. Game 3 was DiMaggio - finishing a homer short of a cycle to move the Yanks within a game of the Regional Final. And then Ruffing threw a complete game to clinch the series; Bill Dickey hitting a 2 run homer to share MVP with DiMaggio.
And in the series we just saw, the Yanks met the '95 Indians in the Region 8 Final, Cleveland was the 40th overall seed - so the thing to note as you consider the Elite 8 matchup we're about to see - the '77 Yanks have been underdogs in all 4 rounds -- the '38 Yankees have been favorites in all 4 rounds. Cleveland scored 3 in the 8th and 1 in the 9th to take game 1 from the Yanks; game 2 was a pitchers duel, Spud Chandler threw 7 shutout innings, a Red Rolfe homer provided the game's only run. In a parallel to the '77 Yankees scoring 21 in game 3 of their Regional Final -- the '38 Yankees hung 16 on the Indians in game 3. DiMaggio with 5 RBI. The bullpen came through in game 4 with 4 scorless to preserve a 6-3 win, and then Lefy Gomez threw a complete game 5 hitter to clinch the series; DiMaggio with 2 more homers to take the MVP.
And so there we go. 2 Yankee World Champions meet in the Elite 8 - winner moves onto the Final Four where they will play for the pennant.
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