Game 1 opened with a flurry of scoring, the Dodgers tallying two in the top of the first inning, the Yankees one in their half. New York went ahead with a run in the sixth and another in the eighth, thanks to Willie Randolph's homer and Thurman Munson's RBI double. The Dodgers tied the game in the ninth against Yankee relief ace Sparkly Lyle, however, and off they went to extra innings. New York finally won in the 12th, when Randolph doubled, then scored on Paul Blair's single.

New York could do little with Burt Hooton's knuckle-curve in Game 2, and the Dodgers rolled to an easy win, 6-1 on four home runs.

After a day off, the World Series resumed in Los Angeles. The Yankees opened with three runs in the first off Tommy John, but Dusty Baker tied things up in the third with a three-run blast into the left-field bullpen. New York starter Mike Torrez pitched shutout ball after that, however, and captured a 5-3 victory thanks to single Yankee runs in the fourth and fifth.

The Yankees knocked out Game 4 starter Doug Rau in the third inning, scoring three times, but the Dodgers came up with two of their own in the third when Davey Lopes blasted a Ron Guidry pitch over the center-field fence. Reggie Jackson hit a solo shot in the sixth, and that's how it ended: Yankees 4, Dodgers 2. The Dodgers stayed alive with an easy win in Game 5, 10-4 behind Don Sutton's complete game.

Back in New York for Game 6, the Dodgers owned a 3-2 lead after three innings, but then Jackson got to work. First came a two-run homer off Hooton in the fourth. Just an inning later, Jackson again blasted a two-run shot, this one off Elias Sosa. And he finished off his power display with a solo clout off Charlie Hough in the eighth, propelling the Bronx Bombers to an 8-4, Series-clinching victory. Thus was born "Mr. October."

Path to the World Series
ALCS: New York over Kansas City (3 games to 2)
NLCS: Los Angeles over Philadelphia (3 games to 1)

Managers: Billy Martin, NYY; Tom Lasorda, LA

MVP: Reggie Jackson, NYY: .450, 5 HR, 8 RBI