The Yankees again met the Dodgers in the first World Series rematch since the Yanks and Braves squared off in 1957 and '58. New York had a tough road to the Series, as they first had to make up a 14-game deficit in the American League East standings, then beat the Red Sox in a one-game playoff before eliminating Kansas City for the third straight year in the American League Championship Series.

The Bombers thus looked slightly fatigued in Game 1, getting blown out 11-5 by the Dodgers in Los Angeles as Davey Lopes hit a pair of home runs. The Yanks were in dire straits indeed after Game 2, which they lost 4-3, Dodgers third baseman Ron Cey accounting for all four L.A. runs with an RBI single and a three-run homer.

Ron Guidry, who went 25-3 in the regular season, limited the Dodgers to a single run in Game 3, while the Yankees touched Don Sutton for five on their way to a 5-1 win. Reggie Smith's three-run homer gave the Dodgers a 3-0 lead in Game 4, but the Yankees tied things up with two in the sixth and one more in the eighth. And in the bottom of the 10th, Lou Piniella's single to center field knocked in Willie Randolph with the winning run. Game 5 was a laugher, Yankee-style, as Thurman Munson drove home five runs and the Bombers destroyed the Dodgers, 12-2.

Game 6 saw the Yankees make it four straight games and two straight Series. L.A. trailed just 3-2 after five innings, but New York scored twice in the sixth and twice more in the seventh. Goose Gossage finished up with two innings of scoreless relief, and Cey ended the contest with a foul-out to Munson. The Series concluded with the Yankees over the Dodgers, just like in the 1950s.

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

Managers: Bob Lemon, NYY; Tom Lasorda, LA

MVP: Bucky Dent, NYY: .417, 1 2B, 7 RBI