But even if the Yanks do emerge from this series and reach the Fall Classic, they might have another Southern California powerhouse to contend with.
It's been 28 years since the Yankees and Dodgers, two of the most historically rich franchises in baseball history, met in the World Series. CC Sabathia was in diapers. It was 1981, and the Dodgers came back from 2-0 down to win the Fall Classic in six, led by a trio of slugging World Series co-MVPs — Ron Cey, Pedro Guerrero and Steve Yeager.
But before that, the two teams have a long history together. There was 1977, when the Dodgers fell victim to Reggie Jackson's power onslaught in the World Series and the "Mr. October" legend was born. There was 1963, when Sandy Koufax silenced the Yankees and L.A. swept the Series. There was 1956, when Don Larsen made history with the Fall Classic's only perfect game. There was '55, when the Brooklyn Dodgers finally won it all for the first and only time.
All in all, the two franchises have met 11 times in the World Series, more than any other pair of teams. And depending on what happens this week, we could see another showdown between the great dynamic duo in baseball history.
Sometimes, the best rivalries aren't between two cross-town rivals. Sometimes, they're not even connected by a highway like Interstate 95. Sometimes, the competitive fire burns brightest from across the nation.
Like Celtics-Lakers or Cowboys-Redskins, the Yankees and the Dodgers have had a cross-country rivalry that can enthrall the entire nation living in between them. It's a battle of East Coast and West Coast — Wall Street versus Hollywood. It's a baseball series and a culture clash all in one. But to the youngest generation of baseball fans, Yanks-Dodgers doesn't mean much.
Not yet, anyway. That could change next week.
The Yankees still hold a 2-1 series lead over their first opponent from L.A. The other SoCal power has some work to do; by falling apart in the ninth inning and losing Game 4 to Philadelphia, the Dodgers now trail 3-1 in the NLCS. It's far from a done deal, but there's still a chance of a Yankees-Dodgers series becoming a reality.
This series would be good for the game of baseball, a game that respects history and tradition unlike any other. These names — the Jacksons, the Koufaxes, the Larsens — are what make baseball our national pastime. Another series between New York and L.A. would draw the attention not only of our nation's two biggest cities, but of everyone in between.
Yanks-Dodgers would revitalize America's interest in baseball history. With football and basketball taking over the national spotlight and the nation's great game fading fast, this series would work wonders.
Baseball is in great shape no matter what happens this October. With the championship hunt narrowed down to just three major U.S. cities — New York, L.A. and Philadelphia — that love their sports and badly want a title, we're bound for a classic Series no matter what.
But Yankees-Dodgers is the dream matchup, the one scenario that stands above all others as the showdown of the century.
Last century, that is. New York and L.A. have the chance to remind us off the 1900s all over again. In a century of great baseball, these are the two franchises that have lived in the spotlight. They have a shot at getting back there.
