20 of the best vintage photos from the Yankees and Dodgers’ storied history

Brooklyn Dodgers fans celebrated their team’s win over the St. Louis Cardinals and journey to the 1941 World Series, writing, “We’re in!!! Bring on those Yanks” on a scoreboard.

The Yankees won game one 3-2 with a home run from Joe Gordon in the bottom of the second inning and two scores from Charlie Keller in the fourth and sixth.

After the Dodgers tied the series 1-1, the Yankees rebounded with three straight wins to win the 1941 World Series for their ninth championship title.

Yankee center fielder Joe DiMaggio was named MVP of the American League that season, finishing with 193 hits, 122 runs, and 30 home runs.

In 1947, 28-year-old Jackie Robinson of the Brooklyn Dodgers became the first player to break the color barrier in Major League Baseball.

Robinson and the Dodgers made it all the way to the World Series, going toe-to-toe with the New York Yankees and taking the series to game seven.

Though the Yankees ultimately won the final game 5-2, Robinson was named Rookie of the Year.

However, Snider’s catch wasn’t enough to give the Dodgers the win, as the Yankees finished the game 10-6 to win the series.

The 1952 World Series was much more competitive than 1949’s run, going all the way to game seven.

Unfortunately for the Dodgers, the Yankees once again won game seven with a final score of 4-2.

Home runs from Mickey Mantle and Gene Woodling, as well as scores from Phil Rizzuto and Gil McDougald helped lift the Yankees to a 4-0 World Series record against the Dodgers.

Reese was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1984 and the Dodgers retired his number in 1984.

Rizzuto was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1994 and the Yankees retired his number in 1985.

The Yankees won game one of the series 9-5, with four runs in the first inning.

Dodgers fans’ excitement didn’t last long, as a lone Yankee fan’s sign proved to be right once again with the words, “Bad news again, Dodger fans. Wait till next year.”

The Yankees won the 1953 World Series 4-2 for their fifth straight title.

Despite Yankees catcher Yogi Berra’s insistence that he’d tagged Robinson, the umpire called Robinson safe in an unforgettable play.

The Yankees still managed to edge out a win 6-5.

The Dodgers won game seven 2-0 with scores by Roy Campanella and Pee Wee Reese to bring the team its first-ever World Series title.

Campanella was named the National League MVP in 1955, while pitcher Johnny Podres was named the MVP of the World Series.

This was Jackie Robinson’s only championship win of his career.

Larsen threw 97 pitches in his record-making performance in game five.

“They can never break my record. The best they can do is tie it. October 8, 1956, was a mystical trip through fantasyland. Sometimes I still wonder whether it really all happened,” Larsen reportedly said, per the MLB.

The New York Yankees went on to win the series in game seven with a 9-0 win, and Larsen was named MVP.

Mantle played a critical role in Larsen’s no-hitter, with a catch against Gil Hodges, representing a landmark year for the center fielder.

According to the Yankees, he had “one of the greatest seasons ever at the plate,” winning the Triple Crown with 52 home runs, 130 RBI, and a .353 average. He was also the American League MVP.

The Yankees retired Mantle’s number in 1969, and he was inducted into the Hall of Hame in 1974.

Dodgers pitcher Sandy Koufax threw a record 15 strikeouts to win game one of the series 5-2.

Koufax finished the 1963 season as World Series MVP, National League MVP, and winner of the Cy Young Award, which is given to the best pitchers.

He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1972.

The 1977 World Series belonged to Yankees right fielder Reggie Jackson, who earned the nickname “Mr. October” for his performance in series-winning game six on October 18, 1977.

Jackson hit three home runs on three consecutive at-bats against three different pitchers, and the Yankees won the game 8-4.

He was named World Series MVP.

In 2021, the MLB listed the 1978 Yankees as having one of the “best postseason pushes” in league history to make it to the World Series.

The Yankees ultimately won game four 4-3 and later won the series four games to two for back-to-back championship wins.

Just as the Yankees rallied in 1978, the Dodgers did the same during their 1981 World Series run, winning the series four games to two and marking the last time these two powerhouses faced off in the championships.

Los Angeles finished game six with a decisive 9-2 victory and the team named three MVPs of the series: Steve Yeager, Pedro Guerrero, and Ron Cey.

Yankees right fielder Aaron Judge and Dodgers pitcher and designated hitter Shohei Ohtani are two of the most dominant players in the league, with 58 and 54 home runs during the season, respectively.

They’re also two of its highest-paid players, as Ohtani signed a record-breaking 10-year, $700 million contract with the Dodgers in December 2023 and Judge signed a nine-year, $360 million contract with the Yankees in December 2022.

Judge told reporters on Tuesday that the Dodgers are “a great ball club” and a “complete team,” adding that they’re fast, athletic, and dynamic.

He also described Ohtani as an “impressive athlete” who’s “the best player in the game.”

“Definitely looking forward to this matchup,” he concluded.