Good morning, Uni Watchers. It’s Friday — we made it!
The 120th edition of the World Series begins tonight, in Los Angeles, where the New York Yankees and LA Dodgers will resume a long-time World Series rivalry that first took place in 1941. The two teams have played in 11 different Fall Classics, with the Yankees holding an 8-3 advantage. Those entire 11 World Series took place over a 40-year period, but the teams haven’t met in the World Series since 1981 — a gap of 43 years. That will all change tonight when the teams meet for the twelfth time.
Fans of classic MLB uniforms have their wet dream World Series, as both teams uniforms have changed little over the years. Neither team has a softball alternate jersey. The Dodgers do have two different road jerseys, and they were recently outfitted with their second City Connect, but we won’t be seeing those in this World Series. The Yankees, of course, have only two uniforms (home and road), and politely told MLB they didn’t really need a CC uni at all. Neither team has significanly changed their uniforms in decades, although the Yankees — in what qualified as MAJOR uni news — slightly changed their road uniforms this past season, eliminating the white outlines on their numbers and wordmarks, as well as their sleeve trim.
The word “iconic” gets thrown around quite a bit, but it wouldn’t be too much of a stretch to legitimately call both teams’ uniforms iconic. What they wore in 1941 isn’t significantly different from 2024. There have been some slight changes over the years (particularly to the Dodgers’ road uniforms), but the consistency year to year has been amazing. We’ll take a look at every Yankees-Dodgers World Series this morning, and you’ll see just how little the unis have changed over the years.
Most folks will be tuning in to see Ohtani and Judge and Soto, and all the other superstars both teams have, or they’ll be watching because it’s the World Series, or because they’re fans of the players or teams, but I’ll be tuning in because this should be one of the best-looking Series in a long time, based solely on the unis. Yes, both teams have jersey ads, and all playoff games now have helmet ads, but it’s still a treat to watch two classically attired teams playing in a white/gray World Series, with no alternates or softball tops. This may seem boring to some (including Uni Watchers), but I’ll take the Pinstripes against Dodger Blue in the Fall Classic any day of the week.
Let’s take a look at all the uni matchups over the 11 previous Series between the two teams now. I’ll also include a video of every one of the 11 World Series, so you can take a more in-depth look at the uniforms as they were worn on the field. Enjoy!
The first ever World Series meeting between the Dodgers and Yankees happened in 1941. While both teams’ uniforms looked similar to those worn today, the Dodgers uniforms in particular were the most different. The Dodgers were still playing in their original home of Brooklyn, and their road uniforms read “Brooklyn” in blue script across the chest. Both their home and road jerseys were zipperfront, and their caps featured a white “B” (for Brooklyn) on a royal blue cap. The road uniform had thin blue piping on the headspoon, double stripes on the sleeve, plus piping down the pants and on the belt tunnels. The home uniform featured a script Dodgers wordmark, much like today.
The Yankees uniforms were quite similar to today’s, but back then the jerseys featured set-in sleeves (today’s are raglan), and the home pinstripes were spaced slightly further apart than currently. Road uniforms simply read “NEW YORK” in radial arching. Both teams’ numbers were still in McAuliffe font.
The Yankees would win the 1941 World Series four games to one.
More on the 1941 World Series here.
The 1947 Series took place following Jackie Robinson’s rookie season, and the uniforms for both teams more closely resembled the uniforms worn today. While still using set-in sleeves, the Yankees uniforms by 1947 would feature the same “NY” chest logo they wear today. The roads were still gray flannel with “NEW YORK” arched across the chest. Stripes on the home jersey appear slightly closer together.
The Dodgers home and road uniforms remained relatively unchanged, but the home jerseys now featured block numbers. Additionally, the home script “Dodgers” replaced “Brooklyn” on the road grays.
The Yankees would claim their second straight WS title against the Dodgers in 1947, winning a very tight series four games to three.
More on the 1947 World Series here.
The two teams would meet a mere two years later, but it was more of the same for the Dodgers. Their uniforms were virtually unchanged from their previous meeting.
Likewise, the Yankees uniforms remained basically the same as in 1947.
The Yankees had an easier time of it in 1949, defeating the Dodgers four games to one.
More on the 1949 World Series here.
By the 1950s, both teams’ uniforms would be almost identical to their current ones. The 1952 Brooklyn Dodgers became the first big league club to display uniform numbers on the front of their jerseys, employing the style on their home uniforms (Paul had an incredible piece on that back in 2013). The Dodgers homes would take the form they currently enjoy, while the roads still had piping and no front number. The rear number was now in block font.
Throughout the 1952 season, the Yankees wore a sleeve patch both at home and on the road (it was a 50th Year patch). Aside from that there were no big changes from the previous year.
This would be another World Series to go the Yankees’ way, but it was another nailbiter that the Yanks would win in seven games.
More on the 1952 World Series here.
The next time the teams would meet in the World Series would be the following year. Aside from the Yankees sleeves now being patch-free, the uniforms were unchanged from the prior season. The series contained a spectacular homer from the Mick:
Once again, the Dodgers would fall short in their quest for their first World Series win, and they’d once again fall to the New York Yankees in six games in 1953. It would also be the fifth consecutive World Series in a row the Yanks would win (1949-1953).
More on the 1953 World Series here.
Neither team would play in the 1954 World Series, but the two teams would meet once again, two years later, in the epic 1955 World Series. THIS would finally be the Dodgers’ year. After five consecutive WS losses to the Yanks, the Dodgers would win their lone World Series in Brooklyn. Dodgers’ fans had a slogan until the end of the 1955 season, “Wait till next year!”. After their championship, the slogan changed to “This IS next year!”
The uniforms for both teams were essentially unchanged from their 1953 meeting.
As noted above, the Dodgers finally slayed the Yankee dragons, winning the World Series in seven games, the last being a 2-0 shutout of the Yanks by Johnny Podres.
More on the 1955 World Series here.
The Yanks and Dodgers would meet up one final time as New York-based teams in 1956. It was another exciting series, going the full seven games. Interesingly, in both the 1955 and 1956 World Series, the home team won the first six games of the World Series, but lost Game 7. The uniforms would remain unchanged from the previous year. And while every World Series has a memorable game or moment, 1956 would be the year the first, and only, perfect game would be thrown in the World Series, by Don Larsen.
The Dodgers would come close, but lost another seven game series to the Bronx Bombers.
More on the 1956 World Series here.
By 1963, the Yankees would still be good, but they were on the decline, whereas the Dodgers were becoming an NL powerhouse. The Yankees uniforms would be a little more tailored, and the stirrups showed a bit more white, but their uniforms were still basically the same as ever. By contrast, the 1963 Dodgers, having moved to Los Angeles in 1958, had several changes to their uniforms.
For starters, the Dodgers road uniforms now read “Los Angeles” in blue script, and red front numbers were added. Home and road caps sported the iconic interlocking “LA”. And although the Dodgers moved west in 1958, they played in the LA Coliseum for their first few seasons. 1963 was the first ever World Series held in Dodger Stadium.
Despite the uniform changes to the roads, other than the new LA logo on the cap, the home uniforms remained unchanged.
The Dodgers would get some revenge on the Yankees and their 5-1 overall record in the World Series, winning the 1963 World Series in a sweep.
More on the 1963 World Series here.
After meeting eight times in the World Series in 22 years, the rivalry would not resume again until 1977. MLB by this time had switched from flannel to polyester uniforms, and both teams saw changes from 1963. The Dodgers home uniforms would still look the same, a testament to its staying power. The only significant change was the addition of NOB to both home and road. The road jerseys would feature white outlines around the NOB and numbers, as well as the new “Dodgers” road script. Sleeves also had a white/blue/white stripe on the hems.
Like the Dodgers, the Yankees home uniforms would be virtually unchanged. Their roads were given similar treatment to the Dodgers, with white outlines being added to the wordmark and rear numbers. Sleeve ends also had a navy/white/navy stripe at the hem.
With the Yankees beefed up by a number of high-priced free agents, Game Six produced one of the most memorable games in World Series history, as Reggie Jackson launched three home runs on three consecutive pitches to help seal the game and series for the Bombers.
The Yankees would take the 1977 World Series in six games, raising their World Series tally over the Dodgers to 7-2.
More on the 1977 World Series here.
The Dodgers and Yankees met again in 1978 for a rematch, but like the uniforms (which were unchanged from the year before), the results were the same. And like Reggie’s 3-HR game, one of the standout performances in 1978 was the brilliant play of Yanks 3B Graig Nettles.
Not only did the Yanks repeat in 1978 as World Series Champions, they did so in six games, just like the previous year. This would be the last World Series in which the Yanks would defeat the Dodgers, improving their record to 8-2.
More on the 1978 World Series here.
After looking like the “new” rivalry would be long lasting, the Yanks and Dodgers would meet in the World Series for the last time before tonight in 1981. That series actually had some interesting parallels with the 1978 World Series. In both of those, the losing team won their first two games, only to lose the remaining four. In 1978, the Yanks did it to the Dodgers, but the Dodgers would reverse that in 1981, winning their third and final World Series over the Yankees.
1981 was the season of Mexican-born rookie phenom Fernando Valenzuela, who won his first eight games, including five by shutout. Valenzuela would pitch eight shutouts in all and win both the National League’s Rookie of the Year and Cy Young awards. After dropping the first two games, Valenzuela righted the Dodgers ship, winning game 3. As you’re all likely aware, Valenzuela passed away earlier this week and will be honored by the Dodgers in this year’s World Series.
The Dodgers had a special patch on their uniforms in 1981, the Los Angeles Bicentennial logo.
As noted, the Dodgers avenged their 1977-78 losses to the Yankees in 1981, winning their third title against the Bronx Bombers.
More on the 1981 World Series here.
Even if you aren’t a fan of baseball or of these two teams, this will be the best looking World Series (aside from the sleeve and helmet ads, of course) in a long time.
I looked at the headline and thought “Wow, that’s gonna be a short article today!” Nice job digging into the minutiae. The Dodgers-Yankees rivalry highlights (to me) an incredible fact that had the Dodgers not moved, the World Series would have been played in New York City every year from 1949 to 1966!
GTGFTS
Game 3 2005 World Series
25 October
Official game time clocked in at 5:41, beaten only by the Red Sox-Diodgers Game 3 in 2018
First World Series game in the state of Texas
Mark Buehrle became the first pitcher since 1958 to win a WS game and save the next one.
Scott Posednik had 8 at bats
Between the two teams, 17 pitchers were used, 482 pitches were thrown, 21 batters walked, 30 runners were left on base, and the Sox won 7-5 on a Geoff Blum 2 run HR in the 14th.
Game 3 of the 2005 World Series, White Sox vs Astros. Sox win 7-5 in 14 innings, Geoff Blum hits the tie-breaking HR in the 14th off of Ezequiel Astacio. Damaso Marte gets the W, Mark Buehrle the save.
I despise both teams playing in the Series, but have to respect the uniformity of the uniforms over the decades.
I remember the 1981 World Series very well. Not necessarily for the game. But, for how much trouble I got in for watching it. I always went with my parents to the bowling alley. In the middle of the building was a bar. I kept sneaking into the bar to watch the game. Bartender didn’t mind me being in there. But my Mom sure did. She had to come and jerk me by the arm to get me out of there all night! LOL I was only 8 years old so she didn’t think I had any business sitting on a stool in a bar watching a baseball game.
Jackie was out!!!
Going to be a tremendous, tremendous series. The star power and the buzz of having the two most popular teams on the coasts just add to the drama. I’ll be locked in on every pitch. Great review, PH!
“Jackie was out!!!”
Yogi swore this until his dying day.
Honestly, he was probably safe, but you gotta respect the man for committing to the bit.
He brought up when I saw him in 2009
The craziest thing to me about that play is how awfully the umpire is setup to make the call. It’s terrible to blow a call in the World Series, but when you’re trying to see the play through Yogi’s back you can understand how “mistakes” like that happen.
Wet dream? Come on, man!
Should have used the classic
wetdream strikethrough lolGTGFTU: 12/31/2023 – Carolina Panthers (0) at Jacksonville Jaguars (26) TIAA Bank Field, Jacksonville.
In the 53 Series photo, it looks like Billy Martin got his butt literally kicked by Roy Campanella. Martin and the Yanks did get the last laugh that year.
“Even if you aren’t a fan of baseball or of these two teams, this will be the best looking World Series (aside from the sleeve and helmet ads, of course) in a long time.”
Hard disagree on that one. It’s great for baseball purists, sure, but I can’t even put a number on how many conversations I’ve had with non-baseball fans who ask “Why do they always go white vs. grey? Why are the uniforms so boring?”, or conversely, “I don’t like baseball but I LOVE the Blue Jays’ black jerseys”.
I’m not sure why you would deign to converse with such unsavory characters.
Haha! If it helps, I always try to vouch for the importance of traditional uniforms, even if that’s not always clear from my comments on here.
A while back, I heard a trivia question asking “In which stadium have the Dodgers played the most World Series games?” At the time, the answer was Yankee Stadium, and the stumbling block of the question was to distract you into thinking about the two stadiums that the Dodgers called home for most of their existence: Ebbets Field and Dodger Stadium. With the Dodgers having played in a few more World Series in recent years, does anyone know if this answer is still true? I can certainly look it up when I have some time on my hands, but maybe someone who is more hardcore than I am already knows.
Yes, this is still true and will be true even after this Series
Yankee Stadium I=32 games
Ebbets Field=29
Dodger Stadium=27
Oakland Coliseum=6
RangerDome=6
League Park=4
Metropolitan Stadium=4
LA Coliseum=3
Astrodome II=3
Comiskey Park I=3
Braves Field=2
Fenway Park=2
Memorial Stadium=2
I checked. It’s still true. 29 games at Ebbets Field. 22 at Dodger Stadium, 29 at Yankee Stadium. By the end of this WS, both the later two will have increased by at least 2.
(I see Marc already beat me to it)
Remember that it’s a different Yankee Stadium now so the number of games there is permanently 32.
Thanks for doing the research that I was too lazy/busy to do!!!!
“The word “iconic” gets thrown around quite a bit…”
Yes it does. Especially here. A thesaurus isn’t a dinosaur.
You don’t/won’t see that word on the weekends.
GTGFTU: 31 Dec 2023, Week 17 – Jaguars beat Panthers, 26-0. First game the Panthers ever wore white over blue.
Isn’t that pic of Jackie and Yogi under “1947” from 1955?
1955 Series Game 1. Yogi went to his grave saying Jackie was out!
That’s what I thought. Jackie’s helmet told me it wasn’t from ’47.
Photo now swapped out of 1947.
My Dad was a lifelong Yankee fan who grew up in Brooklyn within walking distance of Ebbetts Field. He went there twice…. in ’41 and ’47 to see the Yanks World Series games. I recall asking him why he didn’t just go see Dodgers games since he lived so close. His answer was ‘They were not my team.’ which, if you knew my father, made perfect sense. RIP Dad
Sigh. Those 60’s and 70’s uniforms are beauties. Proper fit…matching belts and cleats…stirrups…quality material…and no maker’s marks or ad patches to be found. Now compare them to the garbage of today. Like night and day.
A casual poll of teams who never change their uniforms begins and ends with the Yankees, Dodgers, and Cardinals. Close but no cigar for the Red Sox, Tigers and Royals. Asterisk for the Rockies who have played it cool but need a bigger stage.
My father, brothers and I attended one of the 1981 games in the Bronx. I was pretty little, but recall three things: One, Lou Piniella was playing for the Yanks at the time, and when he came to bat, everyone yelled “LOOOOUUUU”. I thought he was being booed, couldn’t understand why. Two, all of the Dodger fans seemed to be seated in one are together. Made me think that was for safety purposes or something. Third, and most importantly, my Dad made us leave early (can’t recall how early) and my brother, a huge BBall fan, has never let him live it down.
I have a question for you Phil and other New Yorkers: which team would a fan of the Brooklyn Dodgers cheer for after The Dodgers left town to go to Los Angeles?
Like other NY fans, I probably would have stuck with the Dodgers, albeit long distance. There’s no way in HELL I would have gone to the dark side. If the Dodgers had folded (and the Giants) had already moved, I probably would have followed a different NL team. League loyalty.
I was 11 when “dem bums” abandoned my Borough. Have despised them ever since.
Have been a Yankees fan ever since.
I didn’t see any mention of the red front numbers. Did I miss it?
Re-read the 1963 section.
Well that’s for the road red. Also re-read the 1952 section for the homes. That includes Paul’s epic piece on the origin of the red numbers from a few years back.
Thank you both!
Thanks for the great write-up, Phil! Two classic teams with classic unis. As much as I love to hate the Yankees and Dodgers, this will be an easy-on-the-eyes series. Also kudos for including two awesome photos: the 1963 Series with the Dodger Stadium outfield seats in the background. A mid century modern classic itself. And that full moon photo too! Wow!
Thanks, Patrick!
It took me *way* longer than I had anticipated to research and find photos (and even then, I found several mislabeled — including the Jackie Robinson sliding into home that was from 1955 that I put under 1947, because it was mislabeled — that’s on me. I knew that photo and should have been more careful). But I did enjoy it and I’m glad you did too!