1977 WORLD SERIES

New York Yankees (4) vs Los Angeles Dodgers (2) | Baseball Almanac

After an embarrassing sweep by baseball's newest dynasty, the Cincinnati Reds, the American League champion New York Yankees returned to the Fall Classic determined to make amends for the previous year's disappointing finale. The bruised egos and mounting stress had taken its toll on the Yankees organization during the regular season as Billy Martin and Reggie Jackson erupted into a huge argument at Boston's Fenway Park for what the manager termed as "lack of hustle". The fight that followed in the dugout was caught on national-television cameras broadcasting the Saturday afternoon game and both men were blasted in the papers. Both managed to settle their differences, but the damage to their reputations had already been done. The Los Angeles Dodgers, guided by rookie Manager Tommy Lasorda, dethroned the defending champion Reds in the Natioanl League West and steamrolled over the Philadelphia Phillies in the Championship Series. Like the Yankees, Los Angeles featured a potent line-up that included Steve Garvey (thirty-three home runs), Reggie Smith (thirty-two), Ron Cey (thirty) and Dusty Baker (thirty) who set the record as the first ballclub to boast four players who hit thirty or more home runs in the same season.

As the West Coast and East Coast remained locked in a bitter 3-3 tie going into the twelfth inning of Game 1, Paul Blair checkmated the Dodgers with a clutch single that scored Willie Randolph for the opening victory. Los Angeles had revenge the following day after Cey, Smith and Steve Yeager all cracked early inning homers off Catfish Hunter. Burt Hooton faired much better on the mound and tossed a five hitter that evened the Series with a 6-1 triumph. However, New York would jump ahead to a three-game lead as the "Pinstripes" bested Tommy John for a 5-3 decision in the third outing and lefthander Ron Guidry added a 4-2 win in the fourth. Pitching remained a key factor in Game 5, as the hopes and dreams of the Dodger faithful were extended with a masterful, 10-4 complete game performance by Los Angeles ace Don Sutton. All contests up to this point would pale in comparison though to the legendary finale that was about to take place.

Game 6 was certainly the most memorable in the 1977 World Series thanks a spectacular performance at the plate by Reggie Jackson. The Yankees newest "Bomber" was making his eighteenth appearance and it proved to be his greatest as he became only the second player in history to smash three home runs in a single Series game (Babe Ruth did it in 1926 and 1928). In addition, the five home runs in one Series and four consecutive blasts over a two Series-game period was unprecedented.

As Thurman Munson stood on first, Jackson nailed Hooton on his first pitch sending the Yanks ahead with a 4-3 lead. Later in the fifth with two outs and Willie Randolph on first, Reggie launched another rocket off of Elias Sosa that landed in the right-field seats. Finally, he electrified the home team crowd of 56,407 by leading off the eighth with the historic blast into the center-field bleachers. "Mr. October" indeed. Riding on the five RBIs of their slugging champion, the Yanks showed a glimpse of what was "Yankee baseball" and held on for the 8-4 victory that earned their twenty-first World Series title. It was the first crown for the "Bronx Bombers" since 1962.

Jackson's MVP performance against the Dodgers tallied a staggering .450 average with five home runs and eight runs batted in. His offense was the key to the Yankees win as their rotation (minus Torrez who finished 2-0, 2.50 ERA) lacked "the hustle" that Martin liked. Don Gullett and Hunter both went 0-1 and allowed a combined fourteen earned-runs in seventeen innings. Research by Baseball Almanac.

Baseball Almanac Top Quote

"Jackson with four runs batted in, sends a fly ball to center field and deep! That's going to be way back! And that's going to be gone! Reggie Jackson has hit his third home run of the game!" - Announcer Ross Porter (October 18, 1977)

1977 World Series

1977 World Series Program

1977 World Series Official Program

1976 | New York Yankees (4) vs Los Angeles Dodgers (2) | 1978

Game 1 Date | Box Score 10-11-1977
Location Yankee Stadium
1st Pitch From: Whitey Ford
To: Thurman Munson
Attendance 56,668
National Anthem Pearl Bailey (American Actress and Singer)
Game 2 Date | Box Score 10-12-1977
1st Pitch From: Jose Fernandez (Local Bronx Boy)
To: Thurman Munson
Location Yankee Stadium
Attendance 56,691
Game 3 Date | Box Score 10-14-1977
Location Dodger Stadium
1st Pitch From: Roy Campanella
To: Steve Yeager
Attendance 45,992
National Anthem Linda Ronstadt (Grammy Award Winning Singer)
Game 4 Date | Box Score 10-15-1977
Location Dodger Stadium
1st Pitch From: Mrs. B. Lillian Gordy-Carter (President Carter's Mom)
To: Steve Yeager
Attendance 55,995
National Anthem Glen Campbell (Country Singer, Guitarist, Songwriter, Actor)
Game 5 Date | Box Score 10-16-1977
Location Dodger Stadium
Attendance 55,955
Game 6 Date | Box Score 10-18-1977
Location Yankee Stadium
1st Pitch From: Joe DiMaggio
To: Thurman Munson
Attendance 56,407
National Anthem Robert Merrill (Opera Singer)
1977 World Series History | Research by Baseball Almanac

Game 1 of the 1977 World Series

Line Score | Box Score

Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 R H E
Los Angeles 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 3 6 0
New York 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 1 4 11 0
Don Sutton
  Lance Rautzhan (8th)
  Elias Sosa (8th)
  Mike Garman (9th)
  Rick Rhoden (L, 12th)
Don Gullett
  Sparky Lyle (W, 9th)
  -
  -
  -
None Willie Randolph (6th)

Game 2 of the 1977 World Series

Line Score | Box Score

Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
Los Angeles 2 1 2 0 0 0 0 0 1 6 9 0
New York 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 5 0
Burt Hooton (W)
  -
  -
  -
Catfish Hunter (L)
  Dick Tidrow (3rd)
  Ken Clay (6th)
  Sparky Lyle (9th)
Ron Cey (1st)
Steve Yeager (2nd)
Reggie Smith (3rd)
Steve Garvey (9th)
None
-
-
-

Game 3 of the 1977 World Series

Line Score | Box Score

Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
New York 3 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 5 10 0
Los Angeles 0 0 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 7 1
Mike Torrez (W)
  -
Tommy John (L)
  Charlie Hough (7th)
None Dusty Baker (3rd)

Game 4 of the 1977 World Series

Line Score | Box Score

Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
New York 0 3 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 4 7 0
Los Angeles 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 4 0
Ron Guidry (W)
  -
  -
Doug Rau (L)
  Rick Rhoden (2nd)
  Mike Garman (9th)
Reggie Jackson (6th) Davey Lopes (3rd)

Game 5 of the 1977 World Series

Line Score | Box Score

Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
New York 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 2 0 4 9 2
Los Angeles 1 0 0 4 3 2 0 0 x 10 13 0
Don Gullett (L)
  Ken Clay (5th)
  Dick Tidrow (6th)
  Catfish Hunter (7th)
Don Sutton (W)
  -
  -
  -
Thurman Munson (8th)
Reggie Jackson (8th)
Steve Yeager (4th)
Reggie Smith (6th)

Game 6 of the 1977 World Series

Line Score | Box Score

Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
Los Angeles 2 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 4 9 0
New York 0 2 0 3 2 0 0 1 x 8 8 1
Burt Hooton (L)
  Elias Sosa (4th)
  Doug Rau (5th)
  Charlie Hough (7th)
Mike Torrez (W)
  -
  -
  -
Reggie Smith (3rd)
-
-
-
Chris Chambliss (2nd)
Reggie Jackson (4th)
Reggie Jackson (5th)
Reggie Jackson (8th)

1977 World Series

New York Yankees

New York Yankees 1977 World Series Composite Hitting Statistics

Paul Blair
Chris Chambliss
Ken Clay
Bucky Dent
Ron Guidry
Don Gullett
Catfish Hunter
Reggie Jackson
Cliff Johnson
Sparky Lyle
Thurman Munson
Graig Nettles
Lou Piniella
Willie Randolph
Mickey Rivers
Fred Stanley
Dick Tidrow
Mike Torrez
Roy White
George Zeber
of-3
1b
p
ss
p
p
p
of
c-1
p
c
3b
of
2b
of
ss
p
p
ph
ph
4
6
2
6
1
2
2
6
2
2
6
6
6
6
6
1
2
2
2
2
4
24
0
19
2
2
0
20
1
2
25
21
22
25
27
0
1
6
2
2
1
7
0
5
0
0
0
9
0
0
8
4
6
4
6
0
0
0
0
0
0
2
0
0
0
0
0
1
0
0
2
1
0
2
2
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
0
0
0
0
0
5
0
0
1
0
0
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
4
0
0
0
0
0
10
0
0
4
1
1
5
1
0
0
0
0
0
1
4
0
2
0
0
0
8
0
0
3
2
3
1
1
0
0
0
0
0
.250
.292
.000
.263
.000
.000
.000
.450
.000
.000
.320
.190
.273
.160
.222
.000
.000
.000
.000
.000
0
0
0
2
0
0
0
3
0
0
2
2
0
2
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
2
0
1
1
2
0
4
0
2
8
3
3
2
2
0
1
4
0
2
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
0
0
0
0
0

1977 World Series

Los Angeles Dodgers

Los Angeles Dodgers 1977 World Series Composite Hitting Statistics

Dusty Baker
Glenn Burke
Ron Cey
Vic Davalillo
Mike Garman
Steve Garvey
Ed Goodson
Jerry Grote
Burt Hooton
Charlie Hough
Tommy John
Lee Lacy
Rafael Landestoy
Davey Lopes
Rick Monday
Manny Mota
Johnny Oates
Doug Rau
Lance Rautzhan
Rick Rhoden
Bill Russell
Reggie Smith
Elias Sosa
Don Sutton
Steve Yeager
of
of
3b
ph
p
1b
ph
c
p
p
p
of-2
pr
2b
of
ph
c
p
p
p
ss
of
p
p
c
6
3
6
3
2
6
1
1
2
2
1
4
1

4
3
1
2
1
2
6
6
2
2
6
24
5
21
3
0
24
1
1
5
0
2
7
0
24
12
3
1
0
0
2
26
22
0
6
19
7
1
4
1
0
9
0
0
0
0
0
3
0
4
2
0
0
0
0
1
4
6
0
0
6
0
0
1
0
0
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
0
1
0
0
1
0
0
0
0
0
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
0
0
0
0
1
0
1
0
0
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
3
0
0
2
4
0
2
0
0
5
0
0
0
0
0
1
0
3
0
0
0
0
0
1
3
7
0
0
2
5
0
3
1
0
3
0
0
0
0
0
2
0
2
0
0
0
0
0
0
2
5
0
0
5
.292
.200
.190
.333
.000
.375
.000
.000
.000
.000
.000
.429
.000
.167
.167
.000
.000
.000
.000
.500
.154
.273
.000
.000
.316
0
0
3
0
0
1
0
0
0
0
0
1
0
4
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
4
0
1
1
2
1
5
0
0
4
1
0
2
0
2
1
0
3
3
1
0
0
0
0
3
3
0
4
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
2
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
1977 World Series Composite Batting Statistics | Bold = World Series MVP

1977 World Series

New York Yankees

New York Yankees 1977 World Series Composite Pitching Statistics

Ken Clay
Ron Guidry
Don Gullett
Catfish Hunter
Sparky Lyle
Dick Tidrow
Mike Torrez
0
1
0
0
1
0
2
0
0
1
1
0
0
0
2
1
2
2
2
2
2
0
1
2
1
0
0
2
0
1
0
0
0
0
2
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
3.2
9.0
12.2
4.1
4.2
3.2
18.0
2.45
2.00
6.39
10.38
1.93
4.91
2.50
2
4
13
6
2
5
16
0
7
10
1
2
1
15
1
2
9
5
1
2
5
1
3
7
0
0
0
5

1977 World Series

Los Angeles Dodgers

Los Angeles Dodgers 1977 World Series Composite Hitting Statistics

Mike Garman
Burt Hooton
Charlie Hough
Tommy John
Doug Rau
Lance Rautzhan
Rick Rhoden
Elias Sosa
Don Sutton
0
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
0
1
0
1
1
0
1
0
0
2
2
2
1
2
1
2
2
2
0
2
0
1
1
0
0
0
2
0
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
4.0
12.0
5.0
6.0
2.1
0.1
7.0
2.1
16.0
0.00
3.75
1.80
6.00
11.57
0.00
2.57
11.57
3.94
2
8
3
9
4
0
4
3
17
3
9
5
7
1
0
5
1
6
0
5
1
4
3
0
2
3
7
1
2
0
3
0
2
1
1
1
1977 World Series Composite Pitching Statistics | Bold = World Series MVP
baseball almanac flat baseball

baseball almanac fast facts

During the Game 6 BP (batting practice), Reggie Jackson hit eighteen (18) balls over the Yankee Stadium fence. Teammate Willie Randolph told Jackson, "save some of those for the game." Jackson cooly said, "There are more where those came from."

Did you know that Kodak, in association with The Sporting News, held a contest to rank Baseball's 25 Greatest Moments (All of which are found in detail on Baseball Almanac.) and this is how they finished:

Baseball's 25 Greatest Moments
25. Cookie Lavagetto beats Bill Bevens
24. Dave Henderson's Home Run
23. Owen and the Dropped Third Strike
22. George Brett's Home Run
21. Chris Chambliss' Home Run
20. Pete Rose gets hit No. 4,192
19. Haddix's Perfect Loss
18. Brooklyn wins the World Series
17. Cal Ripken breaks Gehrig's Streak
16. Joe Carter's Home Run
15. Roger Maris hits No. 61
14. Bucky Dent's Home Run
13. Willie McCovey Lines Out
12. Reggie Jackson's Three Homers
11. The "Luckiest Man Alive" Speech
10. Enos Slaughter's Mad Dash
9. Willie Mays' Catch
8. E-3 on Bill Buckner
7. Mark McGwire Hits No. 62
6. Kirk Gibson's Home Run
5. Hank Aaron's 715th Home Run
4. Carlton Fisk Waves It Fair
3. Don Larsen's Perfect Game
2. Bill Mazeroski's Home Run
1. The Shot Heard 'Round the World'

In an interview years later, Reggie Jackson said this about Game 6, "It is the happiest moment of my career. I had been on a ball and chain all year, at least in my mind. I had heard so many negatives about Reggie Jackson. I had been the villain. Couldn't do this. Couldn't do that. And now suddenly I didn't care what the manager or my teammates had said or what the media had written."