LOS ANGELES (KABC) — 1981 marked the third time in five years that the Yankees and Dodgers met in the World Series. Back then, no one could have imagined that it would take 43 years for the most frequent World Series pairing in history to be repeated.

“With the ballclub the Yankees had and what we've had over the years, I would have thought they would have come back 43 years ago,” says Steve Yeager, a catcher and the Dodgers' co-MVP in the World Series 1981.

These teams have met 11 times in the Fall Classic, and the men who won it should enjoy this 12th meeting.

“Perhaps the greatest rivalry in all of sports between two franchises that were originally districts,” explains 1981 Dodgers first baseman Steve Garvey.

Dusty Baker, an outfielder for the Dodgers this year, adds: “There are certain places, New York, LA, where if you don't win it all, you haven't done anything. And it’s going to be a lot of fun. “There’s a fight here because both of them need a win.”

The 1981 Dodgers lost the first two games in New York, but game three was the height of Fernandomania. Ron Cey's incredible defense helped rookie pitcher Fernando Valenzuela stay on the mound for 149 pitches and win the game outright, a feat that will likely never be seen again.

“Where was Lasorda that night?” jokes Cey. “Did he sleep in the training room that night?” He had a penchant for allowing his pitchers to go the distance, you know. That was old-fashioned.”

To even the series, the Dodgers won Game 4, a game in which Reggie Jackson's last home run in the World Series was hit, and also featured Tommy John as a relief pitcher for the Yankees.
The same Tommy John who is now known as a medical interventionist and pitcher who lost the World Series in 1977 and 1978 with the Dodgers and in 1981 with the Yankees.

“Tommy John was the only guy I knew who had a rubber arm. He could throw every day and he actually threw every day,” Yeager said.

Game five was a pitchers duel. Solo home runs from Pedro Guererro and Steve Yeager were enough for a 2-1 win, but there was a scary moment late in the game when Cey was hit in the head by Goose Gossage.

“So I had a concussion on contact. I won't pass the criteria to move forward, but guess what? It was left to me, and you know I'm stubborn sometimes, but that would have hurt.” “It was even worse that I missed the finale of the World Series because I got hit in the head by Goose Gossage,” explains Cey.

He played in the 9-2 series and secured the victory in the sixth game. Along with Yeager and Guerrero, the three were named co-MVPs. The victory over the Yankees marked the end of an era for the Dodgers and was a way to live out the demons of the past after losing to the Bronx Bombers in 1977 and 1978.

“We collectively felt that if we were ever going to win a World Cup together, it should be our year because we heard rumors that some of the younger talent was coming up,” Yeager says.

Garvey added: “It just ushered in the era where this team, which had done so many significant things, finally became world champions, which is the ultimate for a team sports athlete.”

For those attending the 2024 World Series, Cey shows what this series really means. “It's about, 'Who did you win the World Series against?' and you say 'The New York Yankees' is the most successful franchise in sports history.”

In order for history to repeat itself, the first chapter is about to be written.