Today’s
“Turn Back the Clock” moment is a 20th anniversary card for a record
that still stands today: The New York Yankees winning their fifth
straight World Series, beating the Brooklyn Dodgers in six games.
Here’s a card design based off the 1973 template:
The Yanks went 99-52, easily taking home their 20th American League pennant with an 8.5 game lead over second place Cleveland.
Once in the Fall Classic, they faced their National League nemesis
Brooklyn Dodgers, who took them to seven games in the previous year’s
series.
But the Yankees would prevail, taking home their unprecedented FIFTH
straight crown, topping the four straight of the 1936-1939 Yankees.
With a balanced attack at the plate from guys like Mantle, Berra and Gil
McDougald, and a pitching staff that had five pitchers chip-in 13 or
more wins (Ford, Raschi, Lopat, Sain and Reynolds), this wasn’t the
“usual” Bronx Bomber team which would have a stand-out offensive or
pitching great leading the way. This was more of a “team-effort” than
most of the other championships.
Anyway, I remember when Alfonso Soriano hit that dang homer off Curt
Schilling in the seventh game of the World Series in 2001, thinking
“Holy crap they’re going to win their fourth straight series”, only to
be GROSSLY disappointed. Yet that would have been four straight, with
another series win in 2002 to even MATCH this team’s accomplishment, let
alone try to break the record with SIX straight. Crazy.
Granted with the playoffs (heck, the EXPANDED playoffs), it’s tougher to
find yourself in the Series these days than in 1953, But nevertheless
five straight is something else!
I’m sure non-Yankee fans were not too pleased though!