1941 World Series | |||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Teams | |||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||
Dates | October 1–6 | ||||||||||||
Umpires | Bill McGowan (AL), Babe Pinelli (NL), Bill Grieve (AL), Larry Goetz (NL) | ||||||||||||
Hall of Famers |
Umpire: Bill McGowan Yankees: Joe McCarthy (mgr.), Bill Dickey, Joe DiMaggio, Joe Gordon, Phil Rizzuto, Red Ruffing Dodgers: Leo Durocher (mgr.), Billy Herman, Joe Medwick, Pee Wee Reese |
||||||||||||
Broadcast | |||||||||||||
Radio | Mutual | ||||||||||||
Radio announcers | Red Barber and Bob Elson | ||||||||||||
|
Team (Wins) | Manager | Season | |
---|---|---|---|
New York Yankees (4) | Joe McCarthy | 101–53, .656, GA: 17 | |
Brooklyn Dodgers (1) | Leo Durocher | 100–54, .649, GA: 2 1⁄2 |
The 1941 World Series matched the New York Yankees against the Brooklyn Dodgers, with the Yankees winning in five games to capture their fifth title in six years, and their ninth overall.
The name "Subway Series" arose for a World Series played between two New York City teams. The series was punctuated by the Dodgers' Mickey Owen's dropped third strike of a sharply breaking curveball (a suspected spitball) pitched by Hugh Casey in the ninth inning of Game 4. The play led to a Yankees rally and brought them one win away from another championship.
The Yankees were back after a one-year hiatus, having won 13 of their last 14 Series games and 28 of their last 31.
This was the first Subway Series between the Brooklyn Dodgers and New York Yankees (though the Yankees had already faced the crosstown New York Giants five times). These two teams would meet a total of seven times from 1941 to 1956 — the Dodgers' only victory coming in 1955 — with an additional four matchups after the Dodgers left for Los Angeles, most recently in 1981.
AL New York Yankees (4) vs. NL Brooklyn Dodgers (1)
†: postponed from October 3 due to rain
Pinch-hitter Lew Riggs' single scored Cookie Lavagetto in the seventh as the Dodgers pulled to within 3-2. Then they threatened in the ninth with hits by Joe Medwick and Pee Wee Reese, before Yankee pitcher Red Ruffing was able to get Herman Franks to ground into a game-ending 4-6-3 double play.
Dolph Camilli's single off relief pitcher Johnny Murphy in the sixth broke a 2-2 deadlock. Whit Wyatt gave up a pinch single to George Selkirk leading off the ninth, but nailed down a complete-game victory.