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By The Numbers: Breaking Down The Subway Series From A Historical Perspective

By Father Gabe Costa
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Ouch!

The Yankees have taken it on the chin from the Mets for the past two nights by the identical scores of 2-1. The Citi Field games have been exciting, and now the scene will shift to the Bronx for the final two games of this year's Subway Series.

Bombers fans will be looking for revenge.

Before interleague play, the term "Subway Series" was pretty much reserved for the World Series. Cities like Philadelphia, which had two major league teams (Athletics and Phillies), could theoretically host a "Subway Series" Fall Classic. For example, in 1944, St. Louis had such a series when the Cardinals defeated the Browns in six games.

But no city has had the number of Subway Series that The Big Apple has. New York City had three teams from 1903 through the 1957 season. Since 1920, 14 such classics have been played in the Polo Grounds, Yankee Stadium I, Ebbets Field, Yankee Stadium II and Shea Stadium.

These are the results:

1. In 1921, the first Subway Series saw the New York Giants beat the New York Yankees, 5-3, in the last best-of-nine series.

2. In 1922, John McGraw's Giants again bested their American League rivals, sweeping the Yankees in four games -- not counting one tie game. The Giants would never win another Fall Classic against the Bombers.

3. The next year, in 1923, the Yankees won their first of 27 world titles by beating the Giants and playing in The House That Ruth Built. Future Yankee manager Casey Stengel hit the first-ever World Series home run at Yankee Stadium.

4. In 1936, the Yankees beat the Giants in six games.

5. The next year, in 1937, the Bronx Bombers would need only five games to overcome the Giants.

6. 1941 saw the first of seven Yankees-Dodger Subway Series. The Yankees won this classic in five games. In Game 4, Tommy Henrich struck out on a pitch thrown by Hugh Casey, which got past catcher Mickey Owen. Had Owen been able to block the pitch, the Dodgers would have knotted the series at two games apiece.

7. Six years later, in 1947, the Dodgers met the Yankees again, only to fall to them in seven games.

8. In 1949, the Yankees would defeat Dem Bums in five games, beginning a streak of five consecutive World Series titles.

9. In 1951 not even Bobby Thomson could stop the Yankees. The Bombers beat the Giants in six games.

10. The next year, in 1952, the Yankees whipped Brooklyn in seven games.

11. One year later, in 1953, the Bombers repeated their mastery over Brooklyn, this time prevailing in six games.

12. Would Brooklyn ever beat the Yankees? Yes! Johnny Padres, Duke Snider, Sandy Amoros and Roy Campanella would finally master the Boys of the Bronx in seven games. This would be the Brooklyn Dodgers' only world championship.

13. On October 8, 1956, Don Larsen would be immortalized by pitching a perfect game in the fifth contest of the World Series. The Yankees would reclaim their crown in seven games by beating the Dodgers for the sixth time in seven tries (1941, 1947, 1949, 1952, 1953 and 1956).

14. 44 years later, Gotham would finally see another Subway Series. The Yankees would triumph over the Metropolitans in a five-game set.

TEAM

WON

LOST

PCT

New York Yankees

11

3

.786

New York Giants

2

4

.333

Brooklyn Dodgers

1

6

.143

New York Mets

0

1

.000

It's about time for another Subway Series. Let's Go Yankees! Let's Go Mets!

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