Here comes Part Two of the Dodgers on World Series cardboard. When we last saw our blue heroes, the hard luck Brooklyn team had earned the nickname of "Dem Bums" by breaking the hearts of their faithful time and again. They made it into plenty of World Series, but just couldn't close the deal.
That all changed in 1955.
Once again, it was the damn Yankees vs the Dodgers. This time the boys from Brooklyn weren't bums, they were the Boys of Summer.
Lots of Dodgers fans will tell you that Sandy Koufax was the greatest Dodgers pitcher in the Fall Classic. Others will tell you it was Orel Bulldog Hershiser.
My choice is the man who had to carry the weight of years of Dodgers frustration to the mound. The hopes of everyone in the Brooklyn borough rode on his shoulders. Johnny Podres was the man who broke through the Yankees fortress and ended their postseason dominance over his team. It took all seven games to bring the first ever Worlds Championship to the Dodgers.
Here's another card, same shot of the World Series hero...
One of the iconic images of that series, captured by Upper Deck Masterpieces...
1955 was the last WS played in Brooklyn. The team moved out to LA, and they won the pennant in 1959. It was LA's first Fall Classic, and the boys won it all in six games.
The Dodgers' home field was the LA Coliseum. Game 5 drew 92,706, which still stands as the WS attendance record. It was also the first WS in which no pitcher for either side threw a complete game.
The next crop of cards come from the 1963 series. It was the first time the Dodgers played the Yankees since 1955, and this time Sandy Koufax led the boys in blue to a four game sweep.
The year is 1965, but the World Series hero is the same. Once again, Sandy Koufax led the team to the promised land. They beat the Minnesota Twins in seven games.
Next time: Dodgers World Series that I remember!
Aloha!
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