SUBWAY SERIES
-----------
John Pazmino
NYSkies Astronomy Inc
nyskies@nyskies.org
www.nyskies.org
2009 October 24
Introduction
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In late September, with the prospect that the New York Yankess may
make it into the World Series in 2009, NYSkies members are recalling
previous Yankees series. In particular, those where the Yankees played
the National League team in New York, the Brooklyn Dodgers, New York
Giants, or New York Mets.
When the Yankees played a World Series against an other New
York/Brooklyn team, the games are the 'Subway series', because fans
can go to the games by subway routes that connect with the two stadia.
The question came up: Were there 'subway series' in other towns?
Could there be a subway series in an other town? For this discussion,
'subway' can mean local travel between stadia by transit or car, as
long as the teams are within the same metropolitan region, if not
within the very same town.
I collected statistics, widely published on Internet, for all of
the World Series played since 1903. There were world series before
then, going back to the 1860s, when baseball was invented, but the
games were sporadic and not formalized. Hence, 'World series' almost
always refers to the modern run, starting with the games of 1903.
By the time I was well into this article, New York Yankees went
into the World Series by defeating the Los Angeles Angels in the
American League playoffs. They played against and beat the National
League champion Philadelphia Phillies by 4 games to 2. I include this
final run in my work here.
New York City celebrated the Yankees championship with a
tickertape parade on 2009 November 6. Philadelphia celebrated its loss
with a stoppage of local transit service by a labor strike.
History
-----
This is not in any way a deep history of the World Series. There
is plenty of litterature, in paper and digital form, for that. I here
treat only of cases where teams within a town or in nearby towns
played against each other in the World Series.
Baseball was played since the 1860s in various towns but the
leagues as we know them weren't formally set up until 1901.
Championships between winners of assorted groups of team were played
under different titles but the rules and standards changed almost
yearly.
Today baseball historians treat these earlier 'world series' under
a distinct section and consider only the modern run of the World
Series, since 1903, in the official baseball records.
The situation of New York was unique in baseball for once having
THREE teams in it, not the usual maximum of two in certain other
towns. Technicly, 'New York' had two teams and Brooklyn had a team.
When the two separate cities merged into the greater City of New York,
all three teams were treated as New York teams. The Brooklyn team kept
its identity as the Brooklyn, not New York, Dodgers.
There was for a long while two shots each year for a World Series
within New York, a Subway Series, because the American League team,
the New York Yankees, had two potential National League opponents, the
New York Giants and the Brooklyn Dodgers. Statisticly, there should be
more 'subway series' in New York than in any other town.
Table of World Series
-------------------
The affiliation of the teams is that for each World Series, even
if the team is now in an other town or changed name. As far as I know,
there are no teams that actually went out of business, but there are
many that were formed since the 1960s. They are the 'expansion teams'
to spread baseball to more towns across th country and into Quebec and
Canada.
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Year Winner & League Loser & League W-L Note
---- ------------------------ ------------------------- --- ----
1903 Boston Americans AL Pittsburgh Pirates NL 5-3 5/9
1904 none; New York Giants stood up Boston Americans
1905 New York Giants NL Philadelphia Athletics AL 4-1
1906 Chicago White Sox AL Chicago Cubs NL 4-2
1907 Chicago Cubs NL Detroit Tigers AL 4-0 +1 tie
1908 Chicago Cubs NL Detroit Tigers AL 4-1
1909 Pittsburgh Pirates NL Detroit Tigers AL 4-3
1910 Philadelphia Athletics AL Chicago Cubs NL 4-1
1911 Philadelphia Athletics AL New York Giants NL 4-2
1912 Boston Red Sox AL New York Giants NL 4-3 +1 tie
1913 Philadelphia Athletics AL New York Giants NL 4-1
1914 Boston Braves NL Philadelphia Athletics AL 4-0
1915 Boston Red Sox AL Philadelphia Phillies NL 4-1
1916 Boston Red Sox AL Brooklyn Robins NL 4-1 *
1917 Chicago White Sox AL New York Giants NL 4-2
1918 Boston Red Sox AL Chicago Cubs NL 4-2
1919 Cincinnati Reds NL Chicago White Sox AL 5-3 5/9
1920 Cleveland Indians AL Brooklyn Robins NL 5-2 5/9 *
1921 New York Giants NL New York Yankees AL 5-3 5/9
1922 New York Giants NL New York Yankees AL 4-0 +1 tie
1923 New York Yankees AL New York Giants NL 4-2
1924 Washington Senators AL New York Giants NL 4-3
1925 Pittsburgh Pirates NL Washington Senators AL 4-3
1926 St Louis Cardinals NL New York Yankees AL 4-3
1927 New York Yankees AL Pittsburgh Pirates NL 4-0
1928 New York Yankees AL St Louis Cardinals NL 4-0
1929 Philadelphia Athletics AL Chicago Cubs NL 4-1
1930 Philadelphia Athletics AL St Louis Cardinals NL 4-2
1931 St Louis Cardinals NL Philadelphia Athletics AL 4-3
1932 New York Yankees AL Chicago Cubs NL 4-0
1933 New York Giants NL Washington Senators AL 4-1
1934 St Louis Cardinals NL Detroit Tigers AL 4-3
1935 Detroit Tigers AL Chicago Cubs NL 4-2
1936 New York Yankees AL New York Giants NL 4-2
1937 New York Yankees AL New York Giants NL 4-1
1938 New York Yankees AL Chicago Cubs NL 4-0
1939 New York Yankees AL Cincinnati Reds NL 4-0
1940 Cincinnati Reds NL Detroit Tigers AL 4-3
1941 New York Yankees AL Brooklyn Dodgers NL 4-1
1942 St Louis Cardinals NL New York Yankees AL 4-1
1943 New York Yankees AL St Louis Cardinals NL 4-1
1944 St Louis Cardinals NL St Louis Browns AL 4-2
1945 Detroit Tigers AL Chicago Cubs NL 4-3
1946 St Louis Cardinals NL Boston Red Sox AL 4-3
1947 New York Yankees AL Brooklyn Dodgers NL 4-3
1948 Cleveland Indians AL Boston Braves NL 4-2
1949 New York Yankees AL Brooklyn Dodgers NL 4-1
1950 New York Yankees AL Philadelphia Phillies NL 4-0
1951 New York Yankees AL New York Giants NL 4-2
1952 New York Yankees AL Brooklyn Dodgers NL 4-3
1953 New York Yankees AL Brooklyn Dodgers NL 4-2
1954 New York Giants NL Cleveland Indians AL 4-0
1955 Brooklyn Dodgers NL New York Yankees AL 4-3
1956 New York Yankees AL Brooklyn Dodgers NL 4-3
1957 Milwaukee Braves NL New York Yankees AL 4-3
1958 New York Yankees AL Milwaukee Braves NL 4-3
1959 Los Angeles Dodgers NL Chicago White Sox AL 4-2
1960 Pittsburgh Pirates NL New York Yankees AL 4-3
1961 New York Yankees AL Cincinnati Reds NL 4-1
1962 New York Yankees AL San Francisco Giants NL 4-3
1963 Los Angeles Dodgers NL New York Yankees AL 4-0
1964 St Louis Cardinals NL New York Yankees AL 4-3
1965 Los Angeles Dodgers NL Minnesota Twins AL 4-3
1966 Baltimore Orioles AL Los Angeles Dodgers NL 4-0
1967 St Louis Cardinals NL Boston Red Sox AL 4-3
1968 Detroit Tigers AL St Louis Cardinals NL 4-3
1969 New York Mets NL Baltimore Orioles AL 4-1
1970 Baltimore Orioles AL Cincinnati Reds NL 4-1
1971 Pittsburgh Pirates NL Baltimore Orioles AL 4-3
1972 Oakland Athletics AL Cincinnati Reds NL 4-3
1973 Oakland Athletics AL New York Mets NL 4-3
1974 Oakland Athletics AL Los Angeles Dodgers NL 4-1
1975 Cincinnati Reds NL Boston Red Sox AL 4-3
1976 Cincinnati Reds NL New York Yankees AL 4-0
1977 New York Yankees AL Los Angeles Dodgers NL 4-2
1978 New York Yankees AL Los Angeles Dodgers NL 4-2
1979 Pittsburgh Pirates NL Baltimore Orioles AL 4-3
1980 Philadelphia Phillies NL Kansas City Royals AL 4-2
1981 Los Angeles Dodgers NL New York Yankees AL 4-2
1982 St Louis Cardinals NL Milwaukee Brewers AL 4-3
1983 Baltimore Orioles AL Philadelphia Phillies NL 4-1
1984 Detroit Tigers AL San Diego Padres NL 4-1
1985 Kansas City Royals AL St Louis Cardinals NL 4-3
1986 New York Mets NL Boston Red Sox AL 4-3
1987 Minnesota Twins AL St Louis Cardinals NL 4-3
1988 Los Angeles Dodgers NL Oakland Athletics AL 4-1
1989 Oakland Athletics AL San Francisco Giants NL 4-0
1990 Cincinnati Reds NL Oakland Athletics AL 4-0
1991 Minnesota Twins AL Atlanta Braves NL 4-3
1992 Toronto Blue Jays AL Atlanta Braves NL 4-2
1993 Toronto Blue Jays AL Philadelphia Phillies NL 4-2
1994 none; player strike cancelled end of season and World Series
1995 Atlanta Braves NL Cleveland Indians AL 4-2
1996 New York Yankees AL Atlanta Braves NL 4-2
1997 Florida Marlins NL Cleveland Indians AL 4-3
1998 New York Yankees AL San Diego Padres NL 4-0
1999 New York Yankees AL Atlanta Braves NL 4-0
2000 New York Yankees AL New York Mets NL 4-1
2001 Arizona Diamondbacks NL New York Yankees AL 4-3
2002 Anaheim Angels AL San Francisco Giants NL 4-3
2003 Florida Marlins NL New York Yankees AL 4-2
2004 Boston Red Sox AL St Louis Cardinals NL 4-0
2005 Chicago White Sox AL Houston Astros NL 4-0
2006 St Louis Cardinals NL Detroit Tigers AL 4-1
2007 Boston Red Sox AL Colorado Rockies NL 4-0
2008 Philadelphia Phillies NL Tampa Bay Rays AL 4-1
2009 New York Yankees AL Philadelphia Phillies NL 4-2
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'5/9' - series was first 5 of 9 games, not 4 of 7.
'+1 tie' - within the games one was a tie score. Baseball now must
play extra innings until one team wins.
'*' - For a few years the Brooklyn Dodgers tried a new name
Robins, but went back to Dodgers.
In 1904 the giants rejected the Americans challenge on the grounds
they were not a worthy opponent to waste time with.
In 1994 a baseball players labor strike lasted so long that the
reminder of the season and the World Series was scrapped.
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Subway series
-----------
In the modern run of the World Series there were 14 Subway Series,
played between the New York Yankees and one of three other New York
National League teams. Altho the Brooklyn Dodgers was formed when
Brooklyn was a separate city from New York, all during the modern run
Brooklyn was within the City of New York while keeping its own
identity.
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Year Winner & League Loser & League W-L
---- ------------------------ ------------------------- ---
1921 New York Giants NL New York Yankees AL 5-3
1922 New York Giants NL New York Yankees AL 4-0
1923 New York Yankees AL New York Giants NL 4-2
1936 New York Yankees AL New York Giants NL 4-2
1937 New York Yankees AL New York Giants NL 4-1
1941 New York Yankees AL Brooklyn Dodgers NL 4-1
1947 New York Yankees AL Brooklyn Dodgers NL 4-3
1949 New York Yankees AL Brooklyn Dodgers NL 4-1
1951 New York Yankees AL New York Giants NL 4-2
1952 New York Yankees AL Brooklyn Dodgers NL 4-3
1953 New York Yankees AL Brooklyn Dodgers NL 4-2
1955 Brooklyn Dodgers NL New York Yankees AL 4-3
1956 New York Yankees AL Brooklyn Dodgers NL 4-3
2000 New York Yankees AL New York Mets NL 4-1
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The tradition of a Subway Series is so strong and deep in New York
that many residents think there was one every few years. In fact the
14 Subway Series were very irregularly spaced. The longest span
between Subway Series was the most recent, 1956 thru 2000!
Northeast Corridor Series
-----------------------
There were many World Series between teams along the Northeast
Corridor, Boston thru New York to Washington. Fans did day trips
between the two stadia. This table excludes the New York Subway
Series. These are listed above.
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Year Winner & League Loser & League W-L
---- ------------------------ ------------------------- ---
1904 none; New York Giants stood up Boston Americans
1905 New York Giants NL Philadelphia Athletics AL 4-1
1911 Philadelphia Athletics AL New York Giants NL 4-2
1912 Boston Red Sox AL New York Giants NL 4-3
1913 Philadelphia Athletics AL New York Giants NL 4-1
1914 Boston Braves NL Philadelphia Athletics AL 4-0
1915 Boston Red Sox AL Philadelphia Phillies NL 4-1
1916 Boston Red Sox AL Brooklyn Robins NL 4-1
1924 Washington Senators AL New York Giants NL 4-3
1933 New York Giants NL Washington Senators AL 4-1
1950 New York Yankees AL Philadelphia Phillies NL 4-0
1969 New York Mets NL Baltimore Orioles AL 4-1
1983 Baltimore Orioles AL Philadelphia Phillies NL 4-1
1986 New York Mets NL Boston Red Sox AL 4-3
2009 New York Yankees AL Philadelphia Phillies NL 4-2
--------------------------------------------------------------
in spite of the numerous teams in Boston, Brooklyn, New York,
Philadelphia, Baltimore, and Washington, Corridor Series are
surprisingly rare.
Dominance of New York
-------------------
With three teams, New York had more chances to field a World
Series team, even if there was no Subway Series or the New York team
missed winning the Series.
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Year Winner & League Loser & League W-L
---- ------------------------ ------------------------- ---
1904 none; but New York Giants was National League pennant winner
1905 New York Giants NL Philadelphia Athletics AL 4-1
1911 Philadelphia Athletics AL New York Giants NL 4-2
1912 Boston Red Sox AL New York Giants NL 4-3
1913 Philadelphia Athletics AL New York Giants NL 4-1
1916 Boston Red Sox AL Brooklyn Robins NL 4-1
1917 Chicago White Sox AL New York Giants NL 4-2
1920 Cleveland Indians AL Brooklyn Robins NL 5-2
1921 New York Giants NL New York Yankees AL 5-3
1922 New York Giants NL New York Yankees AL 4-0
1923 New York Yankees AL New York Giants NL 4-2
1924 Washington Senators AL New York Giants NL 4-3
1926 St Louis Cardinals NL New York Yankees AL 4-3
1927 New York Yankees AL Pittsburgh Pirates NL 4-0
1928 New York Yankees AL St Louis Cardinals NL 4-0
1932 New York Yankees AL Chicago Cubs NL 4-0
1933 New York Giants NL Washington Senators AL 4-1
1936 New York Yankees AL New York Giants NL 4-2
1937 New York Yankees AL New York Giants NL 4-1
1938 New York Yankees AL Chicago Cubs NL 4-0
1939 New York Yankees AL Cincinnati Reds NL 4-0
1941 New York Yankees AL Brooklyn Dodgers NL 4-1
1942 St Louis Cardinals NL New York Yankees AL 4-1
1943 New York Yankees AL St Louis Cardinals NL 4-1
1947 New York Yankees AL Brooklyn Dodgers NL 4-3
1949 New York Yankees AL Brooklyn Dodgers NL 4-1
1950 New York Yankees AL Philadelphia Phillies NL 4-0
1951 New York Yankees AL New York Giants NL 4-2
1952 New York Yankees AL Brooklyn Dodgers NL 4-3
1953 New York Yankees AL Brooklyn Dodgers NL 4-2
1954 New York Giants NL Cleveland Indians AL 4-0
1955 Brooklyn Dodgers NL New York Yankees AL 4-3
1956 New York Yankees AL Brooklyn Dodgers NL 4-3
1957 Milwaukee Braves NL New York Yankees AL 4-3
1958 New York Yankees AL Milwaukee Braves NL 4-3
1960 Pittsburgh Pirates NL New York Yankees AL 4-3
1961 New York Yankees AL Cincinnati Reds NL 4-1
1962 New York Yankees AL San Francisco Giants NL 4-3
1963 Los Angeles Dodgers NL New York Yankees AL 4-0
1964 St Louis Cardinals NL New York Yankees AL 4-3
1969 New York Mets NL Baltimore Orioles AL 4-1
1973 Oakland Athletics AL New York Mets NL 4-3
1976 Cincinnati Reds NL New York Yankees AL 4-0
1977 New York Yankees AL Los Angeles Dodgers NL 4-2
1978 New York Yankees AL Los Angeles Dodgers NL 4-2
1981 Los Angeles Dodgers NL New York Yankees AL 4-2
1986 New York Mets NL Boston Red Sox AL 4-3
1996 New York Yankees AL Atlanta Braves NL 4-2
1998 New York Yankees AL San Diego Padres NL 4-0
1999 New York Yankees AL Atlanta Braves NL 4-0
2000 New York Yankees AL New York Mets NL 4-1
2001 Arizona Diamondbacks NL New York Yankees AL 4-3
2003 Florida Marlins NL New York Yankees AL 4-2
2009 New York Yankees AL Philadelphia Phillies NL 4-2
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54, quite 1/2, of the World Series had one or both New York teams.
Because the City is conveniently situated in the center of the
Northeast Corridor, fans from nearby towns like Boston, Baltimore,
Washington, and Philadelphia may visit the City for a World Series
game far more easily and frequently than any where else in the
country.
Other subway series
-----------------
Only two other World Series were staged entirely within one town.
Only one was a real 'subway series' because the other town had no
rapid transit facilities. In 1906 the Chicago White Sox beat the
Chicago Cubs, with the ballparks connected by the town's els. In 1944
the St Louis Cardinals beat the St Louis Browns. Streetcars (light
rail) served the town, but the all games were played in one stadium.
More over, two of the only three World Series played in a single
ballpark were in New York. The 1921 and 1922 Subway Series were played
in Polo Grounds, then shared by the Giants and Yankees. The Yankees
moved into their own new Yankee Stadium in 1923.
The 1944 games in St Louis were in the shared Sportman's Park. All
other Subway Series were played in each team's own park.
There was only one World Series played in separate towns within a
single metropolitan area, where fans could travel by local transit to
each ballpark. The Oakland Athletics beat the San Francisco Giants in
1989. This was called the 'BART series' after the transit system and
also the 'Bay series' for the bridge joining Oakland and San
Francisco. This World Series was almost cancelled due to the 1898
earthquake that caused widespread destruction in the Bay region. After
damage assessment, the teams decided to play the games.
California could have, if the teams remain as they are now, the
most World Series in the 21st century. Its five teams played many
Series so far, some among themselfs. However, the San Diego Padres
never played in a Series against an other California team.
California hasn't yet the most World Series because its teams are
young. The first California teams date from 1958 when the Brooklyn
Dodgers first played as the Los Angeles Dodgers and the New York
Giants started up as the San Francisco Giants.
Missed Subway Series
------------------
There were possible subway series within one town that never
occurred:
In Boston between the Red Sox and Braves
In Philadelphia between the Phillies and Athletics
In Los Angeles between the Dodgers and Angels
There was never a World Series within certain states:
In Florida between the Florida Marlins and the Tampa Bay Rays
In Ohio between the Cincinnati Reds and Cleveland Indians
In Pennsylvania between the Philadelphia Athletics and Pittsburgh
Pirates
In Texas between the Houston Astros and Texas Rangers
There never was an overseas World Series:
Between the Toronto Blue Jays (Canada) and Montreal Expos (Quebec)
World Series by team
------------------
This list keeps the team intact as it moved from town to town or
changed name. Many of the teams near the bottom, with only one or no
World Series, are newer teams created since the 1960s.
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Team Win Last All Last
---------------------------------------------- --- ---- --- ----
New York Highlanders/Yankees (AL) 27 2009 40 2009
St Louis Cardinals (NL) 10 2006 17 2006
Philadelphia/Kansas City/Oakland Athletics (AL) 9 1989 14 1990
Boston Americans/Red Sox (AL) 7 2007 11 2007
Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers (NL) 6 1988 18 1988
Cincinnati Reds (NL) 5 1990 9 1990
Pittsburgh Pirates (NL) 5 1979 7 1979
New York/San Francisco Giants (NL) 5 1954 17 2002
Detroit Tigers (AL) 4 1984 10 2006
Chicago White Sox (AL) 3 2005 5 2005
Boston/Milwaukee/Atlanta Braves (NL) 3 1995 9 1999
Wash'n Senators/Minnesota Twins (AL) 3 1991 6 1991
St Louis Browns/Baltimore Orioles (AL) 3 1983 7 1983
Philadelphia Phillies (NL) 2 2008 7 2009
Cleveland Indians (AL) 2 1948 5 1997
Chicago Cubs (NL) 2 1908 10 1945
Florida Marlins (NL) 2 2003 2 2003
Toronto Blue Jays (AL) 2 1993 2 1993
New York Mets (NL) 2 1986 4 2000
Kansas City Royals (AL) 1 1985 2 1985
Los Angeles/California/Anaheim Angels (AL) 1 2002 1 2002
Arizona Diamondbacks (NL) 1 2001 1 2001
San Diego Padres (NL) 0 -- 2 1998
Houston Colt .45's/Astros (NL) 0 -- 1 2005
Colorado Rockies (NL) 0 -- 1 2007
Seattle Pilots/Milwaukee Brewers (AL/NL) 0 -- 1 1982
Tampa Bay Devil Rays/Rays (AL) 0 -- 1 2008
Washington Senators/Texas Rangers (AL) 0 -- 0 --
Montreal Expos/Washington Nationals (NL) 0 -- 0 --
Seattle Mariners (AL) 0 -- 0 --
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Opening game
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The World Series is played two games in one stadium, a rest day,
three in the other, a rest day, and two back in the first. The stadium
to open the Series is that of the league who won the season's All-Star
game. It so happened that since this rule went into effect in 2003,
the American League won all the All-Star games. The opening game of
all World Series was in the American League stadium. Prior to 2003 the
opening game alternated between the American and National League
stadium.
The teams competing in the World Series before 1969 were the two
who won their league's pennant with the best win-lose record. Since
1969, with the addition of new teams beyond the classical 8 per league
and their partition into geographic divisions, the Series teams are
the winners of a round of playoffs between the divisions after the
regular season.
Conclusion
--------
The fabled Subway Series is a significant part of baseball history
in spite of its rarity in recent decades. Their is chatter and banter
in the air that the two New York teams, the Yankees and the Mets are
at the threshold of new regimes of winning performance. Both have new
ballparks, strong players, good management. May we see more frequent
Subway Series in the City in the decades ahead?