The Phillies and Yankees are set to start the 2009 World Series tonight (weather permitting).
This is the first time since 1950 these two teams will meet for the title. There could have been a few other matchups.
The year 1964 springs to mind, but the Phillies blew a huge lead with 12 games to go and it was the Cardinals that made it through to beat New York.
Philadelphia made the NLCS from 1976-1978, but lost to the Reds once and the Dodgers twice. The Yankees were the AL representative in the Fall Classic all three years.
In 1980, the Phils finally broke through by edging Houston in five games, but the Yankees lost to the Royals in the ALCS that year.
You have to go back to that 1950 season of the Whiz Kids from Philly taking on the early years of the Yankee Dynasty. This was the season that Had Joe DiMaggio and Mickey Mantle playing together in the outfield. This was the unbroken line from Ruth to Gehrig to DiMaggio to Mantle was still intact.
In 1949, the Yankees beat the Brooklyn Dodgers to win their first World Championship under Casey Stengel. The Phillies of 1949, well, in a word, were okay. They finished that season at 81-73, but that was a full 16 games behind the Dodgers.
In 1950, the Yankees held off Detroit to win the AL Pennant by three games. The Phillies had a one game lead on the Dodgers going into the final day of the season. A once comfortable lead had been shaved down to that one run thanks to a five game losing streak.
On October 1, 1950 in Brooklyn the game was tied 1-1 in top of the tenth inning and Dick Sisler hit a three-run homer to put the Phillies in their first World Series since 1915.
I had hoped to do a bit more on Game One of the series today, but something just croppped up that is kind of cool. Just be watching the game tonight and there might be a few things about former Appleton Foxes teammates from 1994 who are one opposite sides in the 2009 World Series.
Long story short on Game One of the Series in 1950...
Vic Raschi tossed a two-hit complete game shutout for the Yankees at Shibe Park. Jerry Coleman drove in the only run with a sacrifice fly in the fourth and the Yankees won game one 1-0.
Game two would feature Robin Roberts as the starting pitcher for the Phillies and Allie Reynolds on the hill for the Yankees.
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