1966 World Series - Aftermath

Aftermath

This was the last hurrah for the Dodgers of this era. In an eight-year span from 1959 to 1966, they played in four World Series, winning three of them. In addition, they finished second twice (once losing in a short playoff series). Sandy Koufax, though arguably at the peak of his career, announced his retirement following the World Series because of the chronic arthritis and bursitis in his pitching elbow. In addition, the Dodgers shortstop and former Most Valuable Player (1962), Maury Wills, was sent to the Pittsburgh Pirates in December, and the league batting champion for 1962 and '63, and RBI champion (153) in '63, Tommy Davis, was sent to the New York Mets after the 1966 season.

The Dodgers team was collapsing. It finished in eighth place in 1967 and in seventh in 1968, before a new group of young players led the team back into contention for about 2⁄₃ of the 1969 season, before collapsing and finishing well behind in the new National League Western Division to the Atlanta Braves and the San Francisco Giants.

From 1969 to 1983, the Dodgers finished first in the N.L. Western Division five times, and the team finished in second place seven times, with the Cincinnati Reds dominating that division during the 1970s. During this period, the Dodgers won one World Series and won four National League Championship Series.

Meanwhile, the Baltimore Orioles became a dominant team in the late 1960s and early to mid-1970s. Injuries slowed the team down in 1967 and 1968, but they won three straight A.L. pennants from 1969 through '71, including the 1970 World Series. The Orioles won the American League Eastern Division again in 1973 and 1974, but they fell to the Oakland Athletics dynasty, which went to the World Series three years in a row. The Orioles returned to the World Series in 1979, but they lost to the Pirates in seven games. The Orioles won at least 90 games in all but three seasons from 1968 through 1983, culminating in their 1983 World Series victory over the Phillies.