1981 World Series - Matchups - Game 6

Game 6

Wednesday, October 28, 1981 at Yankee Stadium in Bronx, New York

The Yankees traveled back to the friendly confines of Yankee Stadium desperate for a win. Tommy John would be on the mound opposing Burt Hooton. Willie Randolph provided John an early lead with a solo homer in the third. The Dodgers tied it in the fourth on an RBI single by Game 5 hero Steve Yeager.

In the bottom of the fourth, Yankee manager Bob Lemon made possibly his most controversial decision of the series. Graig Nettles led off the inning with a double. After Hooton retired the next two batters, he intentionally walked Larry Milbourne to face John (there was no designated hitter in this series). At that moment, Lemon decided to pinch-hit Bobby Murcer out of desperation for offense. As ABC cameras clearly showed, John could not believe the move and paced up and down the Yankee dugout in disbelief. Murcer flied out to end the inning. In his autobiography, "T.J.: My 26 Years in Baseball" (1991), John revealed that before the game, Lemon and team owner George Steinbrenner settled on the following strategy: get the lead early in the game and then protect the lead with the bullpen. John observed that such preconceived strategies, are impractical in baseball because of the sport's many unpredictable variables that come into play during a game.

In the fifth, George Frazier, who relieved John, gave up an RBI single to Ron Cey and a two-run triple to Pedro Guerrero. Frazier would take the loss and become the first pitcher to lose three games in a best of seven World Series and second pitcher to lose three games in any World Series (the first being Lefty Williams, a member of the Chicago White Sox team that threw the best of nine 1919 World Series).

The Yankee bullpen further collapsed in the sixth. Ron Davis issued one-out walks to pitcher Hooton and Davey Lopes. Bill Russell singled home Hooton, then Lopes and Russell pulled a double steal. Davis walked Steve Garvey intentionally, and then gave up an RBI force-out to pinch-hitter Derrel Thomas. After Dusty Baker reached on an error by Nettles, loading the bases again, Guerrero singled in two more runs. Guerrero would cap a five-RBI night, and the Dodgers' World Series win, by blasting a solo home run in the eighth.

On Russell's RBI single in the sixth, Dave Winfield stumbled as he was fielding the ball and preparing to throw home for a possible play at the plate. His throw bounced on the outfield grass and rolled home as Burt Hooton scored easily. This miscue typified Winfield's struggles in this, his first World Series. At the plate, he went 1-for-22 with one RBI, hardly what the Yankees expected when they signed him before the season. After the series Steinbrenner issued a public apology to the City of New York for his team's performance, while at the same time assuring the fans that plans to put the team together for 1982 would begin immediately. The Yankee owner was criticized heartily by players and press alike for doing so, as most people felt losing in the World Series was not something that needed to be apologized for.

For the first time ever, there were co-MVP's in this World Series. Cey (.350 avg., 7-for-20, HR, 6 RBIs), Yeager (4-for-14, 2 HR's), and Guerrero (.333 avg, 7-for-21, 2 HR's, 7 RBIs) would share the award.