Tag: New York Yankees

A Look Back at a World Series Game

Last night the New York Yankees kept their World Series hopes alive by beating the Los Angeles Dodgers 11-4 and bringing the series 3 games (Dodgers) to 1 (Yankees).

My dad was a Brooklyn Dodgers fan and continued to root for them after they took off for Los Angeles after the 1957 season so he’s probably cheering them on from up above!

He did get to see the Yankees win the Series in 1950 when he drove his older brother and his friends down to Yankee Stadium to watch the fourth and final game of the series. I wrote about it in June 2023, The World Series Chauffeur.

I hope you enjoy it and Go Yankees? or Go Dodgers?

The World Series Chauffeur

In 1950, my dad was 26 years old, living with his older brother, sister-in-law, and their 2 boys, and working as a house painter.

It was early October and the New York Yankees, defending champions, were in the world series against the Philadelphia Phillies. The Yankees were up 3 games to none and game 4 was on October 7, 1950, at 2:05 pm with Whitey Ford on the mound.

Since my dad’s beloved New York Dodgers were out with an 89-65-1 record, there wasn’t much left for him to cheer about but that never stopped him from watching a game. He just loved baseball and that day was his lucky day.

His brother Steve asked him to drive him and his friends to the game so they could have a few drinks without worrying about driving home and as payment, he would give him a ticket to the game. How could he resist!?

They all saw Whitey Ford, “Chairman of the Board”, emphatically shut the door on the Phillies season pitching 8.2 innings, giving up 7 hits, 2 runs, 1 base on balls, and 7 strikeouts and a 5-2 Yankees win to repeat as World Series Champions.

I think my dad had a very special relationship with his oldest brother, Steve because when their father Charles Jakiela died, Steve was 23 and my dad just turning 11. Steve and Eddie (21) were born before their dad went into WWI, and Helen (15), Walter (13), and my dad were born after. If you want a look back, here is the story of my dear grandmother, Antonia Liro Jakiela. Steve became my dad’s surrogate father and certainly helped to make my dad the wonderful dad he was to us.