1947 World Series

Game 1

There were 73,365 in the house for Game 1. Brooklyn struck first in the first on Dixie Walker's RBI single with Pete Reiser at second off of Spec Shea, but starter Ralph Branca was knocked out in a five-run fifth. A single, walk and hit-by-pitch loaded the bases before Johnny Lindell's two-run double put the Yankees up 2–1 After a walk re-loaded the bases, another walk forced in a run, then after a groundout, Tommy Henrich's RBI off of Hank Behrman capped the inning's coring. The Dodgers chipped away at the Yankees lead, getting a run in the sixth on Carl Furillo's RBI single off of Joe Page and Page's wild pitch in the seventh with Pee Wee Reese at second, but Page held the Dodgers scoreless afterward as the Yankees took a 1–0 series lead.

Game 2

The Yankees struck first in Game 2 on Johnny Lindell's double-play after two leadoff singles in the first off of Vic Lombardi, but the Dodgers tied the game in the third on Jackie Robinson's RBI single. The Yankees regained the lead in the bottom on Lindell's RBI triple with a runner at third, but the Dodgers again tied the game in the fourth on Dixie Walker's home run. In the bottom half, after a leadoff triple, Phil Rizzuto's RBI double put the Yankees back in front 3–2. Next the inning, Tommy Henrich's lead-off home run extended their lead to 4–2. After a ground-rule double knocked Lombardi out of the game, George McQuinn's RBI single off of Hal Gregg made it 5–2 Yankees. The Yankees added another run in the sixth on Lindell's sacrifice fly before breaking it open in the seventh. After a leadoff single and wild pitch by Hank Behrman, Billy Johnson's RBI single made it 7–2 Yankees. After a pop out and intentional walk, Reynolds's RBI single made it 8–2 Yankees. Rex Barney relieved Berhman and allowed an RBI single to Snuffy Stirnweiss and threw a wild pitch that turned the Yanks' advantage to 10-2. The Dodgers scored one more run in the ninth on Spider Jorgensen's groundout off of Allie Reynolds, who scattered nine hits in a complete-game win.

Game 3

The series shifted to Ebbets Field and the stadium shook in the second inning as the Dodgers rang up six runs. After a one-out walk, Bruce Edwards's double and Pee Wee Reese's single scored a run each. One out later, after a single and passed ball, Eddie Stanky's two-run double was the end for Yankee starter Bobo Newsom, but the runs kept coming with a Carl Furillo two-run double after a single off of Vic Raschi. The rest of the day, the Yankees pecked away. Back-to-back RBI singles by Johnny Lindell and Joe DiMaggio off of Joe Hatten made it 6–2 Dodgers in the third. After the Dodgers scored a run in the bottom half on Spider Jorgensen's RBI single after a hit-by-pitch and wild pitch by Karl Drews, Sherm Lollar hit an RBI double in the fourth after a walk and Snuffy Stirnweiss added an RBI single. After two walks in the bottom half off of Spud Chandler, the Dodgers got those runs back on back-to-back RBI singles by Dixie Walker and Gene Hermanski, but Joe DiMaggio hit a two-run home run in the fifth after a walk. The next inning, Tommy Henrich's RBI double and Yogi Berra's home run in the seventh off of Ralph Branca made it 9-8 Dodgers. In a panic, Dodger fans let out a sigh of relief as reliever Hugh Casey set down Billy Johnson, Phil Rizzuto and Berra in order in the ninth.

Upon the completion of the series, game 3 set a peculiar record. The number of Yankee runs put up, 8, is the largest number of runs accumulated in a World Series game, by a team which lost the game, yet went on to win the series. This record is shared in common only with game 2 of 1956.

Game 4

The Yankees entered Game 4 aiming to take a three games to one lead in the best-of-seven series, and came one out away from doing this. They scored a run in the first on a bases-loaded walk off of Harry Taylor and another in the fourth on Johnny Lindell's double after a leadoff triple off of Hal Gregg. Bill Bevens, the Yankee starter, pitched ​8 ²⁄₃ innings without allowing a base hit, but allowed a run in the fifth on Pee Wee Reese's fielder's choice after two walks and a sacrifice bunt. No pitcher had ever thrown a no-hitter in a major league World Series game (although the so-called "Negro World Series" had produced complete-game no-hit pitching performances prior to 1947).^[8][9][10]

Going into the bottom of the ninth inning, Bevens and the Yankees led 2–1. Bevens got Bruce Edwards to fly out, and then walked Carl Furillo. Spider Jorgensen fouled out for the 2nd out. Al Gionfriddo pinch-ran for Furillo. Pete Reiser pinch-hit for pitcher Hugh Casey; during the at-bat, Gionfriddo stole second base. The Yankees then intentionally walked Reiser. This was criticized in hindsight for two reasons: one was the old axiom of never intentionally putting the winning run on base; the other is that Reiser was playing injured, and the odds of getting him out seemed reasonable. Eddie Miksis pinch-ran for Reiser, and the Dodgers sent Cookie Lavagetto to pinch-hit for Eddie Stanky. Lavagetto lined a 1–0 fastball to right field; the ball ricocheted off the wall with a peculiar bounce and hit Yankee right fielder Tommy Henrich in the shoulder, as Gionfriddo and Miksis raced around to score. The play ended the no-hitter and won the game for the Dodgers.

The hit was the last of Lavagetto's career. Additionally, neither Lavagetto nor Bevens nor Gionfriddo would play in the majors again following this Series.

The Dodgers, with this hit, avoided a three-games-to-one deficit, avoided becoming the victim of a no-hitter, and tied the Series at two games each. The rapid and dramatic reversal of fortunes may have provided a momentum swing.

Game 5

Nine walks in fewer than five innings proved the undoing of Rex Barney in this start for Brooklyn. A pair of walks and RBI single by opposing pitcher Spec Shea in the fourth put the Yankees up 1-0. Joe DiMaggio homered to left in the fifth. That was all the runs the visiting Yanks would get at Ebbets Field, but this was Shea's stadium this day. A hit by Jackie Robinson in the sixth scored Al Gionfriddo to pull the Dodgers within 2-1. Then in the ninth, after a Bruce Edwards leadoff single and sacrifice bunt by Carl Furillo, the tying run died on base. Shea got Spider Jorgensen on a fly to right, and with Brooklyn's fans on their feet, pinch-hitter Cookie Lavagetto struck out.

Game 6

The Dodgers won Game 6 to force a seventh and deciding game. Three straight singles loaded the bases in the first with no outs, then Dixie Walker's double play and Allie Reynolds's passed ball scored a run each. In the third, three straight doubles by Pee Wee Reese, Jackie Robinson and Walker made it 4–0 Dodgers. In the bottom of the inning, after a double and wild pitch by Vic Lombardi, an error on Snuffy Stirnweiss's ground ball allowed a run to score. After a single, Johnny Lindell's RBI single cut the Dodgers' lead to 4–2. After another single knocked Lombardie out of the game, RBI singles by Billy Johnson and Bobby Brown off of Ralph Branca tied the game. Yogi Berra's RBI single next inning put the Yankees up 5–4. In the sixth, after a leadoff single and double off of Joe Page, Cookie Lavagetto's sacrifice fly tied the game, then Bobby Bragan's RBI single put the Dodgers up 6–5. After a single knocked Page out of the game, Reese's two-run single off of Bobo Newsom made it 8–5 Dodgers.

A catch made by Al Gionfriddo, replayed countless times, may be the most remembered play of this game, and one of the most remembered plays of the Series.

Al Gionfriddo's Game 6 catch.

In the last of the sixth, the Dodgers sent Al Gionfriddo to left field as a defensive replacement for Eddie Miksis. Joe Hatten came in to pitch. With two on and two outs, Joe DiMaggio came to bat for the Yankees, representing the potential tying run. Radio announcer Red Barber provided the play-by-play, which has often accompanied re-played film footage:

Swung on, belted... it's a long one... back goes Gionfriddo, back, back, back, back, back, back... heeee makes a one-handed catch against the bullpen! Oh, Doctor!

The gusto Barber produced, along with his "back-back-back" expression, inspired future generations of sports broadcasters. Many announcers since that time have used variations of the call, especially Chris Berman of ESPN. These announcers have tended, for whatever reasons, to describe the ball itself as going "back-back-back". In Barber's call, it was the outfielder who was going "back-back-back".

The ball was hit so hard and deep that Gionfriddo, already playing deep, did not have time to turn around, literally having to "back-back-back"-pedal to snare the ball just in front of the bullpen-alley fence, near the 415-foot (126 m) marker posted to the center field side of the bullpen alley (the sign on the left field side of the alley was posted as 402). It is also worth noting that had DiMaggio hit the ball in Ebbets Field, whose left-center area was some 50 feet (15 m) closer, it might have landed in the upper deck and certainly would have been a game-tying homer.

Films of the play showed DiMaggio, heading for second, kick the dirt in disgust after he realized Gionfriddo had caught the ball. This a surprise to many who witnessed it, since DiMaggio was known to never show his emotions while playing. Red Barber declared it, "probably the only time ever that DiMaggio was publicly and visibly upset."

Three of the 1947 Series' prominent figures, Gionfriddo, Lavagetto and Bevens, finished their playing careers in this Series. Gionfriddo did not play in Game 7, and his catch of DiMaggio's drive was his only put-out in this game. So Gionfriddo's famous catch was his final put-out in his major league career.^[11]

The Yankees loaded the bases in the bottom of the ninth off of Joe Hatten and Hugh Casey, but scored only once on a groundout.

Game 7

Joe Page pitched five innings of one-hit, shutout relief as the Yankees racked up yet another World Series championship. Starting pitcher Spec Shea was removed in the second inning after allowing a triple to Gene Hermanski, RBI single to Bruce Edwards, and another single to Carl Furillo, and Brooklyn's Spider Jorgensen greeted reliever Bill Bevens with a run-scoring double to right field to put the Dodgers on top, 2–0. The Yankees cut the lead to 2–1 in the bottom half on Phil Rizutto's RBI single after two walks off of Hal Gregg. In the fourth, a two-out, two-on Bobby Brown single tied the game, then after reliever Hank Behrman allowed a walk to load the bases, Tommy Henrich's RBI single put the Yankees up 3–2. Allie Clark's RBI single off Joe Hatten in the sixth made it 4-2. Then another run for good measure came on Aaron Robinson's sacrifice fly following a Billy Johnson triple off of the Hugh Casey.