| 1976 World Series | ||||||||||
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| Dates | October 16–21 | |||||||||
| Venue(s) | Riverfront Stadium (Cincinnati) Yankee Stadium (New York) | |||||||||
| MVP | Johnny Bench (Cincinnati) | |||||||||
| Umpires | Lee Weyer (NL),Lou DiMuro (AL),Billy Williams (NL),Bill Deegan (AL),Bruce Froemming (NL),Dave Phillips (AL) | |||||||||
| Hall of Famers | Reds: Sparky Anderson (mgr.) Johnny Bench Joe Morgan Tony Pérez Yankees: Catfish Hunter | |||||||||
| Broadcast | ||||||||||
| Television | NBC | |||||||||
| TV announcers | Joe Garagiola Marty Brennaman (in Cincinnati) Phil Rizzuto (in New York) Tony Kubek | |||||||||
| Radio | CBS | |||||||||
| Radio announcers | Bill White (in Cincinnati) Marty Brennaman (in New York) Win Elliot | |||||||||
| ALCS | New York Yankees overKansas City Royals (3–2) | |||||||||
| NLCS | Cincinnati Reds overPhiladelphia Phillies (3–0) | |||||||||
The1976 World Series was thechampionship series ofMajor League Baseball's (MLB)1976 season. The 73rd edition of the World Series, it was abest-of-seven playoff played between theNational League (NL) championCincinnati Reds and theAmerican League (AL) championNew York Yankees. The Redsswept the Series in four games to repeat as champions, avenging their1939 and1961 World Series losses to the Yankees. The 1976 Reds became, and remain, the only team to sweep an entire multi-tier postseason, one of the crowning achievements of the franchise'sBig Red Machine era.[1] They also became the third NL team (following theChicago Cubs in1907–08 and theNew York Giants in1921–22) to win consecutive World Series, and were the last to do so until theLos Angeles Dodgers did that in2024–25.
This was also the second time that the Yankees were swept in a World Series in four straight games, theLos Angeles Dodgers having previously done so in1963. (TheNew York Giants "swept" them in five games in1922, with Game 2 ending in a tie due to being called on account of darkness.) It was also the first World Series sweepin ten years, and the first for the Reds; their next came against theOakland Athletics in1990.
The Reds won theNL West division by ten games over theDodgers, then defeated thePhiladelphia Phillies in three straight games in theNL Championship Series, after losing seven of twelve to them during the regular season. The Yankees won theAL East division by10+1⁄2 games over theBaltimore Orioles, then defeated theKansas City Royals in the deciding fifth game of theAL Championship Series.
This World Series was the first in which thedesignated hitter rule, which had been introduced in the AL three years prior, was in effect; it was used for all games (for the first ten years, the use of the DH alternated; in even-numbered years, it was used in all games, in odd-numbered years, it was not used; starting in1986, the DH was used only in games played at the AL representative's park).[2] The use of the DH wound up benefiting the Reds, who were able to get utility infielderDan Driessen's bat in the lineup. Driessen hit .357 with one home run.Elliott Maddox,Carlos May, andLou Piniella shared the role for the Yankees. Game 1, played at Cincinnati'sRiverfront Stadium, marked the first time the DH was used in a NL ballpark. Game 2, also at Riverfront Stadium, was the first World Series weekend game to be scheduled at night.
Reds catcherJohnny Bench was named the World Series MVP. Bench batted .533 with 8 hits, 6 RBIs and two home runs and also scored 4 runs.
After spending the last two years sharing home field with theNew York Mets atShea Stadium, the 1976 New York Yankees returned home to a rebuilt and modifiedYankee Stadium.George Steinbrenner had now owned the team for four years, since 1973, withBilly Martin serving the first of his five stints as manager since 1975. General ManagerGabe Paul made numerous trades gettingMickey Rivers andEd Figueroa from theAngels forBobby Bonds;Willie Randolph andDock Ellis from thePirates forDoc Medich; andDoyle Alexander,Ken Holtzman, andGrant Jackson from theOrioles forRudy May,Tippy Martinez,Scott McGregor, andRick Dempsey.
The heart of the team was Yankee captain,Thurman Munson, whose grit and determination were factors in his winning the 1976American League MVP award. Third baseman,Graig Nettles, and first baseman,Chris Chambliss were the key run producers, while speedy outfieldersRoy White and Riversset the table for thepower hitters. Super free agentCatfish Hunter headed the staff while relieverSparky Lyle led the A.L. in saves with 23. TheYankees finished10+1⁄2 ahead in the A.L. East advancing to theWorld Series by beating theKansas City Royals in the fifth game of the playoffs on a ninth-inning walk-off home run byChambliss.
The defending championCincinnati Reds were piloted bySparky Anderson who had a star-studded lineup led by second basemanJoe Morgan. CatcherJohnny Bench, first basemanTony Perez, and outfielderGeorge Foster provided enough power to drive in sparkplugsPete Rose,Ken Griffey, and Morgan, who combined power (27 homers, 111 RBI) and speed (67 stolen bases) from the third-spot in the batting order. Morgan went on to win his second-straight National League Most Valuable Player award, outdistancing runner-up teammate Foster. Foster would go on to win the 1977 MVP award, giving the Reds six MVPs in an eight-year stretch. Bench won MVP honors in 1970 and 1972 while Rose took home the hardware in '73.
The Reds led the NL in every significant offensive category including runs scored, batting average, slugging percentage, on-base percentage, doubles, triples, home runs, RBI, and stolen bases.
On the mound, theReds relied on left-handersDon Gullett andFred Norman to pacify the Yankee hitters in Games 1 and 2, respectively. Gullett had come back from a mid-season injury to start Game 1 but had to leave the game in the eighth inning due to a twisted ankle while Norman out-pitched aceHunter in Game 2. Game 3 inNew York pitted effective 1976 NL Rookie of the YearPat Zachry for the Reds against newly acquired Yankee,Dock Ellis. Ellis only lasted3+1⁄3 innings, exiting in the fourth after a home run by Driessen. Game 4 was delayed a day due to rain, but the Reds were ready for the sweep. Bench's two-run home run gave the Reds a 3–1 lead. In the top of the ninth, a frustratedBilly Martin threw a baseball from the dugout onto the field towards home plate umpire Bill Deegan, causing hisejection from the game. In the ninth, Bench's second home run followed by back-to-back doubles byCésar Gerónimo andDave Concepción made the score 7–2 and essentially blew the game open. TheCincinnati Reds outscored theNew York Yankees, 22–8, and became the first NL team to repeat as World Champions since the 1921–1922New York Giants. The Reds did not make a single offensive or defensive substitution (save pitching changes) during the entire series. Bench would claim the MVP of the series hitting .533 with two home runs and six runs batted in. His catching counterpart,Thurman Munson, had nine hits, all singles, and a .529 batting average.
NLCincinnati Reds (4) vs. ALNew York Yankees (0)
| Game | Date | Score | Location | Time | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | October 16 | New York Yankees – 1,Cincinnati Reds – 5 | Riverfront Stadium | 2:10 | 54,826[3] |
| 2 | October 17 | New York Yankees – 3,Cincinnati Reds – 4 | Riverfront Stadium | 2:33 | 54,816[4] |
| 3 | October 19 | Cincinnati Reds – 6, New York Yankees – 2 | Yankee Stadium | 2:40 | 56,667[5] |
| 4 | October 21† | Cincinnati Reds – 7, New York Yankees – 2 | Yankee Stadium | 2:36 | 56,700[6] |
†: postponed from October 20 due to rain
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E | |||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 1 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Cincinnati | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | X | 5 | 10 | 1 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| WP:Don Gullett (1–0) LP:Doyle Alexander (0–1) Home runs: NYY: None CIN:Joe Morgan (1) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Joe Morgan got the Reds off to a booming start with a home run in the first off ofDoyle Alexander, who had to start becauseCatfish Hunter had a sore arm and needed another day of rest. The Yankees tied the game in the second whenLou Piniella hit a leadoff double, moved to third on a groundout and scored onGraig Nettles's sacrifice fly. In the third,Dave Concepcion tripled with one out and scored onPete Rose's sacrifice fly to put the Reds up 2–1.Tony Pérez's RBI single in the sixth extended their lead to 3–1. In the seventh,George Foster hit a leadoff single and scored on aJohnny Bench RBI triple. Bench then scored on aSparky Lyle wild pitch. The only bad news for the Reds was an injury to starting pitcherDon Gullett, who pulled a calf muscle in the eighth and would be unavailable for the remainder of the Series. It turned out to be Gullett's last appearance in a Reds uniform.Pedro Borbon pitched1+2⁄3 shutout innings to close the game.
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E | |||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 9 | 1 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Cincinnati | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 10 | 0 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| WP:Jack Billingham (1–0) LP:Catfish Hunter (0–1) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The Reds scored three runs in the second offCatfish Hunter. After a leadoff double byDan Driessen,George Foster's RBI single put the Reds up 1–0. Foster was caught stealing second, but after a double and walk,Dave Concepción's RBI single made it 2–0 Reds. A walk loaded the bases before asacrifice fly byKen Griffey made it 3–0 Reds. The Yankees got on the board on an RBI single byGraig Nettles in the fourth. In the seventh, the Yankees tied things up on an RBI double byFred Stanley off starterFred Norman and an RBI groundout byThurman Munson offJack Billingham. Meanwhile, Hunter settled into a groove, pitching a complete game and shutting out the Reds until the ninth. With two outs,Ken Griffey reached second when Stanley threw wildly past first after fielding his slow bouncer.Joe Morgan was walked intentionally andTony Pérez ended the game by driving in Griffey with a single.
The Sunday night contest, the first weekend World Series game to begin after dark, was played under temperatures that started at 43 °F (6 °C) and dipped into the 30s as the game progressed.[7]Major League Baseball commissionerBowie Kuhn responded to criticism of the scheduling, which was done to accommodateNBC television, by attending the game without wearing an overcoat in spite of the cold nighttime weather.[8][9]
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E | |||||||||||||||||||||
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| Cincinnati | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 13 | 2 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| New York | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 8 | 0 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| WP:Pat Zachry (1–0) LP:Dock Ellis (0–1) Sv:Will McEnaney (1) Home runs: CIN:Dan Driessen (1) NYY:Jim Mason (1) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
As the Series moved toYankee Stadium, the Reds struck first with three runs off starterDock Ellis.Dan Driessen hit a leadoff single, stole second and scored on an RBI double byGeorge Foster, AfterJohnny Bench singled, an RBI force-out byCésar Gerónimo made it 2–0 Reds. Geronimo stole second and scored on an RBI single byDave Concepción to cap the inning's scoring.Dan Driessen smacked a home run in the fourth. In the bottom of the inning, the Yankees got on the board onOscar Gamble's single off ofPat Zachry. A seventh inning home run byJim Mason—the 500th home run in the history of the World Series[10]—cut the Reds' lead to 4–2. Mason became the first of two players to hit a home run in his only World Series at-bat, the second beingGeoff Blum in 2005 for the Chicago White Sox. The Reds got both runs back in the eighth onJoe Morgan's RBI double offGrant Jackson after two leadoff singles and Foster's RBI single offDick Tidrow.
This game featured a slick defensive play byGrant Jackson in the top of the seventh.Johnny Bench hit a hard grounder up the middle which appeared to be a sure base hit, but Jackson speared the ball with his glove behind his back and retired Bench.
This was the first World Series game at Yankee Stadium to open with opera starRobert Merrill's famous rendition ofthe National Anthem.
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E | |||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cincinnati | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 7 | 9 | 2 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| New York | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 8 | 0 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| WP:Gary Nolan (1–0) LP:Ed Figueroa (0–1) Sv:Will McEnaney (2) Home runs: CIN:Johnny Bench 2 (2) NYY: None | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The Yankees got on the board in the first (which would be their only lead in this Series) on a two-outThurman Munson single and aChris Chambliss double off ofGary Nolan. Munson would collect four hits in the game. In the fourth,Joe Morgan walked off ofEd Figueroa, stole second, and came home on aGeorge Foster single.Johnny Bench followed with his first home run to give the Reds a 3–1 lead. The Yankees cut the lead to 3–2 in the fifth inning whenMickey Rivers hit a leadoff single, stole second and scored on Munson's single, but the Reds padded that lead in the ninth. Figueroa walked two before being relieved byDick Tidrow, who allowed a one-out three-run home run to Bench to extend the Reds' lead to 6–2.César Gerónimo andDave Concepción followed with consecutive doubles to make 7–2 Reds.Will McEnaney pitched2+1⁄3 shutout innings to end the series. It was the Reds' second-straight World Series victory and the second-straight time McEnaney would be on the mound for the Series' final out. It also, to date, is the only perfect playoff season since the LCS was created in 1969. This was Tony Perez's final game in a Reds uniform until 1984. With the win, the Reds became the first visiting team since the1957 Milwaukee Braves to win the World Series at Yankee Stadium.
1976 World Series(4–0):Cincinnati Reds (N.L.) beatNew York Yankees (A.L.).
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E | |||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cincinnati Reds | 1 | 6 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 22 | 42 | 5 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| New York Yankees | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 30 | 2 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Total attendance: 223,009 Average attendance: 55,752 Winning player's share: $26,367 Losing player's share: $19,935[11] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
This was the last of 30 consecutive World Series telecasts byNBC, which had aired the event since 1947; underMajor League Baseball's new television contract, World Series coverage would now alternate between NBC (in even-numbered years) and rival networkABC (in odd-numbered years) each year; this arrangement would end after the1989 World Series, andCBS would hold exclusive rights to MLB games for the next four years. (A similar setup occurred between1996 and2000, when World Series telecasts would alternate between NBC andFox.) It was also the last time that local announcers for the participating teams (the Reds'Marty Brennaman and the Yankees'Phil Rizzuto, in this case) would be regularly featured on the network telecast.
This was the first of 21 consecutive World Series to be broadcast byCBS Radio.
At first, the designated hitter rule did not apply to any games in the World Series, in which the AL and NL winners met for the world championship. From 1976-1985, it applied only to Series held in even-numbered years, and in 1986 the current rule took effect, according to which the designated hitter rule is used or not used according to the practice of the home team.
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