This baseball postseason, as the Dodgers made their way into their first World Series in 29 years, had me thinking a lot of my sweet Grandma Hallenberger. My Dad's mom loved baseball. My Grandpa played semi-pro baseball and I loved the stories they would tell me like when he batted against the great Satchel Paige. But it is my Grandma that I credit her for feeding my passion for the Los Angeles Dodgers. Not the way you might think however.
My Grandma was a die-hard Yankees fan and absolutely hated the Dodgers. She remembered the Dodgers residing in Brooklyn and the many World Series battles they had against her beloved Yankees.
The Yankees were the most powerful team of her day and beat the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1941,1947, 1949, 1952 and 1953. Two of those series went the distance with the Yankees winning in 7 games. The Dodgers finally broke thru to beat the Yankees for their first World Series Championship in 1955. It took all 7 games to capture the title. 
In 1956 the Yankees reclaimed the throne, beating the Dodgers in a thrilling 7 game series in which the Dodgers had a 2 games to none lead. This was the series that saw the Yankees' Don Larsen in Game 5 throw the very first no-hitter in World Series History.
The next year the Dodgers moved to Los Angeles and the rivalry continued as the two clubs met yet again in the Fall Classic of 1963, where the Dodgers would crush the Yankees in a 4 game sweep.
This brings us to the 1977 classic. I was 8 years old and my Grandma tried her best to get me to like her favorite team. She would tell me all about the great history of the New York Yankees. From Babe Ruth to Lou Gerhig, from Yogi Berra to Mickey Mantle to Jo Demaggio. In 1977 all she talked about was Reggie Jackson. For me, I loved her passion for the Yankees. I loved the stories she would tell. But I loved to tease my Grandma and at the tender age of 8, I began the art of trash talking. To my own Grandma.
I was relentless in talking up the Dodgers. They were going to destroy the Yankees. Keep in mind that I actually knew very little about the Dodgers, besides the fact that Grandma loathed them.
Well, as it turns out, Grandma's Yankees won that series in 6 games. And it was Reggie Jackson fueling the victory with a Game 6 clinching performance of 3 home runs. Grandma was all kinds of happy and even did a little trash talking of her own towards her cocky grandson.
In 1978 it was on again! This time I dialed up my assertion that the Dodgers would pound the Yankees. I have to hand it to my Grandma though, she didn't flinch on her confidence that her team would prevail. And once again, the Grandma was right. Yankees beet the Dodgers in 6 games.
It would be a few years before the two teams would meet again in the World Series. The 1981 series was one that I actually remember well. I was a full Dodgers fan now because I loved how it got my Grandma going. I was quite a bit more knowledgeable of the game at this time too, so my trash talking was more valid. This year I would get her as the Dodgers beat the Yankees in 6 games.
Since that 1981 series the Dodgers have only won a single World Championship. That came in 1988 with the famous Kirk Gibson home run that sparked the upset against a powerful Oakland A's team. The Yankees on the other hand would go through a rough patch for many years until returning to glory in 1996. They would again win in 1998, 1999, 2000, and 2009. My Grandma was still around for each of those victories.
This year, I was thinking of Grandma as we were so very close to another Dodgers vs Yankees World Series. Even though it was weird to be rooting for the Yankees in game 7 against the Astros in the ALCS, I sure would have loved to rekindle this great World Series Rivalry. I know my Grandma would be watching every game as well. And she would be smack talking from heaven and I would feel it for sure. And I'm sure I'd have shouted out to the skies as well, letting her know that I bleed blue!
Today I'm thankful for baseball. And I'm especially grateful to my Grandma. Thanks for instilling in me a passion for baseball and competition. Thanks for teaching me what it means to be loyal to your team. Even when the Yankees were in the dregs of Major League Baseball, you always wore your stripes with pride. I have taken that gauntlet myself and am a die-hard faithful fan of my Dodgers, Lakers, and Rams. I love you Grandma! I miss you!! I hope you enjoy watching me as I cheer on the Dodgers in the World Series this year! GO DODGERS!!
