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The 1978 Major League Baseball postseason was the playoff tournament of Major League Baseball for the 1978 season. The winners of each division advance to the postseason and face each other in a League Championship Series to determine the pennant winners that face each other in the World Series.

This was the second of two consecutive postseasons to feature the same teams – the New York Yankees, Kansas City Royals, Philadelphia Phillies, and Los Angeles Dodgers. The former three teams all returned for the 1980 postseason, and all four returned in the expanded 1981 postseason as well as the 2024 postseason.

The playoffs began on October 3, 1978, and concluded on October 17, 1978, with the Yankees again defeating the Dodgers in six games in the 1978 World Series. The Yankees repeated as World Series champions.

Playoff seeds

The following teams qualified for the postseason:

American League

• New York Yankees – 100–63, AL East champions
• Kansas City Royals – 92–70, AL West champions

National League

• Philadelphia Phillies – 90–72, NL East champions
• Los Angeles Dodgers – 95–67, NL West champions

Playoff bracket

*Denotes walk-off

American League Championship Series

New York Yankees vs. Kansas City Royals

New York won the series, 3–1.

For the third year in a row, the Yankees and Royals met in the ALCS, and once again the Yankees came out on top, this time in four games, to return to the World Series for the third year in a row.

In Kansas City, the Yankees blew out the Royals in Game 1, while in Game 2, the Royals responded with a blowout victory of their own to even the series. Game 3 was a slugfest that the Yankees narrowly won, thanks to a two-run home run from Thurman Munson in the bottom of the eighth. Game 4 was a pitchers' duel between Yankees' ace Ron Guidry and Royals' ace Dennis Leonard, which would be won by the former as the Yankees narrowly prevailed by one run to secure the pennant.

Both teams would meet again in the 1980 ALCS - where the Royals finally broke through, and in the ALDS in 2024, which was won by the Yankees. The Yankees would win their next AL pennant in 1981 over the Oakland Athletics in a sweep.

National League Championship Series

Los Angeles Dodgers vs. Philadelphia Phillies

Los Angeles won the series, 3–1.

For the second consecutive year, the Dodgers and Phillies met in the NLCS. The Dodgers yet again prevailed in four games and advanced to the World Series for the second straight year.

The Dodgers stole a Game 1 slugfest on the road, 9–5. They then took Game 2 off a complete-game shutout from ace Tommy John. When the series shifted to Los Angeles for Game 3, the Phillies jumped out to an early lead and did not relinquish it, as they won by a 9–4 score to avoid a sweep. However, the Dodgers ended up winning the pennant in Game 4 with a narrow victory in extra innings.

The two teams would meet in the NLCS again in 1983, 2008 and 2009, however all three would be won by the Phillies. The Phillies would return to the NLCS in 1980, where they defeated the Houston Astros in five games to return to the World Series and win their first ever championship. The Dodgers would win their next NL pennant in 1981 over the Montreal Expos in five games en route to a World Series title.

1978 World Series

New York Yankees (AL) vs. Los Angeles Dodgers (NL)

New York won the series, 4–2.

This was the tenth World Series meeting in the history of the Dodgers–Yankees rivalry. In a near identical outcome to last year's series, the Yankees overcame a two games to none series deficit to again defeat the Dodgers in six games, repeating as World Series champions.

In Los Angeles, the Dodgers blew out the Yankees in Game 1, and overcame a late Yankees' lead in Game 2 thanks to a three-run home run from Ron Cey. When the series shifted to the Bronx, the Yankees got on the board in Game 3 off a complete-game performance from ace Ron Guidry. In Game 4, the Yankees evened the series in extra innings as Lou Piniella drove in Roy White with an RBI single in the bottom of the tenth. Jim Beattie unexpectedly pitched a complete game in Game 5 as the Yankees blew out the Dodgers by ten runs to take a 3–2 series lead headed back to Los Angeles. In Game 6, Catfish Hunter helped lead the Yankees to victory, as they repeated as World Series champions.

Game 6 of the 1978 World Series was the last for Yankees catcher Thurman Munson, who died in a plane crash on August 2, 1979, at Akron-Canton Airport in Ohio.

These historical rivals would meet each other again in the World Series in 1981 and 2024, which were both won by the Dodgers. This was the last time the Yankees won the World Series until 1996, where they defeated the Atlanta Braves in six games to end an 18-year championship drought, which also marked the start of a dynasty.

Broadcasting

ABC televised both LCS nationally in the United States. Each team's local broadcaster also televised coverage of LCS games. NBC aired the World Series.

References

1. "1978 Major Leagues Schedule". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved July 11, 2022.
2. "1978 New York Yankees Statistics". Baseball-Reference.com. Archived from the original on July 13, 2008. Retrieved July 11, 2022.
3. "1978 Kansas City Royals Statistics". Baseball-Reference.com. Archived from the original on November 5, 2021. Retrieved July 11, 2022.
4. "1978 Philadelphia Phillies Statistics". Baseball-Reference.com. Archived from the original on March 27, 2022. Retrieved July 11, 2022.
5. "1978 Los Angeles Dodgers Statistics". Baseball-Reference.com. Archived from the original on March 26, 2022. Retrieved July 11, 2022.
6. "1978 ALCS Game 1 – New York Yankees vs. Kansas City Royals". Retrosheet. Archived from the original on September 24, 2015. Retrieved July 11, 2022.
7. "1978 ALCS Game 2 – New York Yankees vs. Kansas City Royals". Retrosheet. Archived from the original on December 13, 2020. Retrieved July 11, 2022.
8. "1978 ALCS Game 3 – Kansas City Royals vs. New York Yankees". Retrosheet. Archived from the original on October 18, 2020. Retrieved July 11, 2022.
9. "1978 ALCS Game 4 – Kansas City Royals vs. New York Yankees". Retrosheet. Archived from the original on September 24, 2015. Retrieved July 11, 2022.
10. "1978 NLCS Game 1 - Los Angeles Dodgers vs. Philadelphia Phillies". Retrosheet. Archived from the original on July 14, 2021. Retrieved July 11, 2022.
11. "1978 NLCS Game 2 - Los Angeles Dodgers vs. Philadelphia Phillies". Retrosheet. Archived from the original on September 24, 2015. Retrieved July 11, 2022.
12. "1978 NLCS Game 3 - Philadelphia Phillies vs. Los Angeles Dodgers". Retrosheet. Archived from the original on July 15, 2021. Retrieved July 11, 2022.
13. "1978 NLCS Game 4 - Philadelphia Phillies vs. Los Angeles Dodgers". Retrosheet. Archived from the original on July 15, 2021. Retrieved July 11, 2022.
14. "1978 World Series Game 1 - New York Yankees vs. Los Angeles Dodgers". Retrosheet. Archived from the original on October 31, 2021. Retrieved July 11, 2022.
15. "1978 World Series Game 2 - New York Yankees vs. Los Angeles Dodgers". Retrosheet. Archived from the original on October 31, 2021. Retrieved July 11, 2022.
16. "1978 World Series Game 3 - Los Angeles Dodgers vs. New York Yankees". Retrosheet. Archived from the original on October 31, 2021. Retrieved July 11, 2022.
17. "1978 World Series Game 4 - Los Angeles Dodgers vs. New York Yankees". Retrosheet. Archived from the original on November 4, 2021. Retrieved July 11, 2022.
18. "1978 World Series Game 5 - Los Angeles Dodgers vs. New York Yankees". Retrosheet. Archived from the original on September 24, 2015. Retrieved July 11, 2022.
19. "1978 World Series Game 6 - New York Yankees vs. Los Angeles Dodgers". Retrosheet. Archived from the original on September 24, 2015. Retrieved July 11, 2022.
20. "Munson dies in plane crash". Chicago Tribune. August 3, 1979. p. 1, sec. 5.
21. "Yankees' star Munson is killed in plane crash". Toledo Blade. (Ohio). Associated Press. August 3, 1979. p. 1.
22. "'New love' claims life of Yanks' Munson". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). Associated Press. August 3, 1979. p. 33.

External links

• League Baseball Standings & Expanded Standings - 1978

• 1978 Major League Baseball season
• Major League Baseball postseason