Dodgers vs. Yankees. 34 world championships between them. Baseball’s most legendary franchises. Some of the greatest names in MLB history — the Babe, Jackie, the Iron Horse, Sandy, Derek, Fernando. it’s the 12th time they’ve met in the Series. The problem is, these teams are now more known for falling short than coming up big.

The Dodgers have won only one title (2020) since Kirk Gibson sent a Dennis Eckersley slider into the seats in 1988. The Yankees only have one ring (2009) since the Subway Series of 2000.

it’s not like these teams haven’t had playoff success. They’re not the Seattle Mariners. LA has been to 12 straight postseasons. The NYY have missed the dance only five times in 30 years.

But when it gets to crunch time, these franchises fail a lot. The Dodgers have lost two World Series and five NLCS since 2008. The Yankees have faltered in two Series and six ALCS since 2001.

And it’s not for a lack of spending. The Dodgers have spent tons of money on free agents like Zack Greinke ($147 million), Kevin Brown ($105 million) and Trevor Bauer ($103 million). The Yankees have had even wider wallets with Alex Rodriguez ($275M), Gerrit Cole ($324M) and Mark Teixeira ($180M).

As legendary as the Yankees and Dodgers are — and they have not shortage of fans across the nation — both franchises have been surpassed over the past generation, at least in terms of championships. The Boston Red Sox have won four World Series since 2004, the San Francisco Giants three, and the St. Louis Cardinals and Houston Astros two each.

This time, Dodger fans and Yankee fans have every reason to believe their team can get it done. NY has AL MVP favorite Aaron Judge, while LA has NL MVP favorite Shohei Ohtani. The Yankees also have Juan Soto and Anthony Volpe, both hitting over .300 this postseason, and Giancarlo Stanton (5 home runs).

The Dodgers pair Ohtani with former MVPs Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman. Tommy Edman is also hitting .341 in these playoffs.

We shall see which team pleases — or pisses off — their fan base.