(CNN) – The Yankees against the Dodgers: it’s a story that goes back to 1941.
The New York Yankees and the Los Angeles Dodgers, two of the most historic franchises in the Major Leagues, meet this Friday in the World Series for the first time since 1981.
While the two powers are neck and neck during regular season games, the Yankees have historically outscored the Dodgers in the postseason, according to a CNN analysis of Major League Baseball data via Baseball Reference.
The teams have faced each other 11 times in previous title series since the first in 1941. The Yankees have captured eight of those championships.
The Dodgers-Yankees rivalry was hot in the 1940s and 1950s, when the teams (with the Los Angeles and then the Brooklyn Dodgers) met in seven World Series championships, six of which the Yankees won. The Dodgers moved from Brooklyn to Los Angeles in 1958.
The men in pinstripes have had a clear advantage when it comes to World Series wins against the Dodgers, having won 73% of World Series titles against Los Angeles/Brooklyn. However, when you look at all the games played between the two teams (during the regular season and playoffs), they stack up more evenly.
Of the 88 games the teams have played against each other, the Yankees have won 55% and the Dodgers have won 45%.
