On October 18, 1977, Reggie Jackson turned World Series Game 6 into a demonstration of how quickly one hitter could change a championship. He hit three home runs at Yankee Stadium, each on the first pitch from a different Dodgers pitcher. New York won 8–4 and closed the Series in six games.
The first blast came in the fourth inning against Burt Hooton. With Thurman Munson aboard, Jackson's two-run homer pushed the Yankees into the lead. When Jackson returned to the plate in the fifth, Elias Sosa had replaced Hooton. Another first pitch became another two-run home run, extending New York's advantage.
His third opportunity arrived in the eighth against Charlie Hough. Jackson drove that first pitch toward center field for a solo homer. Three swings against three pitchers had produced five runs. The progression gave the night its unusual rhythm: anticipation grew between plate appearances, but each decisive confrontation ended almost immediately.
Jackson joined Babe Ruth in the select company of hitters who had homered three times in a World Series game. Ruth had done it twice. Jackson's version also finished a championship, giving the Yankees their first World Series title since 1962 and making this particular Game 6 inseparable from the celebration.
Three first-pitch homers within one championship-clinching game remain the night's defining record. New York still needed pitching, defense and the rest of its lineup to finish the series. Yet three first-pitch home runs supplied its unmistakable signature. The night helped make the nickname Mr. October a shorthand for postseason performance, with the evidence contained in three swings.