1978 was one of the craziest roller-coaster rides any baseball team has ever gone on. On July 19 when the Yankees sat 14-games behind Boston in the AL East, nobody could have predicted they’d chase-down the Sox.

1978 was one of the craziest roller-coaster rides any baseball team has ever gone on. On July 19 when the Yankees sat 14-games behind Boston in the AL East, nobody could have predicted they’d chase-down the Sox.

Each team finished the regular season with 99 wins. It was a long road for each team to reach that point. Boston had the best record in baseball through June but then suffered injuries through the dog days of summer, opening the door just a crack for the Yankees.

New York, coming off a championship in ’77, had high expectations tempered with front-loaded injuries and a so-so start to the season.