It could have been a Subway Series, but we now know it’ll be an East Coast-West Coast matchup.

As far as the Yankees getting to the Fall Classic, one had the feeling they would get there in spite of some classic showdowns with the Guardians (still the Indians to me).

Despite its loss, Cleveland showed it will be a team to be reckoned with in the future.

No matter who the Yankees were going to face, there is plenty of history and intrigue with both the Dodgers and their crosstown rivals.

In this week’s version of my Behind the Plate column, I’ll look back at the past showdowns between the teams as well as a peek at the Phillies, and some items around the league.

Hard to Believe, Harry ... Beginning in 1941, the Yankees and Dodgers faced each other in 66 World Series games, with the Yankees winning 37 of them and eight of 11 series.

I’m not old enough to remember the days of Whitey Ford and Mickey Mantle squaring off against Brooklyn’s Jackie Robinson and former Phillies pitching coach Johnny Podres.

There were plenty of highlights in the 1952, 1953, 1955 and 1956 classics that saw the Bronx Bombers win three of them. Walter Alston took over as manager in 1954, and he began the first of his 21 straight one-year contracts.

The Dodgers swept the Yankees in four during the 1963 meeting, one that is often foreshadowed by the 1977, 1978 and 1981 tournaments.

In all, though, their meetings are a large piece of the game’s fabric that many of us surely remember. I’d love to see your thoughts.

Media Matters ... Speaking of those series, the first color broadcast of a series occurred in 1955.

And who were the broadcasters? Vin Scully teamed with Mel Allen as a then “dream duo” of both team’s play-by-by announcers. Think about another “dream” pairing of Harry Kalas and John Sterling.

Maybe baseball can take a page from its history and pair the team’s everyday announcers in the postseason instead of bringing in network mercenaries who don’t have a true feel for the teams.

Thinking back to some World Series, I always enjoyed Howard Cossell for his unique style that he brought to the big game.

Dodgers Dealin’ ... As aforementioned, the 1963 Series between the two teams is a lost classic. At least for the Dodgers.

It was the Sandy Koufax and Don Drysdale show.

Koufax threw two complete games and had an ERA of 1.50. In his two complete game starts, Koufax allowed three runs and 12 hits, walked three and struck out 23. Drysdale tossed a three-hitter in his start and recorded nine strikeouts. Podres threw 8 1/3 innings, scattering six hits and allowed one run before he gave way to Ron Perranowski.

The Yanks still had Mantle, Roger Maris, Tony Kubek and Bobby Richardson — along with cult hero Joe Pepitone in the lineup — along with Whitey Ford and Jim Bouton on the mound.

But the Bombers fizzled, hitting a paltry .171 as a team, while the Dodgers — with Willie Davis, Tommy Davis and Frank Howard — batted just .214.

Get Your Reggie Bar ... Whether a Yankees or Dodgers fan, one can’t forget the 1977 Series that featured Reggie Jackson’s three consecutive home runs in an 8-4 Game Six victory.

Jackson knocked in five runs, and became the first player to achieve the feat since Babe Ruth did it both in 1926 and 1928. Jackson gained the nickname “Mr. October” for his five-homer, eight RBI, .450 batting average performance. Besides “Mr. October,” Jackson was honored with the “Reggie” bar.

Also, one should go back and listen to Cossell’s calls of the homers on YouTube. It’s priceless.

Yankees’ fans may have forgotten Chris Chambliss’ two-run homer in that game, and his overall series in which he hit .292. Teammate Thurman Munson hit .320 with some pivotal RBIs.

But the true forgotten Yankee was pitcher Mike Torrez, who threw two complete game victories. In Game Six, Torrez settled down after allowing two earned runs in the first, and issued one earned run over the next eight innings.

Maybe this is all useless depending on the series, but there are plenty of good memories rekindled along the way.

New York, New York ... It happened 24 years ago, and New York City was ablaze with a Yankees-Mets series. The star-studded Yankees would meet a Mets team that resembled the current club in many ways.

This was a contest in which sheer talent won out in five games for the Yanks, who won their third straight crown. The Yankees won only 87 games that season, and had lost 15 of their final 18, hanging on to win by 2.5 games.

Derek Jeter gained MVP honors with his .409 average. Paul O’Neill hit .474, and Tino Martinez had a .364 clip. This was their last championship during their run, as they lost to the Diamondbacks the following year.

Mike Piazza and Edgardo Alfonso had MVP-like seasons for the Mets, while Al Leiter and Mike Hampton were stalwarts on the mound, and Armando Benitez played a starring role in the bullpen as the team’s closer.

Championship Roster ... At the club’s closing press conference Tuesday, Phillies president Dave Dombrowksi stated that his team has a “championship roster.”

Is this team good enough to win a championship? It appears Dombrowski will apparently stand pat with the current roster, and manager Rob Thomson is back. The Phils may finally move Kyle Schwarber out of the leadoff spot, and look to improve it with a high-contact, fleet-afoot option.

This club has been built with big-ticket veterans and little help from the farm system. However, these veterans can carry this club to a title if they can find a continuous flame. Zack Wheeler and Aaron Nola have proven they are one of the game’s dynamic duos.

Stay tuned.

Costas Curtain Call? ... Have we seen the last of Bob Costas calling baseball games? He endured his share of criticism during the Yankees-Royals series on TBS, mainly that he couldn’t connect with the younger audience while still engaging the 50-plus audience.

Costas’ final moments sounded more like a sendoff than a season-ending greeting. There has been plenty of speculation that Costas will retire from his play-by-play duties and focus on projects. The 72-year-old still can carry his distinct and recognizable delivery.

Even though there have been plenty of darts thrown his way, few can doubt that Costas will go down as one of the greatest — if not the premier — studio host over the last 40 years or better.

Trivia Time ... In 1978, Sparkly Lyle was one of two ex-Phillies relievers on their roster? Who was the other? Hint: He gained his fame with the Reds.

Readers Write

Leading With Fantasy

Hi Jeff!

It’s nice to know that I’m not the only person who has problems with Kyle Schwarber hitting lead off. Although some of his stats are quite impressive, he just doesn’t belong there.

Now that I’m retired, I have a lot of free time on my hands. I came up with this fantasy. If I could bring back two players — one pitcher and one position player — who would they be?

Naturally Steve Carlton would be the pitcher. I chose Bake McBride as the new left fielder and leadoff hitter. Imagine McBride and Turner at the top of the order! Combine that with the speed at the bottom of the order with (Bryson) Stott and (Johan) Rojas!

You could do the same with basketball. For the Sixers, I chose Wilt and either Bobby Jones or Billy Cunningham. I like Joel Embiid, but he’s just too injury prone. Either Jones or Cunningham would be the sixth man off the bench.

Richard Ochs

Walnutport, PA

Trivia Answer ... Rawly Eastwick was in the bullpen for the Yanks. He had a 2-1 record with 3.28 ERA in eight games. With the Reds, Eastwick had an 18-10 mark with a 2.40 ERA with 57 saves in 160 games in four years. Overall, Eastwick had a 28-27 record with a 3.31 ERA and 57 saves with six teams in eight years.

Your Thoughts are welcomed at tnsports@tnonline.com.