Were the Yanks great in 1978?

The Dodgers will host the Yankees this weekend in a 2024 World Series rematch and one of baseball’s highlighted match-ups this season.

It’s hard to believe it was 47 years ago that the Yanks beat them in six games — winning four straight — to win the World Series.

Recently, the Yankees had a seven-game lead in their division, the largest lead for them in May since 1978.

Will there be another Yankees-Dodgers World Series? Maybe the Phillies may have something to say about it.

Don’t count out the Mets or the Tigers. Currently, they look quite capable to challenge the Yankees, Phillies or Dodgers. The five above-mentioned teams were among 14 teams with 30 or more wins heading into the final days of May.

In this week’s version of my Behind the Plate column, I’ll take a look at the 1978 Yankees, as well as some baseball bites from around the league.

Also, I’ll recall a former Pleasant Valley star who had a standout career at Shippensburg University.

30-30 Club ... Heading into Friday’s games, there were 14 teams with 30 or more wins.

The Tigers were setting the pace with a 37-20 mark, followed by the Yankees (35-20), Phillies (36-20), Cubs (35-22), Mets (34-22), Dodgers (34-22), Cardinals (32-24), Padres (31-23), Giants (31-25), Mariners (30-25), Twins (30-25), Guardians (30-25), Astros (30-26) and Royals (30-25).

Tigers’ Tale ... After 57 games last season, the Tigers were 28-29. They have been in first place in the AL Central since April 1. Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal was 5-2 with a 2.49 ERA, but the real surprise has been Casey Mize with his 6-1, 2.45 slate after Mize had a 7-19 overall record over the past four seasons.

Closer Will Vest had a 4-0 record with a 1.73 ERA and seven saves, and ex-Yankee Tommy Kahnle had seven saves with a 1.52 ERA.

The East Is the Least ... After they slugged to an 18-13 April, the Yanks have swept through May with an overall 17-7 record.

Aaron Judge’s season has been well documented, but their remaining cast has been a major reason for their success.

Cody Bellinger and Paul Goldschmidt were the free-agent route to replace Juan Soto, and the Yanks have had the early edge, especially with Goldschmidt’s sizzling start. There’s also Trent Grisham’s rebirth with 12 homers, after he hit .190 with nine homers last season.

In keeping with the Soto comparison, Max Fried arguably has been the best pitcher in the game with his 7-0 record and feeble 1.29 ERA. (The Giants’ Robbie Ray is 7-0 with a 2.56 ERA).

But the biggest surprise has been the revitalization of Carlos Rodon, who had a 7-3 mark with a 2.60 ERA and 90 strikeouts in 72.2 innings. In May, Rodon has been 3-0 with a 1.47 ERA with 28 strikeouts in 30 .2 innings.

Many prognosticators and scribes believe the Yankees may have already wrapped up the AL East.

Boston looms as the lone legitimate threat to the Yanks with the additions of pitchers Garrett Crochet and Walker Buehler along with third baseman Alex Bregman.

Crochet, who was the prime free agent target this winter, has an ERA hovering around 2.00, but he has lacked run support with a 4-4 record. Buehler started slowly, but he reeled off four impressive victories. Bregman has been hitting around .300 all season, and has been among the league leaders in homers and RBIs.

Much-maligned Rafael Devers continues to have a banner season, and he still may be dealt especially if he keeps his malcontent nature.

Aside from Boston, neither Tampa Bay, Toronto or Baltimore will be a threat to the Yanks.

Through May 28, the Yanks had a plus-minus differential of +113 while (in division order) the Rays were +30; Blue Jays, -14, Red Sox, +12; and Orioles, -96.

Another 78 to Be Great? ... On May 28, the Yankees had an overall 34-20 mark. Looking back, the Yanks had a 32-22 record for 54 games in 1978. That season, the Yankees went on to a 100-63 record.

It’s hard to draw some comparisons between the 1978 squad and the current one. Their makeups of both clubs are different, but you can draw some comparisons. The ‘78 Yankees were 14 games out of first place in mid-July and finished with a 48-20 record.

Reggie Jackson and Graig Nettles, who both hit 27 homers, were considered the power hitters in the lineup. Chris Chambliss (12 homers, .274) was one of the steadiest first baseman with his bat and glove throughout the 70s. Like Chambliss, future manager Willie Randolph (.279) was consistent with his bat and glove.

Mickey Rivers was one of the game’s top leadoff hitters and he stole 25 bases. Thurman Munson (.297) was an All-Star for the sixth straight season and the second-to-last year before his tragic death the following August.

Off the bench, veteran Yankee favorite Roy White was in a spot starter role with Pinella, and former Orioles’ great Paul Blair, who couldn’t hit, was a formidable defensive outfield replacement. Ex-Phil Jay Johnstone was a solid bat, and Brian Doyle was another stellar defensive backup who couldn’t hit.

Cliff Johnson and Jim Spencer were the primary DHs, but neither hit above .230.

Ron Guidry would have one of the greatest seasons in the game’s history with a 25-3, 1.74 campaign with 248 strikeouts and nine shutouts. Many of you may have forgotten that Ed Figueroa won 20 games (20-9, 2.99) in his last stellar season in pinstripes.

Catfish Hunter was injured part of the season and was in the twilight of his career, but he still managed to win 12 games. Who was in the remaining starting staff? It was converted reliever Dick Tidrow (7-11, 3.81) and promising rookie Jim Beattie (6-9, 3.70). Beattie also was injured during the season.

Goose Gossage was the Yanks’ big free-agent signing in the offseason, and Gossage delivered with an overall 10-11 record with a 2.01 ERA and 27 saves.

Future Phillie Sparky Lyle posed a 9-3 record with a 3.47 ERA and nine saves. Rawly Eastwick, another future Phillie, and Ken Clay rounded out the bullpen.

Don Gullett, another huge free-agent splash, started eight games before a rotator cuff injury ended his career.

Some of the other pitchers on the roster during the season were Ken Holtzman, Andy Messersmith, Paul Lindblad and Ron Davis, all of whom were injured parts of the season.

Billy Martin resigned for “health” reasons after he went 52-42, and mild-mannered Bob Lemon guided the Yanks to a championship. It became evident that the tensions with Jackson and owner George Steinbrenner steered his decision.

Back in Time ... If any of you remember New York’s Polo Grounds, you will be able to rekindle these thoughts.

MLB recently announced to break ground in Pelham Bay in the Bronx to build a to-scale replica of the Polo Grounds, which will host a special event series annually similar to the Field of Dreams’ game.

The replica is scheduled to open in 2027, and it should be worth a trip, especially if you’re a lifelong New York baseball fan.

The Polo Grounds’ dimensions were 258 feet in right field, 483 feet in center field, and 279 feet in left field.

Scrapbook ... Each column, I’ll look back at a former local standout who extended their career to college, the pros or both.

Pleasant Valley’s Pat Kregeloh was a four-year letterwinner in baseball and basketball. In his senior year of 2010, Kregeloh pitched a two-hit shutout over Parkland to lead the Bears to a 5-0 victory in the District 11 Class 4A championship game.

Kregeloh extended his career at Shippensburg University, where he continued to excel.

In 204 career games with the Raiders, Kregeloh batted .320 with 201 hits, 115 runs, 38 doubles and a .981 fielding percentage. His 25 home runs are tied with Jamie Eichelberger (2000) for the second-most in school history, while his 141 RBIs are tied with Justin Garber (2008) for the third-most in school history. On the mound, he posted a 16-11 record with a 3.10 ERA and 168 strikeouts in 206.1 innings.

Kregeloh was an all-conference selection all four years as a pitcher and first baseman at Shippensburg University. The only person in school history to be named men’s student-athlete of the year twice, he also was a two-time Academic All-American.

After Shippensburg, Kregeloh had a cup of coffee with the Washington (PA) Wild Things, where he hit .250 in five games. He also played for the Northampton Giants of the Blue Mountain League.

Your thoughts are always welcomed; email them to tnsports@tnonline.com