The Dodgers -- Yankees rivalry is a Major League Baseball (MLB) rivalry between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the New York Yankees. The Dodgers are a member club of the National League (NL) West division, and the Yankees are a member club of the American League (AL) East division. The rivalry between the Dodgers and Yankees is one of the most well-known rivalries in Major League Baseball. The two teams have met 11 times in the World Series, more times than any other pair of teams from the American and National Leagues. The initial significance was embodied in the two teams' proximity in New York City, when the Dodgers initially played in Brooklyn. After the Dodgers moved to Los Angeles in 1958, the rivalry retained its significance as the two teams represented the dominant cities on each coast of the United States, and since the 1980s, the two largest cities in the United States. The Dodgers currently lead the regular season series 7-6. Although the rivalry's significance arose from the two teams' numerous World Series meetings, the Yankees and Dodgers have not met in the World Series since 1981. They would not play each other in a non-exhibition game until 2004, when they played a 3-game interleague series. Nevertheless, games between the two teams have become quite popular and draw sellout crowds.

When was the last time yankees and dodgers played in the world series? Okie... think carefully first, then make a decision:
The relevant sentence in the passage is: Although the rivalry's significance arose from the two teams' numerous World Series meetings, the Yankees and Dodgers have not met in the World Series since 1981. So, the answer is 1981.