Best Dodgers team ever: 1953 Brooklyn Dodgers vs. 1951 Brooklyn Dodgers

The Dodgers have had many great teams in their long history, but which was the best? On the heels of Times readers' picking the all-time best Dodgers at each position, we now ask you to decide the best overall team in Dodgers history.

The best 16 Dodgers teams of all time have been chosen and matched in an NCAA-tournament-style bracket, with your votes deciding the winner. The six Dodgers World Series champions get the top six seeds, with 10 other Dodgers teams filling out the remainder of the field. Starting today, you will be able to vote for one matchup each weekday until we eventually have a winner.

Today's first-round matchup: the seventh-seeded 1953 Brooklyn Dodgers vs. the 10th-seeded 1951 Brooklyn Dodgers. Take a look at both teams, then vote in our poll:

No. 7: 1953 Brooklyn Dodgers (105-49, lost in World Series): Many experts consider this the best Dodgers team ever, even if they did lose in the World Series to the Yankees. Seven of eight starters had at least 10 homers, with outstanding seasons by league MVP Roy Campanella (.312, 41, 142), Gil Hodges (.302, 31, 122), Jackie Robinson (.329, 12, 94) and Duke Snider (.336, 42, 126) among others. Carl Erskine (20-6, 3.54) was the ace of the staff.

No. 10: 1951 Brooklyn Dodgers (97-60): We won't mention Bobby Thomson's home run that kept this team from winning the NL. We will focus on Gil Hodges (.268, 40, 103), Roy Campanella (.325, 33, 108), Jackie Robinson (.338, 19, 88), Duke Snider (.277, 29, 101), Don Newcombe (20-9, 3.28) and Preacher Roe (22-3, 3.04).