After 32 Years, The Drought Is Over
CLAYTON KERSHAW GETS HIS RING!!! We can put the Kirk Gibson HR and the Orel Hershiser team celebration into the Smithsonian, because we have new LA Dodgers World Series heroes. It took the 3rd time in 4 years for the Dodgers to finally cross the Championship line. Mookie proves to be a difference maker not only for the game but for a World Series Championship team. Corey Seager ends a
CLAYTON KERSHAW GETS HIS RING!!!
We can put the Kirk Gibson HR and the Orel Hershiser team celebration into the Smithsonian, because we have new LA Dodgers World Series heroes. It took the 3rd time in 4 years for the Dodgers to finally cross the Championship line. Mookie proves to be a difference maker not only for the game but for a World Series Championship team. Corey Seager ends a tremendous season and winning the NLCS MVP, tops it all with a WS MVP. Austin Barnes proves that a defensive catcher who gets a key hit (and key safety squeeze) once in a while can be such a positive force in a series, especially with the pitchers. I am so very proud of Austin Barnes. He has gone from being cast aside by so many “fans” to being a Dodger WS hero. Julio Urias proves to have ice water run through his veins as he dominates the last 2.1 perfect innings of a championship game with 4 Ks of the 7 outs. This was a team championship.
Of course not all of the news was great. Justin Turner, perhaps the backbone of this team, tests positive for COVID-19. JT says he feels great and has no symptoms. Doc was sitting next to JT for the team picture, both without masks. Prayers to JT for a quick recovery.
You have to play a full nine innings to beat the Dodgers. You can shut Mookie down for a game and 5 innings, but he is not going to let you beat him with a championship game on the line. Of course he had help from Kevin Cash. Dave Roberts was absolutely roasted for inserting Pedro Baez in with runners on base and KJ with the game on the line, and deservedly so. But Kevin Cash pulled Blake Snell, who was absolutely dealing, after Austin Barnes singled with one out in the 6th,for the Dodgers second hit on the night. Snell had thrown only 79 pitches. Snell had faced Betts, Seager, and JT twice each, and struck each of them out twice. Snell had 9 K’s in 5.1 IP. He was nasty (per Mookie) and gross (per Belli). However, as Cash has done all year, he brought in one of his best relievers, Nick Anderson, in high leverage situations, who promptly gave up a double on a 2-0 pitch to Mookie with Barnes moving up to 3rd. Austin scores on a wild pitch tying it up. Then Mookie scores on that dubious contact play on a Corey Seager ground ball to Choi trying to get Mookie at the plate.
In the 8th, Mookie leads off and sends an 0-2 86 MPH slider into the back wall of the left center bullpen for a HR and a 3-1 lead, the eventual final score.
Unsung heroes have to be the LAD bullpen. The Dodgers bullpen has caught a lot of flak throughout the last several years and especially during the 2020 playoffs, and especially Doc’s management of that bullpen. But in the two biggest games of the year, the bullpen was stellar. In games 5 and 6, the relievers pitched 12 innings, allowed 4 hits, 1 walk, and chalked up16 Ks. Game 6 was especially effective with 6 relievers putting up shutout 2 hit baseball in 7.2 IP. Doc apparently made the correct call on pulling Tony Gonsolin when he did, and inserting Dylan Floro who throws three changeups to strikeout Randy Arozarena in the 2nd inning. Alex Wood throws 2 perfect innings followed by some outstanding pitching from Baez, VGon, Graterol, and especially Julio Urias. Doc deserved credit for not pulling Urias in NLCS Game 7 for 3.0 IP against Atlanta, and deserved it again for leaving Urias in for 2.1 IP in Championship game, ending it in style with a K of Mike Brosseau and Willy Adames.
The Dodgers were under the microscope with extreme pressure as soon as the season started. It was a shortened season due to the virus, and the completion of the season was always in doubt. They were targeted by all as the best and deepest team in all of MLB, and it wasn’t close. They ended the season with an MLB best 43 wins. They beat the teams with the 2nd (SD) and 3rd (ATL) best records in the NL to get to the WS, and then beat the AL #1 team to win the WS. The Dodgers proved to the Baseball World that they were the best, and this WS will mean as much as 1988, 1981, 1965, 1963, 1959, and 1955.
It was great to hear Doc say thank you to Ross Stripling. I know that it was heartfelt, and as a huge Ross Stripling fan, I was glad to hear him recognized on this special night.
Kevin Cash was an absolute class act with some tough questions asked by Ken Rosenthal. He gave the Dodgers props and he thought that as well as Snell was pitching that he did not want him to face the Dodgers for the third time. Tampa Bay was the #1 seed in the AL and got to Game 6 of the WS by doing all year what Cash did in Game 6. Kevin Cash will be second guessed for a looooooooong time on that one decision. By the way, I think Kevin Cash is a fantastic manager. He made a judgement call that absolutely backfired. I bet if he is in that situation again, Snell stays in. The Rays were a class act, led by a class manager.
And the Rays were a class team. I will enjoy watching Randy Arozarena for years to come. Willy Adames may have to move over for Wander Franco, but both will be fun to watch. I hope Charlie Morton comes back for another run. Blake Snell will win another CY and Tyler Glasnow will grow from this WS. Manuel Margot has found a home in Tampa. The Tampa Bay Rays are legit and I am so happy that such a classy organization can make it to the WS and give the Dodgers are real fight. The best team won in 2020.
Maybe now we can give AF props as a great baseball executive. It has been said so many times that he cannot be called great because he has not won the final game of a baseball season. Now he has. Doc will continue to catch a lot of s***, but he is now the manager of a WS Champion. A lot of negative baggage can now be jettisoned. I am so very happy for AF and Doc. I am also happy for Pedro Baez and Kenley Jansen, for being long tenured Dodgers who have been prominent for many years for this team, persevering, and winning a championship.
Corey Seager won the WS MVP, but it could have gone to Clayton Kershaw, Julio Urias, Mookie Betts, Justin Turner, Max Muncy, Austin Barnes, Joc Pederson…It was truly a team championship
Bobby, I am sorry you missed the WS, but I am so glad you get to spend today in LA. My son and daughter in law were hoarse when they called home.
In the coming days, we can and will digest the season, and look to 2021 and the future. This may have been the final game in a LAD uniform for JT, Joc, Kike’, Baez, Treinen, Wood, and McGee, but for now, I only want to think of them as World Champions. But…
As Doc proclaimed, THIS IS OUR YEAR!!!
Most days my favorite Rock Band is Freddie Mercury and Queen, and I needed to play the following all the while writing this post. To be followed by Randy Newman and I Love LA.
More from Dodger Talk
Dodgers Food Trailer
I did this interview a couple of weeks ago with Chef Mike, who runs the Dodgers Food Trailer for the Great Lakes Loons. They are there for every home and road regular season and playoff game. They prepare three meals a day for approximately 50 people (players and coaches). Since games end late most evenings, they do not prepare breakfast. Many of their hotels have a complimentary breakfast anyway. However,…
Meet LAD 2026 Draft Picks 1-12
3 picks were High School players (2 SS and 1 OF). There was a college OF, college catcher, college SS, and 10 college pitchers. Of all the talk for a need for a catcher, the only catcher the Dodgers selected was Luke Bard, son of LAD bullpen coach Josh Bard. Bard was a 4th year senior from Houston Christian University. He is not a prospect, so the Dodgers are still…
Interview with Paul Beachy – Team Bus Driver For The Great Lakes Loons (LA Dodgers Minor League Team)
It’s been a few days since I did this interview. We have evidently been working my son-in-law (the video guy) like a rented mule at US Water Systems. However, I am taking him to London with me in a few days, so maybe Watford will buy him a pint as a tip, but he’s a dang Red Sox fan, so there is that! I thought that it would be interesting…
Thanks for Your Service: Chris Taylor
I was going to do this post when Chris announced he was retiring, then he changed his mind, but since the chances of him ever playing for the Dodgers again are slim and non-existent, I will go ahead with this post. He unretired, went on the IL, then decided to call it quits on May 24th. Taylor was born in Virginia Beach VA on August 29th, 1990. He attended Great…
Discussion (121)
Disagree, not disagreeable
A few thoughts about the game last night and the post season in general:
1) When nobody else was able to touch Blake Snell (not Mookie, not Cory, not JT, …), Austin Barnes came through with a key hit. This is not the first time this has happened at a key moment in the post season. Anybody remember game 5 of the 2018 NLDS when Austin drove in a run to keep Kersh in the game.
2) Have we just found our Josh Hader? Let Urias start throughout the regular season, but come winning time, perhaps he is best used exactly as he was this post season with 2-3 inning saves to shut the door on a close game. No need for a closer. No need for a set-up guy. Just bring in Julio. He seems to really excel in that role. Can’t do that every day, but over a 7 game series, you could employ that strategy as many as three times.
3) I was struck by how many different players had major contributions to this championship run. Truly a team effort. Well done Dodgers.
Great ending to a great season!
Game 6 was the ultimate team effort to get a win against a dominant starting pitcher. The Dodgers shutting out the Rays for the last 8 2/3 innings of the game by using 7 different pitchers was fantastic. Especially when you consider that all of the pitchers used by the Dodgers were unheralded and lower paid players. For game 6, we didn’t even use our studs Kershaw and Buehler, or the high paid relievers Treinen, Jansen, or Kelly. Great performances by all 7 pitchers in game 6, and credit to Roberts for using them wisely, and Friedman for building such a deep roster.
All the players deserved this championship, but it is especially sweet for Clayton Kershaw. He has been the best pitcher in baseball for a decade, and an absolute team player. He was not always at his best in the postseason, but he never backed down. He took on the opponents ace, pitched deep into games to protect bullpen, pitched on short rest, and came out of bullpen if called upon. And after the devastating loss in game 4 on Saturday, he gutted out a win in pivotal game 5. Congrats to Clayton, the hall of famer and great humanitarian!
I do wish that Stripling, Maeda, Hill, Ryu, Freese, and the other contributors from prior years could be a part of this team, as they deserved a championship, especially in 2017. By the way, Ross Stripling had a podcast on Big Swing where he talked about his trade, the shock, the whirlwind process, and his continued support for the Dodgers. https://play.acast.com/s/big-swing-podcast/rossisback-thefeelingofgettingtraded
And thanks to Mark, Jeff and all of the writers for producing this site. Great content and a great forum to express opinions and even disagree without hatred. Great season, and spring training is just around the corner!
Congrats Dodgers!
Thanks to all the participated in this blog. You all made this season more fun with all your comments some really off the wall, but all good reading.
As I was watching the celebration the thought ran through my mind, “I wonder what Joc, Kiki and the other free agents were thinking?” Great win I am only sorry that Cash will be roasted for his decision.
My son was at the game and we were texting and he sent videos of the events. When Cash made the pitching change I texted him, “that’s a Roberts move.” Several of you had the same reaction.
Roberts is still a class act, all the way.
Never do what your opponent wishes for you to do. I don’t think any of the Dodgers wanted to see Snell continue on! But maybe Mookie, Seager or Turner would have put a ball in play that inning! If Roberts has made that call…….. we’ll we know
I am so happy for the Dodgers and congratulate them for winning the World Series. Wow, it still makes my head spin and I am thankful to see another WS victory in my lifetime. So many memories and plays from this playoff series, a truly team effort from Corey winning a deserved MVP to the stellar bullpen efforts to the many, many defensive and offensive plays.
I was thrilled about Floro striking out Arozarena, Woods coming through when we needed him, Urias on short notice, just awesome. The whole team contributed to this well-deserved win, most have already been mentioned here. So congrats Dodgers. I am so proud of you and proud to be a fan and part of this daily blog that means a lot to me.
I will also add a few thoughts:
By wishing Justin Turner well.
By thanking Mark, 2D2, DC, AC and Bear for keeping me focused and sane every day reading their thoughts, summaries and analysis.
By telling Bobby that I am glad he did not make that plane trip for the seventh game. Also, Bobby, I am having my cardboard cutout shipped and will keep it as a souvenir.
Love you all.
DODGER PRESS RELEASE
WORLD CHAMPION DODGERS TO HOLD CELEBRATION AT LATER DATE
LOS ANGELES – The World Champion Los Angeles Dodgers today issued the following statement:
This season was everything we believed it could be. It was just missing one thing: The best fans in baseball. While the wait for a World Championship is finally over, a celebration worthy of our great fans and the City of Los Angeles will unfortunately have to wait until it is safe to do so. We can’t wait to celebrate together!
The Dodger Stadium team stores will be closed today as World Series Championship merchandise is received. The Top of the Park store and Left Field Plaza store at Dodger Stadium will re-open tomorrow from 12:00 p.m.-9:00 p.m. Starting Friday, the Left Field Plaza store will be open daily from 9:00 a.m.-7:00 p.m. while the Dodger Stadium Vote Center is open.
Great playoff run.
Apparently Justin Turner’s Monday test came back inconclusive, which is not all that unusual. A second test came back positive. It could be a false positive, know a few people who have had that happen.
I remember sitting in my living room 32 years ago and watching Kirk Gibson’s dramatic home run spark a Dodger World Series championship in 1988. Never, in my wildest imagination, did I believe the Dodgers would go this long between titles.
Cory Seager certainly deserved the MVP. Had an incredible run.
Yes, Blake Snell was dealing, doesn’t mean he wouldn’t have come apart an inning later. Seen that happen a few times.
Winning this year was great for the entire Dodger organization, especially Clayton Kershaw and Justin Turner. It was a tough road with four rounds of playoffs. An amazing comeback against Atlanta.
I’m guessing the Dodgers bring back Justin. How can they not?
Thanks to Mark for creating this site and thanks to Jeff for keeping it going.
Feels great that the Dodgers are world champs. This really should be 2 championships in the last four years, but 2017 will live in infamy.
I was actually happy the score wound up being what it was and the Dodgers didn’t blow it out in the final innings. Playoff baseball is about stories and pivotal events. I can’t think of another sport where there is so much consistent drama and tension.
Having the score as it was allows everyone to talk about the decision to pull Snell. The game could actually still be going on had the Dodgers been shut down in that inning.
I think what is ironic is that analytics were supposed to free baseball minds from the sclerotic thinking that dictated that strategic and tactical decisions were to be made in traditional ways. “This is how we do things.” The analytics nerds were disruptors. Sometimes you need disruption.
I think the Snell decision is a case where there is so much adherence and faith in the analytics based “process” that it takes away real time flexibility. It makes the decision making formulaic – and predictable. “Trust the process” they say. Ok, well statistically it is true that a lineup is more successful against a starting pitcher when they see him for the third time, and it makes statistical sense to pull him and put in a fresh pitcher who has a different look to keep the opposing lineup off balance.
I think one of the biggest flaws with relying so much on analytics is what makes analytics valuable – they are the accumulation of data points over a long period of time. This makes them useful in identifying trends and increasing probability of outcomes marginally. What they don’t do is reflect real time variability in performance. Everyone has good days and bad days. Pitchers arms get tired. Players get a year older. Some days a player is on. Other days he’s not.
A manager needs to be able to recognize real time performance or how a player is trending over the last few games and make adjustments to “The Process” as needed. I think in Snell’s case there was a lot of pressure and incentive to stick with the plan and do what has worked over the last year. The formula was to use Snell twice through the order, then go with Anderson, which is a formula that had consistently worked. If Cash deviates from the script and Snell gets lit up, then he has to answer the criticism of why he suddenly altered a process that had worked all year and was backed by “science.”
But there were mitigating factors:
– Snell had mentioned in an interview that he had finally, when the playoffs began, started to really feel good and had regained his form prior to his injury and was feeling like his Cy Young Award winning self from 2018.
– Anderson, despite being good all year, had not been good in the playoffs. Small sample size or not, a manager needs to look at the short term performance of players and assess why they aren’t performing and make an adjustment in their usage. Sometimes it’s good to stick with a guy if the fundamentals are still good. Doc put May back in there after his poor performances and was rewarded with a great performance by May. They did their due diligence and identified a problem with May – he was too amped up, which effected his pitches – corrected the problem and put him back in the game in a position to succeed.
– Snell was particularly sharp last night. Sometimes you just have to ride the hot hand, especially if there are still some sequencing options or the hitters haven’t shown an ability to adapt. Doc rode the hot hand in keeping Urias in rather than going with Treinan or, God forbid, Kenley.
I think Doc made a similar mistake with Hill a couple of years ago, but I think he made the right call to pull Urias when he did in his last game. Urias started out pounding the zone, but you could tell he was losing a little command in the 4th and 5th innings. Urias is good for about 3-5 innings. Hopefully the Dodgers can work on this and develop him a little more for the starting role.
I think Doc has done and outstanding job in this post season, and I’ve criticized him before. Even Baez was an ok move if Baez just has confidence in this changeup and actually throws it. Kenley in the 9th was a good move if Kenley pitches like he did the night before.
Managers are geniuses when their players execute. They’re goats when they don’t.
FINALLY!
How’s this for the little things making a big difference. The Rays pitching staff 5 H, 2 BB, 11 SO, 1 HR, 3 ER and 1 WP. the Dodgers staff 5 H, 2 BB, 16 SO, 1 HR, 1 R, 0 WP. People can roast Cash for pulling Snell but if Anderson doesn’t throw one in the dirt or Zunino blocks it do we even score? I don’t think there was a contact play on when Betts scored. I think a superstar athlete read what he saw and made a play that maybe Bellinger is the only other player on the team could make. If Barnes is still on third he doesn’t go or is out at home. How many times have we seen failure to execute being the deciding factor.
Ok LADT nation. We all have to go back and reread all the comments from October 16th and see how silly most of us are. No one more than me. Good thing we’re the fans and not n charge of Dodger baseball! Fans can afford to be stupid!
AC, believe me, I’m soooooo happy that I am NOT on a plane to Dallas right now! Of course, who knows if there would even be a game 7 today, as I’m sure we’ll hear of several more positive tests on the Dodgers, I’m sure on the Rays, and maybe even an ump?
This is 2020, so none of this should shock anybody
Now, I need to go win the lottery so I can buy up lots of Lakers and Dodgers championship gear
Congratulations to all Dodgers. This was a complete team effort. Doc did a great job of managing this game.
1. He let Gonzo pitch more than one inning.
2. He used Baez to start an inning.
3. He let a hot pitcher, Urias, finish the game.
4. He started Barnes at catcher.
5. He used basically the same line up through out the play offs.
When Cash pulled the starting pitcher, I said, that is a Doc move in past play offs. Doc has learned from his mistakes. That is all you can ask of any person.
I believe there will be more WS champions for the Dodgers. This team does not have many weaknesses.
Even Boras should know now is the time to negotiate a Seager extension.
Corey Seager absolutely deserves the World Series MVP, but the Dodgers are not World Champions without Mookie Betts. IMO, the best ever Dodgers trade.
Yesterday I commented before the game that it would really be fitting if Barnes turned out to be the hero since so many of us were ready to get rid of him earlier in the year.
Well……………………………if he doesn’t get that hit off of Snell, he might still be pitching. So in my mind, Barnes is the one who turned that game around. A true hero!
Wow, that was quick…
Open on www.espn.comhttps://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/30206627/los-angeles-dodgers-favored-repeat-world-series-champs-2021Thank you Doc for not putting in Jansen for some sort of redemption. It’s about time you woke up.
Urias is my MVP!!
Just read the Rosenthal Athletic piece regarding Turner and though questions certainly do arise I think Friedman made a good point with this . … “But I think from our standpoint, I think the people who were around him were the people that would be in the contact tracing web anyway”. It is interesting that MLB was able to contain any spread through the season and in the middle of the last game this odd event happens. As for the picture, Turner has his mask in his hand so he was wearing it and everyone there obviously had already been exposed. Let’s hope this just fades into nothing.
When do we start talking about free agent signings and ridonkulous trades? Mark. The floor is yours.
Floro was clutch in the second inning. Two on, Arozarena at bat and he throws 3 perfect changeups to strike him out. The momentum changed right there.
It’s great that the Dodgers could win before the band gets broken up this winter.
Does anyone else but Mookie score on that ground out? His baseball acumen is off the charts. Can see why AF has coveted him since 2018.
Finally:
I’d like to thank Jeff D for handling this blog this season. Wish you the very best on your new adventure. To all the other writers, thank you for all the great articles. And last but not least, Mark, thanks for hosting this blog. Not sure of its future but if this is the end it was a glorious way to go out. Glad you don’t need immediate surgery.
To everyone, stay well and stay safe!
Congratulations to the Dodgers and everyone here who eats, drinks, breathes Dodgers as I do. We don’t all agree on many things, but our love for the Dodgers is strong. This was a well deserved championship from a freight-train of a team.
I’m so glad this is over. What a roller coaster ride of a series! So many lead changes. The Rays did not look like the 21st offense in baseball! It was very fitting that Cash Robertsed the Snell call and the post game show legends absolutely roasted him for it. The Rays remind me of the Dodgers of years past with too many platoons and a manager who can’t read the field in front of him, instead relying on his iPad to make decisions as ours has the propensity to do. But, for a night our guy was successful blending old school baseball with the new age.
Mookie is the spark that starts the engine, but Corey Seager put on a show! Clayton was less dominate and more gritty finally shaking the monkey off his back. Urias grew up before our eyes and Bueller established himself as THE BIG GAME PITCHER on the staff.
I am so looking forward to a repeat or a three peat with this team. The pitching staff is going to be incredible next year. Kershaw still has more in the tank, as does Price. Bueller and Urias are just getting started. No bullpen games next postseason, just a parade of horses, a hand full of aces.
Andrew doesn’t need to do too much this offseason. He did his big work by landing Mookie. Now, he just needs to figure out how to bring JT back and get some help for the pen. It will be sad to see Kike, Joc, Petey and some of the others move on, but it will be exciting to see some of the new kids start to grow up during next season.
I was really freaking out when Doc pulled Woody. It worked out well enough but man, he looked like he could have gone 5. Good job Doc, for not screwing it up. I sure hope he’s learning and this wasn’t just an aberration cuz it looks like he’s gonna be here a while longer …sadly.
Dodgers win, nothing more to add.
When someone tests positive for COVID-19, the results are sent by e-mail to the player, team, and MLB.
The results evidently came in during the game. The team and MLB knew it and JT was pulled immediately.
Like my Doctor told me: “85% of the people infected wore masks.” Masks help immensely, but there are lots of other ways you can accidentally get infected. There is nothing sinister here. Stuff happens!
Congrats Guys!!!
That was awesome