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The Dodgers’ 2020 World Series Title Should Have an Asterisk…for Being the Toughest Championship Ever Won.

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Yes, I mean it. The Dodgers just won the 2020 World Series title, but because people just love to hate, they’re putting an asterisk on this championship. I would love to have this season go down in the record books the same as any other, but if you want to put an asterisk next to 2020, I think it should be for different reasons. I believe this was the hardest year to win a championship in the history of MLB.

Let me break it down for ya:

  • Spring Training is canceled due to COVID-19 pandemic; no one is certain whether MLB will return in 2020.
  • Once MLB and players decide they can proceed with the season, there are lengthy salary negotiations that delay the start of the season until July.

And most importantly…

  • Postseason format is altered to include 16 total teams, including a first-round, best of 3 series.
  • NO off-days in the middle of the Wild Card Series, Division Series, and League Championship Series rounds.
  • With a condensed 60-game season, players (mostly pitchers) are fresher than they normally would be at the conclusion of the regular season, meaning they are more well-equipped for a playoff run.
  • No fans at games (until the playoffs) meant away teams were at an advantage because of significantly less crowd noise; greater ability to concentrate.

Remember, I still want the Dodgers to be treated equally amongst former World Series champs. Buttt, for those people that want to call this a fake season and asterisk my Boys in Blue, just take a look at the bullet points above. Luckily, MLB doesn’t take internet troll opinions into consideration when making rules for the season.

As shitty of a year this has been, as a diehard Laker and Dodger fan, I’m glad 2020 has redeemed itself slightly. I love this Dodgers team in particular because aside from Mookie and Pollock, all the stars are homegrown guys that have been with the team through countless devastating postseasons, including a couple of World Series losses. Most of all, it’s about time the GOAT Clayton Kershaw won a ring after having it denied by the cheaters in 2017. I mean how can you not be romantic about baseball?

The Dodgers are 2020 World Series champs forever and always.

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Can Randy Arozarena and His Cowboy Boots Beat Arguably the Greatest Team Ever Assembled? The 2020 World Series Is Set: Rays vs. Dodgers.

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“This is our year” – A common phrase coaches, players, and fans use to express the confidence they have in their team. It was also the closing remark of Dave Roberts’ speech following the Dodgers’ huge NLCS victory about 45 minutes ago. I’m too superstitious to ever say something as bold as “This is our year” about a team I deeply care about, but I fucking love the confidence by Roberts there.

The stage is now set. Dodgers vs. Rays in the 2020 World Series. To be completely honest, I couldn’t name one guy in the Rays starting lineup except for that guy Randy with the cowboy boots, but they weren’t the best team in the American League for no reason…they can play. Lead by Blake Snell and Tyler Glasnow, the Rays have one of the best pitching staffs in the league, and Moneyball’d their lineup to somehow score runs.

However, after just beating the Braves, who had one of the best pitching staff’s in the League this year, the Dodgers couldn’t have had a better pre-World Series matchup. Suffice to say, theoretically, if the Dodgers were able to hit that well against an elite group of  Braves pitchers, they should be able to be just as good (if not better) in the World Series. It’s even scarier that there isn’t a break in the Dodgers lineup, especially with a DH. In how many other MLB lineups would reigning MVP Cody Bellinger bat sixth? None, that’s how many. And by the time pitchers reach the bottom of the Dodgers lineup, they have Mookie Betts, Corey Seager (daddy), and Justin Turner waiting for them right around the corner. Their lineup is RELENTLESS. So, what this final round ultimately comes down to is whether or not the Dodgers pitching staff can out-duel an inferior group of no-named Rays hitters.

Look, the Dodgers didn’t have the best record in the Majors this year for no reason. They’re the best team on paper in the league (possibly ever) and now they’re riding high off of a HUGE game 7 victory. The Rays are also just off of a game 7 win, but they let the sub .500 Asterisks come back after being down 3-0 in the series. While it’s still a big deal they were able to win the series, the hype doesn’t compare to the Dodgers, who were down 3-1 and just won three games in a row.  I will tell ya that only having ONE day off before the World Series starts could factor into the Dodgers’ ability to start hot, but the way the game is played now, it might be better for them to have virtually no rest.  Rest vs. Rust. Ideally, I’d love if they had at least one more day off just so their pitching staff could recover a little more, but I think for the most part they’re in a solid position to come out strong.

Like I said earlier, I’ll never say “This is our year”, but let’s just say I certainly like our odds more than I did in the last World Series the Dodgers were in. Granted, hindsight is 20/20, but with the team built the way it is, it’s hard to bet against them. If the Dodgers could win the chip just a few weeks after the Lakers won theirs, I think it’s only right Garcetti says to hell with Covid and throws a joint parade the likes of which could never be topped. I’ll show up in a god damn hazmat suit if that’s what it takes.

Sorry, was getting a little ahead of myself there. 4 more. Globe Life Field. World Series. Game 1. Tuesday at 5:09 PM. Dodgers vs. Rays. Job’s not finished.

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Mookie Betts Will Be a Dodger for the Rest of His Career…Let That Sink In

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It was already a great day to be a baseball fan in general with the start of the 2020 MLB season just 24 hours away…but now it’s an incredible day for Dodgers fans in particular. Of course, I’m referring to the 12-year, $365 million extension Mookie Betts just signed with the Dodgers this afternoon. I’ll be the first to admit that the rich just got richer, being that the Dodgers already have a stacked lineup that features reigning NL MVP Cody Bellinger, alongside All-Stars Corey Seager, Justin Turner, Joc Pederson, and Max Muncy. However, as great as those guys are, nothing is promised in this league. That’s why when you have the opportunity to sign one of the top three players in baseball, you do so.

Since this news broke I’ve seen a lot of people say that the Dodgers are just buying a championship team, that they have an embarrassment of riches, that they don’t really need Mookie. Do these people have a point? Maybe. Do I think they’re just jealous? Absolutely.

Let’s take a little stroll down memory lane. The Dodgers traded for Yu Darvish in 2017, bolstering their starting rotation that already included Clayton Kershaw and Rich Hill, and Hyun-Jin Ryu. They won the N.L. Pennant, and you know the rest. Fast forward to 2018…the Dodgers trade for Manny Machado, adding another solid bat to a lineup that features most of the stars currently on their roster. Once again, they won the N.L. Pennant, but you know how that October ended. My point here is that it is really fucking hard to win the World Series, even if you have the best team on paper. This isn’t basketball, where one player can win you a championship. Baseball (usually) has a grueling 162-game schedule in which every single player down to the last guy in the bullpen needs to contribute in order to win a championship.

Now, will the Dodgers win more games with Mookie Betts in their lineup vs. without him? Yeah, probably! All I’m trying to say is that his addition doesn’t guarantee a championship. And until the Dodgers do win a championship, I don’t want to hear it.

Now that I’ve dealt with the haters, I just want to say that this was undoubtedly the most exciting thing that’s happened to me in at least five months, and arguably the best Dodgers moment since Puig’s homer in the 2018 World Series. I’m still so caught up in Betts’ signing that I’m not even considering what this means for other expensive Dodgers like Bellinger, Seager, Kershaw, and Turner, (who are all due to get paid soon), or whether or not I think we’ll even finish this baseball season once it starts. I’m just enjoying the moment and hoping there isn’t an opt-out clause after three years or some shit.

Regardless of who you root for, just be excited that baseball is back in our lives as of 7 P.M. EST tomorrow and that hopefully, you’re not a Red Sox fan.

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The Red Sox Technically Cheated the Dodgers out of a World Series

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It’s official: the Dodgers lost back to back World Series against CHEATERS. While there wasn’t sufficient evidence to conclude that the Red Sox cheated in the playoffs, but only during the regular season, they’re cheaters nonetheless. As good as the Sox were in 2018, maybe things go differently in the regular season had they not cheated…dare I say the Yankees could’ve won the AL East??

The fact that some video room guy got blamed for this whole thing is laughable. It’s not a coincidence that Alex Cora was cheating in Houston and the Red Sox just so happened to get caught for cheating the very next season. Don’t forget that the Sox were also busted for using Apple Watches to cheat in 2017 as well. They clearly have no respect for the game of baseball and spit in the face of order. I think the only thing keeping the Sox from being the Astros is that a whistleblower hasn’t come forward to expose them for the scumbags they are.

Ultimately, there’s really nothing more the League could’ve done here punishment-wise, but just like with the Astros, the league comes out losers here. The big winner is Alex Cora, who will probably end up not serving a single day of his suspension and will more than likely have a job in 2021.

The sad part is…I’m so desperate for baseball to come back that I’d be willing to absolve the Red Sox of any penalties if it meant we got the 2020 MLB season in return. It’s “fuck the Astros” till the day I die, but the Red Sox penalties are so weak anyway that I think it’s a fair trade. And just like 2017 and 2018, coronavirus is cheating the Dodgers out of another World Series win in 2020.

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Clayton Kershaw Has Been a Stud Since His MLB Debut

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MLB Network played a rerun of Clayton Kershaw’s MLB debut tonight, and I’m both thankful and depressed because of it. I’m thankful because since it was a Thursday day game back in 2008, I was probably busy dominating a game of kickball or handball during lunch break at the time and wasn’t able to watch the game. After watching it, I’ve realized how much baseball has changed in twelve years. I think the biggest difference is how much more athletic the average baseball player is now compared to then. The main culprit for this change is that players need to be a lot more versatile now because rosters are extremely pitcher-heavy. But as much as I enjoy spotting the differences in today’s game compared to then, the reason I watched this game was because of Clayton Kershaw.

Twenty years old and only two years removed from playing against slapdick high schoolers, he was facing Albert Pujols. His final line of the night was: 6 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, and 7 K’s…not bad for a seasoned vet, let alone a guy making his debut. We should’ve known he was destined for greatness after striking out the side in his first inning of work as a big leaguer. He’s still one of the best pitchers in the game, but it was clear after watching his debut, how much sharper he was back then. While his fastball hovers around 90 mph nowadays, he threw an easy 95 when he was younger. Similarly, his curveball used to absolutely FALL off the table, while now it’s not as sharp – understandably so (it would be ridiculous if his curve was as sharp at 32 as it was at 20 years old). Seeing Andre Ethier, Matt Kemp, and Russell Martin as young bucks also brought back a ton of nostalgia.

As great as it was seeing Kershaw and the other guys in their early MLB careers, as I said earlier, I am now depressed. I’ve been avoiding these throwback games for this very reason…it makes me very sad that there is no baseball or sports of any kind. The Dodgers (and Lakers) should be on their way to championships this season, but it’s not looking like either team will be able to compete for a title in 2020. While watching the game, I also got pissed me off because I realized how good the Dodgers have been for so long, and that players so deserving of a World Series title like Kershaw and Ethier were cheated out of a one by the Astros. That’s just something I will never get over, regardless of how many years have gone by or however many apologies I hear. Regardless, Kershaw is still my hero, and it’s debatable if I will ever be able to love something as much as I love the Dodgers (besides my parents and possibly my children). It’s safe to say I will be avoiding any sentimental games for the rest of the quarantine.

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Would Clayton Kershaw Ever Pull a Tom Brady and Leave the Dodgers?

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When Tom Brady announced on Tuesday that he would not be returning to the New England Patriots for the 2020 season, it got me thinking about the fate of my own sports heroes. Tom Brady has meant as much to the city of Boston these last 20 years as John Adams did back in the Revolutionary Period. So when I started relating Brady’s situation to current long-term Los Angeles athletes, there’s really only one name that comes to mind: Clayton Kershaw. Of course I can’t bring up LA sports icons without mentioning Kobe Bryant, but he DID spend his whole career here. We got to witness all 20 years of his career right here in Los Angeles. On the other hand, Kershaw, like Brady, is still playing. So if we’re talking about the most impactful LA professional athletes of the last 15 years, Kershaw is second to only Kobe.

Eight All-Star selections, three Cy Young Awards, and an MVP are just a few of the accolades that Clayton Kershaw has managed to capture over his twelve year MLB career. The only thing that has eluded the long-time Dodgers ace is a World Series championship. However, knowing what we know now, it’s safe to assume the Dodgers were cheated out of a championship in 2017 at the hands of the Houston Asterisks. Regardless, despite the lack of a World Series trophy and postseason hardships, he is still my favorite player on the Dodgers, and has been for the better part of his career. So, if he decided to pull a Tom Brady and leave Chavez Ravine for another franchise, how would I feel about it?

Kershaw still has two years left on his current contract with the Dodgers, making him an unrestricted free agent in 2022. Despite some back issues over the past couple years that have sidelined him at times, he is still very effective. Just last season he was named an N.L. All-Star and finished eighth in Cy Young voting with a 16-5 record and 3.03 ERA in 178.1 innings. It’s tough to say whether or not he’ll be able to reach the 200 innings mark again in his career, but being that manager Dave Roberts named him the 2020 Opening Day starter (before Coronavirus delayed the start of the season) for the NINTH time in his career, it proves he’s still got it. In a rotation that includes young stud Walker Buehler, Kershaw really must’ve shown Roberts that even at 32 years old (happy birthday) he’s got the stuff to lead the staff.

The biggest difference between Kershaw and Brady at this point in their careers is their ages. Kershaw is ten years younger than Brady, which probably made it easier for the Patriots to part ways with the six-time Super Bowl Champion, being that coach Bill Belichick is known for parting ways with players sooner rather than later. In 2022, when Kershaw will be 34, assuming his performance hasn’t declined too much by then, he will be a highly sought-after free agent. He’s one of the most decorated pitchers in the league, and if he can manage to pitch 150-175 innings over the next two seasons and stay relatively healthy, why wouldn’t teams go after him? The Dodgers are one of the wealthiest sports teams in the world, but who knows if they think he’ll be worth his hefty price tag by then. Brady knew he could get more money going elsewhere, so what happens if Kershaw does the same thing.

At 34, assuming he hasn’t suffered any major injuries, Kershaw will no doubt have a lot left in the tank (5+ more years) and will be looking for the best deal. Sure, he’s been with the Dodgers since he was drafted by them in the first round back in 2006, but plenty of guys have left the only organization they’ve ever know in search of greener pastures. I’m at the point in my fandom that even if the Dodgers are foolish enough to let him go, I will root for him no matter where he ends up. He has given me so many fond memories throughout the years and is such a charitable person off the field that he’d be impossible to root against.

However, this is the type of player no team should ever let go of. He has become such a leader in the locker room and his name is so engrained in Dodgers lore that it is nearly impossible to think of him in another uniform. I’m not Andrew Friedman, but if he’s happy with the organization (all signs say he is) then the Dodgers need to do everything in their power to resign him and have him end his career in Dodger Blue.

Aaaaand now I’m feeling sentimental:

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The Dodgers Have Pulled off the Biggest Trade in Franchise History

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We had been hearing rumors about a Red Sox/Dodgers trade for a while now, but it has finally happened. It seemed like the Dodgers were the frontrunners all along, since it was inevitable that the Red Sox were going to make a trade, but I can’t believe it actually happened. The Dodgers (with the exception of Manny Machado) never make big moves like this in the offseason. They don’t generally sign big free agents and they don’t make big trades. They develop talent through their farm system and build from within (Kershaw, Buehler, Bellinger).

But this move tells me that they are doing whatever they can to win a World Series title next year, and I fucking love it. This fan base has suffered far too long and come too close in recent years of a title, and I’m so glad the front office is making moves. This definitely softened the blow of missing out on Gerrit Cole earlier this offseason, when he chose to sign with the Yankees.

Of course, the Dodgers were forced to part ways with several fan favorites, as Alex Verdugo, Kenta Maeda, and Joc Pederson were all traded. Verdugo is a young outfielder who will no doubt continue excel as he gets more playing time. There will probably be some backlash from Dodger fans about Verdugo because he was beloved by the Hispanic fanbase…most notably for his signature walkout song “Volver Volver”.

I’ve had a love/hate relationship with Kenta Maeda over the past few seasons, but I was really starting to like him more recently in a relief role. And last but not least, Joc Pederson, who is just heading about 45 minutes south to Anaheim, will surely be missed. Yeah he struck out a lot and was frustrating to watch at times, but he’d show flashes of greatness that made you think he could really be a “guy”. He is also one of the most charismatic guys in the league, and he’ll be missed as a clubhouse presence for sure.

However, despite how much these former Dodgers will be missed, they just traded for MOOKIE FUCKING BETTS and DAVID PRICE. Betts is inarguably a top three player MLB right now, and David Price, despite an injury-riddled 2019, is still effective. The Dodgers still have Chris Taylor, Enrique Hernandez, and A.J. Pollock to fill in the outfield, alongside Betts and Bellinger, so offloading Verdugo and Pederson is great from a consistency aspect for the other players. And with losing Ryu and now Maeda, adding Price will solidify the missing arm in the rotation.

However, the biggest win for the Dodgers in this trade is that they didn’t give up any prospects. You can consider Verdugo a prospect if you want, but in my mind he is now an everyday MLB player, and no longer a prospect. They were able to hang on to Gavin Lux and Dustin May, which were thought to have been trade pieces initially. I don’t think there’s a baseball analyst out there who could say Andrew Friedman was anything short of amazing in putting this deal together. The holes the Dodgers had were filled, and gained far more than they lost. It’s safe to say the Dodgers are CLEAR frontrunners to win the 2020 title…mostly because Betts and Price really know how to win a title in LA (2018).

 

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The Los Angeles City Council Is Voting on a Resolution to Make MLB Give 2017 and 2018 Titles to the Dodgers

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The Los Angeles Times came out with the following story today regarding the Astros and Red Sox cheating scandal:

Bill Shaiken via Los Angeles Times: The Los Angeles City Council is expected to vote within the next week on a resolution urging Major League Baseball to recall the championship trophies presented to the Houston Astros in 2017 and the Boston Red Sox in 2018 “and award them to the Los Angeles Dodgers.”

Councilman Gil Cedillo, one of the sponsors of the resolution, said he expects the council to approve it. As of late Wednesday, the city clerk had not yet determined what day the resolution would come up for a vote.

Cedillo, whose district includes Dodger Stadium, said neither the Dodgers nor his constituents had requested the resolution.

What up council, this is exactly what I didn’t want to happen.

And not because I don’t think the Dodgers would’ve won the World Series in 2017 had the Astros not cheated, but because the championship is now tainted. I like the part about recalling the championship trophies presented to the Astros, but not the part about then awarding it to the Dodgers. Obviously they’re doing this to make headlines, but I think it’s unreasonable to award a championship to a team after they technically already lost.

Of course I think the Dodgers would’ve taken at least two out of three games in Houston, and eventually won the Series, but we still don’t know for sure what would’ve happened. And that’s the real bummer of it all. Two years removed from that championship, it wouldn’t even change anything. It wouldn’t feel like the truly Dodgers won it, even though the books would say they did. And would there be a parade? A ceremony? Would they bring back all the guys that were on the 2017 roster? That would be the saddest championship celebration of all time. I’d still go…but damn it would be a weird experience.

They should just put an asterisk by the 2017 season and leave it at that. But, if they do end up vacating the Astros of their title, I’ll probably end up pleasure myself to the video of them taking the trophy away, if one were to surface.

And there’s no need for the Red Sox to have their championship taken away, if I’m being honest. It was proven that although they cheated during the 2018 season, they did not cheat during the playoffs. Even though they’re still pieces of shit for cheating in the first place, their championship shouldn’t be vacated for it.

I appreciate the thought, LA City Council, but I think maybe you should revise the resolution to just vacate the Astros of their championship and leave it at that. Watching Astros fans cry on Twitter and the news about it would be amazing.

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Two Years Post-World Series, How Likely Is Betts/Price Trade With Dodgers?

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According to a report from USA Today’s Bob Nightengale, the Dodgers are in discussions to land outfielder Mookie Betts of the Boston Red Sox.

The Los Angeles Dodgers have engaged in exploratory trade talks with the Boston Red Sox about former MVP outfielder Mookie Betts, according to two officials with direct knowledge of the discussions.

The officials spoke to USA TODAY Sports on the condition of anonymity because they weren’t authorized to discuss the talks publicly.

The Dodgers’ top priority remains Cleveland Indians shortstop Francisco Lindor, but if the two sides can’t agree on a package for the All-Star, the Dodgers could turn its attention to Boston.

The Red Sox are much more inclined to trade Betts – who’s projected to earn $27-30 million in his final year before free agency – than Cleveland is with Lindor. The Red Sox, who had baseball’s highest payroll at $244 million, and will pay $13 million in luxury tax penalties, want to slash their payroll to be under the $208 million tax threshold in 2020.

I wouldn’t be unhappy if the Dodgers were to trade away Corey Seager, but it’s still a weird move to me. It’s clear that the Dodgers are aiming to land a power bat, now that Francisco Lindor and Mookie Betts have entered the conversation. They want more protection around Cody Bellinger, and either of those two guys will add immense firepower to an already stacked lineup.

In my opinion, I would rather land Betts than Lindor, being that Seager is still a solid shortstop; don’t forget he finished third in MVP voting three years ago and was coming off Tommy John this season. Seager still led the league in doubles this season with 44, though his average did dip a bit. The fact of the matter is that he is still an above-average shortstop, plus they have Gavin Lux over at second base, which makes for a pretty solid middle infield.

What makes Betts a better addition IMO is that aside from Bellinger, the Dodgers’ outfield has been a revolving door the past couple seasons between Kiké Hernandez, Joc Pederson, A.J. Pollock, Matt Beaty and Alex Verdugo. The reason they get switched out so often is because none of them are all that great at hitting, which adding Mookie Betts will fix. Come to think of it… Cody B works in at first base often as well, so even he’s gotta get used to single position! There are just way too many guys to be balancing out there every day, and I think they could use some consistency…which is exactly what Mookie Betts will bring on the offensive and defensive side of the ball.

Then of course there was the MLB Network opinion of what a trade including Betts and David Price to the Dodgers would look like:

Although he’s not what he used to be, Price would be a nice little addition to their staff. In this hypothetical trade, the Dodgers would give up a few prospects, but prospects don’t pan out all the time, so I don’t get that worked up when teams let go of them. Plus, I’ve been wanting the Dodgers to add a starting pitcher, and although he’s not top of the line, I’d be fine with adding Price to the rotation.

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