Victorious at last! The Los Angeles Dodgers are World Series Champions! Gone are the days of doubting their ability to secure a title in a standard regular season. The accusations directed at manager, Dave Roberts, for not being able to win a World Series have finally been silenced, and the years of star players disappearing in the playoffs are now a thing of the past.
Although the Dodgers were champions just four years ago, it was in the midst of a pandemic when the regular season was only 60 games instead of the standard 162. Even some Dodgers’ fans started to doubt the legitimacy of the 2020 title.
“The last time [the Dodgers] won, there was no real celebration, so there was something that did not feel right,” said Dylan Hawley ‘27, WHS pitcher and Dodgers fan. “I was so excited that we got to have a parade; the players just looked a lot happier compared to the 2020 win.”
Following two great regular seasons that ended in losses to division rivals in the first round of the playoffs, the Dodgers decided to splurge. The team went out and signed free agent Shohei Ohtani, a Silver Slugger hitter and a Cy Young caliber pitcher, to a 10–year $700 million record deal.
“The best part of this season was when [the Dodgers] got Ohtani,” said Dodgers fan Sydney Rominger ‘25. “The whole city was so excited even though it was the off–season. I think he motivated all the players and brought so much excitement to the team.”
The path to the World Series was not easy as the regular season was filled with injuries and an inconsistent pitching staff. After winning the National League West over division rivals, the San Diego Padres, the two teams faced off in the National League Division Series.
“I was at game five which was incredibly exciting since it was a five–game series,” said Chad Scott, Calculus teacher and Dodgers season ticket holder. “After going down two games to one in the series, the Dodgers showed a lot of resilience coming back to win the series. Dave Roberts got the players to gel and play like a team. That is something money can’t buy.”
Following two win–or–go–home games in the National League Division Series, the Dodgers then cruised past the New York Mets in six games. Every game in the series was decided by at least four runs with the Dodgers pitching leading the way.
“After so many injuries in the regular season, it was crazy how well our pitching staff [performed],” said Dodgers fan Chloe Hammer ‘26. “Since we only had a three–man rotation, there was a lot of pressure, but we had guys like [Walker] Buehler who did great in big games.”
Though the Dodgers got in the way of an all New York World Series by eliminating the Mets, they set the stage for a matchup between two of the most historic baseball franchises. The Yankees, coming off of a dominant series win in five games over the Cleveland Guardians, were looking for their 28th championship in franchise history.
“When the Dodgers beat the Mets, my first reaction was Yankees–Dodgers: this is going to be awesome,” said Dodgers fan Shaylor Schmitt ‘27. “The matchup felt like something out of a movie. The two best teams in baseball.”
The first game of the World Series was something from a Hollywood film. Freddie Freeman, the Dodgers star first baseman who was struggling with a sprained ankle at the time, delivered a blast. Bottom of the tenth inning, bases loaded, two outs and down three runs to two, he hit the first pitch he saw into the Los Angeles night to give the Dodgers game one.
“A fairytale ending,” said Scott. “It is hard to put into words. Joe Davis [the announcer], captured the moment perfectly. Before the home run, he said it is what kids dream about. It was magical. I think it gave the Dodgers the momentum they needed in order to realize that they could win it all.”
Less than 24 hours later, the Dodgers beat the Yankees 4–2, taking a commanding lead in the series. The series switched settings to the Bronx, but the Dodgers were yet again unfazed. Led by Walker Buehler’s five shutout innings, and Freeman’s third consecutive game with a home run, the Dodgers were one win away from jubilation.
With the Yankees’ backs against the wall, they won game four with ease after shortstop Anthony Volpe hit a grand slam and ruined the Dodgers’ hopes of a four–game–sweep. This set up a game five with the 2023 Cy Young Award winner, Gerrit Cole on the mound for the Yankees. After taking a 5–0 lead after four innings, the New York defense collapsed.
“In the fifth inning, I was surprised the Yankees had so many errors with so much momentum in the game,” said Hammer. “First it was [center fielder Aaron] Judge dropping the ball, then [third baseman Jazz] Chisolm dropped the out at third and Cole not running to first. I did not think [the Dodgers] were gonna come back, but after the first run, we just kept scoring.”
After second baseman Gavin Lux and star right fielder Mookie Betts each hit a sacrifice fly–out, the Dodgers took a 7–6 lead heading into the bottom of the eighth inning. With three outs left and not a reliable arm left in the bullpen, the Dodgers decided to call on starting pitcher Walker Buehler who had only one full day of rest.
“At first, I was surprised to see Buehler even warming up because it felt like he had just pitched,” said Hawley. “He showed throughout the playoffs that he is a big game player. I could tell he was fired up because of the speed on his fastball when he came in, but he was able to control his excitement and use adrenaline to win the game and even record two strikeouts. I was really excited for him.”
Manager Dave Roberts found himself blamed in past seasons when the Dodgers fell short, but this year he was on top of the baseball world. To celebrate the victory, the Dodgers held their first parade since 1988, and the city showed up. According to southpasadenan.com, around 2 million people lined the streets of downtown to see the boys in blue on what would have been the late Dodgers legendary pitcher, Fernando Valenzuela’s 64th birthday.
“The city and the fans were all so loud and so excited when the parade came through,” said Schmit. “I think I got some champagne poured on me! It was a great way to end a perfect season.”
