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Sometimes, the stars align. On Wednesday night, they aligned for the Los Angeles Dodgers. The Dodgers won their eighth World Series title, beating their hated rivals, the New York Yankees. They did it in five games.   

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The Dodgers started the year with a bullseye on their backs. They were supposed to win the title. They were the best team money could buy. In April, the Dodgers penciled out as the best team in baseball with no holes. Then injuries beset them. Not just the types of injuries every team goes through, but rather starting pitcher after starting pitcher went on the Injured Reserve list.  Almost every starting pitcher they had to begin the season was off the playoff roster. 

The team made it through a tough match with the Padres and handled the Mets with little sweat to win the NCLS. 

The 2024 World Series was a magical matchup. For the first in the new playoff format, both number-one seeds made it to the World Series. Not since 1981 have the Dodgers and Yankees butted heads in the Fall Classic. It also featured the (very likely) MVPs from both leagues. This year, Game 1 ended with Freddie Freeman hitting the first ever bases-loaded walk-off home run in World Series history. Much like Kirk Gibson’s Walk-off in 1988, Freeman belted his “no doubter” into the right field bleachers. It seemed to break the backs of the Yankees. The Dodgers won Game 2 in LA and then won Game 3 in New York.  

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Game 4 started with, by far, the worst example of fan interference I have ever seen. Mookie Betts caught a foul ball close to the right field stands, and a fanatic grabbed his glove, yanked it open, and pulled the ball out. Another fanatic held Betts’ arm. It was disgraceful. Security was quick to remove the one who ripped open Betts’ glove.  

On Wednesday, ESPN reported on the incident, noted the jerk’s name (I won’t), and mentioned that the Yankees had banned him for Game 5. He should be banned for life.  

Yankees left fielder Alex Verdugo said Wednesday he wasn’t too surprised by what happened in New York. 

“I saw it. It was maybe one of the more extreme — kind of trying to rip a ball out,” he said. “But at the same time, that’s kind of New York. I feel like that’s what you expect out here. You expect some unique things. 

“At the end of the day, I didn’t feel it was too serious. I think Mookie kind of shook it off, too. That’s just kind of the passion, I guess, New Yorkers have.” 

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Oh, I get it — the New York fan base is full jerks, so expect it. Nice. At least one positive came out of it. A cancer survivor got to use the fanatics’ tickets.

Verdugo was right about two things. He’s right that that was the behavior I would expect from Yankee fans; and Betts likely did let it go, because he is a class act. In fact, one of the reasons I really enjoyed this Dodger team and the Dodgers winning the World Series is because the team isn’t just loaded with talent; it is loaded with quality men.  

I wrote about Shohei Ohtani being the first to have 50 stolen bases and 50 home runs in a season: 

Ohtani isn’t just a superhuman athlete, he might be the nicest, most respectful man playing professional sports. I watched his reaction as he re-entered the dugout after he slugged his 50th. He was happy, of course, but he showed a boy-like pleasure and humility. He was asked to take a curtain call but didn’t think of that until his coaches and teammates told him to take a bow. He is humble and superhuman at the same time. When he hit his 51st, he was almost embarrassed. I thought of pro-sport comparisons, and I couldn’t come up with any.   

But Ohtani isn’t alone on the Dodgers’ nice guy list. Mookie Betts is always in the running for the Roberto Clemente Award – an award given to one player for community and charity work. And then, there is Freddie Freeman — the World Series MVP. What an incredible man. A loving husband and father and superstar at baseball. He’s something of an ironman in the Lou Gehrig mold. Freeman’s son was deathly ill during the season, and Freeman needed to take time off to help take care of little Max.   

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And pitcher Blake Treinen is another. He’s faced his own injuries and challenges and has turned into one of if not the best closer(s) in baseball. After the World Series win, Treinen did what he always does – he gave thanks to God and praised his teammates.  

Maybe some of my readers “hate” the Dodgers because they aren’t their team, but this time, the good guys won.