Get all your news in one place.

100's of premium titles.
One app.

Start reading

Get all your news in one place.

100's of premium titles. One news app.

Start reading

Los Angeles Times

Sport

Bill Plaschke

Bill Plaschke: Dodgers' sixth World Series title since moving to LA might be the sweetest

Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Julio Urias is mobbed by teammates after the final out in a 3-1 series-clinching win against the Tampa Bay Rays in Game 6 of the World Series at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas, on Tuesday, Oct. 27, 2020. (Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times/TNS)

Dance like Mookie. Soar like Belli. Scream like Kersh.

A 31-year drought is over, the heavens have opened, and all over Los Angeles it's raining blue.

The Dodgers are World Series champions.

Tampa Bay Rays starting pitcher Blake Snell throws in the first inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 6 of the World Series at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas, on Tuesday, Oct. 27, 2020. The Dodgers won, 3-1, to clinch the series. (Dirk Shadd/Tampa Bay Times/TNS)

We'll write it again, for all the times in the last three decades you thought you'd never read it again.

The Dodgers are World Series Champions!

The wait is over, the burden has been lifted, the dream deferred has become a reality embraced.

Los Angeles Dodgers catcher Austin Barnes throws his equipment in the air as he rushes to celebrate with pitcher Julio Urias after the final out in a 3-1 series-clinching win against the Tampa Bay Rays in Game 6 of the World Series at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas, on Tuesday, Oct. 27, 2020. (Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times/TNS)

For the first time since 1988, the Dodgers hoisted the Commissioner's Trophy Tuesday night with a 3-1 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays to clinch the World Series four games to two.

From Gibby to J.T., from Bulldog to Buehler, from Tommy to Doc, the torch was finally passed on a chilly fall night in Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas.

Taking advantage of an analytics blunder by Rays manager Kevin Cash — he incredibly removed Blake Snell in the middle of a two-hit shutout — the Dodgers scored two runs in the sixth and cruised to a diamond party for the ages.

The Los Angeles Dodgers' Mookie Betts (50) beats the tag of Tampa Bay Rays catcher Mike Zunino to score a run in the sixth inning during Game 6 of the World Series at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas, on Tuesday, Oct. 27, 2020. (Wally Skalij/Los Angeles Times/TNS)

Julio Urias threw a fastball past Willy Adames to finish it, then all redemption broke out. Urias doubled over in screaming celebration before walking to the arms of catcher Austin Barnes while all around them were tossed caps, flying gloves and tearful hugs.

"It's surreal," said Barnes in a FOX TV interview. "We've worked so hard, we've had our hearts broke so many times."

It's the Dodgers' sixth title since moving to Los Angeles in 1958, but perhaps the sweetest because it took the longest, the 31-year drought spanning four owners and nine managers and endless heartbreak.

The Tampa Bay Rays and the Los Angeles Dodgers during the national anthem prior to Game 6 of the World Series at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas, on Tuesday, Oct. 27, 2020. (Dirk Shadd/Tampa Bay Times/TNS)

Occurring just 16 days after the Lakers won the NBA championship, the Dodgers' title also reestablished Los Angeles as America's sports capital.

The pandemic prevented Tuesday's game from being played at Dodger Stadium — and how crazy would that have been? — but there was an overwhelming majority of Dodgers fans among the restricted crowd of 11,437, enough to fill the air with the familiar chants of, "Let's Go Dodgers."

And to think, how many recent Octobers have you chanted that in vain? Through seven consecutive previous division championships, you chanted. Through two previous World Series, you chanted.

Tampa Bay Rays manager Kevin Cash takes the ball from starting pitcher Blake Snell (4) in the sixth inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 6 of the World Series at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas, on Tuesday, Oct. 27, 2020. The Dodgers won, 3-1, to clinch the series. (Dirk Shadd/Tampa Bay Times/TNS)

You've seen them get worked by the St. Louis Cardinals, cheated by the Houston Astros, overpowered by the Boston Red Sox, embarrassed by the Washington Nationals, and still you chanted.

This time they listened. This time it stuck. This time they were tough enough. This time they were clutch enough.

Sure, this time it was a 60-game season and empty stadiums and odd rules and expanded playoffs, but don't even say it's not legitimate. Don't even say it's not real. With three weeks of quarantining in Texas, it might have been their most real October yet.

Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Dylan Floro reacts after striking out the Tampa Bay Rays' Randy Arozarena to end the second inning in Game 6 of the World Series at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas, on Tuesday, Oct. 27, 2020. (Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times/TNS)

"It's more challenging ... there's a lot of things that go into this that you can make an argument to say it might be even more difficult," said Justin Turner.

Dave Roberts was even more definitive.

"All the things we had to deal with ... my point being that there should not be an asterisk and I stand by that," he said.

The Los Angeles Dodgers' Clayton Kershaw celebrates with his family after the team's 3-1 series-clinching win against the Tampa Bay Rays in Game 6 of the World Series at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas, on Tuesday, Oct. 27, 2020. (Wally Skalij/Los Angeles Times/TNS)

It took a leaping Cody Bellinger catch to quiet the San Diego Padres. It took a comeback from a three-games-to-one deficit, a bunch of Mookie Betts little miracles and a Bellinger homer to defeat the Atlanta Braves.

Then, in the World Series, it took two Clayton Kershaw wins, one Austin Barnes bunt-and-homer night, a bunch of Corey Seager, and a rebound from a devastating late Game 4 loss to defeat the Rays.

In the end, more than anything, this was a triumph for three often criticized cornerstones of the organization — the owner, the baseball president, and the manager.

The Tampa Bay Rays' Randy Arozarena (56) watches his hit fly over the outfield wall for a solo home run during the first inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 6 of the World Series at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas, on Tuesday, Oct. 27, 2020. The Dodgers won, 3-1, to clinch the series. (Dirk Shadd/Tampa Bay Times/TNS)

Guggenheim Baseball Management rescued the franchise in 2012 from destructive Frank McCourt and set it on its current course, but it was never enough. Led by chairman Mark Walter and president Stan Kasten, the ownership poured money into both Dodger Stadium and the organizational structure, but they forgot about some of their most loyal fans. They signed an $8.35 billion television deal that kept the teams off most local TVs for six years. In a bit of fortuitous timing, the blackout ended this season, and with this title they can now take a long-awaited victory lap.

Also heavily scrutinized has been Andrew Friedman, the analytics guru who became president of baseball operations in 2015. He hasn't lost a division championship since, but it was also never enough. He has come under fire for constructing most of his roster with solid players who compute well but don't have the intangibles to perform in October. It is no coincidence the Dodgers finally won when, last winter, Friedman finally acquired a gutsy pressure player such as Betts and gave him the largest contract — a $365 million extension — in Dodgers history.

Perhaps nobody has been ripped more than manager Dave Roberts, who took over from Don Mattingly in 2016 and whose October decisions have led to a steady stream of boos. He took out Rich Hill too early. He left Kershaw in too long. He should have saved Yu Darvish from himself. Roberts was also criticized this October for several precarious calls, but he figured out his bullpen enough to guide it through a Game 7 victory against the Atlanta Braves in the National League Championship Series and then again in the final two games of the World Series.

Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Victor Gonzalez reacts after striking out the Tampa Bay Rays' Joey Wendle to end the sixth inning during Game 6 of the World Series at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas, on Tuesday, Oct. 27, 2020. (Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times/TNS)

All three cornerstones earned redemption for sins that occurred many years before their watch.

When Kirk Gibson hit that home run and Orel Hershiser threw those masterpieces and Tom Lasorda screamed the gospel in the Dodgers' 1988 World Series victory over the Oakland Athletics, folks thought that magic would last forever.

It did not. They didn't even make the playoffs the next year, and so the drought began, continuing unabated through bloopers and blunders and just plain bad luck. In the process, the Dodgers lost the town to the Lakers, lost their stature in the league, and occasionally appeared to lose their minds.

They thought Daryl Strawberry and Eric Davis would be hometown heroes. They were hometown busts.

Mike Piazza was on his way to becoming one of the greatest players in franchise history. Then they traded him.

They paid Kevin Brown a ton of money, and he turned out to be a jerk. Adrian Beltre was a future Hall of Famer, and they let him walk.

The Los Angeles Dodgers' Max Muncy tosses his helmet after striking out in the fourth inning against the Tampa Bay Rays in Game 6 of the World Series at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas, on Tuesday, Oct. 27, 2020. (Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times/TNS)

Then there was Manny Ramirez, a player so magnetic they named an entire section of Dodger Stadium in his honor. "Mannywood," it was called. Then he was busted for performance enhancing drugs and Mannywood became a ghost town.

The failed players were guided by failed leadership. Peter O'Malley sold the team to the FOX Entertainment Group, and they promptly traded Piazza. FOX then sold the team to Frank McCourt, who managed it so poorly, it was eventually wrested from him by Major League Baseball.

That led to Guggenheim, which led to Friedman, which led to Roberts, all which led to Tuesday night's glorious five-letter end to a 32-year journey.