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‘WORLD SERIES & BASEBALL WORLD’
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Sitting and watching the Fall Classic.
I thought the greatest thing I had ever seen in the World Series, was Don Larsen’s perfect game, NY Yankees-vs-Brooklyn Dodgers on my black and white TV as a kid growing up in the 1950s.
Sure we have seen great things, the Bronx Bombers of yesteryear, the Big Red Machine, Drysdale and Koufax, the Carlton Fisk HR, the end of the Curse of the Bambino or the Curse of the Billy Goat-Cubs, or Bob Gibson and the Runnin Redbirds.
Have seen alot, but what we have seen in this Dodgers-marathon win over the Blue Jays, signs and seals the phrase ‘CLASSIC FALL CLASSIC’ game.
Tension filled. Electric. Must made big plays. Big hits. Courageous pitching from the bullpen.
It was more than Freddie Freeman’s 18th inning home run to give LA the game 3-victory.
But it was each incident, big play, big pitch, big mistake along the way.
Ohtani getting 4-hits in a row, then being walked 5-straight times. Do you know it’s never happened in a Wold Series game? You have to go back to 1942-to find Stan Hack reaching base 9-times in a game.
How about career minor league relief pitcher Will Klien throwing 72 pitches in 4-innings of 1-hit relief, the last guy standing the Dodgers bullpen.
Clayton Kershaw’s 1-batter outing with the bases loaded coming out of the pen to stifle Toronto…but before that warming up in 4-different innings before they called him into the game.
How about Eric Lauer-career journeyman going 4.2 shutout innings for the Jays.
Heroes everywhere, Tommy Edman’s two amazing throws to cut down runners.
Ditto the gun of an arm throw from Teo Hernandez.
In the World Series, that began in 1903-we have never seen this, but we saw it in 2025 on a Monday night.
18-innings. A total of (6:39) minutes of baseball.
19-pitchers used.
699-pitches thrown
37-left on base
(4-for-26) with runners in scoring position
31-hits..19-walks..29-strikeouts
Freddie Freeman thrown out at the plate. Teoscar taken out at 3rd. Ohtani gunned down at 2nd.
Not to be outdone, the Jays had runners nailed at 1st on a pickoff…-at 3rd-at the plate, and had the bases loaded but failed to score in the 12th
Blake Snell and Yosh Yamamoto going to Roberts saying they’d be willing to pitch in the 17th-18th or if there was a 19th inning.
it was electric, tension filled, exhaustive.
A superb job by Joe Davis-Jon Smoltz on Fox 5-adding the right touch of big voices, background stoies, and then staying silent thru it’s biggest HR moment.
Show me scoresheet-it will wind up in the Hall of Fame.
How about those umpires, on their feet, standing for nearly 7-hours-no breaks.
Felt bad looking at the LA Times sports sections in the morning. Early deadlines make it impossible to do game stories. I get that. But you could have given us notes columns, and historical items. Instead, a full blown story about disgraced owner Frank McCourt, who owns the parking lots at Dodger Stadium. The man, who took the team to bankruptcy, gets that covetage on that kind of day. The LA Times-used to be good-now it gives us yesterday’s news tomorrow, and they miss the key stories they could have covered.
Dave Roberts best quote…’Today got here quick’
Jays boss John Schnieder reminded us..’The Dodgers won 1-game..not the Series’
So before you could catch your breath, we have to be ready for more heroics, all wrapped about Showtime, as we all await to see what Ohtani brings next to Dodgers Stadium. Tuesday was a disappointment in LA. Wednesday brings new day before they head back to Toronto and play Friday
As the ump would say ‘Play Ball’. Don’t know if they can top Monday night..we wait to see what is next
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