Source: The Guardian Sport
The Dodgers rush the field after clinching their second successive World Series title.Photograph: Chris Young/APView image in fullscreenThe Dodgers rush the field after clinching their second successive World Series title.Photograph: Chris Young/APWorld SeriesIf the Dodgers are bad for baseball, why was the World Series so much fun?The repeat champions’ vast wealth means they can stockpile talent unimaginable to other teams. But it’s undeniable that the results are hugely entertainingHannah KeyserSun 2 Nov 2025 11.06 ESTLast modified on Sun 2 Nov 2025 12.22 ESTShareAunicorn led off the game with a single and then trotted out to the mound to pitch the bottom of the first. Another pitcher won Games 2, 6, and 7 of theWorld Series, throwing 17.2 innings along the way. A catcher set a record, squatting behind the plate for 74 Fall Classic frames and ultimately ended the series by hitting the final go-ahead home run.Just as everyone feared or sneered, theLos Angeles Dodgersare champions. Again. In what some forecasted as a harbinger of doom, the sinister strategy of employing the best baseball player on the planet along with a generous number of his nearly equal peers proved effective.It’s not fair,some people will say in the coming months about the fact that the team broadly believed to be the best ultimately won it all.But, for now, there is terrible news for the “Dodgers are bad for baseball” crowd: The 2025 World Series wasfantastic.The 11-inning Game 7instantly rocketed to the upper echelons of all-time sporting events. Alongsidethe 18-inning Game 3. And theOhtani Gamefrom the Championship Series. An epic October. This is why we watch baseball. This is why we love baseball. A decade from now, there will be diehard fans who will say they got hooked on the sport this autumn.The sense of awe would be the same if the Blue Jays had prevailed instead – they supplied half the drama and half the highlights. Ultimately, the series crowned a credible champ not just because the Dodgers were favored for months, but because, in the end, they had to scratch and claw their way to the top. Just because their victory was projected doesn’t mean it was easy or predictable. The many jaw-dropping moments when the entire series seemed to hinge on a single swing or a swipe of the glove or mere centimeters (both because it was so close and because it was in Canada): Don’t tell me you sawthosecoming.If this is what a broken sport feels like, don’t fix it.To be a little less sanctimonious and a lot less poetic: People take issue with Dodgers because of their payroll. Including the penalties for blowing past the various tax thresholds, theDodgers paid more than half a billion dollarsfor their rings this season. Small market owners would tell you the Dodgers should be cheaper. If the Dodgers didn’t try so hard at roster construction it would be easier to keep up. Is that how competition works?The Dodgers won the World Series because they’rethe most expensive team. And becaus…
Published: 2025-11-02T16:06:35
Leave a Reply