Remembering the Almost-Were's

Usually, the long MLB playoffs reveal that most teams just aren't good enough to win the World Series.  But this year, we had an unusually high number of teams that played well -- but just not quite well enough.  Before we get to the Blue Jays and the Dodgers, let's remember these three teams:

The Phillies:  The Phillies won the National League in 2022, and dominated the NL East all year.  They had a strong veteran team, with guys like Bryce Harper, Kyle Schwarber, and Trey Turner who had been there before.  Against the Dodgers, they suffered two heart-breaking losses at home -- 5-3 and 4-3, with the second loss featuring some incredible defensive play by the Dodgers.  In L.A., the Phillies won Game Three in an 8-2 laugher, and then took Game Four to extra innings.  If the Phillies could have won Game Four -- and it was a nail-biter -- they would have forced the Dodgers to fly across the country to play Game Five in Philly.  In the bottom of the 11th, with two out and the bases loaded, the Dodgers sent up Andy Pages -- their worst hitter.  He hit a chopper back to the pitcher, Orion Kerkering, that should have ended the inning.  But Kerkering -- apparently thinking that he had to beat the runner at home (instead of throwing to first for an easy out) hurled the ball past the catcher, allowing the winning run to score and ending Philadelphia's season.  If 2025 turns out to be the last year for this iteration of the Phillies, that is a really heartbreaking way for their run to end.

The Tigers:  For most of the season, the Tigers had the best record in the American League -- then they collapsed.  They were 84-62 on September 10, and then went 3-13 the rest of the way.  They blew a 9 1/2 game lead in the AL Central and just barely secured a Wild Card spot.  Then they rebooted themselves.  They went to Cleveland and eliminated the Guardians in the Wild Card playoffs, and then played an epic Divisional Series with Seattle.  It went the full five games, and the last game was a 15-inning saga won by the Mariners 3 to 2.  Tiger fans will spend the off-season thinking about all the chances they had to win that game.

The Mariners:  After surviving the Tigers, Seattle went to Toronto for the A.L.C.S. -- and promptly took a 2-0 lead, beating the Blue Jays 3-1 and 10-3.  Up two games to zero, and with the next three games in Seattle, the Mariners had to like their chances.  But as we would all learn before the season was over, the Blue Jays are not easy to eliminate.  They struck back, beating the Mariners 13-4 and 8-2 to tie the series.  But Seattle rode an 8th-inning grand slam for a 6-2 victory in Game Five, putting the Mariners back in charge of the series.  The dauntless Blue Jays hammered Seattle 6-2 to tie the Series again, and the Mariners had to play a second winner-take-all game.  It was a classic.  Going into the bottom of the 7th, Seattle was sitting on a 3-1 lead, and was only nine outs from winning the pennant.  But the Jays rallied one more time, and Springer's three-run homer gave Toronto a 4-3 lead.  The Mariners ended up facing the exact same scenario that the Dodgers would face in Game Seven of the World Series:  down 4-3 in the top of the ninth, with Jeff Hoffman on the mound for the Blue Jays and the Toronto fans baying for victory.  Unlike the Dodgers, Seattle went down 1-2-3, and their fans were left to reflect that Seattle remains the only franchise in MLB that has never gone to the World Series.

And remember, all this drama took place before the World Series even began.

Ten Best World Series Since 1975

We are probably going to have a lot to say about the 2025 MLB season.  The quality of play throughout the playoffs, the excellence of the World Series, and the meaning of this season to Dodger and Blue Jay fans, all justify more coverage than usual.  But to begin with, let's place this World Series in context.  Tim Kurkjian, who has covered the last 44 World Series, said last night that it was the best one he has covered.  Of course, I believe that the 1975 Classic, between the Reds and Red Sox, is the best World Series ever played.  I would still rank that Series above this one, in large part due to the cultural significance of the Big Red Machine and Red Sox Nation.  The Red Sox play a big role in Field of Dreams, and Game Six of the 1975 Series drives a critical plot point in Good Will Hunting, and I don't expect this World Series to have that type of cultural cachet -- although I could see it having a big impact on Canadians of a certain age.

But what about since 1975?  What are the ten best World Series since Carl Yastrzemski flew out to end that Series.  Here is my list:

1.  2025.  We'll be discussing this Series further.

2.  2001.  The last stand of the last great Yankee dynasty.  That series had a lot in common with this one, except that the D-Backs (unlike the Blue Jays) got their game-winning hit in the bottom of the ninth.

3.  1986.  Another Boston classic, and I always found that Mets team to be uniquely charismatic.

4.  2016.  The Cubs finally break the curse, although the curse remains for Cleveland.

5.  1991.  A series that was extremely beloved at the time, and Game Seven remains a classic for the ages.

6.  2011.  A great series that would have gotten a lot more cultural attention if folks in Dallas cared very much about the Rangers.

7.  2014.  The Bruce Bochy Giants were a wonderful team, and in my opinion, this was their greatest moment.

8.  1997.  If there were any Florida Marlins fans -- or if Cleveland had won this series -- this excellent contest would get more credit.

9.  1979.  We Are Family!  A fitting end to a wonderful decade of baseball.

10.  1985.  Yes, the Cardinals should have won it in six games.  But the Dodgers shouldn't have pitched to Jack Clark in Game Six of the N.L.C.S.  You have to take the bad with the good.

Tree Today

 

Month of MLB: Day 30

From a fan perspective, basketball expands as the season goes on.  You can see this in Hoosiers.  At the beginning of the season, only the most devoted fans are showing up to watch practice, gossip about new coaches, and generally tracking the performance of their favorite team.  But by the end of the state tournament, the whole state of Indiana is tuned in.

Baseball runs the opposite way.  In June, say, baseball is everywhere -- high school baseball, little league baseball, college baseball.  Thirty different major league teams, dozens of minor league teams, all going day and night.  During the summer, lots of casual fans go to baseball games, eat hot dogs, talk to their friends, and generally enjoy the Great American Pastime.  Other folks play catch, hit Wiffle Balls, or simply teach their grandchildren how to break in a new glove.  But as the baseball year goes on, the world of baseball grows more concentrated.  The schools and colleges are generally finished with baseball by the end of June.  The minors are mostly done by the end of August.  And by early September, most casual fans have moved on to football season.

By the beginning of October, the world of baseball consists of the 12 fanbases who have reached the playoffs, along with the small number of die-hards who like to watch baseball on television, even when they don't have a rooting interest.  Soon the 12 fan bases are down to 8.  Then the 8 are down to 4, and then the 4 to two.

Today, October 29, is Game Five of the World Series.  It will be the last game of the year in Dodger Stadium -- the last game of the year in the United States, for this season is ending in Toronto, Canada.  The only folks left are Dodgers fans, Blue Jay fans, and those folks who watch baseball on TV.  It's a small community -- but an intense one.  There's something uniquely cozy about watching the last few games of the season on television, and knowing that the only other people watching are people who really love baseball.  This isn't the Super Bowl, or the Final Four, or any event where folks sit around eating snacks and talking over the commentators.  We are here because we love the game, and we really want to see who will win.  It's concentrated fandom -- like how you can concentrate light to make a laser.

This year, the MLB playoffs have been extremely hard fought.  The Dodgers had a brutal four-game series with the Phillies.  The Mariners and Tigers resolved their series with a 15-inning Game Five.  The Blue Jays and Mariners went the full seven games to decide the American League.  And the Dodgers and Blue Jays are tied two-all after four games -- and one of those games went 18 innings.  After losing an 18-inning heartbreaker in Game Three, the Blue Jays bounced back to smash the Dodgers 6-2 yesterday.  So now the Dodgers and Blue Jays will play best two of three for all the marbles.

Here is the Toronto lineup (note that George Springer is still injured):

1.  Davis Schneider, LF (.234, 11 HR's, and 31 RBI's in 188 AB's)

2.  Vladimir Guerrero, Jr., 1B (.292, 23, 84)

3.  Bo Bichette, DH (.311, 18, 94)

4.  Alejandro Kirk, C (.282, 15, 76)

5.  Daulton Varsho, CF (.238, 20, 55)

6.  Ernie Clement, 3B (.277, 9, 50)

7.  Addison Barger, RF (.243, 21, 74)

8.  Isiah Kiner-Falefa, 2B (.262, 2, 40)

9.  Andres Gimenez, SS (.210, 7, 35)

Starting Pitcher:  Trey Yesavage (1-0, 3.21 ERA in three regular season starts)

Yesavage is 2-1 with a 4.26 ERA in four post-season starts.

Meanwhile, the Dodgers have scored only three runs in the last 20 innings, and they are reorganizing their lineup.  Andy Pages has been benched, and the lineup now looks like this:

1.  Shohei Ohtani, DH (.282, 55 HR's, 102 RBI's)

2.  Will Smith, C (.296, 17, 61)

3.  Mookie Betts, SS (.258, 20, 82)

4.  Freddie Freeman, 1B (.295, 24, 90)

5.  Teoscar Hernandez, RF (.247, 25, 89)

6.  Tommy Edman, 2B (.225, 13, 49)

7.  Max Muncy, 3B (.243, 19, 67)

8.  Kike Hernandez, CF (.203, 10, 35 in 232 AB's)

9.  Alex Call, LF (.267, 5, 31 in 270 AB's)

Starting Pitcher:  Blake Snell (5-4, 2.35 ERA in 11 regular season starts)

Snell is 3-1 with a 2.42 ERA in four post-season starts.

This is the last game where we are assured of at least one more game, so this will probably be the last live-blog of the season by me.  I will only say that I have rooted for the Dodgers for 52 years, and during most of that time I cared more about how I felt than I did about how they felt.  But this is my favorite Dodger team since I was 12 years old, and honestly I want them to win this Series more for themselves -- and their place in history -- than for me.  But if they do not win it, I will know that they were beaten by a great, great Blue Jay team.  This whole month of MLB has been a joy, and both these teams deserve their place in history.

Month of MLB: Day 29

And what a month it has been.  Last night, the Dodgers beat the Blue Jays 6-5 in 18 innings, thanks to a walk-off home run by Dodger first baseman Freddie Freeman in the bottom of the 18th.  At some point, I will have a lot more to say about this game.  But I will be on business travel today and tomorrow, and I probably won't be able to write about the Series for a while.