A lot has happened since the final out of Game-4 the 2014 National League Division Series – that dreadful afternoon of October 7, 2014 when the 90-72 St. Louis Cardinals beat the 94-68 Los Angeles Dodgers to advance to the NLCS.

Just like that, on a routine 6-4 force out off the bat of Dodgers left fielder Carl Crawford, the Dodgers season was over. The team that many baseball experts, most, in fact, had picked to win the World Series, would instead be watching it on their televisions at home.

Carl Crawford’s 6-4 force out brought a painful end to Game-4 of the 2014 NLDS and to the Dodgers’ season. (Photo credit – Jeff Curry)

Since that fateful fall afternoon in St. Louis:

• The NL Wild Card San Francisco Giants beat the AL Wild Card Kansas City Royals to win their third World Series title in five years.
• The Dodgers hired Andrew Friedman as their new (and first) President of Baseball Operations and replaced general manager Ned Colletti with Farhan Zaidi – both of whom are big into analytics.
• Clayton Kershaw became the first pitcher to win the NL Cy Young award and NL MVP title in the same season since Hall of Famer Bob Gibson did so in 1968 – 20 years before Kershaw was born.
• The Dodgers lost slugger Hanley Ramirez to free agency when he declined the Dodgers $15.3 million qualifying offer. Ramirez would subsequently sign a four-year/$88 million deal with the Boston Red Sox.
• The Dodgers lost longtime scouting guru Logan White to the San Diego Padres, replacing him with former major leaguer Gabe Kapler. They did, however, acquire former Padres (and Dbacks) general manager Josh Byrnes to be their Senior Vice President of Baseball Operations and Billy Gasparino to be their Director of Amateur Scouting.
• The Dodgers acquired free agent starting pitchers Brandon McCarthy and Brett Anderson – both of whom have a long history of arm injuries.
• The Dodgers traded All-Star outfielder Matt Kemp – who many believed would be a Dodger for his entire career – to the division rival San Diego Padres for catcher Yasmani Grandal and pitcher Joe Wieland. They also acquired minor league pitcher Zach Eflin who they immediately traded to the Philadelphia Phillies for veteran shortstop Jimmy Rollins.
• The Dodgers traded Dee Gordon, Dan Haren and Miguel Rojas to the Miami Marlins in exchange for Andrew Heaney, Enrique Hernandez, Chris Hatcher, and Austin Barnes; and then flipped Heaney to the Angels for veteran second baseman Howie Kendrick.
• The New England Patriots beat the Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl XLIX (49) on a play that should have never been called.
• The baseball world mourned the loss of Ernie Banks, Alvin Dark, Ray Sadecki, Oscar Taveras, Minnie Miñoso – among others.
• The price of gasoline dropped as low as $2.39 a gallon but (of course) is right back up to over $3.29 a gallon.

There were many other major headline stories that occurred both inside and outside of baseball since that painful October afternoon. But you know what? None of that matters anymore. None of it matters because at exactly 12:05 pm PT on Wednesday afternoon… today… this afternoon… in just a few short hours… and then a few short minutes… and then a few short seconds, there will again be Dodgers baseball and all will be right in the world once again. because…

“It’s tiiiiime for Dodger Baseball!”