The date was October 15, 1988. It was a Saturday in the city of Angels.
A then spry 61-year old Tommy Lasorda sent nine young men out onto the field of a then 26-year-old Dodger Stadium for Game-1 of the 1988 World Series.
There isn’t a baseball fan in the world worth their salt who doesn’t know what happened. What happened caused a then 60-year old Vin Scully to utter the most famous words – ever – in sports broadcasting:
“In a year that has been so improbable, the impossible has happened!“
A hobbling then 31-year-old Kirk Gibson hit the greatest home run in baseball history en route to the Dodgers second world championship in seven years and sixth in their now 137-year franchise history.
That was 32 years and 12 days ago today.
* * *
Today is October 27, 2020. It is a Tuesday in the city of Angels.
It is impossible to argue that 2020 hasn’t been the most improbable year the world has ever seen, bar none.
At 5:08 PM (PT), 48-year-old Dodgers manager Dave Roberts will send nine young men out onto the field of three-month-old Globe Life Field in Arlington, TX, for Game-6 of the 2020 World Series, with his team leading the best-of-seven Fall Classic three games to two.
The oldest active player on the Dodgers 28-man World Series roster is 35-year-old third baseman Justin Turner, who was 39 days shy of his fourth birthday when Gibson hit his dramatic home run.
That was 32 years and 12 days ago today.
Is today the day?
* * * * * *
What is unfathomable is that when Orel left that field, that a franchise as great as our Dodgers could go this long without winning a World Series Title.
My gut tells me it ends Tonight.
🙏🙏🙏
I know I’ve been vocal about the short season and whether or not this World Series would be tainted to whomever won, but I have reconsidered my views since the playoffs began. The players have played fearlessly while cardboard fans have been represented by piped-in cheers over stadium loudspeakers… a stark reminder as to why baseball is being played in the middle of a pandemic; in times of uncertainty, baseball has been there to usher in hope for the future.
As Terrance Mann, the fictional character in the 1989 film, Field of Dreams, suggests, baseball “…reminds us of all that once was good, and it could be again.” As we all hope for an end to the pandemic and look toward the future of returning to our stadiums and cheer for the home team in person, the 2020 MLB season has shown us the path to that future and remind us of “…all that was once good…”.
And now we, as Dodger fans, are reminded of this and look forward as we hope that tonight brings us an end to the Dodgers Championship drought. May the Dodger bats be mighty. May the Dodger pitchers be exact in their execution. May the Dodger gloves be automatic. And may the Dodgers bring home the 2020 World Series Trophy to Dodger Stadium once again. May we hold our heads high knowing that all teams endured this season together, that all teams played the same schedule and fought to be counted in the postseason, that those remaining did so with one goal; to win the World Series. This one counts and no asterisks will be required of the record books.
Let’s get it done tonight! Go Dodgers!!
Kevin, I would go as far and argue that this championship has been the most difficult to attain in the history of the game.
The winner will have dealt with playing in a highly regulated environment. No outside contact with the world. Maintaining rules involving hygiene, social distancing, segregation from fans, and in some cases friends as family.
Then there was the no fans issue.
There was a season started without any knowledge of how it would play out. The Rules to qualify for post season play weren’t even announced until the season got well under way.
You had teams shut down due to positive tests. Panic in the locker rooms. Janitorial staffs on overtime sanitizing everything.
Teams had to stop and start the season. Many not able to figure out how to get in early season shape in late July. Remember, this season started in early February when pitchers and catchers reported. With the stoppage, Pitchers were thrown out of wack. Hitters timing was off kilter.
The rules changed for National leaguers with regard to the DH. Then there was the 7 inning doubleheader’s and the crazy extra inning rules. Don’t forget the constant changes with Roster numbers. The shuttling of players back and for to taxi squads whose players could not stay on top of their game with minor league contests because they didn’t exist.
Post season play was more chaotic than even with extra rounds, the winner being the king of 16 teams instead of the usual 10. That first round 2 out of 3 was totally unfair for Division winners, but the Dodgers (and. Rays) had to survive it.
The bubble in post season play. The lack of home field advantage. Playing on neutral fields before neutral crowds.
Though it was on a 60 game regular season, this has seemed to be a 180 game season.
Just a nerve wracking, chaotic mess that I am so glad will be over soon. The playoffs are torture and 2020 has been the worst for that.
The winner of this thing is a true champion and probably the most worthy one the game has seen in quite some time.
Exactly how I see it, Evan.
During his pregame presser today, Roberts said emphatically:
“There should not be an asterisk, and I stand by that.”
If not tonight, maybe tomorrow night.
The oldest active player on the Dodgers 28-man World Series roster is 35-year-old third baseman Justin Turner, who was four years old when Gibson hit his dramatic home run.
my math is a little fuzzy but 35-32 is four?
Let’s un-fuzzy your math; 3 years, 10 months, 22 days
Round it up. Sounds like four to me.
He was born in November 1984 – so everyone is “right”. 1988 -1984 = 4, but he wasn’t 4 yet in October … so he was 3 y.o.…