World Series matchup rife with history

1916 was last meeting for Dodgers, Sox

For any other World Series, it would be difficult to top a Game 1 pitching matchup featuring Chris Sale for the hometown Red Sox and Clayton Kershaw of the Los Angeles Dodgers as a compelling storyline.

But the 114th renewal of the Fall Classic, a historic matchup between two championship teams on opposite sides of the country, goes much deeper than that.

It’s historic 106-year-old Fenway Park and its Green Monster, one of the most iconic edifices in sports vs. Chavez Ravine, the idyllic setting of 56-year-old Dodger Stadium.

It’s two of the top three payrolls in the game — the Sox are tops at $228 million US with the Dodgers No. 3 at a mere $199 million. It’s Sweet Caroline vs. I Love L.A., Dodger Dogs vs. Lobster Rolls and a baseball rekindling of the fierce LakersCeltics rivalry.

When it comes right down to it, however, yes it’s two historic franchises from two mega sports markets meeting in the sport’s title round for the first time since 1916, but both are like-minded and driven in their pursuit.

“I don’t think you can let the ballparks dictate how you pitch,” Kershaw said Monday prior to his team’s evening workout as they looked to get acclimated to the frigid conditions and potentially rain for Tuesday’s first pitch.“I don’t look too much at the ballparks, honestly. I don’t take too much stock in it.”

His counterpart, who like Kershaw is a perennial Cy Young Award candidate as one of baseball’s best starters, offers a different view given that many of the Dodgers haven’t even seen the Monster let alone played in the shadow of it.

Just wait until the stands are filled to root on the once hard-luck franchise looking to win a fourth World Series title since 2004. And wait until outfielders wrestle with the jigsaw corners all through the outfield.

“It’s better wearing the white uniforms,” Sale said. “It’s not an easy place to play. It’s an iconic park but it’s a lot more fun pitching as a home pitcher. This ballpark definitely brings its challenges. I could definitely see how this could raise some challenges for teams who don’t play here a lot.”

The team that does play here certainly offers more of a challenge than Fenway’s quirky dimensions. Coming off a franchise record 108win campaign, the Sox have carried that form into the post-season. They’re 7-2 in the playoffs including a fourgame sweep of the defending champion Houston Astros following a first game loss in the ALCS.

“That’s the best team in the game right now and we respect that,” Dodgers closer Kenley Jansen said. “But we know that we’re good as well.”

The Dodgers are certainly that, despite having to win a one-game playoff to clinch the NL West. They punched their ticket to the World Series with a stirring sevengame victory over the Milwaukee Brewers in the NLCS.

A year ago, they fell just short of winning their first title since 1988, losing in seven dramatic games to the upstart Astros. This is the sixth straight year in the post-season for the Dodgers.

That near miss only makes the Dodgers hungrier in pursuit of that elusive title.

“At the beginning of every season every team talks about winning a World Series and everybody talks about the little things it takes to get there,” Dodgers third baseman Justin Turner said. “We’ve had a lot of success but not the amount of success we want to have, which is being the last man standing.

“It’s not something we take for granted being here or making the playoffs every year. A lot of hard work and a lot of dedication goes into and this is another opportunity for us.”

Momentum as well as home field appear to be in the Sox favour. They’ve also had success in World Series play beginning with that memorable 2004 run. Since 2004, Boston has won 12 of 14 games in World Series play including sweeping the Cardinals in 2004 and the Colorado Rockies in 2007 and beating the Cardinals 4-2 in the 2013 series.

“To get to this point is hard,” Cora said. “You start this journey in spring training and you talk about it and all the details and all the stuff that you have to go through and then you have to play 162 games.

“And then you have two rounds before the World Series. It takes a lot of work and we’re happy that we’re here. We’re loving it.”