Two historic teams, one World Series trophy
Dodgers and Red Sox have the best talent money can buy, writes Rob Longley.
BOSTON For any other World Series, it would be difficult to top a Game 1 pitching matchup featuring Chris Sale for the Boston 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 storied franchises 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, versus 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 US$228 million, with the Dodgers No. 3 at a mere $199 million. It’s Sweet Caroline versus I Love L.A., Dodger Dogs versus Lobster Rolls and a baseball rekindling of the fierce Lakers-celtics basketball rivalry.
When it comes right down to it, however, it’s two historic franchises from two mega sports markets meeting in the sport’s title round for the first time since 1916. And 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 ahead of his team’s evening workout to get acclimated to the frigid conditions and potential rain for Tuesday’s 8:09 p.m. ET first pitch. “You have to go with your game plan regardless of where you’re pitching.
“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, offers a different view given many of the Dodgers haven’t encountered the Monster, let alone played in the shadow of it.
Just wait until the stands are filled to root on the once hardluck franchise looking to win a fourth World Series title since 2004. And wait until outfielders wrestle with the jigsaw corners all through the park.
“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,” Sale said.
The team that does play here certainly offers more of a challenge than Fenway’s quirky dimensions. Coming off a franchise record 108-win campaign, the Sox have carried that form into the post-season. They’re 7-2 in the playoffs including four straight wins over 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 seven-game 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 it and this is another opportunity for us.”
As it is for the Red Sox, who won the AL East the past three seasons before making early playoff exits each of the past two Octobers. Team president Dave Dombrowski got busy in the off-season to amend that, most notably bringing in first-year manager Alex Cora to freshen the environment and the free agent bat of designated hitter J.D. Martinez to jump-start the offence.
“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.”