Dodgers play into several enticing Series scenarios
Just eight MLB teams reached the October dance marathon from among the 30 that optimistically opened the season with sincere hopes of advancing to the World Series. That included the Blue Jays. After examining and evaluating the possibilities, here are four of the more intriguing potential matchups for a 2018 Fall Classic — and one that absolutely no one wants to see:
YANKEES VS. DODGERS
This dream series for the bean counters at MLB and the host networks would bring together two of the most storied franchises in baseball in the two biggest markets. It would be a classic East Coast/West Coast affair for the first time since 1998, when the Yankees swept the Padres in four games. This matchup has an illustrious history. The Yankees and Dodgers have faced each other in the World Series 11 times — more than any two franchises in MLB history. The first seven pairings were when the trolleycar Dodgers were located in Brooklyn before relocating to the West Coast in 1958. The Yankees won eight of the 10 previous World Series matchups, including back-to-back years in 1977-78. The only two Fall Classic wins for the Dodgers were in 1955, after five straight losses to the Bronx Bombers, and the strike-shortened 1981 season, which is the last time they met. TV ratings would soar.
RED SOX VS. DODGERS
When the Red Sox captured their World Series crown in 2004, snapping an 85-year drought, they were down 3-0 to the Yankees in the AL Championship Series and trailing 4-3 in the ninth. Pinchrunner Dave Roberts kept the dream alive, stealing second against Mariano Rivera and scoring the tying run on a Bill Mueller single. The win spurred the Sox to the only comeback from a three-game deficit in MLB playoff history. Roberts is now the manager of the Dodgers. Compelling. In addition, a matchup of Roberts for the Dodgers and Alex Cora for the Red Sox would produce just the third minority manager to win a World Series crown. The first was Cito Gaston of the Jays going back-to-back in 1992-93, and then Ozzie Guillen of the White Sox in 2005. Roberts would become the first Japanese-born manager to win. Cora was born in Caguas, Puerto Rico.
ASTROS VS. BREWERS
With a couple of rosters filled with interesting, talented players on both sides of the field, this matchup would feature the only two teams that have switched leagues in the past 21 years. In 1998, the Brewers slid over from the AL to the NL with the expansion to Tampa Bay and Arizona, in order to facilitate a 16-14 NLto-AL split because of baseball’s everyday nature. It was always Bud Selig’s dream for Milwaukee to return to the NL after the Braves left for Atlanta in 1966. In 2013, the Astros moved from the NL Central to the AL West because the players’ association wanted a balance of 15 teams in each league. That meant that basically there had to be an interleague game every day of the season. The Astros won their first World Series championship in 2017, and this pairing would either result in a repeat champion or the first-ever title for the Brewers franchise, whose only previous appearance in the Fall Classic was in 1982, losing to the Cardinals.
ASTROS VS. DODGERS
A repeat of last year’s highly entertaining seven-game World Series would not be a worst-case scenario. Excitement? Take Game 5, for example, a 13-12 win for the Astros in 10 innings that gave Houston a 3-2 lead. The Astros came back from 4-0, 7-4 and 8-7 deficits to take a three-run lead into the ninth. The Dodgers dramatically tied the game on a two-run homer by Yasiel Puig and a two-out single by Chris Taylor. The Astros won it in the 10th on a clutch single by Alex Bregman against closer Kenley Jansen, then flew to L.A. and lost Game 6 to set up an always exciting Game 7. Houston prevailed by a 5-1 score, winning a title for the city that was still rebounding from Hurricane Harvey.
FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, NO!!
Indians vs. Braves: Ever since the 1991 World Series — when I witnessed groups of Native American elders in Atlanta and Minnesota placing a curse on the Braves, and include the Indians for their politically incorrect treatment of their native culture — the only time that either franchise has actually won a World Series was when they faced each other in 1995. Somebody had to win. Effective? Since ’91, the Braves are 1-16 when making it to the playoffs, and the Indians are 0-10 in the same span. The Indians are making progress by de-emphasizing the Chief Wahoo logo, but nobody wants this matchup.