Don’t worry about ‘poor’ Dodgers, they surely aren’t
NO ONE else may believe, but the Dodgers believe they can beat the Red Sox. And that starts at the top with team president and CEO Stan Kasten. In the wild champagne party in the visitors’ clubhouse at Miller Park after the Dodgers’ Game 7 win over the Brewers gave them the NL pennant late Saturday night, Kasten said this of the matchup between the Dodgers and the Red Sox, the first time these franchises have met in the World Series in 102 years: “This is a classic, two great franchises with two of the three oldest stadiums in baseball, it’s going to be as pure a baseball experience that you can have in the modern era, it’s very exciting.’’ It sure is, and there are many connections between the two teams, including both managers, LA’s Dave Roberts and Boston’s Alex Cora played for the other team. The last time these franchises met Babe Ruth pitched 14 innings in a pivotal Game 2 win and Brooklyn outf ielder Casey Stengel hit .364 in the series. Kasten is a Jersey Guy, so he is not afraid to throw a zinger or two. “I’m a little concerned having to play these high-payroll teams, it seems unfair to make us do that, but we are going to give it our best,’’ Kasten said with a straight face of the Red Sox compared to the Dodgers, who are no longer the team with the game’s highest payroll. Acco rd i n g to Spotrac, the Red Sox payroll is $228 million while the Dodgers are third at $199 million. “We ’ re going to give it our best shot, this is the World Series. We just have to win four, not all seven,’’ Kasten said.“I felt for a long time we were the best team in the National League. I think they are the best team in the American League. What could be better for the World Series? How long did it take to get over last year’s disappointment of losing the World Series in seven games to the Astros? “I’ll let you know when it hap- pens,’’ Kasten shot back.
The Red Sox have won three World Seri es s i nce 2004, the Dodgers haven’t won a World Series since 1988.
“We started out poorly this year, but this team is versatile and more and more in the modern era that’s real important,’’ Kasten said. “I never doubted we were going to win the division until that last week when Colorado got insanely hot, but I really thought the talent on this team was going to win out.’’
But j ust winning Game 163 against the Rockies to win the NL West and then knocking out the Braves and Brewers in the playoffs isn’t enough for Kasten & Co.
“We will never be satisfied until we win it all, but that doesn’t keep us from being very proud of what we have accomplished along the way,’’ Kasten said. “The game is evolving. We are trying to evolve along with it, maybe even lead in some areas. No one expected Manny [Machado] to drop a 3-2 bunt [which he did in Game 7], who knows what might happen on Tuesday?’’
Machado was the villain against the Brewers and will play the same role against the Red Sox, with whom he has a history bad blood from his days with the Orioles.
The crotch-chopping Machado got the last laugh on the Brewers, and is looking for more of the same against the Red Sox.
“The beauty of being a part of this team is that we never stop fighting,’’ Machado said. “Everyone in here grinds out at-bats. We grind on the field. We grind for everything.
“Playing in the World Series is awesome. We are going to play a very good ballclub on the other side so we are going to have to strap on our shoes,’’ Machado said. “If we keep doing what we’ve been doing all year, we’ve got a pretty good chance. They are a great ballclub. They got everything. They are an allaround team, just like us.’’
Yes, the Dodgers believe.