Pac-12 Networks carry on without football broadcasts
Corey Seager hit a rare October double, becoming Most Valuable Player of the World Series after earning the honor for the League Championship Series.
Just as Orel Hershiser did when the Los Angeles Dodgers won their previous World Series title in 1988.
Seager batted .400 with two homers, five RBIs and six walks against the Tampa Bay Rays, including a sixth-inning grounder that allowed Mookie Betts to speed home from third base with the goahead run Tuesday night in Game 6. The star shortstop jumped into the arms of second baseman Kiké Hernández after Julio Urías struck out Willy Adames to end a 3-1 victory that clinched the championship.
“To be able to win and to be able to do it with a team like this, it means everything,” Seager said.
Seager hit .310 with five homers and 11 RBIs in the seven-game win over Atlanta in the NL Championship Series, including three homers as the Dodgers fought off elimination in Games 5 and 6. He drove in runs in five consecutive plate appearances, starting with his last two at-bats in Game 2, matching a feat that had been accomplished only by Houston’s Carlos Beltrán in 2004.
The previous player to be selected MVP of both a League Championship Series and the World Series in the same year was Giants pitcher Madison Bumgarner in 2014. Only eight players have done it — all National Leaguers.
Seager finished the postseason batting .328 (22 for 67) with eight homers, 20 RBIs and 11 walks. The others to win LCS and World Series MVP in one year were Pittsburgh’s Willie Stargell (1979), St. Louis’ Darrell Porter (1982), Hershiser, the Marlins’ Livan Hernandez (2003), Philadelphia’s Cole Hamels
(2008), the Cardinals’ David Freese (2011) and Bumgarner.
SERIES TV RATINGS DROP 32% PREVIOUS LOW >> The Los Angeles Dodgers’ six- game win over the Tampa Bay Rays received an average television rating 32% below the previous World Series low.
The six games on Fox averaged a 5.2 rating, 12 share and 9,785,000 viewers, Nielsen Media Research reported. The previous low was a 7.6 rating, 12 share and 12,660,000 viewers for the San Francisco Giants’ four-game sweep of the Detroit Tigers in 2012. AROZARENA’S BREAKOUT POSTSEASON NOT QUITE COMPLETE >> Randy Arozarena did pretty much everything during a breakout performance for the Tampa Bay Rays. Except win it all. Arozarena extended his big league record with his 10th postseason homer Tuesday night, but Tampa Bay lost 3-1 to the Dodgers in Game 6 of the World Series. Arozarena batted .364 (8 for 22) with
three homers and four RBIs in the Fall Classic, but it wasn’t enough. The rookie outfielder also set a major league record with 29 hits and 64 total bases for the postseason.
One year ago, Arozarena was coming off his first stint in the majors with St. Louis. The Cuban Rocket hit .300 in 19 games with the Cardinals and then went 0 for 4 with three strikeouts in five appearances during the team’s run to the NL Championship Series.
Tampa Bay acquired Arozarena and utilityman José Martínez in a January trade that sent touted pitching prospect Matthew Liberatore to St. Louis.
Arozarena missed the start of this season after he tested positive for the coronavirus. He was working out at the team’s alternate training site when the Rays traded Martínez to the Cubs on Aug. 30, clearing the way for his promotion.
The 25-year- old Arozarena hit .281 with seven homers and 11 RBIs in 23 games during his first season with Tampa Bay.
DODGERS’ CELEBRATION PUT ON HOLD >> The Dodgers are delaying a public celebration of their longawaited World Series championship because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“This season was everything we believed it could be. It was just missing one thing: The best fans in baseball,” the team said in a statement issued Wednesday. “While the wait for a World Championship is finally over, a celebration worthy of our great fans and the City of Los Angeles will unfortunately have to wait until it is safe to do so. We can’t wait to celebrate together!”
The Los Angeles Lakers, who won their first NBA title since 2010 earlier this month, also are waiting for their celebration. And star LeBron James tweeted shortly after the final out of the World Series that he’s ready for a party.
“Man can we PLEASE have a parade!!! I know I know we can’t but DAMN I wanna celebrate with our @Lakers & @Dodgers fans!!! LA is the city of CHAMPIONS,” he wrote.
James was named Finals MVP after the Lakers defeated the Miami Heat in six games.
T he Dodgers last won the World Series in 1988. They won three of the past four National League pennants.
OWNERS TO VOTE FRIDAY TO APPROVE METS SALE >> Major League Baseball owners will vote Friday to approve the sale of the New York Mets to billionaire hedge fund manager Steve Cohen, according to a person familiar with the situation.
The proposed purchase of 95% of the Mets by an entity of Cohen was already approved by MLB’s ownership committee. Cohen needs 23 of the 30 clubs to sign off for the deal to be completed. The sale values the franchise at $2.4 billion to $2.5 billion.