By MILES SOUZA
The Los Angeles Dodgers secured their eighth World Series title on Wednesday with a 7-6 win over the New York Yankees. The Dodgers won the best of seven game series in New York in game five, to take the series 4-1.
Los Angeles won their last World Series in 2020 just four years ago. Many fans of baseball have discredited the Dodgers’ 2020 World Series Championship due to major changes throughout the season during the heat of the Covid 19 pandemic, and claim their last legitimate championship as 1988.
The season was shortened to only 60 games and the playoffs were played at neutral sites with only family in the stands. Many fans discredit the legitimacy of this win and argue that in other circumstances it would be much different.
On Wednesday night, the Dodgers and their fans got to celebrate a world championship that no opposing fan could take away. Dodger superfan and Beloit College Baseball pitcher Aiden Phipps ’25 described the feeling as amazing. “It was awesome. After winning in 2020, it was even sweeter to see them win again,” Phipps said.
The series was electric, especially the two games in Los Angeles. In game one, the Dodgers and Yankees were tied 2-2 going into extra innings. The Yankees rallied in the top of the 10th and scored the go ahead run to take the lead, 3-2.
The game seemed to be out of reach at that moment. The Dodgers scratched away in the 10th. With one out, Gavin Lux walked and Tommy Edman singled to bring up Shohei Ohtani. Ohtani flew out, advancing the baserunners to second and third.
With two outs, the Yankees intentionally walked Mookie Betts to bring up Freddie Freeman for a lefty on lefty matchup, favoring the Yankees. Or so they thought.
Freeman jumped on a first-pitch fastball, sending it into the right field stands for a walkoff grand slam to win game one, 6-3. The Dodgers would then take game two, 4-2, at home, and 4-2 at Yankee Stadium to take a 3-0 lead in the series.
After losing game four 11-4, the Dodgers rallied again with the help of a few Yankee misplays, to overcome a 5-0 deficit and take the final game 7-6.
Freddie Freeman was named World Series Most Valuable Player after a record setting home run spree. He not only tied the Runs Batted In record of 12 in five games, but broke the existing record for most consecutive World Series games with a home run. His new record of six carried over from his last title in 2021 with the Atlanta Braves.
But, the World Series this year was especially significant and special for the community of Beloit College. Beloit College’s very own, Joe Davis ’10, was the play-by-play announcer for the series. This was his third straight World Series as the play-by-play announcer, an amazing feat for an announcer who is only 36 years old.
Professor Shawn Gillen once told a story in a Journalism class about how Davis, while attending Beloit College, would watch his friends play sports video games and announce them. Davis now heads into his ninth season as the Dodgers’ announcer, with three World Series appearances under his belt, when just 15 or so years ago, he was doing it in a college dorm room.
Featured Image: CBS Sports
Leave a Reply