The Los Angeles Dodgers Cory Seager swings for an RBI single in the first inning against the Tampa Bay Rays in game 6 of the 2020 World Series on Tue Oct 27, 2020 at Globe Life Field in Arlington (AP News photo)

That’s Amaury News and Commentary

By Amaury Pi-González

Congratulations to the Los Angeles Dodgers as they completed the mission, by winning the 2020 World Series in six exciting games against the Tampa Bay Rays. Game Six: Dodgers 3 Rays 1. There are a lot of stories to be told in every World Series, in this one that of the young Cuban-born Tampa Bay Rays rookie outfielder Randy Arozarena who established a new postseason record with 10 home runs, 28 RBIs, the affable Cuban-rookie was a highlight reel by himself.

Corey Seager, Dodgers shortstop won the Willie Mays MVP Award he hit .400 with 2 home runs and 5 RBI and no errors. Seager had a tremendous postseason spearheading this great offensive Blue Machine; he is now a Free Agent. Dodgers are a very rich organization and he should be rewarded with a juicy contract.

Seager gets a World Series ring, and also said he is buying two more rings as he announced he is getting married, right after their victory. Mookie Betts who came alive offensively with a double and a home run driving all three runs in that game six, and told David (Big Papi) Ortíz an analyst for FOX, when Ortíz told him he (Ortíz) would buy a present for himself after winning a World Series, (Mookie) was going to do something similar: “I think I am going to buy a Rolls Royce”. His contract-extension with the Dodgers was around $380 million, so he could buy more than one Rolls if he so desires.

The Dodgers did not have a positive Covid-19 test during the whole season, the Dodgers had the best record in baseball winning their division again for the eighth time-in-a-row, this time with 43-17 record during an abbreviated 60 game season. Dodgers veteran third baseman Justin Turner was removed from the series-clinching game six in the seventh inning, due to positive Covid-19 test, he was not there after the game to join his teammates for the celebration. This was announced after the game.

One move that will haunt Ray’s manager Kevin Cash for the rest of his life was removing his best pitcher, lefty Blake Snell in the six inning with a 1 to 0 lead, after totally dominating the powerful and difficult Dodgers lineup. But with this manager (like many other managers in today’s game) you win with the bullpen and you lose with the bullpen. His decision will be like a ghost that would be with him until he gets to win a World Series for his team.

You might have been too young, or maybe not even born, but it was in 1988 when the Los Angeles Dodgers upset the baseball world by beating the much superior Oakland Athletics in five games. This Series is mostly remembered as the pinch-hit walk-off home run hit by Dodgers Kirk Gibson against the best closer in baseball at that time, Fremont’s own Dennis Eckersley in Game 1. Gibson would never bat again in that Series. I was there with the A’s, the first of three World Series in a row for Tony LaRussa’s A’s.

Kirk Gibson could barely walk after some injuries he suffered during the NL Championship Series. I remember saying on the radio after the game something like: “It was Game One, but it had a Game Seven feeling” and also a bad omen for the Athletics.

When you talk about that ’88 Series most people remember it as the “Kirk Gibson moment”. It was pitcher Orel Hershiser who would be the MVP. He won it all that year as he led the league with 23 wins and 267 innings pitched winning the Cy Young, setting the all time scoreless streak at 59 innings. He also won the Gold Glove.

Orel was Superman, he won Game 2 and Game 5, pitched both complete games (18) innings allowed a total of seven hits, struck out 17 and had a 1.00 earned run average. In today’s baseball and in World Series history, that is one of the most dominant pitching performances, against the excellent and powerful offensive Oakland A’s team.

The 1988 AL Champion Oakland Athletics won 104 games and was maybe the best Tony LaRussa A’s team he managed during his 10 years as manager at Oakland. The A’s would go on to win it the next season, 1989 against the SF Giants in a historic Series stopped by 11 days because of an earthquake. That was the last time the Athletics won anything of significance in October.

Fast forward to 2020, the Year of the Dodgers, but not as the underdogs this time. They had the best record during the Covid 60-game season, with 43-17. After winning their eighth consecutive Western Division, they went into the playoffs swept the Milwaukee Braves in the two game Wild Card Series then eliminated the Atlanta Braves in an exciting seven game NL Championship Series. Stayed at Globe Life Field in Arlington to host the AL Champion Tampa Bay Rays.

In 1988 the Dodgers were not the best team, but they beat the Athletics. But now 32 years later, the Dodgers had the best team and they won the World Series. For the Dodgers franchise this was their six World Championship title, one in Brooklyn in 1955 the other five in Los Angeles. LA crowned the Lakers NBA Champs just a couple of weeks ago, now herer come the Dodgers. I picked the Dodgers in six, in a previous article on this website,

So, we say Adiós to this historic 2020 season and until next Spring Training.

Stay well and stay tuned

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