“Oh my World Series Champions!” exclaimed Dodger Manager Dave Roberts.
In dramatic comeback fashion, the Dodgers won it for the eighth time in club history, winning the best of seven series 4-1 with a 7-6 victory over the New York Yankees in Game 5 Wednesday night.
They fell behind early 5-0, battled back to tie it, went to their bullpen until it was nearly dry, battled Yankees’ ace Gerrit Cole with everything they had in the tank, even brought in starter Walker Buehler to close it out, and now can say ‘Oh, what a night!’
Let the celebration begin. Haul out the champagne. It’s party time for a team gearing up for a parade in downtown Los Angeles on Friday at 11 a.m., rejoicing its second World Series crown in five years, the first one coming during an abbreviated season in 2020 and this one in 2024, the first full campaign since being crowned champs in 1988.
They did it in a handful of games, winning it after taking a commanding 3-0 advantage before dropping Game 4, 11-4, a day ahead of the Game 5 clincher.
Dramatics? Oh, there were plenty as the Dodgers had to win in not so easy fashion Wednesday, especially once they fell behind, then becoming the first team in World Series history to come back from five runs or more.
Dodger first baseman Freddie Freeman, playing much of the postseason on an injured right ankle, was the World Series MVP. He played through it, electrifying the home crowd in Game 1 with a walk-off, 10th inning come-from-behind grand slam, giving the Dodgers a 6-3 win only to follow that up with a home run frenzy from there. He belted another homer in Game 2 during a 4-2 victory. In Game 3, he had a two-run blast in New York in another 4-2 triumph, and did it again in Game 4, silencing the crowd when he put the Dodgers out front for a 2-0 lead in the first inning.
“Everything went right for us,” Freeman, drenched in champagne, said on Fox 11 SportsWrap after the series was over. “That’s the epitome of our team being down 5-0, coming back and winning. You could see it going back to spring training that we had something special going on. It just a great group of guys who will be together forever now.”
Freeman added that it seemed like every piece of the puzzle of a long, grueling 162-game season, plus post-season play, came together to where now the Dodgers will soon be parading through the streets of Los Angeles, enjoying the title with thousands of fans.
“It’s going to be awesome,” said the exuberant superstar. “We didn’t have a parade in 2020 (due to COVID). I can’t wait to go back to LA and have a parade!”
The World Series titles started back in 1955 with a 4-3 series win over the Yankees, followed by the Chicago White Sox 4-2 in 1959, Yankees 4-0 in 1963, Minnesota 4-3 1965, Yankees 4-2 1981, Oakland 4-1 1988, Tampa Bay 4-2 2020 and the Yankees 4-1 this year.
Surrounded by his players during the awarding of the championship trophy after the final out, Roberts, who guided the Dodgers through 11 post-season wins, yelled: “Who wants a parade! First and foremost, I thank God, I thank my players, their families, the coaching staff, training staff, ownership, scouting and player development. everybody connected…the fingerprints on Dodger Nation! This belongs to everybody!”
Looking back, Roberts talked about his team fighting through tremendous adversity throughout the year, saying: “A lot of people counted us out. There are a lot of people on this stage who made an impact, believed in one another, even when we were down five to nothing. They persevered, kept fighting and now we’re world champions!”
For Mark Langill, a South Pasadena product who attended local schools ahead of becoming the Dodgers’ historian, winning another title never gets old.
“I’m so happy for my colleagues at the stadium and all the fans of the Dodgers who witnessed the biggest clinching-game comeback in the history of the franchise.” he said. “This will always be a season to be savored, along with the other seven World Series titles.”
And, it became special with family in town. “On a personal note,” he continued. “I will always remember this World Series for the visit by my three-year-old granddaughter Katie, who flew in from Hawaii for Game 2. When I saw her in the stands, I thought, ‘I hope you can find something in your life that gives you as much pleasure as the Dodgers have provided Grandpa.’ I am very fortunate indeed.”
As the broadcast came to a close, singing it best on Fox 11 was the familiar sound of Randy Newman’s signature song after Dodger victories, giving viewers a chance to stand up and cheer as the beloved tune “I love LA!” blared loudly.
On this night in particular, indeed millions seemingly do – Love LA!
“These are precious moments, and we can’t for a minute take for granted the incredible challenges the Dodgers faced in 2024,” said Langill, relishing the Dodgers’ monumental season.
Check out the official LA Dodgers website: Dodgers.com
