2025 World Series


 

The 2025 World Series between the Toronto Bluejays and Los Angeles Dodgers was one of the greatest baseball series of all time. Our national pastime was self-evident with repeated great batting and fielding plays by both teams. It appeared most of the fans were cheering for Toronto as a victim in a David-Goliath matchup. The Dodgers payroll is at $.5 Billion per year and growing. The key was not money; but recruiting by the Dodger scouts – bringing Sasaki, Ohtani, and Yamamoto to MLB from Japan. It was not money that won the Series for the Dodgers in the final # 7 game by a score of 5-4. The play with the best players on the planet produced the win. I also felt the managerial decisions were up and down for both teams. Granted, Milwaukee had the best record and could not hit v the Dodgers. Toronto was blunted by inept hitting in key moments. The Dodgers were fortunate in Game 6 when the baseball was trapped between the centerfield tarp and ground (ground rule double). The Dodger fielder rightfully did not pick up the ball because he knew the rules of baseball (ball losing its natural trajectory is a ground rule double (scoring runner back to 3rd base) and a loss results. The groundcrew and Toronto administration should have known the issues before the season started; and realized it may by a .5 chance it would affect their team. Toronto in part lost the World Series because a ground crew allowed a baseball to be wedged under the center field tarp. 



 

Game 7 was a thriller back and forth when the Dodgers tied the game late. Toronto had miscued on multiple chances to extend their lead. Los Angeles Will Smith’s go-ahead homer in the 11th inning led to a dramatic ending on the bases for the Bluejays in the bottom of the 11th inning. One out with players on first and 3rd base; LA ended the game with a double play. I felt a stealing 2nd base attempt and a delayed home steal was in order. Risking a double play with an average batter at the plate and ending the World Series with a double play was real. Toronto needed to do an act of bravery – even if Guerrera was on third. Perhaps a speedy pinch runner on third base was needed to extend the game. A similar situation occurred in the 9th inning; and Toronto made no managerial move to steal 2nd and have the runner on third base steal once the catcher throws the ball to 2nd base. Sorry, you need to try as a manager with calculated risks to win games. Batters at the plate hitting .250 leaves a void in strategy. Odds of that batter producing a key hit are low. 



 

I watched all the games and lacking were steals, bunts, pinch runners in key situations, and proper managerial decisions. Most managerial decision ultimately are endless pitching changes. Monday morning QBs like myself do not know the team regarding speed, skills, and game plan. There were some excellent textbook double plays from 3rd base periodically. Pitching from Toronto was weaker than LA excepting rookie Trey Yesavage in Game 5 (12 strikeouts). The bottom line for the World Series and baseball is that for purists the series was excellent (a 10).

 

Casual end of the season fans saw great baseball with tight moments at the ends of many Series games. Baseball grew up in part with a bat and ball in 1744 in England. There were years of like games on the East Coast for many years when baseball was codified in 1845 by Alexander Cartwright for the NY Knickerbockers. A century went by with little sports competition; and now baseball progressively through the years competes with endless sports for fans and dollars. Growing up playing baseball with a Chicago Cubs utility infielder daily instructor in small town Wisconsin, gives me hope after watching this series that baseball still matters. Teachers bringing in a Black and White television to the classroom during the daytime World Series no longer exists. In my mind, however, the sport of baseball is still the national pastime.