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Within the bedlam following every Los Angeles Dodgers victory, the stadium sound system blares out a model of Randy Newman’s catchy, “I Love L.A.,” to the singalong delight of the Chavez Ravine devoted.
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With a commanding 2-0 lead over the the New York Yankees within the World Sequence, that sentiment is on excessive because the best-of-seven showdown shifts to the Bronx for Monday’s Sport 3.
And the sensation resonates very true for these gamers who’ve made Hollywood their baseball house.
Most notable amongst this group, in fact, is Japanese celebrity Shohei Ohtani whose admiration of the Dodgers (and subsequent courtship) helped land him the richest contract within the sport’s historical past whereas fast-tracking him to the grandest stage he’s now reached.
Hindsight strongly means that Ohtani, who suffered a shoulder harm in Saturday’s 4-2 Sport 2 win, was by no means going anyplace however L.A. Oh, I’m positive there was some minor stage of sincerity within the generational expertise’s flirtation with the Blue Jays, however 10 months eliminated it positive seems extra prefer it was merely a savvy manner for the generational expertise and his camp to extract extra from the Dodgers.
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Shohei Ohtani loves L.A. and L.A. loves him proper again.
As intriguing as this Fall Basic matchup is, a snapshot of the World Sequence combatants solely accentuates all that has slipped away from the Jays.
The FOX graphics have been flashing like a Hollywood marquee all through — the Yankees Aaron Decide and his 58 homers vs. Ohtani and his 54, the 2 most in MLB. And given all of the electrifying lengthy ball blasts these playoffs, that storyline additional mystifies the dismissive feedback from Jays GM Ross Atkins that house runs are “lengthy hanging fruit” as an offensive repair.
Then there may be the Dodgers Teoscar Hernandez, the massive bat that not solely received away from the Jays however was dealt away for a modest return of reliever Erik Swanson and nonetheless minor leaguer Adam Macko. As demoralizing (and franchise-altering) as lacking out on Ohtani was on the time, the Hernandez success two years eliminated is a real rub the fan’s noses within the sand vignette of the franchise’s offensive woes.
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Atkins has repeatedly made it clear {that a} energy bat is of minimal worth to him, infuriating to Jays followers who see Hernandez produce because the No. 3 hitter in probably the greatest lineups in baseball and repeatedly bang out key house runs in huge spots as he did with the two-run blast on Saturday.
For punctuation, keep in mind that the final act in a Toronto uniform for Hernandez was to belt two house runs in a playoff sport, that terrible collapse to the Mariners on the Rogers Centre two autumns in the past.
Switching over to the Yankees, the efficiency of Juan Soto all through 2024 is one other damning blow to the Jays meek low season of a yr in the past. Whereas there was some speak that Soto was a commerce candidate for the Jays, that was by no means going to occur both.
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A yr in the past, the Yankees had been a non-playoff group and tackled the low season in a fashion that correctly aggressive entrance workplaces do: Spend boldly and appropriately. They might not be the Dodgers but, however they’re AL East and American League champions.
Acknowledging that issues can change swiftly in baseball, the Jays nonetheless really feel like a last-place group with a ton of labor to do first to climb out of the basement and grow to be a wildcard group, by no means thoughts a division winner.
Again to Ohtani: In an interview with FOX’s Kevin Burkhardt previous to Sport 1, the Dodgers DH was clear about what he liked most about L.A. He loves dwelling there, positive, after being a member of the feckless, perennial non-playoff Angels. However extra importantly, he loves the concept of profitable and within the Dodgers noticed a corporation prepared to construct a sustained dynasty, a franchise that now has received the NL West 11 of the previous 12 seasons.
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Might Ohtani make the identical evaluation with the Jays? His personal handicapping would have steered no and 10 months since he signed his $700 million US deal have confirmed the purpose. The Jays have regressed starkly in each efficiency and roster expertise. In truth, it’s tough to think about a extra precipitous fall from buying within the Ohtani stratosphere to “touchdown” Justin Turner, Kevin Kiermaier, Isiah Kiner-Falefa and for poops and giggles, Daniel Vogelbach.
Now one other important low season awaits for Atkins and group president Mark Shapiro, who presumably nonetheless have loads of Rogers loot at their disposal. It is going to arrive with the additional burden that future free brokers and their representatives could strategy the method the identical manner as Ohtani did. If a participant values profitable as a lot as money, the promote turns into a more durable one.
No matter begins to unfold after the World Sequence wraps up by subsequent weekend, the Jays entrance workplace is really on the clock dealing with what may very well be its most difficult low season but. For a franchise that just lately appeared so near going subsequent stage – because the hashtag wished – the brilliant lights of the NY-L.A. showdown really feel as far-off as they’ve ever been.
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