Did we just watch the greatest World Series in history? - Ep. 634 - 11.3.25

The big news is there are new managers in baseball. Derek Shelton gets the Twins job, Blake Butera gets the Nats job, and Craig Albanas gets the Orioles job. And the Mets have a front runner for their new pitching coach. and the Dodgers won the World Series. It's This Week in Baseball.

is there are new managers in baseball. Derek Shelton gets the Twins job, Blake Butera gets the Nass job, and Craig Albanas gets the Orioles job. And the Mets have a front runner for their new pitching coach. and the Dodgers won the World Series. It's This Week in Baseball. Okay.

Yeah, I was gonna say, like, I don't think anybody really cares about who's managing the Twins next season right now, today, here on Sunday. I think we're all kind of recovering from that postseason and that World Series that we enjoyed. Obviously, there is a bunch of news, but I kind of feel like today it's relatively irrelevant, like, who the managers are of these new teams.

in that way.

In-person participant 1 (00:41.484)
There is a bunch of news, but I kind of feel like today it's relatively irrelevant, like who the managers are of these new teams. You don't want to hear the fact that the A's had the worst attendance in the major leagues. That doesn't surprise anybody, right? Or that Craig Albert has been going to be the Orioles manager, which congratulations, he was the bench and bullpen coach over in San Francisco, and the bench coach for Cleveland, so he's now going to be the Orioles manager.

Shocker. Yeah, or that Craig Albert as is now going to be the Orioles manager, which congratulations. He was the bench bullpen coach over in San Francisco and the bench coach for Cleveland. So he's now going to be the Orioles manager. The Nats have gone really young with their manager picking Blake Butera, who's 33. He's the youngest manager since.

The Nats have gotten really young with their manager picking Blake Butero. He's 33 years old. He's youngest manager. He's Sal's nephew and Drew's cousin or something like that. So obviously a couple of previous to last week, it was announced before this, I think we've just been on the air. Vitello, right. Corey Vitello has been signed over in San Francisco. So it seems like teams are going younger with all of their managers. We had a lot of young guys signings here, but.

Obviously, couple of, you know, previous to, you know, last week is announced before this. I don't think we've just been on the air since then. Tori Vitello has been signed over in San Francisco. So it seems like teams are going younger with all of their managers. You know, we had a lot of young guys signings here, but we saw an old hand get it done in the World Series as Dave Roberts and his Dodgers, one of a back to back titles. And Dave Roberts, by the way, has clinched his position in the Hall of Fame as a manager.

We saw an old hand get it done in the World Series as Dave Roberts and his Dodgers, one of a back-to-back titles. And Dave Roberts, by the way, has clinched.

In-person participant 1 (01:43.852)
His position in the Hall of Fame as a manager. I couldn't agree with you more. That's his third World Series and the only people that have won three World Series that are not in the Hall of Fame are gonna be in the Hall of Fame and that's Bruce Boshy and I think that it's pretty certain that Dave Roberts who did a very good job managing the World Series but let's kind of go back through the World Series itself because I'm gonna ask you the question after we talk it through. Is this the greatest World Series that's ever been played?

Mm-hmm.

Almost Cooperstown (02:09.132)
Is this the greatest world series?

That's tall stuff right there.

gonna be

game you had Treya Savage versus Blake Snell. was exciting. It was an exciting game until it kind of wasn't as the Jays just seemed to kind of be on top of Snell the whole night. If he didn't get off to a good start in that game, you kind of knew it was not a good thing for the Dodgers and it was 11-4 and it felt like, know, a

I don't think they won any of Snell's starts in the World Series did the Dodgers and but not that he pitched terribly but I guess they feel as an ace this guy's supposed to dominate the competition and and Blake Snell, I'm sorry, Snell's a great pitcher you know this was a great series and I don't really blame him for not winning the games that he started

Almost Cooperstown (02:43.923)
Now.

Almost Cooperstown (02:59.496)
No, no, but they lost game one pretty decisively, which was interesting then going into then game two, like, okay, what's going to happen here? And then Yamamoto comes out and started what I believe if he's not already been announced will be announced as the world's yeah, he started his World Series MVP campaign with a complete game in game two, which, you know, four hit 105 pitch a masterpiece Dodgers one five one and much like game one, that was a game where outside of that early got a home run off of him and like the first inning and

And started what I believe if he's not already been announced will be announced as well. He's the MVP. He started his World Series MVP campaign with a complete game in game two, which, you know, four hit, 105 pitch a masterpiece. Dodgers won five one and much like game one. was a game where outside of that early got a home run off of him and like.

And and that's the was the second complete game in a row because he had won obviously and the National League Championship Series And Will Smith who would play another big role later on in this series had the big home run breaking that 1-1 tie And that's all they needed right once it was 2-1. It was game over

it was just never close.

Almost Cooperstown (03:34.059)
Right.

Almost Cooperstown (03:38.217)
Smith.

Almost Cooperstown (03:45.004)
Yeah. Will Smith only had two home runs in this series, but they probably were the biggest home runs he could have possibly hit.

So I think the Blue Jays felt they needed to win that game in Toronto to kind of get on top of the Dodgers to win that series and they did exactly what they wanted to. All was good after game one.

Right. was good. And then game, you know, game two Yamamoto comes out and dominates and you had to be a little bit nervous going into game three about what you're going to get. You've got Max Scherzer on the mound going against Glaz now and we only get, well, I don't know if this is, we're going to call this the greatest world series series of all time. That might be the greatest world series game of all time.

Well, and that's why it's a candidate for the greatest world series because there was more than just this crazy game and and you know Let's talk about Scherzer because before the game I I kind of put out there that I thought sure it's it was gonna get hammered He really didn't get hammered

No, he gave them quality innings and somehow he...

In-person participant 1 (04:38.379)
Throw in 96 at age 41 he reached back into the time machine

I don't know how he did that. think though that that to me if I'm Max Serger, I would look at those two starts and say I can go out in the world's biggest stage and perform against the best competition. How could he not come back next year?

And interestingly enough for Scherzer as soon as they tapped him to start game three he looked at the manager and said I know who's starting game seven So he didn't know there was gonna be a game seven at that time, but he knew starting that game

Mm-hmm. But he knew it was gonna be him. And I thought it was very interesting after that whole thing, you know, whole, I don't know, I wanna call it kerfluffle, because it was just fun where he refused to come out of the game the other time. Wait, where when Schneider came out to get him in game seven last night, Max gave him the ball, say a word.

yeah, the look of death, right?

In-person participant 1 (05:19.819)
gave him a ball, didn't say a word. Yeah, yeah, he had it there. yeah, the game three was, you know, I guess an all-time World Series game almost. It was not the longest game by time ever. It was six hours and 39 minutes, I believe, and the all-time record was in 2018, the Red Sox. Also featuring the Dodgers. Yes, exactly. And that went seven hours and 20 That is a baseball game, goes seven hours and 20 minutes. I'm going to say, that's the effect of...

of an all-time World Series game almost it was not the longest game

Almost Cooperstown (05:37.196)
Also featuring the Dodgers. Right, which tells you though, I'm going to say this, that's the effect of the pitch clock, whose pitch clock over an 18-80 game shaved almost an hour off the game. That's a big difference.

Say 40 minutes That's a good point so yeah, and and there's so many plays in that game three right that that made it because you know, it's

Shohei's second home run to get the game back, yeah, game close again. The missed, some of the missed base running errors that you had later in that game and just all of the things that happened where just no team could ever get it done in the extra innings, inning after inning.

No team could ever get it done in the extra inning, inning after inning. Well, let's talk about Shohei because he was at the plate nine times in this game. He's faced eight of them. No, all of them. Oh, right, All, all.

reached base eight of them. Oh, right, No, he became the first player to reach base eight times in a World Series game. Right. Right.

In-person participant 1 (06:27.522)
Right right right so he but he did it nine times so the old record was seven and so that's that was an amazing and then you had what I Thought one of the great baseball plays was it was gonna be put up there when Vlad jr. Scored from first and daringly ran home on a play reminding me of Enos slaughter in the 1946 is mad-dash as was called by a lot of people well You know Vlad would have been remembered for the ages except that that they didn't win the game So it doesn't it kind of gets lost a little bit there

Mm.

Almost Cooperstown (06:53.555)
Right.

And and so many guys, you know contributed in that game in 18 innings that you You had will client come in who didn't pitch at any other point in the World Series I don't think he pitched in the playoffs I can't remember him pitching in the players at all and he not only pitches he pitches four innings Which is the longest he's ever pitched

The bill puns in that game combined for 450 pitches eight relievers for the Blue Jays over 12 and the two-thirds innings with the Dodgers throwing nine relievers going 13 and a third That's just like either games worth of boot and so that that made the rest of the series so interesting because you could tell the rest of the series They didn't have any bullets left in their guns

8 relievers for the Blue Jays over 12 and 2 thirds innings with the Dodgers throwing 9 relievers going 13 and 1 third.

In-person participant 1 (07:34.063)
And you know Springer that's the game where Springer went out in the seventh with an oblique problem that held him out of the following game as well But to play what ended up being what 12 innings or 11 innings without George Springer in a game that went You know 18 innings that really hurt them a lot to him not being able to play

Couldn't have helped.

Almost Cooperstown (07:50.188)
Yeah, and Otani was walked five times in that game, four of them intentionally, which I'm sure was, you know, much to some people's annoyance because we all want to see him hit every time. Right.

and he had four extra base hits with the two homers and the two doubles. So even that in and of itself I think was a record to have four extra base hits in a World Series game. How about he was tired?

Right, what a game from him at the plate, but it's so interesting because he has that incredible game at the plate in game three and then he comes out in game four and he's pitching and he throws six innings but he gives up the two-run home run to Fladie in game four and he just never looks comfortable at the plate in that game. yeah, I think all of those teams were just tired and...

Shane Bieber and the Blue Jays bullpen came in, shut it down, they won 6-1 even though it was 6-2 but Varlin gave up a run in the ninth so it just was really never close. And when they won that game that way, I kinda thought I had a feeling that like, man, the Blue Jays are gonna win this series. Like when they got that game, it's like wow, they bounced back after that back breaking loss in game three and they win game four pretty handily.

came in, shut it down, they won 6-1 even though it was 6-2 but Varlin gave up a run in the ninth so it was really never close. And when they won that game that way, Ihana

In-person participant 1 (08:43.627)
series. When they got that game, it's like, wow, they bounced back after that back breaking loss in game three and they win game four pretty handily. And I'm like, oh, they might have a real shot. And then obviously game five comes around and they, mean, David Schneider literally jumped all over. He jumped on Snell on that first by hitting a home run. And Snell looks, he didn't really pitch bad after that, but he gave up early and the Dodgers were swimming upstream the rest of the game.

And I'm like, they might have a real shot. then obviously game five comes around and they, mean, David Schneider just literally jumped all over Blake Snell.

Almost Cooperstown (09:11.34)
Right, they look tired, the team look frustrated, Treja Savage struck out 12 and was brilliant to cross in his start. And they were, it was close until Eduardo Enriquez came in in the seventh and with two out on a wild pitch, all of the sudden, boom, runs started coming in. Wild pitch, single, six, two, game's at a reach.

That that splitter that night was unbelievable until Eduardo Enriquez came in in the seventh and with two out on a wild pitch all of a sudden boom runs started coming in wild pitch single 6-2

And Henrique has never saw the light of day again in the rest of the series and this was gonna be a theme with Dave Roberts, right? Who just said, you know, you're a relief pitcher? No, you're not, not for me, you're not.

No.

Right, right because

Almost Cooperstown (09:41.772)
Because that's what happened in game six and seven. So we go back to Toronto, the Jays are up three two and Toronto has to be thinking, we've got this and Yamamoto comes out and stifles them over six innings. you know, we saw at the end of that game when I believe it was, who was it off the bat of?

stifles them over six innings. And, you know, we saw at the end of that game when I believe it was, who was it off the bat of? Was it Jimenez? Right, Jimenez hit the ball the other way. And hits the ball the other way. And Kike, against what

Was it Jimenez? was Jimenez was at the plate. Andres at the plate and he hits the ball the other way and Tiki against what was on his card apparently was playing shallow comes charging in catches the ball very easily and makes an on target throw to second base doubling Addison Barger. Right on a great scoop doubling him off of second base and the game's over and it was just like it was such a shocking way for that game to end because it was three one they had second and third there was one out like the Jays are coming back here we might see a crazy World Series win.

On a great scoop by Rojas.

In-person participant 1 (10:29.419)
They had second and third, there was one out like the Jays are coming back here, we might see a crazy World Series win. Game over, game seven tomorrow night. Interesting now when you think about how game seven ended because the same thing, was a sudden, we'll talk about that. We'll talk about some of the reasons why this series ended up that way because we get into game seven. game six? Well that was six we talked about. We get to game seven now and you have a game started by two Hall of Famers with Scherzer and Otani. They're both gonna be there. And Otani was throwing hard.

Boom, game over, game seven tomorrow night.

Almost Cooperstown (10:40.096)
Well, and that is, when we talk about some of the reasons why this series ended up that way, cause we get into game seven, it's a, well that was game six we just talked about. We get to game seven now and you have a game started by two hall of famers with Scherzer and Otani. They're both going to be there. And Otani was throwing hard. He just didn't look like his dominant self. And everybody, the only person that had to be more tired than him was Kevin Gosman because everybody else pitched for these teams.

didn't look like his dominant self. He was tired. The only person that had to be more tired than him was Kevin Gausman because everybody else pitched for Yeah, didn't. It's funny because you're right. All the Dodger starters who pitched in the series pitched in that game and three of the Blue Jays starters and Bassett pitched too. He didn't start any games, but he's certainly a starting pitcher and they use him in a relief role in the series. And Gausman never got off the bench or never came in and had an unsung hero come out.

And we had an unsung hero come out of nowhere in Miguel Rojas hitting an all-time postseason home run with one out in the top of the ninth inning to tie the game. September 19th, yep.

Hadn't had a home run since early September 19th. got a hanging slider, they called it. It didn't look like to be that bad a pitch. Jeff Hoffman, the guy who threw it to him, blames himself for that and says, I cost my team the World Series. I have to live with this for the rest of my life. That's a little hard on yourself there.

Well series Well, yeah, you know we're good on him for owning that cuz that you gotta go back to Shane Bieber given up then a home run to Will Smith in the 11th inning and It wasn't like the Blue Jays didn't have chances to score in that game

In-person participant 1 (12:01.599)
Well, you had two guys thrown out at the plate in the 10th inning, which is amazing in and of itself.

And right, because I think one of the things that you could say is when you look across the series, it did feel like the Blue Jays generally outplayed the Dodgers. Like their wins were more dominant. Really, with the exception of Yadamoto, it felt like the pitchers on the Blue Jays were better. But at the end of the day, the Dodgers found a way to win four games in this series. And I think one of the big things you can point to, like last year, the big difference between the Dodgers and the Yankees was the defense. The Yankees defense. Well, the defense between the two teams.

I feel the The Yankees defense. I agree.

In this series, big difference between the two teams was their base running. The Dodgers base running got them extra runs and the Blue Jays base running definitely cost them runs in this series.

Yeah, Addison Barger, you know, his play to get doubled off to end the game on a 7-4 double play.

Almost Cooperstown (12:46.5)
Is there right? Is there kind of Aleph in that I think it's the ninth inning when he gets thrown out by Miguel Rojas at home plate gets a terrible secondary lead off of

Now he was told to stay close to the base and they so basically he was only like five feet off the base where you would normally be taking off So every little thing, you know and you're right about the base running, you know Went to Dodgers way when it came to base running and making those little plays

If he was literally any more feet off the base he scores on that play and this is a different game. We're ending.

Almost Cooperstown (13:13.548)
running and making little plays. And you saw it come up in game seven especially multiple times you know yes Beau Bichette had that big three run home run earlier in the in the game but both him and George Springer multiple times in that game got into situations where you saw they were on the base paths and they couldn't run in the way that they should because they were hurt they couldn't score on balls where they maybe could have scored and that really ended up costing the Blue Jays which is a terrible position for them to be in but it definitely affected them.

and they couldn't run in the way that they should because they were hurt. They couldn't score on balls where they maybe could have scored and that really ended up costing the Blue Jets which is a terrible position for them to be in. But it definitely affected that. Yeah, Bichette in the second inning of game seven is on second base and a base hit to the outfield and he got to third. He couldn't turn and go home and just any one of those runs could have been the difference in the game that went into extra innings. So it seemed like the second inning is a long time in advance to be thinking about, well, that was a run that cost them the game.

7 is on second base and a base hit to the outfield and he got the third he couldn't turn and go home and just any one of those runs could have been the difference in the game that went into extra innings so it seemed like the second inning is a long time in advance to be thinking about that was a run that lost them the game but it might have been. And I think it was interesting we talked about in this series you know the Blue Jays seemed to hit all these multi-run home runs where the Dodgers just you know peppered solo home runs because you look at that game last night 4-2

You know, the Blue Jays seem to hit all these multi-home runs, home runs, where the Dodgers just, know, peppered solo home runs, because you look at that game last night, 4-2, bam, Max Muncie solo home run, which is going to get lost in the shuffle of that game a little bit much. That was in the eighth inning, and that was a huge home run for It was a bomb, too, 370 feet. And now all of a sudden, 4-3. Boom, 4-4, Miguel Rojas home run. Boom, 5-4, Will Smith home run. So those three solo home runs were...

BAM Max Muncie solo homerun, which is gonna get lost in the shuffle of that game a little bit much. That was in the eighth inning and that was a huge homerun for Muncie. Right, right. And now all of sudden 4-3. Boom, 4-4. Miguel Rojas homerun. Boom, 5-4. Will Smith homerun. So those three solo homeruns were the difference in that game.

In-person participant 1 (14:28.062)
the difference was the guy that had pitched the night before comes in in Yoshinobu Yamamoto and he throws two and two-thirds innings of relief and his own teammates were in utter disbelief of what this guy was doing like I can't believe and he guess he came in and the first pitch he throws is a 93-man-hour slider and they're like dude he's as good as he always is how can it how can he be doing this

It was this was an

Almost Cooperstown (14:48.716)
Right, right, right. That is a, that's a legendary, like, I think you're, that's going to go up in the annals of pitching history. That's like Curt Schilling bloody sock game level of impressive to throw a complete game in game three, start game six and be, no, complete game in game two, brilliant start in game six, and then come in and throw two and two thirds, or lock down at the end of the game to win the World Series for your team. I mean, if you look at the signings that they've made,

I think that's going to go up in the annals of pitching history. That's like Curt Schilling bloody soccer game level of impressive to throw a complete game in game three start game six and be no, complete game in game two brilliant starting games, right? then come in and throw two and two thirds Locked down at the end of the game to win the World Series for your team I mean if you look at the sidings that they've made, you know between Roki Sasaki, Shohei and Yamamoto

And you know, Roki Sasaki, Shohei, and Yamamoto, the fact that the Dodgers went and got these three guys from Japan, they were a big reason why they won this World Series.

The fact that the Dodgers went and got these three guys from Japan, they were a lot, big reason why They were the difference in the series, and you're right, I mean, you will go down the lineup and you'll see how the Blue Jays had so many players that performed at or above their expectations.

Right. Springer, Vlad Jr., Barger, Kirk, Clement. mean, Andres Jimenez hit 150, but it felt like he was hitting the ball as hard as anybody.

In-person participant 1 (15:40.876)
All these. Right. He had the hardest one 50 I've ever seen. And then Clement, right. And people are going to forget about Matt. I mean, Ernie Clement, I was thinking about Matt Clement, I guess his dad and another MLB player and 30 hits. And the guy just kept on making the hit. And of course, he also hit the ball that that Pious jumped over Kike to catch. And that's a huge play that kind of gets lost a little bit.

Ernie Clement.

Almost Cooperstown (15:55.532)
30 postseason hits.

Almost Cooperstown (16:01.707)
Andy Pies makes an unbelievable play. All the Dodgers little guys stepped up because Betts and Freeman didn't have a great World Series. Shohei had a great game three, but that was really his only superlative game. Pies was literally so bad they had to pull it bring in Rojas who stepped up unbelievably. Will Smith and Muncie were probably their most consistent hitters.

Tioska didn't do anything. think Will Smith shined brightest here. He caught 73 innings in the World Series.

Okay, that's only seven games. I'm not going to because they had the 18 inning game. So he averaged more than 10 innings a game.

That's just impressive.

Almost Cooperstown (16:38.474)
Mm-hmm.

And Dave Roberts out-managed Schneider, that really more feels like it's on Roberts just pushing all of the right buttons than Schneider making mistakes.

than Schneider making mistakes. Well, that's how, yeah, I don't think Schneider managed the pass series at all. I thought that the amazing thing is putting Paez into the outfield, literally like a player to before they hit the ball that he jumped over Kike to cast going, how did you know? And then, and then the next inning, he takes Paez out of center field and he puts Justin Dean in there and he puts Paez in right field. So yeah, you're not gonna, we got a guy who's better than you. And they played for the defense. But the Dodgers, what we saw here was a referendum.

Right right and they and they played for the defense but you have the Dodgers what we saw here was a referendum on their organizational greatness that this is a team that they're gonna be competing for

Their bullpen was severely depleted this year and as you said in the prior podcast so we just won't use them

Almost Cooperstown (17:26.43)
We just won't use them right right this is the team they understand that they need to get they can get to the Playoffs now and turn it on that's what they demonstrated to me this year Which makes them really scary because they can coast regular seasons now

That's what they demonstrated to me this year, which makes them really scary because they can coast regular seasons now. Well, and I will say I had been saying all along that everything was sort of towards the end of the season coming out right like Shohei was coming back right at the pitch. All their guys had been out and off. All of sudden they were all back in fine form as the World Series started. And yet you could argue that the Blue Jays starting pitching held their own against the Dodgers.

It all lined up. Right, right, and I think, you know, the Blue Jays, in a lot of ways, know, Blue Jays would, I'm sure they're Blue Jays fans, I feel like they should have won that World Series, and you know what, you could probably make the argument that they probably should have, but they didn't.

they should have won that World Series and you know what you can probably make the argument that they probably should have but they didn't. Right, against any other team as I think Freddie Freeman said the Blue Jays probably win their World Series. This Dodger team just they just never let themselves feel like they were beaten even when they were down to their last two outs. Even down to their last out at no point in the series did they beat themselves. I think the Blue Jays have the

And they never beat themselves. Even down to their last out, at no point in the series did they beat themselves. I think the Blue Jays have, the lineup is there, that as long as that lineup is there, they're gonna have a chance to be back here next year. I think it's gonna be hard to expect the pitching to perform the way it did again, though I think you've obviously found greatness in your Savage.

In-person participant 1 (18:28.555)
going to have a chance to be back here next year. I think it's going to be hard to expect the pitching to perform the way it did again, though I think you obviously found greatness in your Savage. And you know, obviously you didn't get anything out of Berrios because he didn't pitch in the playoffs and that's a big loss. They bring in Bassett, they bring in Bieber. I that was a brilliant move I think by the Blue Jays. have a lot of reasons to be hopeful that this is going to be, you you look like you're the class.

The Bieber's.

Almost Cooperstown (18:47.999)
Right, so I think you have lot of reasons to be hopeful that this is gonna be, you you look like you're the class of the American-

You might lose Bichette because he's going to be a free agent after the season, obviously you've promised and paid Vlad Jr. And I think the whole franchise took a leg up, so to speak. Once they paid for Vlad, I think they started believing that, know what, we really are the class of the American League and we belong here. And it's not a fluke that we're there. I mean, so we watched the World Series, we watched pretty much every inning of every game.

Mm-hmm.

Almost Cooperstown (19:13.835)
So, we watched the World Series, we watched pretty much every inning of every game. think there might have been some late innings of a game, like Game 1, where we didn't watch it. But is it the greatest World Series ever for you?

some late innings of a game, like game one where we didn't watch it, but is it the greatest World Series ever for you? For me, I don't feel like it outdoes the 2016 Cubs World Series. You gotta take my thunder. Well, because it's right. That World Series, that game seven.

You gotta take my thunder here Right right there that that world series just that that game seven This was a crazy game seven, too. That's

This was a crazy game 7 too. 2019 wasn't as good, like 2016 was Indies at the time winning their first World Series.

but 2019 wasn't as good like 2016 was special.

Almost Cooperstown (20:05.841)
Right. Or the Indi- at the time Indians winning their first World Series in 45- 48.

Sort of

Right, whereas this year we're having a team trying to repeat and the Blue Jays going for their first since the 90s, but that's not still nearly the same amount of top.

And when you think about winning back to back World Series, is, guess, you know, if I was rooting during the series, I kind of was rooting for a dominant team a little bit. Not that I dislike the Blue Jays. I like them, too. But the Dodgers and maybe I'm a bit of a closet Dodger fan having lived out there for a while. You know, they had to win two World Series hasn't happened in the National League since the seventy five and seventy six Reds. So now in the American League, you had the Yankees win, you know, there you had an impressive. You had Oakland do it in the 70s. So, you know,

It's been a long time since it, yeah.

Almost Cooperstown (20:48.125)
Repeating is an impressive feat in baseball.

And the Yankees of course all those zillions of times they won, you know, 27 World Series. That's that's how you do it

Right, but you don't get a lot of teams repeating in the modern era, especially it's really nice to see that. That's why I said this is a referendum on the Dodgers' organizational excellence and the fact that this is a team that's going to be back in the hunt next year.

But I guess I didn't think and we mentioned Dave Roberts how important good managing is you have those pieces you have that arsenal But you've got to have the guy and it doesn't seem like well, you know, I could manage the Dodgers You know, you just fill out the lot of card and they'll win, you know, I don't have to do anything. No, you have to

No, but you gotta push all the right buttons.

In-person participant 1 (21:27.26)
Right, right. So now, you know, here we are, you know, the World Series is over, the Dodgers are going to try to three-peat next year, and I think the Blue Jays will be, you know, a contender to win the American League for sure.

And even though we're going into these winter months, does spring eternal as with free agency and all the trades going around you get to the fun part of the season where you can delude yourself into believing, my team really does have the best chance of winning the World Series.

these winter months hope does spring eternal as with free agency and all the trades going around you get to the fun part of the season where you can delude yourself into believing yeah my team really does have the best chance of winning the World Series. Right right we're at the dark time of year so to me I've been saying this it feels like winter started today right we had the clocks fall back so it gets dark at five o'clock baseball's over and now you know we're all kind of just waiting for spring training now it's only a hundred days until pitchers and catchers report.

Baseball ends.

Almost Cooperstown (22:06.187)
It's nice. It's exactly a hundred days.

Exactly 100 days until bitches, so you heard it here first.

100 days. We will run episodes out, but we will not be this week in the base in baseball. And we're just going to do episodes in the offseason. If you've got some ideas for stuff that you'd like us to cover or whatnot, we'd love to hear from you. get great notes from our listeners and we're we're happy that we have them and viewers. So, yeah, I think, you know, there's a lot of exciting things still to come up in December. You've got the, you know, the Hall of Fame announcements. The ballots go out in December. They get announced in January. You're going to start 2026 with the World Baseball.

Mm-hmm.

Almost Cooperstown (22:22.581)
Mm-hmm.

Almost Cooperstown (22:28.651)
So yeah

exciting things still to come up now in December. You've got the Hall of Fame announcements.

Almost Cooperstown (22:40.747)
to start 2026 with the world baseball classic.

classic, which is something I think we both really enjoy. And so you'll have games that count in early March, right? Those games count those WBCs. Well, that's only a mere four months from now. So it doesn't feel so bad. And we have baseball, Major League Baseball in nine of the 12 months now. That's that's a little weird to me. It's a long time, but I'll trade 100 days of winter for 162 days of spring.

It's a long time, but I'll trade 100 days of winter for 162 days of spring.