The Boys Of October – A Summary By Mark Hollis

Last month, during the COVID-19 crisis, the Los Angeles Dodgers won the 117th Annual World Series by defeating the Tampa Bay Rays. It was a hard-fought series with all games played at Life Field in Arlington, Texas as a precaution to the virus. The Dodgers, led by Manager Dave Roberts, entered the series as heavy favorites with the best won/lost record in all Major League Baseball. Tampa Bay entered with the best record in the American League with 40 wins and 20 losses. As game one approached, there was a great deal of hype from the odds makers. Many had predicted a sweep by LA based upon their dominating play during the regular season. The Dodgers were heavy handed with star players in every position led by pitcher Clayton Kershaw, shortstop Corey Seager, third baseman Justin Turner, and outfielder Mookie Betts. Tampa Bay, led by manager Kevin Cash, brought a stellar band of players who could compete with any team in the MLB with pitchers Nick Anderson and Blake Snell, as well as outfielder Randy Arozarena.

The series was played with a best of seven games meaning that the first team to win four games would win the series. The Dodgers won Game One with a score of 8 – 2 with starting pitcher Clayton Kershaw securing the win. The Rays secured Game Two with a score of 6 – 2, with utility player Jiman Choi making history by being the first Korean born player to get a hit in a World Series. The Rays would go on to win one more game of the series, Game Four, before losing the series. The Dodgers would secure Games Three, Five and Six of the series and became World Series Champions. Cory Seager was named the World Series Most Valuable Player by securing a batting average of 400 and hitting two homeruns over the span of the six games.

All in all, it was an entertaining series under the circumstances. The games were played utilizing the protocols put in place to minimize the spread of COVID-19. Personally, I was skeptical that they could pull it off with players from many teams sent home due to contracting the virus. So, I take my hat off to Major League Baseball for a job well done.