This is not clickbait. This is engagement bait. This is subscription fodder. This is the bait: “Sign up for automatic updates and you'll be hooked on Wordle and NYT Cooking.” But there's also a deeper truth that resonates with many baseball fans:
The New York Yankees vs. the Los Angeles Dodgers is the most awkward World Series matchup imaginable. This could be the toughest matchup of the World Series. Until nowThis seems hyperbolic until you look at past matchups and realize that most of them didn't have enough power behind social media or the professional complex. Yes, I know that articles like this are part of the problem, but all I can say is that the possible outcome is inevitable.
Please note that this is different. worst There is also the possibility of a World Series matchup. Fortunately, it's never far away. The worst matchup in the World Series is between the Chicago White Sox and the Colorado Rockies, with the latter team being the heavy favorite. The actual 2024 World Series will feature several future Hall of Famers, most of them in their prime, doing unrealistic things to and with baseball. If you like watching great players perform and showcase their baseball abilities, this is a great World Series. I'm actually looking forward to watching the baseball part, and I'm sure you will too.
That doesn't mean it won't happen. annoyingBut. Let's count the ways. Haters, gather around. We have things to hate.
Been there, done that
This World Series is an episode of The Simpsons from season 43 in which Homer gets a new job. Strictly speaking, it's a fresh episode, but it's a well-worn trope.
Oh wow, the only countries that matter and the only cities that matter face off against each other. Look at all the celebrities in the stands. Have you ever noticed how different these two cities and lifestyles are? New Yorkers are all like, “Hey, I'm walking here,” and Los Angeles is like, “Huh? Bobby De Niro?” I’m going to hug my little dog and say hi.’ Hahaha, that’s funny because it’s true. Put a brick wall behind me, throw me a microphone and shine a spotlight on me. It would be a shame to waste this material.
Yankee Stadium may be new, but this series won't be able to escape the ghosts of baseball's past. (Luke Hales/Getty Images)
Even if the two cultural centers could insulate from the noise that comes with extra attention, some things about baseball have been done before. When my mother was growing up in the 1940s and 1950s, the World Series was only called when the Yankees played the Dodgers, just as the Iron Bowl was called the Alabama/Auburn football game. That's what I thought. She doesn't remember this as being funny. She shook her head regretfully. This is how often the Yankees and Dodgers played in the World Series.
This matchup took place in 1947, 1949, 1952, 1953, 1955, and 1956, and that was enough for seven generations. Then it happened again, twice in the 1970s and once in the 1980s. Yankees vs. Dodgers is a throwback to those dark, dichotomous days when it felt like no one else had a chance. Mostly because they didn't.
This is the matchup Fox wanted. decades
Every October, my heart warms as I think of the Fox executives who lie awake at night worrying about the World Series between the Cleveland Guardians and Milwaukee Brewers. These chuzzlewits and pecksniffs don't think about the excitement that pennants bring to areas that don't enjoy them enough (or any pennants at all). They don't think about specific matchups or baseball-related quirks. They think about eyeballs and star power.
There's something about that. Since more people will be watching, this particular matchup will likely receive even more attention. And they're watching this World Series because they feel like they're likely to enjoy it. Craig Calcaterra likened the combination of high ratings and noise complaints to Yogi Berra's famous quip, “Nobody goes anymore, it's too crowded.”
However, Bella always knew what that meant. people he I was concerned about it, but I didn't want to get involved. Mick and Billy Martin didn't need to see it. They didn't need the attention that comes with ultra-swanky nightclubs. They were purists. And I realized that I'm using the famous Yankee to represent cool people in this parable. That means it's difficult to solve. But that's what paragraph breaks are for.
But more importantly, it's an idea that TV executives will be happy about. This is how they make money.
They make money by eroding your sanity. Their house is built brick by brick from the ashes of your gray matter. They wanted the Yankees vs. Dodgers game so they could tell more people that they had access to Wi-Fi, like ventriloquism classes, in their attic, which was previously a blind spot. This is the World Series that brings together casual people, people with little interest, and people who would be surprised that a pitch clock exists. Once they remember that baseball isn't for them, they'll tap out after an inning, but not until they finally realize they can do ballet in their man caves.
Sometimes I fall asleep and out of nowhere I think, “His father is the district attorney.'' It was like a part of my brain had broken open and floated away, never to be put back together, like an ice shelf in labor. Someone has to pay. Hopefully these people will pay by winning every Guardians vs. Brewers World Series possible.
I have no interest in the Yankees or Dodgers. they claim themselves
Both of these franchises have you staring at yourself in the mirror when no one is looking. I also do it when everyone is watching. There are monuments and plaques, a natural sense of history, but at the same time there are parts that are exaggerated. There is no mascot. A jersey that has remained largely unchanged a century later.
they assert themselves. They think they are better than you and your team. And, sure, that's technically true if you make it to the World Series, but you don't always have to put yourself at risk so much to make your case. It's even more interesting when entitled, history-drunk teams take advantage one after the other. very close And we keep losing every year.
Except for the 49ers. That's enough. There's probably a statute of limitations on that matter. It's just not fun anymore.
Everyone would raise salaries for both teams, but they would miss the more important point
Yes, the Yankees and Dodgers have more resources than any other team. they spend more money. They are spoiled and so are their fans. They have advantages over other teams, such as name recognition, cultural prestige, history, and purchasing power. People talk about how much the Dodgers committed to players this offseason (technically over $1 billion before accounting for inflation and salary deferrals), including Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton, and Gerritt.・There will also be a lot of talk about how much money Cole will make. It's inevitable.
But it would free other owners from danger. Mookie Betts is with the Dodgers because Fenway Sports Group Holdings LLC was concerned about how his salary would affect their ability to add players to Liverpool and drivers to RFK Racing. be. They made a business decision and it's natural to feel bad about it. The Pittsburgh Pirates released Barry Bonds due to a lack of vision. The Chicago Cubs let Greg Maddux go because they didn't understand how intent Northside was on making the team part of the region's identity. Washington Nationals did not commit to acquiring Bryce Harper or Because Juan Soto thought he could find another teenage outfielder with Hall of Fame talent in the Teen Outfielder Store with Hall of Fame talent.
All these owners are idiots. Sometimes they are realistic and sometimes they are stupid, but most of the time they are just stupid. We should spend money on good players and keep them away from the Yankees and Dodgers! Especially the players they are Drafting and development.
More people should be saying, “The San Diego Padres had the right idea,” instead of, “We need to stop the Yankees and Dodgers from doing this,” and by not being able to reach that epiphany, The debate will become even more tedious.
The Padres also should have kept Juan Soto. They are not taking any risks here. Michael King is cool, but come on. Look what you've done.
A good World Series? perhaps. A great World Series is possible. Hey, can you tell me some of your Game 7 pranks? This may go down as one of the classics. In the 19th inning of Game 7, Shohei Ohtani returned to the mound in front of a stunned Dodger Stadium crowd. He was prepared to make sacrifices because there were no other pitchers available. All he has to do is get past Juan Soto, Aaron Judge, and Giancarlo Stanton.
we can dream
But even if it has the potential to be the best World Series, it's guaranteed to be the most annoying World Series possible. The wrong people have been wanting it for years. The winning team throws the trophy into the arrogant juicer and ends up getting a new glass, even if it's not running low. The losing team will feel even more entitled this time next year. And in every moment, before every inning, every joke and comment on the pre- and post-game shows, you're going to be told: how special is this.
6 guardians. Even if the Brewers' lineup is underrated, they do have a bullpen. What a beautiful, simple and boring dream it was.
(Top photo illustration by Sean Reilly / The Athletic:Orlando Ramirez/Getty Images; Mary DeCicco/MLB Photo (Getty Images)Caitlin Mulcahy/Getty Images;Carmen Mandert/Getty Images;New York Yankees/Getty Images)
