2025 MLB Champions Los Angeles Dodgers

The Los Angeles Dodgers are the 2025 World Series Champions.  The Dodgers had to keep coming back in the series and in games, but they did it.  I'm sure Toronto fans are beside themselves.  It felt like many games were theirs to win.  But the Dodgers despite not hitting well (.203) and having a staff ERA lower than Toronto, (3.95), they did it.  And the story was pitching.  And I love that we are talking about pitching.  Yoshinobu Yamamoto was dominant in three appearances totaling 17 innings including 2 innings in game 7 after starting the previous game.  The Dodgers just came up with big pitches, big hits and big defensive plays when they counted most.  Congrats to LA and I'm happy for Freddie, Mookie, Shohei and Kershaw.  And there was a shirtless Clayton Kershaw appearance after game 7 that we didn't know we needed.

2025 World Series: Los Angeles Dodgers at Toronto Blue Jays

 We get Los Angeles and Toronto in the 2025 World Series.  I think this could be a really good series.  I know LA is 9-1 in this post season and their starters are coming off a dominant sweep of the Brewers in the NLCS.  But the Blue Jays are a good team.  You don't win 94 games by accident.  The key for both teams is to get past the starters in my opinion.  The Dodgers have the advantage starting Yamamoto, Glasnow, Snell and Ohtani. But the Blue Jays' offense is really good, and it showed in beating the Yankees in the Division Series and beating the Mariners in the ALCS.  It's led by Vladimir Guerrero Jr. who is having an outstanding playoffs.  Overall the Toronto offense has been solid.  I think this is the key.  Can that offense get to the LA starters?  I'm hoping for a Blue Jays win, continued good hitting from Vlad, and a good series.

2025 MLB Playoffs Championship Series

 We had some good baseball in the Division Series leaving us with Seattle - Toronto and Los Angeles - Milwaukee in the ALC and NLCS.  It was fun seeing Vlad Guerro Jr. have a great series against the Yankees.  He's so good and nice to see him shine on the big stage.  Seattle's Cal Raleigh got 8 hits in the Division Series overcoming a Detroit pitching staff that had a 2.98 ERA.  I'm looking forward to LA-Mil.  The Brewers just find ways to win with an offense who can seem to score against anyone.

I've said it before but Seattle - Milwaukee would be a great World Series as we'd get to crown a first-time champion.  The network would hate it but man it'd be fun.

2025 MLB Playoffs Divisional Round

 Man, the Red Sox battled but young phenom Schlittler was amazing in game three of their series.  He kept the defense off balance and he deserves all the props he gets for his performance.  The next round gives us some fun matchups.  Divisional rivals Yankees-Blue-Jays and Cubs-Milwaukee adds some spice to the matchups while Dodgers-Phillies should be great.  Detroit-Seattle also looks like a good series.  With my team out I'd like to see a Seattle-Milwaukee World Series.  Neither have won a title and seeing a franchise win their first one is always fun.  Toronto and Chicago would also be good in the World Series.  Who do I think moves on to the next round?  I'll take Seattle, New York, Milwaukee and Philly.  Hoping for good series all around.

Rougned Odor (Texas Rangers) - Jose Bautista (Toronto Blue Jays) Dust-Up

Suspensions came down for the recent Rougned Odor-Jose Bautista dust-up.  While fighting in and of itself is not a good thing it is somewhat excepted or even expected.  And fighting may be too harsh a description.  Many of these altercations are little more than players posturing with little to no harm done.  But this was a fight with a real-deal, no kidding punch landed squarely to the jaw of Jose Bautista.  Nice.  It was a doozy.   I can't say I've seen a better punch in a baseball brawl.  It wasn't at the Kermit Washington level of brutal punch (NBA, circa 1977) but it was well done and is one that will be remembered, and referenced for a very long time. 

I enjoy fights in sports.  Again I understand fighting is bad and don't ever want to see someone seriously hurt or their career altered as like what happened with the Washington punch. But sports is emotional and these things happen. Again most times it is a bunch of posturing with not much actually happening.  Hockey has made it an art.  One of baseballs most famous is the ageless Nolan Ryan and Robin Ventura.  As famous as that was there were no real injuries from that melee.  

So while most are enjoying this moment it definitely could have been looked at in a different light.  If Bautista went down and was seriously hurt there'd be nothing more than condemnation towards Rougned.  So it is a fine line we walk with fights in sports.  I'll give this one a grade of "A".  That well placed punch was something you rarely see in any sport not called boxing. 




SUSPENSIONS
Rougned Odor - 8 Games
Jose Bautista - 1 Game
Elivs Andrus - 1 Game
John Gibbons - 3 Games
Jesse Chavez - 3 Games

P.S. Was it pretty lame that Texas waited until late in the Sunday game to hit Bautista?  If you are going to do it, do it first game of the series and let it play out.  Be man enough to deal with the repercussions.  My two cents.