'It’s World Series or nothing:' Anything short of another Dodgers title will be viewed as a failure
PHOENIX – The Los Angeles Dodgers sprayed champagne Tuesday evening, doused one another with anything cold, danced to the music, and savored the joy of returning to the postseason.
They laughed watching three-time Cy Young winner Clayton Kershaw, the winning pitcher for the fourth time in a division clincher, prance around the room shirtless. They hooted and hollered watching their rookies and young players celebrating as if it was New Year’s Eve on Times Square. They cheered watching Hanser Alberto dumping ice buckets on his prey.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts proudly watched, passed on the Korbel champagne being passed around the room, opting instead for his own bottle of Belle Glos Pinot Noir.
“I’m going to enjoy this one,’’ Roberts said later in his office. “It’s going to be a long, long night.’’
The reality is that the Dodgers could have staged this celebration four months ago. The Dodgers moved into first place May 1 and never looked back.
They are champions of the National League West for the ninth time in the last 10 seasons, clinching a postseason berth quicker than any team in Los Angeles history, and second-fastest in franchise history behind only the 1955 World Series champion Brooklyn Dodgers.
This just might be the greatest team in franchise history, improving to 98-43, and on pace for a franchise-record 113 victories. They are not only winning, but bludgeoning the opposition, outscoring them by 320 runs, including 56 victories by four or more runs.
The Dodgers could become the first team in baseball history to win at least 106 games in three consecutive full seasons, while breaking the National League record of a 335-run differential set by the 1902 Pittsburgh Pirates.
Well, while everyone else is talking about the Dodgers’ greatness, the only place where you can’t find the same sentimentality is the Dodgers’ own clubhouse.
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“For me, if you don’t win the World Series, what’s the point?’’ said Dodgers All-Star first baseman Freddie Freeman, who won a World Series last season with Atlanta. “It’s not like whoopty doo, you win 120 games. You don’t play the game for a regular-season win record.
“You play this game for one reason, and that’s to win a World Series. If you don’t do it, you fail.
“It’s World Series or nothing.’’
There is no team in baseball that has dominated the last decade like the Dodgers:
- 10 playoff berths.
- 9 NL West titles
- 4 100-victory seasons (with two more victories in 2022)
- 3 NL pennants.
- 2 NLCS appearances
- 1 World Series championship.
The way the Dodgers look at it, it’s not close to being good enough. They’re a perennial power, but the reality is that they have the same number of World Series titles as the Kansas City Royals (57-85), Washington Nationals (49-93) and Chicago Cubs (60-82) these past 10 years.
“We won 88 games last year with the Braves, and won the World Series,’’ Freeman said. “No one talks about regular-season records when you’re in the playoffs. Look at the Seattle Mariners. They won 116 games [in 2001], but they didn’t win the World Series, so it didn’t matter.
“Now, if we win 120 regular-season games and win the World Series, that would be cool. To win 120 games, break the record, and then win the World Series, then we’ll reflect on it. But until you win a World Series, it doesn’t really matter.’’
It was a popular refrain in the Dodgers’ clubhouse from president Stan Kasten to president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman to every player who was drenched in champagne.
“It’s two-fold, if you make it all of the way,’’ said outfielder Mookie Betts, “that’s what you’re supposed to do. And if you don’t, you’re a failure. It’s not fair, but it’s part of it. It is what it is.’’
Certainly, after what the Dodgers have already accomplished, the expectations are surreal.
“We have a bunch of superstar baseball players,’’ outfielder Cody Bellinger said, “‘but we don’t think of each other like that. We play the game. And we play the game hard. Night after night with that grinder mentality.’’
This team certainly is resurrecting memories of Atlanta’s run from 1991-2005, winning 14 consecutive division titles en route to five World Series appearances and one championship.
“There’s a time for reflecting and understanding the numbers, the stats and accomplishments,’’ Dodgers third baseman Justin Turner said. “But I don’t think we’re there yet. I think that’s something for down the road. Hopefully in November we can talk about how great this team really is.’’
The Dodgers were on a mission when they showed up for spring training after finishing one game back of the San Francisco Giants in the NL West a year ago and losing to Atlanta in the NLCS. Those same Giants don’t even show up in the Dodgers’ rear-view mirror, 30 ½ games out of first place with a 68-74 record. The San Diego Padres, the team that made the greatest splash at the trade deadline, are 20 ½ games out of first place with a 78-64 record. The Houston Astros are the only other team in baseball with 90 victories.
“We have created a standard for ourselves in how we play baseball,’’ Roberts said. “When you start in spring training, start the season, you know you have a talented roster.
"But looking into the season, we weren’t the defending National League West champions. So that was first on our list, to get the division back in Los Angeles.”
The Dodgers dominated the rest of the division, going an insane 43-15 against the NL West.
Los Angeles insists it isn't worried about a letdown dragging into the postseason. No one has been pushing them all season and they still went out every day like a playoff berth was on the line.
“To fear complacency,’’ Roberts said, “is not a fear of ours.’’
The Dodgers were exhausted by the time they met Atlanta last season in the NLCS. They went head-to-head with the Giants for six grueling months. They survived a one-game playoff against the St. Louis Cardinals. They outlasted the Giants in a tense best-of-five Division Series.
“Last year, I think we learned first-hand what it meant fighting to 162,’’ Roberts said, “and what it does to your team. It takes a toll. To then win 11 games in October, there’s an exponential effect.’’
Now, there’s no need to push their starters, and it allows them to make sure that Kershaw stays healthy. Kershaw, who missed three weeks earlier with back problems, was vintage Kershaw this night, pitching his most dominant game since July 15, yielding just two hits in seven innings.
This is the reason he came back to the Dodgers after contemplating retirement. If this is his final season, he wanted to savor every element of the division clinching celebration. No shirt. No goggles. No inhibitions. And a clubhouse speech before the first champagne bottle was uncorked.
“I just want to say I love you guys,’’ Kershaw said, “and thank you for being so good. It’s really fun to be on this team.’’
Kershaw proceeded to take his shirt off, passed on the goggles, and let the cold champagne spray burn his eyes.
“I wanted to feel that burn,’’ Kershaw said. “How many times do you get to celebrate like this? After I get done playing, I’ll get to look back on all of this stuff.’’
Maybe, a look at history, too.
“I don’t care if we’re the worst team ever to win the World Series,’’ Kershaw said. “It might be something to look at in the future, but I don’t care if we’re .500 and win the World Series.
“Winning another World Series is all that matters.’’
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