Dodgers Cheated Out of 2017 Title, but Will They Get the Last Laugh?

We all know the story. The World Series was tied 2-2, and the Dodgers held a 4-0 lead going into the bottom of the 4th inning of Game 5. Kershaw had been great up to that point, only having allowed 1 run in a Game 1 Dodgers’ victory.

But in that bottom of the 4th inning at Minute Maid Park, everything fell apart. And when Corey Seager grounded to right in the bottom of the 9th 3 games later, Dodgers fans everywhere were devastated. But 2 seasons after that, after failing to get over the hump in 2 more playoff appearances, the news broke: the Houston Astros had electronically stolen signs, thereby cheating their way to that 2017 championship. But when titles weren’t stripped and players weren’t punished, a phoenix arose out of the ashes of Los Angeles’ seemingly never-ending despair. And his name is LeBron James.

LeBron James. One of the greatest basketball players to ever lace ‘em up! A social justice warrior, dedicated family man, and an astute business owner. In short, one of the most influential athletes the world has ever known. And on May 15, 2020, James’ clout bled over to America’s pastime, when it was announced that his sports media company, “Uninterrupted”, would be producing a docuseries on the Astros’ sign-stealing scandal that is to be released on Quibi.

The series, which according to Bleacher Report is tentatively titled Sign Language and will be produced in association with the filmmaking company behind Hulu’s Fyre Festival documentary The Cinemart, will give viewers an inside look into the now-infamous series of events that has outraged the baseball world. But beyond that, Quibi stated that the series will transcend baseball itself and “explore larger themes related to greed, cheating, corruption, sportsmanship and social media activism.” 

Sounds great, right? Maybe. But there are a few things to keep in mind before we Dodger fans tune in. First of all, 2017 wasn’t that long ago, and most of the players responsible for cheating are still active. So we can expect very little, if any, cooperation from members of the Astros organization and the powers that be within MLB, who are more than eager to move on from this whole mess. Not to mention, this doesn’t change the fact that the Dodgers still haven’t won a ring in 32 years and counting, and a season that was historic in every sense of the word is still a lost cause. 

Ok, forget about all of that for one second. I’ll just say it how it is: this series is going to be ELECTRIC. We all needed a hard-hitting, no-holds-barred exposé on the cheating that went on for YEARS right under our noses (and not to mention on the players who have shown little to no remorse for the wrongdoings they committed), and I firmly believe that this series is going to be just what the doctor ordered.

I hope that the justice we’ve had to do without is served in full force. But you know what’s alarming in all of this? Why is it that a man who has virtually nothing to do with the game of baseball taking more action with regards to the trash can banging from hell than baseball’s own commissioner? Why do we have to wait for a show to be released in order to get the full story (or at least more of it), while the reality of the stolen championship remains just as painful as ever? And for the love of the Baseball Gods, when will the Dodgers finally win a title fair and square?

Unfortunately, I cannot answer any of these questions. But what I will say is this: I believe in my blue-bleeding heart that good days are on the horizon! One of these years, the Dodgers will reign victorious on baseball’s biggest stage, and they won’t need to hit trash cans or wear buzzers to do so. Justice starts with LeBron’s docuseries, and will end with the Dodgers hoisting that Commissioner’s Trophy after the final out of the World Series.