Dodger Girl’s 2020 Conclusion: Randy Said It Best — ‘I Love L.A.’

Alexa, play “Win” by Jay Rock.

Dodger Girl is back, and guess what — The Los Angeles Dodgers won the World Series! Can you believe it? My Dodgers, your Dodgers, our Dodgers! So bask in it, fellow LA fans. This moment is ours and it’s glorious.

Honestly, I’m not used to writing an article that isn’t filled to the brim with overwhelming anxiety, so I thought I would take this moment to reflect. There were many times throughout this season when I couldn’t help but think the worst, and well, I went overboard with the histrionic statements. So, as I pour my fifth (sixth?) glass of champagne, enjoy reading about all of the times I was wrong.

1. The San Diego Padres are better than the Dodgers this year. I made that bed, so I will lie in it. We all know how hyped the 2020 Padres were, and I’m not sure any Dodgers fan was exactly pleased to see them in the NLDS. But we swept them in that series, and obviously the rest is history. Give me a minute to bathe in the glory of victory, and then maybe I’ll consider how San Diego’s pitching staff is bound to be healthier next year, and their young core will have another year of experience. But for now, who cares? The Dodgers won their division, their league and beat the best team in the American League to win it all, so I’ll worry about the boys down south later.
2. The Dodgers crumble under pressure. I’m really eating my words here. Sure, we’ve seen some pretty disastrous meltdowns in postseasons past — not to mention the ugliness that was Game 4 of this World Series — but again, none of that matters now. The fact is Dave Roberts made some great managerial decisions that put LA in better positions to win this year than in any year prior, and clutch plays were made on both sides of the ball when we needed them most. I mean my gosh, we were down three games to one against the Atlanta Braves and we never gave up. Of course by we, I don’t necessarily mean me — any text, phone call, nighttime prayer or episode of “All Talk No Balk” will tell you that I didn’t exactly keep my cool. But then, did I ever have any “cool” to begin with? Probably not.
3. The Mookie Betts signing has Albert Pujols vibes written all over it. Gosh, this is painful. Like, I’m embarrassed for this one. OF Betts has done more in his one year with the Dodgers than 1B/DH Pujols will likely ever do for the Los Angeles Angels. You can’t ask for much more from a guy who seems to make impossible defensive plays, runs the bases like Usain Bolt with some caffeine, and makes everybody around him better on and off the field. And let’s not forget his leadership in the social justice department — the work he’s already done in Los Angeles to help those less fortunate and promote racial equality is such a joy and a privilege to witness. So umm … yeah, it’s safe to say the Mookie signing is paying off so far.
4. Our lefty bats aren’t producing offensively. OK fine, don’t take me to Vegas anytime soon. SS Corey Seager is an absolute stud, and I’m not just talking about his Adonis-esque being. Seriously, he played like a superstar, and President of Baseball Operations Andrew Friedman would be foolish not to back up the Brinks truck for him in the near future. But it wasn’t just Seager; most of our southpaws came through on baseball’s biggest stage and throughout October. OF Cody Bellinger had some key hits and made defensive plays that are now etched in postseason lore, INF Max Muncy was arguably in the conversation for World Series MVP and Joctober is still very real. Our lefty arms deserve a ton of credit too — it fills me with joy that SP Clayton Kershaw has officially re-written his postseason narrative and LHP Julio Urías had ice in his veins from beginning to end. There are guys that I’m missing, but that’s what I love about this team. What they say is true — they’re just so deep.

And that’s just the tip of the iceberg, folks. I was wrong a lot more throughout this shortened season than I wrote about here, but in the interest of saving myself from carpel tunnel, I gave you the cliff notes.

The point is, I’m so happy. As you all know by now, I never thought they would win in my lifetime, and yet here we are. And the Lakers won, too! The 2020 Dodgers gave me so much glee and no matter how many rings they win from here on out, this one will always be special to me. In a year that has been rife with tragedy, anxiety and endless uncertainty, the Boys in Blue made us a little less blue. And that, friends, is priceless.

As I celebrate this first of (hopefully) many World Series victories in my lifetime, and I anticipate how cool the parade will be when it is finally safe to hold, I think about the haters. I think about the bitter Dodgers trolls who say that this championship isn’t real due to the circumstances of the abbreviated season. To those I would say that this year may have been the toughest in recent memory to win the title, especially given how mentally and physically exhausting it must have been to play through a pandemic. These players had to endure so much to make it to the end, and I am so grateful that they sacrificed time with their family and loved ones to do so. Dodgers fans, we were given a season that will stick with us forever, and I’m just so fortunate that I got to share this moment with my mom and all of my closest friends.

The champagne bottle is running dry, and I probably should put a lid on it anyway. I’ll be back for more Dodgers talk in the coming months, but for now, I raise this glass to you: Here’s to many more Dodgers titles! The 32-year drought is ancient history. Now, let’s just hurry up and get a vaccine so we can start the parade. Hit it, Randy!