Unable to do so last year because of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, the Los Angeles Dodgers brought back their longtime tradition of dressing up in costumes for the flight to the last stop of the season’s final road trip.
Just like in 2019, all players, coaches and staff members were allowed to participate. Mookie Betts and Gavin Lux dressed as characters from the famed “White Men Can’t Jump” movie, while Joe Kelly appeared in a full-blown outfit complete with a mask as The Grinch.
Other players who made waves on social media were Walker Buehler, Clayton Kershaw, Max Scherzer and Julio Urias, who each dressed as bikers from the popular show, “Sons of Anarchy.”
Buehler revealed he initially wanted to go in a different direction but is happy with how things played out, via SportsNet LA:
“We have a little bit of an eclectic group, so we couldn’t really find too many things that us four could do. I wanted to do something that made them look old and us look young, but we couldn’t really find anything for that either. So we ended up with this and I feel pretty good about it, honestly.”
Even though it wasn’t his first choice, the biker outfits clearly were a success for Buehler and his teammates. So much so that a “Sons of Velocity” t-shirt was designed with the four in their biker gear.
The Dodgers presumably held a vote for the best costumes while en route from Denver to Phoenix, and while a winner hasn’t been publicly identified, it wouldn’t be surprising if Buehler, Kershaw, Scherzer and Urias took home the honor.
Though, Dodgers trainer Yosuke “Possum” Nakajima dressing as Scherzer with a black eye and broken nose as a result of a bunt attempt also garnered rave reviews.
Buehler won’t yet reflect on 200 strikeouts & 200 innings
Along with dominating the costume game, Buehler was solid in his last start against the San Diego Padres, tossing seven scoreless innings and allowing only three hits.
Buehler reached the 200 threshold for both strikeouts and innings pitched in the outing, but isn’t ready to reflect on those accomplishments just yet.
“Not right now. Probably something after the season that I’ll look back and feel some pride on,” Buehler answered when asked if the milestones mean anything to him. “Hopefully early in November I’ll look back on it.
“That’s kind of what I’ve been talking about all year, is trying to go deep into games and perform. Those two numbers together are something I’m definitely proud of.
“I think it’s a big thing for me as a starting pitcher to have a year like that. It’s something I obviously want to do again and keep doing. The 200-inning mark is a special thing for starting pitchers.”
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