The Los Angeles Dodgers’ first World Series championship of this decade was earned in a very unique manner. The Dodgers weren’t able to celebrate their first title since 1988 at Dodger Stadium, and they didn’t fully get to on their opponent’s field either.
When the Dodgers reveled in their World Series victory after recording the final out of Game 6, it took place on the diamond at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas. That was despite their opponent being the Tampa Bay Rays, not the Texas Rangers.
It was just one of the quirks of an unorthodox 2020 MLB season — one that required a majority of postseason games to be played at neutral sites and required all teams to quarantine themselves due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Dodgers’ most recent game against the Rangers is not the first time they have returned to Globe Life Field since winning the 2020 World Series, but it still evokes strong emotions from Mookie Betts, via “Dodger Talk” with David Vassegh:
“I think every time I come into this park, that situation in life — COVID, that month that we spent here, we were here for literally a month straight — just reminds you obviously of what we accomplished by winning the World Series. It’s something that in life, staying in a hotel for a month, just life experiences you’ll never forget, for sure.”
Over the course of his career, Betts has found that he’s at his best defensively when he affords himself moments of respite in between pitches.
While the limited crowd size presented an odd visual on the broadcast, it also allowed Betts to have more direct interactions with his wife Brianna during each game of the 2020 postseason:
“They always say in every sport, defense wins championships. That’s one thing I definitely remember. I remember down the right field line, I know people can’t see, but my wife was always down there every game with my daughter. I remember in between pitches, looking at her, and we were doing our little sign language through pretty much every game. She kind of kept me calm, especially during those World Series games.
“We were going back and forth, and it was just a lot. Winning a World Series is hard to do. I’ll never forget her standing right there and me just looking at her between every pitch.”
The Dodgers don’t return to Globe Life Field all that often, but it still serves as a constant reminder of the success they found during that difficult season.
For Betts, that represented the second ring of his career, and he has since won a third. But the superstar hopes to continue adding rings and wants to fill his hand up with them.
Mookie Betts made immediate impact
Similarly to Shohei Ohtani in 2024, Betts was able to immediately make good on the massive investment the Dodgers made in him. He consistently elevated the Dodgers’ play during the postseason on both sides of the ball, and the team likely would not have made it to the Fall Classic without his contributions during the National League Championship Series.
In 18 games, Betts hit .296/.378/.493 with eight doubles, two home runs, eight RBI, and six stolen bases. He also showed off his Gold Glove-caliber defense on multiple occasions throughout the postseason.
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