In the worst possible version of themselves, and they show it to the world often enough, the Americans are hopelessly divided. At their best, they are sentimental, which is why hardly any Americans are likely to be there on Wednesday evening not must have been touched by the sight of Aaron Judge.
The New York Yankees superstar, who could immediately become a Hollywood superhero after his baseball career without any additional training, was at second base in the eighth period. The situation was like this: The Los Angeles Dodgers led 3-1 in the best-of-seven final series and 7-6 in this fifth game in the Bronx. If nothing else happens, the Dodgers would be champions. Judge was the runner who had a promising chance of scoring for New York at his position – if a teammate hit the ball well enough to enable Judge to reach home base. He could have extended this game and possibly the entire World Series.
Judge waited and waited, and in those minutes he probably thought about everything that had happened: how he, the Yankees hero, became a tragic figure in this series because he simply didn’t score. How he celebrated his resurrection with a home run in the second period of game five, making the score 5-0 – which was already causing nervousness in Los Angeles bars. The Dodgers wouldn’t blow a 3-0 lead, would they? And how he initiated the Dodgers’ comeback with an almost grotesque mistake – he let the ball fall out of his glove during a routine catch.
Now he was standing there at second base and was both a hero and a tragic figure in those minutes, but only one of those after the next batting duels. Judge waited and waited, you could see the desperate hope in his face – but no colleague scored; Judge walked to the bench with the saddest look possible. The Dodgers won. Maybe because of this tragedy there are even a handful of New York Mets fans who don’t laugh at supporters of the hated local rival on Thursday morning, but rather nod sympathetically. Consoling would be too much to ask, but more on that in a moment.
Freeman hits the first walk-off grand slam home run in the 121-year history of the World Series
Of course, such a tragic loser needs an equal hero, and that was the Dodgers. They were simply too good, the best team of the season. And of course they have one that they’ll be talking about in Los Angeles for decades to come. Historical context: In the 1988 World Series, Kirk Gibson didn’t know which foot to hobble on because of a damaged left knee and a sprained right ankle – and yet at the end of the first game he drove the ball into the stands for an instant victory.
36 years later, Freddie Freeman was seriously injured on his ankle, perhaps he shouldn’t have played at all – and at the end of the first game, at exactly the same time, 8:38 p.m., he clubbed the ball into the exact same stand 306 as Gibson once did. The game was over immediately, as it was then, and because all the bases were occupied, it was first Walk Off Grand Slam Homerun in the 121-year World Series history.
But that wasn’t all: The 35-year-old Freeman hit a home run in each of the next three games, and because he also hit a home run in each of his last two World Series games for the Atlanta Braves (he was traded in 2022). , he is now the first player in baseball history to hit a ball over the fence in six consecutive World Series games.
“In shape at the right time,” said Freeman quite casually afterwards. In doing so, he adhered to an important hero rule: Why show off or exaggerate when you don’t need to? The heroic sagas had already been written at this point; in the Los Angeles Times For example, columnist Bill Plaschke – who, incidentally, had insulted the team badly when they were behind in the first round of the playoffs – described this team as “the greatest in Los Angeles Dodgers history”.
The interesting thing: That’s probably true – and they’re likely to get even better. The Japanese Shohei Ohtani, who came from local rivals Angels during the summer break and signed a ten-year, $700 million contract, became the first player this season to hit at least 50 home runs (54) and at least 50 stolen bases ( 59) managed. He remained pale in the World Series, but he will also be used as a pitcher in the coming season; this year he sat out due to surgery on his throwing arm. “We’re really looking forward to it,” said Dodgers manager Dave Roberts on the evening of the triumph – but emphasized that he first wanted to enjoy this title.
At their worst, Americans are conflicted; at their best, they are sentimental. “Here we go, Los Angeles: Dance with your Dodgers,” wrote columnist Plaschke: “Hug your neighbor with the Gibson jersey, maybe even cry a little. You deserve this.” You want to shout from LA to New York: Hug your neighbor with the Aaron Judge jersey – even if you’re a Mets fan. At their best, New Yorkers are the best comforters in the world.
