One inch. The Dodgers held onto their hope of repeating as World Series champions last year by one inch. If catcher Will Smith’s spike was just slightly smaller, he does not make contact with home plate and the Blue Jays’ Isiah Kiner-Falefa scores the World Series-winning run.
Andy Pages came within just one foot of not saving the World Series for the Dodgers. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)
One foot. The Dodgers held onto their hope of repeating as World Series champions last year by one foot. If center fielder Andy Pages is one foot slower on Ernie Clement’s drive over Kiké Hernández’s head, the Blue Jays win the World Series.
One inning. The Dodgers trailed the Yankees 5-0 and were being one-hit by Gerrit Cole in Game 5 of the 2024 World Series before Aaron Judge failed to catch a routine flyball and Cole forgot to cover first base. The Dodgers scored five runs – all unearned – to tie the score and eventually win the game and the World Series. If the Yankees don’t implode in that fifth inning, the series would have headed back to Los Angeles with the Yankees on a two-game winning streak, and then who knows?
All of which is to say that but for the caprices of the sport, the Dodgers do not win back-to-back world championships, are not viewed as a dynasty, and don’t have baseball fans in every city except Los Angeles losing their mind over the recent trade for back-to-back Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal.
