2020 and the Dodgers: Even When Down, Never Out
Showing fight and resilience in the face of adversity has become the new “in” life skill in 2020. Little did we know it at the time, but as the clock struck midnight on January 1, 2020, we were on our way to the most challenging year most of us have faced as humans, and before we knew it, life became a terrible reality show called “Survival of the Fittest.”
…and in order to move forward, many of us had to learn to draw on a fight that we didn’t even know we had.
Much of the same can be said about Major League Baseball and how, as a business, it decided to forge on and somehow, almost miraculously, put on a successful season. It sure looked different than anything we’d seen before (much like 2020 itself), but it worked. I realized on Wednesday night when pondering the Dodgers’ World Series Game 2 loss, that the fight and grit this team has shown all postseason even when down in a game, or down in a series, is similar in a lot of ways to the current situation in our society. Ultimately, whoever proves the best at persevering in the face of all of this adversity will live to see another day, and in baseball, these special kind of warriors will be rewarded with the title of “World Champions” in the end.
The #Dodgers losing always sucks – whether it’s April, July, or the postseason. But I remind you all that this team has been handling loss and adversity in a much different way this year than in last years, and I for one really don’t see that changing over the next week. #Believe
— Gail Johnson (@GJOH29) October 22, 2020
After Game 5 of the NLCS, when things looked grim, to say the least, I dug deep into a well that in previous postseasons I may have just given up on, and wrote about how I chose hope over despair. Rather than stew for hours over the loss and the thought of the Dodgers possibly being eliminated in less than 24 hours, writing and sharing my thoughts helped me put the situation in a much-needed perspective, and helped me sleep. Life was going to continue one way or the other, so why not face it with a healthy resolve rather than wallow in self-pity, I decided. Much like the last 7 months, I leaned on a resolve that I’d forgotten I had, which helped me approach the remainder of the NLCS, no matter the outcome, with a much more positive mindset…and it paid off.
Most importantly, the Dodgers, too, have been showing a special kind of resilience and resolve throughout this whole season, and even more so since their incredible comeback in the NLCS. Dave Roberts touched on it when he spoke with sincere emotion as he and Andrew Friedman received the Warren C. Giles Trophy after the team’s Game 7 thrilling, come from behind victory. Not only had the team battled back in that series, they had been battling all year. Being away from their families, making personal sacrifices, playing under less than ideal conditions… they had emerged as one of the two best teams in baseball at doing it.
And they’re not done yet. Even after the game 2 loss, the Dodgers never felt or played like they were out of it. There’s a fire that I know I (as a self-proclaimed Dodgers devotee) have never seen before from this team, and I have a feeling it will continue to burn until the last out of the season. Much like the real-life heroes we have all become this year in dealing with this global pandemic, the Dodgers sure look like they’re going to keep fighting until the battle has been won.
Like Dave said, “This is our year!”
Yes, Dodgers fans, this is indeed OUR year.
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NEXT: Alex Wood Has the Same Superstitions That We All Do
With Roberts as manger they alway have a good chance to be out