Kiké Hernandez epitomizes what it means to be a Los Angeles Dodgers player.
The Puerto Rican utility man is versatile, talented, accomplished, — and above all else — motivated to win for his teammates.
This is arguably the ‘secret sauce’ that has the Dodgers in a position to perennially compete for a World Series title, and largely why the team has won back-to-back titles. The players are selfless in playing for one another regardless as to what each player is making or what their role is on the ballclub.
When speaking to Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic after Game 6, Hernandez illustrated how he was going to be as much of a team player as possible in order for his team to get the victory.
“When the World Series is on the line,” Hernández said, “I was willing to get hit in the face.”
In the decisive Game 7, the Toronto Blue Jays were threatening with bases loaded in the 9th inning. Ernie Clement hit a deep shot to left field that appeared to be over Hernandez’s head. Andy Pages — just inserted into the game as a defensive replacement for Tommy Edman — literally ran over Hernandez en route to making an improbable catch up against the left field wall.
Despite being trucked like a linebacker facing a beastly running back, Hernandez popped up and celebrated with his teammate as the game extended to extra innings.
The quote Hernandez said may have been an innocuous one in his mind. Having said that, it speaks to the bigger picture. This group of ballplayers literally did anything they could to scratch out the Game 7 victory over the Blue Jays.
Whether it be Yoshinobu Yamamoto inexplicably pitching the day after throwing six innings, Tyler Glasnow, Blake Snell, and Shohei Ohtani pitching on short rest, Will Smith setting a World Series record for most innings caught with a hand injury, or a myriad of little-known players stepping up in big moments, this World Series title demonstrated that the Dodgers are far from a group thrown together with piles of money and zero team chemistry.
In the end, it all paid off hugely for this group as the term ‘dynasty’ can officially be used to describe this historic run.
More news: Dodgers’ Dave Roberts Reveals His Plan for World Series Game 7
Photo Credit: Dan Hamilton/Imagn Images
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One Response
I THINK THIS WAS THE BEST WORLD SERIES I’VE EVER WITNESSED, AND I’VE SEEN EM’ FOR 60+ YEARS. TWO EVENLY MATCHED TEAMS THAT BATTLED EACH OTHER TOOTH AND NAIL, TO THE VERY END. THERE WAS GREAT CLUTCH HITTING (ROJAS) (W. SMITH) (FREEMAN) (MUNCY) (OHTANI) (TORONTO’S CLEMENT) AND MANY OTHERS I JUST CAN’T RECALL, THERE WAS GREAT FIELDING (PAGES) (K.HERNANDEZ) (MIGGY ROJAS) (BETTS) JUST TO NAME A FEW, AND OF COURSE ALL OF THE PITCHING STAFF AND THE UNPRECEDENTED GUTSY PITCHING FROM YOSHI ON NO REST. I COULD GO ON AND ON AND ON, THERE IS SO MUCH TO SAY AND NOT ENOUGH SPACE TO SAY IT. DAVE ROBERTS AND THE ENTIRE DODGER TEAM DESERVE ACCOLADES FOR A SERIES WELL EARNED……ALL I CAN SAY IS: WOW! WOW! WOW!