Dodgers Silence Critics, Including Former Outfielder Alex Verdugo, With World Series Win
Shhhh. Do you hear that?
The Los Angeles Dodgers have silenced their critics.
Following doubts about their 2020 World Series title during a shortened season, Los Angeles secured their credibility with a thrilling 7-6 victory over the Yankees in Game 5 of the World Series.
One of those critics, Alex Verdugo, was one of the loudest and most poetically was silenced on four pitches from Walker Buehler to end the game and the World Series.
More news: Alex Verdugo Defends Yankees Fans That Grabbed Mookie Betts in World Series vs Dodgers
“It’s everything, man,” Buehler said. “Since I’ve been here we’ve played a lot of really good baseball and haven’t gotten it done. 2020 everybody talked s—. Can’t really say much about it now.”
The emotional comment from Buehler seemed like a direct clap back at what the former Dodger outfielder said in 2022 downplaying the Dodgers’ 2020 World Series title.
“A 60-game season, it’s still hard to judge to this day,” Verdugo said then. “Like yeah, it’s a World Series, right? Yeah, they got a ring. But they didn’t play any games at their home field. They didn’t. There weren’t any fans there. It was 60 games. Anyone could ball out for 60 games. That extra 102 is a big difference. They won it, it’s a true one, for what we call it. But I still call it as I see it, it’s still a 60-gamer.”
Buehler has dedicated his entire career to the Dodgers and was part of the 2020 championship team. Although the Dodgers triumphed over the Rays in that year’s World Series, the COVID-shortened season led some fans and opponents to question the legitimacy of the title.
But the Dodgers used 2020 as fuel igniting their desire to win another title, the second in five years.
“In 2020, we fought,” Smith said. “A bunch of fighters. We took a lot of that fight, a lot of that don’t give up. We were in the bubble [in 2020], we were around each other every day. We took that to this year, we embraced it, we were here for each other.
“Fought as a team and now we’re world champs.”
All the doubt can finally be put to rest.
“What are you going to say now?” Max Muncy said inside the Dodgers clubhouse. “What are you going to say now? You always have something to say. Say what you got to say now, it don’t matter. We’re champions, baby!”
Photo Credit: Robert Deutsch-Imagn Images
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What a putz.
“It was 60 games. Anyone could ball out for 60 games. That extra 102 is a big difference.”
Yeah Alex, but the Dodgers out balled them all. Verdugo is such a clown.
100%! Other teams and their fans all talking about it not counting, but everyone played with the same exact rules. Sorry there was a once in a century pandemic and adjustments were made. LAD had an extra round of playoffs that year, comparable to what is done now. If their team had won, they would celebrate it as a legitimate WS title. If they say otherwise, they are lying. That goes for players and fans.
Ironically, these same haters count Houston’s 2017 title as legitimate, even though they cheated in every home regular and post season game. At home in the playoffs, they averaged almost 6 runs per game and 3 runs per game on the road. They didn’t just cheat the Dodgers out of a possible title, but Boston (ALDS) and Yankees (ALCS) and honestly, all of baseball. Manfred should have vacated the title.
Exactly correct if it was so easy why didn’t his team do it, he’s just still hurt that we traded him , any team says it was a legitimate World Series in 2020 or easy then why didn’t they do it, If anything it was harder with all that was going on
Agree, OhioDodger. EVERY team had the same opportunity, the same conditions, the same circumstances in 2020, and only LA was left standing. Having “Doogie” make the last out swinging at air this year was all the sweeter.
I used to like Verdugo. Since he left the Dodgers I’ve heard a lot of comments from players that has lowered my opinion of him……These kinds of comments directly from him have cemented that opinion of him in my mind. Having him strike out for the last out in this world series was particularly satisfying. And against Walker Buehler who has work so hard to come back made it all the better. I doubt that Verdugo would be capable of that. Verdugo is nothing but a sniveling little dweeb in my opinion!