From the celebrated Shohei Ohtani to the beleaguered manager Dave Roberts and the National League Championship MVP Tommy Edman, Asian American and Asian ballplayers played a prominent role in the Los Angeles Dodgers World Series title.
The Dodgers overcame a five-run deficit Wednesday night to win the World Series 3 games to 1 and the deciding game 7-6.
“My first year and experience winning a World Series has been a tremendous honor,” Ohtani said after the game, according to MLB.
The 50 homer 50 steal designated hitter had a quiet World Series after hurting his shoulder in game two. He played through the pain, but could be seen wincing while at the plate.
Still, there’s no doubt the Dodgers would not have made it to the Series without Ohtani. But he gave credit to his teammates.
“We were able to get through the regular season because of the strength of this team, this organization,” he said.
“And the success of the postseason is very similar to how we were able to pull it off during the regular season. Again, the strength of the organization.
With the Dodgers’ stellar line up, the pressure was on the Dodger manager to produce a World Series title. Roberts, whose mother is Japanese and father is African American, basked in the glow of victory.
“It’s just pure elation,” he said to ESPN immediately after the victory with his voice quivering from excitement. “I’m just so proud of our guys the way they fought. People talk about scripting things. I never expected Walker Buehler to get the last out in a save situation in game 5.”
A starting pitcher, Buehler pitched five scoreless innings on Tuesday. He entered the ninth with the Dodger bullpen depleted and got the last three outs and the save.
For Korean American Tommy Edman, the World Series title caps a remarkable comeback story.
He spent the first half of the season with the St. Louis Cardinals and didn’t play a single game due to injury. The Dodgers acquired him in a mid-season trade and he did the unexpected.
He batted in 11 runs with 11 hits in the National League Championship series to win Most Valuable Player honors.
“It’s really amazing. I don’t think there’s a better feeling in the world right now,” he said to MK sports.
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