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The Los Angeles Dodgers have just qualified for the World Series for the fifth time since 2017 and for the second campaign in a row. It was all thanks to a superb performance by Shohei Ohtani.
The club has spent quite a bit to get this far. And that's always going to get people talking.
Just after the win, Evan Drellich, a columnist emeritus at The Athletic, ironically mentioned that baseball, which gives us such great moments, just happens to need a work stoppage due to monetary disputes.
His message got through.
On nights like these, when we are all captivated by excellence no one has ever seen, I'm reminded of what baseball needs most: a long work stoppage over economics
– Evan Drellich (@EvanDrellich) October 18, 2025
He says this because watching a club with a deep-pocketed owner destroy a small market (Milwaukee scored just four runs in as many games against L.A.) accentuates some people's desire to see MLB impose a salary cap.
The current employment contract will end before the 2027 season… and don't get too attached to a 162-game season in 2027.
The NLCS begins tonight. And it could have a profound effect on whether baseball is played in 2027.
Free at ESPN: Why Milwaukee vs. Los Angeles is a proxy for the game's greater labor battle and how the result will be used as a cudgel in the fight ahead: https://t.co/lrWojKhUGd
– Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) October 13, 2025
Why am I talking about this? Because the Dodgers know they're the bad guys in baseball. And because Dave Roberts, in celebrating the Nationals' championship tonight, added to it.
He said that only four wins were needed to “really ruin baseball” as many people think. The home crowd loved to see the manager say such things.
Dave Roberts says he wants four more wins so the Dodgers can “really ruin baseball.”
pic.twitter.com/8Dgs3qkSew
– B/R Walk-Off (@BRWalkoff) October 18, 2025
Let's just say, under the circumstances, he could have just congratulated the Brewers and his players. But instead, he decided to get his message across and attack the system, so to speak.
It's a bold choice, let's face it.
Time will tell if he's just made the traditional mistake he makes at least once every October. After all, a manager's job is to take the target off his boys' backs. And there he was, defending his bosses… but it wasn't the time, in my opinion.
Note that the Dodgers will face either the Blue Jays, who spend quite a bit, or a budget team like the Mariners.
This content was created with the help of AI.
