It's Real and It's Spectacular

 

Justin Turner (red beard) is in the front row

You should know in advance that I don't like the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Never have.

I would have especially hated them -- yes, hated -- in the 50s. Specifically in 1955, when they beat the Yankees in the World Series.

Plus I get more than a little tired at the "woe is us" of Brooklyn, even 62 years after the left for Los Angeles.

But, dammit, there's Vin Scully, and even I cared about #WinForVin.

Anyway, I'm burying the lede like Mookie Betts buried the ball in the left field stands when he homered late last night to give Los Angeles an insurance run as they beat Tampa Bay to win the World Series.

The boo birds (aka pessimists) appeared almost immediately, heartened by third baseman Just Turner's positive COVID-19 test. MLB received the result during the game and Turner was removed but was on the field celebrating after the final out.

There will be much to say about that but, for what it's worth, he contracted it somehow and had been around his teammates throughout. Still, family members were on the field also. The whole thing is sketchy for sure.

But beyond those taking the COVID-positive victory lap, let's address this season.

Sorry, folks, but it counts.

It's 100% real.

I don't care how many games they played. I signed up for a 60-game season and that's what they played.

I signed up for all of it, whether I liked it or not. Honestly, I never liked 60 games and, if you follow or listen to me, you know that's the truth.

Still, I was willing to suspend a lot to make the best of this year. Isn't that what we're supposed to do? 

If a concert or a Broadway show was staged for you in your front yard, would you dismiss it?

Aren't we supposed to take lemons and make lemonade?

Though a dash of vodka might be necessary in this concoction.

Some will simply not be happy and I get that. They will find any reason to whine. Such as...

- Sixty games aren't a REAL season.
- The playoffs were expanded too far.
- Blake Snell shouldn't have been pulled and computers are running baseball.
- Justin Turner's positive test.
- Joe Buck because he's Joe Buck
- Rob Manfred (ah, that's too easy, and what was going on with him in the postgame?)

And so on. Some of it is even few but, sorry to say, it is what it is.

Buck, by the way, paid tribute to his dad and Vin Scully before the final out and you probably know how I feel about that. Game recognizing game, I suppose.

But there is no asterisk. You didn't want this season to happen and, as I've said since -- what, April? -- take this year off if you don't like it. 

I like it. Hell, I love it.

I'm no Dodgers fan but Chris Erway is and I'm happy for him today.

I've been consistent from the beginning. It's a real season if the Yankees won it.

The Dodgers won it and it's real. Anyone complaining simply has sour grapes.

This is what we did to survive 2020. The countdown is on to a hopefully real season in 2021.

There are still labor issues to address as well as the future of the, ahem, minor leagues.

But 2020 is in the books. All along I said they would play.

It's a business.

They played.

The Dodgers won.

It counts.

Game over.