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You've been busy in the seven months since Opening Day. Here is some help to catch up.
We know, it's been a long baseball season. After 162 games (this year the Dodgers played 163!), There were several rounds of playoffs to follow. And now, after all that, we're finally at the World Series. It's entirely possible you're not a fan of the Red Sox or the Dodgers, and life has so many distractions these days. A lot happens in baseball in seven months, so you're forgiving for not being up to speed.
Here's a cheat sheet to help you sound like the authoritative baseball fan you've always wanted to sound like.
They won a lot of games.
The Red Sox wins 108 games in the regular season, which is the most Boston has ever won. It is also the fourth time they have won at least 100 games. In two of those three other seasons, the Red Sox went on to win the World Series. In 1912 they won 105 of 152 games, in 1915 they won 101 of 151 games and in 1946 they won 104 out of 154 games. Only the 1946 team, with Ted Williams, failed to win the World Series.
You will hear a lot about Chris Sale.
Chris Sale is Boston's top starting pitcher, their so-called ace, but it's a long time ago. He made one start in August and four more in September. But the velocity on his pitches declined noticeably and he never pitched past the fifth inning in any of those five games.
It was a subject of great debate in Boston. Did you have a serious injury, or were the Red Sox pampering him, dialing back his workload intentionally because he had a history of fading late in the season? He pitched in Game 1 against the Astros, and the next day developed a nasty stomach virus that landed him in the hospital overnight. He did not pitch again against Houston.
It was already a skinny dude. Still, he is the lucky starter for Game 1, but what will he have for that game? It's a burning issue for the Red Sox. Then again, every time an obstacle appears, Boston seems to win anyway.
Manager Alex Cora loves to take risks.
Cora – who, by the way, played for the Dodgers for seven seasons – is a rookie manager who has been very aggressive in his decision-making. He has treated many proposals, and it has worked out well.
While managers have long used their best starting pitchers in relief, it is usually in eliminating games or extra innings. Cora does it all the time. The reason for the tactic is that its weakest link, but Cora has managed around it.
You want some inside baseball bona fides? Here.
Craig Kimbrel, Boston's shaky closer, was tipping his pitches in the postseason. That means he was doing something that he was doing. Whatever the cause, he did not get well in the postseason, and it always happened late in the games, so most of your colleagues were asleep at the time. Cora said Kimbrel was inadvertently signaling the upcoming pitch with the position of his glove before he threw it. When his glove was high, it was a straight fastball. When the glove was low, it was a slider or curve. That would theoretically give the batter a huge advantage. Cora said a friend in a baseball commented on it while watching on tv and texted the manager before Game 5 of the A.L.C.S. against Houston. So watch Kimbrel, glove and all.
Babe Ruth bonus (it's the New York Times).
This is the 100th anniversary of the Red Sox 'third and last World Series title with Babe Ruth. It's also the first time the Dodgers and Red Sox have been featured in the World Series since 1916. Ruth's pitched a 14-inning full-game victory in Game 2, which the Red Sox won on their way to the title. Purpose of a year after the 1918 World Series, Red Sox owner and theatrical producer Harry Frazee sold Ruth to the Yankees in order to raise money to produce the musical, "No, No, Nanette." Boston baseball, but it gave the world "tea for two" and the Yankees a legend.
They have a great pitcher with an uneven postseason history.
Clayton Kershaw, the finest starting pitcher on the Dodgers' staff – and perhaps the best of his generation – has had an up-and-down postseason history. Kershaw, who has spent 11 years with the Dodgers, is a seven-time All-Star and a three-time Cy Young Award winner. He is incredibly popular in Los Angeles and has adorable children, who sometimes join him for postgame news conferences.
Goalkeeper's goal as 2.39 earned-run average, he has struggled to a 9-8 career record in the playoffs with a bloated 4.09 E.R.A. His 2018 postseason has been another mixed bag. For example, he was brilliant in Game 2 of the National League division series, throwing eight shutout innings in a win against the Atlanta Braves. But then, against the Milwaukee Brewers in the National League Championship Series, he was inconsistent: one rocky start, one good start, and one inning of flawless relief in Game 7 to seal the pennant.
Kershaw will likely start Game 1 against the Red Sox, but his future is uncertain: Kershaw can opt out of his contract and become a free agent.
It's been 30 years since they won it all.
The Dodgers have not won a World Series since 1988, when Kirk Gibson was hobbling around the basepaths and Orel Hershiser was one of the game's most feared pitchers. But they have been tantalizing close last year, losing in seven games to the Houston Astros.
That the Dodgers are back in the World Series is not a surprise – they had the third-highest payroll player in the season – but they did not make things easy on themselves. Or maybe they just had a flair for the dramatic. They are scammed to a 16-26 start, copied with a batch of injuries, then swept the San Francisco Giants in their final series of the season to force an extra game against the Colorado Rockies for the division title. So a seven-game series against the Brewers in the N.L.C.S. was about as predictable as L.A. traffic.
The least boring baseball player is a Dodger.
After appearing in 26 games, Corey Seager, the Dodgers' All-Star shortstop, Tommy John underwent season-ending surgery. It was a huge blow for the team, which sought help by the acquiring of Manny Machado from the Baltimore Orioles. Machado, who is due for free agency, is known in baseball jargon as a "rental" – in other words, his time in Los Angeles might be short. But it has not been boring.
In the N.L.C.S., Machado really irritated the Brewers and their fans with some truly obnoxious base running. (Jim Palmer, The Hall of Fame, for a Broadcaster for the Orioles.) Goal Machado has also given the Dodgers some much-needed pop, hitting .250 with 3 home runs and 9 RBI in the postseason.
Look, boldface names!
The Dodgers have a very crowded and star-powered owners' box. Guggenheim Baseball Management, a group led by the billionaire Mark Walter, bought the team in 2012. Magic Johnson, the president of the Los Angeles Lakers, is a partner, and Billie Jean King, the tennis court, joined the group in September with her partner, Ilana Kloss.
Of course, the stands are well-stocked with celebrities. Ashton Kutcher, Will Ferrell, Jennifer Lopez, and Lakers have been spotted at games. (The Red Sox will always have Matt Damon, Ben Affleck and Mark Wahlberg.)
Justin Turner is superhero playoff with a gnarly beard.
Justin Turner, the Dodgers' starting third baseman, is, by any measure, a solid hitter. In 10 big-league seasons, Turner has hit .292 with a .366 on-base percentage and .463 slugging percentage. This article is only available in the English, but it is also available in the English version. The Brewers felt his familiar postseason wrath in Game 2 of the N.L.C.S., when he smashed a two-run, go-ahead homer that lifted the Dodgers to a 4-3 victory.
Oh, and here's something else worth noting: Turner once played for the Mets, who has fallen back on the season. (He also has a really fun beard.)
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