Bill Plaschke: Greatest team or biggest flop? The 2024 Dodgers will decide their place in history
Published in Baseball
They have made the postseason for 11 consecutive years, advancing to three World Series while winning one.
But in the last two postseasons they have completely collapsed, losing in five games against San Diego, then being swept in three by Arizona in a series in which the Dodgers didn’t lead once.
Bottom line, it’s been three years since they won a playoff series, and yet they are expected to roll through October and win their first full-season World Series title in 36 years.
At least, they’d better…
And, oh boy, if they don’t…
“We have to win a championship,” manager Dave Roberts agreed this spring.
He followed with a simple yet complicated request of those demanding that championship.
”One of my asks is enjoy this ride, enjoy this team, because we’re getting a chance to see some of the best players to ever wear a Dodger uniform,” he said. “So before we get ahead of ourselves with the World Series, let’s enjoy this great team and brand of baseball.”
Enjoy this ride? So far, it’s been more like endure this ride.
The bumpiness starts with Ohtani, arguably the greatest player in baseball history and the first two-way threat since Babe Ruth pitched and played outfield more than a century ago.
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