Sometimes we throw superlatives out too willy nilly.
That can’t be said for the end of the 2025 World Series.
Game 7 (plus the end of Game 6) of Dodgers-Blue Jays was the best sports has to offer. Strategy, execution, players leaving every ounce of their spirit and body on the field, all-time greats, and millions of fans hanging on every pitch.
It was—along with 1991 Game 7, 1997 Game 7, 2001 Game 4/5/7, 2011 Game 6, 2016 Game 7, 2017 Game 5, 2022 Game 1, 2023 Game 1—among the 10 best World Series that I can remember watching. Considering the stakes, back-and-forth moments, and individual performances, I’d rank it No. 1. If that’s recency bias, so be it.
The game, outcome and performances also had me thinking about the Phillies—what was, what is, and what needs to be as they try to reach the pinnacle that the Dodgers reside on again.
-Los Angeles’ defense won that game and series. The Phillies aren’t good enough defensively, and haven’t been for a long time. Think about the plays Los Angeles made. Then think about the play Trea Turner couldn’t in Game 2 of the NLDS.
-Please don't tell me managers don’t matter. They do, especially in October. Dave Roberts was outstanding in Game 7. He’s a better manager than Rob Thomson, who is a solid leader but not someone I trust in crucible moments.
-Yoshinobu Yamamoto turning down the Phillies’ $300M offer two winters ago is a huge “what if?” moment for the trajectory of each franchise. We’re already talking about one of the best big game pitchers in baseball history.
-When I watched Toronto’s Addison Barger emerge as an impossible out, it casts a shadow over the lack of development of a player like Alec Bohm. Barger, with just over 200 career major league games under his belt, is already a more impactful player than Bohm has ever been.
-Everything the Phillies do this offseason needs to be under this mandate: The goal isn’t to win 95 games or the NL East. The prize wasn’t one bad throw away. This is now about toppling a dynasty, one that only grows stronger by the year. The Dodgers are the closest thing to the late-90s Yankees. They can’t be killed.
-Sometimes, the best takes need time to cook.
The Myles Garrett trade discussion—while wearing costumes—was a ton of fun.
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