One good thing about the Dodgers winning the first three games of the World
Series is that I got to work on this post earlier than expected...
First of all, congrats to the Los Angeles Dodgers for winning the 2024 World
Series! I didn't get to watch any of it this year, as Fox is not one of my streaming options. I did watch highlights though (and even some lowlights), so I saw all the good stuff! I now have a soft spot for the Dodgers, as they were the team on hand for both the Red Sox most recent win, and now the Yankees most recent loss. Way to wedge yourself into the rivalry, L.A.!
Speaking of that Dodgers-Red Sox World Series, back when it was going down I did a blog post where I made a lineup comprised of the best players that have donned both uniforms. I've done it for the World Series Championship team and the Red Sox every year since, with the exception of 2020. (Ironically because the Dodgers had won, and it didn't seem worth doing just 2 years after I originally had done them.)
Now we're significantly further removed from that 2018 Series, and enough time has passed where I feel an update is appropriate. You're welcome to read the original blog post obviously, but for simplicity sake, here's that lineup from 6 years ago:
Catcher: David Ross
1st Baseman: Adrian Gonzalez
2nd Baseman: Alex Cora
Shortstop: Nomar Garciaparra
3rd Baseman: Adrian Beltre
Left Fielder: Manny Ramirez
Center Fielder: Reggie Smith
Right Fielder: J.D. Drew
Starting Pitcher: Pedro Martinez
Closer: Eric Gagne
Manager: Grady Little
Since the start of the 2019 season, 21 players have joined the list of honored individuals to have suited up for both teams. From that list, I have determined 3 positions where my all-time team can get upgraded:
2nd Baseman: Enrique Hernandez replaces Alex Cora
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Right Fielder: Mookie Betts replaces J.D. Drew
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Closer: Kenley Jansen replaces Eric Gagne
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Designated Hitter: Added J.D. Martinez
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Congrats again, Dodgers! Hopefully we can do this again in another 6 years (and hopefully the Red Sox will stop trading good players to you - I can't shake the feeling Raffy will end up in Dodgertown on a salary-dump trade...)