Oxy community reacts to Dodgers championship push

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Levi Lee/The Occidental

Back in our first co-written column, we highlighted the Los Angeles Dodgers’ astronomical offseason spending — a rejection of the Moneyball philosophy that clubs had followed for years. Now, the Dodgers are facing off in the World Series against the New York Yankees and with a combined 2024 payroll of over $550 million.

Social Sciences and Data Literacy Librarian Kristin Peace said the star players are a reason they would like to go see a Dodgers game.

I’d like to see Shohei, especially once he starts pitching. I appreciate that Ohtani deferred so much of his money. That endeared him to me as a Dodger player,” Peace said.

Jay Ward* (sophomore) said Shohei Ohtani is one of the biggest success stories of the season.

“It’s a privilege to watch Shohei play,” Ward said. “He’s probably the best player I’ll see in my lifetime, and to be able to see him play in our stadium is pretty special. A lot of people go to games just to see him get up to bat.”

According to Peace, having a large payroll hasn’t been the “Dodger way” in the past.

“Not only do [the Dodgers] bring guys up through the minor league system, they do a really good job of getting players to buy into what it means to be a Dodger, so it doesn’t feel so mercenary,” Peace said.

Sheldon Schiffer, a Visiting Assistant Professor in Computer Science said he considers himself a life-long fan.

“I think I’ve been a Dodger fan since I was a very small child. I would have gotten into the team when I [first] went to Dodger Stadium, sometime in the 70s,” Schiffer said.

According to Schiffer, his family heritage has led to a lifetime of love for the sport.

“My mother’s side of the family is from Nicaragua. It’s a baseball country like the Dominican Republic or Venezuela. Nicaragua has had quite a few [important] players over the years. My grandmother was a huge fanatic, she was a foreman in the Garment District here in LA and was always listening to baseball as she made things,” Schiffer said.

Schiffer said he has lived through multiple LA championships, and it is a special experience.

“There will be a communal joy — people who live near the stadium love the Dodgers. There’ll be a lot of public parks where people will enjoy that experience. It’ll be very public and very exciting, whether they win or lose,” Schiffer said.

William Ruiz, has been the director of the Neighborhood Partnership Program at Occidental since July 2022. Ruiz is from LA and said he has been a Dodgers fan for the last 20 years.

According to Ruiz, the last time the Dodgers brought home the World Series title in 2020, the fans were never really able to celebrate in true parade fashion due to the COVID-19 lockdown.

Ruiz said that winning the World Series would not only allow fans to fully celebrate the Dodgers’ success but would also help heal the loss of late Dodgers pitcher, Fernando Valenzuela.

“Finally piecing it together and winning it all would mean a lot, just as a lifelong Dodgers fan and someone from Los Angeles,” Ruiz said. “So I’m hoping we get it done.”

TJ Hastings (sophomore), who is from the Pacific Palisades, said this season is a new era for the Dodgers faithful and noted increased local excitement surrounding the Dodgers this season.

“In past years, we looked towards October only to be bounced pretty much immediately,” Hastings said. “Ever since we showed that fight against the Padres, a lot of people realized that this wasn’t the same sort of story […] I feel like that instilled a lot of confidence in people.”

Hastings said Dodgers fandom has increased on Occidental’s campus.

“You see a lot of people wearing Dodgers hats to class,” Hastings said.

Ward said he is impressed with the dedication of Dodgers fans in the area.

“Back home in Colorado, there’s very little fan atmosphere for baseball,” Ward said. “Here, you can pretty much talk to anybody about the Dodgers. To see a community join together to support something like this is really nice.”

Contact Mac Ribner and Ben Petteruti at ribner@oxy.edu and petteruti@oxy.edu

*Jay Ward is a former staff writer for The Occidental

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