LA is just 4 wins away from the Dodgers World Series parade that never was

Clayton Kershaw deserves a save. This also applies to Los Angeles.

Let's do this, shall we?

Four years ago, the Dodgers won the World Series, but a pandemic canceled the parade.

These Dodgers are four wins from a parade, four wins from a civic celebration that would toast the greatest pitcher of our generation and a golden age in the history of a storied franchise, four wins that sparked a chorus of loud joy from the players and the fans was deprived of a real party, four victories from more than a million people gathering for satisfaction were postponed for far too long.

“The fans definitely deserve it,” Dodgers owner Mark Walter said Sunday after the team won the National League pennant.

In the path of a parade: the American League champions, the New York Yankees.

“We didn’t come here to win the pennant,” Walter said. “We came here to win the World Series.”

The night the Dodgers won the 2020 World Series — as the home team but playing in a coronavirus bubble in Texas — then-Mayor Eric Garcetti told me he planned to organize a celebration — if not a parade, then a celebration Kind of social distancing party. The Lakers had won the NBA championship 16 days earlier in the NBA bubble, and perhaps a communal celebration would be in order.

“I think we were all waiting for the time when it would be doable,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “They even talked about doing something with the Lakers, together. It would have been amazing. But it just wasn’t meant to be.”

Kershaw said he never really expected this celebration given the public health restrictions in the county and state.

Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw celebrates on the field after the team's victory over the New York Mets in Game 6 of the NLCS at Dodger Stadium on Sunday.

(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

“I don’t think we ever thought we would be able to do this, especially in California,” Kershaw said. “That definitely wouldn’t happen out here.”

Infielder Max Muncy said, “It was very disappointing that we didn't make that save, but obviously there were bigger things going on in the world.”

Kershaw is now on the injured list, but eight of the players on this year's NLCS roster were on the 2020 World Series roster: Muncy; outfielder Mookie Betts; infielder/outfielder Kiké Hernández and Chris Taylor; catchers Austin Barnes and Will Smith; and pitchers Walker Buehler and Blake Treinen.

The Dodgers won the 2020 championship in a 60-game season that required them to make four postseason rounds. A parade in 2024 would be the first in Los Angeles in 36 years.

“There’s something for all of us who were here,” Roberts said. “We know we won a championship and it was justified.

“But we want this parade. This is another incentive for us.”

Kershaw said he didn't think a parade would be special for the 2020 team's players.

“I think it would definitely be special,” he said. “Having a parade here would be pretty cool.”

Buehler said: “It would be crazy. We haven't had one for a long time. Obviously, we and the Lakers failed to do that in 2020. It would be a huge deal.”

Even as they doused each other with champagne and beer Sunday night, the Dodger players rejoiced at the idea of ​​a parade but were careful not to expect one. They don't look beyond the Yankees.

“We have four more games to win before the parade,” Betts said. “It will be a difficult task with the Yankees.

“This game is tough. It's hard to get to the World Series. We just have to appreciate being here and playing good baseball now, and then we can be lucky enough to have a parade.”

However, that didn't stop Roberts from pumping up the crowd on Sunday night. Just before he held up the NL championship trophy, he shouted a question that needed no answer.

“Do you want a parade in Los Angeles?” Roberts shouted. “Four more wins!”