The Dodgers are embracing the “Evil Empire” moniker that the team has earned this offseason. The players know there’s a target on their back. Any chance any team in the league has an opportunity to embarrass the billion-dollar-free-spending Hollywood stars, they will. What better than to beat them on the field?
During an interview at Dodgers Fanfest Mookie Betts said, “Every game [against the Dodgers] is going to be the other team’s World Series.”
After being swept in the first round of the playoffs last year by the World Series-bound Diamondbacks, the Dodgers have spent $1 billion dollars on players. The front office has signed the top-two free agents in the market, Shohei Ohtani and Yosinobu Yamamoto. The Dodgers have upgraded the pitching staff by trading and extending Tyler Glasnow and signing James Paxton.
Dodgers shortstop, Gavin Lux understands why a team that won more than 100 games will spend a billion dollars to improve the team, “ How can you not run out and try to get the best guys out there?” Lux said during FanFest. “29 other teams could have done it. I don’t see how it could possibly be bad for baseball when everyone could have done that same thing.”
Every Good Story
Every good movie has a villain to root against. Star Wars had Darth Vader and the Empire. Harry Potter had Voldemort. The NFL season had Taylor Swift. With the Dodgers free-spending, they have become the MLB most hated team.
The majority of MLB fans will root against them. Every loss will be celebrated by everyone and that is a good thing. The Dodgers have become comfortable in winning. Winning a division has become the norm, but they only one World Series.
On the first day of Spring Training, Dave Roberts needs to walk into the locker room and say, “The fear of loss is a path to the dark side.”
Everyone in the team should embrace it. Anytime Ohtani hits a home run, put a Darth Vader helmet on him. The front office needs to trade away all the prospects to build a team of super stars. Trading away all prospects would be like this when Anakin Skywalker kills all the Jedi in training.
At the end of the day, the team will be what everyone thinks they are. The Dodgers will win a lot of games. There’s no question about that. The question is, will they have a deep run in October. If it doesn’t happen in the first season, everyone will laugh.
So what?
What will Happen?
Again, use that loss to path you to the dark side. The Dodgers will embrace this new moniker for years to come. Can you imagine the kinds of trades the front office will be a part of next off season if they lose this year? I can’t wait.
The Yankees used to be the proprietors of the Evil Empire moniker. They are the last team to win back-to-back World Series. Can the Dodgers equal the same dynasty that the Yankees put together? They sure have the means to do so and surpass it.
Its just a matter of how many World Series this team will win.
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