The Dodgers have won the NL West in 2016, which doesn’t sound all that remarkable for the team with the highest payroll in baseball, but taking into consideration where they were just two months ago, it’s absolutely ridiculous.
Me? I honestly never saw this coming, much less it coming this easily. Hell, I basically completely checked out in the middle of July.
Being free of any expectations for the rest of the season is rather nice, honestly.
— Chad Moriyama (@ChadMoriyama) July 19, 2016
These Dodgers rallied without Clayton Kershaw and are now as close to full strength as they’ve been all season and are uncoincidentally playing their best baseball of the season in September. After literally setting a record for putting the most players on the DL in a single season and seemingly aiming to be the baseball poster child for Murphy’s law, now people’s hopes are understandably riding high because it seems like there’s nothing this team can’t do.
Hell, just look at how they clinched. Charlie Culberson. Charlie freaking Culberson, man.
Would be hilarious if Culberson went yard here for like his first extra-base hit of the season.
— Chad Moriyama (@ChadMoriyama) September 25, 2016
Like.
Yasiel Puig even put the belt around Charlie Culberson.
Well deserved, but how improbable is that? Dude hadn’t hit a homer in the MLB since August 14, 2014. How do even explain that? I dunno, and I don’t care, because I’m going to enjoy it.
And the Dodgers started to enjoy it as well, because they soon started the celebration. And why not? After all they earned every bit of it. But even before they went nuts, they had to take care of the important stuff, mainly showing respect to Vin Scully.
Vinny then went ahead and spoke to fans, but he capped off his career at Dodger Stadium by singing “Wind Beneath My Wings” to all of us.
And now the fun stuff, because hey, even Vinny is ready.
#THIS. #VIN pic.twitter.com/kzZl1v3YCX
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) September 26, 2016
HOW ABOUT THEM DODGERS?!
NL West Champs!!!!!! pic.twitter.com/qB9KmmNhCw
— Adrián González (@Adrian_ElTitan) September 26, 2016
Of all the people to just lose it in the clubhouse, you’d probably pick Clayton Kershaw as the last to do it, and yet.
LMAO
Meanwhile, Dave Roberts and Jerry Hairston Jr. were getting owned during interviews.
Oh yeah, and here’s Adam Liberatore going insane and smashing bottles and screaming and shit.
Speaking of insane Adam Liberatore, here he is screaming at Yasiel Puig to get a party bus, which is followed by them screaming at each other.
Just stay with Puig. pic.twitter.com/UCarWRLfwk
— Arash Markazi (@ArashMarkazi) September 26, 2016
Hm…
NL West champs baby! Only the first step! #4straight #imdrubk
— Adam Liberatore (@adamlib21) September 26, 2016
…yeah.
Apparently this is how Yasiel Puig and Kenta Maeda communicate.
#PuigYourFriend pic.twitter.com/qqs3zVLijl
— Arash Markazi (@ArashMarkazi) September 26, 2016
And while we’re on Kenta Maeda, here he is owning his translator, Will Ireton.
Kenta Maeda dumped his interpreter Will Ireton into a bucket of Budweiser in the Dodgers celebration. https://t.co/xLMuGhbBzo
— Ryan Walton (@RyanWaltonSBN) September 26, 2016
Oh yeah, and remember guys, Julio Urias can’t drink.
Where's @theteenager7 he can't drink, tu no puedes tomar Urias. #NLWestChamps #LALovesOctober pic.twitter.com/UZtgZpvPBe
— Adrián González (@Adrian_ElTitan) September 26, 2016
One year ahead of you, A-Gon.
At least Seager made 21. Hopefully Urias is up next year and they celebrate so we can catch him underage drinking.
— Chad Moriyama (@ChadMoriyama) September 30, 2015
Andrew Friedman and Kenley Jansen hug, which I hope they’ll also be doing after signing a contract in the off-season.
Andrew Friedman and Kenley Jansen share an embrace. pic.twitter.com/BToAUzNHov
— Dodger Blue (@DodgerBlue1958) September 26, 2016
Josh Reddick doing Georgia proud.
I'm not sure Josh thought this all the way through. pic.twitter.com/NyYff8nJx6
— Chad Moriyama (@ChadMoriyama) September 26, 2016
Meanwhile, Chase Utley looking like he’s worrying about the carpet cleaning bill.
"Let me ask you something, Jerry, do these kids realize what a mess they're making right now?!" Probably. pic.twitter.com/tEc4aqbyFk
— Chad Moriyama (@ChadMoriyama) September 26, 2016
Makes sense.
—–
To cap it off, there’s a bunch of stuff thanking the fans.
Dave Roberts has a message for the fans.
Dave Roberts' message to you pic.twitter.com/lAdCv7qIHM
— Dodger Insider (@DodgerInsider) September 26, 2016
Yasiel Puig has a message as well.
"Thank you Dodger fans for everything."
– @YasielPuig pic.twitter.com/aMmmXyOhWW— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) September 26, 2016
As does Corey Seager.
Thank you, Dodger fans!! #LALovesOctober pic.twitter.com/BbgT4zsrqh
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) September 26, 2016
And Kenta Maeda.
ドジャースファンの皆様ありがとうございます!#マエケン pic.twitter.com/Pf6Zspfwud
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) September 26, 2016
And Howie Kendrick.
All year long. Let's keep it going! #LALovesOctober pic.twitter.com/QWj2Rtoc7m
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) September 26, 2016
And Charlie Culberson.
Hero. #LALovesOctober pic.twitter.com/JcsQgtKDHd
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) September 26, 2016
And finally Rob Segedin.
To the best fans! pic.twitter.com/ONQitjUPQF
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) September 26, 2016
—–
Man, I really hope this is the team that wins it all. Not only because it’s Vin Scully’s last season, but because two months ago it was completely logical to laugh off even considering the suggestion, so it would be extremely baseball to have it happen this year of all years.