The Los Angeles Dodgers were robbed of making history

After a month and a half of waiting, the punishments were finally handed out. With all of this going down, the Dodgers were robbed. Plain and simple.

A $5M fine to the Houston Astros. First and second-round picks stripped away from them for the next two years. Astros manager A.J Hinch and general manager Jeff Luhnow suspended for one year each.

Throughout this whole cheating scandal, we learned that the entire league was affected bt the decisions made bt the Astros. But one specific team paid the biggest price, and that’s the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Say what you want about the New York Yankees being cheated out of making two World Series. As true as that is, it doesn’t change the fact that the Dodgers were probably cheated out of potential World Series championships.

Do people realize how different things would be had the Dodgers just won one or two championships these past three years? Well, let’s put it into perspective.

Clayton Kershaw developed the narrative of a “choker” come playoff time. That was especially established after Game 5 of the 2017 World Series against the Astros, in which Kershaw gave up 4 runs in the fourth inning after being up 4-0.

Maybe if there’s no cheating, Kershaw’s confidence level would be much better right now. Psychologically, every time Kershaw goes onto the mound, he’s under tremendous pressure because of this narrative.

After losing back-to-back World Series, it’s very easy to place the blame on the manager. Unfortunately, it just happens to be on Dave Roberts. Fans across the country, including Dodger fans, have heavily criticized Roberts for his decision-making and lack of success.

Many have not seen him as a manager that can get the job done when it matters. All the criticism he took, the narrative that he’s not a great manager, would be nonexistent had they just won in 2017 or 2018.

The Dodgers have been legitimate title contenders for the past four years, and it’s an absolute travesty that they have not been able to win one. 2017 seemed to be the year that the Dodgers would win it all, regardless of who they faced in the World Series.

Los Angeles won 104 games in the regular season, and overall, it just seemed as though it was their year.

Fast forward to 2018. The Boston Red Sox had just hireded Head Coach Alex Cora, who was a bench coach with the Astros just a year prior. All of sudden, the Red Sox become instant juggernauts and were the heavy favorites to win it all.

Nothing is set in stone for the Red Sox. However, there have been multiple reports of utilizing a replay room to steal signs. If that is indeed true, which all points to being the case due to Cora’s history, the Dodgers were definitely robbed from making history—again.

Think about how talented the Dodgers are. Great hitting, great fielding, and great pitching. Their only flaw was their bullpen. Considering how dominant they’ve been during the regular season, you question why the Dodgers couldn’t get it done during playoff time.

That all goes back to the 2017 World Series. In reality, the Dodgers have never gotten over the way they lost Game 7 to the Astros. Now, it seems like they have a legitimate reason for being upset they lost to the Astros.

They lost to cheaters. Period.

Had they won in 2017, maybe they win in 2018. Who knows how much success the Dodgers would have by now. These past few years, the Dodgers’ squads have been nothing but absolutely talented and special.

It’s a huge hit to the league, as well. The Dodgers have been a top-tier franchise in MLB history, and for the Dodgers to not have won a World Series Championship since 1988, this one stings more.

Just imagine how much change could happen within an organization just because of one cheating scandal. Because of a few decisions the Astros made, it changed the Dodgers’ narrative forever.

Out of the past three seasons, one decision being made changed the entire Dodgers organization. Players moving left and right, the pressure that the Dodgers have had since they “didn’t get the job done”—It’s an absolute travesty that we’re sitting here today saying that the Dodgers have not won since 1988.

Los Angeles was robbed of making history.