Our National Pastime of baseball, in case you haven’t noticed, seems to be catching on everywhere. Proof is the success of the World Baseball Classic, which will be played again in March 2026 and inspires patriotism. The game has now been adopted in 132 countries, and has even been expanded to include several different regions in the Little League World Series, including Africa and Europe. And now for the first time in 32 years, the MLB World Series, the celebrated Fall Classic, will also have an international flavor.
When the Toronto Bue Jays outlasted the Seattle Mariners in a seven game dog fight for the ages, it meant that Toronto would take on the Los Angeles Dodgers, Canada vs. the United States, for all the marbles. The battling birds only have one Canadian player, of course. He would be their super star first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr., who was born in Montreal when his Hall of Fame father, Vladimir Guerrero Sr, played for the now extinct Expos. This is a young man who speaks three languages, was the MVP in the NLCS, and is the spiritual leader on this club.
“I’ve known the Guerrero family for a long time, and Vlady Jr is a great kid and believes in God,” says David “Bg Papi” Ortiz, part of the Fox crew that will broadcast this event. “He was destined to play in Canada and lead this organization.”
While Guerrero, 26, is a proud Canadian and fluent in French, he is a dual citizen of the Dominican Republic and blends in with a Blue Jays roster that has a heavy Latino presence. Part of that key group includes all-star catcher and Tijuana, Mexico native Alejandro Kirk, veteran shortstop Andres Gimenez, plus relief pitchers Seranthony Dominguez and Yaniel Rodriguez. Bottom line, I think it’s fair to say that this club wouldn’t have made it this far without the trio of Guerrero, Kirk and Gimenez.
DODGER DYNASTY
The world champion Dodgers are cut from a different cloth. While their own first baseman Freddie Freeman holds a Canadian passport because of his mother’s heritage, this is a team near and dear to Little Tokyo rather than Olvera Street. I say this because Shohei Ohtani, possibly one of the greatest players in the history of the game, makes this team click. Then add fellow pitchers Yoshinobu Yamamoto and rookie closer Yoki Sasaki to the mix and you have something special. Not since the days of the late Fernando Valenzuela have the Dodgers groomed a Latino player who would attract fans to Chavez Ravine. That would seem to be a no brainer in a city that is 50% Hispanic. However, the club does employ a few quality individuals like Puerto Rican veteran Enrique Hernandez, talented youngster Andy Pages and slugger Teoscar Hernandez to keep the crowd entertained. Truth be told, the Dodgers are a confident bunch who are comfortable in their own skin, and that makes them a dangerous opponent.
OUR PREDICTIONS
The Blue Jays are tough in the clutch, play excellent defense and seldom beat themselves. That’s a credit to their skipper John Schneider who brings the best out of his athletes. And from Max Scherzer to ALCS hero George Springer, this is a club that won’t be overwhelmed by the moment. That being said, Guerrero will face enormous pressure to play at a high level, because as he goes the Blue Jays go.
The Dodgers, on the other hand, will make errors and their share of mistakes. But they have a way of overwhelming their opponents. The offensive attack starts with Ohtani, Mookie Betts and Freeman, but they’re dangerous throughout the lineup. And the starting pitchers are probably the best in baseball. The Blue Jays are fighters and they are the home team on Astro Turf. But Los Angeles should take this thing in six games and repeat as world champs.
