Category: MLB

SNL Weekend Update roasted the Yankees fans who grabbed Mookie Betts

The fans got rightfully roasted by SNL Weekend Update.

You kind of had to know this was coming.

Saturday Night Live — which featured the real Kamala Harris in the cold open — had it’s usual Weekend Update sketch with Colin Jost and Michael Che, and of course they roasted the New York Yankees fans who grabbed Mookie Betts and pried the ball out of the Los Angeles Dodgers star’s glove.

The joke started with Jost noting that Dodgers fans looted a Nike store after the win.

“That is just disgusting,” Jost remarked. “Yankees fans would never steal sporting goods, unless it was during the game.”

Guess what photo popped up on the screen? You nailed it.

Watch:

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Gerrit Cole opted out of his mega Yankees contract (but here’s why he’s likely staying put)

The Yankees have a $36 million decision to make with their ace

Gerrit Cole may be a Yankee fan today, tomorrow, forever, but that didn’t stop him throwing New York’s front office a curveball on Saturday by opting out of his contract.

According to ESPN’s Jeff Passan and Kiley McDaniel, the Yankees’ ace informed the team of his decision to forgo the remaining four years and $144 million on his contract to become a free agent.

However the Yankees don’t have to let him walk away. The team can nullify Cole’s opt out clause by adding an additional one year and $36 million to his contract and lock up the pitcher through 2029 (bringing his remaining term to five years, $180 million).

New York has until Sunday night to invalidate the opt out and, according to Passan, the belief is that he’ll stay put:

The expectation is that the Yankees will add the $36 million to keep Cole at the top of their rotation and ensure that they don’t potentially lose multiple integral players, with star outfielder Juan Soto hitting free agency.

It’s certainly a bit of awkward timing for the 34-year-old righty who signed a Yankees’ franchise record nine-year, $324 million contract in 2019.

While Cole won the American League Cy Young Award in 2023, he only pitched the second half of the season in 2024 while dealing with an elbow injury. In Game 5 of the World Series against the Dodgers on Wednesday, Cole contributed to five unearned runs scored by L.A. after not covering first base during New York’s meltdown in the fifth inning.

If the Yankees decline to meet Cole’s demands, the pitcher will be among the most sought-after players on the open market.

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The Dodgers were late for their own parade because their buses are hilariously stuck in LA traffic

LA traffic doesn’t move for anybody. Not even champions.

They say the traffic in Los Angeles is some of the worst in the world. It can take you hours just to move a few miles.

The Los Angeles Dodgers can officially attest to that.

LA Traffic doesn’t move for anything — not even championship parades. The Dodgers championship parade is supposed to be underway in Los Angeles, but the team’s busses for the festivities are literally stuck in bumper-to-bumper traffic.

If we didn’t have visual evidence of this, it’d be hard to believe. But it’s really happening. The team is about to be late for its own championship parade because LA is always gonna LA.

This is unreal.

What time is the Dodgers parade on Friday?

Here’s that answer!

The Los Angeles Dodgers are World Series champions after a woeful New York Yankees Game 5, which means one thing: it’s parade time in L.A.!

That’s right, on Friday, November 1 2024 — the late Fernando Valenzuela’s birthday! — fans are getting a parade in downtown Los Angeles and then a separate celebration at Dodger Stadium. It should be an amazing day for fans who didn’t get a parade in 2020 due to COVID-19 restrictions.

But if you’re here, you may be wondering: what time do the festivities start?

The answer: it’ll be at 11 a.m. Pacific, which is 2 p.m. Eastern. Enjoy and have fun, Dodgers fans!

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Check out these LA Dodgers commemorative World Series champion framed newspapers

The Dodgers are on top of the baseball world. Celebrate with commemorative framed prints.

The Los Angeles Dodgers had a true Hollywood ending to the baseball season, defeating the New York Yankees to win the 2024 World Series.

There’s only one thing left for Dodger fans to do, celebrate!

Remember this season forever with a USA TODAY commemorative framed print, memorializing the Dodgers and their eight World Series trophies.

LA Dodgers commemorative framed print
LA Dodgers commemorative framed print (USA TODAY)

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No player deserves more credit than Freddie Freeman, the 2024 World Series MVP, who homered in each of the first four games of the series, including the first-ever World Series walk-off grand slam.

Freeeman’s heroics earned him a place on a second Dodgers commemorative cover.

Freddie Freeman 2024 World Series commemorative print
Freddie Freeman 2024 World Series commemorative print (USA TODAY)

[afflinkbutton text=”Shop Freddie Freeman 2024 World Series framed print” link=”https://usatodaystore.com/featured/freddie-freeman-world-series-mvp-commemorative-edition-usa-today.html?product=framed-print”]

If you’re looking for more Dodgers World Series gear, we’ve got you covered.

Blue Bloods, an exclusive hardcover book, commemorates the Dodgers World Series title with a deep dive into the entire Dodgers season including photography and in-depth analysis from Bob Nightengale and Gabe Lacques.

Additionally, don’t forget about all the brand new LA Dodgers World Series champion gear released by companies like Fanatics, FOCO, BreakingT and more.

We occasionally recommend interesting products and services. If you make a purchase by clicking one of the links, we may earn an affiliate fee. USA TODAY Network newsrooms operate independently, and this doesn’t influence our coverage.

The Nike ad celebrating the Dodgers’ World Series with Randy Newman was perfect

This was a real Hollywood ending for the Dodgers, and the ad captured that.

If you have ever attended a Los Angeles Dodgers victory, one thing is always the same: You’re going to hear Randy Newman at the end of the game.

After the Dodgers won the 2024 MLB World Series, even though the clinching game was in New York and not Los Angeles, that much remained true thanks to an assist from Nike.

DODGERS COMMEMORTIVE BOOK: Order it here!

The brand made a perfect Hollywood-themed commercial for the Dodgers, including Newman’s “I Love L.A.” as its soundtrack. It was a perfect needle drop that fans of the team would recognize from just its first few notes.

Nike leaned into the Los Angeles vibes even more, though, by giving it an end credit sequence theme.

All of the players got their names rolling down the screen like a movie was ending, including some very cool photos and memories of the postseason as well.

This was a real Hollywood ending for the Dodgers, and the ad captured that.

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The Dodgers World Series parade is on the late Fernando Valenzuela’s birthday

Expect a lot of tributes to El Toro.

The Dodgers are officially MLB World Series champions and will host a parade for the first time in franchise history since 1988.

Even though Los Angeles also won the World Series during the shortened 2020 season, the organization was not able to celebrate with its fans due to COVID-19 restrictions. This year, however, everyone who wants to join the festivities will have a chance to do so in sunny Southern California.

There is a lot to look forward to about the festivities surrounding World Series MVP Freddie Freeman, Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts, and a very strong supporting cast.

WHEN IS THE WORLD SERIES PARADE? All the info you need to know.

The parade could have an extra special feel this year, however, due to a very sad reason.

This year, Los Angeles will host its parade for the Dodgers on Friday, November 1.

That is also the birthday of the late Fernando Valenzuela, who died earlier this year. The former Dodgers star pitcher, who won NL Rookie of the Year and NL Cy Young while also making six All-Star appearances and winning two World Series titles of his own, was 63.

DODGERS WORLD SERIES COMMEMORTIVE BOOK: Order it here!

Los Angeles also wore his number, No. 34, as a patch on their jersey during the World Series as well.

Expect to see a lot of love and deserved tributes to Valenzuela, nicknamed El Toro, while you are watching the parade this year.

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Shirtless Clayton Kershaw was so happy celebrating the Dodgers’ win

Shirtless Clayton Kershaw!

Ah, shirtless athletes. Always a joy.

And this time, it was Clayton Kershaw after the Los Angeles Dodgers won the 2024 World Series over the New York Yankees on Wednesday. We’re now talking about two-time champion Clayton Kershaw.

It doesn’t matter that the future Hall of Famer hasn’t thrown a pitch on the mound for the Dodgers since August. Kershaw was a part of this amazing team and will get his second ring for it.

DODGERS WORLD SERIES COMMEMORTIVE BOOK: Order it here!

And he did it for a time at Yankee Stadium while shirtless before getting a shirt. Please enjoy the veteran soaking it all in, which fans just loved:

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Shohei Ohtani reversed the Tungsten Arm O’Doyle meme in the Dodgers’ World Series win

Is the Tungsten Arm O’Doyle curse lifted?

How’s that for a way to win a ring?

For years while on the Los Angeles Angels, Shohei Ohtani would do amazing, miraculous things and the team would somehow continue to lose. It inspired a meme back in 2021 — @matttomic posted on X (formerly Twitter) this statement: “every time I see an Angels highlight it’s like “Mike Trout hit three homes runs and raised his average to .528 while Shohei Ohtani did something that hasn’t been done since ‘Tungsten Arm’ O’Doyle of the 1921 Akron Groomsmen, as the Tigers defeated the Angels 8-3′”

Ever since then, a “Tungsten Arm O’Doyle game” became a thing, even when he joined the Dodgers.

But Ohtani struggled mightily in the World Series and hurt his shoulder. Yet the Dodgers still won. What do we make of that? Let’s go to @matttomic and some others:

 

Yep.

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