Surprising but true: A USC football and Dodger World Series game have both been played on a Friday.
USC football fans are going to have a late night on Oct. 25. The Trojans host Rutgers in a game which will start just after 8 p.m. local time in Los Angeles. One plot twist: The game follows Fox’s broadcast of Game 1 of the 2024 World Series. You might wonder if the Los Angeles Dodgers have played a World Series Friday game on the same day that USC football played a game. You would probably say this has never happened, given that USC football games aren’t usually played on Fridays in October. Without looking anything up, we thought the same thing.
For a long period of time, the World Series did not have Friday games. In 1985, the League Championship Series moved from best of five games to best of seven. The World Series started on a Saturday and did not have a Friday game for roughly two decades. Friday games have not been a consistent feature of the World Series schedule. They existed for several years in the late 1970s and early 1980s, and have recently returned to the schedule, but for long periods of time, they didn’t exist.
Yet, in 1959, there was a Friday World Series game. The Dodgers played in it. USC football played later that night. It’s surprising, but it’s real. This really has happened before.
Friday, October 2, 1959. The Dodgers faced the Chicago White Sox in Game 2 of the 1959 World Series at Comiskey Park in Chicago. The Dodgers beat Chicago, 4-3, to even the series at 1-1. Two days later, Los Angeles hosted its first-ever World Series game in USC’s home football stadium, the Coliseum.
Hours after Dodgers-White Sox in the World Series on that October day in 1959, USC faced Ohio State on the gridiron in a nighttime start. We know it’s a night game because Columbus Dispatch Ohio State beat writer Joey Kaufman (who, by the way, previously covered USC) made note of the night start.
So there you have it: The Dodgers played a World Series game and USC played a football game on the same Friday. It really has happened. Let’s see if the Dodgers can make the World Series and create the sequel in 2024.
If the Dodgers make the World Series, Los Angeles sports fans will have a very special night on Oct. 25.
The Los Angeles Dodgers have a lot of work to do. They are almost certain to make the 2024 Major League Baseball postseason, but they then have to win a couple playoff series and make the 2024 World Series. The Dodgers have not been to the Fall Classic since 2020, when they won it. It’s long past time, in the eyes of Angeleno sports fans, for the Dodgers to return to the big stage in late October. If they can do so in 2024, they could create a very special night for USC and Los Angeles sports fans.
Why do we say all this? It’s actually very simple: The USC-Rutgers football game — which starts just after 8 p.m. Pacific time in Los Angeles on Friday night, Oct. 25 — will follow Game 1 of the 2024 World Series on Fox. That World Series game will start at or just after 4:30 p.m. Pacific time. Rutgers Wire has more details.
Just imagine what it would feel like for Los Angeles sports fans to have the Dodgers in Game 1 of the World Series, followed by USC playing a national TV Big Ten game deep into the night. It would not be the first time USC football and a Dodger World Series game were played on the same day. That has happened plenty of times in the past when World Series games were on Saturdays. However, this would be the first time USC football and a Dodger World Series game aired on the same television network in consecutive time windows on a Friday.
You will note that we didn’t say it’s the first time a USC football game and a Dodger World Series game have been played on the same Friday. That actually did happen on Friday, October 2, 1959. The Dodgers played the Chicago White Sox in Game 2 of the 1959 World Series. Later that day, USC played Ohio State in football.
Good morning, Winners! Thanks for taking some time and reading TMW today.
There’s been a lot of discussion surrounding rest versus rust in the MLB postseason so far. Now, with the Dodgers and Orioles both in 2-0 holes as the top seeds in the AL and NL, that conversation is heating up even more.
To be fair, what’s happening is very weird. In the first 118 MLB postseasons only three 100-win teams lost their first two postseason games at home, per ESPN. The Dodgers and Orioles have done it on consecutive nights here. That’s wild.
The biggest problem here the best teams in baseball just aren’t winning right now. That’s not a playoff format problem — that’s an individual team problem.
The Braves certainly had no trouble digging a tough one out against the Phillies on Monday night. It took a bit of superhero work from Michael Harris II in the end, sure, but Atlanta made it happen.
That’s just sports, man. It’s the playoffs. Find a way to win. If you can’t? Tough. Go home.
“The best team won’t win the World Series? Brother, that’s old news: Since divisional play began in 1969 through 2021, the team with the best record in baseball won the World Series just 14 times in 52 years – or 27% of the time. And since MLB split into a six-division format beginning with the 1995 playoffs, we’ve welcomed plenty of relatively middling champions.”
Sure, sometimes we get juggernauts like last year’s Astros or the 2020 Dodgers who are very clearly head and shoulders above the rest of the teams in the league. But other times, we get teams like 2021’s 88-win Braves who manage to climb the mountaintop.
The fact that we can have both is what makes the sport — and this journey as a whole — beautiful. It’s imperfect and that’s awesome.
The NBA’s future is alien
TIMOTHY A. CLARY/AFP
That’s the only way possible to describe what we saw from Victor Wembanyama and Chet Holmgren on Monday night. Those dudes just don’t make any sense. Literally.
The two rookies squared off in a preseason game and I felt like I might has well been watching a Kaiju flick. A 7-5 big guard versus a 7-1 big guard. Basketball has never looked like this before.
“Both of these players did so many things we’re simply not used to seeing on the confines of an actual basketball court.
Holmgren is 7-foot-1 but scored as the ball-handler in a pick-and-roll set and nailed a 3-pointer using an off-ball screen. He also scored in more traditional ways like a big man would, including putbacks and basket cuts and rim rolls.
Wembanyama also managed some absurd scoring possessions. Some of his most impressive moments came after off-ball screens, dribble handoffs and transition leak-outs.
His offensive rebound putback scores were exciting but the finesse that he displayed on his layup package was fully unbelievable.”
My favorite part of the game was when Wembanyama basically stole the ball from Cason Wallace from the 3-point line (!!!!). It was unreal, man.
Dodger Stadium appears to be just fine after Tropical Storm Hilary passed through.
Obviously, the situation in southern California is a pretty scary one right now. Even with Hurricane Hilary being downgraded to a tropical storm, the area has still seen some pretty devastating weather over the last few days.
For much of Monday, people thought that those dangerous flooding conditions were also impacting Dodger Stadium. There was a photo and a video circulating around the internet that seemed to indicate that it was true. It also didn’t help that the storm was essentially directly over the stadium, per the Los Angeles Times.
But, contrary to popular belief, it seems that Dodger Stadium isn’t actually flooded. In fact, it looks just fine.
The Chargers are part of the effort to bring help to the island after devastating wildfires.
The Chargers are lending their support to help the survivors of the devastating wildfires on Maui. They are donating at least $50,000 to aid the relief efforts.
The Bolts, along with the other Los Angeles professional sports teams have committed to donating a combined $450,000 to the American Red Cross.
“The images and video coming out of Maui over the past week are heartbreaking,” Chargers owner Dean Spanos said. “The destruction is beyond comprehension, and the loss of life is nothing short of tragic.
“This hits especially close to home when I think of the vibrant Hawaiian community here in Southern California and players past and present like [former linebacker] Manti Te’o and [safety] Alohi Gilman.”
Over 100 people were killed when wildfires swept through parts of the Hawaiian island.
“In the wake of recent events in Maui, the images, videos and stories of the past few days have struck a deeply personal chord with me,” Gilman said.
“Maui isn’t just a place on the map; it’s a part of my homeland, my connection to Hawaii. My heart resonates with the resilience of the people who lost their homes while also stepping up for their neighbors in need.”
The Chargers will donate their portion of their 50/50 raffle proceeds that they make during their preseason game against the Saints on Sunday.
Fans can start buying tickets when the gates open on Sunday until the end of the third quarter. They can be purchased on the concourse and at raffle kiosks throughout SoFi Stadium. The winning ticket number will be posted in-game on the video board during the fourth quarter.
Those who cannot attend the game can still donate to the American Red Cross to lend support.
“It’s been extremely heartening to see people from all walks of life rally around my people and return that love and support,” Te’o said.
“In life there are things that we simply cannot control, but what we can control is how we respond. This weekend is an opportunity for our Chargers ‘ohana to respond; to come together and assist Maui in its time of need.”
Which teams to watch when Shohei Ohtani isn’t batting or on the mound
Spring training is winding down, final roster cuts are being made and Opening Day is practically here for the 2023 Major League Baseball season.
Which means it’s once again time to renew those MLBTV subscriptions and curse at the league’s horrible blackout restrictions. But which teams should you pay attention to that are available in your region?
Allow us to help with the 2023 MLB Watchability Rankings. A complete list of all 30 teams to help you decide which games are worth your time and which are perfect for a midday nap.
Riley and the Dodgers are both winners. They face very important games this week, and they will have to beat a Southern California-based rival to win a title.
Lincoln Riley faces a very significant week in his USC coaching career. He is preparing to take his Trojans to Salt Lake City for a big game against the Utah Utes. This doesn’t mean, however, that Riley couldn’t enjoy three and a half hours on a Tuesday night, a diversion from football and his pregame preparations.
By Tuesday night, the game plan has been arrived at. The film study sessions with players have been conducted. The groundwork has been laid for the rest of the week. An evening of fun and entertainment is certainly allowed.
Riley attended Game 1 of the National League Division Series between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the San Diego Padres at Dodger Stadium. The Dodgers won, 5-3. Game 2 is Wednesday at 5:37 p.m. in Los Angeles.
Riley threw out the first pitch at a Dodger game earlier this season. He has done nothing to diminish the USC brand thus far; precisely the opposite. Riley has USC unbeaten and playing above expectations in Year 1 of his tenure. The Trojans were widely expected to be a three-loss team. They haven’t lost any of their first six games and seem likely to win at least 10 games this season.
Dave Roberts is a real one, man. That’s all you can say about this.
Dave Roberts seems like such a great friend, man. It’s one thing to root for the success of one of the homies. But to do it when that success literally comes at a cost to you? That’s a real one.
That’s the only way to describe Roberts from Friday night when Albert Pujols hit his 700th home run against his Dodgers. He legitimately made real history against Roberts’ team.
Did Roberts care? Certainly. But he was over the moon for Pujols and we all visually saw it happen. Roberts got up and celebrated after her realized what Pujols did, but then immediately got this dejected look after he remembered…Pujols just did this against his team.
Dave Roberts got hype for a second then quickly remembered Pujols isn't on his team anymore pic.twitter.com/Sa89iCfQEE
That. Is. Hilarious. Dave Roberts is a real one, man.
It makes sense for him to be happy for Pujols here — he did play for Roberts’ Dodgers last season. They’ve got a legitimate connection here and Roberts seems genuinely happy for one of his guys.
It just…came at his expense. And that’s fine! The Dodgers are sitting pretty, anyway. Real friends are OK with that. Fans absolutely loved this.
He didn’t need to do this to become a legend in baseball, but it almost certainly bumps him up a few notches.
The thing is, we all had a feeling that Albert Pujols was going to finally reach the benchmark of 700 career home runs at some point this season. But it didn’t feel like it became a real thing until June or July.
But for MLB Network Greg Amsinger? He knew almost exactly how this would happen. He picked the right game and the right date…all the way back in April.
On April 13, Amsinger accurately predicted Pujols would hit his 700th home run against the Dodgers on September 23rd on the road. He absolutely nailed it.
"He's going to hit his 700th career home run on the road. Friday night in Los Angeles in September…" – Greg Amsinger on April 13th, 2022
“Albert’s going to play so much more than people think…He will reach 700 career home runs. I do have bad news, Cardinals fans. He’s going to hit his 700th career home run on the road. Friday night, in Los Angeles in September off Clayton Kershaw. That’s when it’s going to happen, against his former teammate. Hall of Famer vs. Hall of Famer. It’ll be on the road. I can’t wait to see it.”
Y’all. The only thing wrong with his prediction is he thought it’d come against Clayton Kershaw instead of Phil Beckford.
La música con la que salen al campo los cerradores, quien usan canciones específicas cuando entran a los juegos de la MLB para intentar lograr algunas salvadas es algo real (¡o al menos eso pensamos!). Edwin Diaz regresó a usar Narco y se convirtió …
La música con la que salen al campo los cerradores, quien usan canciones específicas cuando entran a los juegos de la MLB para intentar lograr algunas salvadas es algo real (¡o al menos eso pensamos!).
Edwin Diaz regresó a usar Narco y se convirtió en algo enorme para el cerrador de los New York Mets y es algo que le ayuda a enfocarse y a pichar mejor.
¿Y qué pasa con Craig Kimbrel, el cerrador de Los Angeles Dodgers? Un cambio en sus canciones resultó ser justo lo que ordenó el doctor.
El mes pasado, en el Día de las Mujeres en el Dodger Stadium, los jugadores eligieron canciones diferentes para entrar al campo, canciones que fueron elegidas por sus parejas. A Kimbrel le pusieron Let It Go de Frozen.
Ese día pichó muy bien, así que decidió dejarla como su canción de entrada al campo, y desde entonces, ha pichado MAGISTRALMENTE.
Así fue como empezó
In honor of Women’s Day at Dodger Stadium, the Dodger players will have different walk-up songs as chosen by their significant others. pic.twitter.com/6S1QqrjXvs
Traducción: En honor al Día de las Mujeres en el Dodger Stadium, los jugadores de Dodgers entrarán al campo con canciones diferentes según las hayan seleccionado sus parejas.
Traducción 1: Chris Kimbrel acaba de entrar (con una ventaja de 10-3) con “Let It Go” de Frozen. Tienen que amar esto. Traducción 2: En honor al Día de las Mujeres en el Dodger Stadium, los jugadores de Dodgers entrarán al campo con canciones diferentes según las haya seleccionado sus parejas.
Traducción: Los Dodgers ganaron 9-4. Van 92-41. Ganan la serie contra los Padres y su número mágico es el 9. Craig Kimbrel libre fue para una entrada 1-2-3. Ahora, su ERA está por abajo de 4.
