Memorable postseason moment: We’ve included Kirk Gibson’s iconic home run on last year’s list. No one will get tired of that video. But instead let’s go back to the only World Series the Dodgers won at Dodger Stadium: 1963. In Game 1, facing a Yankees lineup led by Mickey Mantle and Roger Maris, Sandy Koufax pitched a complete game win, striking out 15. He went the distance again in Game 4 to complete the sweep. Two complete games – 18 innings, three runs – earned Koufax the World Series MVP.
Our Take: It started in Sunday’s game when Jurickson Profar drew 50,000 Dodgers fans. It ended with a tense delay as it rained beer on the warning track. It wasn’t Dodger Stadium’s finest moment. (However, it was a testament to the Padres’ ability to outwit their opponents and opposing crowds.) Putting last Sunday aside…
There’s no other setting like Dodger Stadium. The ballpark is huge, spacious and picturesque. When it is filled to the brim in October, it is deafening. Tommy Edman knew this before he was traded to the Dodgers this summer. He lost a wild-card game at Dodger Stadium a few years ago. “Every time I came here, when I was with St. Louis, I always noticed how fast it was,” Edman said. “It’s nice to be on this side of things.” So, Profar may have single-handedly knocked Dodger Stadium down one spot in these rankings on Sunday, but it’s still a special environment for postseason baseball.