Max Muncy stood in the middle of what is usually an underground batting cage. But on Friday, a few moments later Dodgers completed a four-game sweep from the Milwaukee Brewers in the National League Championship Seriesit was transformed into the most exclusive drinking establishment in the city, a place where players came to celebrate their return to the World Series.
Cheap champagne and even cheaper beer flowed freely – mostly over people's heads – before forming deep puddles on the plastic sheeting hastily laid on the floor.
“You never get tired of it. You can never take it for granted,” said Muncy, the Dodger third baseman, clutching a lit cigar in one hand and two red Budweiser bottles in the other. “That's the whole reason you play baseball. You want to be in the moment.”
“You want to play postseason baseball. And to be able to do that as many times as I've done it, it's just a real blessing.”
The moment Muncy was referring to was the alcohol-filled celebration of a postseason series win, a tradition dating back to the 1960 World Series, when members of the Pittsburgh Pirates decided not to drink the champagne brought to their victory club and instead began spraying it on each other.
As baseball's postseason format expanded, so did the number of champagne celebrations; Friday was the Dodgers' fifth in 29 days and 10th in less than two years. And it may not be the last time, as they open the World Series next weekend with a chance to become the first multiple champions this century.
“This is a grown man acting like a little kid. Look forward to it,” said forward Blake Treinen, who has played for seven playoff teams during his career, leaning against a giant red refrigerator filled with mostly empty champagne bottles.
When the Dodgers made the playoffs last month, they celebrated at home and toasted themselves again six days later in Arizona when they captured the division title. This month they beat the Cincinnati Reds in the wild card series, the Philadelphia Phillies in the division series, and now the Brewers in the LCS.
And with each victory the celebration became more passionate and joyful.
“Every round it gets better and better,” pitcher Tyler Glasnow agreed.
As Caleb Durbin's ball settled into Andy Pages' glove near the right-field bullpen on Friday night, extending the Dodgers' season and ending the Brewers' season, fireworks filled the air and Randy Newman's “I Love LA” blared from the stadium's sound system. As a small army of workers rushed to set up a temporary wooden stage behind second base, the players donned gray T-shirts that read “National League Champions” and “Dodgers” mounted on a baseball diamond outlined in yellow.
On their heads they wore black caps with the words “World Series 2025” written on them. But the public ceremony on stage, where chairman Mark Walter was presented with the league championship trophy and Shohei Ohtani the series MVP trophy, was short and dull compared to the raucous fiesta that began in the cage minutes later.
Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani celebrates in the clubhouse after the team's convincing victory over the Brewers at Dodger Stadium on Friday night.
(Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times)
“You can never have too many of these celebrations,” infielder Miguel Rojas shouted in Spanish as a loud soundtrack of percussive music played on loop. “A moment like this is really important, really beautiful.
“Five times this year. We have one more left.”
A few feet away, outfielder Teoscar Hernandez surrounded himself with a handful of reporters in a futile attempt to hide from the champagne splashes aimed at him by his teammates.
“I don't think anyone will get tired of it. I'm not tired,” he said. “I want to get one more and then five more next year.
“This is the only time you can celebrate something, be free, without thinking about your work, without thinking about what you have to do tomorrow.”
As the party waned and the players left the cage to join their families and gather on the field in quieter surroundings, Muncy looked at the thick victory cigar between his fingers and thought. The holiday was not about champagne, beer or victory cigars. It's not even about winning.
It was more about surviving the longest schedule in professional sports and celebrating with the people who were with you every step of the way.
“It’s amazing, that’s what it is,” he said. “That's one of the best parts of the postseason. You train with your teammates and brothers for seven, eight months until spring training.”
“This is kind of the culmination of all your collective efforts.”
Who wouldn't want to drink to that?
