Newsletter
Lifestyle

Magic Johnson Claps Back at ‘Ruined Baseball’ Talk After Dodgers Repeat

3 Mins Read

“They said we ruined baseball… I guess we didn’t.”

That one line from Magic Johnson landed like a mic drop after the Los Angeles Dodgers pulled off one of the wildest Game 7 wins in recent memory. On Saturday, November 1, the Dodgers beat the Toronto Blue Jays 5–4 in eleven innings, sealing their second straight World Series title. It’s the first time any team has gone back-to-back since the late-’90s Yankees — and the first time the Dodgers have ever done it in franchise history.

So why the “ruined baseball” talk? For months, critics have complained that L.A.’s monster payroll — complete with megastar Shohei Ohtani and ace Yoshinobu Yamamoto — made the league unfair. Even Dodgers manager Dave Roberts joked during the playoffs, “They said the Dodgers are ruining baseball, let’s get four more wins and really ruin baseball!” Those four wins came, and then some. Team president Andrew Friedman called the “ruined baseball” claim lazy, and Magic’s post-game comment said it all: if you’re going to accuse them of ruining the sport, at least admit they’re doing it spectacularly.

🎬 SIGN UP for Parade’s Daily newsletter to get the latest pop culture news & celebrity interviews delivered right to your inbox 🎬

The game itself was chaos in the best way. Toronto took an early 4-2 lead after Bo Bichette crushed a three-run homer off Ohtani, who was pitching on short rest. For most of the night, the Jays looked like they were about to steal it — until the ninth inning, when Dodgers infielder Miguel Rojas sent a shocker into the left-field seats to tie it up. Everything after that felt like a movie.

By the time the eleventh inning rolled around, Will Smith came to the plate and launched a solo homer that silenced the crowd in Toronto. In the bottom half, Yamamoto — on just one day’s rest — got the final outs with an ice-cold double play. Ballgame. The Dodgers poured onto the field, confetti flying, while Yamamoto claimed the World Series MVP. He went 3-0 with a microscopic ERA and basically became L.A.’s newest legend overnight.

💪 SIGN UP for tips to stay healthy & fit with the top moves, clean eats, health trends & more delivered right to your inbox twice a week 💪

Celebrities immediately flooded social media. 

LeBron James tweeted “WOW!!!!!!” in all caps. Joel Embiid posted “OH MY F GOD.” Ken Jeong dropped a Dodgers GIF within seconds.

Meanwhile, according to AP News, reliever Jeff Hoffman said, “I’ve cost everybody in here a World Series ring.” It was heartbreak on one side, euphoria on the other.

For anyone new to baseball, this win matters because it officially pushes the Dodgers into dynasty territory — three championships in six years, two straight, and still built to keep going. What people once called “ruining baseball” now looks more like reinventing it.

And on Monday, November 3, the city gets to party. The victory starts at 11 a.m. PT in Downtown L.A., rolling down Figueroa before a rally at Dodger Stadium.

Share.

Related Articles