Just after Yoshinobu Yamamoto escaped from a bases-loaded, one-out jam in the bottom of the ninth inning to send Game 7 of the World Series into overtime, I got a text from my dad saying, “Why did he slip?” That “he” was Isaiah Keener-Falefa, who was thrown out of the game at home by Miguel Rojas in the second inning. The throw momentarily pulled Will Smith away from the plate, but the catcher caught it again before IKF’s front foot made contact with the plate. Sliding slows down a baserunner’s momentum, and my dad believed that if the IKF hadn’t slid, he would have been safe and the Blue Jays would have eliminated the Dodgers in Game 7. Instead, Los Angeles won 5-4 in 11 innings to become its first back-to-back champions in 25 years.
We can’t know for sure, but after watching the replay about a dozen times, I agree with my dad that if Keener-Falefa stayed upright and drove across the plate, albeit barely, he would be safe. Heck, even with his slide, a bigger second lead might have done that. Baseball’s most glorious and confusing World Series was decided by a razor-thin margin. For fans of both teams, I’m sure it was extremely painful to watch; for me and all other neutral observers, it was an absolute pleasure.
We’ll be completing the entire day’s coverage of the World Series here on FanGraphs, included in this mailbag. Before we continue, though, I want to remind everyone that this mailbag is exclusive to FanGraphs members. If you are not yet a member and want to continue reading, you can sign up to become a member here. It’s the best way to experience the site and support our staff, and it comes with many other benefits. Also, if you would like to ask questions about an upcoming mailbag, please email mailbag@fangraphs.com.
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