TORONTO — Mookie Betts was “dropped” to third in the lineup for World Series Game 5 and then to cleanup for Friday night’s Dodgers do-or-die Game 6.
It is an interesting verb, “dropped,” since those are historically prestigious locales in a batting order, particularly since Ruth and Gehrig brought glamour to the Nos. 3 and 4.
As punishments go, Joe Torre’s decision to move Alex Rodriguez first to sixth in the Yankees order and then to eighth during the 2006 American League Division Series, now that was a drop. A-Rod had not started a game lower than fifth for 10 years at the time of a strategy, Torre said, was designed to ease pressure on a player who had struggled in the postseason. It didn’t work — A-Rod struggled again, the Yankees lost to the Tigers and Torre pretty much lost anything resembling a comfortable relationship with his star third baseman.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts rearranged his order because he ultimately could not, like Bugs Bunny for the Tea Totallers against the Gas-House Gorillas, bat Shohei Ohtani in every spot in a lineup. He may hit and pitch, but he can only bat first and the Dodgers were not creating enough run-scoring opportunities around Ohtani.
