“When all the world is a hopeless jumble,” goes the seldom-heard intro lyric to Somewhere Over the Rainbow – well, that “when” appears to be now. In these days of uncertainty (to say the least), all we can be certain of is how important it is to hold on to our hats and our hearts. And speaking of the latter, finding and nurturing whatever bits of joy we can goes a long way to bringing some Technicolor to a sepia world.

Enter LA’s blue crew, aka its boys in blue, aka the Los Angeles Dodgers, heading to their next World Series tomorrow night. The joy that emanates from this team as they embrace the postseason in all its glory is reflected back by the fans. And there is no better example of that exuberance and utter exhilaration than what anyone who saw the game, which propelled the Dodgers to win the National League pennant a few nights ago, witnessed and will never forget. The sheer force of nature that is Shohei Ohtani.

If you are one of the lucky ones who saw the game (either on TV or – gasp! – in person), I don’t need to tell you about Ohtani’s remarkable six innings of pitching – no runs, only two hits, and ten – count ’em ten – strikeouts. Nor do I need to remind you about his three homeruns, the second one blasting right out of the stadium.

The man had the eye of a winner that night, all determination, all business, all champion. Not unlike Kobe Bryant when he took to the court and made it his own (no small wonder that Staples Center became known as The House That Kobe Built). Ohtani’s focus was laser-like, his athletic prowess not to be denied, his talent and skill surely a gift from the gods. The man would have torn the roof off Dodger Stadium if it had one.

But equal to the extraordinary, otherworldly talent was the pure joy that accompanied it – the joy of someone who loves what he does, whose heart is completely and passionately in his game, and who seems to relish the breathlessly exciting moments he gives to the fans. Joy reflected in his smile, in his acknowledgement of the crowd, even in his humble acceptance of the pennant-series MVP award.

That joy is contagious – in Max Muncy’s ability to turn and deliver on a dime; in Mookie Betts’ unflagging agility and speed; in the bit of mischief in Enrique “Kiké” Hernandez’s grin when he singles and lands on base. The entire team has managed to capture the imagination and the spirit of our city and carry us all high above the everyday, to a place where, even if happy little bluebirds may not be singing, the boys in blue are coloring our town with hope. The fact that this moment in baseball history took place in Dodger Stadium, an aging but undeniable cathedral of baseball royalty, made it all the sweeter.

There’s no place like home (plate).

©2025 Claudia Grossman