Shaikin: Jack Flaherty grateful for L.A. World Series moment even though it didn't last
Detroit Tigers pitcher Jack Flaherty shares a laugh with Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw on Thursday. Flaherty, who won a World Series title with the Dodgers last season, is scheduled to start Friday when they receive their World Series rings.
(Harry How / Getty Images)
He held the World Series championship trophy aloft at a Lakers game, flanked by Mookie Betts on one side and Freddie Freeman on the other. He worked a shift at Villa's Tacos in Grand Central Market. On Wednesday he went out for dinner and someone thanked him.
That is a taste of what the offseason was like for Jack Flaherty. The Dodgers and their fans had not enjoyed a parade in 36 years. No wonder so many people in Los Angeles stop him and say thank you.
Advertisement
The gratitude is reciprocal.
'I'm as thankful as you guys are that we were able to get it done and we were able to win the whole thing,' Flaherty said Thursday. 'That's what we all want as players. That's what I hope every fan wants, is to win.
'To be able to be on that side and be able to finish it off was special. And then, the reception and everything, that was special, for the entirety of the offseason when I was back around here.'
Jack Flaherty pitches for the Dodgers against the New York Mets in Game 5 of the NLCS on Oct. 18.
Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times Flaherty, holding the World Series trophy, is honored with teammates (from left) Mookie Betts, Chris Taylor, Brusdar Graterol, Freddie Freeman during a Lakers game at Crypto.com Arena on Nov. 8.
Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times Flaherty, left, tries the food at Villa's Tacos in the Grand Central Market on Dec. 11.
Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times
It is the 'on that side' part that stings. If his story truly had a Hollywood ending, Flaherty would collect his World Series championship ring during Friday's ceremony at Dodger Stadium, then start the game for his hometown team.
Advertisement
He is scheduled to start the game, but for the visiting Detroit Tigers. The Dodgers will present him with his championship ring Saturday.
Flaherty, the pride of Sherman Oaks Little League and Harvard-Westlake High, started Game 1 of the National League Championship Series and Game 1 of the World Series, both at Dodger Stadium.
The Dodgers grabbed him when they desperately needed a starting pitcher at the trade deadline. He ended up becoming the first kid to grow up in Los Angeles and then start a World Series game for the Dodgers since Hall of Famer Don Drysdale, in 1966.
Read more: Plaschke: Honoring past, dominating present, unbeaten Dodgers shine in home opener
Advertisement
'This is where I grew up and fell in love with the game, and then I got to live out a childhood dream last year in the second half and through the World Series,' Flaherty said. 'It holds a special place with me.'
He would have happily stayed, but the Dodgers signed two-time Cy Young winner Blake Snell to a five-year contract before November was out. In January, as Flaherty shifted his focus to a short-term contract, the Dodgers added Japanese phenom Roki Sasaki.
'The whole focus on this winter,' Flaherty said, 'was figuring out where the best place was for me to end up and let the pieces fall where they may.'
Did he have any negotiations with the Dodgers?
Advertisement
'I'm going to give you the same answer I just did,' he said.
Flaherty made the rounds before Thursday's opener, catching up with Dodgers personnel from Dave Roberts to Clayton Kershaw to Joe Davis.
'It's not awkward, that's for sure,' Flaherty said. 'Just more interesting. Through the run of emotions and everything, knowing everything that occurred here last year, then being back here and opening up here, the emotions of opening day and starting off that way, throw a start and then you've got everything to celebrate from last year, all at the same time.'
Tigers manager A.J. Hinch said he had no concerns that the emotion surrounding the ring ceremony Friday might derail Flaherty's start.
Advertisement
'I think it'll go perfectly fine,' Hinch said, 'because he'll be locked in on his start. He'll be focused on [Shohei] Ohtani to start the game.'
Tigers pitcher Jack Flaherty, who pitched for the Dodgers last season, speaks with Dodgers manager Dave Roberts on Thursday at Dodger Stadium.
(Harry How / Getty Images)
Tarik Skubal, the Tigers' Cy Young winner, recalled watching Flaherty last season in his first start against his first team, the St. Louis Cardinals. Flaherty struck out 14 and took a shutout into the seventh inning.
'I expect him to be just as good as that time,' Skubal said. 'He's a good player. He lives for moments like these, and obviously he was a big part of the reason why they won the World Series. So I'm excited for him.'
As a fan there is nothing better than a player who gets your team because he lived and died with your team. After he shut out the New York Mets in Game 1 of the NLCS, Flaherty launched into a passionate speech about the greatness of Kershaw.
Advertisement
Flaherty gets the Dodgers.
Read more: Shohei Ohtani hits one of Dodgers' three homers to beat Tigers in their home opener
'It's so special,' he said. 'It's an incredible thing to think about and an incredible thing to be a part of. I got lucky enough to be on a team that got to win it in the fashion we did and make it happen in the way that we did.
'Growing up here and being a part of this — this city and this community — to give it all back and live it out in real time was awesome.'
Flaherty gets you, L.A. He should get a nice ovation Friday.
Sign up for more Dodgers news with Dodgers Dugout. Delivered at the start of each series.
This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
San Francisco Chronicle
42 minutes ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
Alvarez delivers 10th-inning RBI double and Mets overcome Ohtani's heroics for 4-3 win over Dodgers
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Francisco Alvarez drove in his first run in four weeks with a double leading off the 10th inning, and the New York Mets overcame Shohei Ohtani's 23rd homer and tying sacrifice fly for a 4-3 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers on Monday night. Francisco Lindor hit a leadoff homer and a 10th-inning RBI single for the Mets, who opened this National League Championship Series rematch with their eighth win in nine games. Ohtani hit a 424-foot solo shot off Max Kranick in the seventh, getting his fifth homer in seven games to tie Seattle catcher Cal Raleigh for the major league lead with 23. Tommy Edman singled and stole second to open the ninth before scoring on Ohtani's flyout to deep left. Mets closer Edwin Díaz (3-0), pitching for the third time in four days, was handed his first blown save in 14 chances this season. After Alvarez and Lindor delivered, José Castillo walked Freddie Freeman and gave up an RBI single to Andy Pages to open the 10th. Castillo struck out Max Muncy, and Freeman got to third on pinch-hitter Will Smith's flyout before José Buttó gloved Edman's sharp grounder back to the mound to secure his first save of the season. Paul Blackburn threw five scoreless innings of three-hit ball and struck out Ohtani twice in his first major league appearance since last August, when the Mets right-hander went down with a back injury before hurting his knee in spring training. Lindor crushed May's second pitch for his 14th home run of the year. Six are leadoff homers, tying Ohtani for the major league lead. Key moment Alvarez got his first RBI in 57 at-bats since May 4 with his drive to right off struggling Dodgers reliever Tanner Scott (0-2). Lindor drove in pinch-runner Starling Marte three pitches later. Key stat The Mets have won their last 27 games in which Lindor homered. That's the second-longest streak in major league history, trailing only the Brooklyn Dodgers' 29-game streak when Carl Furillo homered from 1951-53. Up next Dodgers LHP Clayton Kershaw (0-0, 4.91 ERA) makes his fourth start of the season Tuesday, facing Mets RHP Tylor Megill (4-4, 3.52). ___
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Mets' Mark Vientos 'going through all the testing' on hamstring after injury vs. Dodgers
Mets 3B/DH Mark Vientos fell after running out of the batter's box in the 10th inning on Monday night in Los Angeles against the Dodgers and appeared to grab his hamstring in pain. After New York's 4-3 win, manager Carlos Mendoza told reporters that Vientos was getting checked out by the trainers, but the injury "didn't look good." Advertisement "Yeah I was just there in the training room, he's getting looked at by the trainers, it's the hamstring obviously," Mendoza said. "Didn't look good. Like I said, he's going through all the testing so we'll wait and see." Vientos entered the game as a pinch-hitter for DH Jared Young in the top of the eighth inning and flied out. He finished the game 0-for-2 and is hitting just .230 on the year with six home runs and 21 RBI over 53 games. The Mets will now "wait and see" like Mendoza said as to what's next if Vientos is to miss time on the injured list. Brett Baty started at third base on Monday and has been strong defensively (in addition to at the plate) since returning from a stint in Syracuse, as the two have split time starting. Vientos heading to the IL could open up a roster spot for Ronny Mauricio to return to the bigs, as the slugging prospect has been on a tear in Triple-A. Mendoza said Saturday that the team has been getting "really good" reports on Mauricio, but they intend for him to get more reps while patiently "watching" his progress. Mauricio could fit in at 3B, 2B, and even DH.
Hamilton Spectator
an hour ago
- Hamilton Spectator
Alvarez delivers 10th-inning RBI double and Mets overcome Ohtani's heroics for 4-3 win over Dodgers
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Francisco Alvarez drove in his first run in four weeks with a double leading off the 10th inning, and the New York Mets overcame Shohei Ohtani's 23rd homer and tying sacrifice fly for a 4-3 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers on Monday night. Francisco Lindor had a leadoff homer and a 10th-inning RBI single for the Mets, who opened this National League Championship Series rematch series with their eighth win in nine games. Ohtani hit a 424-foot shot off Max Kranick in the seventh, getting his fifth homer in seven games to tie Seattle's Cal Raleigh for the major league lead with 23. Tommy Edman singled and stole second to open the ninth before scoring on Ohtani's flyout to deep left. Mets closer Edwin Díaz (3-0), pitching for the third time in four days, was handed his first blown save of the season. After Alvarez and Lindor delivered, José Castillo walked Freddie Freeman and gave up an RBI single to Andy Pages to open the 10th. Castillo struck out Max Muncy and Freeman got to third on pinch-hitter Will Smith's flyout before José Buttó gloved Edman's sharp grounder back to the mound to secure his first save of the season. Paul Blackburn threw five scoreless innings of three-hit ball and struck out Ohtani twice in his first major league appearance since last August, when the Mets right-hander went down with a back injury before hurting his knee in spring training. Dustin May yielded six hits over six resourceful innings for LA. Lindor crushed May's second pitch for his 14th homer. Six are leadoff homers, tying Ohtani for the major league lead. Key moment Alvarez got his first RBI in 57 at-bats since May 4 with his drive to right off struggling Dodgers reliever Tanner Scott (0-2). Lindor drove in pinch-runner Starling Marte three pitches later. Key stat The Mets have won their last 27 games in which Lindor homered. That's the second-longest streak in major league history, trailing only the Brooklyn Dodgers' 29-game streak when Carl Furillo homered from 1951-53. Up next Dodgers LHP Clayton Kershaw (0-0, 4.91 ERA) makes his fourth start of the season Tuesday, facing Mets RHP Tylor Megill (4-4, 3.52). ___ AP MLB:
