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Your morning catch up: The Dodgers’ United Nations path to World Series title, thousands find food banks as SNAP benefits lapse and more big stories. America’s pastime, meet your future. After an astonishing World Series featuring a team of stars from Los Angeles and another of admirable working blokes from Toronto, Canada, baseball feels more winning, and more international, than ever before. You're reading the Essential California newsletter Sign up to start every day with California's most important stories. By continuing, you agree to our Terms of Service and our Privacy Policy. Enter email address What’s not to love about an L.A. team featuring a trio of players made in Japan? And a slugging right fielder heralding from obscure Cotui in the Dominican Republic? And a Puerto Rican with rock star hair who plays any position? And a substitute second baseman from Venezuela who fielded like a Gold Glover and hit a movie-moment homer to force the final game into extra innings? That’s not to mention teammates from Cuba, South Korea and, yes, Louisville, KY. (That’s the hometown of catcher Will Smith, who hit the winning homer early Sunday morning in Toronto, to launch the Dodgers to a 5-4 victory.) The irrepressible Dodgers bonded in America’s city of migrants, Los Angeles. They took a path prepared for them by pioneers like the great Fernando Valenzuela. The native of the state of Sonora, Mexico hurled ungodly stuff, as his eyes rolled toward the heavens, making Fernando a star throughout America and the Spanish-speaking world beyond. The following decade, Hideo Nomo, the son of a Japanese fisherman, dominated so thoroughly that his 11 strikeouts-per-nine-innings average broke a more than three-decade-old record held by the legendary Sandy Koufax. The 2025 Dodgers dialed up a Japanese trifecta — the incomparable Shohei Ohtani, the often-unhittable Yoshinobu Yamamoto and their spiritual kid brother, Roki Sasaki, whose 100 mile-an-hour fastballs provoked equal parts awe and anxiety (over whether they’d find the strike zone) among his fans. A favorite among the many joyous Dodger tableaus this World Series came at the end of Game 3. Ohtani and Sasaki ran from the dugout toward the bullpen to celebrate with their countryman, Yamamoto, who’d volunteered to join the bullpen less than 24 hours after his brilliant complete-game victory in Game 2. The three Japanese players huddled tightly and bounced up and down like schoolchildren. They had even more reason to celebrate Yamamoto after midnight Saturday, when his 2 2/3 shutout innings closed out the Dodgers win and secured his place as Most Valuable Player in the World Series. Even die-hard Dodger fans have to acknowledge the Blue Jays for their pluck and passion. The team from Toronto represented a nation tormented by tariffs and insults at the hands of the president of a country once considered their closest ally. Canadians responded by rallying around the Blue Jays like never before. They built a love affair with a team that includes only one Canadian, Vlad Guerrero Jr. (That matched the Dodgers, whose Freddie Freeman holds both U.S. and Canadian passports.) The Jays went all the way to Tijuana, Mexico to pick up one their most engaging players, Alejandro Kirk. He might look like a roly-poly little hobbit — gone missing from the Shire — but Kirk hits like a God from the land of Aztlán. The Dodgers of 2025 transcended, and not just with their performance between the lines. Ohtani epitomized a team with a friendly, untraditional affect. The pitching-hitting phenom excels with an understated machismo, tilting more heavily toward sportsmanship and even kindness. A couple of signature Ohtani moments this season: The first came in June, when the Dodgers played the rival Padres. After the teams exchanged bean-balls, a Padres pitcher retaliated by drilling the Dodgers superstar squarely in the back. The incident might have touched off a brawl. But Ohtani waved to the Dodgers to stay in the dugout, then turned toward the Padres dugout, to offer words of conciliation. A couple of months later, Ohtani absorbed merciless heckling from a Padres fan sitting beside the dugout. The Big Sho offered the only fitting rebuttal — hitting another of his towering home runs. After rounding the bases, he strode directly to the heckler and offered his hand. The chagrined fan bowed his head and waved, recognizing greatness. So thanks to Shohei, Yoshi and the rest of the Dodgers for another night of transcendence, including a season of moments that went beyond baseball. More than just Ohtani’s civility, there was American-born Mookie Betts conducting relentless gab-fests with opposing base runners, Dominican-born Teoscar Hernandez raining sunflower seeds on his home run- hitting teammates and Miguel Rojas, a native of Venezuela, speaking with post-game fervor about how his teammates had brought their city together. It’s no surprise that some of America love to hate the Dodgers, with their huge payroll and dynastic ambitions. But you can’t say they aren’t great guys. And now they’re indisputable role models and the reigning masters in a new League of Extraordinary Gentlemen. The week’s biggest stories How the Dodgers won the 2025 World Series In a World Series finale for the ages, the Dodgers cemented their dynasty in a triumph over the Blue Jays. With last night’s win, they became the first team in 25 years to win consecutive titles, columnist Bill Plaschke writes. Yoshinobu Yamamoto’s remarkable World Series Game 7 became his playoff exclamation point, writes columnist Dylan Hernández. Here’s complete coverage of the World Series and how to get tickets for Monday’s championship parade and rally. SNAP and service providers Thousands show up to Southern California food banks as SNAP benefits lapse due to government shutdown. Here’s where you can volunteer in to help those affected by disruptions to SNAP benefits. Refugees will be among the first to lose food stamps under federal changes. Homeless service provider’s CEO placed on leave, law firm to probe property valuations. Proposition 50 Proposition 50 could disenfranchise Republican California voters and may face a legal challenge? Your last-minute guide to Proposition 50: California redistricting. Crime, courts and policing LAPD captain claims city pushed misleading statement to justify police tactics at protest. Man serving life in prison admits to three cold case murders, police say. What does a journalist look like? The city attorney wants to know. SoCal cop was among Hollywood producer’s rape victims. She died days before his sentencing. More big stories ‘Our stomping ground’: Demolition of historic Valley Plaza mall begins. For his next trick, Jesse Eisenberg will make his kidney disappear — into a stranger. Mayor Bass calls for investigation into LAFD missteps before Palisades fire. Is there still hope for the Cinerama Dome? New permit request filed with city of L.A. ICYMI Photos: Fright night along Santa Monica Boulevard for the 2025 Halloween Carnaval. Bruce Springsteen wanted a ‘Scott Cooper movie.’ We asked the director what that is. This week’s must-reads UCLA Sports How UCLA’s Mick Cronin lured Donovan Dent in pursuit of a banner season The Bruins coach let the honorable mention All-American know that if he wanted to play in the NBA, his defense would have to improve and he’d be held accountable. More great reads Firefighters urged mass Altadena evacuations. It took three hours for command center to act. Firefighters were ordered to leave smoldering burn site days before Palisades inferno. Time’s running out to visit the famed Gottleib Native Garden. News Analysis: Trump channels past Latin American aggressions in new crusade: ‘We’re just gonna kill people.’ Opinion: How Trump’s antagonism of Canada is affecting this year’s World Series. Opinion: A fence might deter MacArthur Park crime and homelessness, but is it enough? Opinion: Electing Mamdani would be an ominous turn for New York and the nation. For your weekend Going out Sunday Funday: Emmy-winning actress Niecy Nash-Betts shares fun Sunday details, including a stop at the Calabasas Farmers Market. Walking in LA: 9 lovely walks to explore L.A.’s most beautiful bridges. Enjoy our selections: The best places to eat and drink in L.A. this month, according to our Food writers. Film Review: It’s the right time to go ‘Back to the Future,’ blockbustering’s most brilliant social satire. Film Review: Made to inspire young artists to break the rules, the fizzy ‘Nouvelle Vague’ shows how it’s done. Theater Review: The power of August Wilson’s best play, ‘Joe Turner’s Come and Gone,’ lives on at A Noise Within. Staying in What to read: 10 books to read in November, from Margaret Atwood’s new memoir to John Irving’s latest. Book review: Comedian, author and winemaker Eric Wareheim wants to feed you steak. 🧑🍳 Here’s a recipe for Mary’s Clubhouse cracker bars with chocolate butterscotch topping. ✏️ Get our free daily crossword puzzle, sudoku, word search and arcade games. L.A. Affairs Get wrapped up in tantalizing stories about dating, relationships and marriage. Lifestyle So there I was naked, on our third date, trying to douse a bedroom fire He looked 20 years older than he did four years ago. In my head, I thought, ‘This makes sense. The ugliness within him has deteriorated his physical body.’ Have a great weekend, from the Essential California team Jim Rainey, staff writer Hugo Martín, assistant editor Andrew J. Campa, reporter Kevinisha Walker, multiplatform editor Karim Doumar, head of newsletters How can we make this newsletter more useful? Send comments to essentialcalifornia@latimes.com. Check our top stories, topics and the latest articles on latimes.com.
