Everything You Need to Know About the 2018 World Series

Baseball fans know there is nothing better than October Baseball. As baseball season comes to an end, we all anticipate the big moment... The World Series. As we get ready for Game 1. Here are a few facts about your 2018 World Series matchup.

 Boston Red Sox had a great season all year long and were the first team to reach 100 wins since doing so in 1946. They accomplished this under first-year manager Alex Cora. Cora became the first manager to reach 100 wins in his first year since San Francisco Giant’s manager Felipe Alou in 2003. 

Could the team’s success come from Cora’s postgame ritual? Well if you weren’t aware, Cora made it a point to post a picture on his office wall of the team after every win. As he finished the regular season with 108 pictures, he continued his tradition adding another seven to the wall during the postseason.

Interestingly enough as the Red Sox beat out the Houston Astros for the American League Championship title, Cora made MLB history becoming the first Puerto Rican born manager to reach a World Series, and the third manager to do so in his rookie year. All while doing so on his 43rd birthday. 

But did you know that Cora was actually a Dodger and Dodger’s manager Dave Roberts was actually a Red Sox back in the day? 

Wait what? 

Cora was drafted in the third round by the Dodgers in 1996. He made his MLB debut in 1998 and his older brother Joey happened to be the Dodgers starting second basemen at the time. 

But wait it gets better!!

 Cora spent the first seven years of his career with the Dodgers and in 2004 he and Roberts were actually teammates!! That was until Roberts got traded to the Red Sox of course. 

It’s been said that later on down the road as Roberts was in the process of interviewing for the Dodger’s manager role, he tried to talk Cora into joining his staff. 

As these two old pals go on to face each other, they will do so in a respectful demeanor, since they both speak highly of each other. It should be noted that this is also the very first World Series with two minority managers. Cora being from Puerto Rico and Roberts coming from a half - Japanese and half -African American descent.

Roberts who is in his third year of managing the Dodgers looks to take on his second World Series stint after falling to the Astros last year. 

The Dodgers had quite the buzz when they snagged Manny Machado in July from the Baltimore Orioles. This would become one of the biggest trades of the season and a gain for the Dodgers after losing Corey Seager to an elbow injury. Throughout the season the team faced adversities. In May they were 10 games under .500 and they found half their team on the disabled list at some point. They ended up finishing the regular season just eight games shy of 100 with a record of (92-71) They then went on to win their sixth straight National League West title.

Now the Dodgers are going to the World Series back -to -back for the first time since 1977-1978. 

Whether you're rooting for Boston or LA, sit tight and enjoy because it’s going to be a good one!!