LOS ANGELES — Even 8-year-old Charlie Freeman is excited for the Dodgers-Yankees World Series.

“He’s at Universal (Studios) right now with a couple of his buddies, but he’s like, ‘Dad, I can’t wait for the World Series to start tomorrow,’” Los Angeles first baseman Freddie Freeman said during the final practice before Friday’s practice. opener. “He’s on YouTube and watches all the videos about Yankees-Dodgers. So you’re starting to get a hint of how big this could be.

This will be the 12th Dodgers-Yankees game and the first in 43 years. The rivalry dates back to 1941, when the Dodgers were in Brooklyn and Joe DiMaggio’s Yankees were seeking their fifth championship in six years.

“You might be the best player. “You can do whatever you want, but at the end of the day, people remember you because you won a World Series,” Yankees star Juan Soto said.

Broadway vs. Hollywood has produced the most starry TV series in decades, if not ever. The League Championship Series had the highest-rated series in the U.S. since 2017, eclipsed by Dodgers viewership in Japan driven by interest in Shohei Ohtani.

“You could easily argue that on a global scale the Yankees and the Dodgers are the most followed, the most supported, the most visible teams,” Los Angeles manager Dave Roberts said.

This will be the first World Series to feature five MVPs: Ohtani, Freeman and Mookie Betts of the Dodgers and Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton of the Yankees. There hasn’t been a four-man Fall Classic since 1971.

Ohtani and Judge are likely to be this year’s MVPs since the Giants’ Buster Posey and Detroit’s Miguel Cabrera in 2012. This will be the first World Series to feature a pair of 50-homer innings in Judge (58) and Ohtani (54).

In an era of expanded playoffs, this is only the fifth World Series since the start of the wild-card era, which began in 1995 and included the teams with the best records in each league.

“I’m sure I’ll feel how special it is,” Ohtani said through a translator.

Players practiced in 85-degree weather where the sun illuminated Dodger Stadium’s sky blue, yellow, light orange and seafoam green seats. Freeman, slowed by a bad ankle, insisted he would feature in the opener.

The Dodgers are seeking their eighth title and second in five years, while the Yankees are in the World Series for the first time since winning the 27th seed in 2009.

“This is where the real fun begins,” the judge said.

Judge realizes that a title is required to become a member of the Yankees’ greats.

“When you put a few rings on your fingers, there’s definitely a different aura to those walking around here,” he said. “I think the biggest thing is that you see these things have been battle tested. They overcame oppression. “They went through ups and downs and came out on top.”

old rivals

Roberts and Yankees manager Aaron Boone have been facing off since April 3, 1992, when Roberts’ UCLA Bruins beat Boone’s USC Trojans 11-1 at UCLA’s Jackie Robinson Stadium.

“As we all know here, you are a Trojan horse for life. You’ve been a Bruin for four years,” Boone said playfully.

Speaking of the Boone shooting, Roberts said: “Oh! This hurts” and “totally disagree, 100%.”

Boone sent Roberts a Yankees emoji when New York’s charter flight landed Wednesday.

“There was another emoji that I thought about sending him with one finger, but I didn’t,” Roberts said. “I just gave you a laughing emoji.”

for beginners

Dodgers pitcher Jack Flaherty, who started the opener against the Yankees’ Gerrit Cole, was high school teammates with Max Fried and Lucas Giolito at Harvard-Westlake School in Los Angeles. Three years ago, Flaherty was at Game 6 of the World Series at Minute Maid Park in Houston with Giolito to watch Fried get the shutout that sealed the Atlanta Braves’ World Series title.

“It’s such a funny feeling to watch because you’re excited for one of your best friends and you’re incredibly happy for them, but you’re also a competitor and you want to be in that race,” Flaherty said. In such a situation, you want to be on the field.”

Flaherty was 1-2 with a 7.04 ERA in his three postseason starts this year. Cole is 1-1 with a 3.31 ERA in three starts.

Like Roberts, Cole went to UCLA. The pitcher’s college roots align more with the Dodgers manager than his own.

“Aaron and I don’t always agree on everything,” he said.

memories

Yankees owner Hal Steinbrenner was 7 years old in 1977 when the Yankees won their first championship under his father, George. New York clinched the title over the Dodgers with a Game 6 victory in the Bronx in which Reggie Jackson hit three homers in three consecutive at-bats.

“I would say my two most prevalent memories are Reggie’s third-down home run and, of course, the last-minute fumble that (Mike) Torrez caught and the fumble that ensued,” he recalled this week. “It was a great day!”