{"id":1612,"date":"2025-11-03T11:26:10","date_gmt":"2025-11-03T11:26:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/samgembel.com\/blog\/?p=1612"},"modified":"2025-11-03T11:32:48","modified_gmt":"2025-11-03T11:32:48","slug":"what-we-can-learn-from-the-dodgers-world-series-win","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/samgembel.com\/blog\/what-we-can-learn-from-the-dodgers-world-series-win\/","title":{"rendered":"What We Can Learn From The Dodgers World Series Win"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

\u201cMost people quit right before they\u2019re about to win. You\u2019re never as far away from your dream as you think you are<\/em>
– usually, you\u2019re one more decision, one more effort, one more step away.\u201d<\/em>
–Ed Mylett<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

There\u2019s a moment in every leader\u2019s life when the game feels over. You\u2019re behind in the count, momentum\u2019s gone, and it feels like no matter what you try, the comeback just isn\u2019t in the cards.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But that\u2019s the thing about leadership – there\u2019s always another pitch!<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Game 7 of this year\u2019s World Series was one of those moments. The Dodgers were down 4 – 3 against the Blue Jays. The crowd in Toronto was electric, and the Jays looked like they were about to finish the job.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

By the seventh inning, even the commentators were framing the story: \u201cOhtani\u2019s due up again in the ninth – if the Dodgers can just get to him, they might have one last shot.\u201d
And the Blue Jays\u2019 dugout knew it too. They were strategizing around that final at-bat… terrified of what Shohei Ohtani, the biggest name in baseball, might do with the game on the line.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Everyone expected Ohtani to be the hero. That\u2019s what he was brought to L.A. for – a two-position player built for the biggest stages!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But the game didn\u2019t write the script everyone expected.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the top of the ninth, with one out, it wasn\u2019t Ohtani. It was Miguel Rojas – the quiet veteran, the glove-first shortstop who rarely makes headlines.

*Crack* A solo home run to left field. Game tied, 4-4.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Momentum flipped instantly.
Belief returned!!!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then, two innings later, another unlikely name delivered – Will Smith.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Top of the 11th, two outs, and the count even.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

*Crack* A solo homer that gave the Dodgers their first lead of the night.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the bottom of the 11th, the Blue Jays got a runner on. The tension was suffocating.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ground ball to short. Flip to second. Over to first. 6-4-3 double play. Ballgame.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Dodgers were World Champions.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

And the man everyone thought would decide the game never even got that one last swing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

*The Leadership Parallel Here<\/strong>*<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We\u2019ve all had those \u201cGame 7\u201d moments in leadership. Days when it feels like the score is against us, and there\u2019s no way to turn things around.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Or seasons when we\u2019re ahead early and start to coast, convinced the victory\u2019s already ours.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Both are dangerous.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sometimes we lose focus because we think we\u2019ve already won. We start depending on the \u201csuperstars\u201d in our organization… the obvious go-to people. We expect them to make the big plays. Meanwhile, someone quieter, someone overlooked, is waiting for a chance to contribute.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Other times we lose faith because we think we can\u2019t win. We look at the scoreboard – the missed goals, the turnover, the fatigue – and we mentally check out before the game is even done.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But leadership isn\u2019t just about the scoreboard. It\u2019s about believing the next pitch could change EVERYTHING!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rojas didn\u2019t try to be a hero – he just stayed ready. Leaders who stay calm and consistent under pressure create the moments that shift everything.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Another good lesson here is never overlook the quiet contributors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Everyone expected Ohtani to carry the team. Instead, it was the steady, reliable players who turned the tide. In leadership, it\u2019s often the behind-the-scenes people who keep the organization alive when pressure hits.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Momentum favors the one who refuses to fold. The Dodgers didn\u2019t celebrate too soon… they stayed locked in. When momentum turns your way, don\u2019t relax – push HARDER.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Champions finish with precision.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That final double play wasn\u2019t luck. It was YEARS of practice, discipline, trust, and muscle memory. Great leaders prepare their teams to execute cleanly under pressure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I’ll land the plane with this… <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Every one of us faces a ninth-inning moment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can give up when things look impossible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can relax when things look safe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

OR…. you can stay locked in until the very last out!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Dodgers didn\u2019t win because of hype or headlines. They won because of resilience, preparation, and belief – from every man in the dugout, not just the superstar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So whatever battle you\u2019re facing – whether it\u2019s a struggling team, a rough season, or a personal life setback – remember this:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ed Mylett said this once \u201cMost people quit right before they\u2019re about to win. You\u2019re never as far away from your dream as you think you are – usually, you\u2019re one more decision, one more effort, one more step away.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

You might just be one *swing* away from changing everything. Stay in the game. Because it\u2019s not over until it\u2019s over!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u201cMost people quit right before they\u2019re about to win. You\u2019re never as far away from your dream as you think you are – usually, you\u2019re one more decision, one more effort, one more step away.\u201d–Ed Mylett There\u2019s a moment in every leader\u2019s life when the game feels over. You\u2019re behind in the count, momentum\u2019s gone, … Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":1613,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3,4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1612","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-inspiration","category-leadership"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/samgembel.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1612","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/samgembel.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/samgembel.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/samgembel.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/samgembel.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1612"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/samgembel.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1612\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1616,"href":"https:\/\/samgembel.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1612\/revisions\/1616"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/samgembel.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1613"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/samgembel.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1612"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/samgembel.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1612"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/samgembel.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1612"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}