TORONTO — Mookie Betts was “dropped” to third in the lineup for World Series Game 5 and then moved to cleanup for Friday night’s Dodgers do-or-die Game 6. It is an interesting choice of word, “dropped,” since those are historically prestigious spots in a batting order—especially since legends like Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig brought glamour to the Nos. 3 and 4 positions.
As punishments go, Joe Torre’s decision to move Alex Rodriguez first to sixth and then to eighth in the Yankees order during the 2006 American League Division Series was a much more significant drop. At the time, A-Rod had not started a game lower than fifth in the lineup for 10 years. Torre explained that the strategy was designed to ease the pressure on a player who had struggled in the postseason.
Unfortunately, it didn’t work. A-Rod continued to struggle, the Yankees lost to the Tigers, and Torre’s relationship with his star third baseman deteriorated significantly.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts rearranged his lineup because, ultimately, he could not bat Shohei Ohtani in every spot, much like Bugs Bunny for the Tea Totallers against the Gas-House Gorillas. While Ohtani can both hit and pitch, he can only bat in one spot—in this case, first. The Dodgers were not creating enough run-scoring opportunities around Ohtani, prompting Roberts to make the necessary adjustments.
https://nypost.com/2025/10/31/sports/dodgers-might-have-dropped-mookie-betts-but-he-rose-to-occasion/
