THE DODGERS ARE THE NEW EVIL EMPIRE? NOT SO FAST

First, they signed Roki Sasaki. Then came Blake Snell. Next, they brought back Teoscar Hernández. And just when you thought they were done, they went and signed Hyeseong Kim—prompting most fans to Google "Who is Hyeseong Kim?" only to get mad when they realized he was now a Dodger. The reaction across the league? "This is over. It's unfair. One team shouldn't be allowed to sign all the stars!"

If you’re a Yankees fan, this panic should feel eerily familiar. Sound like 1998 to you? The 2024 Dodgers might look like the ’98 Yankees, but they’ve got a bit of the ‘96 Braves in them too—those Braves who boasted a rotation that could strike fear into anyone: Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine, and John Smoltz. A trio so good, they seemed invincible in a short series. Well, until they weren’t. The Yankees knocked them off. Repeatedly.

The '98 Yankees were a different beast altogether, one of the greatest teams ever assembled. With 114 wins in the regular season and a postseason that ended with them at a ridiculous 125-50 record, they were a juggernaut. Their ERA? Sixth best in baseball. Their runs scored. League-leading. This wasn’t just a team—it was a finely-tuned, record-smashing machine.

Now, back to the Dodgers. Their roster? It’s a veritable who’s who of baseball talent. Their rotation? Strong enough that their sixth starter might be better than some teams’ aces. Their payroll? The kind of money that makes other teams weep. But before you throw in the towel, remember this: baseball is wonderfully, maddeningly unpredictable.

The 1996-2000 Yankees were a masterclass in smart team building. They built up to it by nailing their drafts, grabbing Derek Jeter early and finding gems like Jorge Posada and Andy Pettitte in the later rounds. They scoured the globe for hidden talent, unearthing Mariano Rivera, and pulled off clever trades like the one that brought Paul O’Neill to the Bronx. Scott Brosius was plucked off the A's bench—no one thought that move was season-defining, but it was.

Clemens joining the squad in 1999 as the moment the Yankees became the baseball equivalent of a Death Star. 

By the early 2000s, the Yankees shifted from precision to sheer accumulation. Jason Giambi.

But back to 1996 for a second, the Yankee build up to their run.  The 1996 Braves were untouchable—until they weren’t. The 2003 Yankees were packed with talent, but they fell to the plucky, wildcard Marlins. Even the Dodgers, for all their might, are vulnerable. Just like the Braves were dethroned by a scrappy, cobbled-together Yankees team in '96, the Dodgers can be beaten.

Yes, the Dodgers have it all: chemistry, depth, star power, and enough financial firepower to outbid anyone. But so did the ’96 Braves. And we all know how that story ended. The season’s not over until the final out. And in baseball, any team can have its Cinderella moment.

So go ahead, be mad at the Dodgers for doing what every team dreams of—stockpiling stars like it's a Black Friday sale. But keep rooting for your team. Because this is baseball, and in baseball, anything can happen. Just ask the ’96 Braves. Or the 2003 Yankees or even the 2001 Yanks. Sometimes, the Goliaths fall. And that’s what keeps the game so exhilarating.

By the way, shout out to Yanks go Yard for keeping us all thinking about stuff like this. Good Article.

--Alvin Izzo
BYB Yankee History Contributor