Los Angeles Clinches World Series Title

If baseball is a predicter of presidential elections, then George Bush will beat Michael Dukakis on November 8.

You see, Bush is an original Yale Bulldog and 1988 was the "Year of the Bulldog" in baseball.

Bartlett Giamatti, another 'dog from Yale, was named this summer to succeed Peter Ueberroth as baseball commissioner, and now Orel "The Bulldog" Hershiser has led the Los Angeles Dodgers to the World Series Championship and, in the process, was named MVP of the series following his complete game, 5-2 win in Game 5 over the Oakland A's.

Hershiser also pitched a complete-game victory in Game 2 of the series.

Monster-Bashing Dodger Blue

The Dodgers once again continued their power-surge which has plagued Oakland's pitching throughout the series.

Los Angeles touched Oakland starter Storm Davis for a pair of two-run homers from two players, Mickey Hatcher and Mike Davis, who had combined for only three home runs all year.

The first homer came in the first inning following a one-out single by firstbaseman Franklin Stubbs. Hatcher buried Davis' 1-1 pitch over the left-field fence and proceeded to round the bases like a starving man who has stumbled across a slab of meat.

The A's ended Hershiser's World Series scoreless string at 11 innings when they pushed a run across in the bottom of the third.

Thirdbaseman Carney Lansford led off the inning with a single up the middle and on a hit-and-run, second-baseman Tony Phillips grounded a ball towards the hole vacated by Dodger shortstop Alfredo Griffin, who was covering second base. Griffin was forced to backtrack to the ball and Phillips beat out the play for an infield hit.

Shortstop Walt Weiss sacrificed Lansford and Phillips over to third and second, respectively, before leftfielder Stan Javier scored the first Oakland run off "The Bulldog" with a sacrifice fly to left field.

Hershiser ended the rally by striking out Oakland rightfielder Jose Canseco, who had only one hit in his previous 16 at-bats in the series.

Blue Storm Rising

It didn't take long for Los Angeles to respond with runs of its own to stake Hershiser to an insurmountable lead.

Davis lived up to his reputation of giving up runs quickly in the fourth inning.

Hatcher led off the inning with a swinging-bunt single, beating out the throw of Lansford, who was playing back. Davis struck out Mike Marshall and John Shelby before surrendering a two-run homer to Davis on a 3-0 count. The home run was Davis' first since July 17.

The Dodgers increased their lead to 5-1 in the sixth inning against Oakland reliever Gene Nelson, who entered the game in the fifth.

Davis walked with two outs and catcher Rick Dempsey doubled off the right-centerfield wall to score Davis from first.

Game, Set, and Match

The rest was up to Hershiser, who finished out the game and the series for the Dodgers.

The Dodgers pitcher, who finished the year with 59 consecutive scoreless innings--breaking the old record of former Dodger great, Don Drysdale, allowed only two runs in the eighteen innings he pitched in the series. Hershiser also drilled three hits in the Game 2 win.

The Los Angeles star hurler is expected to be named National League Cy Young Award winner and some people expect him to be named National League Most Valuable Player as well.

He was originally nicknamed "The Bulldog" by Los Angeles manager-extraordinaire Tommy Lasorda when he first joined the club. Lasorda was concerned that Hershiser's lack of tenacity might hold him back from challenging hitters with his ability, which Lasorda anticipated could be the best in baseball. In nicknaming Hershiser "The Bulldog," Lasorda hoped to instill that tenacity in his young pitcher.

President Hershiser?

It is evident that if baseball could select the President of the United States, that person would be Orel Hershiser.

However, if baseball has any influence on the election, it seems that Giamatti and Hershiser have made a strong case for another Bulldog to be elected President of the United States.

Great...what else can go wrong for Michael Dukakis?