ARLINGTON — Of the many attributes assigned to the Los Angeles Dodgers in the inevitable emptiness of recent seasons, “scrappy” has not been one of them. Fairly or not, the team with eight straight division titles but still no World Series championship since 1988 has been labeled as underachievers, overthinkers, and playoff disasters waiting to happen. One glance at social media reveals another whole spectrum of nouns altogether.
With their resources, their payroll and those beyond-white home uniforms glistening in the Southern California sun, the Dodgers give the appearance of being about as blue collar as a Hollywood movie mogul in the back seat of a limo with wine properly chilled.