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The Dodgers got their championship rings before Friday’s home opener.
“It’s been marked on the calendar for a while now,” Clayton Kershaw said Tuesday. “I’m excited we’ll have a few fans there, that will be cool. It’s kind of the first time we’ve all been together with fans, to get to celebrate last year.”
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This is also the Dodgers’ first game in front of fans at Dodger Stadium in 18 months, which brings its own level of excitement, coupled with celebrating the team’s first World Series title in 32 years.
Kershaw said he hadn’t yet seen the ring, and neither did Chris Taylor, at least as of Wednesday. Justin Turner on Friday said he saw a picture of the ring, and that the team didn’t have a part in the design.
“It looked good on my phone screen,” Turner said. “I can’t wait to see it in person.”
Manager Dave Roberts hasn’t seen a ring with his own eyes yet, but he has seen pictures, and earlier this week said, “I’m looking forward to getting that big, fat ring, just to put a bow on 2020.”
Roberts’ description was apt, given what the Dodgers revealed on Friday:
World Series Champions has a nice ring to it. pic.twitter.com/lrlQ1cwms8
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) April 9, 2021
From the Dodgers:
The ring top features the instantly recognizable LA logo crafted from 17 custom-cut genuine sapphires and set atop a brilliant baseball diamond. Within the base paths are 16 dazzling pavé-set diamonds and accenting 1st, 2nd and 3rd base and Home Plate are individual princess-cut diamonds. Filling the interior of the baseball diamond are an additional 29 diamonds, symbolic of the number of home runs hit by the Dodgers in the Arlington, Texas Postseason bubble. Another 16 custom-cut sapphires and a halo of 44 diamonds surround the logo and baseball diamond. Adorning the top and bottom of the ring top is the Dodgers well-deserved title, World Champions.
Cascading down the sides of the ring top are 96 stunning diamonds. Enhancing the top and bottom edges of the ring top are 6 princess-cut diamonds set in pennants, honoring the Dodgers rich championship history and their 6 previous World Series titles. Combined on both edges are 12 princess-cut sapphires, representative of the 12 home runs hit by the Dodgers in the 2020 World Series.
The box the Dodgers championship ring came in plays a video inside with World Series highlights pic.twitter.com/14Pt917zQJ
— Eric Stephen (@ericstephen) April 9, 2021
The biggest ovation is sure to be for Kershaw, the franchise fixture who for so many years carried the Dodgers on his back, and who said Friday would be special for him for many reasons. Roberts said Kershaw starting opening day, which lined up Walker Buehler for the home opener and let Kershaw fully take part in the ring ceremony, went into the decision of lining up the rotation to start the season.
“It’s a grateful feeling to know that so many people care about me in that way, and wanted me to win so bad. Maybe it’s something I took for granted a little bit, realizing how much it impacted the people around me.”
David Price plans to auction his Dodgers championship ring to support The Players Alliance.
The rings have arrived. pic.twitter.com/OHo5KfA4mz
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) April 9, 2021