As a New Yorker who grew up in the South Bronx near Yankee stadium, I love baseball. As a Latina, I love baseball. As a fan of comeback stories, I love baseball. As a die-hard New Yorker, I would have loved it if either the Yankees or the Mets had won the World Series. Alas, that part wasn’t meant to be. However, this World Series had everything that even a person who doesn’t care for baseball, could love.

The Washington Nationals went from being a team with a very low chance of winning the World Series to being the Champs. They fought hard. They fought against their own franchise history. They had never won the championship before. Not in its 95 years. They had a young player (Juan Soto) turn 21 during the World Series. Meanwhile, Kendrick at 36 years and 110 days old, is the fourth oldest player to homer in any game 7 of the world series. Age is no factor here.

And, in this series no team won their home game. This meant, each team won in a place where they didn’t have the advantage and didn’t have the crowd fully behind them.

It wasn’t easy. But as Dave Martinez, the National’s manager noted “often bumpy roads lead to beautiful places”. Indeed. One can have many barriers and disadvantages in life, but overcoming them can lead to grand emotions of ecstasy and take one to wonderful new “lands” of being. And on the field in a celebratory hug, Anibal Sanchez stated “We won one. We finally won.” How can you not smile and want to hug them?

The team never stopped fighting. They had spirit and made it heartstopping to watch. Anthony Rendon was one of the players you waited to see at bat knowing he could change it all in one swing. That’s power. Get him and the team the bourbon they so want and deserve.

Meanwhile, this baseball fan went to sleep happy. If my home team couldn’t win, at least a great storybook team took the country by storm and brought some unity and joy.