Cincinnati Reds veteran Gavin Lux is to be presented his 2024 World Series ring before the opener of the Dodgers series in Los Angeles.
PHOENIX – Barely a month remains in the playoff races when the wild-card-hopeful Cincinnati Reds open a big series in Los Angeles against the defending-champion Dodgers this week.
Which could make the event the Dodgers have planned before the first pitch of the series especially significant for the Reds.
At least that’s the hope of one of the visitors.
“It might be good motivation for everyone,” Gavin Lux said. “That’s the reason we’re all here.”
Lux, who spent his career with the Dodgers before a January trade to Cincinnati, will finally get the World Series ring he earned last year during the Aug. 25 pregame ceremony.
“I’m excited. I’ve only seen pictures of it,” said Lux, who’s expected to be presented the ring by former teammates. “That’ll be cool.”
Lux is the only player on the Reds roster with a World Series ring. And it’s not lost on him the significance of the achievement, the unforgiving path it takes to get one, and the time of year it is for his own hungry, young Reds team.”
“That’s what we’re playing for,” he said. “That’s all of our goals here — why we’re (expletive) showing up to work every day and trying to get better to have an opportunity to play for that.”
Lux also has a Dodgers World Series ring from the 2020 championship, but he was a rookie who wasn’t on the World Series roster that year.
“I feel like I’ve played a bigger part in this past one for sure,” said Lux, who raked in the second half last season after rebuilding strength from a knee injury that cost him his 2023 season.
It was no accident the Reds targeted him when he became available, as part of a larger group of young veterans with postseason chops the front office added after hiring two-time-championship manager Terry Francona.
Whether the Reds can make noise in October — or even get there — they’ll get an up-close look at what they’re playing for once Lux gets back to the clubhouse with his new piece of jewelry.
Right before they get back to trying to unseat the champs in the other dugout.
Just ask Lux what the Reds consider a successful season this year.
It’s not making the playoffs. It’s not even winning a playoff series for the first time in 30 years.
“Just because we make the playoffs, no one in here would say that’s a success,” Lux said. “We want to go as far as we can. And win the World Series. The playoffs aren’t the standard. We want to go further than that.”
And if they can get in, who says they can’t do what his last team did?
The Arizona Diamondbacks squeaked into the field as the last NL wild-card team in 2023 and got to the World Series. The Atlanta Braves in 2021 had the worst record in the 12-team MLB playoff field and won the whole thing.
“Exactly. It’s whoever’s hot,” Lux said. “And it’s a crapshoot. Once you get in, all bets are off.
“Especially with our pitching,” he said. “I don’t think anybody’s going to want to play a young team that’s got nothing to lose with really good starting pitching.”
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Cincinnati Reds Gavin Lux to get World Series ring, has eye on next one
Category: Baseball
