The Arizona Diamondbacks couldn’t deny the Texas Rangers a World Series title, but they did manage to deny them a proper celebration in the wake of their Game 5 win on Wednesday night. Over the years, it’s become tradition for clinching teams at Arizona’s Chase Field to avail themselves of the pool beyond the fence in right-center — starting in 2013, when the Los Angeles Dodgers jumped in after clinching the NL West title.
D-backs president Derrick Hall later called that move “classless,” and the team had security — including guards mounted on horseback — guard the pool in subsequent years. This year, though, Hall appeared to change his tune, telling reporters that clinching teams “have the right to celebrate wherever they want, however they want”. Apparently that did not apply to the Rangers, however:
As the Rangers’ champagne celebration continues in the clubhouse, Arizona has security guarding the pool pic.twitter.com/kIrSR0bi0X
— Emma Baccellieri (@emmabaccellieri) November 2, 2023
We highly doubt that Texas cares, but this is still pretty weak stuff at the end of a magical postseason run from the D-backs. It undoubtedly hurts to watch a team clinch a title on your home field, but it’ll hurt as much whether they take a leap into a pool or not.
