Monday night, the Los Angeles Dodgers completed the NLDS sweep of the Arizona Diamondbacks to punch their ticket to the NLDS (LAD 3, ARI 1). It is the third NLCS trip in the last five years for Los Angeles.
Game 3 was played at Chase Field, and after the Dodgers clinched the NLCS berth, the D-Backs had police mounted on horseback (!) guard the ballpark's trademark swimming pool beyond the right-center field wall. Check it out:
Here are some more photos COMING FROM INSIDE THE HOUSE:
Protecting the pool. pic.twitter.com/rSjzQcaNgi
— Dylan Hernandez (@dylanohernandez) October 10, 2017
It is 12:09am and the horses and police are still guarding the Chase Field pool pic.twitter.com/WQffbUtxyc
— Eric Stephen (@truebluela) October 10, 2017
It wasn't until 12:11am PT, roughly two hours after the final out was recorded, that the mounted police left the ballpark and left the pool unattended.
Finally, the horses are in retreat, headed back to the barn.
— Ken Gurnick (@kengurnick) October 10, 2017
The Dodgers, as you may recall, went for a romp in the Chase Field pool back in 2013 after clinching the NL West title. The D-Backs were not happy about that at all, with utility infielder Willie Bloomquist famously saying, "I would expect someone to act with a little more class. I highly doubt the New York Yankees would do something like that."
For what it's worth, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts told A.J. Perez of USA Today prior to Game 3 the team would not jump in the pool if they clinched an NLCS spot in Arizona. From Perez:
"That won't happen," Roberts said on Sunday. "This is a completely different team and I think we have bigger goals than to jump into a swimming pool."
....
"Our guys clearly understand what this team is about, and we have no interest in jumping in a pool in right field," Roberts said.
I dunno, who opens a pool and doesn't let people go in it? I mean, I get why the D-Backs would be upset, but if you put a pool in your ballpark, you're asking for trouble. If you get beat at home and the other team clinches, just wear it. Let them in the pool. Don't bring in mounted police -- mounted police! -- to protect a little swimming pool.