CLAREMONT — Two weeks after that wild Game 7 in Toronto, Miguel Rojas was still riding the wave in Claremont. At the memorabilia shop Legends Attic, he sat behind a long table, Sharpie in hand, while fans filed past with jerseys, photos, and fresh blue caps. On display in plexiglass cases were the two baseballs that changed Dodgers history: Rojas’s game-tying shot in the ninth and Will Smith’s game-winner in the eleventh. People came to get autographs, but mostly they came to say thank you.
Rojas said the days since the parade have been a happy blur. “Yeah, it’s been overwhelming, but it’s just a blessing to have the fan base that we have,” he said as the line snaked past the World Series balls and out the shop door. “I’m happy because of the way we won the World Series. Even fans around the world, not just Dodger fans, say this is the best World Series they ever watched. That makes us really proud.”
He made it clear this one felt personal. “I can talk about myself. The love from the fans, like I said when I approached the group over there earlier, I’m just happy for all the people that support me throughout the years, but this year especially after what happened in the World Series in Game 6 and 7,” he said. “It’s kind of what I always dreamed about. I asked for this and I’m enjoying it. I’m embracing every single day of it.”
Rojas knows at some point the party has to slow down. Preparation will start all over again. For now, though, he is letting himself soak it in. “There will be a time where I probably step away a little bit and prepare for what’s going to come next year,” he said. “But I think this moment deserves a little more attention, and that’s why I’m doing kind of the media tour thing.”
Some fans told him they would have walked away right after that home run in Game 7 and called it a career. Rojas just laughed that off. He is not done. “Another chance to win another championship,” he said when asked why he wants to come back. “I feel like we deserve an opportunity to go three and try to go for that. I think it’s something we’re definitely capable of doing. Keeping our core together and having a chance to do it with the boys would be the most exciting thing ever.”
Throughout the afternoon in Claremont, fans asked him to write things like “Game 7 hero” on their tickets and photos. Rojas said it still does not feel real. “That was one of the comments that I made to the guy on my right here,” he said, nodding toward a fan at the table. “A lot of people talk about being the hero and ‘you saved our season’ or whatever, but writing those things down is something you never dream of. You just have to live in the moment.”
Those moments are hitting him hard. “It gives me a lot of different feelings. It’s really hard to describe,” he admitted. “The first thing that I want to do is cry and I don’t know why, but the emotions are flaring up. I know it’s probably going to sink down at some point, but right now I’m just living in the moment.”
Living in the moment has taken him far from shortstop to some unlikely stages. Just days before the Claremont event, Rojas was in Miami at the Latin Grammys. “I’ve been doing a lot the last couple weeks, but like I said, I’m not shying away from the moment,” he said. “These are the kind of moments you dream of your whole life. Now it’s time to enjoy that.”
You could see his face light up when he talked about one particular part of that night. “Watching Bad Bunny yesterday when I was on the stage trying to present this award and Bad Bunny is looking right at me,” he said, smiling. “Bad Bunny is my favorite artist and kind of my favorite person and personality in the world. It was pretty cool.”
He said those memories are going to stay with him for a long time. “Those are the kind of moments that are going to last forever,” he said. “I can’t wait to rewatch the whole Grammys to see if I find something between me and Bunny.” He laughed and added that the night was full of big names. “We got an opportunity to meet a lot of good people, you know, Rauw Alejandro and a Venezuelan artist who won his first Grammy yesterday. It was pretty cool to experience that. A lot of things happening to me right now are unbelievable.”
Back at Legends Attic, with kids in Dodger blue staring at the baseball that tied Game 7, the mood was lighter. One last question turned things playful, asking Rojas to send a message to a friend who still owes him a World Series bet. Rojas did not hesitate. “Yeah, please deliver, because we talked about this during the season,” he said into the camera. “If we won the World Series, we were going to get the same bee tattoo. So I can’t wait to see it. I know you’re going to be with a different team next year, but you have to deliver on your promise. I’m waiting. I’m waiting.”
From downtown parades to Latin music’s biggest stage to a packed card shop in Claremont, Miguel Rojas is doing exactly what he said he would do. He is embracing the chaos, enjoying the fans, and holding on tight to a World Series run that still feels almost too good to believe.
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