Why this Yankees outfielder is a 2024 World Series champion, even though his team lost
(NEXSTAR) — It was a crushing loss for New York Yankees fans.
The Bronx Bombers came into Game 5 fresh off winning Game 4, 11-4, to avoid a World Series sweep. By the third inning of Wednesday's game, the Yankees were up against the Los Angeles Dodgers, 5-0.
After a set of defensive miscues by the Yankees, the Dodgers rallied back to a 7-6 victory, marking their first World Series since the shortened 2020 season. It also caps a record-breaking season for one of the sport's greatest players, Shohei Ohtani, who will soon be the proud owner of his first World Series ring.
A Yankees outfielder fans did not see on Wednesday — and have not seen in the pinstripes since May — will also soon get his first World Series ring.
How, you may ask? It's all thanks to a delightful phenomenon in the MLB that has benefitted other so-called "cameo players."
The outfielder in question, Taylor Trammell, appeared in five games for the Yankees, going 1-for-1, walking once, and scoring twice before being sent down to the minors in May.
But before playing for New York, Trammell had the luck of appearing in five April games for the Dodgers. Trammell went 0-for-6 with the team before being designated for assignment.
Trammell is a former top prospect drafted by the Cincinnati Reds who spent the previous three seasons with the Seattle Mariners after being acquired during the 2020 season. His most recent game was with Yankees Triple-A affiliate, the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders.
Despite his limited contributions to the Yankees or Dodgers this season, Trammell will receive the same ring as Ohtani, World Series MVP Freddie Freeman, and Mookie Betts, who is now a three-time World Series champion.
Speaking with The Athletic before the Series began, Trammell said, "For me, this is so awesome because I can say I'm a World Series champion now."
"I get a ring now and that's such a cool thing to say," he added.
As The Athletic notes, teams may give better rings to better players, so Trammell's ring may not exactly match that of Ohtani, Freeman, or Betts.
On Friday, the Dodgers will celebrate their World Series victory with their first championship parade since 1988 (there was no official parade after their 2020 championship due to the COVID pandemic).