The Baxstresser family already has a birthday to celebrate this October, but they’re hoping for another reason to party with the Dodgers looking to avoid elimination in the National League Championship Series.
Their baby boy Brody has brought them baseball luck before, the family said. He was born Oct. 30, 2024, when the Dodgers were playing the Yankees in the World Series, which LA won in five games.
“My wife being nice and said, ‘You can go watch the game if you want somewhere,'” said Michael Baxstresser, Brody’s father. “I’m like, I’m not leaving the hospital.”
“I told my husband, ‘You’re not going to be able to celebrate in here, there’s all these newborn babies,'” said mother Brooke Baxstresser.
Brooke ended up recording video of her husband holding their newborn during the final out of Game 5, a 7-6 Dodgers win.
“It’s so funny to watch back to see how he was able to celebrate with our baby boy,” she said
The following year, Brody’s first birthday celebration coincided with the Dodgers’ remarkable comeback against the Blue Jays in the 2025 World Series. The family, who lives in Paso Robles, celebrated the birthday and baptism on Nov. 1, the night the Dodgers captured their second consecutive title — a 5-4 thriller in Toronto.
“They win and everyone just jumps up and everyone starts yelling and screaming there’s people on the couches, I mean it was an uproar,” said Michael Baxstresser.
The family is hoping for another unforgettable October memory as Los Angeles aims to keep its three-peat quest alive, down 3-0 to the Milwaukee Brewers. A win guarantees a Game 5 Friday at Dodger Stadium.
“Brody is definitely the good luck charm,” Michael Baxstresser said.
Only one MLB team has recovered from being down 3-0 to win a best-of-7 series The Boston Red Sox, whose lineup included Dodgers manager Dave Roberts, defeated the New York Yankees in the American League Championship Series in 2004 and went on to win the team’s first World Series since 1918.
The Dodgers have not faced a 3-0 postseason best-of-seven series deficit since 1966 when they were swept by the Orioles.
Forty-two teams in MLB history have faced a 3-0 best-of-seven postseason series deficit — 32 were swept. Only two have forced a Game 7 after trailing 3-0.