Yankees, Dodgers poised for World Series blockbuster

LOS ANGELES: The final countdown to the most anticipated World Series showdown in decades was underway on Friday (Oct 25) as the Los Angeles Dodgers prepared to face the New York Yankees in what promises to be a baseball blockbuster for the ages.

The star-studded collision between baseball's arguably most iconic franchises is the 12th World Series between the historical rivals and comes some 43 years after their last Fall Classic showdown in 1981.

All eyes will be on the Dodgers' Japanese superstar Shohei Ohtani, the record-breaking phenomenon regarded as the best all-round player since the legendary Babe Ruth. 

Ohtani is part of an array of talent who will take the field at Dodger Stadium at 5:08 pm (0008 GMT Saturday) for game one of the best-of-seven series.

As well as Ohtani, the Dodgers boast former MVPs such as Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman, while the Yankees have home run king Aaron Judge and a big-hitting line-up that includes Giancarlo Stanton and Juan Soto.

"Dodgers-Yankees, two pillar franchises in the sport, with a lot of history, going back a long, long time," Yankees manager Aaron Boone said Thursday as he put the finishing touches to his team's preparations. "It's certainly special".

The galaxy of stars on the field is likely to be matched by a constellation of A-listers watching from the stands.

Hollywood stars such as Brad Pitt and Tom Hanks have frequently been spotted at Dodger Stadium while the Yankees boast supporters such as actor Denzel Washington and hip-hop mogul Jay-Z.

"The stars will be out, the eyeballs will be watching, and hopefully we can deliver a great series," Boone said.

It all adds up to the kind of must-watch sporting event that will delight Major League Baseball's executives, who have