Five games into the 2024 World Series, Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts and New York Yankees captain Aaron Boone sat in their respective dugouts, trying to outmaneuver each other en route to the championship. Roberts won the battle and the war as the Dodgers secured a World Series title with a 7-6 victory over the Yankees in the Bronx on Wednesday.

But don’t think that the competition between Roberts and Boone has had any impact on the respect the two managers have for each other. After the game, the two managers met in front of the visitors’ clubhouse and shared a long hug. Chelsea Janes by The Washington Post I managed to take a photo of this beautiful moment.

Roberts, speaking to the media after the World Series win, told reporters that Boone had “sought him out.”

“Aaron is a consummate professional,” Roberts said. “He came to see me. I wanted to congratulate myself personally. We have a long tradition of competing with each other. A mutual respect.”

“And I think Aaron is the only one in baseball who can really relate to my job in the sense that you either win a World Series championship or you’ve failed and aren’t doing a good job in your markets. “

Both Roberts and Boone could teach a course on how to deal with wins — and losses — in professional sports. Kudos to both of them for handling the aftermath of the World Series with class.