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Dodgers/Giants—One of the Best Rivalries Around, by Avery Smith
The 2005 baseball season is about to start, and there are so many unknowns. Do the Padres have enough offense to win the NL West? Will Atlanta capture the division crown for the 14th year in a row? Can my disdain for Arte Moreno and the Los Angeles (wow that hurts) Angels grow any more? With all of this speculation, there is only one thing that can be counted on…the Dodgers and Giants will renew one of the best rivalries in all of sports. There are people that kill (literally) for this rivalry.
If there is ever any article where my partisan feelings will slip through it will be this one. I bleed Dodger Blue and I always have. Of course, that means that I cannot stand the Giants. If there are any doubters as to why this rivalry touches the very core of both Dodger and Gnat (oops Giant) fans, hopefully this article will clear it up. Everything from the ballparks, to the players, and moments make this rivalry special. I truly believe that after reading this, everyone will understand how great the Dodger/Giant battles have been.
The Setting--Candlestick Park (this is where it started for Giant fans)
As a Dodger fan I have had the privilege of listening and watching Vin Scully. I could tell he always hated to go up north. Why did Vinny hate it so much? I think it was because of Candlestick Park. To us Angelenos, this stadium personified San Francisco; cold, dreary and just downright miserable. Whenever, I saw a game on TV up there, it seemed like people were literally in pain watching the game. The wind and fog would wreak havoc on fly balls and the place had no personality whatsoever. Also, Duracell, Eveready, and any other batteries people could find would rain down on Dodgers in the outfield. This really made me dislike you guys up North. Now that the Giants play at the phone booth (Pac Bell Park), the attitudes of the fans have toned down quite a bit. In fact, I attended a game there with full Dodger regalia and was almost welcomed. That is quite a change from the brawls at the Stick.
The Setting—Dodger Stadium
Dodger Stadium is the complete opposite of Candlestick. It is not right on the water, and sunshine is abundant. Giant fans always hated the beauty and grandeur of Chavez Ravine, and who could blame them. Dodger Stadium is still one of the best places in the country to watch a game. Dodger fans, however, are some of the flakiest ones around. Dodger Fans tend to get to the game in the 3rd inning and leave in the 7th. However, when the Giants are in town, no Dodger fan goes home early. Lately, Giant fans have had a rough time watching games in Dodger Stadium, and one was killed just last year. I’ve seen many beers, peanuts, and icees thrown at unsuspecting Giant fans. It is definitely a rough rivalry indeed.
The Players--Juan Marichal
If you ask any Dodger fan which Giant they hate the most, the long-term ones will almost always mention Juan Marichal. His altercation with Johnny Roseboro is probably the lowest point in this rivalry. Marichal made a habit of throwing at Dodger hitters during his tenure with the Giants in the 1960s. On August 22, 1965, Johnny Roseboro, a Dodger catcher, had decided that this was enough. He met with Sandy Koufax, and wanted him to retaliate. Koufax wouldn’t so Roseboro decided to take it into his own hands. When Marichal came up to bat, Roseboro’s return toss to Koufax almost hit Marichal. Marichal said “You better not hit me with that ball” and it was on. Marichal picked up his bat and connected with Roseboro’s head. It showed just how intense this rivalry is. I hear that this season, a statue of Marichal will be unveiled in front of Pac Bell Park this May. I’ll be up there sometime during the season, so if the statue has a couple of dents that look like they came from a bat, you know why.
The Players—Barry Bonds
Barry Bonds has probably eclipsed Juan Marichal as the most hated Giant player by the Dodger fans. His combination of talent, brashness, and playoff ineptitude makes him the perfect target. The ubiquitous chants of “Bear-REE, Bear-REE” fill Dodger Stadium every time Mr. Bonds is in town. Unfortunately for Dodger fans, Barry and the Giants have gotten the better of the rivalry during his tenure. The Giants have been the more consistent team in his 13 years and Bonds helped to destroy hopes of Dodger playoffs wishes in 1997, 2001, and 2002. Recently, Barry has been up to his fat neck in all kinds of issues. He has even hinted at retirement. I hope Barry comes back, because the rivalry will suffer without him.
The Players—Ron Cey
Ron Cey was one of the best third baseman the Dodgers ever had. He anchored an infield that set a record for longevity. The quartet of Garvey, Lopes, Russell, and Cey played together consecutively for 7 ½ years. That is a record that will never, ever be broken. The continuity of this infield only strengthened the rivalry. Out of all of the members of the quartet, Cey got the best of the Giants. The “Penguin” would stride to the plate and give his famous hip shift. He always seemed to play this up more when playing against the Giants. He would then swing for the fences, and he connected more than most. His 24 homeruns in Candlestick Park were second only to Dale Murphy. When he was traded to the Cubs in 1984, I’m sure many Giant fans breathed a sigh of relief.
The Manager—Tommy Lasorda
There is no one who personifies Dodger Blue more than Tommy Lasorda. He has been in the Dodger organization for over 50 years, and he has served his team well. Giant fans loved to hate this guy as he would definitely add fuel to this already simmering rivalry. Whenever he would get kicked out of a game, San Francisco would collectively begin to sing “Happy Trails To You”. He was a manager who not only got the players, but also the fans involved. When Candlestick park closed, there was no other person who could give it a parting shot like Lasorda could. He led the crowd through “Take Me Out To The Ballgame” and changed the words to “Let’s root, root, root for the DODGERS!!!” That was the wooden stake that shut down Candlestick for good. The Dodgers ended up winning the last game at the Stick and Lasorda’s legend grew even further.
The Defectors—Roger Craig
Baseball is not only a game it’s a business. Therefore, people get moved around all of the time. The Dodgers and Giants don’t swap personnel frequently, but the people that have been moved have been some of the most influential. Roger Craig was the first person that I can recall that served time in both organization. His tenure with the Dodgers as a player was uneventful, but he did the unthinkable by managing the Giants. It seemed like Craig’s Giants got a little extra kick out of beating the Dodgers. In fact, Roger Craig ended the Giants dearth of eligibility for the post-season when they got to the playoffs in 1987. They also made it to the World Series in 1989 under his tenure.
The Defectors—Dusty Baker
For most Dodger fans, Dusty Baker’s “defection” to the Giants hurt more than anyone. As much as I hated Barry Bonds, I think I hated Baker more. He had been a Dodger, in fact quite a successful one. Baker played with Los Angeles during my youth and he was a mainstay in some of the most successful teams in franchise history. When he was announced as the manager of the Giants, I almost choked on my CPK. I just couldn’t believe it. The fact that he was a very successful manager made it even worse. Like Craig, he always seemed to get an extra kick out of beating the Dodgers. He led the Giants to numerous playoff appearances and had a shot at the crown in 2002. Fortunately, for us Dodger fans, the Giants choked again, and their World Series trophy case is still bare.
The Defectors—Brett Butler
One of the most famous defectors to the Dodgers has got to be Brett Butler. Butler started his career with the Atlanta Braves. He was picked up by the Giants in 1987 and established himself as one of the premier leadoff hitters in the National League. Although very slight in stature, he was a great hitter who could foul pitches of literally at will. His peskiness irritated me to no end and he was always a thorn in the side of the Dodger faithful. After the 1990 season, Butler signed on with the Dodgers. My contempt for him morphed into unspeakable joy. In 1991 he finished 7th in MVP voting and was one of the most loved Dodgers due to his energy and hustle. I’m sure Giant fans must still be smarting at Butler’s defection.
The Moments: 1951—The Shot Heard Round the World
Even though this article is about the Los Angeles Dodgers and the San Francisco Giants, this moment must still be mentioned even though the teams were in New York at the time. The 1951 season was one of the most gut-wrenching campaigns of all time for the Dodgers. They started off strong and by August, had amassed a 13 ½ game lead over the Giants. The pennant seemed to be almost a given. Almost. The Giants got very hot, led by an unbelievable offensive explosion. They would end up winning 37 out of their last 40 games to force a tie at the end of the season. The Dodgers and Giants would determine the division championship by playing a three game series. The Giants won Game 1 and Brooklyn took Game 2. Game 3 would decide which team would go on to the World Series. The Dodgers seemed to have the game in hand, going into the 9th with a 4-1 lead. The Giants would score a run, and have two men on with one out when Bobby Thompson strode to the plate. Thompson tomahawked a 0-1 Ralph Branca fastball into the seats, and the comeback was complete. This feat was immortalized by the call of Giant announcer Russ Hodges, saying, “The Giants win the pennant, The Giants win the pennant”. I never saw it live of course, but it always hurts to see it.
The Moments: 1982—The Giants Knock the Dodgers out Again
In 1982, the Dodgers were headed to yet another NL West crown. All they had to do is take care of the pesky Giants, and the playoffs were at hand. Unfortunately, the Dodgers had a left-handed stiff named Terry Forster. Forster was the kind of guy that when Lasorda motioned for him to come in, everyone watching the game would let out a collective gasp. He had no fluidity on the mound, and I always thought if Kaopectate ever needed a baseball spokesperson, he would be perfect. Now, lets talk about Joe Morgan. Dodger fans hated him when he played with the Reds, and the hate only grew when he became a Giant. His arrogance and hate for the Dodgers were well documented. On October 3rd 1982, he gave Giants fans exactly what they wanted. He yanked a Forster pitch just over the right-field wall and destroyed all Dodger hopes of repeating as World Champs.
The Moments: 1987—The Game Where the Sh*t Hit the Fan
The beautiful thing about the Giant-Dodger rivalry is that ever game has a playoff atmosphere. All of the players are trying their best, and the fans are on the edge of their seats. In these games, the true hatred in the rivalry tends to show up very clearly. This was no more evident than on April 21, 1987. The Dodgers were up in Candlestick for an early-season three game series that would help to determine who the favorite was. The game was close throughout and moved into extra innings. Roger Craig had Scott Garrelts intentionally walk the hot-hitting Pedro Guerrero to face Mike Marshall. Marshall, a free-swinging right-hander, had been known for “choking” in the clutch. This time, however, he sent a Garrelts pitch over the left-center field wall. Marshall, thoroughly enjoying the moment, pointed at Craig and the Giant bench repeatedly throughout his homerun stroll. Garrelts responded by throwing the next pitch over Alex Trevino’s head and the fight was on. The benches emptied and everyone was trying to get a piece of one another. The fans gladly joined the festivities with tons of beer and saliva being flung at Dodger players. The brawl lasted for a good 10 minutes and numerous players were ejected. Over 75 fans were also thrown out and several were arrested. The game finally ended around 12:15 am with the Dodgers winning 11-8, and needless to say I was very sleepy the next day in junior high school. It was a game I will never forget and one of the all-time top moments in Dodger-Giant history.
The Moments: 1993—The Dodgers Return the Favor
By 1993, the almost two decade run of successful Dodger teams had come to an end. They were in a rebuilding process with new stars such as Eric Karros and Mike Piazza leading the way. The Giants, however, were in the midst of a heated battle with Atlanta for the NL West crown. Both Atlanta and San Francisco had won over 100 games and the Giants’ held their destiny in their own hands. The season for the Giants ended with a three game set with the Dodgers at Chavez Ravine. The Giants took the first two games to pull even with the Braves and set the stage for the final day of the season, October 3rd 1993. This had been the date that Bobby Thompson and Joe Morgan, both hit homeruns to knock the Dodgers out. On this October 3rd, however, the Dodgers would return the favor. Mike Piazza had a coming out party with two homeruns, and the Dodgers racked up 14 hits and score 12 runs. The 12-1 victory ensured that the Giants, even with 103 wins, would be out of the playoffs.
The Moments: 2004—Finley Slams The Giants
The 2004 season started out very similar to 1993. The Giants figured to win the NL West, while the Dodgers were thought to be in the middle of the pack. The Dodgers shunned the critics, and led the division for most of the way. The front office, seeking to capitalize on the unforeseen opportunity to win the division, traded for Steve Finley, a solid veteran outfielder. Finley and the Dodgers held off the Giants for most of the regular season, but as the season neared its end, the gutted Dodger bullpen began to crack. The Giants took advantage of the faltering Dodgers and pulled to within two games with three remaining. Once again, Los Angeles and San Francisco would close their season out with a three game series at Dodger Stadium. The Giants took Game 1 by a score of 4-2. Game 2 would be played on a beautiful Saturday afternoon in Los Angeles. The Giants dominated the game throughout and led 3-0 in the ninth inning on the arm of Brett Tomko. Tomko was almost unhittable, scattering 4 hits through eight. Unfortunately for Tomko and the rest of the Giants, their bullpen was shaky to say the least. The Dodgers loaded the bases in the 9th with a single and two walks. Dustin Hermanson, the Giants closer by default, then walked Hee Shop Choi to force in the first Dodger run. Hermanson was then pulled in favor of Jason Christenson. With one out, all the Giants needed was a double play to end the rally. Christenson got Cesar Izturis to hit the ground ball that would end the nightmare. Unfortunately for San Francisco, Cody Ransom, an infielder ironically inserted for defensive purposes, botched the play and the Dodgers inched closer at 3-2. Jayson Werth would then hit a single to tie it. Steve Finley then connected on a 0-1 Wayne Franklin offering to hit the Grand Slam that would put Los Angeles into the playoffs. Wow!!
I hope you have enjoyed this special article on this rivalry. I have loved every part of it, and I look forward to the many more memories it will provide. Thanks for reading.
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