Dodgers v. Giants Early History
The Los Angeles Dodgers finished off their series with their National League rival, the San Francisco Giants, on Sunday. The rivalry between these two teams has been occurring since the late 19th century. At that time, both teams were housed in New York. The Dodgers played their games in Brooklyn, while the Giants played their games in Manhattan. After the 1957 season, Walter O’Malley, the owner of the Dodgers, decided to move the team to Los Angeles. While negotiating the move, O’Malley convinced Giants owner Horace Stoneham to move his team to California as well. This decision kept the rivalry intact on the West Coast. In an interesting twist, the New York Mets colors (Blue and Orange) were chosen to emulate the Dodger Blue and the Giants Orange.
Dodgers v. Giants Head-to-Head
The Giants and the Dodgers have played 2496 games against each other as of June 9, 2019. In these games the Dodgers have come away with 1226 wins. The Giants have a slight edge in the series with a total of 1253 wins. They are also winning the World Series championship race, as they have brought home eight championships compared to six for the Dodgers franchise. Also, the Giants have the three most recent World Series Championships — 2010, 2012, 2014 — between the two.
Bumgarner v. Puig
Madison Bumgarner and Yasiel Puig renewed the Giants and Dodgers rivalry over the past couple of years. In 2014, Puig hit a home run off Bumgarner and took his time admiring his shot. Bumgarner was waiting for Puig after circling the bases and had some words for him. Later that year, Puig was hit by Bumgarner after a Justin Turner home run. The benches cleared, and several choice words were said. In 2016, more drama came about when Bumgarner got Puig to ground out in a close ball game. He proceeded to celebrate and tell Puig not to look at him. This produced a shouting match and caused the benches to clear once again.
Rivalry Renewed
Max Muncy fueled the rivalry fire Sunday afternoon with a home run in the first inning. This was no ordinary home run, as it went 426 feet and splashed with a triumphant plop into McCovey Cove. Muncy did not run hard out of the box. This was not appreciated by Bumgarner, who has had his personal vendetta with Dodger hitters. Bumgarner yelled, “Don’t watch the ball, run.” While between third and home, Muncy responded, “If you don’t want me to watch the ball, get it out of the ocean.” It will be interesting to see what happens when these two meet again later on in the year.
The Last Word
Sports fans everywhere love rivalry games. These games add passion, emotion, and a competitive edge like no other. The Dodgers and the Giants hate to lose to each other. This mindset occurs in spring training, the middle of April, and in September during a post-season push. The drama between these two teams is a given because of their competitive nature and their century-long rivalry. It is safe to say that Dodgers fans, Giants fans, and fans of bench-clearing brawls will be watching in anticipation the next time these teams go head-to-head.
Main Photo
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