The Giants. Why We Hate Them
With SF coming to town I thought it would be appropriate to discuss why they are so hated in Dodger land. It started off as a rivalry between 2 boroughs in the city of New York. Separated by a couple of miles. Except for very few years into the 40 s, the Giants had the better team and the upper hand. The Giants joined the ranks of professional teams in 1883 .
With SF coming to town I thought it would be appropriate to discuss why they are so hated in Dodger land. It started off as a rivalry between 2 boroughs in the city of New York. Separated by a couple of miles. Except for very few years into the 40’s, the Giants had the better team and the upper hand.
The Giants joined the ranks of professional teams in 1883. They won their first championships, not really the World Series then even though baseball reference lists it as such, in 88 and 89. They would not win again until 1905. They won 4 pennants between 1910 and 1920 and lost all 4 World Series.
The legendary John McGraw was their manager then. He and the Dodgers Wilbert Robinson did not exactly like each other. And the Dodgers had managed to win a couple of pennants themselves in 1916 and 1920.
For the next 20 years, until 1941, Brooklyn was always the 3rd best team in New York. The Giants went to 7 World Series over that span, won 3 and lost 4. But the Brooklynites were still proud of their team, and sometimes fisticuffs would result as arguments got louder. In 1934 with the Giants cruising to what seemed to be a second straight pennant, Bill Terry, the Giant manager made a statement he would come to regret. With a series with the Dodgers looming, Terry was asked about its importance. His reply was “Brooklyn? are they still in the league? Well, the Dodgers beat the Giants that series and the Giants ended up losing the pennant by 2 games.
In 1941, the Dodgers flipped the script. They became the better team. The Giants did not win a pennant between 1937 and 1950. The Dodgers won in 41, 47 and 49. The rivalry was always heated, and bad blood was evident in some confrontations during the 50’s. Jackie Robinson ran over a Giant who was running to cover the bag, and Carl Furillo had a confrontation with Ruben Gomez after being hit by a pitch. NY scored pennants in 51 and 54, beating the Indians that year for the Series win. The Dodgers won in 52, 53, 55, 56, and again in 1959 when the rivalry moved across the country to LA and SF.
In 59, the Giants were not really the Dodgers main rival, it was the Milwaukee Braves who were coming off of back to back pennants. But there was a game of significance in 59. On August 31st, Koufax struck out 18 Giants at the coliseum. One of the first flashes of real dominance in his young career. Through most of the 60’s and into the 80’s, the Dodgers were the better team and won multiple pennants.
The one incident that perpetuated the animosity between the fans and the franchises was the bat incident between Marichal and Roseboro. That incident probably cost the Giants a shot at winning the pennant. Marichal was suspended and SF lost to LA by 2 games. When division play started in 1969, the Giants were not very successful. Between 69 and 2000, they won 5 division titles, went to the Series once and lost. We all know how successful the Dodgers were in the 80’s with a couple of series wins, and some really good teams that fell a little short. But 88 so far has been their swan song.
There have been some confrontations in the ensuing years. I cannot remember all of them. I do remember an incident in SF when members of the Dodgers went after a fan who took the cap from one of the catchers in the pen. Players went into the stands after him. There have been some bad incidents between fans. The beating of a Giants fan at Dodger Stadium, and the stabbing death of a Dodger fan in SF. Orange and Black, are not our favorite colors.
Of course the most galling thing to Dodgers fans has been watching the Giants win 3 World Series in the 2010’s. Incidents like Muncy telling Bumgarner to “Get it out of the ocean” have kept the rivalry lively. I do respect some of the great players that the Giants have had over the years. I still think Willie Mays is the most exciting player I have ever seen in person. Willie McCovey owned Drysdale. I never could stand Marichal, and was stunned when he became a Dodger. Never got to root for him. He was a blip on the screen. Some Giants ended up in LA unis. Tom Haller was one of the better ones. And some Dodgers went the other way too. Hershiser and Baker both spent time in SF.
Looking back, it is one of the better rivalries in sports. Dodgers have had the best of it for most of the last few years. But SF can still play the spoiler role, and they love doing that. One way you can really see how much the two organizations dislike each other is by knowing that Jackie Robinson, rather than accept a trade to the Giants, retired from baseball. His dislike of them was that deep.
Discussion (165)
Disagree, not disagreeable
Take me out to the ball game
Take me out with the crowd
Buy me some peanuts and Cracker Jacks
I don’t care if I never get back
For it’s root root root for the Dodgers
If they don’t win it’s a shame
For it’s one, two, three strikes, you’re out
At the old ball game.
Sure hope we can all sing that again someday.
Does this one ring a bell for anyone?
It’s a beautiful day for a ballgame fora ballgame today.
The fans are out to buy a ticket or two
From Walla Walla, Washington to Kalamazoo
It’s a beautiful day for a homerun, but even a triple’s ok
We’re gonna cheer and boo and raise a hullabaloo
At the ballgame today
I sang this sing every time I listened to a Dodger game on the radio with Vince Scully. I even taught my 3 year old grandson to sing it
*sang this song*
Good stuff again Michael – another Dodgers history lesson for me, and very enjoyable, hope you have the taste for it.
Watched the Dodgers win the West in 2016 during the final Series of the season at AT&T.
Fantastic place to watch a game, especially when you win.
Fans were fine, and there were plenty in Blue there without any incidents.
Bought tickets outside with no problem, and even snuck in behind Home Plate for a few innings a couples of days.
You couldn’t do anything like that in England at a soccer match – too violent.
Baseball is so much more a family friendly environment.
I managed to wangle my way into the Dodger’s Post Season Party on the Tuesday night when Kershaw won it for us, and that’s where I got my picture with him, and a few others.
Great times.
They seem to dislike us more than we dislike them.
Either way, let’s beat them tonight and then tomorrow and Sunday.
I grew up in Jersey as a Dodgers fan. My best buddy was a Giants fan. He and I kidded each other now and then but never anything serious. Now, Yankee fans were a different story. They would taunt me relentlessly. Letting me know that since I was born the Yankees had beaten the Dodgers in the WS in ’47, ’49 ’52 & ’53. Finally in ’55 the Dodgers beat the Yanks in their 1st WS win ever and It was great. But of course the Yanks came back and beat the Dodgers again in ’56. So I only had Bragging rights for 1 year (damn Yankees). Then, in ’63 The Dodgers swept the Yanks in the WS. There was only one thing left that I wanted to see. That “one thing” took place in 1967. The Yankees finished in last place in the 10 team American League. Total humiliation! I guess that is when my Yankees “hatred” began to wane.
Today’s lineup vs the team we hate/dislike/loathe/root against/etc:
Joc
Mookie
Belly
JT (DH)
Seager
Muncy
CT3
Rios (3b)
Smith
Urias
Today has definitely not been my best day in a while. Getting facts wrong in my story, and having my closet door fall apart on me. Maintenance fixed it. So, I decided I had better trim the old beard. It gets too long and I begin to resemble Gabby Hayes, which would be fine if I was making his money. So, I trimmed her up, vacuumed all of the hair up so it would not get all over the place and stepped into the shower, where I always do the finishing touches on my head, since I shave all the hair I have left off, and do the areas that have stubble. So I lather up, and I am thinking this is about the smoothest shave I have ever had. I go to tap the razor, and the cover comes off. I had never removed the safety cover from the razor. Needless to say, nothing was being shaved! Ahh, the wonderful things that happen as you get older.
That’s ok Bear. Everyone has days they would like to start over. Me? I wake up every morning and if nothing new hurts, I think I am going to have a good day. It must be true especially when I have a Dodger game to look forward to.
Bear, I too had a tough day. I opened the door and the knob came off. I picked up my briefcase and the handle came off. Now I’m afraid to go to the bathroom.
Yeah, I stole this one from Rodney who got no respect.
Another thing I am is a huge Red Skelton fan, Since the game does not start until 8:40 my time, I went to my TCM on demand station and watched an old Skelton film from 1950 called Watch the Birdie. It starred Skelton, Ann Miller, Arlene Dahl, and Leon Ames. It is notable because Skelton plays 3 roles in the film. the grandfather, father and title character Rusty. Pretty funny stuff. I never missed his TV shows. And I have I think 6 of his movies, and the Time Life collection of his TV shows on disc. Including Whistling in Brooklyn, is which the Dodgers play a part, A Southern Yankee, and The Clown. The Clown is basically a remake of The Champ, with Skelton’s vaudeville performer down on his luck, replacing Wallace Beery’s boxer.
“Maybe a light went off in Doc’s head” is why Barnes is not playing?
That is really silly!
Look at the stats.
In the past 7 days Barnes is hitting .000!
In the past 7 days Will Smith is hitting .333.
Before that, they were pretty close. If you are a good manager, you let the players prove who needs to play. So far, it’s Smith’s job to lose.
Kike is not paying because there is a RHP on the Mound and CT3 currently has the hot hand. Me? I would have put Beathy at 1B and Muncy at 2B, but that is purely subjective.
Well that was a pathetic bottom of the 1st
Typical Dodgers – 2nd and 3rd, no outs. No runs scored when the middle of the lineup (Bellinger, Turner, Seager) come up. Can’t hit RISP.
Thre is no excuse for not scoring a run with runners at 2B and 3B with no outs.
I would make an example of Bellinger and Turner and sit them the rest of the game.
Thus happens too much. There needs to be consequences.
I’m hard-core!
They let the shark off the hook and now pitch count in twenties while urias balloons to 45. Advantage giants/ going to be another short start for Dodgers. Bullpen loosen
Great.
This does not look good (Seager).
This ump is really squeezing Urias!
Don’t Betts against Mookie!
Like Badger said, they are a different team with him!
I was sitting here watching Mookie and saying to myself, ‘Mookie has become my favorite player to watch’. Lo and behold, he blasts one into the bleachers! I like everything about this guy. He’s got a great presence.
OK, I’ll let Belli and JT play!
When JT is on his game, this team will be great again. I used to call him the heart and soul of the Dodgers but Mookie is making a great case for this title. I do hope JT returns to his expected form. He has given the team a lot and we wouldn’t be such a force without him.
Just in, report on Seager, lower back discomfort.
They just announced it’s Seager’s back
Fresh Prince goes yard!!