DollinkdaughterJrS attended a baseball game in SF last weekend. Giants-Dodgers. Suffice it to say the homeboys didn't win and that the fans garbed in boohissblue were out in force - root root rooting for their guys and taunting teasing our guys and their faithful.
Dodgie fans really poured it on after the win...I am so glad not to have witnessed their glee.
JrS enjoyed a day out at the ballpark, but this was her first time experiencing the age-old rivalry between the two California teams. She found it all a bit unnerving.
I got to thinking about that rivalry and looked into it. There are quite a few things that factor into the feud. Regionalism, politics, money (let's not forget a healthy dose of testosterone!) did much to morph the happy sandlot game of stickball into an Us Against Them Against Us pro sports rivalry of major proportions.
Fascinating stuff.
I can get pretty caught up in the sport if making any effort at all to follow the Giants through a season. Not so much for plays and stats. My vested interest is an emotional tie to the team I've held since childhood.
SF Giants baseball can get my heart to racin' and my blood to boilin'.
It can also bring a tear to my eye.
Perhaps that's why I didn't attend any games this season.
More than I can handle this year, folks.
P.S. Say hey!
3 comments:
say hey b
and if the dodgers never left Brooklyn, NY, and many ny'ers are still upset about it, there wouldn't be that rivalry with the giants.
my dollink daughter, to borrow your veracular, has converted to a dodger fan, now that she's LA based. so much for loyalty! lol
D.
Willy McCovey, Juan Marichal, Willie Mays, Bill Bailey, Barry Bonds, Robbie Thompson, Jeff Kent (ok, he was a brat), Matt Williams, Who am I missing?
How I miss them...well not Barry YET! One time we saw Barry hit 2 home runs and Robbie and Matt hit one each.
One time we lent the couple from England a blanket when they were freezing to death at Candlestick.
One time we sat in the VERY last row, all the way to the right and still saw the game clearly at Pac Bell. (what is it called now?)
I also missed this year, and I'm sad, too.
Say Hey B!
And now look, man, it's a picture of my boyhood hero, Willie Mays! The Say-Hey Kid, the Amazing Mays!! He could do it all, and with style. A five tool player: hit for average, hit with power, run, catch'em, and, man, could he throw'em! I didn't get to see those that preceded him, but there's been none like him since. In my long ago asthmatic-ridden childhood, lucky to catch one or two summer day games at Candlestick each season, sitting in the upper deck. Watch Willie, you wanna see how this game's s'pose to be played, keep your eyes on Mays. See him patrolling centerfield, how he's pointing to the other outfielders, tellin' em where to play this hitter. Like a manager on the field. Fly ball to center, Willie taps the glove three times, basket catch. Now look at him at first, taking that lead, another step ,wants to get in the pitcher's head, distract him, mess with his concentration, make a mistake to McCovey at bat. Man, and watch him at bat: digging into the batter's box, pawing the dirt with his right foot, tipping the plate with the end of his bat, getting just so. A couple of practice swings. That back leg cocked, big ol' hands wrapped around the bat handle, not too tight, coiled now, ready to snap those wrists on the swing. Wants to take her out to right center, cause the wind blows in too hard from left at the 'Stick. Bat meets ball: oooh, that sound, anybody else make a sound quite like that when they hit the ball? Bye-bye Baby?? This time a gapper in right center, bounces up against the fence. Now you see Willie go, man, go, scampering 'round those bases...ooh, he's trying for three! Hat flies off some where between second and third, head of steam, the throw, cloud of dust...safe! Number 24! Say Hey indeed.
AF
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