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120 Years of Feuding – Dodgers and Giants, Old Foes, Have First Postseason Meeting

120 Years of Feuding – Dodgers and Giants, Old Foes, Have First Postseason Meeting

Believe it or not, tonight will be the very first meeting between the Dodgers and Giants in the postseason. They have been rivals for over 120 years, on two coasts, and have given us epic games with infamous dust-ups, but it’s never been quite like this – with postseason glory on the line. And yet, when the Dodgers and Giants were just making the move from New York back in ’50s, some wondered if the rivalry would be the same in California. Here’s what Roger Kahn had to say in the January, 1958 issue of SPORT: “The pennant race of 1951 [between the Dodgers and Giants, which ended in a best-of-3 play-in series, technically still part of the regular season] was a struggle built upon almost 60 years of baseball feuds and, no matter what happens next season, it is going to take a little while for the rivalry’s new roots to look like the old. But while there are Giants to play Dodgers, and partisan fans to care about what happens, there will be fireworks.” In the 60+ years since that move, these two teams have proved Mr. Kahn right; there have been fireworks. But there’s sure to be a heck of a lot more over the next few days! Want a recap of the Dodgers-Giants rivalry up to this point? Check out this great video by MLB Network!

Yankees vs. Dodgers – the Classic World Series Match-Up

Yankees vs. Dodgers – the Classic World Series Match-Up

The New York Yankees and Los Angeles Dodgers are two of the most iconic teams in baseball, if not all sports. Their respective interlocking-letter logos – the famous "NY" and "LA" – transcend the game and stand on their own as iconic fashion emblems.  It's no surprise, then, that the Yankees and Dodgers come together to make our ideal World Series match-up, from a visual standpoint. The two teams have a long history of playing each other in the Fall Classic, but haven't done so in a while. They met every decade from the 1940s to the '80s, including five times in the '50s. It's been 11 total, and the Yankees have won eight of those series.  The Yankees-Dodgers rivalry started as a local one, of course, with the Dodgers being in Brooklyn until 1957. It was very much David vs. Goliath at that time; the Bronx Bombers won the first five meetings before the "Bums" could squeeze out a win in seven games in '55. As you might imagine, the borough of Brooklyn – which had a close connection with their team – went wild, celebrating what seemed like an impossible victory. Then, as quickly as the good times came, they left. With Ebbets Field falling apart and restless owners looking for greener pastures, the Dodgers moved West with the Giants to California. The Yankees were suddenly the lone New York club. But, this change wasn't all bad. It meant the Yankees-Dodgers rivalry gained new meaning: East vs. West.  The Dodgers found success quickly in their new home, winning the World Series only two years in (against the White Sox), in 1959. Four years after that, the cities of New York and Los Angeles played for the first time in the Majors. LA won that one, then New York took back-to-back in '77 and '78. The Californians then retook the crown in '81.  The two clubs haven't met in the World Series since. Regular-season interleague play has scratched that itch a bit, providing 16 games. There was a three-game series in LA this season, but that was a phallic victory as both teams were subject to the all-black/all-white "Players' Weekend" uniforms, a tragedy considering how wonderful the uniform match-up usually is, and how infrequently it occurs.  In any case, it's the weight of the World Series that gives this rivalry its magic, and if you're a '90s baby like me, there's been no chance to see it live. But there is hope. This season the Yankees and the Dodgers are two of baseball's best teams. Both won their divisions and racked up over 100 wins. Anything can happen, obviously, and there are other good teams out there (the 107-win Astros spring to mind and the Nationals have pushed the Dodgers in the NLDS), but we could finally get that classic Yankees-Dodgers World Series match-up.  Is your mouth watering yet? If not, here's some beautiful photography from our archive to set the mood: 

The Right Look

The Right Look

Sometimes you see an athlete that just looks right. Writer Paul Lukas explains this idea in a February, 2019 Uni Watch blog post. "I was talking with a friend a few weeks ago about football," he says. "We agreed that whatever else you might think of Tom Brady, he looks like a quarterback. His posture, his body proportions, the way he stands tall in the pocket — there’s a physical charisma to him. He looks like the dictionary definition of the word quarterback, straight out of central casting." You may not agree with Paul's choice, but I'm sure you understand the sentiment. I certainly do. I'm more of a baseball guy, and when it comes to baseball, in my mind the "right look" is someone with with good facial hair, broad shoulders, and stirrups. Their face would give a tough-yet-wise vibe; of someone that chews tobacco and drinks beer and gets dirty, but that, in their spare time, thinks deeply and read books. You see this player and a scene almost gets painted in your head... Off a cobblestone street in the old part of town, you step into the smoky haze of a dive bar. Low lights glow off the jukebox, which twangs sad country. There's barflies dotting the tables. There might even be sawdust on the floor. You grab a seat at the bar next to a ruggedly handsome man. He's got big shoulders that move big arms that move big hands that grab cheap beer. Brow furrowed. Moustachioed. Hair thinning, but it suits him. Wearing denim. There's a copy of The Old Man and the Sea face down on the counter.  He stands up. "Time to get to the park?" says the barkeep. "Yep," says the man.  Later that night, this man, who turns out to be Major League Baseball star Kirk Gibson, hits a very important home run for the Los Angeles Dodgers. Yes, Gibson meets the description for me. Now I can't say whether the guy actually drank beer at bars before games, or whether he's a voracious reader. By all accounts he was an intense ballplayer, but has now mellowed into the role of colour commentator. To me it doesn't really matter; it's more that Gibson is a muse for my own daydreaming.  Another guy that fits the bill for me is Jim "Catfish" Hunter. And Luis Tiant. All... have moustaches. Apparently that's what I look for in a ballplayer. Generally I think it's the right look that I want, more so than a certain style of play. At least when it comes to baseball. With other sports, like hockey or soccer, the movement of a player can captivate. Think Wayne Gretzky; it's not the way he wore his helmet – can you really wear a helmet well? – it's how he weaved in and out of the opposition, curving around the post before fooling the goalie and rippling the net.  In baseball, the action is more direct. Pitcher throws, batter hits. The beauty is in the details; how the uniform hangs on the player, or his facial hair. Always the facial hair. 

A Classic World Series

A Classic World Series

This year's World Series features two of baseball's most classic-looking teams, the Boston Red Sox and the Los Angeles Dodgers. Both franchises have made very few changes to their aesthetic over the years; here's a good summary of both: There was some tinkering in the early years but once both clubs nailed down one look they stuck to it. Now that you've got a good sense of what both teams have been wearing, enjoy four beautiful shots of notable Red Sox and Dodgers players: Jackie Robinson, Sandy Kofax, Luis Tiant, and Ted Williams. All four images are from The SPORT Collection. 

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