Best Rivalries In Baseball
Okay, all of you Top Fan Rivalry readers out there, this article may get a little hot. It’s definitely going to be a matter of my opinion, and I’m sure there will be plenty of people out there who will have differing opinions, so please feel free to make comments because I’m laying it out there, with no hold backs.
In baseball, there have been many historic rivalries; Red Sox - Yankees; Dodgers - Giants; Cubs - Cardinals; and the Braves - Mets. Of course, now in the modern era with inter-league play, you get your cross town rivals; Giants - A’s; Dodgers - Angels; Royals - Cardinals; Mets - Yankees; Rays - Marlins; and Rangers - Astros. And although the inter-league play is fun to watch, they are not really true rivals like the historic ones.
Historic Rivalries
Let’s break these down. First, you have to acknowledge the East Coast bias ANYTIME the Red Sox - Yankees are playing, as it seems like the baseball world stops and ESPN always plays those games. But we will come back to that in a second. The Dodgers - Giants rivalry goes back almost as deep as the Red Sox - Yankees but doesn’t get nearly the airplay. So, with the Red Sox - Yankees comes the curse of the Bambino. Babe Ruth is sold to the Yankees, literally in return for cash. Thus starting, what the Red Sox and Yankees consider the curse. There have been some very historic games between the clubs starting in 1977 and 1978, and then during the Yankees power run from 1996 through 2009. Who could ever forget Bucky Dent’s home run? Pedro Martinez refusing to come out? Aaron Boone’s home run? Of course, we also have Curt Schilling’s bloody sock, the A. Rod - Varitek fight night, and the Red Sox coming back from a 3-0 deficit which sent the Yankees packing and the Red Sox to the World Series.
The Dodgers Giant’s rivalry goes all of the way back to the Polo Grounds and Ebbets Field. Let’s not forget Jackie Robinson, who refused to be traded to the Giants and chose to retire instead of wearing the orange and black. If that is not deep rivalry, I don’t know what is, but of course, you’ve got the Bobbie Thompson incident, and Barry Bonds hitting the home run off of Darrin Dreifort. Also to mention, is Steve Finely’s home run, and of course, Madison Bumgardner and Yasiel Puig going fists to cuffs every time they meet each other. For some reason in history, the Dodgers - Giants rivalry seems to play it’s self out less in October, but more in the races to win the division, with the exception of last year’s October.
The division rivals of the Cardinals and Cubs have been pretty historic in the National League Central. Until the Cubs beat the Indians in the World Series, many felt that the curse of the billy goat was alive and well. Every time the Cardinals and Cubs meet, it seems as though it is an October game, even if it is being played in April. Like mentioned with the Dodgers and Giants, the Cubs - Cardinals rivalry is more about winning the division and getting to October baseball than battling each other in October. For you NL Central fans, this rivalry is hot.
For the ultimate NL East showdown, we have the Braves and the Mets. For years these two have battled it out in the 80’s, 90’s and early 2000’s, for the top spot to qualify to go into October. Who can ever forget Mike Piazza’s home run in September of ‘01? And though I’m sure the game wasn’t what was on everyone’s focus at that time, it was still a rivalry game, and both the Braves and Mets played it as such. They’ve had their share of players that go back and forth in trades or by the free agency market. This adds tension to the rivalry, which in turn leads to stoppages of play, so that players can talk to each other in louder voices face to face. Always a good rivalry to watch, and we will see plenty of it in 2022.
I’m Just Going to Say IT…
So with all of this being said, this is where I drop the gloves, get the five minutes for fighting, the two minute instigator, and possibly the game misconduct. Readily admitting, being a die hard Dodger fan, I am still very much a baseball historian fan. Personally, I think the MLB over plays the Red Sox - Yankees rivalry. Although fun to watch, and it even gets exciting up in the Bronx or in Fenway when the two teams meet, for the rest of the country it may not be quite as exciting. However, the Dodgers - Giants rivalry doesn’t get the same airplay but seems to be the more exciting of the two to watch. And believe it or not, the Cardinals - Cubs rivalry, regardless of standings when they play, is a pretty awesome rivalry to watch as well. The Mets and Braves pull in the audiences too, yet little airplay. So to be flat out honest with you Top Fan Rivalry readers, I love all four rivals. I think they are all fun to watch. I think each of them should get the same amount of airplay. It’s always fun to watch rivalries duke it out, emotions seem to be elevated during these games, mistakes seem to be less, and you just feel like you are getting the best of the best out of each team.
More on the inter-league at another time. I would love to hear your opinions on this, and I know that the Red Sox and Yankees fans may not appreciate this much, but prove it to me otherwise.
Article by Bill Perkins, TFR Owner