Dodgers-Giants
Baseball's Greatest Rivalry
The Rivalry
Head-to-Head Wins
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1890s | 1900s | 1910s | 1920s | 1930s | 1940s | 1950s | 1960s | 1970s | 1980s | 1990s | 2000s | 2010s |
Total |
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65 | 80 | 88 | 106 | 98 | 137 | 117 | 83 | 108 | 95 | 70 | 94 |
6 |
1147 |
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72 | 128 | 125 | 113 | 120 | 82 | 106 | 108 | 72 | 79 | 70 | 86 |
6 |
1167 |
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17 Ties |
Historical Moments
The unofficial first game between the two franchises was October 18, 1889 at the Polo Grounds in New York. It was a "World Series" between American Association Champion Brooklyn and National League Champion New York. Brooklyn won the game 12-10. New York won the series 6 games to 3. All the games were considered exhibitions.
The official first game was May 3, 1890 after Brooklyn joined the National League. They won at home, 7-3.
On June 12, 1890, Brooklyn defeated the Giants, 12-6, in the first game to feature a passionate dispute between the two clubs in the National League. It was ignited by Brooklyn third-base coach Darby O'Brien who pretended to be a base runner and drew a throw over to third.
On New Year's Day, 1898, the city of Brooklyn became a borough, part of greater New York City. Many Brooklynites still saw themselves as residents of their own city, and later their baseball would become the source of pride for the borough's residents. The Giants, located in Manhattan, and their fans would come to represent wealth and success, while the Dodgers and their faithful were synonymous with the underdogs of the working class. The cultural differences between the respective supporters fueled much of the passion in the stands during the inter-city games.
Opening Day of the 1912 season was so crowded that the police were called in for control and the game had to be called after six innings. Brooklyn lost to New York, 18-3.
Wilbert Robinson (Dodgers, then known as the Robins, Manager 1914-31) and John McGraw (Giants Manager 1902-32) constantly feuded in the media. Prior to becoming Brooklyn Manager, "Uncle Robbie" had been a Giants coach but was fired by "Little Napoleon", ending a 22-year friendship. One example of their bitterness came in 1916 when McGraw left during a Robins victory on October 3rd that clinched the pennant. McGraw said his players were laying down for Brooklyn while Robinson thought McGraw was jealous of his success. Robinson said that by leaving early, "He pissed on my pennant."
The Robins and Giants finish first and second in the National League in 1920 and '24 with each team grabbing a pennant. The 1920 race was decided in the final week while 1924's race was the first truly great duel, lasting until the second-to-last day of the season.
Brooklyn President Charles Ebbets died on the morning of April 18, 1925. The Robins were playing the Giants at Ebbets Field that day to begin a 3-game series. The games went on as scheduled because, as Wilbert Robinson said, "Charley wouldn't want anybody to miss a Giant-Brooklyn series just because he died."
A Dodgers win over the Giants on the third-to-last day of the 1927 season ended New York's hopes for a pennant.
Before the 1934 season, Giants Manager Bill Terry was asked about Brooklyn's chances in the pennant race. He answered, "Brooklyn? Is Brooklyn still in the league?" Brooklyn then spoiled the Giants' playoff hopes on the final day of the season, 8-5.
In 1946, Brooklyn Dodgers manager Leo Durocher coined the term, "Nice guys finish last," referring to Giants skipper Mel Ott. When Durocher's Dodgers struggled early in the 1948 season Dodgers management dismissed him. This led to one of the most stunning developments in the rivalry's history. In July, Ott was let go by owner Horace Stoneham, and replaced by the hated ex-Dodger Durocher.
In 1951 the Giants came from 13 1/2 games back on August 11th to force a three-game playoff. In the third game, played October 3rd, Bobby Thomson's "Shot Heard 'Round the World" won the pennant for New York, 5-4. Thomson's home run capped a three-run ninth inning and is considered the greatest home run in baseball history.
The two teams finish 1-2 in '52 and '54, each team claiming a pennant.
December 13, 1956, Jackie Robinson was traded to the Giants but refused to report, opting instead to retire rather than play for the rival.
1957: both teams move to California. Through conversations with Dodgers owner Walter O'Malley and the mayor of Los Angeles, San Francisco mayor George Christopher discovered the Dodgers were considering a move to Los Angeles. O'Malley and Christopher convinced Giants owner Horace Stoneham that the two clubs should move to the west coast together. August 19, 1957, the Giants announced they were moving to San Francisco. October 8th, the Dodgers announced their move to Los Angeles.
Much like how the social/economic/cultural differences between the residents of Brooklyn and Manhattan created heightened fervor among each fan base, so too did the differences between those living in Los Angeles and San Francisco. LA embodied the Hollywood image and all that comes along with that, while SF strove to be the cultural and progressive capital of the West. Both cities compete for the economic and cultural crown of California.
Fans packed Seals Stadium in San Francisco for the first day of big league ball on the West Coast. On April 15, 1958, in that historic opener, San Francisco shut out the Los Angeles Dodgers, 8-0. The Dodgers played their first game in Los Angeles on April 18th, defeating the Giants 6-5 before 78,672 fans at the LA Memorial Coliseum.
With less than two weeks left in the 1959 season, the Giants held a 2 game lead over the Dodgers and hosted a three game series. The Dodgers swept all three in San Francisco to take over first place, where they finished.
They tied for first place again at the end of the 1962 regular season, forcing another three-game playoff. On October 3rd, the Giants won game three 6-4 after coming back from a 4-2 deficit entering the ninth. The go ahead run came across on a bases-loaded walk to Jim Davenport by Stan Williams.
August 22, 1965, in the middle of a pennant race, Giants pitcher Juan Marichal knocked down two Dodgers batters. Later in the game, Dodgers catcher John Roseboro buzzed a couple return throws to the pitcher by Marichal's ear and Marichal clubbed him over the head with a bat. It was one of baseball's most violent moments and it ignited a bench-clearing brawl.
Los Angeles outlasted San Francisco in '65 and '66. The Giants took first place over the Dodgers in 1971. All three thrilling pennant races were decided in the final series of the season.
During the summer of 1978 fans at San Francisco's Candlestick Park, known for their rowdiness when LA would come to town, were even more violent than usual. Following a game on May 26th, Dodgers outfielder Reggie Smith went into the stands after a fan that had been throwing objects onto the field. Smith would again fight a Giants fan in the stands in 1981.
In 1980 the Dodgers blew an 8th inning lead at San Francisco in the last game of the second-to-last series of the year. This loss dropped the Dodgers 3 games behind the Astros and cost them the chance to win the division outright when they swept Houston in the final 3 games of the year. Instead, they were forced to play the Astros in a one game playoff, which they lost.
Both clubs were in a three-team race with the Atlanta Braves in 1982. The Dodgers eliminated the Giants on the second-to-last day of the season, 15-2. The Giants then returned the favor the following day, October 3rd, 5-3, thanks in part to a three-run home run by Joe Morgan.
The Giants spoiled the Dodgers playoff hopes during the final week in 1990 by sweeping three games at home. San Francisco did it again the next year with a win on the next-to-last day of the season, 4-0. The Dodgers returned the favor with a 12-1 win on October 3, 1993, the season's final day.
The teams finished with the two top spots in the Western Division in the strike-shortened 1994 season with the Dodgers leading at the time of the stoppage.
San Francisco took first over Los Angeles in 1997 and 2000. In '97, a two-game sweep in late September by the Giants in Candlestick tied the race. The sweep was highlighted by Barry Bonds' post-home run twirl in game one and Brian Johnson's 12th inning walk-off home run in game two. The Giants then road that momentum into the playoffs.
A Wall Street Journal article in the winter of 2001 detailed the sign stealing methods used by the New York Giants during their 1951 second-half comeback and their three-game playoff with the Dodgers. When asked by the Giants to participate in a ceremony commemorating the 50th anniversary of the "Shot Heard 'Round the World," the Dodgers declined.
In 2001, the Dodgers eliminated the Giants in the final series of the season. This despite Barry Bonds hitting his record 71st home run of the season off Dodgers pitcher Chan Ho Park.
The Dodgers finished second to the Giants for the 2002 Wild Card and the '03 Division Title.
On the second-to-last day in 2004, after trailing 3-0 in the bottom of the ninth, the Dodgers scored seven runs to win the game, 7-3, and the Western Division. The rally was capped by a walk-off grand slam by Steve Finley. The Giants finished second and were eliminated from the Wild Card the following day.
| 2010 Schedule | |||||
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The 2010 season series is tied 6-6 |
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| 4/16 |
SF 8, @LA 10 |
7/30 |
LA 5, @SF 6 |
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| 4/17 |
SF 9, @LA 0 |
7/31 |
LA 1, @SF 2 |
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| 4/18 |
SF 1, @LA 2 |
8/1 |
LA 0, @SF 2 | ||
| 6/28 |
LA 4, @SF 2 |
9/3 |
SF @LA |
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| 6/29 |
LA 4, @SF 2 |
9/4 |
SF @LA |
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| 6/30 |
LA 8, @SF 2 |
9/5 |
SF @LA |
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| 7/19 |
SF 5, @LA 2 |
9/14 |
LA @SF |
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| 7/20 |
SF 7, @LA 5 |
9/15 |
LA @SF |
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| 7/21 |
SF 0, @LA 2 |
9/16 |
LA @SF |
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| Series Notes | ||
| Dodgers | Giants | |
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| 671 (.482) | New York Wins | 722 (.518) |
| 476 (.517) | California Wins | 445 (.483) |
| 616-544-8 | Home Record | 623-531-9 |
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10056 4.31/gm |
Runs Scored |
10124 4.34/gm |
| 342 |
1-Run Wins
(30% of Total) |
342 |
| 294 |
5+ Run Wins
(25% of Total) |
296 |
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87 |
Extra-Inning Wins* (4 Ties) |
74 |
| 174 | Shutouts Thrown | 163 |
| 299 |
Sept/Oct Wins
(5 Ties) |
296 |
| 0 | Tiebreaker Playoff Wins | 2 |
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10 7/12/1953-9/6/53 |
Longest Winning Streak |
12 10/2/1937-7/4/38 |
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21 8/6/1894 |
Most Runs Scored |
26 4/30/1944 |
| 6 | No-Hitters Thrown | 3 |
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Highest Scoring Game: 34 Runs (Dodgers 19-15, 4/29/1930 & Giants 26-8, 4/30/1944) |
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Longest Game*: 17 Innings (Dodgers 4-3, 9/4/1943) |
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* Extra-inning game information incomplete (1920-Present)
| Season Series Records | |||
| 1890s | Giants 5-3-2 | 1950s | Dodgers 7-3 |
| 1900s | Giants 7-1-2 | 1960s | Giants 6-1-3 |
| 1910s | Giants 8-2 | 1970s | Dodgers 6-1-3 |
| 1920s | Giants 6-3-1 | 1980s | Dodgers 7-2-1 |
| 1930s | Giants 6-3-1 | 1990s | Dodgers 4-3-3 |
| 1940s | Dodgers 8-1-1 | 2000s | Dodgers 6-3-1 |
| Totals | Tied 51-51-18 | ||
| 1-2 Finishes | |||
| NL 1890-1968 |
NL West 1969-Present
Wild Card 1994-Present |
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| 1920 | Dodgers by 7 games | 1971 | Giants by 1 |
| 1924 | Giants by 1.5 | 1994 | Dodgers by 3.5 |
| 1951 | Giants by 1 | 1997 | Giants by 2 |
| 1952 | Dodgers by 4.5 | 2000 | Giants by 11 |
| 1954 | Giants by 5 | 2002 | Giants by 3.5 (WC) |
| 1962 | Giants by 1 | 2003 | Giants by 15.5 |
| 1965 | Dodgers by 2 | 2004 | Dodgers by 2 |
| 1966 | Dodgers by 1.5 | ||
| Season Finishes | |||
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Both teams finished .500 or better in the same season
46 times (38% of 120 seasons) |
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Both teams finished below .500 in the same season
7 times (6% of 120 seasons) |
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| The Dodgers finished with a better record in 59 seasons | |||
| The Giants finished with a better record in 61 seasons | |||
| Franchise Histories | |
| (NL Rank/MLB Rank); Through 2009 | |
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| First Year : 1890 (6/6) | First Year : 1883 (3/3) |
| Wins : 9645 (4/4) | Wins : 10344 (1/1) |
| Win Pct : .524 (2/3) | Win Pct : .538 (1/2) |
| Pennants : 21 (1/2) | Pennants : 20 (2/3) |
| World Series : 6 (2/4) | World Series : 5 (3/6) |
| Hall of Famers : 47 (2/2) | Hall of Famers : 53 (1/1) |
| Players: 41 | Players: 51 | ||
| Managers: 6 | Managers: 2 |
| Played As | |
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Los Angeles Dodgers
(1958-Present) Brooklyn Dodgers (1911-12, 32-57) Brooklyn Robins (1914-31) Brooklyn Superbas (1899-1910, 13) Brooklyn Bridegrooms (1890, 96-98) Brooklyn Grooms (1891-95) |
San Francisco Giants
(1958-Present) New York Giants (1885-1957) New York Gothams (1883-84) |
| Retired Numbers | |||
| 1 | Pee Wee Reese | - | Christy Mathewson |
| 2 | Tommy Lasorda | - | John McGraw |
| 4 | Duke Snider | 3 | Bill Terry |
| 19 | Jim Gilliam | 4 | Mel Ott |
| 20 | Don Sutton | 11 | Carl Hubbell |
| 24 | Walter Alston | 20 | Monte Irvin |
| 32 | Sandy Koufax | 24 | Willie Mays |
| 39 | Roy Campanella | 27 | Juan Marichal |
| 42* | Jackie Robinson | 30 | Orlando Cepeda |
| 53 | Don Drysdale | 36 | Gaylord Perry |
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44 | Willie McCovey |
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* Also retired by all other MLB teams |
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| Traitors |
| 214 players have played for both franchises |
| 15 players have played for both franchises exclusively |
