Dodgers-Giants feud, exactly what baseball needed on NFL draft day

“Just a fastball inside.” Of course—and just a reminder that the Los Angeles Dodgers (the dreaded Dodgers) and San Francisco Giants will remain the sort of sporting enemies that keep a rivalry alive.

The comment came from Logan Webb on Thursday after he drilled L.A.'s Dalton Rushing in the sixth inning of a game LA would win 3-0 to avoid being swept in a 3-game series—for what, the first time since Walter Alston was managing and the Dodgers were still in Brooklyn?

This was exactly what baseball needed on an afternoon when most of the free world seemed overwhelmed by the little function called the NFL draft.

What the Giants needed and what they got were victories in the first two games of the series and the thought that San Francisco might have a competent team, if not one good enough to overtake the Dodgers over the long haul.

So for the moment, we’ll focus on the fun and friction of the just-completed series at San Francisco’s Oracle Park, where few runs were scored, and few seats were empty.

Although, unfortunately, some of the seats that weren’t empty had an uncomfortably large number of Dodger fans, perhaps because they wanted to see the Bay Bridge. What they did see during the three games was a feud that has gone on between the two teams for decades. Or don’t you remember Sal (The Barber) Maglie throwing at Duke Snider, or not too long ago, Dodgers outfielder Reggie Smith climbing into the stands at Candlestick Park, attempting to dismember a heckling Giants spectator?

What happened Tuesday night was that Giants outfielder Jung Hoo Lee was tagged out at home plate by Dalton Rushing. Lee, in apparent pain, sat behind the plate after the collision.  And a Bay Area Sports TV camera caught LA catcher, Dalton Rushing, spitting out an apparent two-word obscenity.

Rushing denied the accusation, but the Giants naturally didn’t forget what they thought was a violation of baseball conduct. 

When Webb, who grew up in Northern California and knows what has gone on between the Dodgers and Giants, plunked Lee, LA Manager Dave Roberts said it was in retaliation for the Tuesday incident.

“What's the thing with Jung Hoo?? asked Webb. “I didn’t even see that...just a fastball inside.”

Tony Vitello was experiencing the joy and heartbreak of a Dodger-Giants battle for the first time since becoming San Francisco’s manager. 

Vitello’s college days at Tennessee were never like this.  

Vitello pointed out that winning two out of three from the World Series Champion Dodgers “is an achievement.” He was understandably satisfied with Webb’s performance.

“This series felt like a play-off type atmosphere.” More specifically, it felt like a Dodgers-Giants game, and that is exactly what it was.