What if the Dodgers and Giants never left NYC

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What if the Dodgers and Giants never left NYC; Article by me
Topic Started: Sep 15 2007, 03:57 PM (98 Views)
Doe or Die	Sep 15 2007, 03:57 PM Post #1
Posts: 126 Group: TEAM MOD SQUAD Member #423 Joined: August 26, 2007	Baseball is a game that leaves fans confused and befuddled more times than not, and when general managers make certain decisions some fans are left in the dust to speculate. Decisions effect the environment daily, and can not be taken back once they are made. Sometimes, these decisions might leave fans of a certain franchise or ball club behind to ask the questions. More often than not, these fans are left uttering the phrase "What If..". Baseball is a game that leaves fans confused and befuddled more times than not, and when general managers make certain decisions some fans are left in the dust to speculate. Decisions effect the environment daily, and can not be taken back once they are made. Sometimes, these decisions might leave fans of a certain franchise or ball club behind to ask the questions. More often than not, these fans are left uttering the phrase "What If..". This is exactly what might make baseball so great. The fans love voicing their opinion and asking questions, and that is what I've prepared myself to do. I will write several articles regarding various topics from the sport of baseball, and will discuss what would be going on today if they didn't happen. It's been called Gotham, The Big Apple and The City that Never Sleeps. Back in the day, New York City used to be a baseball metropolis, and the occasional bystanders or tourists that roam the busy streets today were once baseball junkies. Back from the late 1800's to the early 1950's, New York always had something to cheer about day in and day out, and that was the sport of baseball. New York City saw three teams back in this time period, those being: The New York Yankees, The New York Giants and the Brooklyn Dodgers. Today, only two franchises exist in The Big Apple, those being the Yankees and the Mets. The Dodgers and Giants packed their bags and headed for California, going to Los Angeles and San Francisco in that respective order. But what if the Brooklyn Dodgers and the New York Giants never headed for the West Coast? What if they remained in New York? The Brooklyn Dodgers were hated by millions and loved by the few and the brave. Being the team that had the first African-American player on it wasn't all that easy, and playing in an environment where the fans expect you to win makes it all that tougher. But the Dodgers didn't disappoint all that much, winning one World Series in nine chances while staying in New York. The Dodgers showcased an array of talented athletes, some of those being: Jackie Robinson, Pee Wee Reese, Duke Snider, Sandy Koufax and Roy Campanella. The Dodgers are most known for having Sandy Koufax as the face of their franchise, and New Yorkers only got to witness Sandy for two years. Koufax, who only pitched 11 years, might have pitched longer in New York. Ebbets Field was a great atmosphere, and if Sandy was exposed to such an environment he might have had proper motivation to remain in the game for a year or two more. Instead, Brooklyn moved from Ebbets Field to lonely Dodger Stadium, where Sandy would pitch 4 no hitters, which is third all-time. Sandy Koufax simply became a major league baseball player at the wrong time, as he witnessed his franchise leave America's biggest city. Brooklyn featured a die hard "Bleed Blue" type of atmosphere and chemistry, and the disease was certainly contagious. Fans were always welcome to come to Ebbets Field, which is probably the most interactive baseball stadium ever. Dodgers fans were treated to various types of songs about certain players, fans who enjoyed to play their own music and even a kids show on television before games. The rewards weren't always necessary, but proved to be useful in drawing attendance. Brooklyn was strict on making sure the fans were involved and supported their team, and if they were still around New York today they could possibly be dominating the Big Apple. The New York Giants might have been and could still possibly be the second best team to ever play in New York City. They called seven different stadiums their home during their tenure in New York, most notably the fan friendly and legendary Polo Grounds, which was tinkered and toyed with on four different occasions. The Giants won 5 World Series crowns while staying in New York, which is better than Brooklyn and the Mets number of rings. New York featured such superstars and legends as: Roger Hornsby, Christy Mathewson, Larry Doyle and Carl Hubble. Before they moved to San Francisco, New York residents were treated to a living highlight reel known as the "Say Hey Kid". That's right, Willie Mayes played several seasons in New York before the Giants packed their bags. Willie appeared in the most all-time All Star Games and hit 660 career home runs. He had an amazing knack for running down fly balls and an impressive arm that froze runners from advancing bases on what would normally be a sacrifice fly. If Willie would have stayed in The Big Apple longer, he could've continued to dazzle fans with his amazing attitude and impressive skills. Christy Mathewson wasn't there when the Giants left for the West Coast, but he was a big part of the New York organization. A menace on the pitching mound, Mathewson had an amazing arm and could intimidate any batter. He's third all-time with 373 career wins, which is impressive, and is 9th all-time in earned run average. Mathewson had an impressive arm and was an early ace that got the Giants wins whenever they needed them. Christy is a legend in New York history, and a big reason why they had so much success. The Yankees, which are still a part of New York City, are the clear cut beasts of the east. The Yankees are the best team money could assemble, and have lived up to that title throughout the years, winning 26 championships. New York seemingly dominated while the Giants and Dodgers were still a part of New York, but that might be a different story if they still existed in the city. The Giants and Dodgers have experienced much more enhanced depth charts throughout the seasons, and would attempt to steal the crown of the city if they still played there. The New York Mets weren't established until 1962, and have played like Brooklyn once did. However, the Amazin' Mets have two World Series under their belt instead of one, and like Brooklyn, also played in a "Subway Series" as a World Series match up. However, the Mets lost that World Series. The Mets tasted an array of astounding players, but those athletes are nowhere near the players that used to grace the now throwback uniforms of the big apple. These Mets may be lucky, because if the Dodgers and Giants were still around they could be sticking at home during October. The simple answer to the question in the introduction is that New York would be experiencing an overload of victories. While the Yankees would be the juggernaut of the city, Brooklyn and the Giants would be in close competition. Whilst in New York, the Giants compiled 5 World Series titles and the Dodgers gathered 1. While it may not be very impressing, consider this fact; Los Angeles had great success during the late 70's and early 80's. While in New York they would play some more experienced teams and would probably be in fierce competition with the NL East. As for Brooklyn, they might have to play in the American League East. But, if this happened, that would give both divisions six teams and the National League West only three. Here's something for the average fan to consider and analyze and that's Barry Bonds wearing New York Giants trim. The San Francisco fans love Barry's presence, so just imagine him wearing orange and black and slugging in the city that never sleeps. Plus, consider this; San Francisco is basically a small fry in terms of population if you compare it to New York City. Even if that fact doesn't turn heads, the case that San Francisco is more passionate about their football does close the case. If the New York Giants didn't move to San Francisco, they'd likely have a larger and more passionate and caring fan base. As for the Dodgers, picture them having Tommy LaSorda's managerial mastermind in the borough known as Brooklyn. Can you picture a crowd full of New Yorkers cheering on Kirk Gibson if he would've hit the home run while playing in New York? That would've been more of an eruption than "The Shot heard round the world". Plus, keeping the team in Brooklyn would have been a better strategy for Jackie Robinson, who played better baseball in New York. Brooklyn would be in stiff contest with the Yankees all season long, and that would give them a solid contest throughout their dynasty period. From a general aspect, the term "Subway Series" would be taken to a new level. Rivalries would be steaming up for not only the Yankees and Mets, but with the other two teams that could've potentially stayed, also. As bad as the Mets and Yankees rivalry is, the Dodgers and Giants bad blood pulses even hotter. Placing these four teams would just cause riots on the diamond, but would've made it interesting to see who supported who. Case in point the 1955 World Series which Brooklyn barely won. It was their only World Series while in New York, and the city went absolutely insane after the victory. Fans who didn't know they were fans had come out of the closet, and the city was just absolute madness. If these four teams still made up New York, picture a Subway Series World Series like the MLB saw in 2000. It'd basically be a section of the city versus another section, with the fans who didn't make it taking sides and raising heck. But it'd be fun. It would be absolute fun. Plus, imagine how much more the minor league teams would be supported. Right now the Staten Island Yankees and Brooklyn Cyclones play Minor League Baseball, but if the Dodgers and Giants stayed it would be likely that Minor League Baseball in New York City would be greatly supported. Especially if all these games were sold out, which it's likely that they would be. Businesspeople work hard and make strives to benefit their families, and with four different teams to choose and root for, this would be a luxury. Ticket sales would greatly increase and these teams would make a ton of money as the fans would flock to the ballparks. Tourism would be on the rise in the city, especially considering the ability to see four teams play. Fans and tourists would have the chance to pick and choose. If baseball still existed in New York City, the game would be revolutionized in so many different ways. West coast baseball wouldn't be much of a factor, and New York city would probably get to taste a World Series every single year. Rivalries would be blazing hotter than ever before, and bad blood would be pulsing through the circulation of every citizen. Downtown New York would be a different place every day, with fans rushing towards the stands and hustling to receive tickets. What if the Giants and Dodgers never left? What if?



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