I have been a baseball fan for most of my life. I played high school and college ball. And I would have played pro ball except that I drew a low draft number in the 1968 lottery that dictated what my course of action would after I graduated. I did neverthelss play ball in an adult hardball league here in the Bay Area for many years quiting final at age 47.
When the Giants and Dodgers came west in 1958, we could hardly believe our luck at having two contending teams that also enjoyed a healthy cross town rivalry that be came a north state south state rivalry in no time at all. The pitching duels between the Dodger's Sandy Kofax and Don Drysdale against Juan Marachal, Stu Miller and members of the Giants pitching staff were and still are the stuff of legends. I grew up idolizing Mays, Cepada, McCovey, Davenport, Perry, Marachal and the Alou Brothers. I remember McCovey when he first came up, as a 19 year old. I think the most poignant memory I have of this series was to see Marachal and Cepeda at the mound last week one in a wheel chair and the other with a walker. This was a victory as much for the 55 teams that preceeded them as it is for the present team. Go Giants and thanks for a wonderful year of baseball.
