We have waited, and waited, and waited some more. We have anticipated a Freeway Series in October for 49 years now, for the Dodgers and Angels to challenge each other in the World Series.
What we have not anticipated is something just as delicious, perhaps more so: The Dodgers against the San Francisco Giants, for the right to play in the World Series.
Can you imagine?
All that hatred and bitterness, passed down from the ancestral New York homelands and nurtured among several generations of fans in California?
All the grainy images of Juan Marichal taking a crazed swing with his bat, whacking John Roseboro on the head? All the vivid images of Tom Lasorda blowing kisses to the jeering fans of San Francisco, of Barry Bonds egging on the jeering fans in the Dodger Stadium bleachers?
All the sounds of "Beat L.A.!" echoing throughout AT&T Park, all the memories of World Series championship years in San Francisco -- oh, right, there haven't been any. Scoreboard: Los Angeles 5, San Francisco 0.
We're pulling hard for the Dodgers and Giants to face off in the National League Championship Series, in a showdown for the ages.
The Dodgers have the best record in baseball at the All-Star break. The Giants lead the NL wild-card derby. Never have both teams qualified for the playoffs in the same season.
That intriguing thought led us to another one, and so here we present an All-Star team for players on the five California clubs.
The Angels, in an offense-first season for a pitching-first club, might have had the three best outfielders in the state in the first half, even without Vladimir Guerrero.
The Dodgers might have had the next-best outfielders, even without Manny Ramirez. They certainly have the most balanced lineup, as highlighted by the luxury -- or oddity -- of Matt Kemp batting eighth. They have scored 105 more runs than they have given up; no other NL team has scored even 50 more runs than it has given up.
The San Francisco Giants have the best rotation, not even counting Jonathan Sanchez, banished to the bullpen before returning to throw a no-hitter on Friday. The San Diego Padres are batting .233.
The Oakland Athletics tried to support their young pitchers by acquiring veteran hitters Matt Holliday, Jason Giambi, Orlando Cabrera and Nomar Garciaparra, but the A's rank last in the American League in batting average, home runs and OPS. The kid pitchers are fine, though.
