History of the Bay Bridge Series: SF Giants vs. Oakland A’s

When Do the Oakland Athletics and San Francisco Giants Play Next?

Oakland Athletics tickets and San Francisco Giants tickets and can be found on their respective team pages, along with schedule information.

Are the Oakland Athletics and the San Francisco Giants Rivals?

The Oakland Athletics and the San Francisco Giants are legendary rivals in the MLB. Their cross Bay rivalry, known as the Bay Bridge Series, goes back to the 1989 World Series — when the Athletics swept the Giants in four games.

Who Are the Oakland Athletics’ Biggest Rivals?

The Oakland Athletics’ biggest rivals are the Houston Astros and the San Francisco Giants. Their rivalry with the Astros is a classic grudge match, while their rivalry with the Giants is predominantly a regional showcase.

Who are the San Francisco Giants’ Biggest Rivals?

The San Francisco Giants’ biggest rivals are the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Oakland Athletics. The Giants’ rivalry with the Dodgers is one of the fiercest and most infamous in the National League of the MLB, while the Bay Bridge Series with the Athletics is much more lighthearted and fan-friendly.

Game Results Between the A’s & Giants

The San Francisco Giants and Oakland Athletics have a long-standing cross-bay rivalry, and fans on both sides always look forward to their hotly contested head-to-head matchups:

History of the Bay Bridge Series

Prior to the two franchises relocating to the Bay Area , the Athletics and Giants played against one another in a number of World Series matchups at the start of the 20th century. At the time, the Athletics were located in Philadelphia and the Giants were located in New York City. The two teams met in the 1905, 1911 and 1918 World Series. The 1905 World Series was won by the New York Giants, the 1911 World Series went to the Philadelphia Athletics and the 1913 World Series was also won by the Philadelphia Athletics.

The current rivalry, known as the Bay Bridge Series after the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge that divides the two cities, began with the 1989 World Series. Game three of the series was famously interrupted by an earthquake, leading to the longest delay between games in World Series history since the two respective teams had a six-day rain delay in the 1911 World Series. The 1989 World Series was, at the time, the longest gap between matchups in World Series history: 76 years. After the 11-day earthquake delay, the Athletics swept the Giants in four games. This World Series has since been known as the “Earthquake Series.”

In 2017, Brodie Brazil, a Bay Area sports broadcaster working for NBC, pitched his idea for a special trophy to be awarded to the winner of the Bay Bridge Series . Athletics Team President Dave Kaval was immediately interested and ordered a trophy to be made. The 18-inch trophy was made out of steel salvaged from the Bay Bridge during renovations. Both teams were excited about the idea, and competition for the trophy began in 2018. That same year, Giants Manager Bruce Bochy articulated his support for the idea of competing for the Bridge Trophy, “Any time you get a chance to win some hardware, that’s a good thing.”

The Giants have won the trophy three times, and the Athletics have won it twice. In 2021 the trophy was officially renamed from “The Bridge” to the “Tom Pellack Memorial Bridge Trophy,” in honor of the deceased former head of Marketing at NBC Sports Bay Area and California, Tom Pellack. His long history of making humorous commercials, videos and billboards made him a beloved figure in the Bay Area.

Unlike many rivalries across the world of sports, the Bay Bridge Rivalry is more lighthearted and fan-friendly than other more intense cross-town rivalries, like the Chicago Cubs vs. the Chicago White Sox, or the New York Yankees vs. the New York Mets. During the 1989 Earthquake Series, one of the hottest souvenir items was a hat featuring the logos of both teams, as many Bay Area residents, then as now, see little issue in supporting both teams.

Where Do the Oakland Athletics and the San Francisco Giants Play?

The Athletics play at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum in Oakland, California. The Oakland Coliseum, as it is often called, is built 22-feet below sea level.

The Giants play at Oracle Park located in San Francisco, California. There is a section beyond the right field wall at Oracle Park known as McCovey Cove, named for former Giants first baseman Willie Lee McCovey, where fans attempt to fish out home run balls (“Splash Hits”) that land in the water.

Other MLB Rivalries