A little controversy (Thumbnail images)

No, that’s not yesterday’s SF Chronicle’s sport page; it’s from October 1, 1962. At the end of the 1962 baseball season the San Francisco Giants and Los Angeles Dodgers ended up in a dead tie for first place; so, a three game series was held to determine which team would win the National League Pennant and advance to the World Series. The Giants beat the Dodgers three games to two, and went on to lose the World Series to the New York Yankees. The Giants and Dodgers met again last night in a best of five game championship playoff that everybody in the Bay Area, including the media, has been saying and reporting is the first time that the SF Giants and LA Dodgers have faced each other in post season history. I contend that the three games played after regular season in 1962 was the first time these two teams met in post season play, and I said so on social media. Most agreed with me, but some argued that this was not ‘Post Season’ play, but an extension of the regular season. I rebutted that the 1962 Playoffs could not be considered an extension of the regular season games because the season stats would not be fair if only two Major League teams had a 165 game season and all of the rest had 162 games. Also I contended that the only reason that the 1962 Playoffs are not considered as ‘Post Season’ is because that expression had not been invented yet back then. At any rate, the SF Giants and LA Dodgers met again last night at Oracle Park and I was out there. It was crowded and I was out in the bleachers, but it was wonderful fun, depending on who you were rooting for. Like the October 1, 1962 game, the Giants blanked the Dodgers, this time 4 to 0; they won the first game of 1962 out at Candlestick Park 8 to 0. Game two will be tonight at 6:07 PST. (SF Chronicle)