<p>Games between the Dodgersand Giants are never just another day at the ballpark. Dating back to the latenineteenth century—when the teams embodied the competitive spirit of rivalmetropolises of New York and Brooklyn—the Giants–Dodgers rivalry gainedintensity throughout the early twentieth century. The cheering and jeeringcontinued unabated until 1957, when the clubs backed the moving vans up to thePolo Grounds and Ebbets Field, and took their rivalry to new venues in LosAngeles and San Francisco. </p><p>Indeed, Brooklyn–New Yorkbaseball was a tough act to follow, but the West Coast version didn’t take longto fire up the emotions. Only six games into the first West Coast season, theclubs had their first beanball dustup. The venue had changed but the venomremained, and the rivalry became author Joe Konte’s obsession. Fifty-fiveyears ago, he attended one of the first Giants–Dodgers games ever playedoutside of New York. A longtime newspaper editor and baseball fiend, Konteunderstands what is so special about what is one of the most significantrivalries in American sports. And so—via statistical analysis, game summaries,roster scrutiny, manager matchups, season recaps, and more—he has put togethera rivalry bible. Focusing primarily on the California years, but also providingbackground on the origins and the New York years, <em>The Rivalry Heard ’Round the World</em> captures the spirit and intensityof one of the greatest rivalries in American sports.</p>