Freeway Series
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The term Freeway Series refers to a series of baseball games played between Major League Baseball's Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim of the American League and the Los Angeles Dodgers of the National League. The series takes its name from the massive freeway system in the greater Los Angeles metropolitan area, the home of both teams and the fact that both of the teams' stadiums are near Interstate 5. The term is akin to Subway Series which refers to World Series meetings between New York City teams, including the Dodgers when they played in Brooklyn.
The first exhibition game between the two clubs (won by the Angels) was played in 1962 in Palm Springs, at the time the spring training home of the Angels. The first actual series was played at Dodger Stadium April 6-7, 1963. The Angels won both of the two games played. After the Angels added Los Angeles to their official name in 2005, the rivalry took on renewed interest. Fans at the first game of a three game series between the two teams at Dodger Stadium displayed signs and shirts that made fun of the Angels' name change by reading, "The Los Angeles Dodgers of Los Angeles". In addition, ticket stubs read, "Anaheim Angels vs Los Angeles Dodgers".
Throughout the 2005 season, Dodger Stadium listed the Angels as ANA on its out-of-town scoreboard, as had been the abbreviation prior to Angels' name change, whereas every other major league team now listed the Angels as LA or LAA. Dodger broadcaster Vin Scully also continued to refer to the Angels as Anaheim, when mentioning them on the air.
Regular- and post-season games between the two teams take place at either Angel Stadium or Dodger Stadium. Under current rules, the designated hitter rule is in effect when the Angels are the home team. The two stadiums are located approximately 30 miles apart. [1]
Another interesting note between these two teams are the different sets of brothers who have currently played for either one of both of these franchises (some at the same time). They include the:
Guerreros (Wilton and Vladimir)
Cabreras (Jolbert and Orlando)
and the Aybars (Willy and Erick)
Contents |
[edit] The Series
[edit] Pre-Season Series
2003: (March 28-29)
Game 1: Dodgers win, 5-3
Game 2: Dodgers win, 6-5
2004: (April 2-4)
Game 1: Angels win, 6-4
Game 2: Angels win, 10-4
Game 3: Angels win, 13-5
2005: (April 1-3)
Game 1: Angels win, 8-3
Game 2: Angels win, 6-4
Game 3: Angels win, 6-4
2006: (March 31-April 2)
Game 1: Tie, 6-6
Game 2: Tie, 0-0
Game 3: Angels win, 4-2
2003-06 Standings: Angels 7, Dodgers 2 (2 ties)
[edit] Season Series
1997: Dodgers win, 4-0
1998: Angels win, 3-1
1999: Dodgers win, 2-1
2000: Angels win, 4-2
2001: Angels win, 4-2
2002: Tie, 3-3
2003: Angels win, 4-2
2004: Tie, 3-3
2005: Angels win, 5-1
2006: Dodgers win, 4-2
All-Time: Angels 29, Dodgers 24
[edit] Post-Season Series
As of 2006, the Angels and the Dodgers have never met in the postseason. To meet in the postseason would require that they both advanced to the World Series in the same year. To date, the only time both teams have made the playoffs in the same year was in 2004, but both lost in the Division Series.
[edit] Fan Base Geography of Both Teams
The fan base of these teams is often misunderstood by most non-LA residents, or anyone not familiar with the LA area. This has been exacerbated in part by the re-naming of the Angels to the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, which many residents and fans complain wrongly conflates the different metropolitan areas in the minds of the public outside of Southern California.
The Dodgers fan base is mostly situated in the dense populations of Los Angeles County, Ventura County, Santa Barbara County, and most of the cities and towns north of the LA area, like Palmdale, Santa Clarita, Lancaster, Bakersfield and portions of Central California.
The Angels fan base is usually somewhat smaller in size but bigger in territory, Angels fans are predomninant in Orange County, south of the major LA metropolitan area. The Inland Empire is home to an Angels minor league baseball affiliate, the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes, and the Angels enjoy a measure of popularity throughout San Bernadino County, California and Riverside County, California.
There is also some following of the Angels in southern Nevada and in Arizona, where the Halos' Tempe Mesa Angels play in the Arizona League, and where the Angels make their home every year for Spring Training.
