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Giants and Dodgers come together in pregame ceremony

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That simple pregame ceremony by the Giants and Dodgers was well done Friday. Just the right touch.

It was the first meeting for the two teams in San Francisco since Giants fan Bryan Stow was severely beaten in the Dodger Stadium parking lot.

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With that as the tense background, both teams took the field and surrounded home plate, Giants Manager Bruce Bochy and Dodgers Manager Don Mattingly standing shoulder to shoulder, in what the public address announcer called a ‘spirit of community.’

There was a ‘moment of reflection’ for Stow. Several players bowed their heads.

Then Giants reliever Jeremy Affeldt and Dodgers infielder Jamey Carroll -- former teammates on the Colorado Rockies -- each spoke to the crowd.

Affeldt battled his emotions at one point, saying ‘We ask you to respect the rules, and respect each other.’

Affeldt spoke of the great, competitive rivalry between the two teams.

‘But when the last out is made, that rivalry ends on the field,’ he said.


Affeldt gave Carroll a warm introduction, though there were still boos.

‘There’s nothing better than rivalry in the game of sports,’ Carroll told the crowd. ‘Like Jeremy said, this is one of the best out there. As we do respect each other on the field, we do want you guys to have the same respect, competitive banter and passion that you guys have for as long as this rivalry lives.

‘But there is no room in this game for hatred and violence.’

At that point, the crowd erupted in applause.

‘It is about respect, it is about civility,’ Carroll said. ‘This is America’s national pastime and let’s keep it that way.’

Before the coming together of the teams, the Giants presented Dodgers infielder Juan Uribe with his World Series ring. Originally, they planned to give it to him in a private ceremony, but apparently the Giants players objected and he received it at home plate.

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The Giants surrounded home plate and smothered him with hugs when he trotted out from the Dodgers dugout to receive his ring.

The crowd gave him a nice ovation. When he was introduced for his first at-bat, however, he was mostly booed.

At the end of the ring ceremony, the crowd started its ‘beat L.A.’ chant. Earlier in the day, the Dodger Stadium drive-through donation for Stow and his family was deemed a success. The Dodgers said they raised more than $61,000 for the family’s foundation.

-- Steve Dilbeck

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