The Grizzlies and River Cats have shared the Pacific Coast League’s Pacific Southern Division since 2000, when professional baseball returned to Sacramento. The rivalry between the two clubs, though in no formal manner, has extended beyond Chukchansi Park and Raley Field to the close geographic ties between the two cities, and the fact that their Major League parent clubs are rivals on the field as well. The San Francisco Giants (Fresno) and Oakland A’s (Sacramento) engage in the annual Bay Bridge Series, one of the fiercest inter-league battles in baseball.

To celebrate the relationship between the two teams, and their big league affiliates, both the Grizzlies and River Cats will wear throwback jerseys of their parent clubs for one game during each of the four series (July 6, August 22 in Fresno) in a ‘Throwback Throwdown’. The Grizzlies will be dressed in orange Giants jerseys from the 1970’s, while the River Cats will wear classic, green A’s jerseys. At the conclusion of the year, all of the jerseys will be auctioned off at each team’s home park to benefit their respective community funds.

Beginning this season, the team with the best record in the season series will be crowned the champion of the Series and receive the “California Cup” trophy, bearing the inscription of the annual winners, and earn the title of the top Triple-A team in California. Since 2000, Fresno has reigned supreme in their season series with the River Cats only once, in 2001, but the Grizzlies do boast the best mascot in Minor League Baseball (Parker) and baseball’s premier infield-dragging dance crew (The Drag Kings).

I wrote about another series in the Atlantic League called the War of the Roses. It’s an easy connection for fans to build on a natural or geographic rivalry and makes a series of game more meaningful and easier to market and promote.

–Cudo