Mookie Betts differs with Max Muncy's pick of Dodgers' rival in MLB
Los Angeles Dodgers superstar Mookie Betts had a different take from his teammate Max Muncy on the reigning World Series winners' rivalries in the MLB.
Earlier this week, Max Muncy said on "Foul Territory" that the Dodgers have only one rival: the San Francisco Giants. He brushed aside rivalries with the San Diego Padres and the New York Yankees, saying a team can have only one rival.
"The Padres bring everything that is in a rivalry, but you only have one rival," Muncy said. "I don't like when people say you have rivals. I just think if you have a rival, it's your counterpart, and that's always going to be the Giants for the Dodgers, at least, and it's always going to be the Red Sox for the Yankees."
However, Dodgers teammate and former MVP Mookie Betts disagreed with Muncy. In an episode of "On Base with Mookie Betts," with San Diego Padres All-Star Jackson Merrill as a guest, Betts discussed the Dodgers' MLB rivalry.
"There's been a lot of people saying like the Dodgers-Giants rivalry is the thing," Betts said (11:00 onwards). "That's how it used to be, and that's how it's always been, really. But I can only speak from my experience here, the Padres have always been good since I've been here and It's been like with the Giants have as well."
"I ain't gonna say they've had some really good teams. The rival, I guess, it's hard because, for me, it's really both of y'all. The Giants always play tough, they always find a way, just like you guys (Padres) do.
Mookie Betts gives perspective on "clean" rivalry with Padres
While Mookie Betts sees the Padres as the Dodgers' rivals, the All-Star slugger doesn't think it's at the same level as the Red Sox-Yankees rivalry, which often included heated matchups. The former Red Sox star said:
"You couldn't talk to anybody, there was a lot like, throwing at him, throwing that guy, and you know, fights, and all this other stuff. I don't feel like that goes on with the Dodgers-Padres. I feel like ours is like a rivalry of clean good baseball."
The Dodgers claimed the bragging rights after defeating the Padres 5-2 in the series decider at Petco Park on Wednesday. Teoscar Hernandez's three RBI game proved to be the difference in the rubber game.