Former Dodger and SF Giants arch nemesis involved in Venezuelan League brawl

Former Dodger and SF Giants arch nemesis Yasiel Puig was involved in a major brawl during a Venezuelan Winter League game recently. It appears from the video here below that someone took a cheap shot at Puig which instigated the scrum that ensued.

Former Dodger and SF Giants arch nemesis involved in Venezuelan League brawl

Of course, most SF Giants fans will remember Puig for his infamous dust ups with Giants ace Madison Bumgarner back in the day. The two famously did not like each other.

Here was one incident from 2014 where Puig stepped out of the box to get something out of his eye and then later in the at-bat he hit a home run off of Bumgarner. The two exchanged pleasantries near home plate as Puig flipped his bat and jogged around the bases.

Another incident occurred in 2016 when Puig hit a soft ground ball down the first base line that Bumgarner had to field and throw to Brandon Belt at first to retire Puig. Again, the two exchanged pleasantries, but this time both teams got involved and Brandon Belt had to stand between the two foes. Eventually, things cooled down and Bumgarner returned to the dugout to blow one of his patented snot-rockets to calm down.

While these dust ups were often silly and caused by Bumgarner's quick trigger, they are a reminder of how fun the Giants-Dodgers rivalry used to be in those days. The teams were much more evenly matched and you truly felt that the teams did not like each other.

Now, even though there is dislike between the two teams, it just does not feel the same since the Dodgers have such a disproportionately talented roster. And there aren't the same big personalities to fuel the rivalry the way there was back in the mid-2010's.

No matter what, the Giants-Dodgers rivalry is a storied one. Puig's recent dust up in Venezuela gives us a chance to reminisce about those good old days when the young boastful Puig went up against the no-nonsense old school Bumgarner. Those were at-bats worth wa