The Trophy
the Tom Pellack Memorial Bridge Trophy
presented by NBC Sports
BACKGROUND
The Coaching Corps Game Changer Awards is a charity event that Tom was heavily involved in from concept and inception while working at NBC Sports, Coaching Corps' media partner. In its inaugural year, Tom had the idea of gathering all of the Bay Area trophies in one room (the original #bayareaunite), which was the initial draw bringing so many together for the benefit of this worthy cause. Needless to say, the event in its first year was a smashing success and continues to grow.
In what felt like a perfect homage, many of Tom's friends came together this year - from NBC Sports, Coaching Corps and the professional teams - to honor the creative genius that was Tom. During this year's Game Changer Awards, Amy Gutierrez announced that NBC Sports, the SF Giants, and the Oakland A's will honor Tom by renaming the trophy presented to the winner of their annual Giants/A's series, the "Tom Pellack Memorial Bridge Trophy".
"The Bridge" trophy, created 3 years ago, was another brainchild of Tom's meant to cement the "Bay Bridge Series" into baseball rivalry history. There were so many contributions Tom made to his profession and more importantly to those who were so fortunate to work with him - we are thankful to all involved (especially Ted, Wally, Larry and Dave) in helping make this a reality. We all know Tom was a huge baseball fan, and now his name will truly live forever, and he will especially be remembered during the series every year.
We miss you, Tom. We love you, Tara.
ABOUT THE TROPHY
For the second time in four years, the Giants have won The Bridge Tom Pellack Memorial Trophy, capturing the hardware by beating the Athletics in thrilling fashion on Sunday in the Bay Bridge Series finale at the Oakland Coliseum.
Donovan Solano came off the bench in the top of the eighth inning and connected for a pinch-hit, go-ahead two-run homer to lift the Giants to a stunning 2-1 win over the A's.
The Giants won four of the six 2021 regular-season games against the A's, including the last two in historic fashion.
It's year four of the Bay Bridge Trophy, and this year it has a new name.
In a six-game series, the Oakland A's and San Francisco Giants will play for The Bridge, a trophy designed to commemorate the franchises' shared history and to give one very happy fanbase bragging rights. This year NBC Sports, in conjunction with the San Francisco Giants and Oakland Athletics, is changing the name to the "Tom Pellack Memorial Bridge Trophy" to honor a beloved member of the NBC Sports Family who passed away in 2020.
Pellack was the head of Marketing at NBC Sports Bay Area & California, and the various iterations of this network over the years all the way back to Fox Sports Bay Area. Every funny commercial, ridiculous billboard, and countless videos that were produced from this channel over decades came from the creative and passionate mind of one of the most beloved humans to ever work in Bay Area Sports. This weekend, the trophy is re-named in his honor.
When is the Bay Bridge Series?
The A’s and Giants met for the first time this season in June for a weekend series at Oracle Park. The series continues August 20-22 with three games at the Coliseum.
How does one team win The Bridge?
Since 2018, The Bridge has been awarded to the team that wins more games in the Bay Bridge Series during the regular season. The A's have won twice (2018, 2020) and the Giants once (2019).
If the series finishes tied, the winner of the final game wins. If one or more games is postponed and the series has not yet been clinched, The Bridge will not be awarded until the postponed game(s) can be made up. If the postponed game(s) can not be made up, the standing of the series at the end of the season determines the winner of the trophy. Whether or not postponed games are made up, if the series ends in a tie, the team that wins the final game will be awarded The Bridge.
Where will The Bridge be awarded?
As soon as the Bay Bridge Series is clinched by either the A’s or Giants, The Bridge is awarded to the winning team. If The Bridge is won by the home team, the trophy is awarded on the field immediately following the clinching game. If The Bridge is clinched by the visiting team, the trophy is awarded in the visitor’s clubhouse shortly following the clinching game.
This year, the trophy will be awarded at the Coliseum, where the final three games of the series will take place.
Who holds the current edge in the Bay Bridge Series?
Since interleague play began in 1997, the A's lead the Giants 69-61 in head-to-head matchups in the regular season.
Who made The Bridge?
The design and construction of The Bridge is a collaborative effort by Scientific Art Studio -- whose work includes the Giant Glove and Coca-Cola Bottle Slide at Oracle Park -- and The Crucible, an Oakland-based industrial arts school.
The Bridge is comprised of four components, several of which are interchangeable: a bronze Oakland Athletics logo, a bronze San Francisco Giants logo and a bronze baseball with an engraved “Bay Bridge Series” logo. They are attached to a T-base with a horizontal foundation in the form of a Bay Bridge bottom chord (or horizontal support beam) and an upright section, with an NBC Sports logo, derived from a vertical member of the old Bay Bridge truss. The trophy also includes a figure of the legendary bridge troll, which was inspired by the 18-inch figure welded onto the original bridge for symbolic protection following the 1989 Loma-Prieta earthquake.
Each year, the arrangement of the trophy components depends on the outcome of the Bay Bridge Series. Should the A’s win the series, the A’s logo will be mounted on top of the trophy. Should the Giants win the series, the Giants logo will mounted on top of the trophy. The trophy is approximately 18 inches tall and weighs approximately 30 pounds.