The Giants are World Champions

I was born in the year the New York Giants left the Polo Grounds and set up shop in San Francisco.  That was fifty-two years ago.   For as long as I can remember, I have been a Giants fan.  I was born in LA, but the few months I spent living there as an infant didn't seem to take, but the three years living in San Francisco that followed those first months of life, apparently did.  Most of my growing up years were spent in Northern California and Southern Oregon, which were prime Giants lands.  I could listen to games on the radio and later watch them on the Bay Area station that cable TV brought to our town.  Over the years, the Giants have more often than not broken my heart with second place finishes.  Though two times in my memory they reached the series, only to falter.  The first time the Giants reached the Series playing from SF, I was much too young to know what was happening. 

But now, in my fifty-second year, the Giants brought home the trophy.  And it was done not with a team of superstars, but with a team of interchangeable parts put together to back up what has proven to be a dominant pitching staff.  The names Tim Lincecum, Matt Cain, Madison Bumgarner, and Brian Wilson will now be proclaimed as dominant pitchers.  And let me say that although Jonathan Sanchez struggled in the series, the Giants wouldn't have been here without his pitching brilliance throughout the year.  And what can I say of the supporting cast led by shortstop Edgar Renteria.  He hardly played all year because of injuries, but when it became clear that Pablo Sandoval was not up to the job at third, manager Bruce Bochy made the decision to move Juan Uribe (not to be confused with Jose Uribe, the Giants shortstop in 1989) to third base, and insert Renteria in at shortstop.  And did he deliver?   A key home run in game two of the series that gave Matt Cain all the runs he would need, and then last night hit a three run homerun in the seventh inning off Cliff Lee, who up to this series had been a dominant player.  This time, it was Tim Lincecum who was the beneficiary of Renteria's largess.  And the Giants would go on to win 3-1.  And then of the rest -- a rookie catcher whose future brilliance has already begun to shine (Buster Posey) and a waver-wire pickup named Cody Ross who bloomed at the right time.  And then there were other heroes of the moment -- Uribe, Freddy Sanchez, Aubrey Huff.  What a series!  What a year! 

When I think about this day, which I've waited all these many years to see, I think of all the great players, some of them even Hall of Fame players, who have put on San Francisco Giant uniforms but not won a championship in that uniform.  These are people like Willie Mays (who won as a young man and never would win again), Willie McCovey, Juan Marichal, Gaylord Perry, the Alou brothers,  Bobby Bonds, Garry Maddox, Tito Fuentes, Chris Speier, Orlando Cepeda, Joe Morgan, Will Clark, Robby Thompson, Matt Williams, J.T. Snow, Scott Garrelts, Kirt Reuter, Jack Clark, John Montefusco, Kevin Mitchell, Jeff Kent, Rick Reuschel, Barry Bonds, Bill Swift, Jason Schmidt, Dave Dravecky, Rod Beck, Mike McCormick.  Just to name a few.  

There were, those moments that gave hope --like 1962, when they were a few inches away from a dramatic come from behind win off the bat of McCovey, but Bobby Richardson was in the right place ending the hopes.  Like I said, I was too young to follow that series.  Then there was 1989, when an earthquake upset the series schedule (which allowed me the opportunity to get to game 3), but the Giants couldn't overcome the A's power pitching dominance.  Then there was 2002, when they were just a few outs away from a championship, things fell apart and the Angels took control.  But last night the Giants ended the drought and brought a championship home in dramatic fashion.

Everyone said it couldn't be done.  The Phillies were so much better, but the Giants pitchers suppressed their hitters and took the NLCS and the Pennant.  Then the Rangers, well they had Cliff Lee and the AL presumptive MVP in Josh Hamilton -- but Josh Hamilton fared no better than the Phillies Ryan Howard.  And the Giants won that elusive crown.  I sure hope the next one comes sooner than fifty-five years from now!  But for now, I shall revel in the glories of the moment!!

Giants Win West. Div. -- Host Braves

Time to switch the focus for a moment from theology and politics to baseball!   I am a life long Giant fan, going back to the days of Marichal, Mays, and McCovey.  I've seen the worst of times and the best of times.  I got to go to the 89 World Series and agonized as the Giants let the ring slip from their fingers in 2002 -- if only Rob Nenn's shoulder had held out.  I've rooted for Will Clark, Robbie Thompson,  and yes Barry Bonds.  But then in the post Bond's era, we've not had much to cheer about, until yesterday.  Yes, the Giants made the playoffs for the first time in seven long years.  

Yesterday, in typical Giants fashion, they closed things out after letting the Padres back into the hunt.  They went into this weekend needing only one win to clinch the playoff berth, but the Padres are the one team that has had the Giants' goat this year, and so Matt Cain couldn't nail it down, and neither could Barry Zito.  So, yesterday, facing a one game elimination series in San Diego, Jonathan Sanchez took things into his own hands and hit a triple, and then scored on a Freddie Sanchez single.  After that he and the bull pen closed things down, and the Giants celebrated.  

So, to the Braves -- welcome to San Francisco.  We're ready to do battle!  

Kudos then go to such figures as Tim "the Freak" Lincecum, Matt Cain, Jonathan Sanchez, Madison Baumgartner (rookie pitcher), Buster "rookie of the year" Posey, Aubrey Huff, Juan Uribe (not to be confused with earlier Giant shortstop Jose Uribe), and Pat Burrell -- just to name a few.  Oh, and I can't forget a stellar Bull Pen led by Brian (not the Beach Boy) Wilson.

Congratulations!!

National League Wins All Star Game!!!

NL celebrate big win!

For a moment I would like to move away from politics and religion to what is really important -- baseball.  Yes, baseball.  I know that soccer is the world's pastime, but baseball, along with apple pie and certain car companies (I drive another brand of American car), defines America.  So, it is with great pleasure that I get to celebrate last night's National League win.  I am a NL fan for two reasons.  1.  I'm a life long Giants fan and they're in the NL.  2.  They don't have the Designated Hitter.  Yes, I know that the DH has its aficionados, but I think that it is bad for the game.  It prolongs the careers of one dimensional players and tells pitchers they needn't learn how to hit.  But that is an argument for another day.

Now, back to the game last night.   If you've been following the story line, for the past 13 years the "much superior" American League has dominated the All Star game (of course the National League dominated for the previous decade or so, even though the AL had the DH).  But, even though the AL was supposed to be so much better, over the past 4 years prior to last night, the AL won by one run -- usually due to a missed pitch or something.  Now, I don't know about you, but a string of one run wins doesn't suggest dominance, it suggests "luck."   Well, that is unless you're a Red Sox or Yankee fan and believe that God favors you (I don't think it's God, though).  

I thought last night was a fitting fame -- I didn't watch until the latter stages of the game -- when all the action happened.  But there was good pitching on both sides.  Good fielding -- except the errant throw by the Dodger reliever that put the AL in position to score.  Cubs fans should be proud of Marlin Byrd for his great heads up play to pick Big Pappi off as he trudged down to 2nd base on a short flair to right field.  And then for another unlikely hero, Brian McCann, the Braves catcher who hit a bases loaded double that gave the NL all the offense they'd need on a night dominated by pitching.  Oh, and in closing I'll add that Giants closer Brian Wilson, who often makes games interesting, came in and put down the side in the 8th inning with not a whimper from the AL.

As a NL fan, I want to say -- let's start a new streak, shall we!!