Champions at Last

October 28th, 2012, will always be remembered in  the history of baseball as a day on which a team with so much determination. so much fight, and so much love won the World Series. The group of 25 guys which fought through two huge postseason deficits and then swept the most powerful offense in the World Series. Tigers manager Jim Leyland couldn't have said it better, "They deserved to win. We got it handed to us. If it was bloop or two maybe it would have been a fluke, but this world series win for the Giants was no fluke, it was the real deal." The Panda Sandoval, thanks to his game 1 outburst, led his team to the title and won himself a car and the World Series MVP Trophy along with it. Game 4 had its perks with 3 home runs and none better than Posey's bomb to put the Giants ahead. Giants second baseman Marco Scutaro also had his moment to shine in the clinching Game 4. He had the go ahead RBI single in the top of the 10th inning. Giants fans crowded sports stores and the streets of downtown San Francisco to get a feel for the atmosphere of champions and get their hands on some world series champions merchandise. Regardless of what the haters say, the 2012 Giants were no fluke, and they fit together perfectly like pieces of a puzzle, and they leave a lasting legacy on the game of baseball and the beautiful city of San Francisco!  

Verge of a Sweep

This time it was the white towels that were being waved in Game 3 of the World Series. The series had shifted to Detroit after a disappointing first two games for Detroit who got a full dose of PANDA in game one and got another dose of MadBum in Game 2. Detroit looked to righty Aníbal Sánchez to turn things around for them and he did his job pitching 7 innings on 118 pitches, but the Tigers offense stayed silent as Mr. Triple Crown failed to come through with the bases loaded and the Prince had another poor day at the plate. All these Tigers problems are leading them into a deep dark hole which nobody has crept out of. The Tigers down 3-0 face one of the worst deficits teams face in sports. The Tigers will just have to take it one game at a time like the Giants did in the NLDS and NLCS. I can't say enough about this group of guys that work so well together. Today after Sandoval hit his double, he made a heart to his bench as a symbol of how much they love each other and ow much they fight to play for each other everyday. Just a little over one week ago, Giants fans were just about dead trying to get out of a 3-1 hole in the NLCS, but now, thanks to a 6 game wining streak, they are one game away from one of sports' finest moments and jewelry pieces. Now Pablo Sandoval has been on a ridiculous tear this postseason and today he broke the record for most postseason hits by any Giant ever. Panda and the Giants will aim for the sweep tomorrow night in Detroit, and try to bring the World Series trophy home to San Francisco!

World Series Game 1 HUMMMMMM dinger

It definitely was loud tonight in San Francisco. Even if fans didn't have way overly priced tickets to the game, they were there just to be in the atmosphere of the World Series. The rally towels were out as usual, and the dream was coming true for many fans watching the series, and one person in particular playing in it. Brandon Crawford, the Gaints shortstop, grew up a Giants fan and his mom said, "He always was an athlete, and his biggest dream to play in the Fall Classic." Brandon's parents have had season tickets for almost 25 years now. They grew up taking his son to the games, and now they sit on the very same seat watching their beloved son on the field. Regardless of the dreams on the field, the Giants got off to a very fast start in Game 1 of the World Series. Panda Sandoval got it going with a solo homer and din't stop there. He hit a total of three home runs in Game 1 and propelled the Giants to a 8- 3 victory over the visiting Detroit Tigers on Wednesday night. After the game, veteran Barry Zito said, "The panda was definitely locked in tonight, and this will be a night he looks back on many many times through the rest of his life". Zito himself was pretty good. Pitching nearly six innings of one run baseball. Zito was locked in for his second consecutive postseason gem. Zito is definitely starting to look more and more like his Cy Young self exactly 10 years ago. The Giants bats will be on display once again on Thursday night in Game 2 of the Fall Classic. After this the series will shift to Detroit for the next three games. San Francisco looks to do some damage early and try to snag game 2 and a 2- 0 series lead behind young lefty Madison Bumgarner. It will be a fantastic game tomorrow night and one thing for sure: the towels, the fans, and the energy will all be back tomorrow night!    

Clincher

They said we couldn't, but we did. We defied all odds. The San Francisco Giants have won the pennant for the second time in the past 3 years and a National League record 19 times in team history. The Giants are an astounding 6- 0 in elimination games in the playoffs. No other team has ever done this, in the history of the sport. Thanks to another offensive outburst, the Cardinals starting pitcher was knocked out of the game in the third inning. The flame-throwing Cardinals bullpen couldn't even shut down the Giants explosive offense. The rain, after holding off for the whole game, did come pouring down for the last three outs but this did not affect the enthusiasm of the players and the energy of the crowd. The players were just soaked in some occult mixture of champagne and rainwater. However, none of that mattered especially for the 25 guys on the team, the 25 guys in uniform for game 7 that made it happen once again. As Duane Kuiper said, "These guys love each other too much, and that is why they keep winning. They just want to play another game with each other the next day until it is over for sure". AT&T Park rang with cheers and the noise could be heard for miles. It was the first time, for as long as I have lived, that any team got recognition on the West Coast. Joe Buck finally admitted, "AT&T Park was loud tonight. It probably is one of the loudest in all of baseball". Well, thank you very much, it's about time you realized. Many Giants fans do complain about how Kruk and Kuip should be doing the TV broadcast, but oh well. After a soggy, loud, energetic night in San Francisco, the grounds crew will get right at it to fix the horrible field as a result of today's game, and then after a off day, the Fall Classic arrives to the City by the Bay. Wednesday night will be loud for game 1, and the black and orange will be out in pride to give the World a Series to remember!  

Humm Baby Game 5

Like I said, never give up on this team. A bunch of guys who work so well together and win when it is vital. The rally towels were out yet again with a sense of celebration in the air for the St. Louis Cardinals. Nevertheless, Pablo Sandoval and the gang worked together to force at least one more game back home in San Francisco. Pablo stayed hot, hitting another home run in these playoffs. Barry Zito, as he has the last 13 times on the mound, delivered yet another solid outing and gave his team a chance to win. Note: the Giants have won the last 13 Barry Zito starts. Heck, why don't you start this guy ever game? You can't, although Bruce Bochy could start Zito over Cain on short rest in game 7, if there were one, he would probably put his ace on the mound with the pennant on the line. Some fans say, the Giants put themselves in a big hole so that they can make an even greater comeback. Whatever the case maybe, the orange and black fan base will stay behind its team until the very last day, until it is completely over. The series will shift back to San Francisco for game 6 in which the Cardinals will have another chance to clinch the pennant and punch their ticket to the Fall Classic, but they know quite well not to take this team lightly, because with 43,000 fans screaming and cheering, it will definitely be a difficult task to accomplish.  

Game 4 Bumm Baby

The rally towels were definitely waving in St. Louis tonight, with the weather clearing up for game 4 of the NLCS. There was a minimal offensive showing from the Giants yet again as the Cardinals won game 4 pushing the Black and Orange to the brink of elimination. Scutaro, in the lineup for the second straight day, said "We need to get hits and runs of their starting pitching because every single person in their bullpen throws fireballs". The Giants di the exact opposite as Adam Wainright pitched seven strong innings of one run baseball. The Giants did get a little power surge from Sandoval's two run homer but it was a little too little, a little too late. Don't get me wrong, there is still a lot of optimism in the clubhouse and among the fans but the Giants, once again, will have to play with a sense of urgency. It has been done before, the comeback from 3- 1 down, and the Giants showed they could come back from a similar deficit in the NLDS, but this showing tonight at Busch Stadium made them look silly. the offense looked very similar to the first two games of the NLDS. Regardless, it will be major hostile territory in St. Louis tomorrow, but if this team has shown its fans  anything, it's that they can win on the road, and one more win on the road brings the team back home for yet another chance to play in front of their energetic, elctric, and loud crowd.  

NLCS Game 3

A tense night for all Giants fans, in St. Louis, in the Bay Area, or anywhere else in the world, but it didn't turn out in our favor. A weird game overall that lasted more than six hours in the Redbirds city. Don't get me wrong, the team chemistry was there, the determination was there, and so was the grit. The only thing missing from the equation on this cold rainy night in St. Louis was "that one BIG hit". The Giants left 11 runners on base and failed to score more than one run. San Fran had plenty of opportunities to put up what Kruk and Kuip call " a crooked number". The first four hitters in the lineup today were hitting .500, the next three were hitting .000, and the number eight hitter got another two hits. In my honest opinion, this just shows how unlucky the Giants were today in terms of the BIG HIT. They did have plenty of opportunities early and late in the game to break it wide open but failed to do so. On the bright side, the Giants did get second baseman Marco Scutaro back from an injury that he described as, "a truck on the wrong side of the road". This is how he described Matt Holliday's slide which caused the injury. He later jokingly said, "If I find him anywhere near my house, I will kill him". Even though many fans know how valuable Scutaro is to the team, I believe many people are just making too big of a deal out of it. It was truly a legitimate attempt at trying to break up the double play, but his slide came in just a tad late.  Honestly, the Giants will retaliate but not anytime this postseason. For fans who want to see the sequel to the "Deadly Holliday slide", make sure to keep you eyes peeled early next season. The momentum has shifted back, but as the weather clears up, there is plenty of sun shining on the Giants' chances in the last 4 games. Don't worry San Francisco, the Giants will strike back and they will strike back hard!

Off a fresh off day, the San Francisco Giants are ready to take the field in what has turned into a best of 5 series with St. Louis hosting 3 of the remaining 5. As I have written before this 2012 squad, with their integrity, team chemistry, and determination will fall nothing short of expectations. Both teams are a mere three games from the Fall Classic, the World Series. The Giants have shown their fans, more importantly, the world, what they can do away from home, now, I say, let's show them again!

Rally towels waving, fans shouting, and At&T Park filled with 43,000 strong faithful believers. This was what the atmosphere was like at the beautiful ballpark by the bay on a beautiful Monday evening in San Francisco. The result had the same feel as well. The atmosphere was even better than last night thanks to a Giants win which put them right back into the dreaded NLCS. The 2012 team is full of characters who feed of each others energy to win. Today during the game, there was an interview of Matt Cain, the Giants ace. During the interview, Sergio Romo, known as Fear the Beard junior, was making silly faces and waving his arms behind Cain. This childlike behavior is exactly what the fan base feeds of off, what the team feeds of off, and mostly what the 2012 San Francisco Giants are all about. The "Sergio Romo moment was truly one to witness as a true attribute to his childish, playful character. Now, as the series moves to St. Louis, it drastically becomes a best of 5 series in which the Cardinals will play 3 games at home. With the talent, the characters, and the team chemistry the black and orange fan base truly believes that 2012 will truly be a special one.  

NLCS Game 2

Last night was disappointing for all Giants fans, whether they were at the game, watching it on TV at home, or sharing the joy of the game with friends at a local bar but, the orange and black have so much optimism heading into game 2 today night. After losing the first two at home in a best of five series, most fans were ready to call it quits for the 2012 season, but the 2010 motto "Believe", is back. After winning three straight games these "misfits", are looking to make a return to the Series for the second time in three years. The atmosphere at the park last night was out of the roof and Giants fans will pack the park once again tonight for game 2 with even more belief than the night before.