San Francisco Giants are World Series Champions!
.
Alvin Dark, Juan Marichal, Gaylord Perry, Orlando Cepeda, Felipe Alou, Willie Mays and Willie McCovey could not do it in 1962. Roger Craig, Mike Krukow, Will Clark, Robby Thompson, Matt Williams, Brett Butler, Kevin Mitchell and Candy Maldonado could not do it in 1989. Dusty Baker, Livan Hernandez, Robb Nen, Russ Ortiz, Kirk Rueter, Jason Schmidt, Rich Aurilia, Jeff Kent, J.T. Snow and Barry Bonds could not do it in 2002.
However in 2010 with a roster of young players in Madison Bumgarner, Matt Cain, Tim Lincecum, Jonathan Sanchez, Brian Wilson, Buster Posey and Pablo Sandoval along with castoffs and proven veterans in Andres Torres, Cody Ross, Pat Burrell, Juan Uribe, Freddy Sanchez, Edgar Renteria, Jeremy Affeldt and Aubrey Huff your San Francisco Giants finally did it. They are…
World. Series. Champions.
All San Francisco Giant fans have their own story to tell. Here is mine:
Back in 2002 I was living in Orange, California where I grow up and I was torn between who to cheer for in the World Series. The unthinkable happened when both of my favorite teams the San Francisco Giants and Anaheim Angels met in the World Series. Of course, I had to pick a side and I went with the team that I always had the bigger heart for, San Francisco Giants.
I have been a Giants fan my whole life while growing up in Southern California. I always considered myself behind enemy lines being in Dodgers territory and that was amplified even more after the loss to the Angles in 2002. Every series when the Giants and Dodgers played at Chavez Ravine my Uncle Danny would get me and my brother tickets for one of the games. Naturally I was an Angels fan because the stadium was ten minutes from my parent’s house. I became a Giants fan at a young age because of my older brother. I looked up to him so much when I was younger that I rooted for his favorite team. He became a Giants fan because that was his first Little League team he played on. Fast forward to 2002 and I remember asking my brother, who was also an Angels fan too, if he was going to side with the Giants in the World Series. He said no and joined every resident in Orange County in cheering for the Angels.
The city was drenched in red and I felt as if I was the only Giants fan in the area. Through all the harassment from family, friends and strangers I wore my Giants hat and gear thinking this was the year they will win it all. I hate hearing 2002 and Game 6 in the same sentence because it is always in reference to the Giants being six outs away from the title. I watched Game 6 with my Angel fan friends and I remember walking into the bathroom, looking in the mirror and saying ‘we are six outs away from winning the World Series.’ I walked back out to see Dusty Baker pull Russ Ortiz from the game and then heartbreak.
I moved to San Diego shortly after that to attend college and continued to cheer for the Giants at Petco Park. Three years ago I moved to San Francisco and have been attending Giants as much as I could the past three seasons. My first Giants game in San Francisco was a few months before I moved to The City which was Barry Bonds’ last game in a Giants uniform. I have been in love with the ballpark and the city ever since. Being a Giants fan and a 49ers fan I have felt right at home living in San Francisco.
Last night I waited until the middle of the ninth inning and walked into my bathroom. I looked in the mirror and said ‘three more outs and we are World Series Champions.’ I walked out to Brian Wilson and his beard warming up. Too tense to sit I stood behind my couch knowing the moment was about to come. No repeat of 2002, this was the Giants year. Waiting for Wilson’s first pitch the reality that the Giants are going to win the World Series started to sink in. I could feel the emotion building inside of me. After the first out I started to choke up. I told myself not to cry, not yet. Out number two. I started to pace, ready to cry. Up came Nelson Cruz. Out number three! Wilson crosses his arms signaling the San Francisco Giants are World Series Champions.
I can’t remember the last time I cried let alone if I have ever cried for sheer joy. The feelings I had in watching the Giants celebrate were amazing. The chills I get from hearing Duane Kuiper calling the final out will never get old. A giant smile has not left my face in the hours I have been awake since. I didn’t want to go to bed last night partly because I was trying to watch as much of the celebration as possible and mainly because I didn’t want to wake up in the morning and have it all be a dream. I defied my work by wearing my Giants jersey and jeans to celebrate but I don’t think anyone will care. I will defy work again for the celebration parade but I don’t think anyone will care. If they do care they are probably Dodgers, Braves, Phillies or Rangers fans.
The San Francisco Giants World Series win puts to bed the ghosts of 2002, 1989 and 1962. Celebrations broke out all around San Francisco including around my house where firework shows were in full swing and horns honked in unison. With each firework and car that honked I screamed out my window, Go Giants, World Series Champs and…EDGAR RENTERIA!!!
Congratulations to not only all the current players but to every Giant who put on a uniform while in San Francisco and tried to accomplish what this cast of characters did last night. Congrats to Bruce Bochy and his genius managing which is a big reason why the Giants won. Congrats to Dave Righetti who has been with the Giants since 2000 through the manager changes of Dusty Baker, Felipe Alou and Bruce Bochy. Pitching won the championship for the Giants and Rags is a huge reason why why the staff is so dominate. Congrats to general manager Brian Sabean who looks like a master GM with his signing of Renteria two years ago that was ridiculed by me and all Giant fans. I would say the $18 million Renteria made in his time with the Giants was the best money they have ever spent. Without his clutch at-bats the World Series would still be going on. Congrats to the Giants ownership group especially Peter Magowan and Bill Neukom. Thanks to Magowan for leading the charge in keeping the Giants in San Francisco. Thanks to Neukom for turning around the Giants so quickly from the divorce from Barry Bonds and building the teams core around young All-Stars that will make the Giants compete for years to come.
The party in San Francisco will continue until February when pitchers and catchers report for Spring Training. The Giants will start the season as champions for the first time since moving to San Francisco. I hope we are here again next year but soak it all in now Giant fans. Who knows the next time we will have the feeling of being champions. Nothing will ever top the emotions of this season and winning the World Series. The torture is over.