52 Giant Years Waiting

I was wrong. I was dead wrong. I was horrible at my 2010 MLB playoff predictions, but that is not what this article is about. I am congratulating the 2010 World Champions of baseball, the San Francisco Giants.

All of the great players that once played for this organization, Orlando Cepeda, Robb Nen, J.T Snow, Barry & Bobby Bonds, Juan Marichal, Willie McCovey, never got to hoist the Commissioner's Trophy in the Giants Orange and Black. But this gang of misfits, guys that were castoffs from other teams, came together in Arlington Texas and won the World Series.

This team doesn't have the major offensive weapon that the Braves had in Jason Heyward, that the Phillies had in Utley, Howard and Werth, the Yankees had in A-Rod, and Robby Cano, and finally, the Rangers had in the potential AL MVP, Josh Hamilton. They had guys like Cody Ross, Pat Burrell, Andres Torres, and Edgar Renteria. Most teams put the weight of the series on one guys back. The Giants asked everyone to contribute something, small or something you can't see on TV, but something nevertheless. In the NLCS, it was Cody Ross hitting 2 homers off of Roy Halladay in Game 1. And in this series, it was Renteria, evoking moments of 1997 Game 7 for the Marlins, when he hit a walk-off base hit with his 3 run homer off of Cliff Lee in the 7th. He joins a select group of players, who have hit game-winning RBI's in 2 World Series. Guys like, Lou Gehrig, and Yogi Berra are part of this exclusive club.

Duane Kuiper, the esteemed Giants broadcaster, coined this phrase about the Giants season. "Giants baseball... torture!" And a child at the park held up a sign that said, "Torture has ended". Maybe the "torture" was watching the great closer, Brian Wilson, work around major trouble to record a save. 2 runners on in Game 6 of the NLCS, but he did it. Not as much trouble in World Series Game 5, but he did it anyway. The torture sure couldn't be from the starting rotation. Tim Lincecum beat Roy Halladay once and Cliff Lee twice. Matt Cain had one of the greatest pitching performances in playoff history every time he stepped onto the mound. He shut out the Phillies and Rangers. And 21 year-old Madison Bumgarner put on a show in Game 4 in Arlington. It all came together for this team, this gang of misfits.

It may seem like I'm sucking up to this team, but why would I? They were the best team in these playoffs, and I doubted them. Shame on me for doubting them 2 times. The Texas Rangers had a great season, one filled with distractions and troubles, and for them to make the World Series was shocking in its own right.
But these San Francisco Giants haven't only won the World Series for all of the fans in San Francisco that have been waiting 52 years. They won it for all of the great players that have worn the orange SF on their cap, and couldn't bring it home.

Giants' fans: you can erase the bad memories of the Earthquake in 1989. You can erase memories of the rally monkey, and Scott Spezio. Now you have your own moments to hang your hat on. Congratulations, you have won the World Series. Let that thought sink in, if it hasn't already.