A Tribute to the San Francisco Giants

In this year’s Fall Classic, the San Francisco Giants face the scrappy Kansas City Royals. If the Royals stood in front of the mirror, they might see the Giants in their reflection. That’s how similar these teams are.

Regardless of similarities, there’s one thing we can be certain of: Each team will lay it all on the line to become the World’s best.

But this is GoldenGateSports.com, and here we like to support the Giants at all costs.

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Join in as I provide my tribute to the boys in Orange and Black.

A Tribute to the San Francisco Giants

You started out as the New York Gothams. For years you stood tall among the towers of New York City. You were a comfortable bunch, winning Pennant’s and World series’ with ease.

Unwilling to sacrifice the best rivalry in sports, you moved west at the heed of your owner – Horace Stoneham – so years of hatred between you and the Dodgers would continue. Every Californian – North, South, East or West – thanks you for that.

But once settled, you stopped winning. From 1963-1984 you were ‘always a bridesmaid, but never a bride.’ But you never left us, even when tempted by the Toronto public. You remained loyal to the Bay. We again thank you.

Then in 1989, you arrived in familiar territory: The World Series. Sadly for us, you encountered one of the best teams in modern baseball in the Oakland Athletics. Four losses later, the weight of the situation took hold. Would you ever win a World Series in San Francisco?

Barry Bonds arrived in 1993, and with him, hope. With Matt Williams, Robby Thompson, Bill Swift, Rod Beck and others, surely this would be the season? You won 103 games that season, yet still lost your playoff spot to a hungry Atlanta Braves team.

O.K., now we’re officially wondering if you will win – ever – in San Francisco.

Fast-forward to 2002. You made it. Your hard-work paid off, and you’re back in the World Series.

Fast-forward again. It’s Game 5, you’re up 3-2 in your series against the Angels, and Russ Ortiz is pitching a gem; you’re up 5-0 with one out in the seventh. After years of disappointment, a Championship is just eight outs away. The confetti, the champagne – with the customary plastic sheets – and the Championship hats are ready. This is your shining moment.

But history – the cruel witch she can be – struck you down. Scott Spiezio and Troy Glaus tagged you for five runs and stole your momentum. The Angels rode Garrett Anderson’s bat to a series victory in the following game, deflating you as a pin does to a balloon.

Throughout these failures, one thing remained consistent: the love for Giants baseball in the Bay.

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We will never stop supporting you, no matter what.

Eight short years later – following a challenging postseason – you’re back in the series. You’re set to face another A.L. West opponent, the Texas Rangers. Their offensive power had you nervous, but you knew this year was different…

Your sublime pitching and defense silenced the bats of Josh Hamilton, Vladimir Guerrero and Michael Young, ultimately leading to a 4-1 series win.

YOU DID IT. It was your first World Series Championship since 1954 – when you still called Brooklyn home – and your first in San Francisco. Congratulations.

Something clicked after that. Only two short years later, you struck gold again, sweeping the Detroit Tigers in the 2012 World Series.

After years of waging internal war, you’re now a series win away from being called a dynasty. Talk about a turnaround.

Few San Franciscans are aware of your true prowess: You’ve won more games than any team, in any sport, in any universe. You epitomize what it is to be a winner, and although torture is your modus operandi, we love you for what you are: Champions.

Win this series for us, but know that no matter what, we support you. Good luck.

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