"We're a bunch of misfits, but we fit well together."
Those words came from Tim Lincecum after he dominated the Rangers for 8 innings in clinching the 2010 World Series. Have truer words been spoken?
I, and the millions of die-hard Giants fans across the globe, died and went to heaven tonight. Our San Francisco Giants are the 2010 World Champions. No longer will we be haunted by McCovey's caught line-drive in 1962, the earthquake of 1989, or Game 6 in 2002. San Francisco, the most beautiful city in the world, finally has its first baseball title.
All of the heartbreak over the years, all of the games at Candlestick Park with frigid temperatures and gusty winds, all of the torture this season: TOTALLY WORTH IT!
I don't even know where to begin, because the feeling of witnessing the team you live and die with win a title is indescribable. It's not just about undying love of baseball. It's about treating other fans of your team, even if they're strangers, like family because you share a special bond with them. It's about identity and being proud of your roots.
What made the 2010 Giants so special, and more endearing than any other pennant-winning Giants squad, was that this group of guys was the pure definition of a team. Everyone on the 25-man playoff roster contributed in some significant fashion throughout the postseason. Everyone. Don't believe me? Read more:
Jeremy Affeldt: Saved Game 6 in Philly after a Jonathan Sanchez meltdown
Madison Bumgarner: Won Game 4 in Atlanta, pitched 2 innings of scoreless relief in Game 6 in Philly, and pitched 8-innings of shutout ball in Game 4 of the WS. Oh by the way, he's 21.
Matt Cain: Sported a 0.00 ERA through 21.1 innings in the playoffs
Santiago Casilla: A 1.93 ERA and 0.86 WHIP in the playoffs
Tim Lincecum: Began and ended the playoffs with Cy-Young worthy outings. Beat Derek Lowe, Roy Halladay, and Cliff Lee twice.
Javier Lopez: Shut down left-handed hitters all postseason. Was so good he made Charlie Manuel alter his lineup
Guillermo Mota: Only pitched a couple of innings, but didn't allow a run
Ramon Ramirez: Not great, but got some big outs
Sergio Romo: Had a terrible series against Atlanta, but didn't allow a run afterwards
Jonathan Sanchez: Pitched beautifully in Game 3 in the NLDS, and had a gutty effort in Game 2 of the NLCS
Brian Wilson: 6 saves in the postseason and a 0.00 ERA
Buster Posey: Caught this fantastic pitching staff and had huge hits in Game 1 and Game 4. He's only 23. Unbelievable.
Eli Whiteside: Well, he didn't play, but I'm sure he contributed on the bench and clubhouse
Mike Fontenot: A clutch triple off Tim Hudson in Game 3 of the NLDS
Aubrey Huff: RBI hits off Roy Oswalt and Cliff Lee, and a mammoth homerun that won Game 4 of the WS (oh, and the wearer of the rally thong!)
Travis Ishikawa: The walk of the decade in the 9th inning of Game 3 of the NLDS
Edgar Renteria: The World Series MVP
Freddy Sanchez: 3 doubles in Game 1 of the World Series, and stellar defense, better than any other 2nd baseman in the playoffs
Pablo Sandoval: A huge 2-run double off Chad Durbin in Game 4 of the NLCS that gave the Giants the lead
Juan Uribe: The game-winning HR in the NLCS, a blast in Game 1 of the WS, and terrific defense
Pat Burrell: 3-run homerun off Tommy Hanson in Game 2 of the NLDS
Cody Ross: 5 homeruns in the postseason, and the NLCS MVP
Aaron Rowand: A bases-clearing triple in Game 1 of the WS
Nate Schierholtz: Excellent defense all playoffs, including running down fly balls in right-center at AT&T Park
Andres Torres: The Giants' sparkplug. Gold-glove caliber defense and a .318 avg in the WS
There were no superstars on this team (well, expect maybe Tim Lincecum). The 2010 Giants were just what they called themselves: "a cast of misfits", "a bunch of knuckleheads" whose total was greater than the sum of its parts. It was a team that embodied the city of San Francisco perfectly.
How did the Giants win this series? The same they won the NLDS and NLCS: dominant pitching and timely homeruns. The Rangers came into the World Series with the best offense in baseball, an enviable combination of speed and power. They feasted on the Rays' and Yankees' starting pitching, but the Giants shut them down completely, and became only the 2nd team to shutout a team twice in the same playoff series. Josh Hamilton was the hottest hitter on the planet coming into the World Series, but he was helpless against the Giants. Hamilton went 2-20 in the World Series, and Vladimir Guerrero went 1-14. In fact, the Giants quieted the big hitters on every team they played this postseason:
Jason Heyward: 2-16, Chase Utley: 4-22, Ryan Howard: 7-25, Shane Victorino: 5-24...
Mix dominant pitching with some perfectly-timed homeruns by Juan Uribe, Cody Ross, Aubrey Huff, and Edgar Renteria, and you have a formula for winning a World Series.
Kudos to Brian Sabean. He's taken a ton of well-deserved heat during his tenure, but he's the architect of the first World Series winning team in San Francisco. He hasn't built a great offense since the Bonds glory days, but he knows pitching better than most of his counterparts. He put together only the 2nd set of homegrown starting pitchers to win a World Series. He drafted Matt Cain, Tim Lincecum, Madison Bumgarner, Jonathan Sanchez (27th round), and Brian Wilson (24th round). This season, he signed Aubrey Huff, signed Pat Burrell, picked up Cody Ross, and acquired Mike Fontenot, Ramon Ramirez, and Javier Lopez. Since 1997, the Giants have averaged 87 wins and have 5 postseason appearances, 2 NL Pennants, and a World Championship under Sabean's watch. With this young pitching staff, and Buster Posey behind the plate, he has set up the Giants to contend for many years to come.
And of course, the highest praise to Manager Bruce Bochy. They should build a statue of Bochy next to AT&T Park. He's the first manager to win a World Series in San Francisco, and he did not make one wrong move in the playoffs, a time when many managers crumble. He set his rotation perfectly, made all of the right moves in the bullpen, and wrote a different lineup almost every game to fit the circumstances. He put his players in a position to succeed, and he demonstrated extraordinary calm and leadership throughout all of the torture. Bochy, despite his track record in San Diego and now a World Series with the Giants, has always been one of the most underrated managers in the game. Not anymore, though. He schooled Bobby Cox, Charlie Manuel, and Ron Washington. It's great that he'll finally get the recognition he deserves.
A World Series title is a once-in-a-lifetime accomplishment. This championship is for the players who fought through a tough season, the Giants' legends from the past, the Bay Area, and for the millions of Giants fans who pour their heart and soul in this franchise. I know that I'll never forget Dave Flemming's cracking voice as he called Renteria's 3-run homerun, Duane Kuiper's call of the clinching strikeout, and the mayhem that took place as the players rushed onto the field to celebrate. After years of heartbreak and failure, the World Series Championship is ours.
