when I was in elementary school [mid to late 50's...]
October... and the World Series...
would see teachers toting bulky TV's & "rabbit ears"...
into classrooms so everyone could watch the "Fall Classic"...
I remember being in 2nd grade and ALL my classmates...
either LOVED the then Brooklyn Dodgers...
or "those dammed Yankees"...
I really admired Willie Mays...
with his effortless grace & joy in playing ball...
so along with that...
as well as probably just wanting to be different...
I claimed the Giants...and the "die was cast"...
in 1958, the year I would turn 10...
both the Giants and the hated Dodgers moved west...
the shallow, glitzy Dodgers to LA...
the gritty, noble Giants to San Francisco...
and the whole state chose sides...
I lived in the central valley...
where EVERYONE... but me, & my dad [he liked Willie Mays too...]
seemed to be Dodger fans...
and even though they had some good teams...
like all "good guys"...the Giants often lost out to the Dodgers...
I lost track of baseball in high school & college...
during my Chicago years...I attended a game at Wrigley...
along with several of the guys [grad student trumpet majors]
the Cubbies were playing the Astros...
I don't remember who won...
I remember that we drank a lot of Heilmann's Old Style...
[that was probably our reason for going anyway...]
when I returned to Mudville...
and eventually started teaching...
I suddenly had a lot of time on my hands in the summer...
and that's when I reconnected with the Giants...
I would sit in my back yard...
under a shady tree...
with a cool drink & a book...
kitties sleeping companionably close in the shade...
and listen to the game on the radio...
also reconnecting with my dad...
as I remembered him coming in after a hot dusty day...
getting cleaned up and sitting in the back yard...
under the big trees...
in the gentle breeze that made 102 livable...
listening to the Giants...
and cursing those @$*&*Dodgers...
I went to a couple of games at Candlestick...
[a choir member where I sang then had season tickets...]
and when the Giants built PacBell Park in 2000...
a couple of friends[trombone players...]& I split up 2 season tickets...
just above the "Yahoo" sign...go up the aisle about 25 rows...
1st 2 seats on the left... great seats...
3 days after I had my cancer surgery...
Joe & I went to see the Yankees play an "exhibition"[pre-season]game...
it was the first game of any kind there...
Joe had to keep waking me up... but I wasn't going to miss it...
after 3 seasons... the cost of the seats AND parking, etc...
just got to be too much for me and I gave up my share...
but I still listened or watched almost every game...
[it's still something that gives my day structure in the summer...]
I saw Barry Bonds hit the first "Splash hit" in person...
as well as MANY other monster home runs...
I think I understand why he did what he did...
I just am sorry that the circumstances created the situation...
that they did and that things worked out the way they did...
along with his Godfather, Willie Mays...
he's one of the most amazing athletes I've ever watched...
one of the things I like about the Giants...
is how they honor past players...
did you know that there are more Giants...
in the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, NY...
than any other team ?
more than even the Yankees...
it's true...[take that, Dodger breath...]
the Giants have more crazy fans too...
[yes... I know...Nor Cal...what else would I expect...?]
this "gentleman"[come on, you know who I mean...]
is known as "the Rally Pumpkin"...
he is in fact the driver of the Giants team bus...
when they are in LA...[he does live there...but has overcome the madness...]
he shows up at LA area[and some Bay area] games thusly attired...
and has been statistically shown to "turn the tide"...
almost single handedly...
the 2008 [post Bonds] Giants were picked to be dead last...
to lose 100 games...
that can't happen now...AND..
they are currently only 4.5 games out of 2nd place... !
[yes...I know the Dodgers are in 1st...
how much do you want to bet that they will yet implode...
as Dodgers are always prone to do...?]
with a combination of crafty older players...
and a bunch of rookies [15 major league debuts this year...]
they have held their own...
one of my favorite players, Omar Vizquel...
is in perhaps the last year of his "Hall of Fame" career...
after playing most of his career for the Indians...
he came to the Giants to win his last couple of Gold Gloves...
[he has 11 total in both leagues...]
he is a dancer playing shortstop...
and "class" personified...
mentoring the younger players who have taken his playing time...
without any rancor or attitude...
Rich Aurillia was the shortstop on the 2002 Giants World Series losers...
he has returned to become a pinch hitter extraordinaire...
and a mentor for young infielders...
Aaron Rowand is just finishing his 1st year as a Giant...
a hard nosed center fielder, best known for colliding with walls...
Bengie Molina, catcher, of the "Catching Molina Brothers"...
[he has 2 brothers... also major league catchers...]
is known to Giants fans as "Big Money"...
because when he comes up in "money"[we need a hit...]situations...
he almost always comes through...
I've seen him get a hit off a pitch that was a foot off the plate...
and 2 inches off the ground...
he's also a terrific "mentor" for our young pitchers...
of all the "old guys"... my favorite is Randy Winn...
I remember when he played for other teams...
I'd wish he was a Giant... then they traded for him...
he currently has the 5th highest batting average...
in the National League, at .317...
besides being a terrific fielder and a class act...
then... there are the "kids"...
"Fast "Fred Lewis came up last year...
and has at times been a terrific hitter...
and had his "growing pains"...
he reminds me of a young, skinny Barry Bonds...
Eugenio Velez has the look of someone who is from a very poor country...
like those pictures we've always seen of starving children...
but, boy... can he hit ...with power you do not expect...
and run like the wind...
if he gets on 1st... & the pitcher blinks...
he's on 2nd...
he's also a quick study and has been improving in the field...
now if Omar could just teach him how to steal home...
as good as Velez is... the heir apparent to Omar is Emmanuel Burriss...
a truly gifted shortstop, whose hitting...
and base running have improved steadily this summer..
and then there's my favorite rookie...
straight up from AA... Pablo Sandoval...
[aka "Little Money"]
imagine a young Hispanic Babe Ruth ...
and you have Pablo...
he hits for average... power...
runs fast... has great instincts & balance...
a superb natural athlete...
he plays 1st & 3rd base very well...
and he is a terrific catcher...
when he plays... the Giants almost always win...
one pundit calls him,"The Round Mound of Pound"...
in the most loving manner possible...
it's also true that where ever you find Bengie...
[especially on the road...] you'll find Pablo...
then, there are the pitchers...Tim Lincecum...
named to the All Star team and a candidate for the Cy Young Award...
in his first full season...
SI called him,"The Freak"...
he isn't tall [5'9"] or heavy [180lbs]...
he doesn't "ice his arm" after throwing...
and he just pitched his first complete game shutout...
oh... I think he's 24 or 25... years old...
WOW...
the Giants 2nd young "stud" pitcher is a year younger...
Matt Cain went into pro baseball instead of college like Lincecum...
so he's been "at it" a bit longer...
Jonathon Sanchez is the 3rd "young gun"...
and a lefty to boot...who throws 90+ with pinpoint control...
and a devastating change-up...
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oddly enough... Brian Wilson, the Giants young closer...
is leading the National League in saves with 38...
I say oddly, because the Giants don't have a winning record...
I believe Wilson has only 4 blown saves all year...
if I sound like a maniacal fan who spends every moment...
reading and studying stats... I'm not...
just by listening to the broadcasts...
you pick up a lot of information...
especially when the broadcasters are as good...
as the Giants broadcasters are...
former Giants players...2nd baseman Dwayne Kuiper [on the left]
and former pitcher Mike Krukow [on the right]
are the TV broadcasters...
they are funny... and at the same time...
you learn a lot about the game from 2 guys who played it...
you get the players perspective and the fans...
and they are NOT homers...
[will say only good things about the home team...]
I don't always appreciate their point of view...
[I've had more than enough of Jeff Kent, thank you...
I don't care that he "was a good Giant"...
he's a Dodger now...and hates SF...]
but they will go out of their way to be fair...
and if you've listened to other broadcasters...
[ie Ron Santo, Cubs or anyone in Atlanta...]
you know what I mean...
here you see "Kruk & Kuip" as they are affectionately known...
in their box at AT&T Park...
it has taken the advent of Direct TV to introduce them...
to baseball fans all over the country...
they are now considered to be the best broadcasters in baseball...
but they are not the only broadcasting stars in the Giants world...
Jon Miller, who with Joe Morgan, broadcasts Sunday Night Baseball...
on ESPN...
has been the radio voice[and sometime TV voice] of the Giants since 1993...
Jon is truly a superstar in the broadcasting world...
and was joined a couple of years ago by Dave Flemming...
who is considered the best young announcer in baseball today...
here you see a post-game "wrap" with [l to r ]...
Jon Miller, Dave Flemming, Dwayne Kuiper, Greg Papa...
and the back of Mike Krukow's head...
so the next time you find yourself complaining...
about highly paid professional ballplayers...
if it's April to October... tune in to KNBR radio[680 AM]...
or Comcast Sports Bay Area TV[channel 37 or 116 on Mudville cable]
and catch a Giants game...
watch these kids [and a few "old guys"]
play for fun...
have a brat & a beer...
but don't do "the wave"... that's SO SoCal...
[Dodgers suck, Dodgers suck...]
listen to Jon & Dave...
or Kruk & Kuip...
and if you're a Dodger fan...
then, "grab some pine, meat"...*
* use your imagination, meat...
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