Endings.

While a majority of the country has settled into the offseason, today was the first day it really hit me; this is it.

We came all this way, won the World Series...

and NOW WHAT?

Don't get me wrong, the parade was super fun.

It finally settled in that we had really won the world series and I wasn't dreaming or anything.

The parade was really crowded.

Seriously.

It was just a sea of orange and black taking over the city of San Francisco.

Mr. Mayor.

B-Weezy.

Ramirez.

Freddy.

Zito. (Highs and Lows, <3)

This one's my fave.

But I'm biased.

Jonathan Sanchez.

Javi.

Cody Ross.

Willie Mays.

Hoist that trophy, Bochy.

AMEN TO THAT.

Quite honestly I was looking for more of an intresting series between two of the "underdog" teams so to speak. The Rangers had never been to the series, and as the SAN FRANCISCO Giants, we'd never won the series. We choked 3 different times. In 2002 we fell short against the Angels. In 1989, the year of the earthquake, we were swept by the Oakland A's, who brought the parade home across the crumbled bridge. I'm happy we won it all, but I wish it was more of a fight.

Texas took one game, so it wasn't entirely a sweep, but we never got to see their ace, Cliff Lee live up to his reputation. His dominance was virtually nowhere to be found. The Rangers' bats had nothing to say. Not Molina, not Hamilton. Texas sort of...rolled over and died.

--

I'm now cruising through the "now what" phase.

5 months or so until the first pitch is thrown for spring training.

104 days until players report to their respective clubs.

104 days of nothing but cold, foggy, San Francisco weather, November politics, and

even with the holidays soon approaching, it's still not the same.

The last part of summer that we were clinging on to is now gone.

(I guess they call it the "fall classic")

Time to get back to reality.

Reality Sucks.

Let's make it better...

Best part about baseball though,

It's always back the next summer.

It's about to be a looonngg winter. 

 At least I get to ask Santa for a very special present...

GIANTS ARE WORLD CHAMPIONS!

First thing's first.

Listen.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y7Bq1DpffjE&feature=share

That song sums it up.

"Frisco Swag."

FUCKYES.

WE'RE THE WORLD SERIES CHAMPIONS!!!!!

screaming and crying and cheering and shouting...

annnnd skipping school wednesday for a parade.

let's break this down in large print.

(1). Tim Lincecum breaking it down for us today.

Madison Bumgarner, 8-inning shut out yesterday.

no words.

(2). Edgar Renteria.

like always (credit to cody for starting a rally, and uribe for getting the idea)

but RENTERIA. WORLD SERIES MVP!!!!

HOMMMMEE RUNNN!!!!!!!!!!

Wasn't easy.

Wasn't always all smiles.

WASN'T WITHOUT THE TORTURE.

for the first time,

the SAN FRANCISCO Giants are the world champions and the parade, the party, the pride is coming home to SAN FRANCISCO.

HOME.

city by the bay.

We won against the stupid professional odds.

we beat out the Phillies.

and we finished Texas in front of their crowd.

it's SO UNREAL

The Giants are coming home World Champions.

They, We made history.

ain't no one gonna forget it.

"WORLD" SERIES. VERY BRIEFLY GAMES 1&2

We've made it this far.

We beat out the Padres, the Braves, and then the Phillies and never looked back.

Talk about high scoring games!

Together, in world series games 1 &2, the Giants have managed to score a total of 21 Runs against the Texas Rangers -- in a world series game.

It hadn't really sunk in until Wednesday night when Freddy Sanchez was busy smacking doubles all over the field.

Then Uribe blasted one out into the bleacher seats, and then it really set in.

"Oh man, we're in the world series..."

O'Day came in as relief, and Uribe just squared up and swung. The guy's E.R.A was infinity, 1-run over 0 innings pitched.

Game 1 was expected to be a pitchers duel. A low-scoring square off between ace Tim Linecum and the Rangers' star pitcher, Cliff Lee. It didn't start out a pitchers duel. The Giants actually had to come from behind because Lincecum didn't have his command early on, giving the Rangers an early 2-0 lead at AT&T Park in the 1st inning. Since it was early, no one was panicking. The Giants aren't huge on offense, but I guess they were really excited.

Game 2 was a 9 run shut out of our Texan opponents. With CJ Wilson on the mound with his electric blue glove, the Giants produced the in the 5th, putting themselves 1-run ahead. The much indicated pitching duel of game 1 came during game 2, Matt Cain pitching a MASTERPIECE, still hanging on to that E.R.A of 0.00.

Edgar Renteria proved to be helpful and productive in games 1&2, offensively and defensively, not missing a beat. Renteria played short, moving Uribe over to third, putting Pablo Sandoval on the bench. I reckon (I really just said that out loud, it's all this Texan stuff) that he'll be at short in Texas as well.

Edgar Renteria, the world series rally starter, hit a home run into right field off of Wilson in the 5th to put the Giants ahead by 1. We also decided to rack up some insurance runs along the way. At one point, it was 2-insurance runs. As usual, it was Cody Ross who broke up Texas' no-hit game early on with a double. Cody came home twice, and walked twice, in addition to his double. Monday night, he earned an RBI during the 5th inning rally. Aubrey Huff has also been producing, especially when we need him most. It seems that he can hit balls through the holes, and like Cody manages to find the grass, if not the bleachers.

Matt Cain left the game to a standing ovation after getting himself into a slight situation. Slight. Javier Lopez came in and as usual took care of business by finishing Hamilton on two pitches, putting away the main threat.

After an exciting 6-run rally in the 5th in Game 1 of the World Series, the Giants decided to pull together a 7-run rally in the 8th -- with 2-outs. It was bottom of the 8th, with 2-outs forever. We scored all 7 of those runs with 2-outs. Texas played with their bullpen after their pitchers issued a number of walks. We scored on a number of walks, and loaded the bases on walks. With two outs, we swept through our line up once. The Ranger bullpen was rarely ahead in the count. Renteria singled, Rowand tripled and Torres doubled clearing the bases, and putting us ahead of Texas by 9-runs.

Texas I guess wasn't having fun and just wanted it to be over. We called to our bullpen, and the Texans went quietly as the park erupted in cheers.

Over the last 3 games, our pitchers, Sanchez, Lincecum AND Cain have been able to get on base. Sanchez and Cain both singled, and Linecum got on via an error. Point being, it's kind of rare...Madison Bumgarner can handle the bat well, so we'll hope that when he gets his chance to pitch, he can get on base as well.

It's been quite the week.

Spirit week at school, and the World Series...and Halloween coming up just as the Giants head to Arlington in Texas.

we're here in the world series (it's settled in -- I got my Cody Ross jersey today with the World Series patch on it) and we're fucking loving every bit of it

Texas might have cowboys, but

 we're equipped with a team of misfits (one of whom is a rodeo clown),

Don't mess with Texas? PUH-LEASE.

Y'ALL AIN'T GOT NUTHIN ON US.

GIANTS TO THE WORLD SERIES!!!!

I didn't sit down once during the entire 3 hours plus duration of the NLCS Game 6.

I paced in the living room, walked up and down the stairs outside a couple times to get air and did some jumping jacks and stretches.

Not for a moment did I breathe in that game.

Swear.

From the first inning where the Phillies scored on us twice, and to the very last of the 9th when Brian Wilson struck Howard out looking with two men on.

Here's how it broke down

With 3-outs to go:

Ross Gload to pinch hit.

easy out, Huff with the put out.

With 2-outs to go:

Jimmy Rollins takes a walk.

Still with 2-outs to go:

Polanco to first on a fielders' choice.

Rollins out at second.

With 1-out to go:

Chase Utley takes a walk.

STILL with 1-out to go:

In 7 pitches, Brian Wilson strikes out Howard looking.

The moment we took the NLCS:

Ran outside, screamed with my neighbor: "WE'RE GOING TO THE WORLD SERIES!!!!"

and jumped into his arms.

Best moment ever.

With that said, let's talk about evvverrything we had to do to lead up to the best moment ever.

From the moment the game started, there was crazy tension and emotions were running high as ever. In the third, Chase Utley was hit by a pitch square in the back by starter Jonathan Sanchez (who went two batters into the 3rd inning). Intentional? Absolutely not. Did Utley think so? Highly doubt it. 

Utley, will jogging over to first reached down and picked up the ball that had bounced off his back, and tossed it lightly to Jonathan Sanchez. Sanchez, I guess, didn't appreciate that, and had some words to say to Chase Utley over at first. Utley turned around, and said something along the lines of (I suck at reading lips), "WHAT?" before waving him off. The dugouts cleared, Huff played peace-maker, and no one was ejected. Pitchers were warned, and Game 6 continued on. 

Bochy voluntarily pulled Sanchez out, in fear that he would become more wild than he already is. It was only the 3rd inning, and the score was tied. 

The rally we had scored on was sparked by Jonathan Sanchez's bat. Sanchez singled, and Torres hit a lllooonnngg single due to some base-running confusion from Sanchez who held up at second. Freddy was able to lay down a perfect bunt, and we turned to Aubrey Huff. Huff "effortlessly" singled, scoring Sanchez easily. Torres was out at the plate after colliding with Carlos Ruiz. He was clearly out.

Aubrey Huff took that time to run to second base, putting himself into scoring position for Buster Posey. Posey hit a ball slowly into the infield, and Howard errored allowing Huff to score.

Without a starter, Bochy turned to our bullpen, first summoning up Jermey Affedlt. Our bullpen, despite their recent inconsistancy was AMAZING.

Affedlt pitched 2 shut out innings. Two-innings not breathing.

We then brought in game 4 starter, Madison Bumgarner...whom my friend and I have started calling, "Mads," because his name is too long to say.

Sorry, dude.

Mads came in, and got himself into some situations...some bases loaded, some threats...aaannnd got us out of those situations just as quickly.

When he left the game, we were still tied.

Javier Lopez came into the game in the bottom of the 7th in relief of Madison Bumgarner. Lopez still kept his rep. looking scoreless. Not allowing a single hit. He earned the win tonight, because obviously Sanchez got the no-decision.  

Lopez deserves so much more credit than he's getting, plus, fun fact, we have matching necklaces.

Our pitching staff held it down for us, allowing Juan Uribe to hit a go-ahead two-out homer in the 8th to put us on top.

 In the top of the 8th, the Giants were 6-outs away from the World Series. In the bottom of the 8th, Tim Lincecum comes as relief. He strikes out Werth.x We were 5 outs away. Lincecum found himself stuck in a situation with two men on, and just one-out. In such a close game, Bruce Bochy called upon Wilson to end the inning.

Wilson stepped out there, in all his bearded glory...

and gets Ruiz on a double play to end the inning.

Three outs away.

With 3-outs away, you know what happens. The moment Wilson saluted to the boo-ing, silent crowd I don't even KNOW how I felt. There were NO words for it.

The moment the guys jumped into each others arms screaming and jumping like five year olds, I wasn't even thinking about anything else.

They showed the guys celebrating in the clubhouse, and I looked around for my boy Cody. He wasn't there. Turns out he was standing accepting the NLCS MVP honors, all 5 foot 10 inches of him standing tall and grinning like the Cheshire cat. Actually his grin beats out the Cheshire cat.

Just when I thought I couldn't be happier, I found out that Cody's nickname is *smiles.*

I knew I saw something in him day 1...

Or I really didn't.

Sometimes things just work out funny like that.

Me = hella proud.

nor-cal speak. I love it.

I still love him as much as I did when he was Giant day 1. I think he even had some hair then.

BRIAN WILSON:

I want to be your best friend.
even if cody's already my best friend, i'll have 2 besties.

Giants in the World Series since 2002.

A chance to win it all.

Today, tomorrow, Monday we celebrate.

Tuesday, we stress a little.

I won't believe it until I see it Wednesday.

Best strike-out ever witnessed.

let's hope that the world-series can top this moment.

BABY.

THE GIANTS ARE GOING TO THE WORLD SERIES, AND

TORTURE NEVER FELT THIS GOOD.

Painful (NLCS Game 5)

I thought we got off to a great start.

For the past several games in this series, its been like this: the team that got on the board first, won the game. There was a lot of back and forth, but that team always managed to win.

Today the Giants got on the board in the first and scored on a fielder's choice (crappy Conrad like fielding from Utley) and Posey got the RBI. At one point we were up 1-0, but we just couldn't hang on.

Today's game was very...MESSY.

Errors, and off line catches. Fouls that were called fair and slow reactions cost us Game 5 to the Philadelphia Phillies.

Roy Halladay attempted to bunt, his bunt ended up behind the plate, or on the plate, which is normally ruled foul. Instead it was called fair, and the throw to third to Sandoval to attempt to keep Ibanez (who unfortunately today produced) from stealing third, but he didn't manage to get his foot on the bag in time for the out. Halladay, thank goodness, reacted slow, thus he wasn't able to make it to first one time.

In the hellish third inning for the Giants, the Phillies were able to score two more with some balls hit nicely into the outfield, out of reach for Burrell, Torres, and Cody. At the end of the third, the Giants were down by two. Being early in the game, no one was having a panic attack quite yet.

We were able to kind of rally in the next inning. Cody Ross doubling in Burrell who had doubled before him. On a pop fly by Sandoval, Ross thought he could make it to third, so he broke for third, aaaannndd he didn't make it -- ending the inning. Cody had a rough night tonight, striking out mulitiple times -- swinging...I know his wrist hurts, but he can obviously still double. I hope that monstrous bruise on his wrist gets better by the time the Giants are in Philli.

The panic attack came when we just couldn't get men on base home.

We left them stranded there more than once. We had plenty of opportunities, and they just vanished.

Tim Lincecum didn't have the game of his life, but he did O.K, the change up looking better than I remember it. Like they said though, the velocity slowly decreasing...

Javier Lopez made an appearance tonight; good as always.

Sergio Romo also came out...though he was gone after he somehow injured himself tripping and trying to run to first base. Man down.

We wasted the 8th to come back, and in the 9th, Werth hit a solo-shot over the right field wall off of Ramierez, and the score was 4-2.

Damn you Werth.

Anyway, after a quick ninth, and Lidge striking out pinch hitter Ishikawa swinging, the Giants scrambled out of that dugout as quick as the possibly could and the crowd was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

The Giants are off the Phillie -- again.

Is it just me, or does it feel like we're mirroring the Rangers vs. Yankees series?

The fact that we were so close just made that loss just so much more painful.

I'm going to now go two days trying my best to hate Roy Oswalt (hate the enemy). On a weirdly different note, I've decided that I want Dan Uggla to be a Giant, it fits.

Our team looked tired today, worn out; ready to take a nap.

Seriously, Cody Ross and Pat Burrell both looked like they could have fallen asleep right there on the grass. Huff was swaying on first base, and Freddy could maybe fall asleep standing up. Posey was maybe sleeping behind the mask; dozed off a few times.

well, no more of that, WAKE UP GUYS.

Get some sleep on that 4 hour plane ride over to Philli.

On Saturday, Jonathan Sanchez will take the mound against Roy Oswalt.

Despite Oswalts stunning (see! there go the compliments!) home record, the Giants have proven that what happens in the regular season means nothing in the post-season.

Sanchez has proven to be our pressure pitcher.

Put the champagne glasses down, breh.

We ain't done yet.

JUST. ONE. MORE.

sound familiar?

Yeah.

Let's go out there and play like we mean it.

How the Giants Roll (aka NLCS Game 3)

Hey Phillies, you're on our turf now.

Home of the Golden Gate Bridge, and notoriously difficult to walk up hills (even more annoying to drive up, ah the tires!) Foggy mornings, days, and afternoons, sporadic weather, and chilly Pacific winds, nope, San Francisco never disappoints. 

After coming home off rather painful loss in Philadelphia, the San Francisco Giants were quick to bounce back. After an earlier flip-flop in the pitching rotation by manager Bruce Bochy the Giants put starter Matt Cain on the mound. I've decided that the Giants just have a problem with Game 2 no matter who we put on the mound. But that's beside the point. Matt Cain shook off his last start (which he quite honestly did fine in, we just didn't win) and took to the mound again today for round 2.

I wonder how he fits all that hair under the cap...

Matt Cain was looking good...pitching wise.

He dominated, allowing two hits, issuing just two walks and striking out five. He featured a wide array or pitches today and went for 7 innings before handing the ball to our bullpen. Cole Hamels pitched today for Philadelphia. The lefty went for 6 innings, allowed one walk, 5 hits and 3 runs. He also struck out 8 in the process. San Francisco claims to have the best bullpen in all of the majors -- but in the post season, the bullpen has been slightly inconsistent. Today however, they got the job done, no messes to clean up. Javier Lopez came in the 7th to relieve Cain, the lefty specialist also took on a righty today, and managed to keep his post season record perfect.

Brian Wilson (what an awesome guy) earned the save. His second against the Phillies. He allowed on hit to Rollins and struck out Werth swinging. We ended the game on a high note, as Ibanez (who is 0-10 in this series) ground into a double play.

It's annoying that since today's game was in the middle of the day, I could have bought tickets from a secondhand source for a reasonably cheap price. However, since it's a day game, I'm also stuck withering away in French, Anatomy and Math class while shouting the scores across the room to friends.

"TWO AND OH TO BURRELL!"

One can see how that could not work out well, or better yet, in French. "TROIS ET DEUX A HUFF!"

Sigh, two more years, just two more years. Only, who knows where I'll end up in two years...

I feel like I'm going to hear about the importance of education tonight...

Oh well.

Last night the Rangers shut out the Yankees in a 8-0 win lead by the seemingly unstoppable Cliff Lee.

Today's batting line up was all twisted and weird and mutated, not that it didn't work out for us. My first thought was that it would mess up our team chemistry going on, but I guess not. We led off today with Edgar Renteria who was at short, then Freddy Sanchez at second in his usual spot. Instead of Huff, Posey followed, obviously behind the plate for the day. Burrell started in left, batting 4th. Then came Cody Ross (cheers loudly) who was in right, but later moved to left. Aubrey Huff followed Ross, then it was Uribe starting at third today. I guess his wrist was better. Aaron Rowand started in centerfield today and took on the 8th spot in the batting line up.

I guess it wasn't weirdly mutated, just different.

Aubrey Huff, Freddy Sanchez, Edgar Renteria, and of course Cody Ross all produced. We somehow found a way to get men from base home without any big blasts. The Phillies got through the line up once without a hit. Edgar Renteria in the lead off spot was the one to break up the no-hitter, singling to spark a rally of sorts. Freddy succesfully bunted, sending Renteria to second. Posey got out (the details are vague because we were setting up an experiment while all this was happening). Burrell took the walk, and with two outs Cody Ross came up to bat.

Continuing to add to his impressive post-season record, Cody earned himself another RBI by singling and sending Burrell to third and Renteria home. Still with two outs, Aubrey Huff singled in Pat Burrell to make the score 2-0. Matt Cain was able to hang on to that after having to dig out of a few stressful situations. No bases loaded situations though. We were able to keep their offense quiet today. Silent actually, shutting out our second team this post-season. Our third run came after a double by former Phillie, Aaron Rowand. In another 2-out situation, Freddy Sanchez was able to knock him in, making the score 3-0 Giants.

Looks like the one run game streak has ended, but it's very possible that it could come back.

2 down, 2 to go.

Phillies in San Francisco Day 2.

Let's Go.

Pictures

These were on my friends camera, they're from the Giants vs. Brewers and the Padres vs. Giants.

goodtimes.