World Series Champions
The San Francisco Giants have won the World Series! San Francisco has been waiting 54 years for this. This victory was long overdue. Willie Mays led the Giants to their previous crown in 1954, four years before they moved to San Francisco. After that, they never quite got it done despite the likes of baseball giants Barry Bonds, Juan Marichal and Willie McCovey.
The Giants came close in 2002 when they lost in seven games to the then Anaheim Angels. Bonds was a huge part of that team’s success hitting four World Series home runs. The Giants took this series from the Texas Rangers in five games and Edgar Renteria was named World Series MVP.
Game 5 in Texas was a match up of arguably this year’s two best pitchers- Tim Lincecum and Cliff Lee. Lincecum out-dueled Cliff Lee for the second time in a week giving up three hits over eight innings and striking out 10. Lee was effective as well giving up three runs on six hits over seven innings but, made one big mistake in the top of the seventh to Edgar Renteria. With runners on second and third and two outs Renteria jumped on a 2-0 cutter that didn’t cut. Renteria sent a drive that kept sailing and landed over the left-center field wall as Cody Ross jumped across home plate to give the Giants a 3-0 lead.
Renteria reprised his role of postseason star. His 11th-inning single ended Game 7 of the 1997 World Series and lifted Florida over Cleveland. Renteria went 7 for 17 (.412) with a Series-leading six RBIs prompting him to be named World Series MVP. Giants closer Brain Wilson came on and pitched a perfect ninth to seal the Championship for San Francisco.
This year of baseball was characterized as “the year of the pitcher” and that continued throughout the whole postseason. This World Series was dominated by the Giants pitching. The Giants reinforced baseball’s oldest cliché- Great pitching shuts down great hitting. The Texas Rangers hit just .190 in the five games and were outscored 29-12, while their MVP hopeful Josh Hamilton went 2 for 20 with one RBI. Lincecum won both starts he made in the World Series while posting a 2.43 ERA throughout the playoffs. Matt Cain was sensational this postseason going 2-0 with a 0.00 ERA. This year was Cain’s coming out party and he showed baseball why the Giants are a dangerous team. The Giants also got a huge game in game 4 from their 21 year old starting pitcher Madison Bumgarner. Bumgarner went eight innings giving up only three hits and zero runs. San Francisco’s bullpen was fantastic as well, starting with closer Brian Wilson as he posted a 0.00 ERA along with six saves this postseason.
This youth movement of pitching by Giants management is the reason the title is in San Francisco and as we see again, great pitching and defense wins you championships. The parade will be Wednesday November 3rd, hope you enjoy this one San Francisco. Congratulations on winning the World Series!
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