Welcome to Giants Baseball Corner
Which was an independent view of the San Francisco Giants – some reporting, some fanposts, some history, some theorizing about management or strategy – between 2010 and 2017, all out of love for the baseball Giants.
It was such a huge relief to finally win it all in 2010 on that crazy ride – in my opinion that’s the word for the first one: “relief” (with a tip o’ the hat to The Freak, The Beard, the Thong and the Rodeo Clown).
If you click around in the archives you’ll find dozens of videos, stills and stories from Giant games over the past several years. Regards that first championship, if you click on November 1, 2010, you’ll find this footage from Civic Center.
and this video of the 2010 parade after we finally won it all for the first time in SF, after coming so close at least a half dozen times over the 20 years previous and nearly losing the team from the city altogether.
The second one should have been 2011 in Buster’s first full season, but the plate collision happened which made the phrase for 2012 “powerful affirmation”
We were back and forced to play without the All-Star Game MVP who had tested positive in August and was sent on a 50-game suspension. We released Melky Cabrera and still won.
This one is my favorite. Verlander, turning, watching the second Panda smash go out, saying, “Wow!” and the greatest strikeout in Giants history, Romo throwing a fastball to Miguel Cabrera, the best hitter in all baseball and getting him looking to end the World Series is forever emblazoned in my mind!
(tips to Romo, to the WS MVP 3-Dinger Panda, to the NLCS MVP the Blockbuster (Scutaro in the rain) and Buntmaster Barry Zito’s Championship Performance).
And 2014 will always go down as: “Madbum’s Championship”
with tips to Hunter Pence for powerful motivation and energy, to Ishikawa’s walkoff homer and the crazy 18-inning game in Washington and its heroes Petit, Panik and Belt.
I’m Karthik, Editor-in-Chief, but I’ve often gone by “M.T. Karthik” on the radio – you can call me Karthik or M.T.
Welcome to the Giants Baseball Corner Archive.
MTK
Grief and Injury in the Fam
I haven’t got much to say about the twin issues that suddenly struck the Giants out of the blue – the sudden death of Brandon Crawford’s sister-in-law and the dirt bike accident that put Madison Bumgarner on the DL for the first time in his career. But I thought I’d use this space to take a second to reflect on how baseball is a family.
You all are my family.
“My Giants Family,” is what I call you when I feel I need to be specific talking to strangers. We are intensely together in spirit every year for at least eight months as our brothers play baseball and fight for another World Series championship.
The long season from April to October, the 162 – 175 games, the multiple games a week – all of this binds us. It takes place daily, weekly, all summer, yearly, as we all live our lives and go about our business, and we are intimately attached to one another through it all.
We all know when someone on the team has something as minor as a hangnail! or a busted clavicle (get better soon JP).
We know if one of the players is getting married (Congrats Hunter and Lexi) or are having a baby (Congrats Hunter and Shelley).
Heck, we know if someone farts in the clubhouse (miss you, Jean).
It’s all pretty intimate.
When Brandon and Jalynne lost her sister last week, I didn’t want anything more than to be there for them. I didn’t care about wins, losses or the standings. It is an incredibly sad stroke of ill luck for a wonderful family within our family. I just wanted to help out.
By the same token, Madison’s dirt bike accident is a family matter, too. I am not as concerned it happened as I am that he’s all right.
I was proud of him for standing erect before a phalanx of reporters and owning up to it not being the most prudent move, but honestly, I know the guy likes to ranch and ride and slay snakes to save jackrabbits. I know he’s a man’s man. I don’t begrudge him a hobby like dirt bike riding, ’cause he’s my brother and I assume it’s the kinda thing he’d do on an off day.
The beginning of this season has been filled with weird misfortunes among which the death of our sister-in-law is the most significant and important. It exceeds the petty concerns of win-loss and standings.
Of course I want to #BeatLA, but as Brandon and Jalynne grieve, and Madison mends and rehabs, I wish and pray most for the health and happiness of our entire family, irrespective of the record.
My best to you all.
Go Giants.
Love,
MTK