I'll be damned. The San Francisco Giants have done something they haven't done since they were based in New York...they won the World Series. Not only that, they won it in truly fantastic fashion.
Beating Cliff Lee isn't simple. Beating Cliff Lee in the postseason is even more difficult. And yet, these Giants did it with such ease that it begs the question: why couldn't the Yankees or Rays do it before them? What made this National League team light their bats up against a pitcher that's supposedly one of the most dominant in the game right now? How is it that Edgar Renteria, who only hit 3 home runs the entire regular season, hit 2 just in this World Series? How is it that Josh Hamilton, the ALCS MVP and one of the best hitters on the Rangers, went 2-20 against San Fran? Should we all truly fear Brian Wilson's beard, or his 6 saves out of 7 opportunities with an ERA consisting solely of goose eggs? Why won't Tim Lincecum get a haircut? Does his long hair and striking resemblance to Alanis Morrisette throw batters off? Does Bruce Bochy know something about molding players into champions that Ronnie Washington just can't recreate? DID THE SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS REALLY JUST WIN THE WORLD SERIES BY BEATING THE TEXAS RANGERS IN 5 GAMES IN 2010?!
It's hard to process. But, as I've said, this is a good way to end such an unpredictable season. Seriously, who on earth would have guessed either of these teams would make it to the Show? Hell, even when they did, I guessed Rangers in 6. I didn't anticipate Giants in 5. No one anticipated Giants in 5. Even the Giants didn't start off anticipating Giants in 5. And no one is anticipating Giants in 5 in 2011. The best thing for either of these teams (yes, even Texas benefits from this) is that it shows that they've finally become teams that are legitimate contenders. This shows us that my beloved Yankees and the Phillies aren't the only boys that can win in October. This shows us that nothing in this game is predictable, that anything is still possible. In a game full of performance-enhancing drugs, millionaires arguing with billionaires, dumb policies that shouldn't be in place (and some that should be), this series has shown us that nothing is a given. It's entirely possible that my joking prediction of a Twins/Padres showdown in late October may not be as silly as it sounds. Anything is possible.
The Giants' pitching accounted for most of the dominance, but if Renteria, Cody Ross, Juan Uribe and Aubrey Huff hadn't had some timely blasts, things may have turned out a little differently (not much: they had 29 hits, compared to San Fran's 42). However, due to Cliff Lee completely melting down, and the starters following him pretty much following suite (and an absolutely spectacular failure of the Texas bullpen), it may have been best if team president Nolan Ryan jogged back onto the mound. Hey, the way his pitchers threw, it certainly couldn't have hurt. The fact of the matter is this: the Rangers, although favored by many to win (including myself), simply emulated the defending champs of both leagues last year...they played in a manner that they didn't deserve to win. As much as I would have loved to see Ian Kinsler be the first Jew to have a World Series win since Sandy Koufax, and I think it would have been a better story for the Rangers to take it all, they didn't play like they wanted it, and they damn sure didn't get it.
And so, as we move into what is sure to be an eventful offseason, we here at The Baseball Freak would like to salute the San Francisco Giants for completely defying all my predictions (remember, I didn't even think they'd make the playoffs) and winning the 106th Fall Classic. You certainly earned it. And as a final thought before we move towards 2011...GO YANKEES.
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