Giants fans who are ready to give up on the 2011 season may want to brush up on their math. Sure, the Giants are now a long, long long shot to win the NL West. But here is a brief history lesson. In 1951, the Giants were six games out of first place with 12 left. They ended up forcing (and winning) a three-game playoff against the Dodgers and earning a trip to the World Series. In 1962, the Giants… Read More »
Many thanks to those who said they enjoyed the humor and satire of Sunday’s column on Aaron Rowand’s batting stance. More than one who gave feedback pointed out that Rowand’s peculiar stance reminded them of Ron Cey, the Dodgers’ third baseman (and Giants killer) of the 1970s. I think that’s a spot-on comparison. In the column, there was a brief rundown of players who had unique stances or went through unusual gyrations before settling in their stance — Stan Musial,… Read More »
I can’t decide whether Vin Scully makes me feel old or young. I feel young knowing that Scully, the legendary broadcaster who has just begun his 62nd year in the Dodgers’ radio/TV booth, is some 20 years older than I am and still going strong. But I also vividly remember listening to Scully doing Brooklyn Dodgers games on WOR-TV Channel 9 in New York, when I was a little kid who also enjoyed the play-by-play of Russ Hodges (Giants) and… Read More »
Giants fans should hope history doesn’t repeat itself. The last time the Giants entered a season as the defending World Series champions was 1955, when they were still the New York Giants. They had swept the heavily favored Cleveland Indians in the 1954 World Series and entered ’55 with essentially the same team. The results weren’t quite the same. The 1955 Giants were never in first place, never really contended for the NL pennant and finished third in an eight-team… Read More »
With Giants fan favorite and postseason hero Juan Uribe joining the Dodgers this week, it’s only natural to recall other Giants who became Dodgers, as I did in a previous blog and as I will in greater length in Sunday’s column in The Press Democrat. But there have been notable Dodgers who became Giants. For example: In the middle of the 1948 sesason, flamboyant Dodgers manager Leo Durocher, wildly popular in Brooklyn and equally despised by Giants fans, was fired… Read More »
As of Monday night, it seemed likely that Juan Uribe would sign with the Los Angeles Dodgers. Yes, it’s going to be tough for Giants fans to see Uribe — such a key component to the Giants run to the division title and then through the postseason — in Dodger blue. But he’s not the first notable Giant to become a Dodger. Such a list, inclusive of going back to the franchise’s New York roots, has the following names: Sal… Read More »
The San Francisco Giants have been giving their fans pennant fever over seven decades, including this season. Previous blogs looked at 1959, ’62, ’65, ’66, ’71, ’82, ’93, ’97 and ’98. Here is the final entry of a top 10 list of pennant-fever seasons. 2002. The Giants and Dodgers are battling for the NL wild card in late September. The Giants then close out the season by winning eight games in a row, clinching a playoff spot. Pennant fever continues… Read More »
The San Francisco Giants have been giving their fans pennant fever over seven decades, including this season. Previous blogs looked at 1959, ’62, ’65, ’66, ’71, ’82 and ’93. Upcoming blogs will take a look at the rest of a top 10 list of pennant-fever seasons, in chronological order. 1997. On Sept. 18, the Giants beat the Dodgers, 6-5, with Rod Beck throwing three scoreless innings of relief, including escaping a bases-loaded-no out-jam, and Brian Johnson hits a game-ending homer… Read More »
The San Francisco Giants have been giving their fans pennant fever over seven decades, including this season. Previous blogs looked at 1959, ’62, ’65, ’66, ’71 and ’82. Upcoming blogs will take a look at the rest of a top 10 list of pennant-fever seasons, in chronological order. 7. 1993. After beating the Dodgers on Sept. 19, the second-place Giants trailed the first-place Braves by three games. With 15 games remaining, the Giants launch a 12-3 finish behind the hitting… Read More »
The San Francisco Giants have been giving their fans pennant fever over seven decades, including this season. Previous blogs looked at 1959, 1962, 1965, 1966 and 1971. Upcoming blogs will take a look at the rest of a top 10 list of pennant-fever seasons, in chronological order. 1982. Chasing the Dodgers and Braves all month, the Giants enter the final weekend of the season — a three-game series against L.A. at Candlestick — still alive in the division. On Saturday,… Read More »
