Reflections of a Giants Fan: The World Series 2014; Hunter Pence, Hero #worldseries, #SFGiants

Hunter Pence

I've been following the major league baseball playoffs with interest this year.  My favorite team is the San Francisco Giants, because I live in the Bay Area and associate the team with home and family.  The last thing I ever did with my father, the week he died, was to watch the Giants play the Cardinals one Sunday afternoon.  The Giants won 2-0.

The San Francisco Giants are trying for their third Wold Series Win, though it will be the 8th World Series win for the franchise, if it happens.  The Giants won five World Series as the New York Giants, and have appeared in the World Series 20 times, which includes 2014.  The Giants beat the New York Yankees twice, in the World Series of 1921 and 1922.

The Giants won the World Series in 1905, 1921, 1922, 1933, 1954, 2010 and 2012.  Baseball is an American tradition dating back more than a century.  It is very American, and it is very special.

Last night I watched the 4th game of the 2014 World Series, and when the Royals went ahead 4-1 in the 4th inning, I feared the Giants were doomed.  The Royals appeared on their way to their third win of the series, which would put the Giants' backs against the wall.  However, the Giants rallied with a flurry of hits in the 5th, 6th and the 7th, and ran up the score to 11-4, holding on to it until the game ended.  The series is now tied at two games each.  The team that wins 4 games out of a possible 7 will win the series (duh).

This series is evenly matched.  Both the Royals and the Giants make heroic hits, impossible saves, pinpoint throws and precision teamwork, with a never-say-die determination that makes each game wild and exciting.

For my money, Giants outfielder Hunter Pence is the hero of the Giants' efforts this year.  Early in Game 4, he stole 2nd base, then stole 3rd base, and finally got home to score the first run of the game.  He was determined that the Giants should score first.  Pence is from Texas.  That makes him doubly likable in  my book.  My father was from Texas, too.

UPDATE:  In Game 5 tonight, Madison Bumgarner, the ace picture of the Giants, threw a nine inning shutout of the Royals, leading the Giants to a 5-0 win and a lead in the series of 3 games to 2.  Game 6 and 7 (if needed) will be played in Kansas City on Tuesday and Wednesday this week.  The Royals need to win both those games to win the World Series; the Giants have to win only one more game to win the World Series.  The energy and momentum of the Giants makes it clear that the Royals have their work cut out for them.