There was an added layer of excitement among the crowd of 40,030 who assembled at Oracle Park on Saturday, Aug. 10. Thick, long lines of fans were already waiting for the gates to open at 11 a.m. for the one o’clock game against the Detroit Tigers. They wanted to make sure they were in their seats for the pregame reunion of the 2014 Giants, winners of San Francisco’s third World Series championship in a five-year span.
Even the little ones, who weren’t even born in 2014, shared the vibe. After all, their parents had told them all about that blessed season, and mommy was wearing her Madison Bumgarner jersey.
At precisely noon, the parade of 2014 alumni players, coaches and front office personnel entered the festivities from the dugout to resounding choruses of cheers. The loudest ovation was reserved for Bumgarner, who carried the World Series trophy and placed it on a table alongside those of 2010 and ’12.
Their manager, Bruce Bochy, was unable to attend. He was busy managing the Texas Rangers that day. Instead, he sent a videotaped message that was played on the center field scoreboard. Said Bochy, “When I think about this group, I think about the resolve, the resilience, the indomitable spirit and unselfishness with which they played. They didn’t care about having it their way. They just wanted to find a way to get it done.”
And get it done they did. The regular season was a roller-coaster ride, punctuated by gutsy, close-shave wins that broadcasters Duane Kuiper and Mike Krukow humorously labeled “Torture!” They finished with an 88-74 record, good enough for second place in the NL West behind the Los Angeles Dodgers, and backed into the playoffs when the Milwaukee Brewers lost three of their last four games.
From then on, however, it was Katy bar the door. They were the outsider invited to the party who refused to leave. They were the underdog in every post-season series, according to the oddsmakers. They were the team the majority of America was rooting against. But they were simply not going to be denied.
The first stop was Pittsburgh for the Wild Card game against the Pirates. In front of 40,629 raucous road fans at PNC Park, the Giants cruised to an 8-0 victory behind Bumgarner’s 4-hit complete game and Brandon Crawford’s grand slam homer over the right field fence in the fourth.
Then it was on to Washington for the NL Division Series showdown against the Nationals. Once again, the Giants took it to their opponents. The pivotal second game went a playoff-record 18 innings before Brandon Belt struck a colossal home run to win it, 2-1. Inspired, the boys in orange and black went on to win the series three games to one, the deciding contest taking place in front of 43,464 home fans. Final score: 3-2 behind the stout pitching of starter Ryan Vogelsong and a string of relievers.
Next, it was all-aboard to St. Louis to face off against the Cardinals in the National League Championship Series. With Bumgarner again the winning pitcher, 3-0, in Game 1, the Giants took command of the series. In the decisive Game 5 at home, a dramatic ninth-inning homer by Travis Ishikawa delivered a 6-3 win that put the final nail in the Cards’ coffin.
The Giants had punched their ticket to the World Series against the Kansas City Royals, and it became the most closely contested of any post-season series that year. Once again, Bumgarner was the starting and winning pitcher of Game 1 in Kansas City, with a final score of 7-1. The teams traded victories for a week until Game 7 back in K.C. Bumgarner came through as the hero of heroes. On just three day’s rest, he pitched the final five innings in relief, securing the 3-2 victory, which sent the Bay Area into a frenzy.
As the final foul popout settled into third baseman Pablo Sandoval’s glove, and he fell back onto the ground, a series of familiar scenes ensued.
There was the players’ hugfest in the middle of the infield, and champagne fête in the visitors’ clubhouse. There was another victory parade down Market Street and a public celebration in front of City Hall. There was yet another trip to the White House to meet with President Obama.
After winning it all for the third time in five years, the Giants were like Leonardo DiCaprio in Titanic. They were the kings of the world.
