On Saturday afternoon, July 13, at Oracle Park, prior to the game against the Minnesota Twins, Jeremy Affeldt, Santiago Casilla, Javier Lopez and Sergio Romo joined the fraternity of Giants’ elite with their induction onto the Wall of Fame.
Nicknamed the “Core Four,” they were the undersung heroes on the World Series championship teams of 2010, ‘12 and ‘14. While the likes of Buster Posey, Pablo Sandoval, Tim Lincecum and Matt Cain gained most of the headlines in those banner years, the quartet of relief aces did a lot of the dirty work by holding opponents at bay and sealing the victories.
The first 20,000 fans through the turnstiles that day received a special Mt. Rushmore-like statuette of the foursome. Granted, they were not exactly Washington, Jefferson, Lincoln and Teddy Roosevelt. But with the game on the line, far more often than not, they were pure bedrock.
Appropriately, they entered the pregame celebration from the bullpen together and took their seats alongside family members and Giants’ dignitaries in front of the pitcher’s mound. Emcee Dave Flemming put their contributions in perspective simply by citing the numbers: “What we all remember most are the playoff moments, when the stakes were the highest and the stage was the most pressure-filled,” said Flemming, “So we did a little math, and the four guys sitting next to me today, if you put their stats together for the post-seasons of 2010, 2012 and 2014, they pitched 79 innings combined, and gave up nine runs total. In the biggest games of their careers, their collective ERA was 1.10.”
Four distinct personalities, they pitched together as a relief staff for nearly a decade, a rarity in the modern game.
“We were a band of brothers, and we still are,” said Romo. “When we see each other today, we pick up right where we left off.”
Lopez spoke next, “I just start smiling every time I see these guys. It’s great to see their families, their kids all grown up. It’s hard to believe it’s been that long since we played together, but the game and life go on.”
Affeldt put in his two cents, “We worked really hard to do our jobs. We had great starting pitchers who set us up, a Hall of Fame catcher in Buster Posey behind the plate, and unbelievable defense behind us. Taken together, I feel really blessed.”
Casilla wrapped it up, “I agree with the other three. What we did together was truly special, and something I will always remember.”
At the media session after the ceremony, each of the four was asked to name the one thing from their Giants’ tenure that stands out in their memory. Romo expanded upon his on-field comments. “I think about the camaraderie among the four of us,” he said. “I could ask them anything when I was feeling down or wasn’t pitching the way I wanted to. They were always there for me. They cared enough to know me that well, and I cared so much that I never wanted to let them down. They knew everything I was going through, and they really helped me go on to pitch as long as I did.”
Affeldt was more specific. “Without question, it was Game 7 of the 2014 World Series in Kansas City, because the Royals were the team that drafted me back in 1997,” he commented. “When they traded me to Colorado in 2006, I didn’t like baseball anymore. It was the lowest point of my career. The first time I ever went back there was for that World Series. When we won it all, and I was the winning pitcher, it was like my life in the game had come full-circle.”
Lopez recalled a game in which none of them was called upon to pitch. “To be honest, it was Matt Cain’s perfect game in 2012,” he answered. “We were able to watch it all together from the bullpen, and we acted like little kids. We were all sitting there with strict rules of who sat where, when we could go to the bathroom, stuff like that. It was the funniest thing, a group of grown men acting like six-year-olds. That kind of dynamic was priceless, and it was a bonding experience for the four of us.”
Finally, there was Casilla. “At spring training in 2014, I had a dream in which God told me that we were going to win the World Series that year,” he said. “I told (Giants athletic trainer) Dave Groeschner about it and carried it through the season. When we won Game 7, we both looked at each other and cried tears of joy. I never forgot it, because it was a testament to my faith.”
Hold on, Santiago. Are you implying that the baseball gods are Giants fans? Actually, when you see it through your eyes, you might be right.
