Contact
Subscribe


In Which I Jinx the Giants

Oct 28, 2010
By .
Sports

The Giants won game 1 of the World Series last night. It's a thrill to see how excited this city is. There is Giants gear everywhere, and a buzz throughout the town. I so want my team that I have loved almost all my life to win the World Series. But, history gives me pause. Now, before I start with my sad memories, this is not some insipid Dan Shaunessy "Curse of the Bambino" Red Sox thing. I will not die sad if the Giants never win, and my love of the team does not define me. That being said…

1989 – I'm at a high school dance, and game 1 is on a TV set up in the hall. The sound is not on, so Billy Ocean provides the color commentary to this Giants loss. The series (better known for the interrupting Loma Prieta quake) would be a dismal loss for the Giants. The A's would not trail in any game, and they shut down my favorite player Will "The Thrill" Clark. Giants lose in 4. Probably because 2 games were played after Loma Prieta, there was not a lot of celebratory buzz in the city. I don't remember seeing a lot of decoration or people talking. Although it did give rise to thee abomination that is the Giants & A's half and half ballcap. Still, the loss (and the A's utter domination) hurt.

2002 – This one was far worse however. Game 5. I joined a bunch of friends to watch the game at a sports bar in North Beach (random aside we watched the game at ex infamous topless bar The Condor) The Series was tied 2-2, and we were in a room full of Giants fans. It was a fun night, the Giants won big, and the highlight of the night was JT Snow pulling little Darren Baker out of the way of danger as a run scored. I turned to my friend Scott during the game and said in disbelief "The Giants are going to win the World Series." Sadly, the Angels won both games in Anaheim (including a heart breaking game 6) to crush my hopes. 2002 really hurt. The Giants looked like the better team, and played so well through the first 5 games. Only to cough it up in the last two. Sigh.

It's mainly 2002 that has me worried about this year. Still, the Giants have great pitching (like historically great) and that goes a long way. My concerns about their offense were definitely calmed by the big showing in Game 1, but I still have nagging worries there and about the defense. So, I am worried, but I think the Giants win in 6. Should I have said that? I don't want to jinx things again.

PS – This World Series is leading to Only in San Francisco moments like a medicinal marijuana clinic offering it's patients a free joint everytime a Giant hits a homer, or crossdressing Beach Blanket Babylon performers in pregame ceremonies. No one throws a party like the City That Knows How!

Last 5 posts by Ezra

8 Comments
Tags ,

8 Comments

  1. RE Garrett  •  Oct 28, 2010 @12:35 pm

    I'm surprised you didn't go back as far as the 1962 Series vs. the Yankees: Game 7 in San Francisco, Yankees lead 1-0 in the bottom of the ninth. Giants get men on: Matty Alou at third and Willie Mays at first. Willie McCovey is at bat, two outs. If he gets a base hit, the game is tied. If he gets an extra-base hit, Mays in his prime has a good chance of scoring from first, and winning the Series for the Giants. McCovey hits a line drive… right at the Yankee's Bobby Richardson at second–inning, game, series, season over. I was thirteen then, and am sixty-one now, and I still haven't gotten over that….

  2. Scott  •  Oct 28, 2010 @1:19 pm

    I remember that game well. There is rarely a shortage of memorable moments when it comes to the Giants in the postseason. Both teams have great characters, and excellent players to watch. The SF vs Texas part deserves some conversation too, as shown in this news clip. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JxCJIlzR5EQ I just hope it goes to game 7, just to ramp up the torture.

  3. Ezra  •  Oct 28, 2010 @1:23 pm

    I was only going with my memories RE, but yeah, the '62 series is actually the reason that I started a 1958 OOTP season to try to win a series for Mays in SF.

    Scott, that clip is hilarious.

  4. N P  •  Oct 28, 2010 @3:19 pm

    [pedantic baseball nerd]
    With all due respect, this Giants pitching staff is very good, but not
    really close to historically great. If we use ERA+, which is
    the best quick and dirty cross-era comparison stat we have, there are a
    few dozen pitching staffs that have beaten the 121 the Giants put up
    this year, the 2008 Blue Jays and 2007 Red Sox being the most recent
    ones. The record, I think, is the 1997 Braves, who put up a 131 ERA+. To
    put this into comparison, the Giants' 121 ERA+ is equal to the career
    number put up by Don Drysdale, David Cone, and Kevin Appier. Three damn
    fine pitchers. But the '97 Braves' 131 is the same as Sandy Koufax's
    career number, and better than the 128 put up by Bob Gibson and Tom
    Seaver.

    ERA+ probably understates the Giants a bit due to technicalities involving the contemporary run scoring environment that you really don't want me to go into, but that doesn't make up the gap all that much.
    [/pedantic baseball nerd]

    Still, it's a hell of a pitching staff, and a team that (like Texas) is mostly very likable. As a non-partisan fan my hope is for a tight, 7 game series. Let's can have as much baseball as possible!

  5. N P  •  Oct 28, 2010 @3:27 pm

    Formatting nightmare!

  6. Ezra  •  Oct 29, 2010 @9:37 am

    NP, I think ERA+ is a little hinky, but I do love me some SABR. This may just be the rampant homer in me, but I think that given the long history of MLB, being in the top 30 or so rotations ever is fairly historic. And, add to that the fact that (with the notable exception of the $128 Million Man) the entire rotation is home grown. Other than Barry, they are all products of the Giants farm system. I need to do some research & see when the last time a team's playoff rotation was this good & also all home grown. Those Jays & Sox teams you mention could not say that.

    In any event, it's a joy to watch these pitchers work (even if I have no trust in Sanchez in a big moment..)

  7. Scott  •  Oct 29, 2010 @10:43 am

    1986 Red Sox- Clemens, Hurst, OilCan & Nipper were home grown.

  8. Andrew  •  Nov 2, 2010 @6:21 am

    Congratulations, Ezra!