I found this video on MLB.com.
I thought it was kind of cute. Pretty clever too! :)

They've done it again!!!

The San Francisco Giants have proven again that they are bound and determined to win another World Series Trophy!

On Friday night (when they were losing the series 3-1) they hoped that they would be able to win Game 5 in order to force a Game 6, and then come back home to San Francisco.
Well, they did win that game: 5-1. Barry Zito pitched a phenomenal game. He pitched 7 2/3 innings, without giving up a run.

After that point, everything was history.
It was almost as if, all the Giants suddenly remembered how to hit!
In the last three games the Giants offense was able to come up with 20 runs!
And it wasn't only one specific hitter that did it all. The whole team contributed  to provide runs, as well as amazing defense.
Now because of their hard work and team effort, the Giants are going back to the World Series!!

Wait.....they did what?!?!?

Yes indeed, the San Francisco Giants are going to the NLCS!!!!! (that wasn't determined until after a truly tortuous series against the Cincinnati Reds though)

Last Saturday, the Giants began their Series against the Reds at home. After losing the first two games, they were going back to Cincinnati to finish the series.

I have to admit that, at that point I thought it was over.....
The Giants weren't providing enough offense, and even their pitching wasn't able to stop the Reds!

But when the Giants got to Cincinnati, they turned everything around....
On Tuesday they won 2-1, thus avoiding the sweep.
On Wednesday they won 8-3, thus forcing the series to game 5.
Then on Thursday they won 6-4 (thanks to a Buster Posey Grand Slam), thus guaranteeing their spot in the NLCS.

That is the first time that any team has been able to come back and win the NLDS after being down by two games!! It was incredible!!!
Giant Torture!!!!!
As of now we don't know who the Giants will be facing for the NLCS, which will begin on Sunday. It could be either the Cardinals or the Nationals. (whoever wins their Game 5)
We shall see!

The San Fransisco Giants are Champions of the National League West!!!

For the second time in two years, the Giants are going to the playoffs!

Its  definitely a satisfying thought, considering that:
-Wilson was out of the season early because he had to have a Tommy John Surgery.
-In May the Giants were 7.5 games behind the red hot Dodgers.
-Then Melky Cabrera was suspended in August for testosterone use. (August actually ended up being the Giants most successful month.)

Even though there were many nail biting parts of the season, there were also so many memorable games.
Matt Cain's Perfect Game, the Giants involvement in the All-Star Games, the few times the Giants swept the Dodgers....
The 2012 season will definitely stay in my memory forever!!!

I truly believe that the return of Buster Posey is one of the main reasons that the Giants are able to taste the Postseason.
The added offense provided by Marco Scutaro and Hunter Pence have also been a game changer!
Since their arrival at the beginning of August, the two players combined have had 80 RBI's!!

And now, starting on October 6, the Giants will begin the NLDS against the Cincinnati Reds.
We can only hope for a repeat of the 2010 Postseason!!
Go Giants!!! :)

Marco Scutaro?

I don't think anyone could have imagined the impact that Marco Scutaro would have on the Giants offense...at least I didn't anyways. I was told that he was able to hit in clutch situations, but who could have expected him to hit .363 (33-for-91) with 12 RBIs and six doubles over his past 22 games,
as opposed 30 RBI's in 95 games with the Rockies?

I find it a little ironic because sites like Fox Sports and MLB kept reporting about the Hanley Ramirez trade and the Blockbuster trade, saying it would help the Dodgers to make their way back to first place. Yet here they are, with 18 games left in the regular season, and they are in second place. 7.5 games behind the Giants.
They didn't say much about the Marco Scutaro trade, but he's the one who is actually making a difference!

Hanely Ramirez has been a great pick up for the Dodgers. His defense is amazing, and he provides a considerable amount of offense. He is a dangerous hitter!
But Adrian Gonzalez has not yet settled in with his new team. He hasn't found the usual excel lance at the plate that he had in Boston.
And Josh Beckett is 1-3 since coming the the Dodgers.

Although the Giants didn't go for "big" well known players, they have been able to shape the players that they got, into players that are able win games by producing runs in small situations.
They usually don't score runs by hitting home runs.....

 So was Marco Scutaro a good pick up?

Yeah, I think so! He has truly exceeded my expectations!!
 

National League West Postseason Showdown, tonight at AT&T Park!

Tonight the Giants and the Dodgers will compete in one of the most important series of the season.

The Giants are now in first place, 4.5 games ahead of the Dodgers.

Tonight, newly acquired Josh Beckett (6-12, 5.03 ERA) will pitch against Tim Lincecum (8-14, 5.21 ERA). This series could determine [which team] will be left standing in the end.

Anything could happen....and usually does!

Go Giants!!!!

Giants fans vs. Dodger fans.

During the series against the Dodgers last week, I noticed how different Dodger Stadium is this year At around this time last year, the Dodgers organization was nearly bankrupt, they were nearly in last place, and they were having a hard time getting fans there.

This year, however, is a completely different story.
 "Magic" Johnson bought the Dodgers, therefore giving the organization more money to spend on "big" players. And that is exactly what they have done. They got Hanley Ramirez, Josh Beckett, Adrian Gonzalez, Nick Punto, and Carl Crawford.
Now the Dodgers are in 2nd place. Two games behind the Giants.
Now fans flock to see their games, because they have a shot at the Playoffs.

But Giants fans have stuck to their team.
Even in the years when the Giants did poorly, thousands of fans flocked to the games every day. After the World Series, thousands of fans still showed up. And even last year, when the Giants lost Buster Posey and had a pretty bad season, it still didn't matter.
Through rain and shine: Giants fans stay with their team.
 It doesn't matter what place they are in.

Maybe it's just me, but I think that the Giants have the best fans in all of Major League Baseball! :)