Go Giants!

I want to take this occasion to congratulate the San Francisco Giants for their third World Series Championship in 5 years! This was perhaps the most unexpected and least probable of all in their magnificent run. Both 2010 and 2012 featured exceptional starting pitching and depth of starters. This year especially in the World Series it was Madison Bumgarner and for the  rest hope we make it to the bullpen, which has been outstanding in all three playoff runs to the World Series.

I guess what amazed me most about this team was how literally all the players stepped up in the playoffs and seized the moment. Facing teams with much better regular season records(the Giants were the lower of the 2 wild card teams) the Giants persevered. Players I considered automatic outs like Juan Perez, Joaquin Arias, and Gregor Blanco, all made siginificant contributions  . I would urge them on while watching on tv and say "It;s the postseason! It's the postseason!" and indeed some magic seemed to come in the form of clutch   hits.

And I must admit I continue to admire Bruce Bochy and his ability to adjust to the postseason.. No Matt Cain. Tim Lincecum up and down. He rode Madison Bumgarner all the way to the championship. One dominant starter. One dominant force of nature, quite literally. Most managers use a regular season formula for the postseason. Not Bochy. He might bring a late inning reliever in during the first couple of innings. He seems to read the game like no other. He trusted Hunter Strictland, a young pitcher, who, while having his problems, got some big outs in the playoffs. And he had his ace, Bumgarner , for the seventh and deciding game. He did not hesitate to use Jeremy Affeldt early when Tim Hudson faltered.

And what can we say about Madison Bumgarner? He might be the Giants most exciting player. I know I used to be glued to the radio or television not just when he pitched, but also when he hit. Remember he hit not one but two grand slams this year. I would follow his at bats in hopes he would hit one out. Exciting! And his performance in this postseason, especially the World Series, may never be matched. 2 wins and a save. A  career Earned Run Average in the World Series of 0.29. More than anything else he was like a wall, projecting a feeling of 'loving protection'. He would not let the other team steal victory away from his teamates or from the Giants fans.Incredible!

Buster Posey had an up and down playoffs. He was thrown out on the bases at home plate several times. Though his overall postseason numbers seem okay they were low in the World Series and he had an extreme power outage. I believe all his hits were singles. Sports Astrologist Andrea Mallis informed me that he had Saturn on his Mars. Saturn is limitation, the cosmic traffic cop. Mars symbolizing energy, assertion, and aggression, is vital to an athlete, so Buster's offensive contributions were not what we came to expect. But his leadership, defense, and handling of pitchers was vital. And he caught every inning of the 18 inning Giants victory in the NLDS. Wow!

So obviously the key in the offseason is to sign free agent Pablo Sandoval. Their young core is capable of winning some more championships. Joe Panik at second base was a godsend. Andrew Susac during the regular season proved a capable backup catcher to Posey and provided some clutch pinch hits during the postseason.  Matt Duffy came through with some big pinch hits in September to get the Giants to October and continued his hitting in the postseason along with some fine base running. So the youth is there adding another infusion of energy. So I hope Sandoval can be resigned, that the Giants can add another good starter to support Bumgarner, that Lincecum can find himself. So maybe this is the time they can go back to back. Go Giants!