Puget Sound football Coach Jeff Thomas’ prediction of the Giants winning the World Series came to fruition. Last week, the San Francisco Giants defeated the Texas Rangers to win their first World Series since 1954. And although there seemed to be a large Giants bandwagon fan population around the Puget Sound campus, it was refreshing to see the improbable become a reality.
Two supposed underdogs:,the Giants and Rangers were able to defeat two evil empires: the Phillies and Yankees. At the start of the season, the Giants and Rangers were both 30 to 1 odds to win the World Series. So for anyone who placed a mere $100 bet on the Giants, enjoy your $3000 payoff.
Throughout the regular season, the Giants dazzled competition with their exceptional pitching staff. The Giants led all of Major League Baseball in earned run average, hits allowed, strikeouts, and saves. This transitioned well into the playoffs, as the Giants were able to record 4 shutouts. More impressive, however, was how the Giants were able to hold one of the best hitting teams in the league, the Texas Rangers, to a dismal batting average of .190 in the World Series. When a team pitches as well as the Giants did throughout the postseason, they become nearly impossible to defeat.
In addition to their pitching, the Giants’ bats came alive. In the 10 games leading up to the World Series, the Giants produced 30 runs on offense. In the 5 games of the World Series against the Rangers, the Giants scored 29 runs. Needless to say, San Francisco appears to have been destined to win the 2010 Series. This Giants team was reminiscent of the Arizona Diamondbacks team that won the World Series back in 2001, built around pitching and team comradery.
Although the Giants were perhaps the least “sexy” team to win the World Series in a while, they had a strong likability factor. Maybe this factor came from their 13-year old looking CY Young award winning ace, Tim Lincecum; psychotic closer rocking a dyed beard, Brian Wilson; or rookie catcher, Buster Posey, who should really still be in college. Regardless of the reasons for winning, congratulations to the San Francisco Giants, 2010 World Series champions.