Major League Baseball: The Giants Win Their First World Series in Over 50 Years
Although there have been a couple of greats on the San Francisco Giants baseball team, both Willie Mays and Barry Bond have never been able to win them a World Series. But the 2010 Giants were successful in doing so for the first time since 1954, four years
before moving to San Francisco when they were known as the New York Giants (not to be confused with the NFL team).
Tim Lincecum and Edgar Renteria led the Giants to win over the Texas Rangers Monday night, with a final score of 3-1.
The matchup of two great pitchers, Lincecum and Texas’ Cliff Lee, emerged with Lincecum victorious once again, as Lee gave up a three run homer to Renteria in the seventh with two outs already down.
Texas’ Nelson Cruz also hit a solo homerun off of Lincecum, but Lincecum retaliated by even fiercer and more accurate pitches to make Cruz’s run the only one that the Rangers had in the entire game.
Lincecum pitched eight innings, allowed only three hits, and struck out nine, followed by closer Brian Wilson who didn’t allow any points either.
Manager Bruce Brochy affectionately calls his team “a ragtag bunch.” Some of the players, including Freddy Sanchez, Cody Ross, and Renteria, fit this description, seeing as they were cut loose by other franchises this season before they all ended up together
in San Francisco.
"They did all right," Bochy said. "I couldn't be prouder of a group. They played with heart and determination. They weren't going to be denied. My staff, they accepted their roles and had only one mission."
However, the undiscovered talent in the team is raised entirely by the Giants. A rookie catcher named Buster Posey with incredible potential and talent, as well as Wilson, their closing pitcher, known as “The Beard” to his teammates.
Even after being down 1-3 after Game 5 on Sunday, Rangers CEO Chuck Greenberg believed that they still had a chance, saying,
"This series: It is going back to San Francisco. There's gonna be a Game 6. There's going to be a Game 7. Let's all hang in there and keep believing."
However, only six teams in the history of the World Series had come back from a 3-1 shortfall, and this year, the Rangers won’t be the seventh.
Renteria won the World Series MVP award, after his three run homer in the seventh and great performance during the rest of the Series games. A five time All-Star selection, Renteria has had problems with injuries that have affected his performance, placing
him on the disabled list three times.
"It was a tough year for me," he said. "I told myself to keep working hard and keep in shape because something is going to be good this year."
However, the 35 year old shortstop is not even sure if he wants to keep going, and is pondering retirement. He went on to say, after the Series win that he’s going to think about it and see what happens.
The 14 year veteran and two-time Gold Glove winner earned $10 million in 2010 alone.
The Rangers had hit just .190 in the last five games, and were outscored by the Giants, 29-12.
"They beat us soundly," manager Ron Washington said. "They deserve it."
None of the Rangers, mostly team president and part-owner Nolan Ryan, were very happy about their loss, including their number one fan, former President George W. Bush.
There was not a single run until the top of the seventh, when Renteria hit a 404 foot home run to left center field, allowing Ross and Juan Uribe to also score.
Cruz hit a 397 foot homerun in the bottom of the seventh, making the score 3-1.
The Giants had only seven hits in the entire game, but the Rangers had even less, with three.
Matt Cain was surprised as well by the victory, saying, "This doesn't make sense. You don't realize it. It's something that's surreal. But that's what we are, World Series champs.”
Luckily, for Cain, it is real. The Giants have won their first World Series in 54 years.
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