The San Francisco Giants are World Series Champions for the third time in five years with Wednesday’s game seven 3-2 victory against the Kansas City Royals at the hands of a save by pitcher Madison Bumgarner. Some call the Giants’ postseason reign a dynasty, many may call it luck, but students at Sonoma State University are not afraid to show their San Francisco pride.
“The Giants winning the World Series is nothing short of historic,” said Joe Holl, a junior and biology major. “The way they were able to prove every one of their doubters wrong and win it all is something that I will never forget. They have cemented their status as a true dynasty.”
Last Wednesday’s game ended with a priceless reaction by Giants’ third baseman, Pablo Sandoval as he collapsed on the field, relishing in his team’s World Series win, as well as another “Buster-hug”, a term coined by fans, between Bumgarner and Catcher Buster Posey following the final out.
Fifth-year senior, Danny Lindsey had many doubts about the Giants’ post-season run, but ultimately credits the win to the coaching of Manager Bruce Bochy.
“I didn’t have much faith seeing the Giants enter the playoffs with the second wildcard spot. Yet once they beat the Pirates [for the wildcard spot] and soon into the series with the Nationals, I was reminded of both 2010 and 2012,” said Lindsey. “It’s no doubt that the Giants didn’t have the most talented team in 2010 or 2012, or even this year. Yet Bruce Bochy is arguably one of the best managers in baseball history.”
Game seven began with an unsuccessful 42-minute outing by starting pitcher Tim Hudson, who had waited his entire career of 16 years to pitch a World Series game. San Francisco Pitcher Jeremy Affeldt then took the reigns, following Hudson’s struggles and pitched 2 1/3 innings to stabilize the Giants and Royals score. As the third inning approached, the two teams were tied at score of two.
In the bottom of the third inning, the rookie second baseman of the Giants, Joe Panik, made a defensive play that many are calling one of the most memorable plays in World Series history. With a runner on first base and no outs, Kansas City’s Eric Hosmer almost got a base hit up the middle of the field. Before the ball hit the outfield, Panik dove to the right and flipped the ball to shortstop Brandon Crawford without getting on his feet.
Crawford then got the force out at second base and continued with a throw to first base for the double play.
Hosmer was originally called safe at first base, eliminating the Giants’ chance at a double play against the Royals. But Giants’ manager Bruce Bochy then called for the replay review and challenged the decision that Hosmer was safe at first base. After the review by MLB, the original call was overturned, marking the first time the replay review system was utilized in the World Series.
In the top of the fourth inning, the heart of the Giants lineup delivered with base hits from right fielder Hunter Pence and Sandoval. What earned the Giants their game-winning run, was a base hit by Michael Morse on an 0-2 pitch that drove Sandoval to score the winning run, giving the Giants a 3-2 lead, which was all they needed to earn the game-seven win.
Fast forward to the bottom of the fifth inning, Affeldt is then replaced by Bumgarner to face the Royals in the final innings of the game. Bumgarner enters the game on just two days of rest after his last scoreless outing against the Royals in Game 5 of the World Series. Bumgarner ultimately led the San Francisco Giants to victory, earning the save, after pitching five shutout innings against the Royals, defying the many doubts stacked against the team.
“Bumgarner is insane and this team finds ways to win baseball games in incredibly talented and fun ways. The Giants really are torture but [they] get the job done,” said Lindsey.
Following the San Francisco Giants 2014 World Series win, the team has become the only team in sports to earn three titles in five seasons while winning every other season and avoiding the post season in the two years in between wins. San Francisco also became the first road team since 1979 to win a game seven in the World Series.
Junior and psychology major, Amanda Gonyer, sees the Giants’ third World Series win in the last five years as something that not only brings pride to the team and the fans, but also to the Bay Area.
“The fact that the Giants have won three times in the past five years really shows that the Giants are here to stay,” said Gonyer. “I’ve always been a Giants fan but never have I had so much love for the team or the bay then I have in these past 5 years,” “The Giants are not only bringing pride to the team, they’re bringing it to the bay.”
