First, I've been lazy about doing a good job proof reading- give me a D grade for this. One of the lines of the last entry should have been that my sister did NOT want a gloomy ceremony for Dad but during one of my edits I must have edited out the "not". Sheesh, what a bum.
When the world gets crazy I use baseball as my comfort zone. It's always been my go to blanket. Stats, stories, and memories.
I remember the 1962 Giants losing in 7 games to the Yankees on a series ending scorcher of a line drive hit by Willie McCovey with the tying and winning runs in scoring position. Actually I don't remember this at all but just the years of endless recollections and stories of a great World Series. I was 1. Is this as good as it will ever get?
I do remember the next time the Giants would get into the playoffs (back then only 4 teams would qualify expanded from '62 when the two pennant winners would play the World Series). Now the playoffs have been expanded to 10 teams. In 1971, I listened to the Giants losing to the Pirates at school with a transistor radio- I seem to recall the teachers cutting us 10 year olds some slack to do so. Disappointing and the last gallant postseason for Willie Mays as a San Francisco Giant.
The Great Roberto Clemente (who died shortly after his 3,000 hit when hi plane crashed on a humanitarian relief mission bringing assistance to Nicaragua which had suffered from an earthquake)
I remember 1978 when skipper Joe Altobelli (later he would win a Worls Series-1982? with Baltimore) led the team to a resurgence until they tired in late August. Still, one of the most exciting games I can remember being in attendence was when Mike Ivie hit a pinch hit grand slam against the Dodgers 5/28/78 at Candlestick Park. This may have been the largest crowd ever to see a SF Giants home game to this day. The silence of the crowd as the flight of the ball soaring in the sky erupted into a roar of 58,000 people is a moment I will never forget. Did I cut school that day?
Willie Mac and Jack the Ripper
In 1982, another near pennant but a year salvaged by Joe Morgan's 3 run home run knocking out the Dodgers from the playoffs on the last day of the regular season.
Then the absolute futility of the mid-80's Giants (the A's clearly a better organization winning 3 straight World Series in the 70's with a very personable, fun bunch of guys and always being in the playoff mix) but in 1986, a Humm Baby Giants attitude took hold with Manager Roger Craig who would stare down the other teams even when saying hello. Will the Thrill, Hac Man, Chilli Davis (now the A's hitting coach) Dave Dravecky, Kevin Mitchell losing to the Cardinals in 7 games, after being up 3 games to 2. Mike Krukow pitched the game of his career to win game four. Arrrrgh! Despite the end result, this team brought me back into baseball. I was 26. When Dan Gladden hit a home run (for Minnesota) against the Cardinals, he ran around the bases with one flap down in honor of his old team - the Giants.
Hac Man, he of the dour stare and One Flap Down
Got pulverized! by the A's in the 1989 World Series but the larger story of course was the Loma Prieta earthquake. I was at work at Double Rainbow on Polk Street when all our loyal customers went bug eyed, a sound like a big car crash, the customers immediately running outside, the lights all popping off- pop!pop!pop!, cups swiveling and glass mirrors wobbling, "that's odd" I thought. Only one customer had not left the store; Stella from NY was screaming and crawling across the back platform. My co-worker Gigi and I pulled Stella to safety underneath a table. Funny thing is, that other than around earthquakes Stella wold turn out to be one of the soundest calmest people I'd ever meet. Meanwhile Maria was up three blocks at our apartment hiding under a table with two friends. They didn't realize the table they were under had opened up so if anything had fallen on them, it would have fallen on them. Hey, Giants-A's 2013!
When the Giants won 103 games in 1993 and didn't make the playoffs! The Rockies played the Braves 12? 14? times that season and lost every game. The Padres wanted to dump salaries and gave the Braves clutch Fred McGriff midseason. The next year baseball added 2 more playoff teams to ensure teams having that teams achieving much success would get into the playoffs. I was 32, and pissed off.
So many close calls in 1997, 2000, 2001. 2002 (sigh. I was 41). So close. Finally beating the Braves with Rob Nenn getting Gary Sheffield and Chipper Jones for the final outs of the series The following week up in the mountains fighting a radio signal fading in and out with no lights inside our car parked deep in the woods. We heard Kenny Lofton driving in David Bell to win the game vs. the Cardinals bringing the Giants back to the World Series. Against the Angels, the Giants were a good pitch short and could not close the deal. It always seemed to be one unfortunate pitch that we could not get pass the other team.
2003, leading from Day One into the Playoffs and losing to the Marlins again (1997,2003). The Marlins would go on to win their second World Series, although their ownership seemed to do whatever they could not to win. Here, the Giants in San Francisco since 1958 trying to do everything they could to win coming short again....
2010 and 2012 when the team was able to find pitchers healthy enough (in 2002 Rob Nenn had blown out his arm and sacrificed his career for the team), with grit and wisdom to get the task done. The 2010 and 2012 teams were composed of individuals that seemed very comfortable with each other and embracing the city they represent (unlike the current 49'ers who seem to be strangers to SF).
And I'll always remember how baseball in it's gentle ritualistic way can distract and redirect pain and worry into something warm and comforting. Unifying all of us to some degree in ways other American sports can not. This might be because of the nature of the game (takes it's time, allows the viewer to breathe- not all adrenaline) or the frequency of so many games and the length of a season.. In appreciation of baseball. Hey, don't forget the minor leagues!
