This Year in Review… Kind Of

It’s been a week since the Giants began their offseason, and I’ve had sufficient time to pick up the pieces of my heart that were shattered this year. Okay, maybe I’m exaggerating a little, but with the constant injuries, deflated offense, and untimely slumps, 2011 hasn’t been the year that, well, 2010 was. However, I’m not here to talk about what made 2011 awful. (If you’re looking for a blunt evaluation of the Giants, check out Hank Schulman’s blog, Andrew Baggarly’s notebook, or this article, so cleverly titled “11 reasons the Giants folded in 2011.”)

Instead, let’s talk about the positives. We didn’t reach the postseason this year, but that doesn’t mean it was a complete disaster. Here are some of my favorite moments in 2011:

The Franchise. Some have argued that filming a reality series in the midst of a contending season hampered the Giants’ performances this year. While I don’t know how accurate that is, I do know every Giants fan relished the behind-the-scenes looks at our team. Now, if I could only find the link to watch those last few episodes online…

My first Giants game. That’s right, after a year of cheering this team on, after being in San Francisco during the postseason run (and watching the clinching game of the NLCS outside a bar in the pouring rain), after walking around AT&T Park three times but never having a ticket to get in… I finally made it inside those gates. Bumgarner blew out the Pirates 6-0, Chris Stewart hit his first major-league home run, and even Huff heated up enough for a solo shot of his own.

Panda hit for the cycle. In my last post, this was overshadowed by the Giants’ overall success as a team, but it bears celebrating. During an 8-5 victory against the Rockies, Panda crushed a home run in his first at-bat of the game, advanced Beltran to scoring position with a single in the 2nd, doubled in the 5th, and made an incredible dash for a triple in the 6th. Still not impressed? The last Giant to hit for the cycle was Fred Lewis in 2007–also against the Rockies, oddly enough. Oh, and if you haven’t voted for Pablo as the 2011 Hank Aaron Award recipient, do it now.

Those incredible eight games in September. Remember with me to a happier time, when the cynical fans had checked out of the season and the incurable optimists (myself included) thought the Giants would overtake the Diamondbacks. This was by far the best week of the season. Not only did we watch Sandoval hit for the cycle, but the Giants collected 57 runs, swept the Padres and Rockies, and topped off the streak with a 12-5 win in Colorado. Short of actually overtaking Arizona, there’s just nothing better.

Bragging about our World Champion team for a full season. Granted, it’s not as satisfying as bragging about another World Series win, but it’s close. It drove every other baseball fan nuts, and after all the road blocks and missed opportunities, I enjoyed remembering each detail of a championship in our very recent past.

With 183 days left before the Giants get their next shot at leading the NL West, it’s time to kick back with a stress-free postseason. My newly-adopted team, the Tampa Bay Rays, fell to the Rangers after only four games, so I’m jumping on the Brewers bandwagon for the rest of October. Whether your team is off taking a vacation or battling it out in the Division Series, enjoy your offseason!