Are the San Francisco Giants A Lucky or Good Team?

San Francisco Giants World Series Champions

“I don’t know how they won the 2010 World Series because they weren’t the best team in Major League Baseball (MLB) but they were the luckiest!”  - Everyone except Fans of the SF Giants

To any San Francisco Giants fan, they have heard that quote said in many different variations, in many different languages, and in good or bad grammar; but the one thing they will not have heard outright is that the San Francisco Giants won the 2010 World Series. The perpetrators of that nonsense are usually the fans of the San Diego Padres, Los Angeles Dodgers (how is that team doing financially and competitively, by the way?) and especially the Philadelphia Phillies. Not only were the fans of these teams hesitant to admit that the San Francisco Giants rightfully won the 2010 World Series Championship but they always have an example as to why they shouldn't have. The examples that these opponents to the SF Giants use to plead their case is the fact that the SF Giants were given the National League (NL) West Division from the San Diego Padres due to their end of the season meltdown. Should have the San Francisco Giants given it back?  The other popular example comes in the form of the Atlanta Brave’s second baseman Brooks Conrad and his pivotal errors. Should have the Giants returned the “errors?”  The most outlandish example is the fact that the Philadelphia Phillies team just did not show up to play in the NL Championship Series. Well than whom did the Giants Beat in the NLCS?  But every manager or coach knows that the team that always wins is the team that makes the least amount of errors and in the 2010 (end of regular season and in the post season) it was the San Francisco Giants, which is why they won the World Series Championship. So in 2011 are they still a lucky team or a good team?

The phrase that is popular among other baseball fans is “proof is in the pudding.” In the 2011 MLB season the San Francisco Giants are 39-34, a record that according to many experts and fans alike is not a record of World Champions. Well if that is not a record of World Champions, than what is? Is there a guide that says what should be the record of World Champions? Just because the record is not indicative of World Champions does not take away that they reached the pinnacle of the sport. However, many people still regard the 2010 World Series feat a fluke and they vindicate their claim through the 2011 Season, which is something silly. If that was the case than all the teams that do not repeat their championship or have a “World Champions Record” the season after, will be seen by opposing fans as a fluke. The San Francisco Giants are going through a rough patch, some may say that they go through many rough patches that champions do not go through (then they bring up the Philadelphia Phillies, whom, in recent memory, have always had great regular season records). Due to other factors that are not in the control of the whole team, the Giants are struggling to have a “Champion Team Record.”

So far in the 2011 Season, the backbone of the Giants team is not performing to their optimal level. Tim Lincecum & Matt Cain haven’t pitched like themselves since the glory days of Motley Crue, Jonathan Sanchez has more walks than a crosswalk at Times Square and on June 22, 2011, Madison Bumgarner gave up more hits in the 1^st inning to the Minnesota Twins team than a aggressive kid on soda playing Whac-A-Mole.  On top of key players not performing at high levels, the team has suffered major setbacks, in the form of injuries - Buster Posey, Freddy Sanchez, Mike Fotenot, Brandon Belt and Mark DeRosa. All players can contribute immensely to the team when healthy but when not, it’s a huge blow to the team. Although the 2011 team is the same from the World Series Champion Team with the exception of Edgar Renteria and Juan Uribe, the core has not been tampered with. The differences from last year to this year are the injuries to key players and every MLB is out to prove their worth by defeating the world champions. The one common theme between the 2010 and 2011 seasons is that San Francisco Giants Baseball is "torture."  So to say that the San Francisco Giants are a lucky team is incorrect and to say they are a good team is also incorrect but to say that they are a resilient, solid, smart, and a mentally tough team is about right. But if it has to be between lucky or good, than like Vernon Louis “Lefty” Gomez always remarked – “I’d rather be lucky than good.”

"The Freak" - Tim Lincecum

Tim "The Freak" Lincecum

With a nickname like "The Freak", one would conjure up an image of something grotesque, odd or how some people put it, "simply not right." When someone is considered a freak, they most likely are using the term in a negative light, and are usually forlorn from society due to their abnormal appearance. However, in this case, freak is used to describe a pitcher that has fervent pitching mechanics and an attitude to match it, a pitcher who is obdurate to the lack of hits of the opposition, and a pitcher who makes professional baseball players look puerile; he is also known as "The Franchise", but his name is Tim Lincecum. The moniker is attributed to his small frame, 5'11 and 172lbs (78Kilos). What is so befuddling about his stature was his ability, during his college days and rookie years, to reach in the high 90mph's (56kph's) and 100mph's (63kph's) range; reason being, his long stride, and his unconventional mechanics that call upon every inch of his body to generate an optimal output in every throw. Watch his pitching mechanics in slow motion, and it will become evident that he uses his whole body to generate so much velocity in his throws. Consequently, "Timmy" as the San Francisco Giants fans call him, has accrued a copious amount of achievements in his relative infantile career. To name a few - back to back Cy Young Winner in his first two full seasons in the Majors, National League All-Star participant, MLB record in most strikeouts in four seasons, World Series Champion and recently, Franchise record for more games with 10+ strikeouts, surpassing the baseball great, Christy Mathewson.

Hit That!

"The Freak" is a name, given to a man that can do freakish things, when on the mound. He eclipsed Christy Mathewson's franchise record by almost 400 games fewer and around 40 games fewer than who was in second at the time, Jason Schmidt. The irony of the situation is Christy played for the New York Giants, when the Giants were in the east coast, before they moved out to San Francisco; and Timmy broke the record of more games with 10+ strikeouts in New York against the New York Mets by strikeing out 12. What made this day even more remarkable for Timmy was that his pitch count was over than what pitching coach, Dave Righetti, allots him - over 120. He overcame a bad start to the inning, and with his pitching coach counting each and every pitch before he calls on a replacement, Tim struck out the side and gave himself a big '*expletive* yeah', when he came off the mound.

World Series Champion

To further validate the "The Freak" moniker that was bestowed upon Tim Lincecum; after each outing that he has for the 2010 World Series Champions, he does not ice that cannon, in what doctors call an arm. The practice of not icing the pitching arm after an evening of 'fireballs' thrown at the opposition is simply unheard of. If  team managers, team owners, and the fans did not know that Tim Lincecum is a special breed of pitcher whom can only be paralleled to the claims of one Uncle Rico from Napolean Dynamite (in which he states, he can throw a steak over a mountain) than everyone would be worried, but everyone knows, so its nothing to be worried about. The San Francisco Giants fans have a special player on their team that not only is a "Freak" on the mound but a good hearted man, who gave 20,000 USD to the Bryan Stow Foundation; a fan that was critically beaten after a game in Los Angeles against the heated rivals, Dodgers. Every time, Tim Lincecum steps on the mound, the city of San Francisco and the fans feel invincible that their ace will negate any offense that the opposing team might have, and can anticipate to see strikeout after strikeout after strikeout, for that is what "The Freak" is known for. Who would have thought that a man who is 5'11 and 172lbs (78Kilos) would be the anchor to a World Series Club, especially when everyone - the critics, baseball fans, simply everyone, except for the Giants fan base, wrote them off for dead. But what the San Francisco Giants and Tim Lincecum can show them is this (see picture above).

Opening Day For The 2010 World Series Champions

1st since 1954

Before the first game on April 8, 2011 at AT&T Park in San Francisco, California was played, Brian Wilson raised the World Series Championship banner in right center field. For the teams such as the New York Yankees or the Boston Red Sox, raising a World Series banner has become somewhat routine every opening day but for the San Francisco Giants it has never been a routine, because it is their first championship since moving out west in 1954. As for many Giants fan it was a day that they have been dreaming and obsessing about since they moved out west, since they were born, since they became a fan and even for those that aren't fans but are residents of this great city. 

The San Francisco Giants were hosting the St. Louis Cardinals and their All-Star first baseman, Albert Pujols. The Giants had help from their opponent from one of the sure handed defensive players in the entire Major League Baseball, Albert Pujols. Albert dropped the ball on what fans and commentators call a 'routine out', and because of this error, the inning was extended thus giving the Giants more opportunities to win the game. The game went to extra innings with the Giants prevailing on a walk-off hit by Aaron Rowand in the 12th inning. Some Giants fan were probably asking themselves if this really happened again because Rowand was also the player at helm of the victory in extra innings during 2010 season opener, and to answer those fans question: Yes, he did it again!! 

As the saying goes "Those who cannot learn from history are doomed to repeat it." But on April 8, 2011, not only did they learn from their recent history, they repeated it with the exception of winning in the 12th not 13th inning. The scenario was the same as the 2010 season opener - two outs, Aaron Rowand makes contact and the winning run scores and the Giants Fans go into a frenzy. If it is going to be another 2010 season, then I have to be able to sustain such torture until the post-season where they were flawless, and eventually became the World Champions. Lets Hope So!!

Complacency in All Levels and Sports

It happens all the time in all levels and sports. It happens in High School Sports, College Sports and even Professional Sports. Yes, athletes that get paid to perform at the highest level get complacent especially when they have reached the pinnacle game or series of their respective sport. It happened to The Texas Rangers when they played The San Francisco Giants in the 2010 World Series. They were projected to win The World Series by many experts but it was obvious that every Ranger was happy to be able to participate in their first World Series in the history of their franchise and seemed like they forgot that a final series still needed to be made in order to be consider champions. However, The San Francisco Giants had the mentality that they were going to achieve a feat that had not been accomplished since the move from New York to San Francisco in the 1950s, in which they did.

It happened again to Butler during the 2011 NCAA Basketball "March Madness" Finals against UCONN, and I could not help but to question Butler's mentality! I understand if a team gets beaten but if a team beats themselves which causes the opponent to come out as victor because of some sort of complacency, then their is a problem. That is what it seemed to happen to Butler, after reaching their second straight NCAA Finals Game. Butler seemed to be content to be in the Finals whereas UCONN seemed the opposite. UCONN had a sense of urgency and knew what the stakes of winning or losing this chance that for some schools is once in a lifetime and it was evident that they were not going to let Butler defeat them more or less beat themselves. In sports, when an opponent gets beaten that usually means that the victor was better prepared/coached and simply imposed their will but when an opponent beats themselves that usually means that the victor was not better but kept their composure, made less mental mistakes and simply wanted to win more than their counterpart. That is what happened at the 2011 NCAA Basketball Finals. UCONN did not beat Butler, Butler beat themselves, thus giving way for UCONN to capture the 2011 Championship. However, this is not the first time a team gets perceived as being complacent in the most important game in their respective sport and levels.

Not to take anything away from anyone because it is an accomplishment to make it to the finals but making it to the finals does not make you a champion, it only gives you a sense of pride saying that your a finalist. Every team has a goal to capture a championship but until that very last game or series is completed, no one is a champion. A champion is crowned once that game or series is completed and the score is higher than the opponent only than will you achieve the goal that was set at the beginning of the season. Which leads me to ask: Why do teams get complacent once they have reached the pinnacle series or game of their sport?

March 26, 2011 = A Sports Fan Ideal Day

Even though I have multiple TVs throughout my house, I only have a pair of eyes in which I can see sports. Today is a day in which I wish I had eyes all over the place especially on a TV because today is a day that a sports fan can only dream of. What makes today so special for a sports fan, a person might ask themselves that? Allow me to explain by citing what is going on in the world of sports.

EuroCup Qualifier Games are throughout ESPN and GolTv.

There are also soccer 'friendly games' between nations such as Chile V. Portugal and the most talked about amongst soccer aficionados is the appearance of Lionel Messi, whom the youth call 'A Beast' for his athletic prowess, in New Jersey. The United States National Team plays the Argentinian National Team at the new Meadowlands Stadium. 

Spring Training Baseball Games are being shown through MLB Network and other channels. Why is Spring Training Games important to watch today? They are not but these are the last Spring Training Games of the pre-season because Opening Day is March 31, 2011.

NCAA 'March Madness' Games are on TV on CBS, TBS and TNT. These are the Regional Finals also known as The Elite 8. These games will decide which team will make it the Final Four, one game away from a National Championship.

HBO is broadcasting world class boxing bouts called HBO 'Boxing After Dark' today around 9:45PM EST with the main event being Yuriorkis Gamboa Vs. Jorge Manuel in a Featherweight Bout; two fighters that only have one speed and that is go, go, go.

UFC is also broadcasting world class mixed martial art fights called "Fight Night' on Spike TV at 10PM EST. Even though it is on free TV, this card can, in some people's opinion, be put on pay-per-view and still sell. This card has some amazing fights such as Dan Hardy V. Anthony Johnson, Amir Sadollah V. DeMarques Johnson and the main event being Phil 'Mr. Wonderful' Davis V. Antonio Rogerio Nogueira.

If this is not what a sports fan ideal day looks like than I do not know what is but the one thing I do know is that I am a huge sports fan and March 26, 2011 is my ideal day.

What Should An Athlete Do?

What would you do; if someone where to tell you that 'you can participate in your last competitive and important tournament of your entire career but chances are that you will require surgery is more likely than 100%?'

That is what one of the athletes is going through - He broke his hand, during an intense practice. This kid has been working hard for four years (off-season included) to achieve a top six spot at what could be his last tournament of his high school career. According to the rankings, this kid is in the top five wrestlers that could accomplish a top five finish and even though rankings are nothing but stats on paper, more so than anything, rankings are a good indicator on the abilities of such athletes.

That being said; what is the best course of action that an athlete can take? Risk surgery for a cause that the athlete has been working so hard for four hard years? Risk regretting not participating in the last tournament of a grueling career? Participating in the tournament till the body tells the athlete that it can no longer keep up with the mind set and withdraw?  In the end, a dedicated athlete will not be in the right mind set in terms of knowing whats best for them, so the coach will have to evaluate the situation/outcomes of all scenarios and suggest the best course of action with the athletes best interest in mind.

The Inauguration

What up everybody,
I am Coach P from the Archbishop Riordan High School Wrestling team. I want to welcome you to my blog about wrestling, MMA, Football, Baseball and everything sports related in my life. Thank you for taking time off from your web-surfing to read this nice little introduction. In addition, if you would like to know what is going on in this wonderful world of ours through articles ranging from fitness, health, travel, food, weather, technology and etc; follow me on Twitter @ PAH89 (http://twitter.com/#!/PAH89) or any of the popular social media sites. In addition, check out Social Marketing Factory sites to see how you can use the benefits of social media effectively. I wish you all of you the best in your web-surfing and hopefully, you find awesome deals, informative articles, cool pictures and/or amazingly entertaining videos. Much Love to you all.