An interviewer once asked Neil Peart, “What’s your favorite RUSH album?
The Rush drummer replied, “Our latest.”
In trying to put the San Francisco Giants two world championships in three years into historical perspective, it is certainly very tempting to think along those same lines.
For the sake of argument, let us don our “Protect the Field” caps, take a step back, and see if we can put aside the current passions in order to assess the situation. Let’s take a look at ten periods when things were great for the Giants and their fans, and then try and see where the current run resides among them.
1888-1889
The “New York Game” became widely popular in the middle of the 19th Century, but strangely enough, Manhattan did not have a team in the National League until cigar magnate John B. Day entered the Giants into “the League” during the winter meetings of 1882. New Yorkers were thrilled to finally have their own team, but had to watch other cities like Chicago grab the glory until Mutrie’s men won the post-season exhibition matches back to back in 1888 and 1889.
What might have been…
The player’s rebellion in 1890 financially destroyed Day and Mutrie. The Giants fell into a decade long funk, and went through 14 managers until McGraw arrived in 1903.
1904-1905
Ruling with an iron fist, the new skipper from Baltimore revamped the lineup and whipped them into a winner with back-to-back pennants. The 1904 team won 106 games (162 = 112) and might have won the World Series against Boston, but stubborn McGraw refused to recognize Ban Johnson's new American League. A year later, the Giants won 105 games (Brooklyn finished 56.5 games behind), and Christy Mathewson pitched his way into stardom with three shutouts of the A’s.
What might have been…
McGraw gets over his stubbornness and plays the 1904 Series. The Giants finished 96 and 56 in 1906, but the Cubs smoked the field that year.
1911-1913
No trophy during this time but these three straight pennants were good enough to make the Giants the best team in the National League.
What might have been…
We always remember Fred Snodgrass dropping a routine fly late in Game Seven in 1912. Just as bad was Mathewson, Myers and Merkle, and the foul pop between first and home that was not fielded that hurt.
1921-1924
Sometimes you can win without a superstar and McGraw proved it by winning these four straight pennants and two World Series with lineups that did lack star quality.
This great run for the Giants was sandwiched between second place finishes in 1918-1920 and 1925. Beating Ruth and the Yankees back to back made McGraw a very happy man.
What might have been…
That bad hop single over Fred Lindstrom’s head at Griffith Stadium in Game Seven of 1924.
1933-1937
Bill Terry had the difficult task of taking over the reigns from McGraw, who had led the Giants to 10 pennants and three World Series, and an overall .591 winning pct (162 = 96-66)
Terry did the job and then some. In the next five seasons, the Giants averaged 92 wins, won two pennants and the Series in 1933.
What might have been…
During the start of spring training in 1934, a reporter with the Brooklyn Eagle asked Terry, What about Brooklyn, Bill, what are their chances this year.
Terry quipped, “Brooklyn? Are they still in the league?”
They were and despite residing in the second division, the Dodgers beat the Giants on the penultimate day and then knocked them out on the final day, allowing the Cards to win the pennant.
1951-1954
Another high point for the Giants when Thomson hit his “Shot Heard Round the World.” The sweep of the Indians and Mays’s epic catch in Game One at the Polo Grounds temporarily held off the Yankees, who had won five straight Fall Classics.
What might have been…
When Mays got back from the Army in ’54, and walked into the spring training clubhouse in Arizona, someone quipped, Hey Leo, here comes your pennant!
1962-1966
I know, you’re raising your eyebrow. Nary a World Series trophy here, but for sustained good teams and marquee players, this was a great time for the Giants. The pennant in ‘62 pumped up civic pride in the City by the Bay like never before.
What might have been…
And you laughed at Johnnie LeMaster.
1987-1989
Will the Thrill, Hum Baby, Kevin Mitchell, and you appreciate a division title the most when you’ve waited the longest.
What might have been…
Glaring lights, bad shakes, I think the gods were messing with the Giants.
2000-2003
Beautiful new park, Bonds swatting splash balls, Dusty at the helm, sold out crowds, and two division flags.
What might have been…
In late March 2001, I met Russ Ortiz at the luggage claim in the Phoenix airport. Nice guy, and if I met him again, I would ask him what he was thinking after Dusty Baker pulled him the seventh inning in Game Six.
2010-2012
Two world series trophies in three years. Great pitching, the cast of characters, Matt Cain and Tim Lincecum making further strides for the Hall of Fame, Bruch Bochy makes his case for the Hall, Posey has the greatest season ever by a Giants catcher, the Giants surpass the Cardinals for most pennants in the National League, and the way they did it, winning 8 of 9 series games, and five elimination games.
So, the big question, who gets top billing, McGraw and the early 20s, or Bochy’s current run?
Quite frankly, I’m torn. The former makes quite a case with the four straight pennants and back-to-back World Series. Baseball was America’s beloved pastime and as many as 56,000 packed Yankee Stadium in the 1923 Series. Fans across the country gathered in downtowns to watch the play-by-play on a mechanical play-o-graph or bulletin board. In Manhattan, the numbers were in the tens of thousands.
Owning New York meant owning the world as far as McGraw was concerned, and he wore some even bigger britches after the World Tour (Europe) in November 1924. The legendary skipper even met King George V of England.
Of course, not that many people came to those contests, and it certainly wasn’t beamed live to the States. Contrast that to the modern world and all the wonders of technology. Giants fans with the MLB Network watched the parade and ceremony on Wednesday, or snuck peaks from work via the web. Social media and the “twittersphere” were on fire during the games.
And how about the way the current Giants got to the top? They won six straight elimination games, and clinched 5 of the 6 series on the road. Of the nine World Series games, they won all but one.
So for now, we’ll table this discussion until next October and soak up the feeling of the 2012 Giants standing on top of the mountain. Whether you believe they’re alone there, or sharing it with other great teams in franchise history, it doesn’t matter. It’s all good.
Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have to prepare a memo for McGraw, explaining what a tweet is...
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