The San Francisco Giants rallied back from an early two run deficit to beat the Detroit Tigers and win the World Series on Sunday night. It was the Giants second World Series title in three years.A remarkable achievement for a team light on superstar players. When they won the World Series in 2010, the Giants, referred to themselves as a team of “castoffs and misfits”. A statement backed up by the fact that a mere two years on only catcher, Buster Posey, remains in the Giants line-up.
This year’s cast of misfits includes second baseman Marco Scutaro, a man traded twice during the season before he had the series winning hit for the Giants in the top of the tenth inning Sunday night. World Series MVP, Pablo Sandoval was on the roster in 2010 but didn’t play due in four of the five games after posting a .176 batting average with two RBIs. This time around Kung Fu Panda, batted .369, with five doubles, six homers and 13 RBIs.
Two of the team’s starting pitching staff that dominated the Tigers in the series Barry Zito and Ryan Voglesong didn’t make the team two years ago. Voglesong wasn’t even in the major leagues at that stage. While Tim Lincecum the ace of the starting staff in 2010, lost his way and was relegated to the bullpen, where he was sensational.
Which is in stark contrast to the star laden Detroit Tigers. The Tigers swept the New York Yankees in four games in the ALCS, but, were unable to muster up any resistance to the Giants. The Tigers over the course of the four games only lead once and that came in Sunday night’s game courtesy of a Miguel Cabrera home run. Surprising considering the firepower they had in their line-up. Triple Crown winner, Miguel Cabrera and slugging first baseman, Prince Fielder performed miserable throughout the series. The Detroit batting attack looked out of sorts and over matched all series. As a collective they showed little patience swing at a number of pitches well outside the strike zone.
This disjointed style of play manifested itself in the form of ace, Justin Verlander also. While the rest of the starting staff gave the Tigers a chance to win, Verlander stinker in Game 1 put his team on the back foot from the off and set the tone for the series with Tigers constantly having to chase the Giants.
Be it the six days layoff the Tigers endured before the start of the World Series or a collection of players trying to force the issue, Detroit never got into any sort of rhythm in the World Series.
Call it luck or a bunch of players peaking at the right time; somehow the Giants seem to always find the right formula when it comes to postseason baseball. San Francisco General Manger, Brain Sabean summed it up best in the aftermath of Sundays game when describing the champions, “They didn't try to be the guy," Sabean said. "They were just trying to be a guy."
