It’s all over. The dust has settled and there is only one team left standing, the San Francisco Giants. The team of “misfits” that pitched lights out in the postseason to capture its first title since 1954.
They did it by beating Cliff Lee, twice, and scoring nearly 30 runs (29) in five games. Not bad for a bunch of castoffs.
Did anyone see this coming?
San Francisco won the NL West on the last day of the regular season with a 92-70 record, and was 41-40 halfway through the year—hardly the favorite.
Also, we must not forget the Padres late-season collapse that opened the door for the Giants and likely snuck them into the postseason.
San Francisco Giants coverage is also very limited for most of the nation, considering that they play on the California coast and their games don’t begin until after 10 o’clock eastern time; this adds to the surprise factor.
If baseball fans knew anything about the Giants coming into this postseason, it was that they had one of the game’s best young pitchers in Tim Lincecum.
But it wasn’t until the playoffs that casual baseball fans discovered the talents of names like Matt Cain, Jonathan Sanchez and Madison Bumgarner—all in their 20s.
Bumgarner pitched eight shutout innings in a decisive Game 4 in Texas, giving the Giants a 3-1 series lead that would prove too much for the Rangers.
Closer Brian Wilson was also phenomenal in his three World Series appearances, allowing only one hit and zero runs, capping off a superb postseason which included six saves.
But San Francisco’s pitching greatness only somewhat explains how a group of reject players were able to capture baseball’s ultimate prize.
Taking a look at the Giants offense, a few performances stand out in particular.
CF Cody Ross provided some much needed firepower over the plate for San Francisco leading the team in home runs (five) and RBIs (10). It’s crazy to think that he was acquired by the Giants in late August off waivers from the Florida Marlins—misfits.
Rookie Catcher Buster Posey was also a huge weapon for San Francisco, leading the team in hits (17) and batting just under .300 (.288).
The veteran, Edgar Renteria, was also pretty good in what will likely be his final postseason. In winning his second World Series, Renteria collected 10 hits, two home runs, and six RBIs with a slugging percentage of .457 (second on the team).
But beyond these clutch postseason performances, the Giants were a rather pedestrian offensive team with unbeatable forces on the mound.
So it is fair to say that few outside of the Bay Area saw this coming from the Giants.
I guess that’s the beauty of October.
Patrick Clarke is a student at Towson University and a writing intern for Bleacher Report.
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