Thoughts from (another) World Series haze

Wow. It's pretty dusty in here. I hope those are spider webs...

After another extremely improbable playoff run by Bochy's Boys, I felt compelled share some thoughts that I had during that amazing month of October.

• Buster Posey has never lost a postseason series.He was exhausted, and appeared to be taking his at bats in five feet of standing water. He still stole some vital strikes with his ability to frame pitches, and called some great games.

• It's been 9512 days since the Dodgers won a World Series (come on, A's).

• It's been less than 7 days since the Giants won a World Series.

• I can't remember all the superstitions I can forget now.
  
  I gave Lyle a dryer sheet during game 1 of the NLCS. He didn't use it, and left it on top of the dryer. The Giants won that game, so I left it sitting on top of the dryer all month. It's still there. I will be contacting Cooperstown and MLB about getting it authenticated.
  

• History is unscented, in some cases.

• The 1979 Pittsburgh Pirates were the last road team to win a World Series Game 7 on the road. Road teams had been 0-9 since.

• The Bruce Bochy Giants are 8-0 in elimination games. (6-0 in 2012, 2-0 in 2014).

• The 2010 Giants never faced elimination.

• The Chevy Guy was more scared than me after Blanco's Boner. Thanks to technology and stuff, we can relive this poor man's terror.

• The San Francisco Giants won their first World Championship without Aubrey Huff.

• After AT&T Park opened, turning thousands of casual A's fans into casual Giants/GarlicFry/RubberChicken/HomeRun fans, some diehard Oaklanders liked to sport an A's shirt that read:
  
                   Front: 0 Splash hits
                   Back: 4 World Titles.

• I have a shirt idea:
                   Front: Hella Splash hits
                   Back: And 3 World Titles
  
• Can we get a kickstarter going?

• As Ben Lindbergh of Grantland pointed out, Bumgarner, 25, is younger than both Jose Abreu, 27, and Jacob deGrom, 26, the AL and NL favorites for this year’s rookie of the year awards.

• Yasiel Puig would have led the Dodgers to celebrate in the Kaufman fountains. *Which were turned orange after the game in a very classy touch by the Royals.

• The World Series winner won inspite of starting Gregor Blanco in the leadoff spot and centerfield, and Juan Perez and Travis Ishikawa platooning in left.

• Travis Ishikawa

• Jeremy Affeldt has more scoreless playoff appearances than anyone not named Mariano Rivera.

• Madison Bumgarner didn't seem to want his MVP trophy (link). Then he left it in the press conference room. Maybe Bochy grabbed it for him?
  
• He also said he didn't know where his MVP truck is.
  For a guy with impeccable location, this seems to be an aberation.

• Eric Hosmer and Mike Moustakas have all winter to continue growing their rat tails.
  

• Hosmer was selected 3rd in the 2005 MLB Amateur Draft. Buster Posey was taken fifth. He also may have beat out that sensational double play turned by Joe Panic and Brandon Crawford had he not been wearing his Ninja Turtles backpack.
  
  
  
• That came after a broken-bat bloop double in the ALCS. Imagine how much more annoying that would have been if the Royals won. It'd be up there with the Rally Monkey, Scott Spezio's normal face and Zack Greinke's normal face.

• Dave Righetti has three rings as a pitching coach. Perhaps more impressively, he's been with the same team despite working under three separate managers.

• People will call for Hensley Muelens to be fired by June 2015. Probably after another three-game series vs. Oakland where the Giants muster 2 runs.

• Happy for that guy who bet his wife a baby that the Giants won. He clearly didn't want a baby.
  
  Probably sometime in August

Wife: "Honey?"

Husband: "Yeah?"

Wife: "Watcha watchin?"

Husband: "Royals game."

Wife: "When's the season over?"

Husband: "September."

Wife: "Are there playoffs or anything?"

Husband: "Yeah, but the Royals suck."

Wife: "Ahhh. No they don't. I bet the win the World Series."

Husband: "Ha. If they win the World Series, we can have a baby."

Wife: /begins casting spells, sending Ned Yost managerial advice.

 

• Does she get to keep the puppy?

• How about Crawford cooly picking Perez's short-hop throw on Blanco's Boner? If he muffs that, the game's certainly tied.

• The Royals went 11-4 in the postseason.

• 11 wins is what a non-wild card team needs to win the World Series. Thanks A's?

• Lyle thinks Sergio Romo should start and Bumgarner should pitch in the bullpen. You know, he's more of a football fan.

• That 18-inning game. Maybe cracks the top 5 moments of this postseason? Maybe? And it was thrilling and historic. Go home, Baseball, you're drunk.

• Since 2004, the Giants and the Boston Red Sox have won 6 of 11 World Series. Baseball, you probably shouldn't drive. I'ma call you a cab. Oh you have Uber?

• The Giants became the first team to win the LCS on a walk-off homer and go on to win the World Series. As a friend said before Game 1, "none of those other teams had Buster Posey." Sage observation.

• I thought Jake Peavy had really good stuff in Game 6. Seriously. Not saying they should have stuck with him. Just shows how ridiculous the sport can be.

• Hunter Strickland got his ring. This one's for you, you angry pitching machine, you.

• I used to be unable to use the words Game and Six consecutively in any medium.

• Oscar Taveras. RIP.

• I didn't think Bumgarner should start Game 7. I didn't think anyone else should touch a baseball after his second inning of work.

• Does Peavy's son still get a cable car?

• Joe Panik, Perez, Blanco, Travis Ishikawa, Michael Morse (still pronounced "Morris" by Duane Kuiper), Santiago Casilla (formerly known as Jairo Garcia), Matt Duffy, Yusmerio Petit made invaluable contributions.

• Matt Cain, Tim Lincecum, Marco Scutaro, Angel Pagan made no October contributions. The Giants won anyway. Baseball. Seriously, you need to leave now.

• The Giants advanced scouts must be the best in the league, and Bochy's staff is terrific at putting the players in position to execute. Then, the hardest part, the players execute more times than not.

• Ned Yost is the new Charlie Manual. Absolutely enjoyable listening to him in the press conferences. I can't find a clip, but on Thursday, he recalled his conversation with Bumgarner after Game 5, saying "I'm sure glad we won't have to see you again." Then he burst out in a self deprecating, but earnest laugh. (Forward to 14:04 into the video).
  

KCTV5

• The Giants had a 10 game lead over the Dodgers on June 8. They blew it. Completely. I bet their fans will rock those 2014 NL West Division Champions gear with great pride.
  
• This guy is a finalist for NL MVP and CY Young. Must be a fantastic time for Dodger fans. 

• If you don't already read McCovey Chronicles religiously, what are you doing with your life? Seriously. You're doing it wrong. There's no better writer that combines the authentic nature of being Giants fan with incredibly articulate and humorous analysis. The blogfather, Grant Brisbee, posted screengrabs of how Bumgarner pitched each Royals hitter after Aoki (thanks Perez and Roberto Kelly). As you'll see, MadBum was absolutely painting the corners. Pretty good "side session," I'd say.
  
  Read the here: http://www.mccoveychronicles.com/2014/10/29/7130485/madison-bumgarner-world-series-giants

• The Nationals only had to face Bumgarner once, and they beat him. Way to go, Nats.

• The Giants could have traded Madison Bumgarner for a hitter in 2009. They traded Tim Alderson instead, who was considered a 1 or 1A to Bumgarner, as far as their prospects went. Thanks Pirates. Again.

• A band called They Might Be Giants sings a song called Even Numbers: http://youtu.be/qOZRlrqJbek

• Maybe it's not all about Bumganer?