Destroyer of Pantalones

[Heathbar012]

I just want to point out that not only did the season become more enjoyable, but the Giants started playing better as a team after we defected to this board. I'm not one to give fans much credit for a team's success, but this has been too great of a turn-around to just be coincidence. Plus, if Bengie Molina and Chris Ray are guaranteed a World Series share, shouldn't this board at least get a 1/4 of a percent to split if the Giants win? .

Also, thanks for the stories about the NY days, PatriarchSF (filo is more of a creepy uncle). Honestly and sadly, I wouldn't even be a fan of the Giants if they never moved to SF. I'd be a fan of whatever expansion team inevitably landed in the Bay Area, so I tend to dismiss that part of the teams' history. There were certainly a lot of great moments, but those are New York's moments. Your stories make me realize the importance of continuing to communicate that history, though. And for that, I am appreciative. gp is right, too. Definitely the golden era of baseball. The athletes may have gotten better in some ways, but they've become astronomically worse in others. It appears the same is true of fans.

 

[filosofy29]

I just want to point out that not only did the season become more enjoyable, but the Giants started playing better as a team after we defected to this board. I'm not one to give fans much credit for a team's success, but this has been too great of a turn-around to just be coincidence. Plus, if Bengie Molina and Chris Ray are guaranteed a World Series share, shouldn't this board at least get a 1/4 of a percent to split if the Giants win? .

Also, thanks for the stories about the NY days, PatriarchSF (filo is more of a creepy uncle). Honestly and sadly, I wouldn't even be a fan of the Giants if they never moved to SF. I'd be a fan of whatever expansion team inevitably landed in the Bay Area, so I tend to dismiss that part of the teams' history. There were certainly a lot of great moments, but those are New York's moments. Your stories make me realize the importance of continuing to communicate that history, though. And for that, I am appreciative. gp is right, too. Definitely the golden era of baseball. The athletes may have gotten better in some ways, but they've become astronomically worse in others. It appears the same is true of fans.

lol, OUCH!!!

Now come back and see what Uncle Filo has in his garage....and don't tell your parents where we are going. This will be our little secret.

 

[SF11704]

I guess being a fan isn't really about where you live. It's more about where your 'heart' lives. Mine is in SF. I was introduced to baseball by my father. I was introduced to the Giants by my father. In reality it was the Giants who chose me. Didn't matter where they would play there games. The Giants had chosen me as a fan. I don't remember making a conscious decision about this. It just - sort of happened. Think about it. The Giants have no real emotional investment in us but we do in them. I don't understand it. I haven't for 64 years now (57 as a Giant fan). I've broken things in anger when they have lost. I inadvertently punished a TV on some faithful day in 2002. I've missed some rather significant family events to 'watch the boys play'. I'm sure that if someone hooked a BP machine to me during these playoffs the numbers would be on the high side. I've yelled at them via a TV screen image knowing full well they couldn't here me. I've stayed up till 2am following an ESPN livecast just because I could. I'm sitting here at work on an SF Baseball board. And do you know what - I love every damn minute of this. Hell, this is FUN!

 

[Heathbar012]

. Awesome. Yeah. I would've been a St. Petersburg Giants fan. It would've been difficult once an expansion team headed to The City, but that would be a good reason to have two favorite teams. My dad still kind of roots for the Yankees a little bit because they were his dad's team (no team in SF then), but my dad raised me to be a Giants fan. I might be wrong, but I think it's a similar situation with msg and the ChiSox. Either way, I definitely understand why you have continued to follow the Giants, and I'm really happy they moved to San Francisco and never moved to Florida.

 

[msgkings322]

. Awesome. Yeah. I would've been a St. Petersburg Giants fan. It would've been difficult once an expansion team headed to The City, but that would be a good reason to have two favorite teams. My dad still kind of roots for the Yankees a little bit because they were his dad's team (no team in SF then), but my dad raised me to be a Giants fan. I might be wrong, but I think it's a similar situation with msg and the ChiSox. Either way, I definitely understand why you have continued to follow the Giants, and I'm really happy they moved to San Francisco and never moved to Florida.

Yeah I grew up in Chicago, my dad was a Sox fan so so am I. But I've lived in the Bay Area for 22+ years now, longest of any location, so I think my Giants fandom is legit. There's no conflict either, two totally unrelated teams.

And if they ever meet in the WS, I root Giants all the way. The Sox got theirs already. Plus my marriage would break up if I rooted Sox over them.

As far as following teams that move, it's up to each person what works for them. I can totally relate to a fan dumping a team that dumps their hometown or where they live. But I can understand keeping connected too. My wife is a huge Raiders fan, even after they dumped her for LA, and then came back. She never stopped rooting for them.

 

[Heathbar012]

I could never root for a team that is based in LA. I respect your wife's choices, but personally, it would never work for me. That place is miserable and deserves little to no happiness.

P.S. I would never question your Giants fandom, bro. Just wanted to point out the importance of honoring dad. .

 

[msgkings322]

I could never root for a team that is based in LA. I respect your wife's choices, but personally, it would never work for me. That place is miserable and deserves little to no happiness.

P.S. I would never question your Giants fandom, bro. Just wanted to point out the importance of honoring dad. .

I didn't take it that way at all, no worries. I think most of us start with whomever our dads root for. I still root for the Sox too, and talk to Dad about them a lot. He's adopted the Giants as his #2 team through me, of course.

 

[Heathbar012]

Awwww, it's reciprocal. Very nice.

 

[msgkings322]

Awwww, it's reciprocal. Very nice.

We're both really big baseball fans in general. We actually watch WSes that don't involve our teams, and so on. We appreciate greatness no matter who the guy plays for.

Baseball is by far my favorite sport, which is why I had to root for the Giants when I moved here (I started in the East Bay and didn't pick the As by the way, even though they were in their late 80s heyday), to follow the local nine.

Since I'm not as into football or basketball, I haven't felt the need to become a real fan of the local teams there. I like when they do well because the city is happy. I do like the Raiders through my wife, and the Warriors play a very interesting style, fun to watch. I went to game 4 of the Dallas-Warriors playoff series (2008?) and I've never had more fun at a pro basketball game. Warriors fans are legitimate, best in basketball I think. Sad they have such a crappy product. Maybe the new owners will turn it around.

 

[Heathbar012]

Nice. Same with my dad and me, but I love football, basketball and soccer much more than he does. Baseball will always be number one, and if I didn't suck at skating, I would be into hockey more. I still think it's the best sport to watch in person, and I appreciate the strategy, but I think it's impossible to fully grasp the nuances of a sport without playing it competitively at least with average technique.

Anyway, yeah, I'm stoked to watch the Warriors this year, but then again, I was pretty excited about the Niners season, too (I'm still with you, Anthem. 9-7. I just really wish they could've beaten one of the worst football teams I've seen in quite some time. At least they're going up against another one this weekend. ) With both, it all comes down to health and development. It's nice to see that all four major sports teams in the Bay Area (excluding the Raiders and A's, of course), have building blocks set up to be real championship contenders in the next 2-3 years (some sooner than others, obiviously. Sharks and Giants, I'm looking in your direction). Unfortunately for the Warriors, however, once the Lakers reign is over, the Heat's will likely begin, so it might come down to snatching one more miracle out of the draft, and I don't think Ekpe Udoh is that miracle. Hopefully, all they'll need him to be is solid. Maybe Monta will miraculously grow three inches, too. .

 

[tzill]

My grandfather grew up in Manhattan and was an avid NYG fan. The Giants move in 58 broke his heart. He claims that he only cried 2 times in his life -- when the Giants left NY and the day my Mom got married. When my parents settled in SF in the mid sixties, my Grandfather claimed he "had to move out to California to be near his daughter." Truth was, he missed the Giants. He took me to my first game in 1973 -- I was five. I saw Mike Caldwell 4 hit the Padres and Chris Spier hit a solo shot in the fifth that won the game 2-1.

Same as it ever was. Torture.

 

[Freeport 22]

My Grandfather took me to my 1st Baseball game , A Giants-Mets game at Shea stadium when I was 8 in 1980 , He was a huge Giants fan and told me all about Willie Mays and McCovey ,I also remember staying up late as a 9 yr old to watch Met games in SF ( 10:00 PM start in NY )that strange OF fence , the fans fighting for the HR balls and the Infielders struggling to catch routine popups , all of these things led me to becoming a Giants fan .

Once Will the Thrill showed up that was it , I've been a diehard ever since and made sure I saw my Giants once a year when they came to NY , saw them when they came to Yankee Stadium as well, F*@#King Joe Torre intentionally walked Bonds 3x that night . Always made sure to go see Will when Texas came to the Bronx also .