What Matt Cain Has Meant to the San Francisco Giants

What is Your Other Favorite Matt Cain Moment?

Coppinger: Seeing him at spring training all those years. We’d go at 6am and hang out by the player entrance for autographs, and he would always stop and sign. Also, the time my family ran into him and his wife in the Gaslamp District in San Diego after a game and he gave my mother a hug.

Delfino: Game 3 of the 2010 NLCS against the Phillies. Behind Cody Ross, the Giants had earned a split in the first two games in Philadelphia and now were coming home for games 3, 4 and 5. The Giants were a heavy underdog in this series and despite the split in Philadelphia there was still some uncertainty that the Giants could actually win the series. But then Cain took the mound and was simply brilliant. He dominated for seven innings allowing no runs and only two hits before a frenzied crowd at AT&T. Ross’s RBI single gave the Giants an early lead in what would eventually be a 3-0 win. I’m an optimistic Giants fan by nature and while I did think they had a chance to win it all in 2010, it was still more of a hope than a reality. It wasn’t until after that performance by Cain that it truly hit home that the Giants winning the World Series was a real possibility. To me, that game turned the tide of the entire post season for the Giants and I started to believe they would actually win it all. That’s why it’s my favorite Matt Cain memory.

Fracchia: Game 4 of the 2012 World Series. It was not his best game, but it did exemplify Matt Cain and who he was. He was tough, he persevered through tough times, and he gave his team a chance to win. And that is really all that you can ask of a teammate.

Johnston: Spring Training hanging out near the players door. I look up from my phone and Matt is right there a foot away from me. My phone rings as I try to frantically try to get my pen for Matt to sign. I stick my ringing phone in my mouth cause I needed a free hand! Matt looks at me and probably thinks “sign for crazy lady who just stuck her ringing phone in her mouth.”

Knudsen: I met Cain at a charity golf tournament. The event was the weekend after he threw his Perfect Game. The entire crowd and other celebrities & athletes gave him a huge and lengthy standing ovation for his amazing achievement. Cain was humble, but you could tell he was honored to receive such an ovation from not only the Giants fans, but his fellow athlete and peers. When Cain and I took a photo together, I just told him that the Perfect Game was a moment that my dad and I will remember forever. He said it was awesome and thanked me.

Sheri M: One of my favorite moments was at the White House when he punched Matt Duffy in the balls. Also, in 2012 he helped to clinch all 3 playoff games. And, in the 2010 season, he only won about a dozen games, but he really came through in the playoffs, only to be overshadowed by Timmy.

Nehme: 2010. He locked down Texas in the World Series.

Rissotto: Throwing two scoreless innings in the 2012 All-Star game. The world finally got to see how good he was.

Rule: How dominant he was in the 2010 post season. Being that he was the longest tenured Giant, to see him do so good and have such a great run and eventually win the first World Series in San Francisco Giants history was just amazing. Even if they hadn’t won again in 2012 or 2014, I was so happy that he finally got to be a part of one and win in 2010. The fact he was a part of 2012 and again did so well and threw his perfect game the same year, made 2012 my favorite year of all three of the championships the Giants won.