San Francisco Giants Madness Is Back with a World Series Twist

As the San Francisco Giants head into another uncertain season, knowing it’s manager Bruce Bochy‘s last chance at a winner, it is important to reflect on what his teams accomplished.

From 2010 to 2014, the Giants won three World Series championships and in every run, they were considered underdogs.

The unlikely champions had plenty of motivation heading into each series to prove doubters wrong and there was no shortage of doubts.Whether it was a “band of castoffs and misfits” or a group with a “never say die” attitude, these Bochy led teams did something few thought possible.

As we look back on their accomplishments throughout Bochy’s last run, here is a look at the players on the field who had the biggest impact on the championships.

We have selected the 32 most important players to the three title runs. Some were part of all three titles and played vital roles, like Jeremy Affeldt, Madison Bumgarner, Matt Cain, Santiago Casilla, Tim Lincecum, Javier Lopez, Buster Posey, Sergio Romo and Pablo Sandoval.

Some were huge for just one championship, whether it was Pat Burrell, Edgar Renteria, Cody Ross, Freddy Sanchez, Andres Torres, and Jose Uribe in 2010, Marco Scutaro in 2012 or Tim Hudson, Mike Morse, and Jake Peavy in 2014.

With March Madness on the horizon, we have broken up the top 32 players into a madness style bracket. With two groups of 16, we have seeded them according to their overall wins above replacement during the five year run, their rings, and their impact on the field.

Here’s a look at the seeding and the match-ups for the San Francisco Giants Madness. Voting will be posted @CandlestickWill on Twitter.

Freddy Sanchez and Jake Peavy (#12 Seeds)

Freddy Sanchez was one of several veterans who became part of the infamous band of castoffs and misfits. Like many other Giants that season, Sanchez was fighting to make the post season for the first time in his career. When he finally reached October baseball, he took full advantage. He set a record for doubles in the NLDS, and his bat and glove were on full display at both the top of the lineup and in the infield.

Peavy, like Hudson, became a big part of the 2014 rotation, but it wasn’t as big as they had hoped. That being said, Peavy’s veteran presence and leadership were evident throughout the run and included a dynamic performance in the NLDS against the Washington Nationals.

Juan Uribe and Cody Ross (#11 Seeds)

Juan Uribe was another veteran on the 2010 team, and his contributions to the October run seems legendary at this point. Besides the game winning home run in Game 6 of the NLCS, his runs batted in seemed to always come when the team needed them most. His numbers were staggering as he had only seven hits, but nine RBI’s along with 13 strikeouts. His numbers were as crazy as the fans were after this blast in Game 2 of the World Series.

Cody Ross had a forgetful regular season after being added to the Giants late in August. However, once the calendar turned to October, so did Ross’ production. He dominated the NLDS and NLCS and won MVP. His bat sparked a Giants offense throughout October and into the World Series. It was one of the most unexpected runs in the entire era.

Marco Scutaro and Edgar Renteria (#10 Seeds)

Scutaro won MVP in the 2012 NLCS, hitting .500 for the series. He was a hitting machine who never struck out from the moment he was traded to the Giants in July of that year. His NLCS was even more memorable because of the controversial collision with Matt Holliday and the subsequent hitting barrage that came after. When it began to rain during Game 7 and Scutaro looked to the heavens, it became a signature moment in the season. For him to catch the final out in that shower seemed fitting.

Renteria started this era with his MVP campaign in the 2010 World Series. His home run off Cliff Lee to break the scoreless tie in Game 5 might be the greatest moment of the five year run. For a team with a drought of over 50 seasons without a World Series, it is hard to describe in just a few sentences how much his home run meant to the organization and the fans.

Gregor Blanco and Aubrey Huff (#9 Seeds)

Blanco never seemed to win the starting job in the outfield during the regular season, but seemed to take the job over once October rolled around. In both 2012 and 2014, his defense became a key part of both championships. While he will forever be remembered best for his perfect catch to preserve Cain’s perfect game, his glove was just as special in the playoffs.

Aubrey Huff was just another castoff when he arrived in 2010, but for a team full of guys no other team wanted, he was the bat in the middle of the order. He led the 2010 Giants in most offensive categories and he led a clubhouse that needed someone to handle all the personalities. From Huff’s rally thong to his bat on game day, there is no forgetting Huff’s impact on the first championship. And who could forget his first career home run as a Giant.

Andres Torres and Brian Wilson (#8 Seeds)

Torres was a non roster invitee in 2010 who didn’t get his first hit until game seven of the season. Hitting .136 through the first ten games and ultimately being a vital bat atop the order and winning the Willie Mac Award was just another unlikely hero of the 2010 Giants.With both left and right field in constant flux, center field was taken care of with Torres.

Wilson dominated at the back of the bullpen, closing out the regular season, NLCS and World Series with game ending strikeouts. For as big as Renteria’s home run was, Wilson’s strikeout of Nelson Cruz to end the World Series might be bigger. That, combined with his rally playoff beard and torturous outings, he was exactly who should have closing for this team at that time.

Angel Pagan and Javier Lopez (#7 Seeds)

Pagan came to the Giants in a trade for Torres, so needless to say fans were sad to see Torres go. Pagan at his best, was even better, and upgraded the Giants lineup. He had some of the biggest hits and plays in center field in the NLDS against the Cincinnati Reds and helped lead the 2012 Giants to the World Series. And who could forget the best inside the park home run walk off in Giants history?

Lopez was the best left handed specialist the Giants have ever had. His ability to shut down the best left handed bats in some of the most potent lineups was special to watch. He sent Chase Utley, Ryan Howard, Josh Hamilton, Prince Fielder and more back to their dugouts shaking their heads. He became as essential part of the core four relievers who helped the Giants win all three championships. Hard not to love Lopez at his best, making left handed hitters look terrible.

Santiago Casilla and Jeremy Affeldt (#6 Seeds)

Speaking of the core four, the other members of that group are the next pitchers in this bracket. Casilla was as versatile as any of them, pitching well against both left and right handers, pitching multiple innings and eventually moving to closer. In a era of specialization, he was as versatile as they come. It seemed everyone ignored Casilla’s value to the era. But, just looking at his dominance in the post season, it is clear he was a huge factor in the three rings they all wear.

Affeldt had some of the best numbers in playoff and World Series history, as only Hall of Famer Mariano Rivera had more scoreless innings pitched. You could argue that he was the greatest pitcher in Giants history during that run. His 26 innings of scoreless relief as a Giant will go down as one of the most impressive numbers of the era.

Sergio Romo and Ryan Vogelsong (#5 Seeds)

Romo always dominated against right handed pitching, but in 2012, he was asked to take over the closer role. He accepted it and took the challenge head on. His dominance throughout the 2012 run had it’s moments, from his long battle with Jay Bruce in the clinching game in the NLDS to the strikeout heard round the world of triple crown winner Miguel Cabrera to win the World Series.

Vogelsong seemed like more of a folk hero than a pitcher. He came back to the Giants in 2011 after pitching in Japan for years. He became an All-Star that year, and in 2012, became an integral part of the rotation. He did it again in 2014, having never lost a game in the post season for the Giants.

All the grit and determination Vogelsong seemed to summon on every pitch shined brightest when the lights were shining. Even when he gave up hits, he seemed to strand them all, many of whom were in scoring position. The Giants were certainly “Vogelstrong” when Ryan pitched in October.

Brandon Belt and Brandon Crawford (#4 Seeds)

Belt may be a polarizing figure in the Giants fan base, but there was no denying his biggest moment as a Giant. In the 18th inning, in a game that was saved by Petit’s brilliance, Belt stepped up to the plate, facing Tanner Roark and blasted a home run that included a bat drop for the ages. Belt became a big part of both the 2012 and 2014 World Series runs, with both his glove and his bat.

Crawford shined with the glove from the moment he joined the Giants, but his bat had a big moment as well. During the 2014 run, it began with a trip to Pittsburgh to take on the Pirates in a one game playoff. His grand slam broke open a scoreless tie and gave Bumgarner all the run support he would need.

Both Brandon’s became big parts of the Giants infield and lineup.

Hunter Pence and Tim Lincecum (#3 Seeds)

Pence meant more to this team than just about anyone from the moment he arrived in 2012. His leadership was unquestioned and his ability to inspire his teammates have become one of the things all Giants fans will tell their grandchildren about this team.

His speech in Cincinnati to rally the troops for one more day reminded all Giants fans just how important Pence was to all 25 men on the roster.

It wouldn’t be his last speech and Giants fans wouldn’t have had it any other way.

Lincecum was a lightning bolt that became such a signature part of the dominant pitching staff in 2010 and then seemed to struggle to find his place beyond that in 2012 and 2014. While he didn’t have the impact during those other runs, he was the most important part of the 2010 team. His sheer dominance announced to the world that no matter what you called their lineup or what experience you thought their pitching staff lacked, the Giant had a rock star headlining their squad.

His 14 strikeout complete game shutout against the Atlanta Braves in Game 1 was a shout from the rooftops that these Giants were ready to take on all challengers. His final performance in Game 5 of the World Series cemented the two time Cy Young winner as the best pitcher in the world at that moment.

Pablo Sandoval and Matt Cain (#2 Seeds)

Sandoval will never be forgotten in baseball history for what he did in 2012. His three home runs in Game 1 against Verlander and the Tigers will be the lasting legacy of the Panda in the minds of baseball fans everywhere.

From losing playing time to Uribe in 2010, to becoming a hitting machine in 2014, the ups and downs of Sandoval and the Giants might be just as legendary with Giants fans.

Cain was always overshadowed during his career. Whether it was by the presence of Barry Bonds as a rookie, or Lincecum and Bumgarner feeling larger than life when they were at their best, Cain always was more in the background.

In 2012, that seemed to finally go away, as Cain started the All-Star game, pitched a perfect game, started every clinching game of the playoff run and finally established himself once and for all as the ace of the staff.

Cain had what felt like two careers, from the first seven years that had him destined for the Hall of Fame, to the injury riddled seasons that followed.

Buster Posey and Madison Bumgarner (#1 Seeds)

The biggest link to the three championships is the greatest battery in team history. Their connection to the World Series titles will be forever linked. No moment captures the end of the five year run better than the embrace and final “Buster Hug” between Posey and Bumgarner at the end of Game 7 of the 2014 World Series.

Posey anchored the pitching staff and hit in the middle of the lineup for every playoff game of the era and Bumgarner went from a 20 year old rookie pitching eight shutout innings in Game 4 of the World Series in 2010, to having the most dominant October run in the last 50 years in 2014.