Doubters are nothing new for the San Francisco Giants

2012

It is understandable why so many people counted the San Francisco Giants out during the 2012 postseason.

They lost the first two games of their NLDS matchup with the Cincinnati Reds and had to win the next three on the road if they wanted to advance.

Luckily, a few Hunter Pence sermons and a Buster Posey grand slam later, the team found themselves with a date against the St. Louis Cardinals in the NLCS.

They again found themselves with their back against the wall in that series. Down 3-1 on the road with Barry Zito on the mound, hope was hard to come by.

I distinctly remember all five Fox Sports analysts—the likes of Eric Karros and A.J. Pierzynski—picking the Cardinals to win that game.

Instead, Zito proceeded to pitch the game of his life, and they went on to win the series as the skies opened up in the last inning of Game 7.

All that doubt in those first two series was understandable. It seemed nearly impossible that a team could win so many elimination games.

The doubting continued on into the World Series, where it seemed like no one was even giving them a chance against the Detroit Tigers.

Justin Verlander mouthing “wow” after Pablo Sandoval hit his second home run off him in Game 1 proved to be emblematic of the baseball world as a whole, and the Giants went on to sweep the Tigers in four games.

What does all of this doubting mean for 2019, though?