Five reasons for San Francisco Giants fans to be thankful

SF Giants catcher Buster Posey will very likely follow Madison Bumgarner by signing with another franchise after next season. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
SF Giants catcher Buster Posey will very likely follow Madison Bumgarner by signing with another franchise after next season. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)

The San Francisco Giants are emerging from a season that left fans with many reasons to be disappointed, but that’s not quite fitting for this holiday.

The team’s recent history is filled with lasting memories and the future looks increasingly bright thanks to a farm system on the rise.

So in case fans need a reminder, here are five reason for Giants fans to be thankful:

1. The Triplets

It is all too easy to forget about your greatest successes when things begin to fall apart. Somehow it has become easily ignored that this Giants team has won three championships in the past decade.

Take the Los Angeles Dodgers for reference, a team that has triumphed the NL West since 2015. Technically, it is far more exciting to support Dodgers than the Giants right now. However, the last World Series won in their name was 1988.

A majority of Giants fans today have felt that overwhelming, exhilarating, indescribable feeling when the game ends, and your team has not only made it to the World Series but won it all.

They’ve felt it three times.

2010: Brian Wilson. 2012: Sergio Romo. 2014: Madison Bumgarner.

These names and numbers can never be taken or discredited. That’s something to think about this Thanksgiving.

2. Buster Posey

As of late, Buster Posey has been a name mentioned in many tweets of frustration, but how can we not be thankful for him?

Memory of his triumph has been clouded by his double plays and pop-outs. His great leadership shadowed by his lack of speed. Fans have seemingly forgotten the impact Posey has made on the franchise and what he continues to do.

The 2010 season is one known to Giants fans and the Posey family alike. He had a rookie year that little leaguers dream of and was the kick-starter to the dynasty that stormed through the first five years of the decade.

Posey’s hitting ability was undeniable with 23 doubles and 18 home-runs in 406 at-bats in 2010, as was his genius behind the plate. This is what lives on today.

With young pitchers coming to fill the roster in 2020, there is no one better than Posey to teach them the ropes and lead them to their full potential. He will continue to be a baseball legend and he is deserving of thanks even now.

3. New Management

This subject is one that is still a bit touchy, especially for those who have grown up with skipper Bruce Bochy. There is no denying that Bochy was an incredible manager who led the Giants to three world championships and he is well worthy of fan’s thanks, but things must come to a close.

Although Gabe Kapler has not been widely accepted by those supporting the San Francisco Giants, the prospect of new management at all should bring excitement. Young players are clearly headed to the starting lineup. It’s the start of a new decade and a new era. It’s time.

With the steady decline of the team as a whole, one of the main concerns has been a lack of aggression at the plate, and hesitance on the managing side. Kapler will present an approach that brings much of the at-bat energy from the early 2010s that fans crave .

It will, like several things in this 2020 season, take time to become accustomed to. Regardless, new management is a positive and fitting subject for the day.

4. San Francisco Giants Young Players

It’s hard to watch players you’ve grown to love make that predestined downturn, especially those you’ve been following since their rookie year. This is unfortunately where many Giants fans find themselves today.

Accepting this change is a key part of success in both management and fandom. Looking at the lineup full of foreign names should be seen as a sign of rebuilding, which is natural and necessary.

Fans now get the chance to watch a new generation of Giants grow up and potentially become like the 2010 team with rookie Buster Posey. Everyone can be thankful for the opportunity presenting itself through these new names.

The 2010-2014 Giants will always be in our hearts. The key is to open up to the young guys that we may be saying the same things about years from now.

5. Oracle Park

Last but not least, the beautiful ballpark in San Francisco must be acknowledged.

Regardless of its recent name change, Oracle Park is recognized by many as one of the most, if not the most beautiful ballpark in MLB.

With a clear view of the Bay, breaks between innings are nothing but a pleasure for fans who get a free chance to soak up San Francisco’s beauty. Even kayakers take full advantage of the water as they wait, hoping to snatch up a splash hit.

Aside from its location, the park itself goes above and beyond expectation.

From its iconic garlic fries to the newer aquarium, kids and adults alike can gear up for a fun day when they have Giants tickets waiting on their fridge. Oracle Park is not a place to be taken for granted but a place to be celebrated, even through the team’s worst.

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