SF Giants: Remembering Freddy Sanchez’s 2010 title role

Freddy Sanchez did all the small things that helped the SF Giants win the World Series in 2010.

With it being the 10 year anniversary of the San Francisco Giants winning their first title back in 2010, it is worth remembering some of the players who helped in that effort like second baseman Freddy Sanchez.

Sanchez was traded from the Pittsburgh Pirates to the Giants midseason in 2009. He had been a really solid hitter for the Pirates, even winning a batting title in 2006. The Giants got him to try and boost their lineup to take advantage of their ace pitchers Tim Lincecum and Matt Cain.

However, Sanchez dealt with injuries for most of his stint with the Giants in 2009. He only appeared in 25 games for the Giants after earning a spot in the All-Star Game for his efforts in the first half of the season with the Pirates.

While Sanchez was unable to put the team over the top alone in 2009, in 2010 he was really able to make his impact felt. The team added big bats like Aubrey Huff and Pat Burrell to boost the lineup, and Freddy was able to contribute to that group.

In 479 plate appearances, he hit .292/.342/.397 with seven home runs and 47 RBI. He spent a little bit of time on the shelf due to injury in 2010 as well, but he was still ready to go when the team earned a spot in the playoffs.

Overall, in the 15 playoff games that he appeared in for the Giants in the 2010 postseason (he started every game) he hit .254/.277/.317 with three RBI. Those numbers certainly don’t fly off the page at you, but we will never forget his four-hit, three-double performance in Game 1 of the World Series against the Texas Rangers.

He was the first player in MLB history to record a double in each of his first three World Series at-bats. His supreme hitting helped the Giants win Game 1 behind a hitting barrage and put them on the path to winning their first title since moving to San Francisco.

Sadly, injuries in 2011 brought his career to an abrupt end at the age of 33. Who knows how much he had left in the tank, but his service in San Francisco will always be remembered.

While he is a player who is often overlooked in remembering the championship years (we ranked Sanchez the 28th best Giant in the 2010s), he was the embodiment of the team’s ethos. He did all the small things, played hard, and came up with big hits when they were needed most.

For that, and the fact that he played an important role in the 2010 title run, Freddy Sanchez should definitely be remembered as a great Giant.