Bye Bye Baby

What an impressive performance by the Giants, and what joy for Giants fans after so many years of coming up short.  As described by Ben Shpigel in the Times:  "Their fans have shivered through frigid June evenings and wept over October heartbreak, those soul-crushing years of 1962 and 1989 and 2002, watching as seemingly everyone else has sipped celebratory Champagne. Now it is their turn."  The great sports columnist Thomas Boswell in the Washington Post:  "Believe it, San Francisco.  Open your eyes.  Let out your breath.  Watch the sun hit the Golden Gate Bridge in the morning as you rub your eyes.  Those of you that went to bed anyway.  Bobby Richardson isn't going to snag Willie McCovey's line drive to end Game 7 of the World Series with the tying and winning Giant runs at second and third base. A tragic earthquake isn't going to strike during the same World Series when your local rivals from Oakland sweep you.  And, with a 5-0 lead and eight outs to go in Game 6 of the 2002 Series, when the odds say you have a 98.5 percent chance of becoming champions, your manager Dusty Baker isn't going to hand the ball to Russ Ortiz so he can have it for his trophy case.  No, this isn't that '02 nightmare, when the Angels stole your title. This time it's real, final and official."  I spent countless games at Candlestick in a ski jacket during the summer, I was present at the 1989 earthquake game, I loved watching Barry Bonds hit balls into the Bay, and I went crazy with the crowd at the 5th game of the 2002 World Series when the Giants thumped the Angels to go ahead 3 games to 2.  And my daughter and I were out at AT&T Park madly waving orange poms poms at Game 5 of this years playoffs against the Phils.  Don't worry fellow Met fans, I have not gone over to the other side.  I assure you this feels nothing like1969 or 1986, and I long achingly for another Mets championship.  Maybe next year.  But, the Giants finally winning the World Series is very sweet.