San Francisco GIANTS World Series CHAMPS!

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A hearty congratulations to the San Francisco Giants, and all of their loyal fans, for winning the 2010 World Series!  They did it decisively, beating the Texas Rangers 3 to 1, to take the series in only 5 games.  For a team that was in first place for only 30 some games throughout the entire season, and didn’t clinch the division until the final day of the regular season, they surprised all the experts and odds-makers, to the delight of all the fans of the underdog!

And, they did it with 4 players that they picked up during the course of last and this season.  Castoff from other teams, Aubrey Huff and Edgar Renteria (Tigers), Cody Ross (Marlins), and Freddy Sanchez (Pirates), they all made significant contributions to the Giants winning their first World Series in 56 years, and their first since leaving New York and heading west.  Ross ended up being the NLCS MVP and Renteria was named Series MVP.  Not bad for a rag-tag bunch.

But, what carried them, into the playoffs and all the way through the World Series, was their stellar rotation of homegrown pitchers.  Buoyed by the brilliant pitching of 2 time NL Cy Young Award winner, Tim Lincecum, the Giants made winning this World Series look like child’s play.  Lincecum was undefeated in postseason play this year.  And a lot of the credit has to go to Brian Wilson.  No, not the enigmatic song writer from the Beach Boys!  I’m talking about the bearded wonder, San Fran’s dominant closer, who made it fun to be a Giants fan again.  Watching so many fans sporting fake black beards, and carrying “Fear The Beard” signs was the stuff that makes for great baseball memories.

Throw in the very impressive play of rookie catcher, Buster Posey – a great baseball name – and the masterful managing of Bruce Bochy, and you got a series that you kind of hoped might go seven games.  But, all good things must come to an end.  In the end, the Rangers’ youth and inexperience really showed, but they made great strides this year and they have nothing to be ashamed of.  They’ll be back.  I feel confident of that.  Good going, Giants!  You deserve it.

YUR

PS.  I’d like to offer my apologies for the shoddy coverage of my local newspaper, The Journal News.  They saw fit to feature high school tennis and soccer stories on the front page of their Sports (read Yankee) Page, along with more griping about Sunday’s Jets loss to the Packers, and just about every other banal local sports tidbit.  They did work in one small picture of Lincecum holding the trophy, in the lower right hand corner of the page, but that was it.  And then, when they were covered, the World Series Champion Giants got to share the page (Page 3) with Suffern High School boys volleyball, more girls’ high school tennis, and a gripping story about the – who else? – Yankees, addressing their offseason plans.  I guess the Championship of America’s Pastime only really matters when it involves pinstripes. Do the Steinbrenners own The Journal News?  Just joking.  Pathetic display of homerism.  Real sports fan notice these things.

Related Articles

• World Series 2010: Tim Lincecum Lifts San Francisco Giants to First Championship (bleacherreport.com)
• Rentelincecum! The Giants are World Series Champs (bleacherreport.com)
• San Francisco treat! Giants win World Series (nbcsports.msnbc.com)

Cryptoquote Spoiler – 11/02/10

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“Do not dwell in the past, do not dream of the future, concentrate the mind on the present moment.”   —   Buddha

(Don’t totally forget the past, or anguish over the future, but appreciate where you are at this very moment.  Permanence – like time itself- is merely a man-made concept.)   — YUR

“Bodhisattva, would you take me by the hand!”

 

 

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Jumble Spoiler – 11/02/10

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Visual Description:  A conflicted – with good reason – meteorologist.

HCEPA  =  PEACH,  HANEN  =  HENNA,  VOUDER  =  DEVOUR,  WEFTES  =  FEWEST —   Giving us:  EHHERWT

Clue/Question:  What the indecisive forecaster worried about.

Answer:  THE “WHETHER“

(This is one of those rare times when one of the clue scrambles had more than one legitimate answer.  I first saw cheap, but fortunately, even before writing it down, I also saw “peach”.  So, I left it blank, went on to the rest of the puzzle, and then realized that my first impulse was incorrect.  Maybe the guys are trying to teach us to be flexible!  Not as tough as yesterday’s, but still some good word play!  I hope all of you – who can – are going to go out and vote today.  I know it’s very easy to be frustrated and disgusted with all the hype and negativity, but if we don’t all participate in the process then we’ll have no one to blame – if things don’t turn out the way we want them to – but ourselves.  VOTE.)   — YUR