Sunday, November 07, 2010

Baseball in the City

SF Giants World Series parade
I took Wednesday off from work to see the Giants parade. I figured, how often does a local team win a World Series? It turned out, over a million people had the same thing in mind.

I've never been part of anything this big in my entire life. Imagine what it felt like for a guy like me, originally from a small town outside Manila, standing in the middle of what could be over a million crowd waiting to welcome the heroes of his adopted city? It was an overwhelming feeling of pride and joy. Everyone was happy, talking and sharing their excitement with people next to them, hugging strangers, and smiling while wearing clothes of black and orange in color.

I got to the corner of Montgomery and Clay Sts after Mijo and I had coffee together, around 7:30a. It is close to where the parade was supposed to start. There were already masses of people who have claimed the strategic locations where the view is the best during the parade.

Since the parade was not going to start until 11am, and D and H, who were supposed to meet up with me haven't shown up, I did a who has the best slogan among the crowd contest . Here's the top 3 that made my wait a fun one.

"Yes Tim (Lincecum), I will marry you!!!"
- by a young lady in her office outfit wearing an orange scarf.

"Fear the Beard"
- referring to beard of 3 of the Giants' Pitchers

"Let Tim smoke!"
- referring to the Giants' pitcher's misdemeanor pot charges


For the others, they've waited a lifetime to see the San Francisco Giants clinch the World Series title. For me, the wait was only 10 years. My wait started when they moved the franchise from the city's Candlestick park into the AT&T park in 2000.

When the Giants won, their fans won as well. Congratulations SF Giants!

~rl

(The photo above was taken on Montgomery St in San Francisco during the World Series champions parade of the Giants)