As you have probably heard, the San Francisco Giants won the World Series, the first ever for the team from San Fran. They won it because of excellent pitching, timely hitting—and because the Texas Rangers’ offense did not show up.
I had predicted a World Series win for the Giants in seven games, because the Giants would outpitch the Rangers and their pitching would prevail over the Rangers’ incredible offense. I definitely got the pitching part right—the Giants posted a team ERA of 2.45 to the Rangers’ 5.86.
What allowed the Giants to win the Fall Classic in five games was, unlike my prediction, the Rangers offense was absolutely atrocious. I was certain they would challenge the Giants’ pitching staff, but they managed a paltry .190 team batting average. Josh Hamilton, who hit .350 in the ALCS, batted only .100 in the World Series. Likewise, Vladimir Guerrero, who batted .269 in the ALCS, hit only .071 in the Fall Classic.
The Giants offense performed as expected—well, but not fantastic. They hit only .249 as a team, but they got the hits when they needed and that led them to a World Series victory. They vastly out-powered the Rangers—the Rangers hit three home runs in the Series, while the Giants hit seven.
Congratulations to the Giants and their fans. This is a win that is a long time coming. Enjoy it, savor it and most of all—never forget it.
