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Persuasive Essay: Will the Giants Win the World Series Again?
Yes I think the S.F. Giants will win the World Series once again. One of the coolest things about professional sports is witnessing a team catch lightning in a bottle and captivate America with an unlikely championship run. The 2010 San Francisco Giants were a prime example of this as they dropped the Atlanta Braves, NL-juggernaut Philadelphia Phillies and American League champion Texas Rangers in succession to claim the Giants’ first World Series trophy since 1954.
The experience the Giants’ young arms gained in 2010, while pitching on the biggest stage the game has to offer, may propel them to be even more unhittable in 2011. Lincecum will have his new toy, a slider he started using and dominating with last September, for a full season. The Giants will have key arms in Bumgarner (June call-up), Ramirez and Lopez (July trades) for a full year in 2011, which could help immensely as well. Remember that the Giants broke camp last year with Todd Wellemeyer as the number 5 starter. If Cain and Sanchez can have similar years to 2010 or take another step forward, the Giants will boast a starting rotation that no team will want to face in the playoffs. Yes, I am talking to you Phillies. Lets not forget Brian Wilson will again be throwing 98 MPH darts in the ninth inning.
While the Giants failed to add major pieces to their lineup in the offseason, it appears that they may actually have a much more potent lineup in 2011 than they did at the start of 2010. They will get a full year of Ross, Torres and Burrell, and an in-shape Sandoval, which should help bring much-needed balance and stability. The Giants will lose some power by replacing Uribe with Tejada, but Tejada should make more contact, and put more pressure on opposing team’s pitching and defense.
While team chemistry may be one of the most over-hyped attributes in all of sports, it seems to be a key winning formula in baseball. Whether it’s the “We are Family” Pittsburgh Pirates of 1979 or the “Cowboy Up” Boston Red Sox of 2004, teams that are close and quirky seem to win World Series trophies. The 2010 Giants were no exception, being a team littered with black beards, rally thongs and panda bears. Free agent departures Uribe and Renteria were great in the clubhouse (especially amongst the Latin-born players) but Miguel Tejada should fill that void as well as showcase his patented spotlight hand signal after a big hit. The Giants should have no problem matching their 2010 chemistry and will come into 2011 with a World Series champion’s swagger.
