2010 World Series
Encyclopedia
The 2010 World Series was the 106th occurrence of Major League Baseball
's championship series
. The best-of-seven playoff, played between the American League
champion Texas Rangers
and the National League
champion San Francisco Giants
, began on Wednesday, , and ended on Monday, , with the Giants winning the series 4–1 to secure their first World Series championship since and their first since relocating to San Francisco from New York City
in 1958
.
In their respective League Championship Series
, the Rangers and Giants had eliminated the 2009 World Series
teams, each in six games, the New York Yankees
and the Philadelphia Phillies
. The Rangers' victory in the ALCS
gave the franchise its first World Series appearance in its 50-year history, dating from the club's inauguration as the second Washington Senators franchise in 1961. Meanwhile, the Giants' victory in the NLCS
gave the club its fourth World Series appearance since locating to San Francisco prior to the 1958 season; their most recent appearance had been in the 2002 World Series
, when they lost to the Anaheim Angels
in seven games. Coincidentally, the Giants and Rangers faced off in the first regular-season interleague
game, on , 1997, at the Ballpark in Arlington; current Ranger reliever Darren Oliver
, in his first stint with the club, threw the game's first pitch.
The Giants had home-field advantage in the World Series, the first time the National League champion had home-field advantage since , because the NL won the All-Star Game
3–1 on . For the second consecutive year, Series games were scheduled for earlier start times in hope of attracting younger viewers. First pitch was just before EDT for most games, with Game 3 starting at EDT as part of a "family night" promotion and Game 4 starting at EDT to accommodate Fox's NFL coverage
.
San Francisco landmarks, such as Coit Tower
, the Ferry Building
, and San Francisco City Hall
, were illuminated with orange lighting at night during the postseason and the World Series. An exclusive VIP party was held on the eve of the World Series at the California Academy of Sciences
(in Golden Gate Park
); most media were not even allowed near the event. San Francisco mayor Gavin Newsom
made a friendly wager with Arlington mayor Robert Cluck
, agreeing that "the losing city's mayor will travel to the winning city and join the winning city's mayor in a day of support for local youth and community service initiatives, with both mayors wearing the jersey of the World Series Champion team." With three games slated in Arlington
, this marked the fifth time the same city hosted both a World Series game and the upcoming Super Bowl
(Los Angeles –67
, Minneapolis –92
, Atlanta –2000
, Tampa –09
).
above .500 out of eleven seasons playing in Washington, D.C.
. The team relocated to Arlington, Texas
, for the season but failed to make the postseason for over 20 years. Despite being ten games under .500, the Rangers were leading the American League West
division on , 1994, when the 1994–95 Major League Baseball strike began and the remainder of the season was cancelled. They went on to win three division titles in , , and , but were eliminated by the New York Yankees
in the ALDS
each time, having only won one game out of all three series combined. The Rangers' last postseason appearance before 2010 was in 1999.
Heading into 2010, the Rangers were plagued with off-field issues. During spring training
, manager
Ron Washington
admitted to prior cocaine use and failing a drug test during the season. Additionally, the team's owner, Tom Hicks
, had financial problems dating back to 2008, which culminated in the team declaring bankruptcy
in May and the team's sale to a partnership led by Chuck Greenberg and team president Nolan Ryan
in August.
In the offseason, Iván Rodríguez
, Marlon Byrd
, Omar Vizquel
, and Andruw Jones
all departed due to free agency
. Kevin Millwood
was traded to the Baltimore Orioles
for Chris Ray
, who in turn was traded to the San Francisco Giants
mid-season. Notable offseason additions to the Rangers included starting pitcher Rich Harden
, previously of the Chicago Cubs
; starting pitcher Colby Lewis
, previously of Nippon Professional Baseball's Hiroshima Toyo Carp
; and designated hitter
Vladimir Guerrero
, previously of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
. Notable midseason roster moves include the aforementioned trade of Chris Ray to San Francisco in exchange for catcher
Bengie Molina
, and the trade of Justin Smoak
and three minor-leaguers to the Seattle Mariners
in exchange for starting pitcher Cliff Lee
and relief pitcher Mark Lowe
. The Rangers also traded two minor leaguers to the Florida Marlins
in exchange for Jorge Cantú
, and Joaquín Árias to the New York Mets
in exchange for Jeff Francoeur
.
The Rangers spent most of the season in first place in the American League West
, with both the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
and Seattle Mariners
failing to live up to expectations by ESPN critics. They took first place for good on , following a brief one-day stint in first place by the Angels, and finished the season with a 90–72 record, nine games ahead
of the second-place Oakland Athletics
. Their .556 winning percentage
was the lowest among all eight 2010 postseason teams.
In the postseason, the Rangers faced the top-seeded Tampa Bay Rays
in the ALDS
. The Rangers won the first two games at Tropicana Field
by large margins, bringing the Rays to the brink of elimination; however, the Rays won the next two games at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington to force a deciding Game 5 at Tropicana Field. Game 5 was another decisive Rangers victory, as ace Cliff Lee
stymied the Rays and the offense struck Rays ace David Price
once again. This was the first postseason series win in franchise history; additionally, the Rangers were the last team that had never won a postseason series. In the ALCS
, the Rangers faced the wild-card winning New York Yankees
, to whom they had lost all three of their previous postseason appearances. The Yankees had swept the second-seeded Minnesota Twins in their ALDS. The Rangers held a 5–0 lead in Game 1, only to see the Yankees come back and beat them 6–5. However, the next three games were all blowouts, as the Rangers took a 3–1 series lead. The Yankees won Game 5 by a large margin, but were once again routed in Game 6, 6–1, behind a series-winning hit by Vladimir Guerrero
. Josh Hamilton's MVP performance included four home runs, tying an ALCS record, and helped the Rangers reach their first World Series in team history. It also marks the first time since that the AL West champion has won the pennant. The Angels' win was as the wild card
team.
Like the Rangers, the Giants and their fans have had a long history of futility and disappointment since their move from New York City
to San Francisco before the season. The Giants won their last World Series crown before the move, against the Cleveland Indians
in . Since the move, the Giants made it to the Series three times but lost each time. These included a seven-game loss to the New York Yankees
in , a four-game sweep by their cross-bay rival
Oakland Athletics
in that was marred by the Loma Prieta Earthquake, and another seven-game loss to the Anaheim Angels
in after being eight outs away from the title in Game 6. Their last postseason appearance was in , when they lost to the eventual World Series champion Florida Marlins
in the NLDS
.
The Giants entered 2010 with a strong pitching staff led by two-time Cy Young Award
winner Tim Lincecum
and a solid bullpen spearheaded by closer Brian Wilson. Notable offseason acquisitions included free agent
s Mark DeRosa
, previously of the St. Louis Cardinals
; and Aubrey Huff
, previously of the Detroit Tigers
. Over the course of the season, the Giants' front office made a series of moves to bolster their offense. Free agent
Pat Burrell
was signed in late May after he was released by the Tampa Bay Rays
, while Buster Posey
—who had started the season at Triple-A Fresno
—was called up in late May and became the starting catcher after the Giants traded Bengie Molina
to the Texas Rangers
. In August, José Guillén
was acquired in a trade with the Kansas City Royals
, and Cody Ross
was claimed off waivers from the Florida Marlins
.
The Giants spent much of the early part of the season in second or third place in the National League West
standings, trailing the San Diego Padres
and on occasion the Los Angeles Dodgers
or Colorado Rockies
. They entered the All-Star break
in fourth place, trailing the Padres, Rockies, and Dodgers. However, they finished July in second place behind the Padres, with a win–loss record of 20–8 for the month. On , the Padres began a ten-game losing streak that allowed the Giants to gain some ground. The Giants tied the Padres for first place on and the two teams traded the top spot for the next 15 days. Then, the Giants took the lead for good on , when they began a four-game winning streak coupled with the Padres' three-game losing streak. The Giants were three games ahead
of the Padres going into the final weekend of the season, a three-game set between the two teams that the Padres needed to sweep in order to force a tie-breaker. The Padres won the first two games, but the Giants prevailed in the final game, 3–0, to clinch the franchise's seventh NL West championship.
In the Division Series
, the Giants faced the wild card-winning Atlanta Braves
, who had also clinched a postseason berth on the last day of the regular season. Each game was a one-run victory for each team, with the Giants winning the series three games to one. The Giants won behind Lincecum's 14 strikeout
s in Game 1 and come-from-behind wins in Games 3 and 4. In the NLCS
, they were heavy underdogs to the two-time defending National League champion Philadelphia Phillies
. Ross' two home runs in Game 1 off Phillies ace Roy Halladay
helped the Giants win the opener 4–3. They lost Game 2, but rebounded in Game 3 thanks to Matt Cain
's strong performance and more timely hitting by Ross. Game 4 saw the Giants winning on a walk-off sac fly by Juan Uribe
. With the Phillies winning Game 5, 4–2, the series was sent back to Philadelphia. The Phillies took a 2–0 lead in the first inning of Game 6, but the Giants tied the game in the third and their steady bullpen held the Phillies' offense in check the rest of the way. In the eighth, Uribe hit a home run to right that barely cleared the wall and gave the Giants a 3–2 lead. Wilson came on for a five-out save in the eighth to clinch the series. This marks the first time that the NL West champion has made it to the World Series since the Arizona Diamondbacks
did so in (the Giants' 2002 appearance and the Colorado Rockies
' appearance were both as wild card
winners).
) at AT&T Park
in San Francisco, California
The anticipated pitchers' duel between former Cy Young Award
winners Cliff Lee
and Tim Lincecum
never materialized, as Lincecum gave up two early runs
and Lee gave up seven runs
—six of which were earned
—in innings. In the first inning, Lincecum gave up a hit
and a walk
, respectively, to the first two batters he faced: Elvis Andrus
and Michael Young. Andrus scored on a Vladimir Guerrero
single that struck Lincecum's leg and bounced into right field. In the second, Bengie Molina
singled, advanced to third on a Lee double
, and scored on Andrus' sacrifice fly
. In the bottom of the third inning, Edgar Rentería
reached on error
and advanced to second when Lee hit
Andrés Torres
. Rentería scored on a Freddy Sanchez
RBI
double, and Torres scored on a Buster Posey
RBI single, tying the game.
In the bottom of the fifth inning, Torres doubled and scored on another Sanchez double. Lee then walked Pat Burrell
and gave up back-to-back singles to Cody Ross
and Aubrey Huff
, which scored Sanchez and Burrell, respectively. Lee was then relieved by Darren O'Day
, who gave up a three-run home run
to Juan Uribe
that increased the Giants' lead to six runs. In the top of the sixth inning, Lincecum struck out the first two batters he faced, but walked Ian Kinsler
, who scored on a Molina double. Molina advanced to third on a Mitch Moreland
single and scored on a David Murphy single. Lincecum was then removed from the game, having gone innings.
The Giants piled on to their lead in the bottom of the eighth. Rangers reliever Mark Lowe
gave up a single to Rentería, who advanced to third on a Vladimir Guerrero fielding error. Rentería then scored on pinch hitter
Travis Ishikawa
's double. Sanchez singled to score Ishikawa, and advanced to second on another Guerrero error. Lowe recorded one more out before being relieved by Michael Kirkman
. Kirkman promptly gave up a single to Nate Schierholtz
that scored Sanchez.
In the top of the ninth, Giants reliever Ramón Ramírez gave up a single to pinch hitter Julio Borbon
and walked Andrus before being relieved by Jeremy Affeldt
. Affeldt threw a wild pitch
and walked Josh Hamilton to load the bases
, and was relieved by closer
Brian Wilson. Guerrero hit a sacrifice fly that scored Borbon, and Nelson Cruz doubled to score Andrus and Hamilton, but Kinsler popped out to end the game.
) at AT&T Park in San Francisco, California
Game 2 started out as a pitching duel between San Francisco's Matt Cain
and Texas' C. J. Wilson. In the bottom of the fifth, Edgar Rentería
hit a home run into left field to give San Francisco a 1–0 lead. Texas threatened in the top of the sixth with back-to-back singles by Michael Young and Josh Hamilton, who both advanced into scoring position on Cain's wild pitch
to Nelson Cruz. Cain subsequently got Cruz and Ian Kinsler
to pop out, ending the threat. The Giants added a run in the bottom of the seventh when Cody Ross
walked, advanced to second base on a groundout by Aubrey Huff
, and then scored on a single by Juan Uribe
. Wilson was removed from the game with a blister in the seventh inning and was relieved by Darren Oliver
. Cain went innings, allowing only four hits.
In the eighth inning, Texas reliever Darren O'Day
struck out Andrés Torres
and Freddy Sanchez
to record the first two outs. Buster Posey
singled up the middle, and O'Day was relieved by Derek Holland
. Holland walked Nate Schierholtz
and Cody Ross
to load the bases
, then walked Huff to force in a run, increasing the Giants' lead to 3–0. Mark Lowe
then relieved Holland, and walked Uribe to force in another run. Rentería then singled to left field, scoring Ross and Huff to increase the Giants' lead to 6–0. Lowe was then relieved by Michael Kirkman
, who gave up a triple
to pinch hitter
Aaron Rowand
, scoring Uribe and Rentería. Rowand then scored on an Andrés Torres double
. San Francisco reliever Guillermo Mota
retired the Rangers in the ninth to give the Giants a 2–0 series lead. Nate Schierholtz
made a running catch to end the game.
) at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington in Arlington, Texas
All runs scored in this game were produced by home run
s. In the bottom of the second inning, Giants starter Jonathan Sánchez
gave up a double
to Nelson Cruz and walked Bengie Molina
before giving up a three-run home run to Mitch Moreland
. In the bottom of the fifth inning, Sánchez yielded a solo home run to Josh Hamilton. Cody Ross
and Andrés Torres
cut the lead in half with solo home runs in the seventh and eighth, respectively, off Rangers starter Colby Lewis
. Texas closer Neftali Feliz pitched a perfect ninth to secure the Rangers' first and only victory of the series.
This was the first World Series game won by a team from Texas, as the Houston Astros
were swept in .
) at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington in Arlington, Texas
In Game 4 the Giants sent 21-year old rookie Madison Bumgarner
to the hill against the Rangers' Tommy Hunter. Bumgarner was brilliant for San Francisco, hurling eight shutout innings while allowing only three hits. A two-run homer by Aubrey Huff
off Hunter was enough for the Giants win. The other two runs were scored on a run-scoring double by Andrés Torres in the seventh and a home run to dead center by Buster Posey
in the eighth. Bumgarner also became the fifth youngest pitcher to start a World Series game, and the fourth youngest to win one.
) at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington, in Arlington, Texas
Game 5 was a pitching rematch of Game 1 between former Cy Young Award
winners Cliff Lee
and Tim Lincecum
. Down 3–1 in the series, the Rangers needed a win in their ballpark to send the Series back to San Francisco or the Giants would return home as champions. What resulted was the pitching duel anticipated in Game 1. Both Lee and Lincecum pitched six shutout innings, with Lincecum having allowed only two hits and Lee three. In the top of the seventh inning, Cody Ross and Juan Uribe singled back to back to put two runners on with no outs. The next Giant batter, Aubrey Huff, who had never laid down a bunt in his Major League career, successfully executed a sacrifice bunt, one where only a quick play by Lee prevented Huff from reaching base himself. Runners were now at second and third base for Pat Burrell. Lee struck out Burrell (10th time Burrell fanned in the Series), but then allowed a three-run homer on a 2–0 slider by Edgar Rentería
to left center field, putting the Giants ahead 3–0.
With one out in the bottom of the seventh, Nelson Cruz had a solo home run that cut the deficit to 3–1 and broke an 18-inning scoreless streak for the Rangers—their longest drought of the entire season. Lincecum walked the next batter, Ian Kinsler, to bring the tying run to the plate in the bottom of the seventh but struck out the next two Texas batters to end the threat.
In the bottom of the eighth Lincecum pitched a scoreless inning. Rangers closer Neftali Feliz entered the game and pitched a scoreless top of the eighth and ninth, keeping the score 3–1. Brian Wilson, the 2010 Major League saves champion (48 saves), relieved Lincecum in the bottom of the ninth. Facing the heart of Texas' order, Wilson made quick work of the first two batters, striking Josh Hamilton out looking on four pitches and getting Vladimir Guerrero to hit a grounder to Rentería at short on the first pitch. This brought Nelson Cruz to the plate as the last hope for Texas. Cruz worked the count to 3–2, but Wilson struck him out swinging to seal the championship for San Francisco.
Texas was out hit by San Francisco .190 to .257, and was shut out two times in the Series. They became the second team in the 2010 postseason to be shut out twice in a series since the Philadelphia Phillies
shut out the Cincinnati Reds
twice in the NLDS
. The Rangers were the first team in the World Series to be shut out twice since the 1966 Los Angeles Dodgers
lost in three shutouts in a sweep to the Baltimore Orioles
in the World Series
.
calling play-by-play on his 13th World Series dating back to 1996
(which was also Fox's very first World Series), while Tim McCarver
handled color commentary
for the 21st time since 1985
(when McCarver worked for ABC). Ken Rosenthal
also appeared on the Fox telecasts as a field reporter. MLB International
syndicated its own telecast of the series, with announcers Gary Thorne
and Rick Sutcliffe, to various networks outside the U.S. ESPN America broadcasted the series live in the UK and in Europe.
Additionally, the American Forces Network
and Canadian Forces Radio and Television
carried the games to U.S. and Canadian service personnel stationed around the globe. Fox Deportes carried the Series in Spanish on American cable and satellite TV.
However, many viewers in the New York City
and Philadelphia markets were unable to watch Games 1 and 2 because News Corporation
, Fox's parent company, pulled WNYW
and WTXF
from cable provider Cablevision on due to a carriage dispute. An agreement between the companies was reached just before Game 3.
for the event's lowest-ever TV rating. Game 4 was beaten in the ratings by a Pittsburgh Steelers
–New Orleans Saints
game on NBC Sunday Night Football
, the first time a World Series game was outdrawn by a regular-season NFL contest airing in the same time slot.
also broadcast the World Series nationally, with Jon Miller
(who worked the Giants' local radio broadcasts during the regular season) calling his 13th consecutive World Series as the network's play-by-play announcer, and Joe Morgan
providing commentary on his 11th World Series for ESPN Radio and his 14th overall (counting three Series telecasts for NBC). The games were the last that Miller and Morgan (who had also been calling Sunday Night Baseball
for ESPN television since 1990) would work together, as the network subsequently announced that their contracts would not be renewed for 2011. ESPN Deportes
Radio also aired the Series to Spanish language
listeners, with Eduardo Ortega and former Giants pitcher Juan Marichal
announcing. In the UK, the Series was broadcast by BBC Radio Five Live Sports Extra, with Jonny Gould and Josh Chetwynd
commentating.
Locally, the two teams' flagship station
s broadcast the series with their respective announcing crews. The Giants' English-language broadcasts aired on KNBR-AM
(with Dave Flemming
, Duane Kuiper
, and Mike Krukow
announcing) with their Spanish-language broadcasts on KIQI-AM (with Erwin Higueros and Tito Fuentes
), while KRLD-FM and AM carried the Rangers' English language broadcasts (with Eric Nadel
and Dave Barnett
) and KFLC-AM
had their Spanish-language broadcasts (with Eleno Ornelas and Jerry Romo). Due to contractual obligations, the non-flagship stations on the teams' radio networks carried the ESPN Radio broadcasts of the games, although the local broadcasts were also available on XM Satellite Radio
and to Gameday Audio subscribers at MLB.com
.
.
The firsts with the championship were:
In summing up the firsts, Larry Baer, the president of the Giants and a fourth generation resident of San Francisco, said that the team dedicated the championship to all Giants players, former players, and fans since the team's move to San Francisco, honoring 53 years of baseball in the city.
The Giants held their victory parade on November 3, following the same parade route that the team used when they moved to the city. This was the biggest event ever in the city of San Francisco and transit agency BART
set an all-time one day record for ridership as well.
The next season
, the Rangers won the AL West title for the second consecutive season, after leading that division for much of the season, eventually making it back to the World Series. The Giants, however, would miss the playoffs, despite leading the NL West early and subsequently lost the lead to the Arizona Diamondbacks
late in the season. The 2011 Giants became the first defending World Series champion to miss the playoffs since the 2007 St. Louis Cardinals
.
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
's championship series
World Series
The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball, played between the American League and National League champions since 1903. The winner of the World Series championship is determined through a best-of-seven playoff and awarded the Commissioner's Trophy...
. The best-of-seven playoff, played between the American League
American League
The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the American League , is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league based in the Great Lakes states, which eventually aspired to major...
champion Texas Rangers
2010 Texas Rangers season
The Texas Rangers’ 2010 season was the 50th in franchise history. The team, managed by Ron Washington, won their first division title since 1999 and reached the World Series for the first time in only their fourth playoff appearance. Washington would become only the second manager in franchise...
and the National League
National League
The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League , is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball, and the world's oldest extant professional team sports league. Founded on February 2, 1876, to replace the National Association of Professional...
champion San Francisco Giants
2010 San Francisco Giants season
The San Francisco Giants are an American Major League Baseball team. Their 2010 season marked their 128th year in Major League Baseball, and their fifty-third year in San Francisco since their move from New York following the 1957 season...
, began on Wednesday, , and ended on Monday, , with the Giants winning the series 4–1 to secure their first World Series championship since and their first since relocating to San Francisco from New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
in 1958
1958 San Francisco Giants season
The San Francisco Giants season involved the 80-74 team finishing in third place in the National League standings, twelve games behind the NL Champion Milwaukee Braves in their inaugural season in The Golden Gate City.- Offseason :...
.
In their respective League Championship Series
League Championship Series
The League Championship Series is the official name for a round of postseason play in Major League Baseball which has been conducted since 1969...
, the Rangers and Giants had eliminated the 2009 World Series
2009 World Series
The 2009 World Series was the 105th edition of Major League Baseball's championship series. The best-of-seven playoff was contested between the Philadelphia Phillies, champions of the National League and defending World Series champions, and the New York Yankees, champions of the American League...
teams, each in six games, the New York Yankees
2010 New York Yankees season
The 2010 New York Yankees season was the 110th season for the New York Yankees franchise The Yankees were attempting to defend its status as American League and World Series champions, but lost in the ALCS to the Texas Rangers...
and the Philadelphia Phillies
2010 Philadelphia Phillies season
The Philadelphia Phillies' 2010 season was the 128th season in the history of the franchise. The team was the two-time defending National League champion, having appeared in the 2008 and 2009 World Series...
. The Rangers' victory in the ALCS
2010 American League Championship Series
The 2010 American League Championship Series was the best-of-seven game series pitting the winners of the 2010 American League Division Series for the American League Championship. The American League wild card-winning New York Yankees faced the American League Western Division champions Texas...
gave the franchise its first World Series appearance in its 50-year history, dating from the club's inauguration as the second Washington Senators franchise in 1961. Meanwhile, the Giants' victory in the NLCS
2010 National League Championship Series
-Game 1:Saturday, October 16, 2010 — 7:30 p.m. at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, PennsylvaniaIn one of the most touted postseason pitching matchups in recent history, two former Cy Young Award winners faced off: Roy Halladay for the Phillies and Tim Lincecum for the Giants...
gave the club its fourth World Series appearance since locating to San Francisco prior to the 1958 season; their most recent appearance had been in the 2002 World Series
2002 World Series
The 2002 World Series was a best-of-seven playoff series to determine the champion of Major League Baseball for the 2002 season. It was the 98th such contest between the champions of the American League and National League , and featured the AL champion Anaheim Angels against the NL champion San...
, when they lost to the Anaheim Angels
Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim are a professional baseball team based in Anaheim, California, United States. The Angels are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. The "Angels" name originates from the city in which the team started, Los Angeles...
in seven games. Coincidentally, the Giants and Rangers faced off in the first regular-season interleague
Interleague play
Interleague play is the term used to describe regular season Major League Baseball games played between teams in different leagues, introduced in . Before the 1997 season, teams in the American League and National League did not meet during the regular season...
game, on , 1997, at the Ballpark in Arlington; current Ranger reliever Darren Oliver
Darren Oliver
Darren Christopher Oliver is a Major League Baseball relief pitcher.Oliver was drafted by the Texas Rangers in the 3rd round of the 1988 Major League Baseball Draft, and has had three separate stints with the club.-Early life:...
, in his first stint with the club, threw the game's first pitch.
The Giants had home-field advantage in the World Series, the first time the National League champion had home-field advantage since , because the NL won the All-Star Game
2010 Major League Baseball All-Star Game
The 2010 Major League Baseball All-Star Game was the 81st midseason exhibition between the All-Stars of the American League and the National League , the two leagues comprising Major League Baseball...
3–1 on . For the second consecutive year, Series games were scheduled for earlier start times in hope of attracting younger viewers. First pitch was just before EDT for most games, with Game 3 starting at EDT as part of a "family night" promotion and Game 4 starting at EDT to accommodate Fox's NFL coverage
NFL on FOX
NFL on Fox is the brand name of the Fox Broadcasting Company's coverage of the National Football League's National Football Conference games, produced by Fox Sports...
.
San Francisco landmarks, such as Coit Tower
Coit Tower
Coit Tower is a tower in the Telegraph Hill neighborhood of San Francisco, California. The tower, in the city's Pioneer Park, was built in 1933 at the request of Lillie Hitchcock Coit to beautify the city of San Francisco; Coit bequeathed one-third of her estate to the city "to be expended in an...
, the Ferry Building
Ferry Building
The San Francisco Ferry Building is a terminal for ferries that travel across the San Francisco Bay and a shopping center located on The Embarcadero in San Francisco, California. On top of the building is a large clock tower, which can be seen from Market Street, a main thoroughfare of the city...
, and San Francisco City Hall
San Francisco City Hall
San Francisco City Hall, re-opened in 1915, in its open space area in the city's Civic Center, is a Beaux-Arts monument to the City Beautiful movement that epitomized the high-minded American Renaissance of the 1880s to 1917. The structure's dome is the fifth largest in the world...
, were illuminated with orange lighting at night during the postseason and the World Series. An exclusive VIP party was held on the eve of the World Series at the California Academy of Sciences
California Academy of Sciences
The California Academy of Sciences is among the largest museums of natural history in the world. The academy began in 1853 as a learned society and still carries out a large amount of original research, with exhibits and education becoming significant endeavors of the museum during the twentieth...
(in Golden Gate Park
Golden Gate Park
Golden Gate Park, located in San Francisco, California, is a large urban park consisting of of public grounds. Configured as a rectangle, it is similar in shape but 20% larger than Central Park in New York, to which it is often compared. It is over three miles long east to west, and about half a...
); most media were not even allowed near the event. San Francisco mayor Gavin Newsom
Gavin Newsom
Gavin Christopher Newsom is an American politician who is the 49th and current Lieutenant Governor of California. Previously, he was the 42nd Mayor of San Francisco, and was elected in 2003 to succeed Willie Brown, becoming San Francisco's youngest mayor in 100 years. Newsom was re-elected in 2007...
made a friendly wager with Arlington mayor Robert Cluck
Robert Cluck
Dr. Robert Cluck, M.D., is the current mayor of Arlington, Texas, and a former obstetrician-gynecologist. He was elected to the office of Mayor of the City of Arlington in May 2003 after serving two terms on the City Council...
, agreeing that "the losing city's mayor will travel to the winning city and join the winning city's mayor in a day of support for local youth and community service initiatives, with both mayors wearing the jersey of the World Series Champion team." With three games slated in Arlington
Arlington, Texas
Arlington is a city in Tarrant County, Texas within the Dallas–Fort Worth metropolitan area. According to the 2010 census results, the city had a population of 365,438, making it the third largest municipality in the Metroplex...
, this marked the fifth time the same city hosted both a World Series game and the upcoming Super Bowl
Super Bowl XLV
Super Bowl XLV was an American football game between the American Football Conference champion Pittsburgh Steelers and the National Football Conference champion Green Bay Packers to decide the National Football League champion for the 2010 season. The game was held at Cowboys Stadium in...
(Los Angeles –67
Super Bowl I
The First AFL-NFL World Championship Game in professional American football, later known as Super Bowl I and referred to in some contemporary reports as the Supergame, was played on January 15, 1967 at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles, California.The National Football League ...
, Minneapolis –92
Super Bowl XXVI
Super Bowl XXVI was an American football game played on January 26, 1992 at the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome in Minneapolis, Minnesota to decide the National Football League champion following the 1991 regular season...
, Atlanta –2000
Super Bowl XXXIV
Super Bowl XXXIV featured the National Football Conference champion St. Louis Rams and the American Football Conference champion Tennessee Titans in an American football game to decide the National Football League champion for the 1999 regular season...
, Tampa –09
Super Bowl XLIII
Super Bowl XLIII was an American football game pitting the American Football Conference champion Pittsburgh Steelers against the National Football Conference champion Arizona Cardinals to decide the National Football League champion for the 2008 season. The game was played on February 1, 2009,...
).
Texas Rangers
The Rangers franchise and their fans had a long history of futility and disappointment. Enfranchised in as the Washington Senators, the team only had one season with a winning percentageWinning percentage
In sports, a winning percentage is the fraction of games or matches a team or individual has won. It is defined as wins divided by wins plus losses . Ties count as a ½ loss and a ½ win...
above .500 out of eleven seasons playing in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
. The team relocated to Arlington, Texas
Arlington, Texas
Arlington is a city in Tarrant County, Texas within the Dallas–Fort Worth metropolitan area. According to the 2010 census results, the city had a population of 365,438, making it the third largest municipality in the Metroplex...
, for the season but failed to make the postseason for over 20 years. Despite being ten games under .500, the Rangers were leading the American League West
American League West
The American League West is one of three divisions in Major League Baseball's American League. The division currently has four teams, but it has had as many as seven teams before the 1994 realignment. Although its teams currently only reside along the west coast and in Texas, historically the...
division on , 1994, when the 1994–95 Major League Baseball strike began and the remainder of the season was cancelled. They went on to win three division titles in , , and , but were eliminated by the New York Yankees
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
in the ALDS
American League Division Series
In Major League Baseball, the American League Division Series determines which two teams from the American League will advance to the American League Championship Series...
each time, having only won one game out of all three series combined. The Rangers' last postseason appearance before 2010 was in 1999.
Heading into 2010, the Rangers were plagued with off-field issues. During spring training
Spring training
In Major League Baseball, spring training is a series of practices and exhibition games preceding the start of the regular season. Spring training allows new players to try out for roster and position spots, and gives existing team players practice time prior to competitive play...
, manager
Manager (baseball)
In baseball, the field manager is an individual who is responsible for matters of team strategy on the field and team leadership. Managers are typically assisted by between one and six assistant coaches, whose responsibilities are specialized...
Ron Washington
Ron Washington
Ronald Washington is a former Major League Baseball shortstop and the current manager of the Texas Rangers. Prior to managing the Rangers, Washington coached in the New York Mets and Oakland Athletics organizations.-Playing career:Washington was signed by the Kansas City Royals on July 17, 1970...
admitted to prior cocaine use and failing a drug test during the season. Additionally, the team's owner, Tom Hicks
Tom Hicks
Thomas Ollis Hicks, Sr. , is an American 'leveraged buyout' businessman living in Dallas, Texas. Despite Forbes Magazine estimating Hicks' wealth at USD 1 billion in 2009, Hicks was unable to pay off joint loans of circa £200 million the following year...
, had financial problems dating back to 2008, which culminated in the team declaring bankruptcy
Bankruptcy
Bankruptcy is a legal status of an insolvent person or an organisation, that is, one that cannot repay the debts owed to creditors. In most jurisdictions bankruptcy is imposed by a court order, often initiated by the debtor....
in May and the team's sale to a partnership led by Chuck Greenberg and team president Nolan Ryan
Nolan Ryan
Lynn Nolan Ryan, Jr. , nicknamed "The Ryan Express", is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. He is currently principal owner, president and CEO of the Texas Rangers....
in August.
In the offseason, Iván Rodríguez
Iván Rodríguez
Iván Rodríguez Torres , nicknamed "Pudge" and "I-Rod", is a Major League Baseball catcher...
, Marlon Byrd
Marlon Byrd
Marlon Jerrard Byrd , popularly known as The Position or The Possish or Sish, is a Major League Baseball outfielder for the Chicago Cubs...
, Omar Vizquel
Omar Vizquel
Omar Enrique Vizquel González , nicknamed "Little O", is a Venezuelan Major League Baseball shortstop and third baseman. Vizquel has played for the Seattle Mariners , the Cleveland Indians , the San Francisco Giants , the Texas Rangers and the Chicago White Sox...
, and Andruw Jones
Andruw Jones
Andruw Rudolf Jones is a Major League Baseball outfielder who is a free agent.Jones made his debut during the 1996 season. In the 1996 World Series, Jones became the youngest player to ever homered in the postseason...
all departed due to free agency
Free agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player whose contract with a team has expired and who is thus eligible to sign with another club or franchise....
. Kevin Millwood
Kevin Millwood
Kevin Austin Millwood is an American professional baseball pitcher. He has previously played for the Atlanta Braves, Philadelphia Phillies, Cleveland Indians, Texas Rangers, Baltimore Orioles and Colorado Rockies.-Personal life:Millwood graduated from Bessemer City High School in North Carolina...
was traded to the Baltimore Orioles
Baltimore Orioles
The Baltimore Orioles are a professional baseball team based in Baltimore, Maryland in the United States. They are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's American League. One of the American League's eight charter franchises in 1901, it spent its first year as a major league...
for Chris Ray
Chris Ray
Christopher Thomas Ray is an American professional baseball pitcher who is a free agent.-Early life and career:...
, who in turn was traded to the San Francisco Giants
San Francisco Giants
The San Francisco Giants are a Major League Baseball team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the National League West Division....
mid-season. Notable offseason additions to the Rangers included starting pitcher Rich Harden
Rich Harden
James Richard Harden is a Canadian professional baseball pitcher.-Early years:Harden attended Claremont Secondary School in Victoria, British Columbia. He was drafted by the Seattle Mariners in the 38th round of the 1999 Major League Baseball Draft...
, previously of the Chicago Cubs
Chicago Cubs
The Chicago Cubs are a professional baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League. They are one of two Major League clubs based in Chicago . The Cubs are also one of the two remaining charter members of the National...
; starting pitcher Colby Lewis
Colby Lewis
Colby Preston Lewis is a Major League Baseball pitcher for the Texas Rangers.Lewis was originally a first-round draft choice of the Texas Rangers in the 1999 Major League Baseball Draft, and made his major league debut in...
, previously of Nippon Professional Baseball's Hiroshima Toyo Carp
Hiroshima Toyo Carp
The are a professional baseball team in Japan's Central League. The team is primarily owned by the Matsuda family, led by , who is a descendant of Mazda founder Jujiro Matsuda. Mazda is the largest single shareholder , which is less than the portion owned by the Matsuda family . Because of that,...
; and designated hitter
Designated hitter
In baseball, the designated hitter rule is the common name for Major League Baseball Rule 6.10, an official position adopted by the American League in 1973 that allows teams to designate a player, known as the designated hitter , to bat in place of the pitcher each time he would otherwise come to...
Vladimir Guerrero
Vladimir Guerrero
Vladimir Alvino Guerrero is a free agent Major League Baseball right fielder and designated hitter.In , he was voted the American League MVP...
, previously of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim are a professional baseball team based in Anaheim, California, United States. The Angels are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. The "Angels" name originates from the city in which the team started, Los Angeles...
. Notable midseason roster moves include the aforementioned trade of Chris Ray to San Francisco in exchange for catcher
Catcher
Catcher is a position for a baseball or softball player. When a batter takes his turn to hit, the catcher crouches behind home plate, in front of the umpire, and receives the ball from the pitcher. This is a catcher's primary duty, but he is also called upon to master many other skills in order to...
Bengie Molina
Bengie Molina
Benjamin José "Bengie" Molina , nicknamed "Big Money", is a former Major League Baseball catcher.He is the older brother of major league catchers José Molina and Yadier Molina....
, and the trade of Justin Smoak
Justin Smoak
Justin Kyle Smoak is an American Major League Baseball first baseman for the Seattle Mariners.-High school career:...
and three minor-leaguers to the Seattle Mariners
Seattle Mariners
The Seattle Mariners are a professional baseball team based in Seattle, Washington. Enfranchised in , the Mariners are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. Safeco Field has been the Mariners' home ballpark since July...
in exchange for starting pitcher Cliff Lee
Cliff Lee
Clifton Phifer "Cliff" Lee is a Major League Baseball left-handed starting pitcher for the Philadelphia Phillies. Lee has also played for the Cleveland Indians, the Seattle Mariners, and the Texas Rangers....
and relief pitcher Mark Lowe
Mark Lowe
Mark Christopher Lowe is a Major League Baseball relief pitcher for the Texas Rangers. He made his Major League debut for the Seattle Mariners on July 7, in relief against the Detroit Tigers, loading the bases before striking out the side. He bats left-handed and throws right-handed. His fastball...
. The Rangers also traded two minor leaguers to the Florida Marlins
Florida Marlins
The Miami Marlins are a professional baseball team based in Miami, Florida, United States. Established in 1993 as an expansion franchise called the Florida Marlins, the Marlins are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Marlins played their home games at...
in exchange for Jorge Cantú
Jorge Cantú
Jorge Luís Cantú Guzmán is an American professional baseball first baseman.Cantú bats and throws right-handed. He was born in McAllen, Texas, went to Sharyland High School, but was raised and makes his home in Reynosa, Tamaulipas, Mexico.-Tampa Bay Devil Rays:Cantú was spotted by a scout while...
, and Joaquín Árias to the New York Mets
New York Mets
The New York Mets are a professional baseball team based in the borough of Queens in New York City, New York. They belong to Major League Baseball's National League East Division. One of baseball's first expansion teams, the Mets were founded in 1962 to replace New York's departed National League...
in exchange for Jeff Francoeur
Jeff Francoeur
Jeffrey Braden Francoeur , nicknamed "Frenchy", is a Major League Baseball right fielder who now plays for the Kansas City Royals. Francoeur is known for a strong throwing arm.-Minor league career:...
.
The Rangers spent most of the season in first place in the American League West
American League West
The American League West is one of three divisions in Major League Baseball's American League. The division currently has four teams, but it has had as many as seven teams before the 1994 realignment. Although its teams currently only reside along the west coast and in Texas, historically the...
, with both the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim are a professional baseball team based in Anaheim, California, United States. The Angels are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. The "Angels" name originates from the city in which the team started, Los Angeles...
and Seattle Mariners
Seattle Mariners
The Seattle Mariners are a professional baseball team based in Seattle, Washington. Enfranchised in , the Mariners are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. Safeco Field has been the Mariners' home ballpark since July...
failing to live up to expectations by ESPN critics. They took first place for good on , following a brief one-day stint in first place by the Angels, and finished the season with a 90–72 record, nine games ahead
Games behind
In sports, the phrase games behind or games back , is a common way to reflect the gap between a leading team and another team in a sports league, conference, or division...
of the second-place Oakland Athletics
Oakland Athletics
The Oakland Athletics are a Major League Baseball team based in Oakland, California. The Athletics are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From to the present, the Athletics have played in the O.co Coliseum....
. Their .556 winning percentage
Winning percentage
In sports, a winning percentage is the fraction of games or matches a team or individual has won. It is defined as wins divided by wins plus losses . Ties count as a ½ loss and a ½ win...
was the lowest among all eight 2010 postseason teams.
In the postseason, the Rangers faced the top-seeded Tampa Bay Rays
Tampa Bay Rays
The Tampa Bay Rays are a Major League Baseball team based in St. Petersburg, Florida. The Rays are a member of the Eastern Division of MLB's American League. Since their inception in , the club has played at Tropicana Field...
in the ALDS
2010 American League Division Series
The 2010 American League Division Series were two best-of-five game series to determine the participating teams in the 2010 American League Championship Series. The three divisional winners and a fourth "Wild Card" team played in two series from October 6 to October 12...
. The Rangers won the first two games at Tropicana Field
Tropicana Field
Tropicana Field is a domed stadium in St. Petersburg, Florida, which has been the home of Major League Baseball's Tampa Bay Rays since the team's inaugural season in 1998, when they were the Devil Rays. It has also served as the host stadium for the Beef 'O' Brady's Bowl, an NCAA-sanctioned college...
by large margins, bringing the Rays to the brink of elimination; however, the Rays won the next two games at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington to force a deciding Game 5 at Tropicana Field. Game 5 was another decisive Rangers victory, as ace Cliff Lee
Cliff Lee
Clifton Phifer "Cliff" Lee is a Major League Baseball left-handed starting pitcher for the Philadelphia Phillies. Lee has also played for the Cleveland Indians, the Seattle Mariners, and the Texas Rangers....
stymied the Rays and the offense struck Rays ace David Price
David Price (baseball)
David Taylor Price is an American Major League Baseball left-handed starting pitcher for the Tampa Bay Rays. Price was selected first overall in the 2007 Major League Baseball Draft by the Rays and made his major league debut in September 2008.Price pitched out of the bullpen during the Rays' run...
once again. This was the first postseason series win in franchise history; additionally, the Rangers were the last team that had never won a postseason series. In the ALCS
2010 American League Championship Series
The 2010 American League Championship Series was the best-of-seven game series pitting the winners of the 2010 American League Division Series for the American League Championship. The American League wild card-winning New York Yankees faced the American League Western Division champions Texas...
, the Rangers faced the wild-card winning New York Yankees
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
, to whom they had lost all three of their previous postseason appearances. The Yankees had swept the second-seeded Minnesota Twins in their ALDS. The Rangers held a 5–0 lead in Game 1, only to see the Yankees come back and beat them 6–5. However, the next three games were all blowouts, as the Rangers took a 3–1 series lead. The Yankees won Game 5 by a large margin, but were once again routed in Game 6, 6–1, behind a series-winning hit by Vladimir Guerrero
Vladimir Guerrero
Vladimir Alvino Guerrero is a free agent Major League Baseball right fielder and designated hitter.In , he was voted the American League MVP...
. Josh Hamilton's MVP performance included four home runs, tying an ALCS record, and helped the Rangers reach their first World Series in team history. It also marks the first time since that the AL West champion has won the pennant. The Angels' win was as the wild card
Major League Baseball Wild Card
In Major League Baseball, the wild-card playoff spot is given to the team in each league with the best record among the non-division winners. It was established for Major League Baseball's playoffs in 1994 with the intention of helping the best teams that did not win their division to still have a...
team.
San Francisco Giants
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
to San Francisco before the season. The Giants won their last World Series crown before the move, against the Cleveland Indians
Cleveland Indians
The Cleveland Indians are a professional baseball team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. Since , they have played in Progressive Field. The team's spring training facility is in Goodyear, Arizona...
in . Since the move, the Giants made it to the Series three times but lost each time. These included a seven-game loss to the New York Yankees
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
in , a four-game sweep by their cross-bay rival
Bay Bridge Series
The Bay Bridge Series is the name of a series of baseball games played between—and the rivalry of—Major League Baseball's Oakland Athletics of the American League and San Francisco Giants of the National League. The series takes its name from the San Francisco – Oakland Bay Bridge which...
Oakland Athletics
Oakland Athletics
The Oakland Athletics are a Major League Baseball team based in Oakland, California. The Athletics are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From to the present, the Athletics have played in the O.co Coliseum....
in that was marred by the Loma Prieta Earthquake, and another seven-game loss to the Anaheim Angels
Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim are a professional baseball team based in Anaheim, California, United States. The Angels are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. The "Angels" name originates from the city in which the team started, Los Angeles...
in after being eight outs away from the title in Game 6. Their last postseason appearance was in , when they lost to the eventual World Series champion Florida Marlins
Florida Marlins
The Miami Marlins are a professional baseball team based in Miami, Florida, United States. Established in 1993 as an expansion franchise called the Florida Marlins, the Marlins are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Marlins played their home games at...
in the NLDS
2003 National League Division Series
-San Francisco Giants vs. Florida Marlins:-Game 1, September 30:Turner Field in Atlanta, GeorgiaIn Game 1, Kerry Wood faced Russ Ortiz. Both pitchers were on their game and in the bottom of the third the Braves struck first when Marcus Giles homered to make it 1–0 Braves. The score remained 1–0...
.
The Giants entered 2010 with a strong pitching staff led by two-time Cy Young Award
Cy Young Award
The Cy Young Award is an honor given annually in baseball to the best pitchers in Major League Baseball , one each for the American League and National League . The award was first introduced in 1956 by Baseball Commissioner Ford Frick in honor of Hall of Fame pitcher Cy Young, who died in 1955...
winner Tim Lincecum
Tim Lincecum
Timothy Leroy Lincecum is an American professional baseball starting pitcher for the San Francisco Giants of Major League Baseball. He was nicknamed "The Freak" and "Big Time Timmy Jim" and "The Franchise." He throws right-handed and bats left-handed....
and a solid bullpen spearheaded by closer Brian Wilson. Notable offseason acquisitions included free agent
Free agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player whose contract with a team has expired and who is thus eligible to sign with another club or franchise....
s Mark DeRosa
Mark DeRosa
Mark Thomas DeRosa is a Major League Baseball player. DeRosa is a utility player who has been primarily a second baseman, but can play other positions, including the outfield; he played six positions for the Chicago Cubs. He bats right-handed.DeRosa was selected by the Atlanta Braves in the 7th...
, previously of the St. Louis Cardinals
St. Louis Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals are a professional baseball team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are members of the Central Division in the National League of Major League Baseball. The Cardinals have won eleven World Series championships, the most of any National League team, and second overall only to...
; and Aubrey Huff
Aubrey Huff
Aubrey Lewis Huff III is a Major League Baseball first baseman with the San Francisco Giants. He debuted in 2000 with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, and later played for the Houston Astros, Baltimore Orioles, and Detroit Tigers. He is the starting first baseman for the San Francisco Giants who won the...
, previously of the Detroit Tigers
Detroit Tigers
The Detroit Tigers are a Major League Baseball team located in Detroit, Michigan. One of the American League's eight charter franchises, the club was founded in Detroit in as part of the Western League. The Tigers have won four World Series championships and have won the American League pennant...
. Over the course of the season, the Giants' front office made a series of moves to bolster their offense. Free agent
Free agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player whose contract with a team has expired and who is thus eligible to sign with another club or franchise....
Pat Burrell
Pat Burrell
Patrick Brian "Pat" Burrell , nicknamed "Pat the Bat," is a Major League Baseball outfielder who is currently a free agent. He stands tall and weighs . He bats and throws right-handed...
was signed in late May after he was released by the Tampa Bay Rays
Tampa Bay Rays
The Tampa Bay Rays are a Major League Baseball team based in St. Petersburg, Florida. The Rays are a member of the Eastern Division of MLB's American League. Since their inception in , the club has played at Tropicana Field...
, while Buster Posey
Buster Posey
Gerald Dempsey "Buster" Posey III is a catcher for the San Francisco Giants. He was drafted by the Giants fifth overall in the 2008 Major League Baseball Draft....
—who had started the season at Triple-A Fresno
Fresno Grizzlies
The Fresno Grizzlies are a minor league baseball team based in Fresno, California. The team, which plays in the Pacific Coast League , is the Triple-A affiliate of the San Francisco Giants major league club. The Grizzlies play in Chukchansi Park , located in downtown Fresno and built in 2002...
—was called up in late May and became the starting catcher after the Giants traded Bengie Molina
Bengie Molina
Benjamin José "Bengie" Molina , nicknamed "Big Money", is a former Major League Baseball catcher.He is the older brother of major league catchers José Molina and Yadier Molina....
to the Texas Rangers
Texas Rangers (baseball)
The Texas Rangers are a professional baseball team in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, based in Arlington, Texas. The Rangers are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League, and are the reigning A.L. Western Division and A.L. Champions. Since , the Rangers have...
. In August, José Guillén
José Guillén
José Manuel Guillén |San Cristóbal, Dominican Republic]]) is a Major League Baseball outfielder who is currently a free agent. A prototypical league journeyman, the Giants were the tenth team for which Guillén has played since his major league debut in 1997....
was acquired in a trade with the Kansas City Royals
Kansas City Royals
The Kansas City Royals are a Major League Baseball team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Royals are a member of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From 1973 to the present, the Royals have played in Kauffman Stadium...
, and Cody Ross
Cody Ross
Cody Joseph Ross is an American professional baseball outfielder. He has played with the Detroit Tigers , Los Angeles Dodgers , Cincinnati Reds , and Florida Marlins and San Francisco Giants...
was claimed off waivers from the Florida Marlins
Florida Marlins
The Miami Marlins are a professional baseball team based in Miami, Florida, United States. Established in 1993 as an expansion franchise called the Florida Marlins, the Marlins are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Marlins played their home games at...
.
The Giants spent much of the early part of the season in second or third place in the National League West
National League West
The National League Western Division, or NL West, is one of the three divisions of Major League Baseball's National League. It was created in 1969 when the previously undivided National League expanded its membership to twelve teams, positioning half of them in an Eastern division and the other...
standings, trailing the San Diego Padres
San Diego Padres
The San Diego Padres are a Major League Baseball team based in San Diego, California. They play in the National League Western Division. Founded in 1969, the Padres have won the National League Pennant twice, in 1984 and 1998, losing in the World Series both times...
and on occasion the Los Angeles Dodgers
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are a professional baseball team based in Los Angeles, California. The Dodgers are members of Major League Baseball's National League West Division. Established in 1883, the team originated in Brooklyn, New York, where it was known by a number of nicknames before becoming...
or Colorado Rockies
Colorado Rockies
The Colorado Rockies are a Major League Baseball team based in Denver, Colorado. Established in 1991, they started play in 1993 and are in the West Division of the National League. The team is named after the Rocky Mountains...
. They entered the All-Star break
2010 Major League Baseball All-Star Game
The 2010 Major League Baseball All-Star Game was the 81st midseason exhibition between the All-Stars of the American League and the National League , the two leagues comprising Major League Baseball...
in fourth place, trailing the Padres, Rockies, and Dodgers. However, they finished July in second place behind the Padres, with a win–loss record of 20–8 for the month. On , the Padres began a ten-game losing streak that allowed the Giants to gain some ground. The Giants tied the Padres for first place on and the two teams traded the top spot for the next 15 days. Then, the Giants took the lead for good on , when they began a four-game winning streak coupled with the Padres' three-game losing streak. The Giants were three games ahead
Games behind
In sports, the phrase games behind or games back , is a common way to reflect the gap between a leading team and another team in a sports league, conference, or division...
of the Padres going into the final weekend of the season, a three-game set between the two teams that the Padres needed to sweep in order to force a tie-breaker. The Padres won the first two games, but the Giants prevailed in the final game, 3–0, to clinch the franchise's seventh NL West championship.
In the Division Series
2010 National League Division Series
The 2010 National League Division Series were two best-of-five game series to determine the participating teams in the 2010 National League Championship Series. The three divisional winners and a fourth team—a "Wild Card"—played in two series from October 6 to 11...
, the Giants faced the wild card-winning Atlanta Braves
Atlanta Braves
The Atlanta Braves are a professional baseball club based in Atlanta, Georgia. The Braves are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Braves have played in Turner Field since 1997....
, who had also clinched a postseason berth on the last day of the regular season. Each game was a one-run victory for each team, with the Giants winning the series three games to one. The Giants won behind Lincecum's 14 strikeout
Strikeout
In baseball or softball, a strikeout or strike-out occurs when a batter receives three strikes during his time at bat. A strikeout is a statistic recorded for both pitchers and batters....
s in Game 1 and come-from-behind wins in Games 3 and 4. In the NLCS
2010 National League Championship Series
-Game 1:Saturday, October 16, 2010 — 7:30 p.m. at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, PennsylvaniaIn one of the most touted postseason pitching matchups in recent history, two former Cy Young Award winners faced off: Roy Halladay for the Phillies and Tim Lincecum for the Giants...
, they were heavy underdogs to the two-time defending National League champion Philadelphia Phillies
Philadelphia Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies are a Major League Baseball team. They are the oldest continuous, one-name, one-city franchise in all of professional American sports, dating to 1883. The Phillies are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
. Ross' two home runs in Game 1 off Phillies ace Roy Halladay
Roy Halladay
Harry Leroy "Roy" Halladay III , nicknamed "Doc", is a Major League Baseball starting pitcher for the Philadelphia Phillies...
helped the Giants win the opener 4–3. They lost Game 2, but rebounded in Game 3 thanks to Matt Cain
Matt Cain
Matthew Thomas Cain is an American Major League Baseball starting pitcher for the San Francisco Giants...
's strong performance and more timely hitting by Ross. Game 4 saw the Giants winning on a walk-off sac fly by Juan Uribe
Juan Uribe
Juan C. Uribe Tena is a Dominican Republic professional baseball infielder for the Los Angeles Dodgers of Major League Baseball. He began his career in 1997 when he was signed to the Colorado Rockies, and played with the team until December 3, 2003 when he was traded to the Chicago White Sox...
. With the Phillies winning Game 5, 4–2, the series was sent back to Philadelphia. The Phillies took a 2–0 lead in the first inning of Game 6, but the Giants tied the game in the third and their steady bullpen held the Phillies' offense in check the rest of the way. In the eighth, Uribe hit a home run to right that barely cleared the wall and gave the Giants a 3–2 lead. Wilson came on for a five-out save in the eighth to clinch the series. This marks the first time that the NL West champion has made it to the World Series since the Arizona Diamondbacks
Arizona Diamondbacks
The Arizona Diamondbacks are a professional baseball team based in Phoenix. They play in the West Division of Major League Baseball's National League. From 1998 to the present, they have played in Chase Field...
did so in (the Giants' 2002 appearance and the Colorado Rockies
Colorado Rockies
The Colorado Rockies are a Major League Baseball team based in Denver, Colorado. Established in 1991, they started play in 1993 and are in the West Division of the National League. The team is named after the Rocky Mountains...
' appearance were both as wild card
Major League Baseball Wild Card
In Major League Baseball, the wild-card playoff spot is given to the team in each league with the best record among the non-division winners. It was established for Major League Baseball's playoffs in 1994 with the intention of helping the best teams that did not win their division to still have a...
winners).
Game 1
Wednesday, October 27, 2010—7:59 p.m. (EDTEastern Time Zone
The Eastern Time Zone of the United States and Canada is a time zone that falls mostly along the east coast of North America. Its UTC time offset is −5 hrs during standard time and −4 hrs during daylight saving time...
) at AT&T Park
AT&T Park
AT&T Park is a ballpark located in the South Beach neighborhood of San Francisco, California. Located at 24 Willie Mays Plaza, at the corner of Third and King Streets, it has served as the home of the San Francisco Giants of Major League Baseball since 2000....
in San Francisco, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
The anticipated pitchers' duel between former Cy Young Award
Cy Young Award
The Cy Young Award is an honor given annually in baseball to the best pitchers in Major League Baseball , one each for the American League and National League . The award was first introduced in 1956 by Baseball Commissioner Ford Frick in honor of Hall of Fame pitcher Cy Young, who died in 1955...
winners Cliff Lee
Cliff Lee
Clifton Phifer "Cliff" Lee is a Major League Baseball left-handed starting pitcher for the Philadelphia Phillies. Lee has also played for the Cleveland Indians, the Seattle Mariners, and the Texas Rangers....
and Tim Lincecum
Tim Lincecum
Timothy Leroy Lincecum is an American professional baseball starting pitcher for the San Francisco Giants of Major League Baseball. He was nicknamed "The Freak" and "Big Time Timmy Jim" and "The Franchise." He throws right-handed and bats left-handed....
never materialized, as Lincecum gave up two early runs
Run (baseball)
In baseball, a run is scored when a player advances around first, second and third base and returns safely to home plate, touching the bases in that order, before three outs are recorded and all obligations to reach base safely on batted balls are met or assured...
and Lee gave up seven runs
Run (baseball)
In baseball, a run is scored when a player advances around first, second and third base and returns safely to home plate, touching the bases in that order, before three outs are recorded and all obligations to reach base safely on batted balls are met or assured...
—six of which were earned
Earned run
In baseball, an earned run is any run for which the pitcher is held accountable . Any runner who tags his base and reaches home plate is scored against the pitcher as an earned run...
—in innings. In the first inning, Lincecum gave up a hit
Hit (baseball)
In baseball statistics, a hit , also called a base hit, is credited to a batter when the batter safely reaches first base after hitting the ball into fair territory, without the benefit of an error or a fielder's choice....
and a walk
Base on balls
A base on balls is credited to a batter and against a pitcher in baseball statistics when a batter receives four pitches that the umpire calls balls. It is better known as a walk. The base on balls is defined in Section 2.00 of baseball's Official Rules, and further detail is given in 6.08...
, respectively, to the first two batters he faced: Elvis Andrus
Elvis Andrus
Elvis Augusto Andrus Torres is a Major League Baseball shortstop for the Texas Rangers.Entering , he was rated by Baseball America as the No. 2 prospect in the Atlanta Braves organization...
and Michael Young. Andrus scored on a Vladimir Guerrero
Vladimir Guerrero
Vladimir Alvino Guerrero is a free agent Major League Baseball right fielder and designated hitter.In , he was voted the American League MVP...
single that struck Lincecum's leg and bounced into right field. In the second, Bengie Molina
Bengie Molina
Benjamin José "Bengie" Molina , nicknamed "Big Money", is a former Major League Baseball catcher.He is the older brother of major league catchers José Molina and Yadier Molina....
singled, advanced to third on a Lee double
Double (baseball)
In baseball, a double is the act of a batter striking the pitched ball and safely reaching second base without being called out by the umpire, without the benefit of a fielder's misplay or another runner being put out on a fielder's choice....
, and scored on Andrus' sacrifice fly
Sacrifice fly
In baseball, a sacrifice fly is a batted ball that satisfies four criteria:* There are fewer than two outs when the ball is hit.* The ball is hit to the outfield....
. In the bottom of the third inning, Edgar Rentería
Edgar Rentería
Edgar Enrique Rentería Herazo , nicknamed "The Barranquilla Baby," is a Colombian professional baseball shortstop. He throws and bats right-handed. Previously, he has played for the Florida Marlins, the St...
reached on error
Error (baseball)
In baseball statistics, an error is the act, in the judgment of the official scorer, of a fielder misplaying a ball in a manner that allows a batter or baserunner to reach one or more additional bases, when such an advance would have been prevented given ordinary effort by the fielder.The term ...
and advanced to second when Lee hit
Hit by pitch
In baseball, hit by pitch , or hit batsman , is a batter or his equipment being hit in some part of his body by a pitch from the pitcher.-Official rule:...
Andrés Torres
Andres Torres
Andrés "Yungo" Torres Jr. is a Major League Baseball outfielder with the San Francisco Giants. He has also played for the Detroit Tigers and the Texas Rangers.-Early life:...
. Rentería scored on a Freddy Sanchez
Freddy Sanchez
Frederick Phillip "Freddy" Sanchez, Jr. is a Major League Baseball second baseman for the San Francisco Giants. Sanchez has previously played for the Boston Red Sox and the Pittsburgh Pirates and the San Francisco Giants...
RBI
Run batted in
Runs batted in or RBIs is a statistic used in baseball and softball to credit a batter when the outcome of his at-bat results in a run being scored, except in certain situations such as when an error is made on the play. The first team to track RBI was the Buffalo Bisons.Common nicknames for an RBI...
double, and Torres scored on a Buster Posey
Buster Posey
Gerald Dempsey "Buster" Posey III is a catcher for the San Francisco Giants. He was drafted by the Giants fifth overall in the 2008 Major League Baseball Draft....
RBI single, tying the game.
In the bottom of the fifth inning, Torres doubled and scored on another Sanchez double. Lee then walked Pat Burrell
Pat Burrell
Patrick Brian "Pat" Burrell , nicknamed "Pat the Bat," is a Major League Baseball outfielder who is currently a free agent. He stands tall and weighs . He bats and throws right-handed...
and gave up back-to-back singles to Cody Ross
Cody Ross
Cody Joseph Ross is an American professional baseball outfielder. He has played with the Detroit Tigers , Los Angeles Dodgers , Cincinnati Reds , and Florida Marlins and San Francisco Giants...
and Aubrey Huff
Aubrey Huff
Aubrey Lewis Huff III is a Major League Baseball first baseman with the San Francisco Giants. He debuted in 2000 with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, and later played for the Houston Astros, Baltimore Orioles, and Detroit Tigers. He is the starting first baseman for the San Francisco Giants who won the...
, which scored Sanchez and Burrell, respectively. Lee was then relieved by Darren O'Day
Darren O'Day
Darren Christopher O'Day is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Baltimore Orioles of Major League Baseball. He played college baseball for the University of Florida, and has played professionally for the Los Angeles Angels, New York Mets, and Texas Rangers...
, who gave up a three-run home run
Home run
In baseball, a home run is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to reach home safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team in the process...
to Juan Uribe
Juan Uribe
Juan C. Uribe Tena is a Dominican Republic professional baseball infielder for the Los Angeles Dodgers of Major League Baseball. He began his career in 1997 when he was signed to the Colorado Rockies, and played with the team until December 3, 2003 when he was traded to the Chicago White Sox...
that increased the Giants' lead to six runs. In the top of the sixth inning, Lincecum struck out the first two batters he faced, but walked Ian Kinsler
Ian Kinsler
Ian Michael Kinsler is a Major League Baseball All-Star second baseman for the Texas Rangers.Despite having been drafted in only the 17th round out of college, Kinsler has risen to become a two-time All Star, and a member of the Sporting News 2009 list of the 50 greatest current players in baseball...
, who scored on a Molina double. Molina advanced to third on a Mitch Moreland
Mitch Moreland
Mitchell Austin Moreland is a professional baseball first baseman and right fielder who plays for the Texas Rangers....
single and scored on a David Murphy single. Lincecum was then removed from the game, having gone innings.
The Giants piled on to their lead in the bottom of the eighth. Rangers reliever Mark Lowe
Mark Lowe
Mark Christopher Lowe is a Major League Baseball relief pitcher for the Texas Rangers. He made his Major League debut for the Seattle Mariners on July 7, in relief against the Detroit Tigers, loading the bases before striking out the side. He bats left-handed and throws right-handed. His fastball...
gave up a single to Rentería, who advanced to third on a Vladimir Guerrero fielding error. Rentería then scored on pinch hitter
Pinch hitter
In baseball, a pinch hitter is a substitute batter. Batters can be substituted at any time while the ball is dead ; the manager may use any player that has not yet entered the game as a substitute...
Travis Ishikawa
Travis Ishikawa
Travis Takashi Ishikawa |Washington]]) is an American Major League Baseball first baseman who is currently with the San Francisco Giants organization...
's double. Sanchez singled to score Ishikawa, and advanced to second on another Guerrero error. Lowe recorded one more out before being relieved by Michael Kirkman
Michael Kirkman
Michael Scott Kirkman is a Major League Baseball pitcher for the Texas Rangers.-Early life:Prior to playing professionally, he attended Columbia High School in Lake City, Florida...
. Kirkman promptly gave up a single to Nate Schierholtz
Nate Schierholtz
Nathan John Schierholtz is a Major League Baseball outfielder for the San Francisco Giants. He bats left-handed and throws right-handed. Schierholtz commonly bats without batting gloves, one of the few Major Leaguers to do so...
that scored Sanchez.
In the top of the ninth, Giants reliever Ramón Ramírez gave up a single to pinch hitter Julio Borbon
Julio Borbon
Julio Alberto Borbon is a Major League Baseball center fielder for the Texas Rangers.-Baseball career:...
and walked Andrus before being relieved by Jeremy Affeldt
Jeremy Affeldt
Jeremy David Affeldt is an American baseball professional pitcher for the San Francisco Giants of Major League Baseball. He throws and bats left-handed. Previously, he has played for the Kansas City Royals, the Colorado Rockies, and the Cincinnati Reds....
. Affeldt threw a wild pitch
Wild pitch
In baseball, a wild pitch is charged against a pitcher when his pitch is too high, too short, or too wide of home plate for the catcher to control with ordinary effort, thereby allowing a baserunner, perhaps even the batter-runner on strike three or ball four, to advance.A wild pitch usually...
and walked Josh Hamilton to load the bases
Bases loaded
In the sport of baseball, the bases are loaded when there is a runner on each base . This presents a great scoring opportunity for the batting team, but it also presents an easy double play opportunity for the defense. Causing the bases to become loaded is called loading the bases...
, and was relieved by closer
Closer (baseball)
In baseball, a closing pitcher, more frequently referred to as a closer , is a relief pitcher who specializes in closing out games, i.e., getting the final outs in a close game. Closers often appear when the score is close, and the role is often assigned to a team's best reliever. A small number of...
Brian Wilson. Guerrero hit a sacrifice fly that scored Borbon, and Nelson Cruz doubled to score Andrus and Hamilton, but Kinsler popped out to end the game.
Game 2
Thursday, October 28, 2010—7:57 p.m. (EDTEastern Time Zone
The Eastern Time Zone of the United States and Canada is a time zone that falls mostly along the east coast of North America. Its UTC time offset is −5 hrs during standard time and −4 hrs during daylight saving time...
) at AT&T Park in San Francisco, California
Game 2 started out as a pitching duel between San Francisco's Matt Cain
Matt Cain
Matthew Thomas Cain is an American Major League Baseball starting pitcher for the San Francisco Giants...
and Texas' C. J. Wilson. In the bottom of the fifth, Edgar Rentería
Edgar Rentería
Edgar Enrique Rentería Herazo , nicknamed "The Barranquilla Baby," is a Colombian professional baseball shortstop. He throws and bats right-handed. Previously, he has played for the Florida Marlins, the St...
hit a home run into left field to give San Francisco a 1–0 lead. Texas threatened in the top of the sixth with back-to-back singles by Michael Young and Josh Hamilton, who both advanced into scoring position on Cain's wild pitch
Wild pitch
In baseball, a wild pitch is charged against a pitcher when his pitch is too high, too short, or too wide of home plate for the catcher to control with ordinary effort, thereby allowing a baserunner, perhaps even the batter-runner on strike three or ball four, to advance.A wild pitch usually...
to Nelson Cruz. Cain subsequently got Cruz and Ian Kinsler
Ian Kinsler
Ian Michael Kinsler is a Major League Baseball All-Star second baseman for the Texas Rangers.Despite having been drafted in only the 17th round out of college, Kinsler has risen to become a two-time All Star, and a member of the Sporting News 2009 list of the 50 greatest current players in baseball...
to pop out, ending the threat. The Giants added a run in the bottom of the seventh when Cody Ross
Cody Ross
Cody Joseph Ross is an American professional baseball outfielder. He has played with the Detroit Tigers , Los Angeles Dodgers , Cincinnati Reds , and Florida Marlins and San Francisco Giants...
walked, advanced to second base on a groundout by Aubrey Huff
Aubrey Huff
Aubrey Lewis Huff III is a Major League Baseball first baseman with the San Francisco Giants. He debuted in 2000 with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, and later played for the Houston Astros, Baltimore Orioles, and Detroit Tigers. He is the starting first baseman for the San Francisco Giants who won the...
, and then scored on a single by Juan Uribe
Juan Uribe
Juan C. Uribe Tena is a Dominican Republic professional baseball infielder for the Los Angeles Dodgers of Major League Baseball. He began his career in 1997 when he was signed to the Colorado Rockies, and played with the team until December 3, 2003 when he was traded to the Chicago White Sox...
. Wilson was removed from the game with a blister in the seventh inning and was relieved by Darren Oliver
Darren Oliver
Darren Christopher Oliver is a Major League Baseball relief pitcher.Oliver was drafted by the Texas Rangers in the 3rd round of the 1988 Major League Baseball Draft, and has had three separate stints with the club.-Early life:...
. Cain went innings, allowing only four hits.
In the eighth inning, Texas reliever Darren O'Day
Darren O'Day
Darren Christopher O'Day is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Baltimore Orioles of Major League Baseball. He played college baseball for the University of Florida, and has played professionally for the Los Angeles Angels, New York Mets, and Texas Rangers...
struck out Andrés Torres
Andres Torres
Andrés "Yungo" Torres Jr. is a Major League Baseball outfielder with the San Francisco Giants. He has also played for the Detroit Tigers and the Texas Rangers.-Early life:...
and Freddy Sanchez
Freddy Sanchez
Frederick Phillip "Freddy" Sanchez, Jr. is a Major League Baseball second baseman for the San Francisco Giants. Sanchez has previously played for the Boston Red Sox and the Pittsburgh Pirates and the San Francisco Giants...
to record the first two outs. Buster Posey
Buster Posey
Gerald Dempsey "Buster" Posey III is a catcher for the San Francisco Giants. He was drafted by the Giants fifth overall in the 2008 Major League Baseball Draft....
singled up the middle, and O'Day was relieved by Derek Holland
Derek Holland (baseball)
Derek Lane Holland is a Major League Baseball left-handed starting pitcher for the Texas Rangers. He is noted for his kid-like appearance....
. Holland walked Nate Schierholtz
Nate Schierholtz
Nathan John Schierholtz is a Major League Baseball outfielder for the San Francisco Giants. He bats left-handed and throws right-handed. Schierholtz commonly bats without batting gloves, one of the few Major Leaguers to do so...
and Cody Ross
Cody Ross
Cody Joseph Ross is an American professional baseball outfielder. He has played with the Detroit Tigers , Los Angeles Dodgers , Cincinnati Reds , and Florida Marlins and San Francisco Giants...
to load the bases
Bases loaded
In the sport of baseball, the bases are loaded when there is a runner on each base . This presents a great scoring opportunity for the batting team, but it also presents an easy double play opportunity for the defense. Causing the bases to become loaded is called loading the bases...
, then walked Huff to force in a run, increasing the Giants' lead to 3–0. Mark Lowe
Mark Lowe
Mark Christopher Lowe is a Major League Baseball relief pitcher for the Texas Rangers. He made his Major League debut for the Seattle Mariners on July 7, in relief against the Detroit Tigers, loading the bases before striking out the side. He bats left-handed and throws right-handed. His fastball...
then relieved Holland, and walked Uribe to force in another run. Rentería then singled to left field, scoring Ross and Huff to increase the Giants' lead to 6–0. Lowe was then relieved by Michael Kirkman
Michael Kirkman
Michael Scott Kirkman is a Major League Baseball pitcher for the Texas Rangers.-Early life:Prior to playing professionally, he attended Columbia High School in Lake City, Florida...
, who gave up a triple
Triple (baseball)
In baseball, a triple is the act of a batter safely reaching third base after hitting the ball, with neither the benefit of a fielder's misplay nor another runner being put out on a fielder's choice....
to pinch hitter
Pinch hitter
In baseball, a pinch hitter is a substitute batter. Batters can be substituted at any time while the ball is dead ; the manager may use any player that has not yet entered the game as a substitute...
Aaron Rowand
Aaron Rowand
Aaron Ryan Rowand is an outfielder in Major League Baseball who has played for the San Francisco Giants, Chicago White Sox and the Philadelphia Phillies. He was released by the Giants in September 2011.-Early life and college career:...
, scoring Uribe and Rentería. Rowand then scored on an Andrés Torres double
Double (baseball)
In baseball, a double is the act of a batter striking the pitched ball and safely reaching second base without being called out by the umpire, without the benefit of a fielder's misplay or another runner being put out on a fielder's choice....
. San Francisco reliever Guillermo Mota
Guillermo Mota
Guillermo Reynoso Mota is a Major League Baseball relief pitcher. He stands tall and weighs . He throws and bats right-handed. Mota has played for the Montreal Expos, the Los Angeles Dodgers, the Florida Marlins, the Cleveland Indians, the New York Mets, the Milwaukee Brewers and the San...
retired the Rangers in the ninth to give the Giants a 2–0 series lead. Nate Schierholtz
Nate Schierholtz
Nathan John Schierholtz is a Major League Baseball outfielder for the San Francisco Giants. He bats left-handed and throws right-handed. Schierholtz commonly bats without batting gloves, one of the few Major Leaguers to do so...
made a running catch to end the game.
Game 3
Saturday, October 30, 2010—7:00 p.m. (EDTEastern Time Zone
The Eastern Time Zone of the United States and Canada is a time zone that falls mostly along the east coast of North America. Its UTC time offset is −5 hrs during standard time and −4 hrs during daylight saving time...
) at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington in Arlington, Texas
Arlington, Texas
Arlington is a city in Tarrant County, Texas within the Dallas–Fort Worth metropolitan area. According to the 2010 census results, the city had a population of 365,438, making it the third largest municipality in the Metroplex...
All runs scored in this game were produced by home run
Home run
In baseball, a home run is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to reach home safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team in the process...
s. In the bottom of the second inning, Giants starter Jonathan Sánchez
Jonathan Sanchez
Jonathan O. Sánchez is a Puerto Rican Major League Baseball left-handed starting pitcher for the Kansas City Royals....
gave up a double
Double (baseball)
In baseball, a double is the act of a batter striking the pitched ball and safely reaching second base without being called out by the umpire, without the benefit of a fielder's misplay or another runner being put out on a fielder's choice....
to Nelson Cruz and walked Bengie Molina
Bengie Molina
Benjamin José "Bengie" Molina , nicknamed "Big Money", is a former Major League Baseball catcher.He is the older brother of major league catchers José Molina and Yadier Molina....
before giving up a three-run home run to Mitch Moreland
Mitch Moreland
Mitchell Austin Moreland is a professional baseball first baseman and right fielder who plays for the Texas Rangers....
. In the bottom of the fifth inning, Sánchez yielded a solo home run to Josh Hamilton. Cody Ross
Cody Ross
Cody Joseph Ross is an American professional baseball outfielder. He has played with the Detroit Tigers , Los Angeles Dodgers , Cincinnati Reds , and Florida Marlins and San Francisco Giants...
and Andrés Torres
Andres Torres
Andrés "Yungo" Torres Jr. is a Major League Baseball outfielder with the San Francisco Giants. He has also played for the Detroit Tigers and the Texas Rangers.-Early life:...
cut the lead in half with solo home runs in the seventh and eighth, respectively, off Rangers starter Colby Lewis
Colby Lewis
Colby Preston Lewis is a Major League Baseball pitcher for the Texas Rangers.Lewis was originally a first-round draft choice of the Texas Rangers in the 1999 Major League Baseball Draft, and made his major league debut in...
. Texas closer Neftali Feliz pitched a perfect ninth to secure the Rangers' first and only victory of the series.
This was the first World Series game won by a team from Texas, as the Houston Astros
Houston Astros
The Houston Astros are a Major League Baseball team located in Houston, Texas. They are a member of the National League Central division. The Astros are expected to join the American League West division in 2013. Since , they have played their home games at Minute Maid Park, known as Enron Field...
were swept in .
Game 4
Sunday, October 31, 2010—8:22 p.m. (EDTEastern Time Zone
The Eastern Time Zone of the United States and Canada is a time zone that falls mostly along the east coast of North America. Its UTC time offset is −5 hrs during standard time and −4 hrs during daylight saving time...
) at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington in Arlington, Texas
In Game 4 the Giants sent 21-year old rookie Madison Bumgarner
Madison Bumgarner
Madison Bumgarner is an American baseball pitcher with the San Francisco Giants of Major League Baseball. Bumgarner is listed 6'5" and 225 pounds and has a 90–95 MPH fastball...
to the hill against the Rangers' Tommy Hunter. Bumgarner was brilliant for San Francisco, hurling eight shutout innings while allowing only three hits. A two-run homer by Aubrey Huff
Aubrey Huff
Aubrey Lewis Huff III is a Major League Baseball first baseman with the San Francisco Giants. He debuted in 2000 with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, and later played for the Houston Astros, Baltimore Orioles, and Detroit Tigers. He is the starting first baseman for the San Francisco Giants who won the...
off Hunter was enough for the Giants win. The other two runs were scored on a run-scoring double by Andrés Torres in the seventh and a home run to dead center by Buster Posey
Buster Posey
Gerald Dempsey "Buster" Posey III is a catcher for the San Francisco Giants. He was drafted by the Giants fifth overall in the 2008 Major League Baseball Draft....
in the eighth. Bumgarner also became the fifth youngest pitcher to start a World Series game, and the fourth youngest to win one.
Game 5
Monday, November 1, 2010—7:58 p.m. (EDTEastern Time Zone
The Eastern Time Zone of the United States and Canada is a time zone that falls mostly along the east coast of North America. Its UTC time offset is −5 hrs during standard time and −4 hrs during daylight saving time...
) at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington, in Arlington, Texas
Game 5 was a pitching rematch of Game 1 between former Cy Young Award
Cy Young Award
The Cy Young Award is an honor given annually in baseball to the best pitchers in Major League Baseball , one each for the American League and National League . The award was first introduced in 1956 by Baseball Commissioner Ford Frick in honor of Hall of Fame pitcher Cy Young, who died in 1955...
winners Cliff Lee
Cliff Lee
Clifton Phifer "Cliff" Lee is a Major League Baseball left-handed starting pitcher for the Philadelphia Phillies. Lee has also played for the Cleveland Indians, the Seattle Mariners, and the Texas Rangers....
and Tim Lincecum
Tim Lincecum
Timothy Leroy Lincecum is an American professional baseball starting pitcher for the San Francisco Giants of Major League Baseball. He was nicknamed "The Freak" and "Big Time Timmy Jim" and "The Franchise." He throws right-handed and bats left-handed....
. Down 3–1 in the series, the Rangers needed a win in their ballpark to send the Series back to San Francisco or the Giants would return home as champions. What resulted was the pitching duel anticipated in Game 1. Both Lee and Lincecum pitched six shutout innings, with Lincecum having allowed only two hits and Lee three. In the top of the seventh inning, Cody Ross and Juan Uribe singled back to back to put two runners on with no outs. The next Giant batter, Aubrey Huff, who had never laid down a bunt in his Major League career, successfully executed a sacrifice bunt, one where only a quick play by Lee prevented Huff from reaching base himself. Runners were now at second and third base for Pat Burrell. Lee struck out Burrell (10th time Burrell fanned in the Series), but then allowed a three-run homer on a 2–0 slider by Edgar Rentería
Edgar Rentería
Edgar Enrique Rentería Herazo , nicknamed "The Barranquilla Baby," is a Colombian professional baseball shortstop. He throws and bats right-handed. Previously, he has played for the Florida Marlins, the St...
to left center field, putting the Giants ahead 3–0.
With one out in the bottom of the seventh, Nelson Cruz had a solo home run that cut the deficit to 3–1 and broke an 18-inning scoreless streak for the Rangers—their longest drought of the entire season. Lincecum walked the next batter, Ian Kinsler, to bring the tying run to the plate in the bottom of the seventh but struck out the next two Texas batters to end the threat.
In the bottom of the eighth Lincecum pitched a scoreless inning. Rangers closer Neftali Feliz entered the game and pitched a scoreless top of the eighth and ninth, keeping the score 3–1. Brian Wilson, the 2010 Major League saves champion (48 saves), relieved Lincecum in the bottom of the ninth. Facing the heart of Texas' order, Wilson made quick work of the first two batters, striking Josh Hamilton out looking on four pitches and getting Vladimir Guerrero to hit a grounder to Rentería at short on the first pitch. This brought Nelson Cruz to the plate as the last hope for Texas. Cruz worked the count to 3–2, but Wilson struck him out swinging to seal the championship for San Francisco.
Texas was out hit by San Francisco .190 to .257, and was shut out two times in the Series. They became the second team in the 2010 postseason to be shut out twice in a series since the Philadelphia Phillies
2010 Philadelphia Phillies season
The Philadelphia Phillies' 2010 season was the 128th season in the history of the franchise. The team was the two-time defending National League champion, having appeared in the 2008 and 2009 World Series...
shut out the Cincinnati Reds
2010 Cincinnati Reds season
The Cincinnati Reds' 2010 season was the 121st season for the franchise in Major League Baseball. The Reds began their season at home against the St. Louis Cardinals on April 5, losing 6 to 11. Cincinnati was coming off a 78-84 season and fourth place in the NL Central. The Reds were managed by...
twice in the NLDS
2010 National League Division Series
The 2010 National League Division Series were two best-of-five game series to determine the participating teams in the 2010 National League Championship Series. The three divisional winners and a fourth team—a "Wild Card"—played in two series from October 6 to 11...
. The Rangers were the first team in the World Series to be shut out twice since the 1966 Los Angeles Dodgers
1966 Los Angeles Dodgers season
The Los Angeles Dodgers won the National League championship with a 95–67 record , but lost to the Baltimore Orioles in four games in the World Series.-Regular season:...
lost in three shutouts in a sweep to the Baltimore Orioles
1966 Baltimore Orioles season
The Baltimore Orioles season involved the Orioles finishing first in the American League with a record of 97 wins and 63 losses, nine games ahead of the runner-up Minnesota Twins. It was their first AL pennant since 1944, when the club was known as the St. Louis Browns. The Orioles swept the NL...
in the World Series
1966 World Series
The 1966 World Series matched the Baltimore Orioles against the defending champion Los Angeles Dodgers, with the Orioles sweeping the Series in four games to capture their first championship in franchise history...
.
Statistics
Television
In the United States, Fox televised the games, with Joe BuckJoe Buck
Joseph Francis "Joe" Buck is an American sportscaster and the son of legendary sportscaster Jack Buck. He has won numerous Sports Emmy Awards for his play-by-play work with Fox Sports.-Education:...
calling play-by-play on his 13th World Series dating back to 1996
1996 World Series
-Game 1:Sunday, October 20, 1996 at Yankee Stadium in Bronx, New YorkGame 1 and Game 2 were originally scheduled for Saturday, October 19 and Sunday, October 20, respectively. Rain on October 19, however, washed out Game 1. The schedule was moved up one day, with Game 1 and Game 2 rescheduled for...
(which was also Fox's very first World Series), while Tim McCarver
Tim McCarver
James Timothy "Tim" McCarver is an American former Major League Baseball catcher, and a current sportscaster in residence for Fox Sports.-Playing career:...
handled color commentary
Color commentator
A color commentator is a sports commentator who assists the play-by-play announcer, often by filling in any time when play is not in progress. The color analyst and main commentator will often exchange comments freely throughout the broadcast, when the play-by-play announcer is not describing the...
for the 21st time since 1985
1985 World Series
-Game 1:Saturday, October 19, 1985 at Royals Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri-Game 2:Sunday, October 20, 1985 at Royals Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri...
(when McCarver worked for ABC). Ken Rosenthal
Ken Rosenthal
Kenneth H. Rosenthal is an American sportswriter and reporter.Rosenthal has served as lead field reporter for Major League Baseball on Fox since 2005...
also appeared on the Fox telecasts as a field reporter. MLB International
MLB International
MLB International syndicates Major League Baseball telecasts in English outside of the United States. For example, whereas regular season game commentary on the British Five Network was taken direct from ESPN ; All-Star Game and World Series broadcasts typically used the MLB International feed...
syndicated its own telecast of the series, with announcers Gary Thorne
Gary Thorne
Gary Thorne is a play-by-play announcer for ESPN and ABC, working Major League Baseball, College football and Frozen Four hockey contests. He is also the television play-by-play voice of the Baltimore Orioles...
and Rick Sutcliffe, to various networks outside the U.S. ESPN America broadcasted the series live in the UK and in Europe.
Additionally, the American Forces Network
American Forces Network
The American Forces Network is the brand name used by the United States Armed Forces American Forces Radio and Television Service for its entertainment and command internal information networks worldwide...
and Canadian Forces Radio and Television
Canadian Forces Radio and Television
English: Canadian Forces Radio and Television , French: Radiotélévision des Forces canadiennes , is a television and radio network system broadcast by satellite to those members of the Canadian Forces ground forces who are serving overseas in places such as the Middle East, Africa and Europe and,...
carried the games to U.S. and Canadian service personnel stationed around the globe. Fox Deportes carried the Series in Spanish on American cable and satellite TV.
However, many viewers in the New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
and Philadelphia markets were unable to watch Games 1 and 2 because News Corporation
News Corporation
News Corporation or News Corp. is an American multinational media conglomerate. It is the world's second-largest media conglomerate as of 2011 in terms of revenue, and the world's third largest in entertainment as of 2009, although the BBC remains the world's largest broadcaster...
, Fox's parent company, pulled WNYW
WNYW
WNYW, virtual channel 5 , is the flagship television station of the News Corporation-owned Fox Broadcasting Company, located in New York City. The station's transmitter is atop the Empire State Building and its studio facilities are located in the Yorkville section of Manhattan...
and WTXF
WTXF-TV
WTXF-TV, virtual channel 29 , is an owned-and-operated station of the News Corporation-owned Fox Broadcasting Company, based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania...
from cable provider Cablevision on due to a carriage dispute. An agreement between the companies was reached just before Game 3.
Ratings
The overall national Nielsen rating for the five games was 8.4, tied with the 2008 World Series2008 World Series
The 2008 World Series was the 104th World Series between the American and National Leagues for the championship of Major League Baseball. The Philadelphia Phillies as champions of the National League and the Tampa Bay Rays, as American League champions, competed to win four games out of a possible...
for the event's lowest-ever TV rating. Game 4 was beaten in the ratings by a Pittsburgh Steelers
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The team currently belongs to the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Founded in , the Steelers are the oldest franchise in the AFC...
–New Orleans Saints
New Orleans Saints
The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans, Louisiana. They are members of the South Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League ....
game on NBC Sunday Night Football
NBC Sunday Night Football
NBC Sunday Night Football is a weekly television broadcast of Sunday evening National Football League games on NBC that began airing on Sunday, August 6, 2006 with the pre-season opening Hall of Fame Game. Al Michaels serves as the play-by-play announcer, with Cris Collinsworth as the color...
, the first time a World Series game was outdrawn by a regular-season NFL contest airing in the same time slot.
| Game | Ratings Nielsen Ratings Nielsen ratings are the audience measurement systems developed by Nielsen Media Research, in an effort to determine the audience size and composition of television programming in the United States... (households) | Share (households) | American audience (in millions) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 8.9 | 15 | 15.009 |
| 2 | 8.5 | 14 | 14.130 |
| 3 | 6.7 | 13 | 11.460 |
| 4 | 9.0 | 15 | 15.537 |
| 5 | 8.8 | 14 | 14.950 |
Radio
ESPN RadioESPN Radio
ESPN Radio is an American sports radio network. It was launched on January 1, 1992 under the original banner of "SportsRadio ESPN." ESPN Radio is located at ESPN headquarters in Bristol, Connecticut...
also broadcast the World Series nationally, with Jon Miller
Jon Miller
Jon Wallace Miller is an American sportscaster, known primarily for his broadcasts of Major League Baseball. He is currently employed as a play-by-play announcer for the San Francisco Giants. He was also a baseball announcer on ESPN until the network chose not to renew his contract following the...
(who worked the Giants' local radio broadcasts during the regular season) calling his 13th consecutive World Series as the network's play-by-play announcer, and Joe Morgan
Joe Morgan
Joe Leonard Morgan is a former Major League Baseball second baseman who played for the Houston Astros, Cincinnati Reds, San Francisco Giants, Philadelphia Phillies, and Oakland Athletics from 1963 to 1984. He won two World Series championships with the Reds in 1975 and 1976 and was also named the...
providing commentary on his 11th World Series for ESPN Radio and his 14th overall (counting three Series telecasts for NBC). The games were the last that Miller and Morgan (who had also been calling Sunday Night Baseball
Sunday Night Baseball
Sunday Night Baseball is the Major League Baseball exclusive game of the week that is televised Sunday nights at 8 p.m. ET on ESPN during the regular season...
for ESPN television since 1990) would work together, as the network subsequently announced that their contracts would not be renewed for 2011. ESPN Deportes
ESPN Deportes
ESPN Deportes is a cable television and radio network dedicated to broadcasting sports-related programming 24 hours a day to the Spanish-speaking community in the United States...
Radio also aired the Series to Spanish language
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
listeners, with Eduardo Ortega and former Giants pitcher Juan Marichal
Juan Marichal
Juan Antonio Marichal Sánchez is a former right-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball. Playing for the San Francisco Giants most of his career, Marichal was known for his high leg kick, pinpoint control and intimidation tactics, which included aiming pitches directly at the opposing batters'...
announcing. In the UK, the Series was broadcast by BBC Radio Five Live Sports Extra, with Jonny Gould and Josh Chetwynd
Josh Chetwynd
Joshua Stephen Chetwynd is a journalist, broadcaster, author and former baseball player.-Journalism:Chetwynd has worked as a staff reporter for USA Today, The Hollywood Reporter and U.S. News & World Report...
commentating.
Locally, the two teams' flagship station
Flagship station
In broadcasting, a flagship is the broadcast which originates a television network, or a particular radio show or TV show, primarily in the United States and Canada. This includes both direct network feeds and broadcast syndication, but generally not backhauls...
s broadcast the series with their respective announcing crews. The Giants' English-language broadcasts aired on KNBR-AM
KNBR
KNBR, The Sports Leader, is the on-air branding used by two AM radio stations in the San Francisco, California, area broadcasting a sports radio format, owned by Cumulus Media....
(with Dave Flemming
Dave Flemming
David Braxton "Dave" Flemming is an American sportscaster and television personality, currently working as a play-by-play announcer for the San Francisco Giants of Major League Baseball as well as the Stanford Cardinal football and basketball teams.Flemming grew up in Alexandria, Virginia,...
, Duane Kuiper
Duane Kuiper
Duane Eugene Kuiper is a former Major League Baseball second baseman, and is currently a five-time Emmy award-winning radio and television sportscaster for the San Francisco Giants...
, and Mike Krukow
Mike Krukow
Michael Edward "Mike" Krukow is a former starting pitcher in Major League Baseball. He is currently a television color commentator for the San Francisco Giants.-Early life:...
announcing) with their Spanish-language broadcasts on KIQI-AM (with Erwin Higueros and Tito Fuentes
Tito Fuentes
Rigoberto "Tito" Fuentes Peat is a retired second baseman who played for 13 seasons in the Major Leagues between 1965 and 1978...
), while KRLD-FM and AM carried the Rangers' English language broadcasts (with Eric Nadel
Eric Nadel
Eric Nadel is a sports announcer on radio broadcasts for the Texas Rangers baseball organization.-Biography:He grew up in Brooklyn, New York, as a fan of the Brooklyn Dodgers, and decided at a young age that he wanted to be a sports broadcaster...
and Dave Barnett
Dave Barnett
David Lane "Dave" Barnett is a former ESPN personality who currently works for the Texas Rangers. Before working for ESPN, Barnett served as the announcer for the NBA's San Antonio Spurs from 1988 to 1996, the Dallas Mavericks from 1981 to 1988, the 1990 Texas Rangers games, and Southwest...
) and KFLC-AM
KFLC
KFLC is a Spanish language talk radio station broadcasting in the Dallas/Fort Worth metroplex. This station is licensed in Fort Worth, Texas under Univision Radio....
had their Spanish-language broadcasts (with Eleno Ornelas and Jerry Romo). Due to contractual obligations, the non-flagship stations on the teams' radio networks carried the ESPN Radio broadcasts of the games, although the local broadcasts were also available on XM Satellite Radio
XM Satellite Radio
XM Satellite Radio is one of two satellite radio services in the United States and Canada, operated by Sirius XM Radio. It provides pay-for-service radio, analogous to cable television. Its service includes 73 different music channels, 39 news, sports, talk and entertainment channels, 21 regional...
and to Gameday Audio subscribers at MLB.com
MLB.com
MLB.com is the official site of Major League Baseball and is overseen by Major League Baseball Advanced Media, L.P. . MLB.com is a source of baseball-related information, including baseball news, statistics, and sports columns...
.
Impact and aftermath
The Giants championship marked several firsts, not just for the team, but also for the city of San Francisco and the San Francisco Bay AreaSan Francisco Bay Area
The San Francisco Bay Area, commonly known as the Bay Area, is a populated region that surrounds the San Francisco and San Pablo estuaries in Northern California. The region encompasses metropolitan areas of San Francisco, Oakland, and San Jose, along with smaller urban and rural areas...
.
The firsts with the championship were:
- Giants:
- Championship since , when in New York.
- Championship since moving to San Francisco.
- City of San Francisco:
- World Series championship.
- Major sports championship since the 49ersSan Francisco 49ersThe San Francisco 49ers are a professional American football team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team was founded in 1946 as a charter member of the All-America Football Conference and...
won Super Bowl XXIXSuper Bowl XXIXSuper Bowl XXIX was an American football game played on January 29, 1995 at Joe Robbie Stadium in Miami, Florida to decide the National Football League champion following the 1994 regular season...
in 1995.
- Bay Area:
- World Series championship since the Oakland AthleticsOakland AthleticsThe Oakland Athletics are a Major League Baseball team based in Oakland, California. The Athletics are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From to the present, the Athletics have played in the O.co Coliseum....
swept the Giants in . - Major sports championship since the 49ers win in Super Bowl XXIX.
- World Series championship since the Oakland Athletics
In summing up the firsts, Larry Baer, the president of the Giants and a fourth generation resident of San Francisco, said that the team dedicated the championship to all Giants players, former players, and fans since the team's move to San Francisco, honoring 53 years of baseball in the city.
The Giants held their victory parade on November 3, following the same parade route that the team used when they moved to the city. This was the biggest event ever in the city of San Francisco and transit agency BART
Bay Area Rapid Transit
Bay Area Rapid Transit is a rapid transit system serving the San Francisco Bay Area. The heavy-rail public transit and subway system connects San Francisco with cities in the East Bay and suburbs in northern San Mateo County. BART operates five lines on of track with 44 stations in four counties...
set an all-time one day record for ridership as well.
The next season
2011 Major League Baseball season
The 2011 Major League Baseball season began on Thursday, March 31, and ended on Wednesday, September 28. This marked the first time a season began on a Thursday since , and the first time a regular season ended on a Wednesday since...
, the Rangers won the AL West title for the second consecutive season, after leading that division for much of the season, eventually making it back to the World Series. The Giants, however, would miss the playoffs, despite leading the NL West early and subsequently lost the lead to the Arizona Diamondbacks
2011 Arizona Diamondbacks season
The Arizona Diamondbacks' 2011 season, the franchise's fourteenth season in Major League Baseball, included the team's first National League West championship since 2007, subsequently, their fifth division title since coming into the MLB...
late in the season. The 2011 Giants became the first defending World Series champion to miss the playoffs since the 2007 St. Louis Cardinals
2007 St. Louis Cardinals season
The St. Louis Cardinals 2007 season was the team's 126th season in St. Louis, Missouri and the 116th season in the National League. The season started with the team trying to defend their 2006 World Series championship. During the offseason, the Cardinals were faced with the challenge of handling...
.
External links
- Schedule MLB.comMLB.comMLB.com is the official site of Major League Baseball and is overseen by Major League Baseball Advanced Media, L.P. . MLB.com is a source of baseball-related information, including baseball news, statistics, and sports columns...
- 2010 World Series official MLB.com site
- 2010 World Series at ESPN
- 2010 World Series at Baseball Reference
- 2010 World Series at Yahoo Sports
- San Francisco Giants championship page