The Top 3 Moments of the San Francisco Giants 2011 MLB Season

The San Francisco Giants set out to defend their 2010 World Series Championship status in 2011. I’m not really sure why they call it “world” champions, seeing as they only play American teams, but regardless they were the team to beat in 2011. They got beat pretty bad. Plagued with injuries and a lack of offense, the San Francisco Giants did not make the playoffs in 2011. However, they did have some memorable game moments worthy of looking back on. Here are my three favorite memories from the San Francisco Giants 2011 Major League Baseball season.

3. Brandon Crawford’s Grand Slam
Shortstop Brandon Crawford did not get to make his debut with the Giants in 2011 until the month of May. A broken finger stalled his ascension into the majors and the Giants clinging to veterans like Miguel Tejada kept the infield crowded anyway. However, May came around and the injury riddled team needed some spark.

In his very first major league game Brandon Crawford got his first hit and first home run in his third at bat. The Giants were playing against the Milwaukee Brewers and Shaun Marcum pitched Crawford a pitch to his liking. He liked it so much he skied it out of the park for a Grand Slam home run. Brandon Crawford became only the sixth player in the history of the game to have a Grand Slam for his first career hit.

2. Conor Gillaspie’s First MLB Homer
Third baseman Conor Gillaspie has a big obstacle by the name of Pablo Sandoval in the way of him becoming an every day player for the San Francisco Giants. However, in 2011 he was given a few times to shine after rookie Brandon Belt left the roster with an injury.

On September 27th the Giants were playing the Rockies and Conor Gillaspie gave the fans some high energy entertainment. He smacked a pitch from Esmil Rogers all the way back to the wall where it took a dead bounce, giving him plenty of time to earn a triple. However, the Giants third base coach saw the relay throw was a terrible one and waved Conor around: go for an inside the park home run! Conor rounded third base and tripped! He hit the ground fairly hard and then scrambled back to his feet, desperately racing for home plate, the baseball would surely beat him there now. Conor dove face first into home plate as the baseball arrived, the ball a split second too late, and the catcher was unable to hold on. Conor ate dirt and got his first career home run, a thrilling inside the park ordeal. The Giants bench was going wild with enthusiasm whole Conor appeared completely out of breath and possibly sore.

1. The Kung Fu Panda Hits For The Cycle
Pablo Sandoval, nicknamed Kung Fu Panda, is a big man in terms of waist girth. In 2010 he actually was considered a handicap to the team being overweight. However, in 2011 he slimmed down some, but who ever thought the man would hit for the cycle?

The Cycle is where a player, in a single game, hits a homer, a single, a double, and a triple!

It was September 15th and the San Francisco Giants were playing the Colorado Rockies. Pablo hit a two run homer in the first inning, then a single in the second, a double in the fifth, and rounded it off with a triple in the sixth inning. When Pablo Sandoval slid into third base, the big man was probably just as surprised as everyone else and he wore it as a big grin on his face.


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