RealClearSports: Cool San Francisco Warm to Giants

By Art Spander
For RealClearSports.com

SAN FRANCISCO -- Sure we're different. The great Rudyard Kipling, he of the road to Mandalay, he who declared "a woman is only a woman but a good cigar is a smoke," stopped by the city in the 19th Century and said all San Franciscans were mad.

And that was before the creation of the Exotic Erotic Ball on Halloween.

Read the full story here.

© RealClearSports 2010

Glendale (Calif.) News-Press: Sanchez' perseverance paying back

By Art Spander
Special to the News-Press

SAN FRANCISCO — He knew what he could do. But Freddy Sanchez wondered in the difficult times — when his body was slow in healing, when the fans and media were slow in acceptance — would there be a chance to do it?

Read the full story here.

Copyright 2010 Glendale News-Press

SF Examiner: Can Giants get out of the on-deck circle?

By Art Spander
Special to The Examiner

SAN FRANCISCO — Maybe this time. Maybe this group. Maybe the Giants, the San Francisco Giants, finally win a World Series.

Maybe we stop talking about Willie Mac’s line drive to Bobby Richardson. About how an earthquake took over. About that 5-0 lead against the Anaheim Angels in the seventh inning.

Read the full story here.

Copyright 2010 SF Newspaper Company

RealClearSports: Reluctant Giants Return to Philly

By Art Spander
For RealClearSports.com

SAN FRANCISCO -- The bats were being banged together in the clubhouse as they went into travel bags to be sent to Philadelphia. It wasn't the sound the San Francisco Giants wanted to hear. It wasn't the trip the Giants wanted to make.

This was the night fireworks were to explode. The night sparkling wine was to be sprayed.

Read the full story here.

© RealClearSports 2010

SF Examiner: How sweet the torture is

By Art Spander
Special to The Examiner

SAN FRANCISCO — Sweet torture, indeed. Sweet success. Sweet joy.

They had allowed the lead to slip. And all you could think of was how close the Giants came. How they they were six outs away. How the dream had vanished.

And then against Roy Oswalt in the bottom of the ninth, the dream came true.

Read the full story here.

Copyright 2010 SF Newspaper Company