Just 2 years after clinching a remarkable World Series championship in Arlington, the Giants returned to the biggest stage in baseball and won it all again, crushing the hapless Tigers 4-0 in what turned out to be an underwhelming finale. As in 2010, the Giants were given few thoughts at the start of the season, and start of the post-season, but they continued to show that it is not big names and lusty hitting that wins rings...
In the eyes of many, the lack of a potent line-up would always restrict the win likelihood for a team endowed with strong starting pitching. When Tim Lincecum contrived to suffer the worst season of his professional career, a repeat of 2011 looked all too likely, when run support was a constant problem for a feeble hitting line-up in a cavernous ballpark. However, despite the struggling ways of Lincecum and inconsistent pitching of veteran left-hander Barry Zito, the rotation remained one of the best in the Major Leagues. Ace Matt Cain continued his meteoric rise in the NL, becoming one of the best starters in baseball, as highlighted by his perfect game against the Astros. Young left-hander Madison Bumgarner continued his stellar career so far with a string of big performances whilst veteran rightie Ryan Vogelsong built on a strong 2011 to show that he had really turned his career around and become one of the most underrated players in baseball.
On the offensive side of the diamond, there were still considerable deficiencies. The remarkable comeback of Buster Posey from a harrowing injury suffered at the plate last season was made more astonishing by an MVP calibre performance with the bat, after a stunning 2nd half of the season propelled him to a batting title. Young third baseman Pablo Sandoval continued to prove that when he's hot, he's one of the best pure hitters in baseball, but plate discipline and defensive issues always held him back. Young first baseman Brandon Belt finally got a full season to himself in the heart of the Giants order and after a slow start, he turned it around to become one of the more consistent players in the line-up. The mid-season acquisitions of Hunter Pence and Marco Scutaro proved pivotal, as the latter in particular had a sublime second half and post-season to become one of the first names on the team-sheet.
However, the real strengths of the team lay in defence and bullpen. Buster Posey was immaculate behind the plate despite worries he wouldn't be able to withstand the gruelling demands of a full season. Brandon Belt put in a gold-glove calibre show at 1st base, Marco Scutaro was excellent at second and Brandon Crawford was simply sublime at shortstop. The outfield was strong, led by superb center-fielder Angel Pagan who made the cavernous AT&T outfield his own. Although defense tends to be a stat that is easily overlooked on a game-to-game or series-to-series basis, the gulf in quality between the Giants and Tigers defense was evident in the World Series, when Giants infielders continued to rob the slow Tigers line-up. Out of the 'pen, Sergio Romo was simply unhittable all season in place of the injured Brian Wilson, and veterans like Jeremy Affeldt and Sergio Casilla combined with the sublime decision by Bruce Bochy to put Tim Lincecum in the bullpen for the playoffs to make an extremely tough bullpen to hit.
Once again, the Giants were able to prove that 120 million dollar players do not make a team. Excellent starting pitching, a shutdown bullpen, fantastic fielding and enough hitting can get the job done consistently, and when it comes to things like 'intangibles', the Giants seem to have them in excess. Not to mention the fact that AT&T Park is one of the most beautiful sports venues in the world.
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