Perfection

"It was a team effort... and it turned out perfect."

In quite literally the best-pitched ballgame I have ever seen, Matt Cain threw the 1st ever perfect game in Giants franchise history on Wednesday night. It was so special. Right from the get go, Cain was rolling, and it slowly began to cross every Giants fan's mind, Cain was about to pull it off.

I have grown accustomed to the pitching prowess of the San Francisco Giants, so much so that as I watch the first inning game of every game unfold, I am always thinking no-hitter. Until the opposing team gets a hit, I'm thinking no-hitter. When Matt Cain pitched against the Pirates last month, I believe it was, in the game where the only hit he allowed was a single to opposing pitcher James Harrison, I was thinking no-hitter up until that point. Even in Tim Lincecum's starts this season,from the moment he steps on the mound until he gives up that single to the leadoff batter, I am always thinking no-hitter.

Never has my thought process paid off in such a grand manner.

An Ignorant Fan's Soccer Enlightenment

It has been well documented on this blog that my two least favorite sports to watch are basketball (because they score too much) and soccer (because they score too little). However, with the NBA Finals looming, I will be exposed to more basketball than I ever wanted to be exposed to on ESPN and other sports news sources. My reprieve from all this hoops: Euro 2012, ironically.

I have watched at least 10 minutes of every match, including a few which I watched for the entirety, and despite my initial thoughts of this is boring, they keep passing, I have come to enjoy the tournament. I'm not a seasoned soccer fan by any means, but I do enjoy watching the Dutch finesse, the Ukrainian fervor, and the Russian attack, although I have absolutely no idea if these traits are trademarks of these nations or if I just seem to have picked up on the wrong things. Either way, I enjoy this new sport.

The New Giants Outfield and Other Thoughts

Thoughts on the season so far for the San Francisco Giants....

• I cannot say enough about how the Giants struck gold with their new outfield (Melky, Pagan, and Blanco). Let's start with the star in left field, Melky Cabrera. Melky Cabrera is the hottest hitter in the NL, with 51 hits in May, tying the Giants record for hits in a month that Randy Winn set back when he was a big part of the team. Melky has totally revitalized the lineup. The Giants' 3-4-5 spot with Cabrera, Buster Posey, and Angel Pagan, actually strikes fear into opposing pitchers' hearts. Cabrera has also instantly become a fan favorite. The Melk Men who roam AT&T Park are awesome and nearly every fan loves to watch Melky swing the bat.
• Moving to center field, Angel Pagan has also stolen the hearts of Giants' fans. With his excellent defense and consistency behind the plate, he has been a constant presence on the field and in the batter's box. After moving out of the leadoff spot to make room for Gregor Blanco, he has added another layer of solidity behind Buster Posey as the #5 hitter in the lineup to create a great 3-4-5 punch. He has also set a record of his own, with a 25-game home hitting streak, a Giants record.