Jeremy Affeldt is the greatest pitcher in San Francisco Giants post-season history

Jeremy Affeldt announced his retirement on Thursday, and it's left Giants fans with many talking points. Most of them center around Affeldt's seven years with the team and more specifically, his time in the post-season. For all the acclaim and fanfare Tim Lincecum received in 2010, Matt Cain earned in 2012 and Madison Bumgarner deserved in 2014, no pitcher was more important to all three championship rings than Affeldt. In my mind, it's not even close, either. Affeldt, a member of the Giants "core four" along with Javier Lopez, Sergio Romo, and Santiago Casilla, was at his absolute best when it mattered most. His consecutive game scoreless streak in the post-season is second best all-time, just one game behind Mariano Rivera. Ultimately, he did not allow a run in his final 22 appearances in the post-season. He was dominant throughout the playoffs during all three championship runs and he had signature moments in every championship that may have been the most critical moments of each.

Game 6 of the NLCS vs Philadelphia in 2010
During the 1st improbable run in 2010, Affeldt and his teammates faced the powerful Philadelphia Phillies and based on all the experts, were just too good for the band of misfits that were the Giants. Keith Law and Buster Olney had the Phillies winning in 5, Rob Neyer, Karl Ravech had them in 6 and Jayson Stark and Tim Kurkjian had them in 7. Fast forward to Game 6 with the certain to lose Giants up 3 games to 2 and a chance to clinch.  Giants general manger Brian Sabean, manager Bruce Bochy and pitching coach Dave Righetti had talked before the game about what to do if starting pitcher Jonathan Sanchez struggled. With such a left handed lineup as Philadelphia had, the plan was to go with Affeldt, Bumgarner and Lopez, all lefties, in relief roles if necessary. Sanchez struggled. He also got frustrated, and for no apparent reason got upset with Chase Utley and it led to the benches clearing. When benches clear in baseball, so do bullpens. Every member of the bullpen ran onto the field, except for one. Affeldt. Mark Gardner, the Giants bullpen coach, told Affeldt to stay in the 'pen and start throwing because he knew Sanchez was going to be taken out of the game. Affeldt was going to replace him and he needed to be focused on the task at hand. The task: 2 on and no out in a 2-2 game in the 3rd inning. Affeldt, normally a setup man who was more used to pitching in the last three innings, was asked to pitch in the 3rd inning. He struck out Ryan Howard on a high fastball, made Jayson Werth flyout to Cody Ross in right and then forced Shane Victorino to ground out to Aubrey Huff at first and the inning was over. He again went three-up-three-down in the 4th inning and his two scoreless frames helped the Giants keep the game locked at 2-2 after 4 innings. The Giants would go on to win the game thanks in large part to Juan Uribe's 8th inning home run, but it was Affeldt's brilliance in the 3rd and 4th innings that saved the day and led to the Giants first trip to the World Series in 8 years.

Click Here to watch Jeremy Affeldt go 6 up 6 down vs the Phillies.

Game 4 of the World Series vs Detroit in 2012
Affeldt was called into the 8th inning of Game 4 of the World Series in 2012 to face the heart of the Tigers order. Again, the game was tied, this time 3-3. Even though Affeldt was left handed, he had been called on many times in the past by Bochy to get out tough right handed hitters. This would be the toughest test yet of that faith, as Affeldt began the inning facing triple crown winner, Miguel Cabrera. Affeldt struck him out swinging on a nasty 0-2 breaking ball. Prince Fielder was up next and struck out swinging as well, and after Delmon Young did the same, it was the most impressive inning of Affeldt's post-season career. The Giants would go on to win the World Series that night in the 10th inning.

Click Here to watch Jeremy Affeldt strike out the side.

Game 7 of the World Series vs Kansas City in 2014
Game 7 began like a storybook for 39 year old Tim Hudson. He had waited 16 seasons to pitch in the World Series and here he was being asked to pitch Game 7. The game every kid dreams of playing in when they are dreaming in the backyard. However, much like the night for Jonathan Sanchez 5 years earlier, Hudson got hit hard early and before the 2nd inning was over, it was deja vu all over again for Affeldt. Bochy had once again mentioned to Affeldt before the game that if he needed to take his starting pitcher out early, he would go to him first. Affeldt didn't expect to be called on in the 2nd inning, but like the previous 21 appearances with the Giants, he wasn't going to let the team down. With 2 on and 2 out in the 2nd inning, Affeldt got Nori Aoki to ground out and the inning was over. The next two innings included two double plays, including Joe Panik's glove flip to Brandon Crawford that may go down as one of the greatest double plays in World Series history. Affeldt, often considered a ground ball pitcher throughout his career, forced ground balls to one of the best infields he had ever pitched in front of and once again, Affeldt did the job.
This game has become Affeldt's best moment in professional sports. He said as much in the press conference to announce his retirement and in post game interviews that night for how his career had come full circle. Affeldt began his professional career in Kansas City and didn't like the way his tenure there ended. To be named the winning pitcher of Game 7 that night in Kansas City completed a journey that has made him San Francisco's greatest post-season pitcher in the 57 years the team has been in the city by the Bay.

Taking you back to 2010, where it all began

Taking you Back to 2010, Where it all Began
By Will Candlestick

For life long San Francisco Giants fans, this new era of success still feels more fantasy than reality. The idea that winning a championship is expected from this new wave of fans feels ridiculous. After 52 years, some of us fans still look back at 2010 as that perfect moment.

Now that all Giants fans are spoiled regardless of when they started cheering, it's important to look back at the evolution of this franchise from an organization that never found a way to the one that seems to be doing all the right things.

October 27, 2006
Bruce Bochy signed a three year deal to manage the Giants and it would be the 3rd coach Brian Sabean had brought in during his tenure. Dusty Baker and Felipe Alou both had success managing the Giants, but ultimately it was time to let Alou take a step back with the organization and find someone else. That someone was Bochy, who was a rival coach and player with the San Diego Padres for the better part of the last two decades. Bochy said all the right things at his introductory press conference with the Giants.

"I look forward to this challenge," he said. "I made a commitment to myself and to my wife that if we were to make a change, it would be with an organization that would be a cultural fit for me, where I would be comfortable and where there was potential to build real chemistry between myself and the front office.
"It would be a place where I would have a chance to make an impact and a contribution. That's why I'm sitting here today. That's the only reason I'd leave San Diego."

First 3 Years
The Giants struggled mightily in his first two seasons, winning 71 and 72 games respectively in 2007 and 2008. The team was old and the team lacked much talent coming through the minor league system, which was the same old story with all of the Barry Bonds led lineups that Sabean and company were putting together. Bochy, to his credit, did the best he could with what he had as he had done in San Diego.

For years, Bochy had overachieved with the Padres, winning the National League West title 4 times as well as the pennant in 1998. Had it not been for the greatest Yankees team in 60 years, Bochy may have come to San Francisco with a World Series ring. (Although who knows if the Padres would have let him go had he won it all in 1998 either.)

Now he was overachieving with the Giants, but casual fans couldn't see it because the record didn't show it. Bochy was finding ways to win with players who were at the end of their careers and struggling to stay healthy or productive.

In 2009, the last year on Bochy's contract, the team won 88 games. Led by Cy Young winner Tim Lincecum, the Giants were doing something Padres fans weren't used to when Bochy coached for them.  Bochy was letting the young guys lead the way. Lincecum, Matt Cain, Pablo Sandoval and Brian Wilson were just some of the young players who were taking over the locker room that for the last 15 years had always been a veteran's locker room. Much like in San Diego, veterans ruled because that's where Bochy was most comfortable. If he was going to lose, he was going to lose with "his guys," the guys who had experience and played the game the right way.

How the 2010 Season Began
As 2010 began, it was clear that the pitching staff was led by Lincecum and Cain. Lincecum was a back to back Cy Young champion and Cain had become as reliable a pitcher as there was in the game. The 1-2 punch of those two starters really set the tone for the shape the team would take that season.

Sandoval had opened eyes around the league in 2009 with 25 home runs and 90 runs batted in to go with a .330 batting average as a switch hitter. He was still learning how to play 3B at the major league level, but his potential was through the roof.

However, as Sabean and Bochy had proved in the past, they were reluctant to go with young guys all over the diamond and 2010 was no exception.  Travis Ishikawa and Emmanuel Burriss had played more games at first and second base than any other player in 2009. The team needed to upgrade. The team had traded for Freddy Sanchez in 2009 and signed Aubrey Huff late in the off-season to take over those two slots.

Edgar Renteria was at shortstop, but had never been able to stay healthy as a Giant to this point. Mark DeRosa, another veteran that had been brought in by the front office was even in worst shape than Renteria and wasn't going to be able to be the everyday LF they had hoped he could be.  The Giants brought in Juan Uribe for a second Spring Training invite to camp hoping the veteran could earn his way back onto the club.

The outfield was also a mess with Randy Winn gone and Fred Lewis being sent to Toronto. The team also had an underachieving Aaron Rowand as the only OF left. So the team kept Andres Torres and Nate Schierholtz to compete for spots on the roster along with Triple-A product John Bowker. 

Then there was Bengi Molina. For years, Molina had done everything asked of him and more for the franchise. Despite not being a power hitter, Molina was the Giants clean up hitter for much of his time as a Giant and in fact led the team in home runs in 2008 and was one of their most consistent hitters. However, Molina wanted to find a new home and nearly left for the New York Mets in the off-season. Sabean even famously said that Molina's "ship has sailed" when referring to the chances Molina would come back. Yet, Molina did end up returning in 2010 despite knowing that the team's top prospect, Buster Posey, was waiting in the wings to replace him.

The Same Old Bochy & Sabean
For many fans, these signings were just further proof that the Giants were going to win with veterans whenever they could.

As the season went on, production from Huff, Sanchez and Uribe was good enough that fans were being more patient with this particular group. Molina, Renteria and Rowand were all struggling with the issues fans had predicted in Spring. Molina was dealing with the constant questions surrounding when would Buster Posey come up and when he would take his place. Renteria was struggling to be healthy enough and Rowand was struggling with production on the field.

As the year went on, another interesting twist occurred. Pablo Sandoval was struggling. What seemed like the makings of the next big bat in Giants history suddenly was struggling and weight issues seemed to be at the center of it. On top of that, Sabean was finding more veterans to add to this bunch. Pat Burrell, who had been released by the Tampa Bay Rays, was brought in to take over left field. Despite his defensive struggles, Burrell's bat erupted as a Giant, and suddenly with Huff, Burrell, Uribe and Posey, the Giants had some serious power threats in their lineup.

As the team got closer and closer to the trade deadline and the August 31st cutoff for playoff rosters, the team added Jose Guillen and Cody Ross to keep the lineup effective as the team got closer to a possible playoff berth. They had also shored up their bullpen with the additions of Ramon Ramirez and Javier Lopez, and this team that had so much youth at the start of the year was looking more like the teams that had been built for so many years by Sabean.

If Bochy and Sabean were going to lose to the Padres for the NL West title, it was going to be with their veterans.

So What Changed?
It's funny what happens to a season. One moment you are committed to one of your most productive catchers of all-time in Bengi Molina, and the next minute you are giving the job to the Rookie of the Year in the National League. One moment you are convinced that Pablo Sandoval is the best third baseman in the organization since Matt Williams, and the next moment, you are going with a two time Spring Training invite in Juan Uribe.  Barry Zito, who had signed a 7 year, $126 million contract the year Bochy arrived was being replaced in the post-season rotation with a 20 year old phenom, Madison Bumgarner.

This inconsistency of going with Posey over Molina, but then going with Uribe over Sandoval, while not including Zito on the playoff roster at all was crazy. Renteria and Rowand both made the playoff roster as well, but Rowand was also sent to the bench in favor of Andres Torres, who had come out of nowhere in 2010 like so many others to be the team's everyday CF.

How could you explain Sabean and Bochy's decisions? It came down to one simple question: Who will give us the best chance to win today?  Huff and Sanchez had never participated in the post-season before, despite several years in baseball, and they weren't going to miss this opportunity. Renteria, who had been injured most of the season, had vowed to his teammates to make up for it in the playoffs. Uribe took the 3B job from Sandoval and found ways to drive in runs any way he could. And the OF of Burrell, Torres and Ross became one of the most unlikely groupings in post-season history.

Production was trumping experience or potential. So many times, front offices had given players more chances then they had earned because they had "potential" and so many times, we had seen both Sabean and Bochy fall victim to the "experience" excuse for using veterans over unproven players. However, all of sudden, this 2010 Giants team was winning because players were playing simply based on what they had earned.  And it fluctuated.  All 25 members of the roster contributed to the playoff wins. Rowand was given chances to start and Sandoval was given chances to hit. Maybe the most impressive showing came in Game 4 of the World Series when Madison Bumgarner was given the ball despite having never pitched a full season before in the big leagues. His eight shutout innings vs the Texas Rangers showed how far Sabean and Bochy had come.

Fans who had ripped both in the past for loving veterans too much and relying on guys well after their production had warranted it, was going away. Fans had embraced this group of "castoffs and misfits" like no other team before it and as Brian Wilson struck out Nelson Cruz, every fan of the Giants finally knew what it felt like to win the World Series.


Of all the moves Sabean made, and of all the on-field decisions Bochy made, no one move stood out. It was the collection of moves that showed how much both had grown working together. Sticking with Renteria or believing in Bumgarner or letting Posey catch this incredible pitching staff or sitting Sandoval for Uribe. It didn't matter which decision was best. All of these decisions led to a championship by the Bay and a title that no fan will ever forget.

SI fires all it's photographers. So let's look at their best work the last few years

Sports Illustrated cuts entire photojournalism staff | Poynter.: http://t.co/oeXxaU9BDO
— Candlestick Will (@CandlestickWill) January 23, 2015

3 titles in 5 years?!?! But I just wanted 1 in my lifetime

As a die hard San Francisco Giants fan, I grew up with my share of disappointments. Any Giants fan who grew up in the 1980's like I did know exactly what I mean when I list the following names: Jose Oquendo, Terry Steinbach, Salomon Torres, Neifi Perez, Scott Spiezio and Jose Cruz Jr.

None of those guys received a Hall of Fame vote after they retired. None were ever great players, and some were even former Giants. But all had a big role in preventing a World Series title in San Francisco. So whether it was Oquendo in 1987, Perez in 1997 or Spiezio in 2002, the Giants have had some heartbreaking moments throughout my childhood and adult life.

The Year it Happened
So in 2010, when the team won the West by a single game, I had limited expectations because how was I suppose to know?

I had a good feeling going in vs Atlanta because we had played them well before in the post-season, but if we go back to the emotions of that series, there wasn't a single moment during that series that felt like we were in control. Even after Lincecum strutted off the mound in Game 1, we knew the history. We knew that we had had strong performances before. Russ Ortiz out pitched Tom Glavine in Game 1 in 2002.

So when we defeated the Braves in another nail biter post-season series, I was happy of course, but not confident. How could we be? We were facing the team everyone had pegged to win it all: Philadelphia.

There was a quiet confidence brewing inside of me though, and now that we have lived it, I can better describe what it was. It was that throughout my life, we had some great players. Barry Bonds is the greatest player I have ever seen. Guys like Jeff Kent, Will Clark, Kevin Mitchell, Matt Williams, Jason Schmidt, Rod Beck, Robb Nen, J.T. Snow, Rich Aurilia and so many others played at elite levels for the Giants. Despite all that talent, the teams of "Dustiny" and all the "Humm-Babys" we had, we never had this kind of pitching.

We had some pitchers we all loved, from Kirk Reuter, Mark Gardner and Dave Dravecky, to Don Robinson, and Mike Krukow. But we never had talent like this on the mound. Tim Lincecum, Matt Cain, Madison Bumgarner, and that bullpen with Brian Wilson, Sergio Romo, Santiago Casilla, Jeremy Affeldt and Javy Lopez.

Until the 2010 World Series, we didn't see Bumgarner coming.  We all saw flashes and hoped for great things, but we didn't see 8 shutout innings coming. And because we have nightmares still of Felix Rodriguez and Tim Worrell, we didn't see the "Core 4" and "B-Weezy" happening either.

We embraced the "castoffs and misfits" as Bruce Bochy coined it because they were easy to like. They performed on the field, and they became the 1st ever champions; a title that nobody can ever take from them. We loved the "torture" as Duane Kuiper said, because the torture ended with a champagne shower. It washed away all those years of actual baseball torture where those previously mentioned ballplayers in the 1st paragraph helped end our World Series runs.

The Parade
Standing at the corner of McAlister & Hyde Streets, I stood there with four weeks of playoff beard covering my face, my Matt Cain 43 jersey and my official World Series hat and sweatshirt and a video camera. It was 8 in the morning, and as we left the BART station we walked through a sea of orange and black to find an opening to see the parade. We ran into several friends who like us had waited decades for this moment. But it was 8 in the morning and we weren't getting started until 1pm. So we had some time. We started chanting "Bus-ter Po-sey" and "Beat LA" and sing "We are the Champions" and see how loud we could scream "Let's Go Giants" with the people across the street and all around us. We cheered for empty buses that drove by that were going to be used after the parade to take the players back to the hotel. We cheered for police officers driving by. We even cheered for a random guy riding a bike with a Barry Zito Oakland A's shirsey. Because Zito is getting a ring too. And we just can't stop cheering.

When the Cal Marching band walked by us, I don't think we ever stopped cheering. Whether it was wanting to drink a Bud Light with Pat Burrell, or sing along with Ashkon or wave to the legend Willie Mays, it was perfect. I had said during that Texas series I only wanted 1. I had 1. It was perfect. The Giants didn't need to win it ever again and I would always have 2010.

World Series Champions Finally! Now what?
We actually won. 2010 still feels like a dream. Even today after two more championships, it almost feels imagined. So in 2011, when the team re-signed all but two key contributors to that 1st title, I was thrilled. I was just disappointed we couldn't make a deal for Juan Uribe and Edgar Renteria. I didn't want to make the smart baseball moves. I wanted to go to AT&T Park and give year long standing ovations to everyone. Even the Barry Zitos and Aaron Rowands who were booed and labeled as overpaid and underachieving their entire Giants careers to that point. They were part of that team and that team deserved love.

May 25, 2011
This day has special meaning for me. 1st and foremost, it was the day my niece was born. It also happened to be my 31st birthday. And for Giants fans, it was the day Buster Posey broke his leg. Giants fans knew that a chance for a repeat ended that day. But for me, who only ever wanted 1, I was still satisfied. I was intrigued with the idea of getting a guy like Carlos Beltran and an everyday catcher by the trade deadline to make up for Posey's absence but I didn't want to sacrifice the 2010 team. At the same time, guys from the team that were so valuable like Aubrey Huff, Cody Ross, Andres Torres, Freddy Sanchez and Pat Burrell weren't performing anywhere near the level they were in 2010.

A "smarter" GM may have let Huff and Ross walk and not brought back Torres and Burrell.  A "smarter" GM may have kept Zach Wheeler over going after Beltran because they knew pitching was the key.  However, now that we have seen what this locker room has become post-Bonds and what the combination of Sabean and Bochy can do with 25 men on the same page, it's hard to claim a smarter GM would have won two more titles.

Ultimately, lack of performance from Huff, Ross, Burrell, Torres and Sanchez is what led to a trade for Angel Pagan, Marco Scutaro and Hunter Pence and bringing in Gregor Blanco. It's also what led the team to give chances to Brandon Belt and Brandon Crawford.

2012 and Beyond
2012 was the year of Matt Cain, and as Matt Cain's #1 fan, I loved every minute of it. From his perfect game to his All-Star start and win, to his winning each clinching game of each round of that post-season. Forget the actual W-L record, when Cain pitched, we won the game nearly every time, and that was what made him my favorite pitcher. He always gave us a chance to win the game. 108 times in his career, he's gone at least 7 innings in a game and given up 2 earned runs or less and only "won" 52 times. In 2012, he went 16-5, and was our ace. Even better than Lincecum and Bumgarner.

 

2014 was the most enjoyable season for me to date because I loved all 25 guys on the team. I had met Hunter Strickland in San Jose and he was great with my now 3 year old niece who got to be the "play ball" girl on May 25, 2014.  I threw out the 1st pitch as a birthday present to me from the amazing San Jose Giants organization. Then during the national anthem, my niece Kiora was still on the field. She saw the players line up, so she decided to line up too. She stood next to Hunter Strickland and he was great. he showed her to put her hand on her heart and just like Strickland, she put her other arm behind her back. So when Strickland was being ripped apart by Giants fans for giving up home runs during the post-season, I remembered that day.



Adam Duvall was one of the best to ever come through San Jose. I heard some behind the scenes stories about him and what he meant to the front office staff and host family there and he became one of my favorites too. On the day he got called up to the big club, it was so exciting, and when reports came out that he would start, I got a call to go to the game. It was a promise kept that was so special. "If you ever make it to the big leagues, I'll be there."  To be a part of that journey was incredible. To see Adam's 1st career home run that night was unforgettable. To see him want to take a picture with the guy who caught the ball so he wouldn't forget was indescribable.  So when Duvall didn't make the playoff roster, I was still cheering for them to advance so he might get a ring.

But it wasn't just them. Michael Morse and Hunter Pence were BFFs and you couldn't help but love seeing that love for each other on the field, Ryan Vogelsong and Tim Hudson and eventually Jake Peavy were giving every ounce they had despite not having what they once had. That kind of strength and passion is hard not to root for.  Hudson had battled for 16 years to get to a World Series and it was happening before our eyes. And then there's Bumgarner and Buster Posey. And the Brandons. And when you heard the story of Juan Perez finding out about his friend Oscar Tavares and 3 innings later, hitting a triple, how could you not love this team?

So fast forward to Game 7 with the heart thumping Alex Gordon single, I mean double, I mean triple. Suddenly, we were 90 feet from extra innings. Sal Perez is the only guy to have a hit off Bumgarner and it was a home run. A home run would end this World Series the same way Travis Ishikawa got us here. Every pitch was tense. Every swing was even more so. I wanted the Giants to find a way, but I was going to be happy for the Royals if they found a way. When that ball was in foul territory, and Pablo was under it, I was so excited, but not like 5 years ago. It was a different happy because 2010 was about finally getting away from the excuses. "It was the earthquake," or "why did Baker give Ortiz that damn ball?," or "why didn't Alou pinch run for Snow?" 2012 and 2014 were about a joy that was felt from Spring training through October. Because we had a ring already. And then because we had two rings already.

As a die hard fan, I always want the Giants to win. But the idea of "needing" another championship or the anger so many fans feel when their team loses has dissipated with me. I will still make comments on Twitter that are too harsh, and still get frustrated in the moment when the Giants give up a bunch of runs or leave runners in scoring position. But now I calm down so much easier. Now I look around my house and see all the mementos I've collected over the years. I do feel overwhelmed with a third championship. I do feel silly acting like there is some even year magic when there certainly wasn't in 2008, 2006, 2004, 2002, 2000, etc...  Ultimately, as a fan, we will always want more, but needing more is a feeling I no longer have.