10 Giants moments that will make you laugh
SAN FRANCISCO -- There may be no crying in baseball, but there certainly is laughing. From baserunning miscues to faceplant slides to on-field shenanigans, here’s a look at 10 comical moments in Giants history:
1. Rivera’s baserunning adventure
May 27, 2003
Rubén Rivera delivered a blunder for the ages, making about three different gaffes during this infamous play. He was on first base when Marquis Grissom sent a drive to deep right-center field that evaded leaping D-backs outfielder David Dellucci. Rivera initially thought Dellucci caught the ball and backtracked toward first, only to spin back around once he realized the ball had dropped. He missed second base in haste and had to go back and touch the bag before heading to third, where D-backs third baseman Alex Cintrón mishandled the relay throw. Rivera pushed his luck further by charging toward home, where he was easily thrown out on a 9-4-5-6-2 putout.
Giants broadcaster Jon Miller put it aptly: “That was the worst baserunning in the history of the game!” The Giants still beat the D-backs, 4-3, in extra innings.
2. Water cooler recovers after Wilson’s outburst
July 2, 2011
After blowing his second save in as many days in a 4-3 win over the Tigers, closer Brian Wilson took out his frustrations on a water cooler in the dugout, throwing it against the wall and knocking it over with a bat. The next day, the cooler was spotted sporting several bandages, bruised but still standing.
3. Casilla works a walk
Aug. 14, 2011
Santiago Casilla’s first career plate appearance proved to be a memorable one. After pitching the eighth inning of an eventual 5-2 win over the Marlins, Casilla stayed in to face fellow reliever José Ceda in the ninth, though he was under strict orders not to swing. Casilla stood as far away from home plate as he could, yet he still managed to draw a four-pitch walk against Ceda.
4. Lincecum impersonates old-school manager
May 3, 2014
Tim Lincecum embraced the spirit of the moment when the Giants wore replica 1946 San Francisco Sea Lions uniforms, donning thick black glasses and a stuffed gut as he trotted out of the dugout to present the lineup card to the umpires at home plate before a 3-1 win over the Braves.
"I had a good pregame meal," Lincecum said. "I was able to shed it by the first inning. The umpires looked at me like I'm an idiot, so I guess I'm an idiot."
5. Affeldt’s strange injury history
Aug. 24, 2015
Jeremy Affeldt returned to his home in Spokane, Wash., on an off-day to spend time with his three young sons, but he was subsequently placed on the injured list with patellar subluxation of his left knee after slipping off a platform at Loon Lake. It was yet another freak injury for Affeldt, who also cut his right hand while attempting to separate frozen hamburger patties with a sharp knife in 2011 and sprained his right knee picking up his son in '12.
“Jeremy being Jeremy,” Bruce Bochy said. “I shouldn’t say it, because he’ll get on me, but he’s not the most athletic guy.”
6. Bumgarner’s staredown with Cowboy Joe
Sept. 24, 2015
Madison Bumgarner’s fiery competitiveness on the mound has led to several on-field clashes, including this memorable confrontation with umpire Joe West in the Giants’ 5-4 loss to the Padres. After Jedd Gyorko drew a sixth-inning walk following a series of close pitches, Bumgarner and West engaged in an epic staring contest that lasted 17.7 seconds.
“Joe was behind the plate?” Bumgarner deadpanned afterward. “I don’t pay attention to the umpires. I didn’t even realize he was back there.”
7. Posey faceplants into third base
Aug. 8, 2016
The Giants’ 8-7 win over the Marlins in 14 innings will be remembered both for Brandon Crawford’s seven-hit performance and for Buster Posey’s inelegant slide in the 11th.
“Feet first the rest of the year," a bruised Posey said afterward.
8. Cueto slows down Pence’s home run trot
Sept. 19, 2017
Johnny Cueto was on first base when Hunter Pence crushed a two-run home run in the fifth inning that helped spark an eventual 4-3 walk-off victory over the Rockies. Pence ran hard out of the box and caught up to Cueto as he approached third base, prompting the veteran right-hander to turn around and tell Pence to pump the brakes.
"Obviously, I was very happy when he hit the home run,” Cueto said. “I just kept telling him, 'Just go ahead and slow down and enjoy the home run,' because he's always running really fast."
9. Sandoval’s pitching debut
April 28, 2018
Bochy had long resisted using a position player to pitch, but he finally caved in the Giants’ 15-6 blowout loss to the Dodgers, sending infielder Pablo Sandoval to the mound for the ninth inning. Sandoval topped out at 87 mph and needed only 11 pitches (eight strikes) to retire the Dodgers in order, drawing laughs from the likes of Kenley Jansen in the opposing dugout.
"We lost a game," Bochy said, "but we had a little fun at the end.”
10. Bumgarner trolls Puig
May 12, 2019
Bumgarner’s long-simmering feud with Yasiel Puig apparently transcends the Giants-Dodgers rivalry. Their history of friction continued when Puig returned to Oracle Park as a member of the Reds and launched a solo home run on an inside fastball from Bumgarner in the sixth inning of the Giants’ 6-5 victory. Puig punctuated his blast with a bat flip, but Bumgarner may have gotten the last laugh with the ultimate backhanded compliment after the game.
“He’s a quick study,” Bumgarner quipped. “It only took him seven years to learn how to hit that pitch.”