On Tuesday, October 11, the Chicago Cubs beat the San Francisco Giants 6-5 in Game 4 of the Division Series, and have moved onto the National League Championship Series again the Los Angeles Dodgers for a chance to play in and possibly win their first World Series in over 100 years. This Cubs win ends a streak of the Giants winning the World Series every even year, as they have done since 2010. This means that for the past six years, I have been part of the Giants even year postseason magic in San Francisco. I was excited to try to continue being a fan from New York this year, but all good things must come to an end. It is disappointing that this "believin" motto is no longer valid, but somewhat fitting given my personal circumstances of moving away from San Francisco. Each postseason has meant something different to me, and as many fans must be reflecting on what feels like an end to this Giants era, I will reflect on myself within it.

2010

In 2010, I was in seventh grade. The Giants won their division for the first time since 2003, when I was in Kindergarten and knew nothing about baseball. For my whole life, since I could remember and had been going to games with my dad, the Giants had been subpar. We had Barry Bonds, and that was pretty much it. It was very exciting when he hit his record-breaking home run in 2007, something I remember very clearly watching from my summer home, but then after he left the team I didn’t really find the Giants too interesting. In the fall of 2010 when they won the division, things started to change.

I was changing too. My bat mitzvah weekend coincided with the National League Division Series against the Atlanta Braves, with my dad thanking God that the one travel day of the series was the actual day of my Bat Mitzvah. As I became a woman in the Jewish community, the Giants continued to thrive, and I started paying more and more attention. Tim Lincecum was the star pitcher, rookie Buster Posey was emerging as everyone’s favorite cute catcher, and Brian Wilson was famous nationally for his crazy beard and strange personality. We were being introduced to the idea of Giants baseball torture and first singing “Don’t Stop Believing”.

The Giants were all anyone talked about at school. We had spirit days, and people wore their Lincecum or Wilson shirts proudly, no matter if they had been following the team for years or a few days. We watched the World Series games during dinner, and I specifically remember my dad shirking his responsibility handing out candy on Halloween to watch the game, and then running down the block screaming after they had won, with only one game to go.

We watched nervously the next day until Duane Kuiper famously called out "And the right-hander for the Giants throws...SWING AND A MISS! AND THAT'S IT! The Giants... for the first time in 52 years, the Giants are world champions, as they come POURING OUT OF THE DUGOUT....circling Brian Wilson!” We rushed into the car and drove to City Hall to celebrate with all the other fans, honking the horn, waving our rally flags and hi-fiving people we had never met. There was a sense of camaraderie within the city of San Francisco that I had never felt before, and the pride I felt for my city then has continued, even as the Giants have gone up and down in these 6 years.

In 2010, I made a Giants Jack-O-Lantern because they played a World Series Game that day.

2012

In 2012 when the Giants won their division again, I almost just couldn’t believe that it was happening again. It seemed like everyone believed this postseason was going to be the same, but I tried to stay humble. I had just started high school and was experiencing the postseason magic in a new place with new people. The change I felt within myself seemed like it would be the same with the Giants. We streamed the division series on screens throughout the school as it seemed like the Giants were going to lose after losing the first two games against the Reds. But then as they won the next two games in Cincinnati, there was hope again. This streaming on the screens and watch parties were new to me, something we couldn’t do in middle school because we weren’t allowed to use our own computers during breaks, and it really displayed the new independence I had in high school.

Once the Giants moved on to the NLCS, I was excited because it meant I would get to go to my first (and what has turned out to be only) post-season game. My dad and I went to the first game against the Cardinals, which the Giants lost, but it was still a great experience for me, particularly because the star of the Bachelor season 16, Ben Flajnik, a winemaker from Sonoma, was in my row, something I had been dreaming out since I had learned he was a Giants fan. The Giants ended up winning that series in Game 7 in the pouring rain, a game my brother got to go to but I intently watched with my mom from home.

Me and Ben Flajnik (The Bachelor 16) at Game 1 of the 2012 NLCS

The World Series then felt unreal after those 7 long games as the Giants swept the Detroit Tigers, in a short enough time for the parade to fall on Halloween. After immensely regretting not going to the first parade in 2010, I knew I was going to go this one. My school ended up being awesome and giving us a half day so I changed from my 80’s workout outfit into a Giants t-shirt and went to the parade with my new high school friend, Clare, who is still one of my best friends today. We missed the actual parade but watched the ceremony at City Hall from the top of a play structure in the Civic Center.

2014

This time it really felt unreal. I had really enjoyed the past two years of high school and loved living in San Francisco and all my friends. So when the Giants won went for their third World Series in five years, it was just icing on the cake. When the Giants won the second place wild card, it was hard to be too excited. But when they won the wild card game 8-0, I knew it was possible for them to do it again. Being wrapped up in junior year, and being a little less confident in the Giants, I paid less attention this year. I still loved the Giants, and had immense pride for San Francisco, but I didn’t need the Giants as much. The team felt similar to the 2012 team but quirkier, as shown by Travis Ishikawa hitting a pennant winning walk off home run and Madison Bumgarner working as a closer in the seventh game of the World Series. Every game they won felt half earned, half luck. This effect made it hard to believe what we were watching was real.

The Giants made it to the World Series with Madison Bumgarner leading the way, and ended up playing seven games against the Kansas City Royals. During Game 6, a game the Giants could have won it all with, my school hosted an event where we could watch at school and they would give us pizza. My brother, who had just started school there, and I decided to go even though it would change our tradition of driving through Civic Center after they won. Both fortunately and unfortunately, they were crushed by the Royals early on, so we went home early. It came down to an all or nothing game in Kansas City. As I wrote earlier, Madison Bumgarner came in at the end to close the game, wrapping up the season in the same way it had been dominated by him, and the Giants won their most recent World Series. Once again we drove into the Civic Center, but after dealing with everyone twice, the police knew what they were doing and blocked off of a lot of streets, so we were not able to celebrate in the same way. I went to the parade again, this time watching the actual players on the floats, with all of my best friends and running into lots of other friends, which made me feel very confident and happy within the city.

At the parade on Halloween in 2014

2016

After a few weeks of living in New York, I learned that it was very possible that the Giants would be playing the Wild Card game here against the Mets, a very exciting prospect for me even though I knew I wouldn’t be able to go. When this did actually happen, I watched along in a lounge on my floor and ended up watching the end in my room and cheering silently when they won because my roommate was sleeping. I felt a little cocky to be a San Franciscan in New York the next day, even though no one cared, especially on a college campus. I also wasn’t even super excited for the next series because I knew it would be different to be a fan from so far away, where I couldn’t just watch glimpses of the game with my dad as I walked through the family room to grab a snack. So when the Giants eventually lost in Game 4, I didn’t really care. This even year magic was amazing, but now it’s hopefully time for the Cubs to start something similar after so long. I don’t need the Giants to feel the pride I feel for San Francisco, something I understand even better now that I’m not there. I hope the Giants can bounce back in the following years, but this era is over and it is time to start a new one, just like I am.