Before Hurricane Sandy, there was a World Series

::Insert Hurricane Sandy has prevented me from blogging excuse here from The Joan::

Since the summer, my family had been planning a trip to California at the end of October. More specifically a trip to San Francisco and Napa. As the trip drew closer it became increasing evident that the San Francisco BASEBALL Giants may make it into the World Series. Sure thing, two days before we leave the east coast, the Giants clinch the NL pennant. My trip went from being a traditional family vacation to a once in a life-time outing.

We flew into San Francisco on Wednesday, aka Game 1 of the 2012 World Series. Before the plane touched down in California the Giants had already had an effect on my vacation. If you haven’t traveled recently, many of the new planes have DirecTV (which you can pay an arm and a leg for) in each of the seats. Our plane landed around 8pm PDT, which was three hours after the first pitch of the World Series. However, I didn’t miss a second of the game. At least ¾ of the plane purchased the DirecTV access so they could watch San Francisco. People were grouping around others seats to watch. When the Giants would get a hit or tough out cheers would erupt up and down the plane. There was actually a groan of disappointment when the plane landed because the TV connection was lost.

Once we picked up the rental car we drove into San Francisco to our hotel at Fisherman’s Wharf.  During the drive we passed AT&T Park. It was the closest I have been to a World Series game. I could see the scoreboard from the back seat and when the car stopped you could hear the crowd noise when the windows were rolled down. At the hotel, we promptly dropped our bags in the room and rushed down to the lobby bar to watch the end of the first game. The bartender, like everyone in San Francisco I discovered, was a Giants nut. She had her hair shaved into an orange Mohawk and told us she went to every NLCS games, even the away games in St. Louis!

Game 2 was no different. Every bar had the game and there was not an empty seat to be found. A person can get use to drinking red wine and eating gigantic amounts of seafood while watching a baseball game. Not to mention, you could not pass a store without some sort of Giants banner or merchandise in the front window. The pride the locals have for their baseball team was infectious. The atmosphere was so electric I had completely forgotten Thursday Night Football was going on as well.

On the travel day, my family also made a move to the Napa Valley. I figured since we were traveling out of the city that we may experience less Giants fandom. Boy was I wrong. Giants fever had swept the entire northern California area. To the point that my mother was getting money offers from strangers for the World Series pin that she bought in San Francisco. At each vineyard we visited workers had something Giants related, whether it was a t-shirt, baseball cap, even tattoo.  

Saturday night, aka Game 3, we went to a Halloween party in the beautiful Castello di Amorosa. (Google it or visit it if you have the chance, you won’t regret it!) The winery, which is set in a castle, had no television. However, this did not stop them from designating one of their barrel rooms into its own separate bar which played the Giants radio broadcast. Party-goers were not going to miss a second of their teams triumph. A party that people had to RSVP to months in advance had to account for San Francisco being in the World Series.

The next day we were scheduled to fly back to Newark. However, due to the most bitchy storm to ever hit NJ, Hurricane Sandy, our flight was cancelled. It was almost like a sign from the baseball Gods. We were going to spend one more night in California, the same night Game 4 was being played. Despite being thoroughly enraged that our travel plans were FUBAR’d, we were excited to be spending Game 4 in San Francisco. After all, we were there for the entire series why not see if we can be there to watch them take the whole damn thing.

Sure enough, in extra innings nonetheless, San Fran squeaked out the sweep. High fives and shots went around the bar. Car horns and trolley car bells could be heard echoing through the city all night. They were still celebrating in the streets at 3am, when we had to leave our hotel to go to the airport. It was the first time I had been in a city when their team won a championship. To top it off, I wasn't supposed to be there that night in the first place! The odds of my family planning a vacation to San Francisco the same time the Giants make the World Series and sweep it to boot are one in a million. The odds of a storm cancelling our flight home, providing the opportunity for us to be present during the Game 4 clinch is probably even rarer.

Experiencing the Giants winning the World Series in San Francisco was truly unique. I got to see an entire city celebrate as one group. I now understand why people flock to New York whenever the Yankees or the FOOTBALL Giants are in their championship games. Because if your team wins, there is no sweeter feeling then celebrating among fellow fans in the city your team represents. Next Super Bowl Philadelphia makes you can bet I’ll be somewhere in Philly to watch. Ready to storm the streets in celebration with my fellow Eagles fans when the Birds finally earn that first Super Bowl championship.