2009 in Review: Top 10 Moments

(Yes, I know this is a little late, but I've been busy.)

As 2010 dawns, a new year of hope and disappointment awaits us. Another baseball season, a Super Bowl to come, another college football season - you know the drill.  But before we look ahead, let's take a look back at 2009 with a series of posts, a year featuring a hope-stirring season from the Giants, a roller coaster season from the 49ers, another playoff choke by the Sharks, and more disappointment from the Cal football team.

Top 10 Moments:

10.  9/13/09 - San Francisco 20, Arizona 16.  With the Cardinals coming off an NFC-championship year, they looked poised to repeat as NFC West champions. The 49ers came in as heavy underdogs, but regardless, they did what they had to do to win.  The offense did little in the 2nd half, but an methodical 80-yard drive led by Shaun Hill gave the 49ers exactly what they would need to hold off Arizona and win the game.  Though the Cardinals would eventually win the NFC West anyway, the 49ers put up a strong fight and showed signs of hope.  They would go on to sweep this series and finish with a non-losing record for the first time since 2002.  (Highlights here.)

9.  7/27/09 - Lincecum strikes out 15 in a 4-2 complete-game victory over the Pirates.  Okay, this might not have made the list if I weren't there myself. Nonetheless, this game was a prime example of just how special Lincecum is.  The atmosphere at the park was incredible, especially in the 9th inning - a nearly sold-out crowd standing on their feet, despite the opponent being the Pirates, cheering him on, knowing he would not disappoint as he struck out the final hitter of the game.  On a side note, Wilson had the best expression ever while waiting in the bullpen after warming up, it was kind of like "Why the hell did you guys even bother warming me up?"

8.  7/12/09 - Tim Lincecum named the starting pitcher for the NL All-Star team.  Another honor in the short, but incredible career of young Tim Lincecum.  This kid will be great for years to come.  Let's not forget, 2009 was just his second full season in the Major Leagues.  In other words, he's gonna be great for years to come. (Side note: Did you know that the first eight AL All-Star starters were either named Lefty or Red?)

7.  6/4/09 - Randy Johnson wins his 300th game.  One last achievement in the remarkable career of Randy Johnson. (Much credit goes to Brian Wilson for preserving the win with a 4-out save that included a strikeout with the bases loaded in the 8th and Burris for this great defensive stop.)  This would be ranked higher if he had been on the Giants for more than a year.  Regardless, he was one of the greatest pitchers in history and it was his god-like performance in the 2001 World Series that got me into watching baseball.  (Highlights here.)

6.  11/19/09 - Tim Lincecum wins the 2009 NL Cy Young Award.   More praise for the Freak.  The Cy Young Award goes to the best pitcher in the league that year, and once again, it was Lincecum.  What he has done is incredible - two Cy Young awards in just two full seasons in the majors.  Nobody has ever done that in the history of the game, and at this rate, Lincecum might even break the record for the number of Cy Youngs he wins in his career.

5.  Sharks win the President's Cup.  The President's Cup goes to the team with the best record in hockey, and the Sharks were that team in the 2008-2009 season.  Though they didn't get anywhere in the playoffs, you have to admire the fact that they have been able to put up such great regular seasons on a regular basis, despite being such a young franchise.

4.  11/21/09 - California 34, Stanford 28.  (Video recap here.) It was a mostly disappointing season for Cal - finishing just 4-3 in the Pac-10 while getting blown out by USC, Oregon, and Washington. "Stanfurd" had just steamrolled USC and Oregon in the previous two weeks, lighting up their defenses for 55 and 51 points respectively behind senior tailback/beast Toby Gerhart, and came in as huge favorites.  But, Cal would not let this deter them from upsetting their arch-rivals. They quickly fell behind 14-0 thanks to a long touchdown run by Toby Gerhart and a blocked punt, but Kevin Riley found the good Kevin Riley in him and Vereen stepped up as a hero in the place of the great Jahvid Best, rushing for nearly 200 yards and 3 TDs.  Cal would eventually narrow the lead to 14-10 at halftime, take the lead on their first drive of the second half, and never relinquish it. The Cal defense, shredded apart all year by opposing passers, held its ground despite giving up 3 Gerhart touchdowns, intercepting Luck in the final minutes to seal the game.  Three knees later, Cal fans stormed the field in Stanford, cheering, knowing that the Axe would remain in Berkeley for one more year.

3.  8/26/09 - Molina hits a pinch-hit 3-run HR to give the Giants a 4-3 lead in the 8th. The Giants had been trailing all game and seemed lifeless except for a solo shot from Uribe in the previous inning.  They needed this game badly to stay close to the Rockies and with two on and two out, they called on their best hitter.  He had been sitting because of an injury, but he limped to the plate anyway, and in dramatic fashion, he launched a 3-run shot into the left field bleachers, sending the crowd into a frenzy and the Giants to an incredible win that brought them within 3 games of the Rockies.

2.  7/26/09 - Renteria hits a grand slam against the Rockies, giving the Giants a late 6-5 lead.  This was a pivotal game in the Wildcard race.  The Giants won the first two games of the series after coming in trailing by 3 games and needed one more win to reach a tie for the Wildcard lead. Things looked dismal, as the Giants trailed 5-2 heading into the 7th, and faced bleak prospects as Jim Tracy called on the stout Colorado bullpen.  Renteria stepped up to the plate, with the bases loaded, facing the seemingly unhittable Rafael Betancourt and drilled a 1-0 pitch into the left field bleachers for a grand slam.  The game would require one more heroic effort, but Jeremy Affeldt would do just that, striking out two Rockies hitters with a runner at 3rd to preserve the lead.  The crowd at AT&T park exploded, chants of "Sweep!" flooded the stadium, and the Giants were still in the playoff hunt.  This series gave so much hope for the Giants, though it would eventually go for naught.

1.  7/10/09 - Jonathan Sanchez throws a no-hitter.  (Video of all 27 outs here.)  It was the ultimate comeback story.  Sanchez, in his first start back from being demoted to the bullpen and with his father watching from the stands for the first time, pitched an incredible game (would have been a perfect game if it weren't for Uribe's 8th inning error). Thanks to some gold-glove caliber defense, highlighted by Rowand's dramatic catch at the wall in the 9th, Sanchez kept the glory alive throughout the night, striking out Evereth Cabrera with a curveball to seal the game and his place in history.  It was the first-ever no-hitter at AT&T park and it will give Giants fans something to remember for a lifetime.


(Next post to come: 5 to Blame and 5 to Proclaim)