For the Love of Money?

Hey, I just figured out that I hate the Giants more than I love money.

Yeah, you read that right.  I prefer watching the Giants lose over having green backs deposited in my checking account.  Let me explain.

The beginning of the end, Brandon Phillips was thrown out at third base, the first out of the the first inning of game three.  (photo by Al Behrman)

When I moved up to the San Francisco Bay Area in 1996 due to an unforeseen transfer, I immediately joined a pool of Giants season ticket holders from work.  Over the years we became a tight group of friends.  Back in ’96 I believe there were 16 of us.  Today, due to retirements, a few transfers, and even a couple that passed away, we have dwindled down to seven, with a few of us buying out the shares of former season ticket holders.  I have 2 shares, meaning I get tickets to 12 games a season.  That usually guarantees me 4 or 5 Dodger games a season, which isn’t bad in my book.

The other tickets I sell on stub hub or give away to family members.  It is fun entertainment.  It doesn’t matter if it is the Giants.  I always have a team to root for.  There’s never a game that i’m watching where I don’t have a vested interest in the outcome, which is being a constant rooter of the opposition.

So as this year’s post season approached, we (the season ticket holders) purchased the post season package with the agreement that we would sell the tickets and use the proceeds to pay for next year’s season ticket package.  We’ve done it in season’s past.

The first set of seats we sold for the first two NLDS games netted us about $1,000.  Now that the Giants are in the NLCS, we’ll get a minimum of another $1,500, perhaps more.  Depending on the number of games played.

So the further the Giants go in the playoffs, the more money in my pocket.   You’d think I’m rooting for the Giants, right?  I can pay for next season’s tickets with the proceeds.  That certainly makes sense.  Root for the Giants because if they win, I benefit financially.  Yeah, right!  No Frickin’ way!  The Giants have got to go down.

Buster Posey blasts a fifth inning grand slam in today's 6-4 Giant win.  It was an upper deck shot off of Mat Latos who clearly lost his composure earlier in the inning.  (photo by David Kohl/AP)

Unfortunately, they appear to be a team of destiny.   If I had to pick a team to go all the way right now at this point of post season play, I hate to say it, but the Giants would be the team to pick.  We are staring a potential San Francisco dynasty in place.  Fasten your seat belts folks, but the Giants may be on the verge of winning their second World Series championship in the period of three years.  That empty trophy case is ancient history.  This team is good and Bruce Bochy may be the best manager in the game.  If Ned is going to lure former Giants away to the Dodgers, he should start with their manager.