Part 2: Giants fan in Dodgerland

JT Snow last played in a major league  game in 2006.  He retired in 2008.  He retired as a Giant. But the way he retired as a Giant was touching.  He was doing commentary for Giants games when he decided to retire; he had last played for the Boston Red Sox.  The Giants organization asked him to retire as a Giant and offered him a one day contract, which he would go out into the field for the pre-game, then be scratched before the game started.  They had a ceremony, and Snow officially retired as a player as a Giant.  I think it was really classy of the Giants to do that for Snow.  I wish the Angels would have done that with Garrett Anderson.

The other incident is also really a kudos to the people of San Francisco.  Growing up, I participated in the Los Angeles/San Francisco rivalry - I will still participate in that rivalry - but when the Brian Stow beating took place, I was ashamed - for the city of Los Angeles, and as a baseball fan, and if I bled Dodger Blue, as a Dodger fan - and I think alot of other people felt the same.  But the fans in San Francisco didn't take it out on us - they knew individuals were responsible - and seemed to go out of their way to let us know that the assaulters were not a reflection of Los Angeles baseball fans.

Then, the first time the Dodgers went up to San Fran, I didn't know what to expect - but I thought the fans were great, and to see the two teams get together, and form a fellowship of sort before the game - it was great to see - maybe it wasn't New York/Boston after 9-11, or the Boston Marathon bombing, but still a pretty heartwarming scene.

Also in 2011 and in 2013, the year after the Giants won the world series, they conducted a raffle in which the winner recieved a World Series ring with his/her name engraved.  I suppose the name engraving serves another purpose of discouraging sale of the ring, but that would be a special thing to win for a fan - and I think it is great of the Giants organizatin to hold such a raffle, and donate the proceeds to charity.   I don't know if other teams do the same, but I don't remember the Lakers doing this when they were winning the NBA Finals a few years ago, and I fdon't remember the Angels doing this after they won the 2002 World Series.

So, there it is - how I became a Giants Fan even though I grew up and live in Dodgerland.