Buster Posey

ARLINGTON, Texas — These Giants have not known the joy of clinching a postseason series at home, of prancing giddily around the field, of spraying their fans with assorted liquid substances. They might never know that joy. They would happily pay that price in order to win the World Series on Monday. The Giants are one victory from a championship. Never have they won a World Series in San Francisco. But never in their San Francisco history have they led a Series three games to one. They do now, thanks to a pitcher of legal drinking age for all of three months.

So many questions await Buster Posey this spring. They hover in the air like a series of foul pops, subject to the whims of wind and spin. Will his repaired left ankle respond when he hops out of his crouch to throw? How will it feel when he wakes up the following day? Will his timing at the plate be an issue after the longest layoff of his baseball life? Will he be the ebullient rookie of the year who led the Giants to a World Series title in 2010? Or will Posey's career be more about concessions than celebrations?

Orioles catcher Matt Wieters knows the San Francisco Giants' Buster Posey well. They competed against each other in the Atlantic Coast Conference, as Wieters went to Georgia Tech and Posey starred at Florida State. They attended the Johnny Bench ceremony together as two of the nominees for the nation's top catcher award. They were both drafted fifth overall, one year apart, and made their major league debuts amid enormous expectations. So Wieters' initial reaction when he saw highlights of Wednesday's collision at home plate between Posey and the Florida Marlins' Scott Cousins, which resulted in the Giants' backstop suffering a fractured bone in his left leg and sustaining ligament damage in his ankle — injuries that may end his season — was one of empathy.

Orioles catcher Matt Wieters knows the San Francisco Giants' Buster Posey well. They competed against each other in the Atlantic Coast Conference, as Wieters went to Georgia Tech and Posey starred at Florida State. They attended the Johnny Bench ceremony together as two of the nominees for the nation's top catcher award. They were both drafted fifth overall, one year apart, and made their major league debuts amid enormous expectations. So Wieters' initial reaction when he saw highlights of Wednesday's collision at home plate between Posey and the Florida Marlins' Scott Cousins, which resulted in the Giants' backstop suffering a fractured bone in his left leg and sustaining ligament damage in his ankle — injuries that may end his season — was one of empathy.

SAN FRANCISCO — Roy Halladay threw a no-hitter. Tim Lincecum might have done him one better. Not in the headlines, of course. In degree of difficulty, however, Lincecum might have aced his rival ace. Lincecum pitched a two-hit complete game and struck out 14 Thursday night to carry the Giants to a 1-0 victory over the Braves in Game 1 of their National League Division Series. The 14 strikeouts are a postseason mark for the Giants. Halladay got four runs of support in his no-hitter.

Roy Halladay threw a no-hitter. Tim Lincecum might have done him one better. Not in the headlines, of course. In degree of difficulty, however, Lincecum might have aced his rival ace. Lincecum pitched a two-hit complete game and struck out 14, carrying the San Francisco Giants to a 1-0 victory over the Atlanta Braves in Game 1 of the National League division series Thursday. The 14 strikeouts set a postseason record for the Giants franchise. Halladay got four runs of support in his no-hitter, all in the first two innings.

SAN FRANCISCO — The refrain is a familiar one. After television replays expose a blown call, Commissioner Bud Selig insists there is no great outcry among players and club officials for increased use of instant replay to review calls. And, on the day after a blown call heavily influenced the National League Division Series opener between the Giants and Braves, there was no great outcry. "You're taking everything that's great out of baseball — the human element," Giants first baseman Aubrey Huff said before Friday night's game.

SAN FRANCISCO — Five days after their initial encounter, Tim Lincecum and Roy Halladay will go at it again. This time, with even more at stake. Halladay will be pitching in Game 5 Thursday to extend the Phillies' postseason after the Giants' walk-off 6-5 victory Wednesday. Juan Uribe's ninth-inning sacrifice fly scored Aubrey Huff to give the Giants a 3-1 lead in the National League Championship Series. Huff reached on a one-out single and moved to third on Buster Posey's single, his fourth hit of the game.

ARLINGTON, Texas — The Giants landed on the shores of San Francisco 53 years ago, their colors worn by greats identified solely by their last name, Mays and Cepeda graced Seals Stadium. McCovey and Marichal christened Candlestick Park. Bonds lorded over AT&T Park. The statues and the records are theirs. The first World Series championship parade in San Francisco history will be led by a cast lovingly described by its manager as castoffs and misfits. Russ Hodges, rest in peace.

Pity the Rockies. They have two of the National League's best hitters in Carlos Gonzalez and Troy Tulowitzki and one of baseball's best pitchers in Ubaldo Jimenez. They also have a huge challenge ahead of them in 2011. Ditto the Dodgers, the Diamondbacks and the surprising Padres. Tim Lincecum, Matt Cain, Madison Bumgarner and Jonathan Sanchez aren't going anywhere after carrying the Giants to the World Series championship. Barry Zito also remains around, and there wasn't another team in the playoffs that wouldn't have wanted him on its roster.

Pity the Rockies. They have two of the National League's best hitters in Carlos Gonzalez and Troy Tulowitzki and one of baseball's best pitchers in Ubaldo Jimenez. They also have a huge challenge ahead of them in 2011. Ditto the Dodgers, the Diamondbacks and the surprising Padres. Tim Lincecum, Matt Cain, Madison Bumgarner and Jonathan Sanchez aren't going anywhere after carrying the Giants to the World Series championship. Barry Zito also remains around, and there wasn't another team in the playoffs that wouldn't have wanted him on its roster.

ARLINGTON, Texas — The Giants landed on the shores of San Francisco 53 years ago, their colors worn by greats identified solely by their last name, Mays and Cepeda graced Seals Stadium. McCovey and Marichal christened Candlestick Park. Bonds lorded over AT&T Park. The statues and the records are theirs. The first World Series championship parade in San Francisco history will be led by a cast lovingly described by its manager as castoffs and misfits. Russ Hodges, rest in peace.

Brian Wilson attracted a crowd of reporters; so did Buster Posey and Tim Lincecum. The president of the San Francisco Giants did a round of interviews, and so did the owner, the former owner, former players, even the clubhouse manager. As the celebration raged in the San Francisco clubhouse late Monday night, all those interviews giddily interrupted by streams of champagne and beer, Dick Tidrow stood in an adjacent hallway, cameras and reporters rushing past him. There were plenty of romantic tales to be told about the first World Series championship in San Francisco history.

ARLINGTON, Texas — These Giants have not known the joy of clinching a postseason series at home, of prancing giddily around the field, of spraying their fans with assorted liquid substances. They might never know that joy. They would happily pay that price in order to win the World Series on Monday. The Giants are one victory from a championship. Never have they won a World Series in San Francisco. But never in their San Francisco history have they led a Series three games to one. They do now, thanks to a pitcher of legal drinking age for all of three months.

SAN FRANCISCO — Five days after their initial encounter, Tim Lincecum and Roy Halladay will go at it again. This time, with even more at stake. Halladay will be pitching in Game 5 Thursday to extend the Phillies' postseason after the Giants' walk-off 6-5 victory Wednesday. Juan Uribe's ninth-inning sacrifice fly scored Aubrey Huff to give the Giants a 3-1 lead in the National League Championship Series. Huff reached on a one-out single and moved to third on Buster Posey's single, his fourth hit of the game.

SAN FRANCISCO — The refrain is a familiar one. After television replays expose a blown call, Commissioner Bud Selig insists there is no great outcry among players and club officials for increased use of instant replay to review calls. And, on the day after a blown call heavily influenced the National League Division Series opener between the Giants and Braves, there was no great outcry. "You're taking everything that's great out of baseball — the human element," Giants first baseman Aubrey Huff said before Friday night's game.

So many questions await Buster Posey this spring. They hover in the air like a series of foul pops, subject to the whims of wind and spin. Will his repaired left ankle respond when he hops out of his crouch to throw? How will it feel when he wakes up the following day? Will his timing at the plate be an issue after the longest layoff of his baseball life? Will he be the ebullient rookie of the year who led the Giants to a World Series title in 2010? Or will Posey's career be more about concessions than celebrations?

Brian Wilson attracted a crowd of reporters; so did Buster Posey and Tim Lincecum. The president of the San Francisco Giants did a round of interviews, and so did the owner, the former owner, former players, even the clubhouse manager. As the celebration raged in the San Francisco clubhouse late Monday night, all those interviews giddily interrupted by streams of champagne and beer, Dick Tidrow stood in an adjacent hallway, cameras and reporters rushing past him. There were plenty of romantic tales to be told about the first World Series championship in San Francisco history.

SAN FRANCISCO — Roy Halladay threw a no-hitter. Tim Lincecum might have done him one better. Not in the headlines, of course. In degree of difficulty, however, Lincecum might have aced his rival ace. Lincecum pitched a two-hit complete game and struck out 14 Thursday night to carry the Giants to a 1-0 victory over the Braves in Game 1 of their National League Division Series. The 14 strikeouts are a postseason mark for the Giants. Halladay got four runs of support in his no-hitter.

Roy Halladay threw a no-hitter. Tim Lincecum might have done him one better. Not in the headlines, of course. In degree of difficulty, however, Lincecum might have aced his rival ace. Lincecum pitched a two-hit complete game and struck out 14, carrying the San Francisco Giants to a 1-0 victory over the Atlanta Braves in Game 1 of the National League division series Thursday. The 14 strikeouts set a postseason record for the Giants franchise. Halladay got four runs of support in his no-hitter, all in the first two innings.