by Peter Qaqundah

SAN FRANCISCO-Just as nothing could stop the Giants on their run to a third World Series title in five years, no amount of rain was able to put a damper on FanFest 2015. Fans arrived in packs to celebrate a new season with The San Francisco Giants. Players from the past and present were on hand to meet fans, sign autographs, and conduct interviews recapping the past season, their off season routines, and looking towards the 2015 campaign. Javier Lopez commended the fans for their loyalty and commitment when the Giants “decided not to play our best baseball,” Lopez said with a laugh. Multiple Giants addressed that stretch, acknowledging that they need to avoid such a slump but also feel that battling out of it proved invaluable for the playoff run.

Fans were pleased to hear the players’ off seasons were full of rest and relaxation. Buster Posey even took an extra two weeks off, which he has not done in any of the previous championship seasons. Another off season that was highly discussed was that of Matt Cain. He assured everyone that both surgeries were 100% successful and he is on track to be throwing with the rest of the staff when they report to spring training on February 18^th.

The Giant players have high hopes for this upcoming season. Brandon Belt, in particular, is looking forward to “go compete every single game” after injuries limited him to only 61 games last season before he was able to come back and provide some 18^th inning postseason magic against the Nationals. The Giants organization expects him to carry that success into this season, and he is ready to deliver. Just as with Belt, the organization is excited to see this year’s team in action. With the key acquisitions of Nori Aoki in the outfield and Casey Mcgehee manning the hot corner, in addition to our familiar stars returning, we should see a lot of base runners and scoring opportunities. If our pitching staff can remain as effective as they have been over the past 5 years, a fourth title in six years is well within reach.

Hunter Pence encapsulated The SF Giants and FanFest 2015 when he said, “It’s not work if you love doing it…I’m getting ready for what we do and love.” If this event was any precursor of the upcoming season, the fans are also ready for what we do and love—cheering on our defending World Series Champion San Francisco Giants.