2.Panda And The Freak
In the old days, any player worth talking about had a nickname.
It's a bit of a lost art now (add “y” to name, that will
suffice), but an oh-so-charismatic San Francisco team has proven
worthy of conjuring the game's colorful past. Yes, the Kung Fu
Panda hit a sophomore slump, but that ultra-clutch two-run
double in the NLCS is what I'll remember. Lincecum has defied
the odds his whole career, and the Giants defied all odds in
2010. What a year! And those panda hats are still the very best
in ballpark wear. Heck, I wore mine to a Billy Bragg／Mavis
Staples show…
You heard about the Mudcat, Catfish and the Georgia Peach. The
Kitten and the Cobra, the Spaceman and the Beast. Goose, Bird,
Rooster, Penguin, Vulture -- and your bird can sing. And the
greatest nickname of all time：Death To Flying Things. In old New
York it was Turkey Mike, Muggsy and the Big Six. In San
Francisco, Baby Bull, Stretch, and the Say Hey Kid. Then came
the Count, the Hackman, Jack the Ripper and Will the Thrill.
Barry and Jeff Kent, but a dearth of nicknames, that is,
until…The Giants got the Panda. The Giants got the Freak. The
Panda's smoking line drives; the Freak is throwing heat. Panda
and the Freak!
When it comes to kung fu fighting, he's no better than Hong Chi
Quo. He's kind of like Bruce Lee if you cross Bruce Lee with a
buffalo. He barrels round the bases; he scrambles for ground
balls. Zito named him Kung Fu Panda -- that's our Pablo
Sandoval.
They said he wasn't built to last; they said he was too small.
The Mariners passed him right by -- now that was a bad call. Two
Cy Youngs, two strike-out crowns, in his first full two years.
And if Timmy takes a puff or two, let's raise a toast, “Three
cheers!” The Giants got the Panda. The Giants got the Freak. The
Panda's smoking line drives; the Freak is smoking weed. Panda
and the Freak!
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