Giants Fans Rejoice After Third World Series Title In 5 Years

Transcript

MELISSA BLOCK, HOST:

A lot of people are sporting black and orange today - not for Halloween, for the San Francisco Giants. Last night, the Giants edged out the Kansas City Royals, 3-to-2, to win the World Series. It's their third title in five years, and as NPR's Richard Gonzales reports, that means Giants fans say their team is a sports dynasty.

RICHARD GONZALES, BYLINE: As sports bars go, the Double Play at 16th and Bryant Streets in San Francisco is old school - more intimate than spacious, more blue-collar than high-tech. It's been here since 1909, and it has remained a main watering hole for baseball fans ever since. Last night, the Double Play was full of fans watching what generations before could never imagine - the Giants one out away from winning yet another World Series.

UNIDENTIFIED MAN: Let's go, Giants.

GONZALES: They held their breath as Giants pitcher Madison Bumgarner got Royals batter Salvador Perez to hit a pop-up foul that landed in the glove of Giants third baseman Pablo Sandoval.

(SOUNDBITE OF CROWD CHEERING)

GONZALES: Paralegal Kyler Radon stood outside in disbelief, his palms glued to his forehead.

KYLER RADON: Dude, I cannot believe that the Giants are a dynasty, baby - dynasty - three championships in five years. What can you say? Amazing.

GONZALES: Another fan, Kathy Chow, recalls that the Giants won despite losing key players to injuries this season. And like many fans, she says, the sports establishment hasn't always given the Giants their due.

KATHY CHOW: Some people are talking about dynasty. They really fuel on this kind of underdog spirit. And I think that's what San Franciscans love - is to root for an underdog. Although, I don't know. We may have to find someone else to root for now.

GONZALES: Today, the team's colors, orange and black, could be seen everywhere - on shirts, on skirts, even shoes, as a mild calm and euphoria pervaded downtown. There were some ugly incidents last night. There was a stabbing and two shootings, although police were not sure they were linked to the World Series street party. Rowdy crowds near AT and T Park lit numerous bonfires and threw bottles at police, injuring three officers.

CARLOS ALARCON: Yeah, there's a bunch of idiots out there, you know? I don't understand how that's celebrating. It doesn't make any sense to me.

GONZALES: Carlos Alarcon was among the stream of smiling customers jamming into the Giants memorabilia shop at the park. At 44, Alarcon's a life-long Giants fan who still can't believe the team's emergence as a baseball powerhouse in the past five years.

ALARCON: Back when we were young - we were 10, 11, 12 - this was just a dream. Years went by. It was never going to happen, never going to happen, and yeah, this is - it's unreal, unreal.

GONZALES: San Francisco's celebration for its Giants continues tomorrow with a parade down Market Street and a rally at City Hall. Richard Gonzales, NPR News, San Francisco. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.