Bay Bridge Series in Sports Illustrated

Posted on June 2, 2011

My picture of A’s base runner Mark Ellis sliding home safely past Giants catcher Buster Posey ran as a Leading Off in the May 30, 2011 issue of Sports Illustrated.

 

The baseball season is a long one. 162 games will take any fan on a roller coaster each and every day for six months. Some days you feel like your team is unstoppable, and the next day you think your team sucks out loud and will never win another game. This has been very true lately for Giants fans like me all over the Bay Area. Ten days ago the Giants completed a three game sweep of the A’s at home in exciting fashion, causing me to write this blog about the final game: What a Great Game. What a Great Day. A few days later fans like me were crying in our beer when Buster Posey was injured in a collision at home plate. Ensuing surgery and medical updates determined that Posey will be out for the entire 2011 season, and many fans felt like the season was over.

It was ironic that the day my May 30 issue of Sports Illustrated arrived in my mailbox (last Thursday) the 2010 Rookie of the Year was pictured in a two page spread trying to tag out Mark Ellis of the A’s with a sweep tag. Posey did not hold onto the ball in this play- and Ellis was safe, but then again so was Posey. He would not be so lucky a few nights later against the Marlins.

Yes, I was very happy to have my picture featured as a leading Off in the magazine. But the feeling was very bittersweet knowing that I would not have the chance to photograph my favorite catcher until 2012. The season still has four months to go, and I still think the Giants have what it takes to sneak past their division rivals to win the National league West. It will not be as fun or easy without Posey, and many of the games will make me want to throw my old Panasonic transistor radio through the wall. But it will never be boring.