Freddy Sanchez published in Sports Illustrated

Posted on November 5, 2010

Freddy Sanchez of the San Francisco Giants leaps to make a catch to end the second inning of Game Four of the 2010 World Series against the Texas Rangers at Rangers Ballpark on Sunday, October 31, 2010 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Brad Mangin/MLB Photos)

 

Many of you know what a huge San Francisco Giants fan I am, so it will come as no great surprise to you that I am still in a stunned state of mind as their first week as 2010 World Series Champions comes to an end. My week was made even better on Wednesday afternoon when I pulled the new issue of Sports Illustrated out of my mailbox. The great Al Tielemans nailed a great cover of the Giants celebrating their Series clinching win in Texas,  and Robert Beck managed to clean up with almost every other picture from the Series in the magazine. However, the best part for me was seeing my picture of Giants second baseman Freddy Sanchez leaping in the air to snag Jeff Francoeur’s line drive in Game 4 published as a vertical Leading Off double truck in the front of the magazine.

I was on assignment for Major League Baseball Photos shooting the World Series and was lucky to be focused on Sanchez at second base when he leaped in the air to snag Francoeur’s line drive. I was shooting from outside third base and could not see the left side of the infield too well due to the umpire and third base coach being in my way, so I decided to focus on the second sacker. Who needs a picture of Jeff Francoeur swinging a bat anyway? I thought I had a pretty decent frame, and I am glad the folks at the magazine agreed.

It means so much to me to have this picture published in Sports Illustrated. Sports Illustrated is the weekly sports news magazine of record in this country, and so many Giants fans will be buying and saving this issue to help them remember the orange and black’s first world title since they moved to San Francisco in 1958. Knowing that my picture of a little second baseman becoming a Giant in front of everyone in the world on a Sunday night in Texas will forever be preserved in the memories of fans all over the Bay Area is cool. It makes be feel like I documented a little bit of history.

I still can’t believe they won!