Angel Pagan is the heart and soul of the Giants

Posted on September 9, 2013

Angel Pagan #16 of the San Francisco Giants celebrates after driving in the winning run in the bottom of the 11th inning with a base hit to left field against the Arizona Diamondbacks at AT&T Park on Sunday, September 8, 2013 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Brad Mangin)

 

There is no question that the 2013 San Francisco Giants have had a disappointing season. Last October’s World Series run looks like a mirage as this years squad limps to the finish line. I am heading out to the ballpark in a few hours to be a fan for the last time in my season tickets tonight. Before I do that I want to look back at 2013 and discuss why center fielder Angel Pagan, who has missed most of thew season with a hamstring injury, is the heart and soul of the ball club.

Every team has injuries over the course of a long baseball season. It doesn’t do much good to piss and moan about your favorite club’s bad luck and multiple trips to the disabled list. The Giants, like most teams, have lost their fair share of guys to the dreaded DL this campaign. They did not lose their quiet leader and most valuable player Buster Posey. The preacher Hunter Pence has not been hurt, in fact he has played every game this season. But the one guy who went down and seemed to take the club with him when he went on the disabled list on May 28, 2013 is Pagan.

Pagan tore his hamstring during a May 25, 2013 game against the Colorado Rockies when he made a mad dash around the bases to hit a walk-off game-winning inside-the-park home run with two outs in the bottom of the 10th and the Giants trailing 5-4 (see above). After this thrilling game in San Francisco the Giants were 27-22 and looking good in the National League West standings. Since then everything has gone to Hell.

First reports did not make the injury seem very serious, but after a few days the club had to DL Pagan and reality set in. Outfielders Gregor Blanco and Andres Torres are not every day players. Juan Perez, Roger Kieschnick, and Kensuke Tanaka weren’t happening. Pagan was gone so long this season I almost forgot about him, but then he came back and reminded me why he was so important to this team.

This was never more evident than during yesterday’s game against the Arizona Diamondbacks at AT&T Park. I was out there doing what I do, shooting baseball, while all the cool kids were at Candlestick shooting the Packers and 49ers. I am a baseball guy so I was where I needed to be, and by the time the long September shadows reached home plate in the bottom of the 11th inning I am glad I was right where I belonged.

Pagan was not in the starting lineup, and since had had come back from his injury on August 30, 2013 in Arizona I had not photographed him. Pagan came to the plate with men on first and second with no one out in the bottom of the 11th inning with the game tied at 2. Would he bunt? Nah. That was not the plan. The shadow from behind home plate had drifted to the batters box. Pagan would be the last batter draped in golden back light from my position at third base. The switch-hitter was swinging from the right side. I was ready. So was he.

Pagan ripped a pitch on a line into left field for a single and jumped in the air as he rounded first base to celebrate as pinch-runner Ehire Adrianza scored the winning run from second base. Pagan was celebrating like the Giants were in first place, and why not? The team was going nowhere but you could tell how thrilled Pagan was to be healthy and playing with his teammates again. This is when I realized how much they missed him when he was hurt.

As a photographer I love shooting the emotion on the faces of the ballplayers, and few guys around seem to enjoy playing the game as much as Pagan. You can tell in the pictures I have posted with this blog entry. Look at this guy!

I am not saying the team would be in first place if Pagan had not injured himself way back in May, but I bet they would be much closer to the .500 mark than they are now. I am glad they have him back for next season. It will be fun to see what he does in a bounce-back year. If he can stay healthy he will be a major piece of the 2014 season. After all, he is the heart and soul of the club.