Giants acquire Hunter Pence in trade with Phillies

Posted on July 31, 2012

Hunter Pence of the Philadelphia Phillies bats against the San Francisco Giants during the game at AT&T Park on August 7, 2011 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Brad Mangin)

 

When I was a kid in the 1970’s the trading deadline was June 15th. It was always an exciting time as I tried to get news from KSFO radio and the afternoon Oakland Tribune. In the days before the Internet, Twitter, and the MLB Network you really had to work to find out if your favorite club made a last-minute trade. In 1978 the Giants traded for outfielders Jim Dwyer and Heity Cruz and purchased the contract of Roger Metzger. I was so jacked up! The team was having a good year and the excitement of adding some new guys was very exciting for this 13-year-old fan. Comparing the trading frenzy on deadline day 34 years ago to the craziness happening today is pretty remarkable.

I woke up this morning (rather late after a long night at the ballpark last night) to the news that the long-rumored trade between the Giants and Phillies had finally been completed. The Giants were getting outfielder Hunter Pence from Philly in exchange for Nate Schierholtz and two minor leaguers. The Giants offense has been reeling of late, and they really needed to make a move. The woeful Phillies were backing up the truck and getting rid of everyone, so as today’s 4pm EDT deadline approached the trade seemed like a lock.

Finding out this breaking news this morning was so much different than it was back in ’78. Today I woke up to numerous Tweets announcing the deal before it was official, when it became official, and after it was official. All the reports from the respected Giants beat writers I follow on Twitter like Andrew Baggarly (@CSNBaggs) and Henry Schulman (@hankschulman) were backed up by exciting television coverage on the MLB Network with fast-paced coverage of all the moves happening today.

I was a fan at last night’s 8-7 extra inning loss to the Mets. It was a gut-wrenching defeat that I am calling the worst of the season. The Dodgers had improved themselves to much with recent trades the Giants had to make a move. As a photographer I am very pleased with this deal as Pence has always been fun to photograph. As a fan I am happy too. They needed to do something, and Schierholtz just wasn’t happening anymore as a player for the Giants.

The Giants appear to be in big trouble and limping to the finish line- which is two months away! They are still tied for first place with the Dodgers, but I don’t see them hanging in for the NL West flag til the end of the season. I will be in my seats as a fan again tonight and hope I see a better outcome than last night. I am not sure if Pence will be there in time for the game as he must fly in from Philadelphia. All I know for sure is this- Pence will be in the lineup when I shoot Thursday’s day game and I can’t wait to shoot him in the orange and black. I hope he has as many magic moments for the Giants in 2012 as Cruz had for the 1978 club. I can still remember Heity winning some big ballgames for the Giants during the most magical summer of my youth.

Pence (@HunterPence3) has just Tweeted this: “Thank you Philadelphia for all your support and passion. Excited to see what awaits me in San Francisco!” I think San Francisco is excited to see he brings to the ballclub.