Pablo Sandoval returned to Oracle Park last night to play for what might be his last time.
Good morning, baseball fans!
For those who might have missed it, the San Francisco Giants had their final exhibition game of the pre-season last night, losing 3-1 to the Oakland Athletics. However, that wasn’t the story, not even remotely.
No, the story was Pablo Sandoval. Sandoval, for clarity’s sake, is not retiring. He had been hoping to battle for a spot on the roster for this season, but with the addition of Matt Chapman, that is not in the cards at the moment. But Sandoval has said he would be willing to play in Triple-A Sacramento to continue to work towards a return to the team.
However, never ones to miss out on an opportunity to celebrate one of the major stars of the championship era, the Giants did just that in Tuesday’s exhibition game. In what could potentially be Sandoval’s last appearance playing in a Giants uniform in front of fans at Oracle Park, the stage was set to celebrate Sandoval at every opportunity.
And the fan-favorite did not disappoint.
After striking out in his first at-bat in the sixth inning, Sandoval came up in the ninth and with a two-two count, and hit a broken bat single over the head of the A’s infielders. He was pulled for a pinch-runner, which allowed fans and players alike, from both teams, to give him yet another round of applause and standing ovation.
We love you, Pablo.
How many days until Opening Day?
ONE MORE DAWN, ONE MORE DAY, ONE DAY MORE!