Giants Arrive Home To Fan Cheers After Series Sweep
SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF) - Fresh from their World Series sweep, the San Francisco Giants returned home Monday, and jubilant Bay Area were on hand to celebrate their arrival.
The team touched down at San Francisco International Airport around 4 p.m., with manager Bruce Bochy carrying the trophy as the team exited their charter airplane to the cheers of some waiting fans.
An even larger group of fans numbering in the hundreds waited outside of AT&T Park for the buses transporting the Giants players and coaches to their home ballpark from SFO.
The fans lined up along Second Street erupted in cheers as the group of buses turned into the alleyway at AT&T at 4:40 p.m.; some fans even climbed the gates at the park as they tried to get a closer look at the players.
After getting off the lead bus, series MVP Pablo Sandoval grabbed the World Series trophy and ran back down the alley parading the trophy in front of the fans.
Sandoval then passed the trophy off to relief pitcher Sergio Romo, who pitched the final outs of Sunday's 10-inning 4-3 victory over the Detroit Tigers. Romo followed suit, displaying the trophy proudly to the throngs of supporters.
Outfielder Hunter Pence and starting pitcher Ryan Vogelsong also came out to greet the fans with high-fives and handshakes.
Many of the fans waited at the park for hours Monday to see the Giants to return home. Daniel Mezquito, 22, of Concord even stayed overnight.
As he waited for the team to arrive this afternoon, Mezquito was dressed in a 2012 World Series Championship T-shirt and hat, and was holding a watercolor painting of Sandoval and Romo and hoped to have it signed.
"It was emotional for me, it's my passion," he said. "Seeing that (the Giants win a World Series) brings pride to me."
The Giants completed a four-game sweep of the Tigers to clinch their second World Series championship in three years. They defeated the Texas Rangers 4-1 in the 2010 World Series, the first title since moving to San Francisco in 1958.
Laurina Marcic, 27, of San Francisco waited for the team's AT&T arrival holding a sign that said, "25 guys, one common goal, mission accomplished."
Of Sunday's final out, a strikeout of Tigers heavy-hitter Miguel Cabrera, Marcic said, "It was stressing me out. It definitely wasn't going to be a World Series without some torture."
Steve Bonachita, 41, of Daly City admitted that he "kind of wanted it go one more game—wanted one more day of baseball—but I'll take it."
"Getting to the World Series was the toughest, but once we were there it was a breeze," said Bonachita, who was wearing a Giants jacket. He added that while he missed the 2010 Giants victory parade, "I'm definitely not missing this one."
San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee announced that the championship ticker-tape parade would begin at 11 a.m. Wednesday at the foot of Market Street and end at the Civic Center, where there would be a celebration ceremony.
Related Content: CBS SF Guide To The Victory Parade
(Copyright 2012 by CBS San Francisco. All rights reserved. Wire services contributed to this report. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)
