Giants Advance to the NLCS: Assorted Thoughts and GIFS

So, Buster Posey.

It was a joyous day. After the defibrillation, it really was a joyous day. Let us, then, begin with Buster Posey.

I'm not wild about players watching every home run. But I also came of age in the Barry Bonds era, which means that I think watching the really cool ones should be allowed. Like, say, booming, upper-deck home runs, or a home run against a disrespectful twit like Mat Latos, or a grand slam in an elimination playoff game. Or, and I'm just riffing here, a booming, upper-deck grand slam against Mat Latos in an elimination playoff game.

And for the first time I can remember -- and I'm pretty sure the first time ever -- Buster Posey watched his home run, if just for a second.

Maybe for two seconds.

He earned it. Regardless of what happens in the series to come -- and there is a lot of freaky stuff still lurking, you know -- these playoffs have a defining moment. This was Clark up the middle, this was Lofton driving Bell home. It seems sacrilegious to compare an NLDS win to a pennant-winning moment, but considering how far the Giants had to come back, who hit the homer, and the pitcher in question, this deserves to be up there.

Of all the GIFs, I think this one's my favorite because it has the most reaction. There are so many places to look:

Pagan going back to tag is the best. Quick thinking, Angel. Always be prepared, that's my motto. You get Hanigan's reaction in this one, too, plus some of the crowd. And that swing, damn, that swing. The best part for my money, though, was the grand slam.

Seems Funnier in Retrospect Award
You know what was funny? When Pagan came up on this…

... and did his fist pump, I thought he was coming up to rifle the ball into the infield, and, for a split second, I thought he trapped it. It was obvious he caught it, but then why would he roll around and come up throwing oh no oh he's just fist-pumping.

Scared the absolute hell out of me at the time.

There's a superstitious part of me that thinks the Giants won Game 5 when George Foster threw out the first pitch for the Reds. Foster was part of one of the most lopsided deals of all-time, see, and back when the Giants were handing out outfielders like Costco samples -- Gary Matthews, Garry Maddox, Bobby Bonds -- it was George Foster who led his team to a World Series.

The superstitious part of me said, hey, c'mon Reds, give us something back, don't be like that, you knew Frank Duffy was a flop, c'mon Reds, just let the Giants win.

That's all hokum, of course. But the important part is that I can retroactively believe it mattered.

For an hour before the start of the NLDS, I was searching for reasons to be annoyed with the Reds. After penning a few paragraphs, I realized I'd jotted them all down for series preview during the season. Most of them had to do with Bronson Arroyo's taste in music and Mat Latos's horrible thumb-face, and I couldn't find any more, so I scrapped the post.

Forgot about George Foster, though. You think you can sneak an outfielder from the '70s who I never watched and who played for the Giants before I was born by me in that first-pitch ceremony? Ha. Nice try.

There is no good way to GIF a George Foster for Frank Duffy trade.

Here's a GIF!

I like to watch this one while syncing up the audio from this:

Over and over and over and over and over. Like a monkey with miniature cymbals. That's my preferred method of watching that.

Also of note: Mat Latos kind of looks like a really tall Ralph Wiggum.

Last one.

Even Posey gets messed with. No, wait. Especially Posey gets messed with. Don't forget the clincher. They love to pick on Posey. And that's just about the most endearing thing ever. I want to buy a stuffed animal of them picking on Posey. I don't even know what that means, but I'll pay $50.