Giving thanks

Hopefully, you'll give thanks for the important stuff today. But you're here because you have a keen eye for the unimportant stuff, like baseball. So allow me to lead a round of thanks for a few baseball-related tidbits.

I'm thankful that Madison Bumgarner's middle name is "K", and that in 2007, the Rockies said, "That tall kid from North Carolina is pretty intriguing … but not as much as this college reliever!"

I'm thankful that Paul DePodesta's algorithm didn't include high-school pitchers in 2002, which meant the A's wanted this guy:

Instead of this guy:

The Rockies had the 10th pick that year, and they took Jeff Francis instead of Matt Cain. That almost worked out for them!

I'm thankful that in 2006, when they could have had any amateur player not named Luke Hochevar, the Rockies decided they wanted someone a little more polished than the skinny kid out of Washington.

Now, the Rockies never had a chance to draft Buster Posey. But I'm thankful that on September 4, 2007, the Rockies worked two walks in the bottom of the ninth, which allowed Brad Hawpe to single home the winning run. Without that Rockies win, the Giants wouldn't have drafted in the same slot in 2008, which might have meant the Giants' catcher of the future was going to be Kyle Skipworth instead.

Bless you, Brad Hawpe. And Brad Hennessey, who gave up those walks and hits. And Kaz Matsui, who knocked in the tying run off Hennessey in the 8th inning. Hennessey was worth over seven wins in 2012! Those wins belonged to Buster Posey.

I'm thankful the Rockies' front office saw more in Aaron Weatherford, Kent Matthes, and David Bechtold instead of Brandon Crawford, Brandon Belt, and Sergio Romo when it was their turn to draft in those respective years and rounds.

But most of all, I'm thankful that the Rockies had a smidgen of a sliver of an iota of interest in Charlie Culberson, and that it was worth getting rid of Marco Scutaro to get him.

I'm also thankful that Rockies fans have a good sense of humor because there was no real reason to troll them like this. But I'm thankful for the Rockies for all they've done for the San Francisco Giants and their two World Series championships.

To the Rockies! We'll save you a slice of pumpkin pie. Unless we don't.