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The Giants didn't win the 2015 World Series

In which we lament this sad truth in a way that the other teams can't understand.

By Grant Brisbee
Brian Bahr/Getty Images

The Giants are no longer the reigning World Champions. The next time you see them play, they won't have a fancy patch on their jerseys. The Royals will get to strut around like they won the World Series, which they did, and which they've done since they lost the World Series, but now they'll get to do it for real. They get a whole year of it. And good for them. That was an unbelievable postseason run.

And I'm jealous.

Now, there are Cubs and Mariners and Indians fans who want to stab me after reading that, and I don't blame them. But this jealousy is a variety specific to Giants fans right now. It's the pangs of I remember that, and wanting to experience it again. Let's check in with my labelmates at Royals Review.

Oh, man, remember when the Giants went to the White House? Remember when Matt Cain hit Matt Duffy in the beans? Remember Michael Morse's suit? All of that was so much fun.

OH, THE PARADE. Gosh, those are fun, just a million of your closest friends, all wearing the same colors and screaming at their heroes floating by. I miss the parade. They had the last two on my birthday, you know. At the last one, I made a Vine of Metallica waving to the crowd as Hall and Oates blared in the background, and I must have watched it 100 times before it was nuked with the rest of my account.

The Giants didn't win the World Series. I'll be honest with you, it's a lot better when they win the World Series.

Confession: They won't win the World Series next year, either. The even-year narrative is nonsense, an easily discernable pattern that latches onto our brains like a metroid, but it's probably not real. Of course, I wrote this all winter after the 2013 season, too, so either I'm stupid or baseball is. Probably both.

The feeling of "okay, seriously, let's actually win it this year" that happens every other season, though, is very real. I wanted the Giants to win this year. I wanted them to win so bad because endorphins are awesome and I'm greedy. But there's a rhythm to the greed, and it takes watching another team celebrate to get there. If the Giants had won this season, it would have been as perfect and darling as the last three times, don't get me wrong, but it would have lacked contrast. The contrast of the odd year isn't necessary, but it helps.

And while the Giants won't win the World Series next year because 97 percent of the teams won't win the World Series, they should have as good a chance as anyone. This has a chance to be the best Giants team to start the season since the days of Bonds and Kent, they have a young, eminently watchable core, and while they have a clear weakness, they have the money to fix that weakness. It'll take one fluke injury or mysterious declining player to ruin it all, but for now, in a vacuum without baseball, the Giants are filling me with as much offseason optimism as they ever have. This could be such a great team.

Welcome to the offseason. Welcome to the even year. The Giants aren't the World Champions right now, and that should make you annoyed and wistful. Congratulations to the Royals, and congratulations to their fans. They're having a whole lot of fun right now.

Miss you, baseball fun.

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