clock menu more-arrow no yes mobile

Filed under:

What's wrong with the new World Series plaque?

A scandal at 3rd and King

If he had written his own plaque, the grammar would have been impeccable
If he had written his own plaque, the grammar would have been impeccable
Pool Photo-USA TODAY Sports

A specter is haunting San Francisco — the specter of poor grammar. From the giant Coke bottle in left field to the kale garden in center, a bronze curtain has descended upon AT&T Park.

Do you think that intro is too grandiose? Then you don't understand the gravity of the existential threat that we all face here. Yesterday, we got our first look at a plaque outside AT&T Park commemorating the Giants' World Series win last year, and Madison Bumgarner's outstanding performance throughout the postseason. Only, well . . . take a look.

bumgarner plaque

There's a problem in there. ENHANCE.

bumplaque enhanced

What section should you be looking at? This section:

minibumplaque

One more time, ENHANCE!

bumplaque maxenhance

It's so clear now!

The full text of the plaque:

MADISON BUMGARNER

Had one of the greatest postseason's of all-time in 2014, going 4-1 with a 1.03 ERA and one save in seven games (six starts). He had two wins, a 5.0-inning save, and an 0.43 ERA in the World Series. He won the Wild Card game at Pittsburgh, and won the LCS and World Series MVP honors, clinching the World Series with 5.0 scoreless innings of relief in Game 7

ENHANCE

enhaaaaaance

One more time? Aw, heck, why not? One more time. ENHANCE!

enhanced apostrophe

Yes, that's the apostrophe inappropriately placed in the word "postseasons" like a weird Seinfeld meme in the middle of a comment section about baseball. The Giants, after commissioning the plaque, apparently did not think to hire someone who understands that apostrophes are neither necessary nor welcome when making a word plural. But you know that this plaque got approval from several layers of management, that it was okayed by people with lots of authority. So the question now becomes, in this day and age, how could something like this happen?

We don't know. We can't know. We don't have all the facts. And until we do, this sad incident will hang over the Giants like a dark cloud. Well, like a dark cloud in a world where California wasn't desperate for rain.

(This error helpfully pointed out by reddit)