Four Giants played in the 2015 All-Star Game. None of them were embarrassed by anything they did. They cannot claim victory. They cannot feel shame for contributing disproportionately to the 6-3 defeat. The good and the bad possibilities of the All-Star Game are still pushing against each other, like a fault waiting to slip. Sometimes, like in 2012, it will slip and jellybeans and Snapple will rain from the sky. Sometimes, like in almost the other times over the previous two decades, it will slip and there will be rubble.
This year, though? Nothing to note, really. The Giants passed. And that's okay. Beats some of the alternatives. Here were the most exciting Giants moments of the 2015 All-Star Game, in reverse order:
10. Joe Panik striking out against Dellin Betances
It was on four pitches, not three. It was the first time Panik had seen Betances, who is a grimy, funky pitcher, so he's excused. But if America was tuning in to see what this Panik buzz was all about, that wasn't the best showcase.
9. Brandon Crawford entering the game as a pinch-runner
It felt like when my kid shows up in the back of the school play as one of the four food groups. You still take pictures. You still feel proud.
8. Brandon Crawford grounding out sharply to second
Hit the ball hard. Made an out. It was a very July at-bat for Crawford.
7. Brandon Crawford hitting a long foul ball that was closer to being an out than a homer
But for that second, man, I thought it was going out. So it moves up in the excitement rankings.
6. Buster Posey grounding out with a runner on second and no outs, advancing the runner
Good, solid fundamentals. Just ignore that it went to short and not the right side.
5. Madison Bumgarner throwing a scoreless inning
It was his return to the national spotlight, and for some reason I was very concerned about him looking like a dingus and making people wonder if he was so special after all. He was. He was very special. And he acquitted himself just fine.
4. Joe Panik lining out to end the game
Another hard-hit out, but this one ended the All-Star Game, which means it shoots up the excitement charts.
3. Buster Posey telling the AL hitters under his breath what Zack Greinke and Clayton Kershaw were throwing
Look at the video. It's there. I read his lips, uh, under the mask. He was saying, "I hate this bozo. Fastball." "The guy on the mound bugs me. Curveball." Over and over and over again. And it was very exciting, even if it wasn't sporting of him. As a result, the Dodgers gave up most of the runs in the game.
Posey also had a line-drive out that I forgot about, but I'm not about to go back and reorder the list now. It was very exciting, trust me.
2. Brandon Crawford hit a long, long sacrifice fly
Hit the ball hard. Made an out. It was a very July at-bat for Crawford, except this one scored a run. It was a very good at-bat.
1. Madison Bumgarner striking out Salvador Perez, who reached base on the subsequent wild pitch
This was exciting because it made me think "WHAT IF THAT HAPPENED IN GAME 7???", and then I flailed around for a bit and got stuck in the blinds.
Seriously, though, just imagine. The final batter of the World Series strikes out ... except he reaches base because of Calvinball rules, and the tying run scores. Royals win in 15 innings.
Seriously, though.
Seriously, though. that could have happened.
But it didn't happen! And neither did anything in that All-Star Game. The Giants participated, and we're proud of them. Good All-Starring, Giants.