Michael Morse’s best games with the Giants

Michael Morse is back! Michael Morse was a delightful presence on the 2014 Giants and a very good hitter, and he would also often stand in left field, which was good because baseball teams need someone to do that.

Michael Morse is also very easy to root for, partly because he is a hitter who likes the Giants. How much does he like the Giants? Let Hank Schulman explain!

General manager Bobby Evans said Morse contacted the Giants seeking the contract.

Awwww!

Anyway, Michael Morse is back, at least for Spring Training:

Evans said he got no clear indication from Morse whether he would go to Triple-A Sacramento if he did not make the club out of spring training.

And so it’s a good time to celebrate his biggest games with the Giants. Let’s do that now! (All dates are in 2014, obvs)

April 3, @ Diamondbacks

He hit a game-tying RBI single in the top of the 8th before scoring on Angel Pagan’s game winning homer.

(checks game log again)

Yeah, Angel Pagan’s game winning homer. You and I both read that right.

Morse didn’t even start that game, but after Bruce Bochy used Buster Posey to pinch hit with a man on second and two outs, and then Posey was shockingly walked intentionally, Morse came through with a big single against Will Harris (who was an All-Star for the Astros this year, and if you don’t remember that, it’s because there is absolutely no reason why you would remember that). A big moment for Morse led to a bigger one for Pagan.

What did Grant have to say about Morse? He found a silly picture and then made a Star Wars-related goof about it.

I call this one, "Explanation of an On-Base Percentage":

But with the blast shield down, he can't even see.

(I kid, Michael! Good two-out hittin'.)

May 29, @ Cardinals

Morse went 2 for 4 in this game, leading off the bottom of the second with a homer off Jaime Garcia, and then hitting a 2 run double in the top of the 8th against Carlos Martinez. The Giants won this game by one run against the Cardinals, who are stupid and gross.

This will not be the last time the Cardinals appear on this list.

What did Grant have to say about Morse?

Before the season started, I would have made a silly bet about Morse. It wouldn't have been completely ridiculous, like walking from San Francisco to Baltimore in penance, but I would have made a bet that we would have been completely frustrated with Morse by now. Like, Rowand levels. He started off quickly last year, too, and slowly disintegrated, piece by piece. I would have done something stupid if he proved me wrong, like eat a box of licorice or live-blog the entire 10-year run of Beverly Hills, 90210.

But you didn't make that bet with me. So I don't have to. Now I get to enjoy Morse's prodigious dingers and general goofiness without regret. You should have made a bet. I would have licked a picture of Mike Piazza and made a Vine of it, you know. Instead, how about that Michael Morse? He's been fun to watch.

June 7, vs Mets

A walk-off hit! Walk-off hits are fun, and Morse got one here. This was right before the Giants started their massive collapse that year, so it was really at the peak of 2014 Giants fan arrogance. And why not? They were winning games with late comebacks, their moderately priced free agent acquisition was doing a great job, and everything would be great forever. Everything would be great forever.

Here’s the video of everything being great forever:

What did Grant have to say about Morse?

I like Michael Morse.

Says it all, really.

July 5, @ Padres

Hey, a game tying homer in the top of the ninth in a game the Giants would win the next inning on a two run homer. That’s a really good thing! If you’re only gonna get one hit in a game, make it that hit.

This will not be the last entry on this list in which Morse ties the game on a dramatic late inning homer and then another player hits the game winner in the next inning.

What did Grant have to say about Morse?

When Michael Morse hit a ninth-inning, game-tying home run, he lost control of his body. He raised his arms up, did a jump-step, whomped himself on the helmet, and pointed madly toward the dugout. Russ Hodges wasn't calling the game on radio, but Morse acted like it.

August 16, vs Phillies

Just your garden variety 3 for 3 with a walk, hitting a leadoff triple and then getting stranded type of day. Every time Morse came up in this game, he did something good, and since both he and the team were in a bit of a tailspin at the time, every little bit helps. Morse helped a lot in this game! We should all appreciate that about him.

What did Grant have to say about Morse?

What if Michael Morse is good again?

We're about two months into Bad Michael Morse, which means it's almost impossible to remember Good Michael Morse. Yet his overall numbers on the season are good. He still has a 128 OPS+, and his WAR is still in positive territory, despite him fielding like Glenallen Hill riding a drunken burro and running the bases like a drunken burro riding Glenallen Hill. That must mean when he was good, he was really good.

October 16, vs Cardinals

Yeah, you’ve watched it within the last week. So what?

What did Grant have to say about Morse?

Can the Giants win the pennant without a home run?

What? No, that’s not it. That was from that morning. Whoops! Simple mistake.

The Giants didn't have a left-hander on the bench. Because Travis Ishikawa was literally starting. The Giants have a bench of right-handed options and a lineup of left-handed hitters. They're set up well against the Randy Choates of the world, but not so much against a guy like Neshek. It had to be Morse or bust -- they couldn't tap dance around, hoping for Matt Duffy to start a sequence of singles.

That was going to be one of the most famous home runs in San Francisco Giants history, you know. It still is, just not the same way. No one cares. The only reason Morse didn't do a limpy chainsaw move as he rounded second base was because he was too busy hopping around like an idiot.

God, that homer was great. I could watch it every day.

October 29, @ Royals

He did drive in the winning run of the World Series, you know. He drove in the first run the Giants scored too, but that was a sac fly off Jeremy Guthrie, so it wasn’t quite as impressive. The Series-winning RBI came on a single off Kelvin Herrera, who was part of the three headed monster dominant force unstoppable demigod bullpen that we heard about from time to time that year.

But Morse got 99 MPH and, yeah, broke his bat, but went the other way with it for a single, which was the last run the Giants needed. Here’s what it looked like:

What did Grant have to say about Morse?

(checks like 20 post-World Series articles)

lol no one cared

In conclusion, Michael Morse was fun and we all have lots of fun memories of him and if he wants to get the World Series-winning RBI for the Giants this year too, I think we’d all be okay with that.