Dan Gladden all over again, only worse

Or George Foster, Garry Maddox, Bill Mueller, Alan Embree, Dennis Cook, Matt Williams, Chili Davis, Larry Herndon, "Maddog" Madlock. I'm sure there are others but these are the ones who came most quickly to mind, players who I liked when they were playing for the Giants. Not all were stars, some never got more than a cup of coffee with the Giants, many were just complementary pieces but at one time they were a Giants player who I really rooted for. Then they moved on to another team, whether by trade or free agency, and sometime in their career they go on to the promise land and their team wins the World Series Championship, leaving my face pressed against the glass once more.

It is terrible, the ache, of seeing a player you once rooted for enjoy the thrill of World Series victory, when all we've tasted is World Series defeats. It is a mixture of joy and envy, happiness and longing, and satisfaction and emptiness. I feel happy for him, them, but it is only a reminder of what I don't have.

The Worse Part...

But for the first time for me, one is a player who got my ire after leaving the Giants, A.J. Pierzynski - I am happy for Dustin Hermanson, he did great for us and didn't feel the need to talk badly about his experience with the Giants, unlike Jeff Kent. Getting A.J. really costed the Giants. Not only did it cost us Nathan, Liriano and Bonser, but then we got zilch for him when he was released. If he could have signed to a reasonable long term contract, maybe none of this would have happened, but no, he had to go to arbitration. Sabean gambled and lost, big time.

And A.J. did nothing much while he was here to warrant any feel good feelings and that was before all the stuff hit the fan after he left, particularly his Stan Conte moment. He will go down with the others who left in disgrace, Bobby Murcer, Sudden Sam McDowell, Greg Minton, Wilson Alvarez, Livan Hernandez, Jeff Kent, earning the enmity of Giants fans for eternity.