SAN FRANCISCO -- There were so many newcomers to take the field for the Giants on Sunday. Bruce Bochy, in his final game, put three rookies and two second-year players in the starting lineup and sent out plenty more during a 9-0 loss to the Dodgers.
But the familiarity, that #ForeverGiant thing, all came rushing back after the final pitch. Wave after wave of former Giants walked through the center field gates. Almost all of them at some point won a championship with Bochy. And almost all of them at some point won with Buster Posey, too.
"That was really cool. I haven't seen a lot of those guys in a long time," Posey said. "It was great to see them and I wish I had more time to spend with them. Hopefully with it being 2020 coming up we'll get to see more of them at some point this year."
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The Giants hoped to send Bochy out with a win, or at least better baseball. But at the very least, they did things right after the game. The ceremony was emotional and funny, hitting all the right notes. Even Tim Lincecum was there, and he had a brief reunion with Posey, who said they keep in touch but had not seen each other in a couple of years.
What stood out most to Posey was the look on Bochy's face throughout, and the cracks in his voice as he gave a long speech that thanked all the right people.
"Seeing Boch get emotional throughout the day definitely made it hit home," Posey said. "Seeing him talk a lot -- I had never really seen him get emotional before, so obviously this was a big day for him, to say the least."
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San Francisco Giants
This wasn't all about holding back tears, though. Bochy used eight pitchers on his final day and five pinch-hitters, including Madison Bumgarner. He yelled at the home plate umpire about one early missed call and came out a couple of innings later to argue another decision. That was enjoyed in the dugout.
"Even today he was fiery and cranky," Posey said, smiling. "That's the reason he's been around as long as he has and he's won as much as he has."