The San Francisco Giants will raise their World Series
championship banner on Friday, and closer Brian Wilson is planning
to share a sweet treat for dessert. Until now, Wilson has
maintained possession of the historic ball he used to strike out
Texas’ Nelson Cruz to clinch the Giants’ first title in their
53-year history in San Francisco. He’s expected to announce his
intentions for the priceless artifact prior to the home opener
against the St. Louis Cardinals.
SAN JOSE
The San Francisco Giants will raise their World Series championship banner on Friday, and closer Brian Wilson is planning to share a sweet treat for dessert.
Until now, Wilson has maintained possession of the historic ball he used to strike out Texas’ Nelson Cruz to clinch the Giants’ first title in their 53-year history in San Francisco. He’s expected to announce his intentions for the priceless artifact prior to the home opener against the St. Louis Cardinals.
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Hint: it’s not going to remain in a Halloween candy bucket in his kitchen.
“It was a delicious treat,” Wilson said, remaining coy about the lightly kept rumor that he will gift the ball to managing partner Bill Neukom. “There might be a little something planned.”
The plans won’t include a lawsuit. When the Boston Red Sox broke their 86-year championship drought in 2004, backup first baseman Doug Mientkiewicz kept the final-out ball, calling it his “retirement fund.” The Red Sox filed a restraining order and it took 18 months of mediation with Major League Baseball and the Players’ Association before Mientkiewicz agreed to donate the ball to the Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, N.Y.
Oddly, Mientkiewicz recorded the historic putout after St. Louis Cardinals shortstop Edgar Renteria hit a tapper back to the mound. Seven years later, it was Renteria who became the Giants’ first World Series MVP after his three-run home run in Game 5 sent them to their 3-1 clinching victory in Texas.
Renteria was able to retrieve his home run ball and will keep it in his personal collection. But Wilson’s ball is expected to go on display for all Giants fans to see.
“That’s awesome,” said right-hander Tim Lincecum, the winning pitcher in Game 5. “It’s not just the team’s ball. It’s the city’s ball. They all own a piece of it because they stuck with us through thick and thin.”
Outfielder Cody Ross said he couldn’t wait to see the look on Neukom’s face as he receives the ball.
“He’s going to be beside himself,” Ross said. “It’s pretty classy of Brian to do that. I mean, I expected he would. But with him, you never know.”
— Story by Andrew Baggarly, San Jose Mercury News
