Giants strive when it's even

For some, life seems to work out in an even way, or as the saying, one of my personal favorites, states, “Even Steven,” which means that things always seem to even out for them, usually in a good way, like losing something and suddenly getting something of equal value or meaning back in return.

So, it’s not surprising that this championship version of the San Francisco Giants strives on the “Even Steven” theory, most evident with winning World Series titles in the even years of 2010 and 2012, which made up for missing the playoffs in the odd years of 2009, 2011 and 2013.

Now it’s 2014 and the Giants are knocking on the door of another World Series appearance in an even year, which would make up for missing the playoffs in that odd 2013 year.

After winning four out of five playoff games, San Francisco is back into the National League championship series against the all-too-familiar foe, the St. Louis Cardinals, with either one or both of these teams having played in the past six NL championships and, counting this year, the last five World Series.

With the Giants winning Saturday’s first NLCS game, and the Cardinals taking Sunday’s second game, the series enters today’s 1 p.m. third-game showdown at AT&T Park even at one game apiece, which plays into San Francisco’s hands, even though you might say it’s an odd-numbered game.

But the bottom line is the Giants will eventually reach that golden even number, four, twice, which will add up to that excellent even number of eight.

With eight signifying the number of games needed to claim both the NL and World Series crowns, San Francisco, along with one of its brightest stars, No. 8 Hunter Pence, will again wear that eight proudly as the champions.

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Football notes: I don’t know how the San Francisco 49ers did in last night’s Monday Night Football West Division battle at St. Louis – yes, that city, again – but hopefully they let quarterback Colin Kaepernick be himself, which means getting out of the pocket as much as possible for more freedom to make plays.

As for the Oakland Raiders, they finally made the right move with the coaching change, which showed in their hardy and promising-for-the-future, along with their gutsy and not afraid to try and make a big play quarterback for the long haul, effort in almost upsetting the unbeaten San Diego Chargers.

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Basketball note: The Golden State Warriors are athletic, talented, deep and well coached and I’m very excited about the coming season and their run to the NBA Western Conference finals.

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Ice hockey note: San Jose Sharks looking good, but it’s too long of a regular season and then come the playoffs, in which they were the ones who were fed on.

Hopefully that will change.

Ciao!