San Francisco Giants: Is This a Dynasty?

The San Francisco Giants defeated the Kansas City Royals in a thrilling Game 7 of the 2014 World Series. This gives the Giants three world championships in the past five years.

This level of success raises the question: Does this qualify as a dynasty?

In his speech to a packed AT&T Park filled with Giants fans following the Giants' final regular-season game, Hunter Pence said it best: "Yes, Yes, Yes." MLB.com (in conjunction with Comcast Sports) shows Pence firing up the Giants faithful.

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In today's era of free agency and greater parity it is virtually unheard of for any team to win three titles in five seasons. The last time it happened for a National League team was in the 1940s with the St. Louis Cardinals.

Looking back on this season, the incredible journey this team took was such a roller-coaster ride. As the season unfolded, the Giants were playing great ball. In early June they were 42-21 and looking like the best team in baseball.

Then, the Giants went into a deep funk for a couple of months and looked like one of the worst teams in baseball. Somehow, in mid-August they snapped out of it and fought hard just to make the playoffs as the second wild-card team.

The obstacles this team overcame to reach the pinnacle of success was astounding. Injuries to several key players made this unlikely run seem like a dream.

Angel Pagan, an emotional leader and catalyst for the offense, played in only 96 games. Michael Morse, who helped carry the Giants to early-season success, was injured and missed virtually all of September before emerging in the postseason.

Marco Scutaro, the Giants' starting second baseman during the World Series run in 2012, played in only five games.

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Second base became a black hole for the Giants. In addition to Scutaro, Brandon Hicks, Ehire Adrianza, Joaquin Arias, Dan Uggla and Matt Duffy all gave it a try. Only when Joe Panik emerged did the situation improve.

Backup catcher Hector Sanchez was shut down for the season in late July due to concussion issues. Starting first baseman Brandon Belt suffered a broken thumb and upon returning was hit in the head with a thrown ball, sustaining a concussion. He played in just 61 regular-season games.

The maladies were not limited to position players: Pitcher Matt Cain was injured and started only 15 games, less than half of his yearly average. In addition, there were periods of ineffectiveness for several other pitchers.

Tim Lincecum started the season well and in June threw the second no-hitter of his career. However, his mechanics left him, and he was pounded after the All-Star break. Lincecum ceded his spot in the starting rotation and seemed lost on the mound.

Tim Hudson and Ryan Vogelsong also struggled and were very inconsistent over the final two months of the season. Their respective ages (39 and 37, respectively) appeared to be a major factor in their wearing down. 

Closer Sergio Romo was so bad he lost his job in mid-June. His once-devastating slider had lost its bite, and Romo was like a sitting duck on the mound for about a month.

So with all of these major obstacles to overcome, how on earth could the Giants end the season as World Series champions?

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The Giants' success can be summarized with just one word: team. 

The players put aside their individual egos and played for each other. It is very cliche to say the Giants have great team chemistry. While that is true, there is so much more than that. They have a selfless desire to work hard and win for their teammates and the fans of San Francisco.

Credit manager Bruce Bochy and his coaching staff for instilling this attitude with the players. Bochy has proven worthy of the Hall of Fame, an honor that will almost assuredly come his way after he retires.

GM Brian Sabean also deserves a lot of credit for bringing in the right people throughout the organization. This includes, players, coaches, scouts and the minor league player development staff.

The 2014 season was special because there were so many unexpected surprises and heroes throughout the course of the season. Without the contributions of so many, the Giants would not have even made the playoffs.

Travis Ishikawa was cut by the Pirates in April and signed to a minor league contract by the Giants. As Ann Killion of sfgate.com reports, while in Fresno Ishikawa struggled and even considered giving up the game.

Injuries to Belt and Morse gave Ishikawa a chance to play once again in San Francisco. He played left field, even though he never had before.

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Ishikawa did remarkably well and found himself starting in the postseason. His performance in the National League Championship Series against the Cardinals could have easily won him the MVP award.

In the NLCS, Ishikawa went 5-13 for a .385 batting average. Three of those hits were for extra bases, with two doubles and the walk-off home run to end the series and send the Giants to the World Series. His OBP was .429, and he had an OPS of 1.198 along with seven RBI.

Tim Hudson, who was in his 16th season and is the leading active pitcher with 214 wins, had never advanced past the first round of the playoffs. Now he is a world champion.

Brandon Hicks hit some important home runs early in the season to help the Giants win some games.

Andrew Susac replaced Sanchez as the Giants' backup catcher, and his solid play enabled Buster Posey to get more rest and also play first base, saving his legs for the Giants' postseason run.

After struggling to hit over .200 for most of the regular season, Arias became a valuable contributor off the bench late in the year. 

Defensive specialist Juan Perez had the biggest hit of his life, a two-run double, which helped the Giants win Game 5 of the World Series.

Morse battled back from an oblique injury to be a major contributor in the NLCS and World Series.

Matt Duffy repeatedly came off the bench to deliver big pinch hits.

The aforementioned Panik was not expected to be in the big leagues this year. He was playing his first season in Fresno, the Giants' Triple-A affiliate. Out of desperation, Panik was called-up and given a chance. He certainly delivered. Panik solidified the second base position and gave the Giants a reliable No. 2 hitter.

Gregor Blanco played excellent defense in place of Pagan and came on toward the end of the season offensively. 

Yusmeiro Petit repeatedly stepped in to fill whatever role Bochy needed him to throughout the pitching staff. Whether is was as a starter or long reliever, Petit did his job incredibly well. He even set a major league record by retiring 46 batters in a row.

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Sabean acquired Jake Peavy in late July. At the time of the trade, Peavy was 1-9 with an ERA of 4.72. With pitchers like David Price, Jon Lester, Jeff Samardzija and Jason Hammel on the market, Sabean's move for Peavy was highly suspect. But the move back to the National League and reunion with Bochy rejuvenated him, and the Giants would not be here without him. 

Peavy started 12 games in the regular season and had a record of 6-4. In 78.2 innings, he allowed 65 hits and 17 walks, while striking out 58. His ERA was 2.17, to go along with a WHIP of 1.042.

Combining these somewhat unexpected contributions with the steady play of Hunter Pence, Pablo Sandoval, Brandon Crawford and Posey, the Giants did just enough to slip into the playoffs.

On the mound, pitchers Madison Bumgarner, Jeremy Affeldt and Santiago Casilla were also very strong throughout the season. 

Bumgarner showed the world that he is the best postseason pitcher of our era. Against the Royals, Bumgarner threw 21 innings, allowing only nine hits and a walk while striking out 17. He allowed only one run, and his ERA was a microscopic 0.43. Bumgarner's WHIP was equally impressive at 0.476.

Bumgarner's epic performance, including five shutout innings in Game 7, earned him a save to go along with his two earlier victories. He was named World Series MVP.

The hurdles that were overcome, the unexpected contributions and the unique stories on this team made for an incredible season, culminating in the world championship.

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Somehow, Bochy was able to duct-tape all these moving parts together, and his calm leadership drove the Giants to the promised land.

The Giants' resolve and perseverance enabled them to ultimately win it all. The Giants proved all the doubters wrong. This is, after all, an even-numbered year.

With three World Series titles in five years, the San Francisco Giants are indeed worthy of being called a dynasty.

Stats courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com.