MLB San Francisco Giants

Marco Scutaro Is An Iconic San Francisco Giants’ Hero

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By @real_johnshea

Marco Scutaro 2012 World Series

Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports

On July 28, 2012, the San Francisco Giants acquired the biggest difference-maker available on the trade front en route to what was then their second World Series title in three years. There is no doubt the orange and black would not have been crowned champions that season if weren’t for the unforeseen brilliance of Marco Scutaro.

The man ironically nicknamed “Blockbuster” played just 61 regular season games with the Giants in 2012, but posted numbers so outrageous that he immediately became a staple in what was previously an anemic lineup. Scutaro slashed a .362/.385/.473 batting line with 20 extra-base hits and 44 RBIs in 268 plate appearances while striking out just 14 times.

The 36-year-old veteran fueled the top of the Giants’ order, putting the ball in play nearly 95 percent of the time he stepped up to the dish. He was consistently productive in two-out situations, recording a .333 batting average in 183 at-bats, but he was most impressive in the postseason.

Scutaro demonstrated pure toughness after a dirty slide from Matt Holliday left him ailing in Game 2 of the NLCS against the St. Louis Cardinals. He rebounded without a wince, posting a .500 average with 17 total bases in 28 at-bats to eventually earn NLCS MVP honors.

His remarkable championship series performance will never be forgotten in San Francisco sports history, nor will it likely ever be duplicated. Scutaro triumphantly raising his arms as rain fell from the sky in the ninth inning of Game 7 encapsulates his unpredictable rise to stardom, but the journeyman infielder wasn’t done yet.

Scutaro had just four hits in the 2012 Fall Classic, but no hit was more crucial than his final moment in the clutch. As the Giants sniffed a sweep of the Detroit Tigers, Scutaro did what he had become known for. The formerly under-appreciated midseason pickup delivered another stroke of irreplaceable brilliance, lining a solid single into center field off of Phil Coke to drive in the man he took over for in late July, Ryan Theriot. That proved to be the series-clinching base hit, rocketing the Giants back atop the baseball world.

Scutaro might never take the field for the Giants again. According to multiple sources, Scutaro’s recent back surgery requires 4-6 months of recovery before any baseball activity can be resumed, which means his career could be over. But even if Scutaro never takes another at-bat in a Giants uniform, his indestructible status as a San Francisco legend has been cemented forever.

John Shea is an MLB writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @real_johnshea. Like him on Facebook or add him to your network on Google.

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