Belt's Last Game: A Giants Legend's Farewell

0:00It's April 25th, I'm Cory with the story, and this is California News today, Local News powered by AI. The San Francisco Giants are set to honor First Basement Brandon Belt this Saturday, at Oracle Park before their game against the Miami Marlins. Drafted in the fifth round out of the University of Texas, back in 2009, Belt spent 13 of his major league seasons with the team, becoming their top first baseman since the year 2000. He earned an all-star nod in 2016 and helped snag World Series rings in 2012 and 2014, batting 261 with 1, 175 homers over 1,310 games. Earlier this week, Chatter ramped up about the so-called Belt Wars among fans, pitting Belt's legacy against shortstop Brandon Crawfords. But Belt's path started on the mound in college, where he was one of Texas's elite lefties, even trading boasts with Clayton Kershaw. Giants manager Tony Vitello, who recruited him back then, called him a doubles machine, whose ad bat strove pitchers crazy.

1:01Fans still buzz about Belt's emotional opening day call-up in 2011, caught on camera with tears in a beer offer from Bruce Bochi. Then there was that Epic 21 pitch battle in 2018, the longest on record, and his self-proclaimed Captain Patch at Riggly that sparked a big game. One of his defining blows came in the 18th inning of Game 2 in the 2014 NLDS, a solo homer that sealed a series lead over the. Nationals and etched his name in Giants lore, as Belt steps into the spotlight one last time, it's a fitting tribute to a guy who embodied the grit of those championship squads, pure San Francisco, baseball magic.