SF Giants fans were serious about World Series trophies
When Mount Shasta's Curtis Barnum approached the two gleaming San Francisco Giants World Series trophies during their visit to Mount Shasta Saturday, he asked the photographer if he could take four pictures with them – one of himself and his 13 year old son, Henry, and three more of him holding up signs that said, "Hi, I'm Greg Roth," "Hi, I'm Rick Palfini," and "Hi, I'm Jerry Bates."
"They couldn't make it here to see this, and I don't want them to miss it," Barnum explained to the photographer, who happily complied with the joke as Barnum changed sunglasses in each photo for an additional chuckle.
The approximately 400 others who waited in a long line at the Mount Shasta City Park's main lodge to see the 2010 and 2012 World Series trophies up close and personal were equally excited for the opportunity. Though the event wasn't set to begin until 11 a.m., orange and black-clad fans from as far away as Chico and Medford began to line up outside the building in the frigid weather an hour early.
Mount Shasta's Tess Aston and Karen Bruno brought with them big orange signs that read, "Posey for President" and "Thank You Giants" and held them proudly over their heads for a photo.
Mount Shasta's Will Floria said he's been waiting weeks to see the trophies. He watches all the games he can on television and once a year goes to San Francisco to see a game in person. In March of 2011, he missed seeing the 2010 trophy because of a big snowstorm.
"I said, I'm not missing it this time!" Floria said.
The Witherell family of Mount Shasta even brought along their family pooch, Walt, who sported his own Giants gear and accompanied his owners in a photo with the trophies. Sisters Riley and Brynn took the prize for the most photos with the trophy. They stood in line three times and had three turns to admire the trophies, crafted by Tiffany & Co.
Accompanying the trophies in a decked out 2013 Toyota Sequoia Limited was 1999 Weed High School graduate Nick Zanotto, who is now the Giants' Senior Manager of New Sales and Service. Though he was a little embarrassed, he flashed the large World Series Championship ring while standing between the two trophies with a smile.
This is the second time Zanotto has had the opportunity to bring home a little piece of his team's history. In March, 2011, he brought the 2010 trophy to the park and despite a raging snowstorm, more than 200 people showed up to see it.
Zanotto grew up in Weed rooting for the Giants After high school, he attended St. John's University in New York and obtained a bachelor's degree in sports management.
He got his start in baseball with the Stockton Ports before moving to the major leagues and working with the Arizona Diamondbacks and the San Diego Padres. This will be his fifth season with the Giants.
"It's beyond my wildest dreams and surreal on many levels," Zanotto said as he watched hundreds of die hard local fans step up to the trophies and stare at them in awe.
Though the trophies are identical, the 2010 trophy differs because it has "San Francisco Giants" engraved on the back, and the 2012 trophy is blank, as there hasn't been enough time to get that done, Zanotto explained.
The trophies, which are officially called "The Commissioner's Trophy," feature 30 pennants representing the teams in the American and National Leagues. The pennants encircle a dome base, which is etched with latitude/longitude lines symbolizing the globe and adorned with twenty-four karat gold vermeil applied stitches like those on a baseball. Engraved on the base are the words, "Presented by the Commissioner of Baseball" along with the commissioner's signature.
Each trophy weighs approximately 20 pounds and stands two feet tall.
"It was a wonderful event," said Mount Shasta Recreation and Parks administrator Mike Rodriguez, who worked with Zanotto to get the trophies to Mount Shasta as a benefit for the local Junior Giants program. All those who filed through the door on Saturday were asked for a $2 donation, which will go to the Mt. Shasta Junior Giants league.
Junior Giants is a free, non-competitive league for kids 5-18. The Mount Shasta league is the northernmost, said Rodriguez, who worked to get the program to his hometown 17 years ago.
Last year, about 130 kids from south Siskiyou County participated in the program, which is sanctioned by the San Francisco Giants to help kids learn the fundamentals of baseball and four bases of character development, including integrity, confidence, teamwork and sportsmanship.
A big Giants fan himself, Rodriguez posed for the very last photo of the day with his wife, Barbara.
The trophies will finish their nationwide tour and return to AT&T Park for the Giants' first home game of the season against the St. Louis Cardinals on April 5.
As the trophy was being packed in protective blankets and loaded into two large hard cases for travel, a hopeful fan called to Zanotto and the photographers, "See you next year!"
