SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — Pablo Sandoval and Justin Verlander know their shared history. The two will be forever linked in baseball lore. They both have a place in Cooperstown, albeit for different reasons.
More than a decade after their historic encounter in San Francisco, Sandoval has no intentions of bringing up the past.
“I don’t bring it up,” said Sandoval, a guest instructor with the Giants this spring. “When you respect a player, (when) you respect a guy who’s still playing that throws the ball the way he does, you don’t bring old memories up. It’s going to be there forever, but you don’t bring it to the guy when you respect him.”
Sandoval, of course, is referring to Game 1 of the 2012 World Series against the Detroit Tigers, a night where he joined Babe Ruth, Reggie Jackson and Albert Pujols as the only players to hit three home runs in a single World Series game. Two of those home runs were off Verlander. Sandoval went on to win World Series MVP as San Francisco swept Detroit; Verlander wouldn’t touch the mound again that October.
Due in large part to those three swings, Sandoval will forever maintain icon status in San Francisco. As he sat in Scottsdale Stadium’s first-base dugout before the Giants’ 6-2 win overthe Seattle Mariners, Sandoval had a much greater interest in looking ahead than looking backwards.
Sandoval is one of several guest instructors who’s been in camp for the Giants this spring, a list that includes members of the ’10, ’12 and ’14 championship teams such as Yusmeiro Petit, Santiago Casilla and Joe Panik. He wasn’t on the original list, but Sandoval sent president of baseball operations — and former teammate — Buster Posey a text once he returned from playing in Dubai’s Baseball United expressing his interest in helping the team.
“He knows how important it is to wear this jersey,” Sandoval said of Posey. “He knows how to win. He knows how to put the pieces together to win.”
“He’s got a lot of enthusiasm and he’s really happy about being here,” said manager Bob Melvin. “I don’t really check in with him. I just watch how he does his thing and how the guys respond to him. It’s been that way with everybody that we’ve had here, but he’s got a certain flair to him.”
While Sandoval is currently moonlighting as a coach, the 38-year-old’s playing days aren’t quite over. He hasn’t appeared in the majors since 2021 but intends to play another season for the Staten Island FerryHawks of the Atlantic League. Along with totaling 10 homers and 79 RBIs over 120 games with the FerryHawks, Sandoval tossed 7 1/3 scoreless innings with four strikeouts. More than the numbers, Sandoval appreciated that his family had the chance to watch him play.
“My family had so much fun spending time with me out there,” Sandoval said. “It’s one of those things where when you see your kids and your family there in the stands, you want to perform well. You want to do things for your family. That’s why I keep doing it. My kid wants me to play: he’s playing ball now.”
Sandoval intends to continue playing “until my body says no,” and once that day arrives, he wouldn’t be opposed to transitioning to the coaching sphere. He, unsurprisingly, still loves spending time on the field and would take an opportunity if one was presented. That said, Sandoval still wants to spend time with his family; his eight-year-old son, Liam, is playing baseball and Sandoval wants to be in attendance for his games.
In time, Sandoval will make a decision on what path he takes once he decides to hang up his cleats. For now, he’s enjoying the opportunity to help the Giants wherever he’s needed. On Saturday afternoon, Sandoval spoke to the team’s minor leaguers at Papago Park, a message that was well received by a certain first base prospect.
“It was cool hearing stories about that World Series run they did in 2014,” said first baseman Bryce Eldridge, who will miss Saturday’s Spring Breakout game due to a left wrist injury. “Joe Panik was there and they were showing his highlights. That play he made in Game 7 was the most unreal play of all-time. He definitely doesn’t get as much credit for that. … I feel like that should be in every single video on Instagram about fielding.”
