For the last three years, the Giants have been ... not great.
However, Bruce Bochy's boys all of a sudden have been lights out in July, moving to within 2 1/2 games of the second NL wild card spot after completing a four-game sweep of the Colorado Rockies on Wednesday.
So, what changed for the Bay Area's boys of summer?
It's not like there was a massive influx of new talent. Buster Posey, Pablo Sandoval, Evan Longoria and Madison Bumgarner didn't become six years younger all of a sudden.
So, if all the rational reasons for the Giants all of a sudden getting a whole lot better at baseball are out the window -- besides the fact that it's baseball -- I present to you a theory: Kevin Durant's exit from the Warriors restored equilibrium to the sports world.
While you're busy shaking your head and calling me a hack, take a look at this:
Sports
In 2016, the #SFGiants went 52-32 before Kevin Durant shocked and angered the NBA world by announcing he would sign with the Warriors. During the "KD Era" the Giants would go 207-277. They are now 11-2 since Kevin Durant announced he would be going to Brooklyn. #TheKDCurse— giants nl wild card champions (@bantheshift) July 17, 2019
Compelling.
Now, is the Giants' 11-2 record since Durant elected to leave the Warriors and sign with the Brooklyn Nets likely a coincidence. You could make that case, and you're probably right.
But it's a lot more fun to believe the sports universe was so angered at the Warriors superteam that it sentenced the Giants to the bowels of the National League until order was restored in the NBA. And what do you know, so far that theory checks out.
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So are the Giants all of a sudden going to catch the Dodgers atop the NL West and re-stake their claim as the premier NL franchise just because Durant now is hanging out in Williamsburg instead of Oakland? No. That's not what I'm saying. The Giants, despite their recent winning streak, still should sell at the MLB trade deadline and plan for the future, especially now that the curse of KD's presence in the Bay has been lifted off their shoulders.
Alright, I'm done preaching about the latest "sports curse."
(P.S. Don't be shocked if the 49ers -- who were 12-36 during KD's time in the Bay -- look like a different team this fall.)
