Major League Baseball

And the San Francisco Giants Oscar Nominations Are...

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 11:54 p.m. ET

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Fansided, Michael Saltzman/FanSided via Around the Foghorn

Feb 24, 2016; Hollywood, CA, USA; A giant Oscar statuette looms over the entrance to the Dolby Theater during setup for the 88th annual Academy Awards. The Oscars will be held on Sunday. Mandatory Credit: Andrew P. Scott-USA TODAY NETWORK

With today’s announcements of the 2017 Oscar nominations, it’s fun to look at the San Francisco Giants and see who is worthy of consideration for an Academy Award.

As we head into 2017, let’s look back at the best individual performances of the 2016 season.

We will be looking at the following categories with our own baseball twists: Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor in a Starring Role, Best Actor in a Supporting Role,  Best Original Screenplay, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Foreign Language Film, Best Short Film (Live Action), Best Sound Mixing, and Best Song.

For Best Picture, we will literally look at the best photos taken in 2016. For Best Director, we will look at the coaches as well as the front office. Best Actor will look at the everyday lineup and starting pitchers. Best Supporting Actor will look at the bench and bullpen. Best Original Screenplay will look at some of the best original commercials and player generated videos online. Best Adapted Screenplay will look at the best Giants beat writers. Best Foreign Language Film will honor some of the best interviews in Spanish during the season. Best Short Film will look at the best GIFs online. And finally, Best Song will look at the best walk up music on the Giants, while we will also give a Lifetime Achievement Award in Sound Mixing for the Giants best disc jockey.

Here are your nominees and winners:

Apr 26, 2016; San Francisco, CA, USA; San Francisco Giants center fielder Denard Span (2), right fielder Hunter Pence (8) and left fielder Angel Pagan (16) celebrate after the end of the game against the San Diego Padres at AT&T Park. San Francisco Giants defeat the San Diego Padres 1 to 0. Mandatory Credit: Neville E. Guard-USA TODAY Sports

Best Picture

The Giants have had some of the most animated teams in recent years. The 2010 Giants of castoffs and misfits never seemed to be too shy in front of the camera. Whether it was Aubrey Huff and Pat Burrell entertaining or Cody Ross smiling, the Giants have continued to have a charismatic locker room ever since. From Hunter Pence to Johnny Cueto, the Giants continue to bring in players that the camera seems to love.

And the nominees for Best Picture are:

And the Winner is:

Angel Pagan, Denard Span and Hunter Pence Questioning Life!

The San Francisco Giants were in the 12th inning of a 7-6 game in Arizona. Cory Gearrin came in to face a right-handed batter. However, because the Diamondbacks had a left hander coming up and a tough right-handed hitter on deck, manager Bruce Bochy decided to leave Cory Gearrin in the game. He moved him to left field and one batter later, put him back in the game to face Paul Goldschmidt.

At that point, winning the game was a bonus, since Giants fans got to enjoy our starting outfield and their priceless reactions to what was happening.

Best Director

The Giants have a future Hall of Fame executive in Brian Sabean as well as a future Hall of Fame manager in Bruce Bochy, so this award may seem like a two man race, but there is more to this category than that.

This year saw a huge shift in the structure of the front office and while Sabean remained in the organization and actually earned a promotion, the day-to-day grind of the general manager job went to longtime Assistant GM Bobby Evans.

Not to mention that the Giants still have one of the best pitching coaches and bench coaches in the game today.

And the Nominees for Best Director Are:

And the Winner is:

Bobby Evans

Evans admitted at the end of the season that he should have done more to get a closer, but his moves in 2016 were sensational. He signed Johnny Cueto, Jeff Samardzija, and Denard Span in the off-season to multi-year deals and signed Conor Gillaspie as a minor league free agent, among others.

He also made trades during the season for Eduardo Nunez, Will Smith and Matt Moore. Had he been able to pull the trigger on a closer, we may have seen another parade. However, it was clear that the Best Director of 2016 was Evans.

It is also clear that his decision making in 2017 is going to be just as strong:

Next: Best Actor and Best Supporting Actor

Jun 17, 2016; St. Petersburg, FL, USA;San Francisco Giants shortstop Brandon Crawford (35) and San Francisco Giants first baseman Brandon Belt (9) practice during pregame against the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

Best Actor in a Starring Role

If you look at the 2016 season there were a lot of strong individual performances. From dominant starting pitching at times, to a potent lineup and world class defense. Those strengths weren’t as consistent throughout the year as the team or fans would have liked, but there are several players who still ended up having productive seasons.

The Giants top two starting pitchers clearly led the way on the mound, while the Giants lineup gave them a run for their money.

And the Nominees for best Actor in a Starring Role Are…

And the Winner is:

Madison Bumgarner

Bumgarner may have had his best statistical season of his career in 2016 and his performance on the field showed from April through October. If there was any doubt of his season, those were erased in New York facing fellow ace Noah Syndergaard in the one game Wild Card playoff.

His dominance on that night added another exclamation point to his already storied postseason career. His performance during the regular season was also his strongest to date, finishing fourth in the Cy Young voting.

Best Actor in a Supporting Role

The bench and bullpen for the Giants, like every team in baseball, will have their ups-and-downs over 162 games. The Giants asked a lot of their bench this season with several injuries to key players throughout the season. With injuries to Matt Duffy and Joe Panik early on, several different infielders were brought in to try and keep the line moving. The bullpen had a erratic year to say the least and several young unproven arms were asked to pitch in critical situations.

And the Nominees for Best Actor in a Supporting Role are:

And the Winner is:

Conor Gillaspie

Gillaspie became one of the most reliable players on the team by September. His play at third base, as well as in the Giants lineup, was a huge boost to a team desperate for consistency. From his incredible catch of a pop fly in Game 162 vs the Los Angeles Dodgers to make the postseason, to the dramatic home run in the Wild Card game to send the Giants to the NLDS, Gillaspie had some of the biggest individual plays and moments of the entire season.

Next: Best Original and Adapted Screenplays

Matt Duffy, Fan Favorite. (Kenny Karst-USA TODAY Sports)

Best Original Screenplay

In the social media age, the Giants have taken full advantage of the opportunity to create original and entertaining content for the fans.

From hilarious commercials to special moments captured on YouTube, the Giants have no shortage of compelling entertainment.

And the Nominees for Best Original Screenplay Are:

And the Winner is:

Hunter Pence Disney Wedding Proposal

For as great as all of the creative content was that the Giants made in 2016, nothing can top the genuine love Hunter Pence has for his wife Lexi. His proposal stands alone as the best Original Screenplay of 2016.

Best Adapted Screenplay

The Giants are fortunate to have so many accomplished beat writers in the Bay Area. Each and every day, the Giants are covered by men and women who have worked tirelessly to bring fans relevant content that is both informative, accurate and meaningful.

And the Nominees for Best Adapted Screenplay Are: 

And the winner is:

Alex Pavlovic

Pavlovic has really expanded his work to include in-depth podcasts that lets fans get to know the players, coaches and front office members as well as continue to write meaningful content on the Giants day in and day out.

His alerts on Twitter to inform fans when a pitcher is hitting or his humorous takes on specific ways the Giants remain undefeated, Pavlovic stood out in 2016 as the Best Giants Writer of the Year.

Next: Best Foreign Language Film & Best Short Film

Johnny Cueto gave up just one run in his complete game against San Diego Wednesday night. Not that it makes him special—Madison Bumgarner did the same thing the night before.
Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports

Best Foreign Language Film

With so many players from all around the world playing baseball, it is important to have interpreters to expose the Giants players to the fans. Whether it is Amy Gutierrez after games, or Giants holding press conferences, the team has asked Erwin Higueros to bring the Giants Spanish speaking players to us. Higueros is the play-by-play announcer for the Giants Spanish language broadcasts, and his ability to be an interpreter for the players has made the team more accessible to fans.

And the Nominees For Best Foreign Language Film Are:

And the Winner Is:

Johnny Cueto’s Introductory Press Conference

Cueto became an instant fan favorite in San Francisco. Three starts into the season, he had three straight seven inning outings and was exceeding every fan’s expectations. His interviews were always informative and entertaining. His instagram is a must follow as well, and his ability to be honest and funny is rare in sports.

Best Short Film

We live in fast paced world where our attention spans seem to be shrinking by the day. We have shortened content to GIFs and Memes and Vine videos and made information quick and simple.

Giants fans certainly have had their fun with this phenomenon, as they have created some of the best GIFs in sports, showcasing the team in all different sorts of ways.

And the Nominees for Best Short Film Are:

And the Winner Is:

Derek Law Towel Waving

The story of the Derek Law towel waving might even be better than the towel waving itself. As fans were waving the towels given out for that night’s game, Law asked a fan if he could use his. Law then preceded to cheer like the other 40,000 fans at AT&T Park as the Giants were fighting for a win in the heat of the NLDS.

That kind of raw emotion sometimes gets lost in today’s game. Not on this night, and not with this GIF creation, courtesy of Derek Law. It stood out as the Best Short Film of 2016.

Next: Best Song and Best Sound Mixing

It’s safe to say Brandon Crawford was the Giants’ MVP during the Miami Marlins series. (Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports)

Best Song

It has become standard practice now in baseball for every player and every pitcher to have their own walk-up music. Instead of just a few closers or just a few hitters, there isn’t a single player that isn’t consulted on what they would like played in their home stadium upon entry into the game.

Many Giants fans are hoping Michael Morse can make the team out of spring training. Not only because fans loved his enthusiasm and joy for the game, but because the sellout crowds love singing A-Ha’s “Take on Me” when he comes to the plate.

And the Nominees for Best Song Are:

And the Winner Is:

Javier Lopez and Sergio Romo 

This is mostly a sentimental pick, as both pitchers are likely to be moving on to other organizations in 2017. Neither has been signed yet by another team, but the Giants seemed set to go into 2017 with their younger bullpen arms.

If this is the last time we hear the Humpty Dance or El Mechon at AT&T Park, it will be bittersweet and a little less fun to see a game live.

Best Sound Mixing

More from Around the Foghorn

For our final award, we are honoring Brandon Crawford for his incredible takeover of the walk-up music during the final home game of 2015. Crawford has long been the team’s resident DJ in the clubhouse, and his fantastically horrible taste in music has turned overplayed pop songs into hilarious fun.

The music choices were so popular with fans that there is a Spotify playlist of the songs he loves to play during batting practice and for each player on the team.

With the Giants fighting for their playoff lives on the final day of the season, it was not appropriate for Crawford to do another takeover this season.

However, if he had, he would have no doubt owned this category again. We are going to give our final award to Brandon Crawford as a lifetime achievement award for his perfect sound mixing at AT&T Park.

Be sure to check back each day for all the latest hot stove news of the San Francisco Giants at Around the Foghorn.

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