This weekend’s three-game series with the Dodgers marks the end to Amy G’s 10th season covering the Giants for NBC Sports Bay Area. A fixture at AT&T Park and beyond, Amy has seen it all -- the World Series championships, perfect games, walk-off homers … and, oh, the memorable in-game and postgame interviews.
So, we asked Amy to recall, in her own words, her 10 favorite memories from her 10 years on the Giants. Scroll through and let Amy take you behind the scenes on the moments that Giants fans all enjoyed on air.
10. Interviewing Cookie Monster (2014)
This was a disaster waiting to happen, right? Interview a puppet?! It was random. It was bizarre. And it ended up being a BIG hit.
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Something that makes Giants-brand baseball special is the quirkiness of our broadcast and the flexibility of the entire crew to "roll with it." We did struggle a bit figuring out how to position ourselves, and it definitely was a challenge to not look at the actual man talking and kneeling on the ground while controlling Cookie Monster. I even thought I was a genius bringing real cookies for the puppet to eat, only to find out they have "prop" cookies. Duh!
But we pulled it off. It was a nostalgic moment -- Sesame Street was one of my favorite shows as a kid and a parent – we figured out a way to connect Cookie Monster to baseball, and we won an Emmy for the broadcast!
9. Finger-wagging the Dodgers fan (2016)
Probably one of my most unprofessional moments in my career. But it sure was satisfying. Not only to win the tug-o-war with a big dude, but a big dude in a Dodgers jersey who then begged for the ball. I mean, empowering doesn't even begin to explain it -- LOL.
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In all truthfulness, I saw the ball coming and just reacted. When I looked up and saw who was asking me for the ball, I knew there was ZERO chance I could give it to this man. Career suicide, right?
What fans didn't get to see is what happened next, when I asked, "Where's a kid?" I know the drill.
The Giants went on to win that game, and it ended up being a moment that gave some relief to a stressful stretch in 2016 when the playoffs were in question. Kruk and Kuip couldn’t get enough, and when they laugh, everyone laughs.
8. Angel Pagan's inside-the-park home run (2013)
I remember thinking, “Is this really going to happen?” This was such a great play to watch unfold because there were so many moving parts -- Tim Flannery being my favorite. Once Pagan scored, Flan's high-knee jig is one of the best moments I've ever witnessed.
Inside-the-park home runs are just so rare, and to be able to see one and then interview the person who did it made the moment even more special. No one knew at the time that Pagan majorly tweaked his leg on that slide and celebration. So it lost its luster a bit after the fact. But in the moment, simply one of the most exciting plays I've ever witnessed.
7. Interviewing one of my heroes -- Billie Jean King (2015)
The Battle of the Sexes was one of my earliest childhood sports memories. It was my initial exposure to people thinking men were superior to women physically and beyond. It also was my initial exposure to realizing people were wrong, thanks to Miss King and her victory over Bobby Riggs. Her tenacity, grit, strength and determination in bringing awareness to this issue always was a source of inspiration for me growing up, and has served as a source of motivation that I draw upon in the field where I work.
In short, this made my list because I got to meet and interview a childhood hero and an American icon. She's one of my "s"heroes! And if you're wondering why Billie Jean came to the Giants game? Her brother, Randall Moffitt, was a pitcher with the Giants from 1972 to 1981. So she's a fan.
6. Giants clinch the division, and Tim Lincecum drops an F-yeah on me on-air (2010)
The Giants have never made ANY of their championships easy. What's the fun in that?
In 2010, the Padres drop 10 straight in September, opening the window for the Giants to be in contention for the division. OF COURSE the two teams would play each other for a three-game series to end the season. The Giants only need to win ONE to clinch.
Friday night, they lose. Saturday, they lose. Sunday, if they lose, they have to go to San Diego and compete in a play-in game. No one brought their luggage.
I was walking along the Arcade area of the park when the unlikely occurred, and starting pitcher Jonathan Sanchez roped a triple -- and we all knew it was going to happen. The Giants won and began one of the greatest stretches in baseball history.
I grabbed Tim Lincecum before he headed to the clubhouse, and in all the chaos, I said, "Are you ready for a champagne shower?" Without missing a beat, he screamed back, "F*&% yeah!" I squealed, he sprinted off, and all of that was on live TV. A few seconds later, I hear my name being screamed and look over to see Timmy peeking out from the stairs below saying, "Sorry."
No apology necessary, completely understandable, and actually, I probably would have said the same thing :-)
5. Brandon Belt's 18th-inning homer vs. Nationals (2014)
I don’t think I’ve ever been colder. We traveled from Pittsburgh to DC, and the weather was perfect, until it wasn’t in about the ninth inning of NLDS Game 2 versus the Nationals. Pablo Sandoval scored the tying run, and the temperature dropped about 50 degrees. The game, as you know, went on and on ...
After each inning, we’d run to the bathroom where there was heat, warm up for a minute and get back to our seats in front of the press-box window. Enter my forever hero, Brandon Belt. An 18th-inning Jack Daddy gave the Giants the lead and the NLDS Game 2 victory.
I interviewed him after the game and began the conversation with “Thank you, just thank you.” It was worth the wait and the frostbite to witness one of the most significant home runs in Giants postseason history.
4. Brandon Crawford's Wild Card Game grand slam (2014)
The fans at PNC Park were so loud that we couldn’t hear the overhead announcements in the press box where we were sitting. I couldn’t really see the ball Crawford hit. I knew it was deep down the right field line, but when you heard the pin drop in this raucous crowd, that’s when I knew it was gone. You could hear a small contingent of cheers, and it was the Giants celebrating in their dugout.
Since I’m not really allowed to cheer, I just kept punching (lightly) the leg of my field producer sitting next to me. Admittedly, I was ecstatic. I grew up a Giants fan, and everyone is a Crawford fan. I mean, I’m only human.
3. Matt Cain's perfect game (2012)
The first perfect game in Giants franchise history -- what else can I say? An amazing accomplishment full of emotion and exhaustion.
I vividly remember Matt coming out early to hit some golf balls with a few pros on the tour. He roped one into McCovey Cove, and I made a mental note to ask him about it later and had a gut feeling he was going to have a good start. Well, he wasn’t just good -- he was perfection.
We were able to locate his wife, Chelsea, in the stands and keep an eye on her while Matt was navigating his way through 27. The night was compelling, not just from a sports perspective but from a human interest perspective. It’s one of my favorite moments and also one of my favorite broadcasts. A complete group effort covering a perfecto -- without ever mentioning the word, by the way. We are superstitious, too!
We won an Emmy for that broadcast as well. Thanks, Cainer!
2. Jonathan Sanchez no-hitter (2009)
This is so high on my list because it was my first milestone interview that brought much joy and much stress into my life. I’d never witnessed a no-hitter, let alone interviewed the pitcher who accomplished said feat.
The story is layered, but the gist: Sanchez was on the chopping block. The Giants were talking trade, sending him down, etc. His father came to watch him play for the first time in his pro career. Again, our crew worked magic cutting between Sanchez on the mound and Senior Sanchez in the stands. It was a beautiful moment of redemption, love and relief.
I won’t bore you with the grief I received from other media outlets for hugging Jonathan after this game. I will just share I wouldn’t change what I did because I was being me and it gave me a chance to make it very clear to my colleagues that I approach this game a different way. So just know, if YOU throw a no-hitter, I’m going to hug you!
1. Working with Kruk and Kuip every day and winning six Emmys with them
Mike Krukow and Duane Kuiper are the heart and soul of the Giants. They welcomed me with open arms 10 years ago, and I’ll forever be grateful to them for their support, laughter and the pure joy they bring to the park every single day. I truly do feel like the luckiest gal in the work world. I’m constantly pinching myself that this is what I get to do and this is who I get to do it with. Ten years in, and I still get giddy when I see them at the park.
I learn something new every day from this duo and feel honored to work alongside them. We’ve won a lot of awards together, but what I really treasure is the friendship that has developed between us. I have gotten to know their loved ones, attended weddings, and shed tears through heart to hearts, and they have become my family. I feel like I was supposed to meet them. They make me a better person.