Angelika I know absolutely nothing about baseball. I have never watched a game on TV or in a stadium. At work, I once looked after a five-year-old baseball fan who couldn't believe it. Of course, I do know that you need a baseball bat and the corresponding ball to play, that there is a pitcher and a catcher, and that the players try to reach certain platforms ("bases"), but that's about it. I also know that the San Francisco Giants are our city team.
In the fall, however, an euphoric mood suddenly spread throughout the city, which even I couldn't ignore. Everywhere we saw signs with "Go Giants" in the team's orange brand color, and we were constantly asked if we were following the Giants' games. The Giants were on the verge of winning the so-called "World Series," the championship of the two American professional baseball leagues that takes place in the fall. The winners of the National League and the American League face each other and play a total of seven games in quick succession until the winner is determined. It is, of course, somewhat presumptuous to speak of a world championship in this context, but Americans see it that way.
In any case, the San Francisco Giants won the World Series this year for the first time in 56 years, and San Francisco was in an uproar. Not only was City Hall lit up in orange, but people were literally dancing in the streets. In Noe Valley, our neighborhood, there were honking concerts, and flag-waving fans stopped moving cars to congratulate the passengers. Even a baseball grouch like me was thrilled.