Sandoval Thrives with Love in Bay Area

Sometimes a great season could help a major leaguer turn around a career that had steered toward the wrong path.

In San Francisco Giants star Pablo Sandoval’s case, the rescue came from a more emotional source: love. His wife’s love. His son’s love. His family’s love.

Only a few years ago, Sandoval wondered if he should retire after a difficult tenure with the Red Sox.

“Yes, I thought about it, I’m not going to lie to you,” Sandoval said of retiring. “But something huge happened. My wife [Yuli] never gave up on helping me, standing by me, cheering me up.

“She’s been not only my wife, but my friend, my partner. She lived through all of those tough times, sad times, that I went through. And she has been always very supportive.”

Sandoval has been one of the most popular Giants in recent history. He was the 2012 World Series Most Valuable Player. He etched his name in San Francisco sports lore when he hit three home runs, including two off Tigers ace righthander Justin Verlander, in Game 1 of the 2012 World Series.

Sandoval was a Bay Area fan favorite almost since his debut on Aug. 14, 2008, 72 hours after his 22nd birthday. That love only grew over the years for the man who caught Salvador Pérez’s foul fly ball in Giants fans reacted with smiles of pure joy at the mere sound of his nickname, Panda.

Then came the dark days. Sandoval signed a $95 million, five-year contract as a free agent on Nov. 25, 2014, with the Red Sox. Sadly for him, he never came close to the huge expectations they had for him in Boston.

The Red Sox released him on July 19, 2017. The Venezuelan signed three days later with the Giants. He was still nursing a shoulder injury with hopes of a last glimpse at diamond success.

“I don’t know what happened in Boston,” Giants manager Bruce Bochy said. “Sometimes you need to be in your comfort zone. That might have been the case. Sometimes the grass isn’t greener on the other side of the fence.”

Bochy used a younger Sandoval in 40 games in 2008 as a catcher, first baseman and third baseman. He then used him as his regular third baseman for six seasons.

The Giants manager once joked that people should feed the Panda while Sandoval, who had criticized for his weight often, demolished the Tigers in 2012.

Bochy also had to be firm with his third baseman when he played below his potential on a team that would win the 2010 Fall Classic.

He welcomed him with gladly when Sandoval returned to the Giants. The switch-hitter was then a shadow of his stellar past, with a .225 batting average. Sandoval responded with 40 RBI in 252 at-bats in 2018 while starting at several positions.

He also drew some extra cheers from his loyal fans as a relief pitcher before succumbing to a severe, season-ending hamstring injury on July 29.

“He has done so many good things for this organization, and for me,” Bochy said. “The thing I love about him is that he’s got his [Boston] contract and if he quit, he would be fine for the rest of his life, but he just loves the game so much.

“I love his maturation as a person, donating to charity, his time, his money, trying to help out in the community. This guy is a special player for me, on and off the field.”

The battle for a complete success history, however, was not over. Considering he was coming back from surgery and also playing for a new front office, Sandoval was not a lock to make the opening day roster.

“To be honest, he was going to have to compete for a spot,” Bochy said. “Obviously, he had one for me, but he was going to have to convince everybody. It is a collaboration when we pick a team.
“It was important that he showed that he still had game left. It was one of those situations where he had to play himself out of the team, and he did not do that.”

Sandoval rewarded Bochy’s vote of confidence with a solid .286 batting average in his first 119 at bats. He also proved his value on the field as he started by then in 22 games, mostly at first and third base.

While making a case for more playing time, he has also been a strong pinch-hitter. He’s on pace to break the San Francisco Giants’ record for pinch hits in a season, which Ken Oberkfell set in 1989 with 18.

The native of Puerto Cabello, a city on the north-central coast of the state of Carabobo, has had a huge weapon on his road to success: his beloved son, Liam.

“My children, my boy, are my biggest motivation,” Sandoval said. “I want him to see me play when he’s five, six years old. I want him to see his father as a model for him to follow, on and off the field.

“I don’t want him to see me as someone that had it, but let it go because of a bad head. I want him to see his father as a fighter, one who’ll never give up.”

With such a goal, it’s clear Sandoval is now far away from those retirement thoughts he had in Boston.

“My dream, my desire is to retire as a Giant,” he said. “I want to keep on playing, I don’t want to leave now when things are going so well. This is the team that gave me the opportunity to play in the major leagues, then handed me a second chance.”

Sandoval has returned with his jokes and huge smile.

He has regained the old Panda mystique that garnered him so much love in the Bay Area.

“From those unlucky years, I had lost the fun to enjoy myself, to be happy on the field,” Sandoval said. “Coming to the clubhouse with a joke is always fun. I’m doing it again.

“It started last year. This has also helped me a lot. Here am I, wearing this uniform with a lot of pride, a lot of love.”

Featured Image: Jamie Squire / Getty Images Sport