SAN FRANCISCO–Matt Cain has never soaked it in like he did on Saturday.
That’s because Saturday was his first chance to let his guard down.
After tossing five shutout innings against the San Diego Padres, Cain stepped off the mound at AT&T Park for the final time. When Cain approached the Giants’ dugout, manager Bruce Bochy had him stop and take in the cheers from an adoring crowd that cheered Cain on for all 13 seasons of his Major League career.
Following the game, Cain offered up a message for the Giants’ fans who supported him, thanking them for what they’ve meant to him throughout his career.
“It’s been amazing to see the support,” Cain said. “From day one to the last day, they’ve always been supportive. They’ve always been there for us no matter what and that’s something special that San Francisco has. I don’t think a lot of other cities can say that about their fans. They’ve been through some hard times with us and they’ve been through some amazing times with us. They understand that. They live and die by it. They respect and they appreciate the amount of effort that the guys are putting on the field and off the field. Without a city like this and being joined together, I don’t think we would have done the things that we’ve done as a team throughout all the years.”
Though Saturday was the final outing of Cain’s career, the Giants have a tribute planned for their longest-tenured player following Sunday’s game. If it’s up to Cain, he’ll have an opportunity to take the microphone and share a message with those in attendance.
“I’d love to be able to say something to the fans and thank them for all the years that they’ve been around and they’ve supported me and they’re special,” Cain said. “They’re really special to my heart, they’re special to the guys in the clubhouse. I mean, it’s tremendous what this city has done for our family and done for the organization.”
Cain said he needed the fans’ support more than ever on Saturday, as he pitched for the first time since August 31. Though it’s been more than four weeks since Cain last took the mound, he said he was able to gut out five innings because of the support he received throughout the day.
“I think the first couple of innings were definitely all adrenaline and then the last three were just the guys and the fans, mostly,” Cain said. “The fans just willing me along. I think I could hear like two or three guys for some reason in the stands, ‘Come on Cainer, you can do it.’ That meant a lot. To have that and you could hear that. It was cool to be able to have that moment.”
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