When Buster Posey hit that two-run home run off Walker Buehler in the bottom of the first inning of Game 1 of the division series between the Giants and Dodgers, it felt like San Francisco's dream season --- Posey's resurgent comeback after sitting out 2020, the franchise-record 107 wins, dethroning Los Angeles for the NL West title -- was going to roll all the way to a World Series title.
It didn't happen, of course. The Giants won that game, but the Dodgers won the series. Posey didn't drive in another run in the remaining four games. His final at-bat came in the bottom of the eighth inning of the fifth game with the score tied 1-1; he struck out. Now comes the news that Posey will announce his retirement after 12 memorable seasons with the Giants, a run that included three World Series titles, the NL MVP Award in 2012, seven All-Star appearances and an enduring status as one of the greatest and most beloved Giants in franchise history.
The Giants would have certainly picked up the $22 million club option for 2022 after Posey hit .304/.390/.499 with 18 home runs in 115 games, his most home runs since 2015 and his highest OPS since his MVP season. Instead, he finishes his career in a way most stars do not -- fresh off one of his best seasons.
