Thank you, Hunter Pence

Dear Hunter Pence,

There’s a lot of uncertainty in the world and unfortunately, your future with the Giants is one of those uncertainties. It seems likely you may leave us soon, so I wanted to say a few things before you go, just in case I don’t get to before you turn the page on this chapter.

Thank you.

Thank you for coming into San Francisco with enthusiasm. Thank you for booking your own flight so you would get to your new team as soon as possible, be able to meet your teammates, talk to the press, and sign autographs for the fans of your new city.

Thank you for making “weird” the new cool. For laughing at yourself, for being yourself, for never being concerned with how you look to other people.

Thank you for 2012 and all your bug-eyed speeches. Thank you for showering a bunch of guys on the brink of elimination with sunflower seeds so they could believe they could win. For encouraging the guys to “see what Ryan Theriot” was going to wear the next day. That’s leadership. That’s motivation.

Thank you for the heart and hustle of playing every single game for two seasons straight. For giving the fans 162 days every year of crazy, gangly, non-sensical baseball.

Thank you for truly making San Francisco your home. For working with the community, the kids, the local businesses. Thank you for planting roots in the city. You believed in a city that believed in you...and that’s a beautiful thing.

Thank you for all the memories you’ve embedded in San Francisco Giants history. There are so many on the field, so many off the field, and so many that we probably didn’t even get to see.

Thank you for looking at the fans as your family. For taking the time to sign autographs and for waving or smiling when you couldn’t. For looking people in the eye when you talk to them, for being more than just an athlete - just a someone everyone could relate to.

Thank you for your Willie Mac Award speech - to date, it’s one of my all-time favorites. I put together some highlights from your time in San Francisco. I hope it helps remind you of all the reasons you’re beloved in this city.

You made your mark in San Francisco. Whatever your future holds, this city has always got your back.

Thank you.