Don’t Forget: Giants’ Ishikawa Nearly Retired

Before he retired the Cardinals with his now-legendary 9th inning blast, Travis Ishikawa almost retired himself.Earlier this season, at the ripe old age of 31, the journeyman first baseman was four years removed from his last regular job in the Major Leagues, with the 2010 World Series-winning San Francisco Giants, and struggling to stick with a team, any team. 25 Years Since The Loma Prieta Earthquake: Then And Now An April job with the Pirates ended quickly, and Ishikawa was faced with a harsh reality: accept a minor league contract, or accept the fact that he might be done.He picked the former, from his old boss, Brian Sabean and the Giants. 25 Years After Loma Prieta, Focus Is On Preparedness That meant trekking down to Fresno, where his family drove to watch him toil in the minors. That was when he thought about quitting, his wife, Rochelle, told the San Francisco Chronicle.That is, until injuries to the Giants' normal lineup led to a July callup. "Royals" Banned from SF Radio Station Playlist Ishikawa was back, and he stuck around and played his way onto the postseason roster and into the starting left fielders' position, a job he'd only performed three times in...