‘Late Night’ LaMonte, Pinch-Hit Homers and a Closer From Nowhere
The New York Times
To get to 107 wins, the San Francisco Giants needed everyone to step up. It can feel chaotic, but it’s all part of the plan.
SAN FRANCISCO — Along with a franchise-record 107 victories, and a cascading list of things that contributed to them, the San Francisco Giants have been able to fill one gaping modern-era void. In a time starved for great nicknames like Dizzy (Dean), Three-Finger (Brown) or Catfish (Hunter), the Giants have introduced “Late Night” LaMonte Wade Jr.
He is neither a talk-show host nor a local television personality, but a versatile outfielder-first baseman acquired in a small, mostly unnoticed trade with Minnesota last February for pitcher Shaun Anderson. A career .211 hitter in only 95 major league at-bats coming into this season, Wade, 27, was nicknamed“Late Night” because of his propensity for ninth-inning heroics. In 336 at-bats this summer, Wade had six game-tying or go-ahead hits in the ninth inning or later. That is the most of any player in the past 40 seasons, according to Stats.
It is difficult to tell who is having more fun with the nickname, Wade’s teammates or San Francisco’s fans. Certainly, his teammates are very vocal about it, both in the dugout during tense moments and in the clubhouse during moments of celebration.
