GILROY—Alma Gehre’s history with the San Francisco Giants spans nearly a century.
The 99-year-old Gilroy resident has watched Bay Area baseball since the days of the San Francisco Seals. She’s seen Willie Mays play and remembers taking her now 75-year-old son to Giants’ games in the rain. On Feb. 19 Gehre added another page to her storied Giants’ history as she posed with three generations of fans for pictures with the team’s three World Series trophies from 2010, 2012 and 2014 at the Wheeler Center.
“I can hardly miss it with all crazy people in my family that are Giants fans,” said Gehre with a smile. “I like to watch the Giants because their sportsmanship is really wonderful.”
Her 70-year-old daughter Janet Nohelty, granddaughter Cristi Garrison, 41, and great-granddaughter Katie Garrison, 8, all of whom live in the Garlic Capital, accompanied Gehre to the tour.
All four had waited in the line that snaked around the Wheeler Center to see the trophies since 10 a.m. until the doors opened just before 3 p.m. The wait, Cristi said was well worth it.
“We’re diehards,” she said. “To me (the Giants are) about family. It’s just a connection; it’s something we’ve always done together. We watch games together, go to games together. It’s just become a tradition and it’s where our memories are tied to.”
The family was just four of the 1,000-plus Giants fans that turned out to see baseball’s most coveted prize.
Morgan Hill resident Rahn Crocker, along with his wife Donna, son Tyler, 4, and daughter Madison, 16 months, came to make lasting memories for their tiny Giants fans.
Tyler wore a pint-sized Giants jersey and hat, while Madison showed her spirit in an SF cheerleader outfit. Both were born in title winning years—2010 and 2014, respectively, so Rahn said it was only fitting to take pictures with the trophies.
“For me, it’s just about building memories,” said Rahn, a Giants fan since 1998. “When she (Madison) gets older she can see that. Maybe she doesn’t remember now, but she’ll see that we did this as a family.”
Lifelong fans Dennis Sanchez and his wife Kim drove their two sons Calvin, 5, and Cannon, 2, up from Hollister to continue their family tradition. Dennis and Calvin, who proudly pointed out the 2012 World Series patch on his jersey, travelled to San Rafael for the first trophy tour in 2011 and hasn’t missed one since.
“It was a great opportunity and they made it easy on us,” Dennis said with Cannon on his hip. “The last two being in Gilroy has been really nice. If they keep winning ‘em, we’ll keep coming.”
