It’s the unofficial Star Wars celebration day out there and while I don’t condone it, I recognize that I’m in the minority. For one thing, I’m a Star Trek guy. And the other thing is I think it’s incredibly dumb to use a speech impairment as the basis for celebration. Also, what are we celebrating? Star Wars surrounds us and penetrates us; it binds pop culture together! Having said that, people like Star Wars and they like the San Francisco Giants, and since the Giants will be celebrating Star Wars on May
24th, let’s put these two properties together.
There was a time before the season started when the Giants were seen as being capable of great things — heroes, really, kind of like the Jedi, that ancient sect of space monks who battle with laser swords and help aid the rise of fascism a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away. So, for the moment, let’s pretend that the team isn’t cooked and celebrate them by matching each hitter with a Jedi.
Matt Chapman is Obi-Wan Kenobi
It’s the easy call. The veteran with a lot of miles and a lot of history trying to lead by example. His first season as a Giant was a lot like Obi-Wan’s role in Star Wars, impressing with powers and hinting at just enough magic and mystery to seem almost larger than life. Last year? Well, it was his Revenge of the Sith: he was good in his part of the story, but he wasn’t around for the whole thing and it ended in tragedy for him (Bob Melvin’s departure). This year, it’s the Disney+ Obi-Wan Kenobi series. Just awful.
Rafael Devers is Mace Windu
Powerful, confident, but then all of a sudden gets absolutely merc’d by a decrepit old man — in Mace Windu’s case, Emperor Palpatine fully unleashing his Sith powers. In this case, Father Time.
Casey Schmitt is Luke Skywalker
A new hope? He’s far from being a whiny farm boy, but he is being mentored by Matt Chapman / Obi-Wan Kenobi… who may not be all that great of a teacher? It remains to be seen, but the kid who was just trying to escape and experience something bigger sure has hit his way into that reality.
Patrick Bailey is Ben Solo aka Kylo Ren
A side-hopping, hard to pin down figure with a degree of charisma. Will he follow in his father’s (Buster Posey’s) footsteps by being the next great Giants catcher, or will he The Force Awakens his dad to forge his own path? It’s hard to imagine Patrick Bailey hurting anybody since he can’t even hurt a baseball thrown across home plate, but he’s on the path to betraying all the trust and investment of time the team is putting into him — just like Kylo Ren. They also have distinct headgear.
Luis Arraez is Yoda
The clubhouse guru, but not about The Force. About hitting: “Do [hit] or do not [hit]. There is no try.”
Daniel Susac is Rey Palpatine-Skywalker
Hardly a “nobody from nowhere,” the Susac name is a respected one in the halls of the Giants and he has brought a dynamic perspective to what had become a tired battle between good and evil (Giants hitters vs. major league pitching). Most importantly, as the backup catcher, he is in a Force dyad with Patrick Bailey/Ben Solo, just like how the two characters were in The Last Jedi.
Harrison Bader is Count Dooku
I don’t entirely get Count Dooku’s “deal,” but he plays good defense, I’d say.
Christian Koss is Qui-Gon Jinn
Look, not all of these comparisons are going to be winners, and all I really remember about Q-GJ is that he got cut in half by Darth Maul. I find his lack of playing time to be a neat comparison.
Willy Adames is Anakin Skywalker
He was the Chosen One! The largest contract in team history (before the Devers trade) equals… the most powerful Force user ever known? Sure, why not? And yet here he is, having another terrible start to the season, tempted by the dark side, his smiling face transformed into a frown. A total turn to the Dark Side? Hard to say, but that hitting line is sure making the argument.
Heliot Ramos is Ahsoka Tano
I can think of few better comps for Ramos than this outcast Jedi who was once the apprentice to Anakin Skywalker. Now, Willy Adames hasn’t done the full turn (yet), but Ramos was on the outs with the Jedi order (the Giants’ front office) until he worked his Force off to become an All-Star hitter for a time.
Jung Hoo Lee is Leia Organa
Lee coming over from Korea gives him the outsider sheen needed to pull off a Leia Organa comp. Also, Grandson of the Wind might as well be Grandson of The Force. Leia was a Force-sensitive person who maybe could’ve been a Jedi if things had gone differently, instead, she wields her power differently, much like how JHL’s KBO experience gives him a different perspective on major league pitching.
Drew Gilbert is Grogu
This seems pretty obvious, right? The loud, little mascot who can steal the spotlight every so often and who at least one person (Tony Vitello) would die for.
