By mlblogssfgiants1

I haven’t blogged since before the ﬁnal game of the World Series. My ﬁrst night home in Venezuela, I got into my bed and I remembered that the last time I slept there I was about to leave for my ﬁrst spring training with the Giants. I still can’t believe how much has happened since then.

I made the Giants’ Opening Day roster.

I contributed to Matt Cain’s perfect game.

I played in the World Series on a team that wasn’t supposed to win and surprised everyone with a sweep of the Tigers.

Unbelievable.

The most amazing part was the parade. Sometimes I wonder if that really happened. I remember every single moment of that parade. It’s the biggest thing that has ever happened to me in my life. I felt like a king, to tell you the truth. I felt like some supreme being. It’s so cool what the fans did for us. My wife and baby and I enjoyed every second. I wish my other son could have ﬂown in from Venezuela, but it was too far to travel. We knew there would be a huge crowd but we didn’t expect to see people on rooftops, hanging from windows, sitting in trees. Every time I think about it I want to do it again!

People at home during the off-season looked at me differently. There was more respect.

When I talked, people paid more attention.

The question I heard most was, “Were you nervous in the World Series?’’ I told them no, I was just enjoying every single moment. So many people never even get to the World Series, so win or lose, I was going to enjoy the experience. I kept everything: jersey, ball, bat, glove, pants, hat, shoes. I’m building a showcase for everything at home.

I played 16 games in the winter league in Venezuela. When they announced the lineup for the ﬁrst game, they introduced me as a World Champion and the crowd went wild.

It’s still crazy to think all this really happened. I don’t think I’ll really believe it until I see the ring.

I have the same locker here in Scottsdale that I had last year. I remember I didn’t know anyone except Pablo when I ﬁrst got here. Now I feel like part of a family. I couldn’t wait to get back here and see all my teammates and spend time together.

What I’m working on most this spring is improving my offense. I have to put the ball in play more and use the whole ﬁeld. I want to be known as much for my hitting as my ﬁelding.

I’m heading up to the gym for a workout before we dress for practice. Part of the club is going to Goodyear to play the Reds but I’m not in the lineup so I can go home a little earlier than usual and spend time with my family.

Thanks for reading. I’ll try not to let so much time go by before my next post.