A Giant day for baseball fans

If you show it, they will come.

Approximately 700 people, mostly clad in the black and orange of their favorite baseball team, waited in line at the Red Bluff Community Center on Thursday, where the San Francisco Giants had their 2012 and 2010 World Series Championship trophies on display.

The World Championship Trophy Tour was presented by Bank of America, and the trophy showing gave viewers the opportunity to have their pictures taken next to the trophies, and to purchase the photos from the organization.

The showings are taking part in Junior Giants communities throughout Northern California, and cash donations at Thursday's event will benefit the five Junior Giants programs in Tehama County.

Janet Clark, from Paradise, was among a group of fans first in line to see the trophies, and had arrived between 10:30 and 11:00 in the morning for the showing, which began shortly before 4 p.m.

"I've seen the trophies as many times as possible," beamed Clark from under a hat filled with Giants pins and buttons. "When you see that trophy, my heart still races. Buster Posey touched that trophy!"

Group by group the fans took their turns next to the trophies, many representing two or three generations of Giants fans, like Brian Randel of Red Bluff, who was there with Katie and Scott Thomas and granddaughter Brylee Thomas, who was born Oct. 31. "She's already a Giants fan," grinned the happy grandpa.

Kathy Hausman, commissioner of the Los Molinos Junior Giants program, said that $715 dollars was raised.

"The Junior Giants Program much more than the baseball," she explained. "They also have educational programs for the kids. The money will be used to help pay transportation costs for the annual day at AT&T Park, and for field preparation, etc."

CONTACT Craig Purcell at 824-1036 or cpurcell@tcnpress.com.