Samardzija sounded less colorful yet just as appreciative about catcher Buster Posey, his soon-to-be batterymate: "To have Buster back there, that's just icing on the cake. There's not going to be too many opportunities as a professional athlete that the guy you're throwing to is a Hall of Fame guy with a head on his shoulders like Buster has. And to do everything the right way like he does, it says a lot."
As for living in San Francisco, which Samardzija did for two months as a late-season acquisition by the A's in 2014, the right-hander succinctly captured the charm and the curse of the city.