A cold truth came when the San Francisco Giants finally gave Barry Bonds a long overdue recognition with his jersey retirement ceremony. As painful for many to see the Giants part ways with the home run king, the franchise needed to turn in a different direction and start from scratch.
Ultimately, the move paid off after a few lean seasons of developing from within. The year 2010 saw the first of three championships arrive in San Francisco. Even-year magic became nostalgia, with titles coming in 2012 and 2014 respectively.
Now, the magic is just a memory with a faint flicker of hope the team will somehow find a way to re-ignite the spark.