SAN FRANCISCO — Along with a franchise-record 107 victories, and a cascading list of things that contributed to them, the San Francisco Giants have been able to fill one gaping modern-era void. In a time starved for great nicknames like Dizzy (Dean), Three-Finger (Brown) or Catfish (Hunter), the Giants have introduced “Late Night” LaMonte Wade Jr.
He is neither a talk-show host nor a local television personality, but a versatile outfielder-first baseman acquired in a small, mostly unnoticed trade with Minnesota last February for pitcher Shaun Anderson. A career .211 hitter in only 95 major league at-bats coming into this season, Wade, 27, was nicknamed“Late Night” because of his propensity for ninth-inning heroics.