Celebration has returned to San Francisco. After 56 years, the Giants have finally brought home a World Series Championship.

After the 2002 World Series, I was crushed when the Giants gave up a five-run lead in Game 6. In the years that followed, I was one of the dedicated few who followed a team that didn’t have any reasonable chance of even making it into the playoffs. To put it into perspective, the highlight of the years between 2002 and 2010 was my favorite player, Omar Vizquel.

I had thought that this year was not going to be the year either, as there were too many holes in the roster going into Opening Day. Todd Wellemeyer was the fifth starter, John Bowker was starting in right field and rookie sensations Buster Posey and Madison Bumgarner were still stuck in the minors.

Looking back to the power hitting team that the Giants had in 2002 with stars like Jeff Kent, Barry Bonds and J.T. Snow, this team could not have been more different. Signings of washed-up veterans like Mark DeRosa (who turned out to be a bust), Aubrey Huff and Bengie Molina for another year didn’t encourage a successful season.

I was accustomed to the failed attempts to make the team competitive. Barry Zito and his $126 million contract, as well as millions more given to older players past their prime, hindered any hope for a brighter future. Throughout this season, however, General Manager Brian Sabean made key moves and executed successful trades. None of these were sexy acquisitions of big power hitters like Jose Bautista or Corey Hart, as Sabean stuck to acquiring relative no-names like middle relievers Javier Lopez and Ramon Ramirez . These were nonetheless successful; even Cody Ross, who was claimed on waivers from the Florida Marlins when no one else wanted him, turned out to be instrumental in the National League Championship Series, hitting multiple home runs and winning the series MVP award.

Perhaps the biggest move was bringing up Posey and Bumgarner. After seeing Posey with the Giants’ minor league affiliate in San Jose, I was excited to finally watch him in the major leagues. With the trade deadline approaching, Molina was traded, ironically, to the Texas Rangers (whom the Giants would later face in the World Series) for reliever Chris Ray. This allowed Posey to gain valuable playing time, leading to a 21-game hitting streak, as well as make his case for NL Rookie of the Year.

It should be noted that none of this would have been possible without the Giants’ starting rotation. Over the course of the year, it maintained a commanding 3.36 earned run average. Despite the star power of rotations like the Philadelphia Phillies, it could be argued that the Giants had the best rotation top to bottom, as well as one of the best bullpens in Major League Baseball. Even in the World Series, the national media advertised Cliff Lee as an unbeatable pitcher, one who would crush the Giants’ batters. Although I knew that Lee was going to be dominant, it was obvious to me that people were overlooking an offense that defeated Roy Halladay and other elite pitchers.

Going into the playoffs, it would be an understatement to call the Giants underdogs. They were entering after barely surviving a last-ditch run by the San Diego Padres and clinched a playoff berth on the final day of the regular season. However, they became the dark horse of the playoffs, with the pitching to carry them through to the World Series. After their victory in game five of the World Series, I was in disbelief. This team had pulled off what no team in San Francisco had done before.

Looking forward, I believe the Giants should be in solid contention for a while. With a starting rotation that has contract obligations for two more years, they will be able to contend for years to come. However, with World Series MVP Edgar Renteria, Juan Uribe and Huff becoming free agents, Sabean will have several holes to fill in the infield during the off-season. Hopefully, with the return of Mark DeRosa from an injury and a resurgence from Pablo Sandoval, the Giants still have the pieces to make a run at for another postseason, and perhaps another World Series.

For the moment, it is important to acknowledge that we are the champions of the baseball world. I will forever cherish this magical season and the unlikely story of how the Giants reached the pinnacle of baseball success.