What a day to not be a Giant

May 21, 2026; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Cleveland Guardians catcher Patrick Bailey (16) receives congratulations from teammates after he hits a home run in the eighth inning against the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images | Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images The first headline I saw when I searched up our recently cast-off backstop was for an AP article published by the Watertown Daily News : “Baily, Cantillo lead Guardians to four-game series sweep…” While I harbor no real ill-will towards Patrick Bailey, I admit I wasn’t pleased about the news. Petty tribalism inherent in fandom runs deep, and stumbling upon some local coverage reporting on the exploits of ex-Giant really ticked me off.

I wanted no news. I wanted bad news. The fact that Patrick Bailey hit a solo shot in the 8th inning of a 3-1 win over Detroit, that he “led” his team to a sweep (just as the Giants were swept), that he did something so positive that rural Wisconsin was talking about him robbed me of some strange vindication/validation that my team “won” the trade that sent him to the Midwest.

The transaction was no banishment. Bailey was “Baily” now, according to the headline — he had been reborn. View Link Upon further digging, he hasn’t.

That homer earlier today was his second hit as a member of the Guardians (18 AB). He left San Francisco with a . 146/.