‘Never thought this would happen': SF Giants celebrate legacy of Brandon Belt
SAN FRANCISCO - For a good chunk of Brandon Belt’s 12 seasons in San Francisco, opposing factions of the Giants’ fanbase fought in the “Belt Wars” on social media and internet forums.
Belt’s supporters pointed to the sabermetrics, which painted him as an extremely valuable first baseman who regularly posted an OPS above .800 while drawing tons of walks and playing excellent defense. His detractors argued that his back-of-the-baseball-card numbers were not sufficient, that he struck out too much, that his body language was too poor.
“I just knew there were some people that liked me and some people that didn’t,” Belt said. “I think it kind of boiled down to their expectations of me. You don’t meet them, they just think you’re the worst thing that ever walked the face of the earth.”
With Belt receiving an on-field celebration Saturday before the Giants’ 6-2 win over the Marlins, it’s safe to say that he has won over a few critics since he last played for San Francisco. Whether it was willing or unwilling is a different question entirely.
“They’re forced to like me now, because now, I got a day,” Belt said. “So, whether you do or not, tough.”
Belt, indeed, got his day, one filled with video montages, guest speakers and fans wearing Belt-themed orange aloha shirts featuring the famous black electrical tape “C” that spawned the legend of Captain Belt. It was a deserved commemoration of the one-time All-Star who spent 12 seasons in San Francisco, hitting 175 home runs, posting an .814 OPS and helping the Giants win a pair of World Series titles in 2012 and 2014.
Belt had a couple of jokes ready at his disposal.
“This is a very surreal moment for me,” Belt said. “Never thought this would happen, but when I think about this day and the Giants organization doing this for me, the only thing that really pops to mind is it’s about time.”
Belt may not have reached the lofty heights of other legendary first basemen such as Willie McCovey and Will Clark, but Belt’s name is featured prominently in San Francisco’s record books.
During the Giants’ West Coast era, Belt ranks in the top 10 in games (1,310), runs (628), hits (1,146), doubles (267), triples (36) home runs (175), walks (617), total bases (2,010) and at-bats (4,390). Without Belt’s contributions, the Giants likely wouldn’t have made championship runs in 2012 and 2014.
Despite the gray skies and cold weather, the pregame ceremony was filled with warm nostalgia. Duane Kuiper and Mike Krukow served as the masters of ceremonies. Buster Posey, George Kontos and Bruce Bochy served as guest speakers. The scoreboard showed a tribute to Belt’s most notable moments as a Giant, from being told he made the 2011 Opening Day roster to his 18th inning home run in the 2014 NLDS to the birth of his “Captain” moniker.
“To this day, Brandon Belt still cries when someone offers him a free beer,” Krukow quipped, referencing the famous video of Belt breaking down in tears after Bochy told him he was on the 2011 Opening Day roster.
Similar to shortstop Brandon Crawford, whom the Giants celebrated last year, Belt ended his career playing outside of San Francisco. Following 12 years with the Giants, Belt spent a single season with the Toronto Blue Jays and put together one last excellent season, hitting 19 homers and posting an .858 OPS over 103 games.
“After Toronto, I kind of knew I was going to be done,” Belt said. “I think I would’ve played in a certain situation, maybe for the Giants or for a team in Texas or something like that. But that was about the only thing I was going to do. I mean, I was ready to be around my family.”
From J.T. Snow to Sergio Romo to Pablo Sandoval, the Giants have a history of allowing franchise icons to finish their careers in the orange and black. While Belt’s final act as a big leaguer was with Toronto, the first baseman wasn’t yearning for a final sendoff.
“Honestly, I was just looking to fade away,” Belt said. “I wasn’t planning on anybody ever seeing me again. So, the fact that I’m here is pretty special. … This is going to be hard to believe - but I don’t really do stuff just for the show. It didn’t matter to me. I was a Giant in my heart, and that’s really all that matters.”
For all the one-liners, Belt dedicated part of his speech to his late father, Darrell, who died last July. Belt said the day was “bittersweet” without the man he called his hero.
“This has been a really tough year for me and our family,” Belt said. “When I was growing up, all I really cared about was making my dad proud. I know that if he could be here today, he would be really proud of me, and that’s all I can think about. He was the main reason why I’m standing up here today.”
While Belt still enjoys being around the game, the 38-year-old doesn’t have a pressing desire to make a full-time commitment. Belt was supposed to be a guest instructor during spring training before a scheduling conflict emerged, and he hopes the Giants continue inviting him to Scottsdale.
Following the ceremony, Captain Belt exited the field in the most appropriate way possible, standing in a boat with his two sons, Greyson and Augie, that was hauled around the field’s warning track by a truck.
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This story was originally published April 25, 2026 at 7:55 PM.