Bay Area Top 10 for 2018: Warriors, A’s soar, while others falter

Bay Area sports experienced incredible highs but also a lot of head-shaking lows in 2018, at least in terms of the professional sports teams are concerned. While a Bay Area dynasty continued in the NBA, the local baseball and football teams had, shall we say, mixed results.

Here are the Top 10 Bay Area stories of the year, as selected by The Press Democrat sports staff:

1 FAMILIAR RING: WARRIORS WIN NBA TITLE

After some nervous moments in the Western Confernce playoffs, the Golden State Warriors claimed their third NBA title with a sweep of the Cleveland Cavaliers. The three titles in four years comes on the heels of the three titles in five years the San Francisco Giants brought to the Bay Area - an embarassment of riches. With Steph Curry, Kevin Durant and Co. on a mission to defend the title and make it four out of five years, the rest of the NBA is focused on dethroning the champs in 2019.

2 CHUCKY RETURNS TO RAIDERS, FOR BETTER OR WORSE

The Las Vegas-bound Raiders made it clear who would be the face of the franchise in the transition - none other than Jon Gruden, who made his “Chucky” fame leading the Raiders some 20 years earlier, going on to success at Tampa Bay and on television. But, boy, it has not been a stellar year for the prodigal son, with the Raiders making unpopular trades and struggling to a 4-11 record heading into Sunday’s finale. As far as sequels go, this one has been a bust.

3 WILLIE MAC PASSES AWAY ?AT 80

Willie McCovey’s presence with the Giants as a player was as large as his presence on the field, and his Hall of Fame career alone would make him a franchise legend. But the man known as Stretch on the field became a great former player with the organization as well - a leader in community efforts, a friendly face in the clubhouse and a frequent presence cheering on the team to its three World Series titles in recent years. McCovey was 80.

4 A’S ROLL UP WINS LIKE IT’S 2002

Nobody thought much of the A’s coming out of spring training, but by the end of the season they’d be looked upon as one of the best stories in baseball for 2018. Starting in mid-June, the A’s were winning games and series in bunches, and they put the heat on eventual American League West champion Houston before earning a wild-card berth. They lost a one-game playoff to the Yankees, but with majors home-run leader Khris Davis, Gold Glove award winners in third baseman Matt Chapman and first baseman Matt Olson and three-time Manager of the Year winner Bob Melvin in place, the A’s definitely will be a team to watch in 2019.

5 DWIGHT CLARK SUCCUMBS TO ALS

Made famous by “The Catch” and revered as an important figure in the 49ers organization during his playing days and after, Dwight Clark died June 4 of complications from ALS, or Lou Gehrig’s disease. Immortalized in a statue depicting his most famous moment outside Levi’s Stadium, Clark was 61.

6 JIMMY G BLOWS OUT HIS KNEE

After exploding onto the scene with the 49ers and seen as a franchise-saving quarterback with his performance at the end of the 2017 season, Jimmy Garoppolo wasn’t off to the best of starts to the 2018 season. Then it took a terrible turn. Garoppolo planted his left knee on the turf at Kansas City while running the ball, and he tore his left ACL, putting him out for the season. Jimmy G’s hopes for an encore to a dazzling debut were dashed, and so were the 49ers’ hopes for a successful season.

7 MACK TRADE SHAKES RAIDER NATION

After being engaged in a holdout situation throughout training camp, Khalil Mack and the Raiders parted ways within a week of the start of the regular season when the team traded him to the Chicago Bears. Just like that, one of the best defensive players in the NFL was gone for draft picks. Call it the first salvo in what turned into a tumultuous season for the silver and black.

8 FOSTER’S OFF-FIELD TROUBLES ROIL 49ERS

A top pick the year before who had finished off an impressive rookie season, 49ers linebacker Reuben Foster was already carrying behavioral baggage before a domestic-violence charge was made against him by his girlfriend, who then recanted. Foster would return to play for the Niners, but another episode between the two during the season spelled the end - the team released Foster, and Washington picked him up.

9 JIMMY G CASHES IN WITH BIG CONTRACT

Between the amazing feats of 2017 and the unfortunate end to the 2018 season, Garrappolo was established as the future of the franchise when he was signed to a five-year, $137 million contract. The first year of that contract did not go well.

10 MADBUM INJURY SETS TONE FOR GIANTS

The year before, a motorcycle accident derailed Madison Bumgarner’s season. Things were going fine in spring training in 2018 - until his last start of the spring. He was hit by a comebacker, fracturing his left hand. He’d be out until June, and his injury was one of the many issues that developed for a Giants team that finished 73-89.