SAN FRANCISCO -- While Benito Santiago artfully whirled around the San Francisco Giants' chaotic locker room to hug his teammates, Barry Bonds nimbly ducked away from Shawon Dunston's champagne shower.

	Dunston

	Santiago

	Bonds

There's life in those old legs yet.

Bonds, Santiago and Dunston -- three players with 49 combined major league seasons -- earned their first World Series appearances on Monday night when the San Francisco Giants won the NL pennant.

Manager Dusty Baker, who played in a World Series but hasn't managed in one, was emphatic about the biggest excitement of the electric night at Pacific Bell Park.

``We've got a bunch of veteran guys who've given their heart and souls to this game and this team, and they're getting their reward,'' Baker said.

Santiago was named the NL championship series MVP following San Francisco's 2-1 victory over St. Louis, but his true reward arrives on Saturday: a starting assignment in his first World Series.

Santiago hit .300 with two homers and six RBI against the Cardinals, highlighted by his two-run homer in the eighth Sunday night that provided the winning run in Game 4. Though he failed to make a big play in three clutch situations during Game 5, he was still the Giants' star of the series.

``Benny carried us through a lot of it,'' Bonds said. ``A lot of veteran guys were playing for what they want more than anything. We got it.''

Santiago's teammates were thrilled for their catcher, whose amazing recovery from two years of rehabilitation following a serious car accident focused his considerable talent for the first time in his life. Santiago wiped away tears in the clubhouse, but kept his eyes on the future.

``I'll enjoy this tonight, and then I'll start thinking about the Angels' hitters in the World Series,'' Santiago said. ``This is a dream come true. This is what you play for. It's been a long time behind the plate taking foul tips. It's great, but hey, it can be better.''

While Bonds and Santiago made big contributions to the Giants' success all season, Dunston's teammates praised his steady influence in the locker room and his motivational rhetoric as a great help also.

``Shawon was emotional today,'' said Kenny Lofton, who got the game-winning hit. ``He was telling everybody, 'This is it. This is probably my last chance. It's my dream to get one World Series.' That was one of my thoughts as I ran to first. Now, he's getting it.''

Dunston broke into the majors in 1985; Santiago and Bonds followed him in 1986. While Bonds became a superstar with Pittsburgh and San Francisco, Santiago and Dunston saw their fortunes rise and fall during widely varied careers in several major league cities.

They were united in San Francisco before last season, when Dunston was signed to add veteran depth and Santiago emerged from seeming oblivion to steal the Giants' starting catching chores from Bobby Estalella and Doug Mirabelli.

While Bonds went on one of the most remarkable two-season hitting sprees in baseball history, Santiago resurrected his career with an indomitable work ethic and his stellar defensive skills, which haven't slipped a bit with age.

Dunston nearly fell off the Giants' roster, struggling through a dismal season and making a number of misplays in the field when Baker used him as a defensive replacement. Fans clamored for Dunston to be cut when difficult roster decisions arose, but Baker and general manager Brian Sabean always stood by him.

``I'm just grateful to get to this position with an organization that loves its players and cares about them so much,'' Dunston said. ``It's a wonderful thing.''