SAN FRANCISCO -- When news of Joe Panik?¡¯s retirement broke Thursday night, Giants fans flooded social media with highlights and images of the team¡¯s former second baseman.

That reaction didn¡¯t surprise shortstop Brandon Crawford?.

The four-time Gold Glover played more games with Panik as his Major League double-play partner than with any other second baseman to date. Crawford understands how Panik struck a chord with the fan base when he came up as a rookie and assumed an instrumental role in San Francisco¡¯s 2014 World Series championship run.

¡°He was a great teammate,¡± Crawford said before Friday¡¯s game against San Diego. ¡°We were locker neighbors for a lot of our career. And he became a really good friend that we¡¯ve been on vacation with and seen off the field plenty.¡±

Crawford shot Panik a text Friday morning to congratulate him on his retirement after an eight-year career spent with the Giants, Mets, Blue Jays and Marlins. Crawford also watched some of the highlights posted on social media, including the backhand glove-flip that Panik made to Crawford to get a forceout in Game 7 of the ¡¯14 World Series, one of the most electrifying moments of that Fall Classic against Kansas City.

Panik spent five-plus seasons with San Francisco. After finishing sixth in the 2014 National League Rookie of the Year race, he was an All-Star in 2015 and won a Gold Glove in 2016.

The Giants¡¯ infield during their ¡¯14 championship run included Crawford, Panik, first baseman Brandon Belt and third baseman Pablo Sandoval, and Crawford offered perspective on why that group still holds a special place for many Giants fans.

¡°It was awesome. We were all homegrown and that doesn¡¯t happen very often,¡± he said. ¡°I think it¡¯s great that fans loved it, too, because I¡¯m sure they like seeing guys come up through the organization and make it in the big leagues.¡±