Giants' Offseason Thus Far

They call it the offseason, but in reality there isn’t an offseason in baseball, especially if you’re World Champions. The Giants brought euphoria to the Bay Area on November 1^st, 2010 in winning the World Series. But their extended postseason run put them behind the majority of Major League Baseball by about a month in constructing their offseason plans. But no complaints right? A World Series title is worth more than anything else.

The Giants were in a great position this offseason because as World Champions, and with most of the starting roles already occupied, they really didn’t have much to do. They took care of their major business early, and now only have to address their arbitration-eligible players and sign a backup shortstop. Winning the World Series is great on all levels!

Let’s take a look at what the Giants have done so far this offseason:

Re-Signed 1B/OF Aubrey Huff for 2 years, $22 Million

Aubrey Huff was in my mind the Giants’ MVP last season. He was the one constant presence in the lineup from opening day, and his production went far above and beyond anyone’s expectations and the 1-year/$3 million deal the Giants gave him last year. Huff was the best free-agent signing last year considering the value of his contract. By hitting 26 HR, he became the first Giant left-handed hitter to belt more than 25 HR ever since some guy named Barry Bonds hit 28 HR in 2007. His .506 SLG and .891 OPS ranked 12^th and 10^th respectively in the National League, and were better than those posted by players such as Ryan Howard, Ryan Braun, Prince Fielder, and David Wright. His 5.7 WAR (wins above replacement) ranked 10^th in the NL, ahead of Adrian Gonzalez, Chase Utley, and Hanley Ramirez. Huff came to the Giants with a terrible defensive reputation, as a player who was best suited as a DH in the American League. But not only was he willing to play first base as well as both left and right field, he was solid at all three positions, and wasn’t a defensive liability whatsoever. I remember reading an article during the summer where a longtime MLB scout was quoted as saying that Huff had turned himself into a much better all-around player.

Therefore, Huff had to come back, and kudos to the Giants’ front office for recognizing that. The $11 million annual salary is a bit high, but the two-year length is right. The Giants would have sorely missed his bat and defensive versatility if they had lost him. Also, Henry Schulman of the SF Chronicle reported that Ned Colletti Dodgers were going hard after Huff, and it would have been unbelievably sad to see him donning ugly Dodger blue. Huff was clearly motivated playing on a winning team for the first time in his career, and his elevated production across the board reflected that. He should continue to be a valuable middle-of-the-order presence for the Giants over the next couple of years and his ability to play multiple positions will allow the Giants to ease top prospect Brandon Belt into the majors.

Signed SS Miguel Tejada for 1 year/$6.5 Million

The Giants wanted to bring back fan-favorite Juan Uribe, but the Dodgers snatched him with a 3-year/$20 million deal. It’s going to be tough seeing Uribe in Dodger blue, but I’m glad that the Giants didn’t break the bank to keep him. Uribe is a fine player, and the Giants would not have won the World Series without him. His 20+ HR power is a luxury for a middle-infielder and he has an unbelievable knack for coming through in the clutch (11 of his 24 HR during the regular season either tied the score or put the Giants ahead). Of course, his walk-off sacrifice fly and pennant-clinching HR against the Phillies will live forever in Giants lore. But $7 million a season is a lot of dough for a player who won’t hit above .250, doesn’t have great range in the field, and is best suited as a utility player. Last season, his batting average and OPS declined every month except for a minor uptick in September. The Dodgers will probably regret this contract.

To replace Uribe and Edgar Renteria (although he might come back for a year to be the backup SS), the Giants signed 36-year old veteran SS and former AL MVP Miguel Tejada to a one-year deal worth $6.5 million. Now, even though the contract is only for one year, I was not a fan of this move, but before I explain why, let’s look at how Tejada will help the Giants next year.

Like Aubrey Huff and Edgar Renteria, Tejada elevates his game when the stakes are higher. After starting last season in Baltimore, he was clearly reinvigorated by the midseason trade that sent him to San Diego. With the Padres, he posted a serviceable .268/.317/.413 batting line with 8 HR in 59 games. Over the past three seasons, Tejada has a .275 AVG with runners in scoring position. Tejada probably won’t supply the same power that Uribe did, but he should be good for a solid batting line of .270/.330/.420 with 12-15 HR out of the sixth slot in the lineup. Tejada, who is by all accounts a great person and leader, will also fill the void in the clubhouse among the other Hispanic players left by Uribe’s and possibly Renteria’s departure.

However, there is a lot not to like about this deal. First of all, Tejada’s age and lack of range in the field are sources of major concern. He’s simply not a serviceable shortstop anymore. Unless Pablo Sandoval morphs into a Gold-Glove caliber third baseman, the Giants are going to have one of the most porous left-sides of the infield in the National League. Brian Sabean responded to this notion by saying that the Giants have mostly fly-ball pitchers on their staff. That’s true, but for the foreseeable future, the Giants are going to be built around pitching, and the best way to support that strength is with strong defense. I have a feeling that seeing-eye groundballs that sneak their way into the outfield through the five-hole are going to be a problem for the Giants next season. Also, while Tejada doesn’t strike out much, he does hit into an awful lot of double plays, and we all got quite sick of seeing so many rallies thwarted because of the double-play ball.

I would have much rather seen the Giants trade for someone like Jason Bartlett, Marco Scutaro, or J.J. Hardy. Granted, none of them are top shortstops, but they’re younger and better all-around players. Also, acquiring one of those players would have given the Giants more security to address a long-term solution at shortstop. Many people are assuming that prospect and Bay-Area product Brandon Crawford will be ready to be the Giants’ everyday shortstop in 2012, but I’m not so sure. According to scouts, Crawford’s glove is ready for the big leagues, but his bat is not even close. His .241/.337/.375 batting line last season with 77 strikeouts in 79 games doesn’t scream “Major League Ready.” If Crawford makes the necessary adjustments at the plate and increases his offensive production, like what Brandon Belt did last season, then the Giants will be set long-term at shortstop. But that’s certainly no guarantee, and by trading for someone like Jason Bartlett, the Giants would have at least had the option of locking him up for a couple of years until Crawford or another prospect like Ehire Adrianza was ready. I have a feeling that the Giants are going to be back at square one at shortstop next offseason.

Re-Signed Mike Fontenot for 1 year/$1.5 million

Mike Fontenot turned out to be a solid acquisition for the Giants last season, and he’ll be valuable as a backup infielder that can play 2B, SS, and 3B. He also had some key hits for the Giants last September as they made their push to win the NL West.

Re-Signed Pat Burrell for 1 year/$1 million

In my mind, there were three players tied for 2^nd place in the Giants’ team MVP race: Buster Posey, Brian Wilson, and Pat Burrell. The Tampa Bay Rays cut Burrell loose and the Giants picked him up for nothing. He was reborn coming back to the National League, as he posted a .266/.364/.509 batting line with 18 HR, many of them in clutch situations (particularly that 2-run HR off Jonathan Broxton in late July). He took over the everyday LF spot that was a revolving door of Mark DeRosa, John Bowker, Aubrey Huff, and even Eugenio Velez. He also brought over a swagger and a winning presence from his days on the Phillies.

It’s silly to expect Burrell to repeat his production from last year, but bringing him back on a one-year deal for peanuts was a no-brainer. If he’s not the starting left fielder, which he probably shouldn’t be, he’ll at least provide some valuable right-handed power off the bench. He obviously demonstrated that he could still hit. He’ll also be reunited with his partner-in-crime Aubrey Huff. As evidenced by this very team-friendly contract, it’s clear that Burrell wanted to be a Giant, play for the team he grew up rooting for as a kid, and be in a place where he was comfortable. It’s refreshing to see an athlete turn down better financial offers for winning and happiness.

Over the next few weeks, the Giants will announce new contracts for their arbitration-eligible players (Jonathan Sanchez, Andres Torres, Ramon Ramirez, Cody Ross, and Javier Lopez) and sign another backup infielder. But barring a major trade, or the signing of Adrian Beltre, the Giants have finished their major business for the offseason. With it’s pitching intact, a full season of Buster Posey, and hopefully a slimmer and reenergized Pablo Sandoval, the Giants will be equipped to defend their title.

2010 WORLD CHAMPIONS!!!!!

"We're a bunch of misfits, but we fit well together."

Those words came from Tim Lincecum after he dominated the Rangers for 8 innings in clinching the 2010 World Series. Have truer words been spoken?

I, and the millions of die-hard Giants fans across the globe, died and went to heaven tonight. Our San Francisco Giants are the 2010 World Champions. No longer will we be haunted by McCovey's caught line-drive in 1962, the earthquake of 1989, or Game 6 in 2002. San Francisco, the most beautiful city in the world, finally has its first baseball title.

All of the heartbreak over the years, all of the games at Candlestick Park with frigid temperatures and gusty winds, all of the torture this season: TOTALLY WORTH IT!

I don't even know where to begin, because the feeling of witnessing the team you live and die with win a title is indescribable. It's not just about undying love of baseball. It's about treating other fans of your team, even if they're strangers, like family because you share a special bond with them. It's about identity and being proud of your roots.

What made the 2010 Giants so special, and more endearing than any other pennant-winning Giants squad, was that this group of guys was the pure definition of a team. Everyone on the 25-man playoff roster contributed in some significant fashion throughout the postseason. Everyone. Don't believe me? Read more:

Jeremy Affeldt: Saved Game 6 in Philly after a Jonathan Sanchez meltdown

Madison Bumgarner: Won Game 4 in Atlanta, pitched 2 innings of scoreless relief in Game 6 in Philly, and pitched 8-innings of shutout ball in Game 4 of the WS. Oh by the way, he's 21.

Matt Cain: Sported a 0.00 ERA through 21.1 innings in the playoffs

Santiago Casilla: A 1.93 ERA and 0.86 WHIP in the playoffs

Tim Lincecum: Began and ended the playoffs with Cy-Young worthy outings. Beat Derek Lowe, Roy Halladay, and Cliff Lee twice.

Javier Lopez: Shut down left-handed hitters all postseason. Was so good he made Charlie Manuel alter his lineup

Guillermo Mota: Only pitched a couple of innings, but didn't allow a run

Ramon Ramirez: Not great, but got some big outs

Sergio Romo: Had a terrible series against Atlanta, but didn't allow a run afterwards

Jonathan Sanchez: Pitched beautifully in Game 3 in the NLDS, and had a gutty effort in Game 2 of the NLCS

Brian Wilson: 6 saves in the postseason and a 0.00 ERA

Buster Posey: Caught this fantastic pitching staff and had huge hits in Game 1 and Game 4. He's only 23. Unbelievable.

Eli Whiteside: Well, he didn't play, but I'm sure he contributed on the bench and clubhouse

Mike Fontenot: A clutch triple off Tim Hudson in Game 3 of the NLDS

Aubrey Huff: RBI hits off Roy Oswalt and Cliff Lee, and a mammoth homerun that won Game 4 of the WS (oh, and the wearer of the rally thong!)

Travis Ishikawa: The walk of the decade in the 9th inning of Game 3 of the NLDS

Edgar Renteria: The World Series MVP

Freddy Sanchez: 3 doubles in Game 1 of the World Series, and stellar defense, better than any other 2nd baseman in the playoffs

Pablo Sandoval: A huge 2-run double off Chad Durbin in Game 4 of the NLCS that gave the Giants the lead

Juan Uribe: The game-winning HR in the NLCS, a blast in Game 1 of the WS, and terrific defense

Pat Burrell: 3-run homerun off Tommy Hanson in Game 2 of the NLDS

Cody Ross: 5 homeruns in the postseason, and the NLCS MVP

Aaron Rowand: A bases-clearing triple in Game 1 of the WS

Nate Schierholtz: Excellent defense all playoffs, including running down fly balls in right-center at AT&T Park

Andres Torres: The Giants' sparkplug. Gold-glove caliber defense and a .318 avg in the WS

There were no superstars on this team (well, expect maybe Tim Lincecum). The 2010 Giants were just what they called themselves: "a cast of misfits", "a bunch of knuckleheads" whose total was greater than the sum of its parts. It was a team that embodied the city of San Francisco perfectly.

How did the Giants win this series? The same they won the NLDS and NLCS: dominant pitching and timely homeruns. The Rangers came into the World Series with the best offense in baseball, an enviable combination of speed and power. They feasted on the Rays' and Yankees' starting pitching, but the Giants shut them down completely, and became only the 2nd team to shutout a team twice in the same playoff series. Josh Hamilton was the hottest hitter on the planet coming into the World Series, but he was helpless against the Giants. Hamilton went 2-20 in the World Series, and Vladimir Guerrero went 1-14. In fact, the Giants quieted the big hitters on every team they played this postseason:

Jason Heyward: 2-16, Chase Utley: 4-22, Ryan Howard: 7-25, Shane Victorino: 5-24...

Mix dominant pitching with some perfectly-timed homeruns by Juan Uribe, Cody Ross, Aubrey Huff, and Edgar Renteria, and you have a formula for winning a World Series.

Kudos to Brian Sabean. He's taken a ton of well-deserved heat during his tenure, but he's the architect of the first World Series winning team in San Francisco. He hasn't built a great offense since the Bonds glory days, but he knows pitching better than most of his counterparts. He put together only the 2nd set of homegrown starting pitchers to win a World Series. He drafted Matt Cain, Tim Lincecum, Madison Bumgarner, Jonathan Sanchez (27th round), and Brian Wilson (24th round). This season, he signed Aubrey Huff, signed Pat Burrell, picked up Cody Ross, and acquired Mike Fontenot, Ramon Ramirez, and Javier Lopez. Since 1997, the Giants have averaged 87 wins and have 5 postseason appearances, 2 NL Pennants, and a World Championship under Sabean's watch. With this young pitching staff, and Buster Posey behind the plate, he has set up the Giants to contend for many years to come.

And of course, the highest praise to Manager Bruce Bochy. They should build a statue of Bochy next to AT&T Park. He's the first manager to win a World Series in San Francisco, and he did not make one wrong move in the playoffs, a time when many managers crumble. He set his rotation perfectly, made all of the right moves in the bullpen, and wrote a different lineup almost every game to fit the circumstances. He put his players in a position to succeed, and he demonstrated extraordinary calm and leadership throughout all of the torture. Bochy, despite his track record in San Diego and now a World Series with the Giants, has always been one of the most underrated managers in the game. Not anymore, though. He schooled Bobby Cox, Charlie Manuel, and Ron Washington. It's great that he'll finally get the recognition he deserves.

A World Series title is a once-in-a-lifetime accomplishment. This championship is for the players who fought through a tough season, the Giants' legends from the past, the Bay Area, and for the millions of Giants fans who pour their heart and soul in this franchise. I know that I'll never forget Dave Flemming's cracking voice as he called Renteria's 3-run homerun, Duane Kuiper's call of the clinching strikeout, and the mayhem that took place as the players rushed onto the field to celebrate. After years of heartbreak and failure, the World Series Championship is ours.

THE GIANTS WIN THE PENNANT!!! THE GIANTS WIN THE PENNANT!!!

I had two reactions after Brian Wilson froze Ryan Howard with a gutsy 3-2 slider on the outside corner to clinch the pennant for the Giants. One, obviously, was pure elation, kind of like this guy: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/giants/detail?entry_id=75395 (fitting because I live in Philly too). The other was asking myself the same question that all of the disappointed Philly fans asked themselves: Are you serious; THIS team is going to the World Series?

I'm sure most Giants fans have pinched themselves, but this is no dream: these Giants, a self-described "cast of misfits" are your 2010 NL Champions.

Obviously, I'm quite the homer, but I, along with most Giants fans, did not see this team coming even close to winning a pennant. I thought they'd make the playoffs, and then falter against superior competition. As Damon Bruce said, "This team can't hit a lick, but they're in the World Series?!" Remember, this team's two marquee free agent signings last offseason were an injured Mark DeRosa, and Aubrey Huff, a player that no team wanted. How did this team knock off the two-time defending NL Champions and shock not only the city of Philadelphia, but baseball spectators across the globe?

As they've done all year, they won with their pitching. The Phillies have an intimidating lineup, but the Giants' starters and relievers shut down Philadelphia's big hitters. In the NLCS, Chase Utley hit .182, Shane Victorino hit .125, Raul Ibanez hit .211, and Jayson Werth hit .222. Ryan Howard, despite hitting .318, did not have an RBI. The Phillies batted .167 with runners in scoring position. The starters, aside from Matt Cain, didn't dominate the Phillies, but they kept the Phillies' hitters off-balance all series. What more can you say about the bullpen? Javier Lopez was so lethal against lefties that he forced Charlie Manuel to change his lineup, and Brian Wilson, although he took 5 years off of all Giants fans' lives, saved 3 games and earned a victory in Game 4.

Just like it's been since September, there were different heroes every game on the offensive side. It was Cody Ross in Games 1 and 3, Buster Posey and Juan Uribe in Game 4, and Aubrey Huff and Uribe again in Game 6.

Game 6 of the NLCS will live forever in Giants lore. It was a prime example of what the 2010 Giants are: a team with no superstars (well, maybe except Lincecum) and much more than the sum of its parts. Jonathan Sanchez didn't have anything, and usually, the Giants would lose that game. But nearly every person on that 25-man roster saved Sanchez and contributed to the clinching win. Aubrey Huff smartly ran the bases in the 3rd inning, driving in a run and scoring the tying run on Placido Polanco's throwing error. Jeremy Affeldt, who had become somewhat of a forgotten man in that bullpen, saved the game for the Giants by shutting down Ryan Howard, Jayson Werth, and Shane Victorino with runners on base after Sanchez's implosion. 21-year old Madison Bumgarner pitched two scoreless frames while leaving the bases loaded and Raul Ibanez at 3rd base. Javier Lopez made Utley and Howard look foolish in the 7th. Juan Uribe hit a band-box homerun that will haunt Philly fans for years. Tim Lincecum struck out Jayson Werth for a huge out in the 8th inning, and Brian Wilson gutted a 5-out save. If that isn't a great example of unselfish team work, I don't know what is.

Brian Murphy on KNBR spoke about how this Giants team weathered some ghosts from the past, and why it may bode well for the Giants as they enter the World Series. The Giants, until last Saturday, had a horrific history of going on the road with a 3-2 series lead. In 1987, the prime of Roger Craig's Humm-Baby era, the Giants took a 3-2 lead into St. Louis, but gaffes by Candy Maldonado and Atlee Hammaker cost that team a pennant. In 2002, the Giants were five outs away from winning the....why am I writing about 2002? It's just going to depress me; we all know what happened.

It was looking like deja vu after Jonathan Sanchez couldn't throw a strike to save his life, the Phillies took a 2-0 lead, and Citizens Bank Park was going nuts. But this team didn't give up, and didn't let the past haunt them. They said, "We're not going down tonight. Not us." The fighting spirit of this team has been unbelievable to watch throughout the season.

As a Philadelphia resident, there was nothing sweeter than wearing my orange and black in celebration and seeing the looks of shock and disbelief on the faces of Philly fans. These fans thought the NLCS was over before it even started, and they were getting ready for another Phillies/Yankees World Series. Even though the Giants were up 3-2, when the series shifted back to Philly, they thought the Giants had no chance. I'm sure that most Philly fans are still thinking, "How the $*@! did that happen?"

Bruce Bochy deserves a statue to honor how well he managed this series. He pushed all of the right buttons: switching Cain and Sanchez in the rotation, starting Renteria and Rowand in Game 3, starting Uribe at 3B in Game 6, removing Jonathan Sanchez early in Game 6, and his overall managing of the bullpen. Quite a masterpiece by Bochy, and I hope that the rest of the country found out that the quiet, unassuming, and sometimes boring Bruce Bochy is terrific at what he does.

The Rangers are a great team, and they will be tough to beat. They have Cliff Lee and an offense that features a lethal combination of speed and power. The Giants are underdogs again, but I think they'd prefer nothing else. They'll torture the Rangers and use everything they've got to scratch some runs across. Why should it be any different? Maybe I'm delusional, but I really believe that this team is special, and that they'll find some inexplicable way to bring San Francisco it's first World Series Championship. We'll probably age ten years through the process, but it'll be worth it.

Bring On The Phillies!

Torture and resiliency. If there are two words I'll use to remember the 2010 Giants, no matter how the series against the Phillies goes, it will be those. The first word, torture, is obvious: this team refuses to do anything easily. The second word, resiliency, speaks volumes about this team's grit and ability to rebound after countless tough losses during this season. Resiliency (well, along with some historically great pitching) carried the Giants in their series win against the Braves to secure their first trip to the NLCS since 2002.

Game 2 was a crushing loss. The Giants got a terrific outing from Matt Cain and actually scored runs without help from the Braves' defense. They had a 4-1 lead going into the 8th inning set up perfectly for Sergio Romo and Brian Wilson to shut the door. That was their formula for success all season: give a lead to the bullpen and game over.

Eric Hinske's 8th-inning homerun in Game 3 had the potential to be the ultimate back-breaker for the Giants in the NLDS. How were they going to respond to a gut-wrenching loss like that one? But Travis Ishikawa, Freddy Sanchez, and Aubrey Huff each gave the at-bats of their lives in the 9th inning, and thankfully for the Giants, Brooks Conrad was playing 2nd base for the Braves. Most teams would have folded after Hinske's homerun. But these Giants have shown a toughness and grit all season that allows them to shove aside heart-breaking moments.

We all knew the Giants were deep in pitching, but did anyone expect the dominance the starting rotation displayed against the Braves? I thought they'd be good, but not historically great. Here are the combined numbers that Tim Lincecum, Matt Cain, Jonathan Sanchez, and Madison Bumgarner posted in the NLDS:

29 innings, 17 hits, 3 earned runs, 5 walks, 36 strikeouts

That adds up to a 0.93 ERA, which by the way, was the third-lowest starters' ERA by any NL team in the playoffs, and a 0.76 WHIP. Amazing numbers.

Granted, the Braves had a lineup that made the Giants look like the 1927 Yankees, and the Giants will surely face a greater challenge going against Chase Utley, Ryan Howard, and Jayson Werth. I live in Philadelphia and I hear 24/7 about how great the Phillies' big-three starters Roy Halladay, Roy Oswalt, and Cole Hamels are. They are terrific, at times unhittable, and what they did in the NLDS, shutting down the Reds' league-leading offense, was very impressive. But the Giants will counter with starters of their own who are just as good, and perfectly capable of shutting down the Phillies' offense. The Phillies' starting 8 position players have hit a collective .231 against the Giants' starters in their careers.

The Phillies are the most complete team in baseball, and on paper, they are a better team than the Giants. They have an envious combination of dominant starting pitching and forceful hitting. There's a reason why they are heavily favored to win this series, and the Giants are going to have to improve their play dramatically in order to have a chance.

First off, there cannot be any drop-off in the starting pitching from the Atlanta series. Getting through Chase Utley, Ryan Howard, Jayson Werth, and Raul Ibanez is going to be a lot harder than facing Derek Lee, Brian McCann, and whoever the Braves batted 5th and 6th. The starters need to attack the strike zone just as they did against the Braves. The Phillies have a lineup full of patient hitters, and they will wear out opposing pitchers who are not consistently throwing strikes. Also, the pitchers must control the Phillies' running game. The Phillies have a reputation of being a homerun-hitting team, and while that's true, many don't know that they have the best stolen base percentage in baseball over the last couple of years. Lincecum and Sanchez have had problems holding runners all season, and they'll have to do a much better job of making sure the Phillies' baserunners don't get sizable leads. If the starters can hold the Phillies to one or two runs over six-seven innings, the Giants will have a chance.

Of course, most people are giving the Giants a slim chance in this series because of the difference between the two teams' offenses. It is true that the Phillies do have a better lineup, a group that is more than capable of throwing a crooked number on the scoreboard. But one thing the Phillies have demonstrated this season which they didn't show the last two years is that they are prone to slumps. Their offense didn't do a darn thing against the Reds' mediocre pitching. They won Game 2 because Jay Bruce lost a fly ball in the lights, and they scored their two runs in Game 3 on an Orlando Cabrera throwing error and a 375-foot, Cincinnati band-box special, Chase Utley homerun. Many fans here in Philly think that their Phils are going to out-slug the Giants, but I don't think that will be the case. The Giants can shut down the Phillies offense, and I predict that all the games are going to be low-scoring, tight matches.

The offense has to wake up, particularly at the top of the lineup. Andres Torres, Freddy Sanchez, and Aubrey Huff went a combined 8-47 (.170 avg) in the NLDS. The Phillies are not going to give as many gifts on defense as the Braves did, and so the Giants top to bottom must take smart at-bats, and try to draw deep counts from the Phillies' pitchers. Also, the Giants need to have better at-bats with runners in scoring position, particularly with runners on 3rd base with less than 2 outs. They were atrocious in situational hitting against the Braves, and the Phillies are a team that won't forgive the opposition's mistakes. Both the Phillies and Giants are in great shape at the back of their bullpens, but the Phillies have a huge weakness in their middle relief, the bridge between their starters and Ryan Madson and Brad Lidge. If the Giants can force the Philly starters to throw a lot of pitches early, and get to the likes of JC Romero and Chad Durbin by the 5th or 6th inning, they'll have a great shot to do some damage.

All of the "experts" on ESPN and other outlets have picked the Phillies. The Giants are heavy underdogs in this series, but I still like their chances. They're going to play loose, like they have nothing to lose, and the Phillies are going to be under a tremendous amount of pressure. Believe me; Philadelphia, which has always been an Eagles town, is crazy about their Phillies, and they expect nothing less than a World Series parade down Broad Street. One thing we can be sure about is that the Phillies are going to have their hands full with this scrappy Giants team. The Phillies may very well win this NLCS, securing their 3rd-consecutive NL Pennant, but the Giants will give them a serious run for their money. Maybe with a little bit of torture and resiliency, the Giants can pull off the upset.

NL WEST CHAMPS!!!

It was "Giants baseball...torture" in its purest form. As Bruce Bochy said after the game, these 2010 Giants never do anything easily. It had to come down to the final game of the season in nail-biting fashion. But the Giants took care of business today behind a strong outing by Jonathan Sanchez, and clinched their 1st NL West title since 2003 (yeah, I was in high school back then).

The Giants have a roster full of likable players, but I felt especially happy for three guys in particular: Aubrey Huff, Freddy Sanchez, and Matt Cain. Huff, formerly on the Tampa Bay Devil Rays (right, before they became just the Rays and a World Series contender), and Sanchez, who used to play for the Pirates (18 losing seasons in a row), wallowed in the basements of their respective divisions their entire careers before they put on a Giants' uniform. It was very fitting that those players drove in the first two runs today, and seeing their reactions as Brian Wilson struck out Will Venable to clinch the division was priceless.

Cain, 20 years old at the time, began his big-league career at the end of the 2005 season, at the beginning of the dark ages of the Barry Bonds era. Although he just turned 26, he's the longest-tenured Giant. Too many times, he's pitched well yet been the victim of terrible run-support, but he never moaned about the team's lack of offense over the past few years. Instead, he focused on turning himself into one of the elite young pitchers in the league. It's great to finally see him rewarded with a trip to the postseason.

Brian Sabean, for all of the criticism he gets (some of it is justified), made a number of smart moves this season: trading Bengie Molina to bring up Buster Posey, signing Pat Burrell, acquiring Javier Lopez, Ramon Ramirez, and Mike Fontenot. But his best move this year was NOT trading Jonathan Sanchez, the pitcher the Giants would have been forced to part with in order to acquire a power bat such as Adam Dunn. Sanchez was dominant over the final month of the season, going 4-1 with a 1.02 ERA and a 1.05 WHIP. The production would have been irreplaceable had the Giants traded him.

As I wrote many times, the Giants' fortunes were going to be determined by the quality of their pitching, regardless of how pathetic the offense looked at times. After being berated by Bruce Bochy and Brian Sabean at the end of August, the pitchers rose to the occasion in September and completely shut down opposing teams. The Giants' pitchers posted a 1.78 ERA in the month of September and held opponents to a .182 batting average. By the way, that includes Barry Zito's 4.66 ERA since September 1st. According to Tyler Kepner of the New York Times, the last team with a better September ERA was the 1965 Los Angeles Dodgers and they ended up winning the World Series (just saying). The bullpen was the perfect compliment to the starting staff, sporting a 0.90 ERA in the month when bullpens usually flame out. Just like in the regular season, the Giants' postseason success will be determined on how well the pitching can shut down the opposition. Usually in the playoffs, strong pitching beats strong hitting.

At the beginning of September, Mike Krukow spoke about how playoff teams have different heroes every game down the stretch. The Giants certainly had a complete team effort in September and the 1st weekend of October to clinch the NL West, with players from across the entire roster coming through in the clutch. There was Juan Uribe on September 4th, crushing a slider into the smoggy night at Dodger Stadium against Jonathan Broxton. There was Nate Schierholtz on September 6th with a two-run triple in the 11th inning in Phoenix. There was Buster Posey on many occasions, including September 12th against Mat Latos in San Diego. Or how about Mike Fontenot, an August waiver-wire acquisition, with a big hit against the Dodgers. Jose Guillen got in on some of the action with a timely grand-slam on September 19 against Milwaukee. There was Pat Burrell on September 29th, crushing a 3-run homerun off Ian Kennedy, and of course, Aubrey Huff and Freddy Sanchez in the clinching game.

The 2010 Giants are in many ways the complete opposite of the 2002 Pennant-winning team. The 2002 team featured slightly above-average pitching at best, and relied almost solely on the superhuman play of Barry Bonds and his sidekick Jeff Kent. But the 2010 Giants, a potent combination of young, exciting players (Lincecum, Cain, Posey, Wilson...), grizzled veterans (Renteria, Huff, Rowand...), and cast-offs (Pat Burrell, Andres Torres, Jose Guillen), are just as special as that 2002 team. This team is a perfect example of the whole being greater than the sum of the parts. Maybe I'm crazy, but I think these 2010 Giants have a deep postseason run in them. They got hot at the right time at the end of the season, and top to bottom, they have the best pitching in the National League. As long as they scratch out some runs, and provide us fans with some more torture, this team will be dangerous in the playoffs.

All Tied Up In The NL West

Up until this weekend, the Padres, the surprise team of the National League, had been alone in first place since early May. But they have company now, as the Giants forgot about their previous woes against the Padres, and won 3 out of 4 in a crucial road series in San Diego. Today's win capped in impressive 7-3 road trip through Los Angeles, Phoenix, and San Diego. With 18 games left, the Giants and Padres stand tied for first place in the NL West, with the Rockies, winners of 10 straight (they always do this!) only 1.5 games out.

Today's victory was the win of the 2010 season thus far. Considering that the Giants had won the first two games of the series, leaving San Diego with only a split would have been disappointing. Mat Latos had been dynamite against the Giants all season, posting a 0.96 ERA in 4 previous starts against the orange and black until today. He looked like he was going dominate the Giants again today, as he was throwing a crackling mid-90s fastball with sharp off-speed pitches. But after Aaron Rowand and Freddy Sanchez struck out in the 1st inning, Aubrey Huff, who had been hitless against Latos in his career, battled and stroked a single to right field to put Latos in the stretch. Buster Posey's homerun following Huff's hit was certainly the hit of the series, and he continues to amaze the baseball world with his talents. But Huff's single was just as important because prior to today's start because it clearly rattled Latos, who has a reputation of being a hot-head. The TV cameras showed Latos yelling at himself and furiously shaking his head after Huff's base hit. The Giants' offense, top to bottom, showed up to play today, and they made Latos earn every strike and every out. They played today like a team with lofty postseason aspirations.

The Giants needed Tim Lincecum to pitch like an ace today, and he responded with another brilliant outing, his third in a row. It's amazing what a flip of the calendar can do mentally for a pitcher. Lincecum had a forgettable August, going 0-5 with a 7.82 ERA and a 1.83 WHIP. But he's looked like a back-to-back Cy Young Award Winner in September. So far this month, he's 3-0 with a 2.12 ERA and a 0.90 WHIP, with a 29/2 K/BB ratio. The secret to his success? The rediscovery of his fastball, which he's now throwing consistently around 92-94 MPH with command on both sides of the plate.

As I've written many times, the Giants will live and die with their starting pitching. In August, the Giants' starting staff had an ERA that was only better than the 58-85 Cleveland Indians. But they've responded to the pressures of a pennant race, and have elevated their game in September. Matt Cain, who's by far been the most consistent starter on the Giants, set the tone this series with an impressive 8-inning effort on Thursday, and Jonathan Sanchez, Madison Bumgarner, and Lincecum followed his lead. Here are the numbers for the starting staff collectively in September:

72.3 IP, 47 hits, 19 ER, 19 BB, 79 K. That adds up to a 2.37 ERA and a 0.91 WHIP. Fantastic numbers.

The Giants received terrible news today as Andres Torres, one of the MVPs of the 2010 team, will probably miss the rest of the season after undergoing an appendectomy today. Torres, while being a fine leadoff man, has played Gold-Glove caliber defense, and the team is going to miss his presence. Aaron Rowand figures to get the majority of playing time, and it's time for him to step up to the plate and demonstrate that he can help this team win. Rowand is capable of going on hot streaks, and now would be a perfect time for one.

Kudos to all of the Giants fans who packed Petco Park and turned that stadium into a neutral site, if not one that favored the orange and black!!!

18 more games...

Giants One Game Out Of First Place

Guillermo Mota spoke the truth when the Giants lost of two of three to the Padres August 13-15: "Every team has a down time. Every team has its lumps. They haven't had their lumps. You don't think they're going to be playing like that all year, do you? If they do, congratulations."

The Padres have lost 10 in a row, and the Giants have gained 5.5 games in the standings in that stretch. After today's rubber-match victory against the Dodgers, the Giants now find themselves just one game out of 1st place, with a huge 4-game series in San Diego about to start this Thursday.

Jonathan Sanchez finally showed a glimmer of consistency, as he posted back-to-back quality starts for the first time since April 14th and April 20th. Over his last 15 innings, Sanchez has allowed only 1 run on 8 hits with 15 strikeouts against 3 walks. The walks, of course, are the key to Sanchez's success. With a robust .212 opponent's batting average, Sanchez is almost unbeatable as long as he's pounding the strike zone. He's had a consistent arm slot over his last two starts, and the evidence has been his ability to locate his fastball on both sides of the plate. The Giants will be a dangerous team in September if he keeps up this production because he's by far the best 4th starter in the National League.

The great Henry Schulman of the SF Chronicle wrote that Juan Uribe's go-ahead homerun (a homerun which is probably only landing now) off Jonathan Broxton in the 9th inning on Saturday was the "Brian Johnson moment" of the 2010 season. There have been many huge hits throughout this team's 30+ come-from-behind victories this season, but Uribe's homerun on Saturday tops them all. The Padres are floundering, and the Giants looked dead in the water against Ted Lilly, unable to capitalize on their great fortunes. But Uribe sent a jolt through the Giants dugout, and Saturday's win was the type of victory that can propel a team on a hot streak. With 19 of their remaining 25 games against teams from the NL West, the Giants could sure use a sustained run to get themselves into the playoffs.