Writing the Giants Off

by lizardlad01 on Feb 19, 2008 11:58 PM MST Comment 15 comments

I think everybody is underestimating the Giants. I think we have forgotten how much of a chain Barry Bonds is around the Giant's neck. Once you remove the ailment from a team they generally start playing better, harder and faster.

Bottom line: The NL West is going to be the toughest division of all-time this upcoming season. Every team is loading with talent.

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/baseball/nl/giants/2008-02-19-giants-offseason_N.htm?loc=interstitial skip

Eat. Drink. Be Merry. But the above FanPost does not necessarily reflect the attitudes, opinions, or views of Purple Row's staff (unless, of course, it's written by the staff [and even then, it still might not]).

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Still writing the Giants off

They don't have anyone to step in and replicate Bonds' offense. Free agent center fielder Aaron Rowand is replacing him in the lineup, but Rowand has never hit 73 home runs in a season, let alone 30. He's never driven in 90 runs.

The Giants, planning to use catcher Bengie Molina as their cleanup hitter, didn't even have a single left-handed hitter homer during batting practice.

Being relaxed doesn't help hit tough right handed pitchers like Webb, Peavy, Young, Penny, Haren, Jimenez, Cook, etc... The Giants can play spoiler this year -the team in the division with the worst record against them won't make the playoffs- but that's about it. In one of the best seasons of his career, Aaron Rowand was Philadelphia's fourth best hitter last season, and yet he's being asked to be San Fran's best, it's going to be ugly.

These early Spring pieces are typically just PR propaganda to try and sell more tickets early -before fans realize how they've been duped- as the last few paragraphs indicate. The Rockies put out similarly rosy early Spring assessments for years after it was clear that they'd need to retrench for a long rebuild.

by Rox Girl on Feb 20, 2008 4:58 AM MST reply actions 0 recs

Pitching

Pitching wise the Giants are arguably the most dominant in the division with McCain, Lowry and Linceum. Add in Joe Nathan for the closer and they have the pieces to pull off a Diamondback like run in 2008.

Few runs but great pitching wins games.

You are right though that most spring training releases are just PR. Lots of window washing.

by lizardlad01 on Feb 20, 2008 9:09 AM MST up reply actions 0 recs

Dude

Joe Nathan hasn't been with the Giants since 2003. Unless there's some rumor I haven't heard or something, I'm pretty sure he won't be closing for them this year.

rockies in october.

by LarryB303 on Feb 20, 2008 9:13 AM MST up reply actions 0 recs

The Giants

should go with this Brian Wilson and not this one as their closer.

"Don't give up the ship!" - Capt. James Lawrence

by Russ Oates on Feb 20, 2008 9:20 AM MST up reply actions 0 recs

McCain might be an injury risk

you know, with the presidential campaign and pitching for the Giants.

And I thought Livan Hernandez was an old pitcher...

by Roberbola on Feb 20, 2008 11:41 AM MST up reply actions 0 recs

I think the Giants are writen off

cause the NL West IS so good. The Giants have good pitching staff...but that's about it. They'll have a competitive, respectable team....but in the NL West in 08 that's a last place team.

If they were in the NC Central they might have a shot (albeit a long shot) to be a playoff team.

Wow...the NL West has come along way from when a .500 Padres team won it

I miss Kaz! He really could Rock-a-Rhyme, even if it was Tricky

by Redhawk on Feb 20, 2008 1:30 PM MST reply actions 0 recs

Kudos To Redhawk

That sums it up. The Giants would be a competitive team in any other division than the NL West and AL East.

I think the NL west is still a better division than the AL east.

by lizardlad01 on Feb 20, 2008 2:06 PM MST up reply actions 0 recs

Top to bottom

I think you're right. There's the Sox and the Yanks, but after that, the Jays were just 4 over .500 last year, while the O's and Rays are just awful. I doubt the Giants will be awful, and the NL West has 4 legit contenders for the the division crown.

2007 National League Champions, baby!

by rockhead on Feb 20, 2008 2:16 PM MST up reply actions 0 recs

AL East

I think you're underestimating the AL East - Toronto's been on the right side of .500 in two of the last three years, and Tampa Bay is going to be good this year (I know, that's hard to imagine, but trust me, they can make a run at .500).

Neither of those two teams are going to win the division, of course, but as far as respectability goes, the AL East will have plenty of it by season's end. And it won't just be Boston and New York earning it, either.

mvn.com/mlb-rockies - Staying on the sunny side of Blake Street since 1993.

by Franchise26 on Feb 20, 2008 2:28 PM MST up reply actions 0 recs

We'll see

The only genuinely terrible team in the East is the Orioles (afflicted with Angelos, they will probably stay this way for years). Toronto's better than average, but that's not enough in that division; you kind of have to feel sorry for them. And the Devil Rays will be good one of these days, but everyone seems to have been saying that for several seasons now and they still haven't gotten there. I'll believe it when I see it. Although they do somewhat remind me of us.

Get Demented :: Gang Gridiron.

by Silverblood on Feb 20, 2008 6:07 PM MST up reply actions 0 recs

At least

the O's are starting to get it: trying to rebuild by adding crappy veterans isn't the way to go, and they're taking steps to really rebuild the team. I still think they could have used Bedard, but they did get a nice haul in exchange for him (arguably better than what the Twins got for Santana.)

http://mvn.com/mlb-rockies: The best thing to happen to baseball since 1993.

by Rox Fan in TN on Feb 20, 2008 7:38 PM MST up reply actions 0 recs

Rays

Franchise is right, the Rays are a .500 team this year. Perhaps better. That's a monster of an offense they have, plus an improving pitching staff.

vr, Xei

NL West Bullpen Rankings

by Xeifrank on Feb 20, 2008 5:56 PM MST up reply actions 0 recs

wait a darn minute...

which jose capellan did they claim via rule 5?

It's Tricky to rock a rhyme, to rock a rhyme that's right on time It's Tulowitzki!...Tulo-witzki-witzki-witzki ..... rockiesmagicnumber.blogspot.com

by Andrew Martin on Feb 21, 2008 1:20 AM MST reply actions 0 recs

A lefty formerly of the Red Sox

"Don't give up the ship!" - Capt. James Lawrence

by Russ Oates on Feb 21, 2008 7:46 AM MST up reply actions 0 recs

at this point....

even Giants fans are writing off the Giants. It doesn't have that much to do with the division, although that is a factor. The Giants were 2nd to last in runs scored last year--ahead of only the Nationals--and play in a much better hitters park than the Nats. This year, they lost Barry Bonds, who can still hit, so the offense figures to be worse.

by DenverBears on Feb 21, 2008 12:32 PM MST reply actions 0 recs