The SFG have come up with a couple of excellent young starting pitchers over these past few years....it was and has been the strength and backbone of their WS run these past 5 years. They were a weak hitting club (reg season) when they won their 2010 WS ...and have been pretty much pedestrian in team totals 2010,2012,2014 with the exception of 2010 when they lead in team ERA. After Posey- an excellent player/performer and Sandoval (excellent post season performer).. ....they've pretty much done it with a mish-mash of mediocre journeymen and I find it both annoying and confounding. Sour grapes? Maybe. Sometimes the grapes are indeed sour. lol Sorry guys...It needed to be said.
Honestly I'm more concerned with the starters (with the exception of Bumgarner) then I am with the bullpen. And I wouldn't mind seeing Pettit get a start.
__________________ I did say maybe there was some sour grapes ...well I guess it is sour grapes - speaking as a YANKEE FAN....perhaps some angst? Here's a franchise (SF), four wins away from it's 3rd WS title in five years and with the exception of 2010 (team ERA), nothing else really grabs your attention about them and their seasonal team stats. I guess if this was their first WS run in recent history, like KC, I could chalk it up to just one of those things where a WC Team got on a major hot roll. However, the one consistent strength of both clubs thru the reg season AND this post season is their BULLPENS. Both teams were rather mediocre offensively (reg season) and nothing jumps out at you pitching-wise except the pens. As weak/mediocre as KC was offensively (reg season), at least they lead the league in SB ... lol. This Giant team -except pen- doesn't do anything else particularly well lol..... ....EXCEPT get into the post season and finish the job. And THAT really is all that matters - I just wish he Yankees can consistently get by somehow with one or two "good" hitters and a cast of no-names. lol Like I said - sour grapes. I'm only speaking for myself as a YANKEE FAN. Anyone else scratching their heads over this possible historic run by the Giants?
Don't sell hunter pence short, 2nd in the NL in runs, 3rd in hits, 10 triples, 20 HRs, 13 steals, played every game
_______________________ I hear ya. Pence (2014) .277 ba / .331 obp / .445 slg% --- .776 OPS Giants (TEAM) still didn't/ haven't really distinguished themselves nor done anything particularly well as a group/team (reg season) during these three WS appearances. No major team stat has "stood out" or been near the top of the league (for these 3 WS teams), except 2010 Team ERA. Still seems flukey to me, they've been just kinda nondescript during their regular season marches to the playoffs, ...and as I've said/implied regarding their regular seasons: ---> when "you/we" think of the SF Giants over these WS years nothing special comes to mind, ..the best you can say is---> they've had "pretty good pitching",.... I maybe wrong, okay , maybe sour grapes. So be it. Sorry 'bout that... I just don't think of the SF Giants as some kind of special powerhouse, dominant team for the ages in relation to their 3 WS teams. They could go down in history as: "Oh yeah...that pretty good team which somehow managed to win three WS in five years". Yep, I'm really laying it on real thick. lol
i cant say i disagree with you, but if all you are "dominant" at is winning in the playoffs, thats a pretty good place to start. some of it is pure luck, sure, but that is the nature of baseball in a nutshell that said, i would love if the giants started spending a little more money, they kinda let the dodgers go wild the last few years, if the giants want to have a decent shot to actually make the playoffs consistently, they are going to have to win their division occasionally. first real test is this offseason, pablo sandoval is a free agent. if they let him walk and fill in at third base with a lesser player, im gonna be pissed.
_________________________________ The games are not played on paper where the teams with the fancy stats and numerous all-star type players always win.....the games have to be played and settled ON THE FIELD. ....and this is where the Giants DO distinguish themselves..maybe THIS will be their legacy.
I know many don't believe in the words TEAM CHEMISTRY but maybe that's the best way to describe this team. And Rain, I'll also be pissed if they don't resign Panda BUT..........he SERIOUSLY needs to lose some weight. And by some I mean about 50 lbs.
______________________ I do believe in team chemistry. And this Giants' franchise is now at the point where it has a certain confidence and has instilled (imo) a WINNING ATTITUDE amoung it's young players and new acquisitions. Kinda like how the Yankees always used to be in the old days including the 1990's teams. I remember seeing a couple of interviews with some old time pitchers from the Ruth/Gehrig teams...they would say Ruth would come up to them and tell them: "just hold them to 5 runs kid and we'll get 'em" lol
