Stoopid Stuff

Pitchers and Catchers Report Wednesday

And so it begins anew. Unlike previous years, I enter this baseball season mostly bereft of hope. Since the begining of the Dusty Baker era, I looked forward to each season with anticipation. Those were teams that were likely to make the playoffs, and indeed, in 2002 came within 5 outs of a championship. Now don't get me wrong, the '07 Giants have some strengths. But the NL west has improved, and the holes in the giants lineup should make their presence known fairly quickly. Those holes are simple. Runs will be precious, age and declining health will cause Bochy to retool this team on the fly many times over the long season, and the bullpen will have much to prove.

The Giants enter 2007 with the best starting rotation in the west, possibly in the league. Behind Zito, Cain, Lowry, Morris and Ortiz, this team stands to be in a lot of games. But with an offense powered by a 42 year old cripple and not much else, the starting staff has little margin for error. Infield defense will be very good, with feliz at third, vizquel at short, durham at second and aurelia or klesko at first. Outfield D will always be questionable with Bonds in left, but Roberts in center and Winn in Right should do ok, no better.

Bonds is a problem, in many ways. When teams walked him in 2003 it was a rally starter. Now, it's a rally killer. It will take power to advance him from first, let alone drive him in, and other than Feliz, the giants power is an aging and questionable Ray Durham. I can't wait for the moment that Bonds and Molina are on base at the same time. Just jog off the field, boyz, you ain't gonna score.

But it's spring training, with the smell of the fresh-cut grass, the leather and the rosin, the crack of the bat and pop of the glove. Everybody's equal now, and nobody is a loser. Baseball, with it' hope and rebirth and commitment and joy. People will come Ray. The one constant through all the years, Ray, has been...

Well, you know...

posted by mikey @ 4:47 PM