Who's Laughing Now?

We haven't posted anything for a few days, and I was a little reluctant to get back to blogging, what with how good the offense has been while we've been away. The Giants offense on the current road trip has been more than tolerable. Over their last five games, the Giants are averaging seven runs a game, and the only two runs in that span were by one and two runs, respectively. In May, the Giants are batting .280, compared to .245 in April.

Leading the charge has been Bengie Molina, who is proving to be a formidable cleanup hitter. Over his last 10 games, Bengie has put up video game numbers, going 23-39, earning him NL Player of the Week honors. He's raised his average up to .339, good for fourth in the NL. Maybe Tim Lincecum won't be our only All-Star, although Molina faces stiff competition from Atlanta's Brian McCann and Chicago's Geovany Soto.

Molina isn't the only one hitting well. Aaron Rowand is right behind him in the batting leaders at .337. And, I'm sure to the surprise of many, players like Jose Castillo, Rich Aurilia, and Ray Durham have all been contributing. Maybe when ESPN stops paying attention to Joba Chamberlain's every move, we'll start getting a little respect.

Two In A Row!

Let the charge begin! Full-steam ahead!

Yesterday's win was important because it showed that the 2008 Giants actually are gamers, fighting back in the ninth with two outs and then hanging on for the win. It's still going to be an uphill climb to anything resembling respectability, but games like this revitalize your energy as a fan.

A tip of the cap to Tyler Walker and Brian Wilson for overcoming their recent struggles to play a key role in both wins against the Rockies.

New David Banner Video

Charlie just sent me this... We are not going to spoil the surprise but be sure not to blink at the 0:50 mark...

Dear Bruce Bochy

Dear Bruce Bochy,

Though I have never managed a major league baseball team and not played competitively on the diamond for a decade, I have discovered the secret to the Giants playing .500 ball, and possibly better. Tim Lincecum needs to start every game.

No. I am not implying that Tim Licecum needs to pitch much in every game. In fact every five days he should just go out to the mound, lob a couple of pitches to the leadoff hitter before being replaced. What will this accomplish you might ask?

Well, maybe you have noticed that there is just a good deal more confidence in each Giants player when they know Lincecum is out there. Rich Aurilla might be taking pre-game warmups and think to himself, "Whose starting today? Oh, Barry Zito. Man, I'm going to go 0-3. I suck. This team sucks." But then he will see Tim Lincecum in the bullpen (for you must have the real starter hidden in an undiscolosed bullpen). "The franchise is pitching today," Richie will think. "I didn't know that. He pitched yesterday. Shit, if he can pitch two days in a row, I can hit a home run today. I might even have a coupe other extra base hits. This team rocks!"

Besides the confidence it will bring your players, think of how it will intimidate opposing teams. They'll be thinking, "I bet the Giants have some dude I've never heard of starting today." Then he will shout, "It's home run derby" to his teammates. But then the manager will say, "Looks like we've got Lincecum today." And the same player will say, "What? That dude's a machine. He pitched yesterday, and the day before. How can we possibly win this game." By the time Lincecum is replaced by Pat Misch, the opposing team's confidence will be so shot they will not be able to come back.

I know this sounds like a lot of pressure on Lincecum, and maybe a bit disrespectful to the rest of the staff. But desperate times call for desperate measures, 'Boch. So, please, take my advice.

Sincerely,
Will of Still Orange and Black

Giants Looking to Draft Position Player

For most of my career as a Giants fan, I never paid very much attention to the amateur draft. Turns out Giants' management didn't pay much attention either. Sure, there was a Matt Cain here and a Tim Lincecum there, but the during Peter Magowan's tenure, the best position player developed by the team was Bill Mueller. It appears things are starting to change. The Giants have the fifth overall pick, and according to Magowan, the team will look to draft a position player.

Who the Giants pick will depend very much on the four teams in front of them: Tampa Bay, Pittsburgh, Kansas City, and Baltimore. There is no consensus number one pick like David Price last year. Among the top players in the draft are high-school shortstop Tim Beckham, Florida State catcher Buster Posey, Vanderbilt third baseman Pedro Alvarez, and San Diego pitcher Brian Matusz. One name being linked to the Giants a lot is South Carolina first baseman Justin Smoak. The scouting report on Smoak is that he's a switch-hitter with good power from both sides. I would be delighted if the Giants selected Smoak. The only problem is that the Giants recently moved their top prospect, Angel Villalona, across the diamond to first base, leading to a logjam at the position. But Villalona is still only 17 years old, and will not likely be ready until at least 2011. Smoak could be a regular by 2010. The Giants should go ahead and draft the best player available, regardless of position. Hopefully one of them can move to the outfield, or have good trade value.

Piazza Retires

The writers of Still Orange and Black want to tip our caps to the great career of Mike Piazza. He hit his share of bombs off us as both a Dodger and a Met (probably not as a Marlin), but the numbers speak for themselves - and we can respect that. Piazza is the all-time home run leader at the catcher position, and he holds the distinction of knowing Roger Clemens had 'roid rage before everyone else. Now Piazza can return to being a full-time sex symbol, while denying rumors of his homosexuality.

Omar to Boston?

Peter Gammons launched this rumor the other day and it has since been making the rounds (I first saw it on MLB Trade Rumors. Nick Cafardo writes in the Boston Globe that Vizquel could...

solve Boston's shortstop problem if Julio Lugo's defense doesn't settle down. Vizquel is quite fond of Boston but would be interested only if he were a starter. He has a close relationship with Manny Ramírez from their Cleveland days. Vizquel still has a terrific glove and can hit.

Vizquel is batting .310 since returning this month from the disabled list.

A New Low

Even the Rockies appear to be having more fun than us.

Things have gotten bad.

Real bad.

Really really bad.

I am not enjoying this. These games are not fun to watch. I am having trouble telling myself that I am just "evaluating talent." I am feeling very anti-Giants management. I am feeling very uninspired to write for this blog. That feeling will pass, but I am not a happy Giants fan. I am spending less time thinking about them, and more thinking about our record label. Unfortunately, as the team sinks lower and lower under .500, we have again been thrust into the national spotlight with the looming departure of Peter Magowan. Dark days are upon us Giants fans. It is going to be a long summer.

Still Near the Bottom

The Giants moved up from 29 to 28 on ESPN's Power Rankings thanks to continued poor performance from the Rockies and Padres. At least they had something nice to say: "Welcome back, Omar Vizquel. The venerable defensive whiz has hit .444 in his first five games of '08."

Damn

Ten games under .500 ... Barry Zito 0-8. The honeymoon is over. Things have gotten dreary.

Sabean Thinks They've Got a Shot, We're Not So Sure

When asked if the Giants could contend this year, Brian Sabean responded, "As long as we've got a chance to stay in and around third place, why not?" In a sense, you like this attitude, especially when he says, "Why wouldn't you want to think that way? These guys think that way." I'm glad if these guys think this way - I would expect nothing less from Aaron Rowand, Bengie Molina and Rich Aurilla - who are proven competitors. On the younger side, Tim Lincecum, Fred Lewis and Brian Wilson are showing wisdom and drive beyond their years. Sabean adds, "Between what people thought of us and how we're actually performing, I think these guys have a lot to be proud of."

You know we agree - at least to a certain degree, but Sabean's statement kind of neglects a certain personal responsibility he needs to account for. Against the Phillies in two series and in this most recent series with Houston, the Giants showed that they can compete with a good team day after day. The problem is, they went 3-3 versus the Phillies and lost three of four to Houston. And just about every one of these losses was a game the Giants could have one. Yesterday's was exceptionally tough, being a game the Giants lead 7-3 entering the eighth. The players - a somewhat awkward mix of respectable veterans and talented but unproven youngsters - should be proud; management should not.

Even the best of starters need to be on their A game start after start to allow for the potential of victory with this sporadic offense. Is it a pitcher's fault if he allows three runs in six innings and loses? Is it John Bowker's fault if he struggles with a pitch he's never seen before. The players of the 2008 Giants have been thrown in a sink-or-swim situation, and there's enough character and integrity to stay afloat. But the makeup of Sabean's squad this year is no Moneyball calculation - it's a random assortment of talent to be evaluated. I think of 2008 as extended Spring Training.

Bruce Bochy can explain fundamentals to Eugenio Velez all he wants, but the bottom line is he wouldn't be a starter at this point on any other team. He will someday be ready, but now he's got to learn the big leagues without training wheels.

The problem with the 2008 Giants is not fundamentals or character - the problem is the lack of a cohesive unit. The chemistry displayed is quite amazing given the circumstances. I see many signs that the Giants have a bright future with many of these players. But I also wonder how we got here, and whether - with Peter Magowan's lomming exit - if some new faces would help shape things better than the current Bochy/Sabean administration.

Forgot About Cain

It's kind of like Eminem said - Nowadays everybody wanna talk like they got something to say/ But nothin comes out when they move they lips/ Just a buncha gibberish/ And muthafuckas act like they forgot about [Matt] Cain. Maybe it was a couple of lackluster starts, or maybe it was the fact that Tim Lincecum's amazing consistency takes away all the attention, but those in the Giants community seemed to forget for a moment about this great righthander we have named Matt Cain. But last night, Cain went out and reminded everyone while he is still the man. Eight innings and just two runs, but maybe more impressive was Cain's solo home run. It was his second of the year, putting him ahead of Randy Winn and Ray Durham.

Cain seems like a pretty mentally tough guy, but even he was feeling any insecurity that we had forgotten about him, he should not worry. Cain is just as much a part of this team's future as Lincecum, with both pitchers always giving us a strong chance to win.

It should also be noted that the Giants did have Cain's back last night, scoring three runs in the first, and that Brian Wilson now leads the NL in saves with 12.

It's Bye Bye Baby

Giants 2008 Home Run Leaders

Aaron Rowand, Bengie Molina, John Bowker - 4
Fred Lewis, Rich Aurilla - 3
Matt Cain, Jose Castillo - 2
Randy Winn, Steve Holm, Ray Durham - 1

Good Story

Shawn Estes made his first start since 2006 tonight for the Padres and he picked up the win, his first since 2005. Despite giving up a leadoff home run to Alfonso Soriano, Estes allowed just two earned runs over 5 1/3 innings. It was also the 100th win of his career. It's hard to believe that Estes is 35 years old, as we'll always remember him as the dashing young lefty who won 19 games in 1997. Congratulations Shawn, you'll always be one of our favorite Giants.

Fun While It Lasted

Last night, I made my first appearance of the season at Pacific Bell Park to see Barry Zito and the Giants take on the streaking Astros. Even though the Astros had been playing some good ball, there was much to be excited about - the Giants had one two games in a row, Omar Vizquel was back, and Barry Zito couldn't possibly go 0-8.

It was comforting to be back in the confines of our beautiful ballpark, seated in the "lower box," a bit closer than my typical "view reserved." Next to me was an older fan who may have been practicing for a grumpy announcer gig or something because his mouth did not stop for the entire duration of the game. He had some nice things to say about Fred Lewis, but for the most part - despite his Giants jacket - he was an orange and black hater. He made no apologies for his disdain of Barry Zito - calling him a bum several times and rooting for him to blow the lead "like you always do." He also had some hate reserved for Randy "no arm" Winn, whom he berated as "stupid" for catching a foul ball with one out, allowing the leading run to score. "The Fan" crapped out around the seventh, which was sad because I did not have the chance to suggest he stroll down to the dugout and ask for a coaches application.

As for the game, things were looking good for the first five innings. Zito hadn't allowed any runs. He got into trouble a couple of times, but fought his way out with ease, getting a strikeout or a double play when he needed it. The crowd was even behind him - cheering in every 3-2 count and giving ovations after every scoreless inning. Some of that may have been sarcastic, but at least there were no boos.

The offense seemed to be behind him for once as well. Two runs were scored in the third behind doubles from Fred Lewis and Omar Vizquel. John Bowker launched a solo homer in the fourth that was declared a "splash hit" though replays showed that was just wishful thinking. Still, it was a 3-0 lead and Zito seemed to be pitching well.

But then the Astros tied it up with a little sixth inning rally, capped by Lance Berkman's 2-run homer to center. Zito kept his composure and got the next two hitters out, but the damage had been done. The Astros were poised and ready for the Giants bullpen. In the eighth, with the bases loaded, Keiichi Yabu made an odd pickoff throw to first, a few inches out of Bowker's reach. As it skidded into foul territory, one runner scored. There was a chance to get an out at the plate, but Eugenio Velez's throw sailed right over Bengie Molina's head. That kind of sealed the deal right there. I was sad "the fan" missed that one - but it may have given him a heart attack.

So, the Giants lost, but at least the tickets were free and Barry Zito got a no decision. It was great to see Lewis and Bowker have success against Roy Oswalt - further proof that those two young guys are the real deal.

The Franchise Does It Again

Thank god for Tim Lincecum, who is going to give us something to watch all season long. The highly touted youngster, nicknamed "the Franchise" by his teammates, pitched yet another gem, ending the Giants awful five game losing streak. This kid is the stopper, and we're already making his plane reservation for July's All-Star game in New York. Saturday's line was amongst his best ever - 8 innings, 4 hits, 2 runs, 8 strikeouts and one walk. Unfortunately, those two runs bumped the ERA up to a whopping 1.61. Lincecum is now leading the league in strikeouts, while his ERA puts him in second, and his win total ranks third. He is something special and is going to be fun to watch for years to come.

On Saturday, Lincecum got something few Giants pitchers have gotten all year - run support. The Giants scored 8 runs on the strength of Aaron Rowand and Randy Winn homers, along with Dan Ortmeier's two RBIs.

Zito Draws Another Ace

In his last start it seemed as though Barry Zito had finally caught a break. After facing pretty much every number one starter in the National League, the opposing starter for the Pirates was Phil Dumatrait, who was making just his second start of the year. Unfortunately, Dumatrait baffled the Giants and Zito took his seventh loss.

Tonight, the Houston Astros come in for a four game series. Their starter will be Roy Oswalt, who's averaged 16 wins since 2001. He hasn't pitched like an ace this year, with a 5.33 ERA and 11 home runs allowed. But the Astros are red hot, coming off a sweep of the Dodgers. Lance Berkman, Carlos Lee, and Miguel Tejada will be quite a test for Zito.

Holm!

After picking up first career RBIs earlier this week, Giants backup catcher Steve Holm picked up something bigger today - his first Major League homerun. It was pretty clutch - a two out, two run bomb in the seventh that put the Giants up 4-3.

Holm Has Stats

One bright spot of yesterday's loss was that backup catcher Steve Holm collected his first two big league RBIs. The catcher - who was a longshot to make the big club at Spring Training - has been a good backup for the sore Bengie Molina.

Room at the Bottom

The Giants reside at number 29 on ESPN's most recent Power Rankings. At least, they had some kind words for us - "So far, Aaron Rowand has been a good investment for the Giants (.336 BA-.390 OBP-.523 SLG)." Thankfully, there is a team worse than us - San Diego!

Another Loss to the Pirates, Looking ahead to '09

Wow. After coming out of April with a, "That was better than we expected," things have hit a season low. This series against the Pirates was dreadful - and if this was all you saw of the Giants, you'd probably make a lot of jokes about this team too. Rather than recap, I'd rather write about something this early morning game had me thinking about - Of the guys on the field for the Giants right now, where do you envision them next season?

I don't have any hopes of a pennant chase this season, but I would like to see the Giants in some kind of contention in 2009. This is possible considering that the only team in the West really worth fearing is Arizona. (Sorry Dodgers, I just know you're going to collapse come August). Since we are evaluating the talent of the youngsters, let's think about which ones should be in the starting nine next season.

The only staples of this season's lineup who I see as a lock for '09 would be Bengie Molina, Aaron Rowand, and Fred Lewis. Ideally, I see Lewis in the number two hole, with Rowand hitting behind him, and Molina hitting sixth. The Giants will have to pick up two bats to hit fourth and fifth because nobody on this roster could fill those holes just yet.

John Bowker and Dan Ortmeier have shown promise - but whether each of them is ready to start at first is another question. A platoon could work, but seeing as how both are actual outfielders, that would leave first is a good position to look for in the offseason. Same for third where Jose Castillo is a solid temporary fix, though not a long-term solution. Bowker or Ortmeier could platoon in left, along with Eugenio Velez, or the Giants could acquire a slugger for that spot. Either way, I'd like to say Randy Winn traded sometime this season. He obviously isn't in the future plans and even if we can get just one Double-A prospect, that's something for the future.

The middle infield is where I see the biggest question mark for the Giants. Ray Durham will not be back - ideally he'd also go in a trade but that seems unlikely. Hopefully, Kevin Frandsen will be at full strength to compete for a job at second. I like Velez and his blazing speed, but he needs to work on both hitting and defense. I like him as a bench player at least for one full season. There was some speculation early on as to whether the Giants should not have re-signed Omar Vizquel and stuck Brian Bocock or Emanuel Burris out there. Clearly, the two rookies weren't quite ready for major league pitching. They need to spend a little more time in the minors getting their batting averages up. I may campaign to bring Vizquel back one more year, his health permitting. Even if he splits time with one of the youngsters, it alleviates pressure on them while allowing them to study under one of the best.

That leaves two veterans - Dave Roberts and Rich Aurilla. Roberts should be released in my opinion, with the Giants eating the contract. I like Aurilla, but I don't see him coming back - except as a coach.

On the plus side, I feel very confident about the pitching. With either Kevin Correia or Noah Lowry in, the rotation is solid. The bullpen is great too, and would only be more dominant with the addition of a veteran arm.

I imagine we will be revisiting this throughout the season.

Olney on Lincecum

In his video blog today, Buster Olney had some nice things to say about Tim Lincecum, mostly about his composure on the mound.

Small Bullpen Shakeup

In a move that was a bit overdue, Brad Hennessey was sent down to Triple-A. In a year in which he was supposed to be a major part of an overhauled bullpen, Hennessey has been lit up in every sense of the word. He's given up runs in nine of his eleven appearances, including multiple runs in seven appearances. The last straw came on Tuesday, when he surrendered five runs on seven hits in 2.1 innings in Pittsburgh. Overall, he's allowed 38 hits and 23 earned runs in 16 innings. Hennessey will start in Fresno to try to get more regular work.

To take Hennessey's spot, the Giants called up right-hander Billy Sadler. Sadler had a brief stint as a September call-up with the Giants in 2006, compiling a 6.75 ERA in five games. He was off to a fantastic start in Fresno, with a 1.13 ERA, a .138 opponents' batting average, and 24 strikeouts in 16 innings.

Zito Strong, Hitting Weak

I don't think Barry Zito deserved to lose last night. If he can get past the fact that his record is 0-7, he should feel mighty confident about last night's start. Maybe it is not all you hope for out of the $126 million dollar man, but he was strong, throwing easily his best start all year. It would have been a great story for Zito to come out and get a win, but unfortunately, his team did not have his back.

They were facing a converted reliever who had yet to get a major league win, but it may as well have been Greg Maddux out there. Nothing seems to click just right when Zito pitches. Often it is him missing his spots, but other factors come into play as well - the defense is often shoddy, and the run support has not been there. Last night the root of the problem stemmed from a weakness at the bottom of the order. With Brian Bocock and Emanuel Burris hitting seventh and eighth, respectively, you are almost guaranteed two outs before you have to face the pitcher. Thus, stepping up the pressure on Rich Aurilla and Jose Castillo, who have some pop, but likely aren't getting their choice of pitches given whose hitting behind them. The two middle infielders may be a key part of the Giants future, but right now they are going to have to figure out major league pitchers.

Not to dwell on the loss, for Zito to have come out and gotten shelled would have been a step backwards. Instead, we got a giant leap forward. The line of five innings, two runs, two walks, and five strikeouts may not be all that impressive. But given where Zito was in his last start, the difference was night and day. He appeared confident on the mound and his mix of pitches and speeds was actually effective.

After playing a tough team tough for every game, the Giants have been at the mercy of the Pirates, and have hit a new low. This is the first time this season they have been six games under .500 and this road trip is a losing one. The 2008 Giants will likely be streaky - they may play spoiler for a tough team, and then appear confused against a bad one. Some days everything clicks. In this series, little has.

Live Blog: Zito Starts vs. Pirates

4:21 PM: Zito did put two men on in his first inning - a hard hit single and a hit-by-pitch, but he didn't allow any runs and the majority of his pitches were strikes. Most encouraging - two strikeouts! Come on Zito, we're with you buddy.

4:34 PM: Come on, guys, manufacture some runs for Zito. Molina gets a hit, Aurilla walks, Castillo advances a runner ... but Burriss and Bocock couldn't get a run across. I realize you've gotta play these guys and they do show promise, but right now it's like having three pitchers in the 7-8-9 holes.

4:37 PM: Four hitters. Three strikeouts. It's a new Zito! Jon Miller called his last curveball, "a beauty."

4:41 PM: Two shutout innings. Go Zito!

4:44 PM: Zito strikes out. He still needs to get his head straight on batting.

4:59 PM: Three shutout innings. Zito allowed a double, and the pitch count is relatively high, but he is pitching real strong. He's already reached his season high for strikeouts in a game, and the mix of pitches seem to be working well. He seems to be throwing mostly off speed stuff, but he's getting the hitters to swing - and most miss, and weakly hit into an out.

Barry Checks In

When I want to know what Barry Bonds is up to, I like to go straight to the source: his personal website. Barry made a new entry in his online diary yesterday, his first in more than two months. He makes no mention of baseball whatsoever, devoting most of the entry to his work with UCSF Children's Hospital. He doesn't really sound like a man looking to play baseball any time soon.

I do want to thank all of my fans and the people I see around town, at social events or at various basketball games. Your continued support and kind words really do mean a lot to me. Other than that, I’ve been hanging out with my family and staying in shape.

How come we never see Barry Bonds around town, at social events, or at various basketball games?

No Fun

There was nothing fun about yesterday's game - well, Jose Castillo did hit a three-run homer. After a rough series against the Phillies, I was thinking the Giants could just come in and sweep. Well, that didn't happen. But, Zito is pitching in a few hours and I am going to focus on that. Here's what is going on:

• The MLB players' association is investigating the free agent market, and why certain players remain unsigned, namely Barry Bonds. Another former Giant is also mentioned - Kenny Lofton.
• Rich Aurilla is approaching some Giants milestones.

Zito to Return To Rotation

Well, looks like that stint in the bullpen did the trick - even though he never pitched. Barry Zito is scheduled to start tomorrow.

"Barry's going to start. He's a starter," Bruce Bochy said. "We felt we had to break it up and give him a break. We were hoping we cold get him out there (in relief) a couple of times. Now, that didn't happen, so he's going back into the rotation."

Looks like they went with the "skip a start" strategy that I was hoping for, only they called it a demotion to the bullpen.

Rookies Make Mistakes

Sunday's crushing loss to the Phillies was - like many games have been - a fine example of this team's "warrior spirit" and their inexperience. The Giants played a tough team in Philadelphia and played them hard every game. In fact, a strike here and a ball caught there, and this would have been a sweep. Alas, they lost two of three and, thus, the inexperience. This wasn't so much a game where the Giants were defeated, but instead one they gave away. Five of six runs were unearned (including all allowed by starter Tim Lincecum) courtesy of the Giants' three errors. Of course, none were as critical as the two out error by Eugenio Velez that allowed the winning run to score. Mistakes happen, but you hate to see them at a time like that. On the Postgame Wrap, both Kruk and Kuip were adamant that you have to "knock that ball down." I like Velez, but one of the growing pains with playing the young guys is that they will make some unfortunate mistakes. Velez will be leading off today, so he will just have to get back on the horse.

Bright spots from Sunday's game:

• Rich Aurilla seems to have found the sweet stroke, including a key game-tying home run on Sunday.
• Tim Lincecum is second in the league in ERA (1.49) and third in strikeouts (45).

Around the Horn Today:

• Want to know whose making what? SF Gate has all of the Giants' 2008 salaries.
• The San Francisco Chronicle profiles the inspiring story of Steve Holm.

Omar Coming

In his first rehab game yesterday, Omar Vizquel batted leadoff for the Fresno Grizzlies. He played four innings at shortstop and went 0-2 at the plate. No timetable yet on his return to the big club.

Wilson on "First Take"

Wilson Survives and Rebounds

Losses like Friday night's to the Phillies are the worst kind of losses. You can hear the pain in Henry Schulman's recap:

The Giants threw 161 pitches, and the 161st made all the difference. Had it been thrown an inch to the left or an inch to the right, they might have had a tremendous comeback victory, Aaron Rowand could have been The Man in his homecoming to Citizens Bank Park and Brian Wilson might have completed one of his most electrifying saves.

Yes, it would have been an "electrifying" win - but that's not what happened. I've watched plenty of baseball in my lifetime and seen plenty of blown save opportunities. It happens. That's it. Brian Wilson has the makings of a great closer, and if he's going to become a great one, he'll just have to be able to survive and rebound.

Thankfully, Wilson seemed un-phased: "I want the ball in my hands again, in the same situation, and I'll throw the same pitch," he was saying afterwards. "I think it is a matter of faith and confidence that you have to have in yourself."

A day later, Wilson was back out there in the tenth, preserving a 3-2 lead for the Giants. "I wanted it bad," he said. "I didn't want to wait until Tuesday or tomorrow. I kind of wanted a doubleheader last night."

And that's just how you've got to look at it. If your closer blows a save, hope he's got the confidence to want to go back out there the next night.

Around the league, they've already taken notice of Wilson, who has ten saves in 12 chances. ESPN The Magazine recently profiled his eating regimen. Want to be a power closer? Start with an egg-white omelette with bell peppers, shredded cheese, and slices of ham and turkey.

Now if we could just find him some new entrance music.

Just a Thought

Fred Lewis has arguably been the Giants' best hitter this year. He leads the team with a .916 OPS and is second with 12 extra-base hits. These numbers led me to wonder if, in this power-starved offense, he wouldn't be better-suited batting in the middle of the order, with third seeming the best possibility.

I started thinking about this last night, when I saw Randy Winn, the team's current number three hitter, attempt to bunt his way aboard not once, but twice in the same at-bat. Winn has not hit any home runs this season and he is slugging just .326. I still believe Winn can be a valuable part of this lineup, but his days as a run producer are well behind him. Why not move him into the two spot, bat Lewis third, and make Eugenio Velez the regular second basemen and leadoff man. I can think of a couple arguments against this:

• At .367, Lewis has the second highest batting average out of the leadoff spot in the National League. He's demonstrated the ability to get on base, critical for a leadoff hitter, with a .405 overall on-base percentage (.432 batting first). Why screw up a good thing?
• While Velez has the blazing speed to be a leadoff hitter, he has not demonstrated the ability to get on base consistently. He has just a .280 OBP, and has a tendency to wave at breaking balls in the dirt.

These are both legitimate arguments. But in a rebuilding year, what do we have to lose? I think that, given consistent playing time, Lewis will produce wherever he is in the lineup. And perhaps, given consistent playing time, Velez will develop into a dynamic leadoff hitter. If we try it out for a couple weeks and it doesn't work out, then we can go back to the way it is now. But at this point, I think anything that gives us a chance to score more runs is worth a shot.

Glad I Wasn't Watching

So Far, A Success

If you only read ESPN and Fox Sports on a daily basis, I wouldn't blame you for thinking the Giants were the laughing stock of baseball, buried in the cellar of the NL West. Every mention of the team seems to be preceded by words such as "punchless," "pitiful," or "pathetic." In his weekly chat yesterday, ESPN's Keith Law sneaked this remark into his response to a question about the Cardinals: "When you've played more than 20% of your games against the Giants, you haven't exactly been challenged." Keith, I know you probably go to sleep early over on the East Coast, but the Giants beat the Cardinals four times, as opposed to all other teams, who beat them a combined seven times. Law is far from the only sports writer who has preordained that the Giants are the worst team baseball, and one of the worst in history at that.

The fact is, considering expectations, the Giants and their fans should be very happy with a 13-16 record, which is equal or better than 11 other teams, and good for third place in the NL West. The Giants cannot compete with the elites of the National League like Arizona, Chicago, and New York. But so far, the offense has been able to frustrate teams with weaker pitching (St. Louis, Colorado) while the pitching has been able to dominate sub-par offenses (San Diego). There's a lot of things to be happy about:

• Tim Lincecum has been the dominant pitcher we all know he can be, and there's no reason to think that he's a fluke. Jonathan Sanchez, who only made the rotation because of the injury to Noah Lowry, has been a great surprise, emerging as a legitimate third starter behind Lincecum and Matt Cain. Noah who?
  
• Outside of a few blowups, the bullpen, especially Tyler Walker and Brian Wilson on the end, has been solid. Merkin Valdez has been the best under-the-radar story on this team, and Vinnie Chulk has not missed a beat since coming off the DL.
• Fred Lewis has proven that he can, at the very least, be an above-average regular at the major league level. Eugenio Velez has shown dynamic flashes that leave us wondering what he's really capable of.
• Bengie Molina and Aaron Rowand, who most pundits saw as laughable middle-of-the-order hitters, have been adequate run producers.

Of course, it's only May 2, and the Giants could still be a 100-run loss team. But their play in April has been given us reason to believe that this team is not as far off as many think, and hopefully, someone in the sports media will start to notice soon.

Barry Zito, It Could Be Worse

You could be Roger Clemens, who is taking more hits to his character. The New York Daily News reports that Clemens has been linked to John Daly's ex, amongst his "bevy of beauties."

The Kid Can Play Defense

Watch the play.

Obligatory Barry Zito Post

Today, Barry Zito is front page news in the San Francisco Chronicle:

Barry Zito always prided himself on his mental strength and his crafty pitching. Now he's having trouble with both....

"Barry's the most conscientious and caring of guys. That's a burden you have to manage," said sports psychologist Harvey Dorfman, who lists Zito as a client. "You care too much, and 'too' is a deadly word. 'I try too hard.' No good. 'Too' is a killer. It means excessive."

How did Zito fall into the deepest hole of his career? More important to Giants fans, can he climb out?

Jayson Stark devotes several paragraphs to Zito today in his April "Rumblings and Grumblings":

So we posed this question: How much money would the Giants have to pay of Zito's remaining $112.5 million or so to get somebody -- anybody -- interested?

"The Giants would have to eat 80 percent -- I'm talking $80-90 million," the official replied. "But they'd never do that. If that's what they'd have to eat, they might as well just let the guy keep being horse[feathers]."

There's more to it. So read on.

Is Brian Wilson the New Rob Nen?

It's too early to make large claims, but a month into the season, Giants closer Brian Wilson leads the NL with nine saves in ten chances. Wilson's a Nen fan whose sought the advice of the Giants former beloved closer, and his stuff" has been compared to that of Nen's as well. Not since Nen's untimely retirement have the Giants had a consistent, shut down ninth inning guy. Could Wilson be that guy? And, yes, he almost always puts a couple men on, but so did Nen and the late, great Rod Beck. It's a closer thing!

Castillo Busts Out

Jose Castillo's seventh inning home run against the Rockies yesterday was significant not only because it gave the Giants a 3-2 lead which they would hang onto to win the series. It was also Castillo's first home run since August 14, 2006, a span of 450 at-bats. He hit 14 home runs that year with Pittsburgh, so he's not exactly Juan Pierre. But last year he went homerless in 221 at-bats before being let go. Castillo's only hitting .222 with a .280 on-base percentage, but he already has more walks (8) than he did all of last year (6), which suggests that maybe he's changed his approach. We're also only paying $650,000, compared to the $3 million the Phillies are giving Pedro Feliz, and we didn't have to give up any pitching to get him. No one's calling him the third basemen of the future, but he's been a tolerable replacement with Kevin Frandsen out for the year.