5 Ways FOX Saturday Baseball Could Get Worse and How Nationally Televised Baseball Can Get Better

I love listening to the Giants on the radio, or catching a game on TV. Jon Miller and Dave Fleming are a couple of throwbacks - classic announcers who paint a picture of what is going on. When it's Duane Kuiper and Mike Krukow, it's like watching a game with a couple of old friends while drinking some beers - and that is great too. But when forced to watch the Giants on a nationally televised broadcast, I prefer to tune out whatever dimwits (Miller excluded) are calling it, and turn up a little KNBR.

I have always had a particular dislike for FOX Saturday Baseball whose announcers usually sound as if they've never heard of the radio. The best television announcers coincidentally grew up on and came up through radio, thus making their television commentary vivid and insightful. The FOX team - not so much. While FOX's coverage is pretty bad, I am fairly certain, it could actually get significantly worse. If the FOX team is looking to lower the bar just a little bit more, might I offer these suggestions:

1). "Babe Cam" - No, not The Babe, babes as in girls. I'm certain they've already thought of this one already, and I think we're just about a year or two away from its implementation. What better way to make the token female commentator feel even more uncomfortable.
2). Lure Joe Morgan away from ESPN - come on, FOX, that was too easy.
3). The Bud Selig Postgame Show - no one has charisma quite like comissioner Bud Selig. Selig's postgame interviews with the day's MVP could provide insight. "Derek," Selig might say, "don't you think it's funny people blame me for the steroid era. I mean, how am I supposed to know - you were best friends with A-Rod, and you didn't know."
4). No pre-game press sheets allowed - I want as many names screwed up and stats misquoted as possible.
5). Mic a bullpen guy who will only be pitching in case of a blowout - oh the insights that could be provided by someone who is just hanging out in the bullpen. Sample interaction: "Sunflower seeds?" "Sure bro, thanks."

Thankfully, while things can get worse, they can also get better, and as a lifelong watcher of nationally televised baseball, here's what I would like to see:

-One throwback Jon Miller type calling the game, someone who has been versed in radio and preferably has another announcing gig. ie someone with a lot of practice.
-Rather than a Joe Morgan, who quantifies a player's "heart" and mangles statistics, how about a pair of in-game analysts who actually have some knowledge to spread. Baseball fans don't care about a player's heart and the game is far more interactive in 2009. Fans want to know stats that relate back to their fantasy team, and what the analysts have heard about potential transactions. Anyone watching a nationally televised game has an interest in at least one of these. Why not have a Buster Olney or Peter Gammons in the game for a start, and then add some versed in Baseball Prospectus who can speak eloquently on the stats that actually matter, like OPS.

Should Bochy, Lansford, Sabean Keep Their Jobs?

A lot of speculation has been made for a couple of years now about the safety of Brian Sabean's job. While it seems unlikely the Giants would renew his contract at the end of the season, Glenn Dickey asks today why he still has one at all, declaring the GM "out of touch with reality." Early in his Giants career, Sabean swung some pretty sweet deals, but four straight losing seasons, a host of bad contracts, and the weak 2009 lineup is pretty unacceptable. The organization could make a statement by letting go of Sabean early, but honestly, there is not much a new GM could do this season to improve this team.

While Sabean has been on the hook for a while, little has been said of manager Bruce Bochy, although we did have quite an interesting discussion on our Twitter page last week. While Bochy has been surrounded by inadequate teams during his entire Giants tenure, he has also failed to inspire much of anything. No one seems to have much bad to say about Bochy, except for ex-Giant Matt Morris, who criticized the manager's laid-back approach upon being traded to the Pirates in 2007. Like Sabean, Bochy's contract expires at the end of the year, and it makes little sense to retain the manager. The players don't show a strong attachment and the fans haven't warmed to him the way they did too Dusty and even Felipe. Bochy's postgame comments provide little insight, and in games he seems to be overcompensating with unnecessary hit-and-runs. A younger (possibly first-time) manager will inject not only a new sense of excitement, but may also be better equipped to manage young players prone to slumps and varying levels of confidence. Possible replacements could include Ron Wotus or Steve Decker. Dave Righetti's name also came up in our Twitter chat.

Nothing against Carney Lansford as he has not been given much to work with, but when you coach hitters to the worst offense in the league, someone has to take the fall. Not only is it the Giants lack of timely hitting or homers that proves so frustrating, but their inability to be patient at the plate. It's debatable how much of this we can hold Lansford responsible for, but if we're going to infuse this team with a new manager and GM, then a new hitting coach should be in order as well. We've been seeing Will Clark's face an awful lot lately - any chance we could see "The Thrill" teaching these guys his classic swing?

They Might Be Giants: May 25

"They Might Be Giants" is a weekly feature in which we highlight the best performance by a position player and a pitcher in the Giants' minor league system.'

Position Player: Buster Posey, C
Age: 22
Level: High-A, San Jose
BA Ranking: 2 (14 in MLB)
Week Stats: .360/.429/.800, 7 R, 2 2B, 3 HR, 14 RBI, 2 BB, 1 SB
Season Stats: .298/.379/.516, 27 R, 11 2B, 8 HR, 36 RBI, 18 BB, 4 SB

The Giants' number one draft pick from 2008 broke out of a slump in a big way this week. Most scouts project Posey as a 12-15 homer guy, but he's shown pretty good power so far in the California League, including three home runs in the last week. A promotion to Double-A or perhaps straight to Triple-A is likely this summer, and Posey appears to be on track to be the everyday catcher next year in San Francisco.

Pitcher: Madison Bumgarner
Age: 19
Level: Double-A, Connecticut
BA Ranking: 1 (9 in MLB)
Week Stats: 1-0, 6.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 10 SO
Season Stats: 6-1, 42.1 IP, 30 H, 8 BB, 44 SO, 0 HR, 1.06 ERA, 0.90 WHIP

I actually made a mistake last week when I listed Bumgarner's age at 20. The fact that he's doing what he's doing at 19 makes his accomplishments even more noteworthy. Bumgarner continued to dominate since his promotion. He has a 0.50 ERA in three Double-A appearances. He has yet to allow a home run at any level this year, and his K/BB ratio is better than five to one. The promotion of David Price to the majors leaves Bumgarner as the best left-handed pitching prospect in baseball, and you might have to remove the left-handed part, and maybe the pitching part.

Same Problems Plague Giants, Wilson

Last night had all the makings of an inspiring Giants win - a rejuvenated offense with the callup of Jesus Guzman, seven strong innings from Tim Lincecum, a clutch game-tying home run from Aaron Rowand, and scratching out a run against a closer who hadn't allowed one all season. Unfortunately, the Giants leave with yet another loss, one that can be attributed to all the same problems that have plagued them over the past two weeks.

Closer Brian Wilson will take much of the heat for last night's loss - and some of that is warranted. He did enter with a 2-1 lead and, as Jon Miller put it on the radio broadcast, proceeded to hand them runners. Only the game-winning single was hard earned, as Wilson put himself in a precarious position by walking two batters and hitting another. Wilson has allowed winning runs in three of his last four appearances, calling for more than one fan to wonder why Jeremy Affeldt is not pitching the ninth innings.

Here at SO&B, we are Wilson fans but will acknowledge that he is currently in the worst patch of his young career. If the Giants were serious contenders this year, then Wilson's job may be on the line. But since this is yet another development/rebuilding year, I can't see the point in threatening Wilson's ninth inning role. Wilson clearly has issues with control that need to be worked on. It is important to remember that Wilson is only in his second full season, and he has been groomed as the closer of the future. If he is going to adopt such a role, he needs to develop his command and he needs to learn how to get out of a rut like the one he is in now.

But Wilson does not deserve all the blame. The offense continues to lack inspiration with runners in scoring position. Bruce Bochy sent Guzman up as a pinch hitter in the seventh with runners on the corner and one out - only to have Guzman hit into a double play. They managed one run in the ninth and could have added insurance but were hindered by Bengie Molina being unable to score from second on a Nate Schierholtz single. With the bases loaded and one out, Guzman struck out and Kevin Frandsen grounded out, leaving the score at 2-1.

On a positive note, Lincecum was electric as usual - 7 innings, 4 hits, 1 walk, 1 run, and 10 strikeouts. Additionally, Rowand was a cool 2-for-4 raising his average to .270; Randy Winn stayed hot with two hits including a clutch ninth inning single; and Affeldt pitched a perfect 2/3 of the eighth.

Giants Lose 2-1 In Re-Run Game

Still need to change that banner. Sorry, Barry.

Games like last night's 2-1 loss to San Diego are painful to watch as a Giants fan. However, I see that they make my job as a Giants blogger much easier. For instance, last night was very much a rerun of the night before, and a repeat of the same problems that have plagued the Giants all season. Subsequently, I can just cut and paste what I've written from previous games and change a couple player names. For instance, here is what I wrote yesterday:

The Giants lost yesterday 2-1, basically because they went 0-for-11 with runners in scoring position. Chris Young is a pretty smart pitcher and I think he has figured out the ultimate kryptonite for the Giants lineup - put runners in scoring position and then get three easy outs.

But, rather than dwelling on the bad offense which is obviously apparent and clearly needs to be solved (more on that later), let's talk about Barry Zito.... Against San Diego, Zito gave up a pair of early runs and often found himself in stressful situations, managing to pitch around them and keeping his team in the game.

And here's what I have to say about yesterday: The Giants lost yesterday 2-1, basically because they went 1-for-10 with runners in scoring position. Chad Gaudin is a pretty smart pitcher and I think he has figured out the ultimate kryptonite for the Giants lineup - put runners in scoring position and then get three easy outs.

But, rather than dwelling on the bad offense which is obviously apparent and clearly needs to be solved (more on that later), let's talk about Jonathan Sanchez. Against San Diego, Sanchez gave up a pair of early runs and often found himself in stressful situations, managing to pitch around them and keeping his team in the game.

Funny exercise, but it doesn't really make me feel any better.

Should We Be Happy or Sad For Zito

We really need to change this banner. 1). We need to change it to something more positive, like "We'll get 'em next time!" and 2). Barry Zito should not be the face of Giants' losses. Zito is somehow 1-4 when it should be more like 4-1. Simply put, Zito has regained his Cy Young form and is pitching like an All Star.

The Giants lost yesterday 2-1, basically because they went 0-for-11 with runners in scoring position. Chris Young is a pretty smart pitcher and I think he has figured out the ultimate kryptonite for the Giants lineup - put runners in scoring position and then get three easy outs.

But, rather than dwelling on the bad offense which is obviously apparent and clearly needs to be solved (more on that later), let's talk about Zito. Last night, Zito pitched not only the Giants first complete game of the season, but also his first since 2003. Allowing just Zito 10 earned runs over his last 40.2 innings, he is looking very much like the pitcher the Giants were signing two years ago. Against San Diego, Zito gave up a pair of early runs and often found himself in stressful situations, managing to pitch around them and keeping his team in the game. Unfortunately, Zito gets the worst run support of anyone in the majors - 1.25 runs per game!

Affeldt, Rowand, and Wilson

I'd really prefer not to dwell on what happened last week against the Mets. We were riding high after Pablo Sandoval's game-winning bomb, and a four-game losing streak did a lot to suck the momentum out. Heading to San Diego, we are again 6.5 games behind the Dodgers and it feels a bit like starting back at square one.

Since the 2000 playoffs, there's something about playing against the Mets that I just don't like. This series did raise some intriguing questions, like, how do you stake Tim Lincecum to a 5-1 lead and not get a win? or how'd we scratch six runs against Johan Santana and not get a win?

Three players who were up for discussion during this series were Jeremy Affeldt, Aaron Rowand, and Brian Wilson.

How about Affeldt on Thursday night? Affeldt relieved Merkin Valdez who had just given up a game tying, bases-clearing double to David Wright, who then proceded to steal third. With the leading run on third and nobody out, Affeldt struck out the side to keep the score tied. Then he went out and through a scoreless eighth. It revived my confidence in the lefty.

Affeldt could have taken home a win that night had Rowand managed to drive Randy Winn in from third with one out. Instead he hit a weak grounder, and retreated to a chorus of boos. Afterwards, he spoke with Andrew Baggarly, who wondered why we never see Rowand slamming his bat or throwing his helmet.

“If I’m going to snap, usually it’s in the tunnel,” he said. “I don’t want the guy on the mound or the other team to realize that I’m frustrated. My whole career, I’ve done it that way.”

Rowand, whose serious work ethic is well-documented, also noted that he may need to make some changes in his approach - "“I’m starting over today,” he said before Saturday's game. “I’m simplifying everything.” Against Santana, Rowand had three RBIs on three hits, including a home run. Not bad. Still, Rowand in just in the second year of a five year, $60 million contract - something he would not have received had he entered the market a year later. To trade Rowand at this point, however, would be silly. The Giants would likely have to eat much of the contract, and given that Rowand is a). the opposite of a clubhouse cancer and b). not keeping better players out of the lineup, it would serve the team best to keep him around. Besides, if he can return to form, he makes for a good number six hitter - provided the lineup around him gets better.

Also catching the ire of the fans this past weekend, was closer Brian Wilson. On Friday and Saturday, Wilson entered the ninth in a tie game and then put the game, well, a little out of reach. The challenging Mets lineup seemed at ease at the plate and on the bases, while Wilson hurt his own case with a miserable throwing error. So, what do I say? Perhaps, "he's a bum" or "replace him with Affeldt"? No. These two games were tough and probably Wilson's worst outings of the year. But, those are the breaks for a closer. Now, if this becomes a habit, we can start talking about a change. Wilson's failures are magnified by the fact that he is always in there with the game on the line, and subsequently greater scrutiny comes with that, too. At $480,000 - significantly less than Affeldt and Bobby Howry, Wilson remains a terrific value on a team with plenty of bad contracts, and continues to bounce back from struggles. He pitched a 1-2-3 ninth on Sunday.

They Might Be Giants: May 18

"They Might Be Giants" is a new feature in which we pick the best performance by a Giants' position player prospect and pitching prospect from the previous week.

Position Player: Roger Kieschnick, OF
Age: 22
Level: High-A, San Jose
Baseball America Ranking: 14
Week Stats: .462/.481/.769, 3 R, 2 2B, 2 HR, 5 RBI, 1 BB, 1 SB
Season Stats: .345/.387/.540, 21 R, 6 2B, 3 3B, 5 HR, 22 RBI, 9 BB, 3 SB

It was a close call between Kieschnick and Jesus Guzman, who put up an impressive .483/.516/.690 line at Fresno, and may be seeing the big leagues soon, but I went with Kieschnick because of the home runs. Kieschnick was a bright spot for San Jose, whose prospect-heavy lineup has gone cold the past few weeks. The Giants' system is relatively short on outfield prospects and power, so it would great if Kieschnick, a third-round pick in 2008, could keep it up.

Pitcher: Madison Bumgarner
Age: 20
Level: Double-A, Connecticut
BA Ranking: 1 (9 in MLB)
Week Stats: 2-0, 12 IP, 8 H, 1 ER, 3 BB, 11 SO, 0 HR, 0.75 ERA, 0.92 WHIP
Season Stats: 5-1, 1.24 ERA, 0.96 WHIP, 36.1 IP, 28 H, 7 BB, 34 SO, 0 HR

I have a feeling this might need to be renamed the MadBum Award by season's end. It's said that the jump from High-A to Double-A is the toughest for a prospect, and Bumgarner handled it with ease this week. He was effective if not dominant in his first start for Connecticut May 11, allowing one earned run over six innings, but allowing seven hits and only striking out two. He was more like his old self on Sunday, throwing six shutout innings, allowing just one hit and striking out nine. Kevin Goldstein of Baseball Prospectus may have put it best in this piece today: "Whenever I would write about the Giants having the most terrifying rotation in the game, I usually attached the arrival year of 2011 to it; that may prove to be too conservative an estimate."

Giants Get Sweet Revenge

You may remember a game, almost two years ago today. The Giants were playing the Mets in a nationally televised game. Tim Lincecum made his fifth major start, allowing three runs and striking out eight in seven innings. But the game remained tied at three until the Giants scored the go-ahead run in the top of the twelfth inning. Armando Benitez came in to close it out and, well, the rest is history. A walk to Jose Reyes and a couple of balks later, the game was tied. Carlos Delgado finished it with a walk-off homer. Benitez would not pitch in a Giants uniform again, and that game remains one of the more crushing losses of the past few years.

On Sunday, the universe went a long way towards righting itself. Once again on ESPN, the Giants won 2-0, thanks entirely to a couple of well-timed balks by Mets' starter Mike Pelfrey, who never seemed very comfortable on the mound. In the first time, after Pablo Sandoval singled, Pelfrey seemed to catch his spike in the dirt and couldn't get the pitch off. Sandoval went to second, and came home on a Bengie Molina single. In the fifth inning, after Aaron Rowand led off with a single, Pelfrey started and stopped. Travis Ishikawa advanced Rowand to third with a groundout, and then Matt Cain helped himself with an RBI single, after a suicide squeeze attempt went foul. Cain continued to allow a lot of baserunners, walking five and throwing nearly 120 pitches in six innings, but he continued to work his way out of trouble. Jeremy Affeldt had another good outing. After a Carlos Beltran double put runners on second and third with nobody out in the eighth, Affeldt struck out Gary Sheffield, intentionally walked David Wright, and got pinch-hitter Angel Pagan to ground into a double play. Brian Wilson pitch a one-two-three ninth for his ninth save.

If you were watching the ESPN telecast, you might not have realized that there were actually two teams on the field. The broadcast team of Joe Morgan and Steve Phillips, egged on by Jon Miller, spent nearly the whole game talking about the Mets and their "leadership issues." Phillips at one point said that the Mets don't have that "perfect player" like Dustin Pedroia or Derek Jeter, and later suggested that they should consider trading Carlos Beltran, because despite being one of the best players in baseball, he just doesn't have that gamer/clubhouse presence that we all know is more important. Hey, if the Mets want a center fielder with those attributes, maybe we could swing a deal (he hit into another bases loaded double play today, but at least he hustled really hard!). If only Steve Phillips were still the Mets' GM. But seriously, it seems like a lot of people buy into that school of thinking. Dear Mets' fans: I would love to have David Wright's, Jose Reyes's, or Carlos Beltran's problems.

Video: Sandoval's Walk-off

Check out this fan video. Wish I had been there...

Poll: Who is Your Favorite Panda?

Pablo Sandoval?

Kung Fu Panda?

Panda Bear from the band Animal Collective?

What Will the 2010 Giants Look Like?

Every once in a while, we like to step back from the season in progress and take a look at the bigger picture. This is a topic that's been on my mind lately. Despite the Giants’ initial success this year, most people who follow the team closely have set 2010 as the year when the team will regain their status as serious contenders. However, the issue of who will actually take the field next spring is still very much up in the air. So much will depend on the performance of players on the current team, the progress of top prospects, and the free agent market. Taking these factors into account, here is a position-by-position breakdown of how the team could shape up.

C: Bengie Molina’s contract is up after 2009, creating a space for 2008 first-round pick Buster Posey, who has been as advertised so far at Class-A San Jose. Some have suggested that Molina should be kept around as a veteran mentor, but a prospect like Posey needs to be playing every day, and I’m not sure Molina would like a part-time role. If the Giants want to keep Posey in the minors for a month or two to begin the season, they might be better off going with a backup-type like Miguel Olivo or Yorvit Torrealba.

1B: This is perhaps the most wide open position on the roster. Travis Ishikawa has not inspired confidence with his performance right now, and who knows where he will be a month from now, much less 2010. The Giants are reportedly floating the idea of moving Pablo Sandoval across the diamond to first. Jesus Guzman, who opened a lot of eyes in Spring Training and has continued to hit well at Triple-A Fresno, could get a look as well. On the free agent market, options include Nick Johnson and Adam LaRoche, who could also be trade targets if the Giants remain in contention.

2B: The Giants have shown a lot of patience will Emmanuel Burriss this year, and they have been rewarded with improved performance over the past couple weeks. Burriss has excellent speed, has shown a decent ability to get on base, and has played an acceptable second base, but his complete lack of power makes him more suitable as a role player. If Brian Sabean decides he wants a more potent bat, he could go for Orlando Hudson or Felipe Lopez.

3B: Like first base, this one is up in the air. Pablo Sandoval has a future with this team, but it may not be at third. If Sandoval is moved, there are not a lot of inspiring internal options. Adrian Beltre has been linked to the Giants in trade rumors in the past, and he will probably be the best available free agent. Conor Gillaspie, currently at San Jose, is the best third base prospect in the organization, and could see big league action at some point next year.

SS: Barring injury or historically poor performance, Edgar Renteria is pretty much locked in as the starter next year, with Brandon Crawford maybe stepping up in 2011.

LF: For all the talk of a slump, Fred Lewis is still getting on base at a .390 clip. But if his power does not develop and his strikeouts continue to pile up, his role may be that of a fourth outfielder. Even though he’s only been in the league a couple years, Lewis is 28. He’s not going to develop much more as a player. There will be some big bats available this offseason, most notably Matt Holliday and Jason Bay.

CF: Like it or not, the Giants are pretty much stuck with Aaron Rowand in center field. Unless Sabean can find someone willing to take on his contract, Rowand will be out there again in 2010.

RF: Randy Winn’s tenure in right field will likely come to an end this season, and whoever takes over will have big shoes to fill. The Giants hope it will be Nate Schierholtz, but there are doubts about his ability to consistently hit big-league pitching, and he may be more suited to a bench role. If the Giants choose the free agent route, they will have a hard time finding anyone who can cover as much ground in right as Winn, as the market is full of aging, defense-averse sluggers like Vladimir Guerrero, Bobby Abreu, and Brian Giles. Xavier Nady has been linked to the Giants in the past, and if healthy could be an option.

SP: Tim Lincecum, Matt Cain, Barry Zito, and Jonathan Sanchez will all be under contract, and if all of them return, that leaves only one spot to fill. A lot depends on the development of Madison Bumgarner and Tim Alderson, both of whom were recently promoted to Double-A. If the Giants feel that one or both are ready to step into the rotation, they could look to trade Sanchez or even Cain in the right deal. As good as Matt Cain can be, if the Giants were offered the kind of haul that the Orioles got for Erik Bedard or the A’s got for Dan Haren, they could be tempted. Kevin Pucetas, Joe Martinez, and Henry Sosa could also battle for a spot in Spring Training. Whatever the case, it appears unlikely the Giants will need to bring in a free agent to fill out the rotation.

RP: Trying to imagine what a bullpen will look almost a year before the season is a fruitless exercise, but here’s what we know: Brian Wilson will likely still be closing games, and he will be supported by Jeremy Affeldt in the second year of his contract. If Sergio Romo comes back and pitches like he did last year, he should be there too. Bob Howry could be brought back if he continues to pitch well. Other free agents include John Grabow, Fernando Rodney, Kevin Gregg, and Joe Beimel. Within the organization, Osiris Matos and Alex Hinshaw should still be around, while Sosa and Waldis Joaquin could be dark horse candidates.

Now back to the real world.

-C.B.

It's All About the BB (Part Two)

A couple weeks back I said, "I have three words that will be the key to the Giants' success in 2009 - base on balls. If Giants hitters can coax a few of these each game, they will put themselves in a position to score runs and win games." Last night, the Giants took that statement and ran - I mean - walked with it. The Giants pulled off an 11-7 victory against the Washington Nationals. There were three home runs in this game - all off Nationals' bats. How did the Giants win this thing? By capitalizing on mistakes and drawing walks. The Giants' lack of base on balls has been frustrating me all season, but last night, I got what I was hoping for...

Bottom of the fifth, Willingham makes an error on what should be the last out of the inning. Travis Ishikawa is intentionally walked to bring up Randy Johnson. Johnson draws a walk to load the bases. Emmanuel Burris walks to bring in a run. Then, Edgar Renteria walks to bring in a run. After a pitching change, the free swinging Pablo Sandoval walks to bring in a run. Seriously, the Giants may launch an extra base hit every now and then, but these wins they've been bringing home lately have often been courtesy of walks and sacrifices, ie "small ball." So, I have to wonder, is this moneyball in action or an example of a team doing the little things. All I know is the Giants are 16-14 with one of the least threatening lineups in baseball.

But, hey, it's not all about walks...

-Travis Ishikawa needed to get something going, and he did, with three hits, including a double and 2 RBIs. He credits this to a fresh approach.
-Osiris Matos is the best hitter on the Giants - dude is batting 1.000 and had a key ninth inning RBI single. Unfortunately, he couldn't seal the deal on the mound in the ninth and was promptly sent to Fresno. Pitching struggles aside, the Giants could use that kind of offense.
-Some dude called the Big Unit notched win number 298, but that is not a big deal.

-W.B.

Brian Wilson Upset at Casey Blake

The Giants won 7-5 yesterday in 13 innings, completing a 4-3 road trip, but closer Brian Wilson was not happy after the game. After hitting a one game-tying homer of Wilson in the 12th, Dodger Casey Blake returned to the dugout and imitated the Giants closer's postgame arm gesture. Friends sent Wilson photos and after the game he was distraught and did not want to talk. He was consoled by teammates. Blake has had no comment.

Wilson does the arm gesture at the end of games. Kept a secret initially, its meaning was later revealed to Andrew Baggarly as being a tribute to his late father, his faith, and the belief that you've still got fight left in you no matter the odds. Wilson does not face opponents when doing the gesture, instead looking out towards center field. "It shows no disrespect toward anybody," he has said. "It’s all positive praise. It’s not for showboating."

Wilson seemed to perceive Blake's gesture as an affront to his faith and late father, though it is unclear whether Blake knew the meaning.

Whether or not Blake was aware, he was still showing up Wilson. Blake had just hit a game-tying homer off an All Star closer and was probably feeling pretty pumped about it (as anybody would). Returning to the dugout, as a means of celebration, Blake opted to imitate Wilson's gesture. I took it to be his way of saying, "You won't be doing this today."

The Giants did score two runs in the 13th and Wilson closed things out for the win. Winning is the best revenge, and the rivalry now has more fuel.

Somehow This Manny News is Making Me Forget About Last Night's Game

I don't think the Giants won last night, but it sure feels like they did with this Manny Ramirez news. The Dodgers have been playing pretty well as of late - winning 13 straight games at home to start the season ... I mean, 13* straight games at home to start the season. The Giants are 6.5 games behind the Dodgers, who reside in first at 21-8. Bottom line - this is an opportunity the Giants have to capitalize on. They need to score some runs!

Lincecum: A Fan of Rookie of the Year

Much of MLB.com's coverage of yesterday's game centers on the fact that Tim Lincecum is a big fan of the 1993 film, Rookie of the Year. The film stars Thomas Ian Nicholas as Henry Rowengartner - a 12 year old who winds up pitching for the Cubs after an arm injury leaves him with the ability to throw exceptionally fast.

"I love this field," Lincecum said. "Not just for the history, but one of my favorite movies of all time was 'Rookie of the Year,' with Henry Rowengartner and all that good stuff.

"People used to call me 'Rowengartner,'" he added. "Or 'Rosinbagger.'"

The film features a cameo by then Pirate Barry Bonds in a strikeout montage that also features Bobby Bonilla and Pedro Guerrero. Thomas Ian Nicholas went on to star in three American Pie films before embarking on a music career.

Let's Hear It For the Boy and Observations from the Past Week

By this point, there should be no doubt - Tim Lincecum is for real. After those two lackluster starts at the beginning of the year, he has picked up where 2008 left off. Even when he does not have his best - like he didn't against the Cubs - he is still the best. I appreciate how Lou Pinella conceded defeat before the game even began, omitting Ryan Theriot, Alfonso Soriano, Aramis Ramirez, Milton Bradley and Geovany Soto from his lineup card. Perhaps this will become a trend when Lincecum pitches? Perhaps we should pencil in Lincecum as the starter each game?

Bengie Molina gave his pitcher all he needed with a first inning, three run homer, but the Giants decided to throw a few more runs in for good measure. Listening to The Razor and Mr. T after the game, it was asked whether Molina was the Giants best free agent signing behind Barry Bonds. There is no doubt Molina has been an offense savior during his tenure with the Giants, and it might not be a bad idea to keep a vet like him around, while nurturing young Buster Posey into the majors.

The Giants are playing .500 ball and still haven't lost a series since their disastrous first road trip. Since we have not posted in about a week, here's a few things we noticed during that time:

-Barry Zito is totally clean shaven and it suits him well. When you're as well-groomed as Zito looks these days, it's a sign that you are confident and take pride in what you are doing. Zito has been money as of late, maybe not $126 million money, but still. Most impressive about 2009's Zito as compared to 2007 and 2008's Zito is that he has cut back on his walks and gone deeper into ball games. He still doesn't have a win but deserves 2 or 3.
-While we're comparing grooming habits to performance, let's talk about Brian Wilson. That new haircut of his is pretty frickin cool, simply enhancing his overall coolness. After his one blown save, Wilson has bounced back strong, twice having to get a 4-out save, while also pitching a scoreless ninth in a 0-0 game.
-Wilson needed to get a pair of four out saves, because Jeremy Affeldt was twice unable to finish the eighth. Let's hope Affeldt can get things back on track, because Bruce Bochy is already talking about replacing Bob Howry with Merkin Valdez as the eighth inning righty. If the Giants are going to have any shot this year, the bullpen has got to be solid.
-Jonathan Sanchez is still struggling with the mental game. Though in his defense - and Dunae Kuiper raised a similar point - I've always felt that a pitcher should be able to go out and give up three runs and still win. Unfortunately, with this offense, when you fall down 3-0 early, a comeback does not appear likely. "How about the offense picking up a pitcher every now and agin," Kuiper said. Agreed.
-Randy Johnson is at 297, going for 298 tonight.
-More Nate Schierholtz please.