Wednesday, June 23, 2004

 

Gotta Love The View

Okay, I have to admit it. I should never, ever lose faith in Brian Sabean. We may not always understand what he's up to, but he continues to prove the doubters wrong. His strategy this year was to collect as many pieces as possible, and try to find a few that would exceed expectations. Sometimes you have to sort through a lot of chaff before you find the wheat (like this April), and sometimes you find it right away (like last April). But as of today, the entire season is exceeding expectations. I did not expect the Giants to be in first place in June. I expected them to be close, but I figured this would be a year like 2000 where we would be looking up at first place most of the season.

After April, I didn't think we'd be in first at any point in the season. Play like the 2003 squad that won 100 games? Forget it, you must be high. But they are, and they are. I don't know if it will last. Can Deivi Cruz be a .300 hitter all year? Can Alfonzo keep coming through with men in scoring position? Can the pitching staff continue to improve? I don't know. Even if they don't, this is already a season to remember.

Please note that the Giants are playing their best ball of the season, and Barry Bonds has not been on one of his patented hot streaks. He's been merely excellent over the last month. In April, when the Giants were losing, he put up the best month anyone has ever seen. What if Bonds goes nuclear again while the rest of the team is hot? Scary.

So once again, I have to give Sabean credit for what he's done. His job is to see opportunities that the rest of us can't. He has done that with Michael Tucker, Deivi Cruz, Pedro Feliz, and even A.J. Pierzynski. Sure, there's the list of those who didn't make it--Estrella, K. Walker, Veres, Crudale--but again, that was the strategy. Diversify, find the winners, and play them.

Then kick the Dodgers' asses and take over first place. I love that part.

Jefferson 10:43 AM

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