Post by Rog on Apr 2, 2017 12:42:06 GMT -5
The Giants took a three-run lead into the ninth inning of game four against the Cubs. They would return to Wrigley Field for a made-for-movies matchup between their own Johnny Cueto and the Cubs' Jon Lester. Johnny vs. Jon. Jon vs. Johnny. A pitchers' dual to the death.
Even as our minds were conjuring up the beauty of the matchup, the Giants' bullpen was tearing it down. Have they ever done a worse job of blowing a lead?
Now we can see beyond Wrigley. Maybe to Cleveland Municipal Stadium. Maybe to Toronto. But clearly to the World Series. Is our vision realistic?
Just might be, even though it's an odd year. Yeah, last year was odd too, but it was an even NUMBER.
This year the Giants have improved themselves in five areas:
. Do you think a bullpen that blew a key three-run lead before it could get three outs needed to be improved? Snap your fingers, and here's Mark Melancon. Want more depth? Here's Neil Ramirez. Want to take a solid reliever and make him a strikeout artist? Just plug in a guy out of Northwestern University. He ought to be able to figure it out.
. Want a starter to back up Matt Cain? Ty Blach emerged from nowhere down the stretch last season.
. Need a better backup catcher and a better season from the starter? Couldn't ask for much better than Nick Hundley for the former, could we? Meanwhile, Buster Posey is the best, and he's healthy.
. Need that infield to get back to the depth it had entering last season? Well, just throw in Aaron Hill, a healthy Joe Panik, Chris Marrero, and Jae Hwang hwaiting in the hwings.
. How about more depth and a right-handed power bat off the bench? Hundley and Hill have history. Marrero can hit the fastball a long way.
. How about strengthening the outfield? Well, not so much here. But maybe heatlh will take care of that. And the Giants do have HWilliamson and Hwang hwaiting by the hwaterfront of the Sacramento River.
All in all, a darn good off-season without spending a ton of money. Melancon, Hundley, Ramirez, Hill, Marrero and Hwang. That's a quarter of a roster. Going back to the end August of the 2015 season, all that are left are Bumgarner, Cain, Kontos, Strickland, Belt, Crawford and Pence. I probably missed someone, but still, no need to Panik.
Even as our minds were conjuring up the beauty of the matchup, the Giants' bullpen was tearing it down. Have they ever done a worse job of blowing a lead?
Now we can see beyond Wrigley. Maybe to Cleveland Municipal Stadium. Maybe to Toronto. But clearly to the World Series. Is our vision realistic?
Just might be, even though it's an odd year. Yeah, last year was odd too, but it was an even NUMBER.
This year the Giants have improved themselves in five areas:
. Do you think a bullpen that blew a key three-run lead before it could get three outs needed to be improved? Snap your fingers, and here's Mark Melancon. Want more depth? Here's Neil Ramirez. Want to take a solid reliever and make him a strikeout artist? Just plug in a guy out of Northwestern University. He ought to be able to figure it out.
. Want a starter to back up Matt Cain? Ty Blach emerged from nowhere down the stretch last season.
. Need a better backup catcher and a better season from the starter? Couldn't ask for much better than Nick Hundley for the former, could we? Meanwhile, Buster Posey is the best, and he's healthy.
. Need that infield to get back to the depth it had entering last season? Well, just throw in Aaron Hill, a healthy Joe Panik, Chris Marrero, and Jae Hwang hwaiting in the hwings.
. How about more depth and a right-handed power bat off the bench? Hundley and Hill have history. Marrero can hit the fastball a long way.
. How about strengthening the outfield? Well, not so much here. But maybe heatlh will take care of that. And the Giants do have HWilliamson and Hwang hwaiting by the hwaterfront of the Sacramento River.
All in all, a darn good off-season without spending a ton of money. Melancon, Hundley, Ramirez, Hill, Marrero and Hwang. That's a quarter of a roster. Going back to the end August of the 2015 season, all that are left are Bumgarner, Cain, Kontos, Strickland, Belt, Crawford and Pence. I probably missed someone, but still, no need to Panik.