take me out to the... ugh
Some of you may have noticed the lack of comments on baseball throughout this season.
There is one simple reason for this: the Giants suck. There is just no other word to describe them. I don't want to be a fairweather fan, really I don't, but it is so hard to bother tuning in when I know that more than half the time I'd be watching such an uninspiring crew take the field. I can't point to any one single failure that's causing the problem, unless it's the lack of Barry Bonds. It's true that the offense has been somewhat anemic, but his absence doesn't affect the pitching, which has also been wildly uneven.
Every year, I go to a ballgame with my dad and other assorted relatives (this year, Mom, my brother D, and my uncle joined us). Most years I get to at least a few others -- I attended an average of two a month last year -- but today was my first game of the season. Considering how little season is left at this point, this is pretty pitiful. Anyway, from beginning to end, the game was symptomatic of nearly everything that's gone wrong this season. The pitcher was a kid who worked well through the first four innings and then fell apart. The offense managed to pull off two runs in the first inning and then never scored again despite putting men on base almost every time. About the only bright spot was the Giants' bullpen, which sent out three young relievers who all performed well. Too late for the win, but seeing the kids play brilliantly at least gives me hope for the future.
I wish that the Giants brass would just give up on this season, start pruning and trading the dead wood and give all these kids some major league experience. But no, they have to play in the worst division in the history of baseball -- the Padres, who are in first, are barely at .500, and so the second-place Giants, a mere seven games back, actually have a hope of catching them. Not that they wouldn't be eaten alive by whoever wins the NL East, but making the playoffs means more money for the execs, a guarantee of at least three extra games. So rather than the rebuilding year the team needs so desparately, we'll continue with these lackluster veterans and the occasional bright shining rookie.
Bleah. Is it next spring yet?
There is one simple reason for this: the Giants suck. There is just no other word to describe them. I don't want to be a fairweather fan, really I don't, but it is so hard to bother tuning in when I know that more than half the time I'd be watching such an uninspiring crew take the field. I can't point to any one single failure that's causing the problem, unless it's the lack of Barry Bonds. It's true that the offense has been somewhat anemic, but his absence doesn't affect the pitching, which has also been wildly uneven.
Every year, I go to a ballgame with my dad and other assorted relatives (this year, Mom, my brother D, and my uncle joined us). Most years I get to at least a few others -- I attended an average of two a month last year -- but today was my first game of the season. Considering how little season is left at this point, this is pretty pitiful. Anyway, from beginning to end, the game was symptomatic of nearly everything that's gone wrong this season. The pitcher was a kid who worked well through the first four innings and then fell apart. The offense managed to pull off two runs in the first inning and then never scored again despite putting men on base almost every time. About the only bright spot was the Giants' bullpen, which sent out three young relievers who all performed well. Too late for the win, but seeing the kids play brilliantly at least gives me hope for the future.
I wish that the Giants brass would just give up on this season, start pruning and trading the dead wood and give all these kids some major league experience. But no, they have to play in the worst division in the history of baseball -- the Padres, who are in first, are barely at .500, and so the second-place Giants, a mere seven games back, actually have a hope of catching them. Not that they wouldn't be eaten alive by whoever wins the NL East, but making the playoffs means more money for the execs, a guarantee of at least three extra games. So rather than the rebuilding year the team needs so desparately, we'll continue with these lackluster veterans and the occasional bright shining rookie.
Bleah. Is it next spring yet?