Joe Buck Does Not Suck

That's right, I said it. I've never liked Joe Buck, and I'm not saying he's good. But I don't think he deserves all the criticism he gets. The hatred. The absolute vitriol heaped upon him. I'm not really sure where all that came from.

For my purposes here, I'm referring to his baseball announcing. I don't have the interest in or knowledge of football to comment with authority on his play-by-play work in that realm. But for baseball, is he really that bad?

My criticism of Buck has always revolved around his monotone. Whatever was happening on the field, he seemed to speak with the same cadence and volume. He would say things like "...and Cole Hammels pitches around some trouble in the 4th..." and then later "...a three-run homer from Chase Utley has tied this game in the bottom of the 8th..." And he'd be at pretty much the same excitement/volume for both. This is a completely fabricated example, but go read those "quotes" again in Joe Buck's voice. Surely you see what I'm talking about.

But, no joke, he's totally improved on this over the last few years. Go back and watch highlights of the 2014 Playoffs. There's genuine excitement in his voice.

Yes, when he's calling Cardinals games, he's probably a little biased. But I do believe he knows the game and has insights to deliver. Really, I think he has been severely held back all these years by Tim McCarver, who is an idiot, plain and simple. Thankfully, McCarver retired after the 2013 playoffs. Unfortunately he was replaced by Harold Reynolds, who is not much better.

I know it's fashionable to hate on Joe Buck. And I know he has a very punchable face. But what, really, is your problem with him?

The Gianasty

I wrote this is 2010, and this in 2012. So I feel like I should spew my Giants thoughts again, now that I have another SF Chronicle to frame. In a separate post-2010-title post, I wrote that having won one World Series, the new goal should be to become the team that wins so much, everyone outside of San Francisco hates them. I think we’re getting there(!).

Three titles in five years. Soooo weird. I think this points to why baseball is my favorite sport. I can come up with plenty of reasons why basketball and football are better games. But baseball is just so delightfully unbelievable*. Travis Ishikawa—a guy who was this close to retiring mid-season—hitting a home run to send his team to the World Series? And this comes after Michael Morse—in like his second at bat in a month—hits a game-tying homer in the bottom of the 8^th?? Nah, dog. That ain’t real.

[*Or, if you’re on the losing end, horrifyingly unbelievable]

I will say that of the three title teams, this 2014 one was the worst. Not that they weren’t just as fun. But looking at the 25-man rosters of each World Series team, I think it’s clear that this one had the least talent. Which makes appreciating it’s members that much more fun. Let's do it:

Madison Bumgarner. Start at the top. This was the best post-season performance for a pitcher of all time. That’s pretty much an objective fact. In all of sports, this has to rank up there as one of the all time “I got this” performances. He was Michael Jordanian. Completely put his team on his back and carried it to the promised land. We can argue all day about whether “clutch” even exists. Regardless, it’s so incredibly exciting to watch athletes perform their best when the stakes are at their highest. Makes you marvel that you’re even of the same species. I look forward to 50 years from now when people are still talking about how awesome Bumgarner was. Five shutout innings of relief on two day’s rest to close out Game 7 of the World Series. Stuff of legends. This is one of the most storied franchises in baseball. Madison Bumgarner is its greatest post-season pitcher, and he's 25.

I feel bad for Royals fans, who probably feel like they got beat by one guy. I hope they make it back.

Buster Posey. On paper, he had a pretty awful post-season. Not one extra-base hit, and he particularly struggled at the plate in the World Series. Doesn’t matter. He caught nearly every inning, including the 18-inning marathon in Washington. He’s a boss.

Brandon Crawford. I love having him as the shortstop. So consistently impressive. This play will go down as the most underrated of the playoff run. In an instant, he finds the ball in front of him and knows exactly what to do. His instincts are amazing. And how ‘bout that arm? (keep in mind that’s Lorenzo Cain running).

Joe Panik. I’m not as bullish on Joe Panik’s future as most people are. I think he’s a good candidate to regress once scouts get a book on him. And he’s not even that great to begin with: .711 OPS in the regular season;  .646 in the playoffs.  But second base was a black hole for the Giants most of the year. Remember Brandon Hicks? Dan Uggla?? Shudder. He filled in so darn adequately, it makes me smile. Plus if you love making bad puns, this guy is a gold mine. Coming into this season, he probably thought maybe he’d sniff a September call-up from the minors. As it turns out, he’s starting in the World Series, and making one of the most important plays in Giants history.

Lookie here:

At this point in time, it’s basically first and third with no outs. Everybody knows it, and it sucks. But because Joe Panik was born, it’s nobody on and two outs. I already mentioned Crawford’s instincts. Doesn’t seem like Panik’s are too bad either. On his from-the-belly glove-flip: "This is the first time I've ever done something like that. It was just instinctual. I couldn't get my bare hand to my glove." I love it.
Funny thing about this play: If Hosmer doesn't slide into first base, he's probably safe. OR, if Cain slides feet-first into second, Hosmer is probably safe. 

Yusmeiro Petit. In 2013, he was one out away from a perfect game. This year, he broke the record for consecutive batters retired, with 46, over 8 appearances. That's 1.7 perfect games. And then in the playoffs he was this year's 2012 Lincecum. What a BAMF.

Bruce Bochy. Without question, he’s now a #NoBrainerHallOfFamer. I think the coolest part about Bochy is this: Usually when analysts tout a great manager, they talk only about his resume—his win totals, his titles, his longevity. With Bochy, they actually talk about his decisions. They specifically mention how he out-smarts his counterpart. He’s out-managed his opponent in every series in the last five years. Not only does he have the resume, but you can be sure he contributed to those accomplishments himself—not just his players.

The rest of the coaching staff. Dave Righetti and Mark Gardner have to be the most underrated pieces of this era of Giants baseball. And let’s not forget about bench coach Ron Wotus. As I understand things, he’s responsible for positioning players in the field. And if Juan Perez isn’t hugging the line in the 5^th inning of Game 7 with a runner on second, he doesn’t catch Aioki’s line drive.

Advanced Scouting Department. I have no evidence to back this up, but I bet the Giants’ major league scouts are some of the best in the game. Whomever the Giants play in the playoffs, they always seem to know how best to play them.

The rest of the front office. This era of Giants baseball is built upon homegrown guys, which is ideal for a fan. The 2014 team in particular was littered with ‘em. And the rest of the roster was filled in via savvy trades and picking out unseen talent from the bargain bin. They’ve built this dynasty with three different aces and three different closers. Nice work, Sabes.

I don’t know if it’s an organizational philosophy to get this kind of personnel, or if the coaching staff deserves even more credit than they already get. But these Giants teams seem to have a calmness about them. A quiet confidence. Look at all of those elimination games in 2012. Or in Game 4 of this World Series when they went down 4-1, and were staring at a 3-1 series deficit. In short, unlike me, they did not freak the fuck out. They trusted each other, as if they knew things would fall into place. Thanks again, Giants. See you in 2016.

Don't forget to check out McCovey Chronicles for other crucial 2014 playoff videos, including some under-appreciated moments.

Giants 2013 Preview: Pitching

I covered how I think the Giants' offense will do in 2013 a few days ago. Today I'll do the same for the pitching staff. Just like the line-up, the make-up of the pitching staff looks almost identical to how it did back in October. Evidence indicates it worked out pretty well back then. Can they repeat their performance in 2013?

Matt Cain

2012 stats: 16-5, 2.79 ERA, 219.1 IP, 1.04 WHIP

Better or worse in 2013? about the same

Big Sugar vaulted himself to the status of unquestioned staff ace last year, but his numbers were not all that different from what they had been in the past. I don't see any reason why they'd stray significantly in the coming year. Matt Cain is Matt Cain. 

Madison Bumgarner

2012 stats: 16-11, 3.37 ERA, 208.1 IP, 1.11 WHIP

Better or worse in 2013? slightly better

Bumgarner kind of blew it down the stretch last year, and he watched his ERA go from 2.83 to 3.37 over his final seven starts. That final number doesn't look bad, but it's not all that impressive when you consider he pitched half his games at AT&T Park, which suppressed runs in a major way last year. Here's the good news: the dude is only 23. Most hot prospects are getting ready to have their first full season at his age. Bumgarner already has 15 scoreless World Series innings under his belt. Speaking of which, just like Brandon Belt, I'd say Bumgarner has the best chance to take "the leap" to a new level we haven't seen from him yet.

Tim Lincecum

2012 stats: 10-15, 5.18 ERA, 186 IP, 1.47 WHIP

Better or worse in 2013? better

Easily the biggest question mark on the entire staff. Big Time Timmy Jim was just about the Least Valuable Player in the league last year. Among those who qualified for the ERA title, he finished dead last. So the good news is it can't get worse. If he can manage even league average this year, it will be a significant improvement. He's got plenty of motivation, too. Ever since he came into the league, critics have cited his small size and complex mechanics as reason to suggest his early success was unsustainable. Another year resembling last year and they will have been proven right. Not only that, but he's a free agent after this season. In every one of his starts, there will be literally millions of future dollars at stake.

Barry Zito

2012 stats: 15-8, 4.15 ERA, 189.2 IP, 1.23 WHIP

Better or worse in 2013? about the same

2012 was billed as somewhat of a "redemption" year for Barry Zito, even though his ERA was identical to what is was in 2010, when he was left off the post-season roster. Somehow, last year he became the Giants' most reliable starter down the stretch, and then had a couple of career-defining moments in the playoffs. The fact is, Barry Zito is kind of like Matt Cain. Because Barry Zito is Barry Zito. Which makes him nothing like Matt Cain. He's kind of like Lincecum, in that Zito is in a contract year, but the most likely scenario we'll see is more of the same: some good starts, some bad starts, and some mediocre starts, all adding up to a passable fifth starter. Given how much attention his last contract got him, his next one will be absolutely fascinating to me.

Ryan Vogelsong

2012 stats: 14-9, 3.37 ERA, 184.1 IP, 1.39 WHIP

Better or worse in 2013? worse

Hey, Ryan Vogelsong, I think this is the year your Cinderella story comes to an end. Your 2011 All-Star appearance and 2012 playoff heroics? Flukes! That's what I say. And so does everybody else. If you were really this good, it would have shown up earlier in your career. There are plenty of stats out there that suggest you're about to fall off a cliff. What are you gonna do about it? I'm not buying it. You'll be back in Japan in no time. You suck and you'll never amount to anything. Prove me wrong.

Bullpen

2012 stats: 3.56 ERA, 1.34 WHIP

Better or worse in 2013? slightly better

Affeldt, Lopez, Mijares, Kontos, Casilla, Romo. All of those guys are returning for 2013. The only new addition will fill the void left by Mota, and it looks like it will be Chad Gaudin. Nothing ground-breaking here. Those numbers from last year look pretty pedestrian -- I remember the bullpen being better. Perhaps that's because due to injury, some innings had to be taken up by some scrubs. Can't count on an injury-free season, but I like this group, so I'll give them the benefit. 

If you look closely at the pitching stats from last year, the Giants were actually not all that great. They were 5th in the NL in ERA, but 11th when accounting for ballpark effects. In looking at the above, I think the pitching staff, as a whole, will be marginally better, but not drastically so. And if AT&T plays a bit more like an average park, the raw numbers will look similar. 

So what have we learned? Both the line-up and the pitching staff are essentially the same as last year, and I'm predicting that they will perform at about the same level. Riveting stuff. I can't believe I'm not getting paid for this.

Giants 2013 Preview: Offense

One good thing about having a relatively boring offseason consisting of mostly just bringing back the guys from last year, is that it makes predicting the upcoming season a fairly simple exercise. In trying to figure out how the 2013 Giants will fare, the 2012 Giants provide a pretty good reference point. The Opening Day (only two weeks away!) roster will be the same as the 2012 World Series clinching roster, minus a Mota, a Theriot, a Huff, and a Nady. I'm not saying it's easy to accurately predict how the G-men will do, but the process is simple: look at each position, and decide if the personnel there will be better, worse, or about the same. So here's my stab at it, taking a look at the line-up first. The pitching staff will be handled in the near future. The following thoughts are not based on any fancy projection system, but rather gut instincts and an intermediate understanding of typical career progression:

Catcher
2012: Buster Posey (best player in the league)
Better or worse in 2013?: worse
He's an American hero, a swell guy, and a fine actor. He also hits baseballs extremely well. But to expect BP to replicate his MVP season is unreasonable. The safe bet is that he'll regress towards the mean at least a little. After the first two months, when he's hitting .310/.366/.465, we'll no doubt be subjected to articles and KNBR callers asking "what's wrong with Buster Posey?" But we shouldn't have to. We also shouldn't expect the same scorching second half he had last year, which vaulted him to the top of the MVP ballot.

1st Base
2012: Brandon Belt (.275/.360/.421, 7 HR, 56 RBI)
Better or worse in 2013?: better
Buried beneath the organization's and the media's expectation that Belt would be the second coming of Will Clark was actually a pretty decent season. That slash line above translated to an OPS+ of 124 (100 is average, Posey's was 172). Still, Belt represents this line-up's best chance at significant improvement over last year. After a smoking hot June (OPS of .963) and a miserable July (.480), his August and September were solid (.887 and .881, respectively). If he can sustain his late-season form and avoid those stretches where he looked completely lost at the plate, Belt will be a very nice run producer. Spring Training numbers don't mean anything unless they can be used to support a point I'm making, and Belt's numbers are a perfect example. He's torching the competition so far, so that's surely a sign of things to come.

2nd Base
2012: Pu pu platter, Marco Scutaro (as a group: .288/.327/.343)
Better or worse in 2013?: about the same
Second base was a black hole before Scutaro arrived wearing a cape and underwear outside of his pants. However, there's no better candidate for regression than Scutaro. In 61 regular season games with the Giants, Scutaro hit an other-worldly .362/.385/.473. He followed that with post-season moments out the wazoo, and the Giants rewarded him with a 3-year deal for his age 37-39 seasons. Scutaro's offensive outburst was vastly aided by his .366 BABIP (69 points higher than his career mark), and he's old, so don't expect the hit parade to continue. Still, he puts the ball in play more often than almost anyone, and having an average hitter for a whole season will probably produce about the same as the second base merry-go-round did last year.

3rd Base
2012: Pablo Sandoval (.283/.342/.447 in 108 games)
Better or worse in 2013?: slightly better
If Sandoval can simply stay on the field, that should yield more production from the 3rd base position. Thankfully, he's out of hamate bones to fracture, so hopefully he'll have a full season. His weight will always be a mild concern, especially since he's now a World Series MVP, and you can't exactly threaten him with a trip to the minors if the doesn't shape up (as the Giants did back in the Spring of 2011). But if he's healthy in every sense of the word, he's capable of putting up MVP numbers. It would be silly to count on that, but also foolish to assume he'll repeat his woeful 2010 season.

Short Stop
2012: Brandon Crawford (.248/.304/.349)
Better or worse in 2013?: slightly better
Crawford's 2012 ended up pretty solid, considering that I was hoping for a .230 BA at the outset of the season. Also encouraging is the fact that his second half was significantly better than his first half. He'll never be more than a role player, but he can continue to improve, and enter 2013 with a lot of confidence. He belongs.

Left Field
2012: Melky Cabrera, Gregor Blanco, trace amounts of others
Better or worse in 2013?: worse
Melky is the forgotten contributor of 2012. At the time of his suspension, he was a fringe MVP candidate, and without him, the Giants would have had a much tougher time winning the NL West. After he left, Scutaro took the reigns as leader of the hit parade, but as covered above, that probably ain't happening again. The lack of Melky Cabrera is the largest reason why the 2013 Giants may struggle offensively (as compared to 2012). A platoon between Gregor Blanco and Andres Torres is the plan for LF as we approach the start of the season. If both of them produce the same platoon splits as they have throughout their career, that will be perfectly satisfying (still nowhere close to Melky, but acceptable nonetheless). However neither of them is having a good Spring, Torres is already battling bumps and bruises, and they're each a year older. Did you know Torres is 35?!? Look at LF as the spot most likely headed for a trade deadline upgrade.

Center Field
2012: Angel Pagan (.288/.348/.440, 29 steals)
Better or worse in 2013?: worse
Pagan was in a contract year last season, so of course he had a really solid campaign. Now after being handsomely rewarded with a 4-year/$40M contract, will he keep it up? I don't see Pagan as the type of guy to sit back and rest on his laurels, but I do think we can expect at least a slight dip in production. It's just the nature of things.

Right Field
2012: Nate Shierholtz, Gregor Blanco, Hunter Pence
Better or worse in 2013?: better
Let's just say it: Pence played like shit for the Giants last year. He made some wonderful pre-game speeches in the playoffs, and had some timely hits, but overall, his play was unacceptable. So he really can't play much worse without getting benched. And looking at his career numbers, he should bounce back. He's well-liked, and won't have the pressure that comes with being a mid-season major aquisition. That should free him up mentally. Don't expect an All-Star appearance, though.

Overall, where does that leave the Giants? By my calculations, which are completely arbitrary, I don't see a significant change in offensive production either way. The runs/RBIs will be distributed a little differently, but I think the offense will roughly stay the same. Which puts the team in a familiar spot. Hover around league average scoring prowess, and lean on the pitching staff to deliver.

Buster Posey: Is There Anything He Can't Do?

Buster Posey is the man. I know I'm not breaking any news with that statement, but sometimes it bears repeating. For instance, when he shows the world yet another reason why he is, in fact, the man. In addition to his considerable baseball skills, we now know he can act as well. He had been in some commercials a few months ago during the time when fans were voting for who should be on the cover of the PlayStation game, "MLB '13: The Show". On a scale of 1-to-funny, those mostly clocked in around "meh." Obvi, the writers are to blame, and that's why Posey didn't win said fan vote. But in a new commercial released by PlayStation yesterday, Posey shows us he was using those duds to hone his acting chops. Here, he delivers with Peyton-Manning-esque timing, while staying true to those dashing good looks:

Acting.

World Baseball Classic 2013: We Don't Care, Others Do

World Baseball Classic games began last Friday, with Chinese Taipei beating Australia, 4-1. Few American baseball fans knew about this, and even fewer cared. As an advocate for all things baseball, my reaction to The WBC's lack lack of coverage has mostly been frustration and bewilderment. Until I realized that I don't care about it, either. Set in the middle of Spring Training, the WBC is a tournament that lacks identity, though it is not without purpose. As a showcase for international baseball fans, the WBC is doing fine and has room to grow.

Simply put, people around these parts don't care about the Classic because they already care too much about the World Series. A Major League Championship for our favorite baseball teams has a corner on the market for our baseball-related emotions. Until the WBC makes gains in its market share, America's best players will hesitate to participate; and until those stars are eagerly signing up, the WBC will struggle to pull on America's heart strings. It's all very chicken-or-the-egg-y. Somehow basketball has pulled it off with the Olympics. I'm not sure how.

Fans of Major League Baseball want their team to win a World Series. That's the first priority, and for most, the only priority. So when the Giants send seven of their players to go play in an exhibition tournament in the middle of their Spring Training, I'm not thrilled about it. Front offices are not excited, either. The players risk extending themselves too far too soon, and sustaining a season-altering injury as a result. Given that the Major League baseball season is so long, there's really not a good time for this tournament to be held.

But the international scene is where the WBC becomes relevant. It may never win the hearts of Americans, but not every country is spoiled with the world's most elite baseball league. Major League Baseball is the standard against which all other international baseball will be measured. The World Baseball Classic gives international fans a way to see how their guys compare. In fact, I think it might be more interesting if no MLBers were allowed at all. Everyone just sends their best who have yet to be deemed ready for The Show. The WBC would be relegated to a sort of world-wide scouting combine niche, but it would be interesting to see how the countries stacked up on that even playing field.

Either way, though, the WBC should focus on its role of being an international showcase (which it already does for the most part). The baseball-related emotional marketplace is not tapped out for non-American baseball fans, and if I may, a brief anecdote to support that point: I attended a few games of the inaugural WBC in Anaheim in 2006. My dad and I arrived a bit late to our first game, and upon hearing multiple raucous cheers as we were walking up to the stadium, we assumed we were missing a ton of excitement. On the contrary, the score was 0-0 when we arrived at our seats. Turns out fans were simply cheering every hit like a home run, and every out like it was the last one of the game.

And let's not forget that it is good baseball. The 2009 World Baseball Classic Title Game was a thriller, with two current and prominent Major Leaguers (Ichiro Suzuki and Yu Darvish) playing principle roles. And if America keeps losing, maybe at some point the USA will attempt to send an actual All-Star team.

Until then, the most important things for MLB fans will be the Spring Training opportunities created for scrubs by the vacancies left by Major Leaguers heading to the Classic. Case in point: Brock Bond! Marco Scutaro is playing for Venezuela, so with plenty of playing time available, the race for the Giants' 25th-man/utility-player is heating up! Left Coast Lean favorite Brock Bond has been playing well, and has upgraded his status from "outsider's puncher's longshot" to "longshot".  What a man.

Smart decisions are often easy

In April of 1993 the greatest quarterback in the history of professional football was traded to the Kansas City Chiefs. For Niner fans, it was a day of mourning. The story behind that trade goes something like this. 49er brass preferred to trade their greatest asset a year before he couldn't play anymore as opposed to hanging on to him for another year, knowing he was on the downside of his career. Oh yeah, they also had a future hall of famer gripping a clipboard with both hands and ready to kick some ass!!!

On February 27, 2013, another 49er quarterback was traded to Kansas City. Alex Smith is far from Joe Montana and the comparison between the two players stops at the fact that they were traded to the same team. Fans of this franchise have been split most of the season with a good chunk of the fan base saying that Alex deserved to start after his injury and the other half bidding him a good riddance. The 49ers did the right thing today and despite the fact that we don't know exactly what they will receive in the trade (it's said to be the first pick of the 2nd round and possibly another; the deal won't be official until March 12, 2013) we do know this much. Alex Smith was due $8 million and the team would be stupid to keep him, pay him that much cash to be the backup, knowing they have starters on this roster who deserve the cash instead.

The media loves this stuff. They are already labeling this as a fresh start for Alex with a new coaching staff in Kansas City. A fresh start is something a high school bully gets when he changes high schools. A fresh start is something the prom queen gets when the high school jock ditches her. Alex Smith is n't getting a fresh start; Kansas City is getting a tired, soft and ineffective player who is not good enough to be The guy. When Jim Harbaugh looked to Kaepernick instead of Smith, knowing this team needed to get to the Superbowl no matter what, it told us all we need to know. Alex is a stand up guy, he's respectful, a good clubhouse guy, and a great teammate, but to quote my all time favorite guy, Charles Barkley, "he just not very good."

Spring Training Already Started?

Yeah, like almost two weeks ago. Weird. Why aren't we talking about it? There are two reasons for this:

1. Usually*, the offseason is longer. You may remember that the Giants played relatively deep into last season's playoff tournament. So in terms of "days since the last Giants game", it still feels like it should be the offseason. Also, our friends, the 49ers, did us a solid and played pretty deep into their own postseason tournament. That provided healthy distraction over the cold winter.

2. The offseason and the beginning of Spring Training has been incredibly boring for The Giants.

I expanded on #1 here, and here. And half of #2 here. That doesn't leave a whole lot to write about, but I'll summarize what's the haps because I ought to.

In short, the Giants' Opening Day roster will not be very different from the one that won the World Series. In fact, all signs indicate that 21 of those 25 players will be returning. The pitching staff remains almost identical. Assuming George Kontos reprises his role as underrated righty, the only spot to be filled is the one left by Guillermo Mota.

Forgive me for not being over-enthused about speculating which name will fill the final bullpen spot, but I'm going to link you over to McCovey Chronicles, where Grant is providing gangbusters coverage on what looks to be a nail-biter. I will summarize with some names in the running: Chad Gaudin, Scott Proctor, Sandy Rosario. Also old friend and World Series Champion, Ramon Ramirez. The longshot chances provide a little more excitement: semi-hot prospect Heath Hembree (I'm sure we'll see him at some point this year), and Brett Bochy (Son of Bruce, thrower of baseballs). And then I suppose the door isn't completely shut on Brian Wilson. Everything I read suggests a deal is unlikely, though.

On the offensive side, the open spots come in the voids left by Xavier Nady, Aubrey Huff, and Ryan Theriot. Filling in for the former:

Hey! A feel-good story: Our old friend and World Series Champion, Andres Torres is back. The idea is to have him platoon with Gregor Blanco in left field. While they won't strike fear into opposing teams, if you combine their career splits (Blanco vs righties and Torres vs lefties), Gregres Torco becomes a decent player (107 OPS+). Plus Torres can pinch run, provide clubhouse pixie dust, and maybe be a late-game defensive replacement for Pence.

Brett Pill probably has the best shot at grabbing the Huff spot, which I like because it puts him exactly where he should be: in the Majors but glued to the bench. Although if the Giants feel they need more speed, Francisco Peguero could get a shot. The Theriot role provides competition between Connor Gillaspie (perennial Giants minor-leaguer), Tony Abreu (a classic player-to-be-named later, claimed off waivers), and Kensuke Tanaka (Japanese import). Once again, riveting stuff.

So there you have it. No starting roles are up for grabs, as Bochy has finally appeased the Beltophiles. The rotation is set and solid. A list of nobodies will compete for the final few roster spots, and the rest of the battles will be between the Giants and their health, which is never a guaranteed victory.

So what do we do? I'll tell you what we do. We follow and root for Brock Bond. He's toiled around the Giants' Minor League teams for 5 years, and he had a solid AAA campaign last year. He's got nothing more than an outsider's puncher's longshot chance of making the squad, but look at that name. Brock Bond. If he doesn't succeed it will be the worst case of an athlete underperforming his name since Colt McCoy. Go out and wow us, Brock Bond.


*But not in recent years. Boom!

Second Guessing Greatness

The San Francisco 49ers accomplished what was said to be extremely difficult. Prior to the 2012 NFL season, many experts and talking heads were convinced that the 49ers would stumble and couldn't possibly repeat the performance from the year before. Those experts cited a much more difficult schedule, the team being the hunted rather than the hunter and of course, they claimed that San Francisco was somewhat lucky and that luck wouldn't strike this franchise twice. In the off season the GM addressed positional holes that were problematic in 2011. They brought in Randy Moss, signed Mario Manningham, drafted LaMichael James and A.J. Jenkins among other moves. With the exception of Jenkins, the players listed above contributed to the success in 2012 and improved the team as a whole. Randy Moss may not be the greatest of all time, as he claimed to be, but what he did was provide leadership for the younger guys in that locker room.

There is absolutely no way around the fact that 2012 was an up and down rocky road for this franchise. They didn't play well every time they took the field, they lost games they should have won and also won games they were tagged to lose. Jim Harbaugh made a very difficult decision during the season when he benched a healthy Alex Smith in favor of a young, unproven kid in Collin Kaepernick, which proved to be a decision that led this team to New Orleans. From the perspective of the media, this team was really good but laced with flaws. From the perspective of fans who followed this team daily,we saw how hard this team worked to accomplish their goals, to avenge the loss to New York in the NFC Championship game. We bought what Jim Harbaugh was selling and we bought it in bulk. He's our guy and for the most part, we saw him as the man we were looking for all the years that we suffered through countless 10 loss seasons.

Entering the home playoff game vs. Green Bay many fans were skeptical and many others were convinced that the team would lose that game. Could Collin do enough to beat Aaron Rogers and the vaunted Green Bay Packers? Could the team win a shootout against a hefty opponent? They did more than win, they dominated the football game in all three phases by doing what this team does best. They played a very physical game and forced the opponent to be uncomfortable. Heading to Atlanta, similar questions were raised and the Niners beat up on the NFC's #1, in their house, on their way to Superbowl XLVII. It wasn't pretty at times, it definitely wasn't easy. They overcame adversity once again by playing their brand of football. Physical on both sides of the ball, smash mouth running game and an excellent performance by a young and exciting Kaepernick.

The two weeks leading up to the Superbowl media types across the land were guzzling the Harbaugh kool aid. San Francisco was now the favorite to win the Superbowl and just about every person asked about the match-up favored San Francisco. They were younger, more talented, more physical and the overall theme was that San Francisco was much better than Baltimore. I heard former head coach Brian Billick on 95.7 The Game prior to the Superbowl and he claimed that San Francisco was head and shoulders better than Baltimore and the Niners would likely win going away. The team and the fan base were riding high, feeling good about themselves and it brought a lot of us back to the glory days. The days when San Francisco was the most successful and hated franchise in the NFL. We were right back to the good ole days of Superbowl or bust and back then, the idea of bust didn't even cross our hemisphere because the team was so damn good. We were peppered with stories of Jim Harbaugh's greatness and what I took from the many stories I read and heard was that San Francisco has taken on the identity of their head coach. A tough minded, physical football team with a competitive edge and a team that worked harder than many others in the game.

Monday morning after the Superbowl loss to Baltimore was a very tough day for fans of the San Francisco 49ers. A lot of us wanted to second guess the offensive play calling, the coaching, the way the players performed or didn't perform. It was almost too easy for us to head back down the path we walked when Mike Nolan, Dennis Erickson and Mike Singletary were in charge of our football team. So many of us were riding Jim Harbaugh's coat tails all the way from a lockout shortened off season to the Superbowl in the Big Easy and we couldn't see what was right in front of our faces. After a very difficult loss we were ready to jump ship and tag him as a failure. Some of the fans were posting "Faithful for Life" pictures to Facebook but for every one of those there were ten people questioning the game plan, the play calling, the coaching, the preparation and the worst thing, we were bitching and crying that the refs did a job on us. Take a moment to reflect on where we were before Jim Harbaugh signed a 5 year deal to coach this football team. We were a fan base that went from expecting to win a Superbowl every season to a fan base focused on the NFL draft when the weather changed in the month of December. It's very difficult to accept that we lost and as much as we want to finger point and place blame, the fact remains that this football team had an amazing season. The core of this group will return in 2013 with similar aspirations and goals. Superbowl or bust is once again the expectation of the great fans in The Bay Area and rightfully so. However, I would like to focus some energy on what we did accomplish this season, rather than what we didn't.

When the final seconds ticked off the clock and the confetti rained down on the Mercedes Superdome, I was stunned. I wanted the result to be different and of course, I wanted to call in sick today, Tuesday February 05, 2013 to attend the biggest party in the country. The San Francisco 49ers Superbowl parade. But here I sit, at work and listening to Jim Rome talk about Ray Lewis and the Baltimore Ravens Superbowl parade. It's a tough pill to swallow and the pain in my gut will be there for a very long time. On the flip side, the fans know who their quarterback will be going into next season and we won't be forced to spend $8 million on Alex Smith because we don't know what Kaepernick can do. Jim Harbaugh, the quarterback guru, will have an entire off season to work with Kaep and to improve upon what we already know to be a highly talented and valuable asset. The 49ers are one of the youngest teams in football right now and the core of this team is under contract for the next few seasons. The team is poised to take the next step forward and will have 14, yes 14 draft picks to work with. We made it to the top of the mountain and when we got there, another guy was already planting his flag. I'm OK with that and a step further, I am proud of the accomplishments in 2012 and not looking to place blame. I'm looking at this glass knowing it's half full and as high as my expectations are for the 2013 season, my praise for the 2012 season is just as high.

Super Bowl Debrief

That would have been so sweet.

It really seems like San Francisco should be glowing like a woman nearing her third trimester right now. Had the 49ers pulled out a win yesterday, that would have gone down as one of the most famous Super Bowls of all time. Not only would it have been (by far) the largest comeback in Super Bowl history, but the 3rd quarter blackout gave the game a built-in iconic identity. With the '9ers beginning their comeback right after that, it was almost perfectly scripted. There would have been tons of wonderful jokes and slogans about "flipping the switch". The final drive would've gotten its own name, and Kaepernick would have be a 49er legend, no matter what happens from here. And this would have come just 3 months after a Giants World Series win. It just would have been perfect.

So the pain is more like an absence of pleasure. But when you start thinking about the game as a whole, the absence of pleasure begins to turn back into pain. Because the '9ers did not play their best game yesterday. They were sloppy at times, especially in the first half. Didn't see that coming, considering Jim Harbaugh is perhaps the best coach in the NFL, and he had two weeks to prepare. There were costly penalties. There were missed tackles in the backfield that could have changed drives and momentum (how many times did the Ravens turn broken plays into 3rd down conversions?). There was a lost fumble, and that interception Kaepernick threw was awful. There were timeouts used that would have been, oh, slightly useful at the very end of the contest. Flacco and his receivers were awesome, but I think if the 49ers and Ravens were to play 10 times, the '9ers win six or seven of those. It hurts knowing the best version of your team would have won that game.

It also hurts knowing that we'll have to endure this continued media-gasm over Ray Lewis, now that he has ended his career with a goal-line stand to win the Lombardi Trophy.

But in the end, the hole the 49ers dug themselves was just a little too deep. Except not really, because it really did seem like they were going to pull it out once they had 1st-and-goal with roughly two minutes to play. And in fact, the 49er's win probability did creep over 50%. So yeah, I guess they blew it. I thought the officiating was pretty poor, and that the 49ers took the worst of it, but it was bad both ways. Try not to use that as an excuse. What's more important is that for whatever reason, the great protection Kaepernick got for most of the game seemed to vanish in the red zone. Or maybe Kaepernick failed to recognize the blitz. We'll always think of that final series, but they would not have had to go for it on 4th down had they converted that 2-point chance after their previous touchdown. Don't overlook that similar-looking play as a game-changer.

Here's the positive news: Kaepernick is good. He wasn't at his very best yesterday, but he has shown he can be the quarterback for a Super Bowl team. Overall he played well enough to win. Those passes he throws for 15-30 yards are perfect (again, perfect) more often than not. He's so fun to watch. The 49ers will likely be the favorites to represent the NFC again next year. So it's not like the proverbial window has slammed shut. But that doesn't mean it'll happen. These opportunities don't come around that often. And from now it will be championship-or-bust, so they've got some weight on their shoulders to carry around. I do worry that the defense has not been the same since Justin Smith's injury, and he'll be one year older next year. I've been waiting for Frank Gore to break down for years now. But I really wouldn't be surprised if Kaepernick lit the league on fire next year. I'm looking forward to it.

Still, I'm in pain today, and it's not the type of pain you want to be feeling after a Super Bowl: hungover and with a sore hand from high-fiving hundreds of strangers. That would have been sweet.