| Bob Souza. 9th May, 2005 - 9:38 pm
 Coming into the 2005 baseball season, everyone from the wealthiest owner to the poorest fan of the San Francisco Giants could be seen surfing a monumental wave of confidence. Dire needs had been addressed, and all that remained was to play out those 162.
So much for the Design Phase. You know… best laid plans and all that.
Oh sure, the guys were getting a tad lumpy and gray, but that was viewed as a positive force -- the fascinating one that connects composed veterans with relentless intensity. They would keep the boat sailing, and drool at the mere thought of pressure.
The starting five had come together smartly as a smooth blend of old and young, of lefties and righties. Jason Schmidt would battle for the Cy Young again; Brett Tomko finally had his demons figured; Kirk Rueter was still crafty enough, and the youngsters Jerome Williams and Noah Lowry were poised for huge break-outs.
There were even capable kids in the wings. Jesse Foppert, Matt Cain, and Brad Hennessy would be ready for promotion, if needed. Plenty of arms to go around.
Top closer Armando Benitez had been gleefully added to the roster. The single most glaring hole from last year had at long last been filled -- to the absolute delight of everybody.
The lineup featured another big bopper in the person of Moises Alou, and defensive deficiencies at catcher and shortstop had been resolved with the additions of Mike Matheny and Omar Vizquel.
And of course, there was Barry. The incomparable Barry.
Perhaps the best team put together by Brian Sabean in years, this was. And given the lack of a powerhouse in the West, the Giants were positioned as well as anybody. Time to sit back with a cold one (or two) and enjoy.
Not so fast.
Suddenly Schmidt can’t seem to find the plate, or get past 92 on the gun. He sports an uncharacteristic 4.71 ERA, which has ascended way faster than it will drop. He claims to be healthy, which is the really frightening part.
Jerome Williams has been exiled to the minors because he couldn’t get anyone out. Brett Tomko has alternated between slightly brilliant and mostly horrid, with an ERA of 4.89, and Noah Lowry has hit the stratosphere at 5.56.
Kirk Rueter is actually the most dependable starter right now. Think about that one.
Bonds is on something like his third knee surgery, and progress on his recovery has been cloaked in secrecy. Who knows when he will return? Maybe not this year. Maybe never.
Benitez is out for 4 months because he was forced to hustle from the mound to first base. Seems like a major league pitcher should be able to run a little without getting hurt. Four months! He might as well just call it a season -- head on over to the food court.
For the Giants brass, this is especially brutal. After waiting and watching Rob Nenn collect millions to sit the last couple of years, they now get to watch Armando do it. Talk about your nightmare revisited.
The missing piece of last year’s puzzle, the one that doomed the Giants to finish 2 games short was a reliable closer. The “close by committee” idea never really worked, and now it takes center stage once again, with the same cast of unappealing actors.
Who expects it to somehow be better this time around?
More bad: Marquis Grissom and Ray Durham continue to miss time due to injuries and are batting a woeful .216 and .225, respectively. Michael Tucker plays despite hitting a pathetic .221.
On the plus side, the injuries have allowed Felipe Alou to insert Jason Ellison, who has been a revelation. At .389, his speed has been refreshing in the outfield and on the bases. Pedro Feliz has been allowed to crack the lineup every day, and he has produced 5 homers, 26 RBI’s and a .308 average to date.
The team continues to score a lot of runs, which is always a good thing. Lance Niekro (.308) appears ready for the big show at first base, and has alternated well with J.T. Snow (.311). As usual, you can always spot Vizquel on the nightly highlights.
After a torrid start, the Dodgers have plunged back to earth. Nobody in the Giants’ locker room is remotely practicing the phrase “let’s panic now”. Not when you are four games back in early May.
But this sure isn’t the way Brian drew it up. |
