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It's that time of the year again. It seems like yesterday I was watching theSan Francisco Giantsstroll down Market St. in their decked out cable cars. In fact, I still remember the odd mixture of moisture in my eyes and joy as the Giants celebrated one of the most unlikely championship seasons in a while.
This is the time for optimism and eagerness, which comes every year around this time for baseball fans. And as a longtime Giants fan, this year's outlook is brighter than it has been in a long time.
As we encounter the baseball horizon, here are the top five stories to watch for my world champion San Francisco Giants(yes, that feels good to type):
A Slim Panda?
Yes, that's right,Pablo Sandovalhas apparently become a health nut and lost 38 pounds this off-season, according to a recentinterview. I was watching the Giants andSan Diego Padresspring training game on March 11, and I did not recognize the man. I knew we had a stocky Latin third baseman, but this guy did not look like the Pablo Sandoval(notes) I have seen balloon in weight over the years.
Yet, he has shown by his commitment to get in shape that this season is going to be a different one for Pablo. And judging by the high fastball that he murdered right back up the middle off fieryMat Latos, he is on the right track.
The question is which Pablo will we get this year? The 2009 version when he hit .330 with 35 home runs and 90 RBIs or the 2010 version that saw his average drop 62 points, home runs drop by 12, and RBIs by 27? My guess is he will end up somewhere in between since this is the year Pablo adjusts to the pitching he has faced over the last year—and revenge will be sweet for the Panda.
A Great and Healthy Pitching Staff?
With the recent injury toMatt Cainall of a sudden the Giants pitchers are being considered mortal. I mean come on, really? Who strikes out 14 and gives up two hits in a shutout in their first postseason outing? Only the merely humanTim Lincecumcould muster this up. And the best pitching performance that every Giants fan remembers the most from their magical run? How about 21-year-oldMadison Baumgarner'sperformance in his first World Series start!
The bottom line is this is a great pitching staff that returns everybody from last year.
The other story is that every March any team's chances of a successful season hinges on a relatively healthy year from their pitching staff. I am not worried about the health of Matt Cain(notes) or any other pitcher because these guys have not been been overly stressed with major innings over many years. The other point is that none of them have significant injury histories that would make me wonder ifBarry Zitois going to be able to pitch and play his guitar afterward without serious injury.
Can Juan Uribe(notes) Be Replaced?
This question is a serious one for a team that brings back everyone exceptJuan Uribeand World Series MVPEdgar Renteria. I for one thought that Uribe didn't put up great up numbers last year, but anytime we needed a big hit he came through in many situations. It is this kind of clutch hitting that a team like the Giants desperately need since we rely so much on pitching.
Essentially the replacements are a healthyMark DeRosaandMiguel Tejada. DeRosa is the guy that I love to forget (2010 season) and then remember again (averaged 23 homers the last two years he was healthy) because he is a proven hitter. Miguel Tejada(notes) is also a proven hitter, which is always better than relying onBrian BocockorRyan Rohlinger.
The Giants will be a better offensive team despite the subtraction of Uribe, and the clutch hits will come because his replacements have shown they are professional hitters who just need an opportunity to come through.
Do the Giants Have Enough Hitting?
Barry Bonds will provide plenty of hitting from the cleanup spot. Had to put that in there to see if anyone skipped over this storyline since it could be inserted in every Giants preview for the last five years.
The Giants do not have the lineups of the Red Sox, Yankees, or Phillies. This, I know without a doubt, and will not try to persuade anyone differently. What I do know is they have plenty of average to above average hitters that can get the job done (see 2010 World Series). They also have the best hitting young player in the game inBuster Posey. This kid can only improve as he becomes more knowledgeable about how pitchers are trying to work him. Posey has the best opposite field swing I have seen in a long time and he will anchor this lineup. However, he does not have to do it himself due to the steady bats ofAubrey Huff,Freddy Sanchez,Pat Burrell,andCody Ross.
In case one of these guys gets hurt they have a sweet swinging lefty waiting in the wings inBrandon Belt. I can't believe I said that previous sentence, but he has the potential to be the next Will Clark. A bat like that will eventually make any questions about the Giants hitting go away for a while.
Can the Giants Keep Up With the Joneses?
By Joneses I mean everyone's preseason darlings the Phillies and Red Sox. Well, they already fared pretty well against the 2011 Phillies roster last year.Cliff Leehad his moments against the Giants, but could not secure a win in two World Series starts.
The 2011 version of the Phillies is minus the very productiveJayson Werthand their top prospectDominic Brownjust broke his hand. I once thought the Phillies were so intimidating that only an American League team like the Yankees could beat them. That sense is gone from the Phillies and the addition of Cliff Lee(notes) will help, but they still have to regain their swagger. If the Giants can get past the Phils in a likely NLCS match-up, they will most likely see the Red Sox in the World Series. The Red Sox were a good team last year that were riddled with injuries. They are now healthy and fully reloaded with the likes ofCarl Crawford,Adrian Gonzalez, andBobby Jenks. The Red Sox are a lot scarier to me than the Phillies at this point.
Can the Giants keep up with the Joneses? I would love to find out come mid-October at Fenway Park. As long as I can bring Lincecum and Posey with me, I would bet on these guys anywhere they end up.
Sources: All stats were provided byBaseball Reference.
Note: This article was written by a Yahoo! contributor.
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