SportsNation Blog Archives
San Francisco Giants
Opening Day -- well, Opening Night, really, and we technically already had one of those in Japan, but who's counting? -- is finally here, as the Cardinals will take on the Marlins tonight in the first stateside regular-season MLB game. It's bound to be an exciting season with so many players having changed teams, but has the power structure been altered significantly?
Vote: Pick each division and pennant, and the winner of the World Series
Rank: Baseball's best teams? | Top players in the game?
World Series repeat?
The Cardinals prevailed over the Rangers in the 2011 World Series, but St. Louis lost its biggest gun this past offseason ...
Best player?
... which is a pretty big loss, considering he might be one of the best players of all time.
Odd one out?
The Red Sox missed the playoffs last season after an epic September collapse. Will they be on the outside looking in once again?
AL's best?
Prince Fielder and Albert Pujols were probably the two biggest additions to teams in the American League, meaning the balance of power could shift.
NL's best?
Likewise, the addition of Jose Reyes to the Marlins could give the team a huge upgrade -- offensively with new third baseman Hanley Ramirez, and defensively at shortstop.
The Giants will make Matt Cain the highest-paid right-hander in baseball history with a five-year, $112.5 million extension. Is Cain worth the cash?
- pasinpman: "Anyone saying they overpaid. What do you think Cain would've gotten on the open market?"
- gomichst8: "Cain is the highest paid RHP in baseball history?? I mean - higher than any of the other All Stars? I think he's a very good pitcher, but highest in history?? Come on....they didn't learn their lesson with Zito"
- DuzzOne878: "Dodger fan here.. Congratss to yall, that was a huge signing, cause if you didnt sign him, we might have stole him.."
- DodgerSteve27: "Giants are either going to become a big payroll team (140-150 mil per year payroll; Giants are usually in the 100-120 range) or they are going to have spent way too much money on 2 players, and the rest of the team will suffer. Giants fans better hope your owner is willing to fork over more cash in the future, cause 2 pitchers alone wont be enough to compete."
- wousmotre: "Timmy isn't going anywhere. Giants have a ton of money as they sold out every game last season. Zito's contract is up when timmy becomes a free agent. No worries at all. Great signing. Matty deserves it. "
- hardballjas: "$127.5 mill for a very good but not great starting pitcher? Wow, Giants, wow. Felix Hernandez must be licking his chops right about now... "
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The Cardinals wasted a golden opportunity in losing late against the Mets on Thursday, but neither the Braves in the NL nor Red Sox in the AL can feel comfortable about their leads entering a potentially wild weekend. Do you expect a clear picture by Monday morning?
Forecast for Red Sox at Yankees?
Friday: Jon Lester vs. Freddy Garcia
Saturday: Tim Wakefield vs. A.J. Burnett
Sunday: John Lackey vs. Ivan Nova
Forecast for Rays vs. Blue Jays?
Friday: David Price vs. Brandon Morrow
Saturday: Jeff Niemann vs. Ricky Romero
Sunday: Wade Davis vs. Brett Cecil
Forecast for Angels vs. Athletics?
Friday: Jered Weaver vs. Gio Gonzalez
Saturday: Jerome Williams vs. Guillermo Moscoso
Sunday: Joel Pineiro vs. Rich Harden
Forecast for Braves at Nationals?
Friday: Tim Hudson vs. Stephen Strasburg
Saturday: Brandon Beachy vs. Chien-Ming Wang
Sunday: Mike Minor vs. Ross Detwiler
Forecast for Cardinals vs. Cubs?
Friday: Chris Carpenter vs. Ryan Dempster
Saturday: Kyle Lohse vs. Rodrigo Lopezg
Sunday: Edwin Jackson vs. Casey Coleman
Forecast for Giants at Diamondbacks?
Friday: Eric Surkamp vs. Joe Saunders
Saturday: Matt Cain vs. Ian Kennedy
Sunday: Tim Lincecum vs. Josh Collmenter
The Red Sox lost again Wednesday night but gained ground in the wild-card race when the Rays lost a doubleheader against the Yankees. Then again, they also gained a challenger when the Angels pulled even with the Rays. But does all of that add up to the lesser of the wild-card races? With a win this afternoon against the Mets, the Cardinals could pull to within a game of the Braves in the NL wild-card race, and the Giants are still lurking.
- "Wow, the Cardinals are surging and couldn't have picked a better time to get HOT!!! If they do somehow get the NL wild card slot, they are going to be TOUGH to beat. ... Just imagine where we would be sitting right now if we didn't lose Wainwright?" -- SN commenter mizzoufan84
- "You have to give the Cards credit. The Braves had their shot at the Mets and the Mets bullpen, and they lost 2 of 3. They dug their own hole. Cards are doing what they're supposed to do." -- SN commenter oblio98
Is a Braves collapse more likely?
The Braves close with three at the Nationals (including a Stephen Strasburg start) and three at home against the Phillies. The Cardinals get the Astros and Cubs.
What are the Phillies thinking?
The Phillies are safely across the finish line with the NL's best record, but what are they hoping for when they do a little scoreboard watching?
Are the Phillies obligated to try?
Cliff Lee is currently scheduled to start the opener against the Braves on Monday. That would still give him plenty of rest before the postseason.
Who gets the ball on Wednesday?
We're getting ahead of ourselves, but which pitcher is the pick if current rotations hold and the wild card comes down to the final day?
It all seemed so clear just a month ago. The Red Sox had ceded the AL East lead to the Yankees but led the Rays by 8½ games in the wild-card race. The Braves weren't going to catch the Phillies for the NL East lead but led the Giants by 7 games and the Cardinals by 7½ in the wild-card race. Now? The Rays, Angels, Cardinals and Giants are all within four games of a playoff spot. Rank 'Em: What are your MLB Power Rankings?
- "Francona must go. Sorry apologists, this is the time of year where all the idiotic decisions he has made throughout the year haunt you as much as injuries. Wanna bet if they happen to get some sense and fire him the new "brilliant "manager gets them to the playoffs next year and all this BUNK about how good he is fades into myth?" -- SN commenter drysalami
- "I still have all the confidence in the world that this team can win the WORLD SERIES. Yes, I sound like an idiot. But that's how I truly feel. Do you really think a team this talented is going to suck for this long? It's almost impossible." -- SN commenter RedSoxRule1024
Will the Red Sox hold on?
BOS: BAL (4), at NYY (3), at BAL (3)
TB: at NYY (4), TOR (3), NYY (3)
LAA: at TOR (4), OAK (3), TEX (3)
Where is your rooting interest?
SportsNation consistently rates Red Sox-Yankees as one of the best rivalries in sports, but does that mean you want it to be an October option?
Will the Braves hold on?
ATL: at FLA (3), at WAS (3), PHI (3)
STL: at PHI (1), NYM (3), CHI (3), at HOU (3)
SF: at LAD (3), at ARI (3), COL (3)
Where is your rooting interest?
The defending champs face the longest odds, but are you getting swept up in their eight-game winning streak to get back in the conversation?
Fans in San Francisco watched meaningful baseball deep into October a year ago. Will the season be all but over by Labor Day this time around? The holiday weekend brings a three-game series between the Giants and Diamondbacks at AT&T Park, with the latter leading the NL West by six games over the defending champions.
- "hoping the giants show up and sweep this weekend, I would love to see the Gaints, Cards and Braves put some pressure on the division leaders, or we are in for one boring Sept.." -- SN commenter Korzaggl
- "They put the whole season on the pitching staff and Buster Posey. When the reigning ROY that hit fourth and led the Giants over the two-time NL champs in the playoffs went down, Sabean was exposed. But let's not pretend like Posey isn't one of the most valuable players in baseball." -- SN commenter SFeleven
What needs to happen?
The NL West has seen memorable comebacks, but even with three more games between these teams, is it sweep or bust for the Giants?
The collision that changed a season?
The Giants led the division on May 25, the same day Buster Posey found himself on the wrong end of a collision with Scott Cousins.
Architect of a dethroning?
Diamondbacks ace Ian Kennedy faces Tim Lincecum on Saturday, but is Kennedy already his own team's MVP?
Carlos Beltran got his wish, staying in the National League and avoiding duty as a designated hitter. But did the Giants mortgage too much of their future to acquire the outfielder from the Mets? As part of the deal for Beltran, who will be a free agent after the season, the Giants sent prized pitching prospect Zack Wheeler to the Big Apple.
- "I am a Mets fan and very happy to get a player with the caliber of Wheeler. This guy is a stud. I don't understand why teams give up a 5-to-10-year sure thing for a two-month rental. I mean, Beltran solve the Giants problems? I don't think so." -- SN commenter roberts2144
- "I don't understand how you think that Wheeler is a "5-to-10-year sure thing." I say it's 50-50 at best that he even pans out to be a decent pitcher in the Bigs. LOTS of SF Giants pitching prospects have turned out to be busts, just beat the odds with Cain, Lincecum, and Bumgarner all within a few years of each other." -- SN commenter luckmansb
How much is too much?
Mets fans know as well as any that prospects (Bill Pulsipher, Paul Wilson) don't always pan out as hoped. But is one of the best pitching prospects in baseball too much for a rental?
A dynasty in the making?
The Giants are the defending champions, feature some of the best pitchers in the sport and are one of five teams with at least 60 wins. But even with Beltran, will you be surprised if they repeat?
A Giant among outfielders?
The Braves, Giants and Phillies own the three best records in the National League, but only two of their collective outfielders rank among the NL's top 20 outfielders in OPS.
Is Beltran enough of a fix?
Unless the subject is weather, the phrase "only the Padres" is not good company to keep in baseball. But as Beltran arrives, only the Padres have a more anemic offense than the Giants in the NL.
We can understand if you don't want to take the time to grade your tech-support help on the other end of the telephone, but when we're talking about the dollars and emotion you've invested in sports, we think it's worth the effort. It's time for ESPN The Magazine's Ultimate Standings, in which SportsNation grades organizations on everything from ticket prices and stadium experience to the talent on the field, court or rink. Which team will end up on top this year? It depends on what you say.
Take part in the 2011 MLB survey
2010 MLB Ultimate Standings
1. Los Angeles Angels (Overall: No. 3)
2. Tampa Bay Rays (Overall: No. 6)
3. Colorado Rockies (Overall: No. 13)
4. Minnesota Twins (Overall: No. 14)
5. Atlanta Braves (Overall: No. 15)
Take part in the 2011 NFL survey
2010 NFL Ultimate Standings
1. New Orleans Saints (Overall: No. 1)
2. Indianapolis Colts (Overall: No. 4)
3. Green Bay Packers (Overall: No. 9)
4. Arizona Cardinals (Overall: No. 19)
5. Baltimore Ravens (Overall: No. 20)
Take part in the 2011 NBA survey
2010 NBA Ultimate Standings
1. Orlando Magic (Overall: No. 2)
2. San Antonio Spurs (Overall: No. 7)
3. Cleveland Cavaliers (Overall: No. 10)
4. Dallas Mavericks (Overall: No. 24)
5. Oklahoma City Thunder (Overall: No. 25)
Take part in the 2011 NHL survey
2010 NHL Ultimate Standings
1. Pittsburgh Penguins (Overall: No. 5)
2. Detroit Red Wings (Overall: No. 8)
3. Washington Capitals (Overall: No. 11)
4. San Jose Sharks (Overall: No. 12)
5. Chicago Blackhawks (Overall: No. 16)
2. Would you leave off Posey or Heyward?
We're generally not fans of mindless orthodoxy around here, but sometimes, you can think a little bit too far outside the box. For example: the writers who either voted for Gaby Sanchez as their NL Rookie of the Year, or left Jason Heyward or Buster Posey off entirely. Could you see yourselves doing the same thing, SportsNation? Assuming you had a ballot. Which you don't. Probably.
- "Thought Posey deserved it. Wouldn't have thought it criminal if it had gone to Jason either. That they were left off any ballots is a joke. Garcia, Castro, Alvarez, Vinters, Sanchez, et al, weren't good enough to knock either guy off anyone's ballot. " -- SN commenter Roulette1970
- Vote: Are you picking the Giants or the Rangers?
- Rank 'Em: Starting pitchers | Position players | All-time postseason aces
- Test your World Series IQ: Know your Rangers? | How about your Giants?
Tim Lincecum is the two-time reigning NL Cy Young winner (at least until Roy Halladay picks up his award for this season). He's 2-1 with a 1.93 ERA through his first four postseason appearances, including 30 strikeouts and just five walks in 23.1 innings. And he's pitching Game 1 of the World Series at home in San Francisco.
And 78 percent of SportsNation thinks he's going to lose.
This is all the scenic route to saying Cliff Lee, the guy voters like to beat Lincecum in Game 1, has gone from pitching ace to something even greater this postseason. Lee is clearly the pitcher SportsNation wants on the mound at this point in history -- he may even be the pitcher voters want on the mound for all time. But is Lee the most clutch performer across all of sports at the moment?
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