Pushin' Too Hard

This was originally intended for and published on our sister site, Niner Boogie.  But the issues we discuss here affect baseball, if anything, more than football right now. We believe the NFL has done a better job of late addressing the disconnect that exists between the tactics of players and coaches on one hand, and the enjoyment of fans on the other. How the NFL addresses this current topic may prove instructive for fans of both sports. 

There's talk that the NFL Competition Committee might outlaw the "tush-push", or, as it's known to Philadelphia sportscasters, the "Brotherly Shove."  The Eagles love it; most other teams despise it, or so we are told. The question before the committee is whether this is a true "football play," or whether it's something else, something non-sporting, not in agreement with the way the game is meant to be played. 

The tush-push is actually a new variation on the old "flying wedge" from the late 1800s. While the execution is different, the principle is the same: surround the ball carrier with teammates on all sides, and use main strength to push the defense out of the way en masse. 

Developed on the playing fields of Harvard, Yale, Princeton and the other great football powers of the late 19th century, the "flying wedge" involved lead blockers locking arms together, with the ballcarrier tucked inside the nose of the wedge, and two or three teammates behind to push the ballcarrier forward at the moment the wedge collided with the defense. 

The wedge was, like the tush-push, used at the line of scrimmage, and variations developed to attack targeted defensive positions and even to shift the wedge to the left or the right. But the signature use of the "flying wedge," the tactic that gave its name, was on kickoffs, when the locked-arms mass of blockers charged down the field like a runaway train and smashed head-on into the defense. To the unprepared opponent it was all but unstoppable. 

Defenses were forced to come up with counter measures. One was the "wedge buster," a superior athlete with both size and speed, who launched his own body at the nose of the wedge. The great Pudge Heffelfinger of Yale was such a player; he was famed for smashing, airborne, into the wedge.  Remember Washington linebacker Frankie Luvu leaping over the Philly line and being called twice for offsides in the NFC Championship Game? That's what he was trying to do-- be the wedge buster, hit QB Jalen Hurts head-on, and collapse the wedge from above. 

The flying wedge was outlawed in the early 1900s because the collisions were leaving players dead on the field. Blockers can no longer link arms to form a mass. In later years, tactics such as pulling a teammate downfield or over the line to advance the ball were also forbidden. Pushing a player forward, however, is still legal, for now.

The great success (77%) of the tush-push in short-yardage situations is undeniable. While we may not recall a specific game in which the play resulted in a game-winning TD for the Eagles, their ability to execute it consistently well is certainly a factor in their success.  And that leads us to an ongoing, and likely never-ending, conflict of interests that has become a major  issue in baseball and, in this instance anyway, an issue in football.

That conflict is between the strategies and tactics that players and coaches deploy to give their teams the best chance of winning, and the style of play that makes the games more enjoyable for the fans who support the sport.    

This conflict has become more prevalent, and more acute, with the advent of sophisticated analytics which are used to create models that can accurately predict tendencies that are tied to the winning and losing of games.

We yield to no one in our admiration for the life and work of Bill James, who pioneered the practice of determining which measurable factors can be analyzed to determine what "works" on a baseball field and what doesn't. What "works," of course, is defined as that which contributes to the winning of games. Understanding that the ratio between runs scored and runs allowed is the foundation of a team's won-lost record in baseball, James identified the various measurable events that make up the creation of runs, and presented them in a simple formula that could be, and has been, used to predict won-lost records.  

The acceptance of analytics by "baseball men" took a generation to accomplish, but accomplish it has, and now every team has predictive models that show which events at bat or on the mound tend to be productive -- to generally increase a team's chances of winning consistently-- and which ones don't. And therefore, which tendencies ought to be encouraged.

This is the logic behind the "three true outcomes" approach to hitting, and, in a slightly lesser degree, to pitching--  home runs, walks, and strikeouts, which remove the uncertainty of fielding and baserunning from the equation and focus on those events directly related to the batter-pitcher dialogue. Batting statistics, at the team level, are directly correlated with runs scored and therefore with wins. Pitching statistics, while not quite as easy to isolate, are also quantifiable toward run prevention. The most difficult statistics to isolate and analyze are fielding statistics, and the measurable effect fielding stats have on pitching stats, and therefore on overall defense, has yet to be harmonized. 

  

Hitters are encouraged to wait, "get a good pitch to hit," and "drive the ball in the air"-- axioms propounded by the great Ted Williams 80 years ago. A walk is as good as a hit. And pitchers are encouraged to throw as hard as they can for as long as they can, to rack up as many strikeouts as possible before their arm tires. 

So baseball today is filled with strikeouts and home runs, and with pitchers who throw as hard as they can for a few innings and then turn the game over to another pitcher and then another, innings per pitcher diminishing with each change, four, five, and six changes per game per team. These are the strategies and tactics that, over the course of a season, are expected to result in more runs scored, fewer runs allowed, and therefore more wins.  It's not that managers and players discount fielding, or, for that matter, that they ignore an ace starter who can go the distance. It's that at the individual batter-pitcher level-- and every player is either a batter or a pitcher-- the TTO are emphasized because their outcomes can be predicted and their tendencies can be coached. 

What's missing is the "old style" of playing baseball, what was once called, and now seems quaint to say, the "thinking man's game." The idea of a "duel" between two starting pitchers, each working through the innings, constantly adjusting to outwit the opposing batters, has been replaced to great extent by a parade of pitchers on both sides, increasingly indistinguishable from one another. The multi-faceted offense, with "table-setters" followed by "RBI men," is diminished in favor of power hitters now being standard equipment through the lineup. And we have a game that is geared toward the bottom line-- wins-- but one that is not nearly as pleasing or enjoyable to watch as the "old style", which included some strategies and tactics proven ineffective at predicting a consistent winner, but which charmed the folks in the seats and held our attention. 

Bill James himself has written of late about his awareness of this uncomfortable trend, and about the necessity of "baseball men" to make adjustments needed to preserve the fan's interest and enjoyment. Some of those adjustments have been applied in recent years, not to "speed up the game" in order to "get it over with," as the curmudgeons complain, but to produce a more brisk, enjoyable game with less dead time.  

Back to football. The tush-push is certainly successful, but is it in the best interest of the game? Does its success squeeze the drama out of what have historically been the most intense plays--  fourth down and short, or goal-to go? Remember 15 years ago when Bill Belichick went for it on fourth-and-one against the Colts inside his own 30, and failed? It cost the Patriots the game and possibly home-field  for the playoffs. The fallout from that play went on for weeks, with endless discussion and controversy. That kind of gamble might become ancient history if most teams adopt the tush-push, and in a copycat league it's certain many will. 

Even more critically, what would the general adoption of this tactic do to the goal-line stand, among the most thrilling of plays? We're 49er fans, after all. Who can forget the classic stand against the Bengals in Super Bowl XVI, the NFL version of Pickett's Charge? Or the incredible six-play goal line stand in 2001? Or Dre Greenlaw's goal-line tackle against the Seahawks five years ago? All those types of plays-- doomed to obsolescence by a mass of humanity deployed to win a shoving match?   

Football, as with all sports, is enriched by uncertainty, by action, by chances taken and risks challenged on the field of play. As fans, we love the unexpected and distrust predictability. Not that long ago the dull and predictable "automatic" extra point was taken out of its comfort zone and moved back 25 yards. It's still a high-success play, but as Jake Moody knows all too well, it is not "automatic" any more, and games-- Super Bowls-- can turn on one ill-timed miss.  

Should the NFL outlaw the tush-push, it won't be as simple as that. Effectively, the general practice of "pushing" a ballcarrier forward, in any situation, will have to be eliminated across the board. Any such rule change must avoid isolating one play, and instead prohibit the underlying tactic. To do otherwise would be unfair to the Eagles, and would set a bad precedent.

As a parting note, we can't help but see the irony in this story. The tush-push has now become the Philadelphia Eagles' signature play, whether for good or bad. But just seven years ago, the Philadelphia Eagles' signature play was a very different one-- the "Philly Special."  And the Philly Special is the total antithesis of the tush-push; it's innovative, unpredictable, multi-directional, and exciting, and as it unfolded on the field it appeared doomed to failure. Yet it worked, and spectacularly so, to the delight of everyone except a Patriots fan. It's everything the tush-push is not.

We'd bet half the NFL fans in America today have forgotten the name (Brandon Graham) of the player  who made the play that actually won that Super Bowl for the Eagles. But everyone remembers the Philly Special.

There's a lesson in there somewhere. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IReb27tFqMg

Bob Uecker 1934-2025

 

AS the tributes pour in for the late Bob Uecker, the wonderful and funny "Mr. Baseball," we decided to post up a reminder to everyone that before he became a legend, Bob Uecker really was a ballplayer. Here he is, second from the left in the top row (not the "front rooow") with the World Champion St Louis Cardinals of 1964.  

No, the ol "Ueck" didn't get to play in that Series, but he did get the ring, even if he'd later tell America, as a favored guest on the "Tonight Show," that he'd stolen it. He made himself a career as the archetype of an irresistible, wholly American story, the regular guy toiling in obscurity among and alongside the greats, the immortals, while hoping just to stay in the game a little longer. It was such a perfectly relatable tale that we ourselves adopted it back in our stand-up days, claiming to be "The Bob Uecker of Rock & Roll." And please let's not forget he did play twelve years in professional baseball, six of those years in the major leagues. Who among us-- of a certain age, perhaps-- wouldn't trade a whole lot of what we have now for what he had then?  

Bob Uecker never had to. He stayed right in the game, becoming the voice of his home-town Milwaukee Brewers for over fifty years, and the voice of baseball itself for countless millions. He  represented the best that baseball has to offer, a warm, hearty, self-effacing ambassador, carrying a simple joy that was rooted in his love of baseball, his love of life, and his love of people. 

And so, the world inside and outside of baseball has loved him back. That world has gotten juuuuust a bit smaller and sadder today.   

MOGGA: Make Our Giants Great Again

 

Final National League West Standings

                W L GB

Los Angeles 98 64 Ohtani finally in the postseason
San Diego 93 69 5 Host Braves in wild-card series
Arizona         89 73 9 Eliminated on Monday
GIANTS         80 82 18 There'll be some changes made
Colorado  61 101 47 Some things never change

Monday's small earthquake, whose epicenter was just northeast of Third and King Streets, has pretty much overshadowed the usual ruminations and recriminations following an unsuccessful Giants season.  Farhan Zaidi is out, and astonishingly (at least to us), the great Buster Posey has stepped into the role as president of baseball operations. Buster has been periodically visible over the past few years since his retirement, identifying himself with the team, the City, and the ownership group. "He doesn't want the job," was the most common opinion on social media, but that changed two weeks ago when it was learned (leaked?) that he had a hand in negotiating the final conditions of Matt Chapman's six-year deal. Whether or not that was done to subtly undercut Farhan's standing, that's what it accomplished, and in the wake of all this (not to mention the wake of three straight losing seasons), the decision now looks inevitable. With that said, Buster Posey's unmatched Giants pedigree and credibility bring a warm and reassuring sense of optimism to all things Giant at the moment. 

Farhan Zaidi's legacy is, of course, uneven, with one phenomenal and historic season balanced against three mediocre ones. He'll be forever linked with manager Gabe Kapler, whose record is similar-- brief but unsustainable success. Zaidi took over in 2019, and being a Canadian, an outsider, a former Dodger executive, and a "stats geek," he was an easy target for unhappy fans. The most unfair and unwarranted claim was that he somehow "pushed out" or "forced out" Bruce Bochy as manager, which is an easily disproven lie. "Boch" at the time was 65, he'd been managing non-stop for 25 years, the Giants had lost 272 games his last three seasons, and he wanted, he needed, to take a break. He took three years off, after all; he could have had his pick of managerial jobs immediately otherwise.   

Farhan made two exceptionally good player decisions. Trading for Mike Yastrzemski was an all-timer, giving up no value for two superb seasons and four solid years. The midseason trade for Kris Bryant was an immediate success; it's unlikely the Giants would have won 107 games and the division without him. And letting Bryant go elsewhere afterward has also proven a wise decision. He found value in pitchers like Kevin Gausman, Carlos Rodon, and Tyler Anderson without breaking the bank.  But the "bargain bin hunting" approach did not yield success over the last three years, and of the "big" free agents signed last offseason, only Chapman and (probably) Robbie Ray are certain to stay. Jorge Soler is already gone (Zaidi should get some credit for swiftly recognizing that necessity) and Blake Snell's status is up in the air.

In the end, that great 2021 season was fueled by outstanding seasons from five players: Brandon Crawford, Buster Posey, Brandon Belt, Logan Webb, and Kevin Gausman. Three of the five were established stars before Farhan arrived, and those three had their last great season that year. None of them have been replaced, at least not yet, and only Webb-- drafted by Brian Sabean-- remains.     

Do the Giants, based on what we saw in the second half of the season, have the core of a contending team? Teams that finish the season strong tend to do well the next season; the Giants were 33-32 after the break, which is hardly "strong." September has not been kind to the Giants lately, and this year was true to form: they were 11-13 down the stretch. The best news the team received in the second half was breakout performances by Blake Snell and Robbie Ray. Snell put up 13 quality starts, most of them high-quality, out of 14 overall. Ray made seven starts before being shut down; five of them were excellent. Heliot Ramos, who made the All-Star Game, and Tyler Fitzgerald showed they're real players, along with Patrick Bailey, who did so a year ago.  The other youngsters-- Grant McCray, Brett Wisely, Jerar Encarnacion, and possibly Casey Schmitt, remain in the "hopeful" category, which has a quick expiration date.  Jung Hoo Lee, whose early injury seemed to cast a pall over the Giants' whole season, will return in 2025 to give the Giants two-thirds of a fine outfield. Matt Chapman is as good a third baseman as there is in baseball. So left, center, catcher, third base, and shortstop are settled. That leaves three spots, four if we count the DH. Soler wasn't the guy, but a real power threat at DH or first base would really help this group.  As would a starting first baseman and second baseman. 

If the Giants can offer Snell enough money and perks to stay ("I like it here," he said last week), it looks like a strong rotation with Webb, young Kyle Harrison, and a healthy Ray. Out of Hayden Birdsong, Mason Black, Keaton Winn, Tristan Beck, Landon Roupp, and the mercurial Jordan Hicks, we can hope at least one young starter will emerge.  Without Snell, or a quality replacement (Jordan Montgomery?), we're back to a guessing game.  And we expect wholesale changes in the bullpen; no one there is indispensable, though Ryan Walker and Tyler Rogers are the most likely to stay and Camilo Doval is arbitration-eligible. 

  

The Giants didn't have a lot of team outliers this year, though they were 18-9 in the increasingly rare category of "pitchers' duels."  Wednesdays and Fridays were their best days of the week, and Tuesdays by far the worst.  They did a little better in the daytime (33-30) than at night (47-52). They were 16-17 in Logan Webb's 33 starts, 14-10 in Kyle Harrison's, and 14-6 in Snell's.  Young Hayden Birdsong generally pitched well, but the Giants lost 10 of his 16 decisions.  Keaton Winn (3-9) suffered from atrocious run support (2.6), while the team scored a robust 5.5 per start for Harrison. Jordan Hicks (8-12), who started off so well some were touting him as an All-Star, got average support. As near as we can tell, he just  ran out of gas in late June; the Giants lost his last five starts.  The team was 7-5 when using "openers," mostly Erik Miller; the last of those was on July 28, a day game after the Giants' lone doubleheader.  

Quality starts: Webb 22, Snell 13, Hicks, Harrison, and Birdsong 10. Snell's average Game Score was 60, remarkable considering his lousy start (over his last three months he averaged 71).  Webb averaged 55, Ray 54 (in seven starts), Birdsong 51, Harrison 50, and Hicks 50. Those last three are fine numbers for rookies pitching in the major leagues; hope springs eternal in the human arm. 

Cheap wins (another endangered species): Hicks, Webb, Harrison. Tough losses: Webb 2, Winn 2, Birdsong 2, Black, Roupp. 

Best start: Snell's no-hitter on August 2 in Cincinnati, of course (Game Score 95). Worst: Daulton Jefferies' only start, at San Diego in the season's fourth game (11). Six weeks later he was traded to Pittsburgh. Worst start from a regular pitcher was Birdsong in Washington, four days after Snell's gem: Game Score 13.  Atlanta's Chris Sale, who may miss the playoffs, had the best start against the Giants, a 83 on August 12 at Oracle Park. He didn't get the decision but the Braves won in 10. It was the pitchers' duel of the year, as Snell put up a 77 in opposition.  And on the 23rd anniversary of the cowardly attack on America, also at Oracle, Colin Rea of Milwaukee was clobbered by the Giants and posted a big fat zero for this efforts. It didn't slow down the Brewers much.  The worst combined start by both pitchers was 53 on August 6 in Washington. Birdsong put up a 16 and the Nationals' McKenzie Gore got the win with a 37.  And the biggest starting pitcher mismatch was Rea's aforementioned meltdown, because Snell had him 61-0 that day.

No Giant (we seem to say this every year) was near the top in any kind of offensive category; only Chapman and Ramos had enough plate appearances to qualify for the batting title. They tied for 33rd with a .791 OPS. The team leader was Tyler Fitzgerald at .831, good enough for 23rd if he qualified. LaMonte Wade's .380 OBP led the team, down from last year. He's a "tweener"-- good enough to play, not good enough to start regularly.   The left side of the Giants' infield-- Chapman and Fitzgerald-- was a combined 32 of 38 stealing bases.  If you are a fan of WAR, Chapman posted a 7.1, MVP level, and much of that on defense. This year he rates as the best third baseman in the game by both WAR and WAA. 

Logan Webb, as usual, was among the leaders in innings pitched and starts, and faced more batters than anyone, but he was down to 27th in strikeouts and 39th in WHIP.  He had six bad (GS below 40) starts this year, which is unlike him. As the hardest-working pitcher in the game, he needs to be sensitive to wear and tear, although the bad starts did not cluster at season's end.  Blake Snell didn't pitch enough innings to qualify, but his 1.05 WHIP is sensational, considering how the season began for him, and would rate 8th in MLB.  Camilo Doval had 23 saves before his fall from grace, still good enough for 14th overall.  Ryan Walker, who took over the closer role, had 10. 

As a team the Giants were 17th in MLB in runs, 16th in homers, 14th in walks, 21st in OBP, 19th in OPS.  On the pitching side, 19th in ERA, 16th in runs allowed, 22nd in WHIP.   They gave up 46 unearned runs, which is pretty good by comparison; most teams are in the 60s.  

In BBRef's wonderful "Wins Above Average By Position," the Giants' pitchers rank 20th, with the bullpen slightly ahead of the starters.  Their best position by far is third base, of course, and their worst second base, where they rank 28th, about even with the 121-loss White Sox, at minus-two.  Overall the Giants rank almost three wins below average, which is 78; they won 80. We knew they hired Bob Melvin for a reason, right?

Roll the statistical parade 

The Chicago White Sox, having set the modern record for losses, head up all sorts of interesting statistical categories, all of 'em bad. They scored only 507 runs, nearly 100 less than any other team. Average, OBP, slugging, all at the bottom. They only hit 9 triples. They did steal 90 bases, more than seven other teams including the Yankees, Tigers, and of course the Giants, though they did so at a lower success rate. On the pitching side, they had a better ERA than Miami or the Rockies, though that's not adjusted for park effects. They allowed 75 unearned runs and 201 homers.  The "WAA" stat compiler look like it might not be able to handle extremes; it has the Chisox at 26 wins below average, which is 55 wins, or 14 more than they won. They're dead last in position players, but surprisingly almost normal in pitching. Worst lineup and outfield in the game...  The Los Angeles Dodgers' recent pitching woes continue. Team ERA 3.90, 13th among all teams. They gave up 198 homers, walked 501 batters, and dropped way down in strikeouts. But their team OPS is .781, better than everyone, and there's your 98 wins...  You want pitching? Go to Seattle. The Mariners only walked 369, their team ERA is tied with Atlanta for the best, and they just missed the playoffs... Arizona scored a MLB-leading 886 runs, 200 more runs than Detroit, but which team made it to the postseason?...  The Yankees homer a lot (1st), walk a lot (1st), but don't strike out much (20th). And despite all the long balls, only three teams hit the ball on the ground more often than they do, which may explain why they also ground into the most double plays...  The Washington Nationals may lead the majors in stolen bases, but the Milwaukee Brewers are much better at it (217/259 versus 223/296). Yes, "caught stealing," the old double negative, is still an important and often obscured stat...  Shohei Ohtani, the first 50/50 man in history, is also the best base stealer in the game, with 59 steals and only 4 caught. Cincinnati's Elly De La Cruz had 8 more steals, but was caught 12 more times. No comparison... With Ohtani and the stupendous Aaron Judge the two best players in baseball this year, is a Yankees/Dodgers World Series showdown inevitable? Not at all, in a wide-open and lengthy postseason, but it would be historic... How good does Judge have to be to be better than Juan Soto? 41 homers, 109 RBI, 128 runs, .988 OPS, and of course 129 walks against 119 strikeouts. Yet Judge has him beat in each category except runs, though the big fella did strike out 177 times... OK, so who else qualifies for our fa-vo-rite stat? Just two guys--  Cleveland's Steven Kwan  (53 BB, 51 K) and Mookie Betts (61-57)... Where's Jose Ramirez? Right here-- 41 homers, 114 runs, 118 RBI, 41 steals, only 7 caught, and waiting to see whom the Indians meet in the next round. More power to him...  Anthony Rizzo used to lead the majors in being hit by the pitch every year. Now it's not so cute-- he took a pitch off his hand last week, fractured two fingers, and may not play in the postseason. And nobody put up large numbers in that stat this year... The two MVP awards are already sewed up, but we have a plethora of Cy Young candidates in both leagues. Chris Sale is an obvious front-runner, but Detroit's Tarik Skubal is right there. They are 1-2 in wins, ERA, and strikeouts, and each might win the prize in his respective league... Skubal also has a 0.92 WHIP, just ahead of our old friend Zack Wheeler. Another former Giant, Carlos Rodon, is in the mix, and Seth Lugo, who pitched a great game against Blake Snell just a week or so ago, is right there, too... Another former short-term Giant, Tyler Anderson, led everyone with 73 walks, but in 179 innings that's not bad. Toronto's Chris Bassitt just nosed him out for highest walk rate per 9 innings...Lookin' for outliers-- wild pitches, pickoffs, balks-- and not getting any silly numbers this time around... Too much normality!

OK, right now Detroit just took a 5-2 lead over Houston in the eighth at Minute Maid. A lot of these wild-card series seem to be over in two games, and the Tigers, having won yesterday, are in position to give the 'Stros their earliest exit from the postseason since they started dominating it in 2017. And the Kansas City Royals, one game up on Baltimore already, have a 1-0 early lead at Camden Yards.  The Mets and Padres are likewise positioned to eliminate the Brewers and Braves later this evening. For us, we'd like to see Milwaukee advance, but all the 2024 postseason teams look to be as evenly balanced as any time in recent memory.

"Playoffs? Whattaya talkin' about? Playoffs?!?"

 A few bits 'n' bytes as we wind down a long and not-altogether-fruitless season by the Bay...

Since being eliminated from the "Playoffs?!?", the Giants have won five straight games and looked positively unbeatable doing it, outscoring two "playoff" -bound teams by 30-4 and putting a major hurt on each one. Both the Kansas City Royals and Arizona Diamondbacks, who appeared certain to reach the postseason (that's better, right?) are now clinging desperately to the last wild-card spot in their respective leagues, having been passed by the Detroit Tigers and New York Mets. They may still make it, but they sure won't give any thanks to the San Francisco Giants.  

Last night's 11-0 blowout of Arizona-- on their home field, yet-- left the Giants at plus-7 in runs scored/runs allowed . It's the first time they've been on the positive side since-- wait for it-- March 30, the third game of the season, when they were plus-6. A long time coming. And at 79-79, they're at .500 for the first time in a solid month. 

Logan Webb, who won his 13th game yesterday as his teammates blasted five home runs, is the hardest-working man in baseball. Webb has started more games, faced more batters, thrown more pitches, and completed more innings (well, he's tied with the Royals' Seth Lugo there) than any pitcher in the major leagues.  

The only remaining pennant race is right here in the NL West.  The San Diego Padres have won 9 of their last 10, gained 3 games on the LA Dodgers, and trail by only two with four games left. They just beat LA in Dodger Stadium last night and have two more shots to even the race before the final weekend. If they Padres keep winning, they can possibly blow the Diamondbacks right out of the postseason by Sunday, and they may need to because the Dodgers finish at woeful Colorado. Yes, there's some excitement left in the season.   

The wild-card derby is more of an enduro than a real race. The Mets, the Diamondbacks, and the mystifying Atlanta Braves (who should have already clinched it; they're three games behind their Pythagorean expectation) are scrambling for the two remaining NL spots not taken by LA and San Diego.  In the American League, Baltimore is in, with the Tigers and Royals just ahead of Minnesota, Seattle, and longshot Boston. The upcoming final weekend promises to be nutso: in addition to the San Diego-Arizona tiff, the Braves and Royals close out the season in Atlanta, a series guaranteed to hurt somebody real bad.   Watch out for the Braves and their pitching if they do get in.

As for the Giants and their new-found successmobile, they wrap up in Arizona tonight, then finish the season at home against the St Louis Cardinals, a team that, like the Giants, saw their postseason hopes fade away earlier this month.

 

 

The San Francisco Giants Open the 2024 Season!

 

Pitchers

Logan Webb, R, 27   Giants’ ace says spring numbers don’t matter

Blake Snell, L, 31     2-time Cy Young winner SF coveted all offseason

Kyle Harrison, L, 22   Rookie with electric but wild stuff  

Jordan Hicks, R, 27    Will his 100-MPH heat work in rotation?

Keaton Winn, R, 26   Giants’ fifth starter position is far from settled

Camilo Doval, R, 26   Now a veteran coming off 39-save season  

Tyler Rogers, R, 33   Submariner has been with Giants for 5 years

Taylor Rogers, L, 33  Tyler’s twin SF's lefty reliever of choice

Luke Jackson, R, 32   Always need a long man in the bullpen

Ryan Walker , R, 28   Hope Giants don’t revert to “opener” tactic  

Landen Roupp, R, 25   May have best curve ball in camp

Erik Miller, L, 26   Rogers not the only left-hander in bullpen

Alex Cobb, R, 36 (IL)  Could rejoin rotation before the month is out

Sean Hjelle, R, 27 (IL)  Still waiting for him to show big-league stuff

Robbie Ray, L, 32 (IL)  Coming off TJS, won't compete until July

Tristan Beck, R, 27 (IL)   'Aneurysm’ is a scary term for anybody

 
 Position Players

Jung-Hoo Lee, OF, 25  Korean star brings OBP, speed, and defense  

Matt Chapman, 3B, 31  Was last season at plate just an aberration?

Jorge Soler, OF-DH, 32  Coming off big season with big expectations

 Patrick Bailey, C, 25  Has settled in behind plate as if he owns it

Thairo Estrada, 2B, 27   Will we see more than just a hot start in '24?

Michael Conforto, OF, 30   No one on club has more to prove than he

LaMonte Wade jr, 1B, 29  Just keep getting on base, big fella

Wilmer Flores, UT, 31  Still the team’s “go-to” guy until further notice

Nick Ahmed, SS, 34   "Dumpster dive” pickup has fine spring with bat

Mike Yastrzemski, OF, 32   Still a fan fave, but  numbers don’t lie     

Austin Slater, OF, 30   Still a personal fave, but injuries take toll      

Tyler Fitzgerald, UT, 26   Can hit, run, and play multiple positions

Tom Murphy, C, 33    Melvin likes experienced backup catchers

Joey Bart, C, 27    Had a fine spring, and Melvin likes catchers

Luis Matos, OF, 22    Here’s hoping he’s the starting RF by summer

Marco Luciano, SS, 22   Ahmed’s here because this kid hasn’t hit yet

Gotta Catch 'Em All

 That won't be especially hard this year.  Yes, we've updated our "Greatest Players in San Francisco Giants History" page over on the right hand side there, and it didn't take long.

For the first time since we began this entertaining but pointless exercise, there are no current Giants on the list. Brandon Crawford bows out as the top shortstop in San Francisco history, and as the seventh-greatest San Francisco Giant of all time. Get that big "35" up on the Wall of Fame posthaste.

Of the current Giants, only Logan Webb materially improved his standing in 2023, with 15 Win Shares and leading the league in innings pitched. He now has 60 total points, just ahead of Mike Krukow and Rick Reuschel, and just behind Big Ed Halicki. 

Only two of the new Giants, Patrick Bailey and Blake Sabol, even made it to the qualifying list. Between them they put up 25 Win Shares in 2023, and we really hope that the signing of backup catcher Tom Murphy doesn't mean Sabol relegated to the minors. For reasons we're not yet able to explain, the team plays better when he's on it. 

As for Jung-hoo Lee, well, let's see what happens, but are we optimistic? Indeed we are. He's exactly the type of player this team has needed in the lineup and in the field. Now, how about going out and getting at least one starting ace to complement our man Webb?