Spring is (Up) in the Air

Spring training is but a wink of a young girl's eye away, and not many eyebrows have been raised this off-season. The Giants signed a few, jettisoned a few, and sailed through a very calm arbitration sea, without spending outrageously (or being total tightwads). Tejada signed for a year. I shrugged. Renteria felt insulted and went to Cincinnati. I clipped my fingernails. Pablo Sandoval ran into Rich Aurilia at a shopping mall in Arizona, told him that he lost 20 lbs, then promptly headed into T.G.I.Friday's for a Chocolatini. Ho hum.

Suddenly, pitchers and catchers report in two weeks, and the Giants off-season was like one of those days at the office where you're relatively productive but don't do anything dazzling, dash home right at five, and enjoy a sensible dinner before flossing and getting to bed at a reasonable hour. I would say that standing pat is typical for a World Series winning team, but this is the first one I've ever known intimately. I'll say it anyway - mostly because I like saying "World Series winning team" when referring to the Giants.

The drama is coming. Things will prove to be a bit more interesting when Spring Training starts and the position players and the lineup will solidifies. There are some locks on the team, but several spots in the infield and outfield are still up in the air.

The biggest question marks:

Brandon Belt: The happy ending to Spring Training would be for Brandon to win a starting job, then continue the Buster Posey tradition of winning Rookie of the Year and a World Series. But we've had first base prospects win starting jobs before. J.R. Phillips, anybody? Knowing Bochy, he won't want to force the issue, especially with Aubrey Huff coming back, who, like Belt, can play both first and in the outfield.

Pat Burrell: Depending on how the Belt-Huff situation affects the outfield, "The Bat" could either be starting in the outfield or riding the bench. With Uribe gone, however, Burrell's power becomes much more valuable. I think the 2011 team needs his offense.

Mark DeRosa: One of the biggest mysteries, since, because of his wrist injury, we haven't seen him since Jon Bowker was on the team.. DeRosa is probably the most versatile Giant when healthy and could end up in the outfield or the infield depending on the Giants' biggest need.

Pablo Sandoval: He needs more discipline at the plate! (Get it?) Panda's well-documented fitness drama seems to be at the center of which Pablo Sandoval we'll see in 2011. While I don't expect him to be entirely out of the order, I don't see him earning a spot any higher than sixth in the lineup, at least to start thing off.

And one lousy month of Spring Training is supposed to decide all this? I can see it deciding if DeRosa is healthy or determining if Freddy Sanchez is fully recovered from his surgery. But to decide if Panda is back or if Belt is ready for a starting job? Seems like a couple dozen meaningless games is too small a sample. Issues like these will continue to evolve after the season starts.

I know you're supposed to lead with your best foot, but the season is 162 grueling games long. It's not such a big deal if the lineup on opening day isn't the lineup on the last game - Just ask the 2010 Giants. The opening day outfield for your world champions? DeRosa, Rowand and Bowker. A distant memory. In the post season, the shuffling continued at a frenzied pace, as quick-change artist Bruce Bochy put Scheirholtz and Ishikawa in the starting lineup as the circumstance dictated. Bochy taught all us doubters that consistency isn't necessarily the best thing when it comes to baseball.

No matter what happens this spring, expect the lineup musical chairs to continue in the summer.

Ask a Dodger Fan... Off Season Edition

Growing up Giants, I've always viewed the Dodgers and their fans as a force of evil in the world, which, balanced against the forces of Orange and Black bring order and symmetry to the universe. However, since I've moved down to LA, I've met individual Dodger fans. To my surprise, many of these people have actually turned out to be some decent human beings.

In an effort to engage in more civil discourse, I'm beginning a regular feature called Ask a Dodger Fan, where I can get some fan perspective on the goings on of the Giants vis a vis their biggest rival. The off season moves are starting to wrap up and spring training is less than a month away. Perfect time to get a blue perspective on the off-season, and a look ahead to 2011. Also, you can consider this Q & A a thinly veiled attempt to find weaknesses in the Dodgers as we get ready for the upcoming season.

The first Dodger fan is good friend and former co-worker Jeanne Torres, a life-long fan born and raised in LA.

I Bleed Orange: The Dodgers have had a pretty busy off-season while the Giants have kind of stood pat. What move, if any, is the one that is going to put the Dodgers back at the top of the NL West?

Jeanne Torres: We still need that consistent big bat in the line-up. The Dodger's young core can't seem to do it on their own.

IBO: What is a need you wished that they would have addressed that they didn't?

JT: Ownership stability. Until thats locked in, players, personnel and fans don't know what to expect. After that, I think most Dodger fans would like to see a trade for a good power hitter.

IBO: Do you think the Giants winning the division was a case of them peaking at the right time while the Padres choked, or are they the strongest team in the division?

JT:I do think it was the Giants peaking at the right time, but that seems to be the story of recent WS winners. We can all look at the rosters, payroll and see whos got big names in their line-up and who doesn't, but that hasn't mattered in recent playoff years. (unless its the Yanks winning of course)

IBO: From the Dodgers' perspective, is there a target on the back of the Giants' in particular?

JT:There's always a target on the Giants. It just might be a little bigger this year.

IBO: Is Andre Ethier back to 100%? And when can we expect to see him luck into a walk-off home run a week like in '09?

JT: As far as I know, he should be at 100%. Hopefully his numbers will pick up from last year.

IBO: I name three players, and you tell me who's going to have bounce back years in 2011. First Jonathan Broxton.

JT: No, unless he starts taking PED's. Personally I think he's thrown out his arm. After seeing guys like Gagne, and Pappalpon lose their velocity, It's made me a big critic of having a young gun be your closer. After 3 or 4 seasons, their physical condition looked worked and all I see is "retirement" by their early 30's.

IBO: Casey Blake.
JT: Blake is getting older, so I only expect his numbers to stay the same.

IBO: Matt Kemp (With and without Rihanna)
JT: Kemp should have a bounce back year. Hopefully he's grown up a bit and has less distractions. I hope he can stay out of Ned's doghouse this year.

IBO: With resigning Ted Lilly and acquiring Jon Garland, the Dodgers look like they will have a very good starting rotation in 2011. How do you think it stacks up against the Giants rotation?
JT: I'm actually happy about our rotation, but the main focus is health. If the Dodger pitching staff stays healthy, we can compete with ANY team.

IBO: Do you think the Giants winning the World Series title heats up the rivalry a little bit, or does it not have any effect one way or the other?
JT:Absolutely! There will always be that Giant/Dodger rivalry, but it's more special when both teams play well and the wins mean more than just bragging rights. Neither wants the other to finish above them and a World Series championship tops its all. I'm sure us Dodger fans can't wait to beat the Giants this year. It would be great if both teams had big name super stars in their line-up, it's the only element I think our rivalry is missing.

Arbitration Update

Quickly - The World Series Champions have reached deals with four of their six arbitration eligible players. Strikeout machine Jonathan Sanchez, bullpen gallery members Ramon Ramirez and Santiago Casilla, and Babe-Ruth-clone-but-only-in-October Cody Ross all signed one-year deals. Good, good, good and good.

Details are from the team's official site

That only leaves Andres Torres and Javier Lopez as the two arbitration eligible players yet to reach an accord with the Giants.

Both Torres and Lopez filed for about $800K more than they were offered. I fully expect them to reach resolution before a hearing, but I think Torres is clearly the priority here. He's the only speed demon in the starting lineup and one of the few excellent fielders on the team. Pay him what he wants. In $2 bills if he prefers.

The only point of hesitation is that he suspiciously had a career year at age 32 after languishing in the minors for ten years. While he may not have as good of numbers in 2011 at the plate as he did in 2010, I don't think it's a coincidence that right before enjoying his best season, he finally learned to cope with ADHD. Sometimes late bloomers do exist.

Lights! Camera! Bunting Practice!

Showtime and the World Champion San Francisco Giants have announced that over a ten month period, they will be shooting a reality series with the Giants. The show will follow the team through Spring Training, and the first half of the season, going to air sometime during the second half. The series will be called Machine Thong Freak Prop 19 World Series Beard.

I only made up one of those sentences.

I read some articles and listened to some callers today, and folks are worried that all those cameras in the locker room might distract the players from... all the cameras in the locker room.

Or maybe they're actually worried about private locker room stuff getting out. Like towel snapping and other tomfoolery. Or maybe they fear that Aubrey Huff and Pat Burrell will turn into Snooki and Sammi with chewing tobacco (if they don't already partake).

I shrug about that aspect of it. This is just going to be a baseball version Hard Knocks, which Showtime even said. Hard Knocks never tried to create conflict, or install a confessional hot tub in the clubhouse, etc. They just tried to get inside football stuff. Like shake weights. And the most important part is that thus far it has not hurt the Jets playoff chances.

Giants President of Baseball Operations Larry Bear is already excited about the increased coverage of his team, and so am I. Fans all over the country are going to be saying, "Oh, the Giants. Great. I'm so tired of hearing about them." and I'm finally going to be on the other side of that complaint.