I'm Not Smart Enough to Appreciate the San Francisco Giants

     I'm on the record calling the 2014 World Series the worst match up in the history of the sport, which is a statement supported by numerous advanced statistics. but perhaps it's time to re-calibrate our expectations of a MLB team. In my youth, the best teams rolled out offensive juggernauts that featured six or seven elite hitters. The juggernaut Yankees teams during their dynasty come to mind first, but we also saw the Indian's teams in the mid-90s (Albert Belle and Manny Ramirez would've been enough to carry a team, but they had five other dudes who could rake too), Seattle when they featured Ken Griffey Jr. and Alex Rodriguez,and lastly the curse breaking Red Sox lineup in 2004. These teams hit the ball hard, and it often went very far.
     San Francisco has Buster Posey, Hunter Pence, and a bunch of other no name hitters, but in today's pitching dominated climate, that doesn't matter. Madison Bumgarner delivered a historic World Series performance that our first reaction is to devalue because of the lack of hitting, but that ultimately isn't fair. We're tired of being a baseball grump. The Giants are the fifth team in MLB history to win three titles in five years, which is remarkable. We still think the '98 Yankees or '04 Red Sox would smash them to smithereens, but we're still tipping our cap to the Giants.

10 Awesome Things That Happened This Weekend (10/3-10/5)

10. The Patriots Aren’t Dead

            So quit your bitching New England.

9. Arizona State Drops USC With Last Second Hail Mary

            Cue video!

8. Matt Kemp Delivers Game 2 Win for Los Angeles
            After Clayton Kershaw was rocked in Game 1, the Dodgers needed someone to make a play to even the series. Kemp delivered with an eighth inning dinger.

7. Orioles, Royals Punch Tickets to ALCS
            This might be the first playoff series that I will legitimately be rooting for both teams to win.

6. Cowboys Blow a 10-Point Fourth Quarter Lead, Still Win in Overtime

            Rough estimates by our crack research staff say that Dallas has lost in this exact scenario roughly 300 times in the last decade. Funny things are happening Big D.

           

5. Peyton Manning Tosses 500^th Career Touchdown

            Nothing else to do here other than tip your cap and say “Omaha”.

4. Cleveland Browns Successfully Complete Largest Road Comeback in NFL History

            Reportedly, it will still count even though it occurred against the Titans.

           

3. Mississippi State Routs Texas A&M  

2. Ole Miss Shocks Alabama

            Saturday may have been the greatest day in the history of Mississippi.

 1. San Francisco Giants Win Longest Postseason Game Ever

            In a game where there were more innings played (18) than hits (17), No Credentials was desperately hoping a shipment of HGH could be split among both clubhouses. Surprisingly, Washington was able to bounce back from this soul crushing defeat to win Game 3.

10 Awesome Things That Happened This Weekend (10/26-10/28)

10. Marcus Lattimore Might Still Be Able to Play Football
            This is great news, considering his knee injury was one of the worst leg injuries we’ve seen in years on a football field. 

9. Vick Ballard Does His Best “Matrix” Impersonation

            We’ll let the video do the talking.

 

8. Jimmie Johnson Dominates Martinsville, Takes Chase Lead

            Jimmie Johnson did exactly what No Credentials predicted he would a week ago, but the bigger story was Brad Keselowski only being down 2 points with three races to play. A sixth place at one of his least favorite tracks has to feel like a win.

7. Oregon Hangs 70 on Colorado

6. Notre Dame Dominates Oklahoma
            Scoring 70 points on a fellow D1 (or bowl sub-division, or whatever the elite division of football is called) school is impressive, but walking into Oklahoma’s field and coming out with a 17-point win takes the cake. Notre Dame deserved to leap frog Oregon in the polls.

5. Rob Gronkowski Celebrates Two Touchdowns

            I’ll take his reenactment of a little nutcracker duder over his pelvic gyrations.

4. Giants Sweep Tigers
            Kudos to the Giants for winning a second World Series in three years that no one other than Giants fans will remember in a decade.

3. Merle Returns to “The Walking Dead”
            No one is more excited about it than my wife.

2. Thunder Trade James Harden to Houston

            I’ll say this about Oklahoma City General Manager Sam Presti…the man has big onions. I personally think that Durant and Westbrook are talented enough to initiate the offense without Harden, and if the draft picks they get prove to have value, the Thunder’s long-term outlook will eventually look brighter.

1. Giants Survive By Mere Inches Against Dallas

            You can add having an apparent game-winning Hail Mary getting overturned to the ways the Dallas Cowboys have lost a game. In all honesty though, they had no business winning, so perhaps it was karma.

10 Awesome Things That Happened This Weekend

10. Matt Hasselback Rallies Seahawks to 35-34 Win Over Buffalo
            (EDITORS NOTE: The author of this post may or may not have had the Bills in a parlay yesterday. Reader discretion is advised)

            I can’t possibly express my anger at the Buffalo Bills in a logical, well-thought paragraph, so let’s go to bullet points.

-         Buffalo allowed Chris Johnson, a man who has spent the last two years murdering fantasy teams, to run for 195 yards and two touchdowns.

-         Ryan Fitzpatrick threw the worst interception of the 2012 season. Even Tony Romo watched the highlight of the pick and said, “Man, that was a shitty throw.”

-         After the Fitzpatrick interception, Matt Hasselback, who’s been washed up for five years, marched down the field in the final minutes, miraculously throwing a touchdown on fourth and eleven to Nate Washington.

-         I have nothing against bald people, but it feels even worse to have my perfect parlay ruined by a bald person. It feels like Larry David got the best of me or something.

-         Coming into the game, Tennessee had the worst point differential in the league, and had been blown out every time they played on the road.

-         If I ever consider wagering on the Bills again, I’ll instead save some time and light my money on fire.

9. Fever Win First WNBA Title

            I’ll give $10 worth of Monopoly money to the first person who can tell me what city the Fever are based out of without clicking this link.

8. Down 2-Laps, Ricky Stenhouse Rallies For Remarkable Nationwide Series Win

            The Nationwide Series doesn’t make it into this space much during the NFL season, but Stenhouse’s season saving rally is worthy of the cut. Also, Kyle Busch ran out of gas in the last turn, which makes everyone happy.

7. Red Sox Hire Former Pitching Coach John Farrell as New Manager

            It’s not everyday a shortstop gets flipped for a manager, but I have feeling the loss of Mike Aviles will be worth acquiring Farrell. If anyone has a chance of turning around Boston’s pitching staff, it’s him.

6. Houston Texans Destroy Ravens

            I don’t think this game was about Baltimore missing Ray Lewis as it was Houston being really pissed off after getting blown out by the Packers. The Texans have reestablished themselves as the best team in the AFC.

5. Drew Brees Tosses Four First-Half Touchdowns

            The Saints needed every one of Brees’ touchdowns, as their anemic defense surrendered 510 yards of total offense to Tampa Bay. Don’t look now, but the bounty-gate Saints are on a two-game winning streak.

4. Matt Kenseth Survives Another Crash Fest, Wins at Kansas
            Kenseth didn’t have to dodge a 25-car pileup like he did to win at Talladega, but Kansas bit the same number of drivers in 14 separate incidents. Incredibly, the race didn’t impact the Chase standings much thanks to an incredible repair job by Jimmie Johnson’s crew. After Johnson wins this Sunday at Martinsville and takes the Chase lead, we’ll remember Kansas as the turning point for his championship run.

3. San Francisco Giants Force Game 7
            San Francisco is doing its best impersonation of the St. Louis Cardinals doing everything they can to stay alive. The Giants are sending the better pitcher to the hill tonight, so that means you should probably put your money on the Cardinals. 

2. Patriots Attempt To Choke Again, Still Beat Jets

            New England heroically attempted to pull a Cowboys and blow this game at home, but unfortunately for Jets fans, were not able to execute.

1. RGIII and Eli Exchange Last-Minute Touchdown Passes, Giants Win

            Even without Pierre Garcon and Fred Davis, Robert Griffin III still nearly pulled off the upset with a late touchdown toss to Santana Moss. Unfortunately, he left a little too much time for Eli.

NL West Preview

            After talking on the phone with my Dad and listen to him complain about how he can’t read my articles on fantasy baseball because fantasy sports is for losers that don’t live in the real world, I figured I’d throw the old man a bone and write about real baseball. Over the course of the next week or two, I’ll offer short assessments of the potential of every team. I’ll assess top players for each squad (grouped in three categories, A-Level, B-Level, and C-Level) as well as predict what the highest win total for each will be as well as the lowest potential win total. Lastly, I’ll offer up final season record predictions (I’m hoping for at least 10 of my final win predictions to be within 5 games, but based on my NFL prop bet experiment, I should probably pray for just 4). Without further ado, here is my preview of the National League West.

5. Arizona Diamondbacks

A-Level = RF Justin Upton

B-Level = 2B Kelly Johnson, SP Daniel Hudson, CL J.J. Putz

C-Level = C Miguel Montero, SS Stephen Drew, CF Chris Young, SP Ian Kennedy, RP Juan Gutierrez

Ceiling = 80 Wins

Floor = 60 Wins

How They Could Reach the Ceiling – Arizona cleaned out their entire coaching staff from single-A through the major league club last season. There coaches are finally encouraging hitters to be more patient at the plate, which could have a huge impact on Justin Upton. Getting rid of Mark Reynolds (aka “Whiff-Master Flex”) and Adam LaRoche were steps in the right direction. J.J. Putz provides stability at the back-end of the bullpen that has been missing in Arizona for years. If young starters Daniel Hudson and Ian Kennedy show improvement in 2011, this team could end up around .500.
How They Could Fall to the Floor – Even if Putz is solid in the 9^th inning, they still need to figure out how hold a lead until that point. Middle relief is still a major issue. A brutal schedule the first quarter of the season doesn’t do them any favors either. Upton has immense talent, but isn’t at a level where he can carry the entire offense on his back.

Closer to Ceiling or Floor? – I would bet on them ending up 67-95, but at least there is hope in the desert. Better coaching in the minor leagues will improve the Diamondbacks by the time 2015 rolls around.

4. San Diego Padres

A-Level = SP Mat Latos, CL Heath Bell

B-Level = None

C-Level = 2B Orlando Hudson, SS Jason Bartlett, 3B Chase Headley, LF Ryan Ludwick, SP Clayton Richard, SP Aaron Harang, RP Luke Gregerson

Ceiling = 75 Wins

Floor = 65 Wins

How They Could Reach the Ceiling – The Padres need to have incredible pitching and great defense to have any shot at sniffing .500. Without Adrian Gonzalez, there is no one in their lineup that an opposing manager will fear. Latos will be solid this season, but they need both Clayton Richard and Aaron Harang (an under the radar fantasy sleeper) to have ERA’s below 4.00 to be competitive on a nightly basis. CF Cameron Maybin (who was acquired in a trade with the Marlins) realizes his potential that could be shot in the arm.

How They Fall to the Floor – This team is going to have an incredibly hard time scoring runs. If Richard and Harang are flops, their bullpen is not deep enough to keep them in every four out of five games.

Closer to Ceiling or Floor? – I’ll push and say they end up 70-92. Their giant ballpark should somewhat neutralize their opponents offense and keep them in the majority of their home games.

3. Los Angeles Dodgers

A-Level = CF Matt Kemp, SP Clayton Kershaw, CL Jonathan Broxton

B-Level = RF Andre Ethier, SP Chad Billingsley, SP Ted Lilly, SP Hiroki Kuroda, RP Hong-Chih Kuo

C-Level = 1B James Loney, 2B Juan Uribe, SS Rafael Furcal, SP Jon Garland, RP Matt Guerrier

Ceiling = 95 Wins

Floor = 75 Wins

How They Could Reach the Ceiling – You could make a strong case that the Dodgers have one of the best rotations in all of baseball. All of their starters are capable of giving 6+ innings a night on a consistent basis. Strong pitching paired with a strong bounce back season from Matt Kemp could carry this team to a surprise division victory.

How They Fall to the Floor – The Dodger’s financial situation has been in flux ever since the divorce case of owners Frank and Jamie McCourt began. Among things like houses and real estate, ownership of the team is being battled for. The divorce has crippled the team’s ability to add players the past two seasons. If Los Angeles struggles out of the gate, expect the Dodgers to act quickly to shed payroll. A cloud like this can have a sobering effect on a baseball team.

Closer to Ceiling or Floor? -  I’ll bet on 88 wins for Los Angeles. Their pitching will keep them competitive, but this looks like a club that could use one more bat. Unless the ownership situation is cleared up by early summer, I don’t think they will have the ability to make a move at the trade deadline.

2. San Francisco Giants

A-Level = C Buster Posey, SP Tim Lincecum, CL Brian Wilson

B-Level = 1B Aubrey Huff, 3B Pablo Sandoval, SP Matt Cain, SP Jonathan Sanchez

C-Level = SS Miguel Tejada, CF Andres Torres, SP Madison Bumgarner

Ceiling = 95 Wins

Floor = 85 Wins

How They Could Reach the Ceiling – San Francisco’s foundation is built upon their strong starting pitching. While duplicating their amazing run in the 2010 postseason is unlikely, there is reason to believe that Jonathan Sanchez and Madison Bumgarner could improve in 2011. Pablo Sandoval has come to camp 30 pounds lighter than last year, so expect numbers closer to his 2009 production than 2010. 1B prospect Brandon Belt should find his way to the big leagues by the end of June, and he has the potential to be this year’s version of Buster Posey.

How They Fall to the Floor – Other than Buster Posey (who is a stud), this is a team that relied on a career year from Aubrey Huff and huge postseason hits by Edgar Renteria and Juan Uribe. In other words, there was some luck that played into San Francisco’s success in 2010. If Sandoval doesn’t bounce back, San Francisco will have a hard time scoring runs.

Closer to Ceiling or Floor? – I’ll push and say they finish 90-72. Their pitching should be phenomenal again, and as long as they get production from two of their best three hitters down the stretch (Posey, Huff, or Sandoval), they should contend for both the division and wild card.

1. Colorado Rockies

A-Level = SS Troy Tulowitzki, LF Carlos Gonzalez, SP Ubaldo Jimenez

B-Level = SP Jorge De La Rosa, CL Huston Street

C-Level = 1B Todd Helton, CF Dexter Fowler, SP Jason Hammel, SP Jhoulys Chacin, Matt Belisle

Ceiling = 95 Wins

Floor = 85 Wins

How They Could Reach the Ceiling – Monster seasons from their three A-Level players would be a good start. Tulowitzki had a historic month of September last year, but needs to bring it for the entire year to become an MVP candidate. Gonzalez would be the biggest benefactor of a strong season from Tulowitzki, as hitting in front of him should give Carlos plenty of fastballs to hit. Jimenez was the opposite of Tulowitzki. He was the best pitcher in baseball before the all-star break, but tailed off down the stretch. Jimenez pitching like an ace for an entire year will go a long way in helping out a pitching staff that also needs production from three pitchers with upside, but still a lot to prove. A mid-season trade that could locate a player to hit 5^th (maybe a deal for Cubs 3B Aramis Ramirez if Chicago struggles) would greatly enhance the Rockies’ lineup.

How They Fall to the Floor – Tulowitzki has dealt with some form of injury for the past three seasons. Any stint on the disabled list for Troy would severely cripple an offense that currently doesn’t have anyone else who could step into the cleanup role (Todd Helton isn’t what he used to be back in the early ‘00s). As I mentioned previously while assessing him for fantasy, Carlos Gonzalez is a candidate for a major regression in 2011. If Gonzalez struggles, teams will have the benefit of being able to pitch around Tulowitzki. Colorado also needs someone to step up as a second banana behind Ubaldo Jimenez in order to compete with San Francisco and Los Angeles.

Closer to Ceiling or Floor? – While the Dodgers and Giants have more valuable parts, I think Colorado has the two best hitters in the division. Look for Tulo and Gonzo to carry Colorado to 93 wins and a division title.