San Francisco Giants: 10 Things That Need to Happen for the Champs to Repeat
As spring training winds down and Opening Day creeps closer, it is time to close the book on the Giants World Championship 2010 season and focus on the Giants 2011 season.
No doubt it was an amazing season filled with many more highs than lows.
It featured coming out parties for Buster Posey and Madison Bumgarner, and it saw Tim Lincecum and Matt Cain become practically immortal during the playoffs. Career resurrections for Aubrey Huff and Pat Burrell helped bring the city of San Francisco its first championship since 1954 and the Giants their first ever by the Bay.
However, that was 2010. The time has come to remember the past but look to the future. The Giants are certainly playoff contenders for 2011, but for a repeat championship and potential birth of a dynasty, these 10 events must occur.
Andres Torres Must Prove 2010 Was Not a Career Year
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Most players who fail to make a big league roster prior age 30 never do. Andres Torres is certainly the exception to the rule. After playing 59 games for the Detroit Tigers in 2003 Torres bounced around the minors until the Giants signed him in early 2009, where he appeared in 75 games and hit a very respectable .270.
Fast forward to May 2010 where a frustrated Bruce Bochy decides to give Torres a chance to play everyday and bat leadoff. The 32-year-old Torres responds by hitting .268 with 16 home runs and 68 RBI in the 2010 season.
Nice story right?
Well it is, however the the real question is, if he can repeat his productivity in 2011.
On the plus side, Torres entered spring training with the knowledge that he will be the Giants leadoff hitter and can expect to be in center field everyday.On the down side it is hard to expect a 33-year-old to be equally productive year to year, especially with so few full major league season under his belt as reference.
Torres' 2010 season was essentially his rookie year, and it's possible he could fall victim to a sophomore slump.
Consistency is key for Torres entering 2011.
Barry Zito Must Stay Consistent
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Nobody has received more criticism as a member of the Giants than Barry Zito. OK, maybe that's not the case. Nobody named Barry has received...no that's not right either.
OK, no current member of the Giants has been criticized more than Barry Zito. His albatross of a contract and his poor second half in the face of otherwise overwhelming successes hides the fact that he pitched very well in the first half of 2010.
Nobody on the Giants' roster had more of a Jekyll and Hyde like season than Barry Zito.Through June 12th, Zito had the best record (7-2) of the entire staff. But by October his record and ERA dwindled to the worst in the rotation (9-14) and (4.15).
Despite criticism, the Giants need Zito. They need him to be the healthy workhorse who worked over 180 innings each of the last 10 seasons. Zito is the best fifth starter in baseball (apologies to Joe Blanton) and a consistent 2011 season will be paramount in the Giants quest to the postseason.
Buster Posey Must Beware the Sophomore Slump
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The coming of Buster Posey was heralded by the Giants' faithful as the savior of San Francisco since drafted in 2008. Boy did he deliver.
A remarkable season saw the 2010 NL Rookie of the Year rattle off a .305 average with 18 homers and 67 RBI in a mere 400 at-bats. Throw in 17 postseason hits, while guiding Giants pitchers to measly 2.47 ERA and you've got yourself a future All-Star.
While there is no doubt that Buster Posey is a star in the making, it can't be denied there may be a few bumps on his road to success. How he reacts to those bumps will define his sophomore year.
Because he is so young and so talented, it is very difficult to predict how Posey will enter next season. It is likely he will face a few a prolonged slumps, but as long as his defense and handling of the pitching staff continue, his hitting will probably bounce back quickly as well.
Though pitchers had a year to figure out how to pitch to Buster, his innate talent will allow him to overcome any challenges in 2011.
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Pablo Sandoval Must Stay Svelt
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No first year player had more of an impact on the Giants in 2009 than Pablo Sandoval. Nobody's figure made more of an impact on the Giants in 2010 than Pablo Sandoval.
Though he was subject of much conversation in both 2009 and 2010, his 2010 weight outweighed his 2010 stats.
Obviously the Kung Fu Panda needs steer 2011 conversations toward his on field performance and off his appearance. Luckily, he seems all too pleased to oblige, entering camp 38 pounds lighter. Through March 22nd, Sandoval has racked up a respectable .288 average with three homers and 10 RBI in 59 spring training at-bats
In 2009, Sandoval hit .330 and finished seventh in the MVP voting. He must find a way to repeat these numbers in 2011 for the Giants to compete for the title.
Aubrey Huff Must Buck His Pendulum Trends
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I think it's hard to argue against the fact that Aubrey Huff's acquisition last season was a major catalyst in the Giants run to the title. Besides bringing his lucky thong along for the ride, Huff had one of his best offensive seasons setting a career high in OBP while hitting 26 homers and 100 RBI in the regular season.
Though he has had good years in the past—2003, 2004 and 2008—the troubling fact is his consistency from year to year.
Over the past four seasons Huff has bounced between bad season—2007 and 2009—and good season—2008 and 2010.
His 2009 season gave way for the Giants to pounce on him in early 2010. And after signing a lucrative two year deal last offseason one wonders which Huff will appear in the black and orange in 2011.
His wins above replacement (WAR) have varied wildly over the past four seasons with poor showings of 0.7 and -1.4 in 2007 and 2009 respectively and strong showings of 4.0 in 2008 and a career high 5.7 in 2010.
Huff must find a way to buck his habit of inconsistency from year to year for the Giants to succeed in 2011.
Brian Sabean Must Keep His Ear to the Ground
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Brian Sabean has been the brunt of a few too many poor contracts jokes in his time with the Giants. From Renteria two years ago, to the staggering money offered to Rowand and Zito, it's fair to say some of the long term contracts Sabean has given have been less than successful.
Sabean took a different approach prior to and during the 2010 season deciding instead to focus on the hidden gems and scrap heap dwellers.
Aubrey Huff was paid a paltry $3 million for his 2010 services and responded by producing MVP-type numbers. Midseason acquisitions of Pat Burrell and Javier Lopez gave the Giants a needed spark in the summer months to fuel their push to the offseason.
And who can forget Cody Ross, claimed on waivers simply as a way to prevent him from going to the Padres. Ross powered the Giants offense through the playoffs with five homers in 13 games.
Sabean must keep looking for these types of players through the season. Baseball is a GM's game, and Sabean's shrewd additions could play a major part of the 2011 season.
Bruce Bochy Must Keep Making the Tough Decisions
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No one on a baseball team has a tougher mental job day to day than the manager. It is he who decides who will play and where, who will pitch and who must been replaced or benched.
Much of the Giants' success from 2010 can be attributed to Bochy's ability to make the tough decision when need be. Most teams wouldn't bench a $60 million outfielder with hopes of a miraculous bounce back.
But Bochy did, giving Andres Torres a chance to shine.
Rarer still are the managers who leave $126 million pitchers off the postseason roster, but Bochy did, and he gave Madison Bumgarner the opportunity to dominate in the playoffs.
Bruce Bochy was willing to take risks and make the possibly unpopular choice of choosing performing players over more established stars. But one can't argue with results, and clearly, his ability to make said decisions was a turning point last season.
Bochy will need to make similar choices this year, such as keeping Brian Wilson healthy by pitching him less frequently or benching Brandon Belt if he fails to perform. Those are the types of manager actions Bochy will need to continue taking in 2011.
The Giants Must Keep the Beard Contained
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No doubt 2010 was the year of the beard. It was the fear the beard campaign that helped unify Giants fans and created the folk hero that is Brian Wilson.
His 48 saves and postseason ERA of 0.00 didn't hurt either.
Looking to the upcoming season, Wilson needs to look beyond last year and focus on this year. Now, he has been battling a bit of a strained oblique which may or may not keep him from Opening Day. This injury is not of a huge concern now, but it could if it continues to dog him throughout the season.
Wilson needs to stay healthy, both mentally and physically, in the 2011 season. I hate to say, but I think he should be spending a bit less time with Charlie Sheen and a bit more time in the bullpen. A healthy and focused Wilson is a necessity for 2011.
The Giants Must Stay Healthy
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Health was on the Giants side last year. Despite a few injuries to backups Mark DeRosa and Edgar Renteria as well as the freak case of appendicitis suffered by Andres Torres, little else went wrong from a medical standpoint.
The Giants must continue their trend of a clean bill of health this year as well.
Last year, 37 pitchers in the majors made 33 or more stars. Four of those were on the Giants. Matt Cain, Tim Lincecum, Jonathan Sanchez and Barry Zito combined to start 132 of the Giants' regular season games. Health was definitely on their side.
Though their is little evidence to suggest anything to the contrary, it must be noted that Cain, Lincecum, Sanchez and Bumgarner all pitched career highs in innings. Their durability in 2011 is key, but avoiding a long term injury is paramount.
There are few noteworthy pitchers in the Giants farm system of late so keeping the fab five horsemen healthy and fresh is important.
Spring training has seen minor injuries to Brian Wilson and Matt Cain as well as Mark DeRosa, and while they are not serious, they must be mentioned as potential recurrences throughout the season. If the Giants are to carry 2010's success into 2011, they must, must, must, remain healthy.
Lady Luck Must Smile Once Again
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There is no doubt the Giants were the most talented team in the 2010 postseason, with timely hitting, dominating starting pitching and the beard in the bullpen. However, no team wins the World Series on talent alone.
Every team needs a little luck, and the Giants were the recipients of such luck last year.
Aubrey Huff and his fortuitous undergarment brought the Giants their first title since 1954, and if lady luck smiles in 2011, the same could be true once again.
If the team remains healthy, active in the player market, remains statistically consistent and keeps off a few extra lbs, you might very well be looking at your 2011 World Series champions.
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