Bruce Bochy: A Quiet Master Mind?

When one hears the name of Bruce Bochy, that person probably thinks of his unusually large head, but could you blame them?

Up until this season, this team's manager showed little of his intellectual side by playing washed up veterans and inconsistent youngsters, thus making his head appear as if it's filled with hot air.

Bruce Bochy has his hats customized in order for them to fit

Now we are starting to realize that his size 8 1/8 dome is filled with experience and masterful decision-making.

Throughout this post season, he has done an excellent managing job that deserves some praise and recognition. After leaving Zito off the roster despite his enormous pay check, managing the bullpen diligently against some big bat teams and effectively rearranging the defensive alignment, Bochy has proven he knows what he's doing.

Tonight's game against the Rangers is a pivotal game. If the Giants pull out a victory, we have all the momentum on our side. But if we lose, this series is tied up and it becomes anyones' game.

The Giants sent rookie Madison Bumgarner on the mound against a deadly lineup with sluggers such as Vlad Guerrero, Josh Hamilton, Michael Young and Ian Kinsler.

Being a pitcher that produces a high percentage of ground balls, Madison Bumgarner needed the best defense behind him to help him out.

With a DH spot available for Bochy to fiddle with, he chose to take the wise choice and stay defense orientated.

Take out Pat Burrell and Pablo Sandoval from last nights lineup and insert Travis Ishikawa at first base and Nate Schierholtz in right field, now we have a defense mentality throughout the Giants lineup.

And it worked.

Bumgarner allowed just 3 hits in 8 solid innings as the Giants shut out the Rangers 4-0. Piece of cake thanks to some great defensive plays by Sanchez, Schierholtz, Ishikawa and Cody Ross.

The decision to put in Wilson in the ninth inning was also a wise choice that saved most of us from a potential panic attack.

So let us appreciate what Bruce "Big Head" Bochy's genius under his cap is thinking, because from what I can tell, it can contribute to the Giants first World Series title in San Francisco.

Go Giants.

A Simple Request

United we stand; divided we fall

We die-hard fans of the San Francisco Giants have endured a "torturous" season as some may believe; a total of 162 roller-coaster regular season games and 11 nail-biting playoff games.

We cheer when they win, and cry when they lose. Now that is only one side of the story, I am writing this piece today to make peace.

This is a certain peace between two types of fans: the already mentioned "die-hards," and the mood swinging "bandwagon" fans.

Before the season starts and as we listen in to spring training stories and dig in to the fresh seasons optimistic atmosphere, the battle has already begun between these polar opposite fans.

One side can't stop thinking, reading, absorbing anything relating to the Giants, the other side (growing old of the never-ending string of losing seasons) claiming they never really keep in touch with baseball with phrases such as "it's too boring to watch" or "football is way better" (...really?).

These fair-weathered fans applauded the giants through their victories after glancing the game recaps on Sports Center, and scoffed at us when our faithful team start their famous losing streaks we are too used to seeing.

Once the Giants started taking the division lead from the Padres in the month of September, these pessimistic fans turned their heads toward the glory that is the Giants.

We are now the ones to scoff at them, sporting lines such as: "told ya" or "real fans would have been cheering all season."

Back and forth the tables turn: shame, glory, shame glory. It's the same story for every team in every year, but this Giants team appears to be acquiring more and more bandwagon fans than ever before.

The sole reason why that's happening is because they are damn good and have a legitimate chance of winning this for the first time in San Francisco. Ever.

So why jump on these fans backs for cheering for a team they had much lower expectations for?

Instead of calling out these "fair-weathered" fans' Facebook statuses as "fake," cherish their comments of glee. That's right, cherish it.

Most of you don't realize what kind of influence a World Series has on a city. The love for baseball can be regrown, refurbished and rejoiced in a matter of weeks in the playoffs. These "fake" fans are beginning their appreciation for baseball and especially the Giants team.

They learn, grow and study the game much like we all did at one time, so let us cherish their progress the new fans are making.

We are all here to cheer for our band of misfits,  and let us remember that we all came together under two simple words:

Go Giants.

A Big Series for Burrell

Huff: Did you see how far you hit that one?!?
Burrell: Yup. gone. 

All baseball players on any level know the feeling: the smell of freshly cut grass, the itchy knee socks, and the warm summer air we gladly inhale.

These few feelings are unmistakably the experiences of baseball in all of its glory. 

On a warm spring day, Pat Burrell couldn't wait to feel those same experiences. Wearing his brand new baseball uniform of the Bellarmine College Prep of San Jose, he was just a freshman and he was eager to get back on the field.

Growing up in this area, in high school he witnessed one of the greatest Giants teams to play in San Francisco. Watching guys like Will "The Thrill" Clark, Kevin Mitchell, Robby Thompson and Rick Reuschel was a privilege back in 1989 when Pat was just 14.

After a successful 4 years of high school football and baseball, he decided to attend the University of Miami while playing for their division 1 baseball team. The big righty was put in at third base in college, where he earned the 1996 College World Series "Most Valuable Player" in just his sophomore year, and was awarded the Golden Spike Award in 1998 as the nation's best college player.

Pat Burrell's dominant college career propelled him to be picked first overall in the MLB 1998 draft by the Philadelphia Phillies.

After just over a year of minor league ball, he made his debut with the Phillies in 2000. He continued to play for that team for a total of 8 years.

Burrell grew as a person and as a ball player in Philadelphia always being known as a great clubhouse guy and an amazing teammate. In his final year with the Phillies, he was a big part of the 2008 World Series champions, celebrating with the teammates he grew his major league career with.

It was a moment he would never forget.

Two years later, in a slump of all slumps with the Tampa Bay Rays, he was released from the roster and jobless.

That is until the Giants gave him a call.

He felt awaken. Signing to a minor league deal, he showed he still had some gas left in his tank, by smashing 18 home runs and 51 RBIs in just 96 games with the Giants.

Being reunited with his college teammate Aubrey Huff, Pat Burrell has never felt this much joy since winning the World Series in 2008.

He now prepares to face that same team he once celebrated with.

Going head to head with old friends such as Jimmy Rollins, Chase Utley, Ryan Howard,  and Jason Werth,
this will prove to be a tough series for Pat.

Now with a young, fun team as the Giants, Pat will have to carry a big bat in order to come out of the series with a chance for another ring.

If I were to predict what's going through his mind, I'd say he's damn confident that will happen.

Giants 2010 Playoff Perspective

Playoffs 2010: not torture (hopefully) 

Today the Giants embark on a journey this franchise hasn't seen in 7 years.

The last time they made it to the playoffs was in 2003 with a lineup that consisted the likes of Barry Bonds, J.T. Snow, Rich Aurilia, Ray Durham, Marquis Grissom, Kirk Rueter and Jason Schmidt.

Seems like that was decades ago when those players wore San Francisco across their chests in the post season. Now we have entered a rebuilding stage of the franchise, growing talent through our drafting and farm system to provide the ball players we need to win.

The Giants are a very inexperienced team, as very few players have won a world series, let alone make the playoffs. Guys like Aubrey Huff, Cody Ross and Freddy Sanchez have been in the league at least a few years, but haven never been close to where they are now.

This team is filled with gritty veterans and inexperienced youngsters, aged wisdom and youthful energy, both sides contributing to the teams recent success.

With a strong pitching rotation and a lights out bullpen, offense should be key to winning games.

After shutting out the padres on the final game of the season, all the momentum seems to be on the giants side. With Posey's recent hot streak, Huffs mighty swings, and Freddy Sanchez's consistent hitting this Giants lineup may be getting hot at the right time.

A team of misfits, personalities, comedians, goof balls, red thongs, kung-fu pandas, freaks, franchises and mental assassins somehow combine to form the National League West Division Champions.

They are your San Francisco Giants, good luck Braves...