A Subtle Reminder

Listening to sports talk radio and reading the weekly publications (Sporting News and ESPN mag) you get a pretty good idea what the expectancy level of play our San Francisco Giants will likely attain.

Of course, the players can disprove any of the prognostications, IF they are good enough. And as of April 27, hope still springs eternal.

In the March 29, 2010 Sporting News magazine here are some of the expert speculations. (In no particular order.)

It's Good if...Barry Zito pitches like he did in the second half of 2009. Trusting his fastball enough to pitch inside. Zito had a 2.83 ERA in 15 starts after the All-Star break, compared with a 5.01 ERA in his 18 first half starts. An effective Zito would give the Giants the best top 4 starting pitching in the division.

(Barry has just had a song dedicated to him by Paul McCaffrey of Murph and Mac. It uses the soundtrack song of Staying Alive changing the "alive" to "Seventy-five." Mc Caffrey does a whale of job. And the B side is from a Grateful Dead song, US Blues, written by Robert Hunter.

Back to back, chicken shack

Son of gun, better change your act

We're all confused, what's to lose

You can call this song the United States Blues.

That's not to mention how Jonathan Sanchez appears to be "raising the bar" to his game. Kudos to backup backstop, Eli Whiteside.)

Three things I Think About the NL West by TBS analyst, former pitcher, David Wells.

1. The Giants will win the division. No question about it. They have the needed offense, and they have Matt Cain and Mr. Cy Young, Tim Lincecum.

2. Adrian Gonzalez will be in the AL by August.

3. Clayton Kershaw will take the next step. Kershaw could be a $20 million player. He has to be aggressive and not be afraid to fail.

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Sporting News says: Pablo Sandoval, slightly trimmer but still large at the plate, will win his first batting title.

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Look out for...

Sporting News contributor and former major league relief pitcher, Todd Jones, picks one team that could prove the Sporting News wrong.

Offensively, they have the flying/hitting/eating Panda (Pablo Sandoval). Tim Lincecum, the NL's best pitcher, is atop a strong rotation, and Brian Wilson is a solid closer.

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A major league scout breaks down the Padres' biggest weakness: "They're kind of a poor-man's version of the Giants. They have good arms, but they'll struggle scoring. It's not only the ballpark, either. There's just not much production in the lineup after Adrian Gonzalez, and teams will pitch around him more than ever."

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In the same issue of Sporting News magazine was a profile on Mark DeRosa, one of two key free-agent signings over the winter by the San Francisco Giants. I thought a couple of his comments to questions asked tell a little something about DeRosa.

My hero: My dad- except when I talk to him during a batting slump.

My motto: From my dad- look at who's talking to you before you let their words affect you.

(thanks to the Sporting News and some KNBR680AM- the SportsLeader, for usage of what's in this piece.)

Kevin Marquez