There was (and maybe still is?) a vigorous debate going on within Giants Nation centering on how should the organization have approached this 2018 off-season.
Which is proxy for saying: Do you wanna build for the future. . . or do you wanna build for the now?
?
Both sides have valid, tangible plot points and data to back up their postulates.
Both are legit. And the best organizations (perhaps), mix both.
But when the question was posed to the followers of the Orange & Black, the opinion and prescription seemed to be split in half by the “future” and “now” people, as to what SF’s front office should do.
At least in my circle (and the sense I got from Twitter and the general reporting on the ground by beat and national writers alike), the more popular opinion was to side with being prudent now and to build for a stronger, longer-lasting future (and re-energized blueprint). Many people I know personally, online, etc., whose baseball minds I very much respect, have been big proponents of this “build for the future” side of the coin.
The belief is that “ensuring” a decade of good baseball (maybe using the 90s Atlanta Braves model as a fuzzy north star), by building for the future NOW, was THE KEY to making this happen. And that “going for it hard NOW” could really jeopardize this solid, long-range plan. . . because it could all very easily BLOW UP and then the detritus and shrapnel that’s left behind would doom the organization for a generation, etc.
Although I understood (and still understand) this thought process. . . and see its many benefits (especially in its pragmatic, long-range lens), I respectfully differed then. And I still differ, very much, now.
My main reasoning being this (but vet me on it, it probably has some flaws): In my lifetime to this point — 50 years on this orb — I’ve never seen a better/greater Catcher, Ace, or Shortstop play for the Giants. And if we all live another 50 more, we’re not gonna see any better walk through those doors at Willie Mays Plaza. Not in our lifetimes, people.
Buster Posey, Madison Bumgarner, and Brandon Crawford. Great teams are built up the middle. I’ve been a Giants fan since Johnnie LeMaster had “BOO” embroidered onto the back of his jersey, and I’ve never witnessed a greater player at those three key positions than this triumvirate.
Have you?
?
That’s 33.3% of an on-the-field baseball team. Including the bullpen, the rest of the pitching staff and the bench, maybe this percentage goes down to like 25% — but that’s still an extremely significant number.
A fourth of your team is the best it’s ever gonna get. In history.
And while no longer on the ascent into their primes, they are still very much IN them.
Buster is 30 years old.
MadBum is 28.
Craw is 31.
I will repeat: As long as I have produced carbon dioxide from my lungs I have never witnessed a more talented, clutch player at these three spots on the diamond.
With this hypothesis in mind, it is WHY I am so bullish (or obstinate) about Going For It Now. If the goal is to (always) try to win the World Series, then it is my belief that building UPON the three greatest players ever to play their position in a San Francisco uniform is MORE SOUND than doing something else. . .
IF, again, the goal is to (always, continually) WIN a ring.
If, however, the “goal” is slightly different than this, etc. . . then maybe this other, majority opinion makes more sense?
Idk.
I don’t know a lot of things.
But, to take the above one step deeper (let’s go down the rabbit hole, shall we?), I’d posit that the POWER SOURCE, the ENGINE, the INCEPTION, the LOCUS of this Giants dynasty all comes down to: A battery.
The battery of Posey & Bumgarner.
If we’re basing things on Rings, Excellence, Dominance, Clutch-ness, Awards, etc., the Posey-Bumgarner battery is one of the GREATEST, if not THE greatest, battery of all time. Even if one were to assert that it is not the single greatest in history (all things considered), I find it hard to believe that anyone would argue that it is not ONE of the greatest pitcher-catcher duos ever.
And thus, comes the thinking (for me, at least): That as long as this battery is in working order, as long as Opening Days STILL have Bumgarner and Posey written into the lineup card, as long as all this is going on, the Giants will ALWAYS have a chance.
And, thus, should ALWAYS go for it. Every year. Every season. Every time. AS LONG AS this battery is still functioning at a high level.
Which is why I love the Cutch and Longo moves.
And A-Jax.
And Madison staying off dirt bikes.
And Melancon and Smith staying healthy.
And Johnny Cueto returning to form.
And Panik and Belt having healthy, productive years.
And Pence and Panda finding the fountain of youth.
And Boch being invigorated.
And…
On the other hand — haha! — all of this could go the other way, too. . . up in flames.
Baseball is nuts like that.
I’m predicting a second Wild Card spot for the Giants, though. Hold me to it.
Peace.
Didn’t Juan Marichal pitch for the San Francisco Giants? Are you suggesting Marichal is the lesser of he and Bumgarner? More decorated, sure. But that’s a product of opportunity, which is the outcome of a team, not 12 percent of one. Slow down, pilgrim. Take a breath.
Throwing no shade on Marichal… dude is an all-timer. However, I’d put Bumgarner in that same category; especially when it comes to “big game pitcher”. One could VERY easily make the argument (if stats mean anything to us), that MadBum is the single greatest postseason starter… EVER. Not necessarily saying that “he is”; but the fact that one can even make this statement (backed by data, no less), and not get laughed out of the room, says a ton right there. Did you see Marichal pitch? I did not, but I know his stats. And they’re extremely impressive. Where would you rate Bum then (very much including postseason performance too), on the list of greatest SF starting pitchers? I’d be curious to know.