I'm feeling positively giddy after Sabean's little magic show last night. Although the Bullpen may yet be the Giants' undoing, this team now compares favorably with that of 2002.

Remember that 2002 team before we nailed an eternal halo on it?

During the first week of August, we were calling it old and washed up. Plus, it never won the division. It went as a Wild Card and kept on defying the odds.

But a quick comparison is in order.

1. Despite Bonds' decline, the 2006 offense (if, gulp, injury-free) should ultimately be more balanced 1-8 than 2002's.
2. Do you hate Jose Vizcaino? Two of the backups in 2002 were an untried hack named Pedro Feliz and a long washed-up Shawon Dunston, fer crissakes.
3. I'd call the starting pitching of the two teams about a push.
4. The relief corps, because of Nen and Worrell, was better in 2002. But Nen was hiding a tragic bum arm the last month of the season.

Qualitatively, these two teams are similar. That doesn't mean the Giants go the World Series. Hell no. Plenty of teams better than the 2006 Giants never even made a wild card appearance.

But at least we ain't whistling past the graveyard anymore. Maybe the Old Folks Home, but not the graveyard.