Apparently,  Bruce Bochy is attaching some meaning to the goings-on in and around Scottsdale this spring. In this John Shea piece from this morning's sfgate, it's beginning to look as if the "Warrior Spirit" t-shirts aren't working as well as we had hoped.

The 2008 Giants are looking  more and more like a team that is incapable of winning baseball games on any kind of consistent basis (such as, say, two games in a row). Pitching and defense, supposedly strengths of this team are looking ragged. Speed is pretty good, second in the NL in stolen bases (although they lead the NL in being caught stealing--12 times in 42 attempts). The hitting, to no one's surprise, except maybe one or two on this board, has been atrocious.

Bruce Bochy says the team isn't doing the "little things", but they aren't doing the big things either. Take hitting the ball and catching the ball. The Giants aren't doing those two things. On base percentage and slugging percentage are both next-to-last in the NL. The team ERA is 7.11, worst in MLB by far. And that's their pitching, the Giants' supposed strong suit. The team's Defensive Efficiency Rating (from ESPN--it's sort of like fielding percentage, but wonkier) is the worst in MLB by far. Again, another supposed strong suit. Sure, there are lots of players in the mix who won't be heading north with the team. But that's true of every club.

I've been upset for a long time that Brian Sabean had his contract extended. But the more I think about it, I'm almost glad that Sabean will be around this year to preside over and be held accountable for this mess.