Puddin' Arm Lofton? Seriously?

If one were to make a movie about the season of the San Francisco Giants to this point, there are several ways they could go about it. There would be the possibility of a Michael Bay blockbuster, where the decline of the team is represented by a myriad of explosions, causing damage to both budgets and delicate sensibilities. That would be a bit too dumbed down, though.

No, the best way would be to do an artsy, independent film, if only because it would be super-easy. It found its central metaphor in last night's game, and would write itself from there. The play where Jason Ellison was thrown out at home by Kenny Lofton while trying to score the tying run; that's the theme. Lofton is a medical miracle, having had his throwing arm replaced with a dirty tube sock at the age of 30. Still, the play wasn't even close. Lofton triumphs over adversity.

That doesn't make it inherently suitable for an art-house film. What brings that up is the image of Ellison, running down the line, having every natural advantage over Lofton. It could be shown in black and white, from different angles. Maybe the score is some breakbeat version of "Thus Spake Zarathustra", played as Ellison ran in slow motion. It wasn't just a play; it was a metaphor. It was poor execution, poor decision-making, and a pinch of poor luck. That's the 2005 Giants, not just a 7th-inning play.

The losses aren't as crippling at this point, because there is a silver lining to them. With each loss there is less ambiguity as to the fortune of the Giants around the trading deadline. As the state of the team becomes more clear, there will be less temptation to trade for a short-term fix. Band-Aids aren't going to fix the feathered arrow through the intestines.