The larger point is that, cumulatively, these five still don't add up to one quality first-sacker. Beating a dead horse, I know, since that's what we're stuck with...just like last season only moreso.

The Giants have been blessed with some very good 1Bmen over the 49 years in SF. Perhaps not coincidentally, most of their crappy seasons have come when saddled with a less-than-stellar 1B.

For example, since 1958, 35 of 48 seasons had just four guys starting the lion's share of games at first base: Cepeda, McCovey, Clark and Snow. The Giants had winning seasons in 30 of these 35 years---86% of the time. In the 14 seasons when the Giants didn't have a quality 1B, they had losing seasons 13 of 14 times---93% of the time.

You might recall some of these lesser lights: Niekro, Carreon, Benzinger, Green, Scot Thompson, Evans, Smith, Cabell, Ivie, Montanez, Kingman.

Perhaps it is mere coincidence that the Giants have had winning seasons 86% of the time when fielding quality first basemen while posting losing seasons 93% of the time with mediocrities at first base.

But with a choice of Klesko, Niekro, Feliz, Sweeney or Aurelia, hard to see how this season will fit into the "quality first basemen" category.