As a metaphor, the Jason Ellison trade was perfectly timed. It moves us from the months-long grind of silly roster construction, deconstruction, and reconstruction into some actual games. Games. Sticks, spherical objects, runs. Baseball games. That's kind of why we're all here. It's why you're doing what you're doing at this exact moment. So to segue from the offseason, it was perfectly appropriate to trade a fifth-outfielder for a fallen pitching prospect. Baseball is about to start. Jason Whosit was traded where for what? How is that going to change anything? Who cares? Baseball's starting, dang it. Everything moves from the macro to the micro: from big picture to little.
Ellison might end up being as productive as Dave Roberts at his peak for a fraction of the cost. Travis Blackley might regain his fastball and become a poor man's Billy Wagner. Doesn't matter right now. Now it's time for April, and April is pure baseball chaos. It's beautiful. For about a month, Edgardo Alfonzo had finally come around to be the player the Giants thought they signed. For about a month, Osvaldo Fernandez was worth the hype. For about a month, Matt Cain appeared to be a couple of years from ever making a positive impact with the big team.
With that kind of nonsense track record, April predictions don't have be grounded in any sort of reality. They're awesome. Ryan Klesko will hit .200 or below. Randy Winn will hit 1/3rd of his total number of home runs in 2007. Barry Bonds will steal eight bases. Barry Zito will be 0-4 and Russ Ortiz will be 5-0. We'll react rationally to none of it. Everything will be indicative of something more. April is a month that gets you believing in a flawed team like the '97 Giants. This variation of team Giant is certainly flawed, but it's nothing a 17-7 start can't fix.
It's about freaking time. Baseball baseball baseball. Baseball. Baseball baseball baseball baseball baseball baseball. Barry Zito on the Giants. Barry Bonds in left field for the 14th season. Jon Miller calling a game in which Matt Cain is taking a no-hitter past the fifth. Baseball baseball baseball. And it all starts tod...
Tomorrow? Weak. I hate when the schedule-makers do that. At least the Dodgers have already lost.
Comment starter: Giants in April.
3 vs. San Diego
3 vs. Los Angeles
3 at San Diego
3 at Pittsburgh
2 at Colorado
2 vs. St. Louis
3 vs. Arizona
3 at Los Angeles
3 at Arizona
1 vs. Colorado
I'll guess 15-11 and some hope.