History tells us that there is virtually no correlation between winning the World Series and making the playoffs the following season. Over the past decade, a mere 60 percent of defending champs were able to make it back to the playoffs as a pennant winner or even as a wild card.
As if general statistics provided by my brilliant research skills aren’t persuasive enough, I have organized the reasons the San Francisco Giants will fail to make the playoffs into two separate explanations. Each one is cause for major concern alone, but as together, they cause fear in the hearts of the even the most dedicated Ragers.
Note: I apologize for the Type A humanoids out there reading this, wanting desperately for there to be three or five reasons or some other number that feels better. I tried to come up with more, but the futility that will be the 2011 San Francisco Giants needs but only two overriding reasons.
1. Over dependence on players with a ton of questions marks
Giants skipper Bruce Bochy was able to get absolutely everything out of his players last year. Waiver wire pickups like Pat Burrell and Cody Ross became integral parts of the playoff push. You can’t really rely on that again this year. For example, at age 34, can Aubrey Huff once again be the anchor and contribute 20 homers, 80 RBIs and a .285 average? I think not.
Buster Posey is coming off a Rookie of the Year win, which could mean nothing, sure, or could spell trouble ala the Madden Cover Curse. Which sophomore season will this ROY have: the Cal Ripken, Jr. one or the Eric Hinske one?
As for Pablo Sandoval, whose resurgence is being predicted by everyone, I will believe it when I see it. One good year and one bad year tells me that not even the Kung Fu Panda knows what to expect. On a side note, I hear that he has shed a few of the pounds that garnered his lovable nickname, so move that we re-nickname him the Kung Fu Koala. Tell your friends.
2. A significantly stronger NL West
Last year, the Giants’ biggest threat to winning the division title was the San Diego Padres. This year, you can expect to see the Colorado Rockies make a quantum leap upward from last year’s record. With a healthy Troy Tulowitzki, a bona fide outfielder in Carlos Gonzalez and a toughened ace in Ubaldo Jimenez, the Rockies have an excellent foundation on which to build many years of division title contending teams.
It seems like every year, we wait on the Los Angeles Dodgers to arrive. Wait no longer. Their core has been too young to rely on in the past, but Clayton Kershaw, Matt Kemp and Andre Ethier are ready to assume their stud status. Everyone talks about the vaunted rotation in Philadelphia, but you’ll be hard pressed to find a weak pitcher wearing Dodgers blue.
But take it easy, Giants fans. There’s always the year after next year.
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