Katie Carlson
Guest Columnist
Today marks the end of a long 158 days since baseball
season in San Francisco. While unusually short, the characteristically
torturous off-season has produced a roster that may
very well rival the band of misfits that led the Giants to a World
Series win last year.
After the unbelievable celebration where approximately 1
million people showed up to celebrate, everything was suddenly
over. That’s it. Done. Of course people continued to wear Giants
gear for the next month to celebrate, but once December came
around and the excitement died down, I was officially in my
post-baseball hibernation for the winter. As everyone moved on
with his or her lives, I was stuck in my no-baseball-depression.
When playoff hero Edgar Renteria made a deal with the
Cincinnati Reds and Juan Uribe did the unthinkable by signing
with the Los Angeles Dodgers, I began to lose hope for a World
Series repeat. Despite these losses, however, the rest of the team
remained intact with a few notable additions — Miguel Tejada,
an all-star veteran who used to play for the Oakland A’s, and
a slew of up-and-comers who are going to give Rookie of the
Year Buster Posey a run for his money.
Spring Training, not Phil the Groundhog, signifies
the start of spring for a diehard Giants fan like me. Standing
out front of the ballpark at 5:30 a.m. getting autographs and
chatting with my favorite players, I was reminded why I bleed
black and orange.
Sitting in the stands at Spring Training, I witnessed firsthand
the talent of the expanded 62-player roster (or as manager
Bruce Bochy told me, “61 and a half men, since Lincecum only
weighs 157 lbs) that includes the Giant’s top prospects — the
next Tim Lincecums or Madison Bumgarners, so to speak. At
22, first baseman Brandon Belt is already leaving a mark — he
just made the regular season roster and scored his first Major
League homerun during a preseason game against the Los
Angeles Dodgers.
Just a couple months ago I was doubtful that the Giants
would be able to capture another World Series Title. But over
the past months I’ve watched the managers assemble yet another
magic team. As regular season games begin today , we’ll
have to wait and see whether this will be another winning
season — but from what I’ve seen in the preseason, there is no
Today marks the end of a long 158 days since baseball
season in San Francisco. While unusually short, the characteristically
torturous off-season has produced a roster that may
very well rival the band of misfits that led the Giants to a World
Series win last year.
After the unbelievable celebration where approximately 1
million people showed up to celebrate, everything was suddenly
over. That’s it. Done. Of course people continued to wear Giants
gear for the next month to celebrate, but once December came
around and the excitement died down, I was officially in my
post-baseball hibernation for the winter. As everyone moved on
with his or her lives, I was stuck in my no-baseball-depression.
When playoff hero Edgar Renteria made a deal with the
Cincinnati Reds and Juan Uribe did the unthinkable by signing
with the Los Angeles Dodgers, I began to lose hope for a World
Series repeat. Despite these losses, however, the rest of the team
remained intact with a few notable additions — Miguel Tejada,
an all-star veteran who used to play for the Oakland A’s, and
a slew of up-and-comers who are going to give Rookie of the
Year Buster Posey a run for his money.
Spring Training, not Phil the Groundhog, signifies
the start of spring for a diehard Giants fan like me. Standing
out front of the ballpark at 5:30 a.m. getting autographs and
chatting with my favorite players, I was reminded why I bleed
black and orange.
Sitting in the stands at Spring Training, I witnessed firsthand
the talent of the expanded 62-player roster (or as manager
Bruce Bochy told me, “61 and a half men, since Lincecum only
weighs 157 lbs) that includes the Giant’s top prospects — the
next Tim Lincecums or Madison Bumgarners, so to speak
.
At
22, first baseman Brandon Belt is already leaving a mark — he
just made the regular season roster and scored his first Major
League homerun during a preseason game against the Los
Angeles Dodgers.
Just a couple months ago I was doubtful that the Giants
would be able to capture another World Series Title.
But over
the past months I’ve watched the managers assemble yet another
magic team. As regular season games begin today , we’ll
have to wait and see whether this will be another winning
season — but from what I’ve seen in the preseason, there is no doubt in my mind that the Giants are going to “Repeat the feat.”
