So the White Sox won...

For Giants fans, this was an awful season. First the season itself, then to see a player who was a jerk on the team last season celebrate winning the World Series this year. Ugh.

Sometimes, life is so unfair.

Instant replay ... it ain't a dirty word

If you're a fan of baseball, you have to be cringing over the calls the umpires have missed in the postseason.

Usually, there are one or two in the postseason, and they usually don't have a major effect on the game. This year, there have been several -- and they all seem to have had a major effect on the outcome.

So is it time to start using instant replay in baseball? I've been an advocate of instant replay long before the World Series. I've often thought it even should be used during the regular season in certain instances.

But some fans decry that because they say it'll make the games much much longer than they are. OK. So put some restrictions on when it's used. But at least allow it in the postseason. So many calls during this postseason have been missed and it's a shame. It makes baseball look terrible. The eyes of the sports world are on baseball during the postseason. This is the time of the year when it's most imporant to have the right call. It makes sense not to make that happen.

The umpires are supposed to "get it right," but as shown by the stupid Doug Eddings call against the Angels, even when they try to rationalize it, they get it wrong. Something can be done -- and it should be. Show some real guts, Selig, and bring in instant replay.

Baseball has enough embarrassing issues. At least it can fix this one.

Trade, Part 2: Jason Schmidt?

If you read down below, I, with no responsibility to have to make a decision, floated the idea about trading Barry Bonds. (By the way, I brought this up on the Angels message board, and to my surprise, the majority were for it.)

Anyway, what about Jason Schmidt?

What about Jason Schmidt, you say?

Well, is it time to trade him?

Let's look at the facts. He didn't have a great year. He teetered in and out of being his usual dominant self. (I blame Felipe Alou's overusing him last year for at least some if not all of what he's going through.)

Schmidt's not getting any younger. And any more dependable.

But he's our ace, you say. No, Noah Lowry's our ace. I think even Schmidt would say that.

You figure Schmidt could bring in at least a couple (and maybe more) midlevel young pitchers that might step right into the rotation.

Is it worth a gamble? Like the Barry trade question, it might be.

What the Giants should do this offseason

1. Re-sign Randy Winn.

2. Release Edgardo Alfonso

3. Trade Pedro Feliz (and get a third baseman who can hit consistently).

4. Dump Tomko.

5. Fire Felipe Alou (and hire Ron Wotus).

Among other things.

More about A.J.

Here's more evidence that A.J. doesn't deserve to win the Series. (This link was posted on the Giants message board, of all places.)


http://sportsbybrooks.com/A.J.Pierzynski.html

Go 'stros.

A.J or not A.J. ... that is not the question

So who am I, as a San Francisco Giants (and Boston Red Sox fan) rooting for in the 2005 World Series? Let's put it this way. It's any team that A.J. Pierzynski isn't on.

Why? Because after the downright horrible numbers he put up last year with the Giants, I don't want him to have anything to celebrate this year.

It started when he kneed Stan Conte in the groin in spring training. Then, Brett Tomko accused him of not being dedicated enough to get together with Giants pitchers before games to the point where Pierzynski was hit with the dreaded "cancer on the team" label. (He was never liked before he came to SF, either. The A's, in particular, couldn't stand him.)

The one thing Pierzynski did do well last year was hitting into double plays. If there was one to hit into, Pierzynski did it.

In other words, he was crap. As soon as they could after the season, the Giants surgically removed the "cancer" and brought in Mike Metheny in his place. Quite an admirable replacement, as things turned out, the anti-Pierzynski.

The con job A.J. pulled during the Angels series allowing him to get to first base only serves to underscore my hope that the White Sox come crashing down during the World Series. It'll be karmic justice for 2004.

Trade Barry Bonds?

Is it time to trade Barry Bonds? Certainly that's a question that'll come up during the offseason. Before Barry came back last year, I wouldn't consider the thought. But after watching him hobble in the outfield during the last couple of weeks of the season, I began to wonder if it wasn't the right time after all.

Certainly, he's not getting any younger and with all those knee surgeries he had this year, it's a roll of the dice whether he'll actually make it through the 2006 season.

On the other hand, he put on quite a show during those couple of weeks. So maybe not.

Then again ... trading Barry would free up a ton of money the Giants could use very nicely to shore up the team.

So should they ... or should they not?