It is 10:15 on a weeknight. Far away from Mays Field, I sit in my modest home in Washington, DC, and listen to four friends, who I've never met, and likely never will. But day in and day out, year in and year out, they become a part of my daily routine, a part of my nighly ritual. And while night turns into morning, no matter the score, I find it damn near impossible to stop listening until the last out is recorded, the highlights replayed, and the wrap up concluded.

Thirteen months ago, amidst the jubilation of a World Series win, I felt a strange yet unmistakable pang of sadness. It is the same sadness I feel tonight. For I know that, at this time tomorrow, my friends will be gone, packed up for the winter.

Their unique personalities and styles come together seamlessly. They do more than tell the story, they provide depth, context, passion and knowledge. The bridge the present to the past, and bring the most far flung fans into the ballpark with them. They are not fans, but they understand us.

The fact that we are spoiled by good broadcasting has been well documented, on this and other sites. But in my mind, it can't be said enough, just how lucky we are to have the best broadcast team in baseball, bringing us the Giants every night.

So as the season comes to a close, I just thought I'd write a note of thanks, to Jon, Dave, Kruk and Kuip. This East Coast Giants fan will miss sharing my late nights and early mornings with you, and look forward to hearing from you next Spring.

Win or lose, I'll be listening. 

I know we are potentially hours removed from a fairly significant accomplishment, but I just watched the first segment of Ken Burns' "10th Inning," and figured I'd come to the one place where a few people might agree with me. Even without making it to the Bonds segment, watching the lead up brough back terrible memories of the witch-hunt , but more importantly, reminded me just how hypocritical the entire baseball establishment was. The hypocrite in chief? Allan Selig

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First attempt at a fanpost, because usually most of what I'm thinking has already been addressed.

However, I am surprised that the "Renteria was hurt" storyline hasn't received more attention here. I saw the fanshot but still, unless I'm missing something, it seems to me that it deserves a post all of its own.

The main crux of the story seems to be that we should completely disregard Edgar's production last year because of his injury. And in a vacuum, that is a perfectly reasonable argument. But two aspects of it have me angry enough to cancel my season tickets (if I didn't live 3000 miles away and could afford season tickets)

First, we learn that he started feeling pain in Spring Training, and knew all year (as did the coaching staff) that he was unable to swing the bat or throw the ball at full capacity. So sure, let him start the season as the everyday shortstop. But after one month, two months, three months of soul-crushing ineffectiveness, wouldn't it occur to someone, at some level of the organization, that the positives produced by his gamer-ness might be somewhat eclipsed by his inability to hit a baseball? As he so eloquently put it, "hitting's not easy." Yet there he was, in September, in the thick of the pennant race, playing ahead of healthy ballplayers who, statistically speaking, were far more likely to help the ballclub. This is mind-numbing stupidity.

However, this pales in comparison to Bochy's declaration that Edgar will be the starting shortstop. From what I can see, the rationale is that, in 1997, he got the game winning hit in the World Series, and that "he's a winner." Perhaps we ought to lure Joe Carter out of retirement (maybe I shouldn't be suggesting that, on the off-chance that the front office is reading this).

Maybe we are all just numb to this, and on the heels of so many bone-headed moves over the last five (or more) years, this is just more of the same. But to me, this is a whole new level of managerial malpractice. Would Juan Uribe, as the every day shortstop, have made a 4-game difference in the wild card race last year? None of us know. But I think we can say with confidence that it is at least possible that, in 2010, Uribe or another option at shortstop COULD be more valuable to this team.

Incredibly, our manager, on the strength of a game winning hit 13 seasons ago, is not even willing to consider such a possibility really makes me question how committed he is to putting the best team on the field.

And that is as disheartening as anything else that has happened this offseason.