It was fun while it lasted but this season ended July 31st with Ryan Garko, rather than a legitimate offensive threat.  Our remarkable pitching staff has had no margin for error and our hitters, those you can call hitters, are all now trying to do far too much and they are clearly overmatched.  And the emergence of Pablo has been a joy to behold.  But I am tired of watching RISP squandered by undisciplined batters dribbling balls to third or short or simply striking out; I am tired of a mediocre-at-best manager who looks like one of the grizzled bums that Homer Simpson fights in the classic Homer bumfighting epsiode of the Simpson, continue to trot out other grizzled veterans game after game because they remind him of himself or he's stuck in baseball-past and feels he must go with veterans over youth.  It is so clear to the blind among us that Posey is the victim of a power struggle between an idiot, Bochy, and a powerless Sabean.  Molina has been death in the 4-hole.  Death.  The low and away slider, the above the shoulders fastball, the on-the-hands pitch, how much more must we see?  And you don't need a degree in kinesiology to know that if you bend that front knee down like an elephant trying to dislodge the man sitting on top with the stick whacking him in the ears and wave at the slider/curve breaking low and way. way outside, at best, at best, you will hit a weak pop-up.  Over and over again.  Molina is a cancer but he's a grizzled veteran catcher and that's what Bochy was and that's what Bochy is.  What he is not is a major league manager.  So, yes, it was fun and the kids,well, the kids are alright.

So on to 2010 and here's what this lifelong Giants fan - since the Polo Grounds, folks - has to say about next year.

First, BRING ME BOBBY VALENTINE TO MANAGE THIS TEAM!!!  Bring me someone with fire and balls who is not beholden to the mediocre among us.  There is no other choice.  Valentine brings the brains and the guts and the fire and the ability.  If not Valentine, Tony LaRussa.  He's available.  Get a manager with balls who knows the game.  

SECOND, POSEY MUST BE OUR EVERYDAY CATCHER NEXT YEAR.  If you must bring Molina back, a ONE YEAR CONTRACT AT BEST.  NOT TWO.  ONE.  And he will be POSEY'S BACK-up.  If that's not good enough, get rid of his Giant/giant ass.  

Third, RANDY WINN must not be resigned.  He can coach first somewhere as that is his future.  He was a fine teammate but the game has passed him by.  Thank you and here's a gold watch.

Fourth, get a batting instructor and start teaching some plate discipline.  To everybody.  And while you're at it, teach people to fucking bunt.  In these last two weeks how many potential sacrifice bunts have been missed, popped up, or just blown???  Far too many.  I can still see Jason Kendall diving flat-out behind the plate to catch a bad sacrifice attempt.  Learn to bunt and learn to work the count.  And if you don't or can't, sit their sorry ass down.  (If Pablo can hit 330 with very little discipline, my god, he's hit 360 if he had a strike zone.)

Fifth, look at this staff - Lincecum, Cain, Sanchez, Zito, Johnson, Bumgarner, Rinzler, Affeldt, Wilson, Romo, Lowry (yes, Lowry) - this staff deserves some protection.  Why should Timmie or Matt or any pitcher resign with a team that offers them no help offensively.  Timmie could win 30 with the Yankees or Red Sox.  Make them stay by getting some hitters.  If we can get Matt Holliday for Matt Cain, do it!!!  This is not Sadecki for Cepeda.  Get a hitter and others might come to be on a team with pitching and hitting.  Get Carl Crawfod when he hits free agency, which I think is this year. Start playing real baseball and maybe Timmie and Matt and all the other great young arms will want to stay.  Now, getting Garko is reason to run the other way.  

Sixth, the way I see next year's position players - 1B (or 3rd) depending on whether or not they get a real corner infielder with pop - Pablo Sandoval.  2B - Sanchez  C- Posey.  LF - Velez.  RF - Nate (i love this kid's arm and his speed on the bases and the fact that he plays with some fire.  Oh, and if Garko doesn't cut off his rocket throw from right a few weeks back, this season might be different!!!)  That's it,  a catcher, half an infield, and maybe 2 outfielders.  Everything else, every other position should be up for grabs.  Get guys who can play.  Uribe, a great utility guy.  Lewis, oddly enough can hit off the bench.  Whiteside, at best a back-up to a back-up but wonderful at defense.  A cheap keeper.  Behind POSEY and not Molina.  

One last thing - GO GIANTS.