THREE STRIKES: BASEBALL’S WORST TEAM?

STRIKE ONE — THE BASEMENT RACE: I’ve heard very little consensus this spring on the best team in baseball. But there’s a heck of a debate going on about who might emerge as the worst team in baseball. The contenders, please, as nominated by our distinguished panel of scouts and executives:

• Orioles: “I don’t think they’ll win for five years,” said one scout. “I mean it.” … “If you can find a strength on that team, let me know,” said an AL executive.

• Giants: “You watch that team, and it’s actually depressing,” said a scout that has watched way too much of the Giants, apparently. … “The talk of Arizona,” said another scout, “is, how bad will the Giants be?”

Now, admittadly, I have a 1/4 share of season tickets in the first row of the bleachers in Triples Alley, so the entire season (20 games) only sets me back about $500. If I was a PSL or season ticket holder spending in excess of $1000 I might reconsider making such an investment.

Does anyone understand this? We all know the team is awful; Barry and the chase for #756 are over; there’s no All-Star game to promote this year; and yet the Giants are still drawing fans like it’s 2002. James, you’re a season-ticket holder, what is your take on this?

By May, when the Swagger, Grit, Warrior Spirit, becomes a parody, and the actual turnstile attendence drops to about half of what it was last year, perhaps Magowan will realize that he needs a complete overhaul in his management team.

If’ you’re not growing and changing, you’re falling behind. All one has to do is look at the standings since 2005 and take a realistic look at the near future to realize that the Magowan Giants are one of the worst there ever was, the worst there is, and one of the worst there ever will be. Worse than under Stoneham. Worse than under Lurie. Those guys at least could not or would not spend any money. Magowan is spending a fortune on an AMC Pacer. Al Davis and John York could not do more damage to this team than Magowan, Sabean, and Baer.

We would be better off if this collection of wheezers, carpetbaggers, no-talent, utility benchers, and their collection of non-playing staffers, jumped ship to the California Penal League, razed the park, and built a giant sundial in its place in tribute to some ancient Aztec God.

This franchise is an embarrassment. The Giants have become the Enron of MLB.

Based on the their own current desperation over their Spring Training play, the actual season may be an epic of pain and misery. A misery consisting of hungry younger players who are not given a chance to play, a talented starting duo getting no run or bullpen support, a team geared for defense, but obligated to play their worst defensive players (Durham, Aurilla), and most importantly a failed, uninformed, and divided player management group. It’s really a culmination of Magowan’s failure to fire Sabean four years ago. He really needs to network and meet other, smarter baseball business people. Its like Sabean is the only baseball exec that Magowan knows.

I’ll be repeating myself again, but I will be the guy this year wearing the paper bag with ‘Fire Sabean’ scrawled on it along the 3B lower box area. Let’s see how quickly telecom park security disposes of me.