The Giants know more than any other club that the big thing is just making it to October. When they reached the postseason in 2010 and 2012, the Giants weren’t even close to be considered favorites but went on to win the World Series each year. The Giants were able to navigate through three post-season rounds because of their strong starting pitching. It gave them the edge over teams with better lineups, especially in short series with days off that allowed manager Bruce Bochy to set up his rotation in the most optimal way.

What if Major League Baseball gets its way and is able to suspend those players whose names have been linked to rogue doctor Tony Bosch and the now-defunct Biogenesis anti-aging clinic? Will the suspensions hurt many teams? Will they impact many pennant races?

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On the surface, it seems like this is nothing more than another miserable season for the Cubs. They are 21-30 and fourth in the National League Central, 13 ½ games behind the Cardinals. Just three major-league teams have worse records: the Marlins (13-40), Astros (16-37), and Brewers (19-32).

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Bo Porter is enthusiastic, optimistic, and energetic. Very enthusiastic, optimistic, and energetic. In fact, the first-year Astros manager possesses so much of those three qualities that he believes that his team is not nearly as bad as its record says it is and it won’t be as historically bad as some analysts have predicted.

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It’s too bad for Jean Segara that there isn’t an award for the Most Improved Player in the major leagues. The Brewers shortstop would be the early favorite. However, Segura is at least going to be able to settle for a spot on the National League team in the All-Star Game with the way he has played his first 37 games.

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Davey Johnson doesn’t believe in team meetings. The 70-year-old Nationals manager is old school in that regard, preferring to informally chat with the players on his team when he needs to communicate a message. However, Johnson felt the urge to call a team meeting last weekend with his Nationals standing at 15-15 after 30 games, a far cry from where they were expected to be after winning 98 games last season, more than any team in the major leagues. Johnson’s message was simply to tell his players to relax.

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The Twins are 12-12 one game into May. While .500 may seem to be the epitome of mediocrity to some, after finishing the last two seasons at 66-96 and 69-93, respectively, the Twins will take it.

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The Braves have the best record in the major leagues at 15-6. However, manager Fredi Gonzalez is quick to say his team could be better. Not necessarily have a better record—a .714 winning percentage is hard to beat, mind you—but playing better overall baseball.

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Manager Dusty Baker isn’t ready to say this year’s edition of the Reds is better than the team that won the National League Central last year. That is understandable, considering that ace pitcher Johnny Cueto, cleanup hitter and left fielder Ryan Ludwick, and top left-handed set-up reliever Sean Marshall are on the disabled list.

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The ceremonial first pitch at the Indians’ home opener might have seemed a bit schmaltzy on the surface, with the fathers of manager Terry Francona, bench coach Sandy Alomar Jr., right-hander Zach McAllister, first baseman Nick Swisher, and left fielder Michael “Dr. Smooth” Brantley making pitches to their sons. The only thing missing was James Earl Jones intoning, “build it and they will come.”

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Not every player in the major leagues received a contract extension in the final days of spring training. It just seemed that way.

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Chad Billingsley, then an 18-year-old kid from the small town of Defiance, Ohio who was far away from home in Vero Beach, Florida, hung on every word his coaches and instructors spoke as the members of the Dodgers’ 2003 draft class prepared to begin their professional baseball careers. They talked about the pride of wearing Dodger blue, the tradition of one of the most-recognized franchises in professional sports, and how players who wore the Dodgers uniform were supposed to carry themselves just a little bit differently than those in other organizations.

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