The Japanese fans around me melted/screamed when Oh was announced. I got dust or something in my eyes right after that. The best comp I have is hearing about people seeing Babe Ruth. The 2 games were fun, but that moment made buying the WBC tickets totally worth it. Also, Oh looks like the most fit 70-something ex-ballplayer.

On the top 10, 25 and under, what's the ceiling for Hector Sanchez? With his approach, I always assumed backup catcher since he doesn't work the count and doesn't square up like Pablo.

Fascinating stuff! Who is a pitcher with close to 80 grades for all 3, or 80 grades in 2 of the 3 categories?

Here's the list of 2b from last year (minimum 350 PA). http://www.baseballprospectus.com/sortable/index.php?cid=1369860 14 of 28 got to the .725 OPS. It should be easier to get there in theory, but I don't think there are that many available 2b alternatives without getting lucky on a NRI or getting really creative in a trade.

Giants starting 2b in the Sabean era all have that "veteran grittiness" that he so values: Kent, Durham, Sanchez, Theriot, Scutaro. I don't see the better alternatives though. Is Keppinger at 3/$12 million a better deal? Would the Giants be better off punting with Arias / NRI and wish-casting on Panik before they have to make another mid-year deal? If Scutaro goes .275/.340/.385 for 2 years, that seems like a decent deal with all the new TV money around.

If anyone is wondering about the Eyre vote in 2005, it was Andrew Baggarly (see his explanation for Pagan this year at 10): http://www.csnbayarea.com/baseball-san-francisco-giants/giants-talk/Baggs-NL-MVP-Award-ballot?blockID=802397&feedID=2796

"When you and I look at that graphic, we laugh at how far out of the zone Sandoval chases, and how he still managed to get a hit. When Sandoval looks at it, he laughs at how skinny they made him." Lines like this make me laugh, spit up coffee, and want more.

In 2003, the Giants scored on an infield fly where the ball wasn't caught. See the bottom of the 5th. http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/2003/B05130SFN2003.htm

Colletti to the Dodgers was the best move the Giants front office made in the last 10 years.

Not to be that guy, but don't you need 11 games to win the WS? Aren't LDS still best of 5? Also, how much better is Oswalt to the field when a bunch of the other projected playoff teams also have good starters? Doesn't it become something more like 0.1 or 0.2 WARP better than the starters he'll face as the #4 starter? I don't think he has a huge advantage over the #4 starter on ATL, MIL, or SF.

Pretty simple. The rest of the way, Huff needs to hit his 70% PECOTA projection or better, Ross and/or Burrell needs to hit his 90& PECOTA projection, newly-signed Max Ramirez needs to hit like he did when he was a prospect and catch like he never has. I think Huff hitting his 70& projection for the rest of the season is the only plausible one, but still not likely.

One minor point - Winn hit 20 HR in 2005 between Seattle & SF. He had 2 ridiculous months in SF (.359/.391/.680; 36.2 vorp, 4.8 warp in 58 games; 49.7 vorp, 7.2 warp for the season) leading to a 3 yr / 24 M contract extension. Also, it led to lots of jokes about Sabean misinterpreting "win now" to mean Winn now.