No team since the 1996-2000 New York Yankees has won three World Series in a five-year span. Those Yankee teams won four times in five years and will live in baseball lore as one of the greatest dynasties ever. Prior to that, the last teams to win it all three times in five years were the 1972-1974 Oakland Athletics (3-peat) and the 1950s Yankees, who dominated baseball at a time when extremely few teams had the resources to compete with the juggernaut.
This millenium, baseball has had more parity than ever. Between 2000-2009, eight different teams won the World Series and 15 different teams have reached the World Series since 2000. Needless to say, advanced player scouting and development and the growth of sabermetrics have significantly expanded the talent pool around Major League Baseball. Low revenue teams such as the Tampa Bay Rays and Oakland Athletics can compete with the financial powers through excellent drafting and player development. In fact, despite having two of the bottom five payrolls on an annual basis, the Rays and A's have reached the postseason more this millenium than the Cubs and Mets, two perennial high-spending teams until this year. Money does not guarantee success in baseball and due to the daily grind of the 162-game season and greater competition, it has been increasingly difficult to sustain success.
This year, the San Francisco Giants have the chance to accomplish something no team has done since the late 90s Yankees; win three championships in five years. Sure, the team has gone through some horrendous years, only reaching two postseasons since 2003; in 2010 and 2012. They have made great use of their playoff experiences, winning BOTH times they reached mid-October baseball. Isn't that the purpose of playing, to win it all? The Giants have now won more in the past three years than the Braves have since 1990, even though Atlanta has reached the playoffs 20 times in that span. What makes the Giants so dangerous in the postseason? VETERAN EXPERIENCE!
Giants General Manager Brian Sabean has been an expert at spotting cheap veteran talent. Sure, he may have some tremendous deficiencies when it comes to sabermetrics and the draft. But Sabean sure as hell knows how to spot experienced talent and most importantly, bring in good clubhouse guys with excellent leadership. Let's take a look at some of the under-the-radar acquisitions Sabean has made that have propelled the Giants to the top of the mountain.
First, in 2010, Sabean signed first baseman Aubrey Huff to a very modest one-year, $3 million deal. Huff was coming off a season, where he mostly played Designated Hitter for both Baltimore and Detroit. Moving to the National League, Huff needed to play a position. Sabean recognized that Huff could split time between first base and the outfield, knowing that his bat was a much-needed asset in the lineup. Huff finished the season with a career year and seventh in the MVP voting; he scored 100 runs and had an .891 OPS, a scintillating year in the middle of the lineup. Sabean also signed Juan Uribe and Edgar Renteria, who made up the left side of the infield. Uribe signed for less then $4 Million and Renteria made $9 million. Both men came up HUGE in the playoffs; Uribe hit the game-winning home run in Game 6 of the 2010 NLCS while Renteria hit the game-winning home run in the clinching game of the World Series. Renteria won the 2010 World Series MVP. Two other midseason moves Sabean made were getting Pat Burrell and Cody Ross at the trade deadline. Burrell had a .872 OPS while playing for San Francisco and Ross had a monster NLCS and won MVP of that series. Lastly, Sabean picked up a crucial, lefty specialist at the deadline: Javier Lopez. Lopez became a key bullpen weapon and was nearly unhittable against lefty batters, including Chase Utley, Ryan Howard, and Josh Hamilton in the playoffs. Sabean completely revamped the team in the 2010 year and was able to mix a group of castoffs and turn them into a winner.
Because many players on the 2010 Giants team were on their final legs, the Giants could not retain most of the players. They needed to completely revamp their entire team and Sabean did just that with added veteran presence. Prior to the 2012 season, Angel Pagan agreed to a one-year, $4.85 million to play center field. Pagan gave the team exactly what it needed: a presence at the top of the lineup with his combination of speed and ability to get on base. He did just that and proved to be a bargain with his exceptional defense and .338 OBP with 29 stolen bases. Starting Pitcher Ryan Vogelsong, out of the league in 2006, completely revamped his career with the Giants and became yet another ace in San Francisco's dynamic rotation. Making less than $8 million combined in 2011-2012, Vogelsong made 60 regular season starts, posted career highs in strikeouts and innings pitched in his age 34 season. He went 3-0 in 4 postseason starts with a 1.09 ERA.
Furthermore, two midseason acquisitions propelled the Giants to the top of the mountain in 2012. First, Marco Scutaro, acquired midseason by Colorado, batted a scintillating .362 as a 2-hitter for the Giants in 2012. He won the 2012 NLCS MVP and had the game-winning hit in the final game of the World Series. Hunter Pence, a trade bait for the underachieving Philadelphia Phillies, filled another void in right field for San Francisco. While he struggled at the plate, Pence came through with clutch hits for the club in the postseason and most importantly, provided an incredible leadership presence for the team. The Giants won SIX elimination games in the 2012 postseason and Pence was seen leading some crazy cheers and keeping the team loose during the difficult times. Pence has broken through in both 2013 and this season and will be a major part of the team's near future.
This season, Sabean has worked his magic yet again. Despite having a nearly $100 million less payroll than the divisional rival Los Angeles Dodgers, Sabean has managed to fill a deep, experienced lineup and rotation by bringing in some veterans. First, he replaced Barry Zito with Tim Hudson; Hudson signed a 2-year, $23 million contract this past offseason, which is will below his market value. At 38, Hudson has shown no ill-effects from his gruesome leg injury and has posted a 4-2 record in 9 starts with a 2.09 ERA. He has been San Francisco's best starter this season. Michael Morse, a talented yet underachieving player in Washington, signed a one-year, $6 million contract this offseason. That has proved to be a major bargain as well, as Morse has had a career year at the plate. He already has 10 home runs and a .870 OPS this season and has provided pop to an ever-increasing dangerous lineup.
Through May 15, the Giants have the best record in baseball at 27-15 and are playing better than they ever did at this time of the year during their two World Series seasons. Playing in front of sellout crowds the past 4+ full seasons/postseasons, Sabean has rewarded the fan loyalty by spending the money on affordable and valuable veterans. Multiple experienced players on an annual basis have grossly outperformed their contracts and that is largely due to the atmosphere in the Giants clubhouse. There is tremendous leadership and ego-free players in the Giants organization, which has allowed many of these players to play at their peak with this organization. Collectively, they have played admirably well for each other despite a large roster turnover each year within the organization. Strong pitching and organizational stability have contributed to their success.
The stellar play has the Giants on the verge of accomplishing something special this season. This may be the most complete team that Sabean has ever put together, as the Giants have displayed strong starting pitching, hitting, and bullpen this season despite some injuries to some key players (Marco Scutaro, Brandon Belt). This is no fluke; Sabean is a master at spotting and bringing in veteran talent at below-market value. He understands the value of a strong veteran presence in the clubhouse, which has helped the Giants overcome some incredible adversity over the past World Series wins. Six straight elimination wins in the 2012 postseason, overcoming the loss of Melky Cabrera midway through 2012, and defeating a more talented Philadelphia team in the 2010 NLCS show the team is mentally strong enough to overcome obstacles. Sabean knows how to put together a winning combination on the field, a team that will refuse to die. Sure, he has made his share of bone-headed moves during his tenure, but you cannot discredit the constant success he has had in bringing in veteran players. Bravo Brian Sabean.
This millenium, baseball has had more parity than ever. Between 2000-2009, eight different teams won the World Series and 15 different teams have reached the World Series since 2000. Needless to say, advanced player scouting and development and the growth of sabermetrics have significantly expanded the talent pool around Major League Baseball. Low revenue teams such as the Tampa Bay Rays and Oakland Athletics can compete with the financial powers through excellent drafting and player development. In fact, despite having two of the bottom five payrolls on an annual basis, the Rays and A's have reached the postseason more this millenium than the Cubs and Mets, two perennial high-spending teams until this year. Money does not guarantee success in baseball and due to the daily grind of the 162-game season and greater competition, it has been increasingly difficult to sustain success.
This year, the San Francisco Giants have the chance to accomplish something no team has done since the late 90s Yankees; win three championships in five years. Sure, the team has gone through some horrendous years, only reaching two postseasons since 2003; in 2010 and 2012. They have made great use of their playoff experiences, winning BOTH times they reached mid-October baseball. Isn't that the purpose of playing, to win it all? The Giants have now won more in the past three years than the Braves have since 1990, even though Atlanta has reached the playoffs 20 times in that span. What makes the Giants so dangerous in the postseason? VETERAN EXPERIENCE!
Giants General Manager Brian Sabean has been an expert at spotting cheap veteran talent. Sure, he may have some tremendous deficiencies when it comes to sabermetrics and the draft. But Sabean sure as hell knows how to spot experienced talent and most importantly, bring in good clubhouse guys with excellent leadership. Let's take a look at some of the under-the-radar acquisitions Sabean has made that have propelled the Giants to the top of the mountain.
First, in 2010, Sabean signed first baseman Aubrey Huff to a very modest one-year, $3 million deal. Huff was coming off a season, where he mostly played Designated Hitter for both Baltimore and Detroit. Moving to the National League, Huff needed to play a position. Sabean recognized that Huff could split time between first base and the outfield, knowing that his bat was a much-needed asset in the lineup. Huff finished the season with a career year and seventh in the MVP voting; he scored 100 runs and had an .891 OPS, a scintillating year in the middle of the lineup. Sabean also signed Juan Uribe and Edgar Renteria, who made up the left side of the infield. Uribe signed for less then $4 Million and Renteria made $9 million. Both men came up HUGE in the playoffs; Uribe hit the game-winning home run in Game 6 of the 2010 NLCS while Renteria hit the game-winning home run in the clinching game of the World Series. Renteria won the 2010 World Series MVP. Two other midseason moves Sabean made were getting Pat Burrell and Cody Ross at the trade deadline. Burrell had a .872 OPS while playing for San Francisco and Ross had a monster NLCS and won MVP of that series. Lastly, Sabean picked up a crucial, lefty specialist at the deadline: Javier Lopez. Lopez became a key bullpen weapon and was nearly unhittable against lefty batters, including Chase Utley, Ryan Howard, and Josh Hamilton in the playoffs. Sabean completely revamped the team in the 2010 year and was able to mix a group of castoffs and turn them into a winner.
Because many players on the 2010 Giants team were on their final legs, the Giants could not retain most of the players. They needed to completely revamp their entire team and Sabean did just that with added veteran presence. Prior to the 2012 season, Angel Pagan agreed to a one-year, $4.85 million to play center field. Pagan gave the team exactly what it needed: a presence at the top of the lineup with his combination of speed and ability to get on base. He did just that and proved to be a bargain with his exceptional defense and .338 OBP with 29 stolen bases. Starting Pitcher Ryan Vogelsong, out of the league in 2006, completely revamped his career with the Giants and became yet another ace in San Francisco's dynamic rotation. Making less than $8 million combined in 2011-2012, Vogelsong made 60 regular season starts, posted career highs in strikeouts and innings pitched in his age 34 season. He went 3-0 in 4 postseason starts with a 1.09 ERA.
Furthermore, two midseason acquisitions propelled the Giants to the top of the mountain in 2012. First, Marco Scutaro, acquired midseason by Colorado, batted a scintillating .362 as a 2-hitter for the Giants in 2012. He won the 2012 NLCS MVP and had the game-winning hit in the final game of the World Series. Hunter Pence, a trade bait for the underachieving Philadelphia Phillies, filled another void in right field for San Francisco. While he struggled at the plate, Pence came through with clutch hits for the club in the postseason and most importantly, provided an incredible leadership presence for the team. The Giants won SIX elimination games in the 2012 postseason and Pence was seen leading some crazy cheers and keeping the team loose during the difficult times. Pence has broken through in both 2013 and this season and will be a major part of the team's near future.
This season, Sabean has worked his magic yet again. Despite having a nearly $100 million less payroll than the divisional rival Los Angeles Dodgers, Sabean has managed to fill a deep, experienced lineup and rotation by bringing in some veterans. First, he replaced Barry Zito with Tim Hudson; Hudson signed a 2-year, $23 million contract this past offseason, which is will below his market value. At 38, Hudson has shown no ill-effects from his gruesome leg injury and has posted a 4-2 record in 9 starts with a 2.09 ERA. He has been San Francisco's best starter this season. Michael Morse, a talented yet underachieving player in Washington, signed a one-year, $6 million contract this offseason. That has proved to be a major bargain as well, as Morse has had a career year at the plate. He already has 10 home runs and a .870 OPS this season and has provided pop to an ever-increasing dangerous lineup.
Through May 15, the Giants have the best record in baseball at 27-15 and are playing better than they ever did at this time of the year during their two World Series seasons. Playing in front of sellout crowds the past 4+ full seasons/postseasons, Sabean has rewarded the fan loyalty by spending the money on affordable and valuable veterans. Multiple experienced players on an annual basis have grossly outperformed their contracts and that is largely due to the atmosphere in the Giants clubhouse. There is tremendous leadership and ego-free players in the Giants organization, which has allowed many of these players to play at their peak with this organization. Collectively, they have played admirably well for each other despite a large roster turnover each year within the organization. Strong pitching and organizational stability have contributed to their success.
The stellar play has the Giants on the verge of accomplishing something special this season. This may be the most complete team that Sabean has ever put together, as the Giants have displayed strong starting pitching, hitting, and bullpen this season despite some injuries to some key players (Marco Scutaro, Brandon Belt). This is no fluke; Sabean is a master at spotting and bringing in veteran talent at below-market value. He understands the value of a strong veteran presence in the clubhouse, which has helped the Giants overcome some incredible adversity over the past World Series wins. Six straight elimination wins in the 2012 postseason, overcoming the loss of Melky Cabrera midway through 2012, and defeating a more talented Philadelphia team in the 2010 NLCS show the team is mentally strong enough to overcome obstacles. Sabean knows how to put together a winning combination on the field, a team that will refuse to die. Sure, he has made his share of bone-headed moves during his tenure, but you cannot discredit the constant success he has had in bringing in veteran players. Bravo Brian Sabean.
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