[freakhappy]

Originally Posted by itjclarke

Cain has averaged over 6 innings per start in each of his 7 full seasons as a starter and just short of 7 innings per starting each of the past 3. From about 2008 on Bochy began routinely letting Cain, Lincecum.. and into this year Bumgarner and Vogelsong go deep and work their way out of late inning (7th or 8th) jams. As the season wore on, and the staff's performance hit a rut in late summer, Bochy's deleloped a much quicker hook. That's what you saw last night. Cain would've and very well could've finished that inning, and I have no doubt could've thrown 130 pitches as he's done many times before. He can't force his manager to keep him in the game though. Don't forget he's won a game 5 and a game 7 so far this postseason.. and had a 0.00 ERA in 21 postseason innings in 2010.

To your point about "star power".. you'd can't disagree that the Paul O'Neill, Scott Brossius, Jimmy Leyritz (and homegrown stars Jeter, Riveria, Posada) Yankees did a hell of a lot better than the trade/free agent All Star teams they assembled starting around 2002, 2003, 2004, and on... adding the Sheffields, Texieras and A-Rods haven't really paid off as hoped. I'm sure they'll enjoy eating $20 million of A-Rods contract while he plays for someone else next year.. or next FIVE YEARS! Definitely seems worth having that star power to me?!? Mets have had a lot of stars over the past 20 years also.. how many championships did they win with Mo Vaughn though? I'll take the Giants' 2010 and 2012 cast of characters over those stiffs any day.

This isn't unknowing "Frisco" fans getting over excited. I played baseball my entire life, I've watched baseball my entire life, had season tickets the better part of a decade living about 3 blocks from the ballpark, and I think I know the game pretty well. My excitemet for this team is well justified and I'm fully on board because they can win in a variety of ways with a variety of characters and all the while making due with the fewest homeruns in the league. Give me clean fielding, successful surprise bunts (see Zito), butcher plays, timely gap to gap hitting, and a solid starting staff and bullpen over a power dependent lineup with 3-4 modern day Rob Deers that hit .220 with 30 bombs to a short porch in right (please set Curtis Granderson free). This SF team's got incredible heart (like St Louis last year) and kept playing when down 0-2 and 1-3 in their two series rather than laying down, and that's why they're playing Wednesday.

Comparing the modern day 'frisco to the modern day Yankees is a joke...so we won't go there. I love the Giants this year and the way they have played, but like Anthony posted earlier, the Giants haven't had much to cheer about in recent years except their WS year. Barry's right, they have good pitching...deep pitching which I believe is key in baseball. Just hard to win without it. Their pitching has been great in the playoffs. We'll see how they matchup vs. one of the best offenses in the league.

Mentioning Zito in a sentence when describing good pitchers is a joke...a real funny joke. He's bad. Sure he's had a few good starts this postseason, but I'd be real worried on what's going to happen tonight...the REAL Zito will most likely show up.

Do you really think A-rod's contract will affect the Yankees that much? They will simply reload like they always do and be back next year. For knowing baseball you sure seem one-sided in your thinking.