Under Pressure

For me, the end of the spring season causes a sense sadness. Maybe it's because I know those of us who dwell in the Central Valley are facing intensely hot summer days. This in between season is a time for graduations, final performances and in the world of baseball, a time when we really get to see what a team is all about. There is a commercial, I believe it promotes the MLB network, that asks which month is the most important in baseball? I want to say April because like spring, it tends to be a time when everything is fresh and new on the ball field. We are almost in June now and for the Giants at least, those good fresh times have slowed down. There are a lot of games remaining in the 2010 season, which for Giants fans is a blessing and torture. I think this is the time many fans give up, I am guilty of this to some extent. We come back when the heat is on in September; the summer is a struggle.

When two-time Cy Young award winner Tim Lincecum is pitching, we expect to win. Simple as that. In Lincecum's last two starts, he has given up 11 runs. His current ERA (earned run average-mean of earned runs given up by a pitcher per nine innings pitched. Calculated by dividing the number of runs allowed by the number of innings pitched and multiplying by nine) is 2.91. According to the Giants website, he has never ended a season with an ERA above 2.62. Giants fans are up in arms. They are cursing Lincecum across the web. I can't blame them, I was cursing too while following last night's game. Is it fair for us to feel like that? When you prove yourself to be one of the best pitchers in the MLB, you set your self up to be expected to be perfect. But who can really claim perfection in anything, especially baseball? On the other hand, it is very scary when your ace isn't performing. Here is to an excellent start tomorrow against Ubaldo Jimenez.

Because the Giants have been playing great (though they have won the last 5 games I believe), there has been talk about what the problem is. Some are saying the players are too heavy, not fast enough to steal bases. There have been hitting slumps and some bad plays. I've been wondering if players pay attention to what people are saying about them. Does it affect how they play? Should we as fans and commentators be a liberty to judge? Are off days/weeks acceptable? What do you think readers?

I started this entry last week before the Giants started playing like rock-stars again. On the Giants twitter feed people were threatening to quit watching altogether this season. I think it is a little premature for that, but it is true that Giants baseball equals torture a lot of the time. Hang in there fans, it's only May.

PS. I've been absent from this blog for a few weeks now. I plan to get back on track totally when I get back from Washington DC. I've been reading some interesting books and articles lately so I definitely have something to say.