Congratulations to the San Francisco Giants: the Wagyu carpaccio of this year's post-season competition... and the 2010 World Champions.At first blush, the Giants and Seattle Mariners appear dissimilar in style. Compiling a 88-74 record in 2009, the Giants finished a disappointing three games from a wild-card berth and seven games out of the division title. Finishing 12 games out of the division title in 2009, the Mariners appeared absolutely giddy with a 85-77 record. The Mariners pulled off a high-profile, three-way trade with Philadelphia and Toronto to land Lee, the 2008 Cy Young winner. The Giants formed a roster of self-described "misfits" and "castaways".
Like the stay-at-home-in-October Mariners, the Giants lacked a bona-fide slugger, a la Albert Pujols, Joey Votto or Josh Hamilton. Unlike the Mariners, the Giants battery came through in the clutch and stripped Texas Rangers ace Cliff Lee -- the guy whose acquisition was suppose to secure Seattle's way to the postseason -- of the "S' on his chest and red cape... and rendered him vulnerable and hittable in a Jason Vargas fashion. The players of the ball club on the Bay earned World Series bling -- and the guys on the team on the Sound watched the Series on their plasma televisions in the comfort of their respective media rooms.
Imagine what the Giants could have done with Ichiro Suzuki and Felix Hernandez on the payroll.
Imagine what the Mariners might have achieved with Lee and Tim Lincecum -- the University of Washington pitching star spurned for Brandon Morrow in the 2006 Major League Baseball (MLB) draft -- on the roster.
While the Giants have earned Dom Perignon to accompany the Wagyu carpaccio they emulate, the Mariners deserve the "two buck Chuck" to polish off the chipped beef on toast that they resembled this year. The cynical amongst us suspect our home team's prospects won't change until the Mariner ownership deep sixes Chief Executive Officer Howard Lincoln and President Chuck Armstrong.
No comments:
Post a Comment