The San Francisco Giants had the unfortunate luck of playing in a division last year that seemed to catch fire. Both Los Angeles and Colorado played lights out baseball just about all season long and their division took down two of the four playoff spots that are allotted. Finishing the season at 88-74 gives them every reason to believe that they will once again put a team out on the diamond that should win a lot of games.

San Francisco has been in the headlines quite a bit lately, some of it good and some of it bad. However, as the spring approaches, it all looks like it is starting to come together. Molina looks to be in the fold and while they had several starters go to arbitration, it looks like the major cogs are all going to be suiting up in SF again this year.

The loss of Bonds left a void in the lineup last season, but several players were there to try and capture the leader role that Bonds once owned for this team. It seemed strange to not see him patrolling the outfield last year, but with all of the bad press that he had garnered, it was probably better that he was not there. We have all seen what that sideshow can do to a team. I think we have all heard enough of the steroid scandals.

The big difference for this San Francisco Giants team is going to be the production th
at they receive from their outfielders. While nobody had an outright embarrassing season, none of them lived up to their potential. Every one of them is capable of hitting .300 and not one of them came close last season. If they can get comfortable at the plate and deliver, the Giants will be right in the hunt until the very end.

Then of course there is this pitching staff. If you are looking for a reason to get excited and part with some funds for tickets, this is it. Zito has always been exciting to watch and when he is on there may not be a better breaking ball in baseball. Watching hitters eyeballs pop out and their knees buckle is the norm when he has his best stuff. And does there really need to be anything said about Lincecum? He pitched over 225 innings last season, won 15 games and had a 2.48 ERA. If this team hits better, he is looking at close to 25 wins for the season.

San Francisco fans, if you want to get excited about baseball getting ready to start up again, you have every right to. Up and down the roster this team is just about as good as anybody. If half of the players pick up the pace at the plate compared to last year, they will put some serious runs up on the board. Pitchers and catchers will be reporting soon and then it is only a matter of time before the best tickets are gone. You have a true contender on your hands and are in for quite a treat as the 2010 baseball season kicks off.