Hot Giants, home runs, Bonds link? World Cup

If you think the weather is hot, check out the Bay Area MLB diamond teams, with the cooking American League West front-running Oakland A’s holding a 4-1/2-game lead, and the boiling San Francisco Giants roasting and boasting a 9-1/2-game margin in the National League West.

I know that at this time of year I always stress that it’s still too early in the season – there are exactly 99 games remaining in the regular season at presstime – to make final judgements.

But the way the Giants are playing, and with their productive team depth in the big three facets of playing success baseball – pitching, defense and offense – they are looking like a good, solid bet to do more than reach the postseason.

The factors going into the Giants owning a near 10-game lead over the second-place Los Angeles Dodgers – sweet music to San Francisco Giants nation – are shutdown or keep-it-close pitching; make-the-plays defense; and scoring runs with two outs at an almost 50-percent clip of their total runs, which is mind-boggling.

San Francisco’s players motto this year is take your best at bat, pitch or play defense with confidence knowing that if one player falters, the teammate behind him will pick them up.

Their convictions to total team play could very well fuel the Giants’ regular ride to the NL West title and strong return to the playoffs, with a shot at the third World Series crown in five years.

Going back to their amazing penchant for scoring runs with two outs, one of the main reasons is that the 2014 Giants are a power-hitting team, which wasn’t their “M-O” during their World Series winning seasons.

San Francisco hitters have smacked 69 homers in 63 games so far, which is close to their 2013 season total, and all the position players are proving they can take you deep, which makes for a pretty scary scenario other teams have to face.

Why are the 2014 Giants swatting homers like they did many seasons ago?

Could we dare say that Barry Bonds presence in spring training had a big something to do with this year’s homering Giants?

The “Bonds inspired power” theory isn’t that far-fetched and doesn’t take away from hitting coach Bam Bam Meulins’ excellent work with the Giants hitters, and, anyway, who should really care as long as whatever’s happening with the home run production, keep the big flys flying.

•••

The soccer world is buzzing, and you can count me in as one of the buzzers, because World Cup is upon us and I’m frothing with anticipation for this Saturday’s (June 14) group opener between my favorite Italy and third favorite England, followed by my second favorite United States and fourth favorite Mexico playing.

It’s going to be quite a spectacle in Brazil, and I’m trying to keep the nerves in check.

I’ll get back to you on my World Cup soccer state of mind and body next week.

Ciao!

UPDATED: Please read and follow our commenting policy:
  • This is a family newspaper, please use a kind and respectful tone.
  • No profanity, hate speech or personal attacks. No off-topic remarks.
  • No disinformation about current events.
  • We will remove any comments — or commenters — that do not follow this commenting policy.