GameDay: Why Pick Against The Giants?
CBS 5 Sports Director Dennis O'Donnell hosts "Gameday" every Sunday night at 11:30pm on CBS 5 and offers his unique sports analysis here.
SAN FRANCISCO (CBS 5) - When it comes to a World Series prediction most the pundits like to base their prognostications on tangibles - Things they know, see, and can understand (You know, put a number on).
For instance, the Tigers roll out a four-man rotation which includes names like Verlander, Fister, Scherzer and Sanchez. As a foursome, the rotation has a 1.02 ERA in 62 innings in the post season. That's pretty tangible stuff, right? And pretty damn good, too.
I'm just not a tangible kind of guy. Not for this series. In the aftermath of the Giants latest improbable series victory, several players I interviewed tried to rationalize what took place against Cincinnati and St. Louis. They'd give me the usual mumbo jumbo about "backs against the wall," or, "there's not quit in this team!"But by the end of the answer, they'd just start shaking their heads and admit the obvious.
How do you outscore the Cardinals 20-1 over the final three games? Sometimes, you simply can't explain the unexplainable. And that, folks, is the intangible danger of the Giants you simply cannot measure, debate, or compare.
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Lets face it, the Giants didn't get bailed out by Tim Lincecum or Matt Cain. Their collective butts were saved by Barry Zito and Ryan Vogelsong. How did Zito become Zito again? How did Lance Lynn throw a double play ball straight in the second base bag igniting the game five rally? Why, in game seven, did the ball that shattered Hunter Pence's bat suddenly take a bizarre path, eluding Pete Kozma, and resulting in three runs scored? How did the Giants win a series with Buster Posey batting .154? Who turned Marco Scutaro into Ty Cobb?
You can tell me all you want about Verlander getting two starts in the World Series. Or sluggers Cabrera, Fielder, Dirks and Jackson all being game-changers. And I'd agree with all of that. On paper, I'm all in on the Tigers. A rational man would bet his house on it. But honestly. Is there anything rational about the Giants anymore?
Barry Zito versus Justin Verlander in game one. I know what you're thinking. But when the rain pours after game seven and the Giants are hoisting the trophy toward the baseball Gods above, don't try to rationalize what just happened. Just shake you head and enjoy it.
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