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One thing Giants fans are used to is drama. In four of the past five regular seasons, the team has not had its playoff status determined until the final weekend. This time, the Giants finished two games out of a playoff spot. Some might argue that the disappointment with also-ran status was tempered by Barry Bonds' record-setting home run season. If Bonds departs for free-agent riches elsewhere this winter, the cliffhanger question will be how the Giants will respond to the departure of the superstar. Will they thrive as the Mariners did without Griffey, Johnson and Rodriguez? Or will they wilt as the Marlins did when their World Series championship squad lost key members?
Best Pitcher: Russ Ortiz finished 17-9, an upgrade from his 14-12 record the previous year. He sliced his ERA from 5.01 in 2000 to 3.29 this past summer. He was much better in spacious Pacific Bell Park (8-3, 2.49 ERA) than on the road (9-6, 4.08). Ranked among the National League's top-seven pitchers in victories and ERA last summer, Ortiz is developing into the ace starter the staff needs. He's especially valuable in light of the declining performances of Livan Hernandez and often-injured Shawn Estes. Robb Nen certainly deserves consideration for "best pitcher", as he led the National League in saves (45). But he blew seven saves, and only the Dodgers' Jeff Shaw had more (nine) among NL closers. Free-agent-to-be Jason Schmidt, the mid-season acquisition from the Pirates, produced a 7-1 record down the stretch for the Giants.
Best Position Player: Bonds had the season players fantasize about, hitting 73 home runs, shattering Babe Ruth's 81-year-old slugging percentage record (Bonds' recorded an .863 mark) and the Babe's single-season mark for walks (177 free passes for Bonds). He's no slouch in left field, either. With all of that said, how about a shout out for shortstop Rich Aurilia? He became only the third Giant to register 200 hits in a season, led all NL shortstops in home runs (37) and produced more than 60 multi-hit games. He also settled down in the field: After eight errors in his first 26 games, Aurilia committed just nine the rest of the year.
Grading the Manager: B-plus. Three-time manager of the year Dusty Baker has proven he can make caviar out of compost. Still, dedicated observers have questioned his loyalty to players who just were not producing as they should have last summer. Some felt Baker allowed Hernandez to remain on the hill too long, too often. He stuck with Marvin Benard as a starter too long in center before eventually learning how to make the most out of a Benard-Calvin Murray platoon.
He also had platoon problems at third base and in right field.
Most Improved: It's hard to argue against Aurilia. He joined Ernie Banks and Barry Larkin as the only shortstops in NL history to hit 30 home runs in a single season. Aurilia had single-season career highs in hits, doubles, home runs and RBI.
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Giants' 2000-01 comparison
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2000
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2001
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W-L
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97-65
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90-72
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HR leader
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Bonds, 49
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Bonds, 73
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BA leader
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Kent, .334
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Bonds, .328
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ERA
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Hernandez, 3.75
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Ortiz, 3.29
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Biggest weakness: As a leadoff hitter, Benard left a lot to be desired. He had a woeful .320 on-base percentage. Murray, who shared those duties, had a .319 on-base percentage. That's why Bonds was far behind Sammy Sosa in RBI. As a team, the Giants hit .222 with a runner in scoring
position with two out, which bothered Baker to no end. Where was the clutch hitting? Jeff Kent hit .303 with runners on last season. In 2000, when he was named the NL's MVP, he hit .382 in such situations. Still, the Giants were plagued by poor defense and inconsistent starting pitching, too.
Gaining momentum: Pedro Feliz shared time with Ramon Martinez at third base. Feliz hit .298 with 33 home runs and 105 RBIs at Triple-A Fresno in 2000, but struggled as a rookie with the Giants. He hit .227 with seven home runs and 22 RBIs and made 12 errors in 94 games. Still, the Giants hope he will polish his skills in winter ball and give them a low-budget standby at third.
Kicked Off The Island: : Whether he stays or goes, free agent Bonds will be able to afford his own archipelago or two. If that $25 million-a-year neighborhood is too rich even for the Giants' blood, then they have to figure out a way to replace his lost power while keeping the nucleus of a solid pitching staff and patching the platoon-worn holes elsewhere. Schmidt, a free agent, and Estes, on the trading block, are probably outward bound. The Giants might be more inclined to keep Schmidt instead of the injury-prone Estes.
Sheldon Spencer is an associate editor at ESPN.com.
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