Looking at Giants and A’s beyond 2020
As baseball charts its path to salvation, skepticism abounds. There are those in the industry and media who believe it’s best to shut down the obstacle course and start fresh next spring.
Why such a drastic measure? There’s just too much to overcome.
Right off the bat, the players and owners are befouling the climate with hardline squabbles over money. Privileged testing will always be an issue with people dying of COVID19 around the country. The vital vaccine, and containment, are many months in the distance. Whether they’ve expressed their fears or kept quiet, there are players, staff members and other involved parties harboring fears over random infection in a baseballcreated “bubble” and how it could affect their families. Some states claim to be ready to host professional sports events right now; others are nowhere close. And there would be no fans in the stands, only a hollow, unsettling atmosphere in every park.
If Major League Baseball can get past all this and spring into action, wonderful. It would be cause for great relief and celebration. But let’s say the doors are closed until 2021. How does that affect our local teams?
For the Giants, whose sole ambition is to get younger and contend with a fresh set of faces within a couple of years, it’s hardly a disaster. They have a number of intriguing prospects, all under club control. They have wealthy ownership involving a large group of investors, and they have a paidoff stadium just waiting for that blessed day when the place is packed.
The transition will be awkward, no doubt. Losing the 2020 season would be a brutal development for Brandon Crawford and Brandon Belt, whose contracts come off the books after next season; they need this year to keep a foothold on their relevance and pride. The current projected rotation includes Kevin Gausman, Drew Smyly and Jeff Samardzija, and they most likely disappear (to the freeagent market) if there’s no season. Saying goodbye to Hunter Pence and Pablo Sandoval would not be easy, if their contracts are not renewed, and the list of oneyear deals also includes Billy Hamilton, Tony Watson and Tyson Ross.
Cutting costs, a looming prospect that has many teams deeply concerned, really isn’t a problem when it comes to the Giants’ team on the field — and it’s quite clear that president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi never stops working. We’ve seen his relentless ways when it comes to acquiring talent, mostly on the cheap. The freeagent market could look more like a suburban garage sale with owners losing so much money, meaning some very good players will be available at bargain prices.
(In contrast, the Dodgers could lose Mookie Betts, Justin Turner, Joc Pederson, Blake Treinen and Kiké Hernandez to free agency. With their MLBhigh attendance, they stand to lose the most gate revenue. There is advanced age on the pitching staff, notably Clayton Kershaw, David Price and Kenley Jansen. The Giants hardly compare to this team in terms of talent, but in terms of pandemicrelated anxiety, the Dodgers’ level is considerably higher.)
A’s fans shouldn’t be that worried about the talent, especially if Marcus Semien finds the freeagent market so unattractive that he resigns with the club. (Mike Fiers and Liam Hendriks are also potential free agents.) This is an exceptional young team that will play the Astros and Yankees straightup whenever and however play resumes.
The body blow delivered to the Howard Terminal project, however, could be a knockout in terms of lost time, lost revenue, private financing (will owner John Fisher really be willing to take this on?), City Council support, the fans’ exasperation and opposition from various Oakland groups. As the Chronicle’s Susan Slusser pointed out, the best option appears to be building a new ballpark on the existing Coliseum lot.
A good read
When Lowell Cohn covered Bay Area sports for the Chronicle (197989), I was in awe of the man’s approach to column writing. We did some traveling together to big events, and although we weren’t constant companions, I came to know him as a kind, gentle soul who wrote beautifully, had a perspective that extended well beyond sports, and was absolutely fearless in exposing the flaws of humanity. He took on prominent Bay Area sports figures without reservation. He enlivened proudly dull news conferences with penetrating questions — the ones others dared not ask. And he had great compassion, a love for the games and an open mind, to the point where many of his adversaries came to respect him, right through his days with the Santa Rosa Press Democrat (retiring in 2017). Lowell takes a signature place in the lore of sports columnists, and he has written a comprehensive book, “Gloves Off,” that covers his deepinside experiences with insight, honesty and humor. Highly recommended.
On the air
A few weekend television highlights to consider: Saturday on the NFL Network: The 49ersDallas NFC title games of 1981 (“The Catch”) at 12:30 p.m. and 1992 at 6:30 p.m . ... Saturday on Tennis Channel: Roger Federer’s breakthrough, beating Pete Sampras in the fourth round of the 2001 Wimbledon (8 a.m.), and the elegant Sampras-Patrick Rafter Wimbledon final of 2000 (12:30 p.m.) . ... Sunday on the MLB Network: In order, from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., Game 7 classics featuring DodgersTwins in 1965 (Sandy Koufax on two days’ rest), PiratesOrioles in 1979, CubsIndians in 2016 and GiantsRoyals in 2014. ... Saturday on NBC Sports California, 311 p.m.: all three games of the A’s sweep of Minnesota in the 2006 ALDS . ... Saturday on NBATV, 2:30 p.m.: Game 6 of the 1980 Finals, Magic Johnson leading the Lakers past the 76ers in the greatestever playoff performance by an NBA rookie . ... From 210:30 p.m. on Saturday, NBC Bay Area will air all four games of the Warriors’ 2018 Finals sweep of Cleveland . ... Bundesliga, the German pro soccer league, is starting up this weekend: Go to FS1 for DortmundSchalke at 6:30 a.m. Saturday and Bayern MunichUnion Berlin at 9 a.m. Sunday . ... On the radio, it should be noted, KNBR is airing weekend broadcasts of past Giants games. The 2014 postseason is featured on Saturday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. (in order): the wildcard game against Pittsburgh, Game 5 of the NLCS against St. Louis, and Game 7 of the 2014 World Series.