Bonds Era Over, Franchise Moves On

Unlike the Texas Rangers, pitching has been a big strength of the Giants when they've been good, specifically early in the 2000s.  In 2000 the team ranked 4th in Major League Baseball in ERA, followed by 11th in 2001, 2nd in 2002, and 3rd in 2003.  Those teams were powerhouses led by Russ Ortiz, Jason Schmidt, Kurk Rueter, Robb Nen, Jeff Kent, Benito Santiago, Reggie Sanders, and of course, Barry Bonds.  This era was great in its prime, with the Giants winning 483 games in five years between 2000 and 2004, but then it ended ugly as Jeff Kent signed with the Dodgers after 2002, Nen never played in another major league game after 2002, and only two years later from 2002 to 2004 only two starting position players remained, right fielder Bonds and first baseman J.T. Snow.  The majority of the middle of the 2000s for the Giants was disappointing and bad baseball, before they showed signs of hope in 2009.  The middle of the 2000s was dominated by Barry Bonds, but the team didn't do much else well.  The team didn't have a true ace during this time fielding a staff of mediocre starters like Jason Schmidt, Noah Lowry, Matt Morris, and a formerly mediocre Matt Cain.  The bullpen also had issues as Tyler Walker led the 2005 club with only 23 saves, Armando Benitez led in 2006 with only 17, and Brad Hennessey led in 2007 with only 19.  Even in 2004, when the team won 91 games just missing the playoffs, the leader was Matt Herges with 23.  With Tim Worrell saving 38 in 2003 and Nen getting 43 the year before that, very few teams can say their saves leader changed six years in a row.  In 2008, their dependence on the just retired Bonds showed as Bengie Molina led the team with only 16 homers and Matt Cain, owner of a good 3.76 ERA that year, finished 8-14 with little run support.  The fact that Tim Lincecum won 18 on his way to his first NL Cy Young award is amazing, and playing on a better offensive team Lincecum could've won upwards of 20, 21, 22, somewhere up there.

Progress was made in 2009 as the team won 88 games missing the playoffs but showing significant signs of improvement.  Pablo Sandoval became the first fan favorite on offense since Bonds hitting 25 homers and leading the offense.  The Giants led the league in strikeouts and the pitching overall was great.  This set the stage for 2010, when San Francisco put it all together.  Brian Wilson had another superb season saving 48 for the starters who were also very very good.  No Cy Young three-peat for Lincecum, but a great season nonetheless at 16-10.  Buster Posey fired up San Fran as a Rookie of the Year favorite and many surprisingly effective pickups like Juan Uribe and Pat Burrell and Aubrey Huff hit stride to power the Giants to 697 runs, a lot for that franchise recently.  They allowed a ridiculous 583 runs thanks to an unhittable bullpen of Sergio Romo, Wilson, Santiago Casilla, Jeremy Affeldt, and Ramon Ramirez and the rotation of Lincecum, Cain, Jonathan Sanchez, Madison Bumgarner, and Barry Zito all of whom who sub-4.00 ERAs except Zito.  The combination led to a winning team, a positive group of guys with no negative distractions like Bonds.  The cloud that hung over Bonds and steroid allegations made the club suffer the middle of the 2000s, but as we can see on the field last night and tonight, the San Francisco Giants franchise has moved on.