Playoff Baseball Returns to San Francisco For First Time Since ’03

The last time the San Francisco Giants were in the playoffs, they were trailing the Florida Marlins in the NLDS by a total of two games to one. Trailing by a run in the top of the ninth inning with two outs and their season on the line, a single to shallow left field prompted the Giants to wave J.T Snow home, who was on second base. Not noted for his running ability, Snow chugged along as fast as he could, but the ball beat him to home plate, and he went barreling into Marlins catcher Ivan Rodriguez who held onto the ball and ended the Giants season. Jason Schmidt was penciled in to pitch Game Five in San Francisco, had they made it.

The Giants were in every game of that series. After Schmidt pitched a complete game shutout in Game One for the win, the Giants lost Game Two 9-5, and the next two games by only one run, with scores of 4-3 and 7-6. But nevertheless, the Giants were out of the playoffs, where they would remain for the next seven seasons.

The team the Giants will field tonight as they make their return to meaningful October baseball will be much different. There will be no Barry Bonds, or Marquis Grissom, or Rich Aurilia. Instead there will be Aubrey Huff, Pat Burrell, and Buster Posey– two of which were playing for different teams in 2003 and one of which was not even a thought. The Giants rotation is stronger this time around, however. Aside from not having the brawny and intimidating Jason Schmidt, this team makes up for it with the smaller Tim Lincecum. Matt Cain and Jonathon Sanchez are also superior to Kirk Rueter and Jerome Williams. The Giants also go from Tim Worrell, who replaced the injured Robb Nen that season as the team’s closer, to All-Star Brian Wilson.

But not only are the namesakes different, but the way the teams are built differ drastically. The 2003 team was very experienced, and borderline ancient when you look at who was the driving force behind it. A 36-year-old Grissom led the team in batting, a 39-year-old Bonds with homeruns, 42-year-old Andres Galarraga was the team’s hot bat off the bench, and 38-year-old Benito Santiago was doing the catching.

This time around, the Giants can send a 23-year-old Buster Posey to the backstop, a 24-year-old Pablo Sandoval to be the infield anchor at third base, and the “old men” on the team be 34-year-olds Aubrey Huff and Pat Burrell.

Though this Giants team does not have the playoff experience that the 2003 team had, or the 2002 team that made it to the World Series, they have the energy to compete and learn along the way. Many of the Giants leaders, such as the entire starting rotation, except for Barry Zito, and offensive catalysts Aubrey Huff and Freddy Sanchez have never even been to the playoffs. But the Giants have Pat Burrell to handle the locker room in that department, something he has been doing all season, especially the last few weeks.

It was like a Godsend when San Francisco claimed the fast-falling Burrell off of waivers from the Tampa Bay Rays. After struggling all of last season, and getting off to a poor start this season, he was waived and many thought his baseball career would be over; a career that saw him have four 30 HR seasons, and eight seasons with 20 or more HRs. He has done everything the Giants have asked of him, including hitting 18 HRs, but also to be a mentor in the locker room. Barry Zito has also served as the same with the team’s incredibly young pitching staff, though his numbers are not what the team would like them to be.

The Giants will now face the Atlanta Braves in the 2010 NLDS, a team that is young and exciting to watch such as themselves. I will not make any predictions, because the ones I make never come true anyway. All I am looking for is some good October baseball and some games that will make waiting the last seven years for worth it.

I apologize for not being able to cover the Giants on here as often as I should, but my hands have been tied with the Rangers. Hopefully the Giants will give me something good to write about in the next few weeks, and maybe even longer!

Interview with Former MLB Player Morgan Ensberg

Does everyone remember the EA Sports video game MVP Baseball 2004? The reason why I ask, is because when I think back to that game and all the players on opposing teams that used to burn me whenever I played it, the name Morgan Ensberg came to mind.

I would send Jason Schmidt to the mound for my Giants, and when it was time to face that Houston Astros lineup, it was a difficult challenge. Quite frankly, I never had a problem getting Biggio, Bagwell, Berkman, and Kent out, but Ensberg always gave me trouble. It was in 2004 that EA Sports would have to boost his ratings, after he had his first breakout season in 2003, when he hit twenty-five homeruns.

That next season, he would achieve his career high with thirty-six, make the All-Star team, and help lead his team to a National League Pennant and a trip to the World Series, where ultimately they would fall to the Chicago White Sox. At the end of the season, he would be awarded the Silver Slugger Award for third basemen.

In 2006, Ensberg would continue his solid play, cranking another twenty-three homeruns. 2007 would see him splitting time with the Astros and Padres before he finally finished his career the next season with the New York Yankees.

Since then, Ensberg has been writing on his own blog, Baseball IQ and has expressed an interest in wanting a career in broadcasting. I asked him about this and more in our email correspondence show below:

GC: This has been something on my mind of late, and that is players getting injured much more frequently than they did in years past. Even with the players being in better shape, they seem to not have the durability anymore. Why do you think this is a problem and what are some of the causes?

ME: I didn’t realize players were injured more than they were in the past.  But it sounds like you are trying to make a connection between steroids and injuries. I hate to speculate as to why guys are getting hurt when I don’t have any facts as to what type of injuries you are talking about specifically.

GC: In 2005, you had a chance to make the World Series as a member of the Astros. Even though the team fell short, can you describe for us what the experience was like?

ME: It was stressful.  There was a ton of media in the locker room and on the fields.  It was fun once the games started, but there is a bunch of outside stuff that makes it really difficult to keep your routines.

GC: You have recently announced that you would like a career in broadcasting, after starting what has developed into a very successful blog. Do you have any aspirations of working for ESPN or the MLB Network?

ME: I would love to work for either those two or FOX.  My real goal is to just get a job.  Beggars can’t be choosers.

GC: When you look down the road, can you see yourself as a manager or coach in either the Major Leagues or minors?

ME: My passion is teaching the game.  I love being on the field.

GC: As a member of the Astros for seven seasons, what was it like to play alongside future hall-of-famers Craig Biggio and Jeff Bagwell?

ME: It was great playing with those guys.  In the end, I was able to play with Roger Clemens, Andy Pettitte, Jeff Kent, and Lance Berkman.  Those are some great players right there.

GC: Finally, I would like to ask you about steroids in baseball. Do you think that the league has been too harsh on players and has wasted time with their various investigations into steroid use, or do they have an obligation to keep the sport clean, although they started to enforce rules that were never set in stone originally?

ME: I am embarrassed that baseball players went down this path.  In my opinion, I think that guys made a decision to put their health in danger over the opportunity for money.  It just goes to show you how powerful money can be.  Steroids are illegal drugs.  If someone is doing them then I think we should get the police involved.

I would like to thank Morgan for taking the time to conduct this interview.

Morgan Ensberg is a former member of the Houston Astros, San Diego Padres, and New York Yankees. Over nine seasons, he appeared in 731 games, registering 110 HR and 347 RBI. He was a member of Houston’s 2005 NL Pennant winning team and is a one-time All-Star.