Tim Lincecum’s sporting a ponytail and a wispy mustache à la Johnny Depp (see photo). The Panda’s looks at least 30 pounds lighter than last season. And Brian Wilson’s making another foray into Twitter. Change, such as it is, appears to be afoot for your 2011 Giants. One thing that will stay the same is team leadership. Already signed for the 2011 season, General Manager Brian Sabean and manager Bruce Bochy both received one-year contract extensions that will keep them with the Giants through 2012. The duo led the team to its first World Series berth since 1954.
Sabean, 54, is currently in his 15th year at the helm of the Giants and is the longest-tenured general manager in Major League Baseball. During his 14 years as GM, he has guided the club to five post-season berths, including last year’s World Series Championship.
“I really, really appreciate the vote of confidence,” said Sabean, who has transformed San Francisco into the National League’s third-winningest team over the past 14 seasons behind only Atlanta and St. Louis. The Giants have won two National League pennants, four NL West Division flags and a Wild Card berth since Sabean assumed the GM reins at the end of the 1996 season. “It really gives us a chance, Boch and I, with the bar raised to see what’s next, and we hope that’s defending the Western title, getting to the playoffs and trying to make another run at winning another trophy.”
Bochy, 55, completed his fourth season as the manager of the Giants and guided the 2010 club to their first-ever World Series title in San Francisco history and first championship since 1954. He became the fourth skipper to win a title at the helm of the Giants, joining John McGraw (1905, 1921-22), Bill Terry (1933) and Leo Durocher (1954).
“This has been an incredible ride. I’m very honored to continue to be a Giant. This is a special place to be,” Bochy said. “We know that we have some work ahead of us, but to have this team still intact says a lot about what ownership and Brian wants to do— to not just do this one time, but to try and do it again."
Both are ready to take on the 2011 season and show that last year’s team of “misfits and castoffs” are the real deal and a force to be reckoned with. And while it is difficult for a team to repeat—only 14 teams have won back-to-back World Series titles since 1903—the 2011 Giants have the advantage of remaining largely the same as last season. The only major change is the addition of veteran Miguel Tejada replacing Edgar Renteria.
“We just have to stay true to ourselves and let the chips fall where they may. Obviously, we want to come out on top, but it’s one game at a time,” Lincecum said.
With their off-season postponed by a little event called the World Series, many players spent the last couple of months just chillaxing. Eli Whiteside took his 11-month-old son to Disneyland. Mike Fontenot got married and spent his honeymoon in the Bahamas. Lincecum bought a new house in Washington. Most others just kicked back at home with family and friends. Their break will come to an end in nine days when pitchers and catchers report to Spring Training camp in Scottsdale, Ariz. on Feb. 14. Position players will follow four days later on Feb. 18.
Coming off of last year’s post-season high, which culminated in a festive city-wide parade and celebration on Nov. 3, a lot of players say that it’s still hard to believe that they are World Champions.
“It still hasn’t sunk in yet,” said Whiteside. “Maybe it will when we get our World Series ring.”
Said Rookie of the Year winner Buster Posey: “There are certain times it hits me and I think, ‘Wow, we won the World Series.’ But it still hasn’t really sunk in.”
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