CAIN IS ABLE
I couldn't have considered my tenure on Small Ball complete without at least one asinine headline pun.
The Giants' 20-year-old super-rookie Matt Cain is far more than able from the looks of it. In his third major league start, he racked up his second win, both against teams that don't suck. To top it all off, he last night pitched a complete game!
I haven't been this excited about a new player since I don't know when. 21-year-old outfielder Jeff Francoeur over in Atlanta is certainly having a stellar debut. Although now in his 3rd major-league season, Nationals super closer—23-year-old Chad "The Chief" Cordero—still emits that sexy new-car smell.
But there's something a little different about the advent and rising star of Matt Cain. Unlike the Braves or even the beleaguered Nationals, the Giants stink. Their stinkiness has been due in large part to a paucity of competitive offense and defense, but most painfully to the Great 2005 Implosion of San Francisco's starting rotation and horrible bullpen. Who knew that Jason Schmidt would erode as a pitcher so quickly and dramatically, or that Kirk Reuter would simply and dramatically lose it. Or that Brett Tomko would pitch every game in the 2nd half as if it was his last—with all the stress-related performance problems that entails. Let's not even talk about the absence of a seasoned closer for nearly two-thirds of the season.
With all that said, Matt Cain's appearance holds about it a special glow, one threaded with hope. The kid makes you smile. He's good and has—strangely—only gotten better with each performance. He seems modest and charming, and is reasonably eloquent.
Here's hoping that the Giants have the good sense to groom him for permanent starter echelon and that Felipe Alou stays out of the kid's way.
The Giants' 20-year-old super-rookie Matt Cain is far more than able from the looks of it. In his third major league start, he racked up his second win, both against teams that don't suck. To top it all off, he last night pitched a complete game!
I haven't been this excited about a new player since I don't know when. 21-year-old outfielder Jeff Francoeur over in Atlanta is certainly having a stellar debut. Although now in his 3rd major-league season, Nationals super closer—23-year-old Chad "The Chief" Cordero—still emits that sexy new-car smell.
But there's something a little different about the advent and rising star of Matt Cain. Unlike the Braves or even the beleaguered Nationals, the Giants stink. Their stinkiness has been due in large part to a paucity of competitive offense and defense, but most painfully to the Great 2005 Implosion of San Francisco's starting rotation and horrible bullpen. Who knew that Jason Schmidt would erode as a pitcher so quickly and dramatically, or that Kirk Reuter would simply and dramatically lose it. Or that Brett Tomko would pitch every game in the 2nd half as if it was his last—with all the stress-related performance problems that entails. Let's not even talk about the absence of a seasoned closer for nearly two-thirds of the season.
With all that said, Matt Cain's appearance holds about it a special glow, one threaded with hope. The kid makes you smile. He's good and has—strangely—only gotten better with each performance. He seems modest and charming, and is reasonably eloquent.
Here's hoping that the Giants have the good sense to groom him for permanent starter echelon and that Felipe Alou stays out of the kid's way.
posted by Andrew at
3:31 PM
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