3 Teams That Will Stop the Giants From Repeating as World Series Champions
By Eric He
The following is a guest post by Cindy Lewis. Cindy is a graduate of the California State University. She is a writer and loves blogging about all things sports. In her spare time she likes to read and review musicals. She can be reached at me,cindy.lewis@gmail.com
The upcoming 2013 season promises to be another roller coaster, 162-game marathon. However, compared to previous seasons, this one will be relatively exciting as the MLB has implemented a new scheduling strategy which aims to kick things up a notch by promoting interleague play.
As soon as May begins, all major franchise teams will square off against each other in a bid to determine the best among them. This idea of teams playing each other throughout the regular season is being viewed as a welcome change by various sports pundits as it will, in their opinion, give National League pitchers ample opportunity to show their skills on the mound.
The San Francisco Giants are among the most popular MLB teams who will be affected by this change. As a result of this newly developed strategy; the reigning World Series champs will encounter the likes of both the Yankees and the Red Sox, something which is extremely rare to see.
The Giants, due to the fact that they are current champions, already have targets painted on their backs. The team will be looking to defend their much deserved title against the best MLB has to offer. Significant upgrades made by almost all the teams in every division have made this task a difficult one for the Giants. In light of recent events a question has arisen: What teams will try to stop the Giants from staying on top of the rankings?
However, before that question is answered, it is worth mentioning that if one has ever bought San Francisco Giants Tickets and watched this highly trained battle squad perform on the diamond up close then one will know that the Giants never back out of a challenge and there is a reason why they are the defending champions.
Los Angeles Dodgers
September 30, 2012; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers center fielder Matt Kemp (27) is congratulated by first baseman Adrian Gonzalez (23) after hitting a two run home run in the fourth inning against the Colorado Rockies at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
Just last season the Giants locked horns with their rivals, the Los Angeles Dodgers, a staggering eighteen times and managed to win ten of those encounters, including two
sweeps at crucial points in the season. The start of the season will be crucial for both the teams as they’d be looking to get a couple of early wins against each other and build up on that momentum for the rest of the season.
The Giants are scheduled to face the boys in blue nineteen times this season. Clearly, winning against the Dodgers would be no easy task as the team’s newly revamped 40-man roster features the likes of Zack Greinke, Adrian Gonzalez, Josh Beckett, and Carl Crawford.
Washington Nationals
National League’s East Division is home to a powerhouse MLB team which led the 2012 season with most wins, the Washington Nationals. As observed in the past, the Nationals wasted no time this offseason and strengthened their fantastic roster with the likes of Gio Gonzalez, Stephen Strasburg, Jordan Zimmerman and Ross Detwiler.
Pitching is what helped the Nationals pummel their opponents last year, and they’d be looking to employ that strategy against the Giants this season. With veterans like right handed pitcher Dan Haren on their squad; the Nationals are fully capable of stopping the Giants in their steps.
Toronto Blue Jays
February 24, 2013; Tampa, FL, USA; Toronto Blue Jays outfielder Anthony Gose (8) is congratulated by teammates after he scored a run in the third inning against the New York Yankees at George M. Steinbrenner Field. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
A significant improvement in the Blue Jays offensive tactics was pretty visible last season. New additions to their roster, which now features the talents of Jose Reyes, R.A. Dickey and Josh Johnson, can cause a major power shift in the American League.
The Blue Jays, thanks to their newly devised offensive based plays and a young roster, are being touted as World Series contenders this season by various analysts and can prove to be a major threat for the Giants. Toronto’s offseason additions have contributed heavily to their overall firepower. This team will be the one to watch as the Giants prepare for another shot at glory.
Overall, San Francisco has the edge, because no matter how well Los Angeles’, Washington’s and Toronto’s new faces mesh with each other, the Giants have a collective heart unlike any other team in the majors, and have the accolades as well as the fan base to prove it.
May the best team win.