Friday BP: Nothing Like It

Mar 31, 2023 - 12:00 PM

Good morning, baseball fans.

After yesterday’s game, I couldn’t help but think about the new San Francisco Giants slogan for this year, “Nothing Like It.” As soon as it was announced, I cringed. I knew it was going to turn into a vehicle for snark, as in: “Losing 5-0 on Opening Day, nothing like it.” And after the offseason that the Giants (as an organization and a fanbase) endured, it kind of felt a little disconnected from reality.

Let me start with a couple of caveats. First, I know that there’s only been one game and that is the smallest of small sample sizes. I also know that the Giants were playing against a stacked deck in yesterday’s loss to the New York Yankees star-studded lineup. Furthermore, I also know that not every season is going to be great, and that even great seasons have their duds.

I have patience for all of that. What I don’t have patience for is being condescended to the way Giants President & CEO Larry Baer did in his attempt to spin the offseason into some kind of nine dimensional chess move that we were all too dumb to understand.

Baer seemed essentially to be implying that the fans who aren’t excited about this year’s team and the players that were brought on board just don’t get it, as Dave Tobener talks about in this piece for SF Gate, which is in response to an interview Baer did with Jason Mastrodonato of the Bay Area News Group. This was also an interview in which he was trying to pump up ticket sales.

What played out yesterday didn’t really give people much to be excited about. Nor did it give much reason for fans to want to shell out hundreds of dollars on attending a game if they weren’t already planning to do so.

It’s okay to say “We did our best in the offseason, and the big deals didn’t work out for us, but we’re still excited about the roster we were able to put together.” That’s optimistic, honest, and not condescending.

I’m not annoyed that the Giants lost. It’s one game. What annoys me is the “don’t spit on my leg and tell me it’s raining” aspect of Baer’s sentiments about how great their offseason moves were, actually. And if you’re not excited, then you’re not paying attention.

I think everyone that was paying attention yesterday saw the display of a very stark contrast between what an exciting team looks like and * gestures vaguely at yesterday’s offense * whatever this was.

Truly, nothing like it.

---

What time do the Giants play today?

The Giants do not play today, they instead resume the series against the Yankees tomorrow at 1:05 p.m. PT.