It seems like just yesterday I was standing in the parking lot of Scottsdale Stadium, waiting for the Giants pitchers and catchers to arrive.
The main topic of conversation that day was how anxious the guys were to get to work and put 2011s disappointing season behind them.
Within a few days, the talk had turned to looking forward to playing actual games instead of the monotonous spring work outs. Now, just a few days before the regular season is set to begin, the players cant wait to begin playing games that count.
Im ready, Madison Bumgarner told me in his Southern drawl this afternoon.Theres a lot to look forward to this season and a lot of unknowns:
- The return of a healthy Buster Posey, who called the standing ovation by Giants fans Monday night as one of the coolest moments in his career.
- The emergence of Brandon Crawford, who sprained his thumb Monday diving for a ball, but who says hell be fine.
- The intrigue of the unknown guys like Gregor Blanco and Joaquin Arias, who seemingly have played their way onto the Opening Day roster.
- The impact the new faces like Angel Pagan and Melky Cabrera will have.
- How Aubrey Huff will bounce back, how Barry Zito will hold up, when Freddy Sanchez will be totally healthy.And most importantly -- if the Giants will make their way back to the playoffs and make another run at the World Series. Its always an exciting time for a baseball fan. The optimism, the intrigue, the anticipation. And just like the players, Im ready for this season to get going!
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