(06-07-2023, 04:15 AM)OutsiderFan Wrote: Craig never had great starting pitching for Giants. Bochy did. That’s why Bochy won WS and Craig didn’t.
I used to cringe when the Giants would grab guys off the scrap heap and put them in their rotation. Rick Reuchel, Don Robinson, and John Burkett were not Tim Lincecum, Matt Cain, or Mad Bum by a long shot.
Rick Reuschel was far from the “scrap heap”. He won 215 games. Started ‘89 AS game. Although Bo greeted him with about a 475 foot HR to straight away CF.
Robinson was also a solid Giant. Burkett won 22 games in 93 for Dusty. Came through the system. Not off the scrap heap.
Giants led MLB in team ERA in ‘87. Had third best team ERA in baseball in ‘89. Scott Garrelts had lowest ERA in league. Certainly not Cain, Lincecum, Bum (although 2010 was the only Championship team where all 3 were close to their best. Cain and Bum in ‘12. Lincecum came out of pen. In ‘14, of course, it was Bum.) But they had good pitching that year.
Bochy’s brilliance, especially post season was how he used his pen. For three post seasons, he made the right call damn near every time. 9-0 plus 2 WC. 9-0 in elimination games. Of the 9 series, Giants were underdogs in at least 7. The possible 2 exceptions being Braves in ‘10 and Cards in ‘12.
