San Francisco Bay Area

Tonight's 5-1 loss to the Milwaukee Brewers is only one game. The Giants are still 39-33 and still in good shape as a team overall (even though the Rockies are nipping on the heels of the Giants at a breakneck pace).

And after all, there is more than half a season of Giants baseball left to be played.

But that doesn't mean that this road trip against Milwaukee and St. Louis is one to be taken lightly. Sure, the Giants are in a close race with Brewers for the Wild Card position.

That being said, Wild Card races only get serious come August, not in June.

For the latest edition of the San Francisco Giants Roundtable, we decided to revisit Randy Johnson’s historic accomplishment from a couple weeks ago.

Now that the furor over the Big Unit’s feat has died down and baseball fans have had some calm to digest the latest entrant in the 300 Wins Club, we took a look at whether RJ will be the last pitcher so blessed, what it meant to the Gents, how the big lefty’s signing has worked out for the franchise, and basically all things Randy Johnson.

Enjoy.

Amid the tribute articles, video montages, and picture slide shows, we are always reminded of Randy Johnson mean streak that made him the force he was in his glory days with the Mariners and Diamondbacks.

The man who has been branded "The Most Intimidating Pitcher of Our Era" wouldn't have even been recognized as he captured his 300th winning against the Washington Nationals in the rain on Thursday night.

"As time passes, my story fades away."

-Dave Dravercky

Dave Dravecky made his major-league debut with the San Diego Padres on June 15th, 1982.

The San Francisco Giants offense was never expected to carry the way. We all knew it was pitching first and foremost and the performances at the plate would be at least an improvement over last year.

We all thought that the pitching dominance could overshadow the fact that Bengie Molina, despite all his clutch hits, is the cleanup hitter, or that a guy who had never put two good years together in the minors offensively could suddenly hold his own and produce at first base.

In the days following the spring semester and the end of my college career, the task of killing time has been something that has become increasingly difficult as the days go by.

Before the 2009 season began and when there was hope that Noah Lowry would pitch this year, I wrote a column comparing which pitcher, Lowry or Jonathan Sanchez, would be the better option for the fifth starter spot.

With Lowry missing the previous year because of arm injury after arm injury, it would be a serious accomplishment for him to not just win the final spot in the Giants' rotation, but to just put up a serious fight for it.

Much has been made of Manny Ramirez's suspension for using performance-enhancing drugs, and rightfully so. When one of Major League Baseball's most prominent stars embroils himself in the game's biggest scandal, it figures to get a lot of run in the media.

If you listen closely to the static, somewhere in all the volume are whispers about how the revelation benefits no team more than our beloved San Francisco Giants—about how the 50-game hiatus for Manny has saved the Orange and Black season.

To a degree, the whispers are appropriate.

What are the prerequisites needed to be a major league closer?

Imposing on-the-field demeanor. Check.

Uniquely wild-looking haircut. Check.

Tattoo sleeves. Check.

Personal introduction music. Check.

Blindingly fast heater. Check.

Ability to consistently mow down the opposing team's lineup and preserve the victory.

Fail.

Coming off yet another game that has blown up in his face, Giants closer Brian Wilson has again seemingly snatched defeat from the jaws of victory.

The 2007 and 2008 seasons saw Matt Cain dominate at times and somehow leave the ballpark with a loss. His record in the previous two seasons was 15-30 and yet he still ranked in the top 20 in ERA both years.

That doesn't make much sense now does it?

When asked about if Cain was ready to take that next step to the kind of pitcher people thought he could be before the year began, there was always the statement, “Yeah, but...” and then usually a tilt of the head.