San Francisco Giants

The San Francisco Giants have had a "back to business" mentality during this year's spring training.  The team has put last year's success behind them, and they are all ready to assume the task of defending their title of World Series Champions. 

Here are three reasons why the Giants will once again with the National League West.  

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This past Sunday, I found myself transported from the rains and dreary snows of late winter to the cloudless skies of Arizona—temperatures blazing in the mid-80s. For a moment, the bracket announcements of March Madness were put on hold as I had the opportunity to see the Cactus League in live action at last. The distinction was difficult to make; was it March or midsummer?

After being a San Francisco Giants fan since I was a little kid in 1962, and enduring so many disappointing failures, the 2010 season made it all worthwhile.  I was beginning to think the Giants winning the World Series would never happen in my lifetime. 

Although I am still basking in the afterglow of the Giants' first world championship in San Francisco, spring training is in full force.  The 2011 San Francisco Giants will be looking to defend their World Series title.

Hold the ticker tape, Giants fans. Sure, the Giants have just blazed through another week of spring training with the lowest team ERA in the Cactus League and the best overall record, but spring training numbers have historically meant almost nothing when it comes to predicting regular season success. In other words, it’s still too soon to begin preparations for another parade down Market Street.

With Spring Training now in full swing, the San Francisco Giants have unofficially began their journey to repeat as World Series Champions.

After their improbable run to become baseball's 2010 World Champions, it is hard to say whether this team has yet to come down from that high.

A pretty mediocre and quiet offseason from the Giants' front office has this team against the odds once again.

That is, until you look at their pitching staff, when you quickly remember why this team won it all last season.

Still, there are question marks aplenty for this team.

Jeff Suppan, a 36-year-old right-hander, is desperately trying to prove once again that he can help a major league team win. This time, it's with the World Series champs.

Suppan, now with his seventh team after 16 seasons in the majors, is trying to regain the pitching form that led him to back-to-back 16-win seasons with the St. Louis Cardinals in 2004 and 2005.

Prior to winning the World Series in 2010, there were many fans calling for the San Francisco Giants to trade Matt Cain for a big bat. At the time of the original rumors a couple of years ago, I was a proponent of trading Matt Cain for Prince Fielder. Thank goodness GM Brian Sabean didn't make that move.

Arthur Daley joined the New York Times in 1926. Sixteen years later, he started his outstanding column, "Sports of the Times," which he wrote until 1973.

Daley respected statistics (yes, statistics existed before sabermetrics), but he also respected what his eyes saw. In 1954, as he had done numerous times, Daley eschewed statistics and played a hunch.

Logline:  Overrated SS Juan Uribe looks for stardom by signing to play with the Los Angeles Dodgers only to find not only did he leave his heart in San Francisco, he also left his chances at victory.

Bruce Jenkins's column in the San Francisco Chronicle this past week sent waves throughout the San Francisco Giants community.

Jenkins' report? Barry Zito may be released.