Q: Bruce Bochy and Brian Sabaen's contracts are both expired after the season. How successful do the Giants need to be (playoffs? world series appearance?) for Neukom to bring them back?
baggs: Pretty good chance they'll be back based on the team's progress to date. Remember, Neukom's goal was to be .500 this year. They're ahead of schedule. And they had what most observers believe was another decent draft. The minor league system is healthier. It seems like Neukom has a great respect for the way Brian and Bruce go about their jobs. When I asked him just prior to the All-Star break if Bochy deserved credit, he said yes, the manager has created a good esprit de corps and has put players in position to succeed. I've been told all parties intend to honor a pledge not to negotiate extensions until after the season, but I wouldn't be surprised if they've already come to some kind of loose arrangement. If they go to the playoffs, it'll be all the more automatic.Are we ready for more of these two? Have the GM and coach done well enough to come back for more? Admittedly, the Giants have done much better this season than I anticipated. But I can't help but shake the feeling that the team could have done even better with a different skipper.
