SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS
How to Know if You're a True Giants Fan

The 2008 Giants are a work in progress, and we the faithful have to take a "glass half-full" approach. Why, even now my glass is half-full of grain alcohol. Care to join me, Giants fans?

Last year, this space was filled by a smart aleck who said the Giants would contend well into May. Not funny. The way I look at it, a first-ballot Hall of Fame shortstop is always an asset — so what if he's on crutches. Better to have a healthy Dave Roberts for two months than never to have had one at all. Ray Durham's duties should be less about play-every-day Ray than pave-the-way Ray.

All Giants fans shout with one voice: Run those kids out there! We've lived too long in the past; let's see what the future looks like. There's nowhere to go but up. Fans, there's a lot to be said for not caring anymore; at least it's relaxing. Meet your next-seat neighbor. Buy him another beer. Soon you'll be choking back tears as you reminisce together about the Roger Craig suicide-squeeze era. Hummm (sob), Baby!

Compounding the woes of true orange-and-blackers is the improvement over the winter of the detested Dodgers — and the dirty Diamondbacks, who are starting to get on my nerves. And how about those goody-goody National League champion Rockies, whose scouts have struck gold by hanging out in Bible camps. That makes the outlook for 2008 pretty clear: a fight to the death with the Padres for fourth place.

Unlike me, there are a lot of glass-half-empty types whose Giants loyalty might be sorely tested in '08. (You know it's tough when a lot of fans would trade everyone but Matt Cain and Tim Lincecum for the Kansas City Royals.) If the Giants can get enough production from the kids to keep the veterans fresh, and if they could scratch and claw and — don't ask me how but — somehow manufacture enough runs to keep their pitchers sane, they could win some games. But fans have to be patient because the Giants, whether they win 80 or lose 90, are in transition.

A winning season is always possible when you have a deep pitching rotation. Cain and Lincecum are so special they should sell out AT&T Park every time they pitch. Noah Lowry (on the DL as we went to press) is the definitive crafty lefty. Barry Zito's hellacious problems have nothing to do with his velocity. Proven winners Jamie Moyer, Greg Maddux and Tim Wakefield are just a few I could name who can outrun their own fastballs. Zito's control is gone. If he ever regains it, he and that epic curveball will start earning those obscene paychecks. Kevin Correia, 27, is the fifth starter. Last year, from mid-August on, the big righty was 3-1 with a 2.66 ERA. Correia whiffs more than his share of hitters and doesn't walk too many. If he falters, hard-throwing lefty Jonathan Sanchez, 25, will get a shot.

The bullpen should be of great concern to Giants fans. Veterans Jack Taschner, Vinnie Chulk, Tyler Walker, Brad Hennessey and untested Merkin Valdez and Erick Threets are on the line here. They have to stop surrendering key hits and walks. We can't have a repeat of last year, when the Giants lost 16 games after the seventh inning. Right-hander Brian Wilson, 26, with his gaudy 2.28 ERA in '07, wants to be the closer, but he sure allows a lot of baserunners. We'll see.

There are still a lot of wily old — and getting older — pros on the roster. Randy Winn defines "solid"; he turns 34 in June. A healthy Roberts is an effective leadoff man and a fleet outfielder; he'll be 36 in May. Rich Aurelia is a good guy to have around, even at 36. If the versatile Aurelia, who hit over .300 as recently as 2006, could regain his stroke, that's great news for the infield. Bengie Molina is one of the game's best catchers; pray he's still in one piece when he turns 34 in July.

Aaron Rowand in center field is the real deal, and at 30, he's just hitting his stride. But with Lowry having trouble gripping the baseball and Zito tinkering with his delivery, there could be a lot of deep drives hit Rowand's way this year. How many outfield walls will he remodel with his face before we lose him to the DL?

Maybe this is outfielder Fred Lewis' time to shine. The 28-year-old showed flashes in '07, and with Roberts rapidly fading from view, Lewis is making a strong impression. John Bowker, 24, turned some heads in April. And Nate Schierholtz, 24, will get his chance soon.

And now (shudder), the infield. Unclear on the concept of "learn from the veterans," young Kevin Frandsen promptly went out with a serious injury. First base is a mystery: Daniel Ortmeier has a little pop, and runs surprisingly well for a big guy, but he hasn't played much. Durham, 36, and the fabulous Omar Vizquel, 41, got amnesia-of-the-bat last year, and it's unrealistic to expect them to start 150 games at their age. How great would it be if fleet-footed, switch-hitting Eugenio Velez, 25, and some shortstop named Brian Bocock, 23, could step up this year. Third base? Don't ask É just pass the Everclear.

Finally, to all you Bay Area sports wits who are taking batting-practice swings at the 2008 Giants' team slogan: Enough already! There's nothing wrong with "All Out All Year," so stop saying things like All Out (of power) All Year, All Out (of contention) All Year, All Out (on the DL) All Year, All Out (of prospects) All Year and so on. We've already heard them all. The team could use a little love right about now, and you'll feel pretty dumb if the Giants go out and have a season that surpasses all our (admittedly reduced) expectations.