Preview: Giants' defense, Brandon Belt, and the true contents of Brian Wilson's beard

The San Francisco Giants blog Splashing Pumpkins contacted me about doing a preview to the first series of 2011 between the Padres and Giants.  These teams battled all the way to game number 162 last year... how could I say no.

You may be asking, "What does our enemy need to know and, GOOD GOD, what did you tell them?!!!"

Calm down! Get a hold of yourself...


In summation, the inquiries revolved around pitching and the expectations for Cameron Maybin. But perhaps the most important question dealt with the wager that evolved between RJ's Fro and Splashing Pumpkins after the Mat Latos #balls fiasco.

The answers to these questions can be found at Splashing Pumpkins.

I also had three questions for Splashing Pumpkins. These are the questions that must be answered if the Padres are to get off on the right foot against the World Champs:

1. Everyone knows the Giants rotation is phenomenal but is the defense up to the task?

 Well, from what I saw in the Giants' opening series, I can't say the defense is up to task. That said, it's certainly got the potential to be an above-average defense, and I imagine it will be for most of the season. Andres Torres is one of the best defensive outfielders in the game, so when he's surrounded by Nate Schierholtz, Cody Ross -- and even Aubrey Huff in LF -- the Giants' outfield defense is more than adequate. Freddy Sanchez is aging, but I think he still carries a plus glove at 2B, and the Giants' infield corners (Sandoval with improved range, and Belt) and catcher -- Buster Posey -- are all pretty much up to task. The only big hole is at short, where Miguel Tejada completely lacks range. Given that the Giants don't induce groundballs at a high rate in general, I'm not too concerned about Tejada. So yes, they're up to task in general. But they haven't been playing like it...

2. Now that the Giants have committed to starting the season with him, will Brandon Belt have an impact similar to Buster Posey in 2011?

 Most certainly. Belt is the real deal, from what I've seen thus far. His biggest asset -- in my mind -- is his plate discipline. I think he'll be able to work walks at a high rate, as well as see a lot of pitches. That, in addition to his power to all sides of the fields, his ability to hit for average, and his plus glove at first, represents a very useful player. I definitely expect him to have a similar impact to that which Posey had as a rookie.

3. Do ninjas and traditional Irish dance girls really live in Brian Wilson's beard or do you suspect it to be some other form of magic?

Brian Wilson's beard is still a mystery to me. I'm sure some mythical creature or whatnot lives in there. Whatever it is, you should definitely fear it. This video might be helpful.

I found the answer to question #3 to be outstanding. Mostly because I haven't been watching ESPN at all these days and this was my first time viewing it. I also choose to believe it is the truth.

Thanks to Splashing Pumpkins for the Intel.