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“Every man has a right to utter what he thinks truth, and every other man has a right to knock him down for it.”
– Boswell’s Life of Samuel Johnson, Vol. 1
Samuel Johnson
This site presents fact-based opinions about the present and future of the San Francisco Giants. Thank you for dropping in, and I hope you find it of value (even if only entertainment value).
The site’s content can be divided into three parts: first, those that explain the underlying mechanics of the facts and of the guiding analysis-based principles that govern the application of those facts; second, the particular application of those facts and principles to the actual men in the organization and their best use; and third, other thoughts and opinions on related topics. There is also a sort of fourth part: Updates records (explained below.)
To present all that on one page would be ridiculous, so the site is organized into separate pages, as follow. (Note that each page will open in a new browser tab.)
Facts and Principles:
Basics: explanations of the analytic methods and of significance and validity of the numbers they generate.
Winning: exactly how wins derive from team runs scored and runs yielded, and what that means for evaluating players.
Applications:
Batters: the recommended position players for the 2027 Giants, and their optimum use.
Pitchers: the recommended pitchers for the 2027 Giants, and their optimum use.
Other Thoughts:
Rosters: about the 26-man and 40-man rosters, and how the Rule 5 draft can affect them..
The Organization: some thoughts on the front office, the field staff, and ownership.
Updates: a log of all updates since initial publication of this site, so that repeat visitors don’t have to read everything anew just to see what may have changed. (Latest change: September 29, 2026)
I strenuously urge you to first explore the “Facts and Principles” pages, else the others might not be readily appreciated.
For those who may be wondering who the devil I am and why I might be qualified to determine the facts and hold the opinions: I’m an analyst who spent many years as a consultant to major-league baseball clubs (here is a bibliography); I was described by George F. Will, writing in The New York Times, as “the most important baseball thinker you have never heard of.” I brought to the Oakland Athletics the analytic methods later known—incorrectly—as “Moneyball”.
But keep in mind the quotation atop this page from the ever-witty Doctor Sam.
“There is no arguing with Johnson; for when his pistol misses fire, he knocks you down with the butt end of it.” — Oliver Goldsmith (quoted in Boswell’s Life of Samuel Johnson)
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