Whether it was in-the-moment frustration or the symptom of a much larger problem, Giants pitcher Logan Webb’s comments following Monday’s game were a great service to the fan base and the organization.
Webb spoke the truth. The Giants aren’t a winning team, and it will take changes — “big changes” — to rectify that problem.
And he, the only player on the team signed to a long-term, big-money contract, is sick of it.
The fanbase has been sick of it for a long time. The fluke that was the 2021 campaign no longer carries weight. The steady stream of mediocrity, brought about by a roster full of underdeveloped youngsters, waiver pickups, and uninspiring free-agent signings has taken its toll. Watch enough games where the Nos. 3 and 4 hitters are pinch-hit for in critical late-inning spots, and you’d be restless, too.
But the fans’ cries for better have fallen upon deaf ears with the front office.
Webb has amplified their message so it can no longer be ignored.
This is a service to the organization, too. It needed a kick in the rear.
This isn’t some malevolent thing. Ownership and the front office were becoming all too comfortable with the status quo. It kept the former’s pockets lined and the latter employed.
For both, the no-risk, no-reward model is viewed with skepticism. No, the rewards come from not taking any risks. Farhan Zaidi and his staff are smart enough to produce a .500 team every year, no matter the budget or the circumstances. That’ll keep them gainfully employed with an ownership group that values profit over glory.
As such, both parties are fine with the standard, steady returns where the Giants fight for a Wild Card spot going into September, and the Johnson family-led ownership group makes more than they spend on players.
That kind of thinking is great in the world of mutual funds — the Johnson family’s main business — but it produces a crappy product in sports.
But there was no pushback on it from anyone with any clout, as the Giants employ only one such player.
He spoke up on Monday.
“I’m tired of losing,” Webb told reporters after his complete-game win over the Padres. “It’s not enjoyable. It’s not fun. We’ve got to make some big changes in here to create that winning culture, that we want to show up every year to try and win the whole thing.”
Perfectly stated.
Webb showed real leadership with his comments.
And it wasn’t apparent how much that leadership was needed until it arrived.
The Giants and San Francisco might have shortcomings, but this is still a historically important big-market team. The Giants have far more in common with the Dodgers and Red Sox than the Royals and Rays.
Webb’s a Sacramento guy. He doesn’t need to be taught that lesson.
That’s why it’s been so embarrassing to watch the Giants emulate the Oakland A’s the last few seasons. It’s Moneyball, but for a team that has money.
And instead of then-A’s GM Billy Beane “keeping the money on the field,” as the line in the movie goes, it’s the Johnsons and team CEO Larry Baer wanting to keep the money in local real estate.
If the goal from the top down isn’t to win the World Series every season, you’re guaranteed not to win it.
But apparently, those priorities need to flow from the bottom up with this organization.
And note that Webb called out the team’s culture. You can single out the manager, Gabe Kapler, but he is merely part of the overall apparatus Webb called out.
Ownership and the front office can pay as much lip service as they want, but standards have slipped. And that has trickled down.
The other Giants players aren’t exonerated in this process, either. Some cogs in the machine have more grease than others.