The short version of the story is that this site was not attended to well, and now is back with a vengeance.  The long version is full of political intrigue, romance, murder, and an incident involving some escaped zoo animals.  What’s important is that Croix De Candlestick is back and ready to help you, the frustrated Giants fan, through the remainder of what’s been an interesting season to say the least.  In lieu of alcohol, I humbly present my blog as a cathartic release from the day-to-day stress machine that is this team.

Come back soon Brandon.

So with the first half done and gone and my site conveniently absent from the carnage coming to a close, where to begin?  Let’s start with what the Giants need in the second half.  First on the to-do list is to solve the crisis at first base.  As much as I love Aubrey Huff, it may be time to sit him in favor of Brandon Belt, who never really got a fair shake before he was sent down, brought back up, got injured, and was then sent back down again.  Statistically, Huff’s been one of the worst everyday players in baseball this season, while among first basemen his production has been bottom of the barrel to say the least.  All the while, the Giants have a fantastic solution wallowing away in Fresno, ready to step in and help.  Alas, this may not come to pass, as Bruce Bochy has insisted that while Belt is likely ready for the bigs, he’s nothing more than an “insurance policy” should anyone get hurt.

Second up on the laundry list worth of issues right now surrounding this team is what to do about the catching crisis.  Eli Whiteside/Chris Stewart, while valiant in spirit, are lacking in many other departments, namely of the hitting variety.  The best solution here doesn’t involve a complicated trade or worrying about whether or not Bengie Molina is still available.  Rather, I suggest that Fresno catcher Max Ramirez be given a chance.  Ramirez is a former top-tier catching prospect that many scouts said would become a valuable everyday player, but never really got a fair shake.  With a career minor league line of .278/.311/.463 to go along with his recent run of success at AAA, he could be the short term/low-risk solution the Giants need right now while Buster Posey is on the mend.  Worst-case scenario here is that Ramirez tanks and we’re back to Whiteside/Stewart catching everyday.  Best case?  We upgrade what’s been one of the worst offenses in baseball without paying out of pocket for an expensive replacement.

Finally, we come to an issue that’s been at the forefront of the hot stove for weeks now: Carlos Beltran.  Word around the water-cooler is that the Mets will accept C-grade prospects if the receiving team is willing to eat a significant portion of his salary.  Given the amount of money the Giants have made on merchandising and ticket sales since last October, I feel as though it’s safe to say that there may be a little extra cash lying around that could be put towards bringing Beltran to San Francisco.  Inserting Beltran may just give the Giants the extra push they need to finally start scoring more than two runs a game.  Hell, maybe four runs won’t feel like an explosion anymore.  Regardless, this team needs bats, and this is the best bat available that would cost the team the least talent in return.

I hope you’ll all start checking in daily now that I’ve returned from the edge of blogging oblivion; I solemnly guarantee you fresh material in the coming days.  Enjoy your baseball-free week everyone.