[This is something I wrote for and it originally appeared on the site If I Ran, which is definitely worthy of a bookmark, or a good read at the very least…Rather than read the post here, you might as well mosy on over and check out the other contributions on the site.]

I grew up in and around San Jose, so I spent my youth watching the Giants and A’s. If you must pry (even though you obviously have not) I am an A’s fan, not a Giants fan per se, but I did sleep at a San Francisco Holiday Inn Express once so I think I’ve got the gist of what’s going on. I’m also a card carrying member of the Lunatic Fringe, so if I’m a bit hard on Brian Sabean, its because he is incompetent moron, but not because he is a bad person or anything like that.

Build a time machine: No, really. They need to seriously consider the potential implications of building a time machine to go back and shoot Brian Sabean in 2003 before he decided to pull the trigger (no pun intended) on the AJ Pierzynski deal. I know that somewhere out there Ernie Broglio is smiling, because he is no longer the answer to the trivia question “who was part of the worst trade in baseball history” (note Babe Ruth was sold, not traded), and Ernie has Sabean to thank for that. Can any Giants fan imagine a rotation of Zito, Liriano, Cain, Lowry and Lincecum/ Bosner, not to mention they would have Nathan closing out games and the money left over from not signing Matt Morris and Armando Benitez? Yea, time machine doesn’t sound so crazy now does it.

Do Something With Barry Bonds: I don’t care. Cut him, trade him, have Liverpool striker Craig Bellamy hit him in the legs with a golf club. Do whatever you can. Because when Bonds breaks Aaron’s record, the footage will be shown over, and over, and over again. Kind of like Hank’s own record-breaking home run, but if fans ran out to congratulate Barry he’ll probably punch them in the face for getting in his way. But the moral of the story is that it would seem that when (and not if) the evidence finally falls into place, the image of Barry’s 756th will then be the epitome of cheating in baseball, and good thing for the G-men, they will be a part of that too because of the jersey Barry will be wearing. I call that a PR nightmare.

Trust The Farm System: Over the past few years, the Giants farm system has produced or co-produced players like Francisco Liriano, Joe Nathan, Noah Lowry, and I think its fair to say that Pedro Feliz has been a product of the system as well. In 2007, the Giants will probably be relying on youngsters Jonathan Sanchez, Kevin Correia, Billy Sadler, and Brian Wilson to shore up their bullpen, and if any of the starters fail to be effective I don’t see them hesitating to bring up Tim Lincecum. But for some reason, with Eliezer Alfonzo and Kevin Fransden seeming ready to step in and contribute they singed a few AARP card holders to take time away from them. Didn’t anyone pay attention to the Marlins last year? Let the kids play.

Forget About The A’s: The Giants are so worried about the A’s moving into their market, but they shouldn’t for two reasons: 1)they have more money to spend and 2)Pac-Bell SBC AT&T Park. The A’s are great, I love them, but until they drop the cash to keep their stars seats are hard to fill. On the other hand, the Giants obviously have the cash (see Barry Zito) to put butts in the seats. Also, AT&T Park is one of the best parks in the country to watch a game in. I’m not a Giants fan, but I love going to Giants games whenever I go back to California for a visit.

Stop Signing Senior Citizens: One of my biggest pet peeves with the Giants’ current strategy had been the decision to forgo signing players under the age of 40. In essence the strategy has been to fill the gaps with aging role players and then trade away the farm for the missing pieces at the deadline. It got them to the 2000 Series, but its no way to build a franchise. The Diamondbacks, Dodgers and Padres have all made a push to a younger lineup, and if the Giants don’t get on board quick they will be years behind by the time they wake up.

Make A Deal With The Devil: Even with all the creams and clear in the universe, their aging middle infield and outfield isn’t going to last forever, but lucky enough for them a potential solution exists in their own division: the Dodgers. Right now L.A. has more young talent then they have openings, and even then they have guys in AAA deserving a shot (namely Andy LaRoche). Right now the Giants can afford to lose a starter not named Zito or Cain and depending on the success of Chad Billingsley, Randy Wolfe and Mark Hendrickson the Dodgers may need a starter or two. The Giants already have Todd Linden, Jason Ellison, and Kevin Frandsen, so their work is almost done, but they still need one more outfielder and a shortsop (say whatever you want, but Omar Visquel is not “ageless”). Do the smart thing and see if a deal can be made for a Betemit, Kemp, or another Dodgers youngster in a crowded position.

I think that would be a good start for them. Of course the time machine is a lofty goal, but if they can believe that Barry Bonds never knowingly took ‘roids, then a time machine is not so far fetched. Throw down with your comments, keep reading If I Ran.