Fans of October Baseball have no idea what they'll be missing

With less than twenty games remaining before Major League Baseball commerces the 09' edition of the MLB playoffs, the playoff picture is beginning to appear in full focus.
 
The American League
 
The Yanks & Angels are in, the Bo-Sox will likely join them as the AL wild card. The Tiger have been falling fast but nobody is expecting them to let Minnesota sneak off with Central Division title.
 
The National League
 
Defending World Series Champions, the Philadelphia Phillies are well on the way to defending their crown, well the Cardinals and Winnie the Pujols run wild over the National Leugues Central Division.
 
NL Wild Card
 
It's clear that the NL wild card will come from the West but with three team still battling for just two playoff spots it is unclear who will be on top when the diamond dust settles. The Dodgers currently lead the Division by 5 games and have been tracking the progress of the Colorado Rockies through the rear-view mirror for the last three weeks.
 
The third team in the mix, the San Fransisco Giants look like they've already squandered their best opportunity, bursting a bubble of personal excitement that I'd been allowing to build throughout the season. 
 
San Fransisco Treat
 
This years edition of the San Fransisco Giants are not going to make the Playoff's and fans of playoff baseball will ultimatly be the ones paying the price.
 
This season a strong majority of my columniations have been centered around the youth movement currently tearing its way through the ol' game. Few places is this more evident then in the Bay Area. San Fransisco Giants Starting Pitchers Matt Cain and Tim Lincecum are both part of the 25 or under movement and both posses Cy Young Award winning stuff. Lincecum has already been to the top of personal achievement mountain, claiming the 08' National League Cy Young Award with an 18 win, 5 lose (2.62ERA) record in his first complete Major League season. Cain on the other hand may not posses the command that lifted Lincecum to the Cy Young Award last year but the 6'3" 245lbs right-hander, who will turn twenty-five on October 1st isn't really all that far behind. Cain has collected 13 wins with only 6  loses and has an impressive 2.71ERA following a devastating lose to the Colorado Rockies on Wenesday night.
 
 
Pablo "Kung-fu Panda" Sandoval
 
Although this seasons mid-summer classic (MLB all-star game) was far from the farce of 02', fans did miss out on the Kung-fu Panda. Pablo Sandoval the Giants starting third-baseman, back up first-baseman and emergency catcher has been launching lightning bolts at Major League ballparks all across the United States. In fact Pablo had 15 dingers at the all-star break and has maintained a plus .300 batting average all season, but still did no make this years all-star roster.
 
Pablo is just a big-baby.
 
At twenty-three years old the 5'11" 245lbs has along time before he has to start worrying about all-star appearances and hopefully Giants veterans like Randy Wynn will spend a little time getting into the Panda's ear.
 
i-generation
 
It doesn't end their for the Giants. Utility guy Eugenio Velez is actually 27. Although he may be a grand-father of the youth movement, Velez is the type of guy I would be clamouring over if I were a big league GM. Honestly I'm not really sure which player will be more missed as we roll into October.. ..but there is no doubt that both the Panda and Eugenio will make a big splash before a Nationally Televised Broadcast sometime in the near future.  
 
Six other Giants in the active roster are member of the twenty-five and under movement
 
Outfielder Nate Schierholtz (25), Infielder Jesus Guzman (25), Buster Posey (22),
LHP Dan Runzler (24), RHP Waldis Joaquin (23) and LHP Madison Bumgarner (20)
 
Their time will come... ...right?
 
The excitement is building as MLB flirts with October. Fans, Players and Upper Management are all losing sleep. They know that history is on the horizon. Unfortunately fans of playoff baseball will have to wait another year for the Giants to make their big splash. It's a terrible shame that National Television audiences will not get a chance to see this young Giants squad in action, but let not spend to much time dwelling in the dumps. Playoff Baseball is on the horizon. Land ho!! 
 
Zoltan Black