Second half not about Lincecum

Giants fans have developed this nasty habit of turning on their own with swiftness and mercilessness that is both unpleasant and entertaining.Aubrey Huffs honeymoon after the 2010 season lasted half a year. Bruce Bochys, four months. Brian Sabean, 35 minutes. Hell, Pat Burrell and Freddy Sanchez are thought of more highly for having disappeared entirely than for flailing about in plain view.And now, its Tim Lincecums turn. That, and his rancid first half numbers, which are so bad that they actually produce more laughter than pity. Laughter, as in nervous, involuntary what-the-hell-do-you-make-of-that laughter that mostly replaces an undercurrent of fright caused by the conventional wisdom of years ago.RELATED: Baggarly -- Lincecum calls himself 'weak link'
You remember it: Hell have a short career because of the violent and unorthodox nature of his delivery. That wisdom is still out there, and it seems to playing itself out among the more distant and thoughtful members of society.Closer in, though, its more a demand among the hyperactive fan base of fixing the immediate problem so that he doesnt inflict himself on the customers every fifth day and harsh their mellows.Indeed, we are surprised that there hasnt been a groundswell for the Giants building a big red barn in the parking lot, taking him out behind it and shooting him, while people watch for the right contribution to the Giants Community Fund.Its probably just a sponsorship issue, though, one Larry Baer would have solved for Barry Zito some years ago if he could have. There may be time for them to demand and get the Old Yeller Solution for Lincecum they seem to crave.And now weve fallen into the trap of thinking 2012 is about Lincecum. It isnt. Its about a team that improved its offense, has held serve with its pitching, and yet has an odd combination of results that baffles more than it enlightens.Two years ago, the Giants were plus-57 in runs at the break, and five games over .500. Last year, they were 12 games over, and plus-five. This year, they are six over and minus-eight.Thus, based on current results, they should actually be 42-44, and are actually overachieving; the previous two years, they were four games worse. This probably tells us more about expected wins and losses at the All-Star Break than anything else, or maybe about the stat in general.But the fact is that they fixed their offensive problem, and they still havent reached the level of nirvana they have marketed their fans into believing they deserve.This means something, or someone has failed them, and therefore it must be . . . . . . do we really need to say?Zito has exceeded expectations. Matt Cain is the new golden child, which is perfect since he seems to be the one in the room who cares the least about being so. Ryan Vogelsong has consolidated his good year in 2011 with a better one, and Madison Bumgarner is enjoying more than enduring his second full year in the big leagues.RELATED: Giants 2012 stats
Buster Poseys leg hasnt fallen off. Brandon Belt has finally seemed to grasp the nuances of what the Giants coaching staff has been screaming at him to do for over a year. Ryan Theriot has plugged the hole at second, Pablo Sandoval remains both marvel and maddening at the same time, the outfield is pretty well fixed from foul pole to foul pole, and Brandon Crawford needs only to become the defensive specialist he has always been considered to get people to accept his hitting deficiencies.And nobody has seemed to miss Brian Wilson all that much, although they run hot and cold on Santiago Casilla while loving Sergio Romo all the more. How someone hasnt rammed an animal image suitable for stuffing and selling down his yap frankly escapes us.But nobody seems terribly happy about all this. Being a half-game behind the Dodgers, and south of the Nationals, Pirates, Dusty Bakers and Braves, and tied with the Mets seems to have unnerved the student body, and they have chosen the easiest target.The one they have loved the most.Theres probably something weirdly Freudian in all this, but smart folks dont do Freud at midseason. They do Jamesons, and wait for developments.Ray Ratto is a columnist for CSNBayArea.com