WWBBD? (What Would Billy Beane Do?)

Things are gray in Giants land.

The Giants offense is sputtering and the pitching is not sharp, the team is tumbling down the standings but due to some good fortune remains just a few games out of first place.

What can or should be done to help fix things?

Monte Poole of the Bay Area News group says that we should ask our selves as Giants fans what would Billy Beane do?

Bay Area baseball fans can recall having a general manager who was as assertive as he was persuasive, with no tolerance for seeing good work go unrewarded.

[Beane] routinely observed his team through April and May, identified its needs and spent late May and June studying other rosters and massaging his vivid imagination until he had discovered potential solutions.

If this isn't being done in the Giants front office right now there is gross mis-competence and Bill Neukom needs to make some heads roll. It shouldn't come as a surprise that the Giants offense isn't that improved from last season. The main additions of Freddy Sanchez, Mark DeRosa, and Aubry Huff only Huff has played well or at all this season everything else is the same as last year.

Poole explains some quick fixes that can be done with the lineup which I don't find any fault in but it is not going to solve the Giants offensive issues. These quick fixes are not a ticket to October baseball and the flaws of this team are glaring and staring us right in the face. I want some more of the Brian Sabean style moves that brought in Jeff Kent or Jason Schmidt.

Among the options that would seem to behoove the team are, 1) allowing second baseman Freddy Sanchez, a proven hitter, to get comfortable after missing the first seven weeks; 2) moving Aaron Rowand out of leadoff and keeping Andres Torres there until further notice; 3) pushing Bengie Molina back in the lineup, perhaps as far as eighth.

Another option already on the board — and one manager Bruce Bochy tried Tuesday night — is moving Huff from first base to left field and Sandoval from third to first. This keeps Edgar Renteria at shortstop, with Sanchez and Jose Uribe dividing second and third.

There is no reason, though, to assume any or all of these moves will yank the Giants from their customary place (since 2006) at or near the bottom in key offensive categories. They don't have a 30-homer bat, they still may not reach base often enough, and they still may not find ways to drive runners in.

All of which brings us back to the GM. Though Sabean signed an extension through 2011, it's on him to come up with something that can dazzle fans, wake up the lineup, fortify the pitchers and, ultimately, increase his own job security

This team needs hitters who can a) get on base consistently and b) hit for power. If somehow we could add this we may have a major league average offense that doesn't need perfection from our starters and bullpen to pull out these 1-0 wins.

So Brian Sabean we are stuck with you for the next two years at least can you make something happen for this team? I think that the locals are getting restless.