(By E. Chang)

The week that was:
Won 2, lost 1 against the Dodgers.
Won 1, lost 2 against the Cardinals.

3-3 for the season.

The week that will be:
3 games at home against the Rockies.
4 games in Chicago against the Cubs.

Football is a religion. During the season, millions of Americans spend their week preparing for the Sabbath. We put on our Sunday best (should I go with my #55 Ahmad Brooks or my #36 Merton Hanks?) and congregate with our fellow believers in groups both big and small. Football is momentous and ecstatic — it feels important.

Baseball ain't like that. Baseball is like homework. Or traffic. It is slow and it is tedious and progression is difficult to see. Baseball isn't Sunday — baseball is everyday. And to the baseball fan, that is a beautiful thing. There are 162 games from April to October. That means there are 5, 6, 7 games a week from now til then. That means almost everyday, you can walk down the street, pass by the open door of a bar, peek your head in, and catch the score in the 6th inning or see the replay of the Sandoval to Scutaro to Belt double-play. That means almost everyday, you can get home from work, turn on your old-timey radio and hear the old-timey voice of Jon Miller and feel old-timey.

It's that everyday quality of baseball that we love. It's like that morning cigarette or that late-night jay — you just gotta have it or your whole day is off. And just as all that homework eventually got you your Good Enough Diplomas, and just as the 38-Geary will eventually get you to where you need to go, with each game, each week, we'll see how the Giants' season takes shape.

So there's no need to panic over the fact that we're currently on pace to finish the season 81-81!!! There's no need to panic over the fact that Timmy walked SEVEN batters in five innings. That Matt Cain gave up NINE runs and couldn't get out of the 4th inning. That NONE of our hitters are batting over .300!

Breathe.

Nah, we're good. We're only 6 games into a 162-game season. The boys have 3 more games at home against the Rockies and then they take the show on the road for a 7-game Midwest tour of Chicago and Milwaukee. When they get back, they have a crazy 15-game stretch against the bums in our division, at which point we'll have a much better idea of how the Giants stack up.

Week 1 is in the books, and though it could have been better, screw it. Pop open an Anchor Steam, take a long swig, and trust that eventually, we'll all get to where we need to go.