his team...the augusta greenjackets...giants farm system...minor league team of the year.
Sometimes, though, a team needs a little help during a title run and at this level, it often comes from the most recent draft. The Giants took St. John's pitcher Scott Barnes in the eighth round in June and after quick stops in the Arizona and Northwest Leagues, Barnes spent the last month of the season -- and the postseason -- with the GreenJackets. The lefty had a 1.38 ERA in six regular-season starts down the stretch, then won both clinching games in the two playoff rounds.
"I felt fortunate to get the chance to go to Augusta and help them win a championship," Barnes said. "It was something I wasn't really expecting, but I loved getting the opportunity. It was a great playoff run. You couldn't have asked for a better [postseason].
"Anywhere we go, if we're the Minor League team of the year, we'll be expected to do well next year, of course. You can't pay attention to expectations. We'll probably have a pretty similar team in San Jose as we had in Augusta. If we stay focused on doing our jobs the way we can and work toward winning another championship, I'm sure it's not out of our reach."