Sense of Community: Two Worlds

What's so special about the A's is their sense of community.

Whether letting it grow, shaving it off, rally caps sticking up, or Jason Kendall getting down, the A's exude community. It fairly drips off of them.

Swisher goes 0 for 4, with the 4 a K, and he can still smile in the outfield when a ball goes over his head to the fence. And Stewart can bump gloves with him to suggest the wind sucks and the effort was terrific.

Harden's shoulder is just about to come off, but he's there, with the team body and spirit, knowing, for sure, his days are numbered.

Kendall and Street can chuckle and exchange words after another Angel K's, and Piazza has slipped into the mix and has become one of the boys; try to find ways in which his Hall-of-Fame status has created rifts and you can't. With the beard, he looks like Swisher junior.

Scutaro, Ellis, Gaudin, and the rest. A team in every sense.

Now consider the Giants.

There's no "T" in Richie, Linden, Vizquel, Durham, and Klesko. They don't even know one another. And Bonds? He's always been the team breaker, so don't look left.

Is there any hope?

Only among the pitchers. If Lincicum is brought up (and isn't a jerk), maybe Zito, Cain, and Lincicum, all young guys, can come together and start something.

Short of this (or if Sabean trades one of them for another washed-out veteran), the team isn't.