While the A’s got an early start against the Mariners in Tokyo last week, the MLB regular season truly kicks off Thursday.
The Giants are not expected to return to prominence in 2019, but the man tasked with leading them back, Farhan Zaidi, is in place. His arrival intersects with the final year of a Hall of Fame-worthy managerial run from Bruce Bochy. They may be billed as opposites (the analytical executive vs. the manager who runs on instinct), but the pair isn’t as different as one may think.
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Across the Bay, the major attraction will be at third base.