The Mercury News’ Skip Bayless writes today about how and why Bonds is happy, and so is the team. Much of the credit goes to new manager Felipe Alou:

Bonds is obviously much more comfortable with Alou at the controls. Few managers could use so many lineups and split playing time among so many proud players without constant public flare-ups. But this team has come to trust Alou’s hero-a-day hunches and in-game instincts. He has pushed all the right buttons — even psychological ones in demoting and reinserting Jesse Foppert and Damian Moss in the rotation.

I’m loving every minute of this Giants season and can’t wait for the post-season.

The perfect match for the Series, of course, would be the A’s, also under new management this year though not showing the significant improvements over last year seen at Pac Bell. Still, they’re three games out of first in the A.L. West as I write this, and in a fierce battle for the A.L Wild Card slot.

Bay Bridge Series II? Here’s hoping.