I’ve been very concerned lately about our San Francisco Giants.

They seem to be in the final throes of a season of extremes. There was joy, which led to optimism early in the year.

Great! In June they beat the dreaded Dodgers to take over first place in the National League West. Quick! To the World Series ticket applications. Drats! Seems the World Series ticket apps were traded by Farhan Zaidi to the Yomiuri Giants in exchange for a Shohei Ohtani autograph and a sushi platter to be named later.

Yippee Skippee! Not only were the Giants in first place, but two days later they traded a couple of arms for one of the best hitters in baseball, Rafael Devers.

Yikes! One of the best hitters in baseball forgot which end of the bat created base hits. Rats! The ol’ home team proceeded to go from winner, to loser, to “What the hell was that??”

Thrown balls were merely objects which to avoid. The team batting average was roughly 95 celsius. Pitchers suddenly couldn’t find home plate with a GPS. Under “balls and strikes” on the scoreboard it just said, “nevermind”.

And then, just when it appeared that fans were ready to burn their Panda hats in effigy, all the hits that Rafi Devers had left behind in Boston finally arrived in San Francisco.

Willy Adames, who had more good hits with the Gatorade bucket than he did on the field, suddenly remembered that base hits generally come when the bat makes contact with the ball.

All the while the core starters found the missing plate. Justin Verlander started pitching like a long-ago pitcher named Justin Verlander. And the bullpen was the best in baseball. Until it wasn’t.

If only the Giants could play 162 games a year against the Colorado Rockies. Darn the luck, they also had to play the Padres and the Dodgers.

Much to my mother’s chagrin, I didn’t go to med school. But I do have a diagnosis of this year’s San Francisco Giants. The Giants are schizophrenic. And so are the Giants.

So, what to say as we look ahead to the 2026 San Francisco Giants? I decided to consult the great baseball Buddha, who lives in a mountain-top palace that only the Los Angeles Dodgers can afford. I’ll pass these on to Buster Posey when we’re done here.

“If there is no self, why am I on IR?”

“Wherever you go, there you are. Even if it’s Cleveland.”

“A journey of a thousand miles begins with but a single stolen base.”

“Tao demands nothing of others. But Bob Melvin does.”

“Accept misfortune as a blessing. And see if the official scorekeeper can change it to a hit.”

“Breathe in. Breathe out. Breathe in. Breathe out. Failure to do so could be life threatening.”

“Deep inside you are ten thousand flowers. Each flower blossoms ten thousand times. Each blossom has ten thousand petals. Make sure you see the trainer on your way out.”

“Zen is not easy. It takes effort to attain nothingness. You’ve already done that this year, so do better in 2026.”

Best before

….And finally, from the “I’ve been meaning to talk to you about this” files……

I’ve become a big proponent of the “Use By” date.

I frankly never thought such a thing existed until recently when searching for a late-night snack I discovered a jar of garbanzo beans I’d been saving for just such a midnight raid. Upon closer review, in small print on the label it said “Use by September 21.” That was fine until I realized it was September 21, 2022.

It got me to thinking that it seems like a good idea if some of our sports celebrities also had a “Use By” date. The act is good until Spring of 2026, then it’s time to go quietly away.

My prime candidate for over usage of a “Use By” date is Aaron Rodgers. If only he’d gone off on one of his Ayahuasca retreats in search of a higher power after his great 2021 season in Green Bay, he’d not only be more enlightened, so would we.

Instead he’s wasted the time of the New York Jets and now the Pittsburgh Steelers while his arm writes a check that his knees can’t cash.

Angel Reese. Her “Use By” date seemed to be about two days into her first WNBA season.

She seemed to have it all coming out of LSU. She’s got star material. She’s tough, an innate rebounder, attractive, outspoken and a fashionista. And in the space of maybe a year she’s gotten into a verbal joust with another WNBA rising star, received more technical fouls than anyone in the league, alienated virtually everyone she comes in contact with, and then publicly trashed her teammates in a public forum before demanding a better cast to support her. Out! Like last week’s whipping cream.

Stephen A. Smith and Pat McAfee. No real reason their “Use By” date expired, I just need a little peace and quiet. I stopped accepting being yelled at the year I got out of Army basic training. Sorry guys.

LeBron James. Great respect. Does all the right things, you never read about him in the Enquirer or Us Magazine, charitable, and from all appearances a good dad. Maybe the best basketball player — ever.

The reason he’s reached his “Use By” date is that he needs his greatness to be verbally acknowledged by his peers. I’ve grown tired of that part. Emphasized by the fact that we have a guy around here who could be a candidate for that title, too. And you don’t have to remind him of it.

Comedian Kevin Hart. Just because he’s everywhere. And annoying.

And finally, let’s all raise a glass to a sports franchise that seems to have no “Use By” date. Here’s to the Golden State Valkyries. They captured the hearts of a “show me” fan base and it became a love affair.

I promise, I’ll be back courtside next year.

As long as I don’t have to sit next to Kevin Hart.

Barry Tompkins is a 40-year network television sportscaster and a San Francisco native. Email him at barrytompkins1@gmail.com.