Sampling of columns from Knight Ridder/Tribune contributors.(Knight Ridder/Tribune News Service)

NEIL HAYES, Contra Costa Times, on DUSTY BAKER:

SAN FRANCISCO _ There's nothing wrong with an owner saying, "I think we can do better," when faced with a coaching or managerial decision.

It's even admirable during an era when sports has become similar to politics, where owners, coaches and general managers try to "spin" decisions in order to manipulate public opinion.

But there's no spinning this one. The San Francisco Giants can't do any better than Dusty Baker. If Peter Magowan allows Baker to leave he'll regret it for the rest of his life.

We don't know whether the Giants' historic meltdown in Game 6 of the World Series will alter Magowan's opinion of Baker. We don't know whether the Giants' loss in Game 7 will cloud his decision one way or another.

But he should know that this is about more than pitching changes and pinch-hitting decisions. It's about perception, personality and the identity of the franchise.

This may come as a shock to Magowan. It may even surprise some Giants fans in the wake of the team's first World Series appearance since 1989, but this is not an overly likable team.