Watching the Giants play the last week brought a question to mind.

Is it easier for Art Howe to manage the A’s or does Dusty Baker have less stress managing the Giants?

Here’s the way I see it.The A’s and Giants are both considered to be contending baseball teams this season. Baseball experts regard both managers among the best in the game.

The Giants are a veteran team.

The advantage to Dusty Baker is the Giants are fairly predictable as to what to expect on a day to day, year to year basis.

This is especially true of the core players on the Giants.

Dusty knows JT Snow will play great defense. He will have trouble hitting the good lefties.

Jeff Kent is a former NL MVP.

He comes to the park ready to play with the same intensity every day. No mystery around Jeff Kent. Some days are better than others, but you know where Jeff Kent will be once the game begins, hustling, hitting fourth and playing decent second base. He knows how to play the game.

Let’s look at Art Howe’s first and second baseman.

Carlos Pena is in his rookie season. Through his first 97 at bats, he has hit seven homers and struck out 29 times. What will Pena’s numbers be on July 15th? Who can predict what this young man will be hitting or if he will be a regular contributor to the offense over the next two months.

It’s day to day for the manager when making plans for Carlos Pena.

What is Pena’s upside or downside over the course of a season? Who knows?

Frank Menechino plays good defense. He is hitting .214. Is this a trend or will Frank bounce back and hit as he did in early 2001? Will Randy Velarde be healthy enough to spell Menechino three times per week? Will Velarde take the job completely?

Just looking at these dilemmas for Howe, one realizes that not only does he not know what to expect on a given day from a player (which is the nature of baseball), but he cannot predict what the player is capable of accomplishing over a full season.

Dusty knows the upside and the downside of Snow and Kent. Will they produce, maybe, but he knows what they have done over their career.

Art has to feel his way along with Pena, Menechino and Velarde.

Eric Chavez, great young player, best hitter on the team. What can you expect from Chavez? Barry Bonds, best player on the Giants, probably will hit .370 with 50 homers.

The difference between these two teams is the number of veterans who have proven season records on the Giants as opposed to the uncertainty of the season long performances expected from almost the entire A’s roster.

Do you think the Giants coaches have to hit pregame fly ball after fly ball to Bonds, Shinjo and Reggie Sanders, trying to teach them how to play the outfield?

A’s oufield coach Mike Quade works with Jeremy Giambi and Terrance Long, on a daily basis hoping that they will break through and become adequate outfielders.

Baker knows when a ball is hit to his outfield whether it is within the range of his fielders. When a ball is hit to the A’s outfield Art Howe hopes his fielders will be in position to make the play.

The A’s players are so talented that they win, while going through their growing pains as

major leaguers.

Russ Ortiz is comparable to any of the A’s young (Mulder, Hudson, and Zito) starters. All have great arms, but one is never quite sure if they will be on their game that day.

Standoff here.

Kirk Reuter, steady seven innings over ten years in the majors. Cory Lidle, 50 big league starts, what will he do over the course of a full season?

Rob Nen or Billy Koch? Felix Rodriguez or Jim Mecir? Which are more predictable?

Catcher: Ramon Hernadez or Benito Santiago? Santiago is limited at this stage of his life, Hernadez may hit .200 or .280, who knows what he is truly capable of acheiving during his career?

Every day Art Howe comes to the park, he faces uncertainty.

Every day Dusty Baker comes to the park, he has a reasonable idea of what to expect from his players.

Heck, Pedro Feliz and Damon Minor can barely get into a game for the Giants because Dusty doesn’t know what to expect from these young players over the course of the year.

The A’s and their coaching staff are on a white knuckle flight through out the baseball season. Their seat belts are fastened every day hoping the landing will be smooth.

The Giants know their plane will make a smooth touch down. The flight for both teams may be bumpy because baseball is played on an unpredictable daily basis.

That is understood. It’s the track record, the comfort level of knowing what to expect within reasonable parameters.

The Giants have it, the A’s don’t.

My conclusion is neither manager can relax, but Dusty has the luxury of knowing what to expect from his veteran team more often than Art, with his evolving squad.

For Art, the question is, do you want what is behind door number one or the mystery behind door number two?

Do you play Scott Hatteberg or Pena? Will Jeremy Giambi be physically sound for one whole season (he’s never had one injury free year yet)?

Art Howe makes the correct choice more often than not because he is a baseball expert.

For those reasons, Dusty Baker sleeps a little better than his counterpart, Art Howe.

Dusty’s job is easier.