I once asked a question that John McNamara found so repulsive, he looked at me like I’d used his toothbrush. He was managing the Angels at the time, things weren’t going well, and his level of patience ranked about three on a scale of 70.

Somehow, I can’t imagine this happening with Giants manager Gabe Kapler. He’d be more inclined to remark, “Say, your teeth are looking a bit yellow there. Let me recommend my special whitening agent.”

So we’re clear, I like Kapler. I find him interesting, engaging, pleasantly different. Among those of us who have covered the games for decades, interviewing managers has felt like stepping into the pages of history, and being very careful along the way. Gruff, no-nonsense guys like Earl Weaver, Gene Mauch, Dick Williams, Tommy Lasorda — they’d seen it all, in a game so irrevocably wed to failure. Even the best of the modern-day managers, the likes of Dusty Baker and Bob Melvin, harbor a certain wariness, and with all of them, writers needed time to build an atmosphere of comfort and trust. Perhaps someday, on a road trip, you could share a few drinks at the hotel bar.

All of which is to say, once again, that new-age Gabe Kapler is not Bruce Bochy. Upon meeting Kapler, your first thought isn’t about his history in the game; it’s more like, “Damn, I’m out of shape. Look at those guns!” Greg Papa had the right idea on KNBR the other day when he likened Kapler to a football coach. But here lies the beauty of baseball: Who’s to say the Giants’ radical new era is a hopeless venture?

Wednesday in Glendale, Ariz., the Giants play the Dodgers in an exhibition game. No, it’s not a preview of some crazy September series with the two teams fighting for first place. The Dodgers are a 106-win team that just picked up Mookie Betts, which is something like the 73-win Warriors adding Kevin Durant. The competitive gap is Grand Canyon-sized.

It would be a monumental achievement, though, for the Giants to finish second — and it’s hardly out of the question. Simply cannot be ruled out. Roast this column if it proves to be farcical, but if I’m Buster Posey or Johnny Cueto or any relevant member of the team, I’m not the least bit intimidated by the rest of this division.

Maybe we should allow for the Mason Saunders factor: the old calf roper, Madison Bumgarner, pitching in Arizona — the place that “feels like where I’m supposed to be,” as he said upon arrival. It will be a daunting prospect for the Giants to face their former teammate, and the way this ridin’, ropin’ cowpoke loves to hit at Chase Field, he’s liable to blast a couple of dingers.

The rest of the Diamondbacks’ roster speaks well of gamers, notably the outfield of David Peralta, Starling Marte (good pickup in a trade from Pittsburgh) and Kole Calhoun. Nick Ahmed plays a nice shortstop and second baseman Ketel Marte was an MVP candidate last year. But there’s nothing close to resembling the Dodgers’ star power. This team hasn’t been scary from the moment Paul Goldschmidt was traded to St. Louis.

Now, San Diego, that’s a different story. It doesn’t get much more compelling than third baseman Manny Machado and shortstop Fernando Tatis Jr., and it’s a high-energy team in general. Tampa Bay pitcher Blake Snell was so upset when his team traded outfielder Tommy Pham to the Padres (Pham hit one of the Rays’ four homers in last year’s wild-card win over the A’s), he told Yahoo Sports, “It’s just hella stupid. Tommy’s the man, bro. He was the swag of our team.”

It just doesn’t seem that the pitching is quite there, with all-world prospects MacKenzie Gore and Luis Patino perhaps a season or two away. Plus, they’re the Padres. Always falling just a bit short.

Colorado looks completely hopeless. The Rockies did nothing of consequence in the offseason except irritate elite third baseman Nolan Arenado with their complacency, and he’s engaged in a serious feud with general manager Jeff Bridich. Arenado has an opt-out clause in his contract that comes into play after the 2021 season, which could wipe out the final six years of his massive contract, and every indication is that he wants out of Denver right now. Power-hitting shortstop Trevor Story could be on the trade market, as well, for a team with low expectations and a rather putrid mood.

So there you have it, the latest wildly optimistic preseason dispatch. Off to the bottom of the birdcage it goes, promise-free.

Bruce Jenkins is a columnist for The San Francisco Chronicle. Email: bjenkins@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @Bruce_Jenkins1