The Dodgers' series will get the full rant once it's done. First I'd like to take a moment to sound off on the Giants' moves as the non-waiver deadline came and went. They actions taken by the Giants front office said a lot about the team, how it values players, and what we can expect from this organization moving forward.
In short, they don't have the first damn clue.
Several things are evident. First, there is no plan. Second, the Giants are hopelessly enamored with small sample sizes. And third, they think pitching is the beat all end all and are utterly convinced they can keep on pulling 2-1 wins out of their collective backsides.
To be sure, the Giants needed relief help. It stands to reason that the acquisitions of Javier Lopez from Pittsburgh and Ramon Martinez from the BoSox help the pen, if for no other reason than two of the clowns now on the roster should be forced to pack their bags -- although if Sabean could field a team with 25 pitchers he'd most certainly do so. But let's be honest, the Giants just dumped arguably their best minor league stick and two hurlers for a pair of situational guys with VERY average career stats. This was a "we gotta do something" move and not a "these are the difference makers" type of trade.
Which brings me to sample size. In two of the three games leading up to the deadline, the Giants scored runs but saw the bullpen implode. So, in true Saban fashion, the decision was made that the offense was just fine, thank you very much, but we need pitchers. Typical. Again we see a glaring weakness ignored.
Clearly the Giants are unable to get anything of real value in trade. That being said, you have to ask: is it because Sabean is inept or because no one thinks much of what he has to offer? Proably a bit of both, but the actions taken certainly ask one to question the value of Giants "prospects." Follow the bouncing ball.
The Giants deal John Bowker, who beat out Nate Scheirholtz for the opening day right field job when Nate had the audacity to go three consecutive ABs in spring training without driving something from Scottsdale to Tucson on the fly. That was enough for the Giants to bench one guy and pronounce another the cure. Of course, when Bowker struggled he suddenly wasn't the popular blonde and got shipped back to Fresno in favor of Andres Torres. When Rowand struggled, Torres moved to center and Rowand esssentially lost his job to the combo of waiver wire parolee Pat Burrell and Buster Posey, with Huff moving to the outfield.
With me so far?
Now Bengie Molina, who never should have been signed, gets mercifully dealt. Posey goes behind the dish, the Giants start playing five-man roulette with the outfield, and first base ends up a combination of Huff, Posey, Ishikawa and Sandoval. Finally, less than four months after the Giants pronounced Bowker to be "the guy," he gets traded for a rosin bag, and to sweeten the deal the Giants had to give up a hurler that they had pronounced the next big thing in 2009.
You can't make this stuff up. They gotta be crafting decsions based on a combination of Ouja Boards, Tarot cards, a voodoo preistess' reading of chicken entrails, and something of an herbal nature borrowed from Tommy Chong. Trying to connect the dots is like trying to make sense of a Rorschak test as interpreted by Picasso.
The Padres and Dodgers both made upgrades at the deadline. Why not the Giants? Perhaps because opposing GMs don't place any value on what the Giants have to offer -- a stunning indictment of both the farm system and the collective efforts of the Giants' player evaluation department.
Apparently the Giants are the only organization who believe these guys are worth more than day-old bread. Others look at the cupboard and find very few attractive morsels. As the Giants continue to talk out of both sides of their mouths -- telling fans how good Player X is going to be only to later dump him as low grade dog food -- they destroy any credibility they might have had.
Ford spent a lot of time telling people how wonderful the Pinto was, but shoppers quit buying when they started blowing up. Same with Giants prospects. Someone might take one in trade for a used Maverick with an exhaust leak, but if you're looking for value towards a quality purchase you will be disappointed. You might get enough to buy one of those pine tree air fresheners.
Did the Giants need to bolster the pen? Yes, but that was one of many needs. Last I looked, the name of the game was to score more runs than the other guy. To do that, you do actually have to score. The Giants don't do so consistently.
This all comes down to the Giants total refusal to deal established pitching. If they're so good at developing arms, why zealously hold onto mediocre talents like Jonathan Sanchez? Across the Bay, Billy Beane has made a career out of buying low and selling high. If dealing Sanchez would fill a hole, that's where his real value lies.
There were winners and losers at the deadline. In a three-team race, two got significantly better. The third wears orange and black.
Saturday, July 31, 2010
Friday, July 30, 2010
The Moment of Reckoning is Here
Computers have these wonderful things called “macros”. You save a certain phrase, sentence or paragraph so that you can use it again and again with just a few keystrokes. It’s a great time saver if you know what you wrote once is gonna be used again.
I think I’ll save this little tidbit from the Marlins’ series:
“Once again the starting pitchers did their jobs, the bullpen failed miserably, and it was up to the offense to prove it was worth the collective oxygen it sucks out of the universe. Evidence that either bullpen or offense is anything better than mediocre was less than convincing.”
That’s a bit of a downer considering the Giants have just won 13 of 17, but after surviving a stretch in which they played 18 of 22 games on the road you would expect more than a four-game split with the Marlins.
For Florida, which entered and exited AT&T with a .500 record, a sister kiss on enemy ground is a decent achievement. For the Giants, who came in at 56-43, going two and two on home turf had to be a disappointment.
Saying the series was a disappointment was like saying Jeffrey Dahmer was a disappointment to his parents. Disappointment? This was bordering on Greek tragedy.
We can bag on Zito and Cain for their inability to keep the ball in the park, but the fact remains that both provided what the stat geeks would call a “quality start.” Sanchez still couldn’t last five frames but it was the bullpen went nuclear, and Bumgarner showed he’s still learning but could have thrown a no-hitter and lost for all the help he got.
The bullpen continues to be atrocious. Watching the Giants blow a 9-2 lead sent visions of Ryan Spilborghs through my brain (see Post #1 if you’ve been more successful than I in blocking the memory). Only Andres Torres’ 4-for-6 day saved the Giants from what I’m convinced would have been a plunge into the abyss.
Of course, inspired by that Houdini-esque escape act the Giants came out the next day and played dead. I’m not talking about sluggish. They literally had no pulse. George Romero movies have more life-like characters. Only Panda’s dying quail helped the Giants avoid being the victim of the year’s sixth no-no. It was a stunning performance worthy of note in any newsletter expounding the virtues of the mortuary sciences.
Radio talk shows, the papers and the blogosphere have varying verdicts on whether or not the Giants are better off than they were last year. Certainly the big run over the past three weeks has built excitement. Heck, we all want to believe.
The cold hard fact is that the Giants are 58-45. At the same point last year they were 56-47. A two-game improvement over the span of 103 is nothing to write home about, and that 2009 team finished in third place -- seven games out. Pardon me if I’m not ordering playoff tickets just yet.
The 2009 Giants had no offense, poor middle relief, and a middle infield more suited to one of those leagues where they keep a keg behind second base. The 2010 Giants have no offense, poor middle relief, and a middle infield more suited to one of those leagues where they keep a keg behind second base. I detect a trend.
Time for Brian Sabean to earn his money.
The Giants have to acquire some on-field help. The kind of deal I imagined evaporated when Roy Oswalt and J.A. Happ traded uniforms. I figured Philadelphia might be the only team willing to take on Rowand, who remains a fan favorite in the world battery toss capitol. Rowand and Sanchez for Werth and Happ made sense to me. The Giants would have needed to work with Werth on an extension, but even if he walked at season’s end the Giants would have rid themselves of a $24 million albatross while swapping an erratic lefty for a pitcher who doesn’t go 3-2 on every hitter. So much for that.
Current speculation centers around acquisition of a left-handed outfield bat or middle reliever, but those spots are going to be hard to fill. There aren’t a lot of players who seem to be a match for the Giants who wouldn’t cost, at the least, Madison Bumgarner (Sanchez I’d deal in a heartbeat). Rather than burn a prospect on someone who might be only a marginal upgrade a la Ryan Garko (thank God the Giants were outbid for Podsednik), I’d prefer they address the glaring hole at shortstop.
Edgar Renteria is a shadow of his former self. Yes, he was a World Series hero – as a 20-year-old rookie. The current version is 35, an inconsistent fielder with limited range and durability issues, and his once clutch bat is now the weakest part of his game. He had a big homer in Tuesday’s game – a bomb that doubled his season total and accounted for the only time he’s gone deep in his last 30 outings. He’s amassed a whopping eight RBIs in that span. In the Florida series that homer was his ONLY hit.
In his two seasons with the club he’s been a contributing member for about an hour and a half. His 2009 campaign was a joke, and after a hot start this year he went into the tank. Now I hear the argument “But he’s been injured.” Yeah, so? Since joining the club, when has he NOT been injured?
Uribe can’t play short on a regular basis because, well, to put it kindly, you need your shortstop to cover the ground with his legs and glove, not his rather immense shadow. There are no options on the farm: Manny Burris is proving to be more suited to second base, and our candidates at the lower levels are waging ongoing love affairs with the Mendoza line. The answer lies outside the organization. The Diamondbacks and Mariners are in fire sale mode and looking to move Stephen Drew or Jack Wilson. Go get one.
Over the next 16 games the G-men face every team in the division except Arizona. They get three-gamers with LA and San Diego at The Big Phone, and only a four-game series at Atlanta screams “trouble.” By August 15 we’ll know if this was real or a mirage.
It’s Waterloo, make or break, D Day, zero hour, (insert your favorite metaphor here). After this run the Giants will see the Pads and Dodgers 10 more times combined, none before Sept 9, and the first four with San Diego are in Tijuana Heights. By then it’s too late to do anything but pray – especially with the Giants playing six of their last nine on the road.
It starts tonight with The Hated Dodgers in town. The Giants get to throw the top of their rotation, Kershaw’s suspension means the LA rotation is tweaked, and Joe Torre probably had Don Mattingly fitted for restraints. LA isn’t hitting, so this is the Giants’ chance.
A 3 ½-game bulge by San Diego isn’t insurmountable, especially in August, but the Padres have the second best record in baseball over their last 162. They aren’t a fluke, and they aren’t coming back to the pack.
To win the West, the Giants will have to hunt them down.
I think I’ll save this little tidbit from the Marlins’ series:
“Once again the starting pitchers did their jobs, the bullpen failed miserably, and it was up to the offense to prove it was worth the collective oxygen it sucks out of the universe. Evidence that either bullpen or offense is anything better than mediocre was less than convincing.”
That’s a bit of a downer considering the Giants have just won 13 of 17, but after surviving a stretch in which they played 18 of 22 games on the road you would expect more than a four-game split with the Marlins.
For Florida, which entered and exited AT&T with a .500 record, a sister kiss on enemy ground is a decent achievement. For the Giants, who came in at 56-43, going two and two on home turf had to be a disappointment.
Saying the series was a disappointment was like saying Jeffrey Dahmer was a disappointment to his parents. Disappointment? This was bordering on Greek tragedy.
We can bag on Zito and Cain for their inability to keep the ball in the park, but the fact remains that both provided what the stat geeks would call a “quality start.” Sanchez still couldn’t last five frames but it was the bullpen went nuclear, and Bumgarner showed he’s still learning but could have thrown a no-hitter and lost for all the help he got.
The bullpen continues to be atrocious. Watching the Giants blow a 9-2 lead sent visions of Ryan Spilborghs through my brain (see Post #1 if you’ve been more successful than I in blocking the memory). Only Andres Torres’ 4-for-6 day saved the Giants from what I’m convinced would have been a plunge into the abyss.
Of course, inspired by that Houdini-esque escape act the Giants came out the next day and played dead. I’m not talking about sluggish. They literally had no pulse. George Romero movies have more life-like characters. Only Panda’s dying quail helped the Giants avoid being the victim of the year’s sixth no-no. It was a stunning performance worthy of note in any newsletter expounding the virtues of the mortuary sciences.
Radio talk shows, the papers and the blogosphere have varying verdicts on whether or not the Giants are better off than they were last year. Certainly the big run over the past three weeks has built excitement. Heck, we all want to believe.
The cold hard fact is that the Giants are 58-45. At the same point last year they were 56-47. A two-game improvement over the span of 103 is nothing to write home about, and that 2009 team finished in third place -- seven games out. Pardon me if I’m not ordering playoff tickets just yet.
The 2009 Giants had no offense, poor middle relief, and a middle infield more suited to one of those leagues where they keep a keg behind second base. The 2010 Giants have no offense, poor middle relief, and a middle infield more suited to one of those leagues where they keep a keg behind second base. I detect a trend.
Time for Brian Sabean to earn his money.
The Giants have to acquire some on-field help. The kind of deal I imagined evaporated when Roy Oswalt and J.A. Happ traded uniforms. I figured Philadelphia might be the only team willing to take on Rowand, who remains a fan favorite in the world battery toss capitol. Rowand and Sanchez for Werth and Happ made sense to me. The Giants would have needed to work with Werth on an extension, but even if he walked at season’s end the Giants would have rid themselves of a $24 million albatross while swapping an erratic lefty for a pitcher who doesn’t go 3-2 on every hitter. So much for that.
Current speculation centers around acquisition of a left-handed outfield bat or middle reliever, but those spots are going to be hard to fill. There aren’t a lot of players who seem to be a match for the Giants who wouldn’t cost, at the least, Madison Bumgarner (Sanchez I’d deal in a heartbeat). Rather than burn a prospect on someone who might be only a marginal upgrade a la Ryan Garko (thank God the Giants were outbid for Podsednik), I’d prefer they address the glaring hole at shortstop.
Edgar Renteria is a shadow of his former self. Yes, he was a World Series hero – as a 20-year-old rookie. The current version is 35, an inconsistent fielder with limited range and durability issues, and his once clutch bat is now the weakest part of his game. He had a big homer in Tuesday’s game – a bomb that doubled his season total and accounted for the only time he’s gone deep in his last 30 outings. He’s amassed a whopping eight RBIs in that span. In the Florida series that homer was his ONLY hit.
In his two seasons with the club he’s been a contributing member for about an hour and a half. His 2009 campaign was a joke, and after a hot start this year he went into the tank. Now I hear the argument “But he’s been injured.” Yeah, so? Since joining the club, when has he NOT been injured?
Uribe can’t play short on a regular basis because, well, to put it kindly, you need your shortstop to cover the ground with his legs and glove, not his rather immense shadow. There are no options on the farm: Manny Burris is proving to be more suited to second base, and our candidates at the lower levels are waging ongoing love affairs with the Mendoza line. The answer lies outside the organization. The Diamondbacks and Mariners are in fire sale mode and looking to move Stephen Drew or Jack Wilson. Go get one.
Over the next 16 games the G-men face every team in the division except Arizona. They get three-gamers with LA and San Diego at The Big Phone, and only a four-game series at Atlanta screams “trouble.” By August 15 we’ll know if this was real or a mirage.
It’s Waterloo, make or break, D Day, zero hour, (insert your favorite metaphor here). After this run the Giants will see the Pads and Dodgers 10 more times combined, none before Sept 9, and the first four with San Diego are in Tijuana Heights. By then it’s too late to do anything but pray – especially with the Giants playing six of their last nine on the road.
It starts tonight with The Hated Dodgers in town. The Giants get to throw the top of their rotation, Kershaw’s suspension means the LA rotation is tweaked, and Joe Torre probably had Don Mattingly fitted for restraints. LA isn’t hitting, so this is the Giants’ chance.
A 3 ½-game bulge by San Diego isn’t insurmountable, especially in August, but the Padres have the second best record in baseball over their last 162. They aren’t a fluke, and they aren’t coming back to the pack.
To win the West, the Giants will have to hunt them down.
Monday, July 26, 2010
Giants on Hot Streak (sort of)
In repsonse to my post "So Why Am I Not Happy?", DrBGiantsfan said...
"Still feel the same way after the last 3 games in Arizona? "
Yep, now more than ever. Hey, a win is a win is a win, and if you did nothing but look at the wins and losses, you'd think the Giants were on a roll of epic proportions. You'd be dead wrong. They needed a hot streak. What they got was a confluence of good pitching, poor competition and enemy generosity that occurs with about the same frequency that the Mayan calendar and Roland Emmerich films predict the end of the world.
The old joke is that there are lies, damn lies and statistics. In the Giants case, a weekend series with the Diamondbacks presented the prefect example of how the Win / Loss column doesn't tell the whole story. For three of the four games the Giants offense didn't show up. Arizona gave away one game with errors and refused the gift when the Giants tried to similarly surrender the series finale.
For awhile it seemed the Giants were going to leave Matt "Hard Luck" Cain high and dry again in Game One, but a couple of late runs made it a bit easier for Cain to pick up his eighth win. In 17 innings against the D-backs this year, Cain has allowed just four hits, three walks and zero runs. Add in a long ball and some great defense from Torres, and the Giants pop-gun offense proved to be just enough.
I'm starting to soften on Torres. It still could just be the story of an average player having a great year, but I'm now willing to say that this isn't just a streak. Mike Krukow made note of how Torres has revamped his game. I'm willing to believe he's figured something out -- I just pray the great Satan, uh, Sabean, doesn't offer him an outlandish deal in the off season a la Randy Winn. I can see that one coming. They'll re-up Torres and Huff at insane and ill-advised raises, much as they did Uribe this season, and the Giants will once again find themselves unable (or unwilling) to pursue the remedies for their current ills.
You had to know that at some point the bullpen's high wire act was going to lead to disaster. While Game Two had never seemed safe thanks due to Jonathan Sanchez being, well, himself, the implosion of the relief corps was both unfortunate and very predictable. The Giants can't continue to depend on the kindness of strangers (and opposing defenses) for wins. Edwin Jackson can only fire so many bunt attempts into right field (and the way the Giants were weilding the sticks I'm surprised someone didn't swing and miss at those errant throws).
I was listening to the Arizona announcers talk about how stingy the Giants relievers had been since mid June. They didn't mention a lack of quality opposition or the low number of innings they'd pitched over that span, and they totally ignored the number near-death experiences they've made us endure.
You can tell any story you want with a small sample size. Hey, last Friday I was undoubtedly the most attractive man in my office between 3:50 pm and 4:45 pm. I was also the smartest. And the youngest. And the only. But hey, I've got the stats to back up my claims.
There's been something about Santaigo Casilla that bugged me that I just couldn't put a finger on until Friday's outing, I mean something besides his incredible lack of poise or talent or control. Have you ever seen those computer simulations where they take a guy's motion and reduce it to a wire frame? Remove the identifying physical factors and look at his delivery. We've had this guy before -- when his name was Tyler Walker. Sucked then, sucks now. Same kind of motion -- hard, violent and totally out of control. Any strike thrown is the result of pure chance, not command.
Of course, Casilla fit right in after watching Sanchez exhibit the same level of control Evel Knievel showed at the Cow Palace. And the Giants won't trade this guy? His act hasn't changed one lick in his entire Major League career. He's outstanding in one start, abysmal the next, and the third start is anyone's guess. I'd much prefer a hurler who went out every fifth day and gave up three runs over six. That guy won't win a Cy Young but neither will he send fans searching for the nearest bottle of Jose Cuervo by the fourth inning. Plus, the bat he might bring could just help those three runs stand up.
Speaking of the battery, can someone please enlighten me on the value of Whiteside always catching Sanchez? I mean, I could buy it if it was making a difference in Sanchez's outings but there's plenty of evidence to the contrary. A march on Selma doesn't include this many walkers, and Sanchez is routinely hitting triple-digits pitch counts by the fifth inning. Whiteside contributes little offensively. The only threats the Giants have in the current line-up are Posey and Huff, so sitting half of that tandem on a night where you gotta figure you're gonna need runs makes about a much sense as inviting Ghandi over for barbecue.
Game Three was a nail-biter until late when the Arizona bullpen melted down like they were wearing orange and black. But to me the story of the game was one Madison Bumgarner. He was a massive disappointment this spring, but somewhere along the line he flipped the switch. You ask one thing from a pitcher, give your team a chance to win. Mission accomplished.
Since his call-up, MadBum has been sent to the hill six times. He's averaging a shade under seven innings per start with a 2.43 ERA and a solid 1.11 WH/IP. He's 4-2, and with numbers like that you gotta wonder how he lost two (although Matt Cain can offer a few suggstions). He's a keeper, in fact he's much better than a number five. So tell me again why they can't trade Sanchez?
Game Four threatened to follow a disturbing trend. With a chance to sweep, the Giants were flatter than my college girlfriend. Fortunately Buser Posey can hit, Tim Lincecum had the rabbit's foot working, and Sergio Romo's disappearing / reappearing slider returned at just the right moment.
Posey threatens to blow Sabean's rather impressive streak of 147 years and counting without developing a single decent positon player. Finally a Giants prospect who doesn't fit into the Linden-Minor-Ransom category (meaning he's actually good). A 4-for-5 day at the plate with a pair of doubles was pretty much the only offensive highlight in an otherwise unproductive day, and of course Bochy even tried to screw that up.
Whiteside ran for Posey why, exactly? Really, how many plays do you anticipate on which Posey can't score but Whiteside can? Bochy was just a Travis Ishikawa single away from having to explain why he'd put his best stick on the bench in a tied extra-inning affair while leaving Whiteside batting cleanup. Just say it. "Batting clean-up, Eli Whiteside!" I have auditory haliculations of Kruk and Kuip fighting back the gag reflex. Bochy over manages. He's as in love with the double switch and one-inning relievers as I am with Klondike bars and Cheez-Its, and none is particularly healthy.
Kudos to Ishikawa for saving us from that horror. Here's yet another of the young kids who can't seem to get a chance to play regularly. Now I can admit that he's maddening at times. He'll look positively lost at the plate, then square something up -- and often those moments occur during the same at bat. He's also a slick fielder, and the Giants need to build up their defense since they certainly aren't helping pitchers with their sitcks.
The subject of defense brings me to my favorite target. Can we now agree that Edgar Renteria has to go? While Lincecum bears responsiblity for surrendering a two-out, two-run two-bagger to the pitcher, that inning was extended by Renta-a-Wreck's inexplicable coverage of second base on a hit and run moments earlier.
Now I understand someone has to cover the bag, but you also have to be mindful of the ball being put in play. Renteria failed to get back to his position because HE NEVER LOOKED as the ball was grounded into the hole he'd just vacated. Nice piece of hitting there, but also clearly evident on replay was the number of steps Renteria took toward the bag before reversing his field on a ball hit behind him. They say the reflexes are the second thing to go (I forget what goes first). Renteria's left about three years ago. His lack of range (which contributed to a pair of singles on Sunday) is maddening enough without adding felony stupid to the equation.
And despite all their warts, the Giants are 56-43, a season-high 13 games over .500, and would be in the post-season if the campaign were to end today. I find that both exciting and troubling. A flawed unit can make a nice run against teams like Arizona, New York, LA and Milwaukee which are poor, struggling or both. But as the Giants prepare for the 100th game of the season, they need help if they intend to take on division leaders San Diego, St. Louis or Atlanta -- against whom the Giants are a combined 5-9. And the thought of a World Series game coming down to Mariano Rivera versus Eli Whiteside is the stuff of which Wes Craven films are made.
The Giants ARE in position. I'm thrilled they're winning. I'm also being realistic. Just because the hot chick agreed to let me buy her a drink doesn't mean she's gonna put out. There's still a lot of work to do, and with the trading deadline coming up Saturday, time is running out.
The G-men return home tonight hoping to fry some fish, with Zito on the hill. He's a much better pitcher at The Big Phone than on the road, and the offense owes him one afer they laid down and died in his last start at LA.
Can we get a new shortstop there by game time?
"Still feel the same way after the last 3 games in Arizona? "
Yep, now more than ever. Hey, a win is a win is a win, and if you did nothing but look at the wins and losses, you'd think the Giants were on a roll of epic proportions. You'd be dead wrong. They needed a hot streak. What they got was a confluence of good pitching, poor competition and enemy generosity that occurs with about the same frequency that the Mayan calendar and Roland Emmerich films predict the end of the world.
The old joke is that there are lies, damn lies and statistics. In the Giants case, a weekend series with the Diamondbacks presented the prefect example of how the Win / Loss column doesn't tell the whole story. For three of the four games the Giants offense didn't show up. Arizona gave away one game with errors and refused the gift when the Giants tried to similarly surrender the series finale.
For awhile it seemed the Giants were going to leave Matt "Hard Luck" Cain high and dry again in Game One, but a couple of late runs made it a bit easier for Cain to pick up his eighth win. In 17 innings against the D-backs this year, Cain has allowed just four hits, three walks and zero runs. Add in a long ball and some great defense from Torres, and the Giants pop-gun offense proved to be just enough.
I'm starting to soften on Torres. It still could just be the story of an average player having a great year, but I'm now willing to say that this isn't just a streak. Mike Krukow made note of how Torres has revamped his game. I'm willing to believe he's figured something out -- I just pray the great Satan, uh, Sabean, doesn't offer him an outlandish deal in the off season a la Randy Winn. I can see that one coming. They'll re-up Torres and Huff at insane and ill-advised raises, much as they did Uribe this season, and the Giants will once again find themselves unable (or unwilling) to pursue the remedies for their current ills.
You had to know that at some point the bullpen's high wire act was going to lead to disaster. While Game Two had never seemed safe thanks due to Jonathan Sanchez being, well, himself, the implosion of the relief corps was both unfortunate and very predictable. The Giants can't continue to depend on the kindness of strangers (and opposing defenses) for wins. Edwin Jackson can only fire so many bunt attempts into right field (and the way the Giants were weilding the sticks I'm surprised someone didn't swing and miss at those errant throws).
I was listening to the Arizona announcers talk about how stingy the Giants relievers had been since mid June. They didn't mention a lack of quality opposition or the low number of innings they'd pitched over that span, and they totally ignored the number near-death experiences they've made us endure.
You can tell any story you want with a small sample size. Hey, last Friday I was undoubtedly the most attractive man in my office between 3:50 pm and 4:45 pm. I was also the smartest. And the youngest. And the only. But hey, I've got the stats to back up my claims.
There's been something about Santaigo Casilla that bugged me that I just couldn't put a finger on until Friday's outing, I mean something besides his incredible lack of poise or talent or control. Have you ever seen those computer simulations where they take a guy's motion and reduce it to a wire frame? Remove the identifying physical factors and look at his delivery. We've had this guy before -- when his name was Tyler Walker. Sucked then, sucks now. Same kind of motion -- hard, violent and totally out of control. Any strike thrown is the result of pure chance, not command.
Of course, Casilla fit right in after watching Sanchez exhibit the same level of control Evel Knievel showed at the Cow Palace. And the Giants won't trade this guy? His act hasn't changed one lick in his entire Major League career. He's outstanding in one start, abysmal the next, and the third start is anyone's guess. I'd much prefer a hurler who went out every fifth day and gave up three runs over six. That guy won't win a Cy Young but neither will he send fans searching for the nearest bottle of Jose Cuervo by the fourth inning. Plus, the bat he might bring could just help those three runs stand up.
Speaking of the battery, can someone please enlighten me on the value of Whiteside always catching Sanchez? I mean, I could buy it if it was making a difference in Sanchez's outings but there's plenty of evidence to the contrary. A march on Selma doesn't include this many walkers, and Sanchez is routinely hitting triple-digits pitch counts by the fifth inning. Whiteside contributes little offensively. The only threats the Giants have in the current line-up are Posey and Huff, so sitting half of that tandem on a night where you gotta figure you're gonna need runs makes about a much sense as inviting Ghandi over for barbecue.
Game Three was a nail-biter until late when the Arizona bullpen melted down like they were wearing orange and black. But to me the story of the game was one Madison Bumgarner. He was a massive disappointment this spring, but somewhere along the line he flipped the switch. You ask one thing from a pitcher, give your team a chance to win. Mission accomplished.
Since his call-up, MadBum has been sent to the hill six times. He's averaging a shade under seven innings per start with a 2.43 ERA and a solid 1.11 WH/IP. He's 4-2, and with numbers like that you gotta wonder how he lost two (although Matt Cain can offer a few suggstions). He's a keeper, in fact he's much better than a number five. So tell me again why they can't trade Sanchez?
Game Four threatened to follow a disturbing trend. With a chance to sweep, the Giants were flatter than my college girlfriend. Fortunately Buser Posey can hit, Tim Lincecum had the rabbit's foot working, and Sergio Romo's disappearing / reappearing slider returned at just the right moment.
Posey threatens to blow Sabean's rather impressive streak of 147 years and counting without developing a single decent positon player. Finally a Giants prospect who doesn't fit into the Linden-Minor-Ransom category (meaning he's actually good). A 4-for-5 day at the plate with a pair of doubles was pretty much the only offensive highlight in an otherwise unproductive day, and of course Bochy even tried to screw that up.
Whiteside ran for Posey why, exactly? Really, how many plays do you anticipate on which Posey can't score but Whiteside can? Bochy was just a Travis Ishikawa single away from having to explain why he'd put his best stick on the bench in a tied extra-inning affair while leaving Whiteside batting cleanup. Just say it. "Batting clean-up, Eli Whiteside!" I have auditory haliculations of Kruk and Kuip fighting back the gag reflex. Bochy over manages. He's as in love with the double switch and one-inning relievers as I am with Klondike bars and Cheez-Its, and none is particularly healthy.
Kudos to Ishikawa for saving us from that horror. Here's yet another of the young kids who can't seem to get a chance to play regularly. Now I can admit that he's maddening at times. He'll look positively lost at the plate, then square something up -- and often those moments occur during the same at bat. He's also a slick fielder, and the Giants need to build up their defense since they certainly aren't helping pitchers with their sitcks.
The subject of defense brings me to my favorite target. Can we now agree that Edgar Renteria has to go? While Lincecum bears responsiblity for surrendering a two-out, two-run two-bagger to the pitcher, that inning was extended by Renta-a-Wreck's inexplicable coverage of second base on a hit and run moments earlier.
Now I understand someone has to cover the bag, but you also have to be mindful of the ball being put in play. Renteria failed to get back to his position because HE NEVER LOOKED as the ball was grounded into the hole he'd just vacated. Nice piece of hitting there, but also clearly evident on replay was the number of steps Renteria took toward the bag before reversing his field on a ball hit behind him. They say the reflexes are the second thing to go (I forget what goes first). Renteria's left about three years ago. His lack of range (which contributed to a pair of singles on Sunday) is maddening enough without adding felony stupid to the equation.
And despite all their warts, the Giants are 56-43, a season-high 13 games over .500, and would be in the post-season if the campaign were to end today. I find that both exciting and troubling. A flawed unit can make a nice run against teams like Arizona, New York, LA and Milwaukee which are poor, struggling or both. But as the Giants prepare for the 100th game of the season, they need help if they intend to take on division leaders San Diego, St. Louis or Atlanta -- against whom the Giants are a combined 5-9. And the thought of a World Series game coming down to Mariano Rivera versus Eli Whiteside is the stuff of which Wes Craven films are made.
The Giants ARE in position. I'm thrilled they're winning. I'm also being realistic. Just because the hot chick agreed to let me buy her a drink doesn't mean she's gonna put out. There's still a lot of work to do, and with the trading deadline coming up Saturday, time is running out.
The G-men return home tonight hoping to fry some fish, with Zito on the hill. He's a much better pitcher at The Big Phone than on the road, and the offense owes him one afer they laid down and died in his last start at LA.
Can we get a new shortstop there by game time?
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
So Why Am I Not Happy?
One week into the second half of the season the Giants have started off with a nice 5-2 run. So why is it that this little streak is so incredibly unsatisfying?
We'll return to that question in a moment, but first I'd like to discuss the matter of cockroaches.
You know how roaches are. It's not about what they eat or what they carry away, it's what they fall into and ruin. The Giants have a veritable roach motel in the bullpen, but I'd rather focus on the largest pests: Edgar Renteria and Aaron Rowand. Someone tell me where I can buy a case of Black Flag.
Anyone notice how a great number of the Giants' misadventures seem to involve one or both of these heroes? Neither has delivered a timely hit since Lindsay Lohan was straight (unless you count Rowand getting drilled), and Renteria's matador defense is becoming impossible to ignore. Don't forget that Lincecum's poor first inning wasn't helped when Renteria went ole' with the throw on a steal attempt. Seeing either of these, uh, gentlemen in a critical situation generally illicits shouts from me that would make Mel Gibson look positively sedate.
Their failures are becoming impossible to ignore. Rowand is a $12 million-a-year fourth outfielder and Renteria is a joke. If the rumors are correct, that the Giants are in the market for an outfielder, then let's hope to God that Rowand is part of the deal. It's doubtful anyone would be interested in Rent-a-wreck, but at least his expiring contract makes is possible for the Giants to DFA the bozo and eat a couple months worth of cheese -- if they have the stones.
Now, back to our regularly-scheduled program.
It's amazing that the Giants won five of seven to start the second half (and it should have been six had Phil Cuzzi not forgotten his seeing-eye dog) considering their bats are apparently still on hiatus. Note to the Giants hitters: it's okay to take a freaking pitch. Case in point, the last two nights.
Game two of the Dodgers series saw the Giants put Clayton Kershaw in jeopardy in the second inning. Did they build on it? Uh, no. In the third, the Giants were retired on eight pitches. One night later Chad Billingsley recorded 16 of his first 20 outs in four pitches or less. What, the Giants were afraid they'd miss a a flight? They show all the patience of a virgin at a brothel. Once again the Giants made a good pitcher look like someone had cloned Cy Young.
I'm not advocating taking pitches for the sake of taking pitches, but you gotta make hurlers expend some effort. It's not hard to work deep into games when you're throwing your 75th pitch in the seventh inning -- and that's happening a lot. You swing at good pitches when you get them, but judging from the outcome the Giants are suffering from either poor pitch selection or poor player selection, because 15 groundball outs versus Kershaw ain't gonna get it done.
For the second time this season, Zito was the victim of non-support at Dodger Stadium. I guess the Giants figured it was only fitting that they give a game away, returning the favor of one night before when the Giants did absolutely nothing to earn a win save watching the Blue Crew implode.
Am I pleased they went 5-2? Of course. I'm also not blind -- unlike Phil Cuzzi. What the Giants have done over the past week in not sustainable. The chance this team will reel off consectuive shoutouts, which is what they pretty much need to do unless the opposition feels charitable, is about the same as Bengie Molina hitting for the cycle and..... oh, never mind.
For the most part the pitching has showed up. Only Lincecum had a bad outing among the starters. But the offense, well, it's pretty offensive. Only Posey and Huff provide any consistent threat. The Giants simply cannot continue to rely on the arms. Game three at Chavez Latrine was the 31st time this year the Giants scored two runs or less. In those games they've managed exactly FOUR wins, and two came in the past week. So, how's that "pitching and defense" thing working out?
There are plenty of culprits, especially from the Dodgers finale, but the guy wearing the biggest goat horns is the Panda. Typical knee-jerk move from Bochy, elevating him back to the heart of the line-up based on one game. Right now the guy is hitting a stellar two bucks with runners in scoring position. Pablo Sandoval shouldn't hit above the seven spot until he gets his act together.
The Giants are in position to get into position, and the areas they need to upgrade are obvious. They need an outfield bat, a shortstop who can hit, and middle relief. To do that they'll need to deal something of value, which is why I was so distrubed to read that Bochy is "reticent" to trade away starting pitching.
Hey, Melonhead. You don't have anything else anyone wants. Listening to Bochy and Sabean talk about potential deals is not unlike listening to your local fantasy geek lamenting that the back-up catcher he wants to trade won't fetch him Albert Pujols. To get something, you gotta give up something, and the Giants' "something " is pitching.
The Brewers or Phillies want Sanchez to get Hart or Werth? I'll help him pack, drive him to the airport, pick the new guy up and set him up with my sister. If all they offer is scraps, they're angling for nothing more substantial than the return of Ricky Ledee or Shea Hillenbrand.
The needs are obvious. Unfortunately the needs have been obvious for years. Equally obvious has been the failure of Brian Sabean to do one damn thing about it.
So what could have been a glorious first week ends with a bitter disappointment. It's a recurring theme with the Giants -- a chance to really make a mark gets sqandered, and this one can't be blamed on the umpires. Besides, I blame them for enough already -- Sunday's loss, bad TV, hair loss -- it's all their fault.
I'd love to see umpires treated the same way the English Premiere League treats soccer teams. Fall below a certain standard, you're done. Send the failing umps back to AAA.
Cuzzi, Joe West, Angel Hernandez -- your tickets for Buffalo are waiting.
We'll return to that question in a moment, but first I'd like to discuss the matter of cockroaches.
You know how roaches are. It's not about what they eat or what they carry away, it's what they fall into and ruin. The Giants have a veritable roach motel in the bullpen, but I'd rather focus on the largest pests: Edgar Renteria and Aaron Rowand. Someone tell me where I can buy a case of Black Flag.
Anyone notice how a great number of the Giants' misadventures seem to involve one or both of these heroes? Neither has delivered a timely hit since Lindsay Lohan was straight (unless you count Rowand getting drilled), and Renteria's matador defense is becoming impossible to ignore. Don't forget that Lincecum's poor first inning wasn't helped when Renteria went ole' with the throw on a steal attempt. Seeing either of these, uh, gentlemen in a critical situation generally illicits shouts from me that would make Mel Gibson look positively sedate.
Their failures are becoming impossible to ignore. Rowand is a $12 million-a-year fourth outfielder and Renteria is a joke. If the rumors are correct, that the Giants are in the market for an outfielder, then let's hope to God that Rowand is part of the deal. It's doubtful anyone would be interested in Rent-a-wreck, but at least his expiring contract makes is possible for the Giants to DFA the bozo and eat a couple months worth of cheese -- if they have the stones.
Now, back to our regularly-scheduled program.
It's amazing that the Giants won five of seven to start the second half (and it should have been six had Phil Cuzzi not forgotten his seeing-eye dog) considering their bats are apparently still on hiatus. Note to the Giants hitters: it's okay to take a freaking pitch. Case in point, the last two nights.
Game two of the Dodgers series saw the Giants put Clayton Kershaw in jeopardy in the second inning. Did they build on it? Uh, no. In the third, the Giants were retired on eight pitches. One night later Chad Billingsley recorded 16 of his first 20 outs in four pitches or less. What, the Giants were afraid they'd miss a a flight? They show all the patience of a virgin at a brothel. Once again the Giants made a good pitcher look like someone had cloned Cy Young.
I'm not advocating taking pitches for the sake of taking pitches, but you gotta make hurlers expend some effort. It's not hard to work deep into games when you're throwing your 75th pitch in the seventh inning -- and that's happening a lot. You swing at good pitches when you get them, but judging from the outcome the Giants are suffering from either poor pitch selection or poor player selection, because 15 groundball outs versus Kershaw ain't gonna get it done.
For the second time this season, Zito was the victim of non-support at Dodger Stadium. I guess the Giants figured it was only fitting that they give a game away, returning the favor of one night before when the Giants did absolutely nothing to earn a win save watching the Blue Crew implode.
Am I pleased they went 5-2? Of course. I'm also not blind -- unlike Phil Cuzzi. What the Giants have done over the past week in not sustainable. The chance this team will reel off consectuive shoutouts, which is what they pretty much need to do unless the opposition feels charitable, is about the same as Bengie Molina hitting for the cycle and..... oh, never mind.
For the most part the pitching has showed up. Only Lincecum had a bad outing among the starters. But the offense, well, it's pretty offensive. Only Posey and Huff provide any consistent threat. The Giants simply cannot continue to rely on the arms. Game three at Chavez Latrine was the 31st time this year the Giants scored two runs or less. In those games they've managed exactly FOUR wins, and two came in the past week. So, how's that "pitching and defense" thing working out?
There are plenty of culprits, especially from the Dodgers finale, but the guy wearing the biggest goat horns is the Panda. Typical knee-jerk move from Bochy, elevating him back to the heart of the line-up based on one game. Right now the guy is hitting a stellar two bucks with runners in scoring position. Pablo Sandoval shouldn't hit above the seven spot until he gets his act together.
The Giants are in position to get into position, and the areas they need to upgrade are obvious. They need an outfield bat, a shortstop who can hit, and middle relief. To do that they'll need to deal something of value, which is why I was so distrubed to read that Bochy is "reticent" to trade away starting pitching.
Hey, Melonhead. You don't have anything else anyone wants. Listening to Bochy and Sabean talk about potential deals is not unlike listening to your local fantasy geek lamenting that the back-up catcher he wants to trade won't fetch him Albert Pujols. To get something, you gotta give up something, and the Giants' "something " is pitching.
The Brewers or Phillies want Sanchez to get Hart or Werth? I'll help him pack, drive him to the airport, pick the new guy up and set him up with my sister. If all they offer is scraps, they're angling for nothing more substantial than the return of Ricky Ledee or Shea Hillenbrand.
The needs are obvious. Unfortunately the needs have been obvious for years. Equally obvious has been the failure of Brian Sabean to do one damn thing about it.
So what could have been a glorious first week ends with a bitter disappointment. It's a recurring theme with the Giants -- a chance to really make a mark gets sqandered, and this one can't be blamed on the umpires. Besides, I blame them for enough already -- Sunday's loss, bad TV, hair loss -- it's all their fault.
I'd love to see umpires treated the same way the English Premiere League treats soccer teams. Fall below a certain standard, you're done. Send the failing umps back to AAA.
Cuzzi, Joe West, Angel Hernandez -- your tickets for Buffalo are waiting.
Thursday, July 15, 2010
First Half Hits and Misses
At the break it's almost a given that every self-declared expert will give his report card on the season to date. Well, far be it from me to break with tradition.
The Giants have done some things right, and they've had some colossal misfires. What follows is my brief snapshot of both.
HITS
Aubrey Huff. I was 100 percent against this signing, but Huff has proven to be a bargain. I'm not convinced I want him back, but that's not due to performance. A younger player might yield a better long-term return, but there's no question that Huff's bat is a big reason the Giants are in the race at all.
Buster Posey. The Giants have a dismal record under Brian Sabean when it comes to drafting and developing position players. Posey, however, looks to be a keeper. As the 2008 Golden Spikes Award winner he came in with solid credentials. My greatest fear is that the Giants will screw this up with the endless position changes. The kid is a catcher. Let him catch.
Andres Torres. Is it possible that this career minor leaguer just neded a chance to play? It's too early and the sample size too small to declare him the solution in center field, but until/unless the bloom comes off the rose, he's proven to the be best option the Giants have at the position, which brings us to....
MISSES
Aaron Rowand. This misfire is now in it's third year, and the Giants seem to have no problem throwing good money after bad. Anyone think that $12 million a year couldn't have been better spent on a real bat? Rowand has been relegated to a very pricey part-time player, and that fat contract is probably the only reason he sees any playing time at all.
Edgar Renteria. See above at 2ys/$18m.
Jaun Uribe. I'm gonna catch some flak over this because he's a better option at shortstop than Rent-a-wreck. But the bottom line is that as soon as people started talking about how good he was performing, his stats took a bigger dive than the stock market during the Bush Administration. Plus, I still can't get over the Giants re-signing him -- thoeretically as a utility man -- for a three-fold raise.
Mark Derosa: Biggest wasted signing since Rennie Stennett. 'Nuff said.
Bengie Molina: What was that all about? The top prospect is a catcher but you ground him for two months behind the slowest man ever to play organized baseball, and a lazy one at that? Boog Powell beats this guy in a foot race...today.
Four games out and a long way to go. Let's hope for more hits than misses in the second half.
The Giants have done some things right, and they've had some colossal misfires. What follows is my brief snapshot of both.
HITS
Aubrey Huff. I was 100 percent against this signing, but Huff has proven to be a bargain. I'm not convinced I want him back, but that's not due to performance. A younger player might yield a better long-term return, but there's no question that Huff's bat is a big reason the Giants are in the race at all.
Buster Posey. The Giants have a dismal record under Brian Sabean when it comes to drafting and developing position players. Posey, however, looks to be a keeper. As the 2008 Golden Spikes Award winner he came in with solid credentials. My greatest fear is that the Giants will screw this up with the endless position changes. The kid is a catcher. Let him catch.
Andres Torres. Is it possible that this career minor leaguer just neded a chance to play? It's too early and the sample size too small to declare him the solution in center field, but until/unless the bloom comes off the rose, he's proven to the be best option the Giants have at the position, which brings us to....
MISSES
Aaron Rowand. This misfire is now in it's third year, and the Giants seem to have no problem throwing good money after bad. Anyone think that $12 million a year couldn't have been better spent on a real bat? Rowand has been relegated to a very pricey part-time player, and that fat contract is probably the only reason he sees any playing time at all.
Edgar Renteria. See above at 2ys/$18m.
Jaun Uribe. I'm gonna catch some flak over this because he's a better option at shortstop than Rent-a-wreck. But the bottom line is that as soon as people started talking about how good he was performing, his stats took a bigger dive than the stock market during the Bush Administration. Plus, I still can't get over the Giants re-signing him -- thoeretically as a utility man -- for a three-fold raise.
Mark Derosa: Biggest wasted signing since Rennie Stennett. 'Nuff said.
Bengie Molina: What was that all about? The top prospect is a catcher but you ground him for two months behind the slowest man ever to play organized baseball, and a lazy one at that? Boog Powell beats this guy in a foot race...today.
Four games out and a long way to go. Let's hope for more hits than misses in the second half.
Saturday, July 10, 2010
Dunn In at D.C.
I didn't know bad defense was viral, but apparently the bug that hit Milwaukee followed the Giants to the nation's capitol. The G-men looked absolutely pathetic in an 8-1 drubbing at the hands of the Washington Nationals.
It started well, with Andres Torres lighting up phenom Stephen Strasburg in the first AB, giving the Giants a 1-0 lead. The first four Giants hit the ball on a line as they went to the plate looking for that blazing Stasburg fastball. Then the wheels came off.
It was a forgettable day for Matt Cain, who made more than his share of location mistakes. Teams with power playing in hitters' parks will kill you when you don't locate. Cain was taken deep twice by Adam Dunn, with both blasts showing up on the threat detection screens at NORAD.
But I want to focus on another part of the game. It started in the bottom of the first, with a man on second and the Giants in their really stupid Dunn overshift. For those who didn't see it, Cain wheeled toward second on a pick-off play and fired to ....no one. Seeing the base uncovered, Cain tried to choke off the throw and ended up whipping a 37 hopper into left field, allowing the runner to come all the way around.
As a former pitcher, I'm going to defend Cain and assume he didn't do that on his own. That's usually a called play. Either Cain hallucinated the signal or someone was supposed to cover second and missed the boat. And who had responsibility for the base?
Edgar Renteria. Pay attention. There's a theme to this.
Later the Giants trailed 2-1 but a lead-off double set the stage to push across the tying run. Now the Giants would go on to give up eight, but who knows what that run might have accomplished? All that is certain is that the Giants had a scoring opportunity but the next three hitters failed, and they included Renteria and Aaron Rowand. Funny how most of the Giants' misfires seem to include one of both of these heroes.
In fact, Renteria was made to look like a Little Leaguer who just saw his first curveball. He was overmatched by Strasburg, who started breaking off benders that had Renteria bailing like a frighened school girl. The curtain came on a two-strike hook that left the ball unscathed but saw Renteria's bat lying near shortstop as he broke down his swing and lost both his grip and any illusion that he's still a professional hitter.
So the chance was wasted, the Giants went on to melt down defenisvely, with Burrell gettng on the act by chasing a shot down the line around the corner like Stallone chasing that stupid chicken in the first (and best) Rocky flic.
It was a comedy of errors. Why am I not laughing?
Here's hoping that Torres' injury is minor. The Giants' chances are much improved without Rowand's continued hack-a-thon a feature of the batting order. Finding takers for him and Rent-a-wreck while collecting another option at shortstop should be the top prioritioes for Brian Satan, uh, Sabean as the July 31 deadline approaches.
The Giants remain five games out at 45-41 as San Diego struggles. Colorado is red hot (the Giants helped a bit with that one) and just two games out -- three ahead of the G-Men. It's bad news when anyone ahead of you gets on a roll, and with the Giants mired in fourth place there are plenty of options in that regard.
Sanchez on the hill next, and you gotta wonder what kind of hilarity will ensue. He's liable to walk enough guys to fill out a Congressional subcommittee, and he is Mister Location Mistake. Craig Stammen brings his 5.73 ERA to the mound for DC. Can the Giants capitalize, or was the four-game win streak more a testamony to opposition ineptitude than San Francisco power?
Adam Dunn has gotta be licking his chops.
It started well, with Andres Torres lighting up phenom Stephen Strasburg in the first AB, giving the Giants a 1-0 lead. The first four Giants hit the ball on a line as they went to the plate looking for that blazing Stasburg fastball. Then the wheels came off.
It was a forgettable day for Matt Cain, who made more than his share of location mistakes. Teams with power playing in hitters' parks will kill you when you don't locate. Cain was taken deep twice by Adam Dunn, with both blasts showing up on the threat detection screens at NORAD.
But I want to focus on another part of the game. It started in the bottom of the first, with a man on second and the Giants in their really stupid Dunn overshift. For those who didn't see it, Cain wheeled toward second on a pick-off play and fired to ....no one. Seeing the base uncovered, Cain tried to choke off the throw and ended up whipping a 37 hopper into left field, allowing the runner to come all the way around.
As a former pitcher, I'm going to defend Cain and assume he didn't do that on his own. That's usually a called play. Either Cain hallucinated the signal or someone was supposed to cover second and missed the boat. And who had responsibility for the base?
Edgar Renteria. Pay attention. There's a theme to this.
Later the Giants trailed 2-1 but a lead-off double set the stage to push across the tying run. Now the Giants would go on to give up eight, but who knows what that run might have accomplished? All that is certain is that the Giants had a scoring opportunity but the next three hitters failed, and they included Renteria and Aaron Rowand. Funny how most of the Giants' misfires seem to include one of both of these heroes.
In fact, Renteria was made to look like a Little Leaguer who just saw his first curveball. He was overmatched by Strasburg, who started breaking off benders that had Renteria bailing like a frighened school girl. The curtain came on a two-strike hook that left the ball unscathed but saw Renteria's bat lying near shortstop as he broke down his swing and lost both his grip and any illusion that he's still a professional hitter.
So the chance was wasted, the Giants went on to melt down defenisvely, with Burrell gettng on the act by chasing a shot down the line around the corner like Stallone chasing that stupid chicken in the first (and best) Rocky flic.
It was a comedy of errors. Why am I not laughing?
Here's hoping that Torres' injury is minor. The Giants' chances are much improved without Rowand's continued hack-a-thon a feature of the batting order. Finding takers for him and Rent-a-wreck while collecting another option at shortstop should be the top prioritioes for Brian Satan, uh, Sabean as the July 31 deadline approaches.
The Giants remain five games out at 45-41 as San Diego struggles. Colorado is red hot (the Giants helped a bit with that one) and just two games out -- three ahead of the G-Men. It's bad news when anyone ahead of you gets on a roll, and with the Giants mired in fourth place there are plenty of options in that regard.
Sanchez on the hill next, and you gotta wonder what kind of hilarity will ensue. He's liable to walk enough guys to fill out a Congressional subcommittee, and he is Mister Location Mistake. Craig Stammen brings his 5.73 ERA to the mound for DC. Can the Giants capitalize, or was the four-game win streak more a testamony to opposition ineptitude than San Francisco power?
Adam Dunn has gotta be licking his chops.
Friday, July 9, 2010
Let the Buster Posey Era Begin!
It's hard to draw any conclusions from the Giants' four-game offensive outburst against potentially the worst defensive display of the year, save this one: We were forced to watch three months of Bengie Molina why?
In roughly 200 ABs, Bengie treated us to thee home runs and 17 RBIs. In 77 fewer ABs the Giants have enjoyed six home runs and 20 ribbies from Buster Posey. Oh, and Buster actually plays defense, unlike that fat tub of goo that Sabean HAD to re-sign in the off season. And Buster not only can hit, he can take a walk. That .375 OBP doesn't suck. Plus, unlike his predecessor, he doesn't run like a bulldozer.
So led by the new kid and the resurgent Aubrey Huff, thee Giants took four in a row from the charitable Brewers. The Giants desperately needed to find a foil, a team that was struggling as mightily as they were. Were they cheap wins? Absolutely, but they count the same in the standings. They say you gotta beat the teams you should, and the Giants have made a habit of rolling over and dying instead.
The Brew Crew's leaky defense was the perfect prescription for a struggling offense, and the Giants now find themselves back to five games above .500 and five games behind the Padres in the wild and wacky west.
The Giants exploded for 36 runs over four games despite putting Edgard Renteria on the field. Hey, even Aaron Rowand got into the act (if you count an intentional walk and an infield single as a contribution). Don't expect that to continue as the Giants head on to DC to face Stephen Strassburg, the Greatest Thing to Ever Happen to Baseball for this month. Earlier this year the Giants had a 12-run explosion against Arizona, then the offense took a trip to the Bahamas.
It's not all good. Bochy still mystifies with the idiotic line-ups and changes.
Let me see if I get this. Your top prospect is a catcher, you trade your catcher, so the top prospect plays (wait for it) first base. That means your first baseman moves to the outfield, where he plays like a (wait again) first baseman. Nothing against Aubrey Huff, but as an outfielder he makes an excellent train conductor.
The Giants don't seem to be learning from the Posey episode. When you have young players, you gotta let them play. It's not like Nate Schierholtz is sitting behind Barry Bonds. Jeez, he spent a year and a half playing spear carrier for Randy Winn of all people. What does it take to get a shot? Seems he's this close to be Bowkered back to Fresno.
This is the curse of Brian Sabean and Bruce Bochy.
Remember the girl who teased you with tales of what she could do for (or to) you when you were alone, only to find out she's never alone? That's Sabean and Bochy. They talk a good game, but when push comes to shove there's no action. We've been hearing for years about youth, yet the off-season always bring veteran acquisitions. Guillermo Moto, Denny Bautista -- what, Matt Moirris turned us down?
What makes it doubly difficult is that occasionally one of these moves hits. Aubrey Huff has been reborn in San Fancisco, and for Sabean that's justification for the tactic. His selective memory allows him to forget that Mark DeRosa is sitting home watching the games on Comcast, or that for every success we can go the recent rosters and find a Ryan Klesko, Phil Nevin, Dave Roberts or Steve Finley that failed miserably.
This kids are contributing. They are the future, and the Giants need to make that move. I believe the future is now.
"Life moves pretty fast. You don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it." -- Ferris Bueller
.
In roughly 200 ABs, Bengie treated us to thee home runs and 17 RBIs. In 77 fewer ABs the Giants have enjoyed six home runs and 20 ribbies from Buster Posey. Oh, and Buster actually plays defense, unlike that fat tub of goo that Sabean HAD to re-sign in the off season. And Buster not only can hit, he can take a walk. That .375 OBP doesn't suck. Plus, unlike his predecessor, he doesn't run like a bulldozer.
So led by the new kid and the resurgent Aubrey Huff, thee Giants took four in a row from the charitable Brewers. The Giants desperately needed to find a foil, a team that was struggling as mightily as they were. Were they cheap wins? Absolutely, but they count the same in the standings. They say you gotta beat the teams you should, and the Giants have made a habit of rolling over and dying instead.
The Brew Crew's leaky defense was the perfect prescription for a struggling offense, and the Giants now find themselves back to five games above .500 and five games behind the Padres in the wild and wacky west.
The Giants exploded for 36 runs over four games despite putting Edgard Renteria on the field. Hey, even Aaron Rowand got into the act (if you count an intentional walk and an infield single as a contribution). Don't expect that to continue as the Giants head on to DC to face Stephen Strassburg, the Greatest Thing to Ever Happen to Baseball for this month. Earlier this year the Giants had a 12-run explosion against Arizona, then the offense took a trip to the Bahamas.
It's not all good. Bochy still mystifies with the idiotic line-ups and changes.
Let me see if I get this. Your top prospect is a catcher, you trade your catcher, so the top prospect plays (wait for it) first base. That means your first baseman moves to the outfield, where he plays like a (wait again) first baseman. Nothing against Aubrey Huff, but as an outfielder he makes an excellent train conductor.
The Giants don't seem to be learning from the Posey episode. When you have young players, you gotta let them play. It's not like Nate Schierholtz is sitting behind Barry Bonds. Jeez, he spent a year and a half playing spear carrier for Randy Winn of all people. What does it take to get a shot? Seems he's this close to be Bowkered back to Fresno.
This is the curse of Brian Sabean and Bruce Bochy.
Remember the girl who teased you with tales of what she could do for (or to) you when you were alone, only to find out she's never alone? That's Sabean and Bochy. They talk a good game, but when push comes to shove there's no action. We've been hearing for years about youth, yet the off-season always bring veteran acquisitions. Guillermo Moto, Denny Bautista -- what, Matt Moirris turned us down?
What makes it doubly difficult is that occasionally one of these moves hits. Aubrey Huff has been reborn in San Fancisco, and for Sabean that's justification for the tactic. His selective memory allows him to forget that Mark DeRosa is sitting home watching the games on Comcast, or that for every success we can go the recent rosters and find a Ryan Klesko, Phil Nevin, Dave Roberts or Steve Finley that failed miserably.
This kids are contributing. They are the future, and the Giants need to make that move. I believe the future is now.
"Life moves pretty fast. You don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it." -- Ferris Bueller
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Wednesday, July 7, 2010
Irresistable Force vs. Immovable Object
There's an old adage that talks about what happens when two equal but opposite forces collide. So, what do you get what a team that can't score meets a team that can't defend? A July "classic" between the Giants (43-40) and Brewers (37-47), that's what.
It stands to reason that an NL pitching staff needing a boost probably scans the schedule looking for the next time the Giants appear. Maybe struggling offenses can start counting down the days for a visit to Milwaukee (God knows there's no other reason to go there -- the beer is better in St. Louis and Boston).
The Giants blew open a scoreless, uh, battle with a five-run frame that featured two, count 'em, two hits en route to a 6-1 win. Two defensive miscues, an RBI single (the first for starting pitcher Madison Bumgarner) and four walks did the trick. Four walks. For a moment I thought the color was off on my plasma and Jonathan Sanchez had switched teams.
Now I know what the other half feels like. Usually it's Giants fans who stare at the screen and mutter as the G-Men bestow more charity than the Unicef. But for some reason the middle infield for the Brewers has become cursed. I can relate. They have bad luck, we have Edgar Renteria. But when ever-steady Craig Counsell starts winging throws into right field, something supernatural is taking place. When you intentianally walk the automatic out known as Aaron Rowand, you're spitting in the face of fate.
If the baseball gods are gonna smile on us, can't they do it in the form of a better GM and manager?
Praise be to Bumgarner. In his best outing as a pro he went a stong eight, shutting out the Brewers on three hits. After a shaky start, the kid dealt. Amazing what can happen when young players get a chance. Too bad Nate Schierholtz isn't allowed to take part. All the kid does is hit and play great defense, not that the Giants would need any of that.
Of course, it's not a Giants game without Bochy giving me an opportunity to second guess his brillant moves. True, Bumgarner had thrown 115 pitches but he should have been allowed to start the ninth. Stop babying these guys. The bullpen sucks, and starters get four days of rest. Let the kid go.
Instead Bochy rolls the dice and goes to the pen. Bautista threw exactly eight pitches, and not one was close. Did Bautista need the work? What he needs is a ticket back to the bus leagues. This isn't "who wants to pitch?" day just because the team has a lead. There'a guy in the third deck who had a pretty good fastball in high school. I threw pretty well myself. The beer vendor in the left field pavilion has sampled a little too much of his product but he's ready to go. Any of these are a better choice than going to this lousy group.
Romo came in to clean up the mess but the damage was done and the shutout gone. Hey, no points for shutouts: a win is a win. But how the Giants finish any game speaks volumes about the team. No killer instinct. No ability to put a boot on the opposition's throat and end it.
Lincecum on the hill next, hoping a floundering Milwaukee team is the remedy for his recent struggles. With the Giants just 3-7 over their last 10 and 18-23 on the road, the whole team has to be looking for a break as they try to cut into San Diego's six-game edge.
The Giants could use some luck. Unfortunately you can't depend on the rabbit's foot every game. After all, it didn't work out so well for the rabbit.
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Reader Mail:
From Subscriber "Scott":
Remember when the media was writing love poems about the new hitting coach? Bwahahahaha!
Sure do, and I'm having the same reaction. You know, the one where you laugh because you can't cry any more. Hensley Meulens was supposed to be the answer, which makes it a dumb question. You can't teach an elephant to tap dance. You don't ask Pee Wee Herman to be an Olympic weightlifter. You don't remake an offense by changing hitting coaches. Carney Lansford was supposed to be a difference maker, too. This was yet another cosmetic move that didn't address the real problem.
Hitting coaches can refine, but the student has to (a) have talent, and (b) be teachable. Meulens's sucess at other levels tells me that the problem isn't the coach, it's the players. The Giants tend to acquire hackers, not hitters. Yet another reason to start cleaning house immediately.
It stands to reason that an NL pitching staff needing a boost probably scans the schedule looking for the next time the Giants appear. Maybe struggling offenses can start counting down the days for a visit to Milwaukee (God knows there's no other reason to go there -- the beer is better in St. Louis and Boston).
The Giants blew open a scoreless, uh, battle with a five-run frame that featured two, count 'em, two hits en route to a 6-1 win. Two defensive miscues, an RBI single (the first for starting pitcher Madison Bumgarner) and four walks did the trick. Four walks. For a moment I thought the color was off on my plasma and Jonathan Sanchez had switched teams.
Now I know what the other half feels like. Usually it's Giants fans who stare at the screen and mutter as the G-Men bestow more charity than the Unicef. But for some reason the middle infield for the Brewers has become cursed. I can relate. They have bad luck, we have Edgar Renteria. But when ever-steady Craig Counsell starts winging throws into right field, something supernatural is taking place. When you intentianally walk the automatic out known as Aaron Rowand, you're spitting in the face of fate.
If the baseball gods are gonna smile on us, can't they do it in the form of a better GM and manager?
Praise be to Bumgarner. In his best outing as a pro he went a stong eight, shutting out the Brewers on three hits. After a shaky start, the kid dealt. Amazing what can happen when young players get a chance. Too bad Nate Schierholtz isn't allowed to take part. All the kid does is hit and play great defense, not that the Giants would need any of that.
Of course, it's not a Giants game without Bochy giving me an opportunity to second guess his brillant moves. True, Bumgarner had thrown 115 pitches but he should have been allowed to start the ninth. Stop babying these guys. The bullpen sucks, and starters get four days of rest. Let the kid go.
Instead Bochy rolls the dice and goes to the pen. Bautista threw exactly eight pitches, and not one was close. Did Bautista need the work? What he needs is a ticket back to the bus leagues. This isn't "who wants to pitch?" day just because the team has a lead. There'a guy in the third deck who had a pretty good fastball in high school. I threw pretty well myself. The beer vendor in the left field pavilion has sampled a little too much of his product but he's ready to go. Any of these are a better choice than going to this lousy group.
Romo came in to clean up the mess but the damage was done and the shutout gone. Hey, no points for shutouts: a win is a win. But how the Giants finish any game speaks volumes about the team. No killer instinct. No ability to put a boot on the opposition's throat and end it.
Lincecum on the hill next, hoping a floundering Milwaukee team is the remedy for his recent struggles. With the Giants just 3-7 over their last 10 and 18-23 on the road, the whole team has to be looking for a break as they try to cut into San Diego's six-game edge.
The Giants could use some luck. Unfortunately you can't depend on the rabbit's foot every game. After all, it didn't work out so well for the rabbit.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Reader Mail:
From Subscriber "Scott":
Remember when the media was writing love poems about the new hitting coach? Bwahahahaha!
Sure do, and I'm having the same reaction. You know, the one where you laugh because you can't cry any more. Hensley Meulens was supposed to be the answer, which makes it a dumb question. You can't teach an elephant to tap dance. You don't ask Pee Wee Herman to be an Olympic weightlifter. You don't remake an offense by changing hitting coaches. Carney Lansford was supposed to be a difference maker, too. This was yet another cosmetic move that didn't address the real problem.
Hitting coaches can refine, but the student has to (a) have talent, and (b) be teachable. Meulens's sucess at other levels tells me that the problem isn't the coach, it's the players. The Giants tend to acquire hackers, not hitters. Yet another reason to start cleaning house immediately.
Monday, July 5, 2010
I Wonder If I Shoulda Jumped.
I was determined to wait 24 hours after the 5 1/2-hour debacle at Colorado had concluded before posting, just for the sake of my own sanity.
After watching the Giants stumble, fumble and mismanage their way to yet another gut-wrenching loss, I did what any fan would do. I scaled a nearby peak, edging ever closer to the precipice and peering into the abyss, wondering if I should leap to my doom. Then I thought of my two small sons, considered whether baseball was really that important...and flipped a coin.
Tails. I'm still here.
Fortunately in Milwaukee the Giants ran into a team that, at least for a day, was equally inept. Jonathan Sanchez gets the win despite walking a small South American village. The guy walks in a run (he issued a half-dozen freebees) fires three wild piitches, and the opposition finds a way to lose? Jeez, the guy did everything but hit the bull -- and on one of those WPs I coulda sworn I saw Crash Davis flashing the signs
If Sanchez didn't spring for Lotto tickets on the way home he missed an opportunity because he was the luckiest man on the planet. It was the first team I'd seen (other than the Giants) that seemed to be actively trying to find ways not to score.
Not too much else to say about the opener. The Brewers were bad. On the Giants' side only Aubrey Huff and Buster Posey swung the stick without embarassment. Speaking of embarassing...
Remember when Edgar Retneria was good? I'm sure someone does, but I'm also confident that to have that kind of recall the same person also has a vivid recollection of where they were when Kennedy was shot. He was useless on Sunday in Colorado and, when called upon to pinch hit in Milwaukee (actually to pinch bunt), couldn't even accompliish this most rudimentary of tasks.
Thank you, Milwaukee, for the gift. It couldn't have come at a better time.
Now back to Colorado. There is plenty to take exception with, but instead I want to start here: it's time to trade Nate Schierholtz. Seriously.
For whatever reason, the guy can't get off the bench. Was he caught with Bochy's daughter doing something worthy of Spice Channel? Sunday it was his pinch-hit blast that ingnited the Giants' only rally, yet he can't get any playing time. So let's move him, While we're at it, let's deal Posey and Sandoval. Yeah, that's the ticket. We've got enough vets that we don't need these young guys and their annoying talent.
The Giants' marginal offense is even less, uh, prolific, when you remove those guys from the equation. Yet Bochy made double switch after double switch -- each of which weakened the offense even further. Posey sat for Whiteside. Sandoval exited for Uribe (who's last hit came when people still fondly remembered disco), and Nate had to wait for the eighth inning to get into the game.
By the ninth inning, the only position players still in place were Renteria, Uribe and Rowand -- heroes all. Yeah, they'll win a game for ya. Swith after switch, all so that Bochy could continue to play Russian roulette with the bullpen. And predictably, he found the loaded chamber.
It's becoming increasingly clear that, among the position players, anyone under 30 need not apply -- at least not unless you come complete with an awesome marketing gimmick (panda hats availble here).
I spent some time listening to the pregame show today and there was a lot of talk about who was to blame. I'm gonna step in right now and say that I don't blame the players. Hey, no one actually sets out to suck. A carreer goal it ain't, and when someone offers money to play baseball -- that's the dream. But you gotta wonder who looked at this group of guys and said "yep, there's a winner." Identify that guy and make sure the door doesn't hit him on his way out.
No matter who the caller or host blamed, there was concensus that the team has to change. The Giants never do. It's the same formula year after year, and it's not geting the job done. I'm getting to the point where I no longer care if they win or lose, I just want them to try something -- anything -- that isn't more of the same.
Field an all-shortstop lineup. Dig up Eddie Gaddel. Let a chimpanzee make out the line-up. Just spare me yet another season of "veteran leadership", which is Sabean-speak for "the old fart I overpaid".
Start with getting rid of the so-called Braintrust. Saban constructed this team. When the house falls apart, you blame he architect. Bochy also has to go -- his mismanagement of the game at Colorado Sunday was further evidence that he won't go with the younger players this team neeeds to develop to survive.
Rowand and Renteria are officially worthless. Neither has performed since he signed with the Giants, and the only reason to keep them in th eline-up is for the GM to try to justify these abysmal deals. Waiting for these guys to "return to form" is like the morons in Sacramento annually kicking the budget can down the road hoping that somehow, magically it'll get bettter next year. It never does.
It's time to be bold. Put Posey behind the plate and leve him there. Huff is the only real power threat so he goes to first. It's Freddy Sanchez at second, Uribe at short (pending a trade) and Sandoval at third (more on Panda later). The best outfield (left to right) is Burrell, Torres and Nate. Save Ishikawa for a late stick/defensive replacement -- and he can also be used to put Huff in the outfield to give someone a RARE blow.
Pitching wise it's Lincecum, Cain, Bumgarner, Romo and Wilson. Anyone else can be had.
The Giants need to go shopping for two things, a shortstop who can hit and relief help.
Will this make the team a winner? In itself, no. But it'll accomplish two things -- clear the deck of garbage and find out if the kids can play. Any turnover of this team has to start there.
Then the organization has to make the players accountable. For Sandoval and Uribe to be in the physical shape they are is embarassing. Teams enforce prohibitions on facial hair, routinely put weight and activity clauses in contracts, and yet the Giants don 't ensure that their athletes are actually athletes? Puh-leeze.
We're halfway through the campaign and the Giants are down but not totally out of the chase. There's still hope, but only if cooler (and smarter) heads prevail.
After watching the Giants stumble, fumble and mismanage their way to yet another gut-wrenching loss, I did what any fan would do. I scaled a nearby peak, edging ever closer to the precipice and peering into the abyss, wondering if I should leap to my doom. Then I thought of my two small sons, considered whether baseball was really that important...and flipped a coin.
Tails. I'm still here.
Fortunately in Milwaukee the Giants ran into a team that, at least for a day, was equally inept. Jonathan Sanchez gets the win despite walking a small South American village. The guy walks in a run (he issued a half-dozen freebees) fires three wild piitches, and the opposition finds a way to lose? Jeez, the guy did everything but hit the bull -- and on one of those WPs I coulda sworn I saw Crash Davis flashing the signs
If Sanchez didn't spring for Lotto tickets on the way home he missed an opportunity because he was the luckiest man on the planet. It was the first team I'd seen (other than the Giants) that seemed to be actively trying to find ways not to score.
Not too much else to say about the opener. The Brewers were bad. On the Giants' side only Aubrey Huff and Buster Posey swung the stick without embarassment. Speaking of embarassing...
Remember when Edgar Retneria was good? I'm sure someone does, but I'm also confident that to have that kind of recall the same person also has a vivid recollection of where they were when Kennedy was shot. He was useless on Sunday in Colorado and, when called upon to pinch hit in Milwaukee (actually to pinch bunt), couldn't even accompliish this most rudimentary of tasks.
Thank you, Milwaukee, for the gift. It couldn't have come at a better time.
Now back to Colorado. There is plenty to take exception with, but instead I want to start here: it's time to trade Nate Schierholtz. Seriously.
For whatever reason, the guy can't get off the bench. Was he caught with Bochy's daughter doing something worthy of Spice Channel? Sunday it was his pinch-hit blast that ingnited the Giants' only rally, yet he can't get any playing time. So let's move him, While we're at it, let's deal Posey and Sandoval. Yeah, that's the ticket. We've got enough vets that we don't need these young guys and their annoying talent.
The Giants' marginal offense is even less, uh, prolific, when you remove those guys from the equation. Yet Bochy made double switch after double switch -- each of which weakened the offense even further. Posey sat for Whiteside. Sandoval exited for Uribe (who's last hit came when people still fondly remembered disco), and Nate had to wait for the eighth inning to get into the game.
By the ninth inning, the only position players still in place were Renteria, Uribe and Rowand -- heroes all. Yeah, they'll win a game for ya. Swith after switch, all so that Bochy could continue to play Russian roulette with the bullpen. And predictably, he found the loaded chamber.
It's becoming increasingly clear that, among the position players, anyone under 30 need not apply -- at least not unless you come complete with an awesome marketing gimmick (panda hats availble here).
I spent some time listening to the pregame show today and there was a lot of talk about who was to blame. I'm gonna step in right now and say that I don't blame the players. Hey, no one actually sets out to suck. A carreer goal it ain't, and when someone offers money to play baseball -- that's the dream. But you gotta wonder who looked at this group of guys and said "yep, there's a winner." Identify that guy and make sure the door doesn't hit him on his way out.
No matter who the caller or host blamed, there was concensus that the team has to change. The Giants never do. It's the same formula year after year, and it's not geting the job done. I'm getting to the point where I no longer care if they win or lose, I just want them to try something -- anything -- that isn't more of the same.
Field an all-shortstop lineup. Dig up Eddie Gaddel. Let a chimpanzee make out the line-up. Just spare me yet another season of "veteran leadership", which is Sabean-speak for "the old fart I overpaid".
Start with getting rid of the so-called Braintrust. Saban constructed this team. When the house falls apart, you blame he architect. Bochy also has to go -- his mismanagement of the game at Colorado Sunday was further evidence that he won't go with the younger players this team neeeds to develop to survive.
Rowand and Renteria are officially worthless. Neither has performed since he signed with the Giants, and the only reason to keep them in th eline-up is for the GM to try to justify these abysmal deals. Waiting for these guys to "return to form" is like the morons in Sacramento annually kicking the budget can down the road hoping that somehow, magically it'll get bettter next year. It never does.
It's time to be bold. Put Posey behind the plate and leve him there. Huff is the only real power threat so he goes to first. It's Freddy Sanchez at second, Uribe at short (pending a trade) and Sandoval at third (more on Panda later). The best outfield (left to right) is Burrell, Torres and Nate. Save Ishikawa for a late stick/defensive replacement -- and he can also be used to put Huff in the outfield to give someone a RARE blow.
Pitching wise it's Lincecum, Cain, Bumgarner, Romo and Wilson. Anyone else can be had.
The Giants need to go shopping for two things, a shortstop who can hit and relief help.
Will this make the team a winner? In itself, no. But it'll accomplish two things -- clear the deck of garbage and find out if the kids can play. Any turnover of this team has to start there.
Then the organization has to make the players accountable. For Sandoval and Uribe to be in the physical shape they are is embarassing. Teams enforce prohibitions on facial hair, routinely put weight and activity clauses in contracts, and yet the Giants don 't ensure that their athletes are actually athletes? Puh-leeze.
We're halfway through the campaign and the Giants are down but not totally out of the chase. There's still hope, but only if cooler (and smarter) heads prevail.
Saturday, July 3, 2010
Streak Snapped as Giants Defeat Two Bullpens, Including Their Own
Let me first say that, after losing seven straight, I'll take any win. But from an aesthetic standpoint, the Giants' 11-8 victory over the Rockies was one of the least satisfying wins of the year.
I've been a Giants fan since 1971. I've seen 100-loss teams. I've seen crushing defeats that had me searching for the cyanide capsules (damn you to Hell, Steve Finley!), yet I can say without reservation that, as a group, this is the worst Giants bullpen in memory. It's Wilson, Romo, and a bunch of chumps who are about as useless as a Speedo at the South Pole.
Jeez, how many times can a group of players yack up a lead? These guys could screw up a wet dream. Thank God the Rockies' pen was equaally inept.
Look at any successful pen. They have the closer, a set-up guy, a long man, maybe a left-handed specialist, and a couple of guys who can bridge that gap in the middle innings. The Giants? Well, they seem to have closer and set-up man in place. The rest? It's a cut-and-paste of the same guy: one-inning (or less) wonders who throw hard but don't have the first clue where the pitch is going to end up.
When you look down the roster and see that player after player is cast off from another organization, isn't that a rather blatant indictment of your own system? I'm beginning to think the home-grown aspect is the only reason Runzler still has a gig, and his role is misdirection (and providing the obligatory walk). Runzler, Casilla, Bautista, Mota, Affeldt all suffer from the same malady -- an allegy to throwing strikes.
It was telling when Bautista entered the game tonight that Mike Krukow mentioned his, uh, inconsistency in throwing strikes. In that situation, the Giants nursing a one-run lead, THAT'S the guy they bring in? Sadly, the Giants really have no choice because no matter whose number they call, it's the same quandry. Can someone find the plate without a map and compass?
Worse, becasue none of these heroes seem to be able to go more than an inning (often less), even if they find someone who is on the beam that night they're just a few tosses away from the next pitching change. It's the bullpen version of Russian roulette. On a night where multiple relievers are needed, the chance that no one will implode is remote at best.
Funny how the pundits all say the hardest thing to do in sports is hit a baseball. While the Giants offense makes it easy to believe that assessment on most nights, the bullpen makes it look sooooo easy.
What made it doubly frustrating is that the Giants bats finally broke loose. After two weeks in cold storage, the sticks rallied for their biggest outburst in nearly two years with a seven-run third (the Giants scored 10 in a Sept. 2008 game with Pittsburgh), telling would-be Cy Young leader Ubaldo Jimenez to suck it. And yet, amazingly, had the Giants not rallied, Jimenez would have been the winning pitcher -- such was the magnitude of the bullpen's failure.
There are some congratulations in order: Ishikawa got a rare start and cashed in, Huff went deep for the 15th time (and the third in this series), Romo and Wilson did their jobs, Freddy Sanchez had a three-hit night, and Edgar Renteria sat quietly on the bench.
This team is due for an overhaul, not a tune-up. Set a line-up, define the roles, and let this team actually become a team and not a bunch of guys who don't know day to day if or where they'll be in the line-up. Huff is out of position, Schierholtz is being wasted, and our choices at shortstop are limited at best. What's next, Sandoval hitting leadoff?
Settle on a core eight, then look at the spare parts. There's gotta be some value there that can bring a competent middle reliever capable of going two frames. At least that would signal that the Giants were trying to improve? I'm not asking Sabean to go out and find the next Albert Pujols in mid-July, but prying away a Tyler Clippard or similar player would be a big boost to the team.
Yep, that's how low the bar is. I covet middle relievers. To expect more from this management team just doesn't seem to be realistic, not where their idea of offensive help is Shea Hillenbrand.
Cain on the hill next, trying to extend the winning "streak" to two. Hard to know wheich to root for, seven runs or seven innings. Cain has racked up 10 wins and a 2.96 ERA over his career against Colorado, including a 2-0 record already this season.
Let's hope the rest of the team doesn't find a way to muck this one up.
I've been a Giants fan since 1971. I've seen 100-loss teams. I've seen crushing defeats that had me searching for the cyanide capsules (damn you to Hell, Steve Finley!), yet I can say without reservation that, as a group, this is the worst Giants bullpen in memory. It's Wilson, Romo, and a bunch of chumps who are about as useless as a Speedo at the South Pole.
Jeez, how many times can a group of players yack up a lead? These guys could screw up a wet dream. Thank God the Rockies' pen was equaally inept.
Look at any successful pen. They have the closer, a set-up guy, a long man, maybe a left-handed specialist, and a couple of guys who can bridge that gap in the middle innings. The Giants? Well, they seem to have closer and set-up man in place. The rest? It's a cut-and-paste of the same guy: one-inning (or less) wonders who throw hard but don't have the first clue where the pitch is going to end up.
When you look down the roster and see that player after player is cast off from another organization, isn't that a rather blatant indictment of your own system? I'm beginning to think the home-grown aspect is the only reason Runzler still has a gig, and his role is misdirection (and providing the obligatory walk). Runzler, Casilla, Bautista, Mota, Affeldt all suffer from the same malady -- an allegy to throwing strikes.
It was telling when Bautista entered the game tonight that Mike Krukow mentioned his, uh, inconsistency in throwing strikes. In that situation, the Giants nursing a one-run lead, THAT'S the guy they bring in? Sadly, the Giants really have no choice because no matter whose number they call, it's the same quandry. Can someone find the plate without a map and compass?
Worse, becasue none of these heroes seem to be able to go more than an inning (often less), even if they find someone who is on the beam that night they're just a few tosses away from the next pitching change. It's the bullpen version of Russian roulette. On a night where multiple relievers are needed, the chance that no one will implode is remote at best.
Funny how the pundits all say the hardest thing to do in sports is hit a baseball. While the Giants offense makes it easy to believe that assessment on most nights, the bullpen makes it look sooooo easy.
What made it doubly frustrating is that the Giants bats finally broke loose. After two weeks in cold storage, the sticks rallied for their biggest outburst in nearly two years with a seven-run third (the Giants scored 10 in a Sept. 2008 game with Pittsburgh), telling would-be Cy Young leader Ubaldo Jimenez to suck it. And yet, amazingly, had the Giants not rallied, Jimenez would have been the winning pitcher -- such was the magnitude of the bullpen's failure.
There are some congratulations in order: Ishikawa got a rare start and cashed in, Huff went deep for the 15th time (and the third in this series), Romo and Wilson did their jobs, Freddy Sanchez had a three-hit night, and Edgar Renteria sat quietly on the bench.
This team is due for an overhaul, not a tune-up. Set a line-up, define the roles, and let this team actually become a team and not a bunch of guys who don't know day to day if or where they'll be in the line-up. Huff is out of position, Schierholtz is being wasted, and our choices at shortstop are limited at best. What's next, Sandoval hitting leadoff?
Settle on a core eight, then look at the spare parts. There's gotta be some value there that can bring a competent middle reliever capable of going two frames. At least that would signal that the Giants were trying to improve? I'm not asking Sabean to go out and find the next Albert Pujols in mid-July, but prying away a Tyler Clippard or similar player would be a big boost to the team.
Yep, that's how low the bar is. I covet middle relievers. To expect more from this management team just doesn't seem to be realistic, not where their idea of offensive help is Shea Hillenbrand.
Cain on the hill next, trying to extend the winning "streak" to two. Hard to know wheich to root for, seven runs or seven innings. Cain has racked up 10 wins and a 2.96 ERA over his career against Colorado, including a 2-0 record already this season.
Let's hope the rest of the team doesn't find a way to muck this one up.
Friday, July 2, 2010
Can You Hear the S.O.S.?
Wow, another putrid outing by the Giants' offense and and one-run game gets away from the bullpen in the eighth. Where have I seen this before? In this case, S.O.S. means "Same Old Stuff."
Talk about a June swoon, and it's rolling over into July. Over the past week the Giants have certainly met their Waterloo. They've dropped 11 of 13 and seven in a row, and look at those seven. Two losses to the BoSox without Pedrioa, with Bucholtz getting hurt in the first inning of his start, and Martinez going down in the series finale. Three to the Dodgers who were reeling when they came in, who lost Manny to his Dancing Queen routine early in game one, only to be done in by a guy (Kemp) who was playing so badly only the injury to Captian Dreadlocks got him in the game. Oh and they lost to a rookie pitcher who hadn't won in a month. All this occurred at home. Now they get worked twice on the road by the Tulowitski-less Rockies.
Mama Mia! It's as if the baseball gods smiled upon the Giants and set up the ultimate run, and the G-men defied the gods and spit in their faces. I had a dream, and it turned into a nightmare -- the 2010 Giants are officially a disaster. Release the Cracken.
Good game for Huff, but he was the only offensive bright spot on an otherwise dismal night. We'll give Lincecum credit for pitching through struggles, but allowing the lead-off man to reach in five of six frames isn't going to cut the mustard.
The real culprits, once again, were the so-called offense and a leaky pen. The Giants supposedly aren't built for power. The Great Satan has said repeatedly they it's about hitting line drives and getting on base. Well, isn't cavernous Coors Field a hitters' paradise? The outfield is roughly the size of Golden Gate Park, yet the Giants can't find a hole? Again they made a mediocre (4-7) pitcher look like the second coming of Cy Young.
After the two-run outburst in the first, the Giants managed just three hits over the next eight frames, Huff's second bomb of the night and two more hits from Buster Posey -- who is out to prove that the Molina signing in the off-season was a waste of time, roster space, and Bengie's ample share of the post-game spread. Of course, it wouldn't be a Bochy game without the Giants playing Posey out of position...again. What exactly was the point of the Molina giveaway?
That little move meant Huff back the outfield and Scheirholtz back on the bench thinkng "take a chance on me," will ya?
Brian, does your mother know what you've been up to? Way to go, Super Trouper.
The Giants are curently sixth in the NL in team batting average but 13th in runs scored. Uh, maybe that's a clue that this way ain't working (as if seeing the sticks fail to produce at the MLB equivalent of Disneyland wasn't enough). And on Saturday they get Ubaldo Jimenez, he of the 14-1 record and 1.83 ERA, as the mound foe. What's the over and under bet for Giants runs on this one? Set the bar at "2".
But as bad as the offense is, the bullpen galls me even more. Talk about a complete waste of money, money, money.
What an eighth inning. Leadoff walk, single, failed bunt, RBI double, exit Jeremy Affeldt, the pen's biggest disappointment now that Brandon Medders is out to pasture. Ray gives up the squeeze bunt that plates the final run, but not much you can do to save your ride when Affeldt has already surrendered the keys. I'll reserve judgement on the new guy.
We've been here before. A few short years ago it was the strong pitching of Jason Schmidt and Company that was contantly sabotaged by the likes of Jim Brower, Tim Worrell or Feliz Rodriguez. For awhile things improved with the addition of guys like Wilson and Romo, but we're back to the same old same old.
The Giants have become the Western version of the Pittsburgh Pirates. Sabean is following the same tactic that has doomed the Pirates to two decades of medocrity. He covets one phase of the game at a time, whether it be the pen, starters, whatever, to the detriment of everything else, with the idea that he'll fix the next thing next year. It's pretty sad when the man in charge can't multi-task, becasuse as Pittsburgh has proven, that doesn't work. By the time you run down the list of needs, the thing you fixed first is broken again. It's a bit like painting the Golden Gate Bridge. It never stops, they just go back to the beginning and start over, and over, and over.
There are our Giants, always a part of a team but never a whole. It's a failed and corrupt philosophy. More disppointing, the Giants aren't actually treading on new ground here. The Pittsburgh example along should be a warning to every GM with an IQ above that of plant life. Where's the learning curve?
So the Giants continue to plummet, now just one game above .500, six and a half back and looking up at everyone but the D-backs (where the "D" stands for disfunctional). Wildcard? The Giants currently sit sixth in that dogpile.
The Giants have forgotten that the name of the game is that the winner takes it all, and they aren't in position to take anything. Brian, knowing me, knowing you, it's not gonna change, is it? I can only hope that ownership wises up and this is our last summer together, pal.
I gotta find something else to do for three hours a night. Underwater bomb disposal seems a more enjoyable option.
Talk about a June swoon, and it's rolling over into July. Over the past week the Giants have certainly met their Waterloo. They've dropped 11 of 13 and seven in a row, and look at those seven. Two losses to the BoSox without Pedrioa, with Bucholtz getting hurt in the first inning of his start, and Martinez going down in the series finale. Three to the Dodgers who were reeling when they came in, who lost Manny to his Dancing Queen routine early in game one, only to be done in by a guy (Kemp) who was playing so badly only the injury to Captian Dreadlocks got him in the game. Oh and they lost to a rookie pitcher who hadn't won in a month. All this occurred at home. Now they get worked twice on the road by the Tulowitski-less Rockies.
Mama Mia! It's as if the baseball gods smiled upon the Giants and set up the ultimate run, and the G-men defied the gods and spit in their faces. I had a dream, and it turned into a nightmare -- the 2010 Giants are officially a disaster. Release the Cracken.
Good game for Huff, but he was the only offensive bright spot on an otherwise dismal night. We'll give Lincecum credit for pitching through struggles, but allowing the lead-off man to reach in five of six frames isn't going to cut the mustard.
The real culprits, once again, were the so-called offense and a leaky pen. The Giants supposedly aren't built for power. The Great Satan has said repeatedly they it's about hitting line drives and getting on base. Well, isn't cavernous Coors Field a hitters' paradise? The outfield is roughly the size of Golden Gate Park, yet the Giants can't find a hole? Again they made a mediocre (4-7) pitcher look like the second coming of Cy Young.
After the two-run outburst in the first, the Giants managed just three hits over the next eight frames, Huff's second bomb of the night and two more hits from Buster Posey -- who is out to prove that the Molina signing in the off-season was a waste of time, roster space, and Bengie's ample share of the post-game spread. Of course, it wouldn't be a Bochy game without the Giants playing Posey out of position...again. What exactly was the point of the Molina giveaway?
That little move meant Huff back the outfield and Scheirholtz back on the bench thinkng "take a chance on me," will ya?
Brian, does your mother know what you've been up to? Way to go, Super Trouper.
The Giants are curently sixth in the NL in team batting average but 13th in runs scored. Uh, maybe that's a clue that this way ain't working (as if seeing the sticks fail to produce at the MLB equivalent of Disneyland wasn't enough). And on Saturday they get Ubaldo Jimenez, he of the 14-1 record and 1.83 ERA, as the mound foe. What's the over and under bet for Giants runs on this one? Set the bar at "2".
But as bad as the offense is, the bullpen galls me even more. Talk about a complete waste of money, money, money.
What an eighth inning. Leadoff walk, single, failed bunt, RBI double, exit Jeremy Affeldt, the pen's biggest disappointment now that Brandon Medders is out to pasture. Ray gives up the squeeze bunt that plates the final run, but not much you can do to save your ride when Affeldt has already surrendered the keys. I'll reserve judgement on the new guy.
We've been here before. A few short years ago it was the strong pitching of Jason Schmidt and Company that was contantly sabotaged by the likes of Jim Brower, Tim Worrell or Feliz Rodriguez. For awhile things improved with the addition of guys like Wilson and Romo, but we're back to the same old same old.
The Giants have become the Western version of the Pittsburgh Pirates. Sabean is following the same tactic that has doomed the Pirates to two decades of medocrity. He covets one phase of the game at a time, whether it be the pen, starters, whatever, to the detriment of everything else, with the idea that he'll fix the next thing next year. It's pretty sad when the man in charge can't multi-task, becasuse as Pittsburgh has proven, that doesn't work. By the time you run down the list of needs, the thing you fixed first is broken again. It's a bit like painting the Golden Gate Bridge. It never stops, they just go back to the beginning and start over, and over, and over.
There are our Giants, always a part of a team but never a whole. It's a failed and corrupt philosophy. More disppointing, the Giants aren't actually treading on new ground here. The Pittsburgh example along should be a warning to every GM with an IQ above that of plant life. Where's the learning curve?
So the Giants continue to plummet, now just one game above .500, six and a half back and looking up at everyone but the D-backs (where the "D" stands for disfunctional). Wildcard? The Giants currently sit sixth in that dogpile.
The Giants have forgotten that the name of the game is that the winner takes it all, and they aren't in position to take anything. Brian, knowing me, knowing you, it's not gonna change, is it? I can only hope that ownership wises up and this is our last summer together, pal.
I gotta find something else to do for three hours a night. Underwater bomb disposal seems a more enjoyable option.
Sabean Blows Opportunity; Giants Just Blow!
So much to ponder as the death spirial reaches 10 losses in 12 games -- including five at home and the last four within the division. Jeez, Brian, is that what you had in mind when you told everyone not to panic?
First, a kind word about Madison Bumgarner. Yes, he's gotta learn to keep the ball in the yard -- but the truth is he didn't pitch badly. He gave the Giants a solid seven innings, which already putting him ahead of the incerasingly disappointing Jonathan Sanchez in my book.
The eventual go-head run was charged to MadBum, but let's be realistic. The middlle infield of Renteria and Uribe looked more like Abbott and Costello in that frame, with Rent-a-Wreck committing yet another bobble then compounding it with a bad throw to put the runner in scoring positon. Uribe followed with an absolute mental vapor lock on a ball behind second, and the Rockies got another freebie. Bumgarner allowed just one run in that frame despite the defense from Hell forcing him to get five outs. Kudos, kid.
The Buster Posey era began with a 2-for-4 night and an error on a play at the plate. Do I beleive the play should have been made? Yes, but it was a tough error. As for the stick, a single and a shot plus two outs that were absolute bullets. I like this kid.
Even Nate Scheirholtz got a start -- and a hit. So with plenty to like, what were the culprits as the Giants snatched defeat from the jaws of victory once again? The usual suspects: the aforementioned shoddy defense; a truly offensive offense that could only manage three runs in a launching pad (the big blow was a Rowand 47-hopper off the plate hard pack?) and a bullpen that once again took a one-run game and saw it blow up like Hiroshima.
So, our beloved G-men, still trying to taste vistory for the first time since Truman was popular, find themselves headed in the wrong direction. It seems only moments ago that they were nine games above ,500 and showing signs of life. Although I suspected it was made of smoke and mirrors, they were part of a real race. Today they're 40-38 and mired in fourth place, five and a half games behind the leaders.
Everything is just hunky dory, right Sabes?
Sabean did make one move I've beem clammoring for for weeks, the trade of Bengie Molina. However, in true Sabean fashion he screwed this one up, too. Am I really supposed to believe that Chris Ray and Michael Main were the best he could do? Brian, if you're going to spend the entire off-season and three months of the campain building Bengie up, you ruin what little credibility you still have by suddenly dealing him for a guy who is two steps removed from a job that requires a hair net and name tag.
Oh, and if case you missed it, Sabean also threw in cash. Yep, he ended up having to pay the Rangers to take the butterball off our hands.
Ray's numbers: 3.41 ERA, 16 strikeouts and 16 walks in 35 games -- totalling just 31.2 innings. Oh, and he's a 28-year-old coming off Tommy John surgery, like we didn't learn our lesson with DeRosa. The Giants do need help in middle relief (God, do they), but look at the numbers. We need THIS guy? We HAVE this guy. In fact we've got five of them. It's more of the same -- not an upgrade. And we saw what the studs in our pen did on this night.
Main, who was sent to AA, has great stats. A first-rounder in 2007 (the 20th pick), he pitched here in my home town of Bakersfield. I like him: good velocity with good command. But, I take exception with the idea that he's the real key to the trade. To that I have a two-word response: Merkin Valdez.
Now Bengie had to go. It was Posey's time, and the move strengthens the defense. Buster goes behind the plate where he belongs, Huff moves back to first where mobility isn't such an issue, and that opens up right field for Scheirholtz, who has waited long enough for his chance.
But the trade did NOTHING to address a couple of serious problems. First of all, what idiot decided to put Abbott and Costello up the middle together? Renteria is, well, Renteria. He's the guy the Giants should be paying someone to take. And apparently Bochy hasn't noticed that Uribe is built less like a middle infielder and more like a middle linebacker.
The team needs to spring for a membership at Jenny Craig. The slowest man in baseball is now a Ranger, but Uribe and Sandoval are going to eat their way into that category. I harp on their weight because it gets in the way of their talents. I appreciate what they do contribute, but I get the feeling they'd have more to give on the field if the were willing to take a little less from the buffett.
And of course, the biggest need is a stick so Sabean traded for two pitchers. Nice.
There is a core, and it's younger talent -- not old farts. Lincecum., Cain, Bumgarner, Wilson, Posey, Sandoval (with diet) -- these are guys you can build around. You can't do it with castoffs, perennial underachievers, career minor leaguers and damaged goods.
Officially the Giants have a month to make non-waiver deals but they have to be made quickly or they'll be in a hole so deep that no rope can reach the bottom. And it's obvious who needs to go packing.
Renteria is at the top of my list. His contract is up at the end of the season and I can't see any scenario under which he'd return. I can live with Uribe at short for the rest of the year, unless we can find a taker for him, too. Someone in need will take a flyer on either of these guys since they're only stuck with them short term. Get what you can.
Rowand needs a change of scenery. AT&T Park is death for this guy, and he's so mentally screwed up that I can't see the Giants riding out another two years on this guy at $12 million per. Adios, Aaron. The elephant in the room is the fact that he's so overpriced gthat the Giants are probably going to have to package him with someone else.
Enter Jonathan Sanchez.
I have no doubt about his talent, but his lack of mental composure and his repeated inability to find the strike zone make him a liability, Yet for some reason, he's got a nice rep. Perhaps those who like him see that opponents' batting average stat and miss the truth -- that he's so hard to hit because he has no more idea where the ball is going than the hitter does -- for the five innings it takes him to throw 110 times. That's opportunity for the Giants. Move him while he's still got value.
Now this kind of wholesale first drill probably dooms the 2010 Giants. Guess what? They're likely doomed already, or haven't you been watching the standings? Yet maybe the addition of a quality bat puts a charge into this unit. At worst, find yet another cog to build around. If all of those guys just yield just one bona fide stud, it was worth it.
Timmy on the hill in Game Two, trying to stop the bleeding. Given the lack of support the starters have received (offensivley and defensively) someone better stand by with the first aid kit.
First, a kind word about Madison Bumgarner. Yes, he's gotta learn to keep the ball in the yard -- but the truth is he didn't pitch badly. He gave the Giants a solid seven innings, which already putting him ahead of the incerasingly disappointing Jonathan Sanchez in my book.
The eventual go-head run was charged to MadBum, but let's be realistic. The middlle infield of Renteria and Uribe looked more like Abbott and Costello in that frame, with Rent-a-Wreck committing yet another bobble then compounding it with a bad throw to put the runner in scoring positon. Uribe followed with an absolute mental vapor lock on a ball behind second, and the Rockies got another freebie. Bumgarner allowed just one run in that frame despite the defense from Hell forcing him to get five outs. Kudos, kid.
The Buster Posey era began with a 2-for-4 night and an error on a play at the plate. Do I beleive the play should have been made? Yes, but it was a tough error. As for the stick, a single and a shot plus two outs that were absolute bullets. I like this kid.
Even Nate Scheirholtz got a start -- and a hit. So with plenty to like, what were the culprits as the Giants snatched defeat from the jaws of victory once again? The usual suspects: the aforementioned shoddy defense; a truly offensive offense that could only manage three runs in a launching pad (the big blow was a Rowand 47-hopper off the plate hard pack?) and a bullpen that once again took a one-run game and saw it blow up like Hiroshima.
So, our beloved G-men, still trying to taste vistory for the first time since Truman was popular, find themselves headed in the wrong direction. It seems only moments ago that they were nine games above ,500 and showing signs of life. Although I suspected it was made of smoke and mirrors, they were part of a real race. Today they're 40-38 and mired in fourth place, five and a half games behind the leaders.
Everything is just hunky dory, right Sabes?
Sabean did make one move I've beem clammoring for for weeks, the trade of Bengie Molina. However, in true Sabean fashion he screwed this one up, too. Am I really supposed to believe that Chris Ray and Michael Main were the best he could do? Brian, if you're going to spend the entire off-season and three months of the campain building Bengie up, you ruin what little credibility you still have by suddenly dealing him for a guy who is two steps removed from a job that requires a hair net and name tag.
Oh, and if case you missed it, Sabean also threw in cash. Yep, he ended up having to pay the Rangers to take the butterball off our hands.
Ray's numbers: 3.41 ERA, 16 strikeouts and 16 walks in 35 games -- totalling just 31.2 innings. Oh, and he's a 28-year-old coming off Tommy John surgery, like we didn't learn our lesson with DeRosa. The Giants do need help in middle relief (God, do they), but look at the numbers. We need THIS guy? We HAVE this guy. In fact we've got five of them. It's more of the same -- not an upgrade. And we saw what the studs in our pen did on this night.
Main, who was sent to AA, has great stats. A first-rounder in 2007 (the 20th pick), he pitched here in my home town of Bakersfield. I like him: good velocity with good command. But, I take exception with the idea that he's the real key to the trade. To that I have a two-word response: Merkin Valdez.
Now Bengie had to go. It was Posey's time, and the move strengthens the defense. Buster goes behind the plate where he belongs, Huff moves back to first where mobility isn't such an issue, and that opens up right field for Scheirholtz, who has waited long enough for his chance.
But the trade did NOTHING to address a couple of serious problems. First of all, what idiot decided to put Abbott and Costello up the middle together? Renteria is, well, Renteria. He's the guy the Giants should be paying someone to take. And apparently Bochy hasn't noticed that Uribe is built less like a middle infielder and more like a middle linebacker.
The team needs to spring for a membership at Jenny Craig. The slowest man in baseball is now a Ranger, but Uribe and Sandoval are going to eat their way into that category. I harp on their weight because it gets in the way of their talents. I appreciate what they do contribute, but I get the feeling they'd have more to give on the field if the were willing to take a little less from the buffett.
And of course, the biggest need is a stick so Sabean traded for two pitchers. Nice.
There is a core, and it's younger talent -- not old farts. Lincecum., Cain, Bumgarner, Wilson, Posey, Sandoval (with diet) -- these are guys you can build around. You can't do it with castoffs, perennial underachievers, career minor leaguers and damaged goods.
Officially the Giants have a month to make non-waiver deals but they have to be made quickly or they'll be in a hole so deep that no rope can reach the bottom. And it's obvious who needs to go packing.
Renteria is at the top of my list. His contract is up at the end of the season and I can't see any scenario under which he'd return. I can live with Uribe at short for the rest of the year, unless we can find a taker for him, too. Someone in need will take a flyer on either of these guys since they're only stuck with them short term. Get what you can.
Rowand needs a change of scenery. AT&T Park is death for this guy, and he's so mentally screwed up that I can't see the Giants riding out another two years on this guy at $12 million per. Adios, Aaron. The elephant in the room is the fact that he's so overpriced gthat the Giants are probably going to have to package him with someone else.
Enter Jonathan Sanchez.
I have no doubt about his talent, but his lack of mental composure and his repeated inability to find the strike zone make him a liability, Yet for some reason, he's got a nice rep. Perhaps those who like him see that opponents' batting average stat and miss the truth -- that he's so hard to hit because he has no more idea where the ball is going than the hitter does -- for the five innings it takes him to throw 110 times. That's opportunity for the Giants. Move him while he's still got value.
Now this kind of wholesale first drill probably dooms the 2010 Giants. Guess what? They're likely doomed already, or haven't you been watching the standings? Yet maybe the addition of a quality bat puts a charge into this unit. At worst, find yet another cog to build around. If all of those guys just yield just one bona fide stud, it was worth it.
Timmy on the hill in Game Two, trying to stop the bleeding. Given the lack of support the starters have received (offensivley and defensively) someone better stand by with the first aid kit.
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