Two out of three in Pittsburgh, and there was absolutely nothing to be happy about except the end result. The Giants were abysmal, the Pirates were worse, and that's the crux of it.
What I really want to take to task is the poor way in which the Giants seem to be addressing their needs. We all know the offense lacks punch. Yes, they put up some decent hit totals over the weekend, but when it takes you 11 hits to put on the scoreboard what the opposition manages in five, your offensive woes are far from cured.
The Giants have made two so-called BIG moves to address their anemic offense -- bringing up Buster Posey from Fresno and adding Pat Burrell from the dumpster. And as you can probably guess from my tone (writing has a tone?), I don't like it one little bit.
I'm not against Posey being added to the line-up, but I felt the move came too soon. In himself, he's not the cure for what ails the Giants. If his additon was the missing piece to a championship puzzle - I could see it. I'd also be asking why he wasn't on the team in April. But to bring him up now without adding significant help -- and to therefore subject themselves to the same "Super Two" arbitration fisasco they just went through with Lincecum, is beyond stupid. Even worse, they brought him up to play OUT OF POSITION!!! More on that later.
But on to Mr. "I just got released by Tampa Bay" Burrell. What, Ryan Klesko wasn't available? Burrell was hitting a robust .202 with Tampa and his average has declined every year since 2005. This is the savior, a 33-year-old with sinking numbers? Vintage Sabean-- the latest class assignment from Dumpster Dive 101. I suppose re-signing Rich Aurilia (again) is next.
To get Burrell into a game, two things had to happen. The Giants sent John Bowker back to Fresno and Nate Scheirholtz to the bench. Burrell may regain his stroke but that's not the issue. With this, the Giants' so-called youth movement is served how, exactly?
The two moves together defy explanation, and all you need to do to understand the idiocy of this is to look at Saturday's line-up. The Giants had catchers at first and third (Posey and Sandoval), first basemen in left and right (Burrell and Huff), and a glacier (Molina) behind the plate. It doesn't say much for the organization's player development that nobody seems to be playing the spot where they were drafted, and it cost the Giants defensively.
For all of their talk about getting younger, the Giants simply can't help themselves when a veteran hits the market. And so, the rebuild that rightly should have begun after the mess that was 2004 gets shoved another year down the road. Sabean plays it safe with his "proven Major Leaguers," knowing that in all likelyhood that their best days are behind them. If he has to choose between a guy who is a Grade C player or a prospect who could be either a breakout star or utter disappointment, he's more confortable with assured mediocrity. So Nate collects splinters, and Bowker starts looking over scouting reports for the Memphis pitching staff.
For every step forward the Giants take, it seems Sabean takes one step back. I swear this guy's common sense went off and buried itself where Geroge Bush hid out after Katrina -- 'cause no one has seen it since 2004.
Now there's no question the offense needs help. The strain of throwing virtually every pitch under duress is starting to show on the staff -- with the exception of Todd Wellemeyer who consistently sucks. But the Giants simply cannot address it by trying to fill the blowout with tires, drilling mud, BP executives or whatever. A mid-30s guy who wasn't playing well somewhere else isn't going to suddenly recapture what glory he may have once enjoyed just because he changes uniforms -- epecially when he's being asked to hit in a park that is so pitcher friendly that even a stiff like Wellemeyer can occassionally look only moderately pathetic.
So what to do? My two cents:
First, since Posey is here, he's gotta play. He's a catcher, let him catch. Moo-lina is gone at season's end anyway, so let's make the break now. See ya, Buffalo Butt. With Posey behind the plate, Huff moves back to first base. We can't do much about the left side of the infield so Uribe and Sandoval stay where they are, but both get memberships to Jenny Craig. When (and if) Renteria and DeRosa are healthy, they gotta go. Get what you can, even if it's a pine tar rag and a bag of diamond dust.
The same goes for Aaron Rowand, who is a $12 million-per-year reserve. The Giants may have to take back salary on this one, but they're the ones who overpaid him based on one good (not great) season so let this be a lesson learned. The Giants best outfielder right now is Torres, so center field is his. Stick Burrell in left and Nate in right, and keep Bowker handy. There will be plenty of work for four outfielders, and he'll be close by if Burrell implodes.
At this point, the Giants need to go searching for an impact bat, and that means dangling trading chips. Renteria may have some value on the open market, especially since his contract is up at the end of the year, and the Giants can certainly get something for Molina for the same reason. You'd think Sabean could just play back his own history to figure this one out, with Molina subbing for AJ Pierzynski and Posey playing the Joe Mauer role.
But you still gotta give up something to get something. My sacrificial lamb: Jonathan Sanchez.
Teams need pitching, and he's the easiest for the Giants to replace. Teams are always willing to take a flying on hard-throwing lefties, even one as inconsistent as Sanchez. There's always a sucker who will pay for such I guy like he's Christy Matthewson, even when he tends to pitch every third start like he's Christy Brinkley. Package him with any of the above and get someone who can drive the ball out of the park. If he's a shortstop, include Uribe in the deal. If he's an outfieder, they can have Burrell too. The only place the Giants legitimately can't place a hitter is catcher. Panda can always move across the diamond, and no one over the age of 28 should be considered untouchable.
Bumgarner and Pucetas are the future. Let them fill the four and five spots in the roation. See how nicely that works out? Wellemeyer just left the building.
But, this is just wishful thinking on my part. I have no confidence in the Giants to do anything other that what they've been doing -- which doesn't work. Par for the course in San Francisco -- where tomorrow never comes.
What I really want to take to task is the poor way in which the Giants seem to be addressing their needs. We all know the offense lacks punch. Yes, they put up some decent hit totals over the weekend, but when it takes you 11 hits to put on the scoreboard what the opposition manages in five, your offensive woes are far from cured.
The Giants have made two so-called BIG moves to address their anemic offense -- bringing up Buster Posey from Fresno and adding Pat Burrell from the dumpster. And as you can probably guess from my tone (writing has a tone?), I don't like it one little bit.
I'm not against Posey being added to the line-up, but I felt the move came too soon. In himself, he's not the cure for what ails the Giants. If his additon was the missing piece to a championship puzzle - I could see it. I'd also be asking why he wasn't on the team in April. But to bring him up now without adding significant help -- and to therefore subject themselves to the same "Super Two" arbitration fisasco they just went through with Lincecum, is beyond stupid. Even worse, they brought him up to play OUT OF POSITION!!! More on that later.
But on to Mr. "I just got released by Tampa Bay" Burrell. What, Ryan Klesko wasn't available? Burrell was hitting a robust .202 with Tampa and his average has declined every year since 2005. This is the savior, a 33-year-old with sinking numbers? Vintage Sabean-- the latest class assignment from Dumpster Dive 101. I suppose re-signing Rich Aurilia (again) is next.
To get Burrell into a game, two things had to happen. The Giants sent John Bowker back to Fresno and Nate Scheirholtz to the bench. Burrell may regain his stroke but that's not the issue. With this, the Giants' so-called youth movement is served how, exactly?
The two moves together defy explanation, and all you need to do to understand the idiocy of this is to look at Saturday's line-up. The Giants had catchers at first and third (Posey and Sandoval), first basemen in left and right (Burrell and Huff), and a glacier (Molina) behind the plate. It doesn't say much for the organization's player development that nobody seems to be playing the spot where they were drafted, and it cost the Giants defensively.
For all of their talk about getting younger, the Giants simply can't help themselves when a veteran hits the market. And so, the rebuild that rightly should have begun after the mess that was 2004 gets shoved another year down the road. Sabean plays it safe with his "proven Major Leaguers," knowing that in all likelyhood that their best days are behind them. If he has to choose between a guy who is a Grade C player or a prospect who could be either a breakout star or utter disappointment, he's more confortable with assured mediocrity. So Nate collects splinters, and Bowker starts looking over scouting reports for the Memphis pitching staff.
For every step forward the Giants take, it seems Sabean takes one step back. I swear this guy's common sense went off and buried itself where Geroge Bush hid out after Katrina -- 'cause no one has seen it since 2004.
Now there's no question the offense needs help. The strain of throwing virtually every pitch under duress is starting to show on the staff -- with the exception of Todd Wellemeyer who consistently sucks. But the Giants simply cannot address it by trying to fill the blowout with tires, drilling mud, BP executives or whatever. A mid-30s guy who wasn't playing well somewhere else isn't going to suddenly recapture what glory he may have once enjoyed just because he changes uniforms -- epecially when he's being asked to hit in a park that is so pitcher friendly that even a stiff like Wellemeyer can occassionally look only moderately pathetic.
So what to do? My two cents:
First, since Posey is here, he's gotta play. He's a catcher, let him catch. Moo-lina is gone at season's end anyway, so let's make the break now. See ya, Buffalo Butt. With Posey behind the plate, Huff moves back to first base. We can't do much about the left side of the infield so Uribe and Sandoval stay where they are, but both get memberships to Jenny Craig. When (and if) Renteria and DeRosa are healthy, they gotta go. Get what you can, even if it's a pine tar rag and a bag of diamond dust.
The same goes for Aaron Rowand, who is a $12 million-per-year reserve. The Giants may have to take back salary on this one, but they're the ones who overpaid him based on one good (not great) season so let this be a lesson learned. The Giants best outfielder right now is Torres, so center field is his. Stick Burrell in left and Nate in right, and keep Bowker handy. There will be plenty of work for four outfielders, and he'll be close by if Burrell implodes.
At this point, the Giants need to go searching for an impact bat, and that means dangling trading chips. Renteria may have some value on the open market, especially since his contract is up at the end of the year, and the Giants can certainly get something for Molina for the same reason. You'd think Sabean could just play back his own history to figure this one out, with Molina subbing for AJ Pierzynski and Posey playing the Joe Mauer role.
But you still gotta give up something to get something. My sacrificial lamb: Jonathan Sanchez.
Teams need pitching, and he's the easiest for the Giants to replace. Teams are always willing to take a flying on hard-throwing lefties, even one as inconsistent as Sanchez. There's always a sucker who will pay for such I guy like he's Christy Matthewson, even when he tends to pitch every third start like he's Christy Brinkley. Package him with any of the above and get someone who can drive the ball out of the park. If he's a shortstop, include Uribe in the deal. If he's an outfieder, they can have Burrell too. The only place the Giants legitimately can't place a hitter is catcher. Panda can always move across the diamond, and no one over the age of 28 should be considered untouchable.
Bumgarner and Pucetas are the future. Let them fill the four and five spots in the roation. See how nicely that works out? Wellemeyer just left the building.
But, this is just wishful thinking on my part. I have no confidence in the Giants to do anything other that what they've been doing -- which doesn't work. Par for the course in San Francisco -- where tomorrow never comes.
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