This past weekend, I watched a crucial Giants-Padres series in San Francisco. Obviously, it didn't go quite as well as we Giants fans hoped. While it was clear that there were 2 different teams on the field, it was painfully obvious that there were teams being run with 2 different mentalities.
And that made all the difference in the series. And that might make all the difference in the season.
The San Diego Padres are a team that is happy where it's at. They are a group of players and managers who play their brand of baseball and force other teams to play it as well. And then, the Padres beat them. As of today, August 17th, the Padres have a season-high 5-game lead in the National League West, and the Giants have just lost the Wild Card lead to the Phillies (in embaressing fashion).
What is the prime difference between these 2 teams?
San Diego is confident in it's players. The Giants are not.
Over the course of this season, San Diego has pretty much stuck to it's original line-up. On opening day, the Padres line-up consisted of Tony Gwynn Jr., Adrian Gonzalez, Chase Headley, Will Venable, Nick Hundley, Everth Cabrera, David Eckstein, and Kyle Blanks. This past weekend in San Francisco, the first 6 guys were out there, still playing on a consistent basis. David Eckstein is out because of a calf injury and Kyle Blanks is out with Tommy John Surgery. With both of these guys going down (Blanks in mid-may and Eckstein in mid-july), the Padres went out and made trades before the deadline that dealt with their positions. First, they picked up Miguel Tejada, knowing Cabrera could move from shortstop to 2B. Then, the Padres picked up Ryan Ludwick, knowing that Venable could move from right field to left.
San Diego didn't pick up these guys simply to try out new players or for the sake of making trades. They had needs to fill and they filled them. They didn't get Tejada because they were throwing in the towel on Cabrera. At 23, with only a season and a half under his belt, the Padres aren't ready to give up on him. He could be the future of the infield, and they are willing to see what they have in him before they give up. Same goes for Venable. The Padres didn't pick up Ludwick because they wanted Venable to sit on the bench. At 27, he also has less than 2 full seasons in the big leagues under his belt. San Diego isn't willing to sit their young talent for the sake of veterans. They believe in their guys, they believe in their roster. All 25 men contribute.
The Giants management is the exact opposite.
3 weeks ago, I was all set to write a blog giving Brian Sabean credit for holding off before the trading deadline and not making trades just for the sake of making trades. He did a great job of getting rid of some dead-weight (Molina) for something they desperately needed: bullpen help.
In July, he traded a minor-league player for another reliever, Ramon Ramirez. So far, so good. (I personally think he went a little overboard trading both an outfield [John Bowker] and, yes, a reliever [Joe Martinez] for another reliever in Javier Lopez. Hopefully those guys don't go on to become all-stars...).
But then came August. And Mike Fontenot. While I believe that they needed some infield help (Renteria on the DL, Sanchez struggling, Huff struggling lately, Uribe a defensive liability), I'm still not sure why they couldn't have given a guy like Emmanual Burriss a start or 2 before sending him back to Fresno. The day Renteria went on the DL, Fontenot was traded for and Burriss was sent down. Management clearly doesn't believe in him. Also, he's under 32.
And then came Jose Guillen. And I had to write this blog. Guillen is the last thing that this team needed and could spell the end of the season for the 2010 Giants. I hope I'm wrong. I hope they win the World Series. But do I think it'll happen? Nope. Here's why:
1. Guillen is a clubhouse cancer. He's been on 10 teams in 14 seasons. In 2004, he was suspended by Mike Scioscia (Angels manager) for the last 8 games of the season for throwing a temper tantrum. During a series with the Angels in 2005, Guillen was still throwing tantrums, telling the press that Scioscia could "go to hell" and calling him a "piece of garbage." Pretty Classy.
2. In 2007, Guillen's name was on the Mitchell Report as a major steroid user from 2003-2005 (the 3 years he hit the most homeruns in his career). He was also under investigation for buying thousands of dollars worth of the drugs.
3. In 2010, the Giants have 1,000 outfielders. Well, close. They had 5. 5 guys to play 3 positions. With Torres and Rowand (who, in my opinion, should never play in a major league game again. ever) trading off in CF, Burrell and Huff patroling LF and RF, and Schierholtz (the best defensive OF) coming off the bench, the Giants should have been set. They now have a RF who's very slow, with a mediocre arm, and, did I mention?, he's VERY slow. Molina slow. Yes, seriously.
4. With the acquisition of Guillen, this pushes Huff back to 1B and Travis Ishikawa back to the bench. Now, Ishi is batting .284 on the season and his defense is fantastic, but, as we all know, he's only 26. Travis struggled in his first full season last year, but has bounced back nicely in 2010. He started as a pinch-hitter and earned his spot as a starter. It's got to be difficult to have the 4th best average on the team and still get sent to the bench.
It would make sense if Guillen was only playing against left-handed pitchers, with Ishikawa starting against RHP. I guess. But, this being the Giants, Bohcy has already said that Guillen will start. When Brian Sabean gets someone, you play them. Heck, Rowand still plays. Garko played last year. Travis Ishikawa cannot buy a secure starting spot on this team - the management doesn't believe in him. Just like they don't honestly think this team can do it.
From the Giants 2010 opening day roster, only 3 players are still in the line-up. I didn't believe that that Giants line-up (average age: 32) could get the job done this season. After 2 months, they were a game over .500. Then came the road-trip that turned the season around. Who got it done? The youth. Buster Posey and Travis Ishikawa (2 guys who management didn't believe could get it done in April). Fans wondered why the managerment didn't get that "The Younger we get, the better we get." With the acquisition of Guillen, the Giants average age went back up to 30.65.
The San Diego Padres will win the National League West because they believe that their 25-man roster can get it done. They have believed it all season.
The Giants are always looking for the next player to push them over the edge. Perhaps if they had some confidence and worked to bring out the best in their own guys, they wouldn't be 5 games back right now.
And perhaps management will never learn.
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Tipping Point - Part 1
If you're a Giants fan, I don't have to tell you what this home-stand meant for the season.
I don't have to tell you that, following a loss today and a 1-5 stretch at home, the Giants are now just 3 games above .500. With today's loss, they're now 6 games behind the 1st place Padres, 2.5 games behind the ailing Dodgers, and .5 games back of the Rockies. Good thing the Diamondbacks are in this division, or I'd be really depressed.
The Giants are 8-17 against their own division, hardly playoff-worth numbers. They're 15-20 on the road, heading into an 11-game road trip to finish out the 1st half of the season. That's a scary thought, considering their season could be over by then.
Where does the blame fall? Who's responsible for this level of play?
It starts at the top.
The last few weeks, the line-up has consisted mostly of: Torres - CF, F. Sanchez - 2B, Sandoval - 1B, Huff - RF, Burrell - LF, Uribe - 3B, Renteria - SS, and Molina - C. Pablo is the only person in this line-up under 30. At some point, this should have been expected. These players will go into slumps, they will break down. But, then, why didn't Bochy plan for this? There are plenty of capable young players who would've loved a few more starts, if for no other reason than to give the veterans some rest. Aubrey Huff has clearly earned a starting spot at 1B, but he's slowed down quite a bit in the last couple weeks due, in part, to a lack of rest. Travis Ishikawa is batting .314 and, yet, has only had 35 at-bats. 35. In 3 months. That is not good utilization of your utility player. As the summer wears on, Huff will need to miss a few more games (He's only missed 3 so far). It's not a slight to Huff, it's a way to preserve him.
The catching situation is also confusing. Molina was re-signed this off-season, supposedly, to start the season out until Buster Posey could prove he was ready. Posey has shown he is. After a month in the big leagues, he's batting .289, but he's had just 2 starts behind the plate. His starts have also become more erratic and inconsistent. He's having to learn a new position and has had inconsistency, and it has affected his hitting lately. To succeed, Bochy needs to make the executive decision to go with his catcher of the future, sit Molina, and let Posey claim that position. Molina is bringing nothing to the table. He's batting .257 with 3 homeruns (1 less than back-up catcher Eli Whiteside. Why isn't Molina the bench guy with Whiteside starting?). It's time for Big Money to become the back-up he was signed to be. It's almost the halfway point - time to pull the trigger.
The biggest factor in this team's lack-luster performances? The Manager and General Manager, Bruce Bochy and Brian Sabean. There almost seems to be a lack of effort on their part, and that trickles down to the players. If the manager doesn't try (as seen when the line-up barely changes this home-stand, despite awful baserunning, a lack of clutch hits, and ugly at-bats), why should the players go all out? Bochy clearly can't manager all 25 guys, as we see the same guys over and over again, and he seems to forget about the younger guys (Ishikawa, Nate Schierholtz), who HAVE to be developed. This old line-up is not your future, and if you don't have a manager that can develop anyone younger, maybe it's time for Bochy to go.
However, it's easy to see where Bochy gets this attitude. In an article written on Wednesday, prior to another loss to the Dodgers, Brian Sabean is quoted as saying, "it's a good group. they know what's at stake. They know the sense of urgency." Really? Does that come across in the way Renteria, Rowand, Molina, Uribe, and Sandoval have been playing lately? Sabean goes on to say that there is no reason to panic, no reason to be upset. Isn't this the very problem with the team? They have become painful to watch, not because they're losing, but because there's a lack of fire and passion and energy. On Saturday, against the Red Sox, the Giants lost; but the game was great to watch because of the show Madisen Bumgarner put on throwing to Buster Posey. They brought an energy and an excitement to the field that hadn't been out there for awhile. The Giants need more of this. Without it, they will continue to fail, continue to look lack-luster.
If Sabean doesn't care, Bochy doesn't care, why should the players care? And why should we, as fans, care?
Jen
P.S. - this is "part 1" because my dad will be guest-blogging with me this week. Get ready.
I don't have to tell you that, following a loss today and a 1-5 stretch at home, the Giants are now just 3 games above .500. With today's loss, they're now 6 games behind the 1st place Padres, 2.5 games behind the ailing Dodgers, and .5 games back of the Rockies. Good thing the Diamondbacks are in this division, or I'd be really depressed.
The Giants are 8-17 against their own division, hardly playoff-worth numbers. They're 15-20 on the road, heading into an 11-game road trip to finish out the 1st half of the season. That's a scary thought, considering their season could be over by then.
Where does the blame fall? Who's responsible for this level of play?
It starts at the top.
The last few weeks, the line-up has consisted mostly of: Torres - CF, F. Sanchez - 2B, Sandoval - 1B, Huff - RF, Burrell - LF, Uribe - 3B, Renteria - SS, and Molina - C. Pablo is the only person in this line-up under 30. At some point, this should have been expected. These players will go into slumps, they will break down. But, then, why didn't Bochy plan for this? There are plenty of capable young players who would've loved a few more starts, if for no other reason than to give the veterans some rest. Aubrey Huff has clearly earned a starting spot at 1B, but he's slowed down quite a bit in the last couple weeks due, in part, to a lack of rest. Travis Ishikawa is batting .314 and, yet, has only had 35 at-bats. 35. In 3 months. That is not good utilization of your utility player. As the summer wears on, Huff will need to miss a few more games (He's only missed 3 so far). It's not a slight to Huff, it's a way to preserve him.
The catching situation is also confusing. Molina was re-signed this off-season, supposedly, to start the season out until Buster Posey could prove he was ready. Posey has shown he is. After a month in the big leagues, he's batting .289, but he's had just 2 starts behind the plate. His starts have also become more erratic and inconsistent. He's having to learn a new position and has had inconsistency, and it has affected his hitting lately. To succeed, Bochy needs to make the executive decision to go with his catcher of the future, sit Molina, and let Posey claim that position. Molina is bringing nothing to the table. He's batting .257 with 3 homeruns (1 less than back-up catcher Eli Whiteside. Why isn't Molina the bench guy with Whiteside starting?). It's time for Big Money to become the back-up he was signed to be. It's almost the halfway point - time to pull the trigger.
The biggest factor in this team's lack-luster performances? The Manager and General Manager, Bruce Bochy and Brian Sabean. There almost seems to be a lack of effort on their part, and that trickles down to the players. If the manager doesn't try (as seen when the line-up barely changes this home-stand, despite awful baserunning, a lack of clutch hits, and ugly at-bats), why should the players go all out? Bochy clearly can't manager all 25 guys, as we see the same guys over and over again, and he seems to forget about the younger guys (Ishikawa, Nate Schierholtz), who HAVE to be developed. This old line-up is not your future, and if you don't have a manager that can develop anyone younger, maybe it's time for Bochy to go.
However, it's easy to see where Bochy gets this attitude. In an article written on Wednesday, prior to another loss to the Dodgers, Brian Sabean is quoted as saying, "it's a good group. they know what's at stake. They know the sense of urgency." Really? Does that come across in the way Renteria, Rowand, Molina, Uribe, and Sandoval have been playing lately? Sabean goes on to say that there is no reason to panic, no reason to be upset. Isn't this the very problem with the team? They have become painful to watch, not because they're losing, but because there's a lack of fire and passion and energy. On Saturday, against the Red Sox, the Giants lost; but the game was great to watch because of the show Madisen Bumgarner put on throwing to Buster Posey. They brought an energy and an excitement to the field that hadn't been out there for awhile. The Giants need more of this. Without it, they will continue to fail, continue to look lack-luster.
If Sabean doesn't care, Bochy doesn't care, why should the players care? And why should we, as fans, care?
Jen
P.S. - this is "part 1" because my dad will be guest-blogging with me this week. Get ready.
Monday, June 7, 2010
It's been awhile
Sorry I haven't posted in awhile. Life's been a little hectic (in a good way). But I feel it's definitely time for another blog and more Giants discussions.
Let's first look at the positives:
A few weeks ago, I said that, in order to remain competitive this season, Jonathon Sanchez would have to keep pitching the way we know he can and Aubrey Huff would need to keep hitting the way he was. Well, those 2 things are in-tact so far. Jonathon is currently 4-4 (a record that is deceiving, considering he has yet to give up more than 4 runs in any start and took the loss in a 1-hitter) with a 2.63 era and 68 strikeouts. He's also 2nd in the MLB with opponents batting .183 against him. With Timmy struggling a little bit this season and Cain and Zito being a little inconsistent, it's great to see Sanchez have such a nice 2 months of baseball. We can expect great things from this pitcher in the years to come.
Aubrey Huff has also very pleasantly surprised me. I wasn't the biggest Huff fan when they signed him in the off-season, but he has gone out and, unlike many of the veterans on the team, has earned his starting spot every day. He plays hard, his defense has surpassed expectations, and he's almost always in the middle of a scoring rally. He's currently batting .298, and is 3rd among the starters (behind Posey and Freddy Sanchez) with an OBP of .389. This is exactly the kind of production the Giants should be getting from a big free agent signing and Huff has certainly not disappointed.
It's also been great having a healthy Freddy Sanchez back. While he's only been back for 17 games (going into tonights), he's leading the team in batting avg. at .381 and he's 2nd on the team with a .438 OBP. Let's cross our fingers and hope Freddy can stay healthy, cause this struggling offense could really use him.
Lastly, (and probably my favorite positive of the season so far) is Buster Posey. Several people didn't think Posey was ready to be brought up to the big leagues so soon, but he has proved them all very wrong. 8 games in, Posey owns a .433 avg and a .452 OBP. (as I'm typing this, he just got another single, bringing his avg to .469) Tonight he is finally getting a start behind the plate, where he belongs. Seeing Posey thrive up here in the majors should be a huge wake-up call to Sabean and Bochy on who to play the rest of the season.
The Negatives:
Starting with the most obvious, Aaron Rowand. While he may be a likable guy and a good teammate in the clubhouse, there is literally no excuse for him starting everyday. He can make some great catches, but his arm is not nearly as good as Schierholtz (Rowand has 3 assists this season to Schierholtz' 6 in more games than Schierholtz). Rowand is also basically an automatic out at the plate. His .222 batting avg (and falling) and .254 OBP put him dead last on the team in both categories, and it's not even close. Some say to give the guy a chance, he'll find his swing again. But Rowand's avg has dropped consistently every year since 2007 (coincidentally, every year he's been a Giant). A guy who plays as hard as Rowand and who's been in the big leagues for 10 years already does not provide hope for a breakout future. Rowand is on a downward spiral. While he'll get some hits the rest of the season (obviously, he won't bat .000), don't expect him to do much to help this team win. And, if Bochy is smart and can get past the money, Schierholtz will get a chance to solidify his role as starting right fielder.
Another problem for the Giants is shaping up to be Pablo Sandoval. While slumping at a respectable .281, he's .40 points lower than his career avg. of .322. He's only got 4 HRs this season (on-pace to hit about 12 this season, compared to 25 in 2009) and his .333 OBP puts him behind every starter except Rowand and Molina. Whether it's a case of needing a couple days off or being on a stricter diet-and-exercise plan, the Giants need to figure out what is happening to the Panda. At 23, the odds are in his favor. He's still learning, he's open to new ideas, he's capable of growing as a player, but he needs to be willing to, and this coaching staff needs to be willing to help him.
And lastly (for now), is the problem of Bengie Molina as everyday catcher. Now that Posey has proven that he can hit at a major league level, the next step is to assimilate him into being the catcher everyday. They didn't draft him to play 1B (and they signed a big free agent in the off-season to play there, so sticking Huff in LF isn't a good long-term solution). The Giants drafted Posey to be the catcher of the future, a solid guy behind the plate for the next several years. Now that he's up here, why delay the inevitable? Molina's .248 avg and .313 OBP aren't impressive numbers offensively and his 18% for throwing out guys stealing is not impressive. Like Rowand, he is more of a hindrance out there than a help. And that's a scary thought.
Overall, the Giants need to finally learn to let go. Let go of Rowand in the outfield and put in Schierholtz. Let go of Molina behind the plate and let Posey have his spot. Posey and Schierholtz have done nothing this year but earn a spot, only to have it taken from them and given to an older, slower, weaker player. If the Giants want to compete this year (remember, they're still in 3rd in their division), they need to get younger and give the young guys a chance. And Panda could stand to lose some weight. Just sayin'.
Jen
Let's first look at the positives:
A few weeks ago, I said that, in order to remain competitive this season, Jonathon Sanchez would have to keep pitching the way we know he can and Aubrey Huff would need to keep hitting the way he was. Well, those 2 things are in-tact so far. Jonathon is currently 4-4 (a record that is deceiving, considering he has yet to give up more than 4 runs in any start and took the loss in a 1-hitter) with a 2.63 era and 68 strikeouts. He's also 2nd in the MLB with opponents batting .183 against him. With Timmy struggling a little bit this season and Cain and Zito being a little inconsistent, it's great to see Sanchez have such a nice 2 months of baseball. We can expect great things from this pitcher in the years to come.
Aubrey Huff has also very pleasantly surprised me. I wasn't the biggest Huff fan when they signed him in the off-season, but he has gone out and, unlike many of the veterans on the team, has earned his starting spot every day. He plays hard, his defense has surpassed expectations, and he's almost always in the middle of a scoring rally. He's currently batting .298, and is 3rd among the starters (behind Posey and Freddy Sanchez) with an OBP of .389. This is exactly the kind of production the Giants should be getting from a big free agent signing and Huff has certainly not disappointed.
It's also been great having a healthy Freddy Sanchez back. While he's only been back for 17 games (going into tonights), he's leading the team in batting avg. at .381 and he's 2nd on the team with a .438 OBP. Let's cross our fingers and hope Freddy can stay healthy, cause this struggling offense could really use him.
Lastly, (and probably my favorite positive of the season so far) is Buster Posey. Several people didn't think Posey was ready to be brought up to the big leagues so soon, but he has proved them all very wrong. 8 games in, Posey owns a .433 avg and a .452 OBP. (as I'm typing this, he just got another single, bringing his avg to .469) Tonight he is finally getting a start behind the plate, where he belongs. Seeing Posey thrive up here in the majors should be a huge wake-up call to Sabean and Bochy on who to play the rest of the season.
The Negatives:
Starting with the most obvious, Aaron Rowand. While he may be a likable guy and a good teammate in the clubhouse, there is literally no excuse for him starting everyday. He can make some great catches, but his arm is not nearly as good as Schierholtz (Rowand has 3 assists this season to Schierholtz' 6 in more games than Schierholtz). Rowand is also basically an automatic out at the plate. His .222 batting avg (and falling) and .254 OBP put him dead last on the team in both categories, and it's not even close. Some say to give the guy a chance, he'll find his swing again. But Rowand's avg has dropped consistently every year since 2007 (coincidentally, every year he's been a Giant). A guy who plays as hard as Rowand and who's been in the big leagues for 10 years already does not provide hope for a breakout future. Rowand is on a downward spiral. While he'll get some hits the rest of the season (obviously, he won't bat .000), don't expect him to do much to help this team win. And, if Bochy is smart and can get past the money, Schierholtz will get a chance to solidify his role as starting right fielder.
Another problem for the Giants is shaping up to be Pablo Sandoval. While slumping at a respectable .281, he's .40 points lower than his career avg. of .322. He's only got 4 HRs this season (on-pace to hit about 12 this season, compared to 25 in 2009) and his .333 OBP puts him behind every starter except Rowand and Molina. Whether it's a case of needing a couple days off or being on a stricter diet-and-exercise plan, the Giants need to figure out what is happening to the Panda. At 23, the odds are in his favor. He's still learning, he's open to new ideas, he's capable of growing as a player, but he needs to be willing to, and this coaching staff needs to be willing to help him.
And lastly (for now), is the problem of Bengie Molina as everyday catcher. Now that Posey has proven that he can hit at a major league level, the next step is to assimilate him into being the catcher everyday. They didn't draft him to play 1B (and they signed a big free agent in the off-season to play there, so sticking Huff in LF isn't a good long-term solution). The Giants drafted Posey to be the catcher of the future, a solid guy behind the plate for the next several years. Now that he's up here, why delay the inevitable? Molina's .248 avg and .313 OBP aren't impressive numbers offensively and his 18% for throwing out guys stealing is not impressive. Like Rowand, he is more of a hindrance out there than a help. And that's a scary thought.
Overall, the Giants need to finally learn to let go. Let go of Rowand in the outfield and put in Schierholtz. Let go of Molina behind the plate and let Posey have his spot. Posey and Schierholtz have done nothing this year but earn a spot, only to have it taken from them and given to an older, slower, weaker player. If the Giants want to compete this year (remember, they're still in 3rd in their division), they need to get younger and give the young guys a chance. And Panda could stand to lose some weight. Just sayin'.
Jen
Thursday, May 13, 2010
repeat offenders
Coming off a 4-2 road trip, the Giants seemed like they might hang in there this year, despite big injuries to big free agents costing the team big money.
Then they got swept. By the Padres. Again.
With the news coming out this week that Mark Derosa's wrist surgery last October was a "total failure," it's time to finally begin to look critically at how this team is run. Currently, the roster holds 3 big free agents who either are on the D.L. (Renteria and Freddy Sanchez) or are going to be in the D.L. (DeRosa). This year alone, those 3 players are making 21.25 million dollars. To sit on the bench. If that weren't frustrating enough, DeRosa is signed through next season, where he'll be a year older (36). If he can't come back from a wrist surgery at 34, is there much hope that he'll come through it next year?
This is not meant to bash these guys. They're good guys, trying to play every day. They're frustrated at their performances just as much as any fan and it's harder on them to not be playing than it is on anyone. But why does this seem to be a recurring theme for the Giants year after year? Brian Sabean has been the General Manager for the Giants for the last 13 seasons. In that time, they have had 8 winning seasons, have made the playoffs 3 times, and have made it to a world series once, losing in 7 games. This is not an overly impressive resume. 8 winning seasons (a season with a record of over .500) is solid, but they were clearly winning enough games if they only made the post-season 3 times in 12 years (2010 remains to be seen). It's becoming increasingly clear every year that the "trade away prospects to field a team full of veteran players" is not getting it done. It's time to try a different strategy. The thing that is worrisome? Sabean doesn't seem to be capable of changing his strategy.
After Barry Bonds retired in 2007, Giants fans were promised a "re-building." The team would get younger, we'd start over, build from the ground up, and be able to sustain a winning team for years to come.
Was that a joke?
In 2008, the Giants were still stuck with the contracts of Dave Roberts, Randy Winn, Bengie Molina, Rich Aurillia, Ray Durham, Omar Vizquel, and J.T. Snow. They had also just signed Aaron Rowand to a 5-year deal. (when that ends in 2012, Rowand will be 36). That year, the Giants went 72-90 and finished in 4th place. So, it was finally time for the young guys to get a chance, right? Kinda.
In 2009, the Giants did get a little bit younger, with Travis Ishikawa starting at 1B, Emmanual Burriss starting at 2B, Pablo Sandoval starting at 3B, and Frew Lewis starting in left field. However, before the trading deadline, Ishikawa was replaced with Ryan Garko from Burriss (who wasn't playing much by then) was replaced by Freddy Sanchez. Garko finished out the season with the Giants with a .235 and wasn't resigned. Sanchez, as mentioned before, is still around, but has been on the D.L. since late last season. He was expected to make it to Spring training, then opening day. Now, 6 weeks into the season, we might see him next week. Maybe.
With the vast improvement the Giants did last season, going 88-74, let's not forget that they finished 3rd in a division that is just ok. It's nice that they got above .500, but it still wasn't enough.
This season, after a pretty strong start, the Giants are floundering once again. They're currently 18-15, only 3 games above .500. Renteria is on the D.L., DeRosa is headed there, Molina has to rest twice a week (my dad's prediction is that he will hit the D.L. sometime in the next 3 weeks). And the offense continues to struggle, with only an in-field hit saving them today from being on the wrong end of a perfect game. Apart from Sandoval (and Sabean clearly didn't know what he had in Sandoval, thus not much hype surrounding him when he came up), Sabean has yet to produce an all-star caliber position player from the farm system since Matt Williams. That's a frightening stat. Trading away the farm system for mediocre veterans is finally coming back to really haunt this team. They simply cannot stay on the same path of the last 13 years. Unfortunately, Sabean hasn't shown that he can go in any other direction.
If this team really wants to rebuild, Sabean has a lot to prove this season. I just don't think they can do it with him at the helm.
Jen
Then they got swept. By the Padres. Again.
With the news coming out this week that Mark Derosa's wrist surgery last October was a "total failure," it's time to finally begin to look critically at how this team is run. Currently, the roster holds 3 big free agents who either are on the D.L. (Renteria and Freddy Sanchez) or are going to be in the D.L. (DeRosa). This year alone, those 3 players are making 21.25 million dollars. To sit on the bench. If that weren't frustrating enough, DeRosa is signed through next season, where he'll be a year older (36). If he can't come back from a wrist surgery at 34, is there much hope that he'll come through it next year?
This is not meant to bash these guys. They're good guys, trying to play every day. They're frustrated at their performances just as much as any fan and it's harder on them to not be playing than it is on anyone. But why does this seem to be a recurring theme for the Giants year after year? Brian Sabean has been the General Manager for the Giants for the last 13 seasons. In that time, they have had 8 winning seasons, have made the playoffs 3 times, and have made it to a world series once, losing in 7 games. This is not an overly impressive resume. 8 winning seasons (a season with a record of over .500) is solid, but they were clearly winning enough games if they only made the post-season 3 times in 12 years (2010 remains to be seen). It's becoming increasingly clear every year that the "trade away prospects to field a team full of veteran players" is not getting it done. It's time to try a different strategy. The thing that is worrisome? Sabean doesn't seem to be capable of changing his strategy.
After Barry Bonds retired in 2007, Giants fans were promised a "re-building." The team would get younger, we'd start over, build from the ground up, and be able to sustain a winning team for years to come.
Was that a joke?
In 2008, the Giants were still stuck with the contracts of Dave Roberts, Randy Winn, Bengie Molina, Rich Aurillia, Ray Durham, Omar Vizquel, and J.T. Snow. They had also just signed Aaron Rowand to a 5-year deal. (when that ends in 2012, Rowand will be 36). That year, the Giants went 72-90 and finished in 4th place. So, it was finally time for the young guys to get a chance, right? Kinda.
In 2009, the Giants did get a little bit younger, with Travis Ishikawa starting at 1B, Emmanual Burriss starting at 2B, Pablo Sandoval starting at 3B, and Frew Lewis starting in left field. However, before the trading deadline, Ishikawa was replaced with Ryan Garko from Burriss (who wasn't playing much by then) was replaced by Freddy Sanchez. Garko finished out the season with the Giants with a .235 and wasn't resigned. Sanchez, as mentioned before, is still around, but has been on the D.L. since late last season. He was expected to make it to Spring training, then opening day. Now, 6 weeks into the season, we might see him next week. Maybe.
With the vast improvement the Giants did last season, going 88-74, let's not forget that they finished 3rd in a division that is just ok. It's nice that they got above .500, but it still wasn't enough.
This season, after a pretty strong start, the Giants are floundering once again. They're currently 18-15, only 3 games above .500. Renteria is on the D.L., DeRosa is headed there, Molina has to rest twice a week (my dad's prediction is that he will hit the D.L. sometime in the next 3 weeks). And the offense continues to struggle, with only an in-field hit saving them today from being on the wrong end of a perfect game. Apart from Sandoval (and Sabean clearly didn't know what he had in Sandoval, thus not much hype surrounding him when he came up), Sabean has yet to produce an all-star caliber position player from the farm system since Matt Williams. That's a frightening stat. Trading away the farm system for mediocre veterans is finally coming back to really haunt this team. They simply cannot stay on the same path of the last 13 years. Unfortunately, Sabean hasn't shown that he can go in any other direction.
If this team really wants to rebuild, Sabean has a lot to prove this season. I just don't think they can do it with him at the helm.
Jen
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
Are you down?
What a difference a week makes.
Last Wednesday, Giants fans everywhere (myself included) were rejoicing with how well the season was going, how great the team looked. They were scoring runs, pitching well (well, except Wellemeyer). It looked like it was going to be their season, this year they would make the playoffs and their offensive troubles were over.
That was short-lived.
In the last week, the Giants have gone 1-4, they're only win coming on a day when Lincecum and the bullpen didn't give up a single run. The pitching has remained solid, with Zito, Cain, and Sanchez all being robbed of wins after pitching gems (Zito going into the 8th, giving up only 4 hits and 1 run on saturday; Cain pitching 6, giving up only 2 runs on Monday; and the best of them all, Sanchez. Last night he pitching a 1 run, 1 hit, 10 strikeout gem, only to take the loss).
So, what's happened?
Apart from a couple bullpen homeruns (which would have made no difference could the Giants have scored 1 or 2 more runs per game...so, 1 or 2 runs total), the averages have slipped. Most of them, pretty significantly. Taking a look at the main starters for the Giants, Molina and Renteria have the biggest losses in average over the last week. Last wednesday (April 14), Renteria was batting .382 and Molina was at .455. After Tuesday night (April 20), their averages stand at .296 and .351, respectively. That's a drop in average of .104 for Molina and .086 for Renteria. Keep in mind that Renteria was batting near .800 a mere 2 weeks ago and this does not bode well for the rest of the season. Neither of these guys has what it takes to start everyday and actually produce offensively. They had big bursts coming out of spring training because, at 34 (Renteria) and 35 (Molina), they were well-rested. As the season goes on, they will wear down. Again, the age of this team is already becoming a factor for them (DeRosa, 35, has already had to miss a few games because of a strained muscle. It's April).
Edgar and Bengie are not the only ones to lose some of their averages over the past week. Bowker has dropped from .250 (not great to start with) to .176. That's a loss of .074, good enough for the 3rd biggest decline on the team. Uribe has lost .024, to end up at .320 for the season and Sandoval is down .021, bringing him to a .321 average coming into today's game. While those numbers aren't anything to be worried about (yet), they are in direct correlation with the team's current losing streak. So, they are making an impact.
There have been some bright spots on the team during this stretch, however dim. Huff has managed to bring his average up, going from .273 to .288. He is also continuing to get on base, whether it be through a hit or a walk. Nate Schierholtz (who should've been starting in right field this entire season) has also raised his average. He's gone from .286 last week to .350 this week. He's also already got an outfield assist and 1 of the team's 5 stolen bases on the season. Someone tell me why, again, Bowker and Torres keep starting in place of him? (sidenote: Torres has raised his average in the last week from .000 to .111. so, in a way, he has made the biggest improvement by actually getting a hit. actually, 2 hits)
If the Giants insist on continuing with this line-up, they will continue to have numbers like this: 1-for-25 with runners in scoring position and 22 men left on base the last 3 games.
If they want to make the playoffs, those numbers need to go up. For that to happen, the age of this team needs to come down.
Jen
Last Wednesday, Giants fans everywhere (myself included) were rejoicing with how well the season was going, how great the team looked. They were scoring runs, pitching well (well, except Wellemeyer). It looked like it was going to be their season, this year they would make the playoffs and their offensive troubles were over.
That was short-lived.
In the last week, the Giants have gone 1-4, they're only win coming on a day when Lincecum and the bullpen didn't give up a single run. The pitching has remained solid, with Zito, Cain, and Sanchez all being robbed of wins after pitching gems (Zito going into the 8th, giving up only 4 hits and 1 run on saturday; Cain pitching 6, giving up only 2 runs on Monday; and the best of them all, Sanchez. Last night he pitching a 1 run, 1 hit, 10 strikeout gem, only to take the loss).
So, what's happened?
Apart from a couple bullpen homeruns (which would have made no difference could the Giants have scored 1 or 2 more runs per game...so, 1 or 2 runs total), the averages have slipped. Most of them, pretty significantly. Taking a look at the main starters for the Giants, Molina and Renteria have the biggest losses in average over the last week. Last wednesday (April 14), Renteria was batting .382 and Molina was at .455. After Tuesday night (April 20), their averages stand at .296 and .351, respectively. That's a drop in average of .104 for Molina and .086 for Renteria. Keep in mind that Renteria was batting near .800 a mere 2 weeks ago and this does not bode well for the rest of the season. Neither of these guys has what it takes to start everyday and actually produce offensively. They had big bursts coming out of spring training because, at 34 (Renteria) and 35 (Molina), they were well-rested. As the season goes on, they will wear down. Again, the age of this team is already becoming a factor for them (DeRosa, 35, has already had to miss a few games because of a strained muscle. It's April).
Edgar and Bengie are not the only ones to lose some of their averages over the past week. Bowker has dropped from .250 (not great to start with) to .176. That's a loss of .074, good enough for the 3rd biggest decline on the team. Uribe has lost .024, to end up at .320 for the season and Sandoval is down .021, bringing him to a .321 average coming into today's game. While those numbers aren't anything to be worried about (yet), they are in direct correlation with the team's current losing streak. So, they are making an impact.
There have been some bright spots on the team during this stretch, however dim. Huff has managed to bring his average up, going from .273 to .288. He is also continuing to get on base, whether it be through a hit or a walk. Nate Schierholtz (who should've been starting in right field this entire season) has also raised his average. He's gone from .286 last week to .350 this week. He's also already got an outfield assist and 1 of the team's 5 stolen bases on the season. Someone tell me why, again, Bowker and Torres keep starting in place of him? (sidenote: Torres has raised his average in the last week from .000 to .111. so, in a way, he has made the biggest improvement by actually getting a hit. actually, 2 hits)
If the Giants insist on continuing with this line-up, they will continue to have numbers like this: 1-for-25 with runners in scoring position and 22 men left on base the last 3 games.
If they want to make the playoffs, those numbers need to go up. For that to happen, the age of this team needs to come down.
Jen
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
surprises
There's not much to complain about as a San Francisco Giants fan these days. Let's enjoy it all while we can.
For starters, the pitching has been about as wonderful as everyone predicted at the beginning of the season. Lincecum, no surprise, leads the team with a 1.29 ERA and 17 strikeouts in just 2 starts. However, maybe more of a surprise, is Barry Zito, 2nd on the starting staff with a 2.25 ERA in his 2 starts. Cain has struggled a bit with a 4.26 ERA, but with only 2 walks, it's nothing to worry about just yet. He'll get there. Wellemeyer is still a bit of a mystery, as he's new to this starting rotation. He was lights-out in spring training and his nerves may have played a part in his rocky 1st start this year (that, and some terrible defense behind him). However, possibly the best thing about this first week of the season has been the progression of Jonathan Sanchez. Last year, he struggled with consistency, having a terrible first half, only to be put in the bullpen, only to come roaring back with a no-hitter in his first start back. He went on to have a pretty solid second half of the season, with a 3.83 ERA after the all-star break. After a rough start last friday afternoon, Sanchez had a brilliant performance today. In 2010, he's 1-0 with a 2.19 ERA and, most impressive, he's tied with teammate Tim Lincecum for the National league lead in strikeouts with 17.
This is crucial for Sanchez. For a guy who can struggle with control, a good start is key for the rest of the season. If he can gain confidence and realize just how good his stuff is (Randy Johnson said last season that Sanchez might have the best stuff he's seen in a lefty...quite the compliment), Sanchez can be a key to this rotation. Instead of having 2 feared pitchers (Lincecum, Cain), maybe 3 (Zito on a good day), there could be 4 dominating pitchers in 1 starting rotation, easily making them the best rotation in baseball. Fingers crossed...
The second best thing to happen to the Giants this season thus far: Aubrey Huff. (Yes, I said Huff. He's made me a believer so far). Huff hasn't been as dominating hitting-wise as many expected from him, especially the power numbers (which will still not be great, given this ballpark). However, Huff gets on base. His .385 OBP, if he can maintain it, will be better than almost any Giants starter of 2009 (exception: Sandoval, at .387). Huff is being patient at the plate and taking lots of walks (something Giants hitters simply weren't aware was an option last season). If Huff can stay patient at the plate and can continue to be on-base, he can be the missing link that the Giants so desperately needed on offense last season.
It's been a solid 9 days of baseball. Here's hoping the next 173 are as good.
Jen
For starters, the pitching has been about as wonderful as everyone predicted at the beginning of the season. Lincecum, no surprise, leads the team with a 1.29 ERA and 17 strikeouts in just 2 starts. However, maybe more of a surprise, is Barry Zito, 2nd on the starting staff with a 2.25 ERA in his 2 starts. Cain has struggled a bit with a 4.26 ERA, but with only 2 walks, it's nothing to worry about just yet. He'll get there. Wellemeyer is still a bit of a mystery, as he's new to this starting rotation. He was lights-out in spring training and his nerves may have played a part in his rocky 1st start this year (that, and some terrible defense behind him). However, possibly the best thing about this first week of the season has been the progression of Jonathan Sanchez. Last year, he struggled with consistency, having a terrible first half, only to be put in the bullpen, only to come roaring back with a no-hitter in his first start back. He went on to have a pretty solid second half of the season, with a 3.83 ERA after the all-star break. After a rough start last friday afternoon, Sanchez had a brilliant performance today. In 2010, he's 1-0 with a 2.19 ERA and, most impressive, he's tied with teammate Tim Lincecum for the National league lead in strikeouts with 17.
This is crucial for Sanchez. For a guy who can struggle with control, a good start is key for the rest of the season. If he can gain confidence and realize just how good his stuff is (Randy Johnson said last season that Sanchez might have the best stuff he's seen in a lefty...quite the compliment), Sanchez can be a key to this rotation. Instead of having 2 feared pitchers (Lincecum, Cain), maybe 3 (Zito on a good day), there could be 4 dominating pitchers in 1 starting rotation, easily making them the best rotation in baseball. Fingers crossed...
The second best thing to happen to the Giants this season thus far: Aubrey Huff. (Yes, I said Huff. He's made me a believer so far). Huff hasn't been as dominating hitting-wise as many expected from him, especially the power numbers (which will still not be great, given this ballpark). However, Huff gets on base. His .385 OBP, if he can maintain it, will be better than almost any Giants starter of 2009 (exception: Sandoval, at .387). Huff is being patient at the plate and taking lots of walks (something Giants hitters simply weren't aware was an option last season). If Huff can stay patient at the plate and can continue to be on-base, he can be the missing link that the Giants so desperately needed on offense last season.
It's been a solid 9 days of baseball. Here's hoping the next 173 are as good.
Jen
Saturday, April 10, 2010
Ageism
Alright, I'm back from Africa, time to get back to work.
The baseball season is upon us! Giants started off in Houston with a 3-game series against the Astros. With 2 of their 3 best pitchers going starting in the series (Lincecum and Cain), it wasn't surprising to see a sweep. Also, the Astros just aren't very good. However, the weekend series against Atlanta will prove to be a better test for the Giants. This opponent will give a better preview of who the Giants actually are this year. And so far, despite the win yesterday, it's doesn't look great.
Despite some off-season signings designed to increase the offense, and especially the power numbers (Huff, DeRosa, Molina), this team will struggle offensively. First of all, the collective age of this team crept up significantly this off-season. From 2005-2008, when the Giants weren't making the playoffs and were finishing the season with a sub-.500 record, they're average age was always over 30. In 2005, it was 37, and they finished with a .463 winning percentage. In 2006, it was 35, with a .472 winning percentage. In 2007, it was 36, with a .438 winning percentage. 2008 brought the youthful average age of 30 and a winning percentage of .444. Last season, in 2009, the year they weren't supposed to be good, they brought home a .543 winning percentage. Almost .100 more points then the previous season. The secret to their success? Getting younger. The average age last year was 29, the first time under 30 in years, with 4 of their 8 starters under age 30 (Lewis, Burriss, Ishikawa, and Sandoval).
As most other teams are beginning to recognize over the past few years, this game is changing. It is no longer about the long-ball and the power homerun. It can't be, with the previous era being so tainted with the use of steroids. Teams had to find other ways to win. Great pitching once again became the most valuable asset in baseball and, with it, came the youth movement. For most teams anyway.
The average age of the Giants this season is 32. They have managed to replace every starter from last season who was under 30 (with the exception of Sandoval) with a guy who is over 30. That is worrisome, given their stats with a team of an average age of over 30. Guys will break down, veterans will get tired. We hope to get everything out of them now (Renteria) because, come June, who knows how they'll be feeling? Bengie Molina had only 3 homeruns during the months of June and July last year, when the Giants lost ground in their push for the playoffs. The lack of consistency with the veteran players is astounding (Rowand batted .320 in June of last year, and then struggled to bat over .200 for the rest of the year).
Hopefully, this batch of veteran players will break the mold and hit consistently and lead this team to a World Series (or, at least, the playoffs for the first time in 6 years). However, more than likely, they took a Giant step backwards in this off-season, towards the years of sub-.500 baseball.
It could be a long season by June.
Jen
The baseball season is upon us! Giants started off in Houston with a 3-game series against the Astros. With 2 of their 3 best pitchers going starting in the series (Lincecum and Cain), it wasn't surprising to see a sweep. Also, the Astros just aren't very good. However, the weekend series against Atlanta will prove to be a better test for the Giants. This opponent will give a better preview of who the Giants actually are this year. And so far, despite the win yesterday, it's doesn't look great.
Despite some off-season signings designed to increase the offense, and especially the power numbers (Huff, DeRosa, Molina), this team will struggle offensively. First of all, the collective age of this team crept up significantly this off-season. From 2005-2008, when the Giants weren't making the playoffs and were finishing the season with a sub-.500 record, they're average age was always over 30. In 2005, it was 37, and they finished with a .463 winning percentage. In 2006, it was 35, with a .472 winning percentage. In 2007, it was 36, with a .438 winning percentage. 2008 brought the youthful average age of 30 and a winning percentage of .444. Last season, in 2009, the year they weren't supposed to be good, they brought home a .543 winning percentage. Almost .100 more points then the previous season. The secret to their success? Getting younger. The average age last year was 29, the first time under 30 in years, with 4 of their 8 starters under age 30 (Lewis, Burriss, Ishikawa, and Sandoval).
As most other teams are beginning to recognize over the past few years, this game is changing. It is no longer about the long-ball and the power homerun. It can't be, with the previous era being so tainted with the use of steroids. Teams had to find other ways to win. Great pitching once again became the most valuable asset in baseball and, with it, came the youth movement. For most teams anyway.
The average age of the Giants this season is 32. They have managed to replace every starter from last season who was under 30 (with the exception of Sandoval) with a guy who is over 30. That is worrisome, given their stats with a team of an average age of over 30. Guys will break down, veterans will get tired. We hope to get everything out of them now (Renteria) because, come June, who knows how they'll be feeling? Bengie Molina had only 3 homeruns during the months of June and July last year, when the Giants lost ground in their push for the playoffs. The lack of consistency with the veteran players is astounding (Rowand batted .320 in June of last year, and then struggled to bat over .200 for the rest of the year).
Hopefully, this batch of veteran players will break the mold and hit consistently and lead this team to a World Series (or, at least, the playoffs for the first time in 6 years). However, more than likely, they took a Giant step backwards in this off-season, towards the years of sub-.500 baseball.
It could be a long season by June.
Jen
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
And finally!
Alright, here it is, finally, my take on the 2010 Giants infield:
Third base:
Let's state the obvious: Pablo Sandoval is awesome. He's more comfortable defensively at 3rd (moving him to 1st would be terrible) and, if he can be slightly more selective in what he swings at this season, he can hit 30-35 HRs. He'll be incredibly fun to watch and an All-Star contender. Backing him up, I believe, will be Ryan Rohlinger. Ryan had some time in the majors last season (only 26 At-bats) and, at 26, needs to prove he can make it as a big leaguer.
Shortstop:
SS is one of the most important positions on the field. Defensively, offensively, the SS should anchor the team. The Giants lack a really great shortstop. Edgar Renteria, coming off a career-low in average and a .970 fielding percentage, needs to be vastly improved if he wants to anchor the infield and, at age 35, this seems unlikely. The good news for the Giants is that they have the versatile Juan Uribe to back up Renteria (or to possibly take over starting, should Edgar struggle like he did this past year). Uribe will be 31 on Opening Day and is coming off his best average since his rookie season and he was 3rd on the team with 16 HRs last year, providing some much-needed power. Uribe should be starting shortstop this year, but expect him to take over down the stretch.
Second base:
Freddy Sanchez will be missed to start the season (when he's healthy, he provides excellent offensive pop). However, expect either Uribe or a youngster to start at 2nd for the start of 2010. This can be good news for Giants fans as Uribe is quite capable (See above) and it's fun to watch young kids get a shot at the big leagues. My money is on Kevin Frandsen to make the starting roster for 2nd base. While Frandsen has failed to impressive in his limited time in the big leagues (1 at-bats in 2008, 50 in 2009), he is a solid infielder who, I believe, will really thrive with some consistency. He's quick, has smooth hands defensively (he can turn a double play like it's poetry), and brings some pop to the plate. Whether he gets the chance to prove himself this season, however, remains to be seen. But he's a local kid and people like him, so let's hope for the best.
First base:
This is the infield position that is the most frustrating (for now). The Giants acquired Aubrey Huff to play first base (pushing DeRosa into unknown territory in left field, and going a little overboard on the infielders), thus pushing Travis Ishikawa onto the bench and possibly ending his career as a starter. Now, Huff does intrigue me offensively, but defensively he is a train wreck. Exhibit A: his first spring training game this season. He hits a HR and then proceeds to make an error later that same game. This is Huff's game in a nutshell. He may provide more power than Ishi (he hit 15 last year, but only 2 after the all-star break), but he also hit in a better ballpark then Ishikawa (who hit 9 HRs last year, 7 of them coming at the difficult AT&T park). Ishikawa also had 210 fewer at-bats and bested Huff in average, slugging percentage, and on-base percentage in 2009. Defensively, Ishikawa wins a Gold Glove at 1st if he plays every day, while Huff is a liability. In the latest way to measure a player's value, the Ultimate Zone Rating (The number of runs above or below average a fielder is in both range runs and error runs combined) (http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/index.php/uzr-on-fangraphs/), Ishikawa blows Huff away. Huff has a -6.8 rating, which Ishi stays in the positive at +8.1. (to compare, San Diego's Adrian Gonzalez has a rating of +3.8).
Just something to think about, next time Ishikawa is getting bashed.
Catcher:
There's not a lot to say on the position of catcher. Molina is an ok guy to have behind the plate for April-May, when his production will be good. However, after that, he'll start to break down, similar to last year. (He batted .300 in march-april and then struggled to get above .275 the rest of the season, finishing with a .265 average for the year). The biggest hope is that he will gracefully step aside when it's time for Posey to take over as the starting catcher (which will be mid-season, Posey does not need another full year in the minors). Defensively, Posey is ready now and will be a vast improvement on Molina when he takes over (watching Molina trying to throw out a stealing base-runner from July on last year was painful). All in all, nothing we can do about it. Molina will play probably through June, and then it'll be time to usher in the Posey era (thank goodness)!
There you have it, the final pieces of the 2010 San Francisco Giants.
Ishikawa at first base, that's all I'm saying...
Jen
Third base:
Let's state the obvious: Pablo Sandoval is awesome. He's more comfortable defensively at 3rd (moving him to 1st would be terrible) and, if he can be slightly more selective in what he swings at this season, he can hit 30-35 HRs. He'll be incredibly fun to watch and an All-Star contender. Backing him up, I believe, will be Ryan Rohlinger. Ryan had some time in the majors last season (only 26 At-bats) and, at 26, needs to prove he can make it as a big leaguer.
Shortstop:
SS is one of the most important positions on the field. Defensively, offensively, the SS should anchor the team. The Giants lack a really great shortstop. Edgar Renteria, coming off a career-low in average and a .970 fielding percentage, needs to be vastly improved if he wants to anchor the infield and, at age 35, this seems unlikely. The good news for the Giants is that they have the versatile Juan Uribe to back up Renteria (or to possibly take over starting, should Edgar struggle like he did this past year). Uribe will be 31 on Opening Day and is coming off his best average since his rookie season and he was 3rd on the team with 16 HRs last year, providing some much-needed power. Uribe should be starting shortstop this year, but expect him to take over down the stretch.
Second base:
Freddy Sanchez will be missed to start the season (when he's healthy, he provides excellent offensive pop). However, expect either Uribe or a youngster to start at 2nd for the start of 2010. This can be good news for Giants fans as Uribe is quite capable (See above) and it's fun to watch young kids get a shot at the big leagues. My money is on Kevin Frandsen to make the starting roster for 2nd base. While Frandsen has failed to impressive in his limited time in the big leagues (1 at-bats in 2008, 50 in 2009), he is a solid infielder who, I believe, will really thrive with some consistency. He's quick, has smooth hands defensively (he can turn a double play like it's poetry), and brings some pop to the plate. Whether he gets the chance to prove himself this season, however, remains to be seen. But he's a local kid and people like him, so let's hope for the best.
First base:
This is the infield position that is the most frustrating (for now). The Giants acquired Aubrey Huff to play first base (pushing DeRosa into unknown territory in left field, and going a little overboard on the infielders), thus pushing Travis Ishikawa onto the bench and possibly ending his career as a starter. Now, Huff does intrigue me offensively, but defensively he is a train wreck. Exhibit A: his first spring training game this season. He hits a HR and then proceeds to make an error later that same game. This is Huff's game in a nutshell. He may provide more power than Ishi (he hit 15 last year, but only 2 after the all-star break), but he also hit in a better ballpark then Ishikawa (who hit 9 HRs last year, 7 of them coming at the difficult AT&T park). Ishikawa also had 210 fewer at-bats and bested Huff in average, slugging percentage, and on-base percentage in 2009. Defensively, Ishikawa wins a Gold Glove at 1st if he plays every day, while Huff is a liability. In the latest way to measure a player's value, the Ultimate Zone Rating (The number of runs above or below average a fielder is in both range runs and error runs combined) (http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/index.php/uzr-on-fangraphs/), Ishikawa blows Huff away. Huff has a -6.8 rating, which Ishi stays in the positive at +8.1. (to compare, San Diego's Adrian Gonzalez has a rating of +3.8).
Just something to think about, next time Ishikawa is getting bashed.
Catcher:
There's not a lot to say on the position of catcher. Molina is an ok guy to have behind the plate for April-May, when his production will be good. However, after that, he'll start to break down, similar to last year. (He batted .300 in march-april and then struggled to get above .275 the rest of the season, finishing with a .265 average for the year). The biggest hope is that he will gracefully step aside when it's time for Posey to take over as the starting catcher (which will be mid-season, Posey does not need another full year in the minors). Defensively, Posey is ready now and will be a vast improvement on Molina when he takes over (watching Molina trying to throw out a stealing base-runner from July on last year was painful). All in all, nothing we can do about it. Molina will play probably through June, and then it'll be time to usher in the Posey era (thank goodness)!
There you have it, the final pieces of the 2010 San Francisco Giants.
Ishikawa at first base, that's all I'm saying...
Jen
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
Take 2
Alright, here we go, the much anticipated run-down of the rest of your 2010 San Francisco Giants.
Outfielders:
We can start with the obvious: Aaron Rowand is going to be in center field. He's signed with a big contract, he will start every day, no matter his stats. It'll be frustrating at times, maybe even painful to watch him bat, but he will bring solid, if not fantastic, defense to his position. Plus, with Schierholtz (hopefully!) in right and DeRosa/Velez/Torres in left, Rowand provides a veteran presence out there.
Left field could be a bit of a debacle. DeRosa lacks any significant experience there and "may wind up being one of the biggest fantasy disappointments of '10" (http://sanfrancisco.giants.mlb.com/team/player.jsp?player_id=136660). Offensively, his career numbers mirror Rich Aurilia, but DeRosa's have less power. Richie was a great Giant, it would've been futile to re-sign him this year at the age of 38. For the sake of the Sabean, let's hope that DeRosa, at 35, is not a futile a signing. Velez and Torres should be given ample time during Spring Training to prove their worth for making the opening day roster. Both have speed (which the Giants sorely lack without them), but both also need to make improvements for 2010. Velez added more pop to his swing, hitting more HRs in 2009 in fewer at-bats, but his average fell as the season wore on. He needs more consistency. He could also stand to work on his defense in left. Velez improved defensively as the season wore on, so there's hope for him. Plus, he's only 27. Torres had a better fielding percentage, better average, and 1 more HR than Velez in 2009, but his age could work against him (32, with no full major league seasons under his belt).
As the season wears on, we'll hopefully get to see some of the amazing young outfielders the Giants have invited to Spring Training and will be lurking in the minors. Darren Ford intrigues me, as does Francisco Peguero, both of whom had great seasons in the minors last year. If John Bowker can learn to lay off the slider (or, even better, learn to hit it), he'll make big contributions this year. Also, be on the look-out for Roger Kieschnic, who batted .296 last year in single-a, with 23 HRs and 110 RBIs.
Lastly, right field should be a no-brainer for the Giants. This starting position should belong to Nate Schierholtz (it probably should've been his for a good part of last year, but that's beside the point). He is the best outfield that the Giants have. He has power potential (5 HRs in 116 at-bats last year is decieving), he's got the speed (anyone remember that inside-the-park HR?), and he has a cannon of an arm (10 outfield assists, 5 more than Rowand, who was second on the team). He is the whole package and the position player that is the most intriguing to me so far.
Alright, off to work. I'll get to infielders tomorrow. Thanks again for reading this!
Jen
Outfielders:
We can start with the obvious: Aaron Rowand is going to be in center field. He's signed with a big contract, he will start every day, no matter his stats. It'll be frustrating at times, maybe even painful to watch him bat, but he will bring solid, if not fantastic, defense to his position. Plus, with Schierholtz (hopefully!) in right and DeRosa/Velez/Torres in left, Rowand provides a veteran presence out there.
Left field could be a bit of a debacle. DeRosa lacks any significant experience there and "may wind up being one of the biggest fantasy disappointments of '10" (http://sanfrancisco.giants.mlb.com/team/player.jsp?player_id=136660). Offensively, his career numbers mirror Rich Aurilia, but DeRosa's have less power. Richie was a great Giant, it would've been futile to re-sign him this year at the age of 38. For the sake of the Sabean, let's hope that DeRosa, at 35, is not a futile a signing. Velez and Torres should be given ample time during Spring Training to prove their worth for making the opening day roster. Both have speed (which the Giants sorely lack without them), but both also need to make improvements for 2010. Velez added more pop to his swing, hitting more HRs in 2009 in fewer at-bats, but his average fell as the season wore on. He needs more consistency. He could also stand to work on his defense in left. Velez improved defensively as the season wore on, so there's hope for him. Plus, he's only 27. Torres had a better fielding percentage, better average, and 1 more HR than Velez in 2009, but his age could work against him (32, with no full major league seasons under his belt).
As the season wears on, we'll hopefully get to see some of the amazing young outfielders the Giants have invited to Spring Training and will be lurking in the minors. Darren Ford intrigues me, as does Francisco Peguero, both of whom had great seasons in the minors last year. If John Bowker can learn to lay off the slider (or, even better, learn to hit it), he'll make big contributions this year. Also, be on the look-out for Roger Kieschnic, who batted .296 last year in single-a, with 23 HRs and 110 RBIs.
Lastly, right field should be a no-brainer for the Giants. This starting position should belong to Nate Schierholtz (it probably should've been his for a good part of last year, but that's beside the point). He is the best outfield that the Giants have. He has power potential (5 HRs in 116 at-bats last year is decieving), he's got the speed (anyone remember that inside-the-park HR?), and he has a cannon of an arm (10 outfield assists, 5 more than Rowand, who was second on the team). He is the whole package and the position player that is the most intriguing to me so far.
Alright, off to work. I'll get to infielders tomorrow. Thanks again for reading this!
Jen
Monday, March 1, 2010
Getting Started
Hey y'all,
First of all, thanks for reading this! I've had a few people tell me that I should start a blog to empty my head of all my thoughts on the San Francisco Giants. So, here I am. For the most part, I'll be talking about Giants baseball in this thing, but occasionally I'll throw in some other pearls of wisdom. I know you're looking forward to that.
Since baseball season hasn't started yet (and Spring Training games don't even start until Wednesday) I figured today I'd do a little preview of the season. Now, please remember that everything here is merely my opinion (although I happened to think it's right), so don't get upset if you disagree.
1. Pitching:
Let's start with the most obvious strength of this team, the pitching. Obviously, between 2-time Cy Young winner Tim Lincecum, all-star Matt Cain, no-hitter Jonathon Sanchez, and Barry Zito, plus whoever gets the 5th starting spot (my money's on Bumgarner, winner of many, many minor league awards), this could be the best starting rotation in Major League baseball this season. I might be biased, but even as I was typing that last sentence, this was reaffirmed in my own head. They're young (average age is 25.8) and they have alot of room to get better and grow, both together as a staff and as individuals.
The bullpen is also going to be great, though not as great as the starting rotation. Jeremy Affeldt anchored the bullpen last season with an amazing era of 1.73. Not only is Affeldt a great pitcher, he's a great leader for the younger guys in the 'pen and a good clubhouse guy. Brandon Medders, Sergio Romo, and Justin Miller all helped carry the team with era's under 4.00, and of course, closer Brian Wilson was 4th in the majors with 38 saves and a 2.74 era. Not a bad start. Add in guys like Alex Hinshaw (who struggled a bit last season, but I expect will recover nicely this year), Joe Martinez (who impressively came back mid-season after being beamed with a line drive off the head in April), and Dan Runzler (who had a ridiculous 1.04 era last season) and I'd say that Giants pitching, start to close, is going to be crazy good in 2010.
Ok, because 1) this is already longer than I thought, 2) i'm hungry and have pizza waiting for me, 3) the bachelor is on in only 2 more hours and i must get ready, and 4) i'm thankful you've gotten this far and i want to reward you by not dragging this on...i'm going to leave outfielders and infielders/catchers for another day (probably tomorrow).
Again, bless you for baring with me through my first-ever blog post.
Stay tuned for more Giants brilliance.
Jen
First of all, thanks for reading this! I've had a few people tell me that I should start a blog to empty my head of all my thoughts on the San Francisco Giants. So, here I am. For the most part, I'll be talking about Giants baseball in this thing, but occasionally I'll throw in some other pearls of wisdom. I know you're looking forward to that.
Since baseball season hasn't started yet (and Spring Training games don't even start until Wednesday) I figured today I'd do a little preview of the season. Now, please remember that everything here is merely my opinion (although I happened to think it's right), so don't get upset if you disagree.
1. Pitching:
Let's start with the most obvious strength of this team, the pitching. Obviously, between 2-time Cy Young winner Tim Lincecum, all-star Matt Cain, no-hitter Jonathon Sanchez, and Barry Zito, plus whoever gets the 5th starting spot (my money's on Bumgarner, winner of many, many minor league awards), this could be the best starting rotation in Major League baseball this season. I might be biased, but even as I was typing that last sentence, this was reaffirmed in my own head. They're young (average age is 25.8) and they have alot of room to get better and grow, both together as a staff and as individuals.
The bullpen is also going to be great, though not as great as the starting rotation. Jeremy Affeldt anchored the bullpen last season with an amazing era of 1.73. Not only is Affeldt a great pitcher, he's a great leader for the younger guys in the 'pen and a good clubhouse guy. Brandon Medders, Sergio Romo, and Justin Miller all helped carry the team with era's under 4.00, and of course, closer Brian Wilson was 4th in the majors with 38 saves and a 2.74 era. Not a bad start. Add in guys like Alex Hinshaw (who struggled a bit last season, but I expect will recover nicely this year), Joe Martinez (who impressively came back mid-season after being beamed with a line drive off the head in April), and Dan Runzler (who had a ridiculous 1.04 era last season) and I'd say that Giants pitching, start to close, is going to be crazy good in 2010.
Ok, because 1) this is already longer than I thought, 2) i'm hungry and have pizza waiting for me, 3) the bachelor is on in only 2 more hours and i must get ready, and 4) i'm thankful you've gotten this far and i want to reward you by not dragging this on...i'm going to leave outfielders and infielders/catchers for another day (probably tomorrow).
Again, bless you for baring with me through my first-ever blog post.
Stay tuned for more Giants brilliance.
Jen
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