Just a few quick thoughts as we go through these dog-days of August:
1. Belt.
I don't want to say "I told you so," but I will. He's batting .464 so far in ten games in August, up dratiscally from .186 in July. He's raised his overall average to .259, and he's got more hits this month so far (14) than he did in all of April (10), May (13), and July (13). Belt's OBP in August is .531 and he's third on the team in the last month. (Well, technically he's 4th, behind Buster Posey, Melky Cabrera, and, wait for it, Nate Schierholtz. Too soon?) Perhaps his most impressive game of the season was this past Sunday, where he went 4-4 with a run and an RBI. Belt has played 11 of the 13 games in August so far. He's back to consistent playing time, and, surprise surprise, he's killing it at the plate. But just to be safe, everyone go knock on wood that I didn't just jinx him for the rest of the season.
2. Pence.
Yes, Nate Schierholtz was my current favorite Giant. He'd come up through the organiztion, he was from the Bay Area, and he always seemed like a hard worker. Plus, in all honesty, it'll be very hard for anybody to play right field at AT&T park better than Nate Schierholtz. But I think that Hunter Pence was a great pick-up for the Giants. Honestly, I wish Sabean had gone after Pence last July instead of Carlos Beltran. Pence came from the Phillies on July 31 batting .271 with 17 homeruns and 59 RBIs. While he's struggled a bit in a Giants uniform, batting just .145 with one homerun, he does have 11 RBIs in 13 games. Sunday's game against the Rockies was huge for Pence as well, when he made his first homerun as a Giant really count. He crushed a three-run shot over the left-centerfield wall to break a 6-6 tie in the 8th inning. It gave the Giants the 9-6 win that they desperately needed to keep pace with the Dodgers, who had won earlier that day. Perhaps most encouraging, though, was Pence's post-game comments. Even though he had every reason to bask in the glory of his performance, he spent time praising his teammates for their tough at-bats and key hits. Pence is clearly a great teammate and a team player. The Giants are stronger with him.
There's more to come on Posey and the already-intense Giants-Dodgers pennant race. Stay tuned.
I love this time of the year.
Monday, August 13, 2012
Sunday, July 22, 2012
Let it Be
So, my boy Belt has taken quite a verbal lashing in the past week. It's been a little tough to listen to. Yes, he's been struggling. Yes, he's had a really slow start to the second half. July has been a tough month for him. But he should still be starting practically every day. Now, before you call me (maybe) crazy, let me explain myself.
Belt has the potential for power that first base needs. So far this season, he has four homeruns. Nobody else has as many at that position. Brett Pill has three on the season and Aubrey Huff has just one. Posey has hit just one homer at first base (yes, he has 12 on the season, but only one has come in the games when he's started at first). Belt has 211 at-bats on the season. While four homeruns in 211 ABs are not the best stats, Belt has shown us that he has the ability to drive the ball. Like I've written about before, he hit his four homers doing the stretch in June where he started 17 games in a row. Since then, he hasn't started more than four games in a row. For a 23-year-old who's expierencing his first full year in the majors, consistent time at the plate is crucial for his development. Brandon has looked lost at the plate in recent at-bats, swinging at pitches out of the strike zone and taking called strikes that are seemingly right down the plate. But how is he supposed to work through these issues from the bench?
Defensively, he's also the Giants best option. Posey has committed two errors at first base, the same as Belt. Posey has a .989 fielding percentage behind the plate and has only one passed ball. Hector Sanchez, while solid at the plate, has struggled a little defensively. He's got a .987 fielding percentage with two passed balls in half the innings that Posey has played at catcher. It's not that Sanchez isn't a great prospect with a lot to offer this club, but right now Posey is the best option behind the plate. It's a detriment to the Giants, at least on the defensive end, to have Posey at first base. Looking ahead to a the pennant race in September and, hopefully, any playoff games, Posey behind the plate and Belt at first gives San Francisco it's best defenive team. That's the team that should be on the field in a big game. Why would we not want to see that team as often as possible during the regular season?
Lastly, the desparaging remarks from Bruce Bochy and Brian Sabean have got to stop. We are all painfully aware when a player is struggling at the plate. And I'm pretty sure that Brandon Belt is aware that he's only batting .150 with zero homeruns and two RBIs in the month of July. However, I can't see how Bochy openly saying that Belt is having a tough time is helpful to Brandon. And the remarks about Huff coming back to help out Belt isn't realistic. Huff is not the future at first base. Prior to his injury on June 13, Huff was batting .155 with no homeruns and five RBIs on the season. He'll turn 36 this December. His contract is up at the end of this season, and it seems unlikely that he'll be back for another season with the Giants. And while Belt is not exactly making the strongest case for himself to start every day, his stats at least show signs of the first baseman he could become. Belt's .348 OBP ties him for seventh in the league among first basemen. This is largely helped by his 37 walks for the season. It's not much, but it does point to Belt's ability to take a pitch and have a patient at-bat.
At some point, the Giants will have to decide who they want to invent in as their first baseman of the future. If it's Brandon Belt, then they need to commit now. If their banking on him to be playing 1B for this franchise, Bochy needs to put him out there every day. Belt will grow at the plate with consistency. It will not only help him work out the kinks in his swing but will show him that his manager and team believe in his ability to get the job done. Right now, the poor guy could use all the confidence boosting that he can get.
Belt has the potential for power that first base needs. So far this season, he has four homeruns. Nobody else has as many at that position. Brett Pill has three on the season and Aubrey Huff has just one. Posey has hit just one homer at first base (yes, he has 12 on the season, but only one has come in the games when he's started at first). Belt has 211 at-bats on the season. While four homeruns in 211 ABs are not the best stats, Belt has shown us that he has the ability to drive the ball. Like I've written about before, he hit his four homers doing the stretch in June where he started 17 games in a row. Since then, he hasn't started more than four games in a row. For a 23-year-old who's expierencing his first full year in the majors, consistent time at the plate is crucial for his development. Brandon has looked lost at the plate in recent at-bats, swinging at pitches out of the strike zone and taking called strikes that are seemingly right down the plate. But how is he supposed to work through these issues from the bench?
Defensively, he's also the Giants best option. Posey has committed two errors at first base, the same as Belt. Posey has a .989 fielding percentage behind the plate and has only one passed ball. Hector Sanchez, while solid at the plate, has struggled a little defensively. He's got a .987 fielding percentage with two passed balls in half the innings that Posey has played at catcher. It's not that Sanchez isn't a great prospect with a lot to offer this club, but right now Posey is the best option behind the plate. It's a detriment to the Giants, at least on the defensive end, to have Posey at first base. Looking ahead to a the pennant race in September and, hopefully, any playoff games, Posey behind the plate and Belt at first gives San Francisco it's best defenive team. That's the team that should be on the field in a big game. Why would we not want to see that team as often as possible during the regular season?
Lastly, the desparaging remarks from Bruce Bochy and Brian Sabean have got to stop. We are all painfully aware when a player is struggling at the plate. And I'm pretty sure that Brandon Belt is aware that he's only batting .150 with zero homeruns and two RBIs in the month of July. However, I can't see how Bochy openly saying that Belt is having a tough time is helpful to Brandon. And the remarks about Huff coming back to help out Belt isn't realistic. Huff is not the future at first base. Prior to his injury on June 13, Huff was batting .155 with no homeruns and five RBIs on the season. He'll turn 36 this December. His contract is up at the end of this season, and it seems unlikely that he'll be back for another season with the Giants. And while Belt is not exactly making the strongest case for himself to start every day, his stats at least show signs of the first baseman he could become. Belt's .348 OBP ties him for seventh in the league among first basemen. This is largely helped by his 37 walks for the season. It's not much, but it does point to Belt's ability to take a pitch and have a patient at-bat.
At some point, the Giants will have to decide who they want to invent in as their first baseman of the future. If it's Brandon Belt, then they need to commit now. If their banking on him to be playing 1B for this franchise, Bochy needs to put him out there every day. Belt will grow at the plate with consistency. It will not only help him work out the kinks in his swing but will show him that his manager and team believe in his ability to get the job done. Right now, the poor guy could use all the confidence boosting that he can get.
Thursday, July 12, 2012
Here We Go Again
So, the second half of the baseball season starts tomorrow. I can't wait. The Giants finished the first half at 46-40, just a half game behind the Dodgers (and zero games back in the loss column) for first place in the National League West. San Francisco had some great moments in the first half: Cain's perfect game and sweeping the Dodgers in three games with three shutouts. It was all capped off by the Giants making their fans look smart (and Mets fans look bitter) when they dominated the All-Star game in Kansas City. Pablo Sandoval, Buster Posey, and Melky Cabrera went 3-7 with one walk, zero strikeouts, and five RBIs. Matt Cain pitched two shut-out innings, setting the tone for the rest of the National League pitching staff to pitch seven more. Cabrera was named MVP. The night literally couldn't have gone any better for the Giants or their fans.
While these moments have been great and have provided some great first-half memories, there are definitely things that the Giants need to work in the second half if they want to make a push for the postseason.
1. Lincecum. The Giantts are 46-40 on the season and are 4-14 in Tim Lincecum's starts. That means they are 42-26 when he's not on the mound. He's shown flashes of brilliance (April 23 against the Mets, April 28 against the Padres, June 27 against the Dodgers) but has mostly been erratic and inconsistent. His velocity has been up and down, and he's been leaving a lot of pitches up. Hitters are making him pay, and his ERA is a league-worst among starters at 6.42. There's not much I can say that the stats don't. Timmy just needs to rebound in the second half. Let's just leave it at that.
2. Belt. Brandon began to show his offensive abilities in the last month with more consistent playing time. From June 7 to June 26 he started a season-high 17 games in a row. During that time, he raised his batting average from .236 to .261. He hit four homeruns with 14 RBIs. However, to end the first half, Belt only started six of the last 11 games. During this inconsistent playing time, he hasn't hit any homeruns and has only one RBI. Brandon Belt is 23 and needs consistent playing time to become the kind of high-caliber first baseman that we all know (or hope/pray) that he can be. I'm hoping and praying that Bochy realizes this as well.
3. The Closer. Santiago Casilla did a great job for the most part in the first half of the season. He converted 21 of 25 save opportunities. He has a 2.84 ERA and 30 strikeouts in 31.2 innings pitched. However, he's also given up 31 hits in those innings. He's blown three of the last four save opportunities. His opponent's average is the highest that it's been since 2009 with the A's at .228. In the most devastating blown save of the season last week against the Nationals, Casilla was seen shaking off Buster Posey repeatedly. I know that Casilla is just a temporary fix until Brian Wilson hopefully returns next season, but it might be nice to give someone else a shot at closing in the second half. Sergio Romo's slight frame makes him seem a bit fragile for the role full-time, but his stuff is wicked. Brad Penny is also back and strong and healthy. I mean, after the past couple weeks, what've they got to lose?
Like I said, overall, the Giants have had a great first season. They've all been pretty healthy (knock on wood), and Sabean's off-season pick-ups have been great. Plus, it really doesn't hurt that one of them was just named the All-Star game MVP. As fans, we've had some great stories. Let's hope they keep on coming in the second half.
While these moments have been great and have provided some great first-half memories, there are definitely things that the Giants need to work in the second half if they want to make a push for the postseason.
1. Lincecum. The Giantts are 46-40 on the season and are 4-14 in Tim Lincecum's starts. That means they are 42-26 when he's not on the mound. He's shown flashes of brilliance (April 23 against the Mets, April 28 against the Padres, June 27 against the Dodgers) but has mostly been erratic and inconsistent. His velocity has been up and down, and he's been leaving a lot of pitches up. Hitters are making him pay, and his ERA is a league-worst among starters at 6.42. There's not much I can say that the stats don't. Timmy just needs to rebound in the second half. Let's just leave it at that.
2. Belt. Brandon began to show his offensive abilities in the last month with more consistent playing time. From June 7 to June 26 he started a season-high 17 games in a row. During that time, he raised his batting average from .236 to .261. He hit four homeruns with 14 RBIs. However, to end the first half, Belt only started six of the last 11 games. During this inconsistent playing time, he hasn't hit any homeruns and has only one RBI. Brandon Belt is 23 and needs consistent playing time to become the kind of high-caliber first baseman that we all know (or hope/pray) that he can be. I'm hoping and praying that Bochy realizes this as well.
3. The Closer. Santiago Casilla did a great job for the most part in the first half of the season. He converted 21 of 25 save opportunities. He has a 2.84 ERA and 30 strikeouts in 31.2 innings pitched. However, he's also given up 31 hits in those innings. He's blown three of the last four save opportunities. His opponent's average is the highest that it's been since 2009 with the A's at .228. In the most devastating blown save of the season last week against the Nationals, Casilla was seen shaking off Buster Posey repeatedly. I know that Casilla is just a temporary fix until Brian Wilson hopefully returns next season, but it might be nice to give someone else a shot at closing in the second half. Sergio Romo's slight frame makes him seem a bit fragile for the role full-time, but his stuff is wicked. Brad Penny is also back and strong and healthy. I mean, after the past couple weeks, what've they got to lose?
Like I said, overall, the Giants have had a great first season. They've all been pretty healthy (knock on wood), and Sabean's off-season pick-ups have been great. Plus, it really doesn't hurt that one of them was just named the All-Star game MVP. As fans, we've had some great stories. Let's hope they keep on coming in the second half.
Monday, July 2, 2012
Second to none
With the Giants having a day off today, it's given me some time to think about a position that's maybe flown under the radar a bit in the past couple years: second base.
Not that I don't love me some Freddy Sanchez (apparently all Giants fans feel the same, voting for him enough for him to finish 4th in the All-Star voting this year...without him having played a game. Yeah.), but, let's be honest, he hasn't been the most reliable second baseman during his Giants tenure. In June 2011, Sanchez went down with a shoulder injury that he just couldn't seem to recover from and that sidelined him for the rest of the season. This could've been totally devastating for the Giants - Mike Fontenot was on the disabled list when Sanchez went down, and Bill Hall was signed to replace Sanchez before Hall also went on the DL. Finally, Sabean had had enough. On July 20, he traded for Jeff Keppinger from the Astros. Keppinger went on to bat .255 with 17 RBIs and two homeruns in 56 games for the Giants. He stepped in and filled a void in a huge way for the 2011 Giants, who finished 2nd in the National League West.
When this season started out, Freddy Sanchez was once again leaving a void in the number four position. Sanchez managed to appear in five games during spring training this year but has since struggled to come back from his shoulder injury from 2011. With Keppinger signing with Tampa Bay in the off-season, second base for the Giants was once again a black hole. Luckily, Sabean signed Ryan Theriot in the off-season to back up, well, whoever was playing second base that day for the Giants. But when Sanchez started the year on the DL and Emmanuel Burriss started to flounder, Theriot stepped up. Even though he's struggled a little bit with staying healthy (is this position cursed for the Giants?), Theriot has come back and been a huge contributor to the Giants push for first place in the NL West lately. He's currently batting .272 in just 53 games this season. He's only got 22 strikeouts on the season and already has 16 RBIs. He's also only got two errors on the season so far. And, let's face it, that's pretty dang impressive in this line-up.
It may seem like a small thing, this whole "having-a-healthy-second-baseman thing," but these guys have helped give the Giants winning seasons the past two years. Without Keppinger, I don't know if the Giants finished over .500 in 2011 (they finished 86-76, ten games over). Theriot has been clutch and has filled the huge whole left by Freddy Sanchez. And while I don't know how the Giants will finish off this season, I know that Theriot has helped them get to where they currently are...which, by the way, is first place.
Not that I don't love me some Freddy Sanchez (apparently all Giants fans feel the same, voting for him enough for him to finish 4th in the All-Star voting this year...without him having played a game. Yeah.), but, let's be honest, he hasn't been the most reliable second baseman during his Giants tenure. In June 2011, Sanchez went down with a shoulder injury that he just couldn't seem to recover from and that sidelined him for the rest of the season. This could've been totally devastating for the Giants - Mike Fontenot was on the disabled list when Sanchez went down, and Bill Hall was signed to replace Sanchez before Hall also went on the DL. Finally, Sabean had had enough. On July 20, he traded for Jeff Keppinger from the Astros. Keppinger went on to bat .255 with 17 RBIs and two homeruns in 56 games for the Giants. He stepped in and filled a void in a huge way for the 2011 Giants, who finished 2nd in the National League West.
When this season started out, Freddy Sanchez was once again leaving a void in the number four position. Sanchez managed to appear in five games during spring training this year but has since struggled to come back from his shoulder injury from 2011. With Keppinger signing with Tampa Bay in the off-season, second base for the Giants was once again a black hole. Luckily, Sabean signed Ryan Theriot in the off-season to back up, well, whoever was playing second base that day for the Giants. But when Sanchez started the year on the DL and Emmanuel Burriss started to flounder, Theriot stepped up. Even though he's struggled a little bit with staying healthy (is this position cursed for the Giants?), Theriot has come back and been a huge contributor to the Giants push for first place in the NL West lately. He's currently batting .272 in just 53 games this season. He's only got 22 strikeouts on the season and already has 16 RBIs. He's also only got two errors on the season so far. And, let's face it, that's pretty dang impressive in this line-up.
It may seem like a small thing, this whole "having-a-healthy-second-baseman thing," but these guys have helped give the Giants winning seasons the past two years. Without Keppinger, I don't know if the Giants finished over .500 in 2011 (they finished 86-76, ten games over). Theriot has been clutch and has filled the huge whole left by Freddy Sanchez. And while I don't know how the Giants will finish off this season, I know that Theriot has helped them get to where they currently are...which, by the way, is first place.
Thursday, June 28, 2012
Swagger
When we last discussed Tim Lincecum's season, it was on the upswing. His start against the A's was a quality one, and it seemed like, the longer he went in that game, the more he became like the old Timmy. The Timmy who buckled down with runners in scoring position; the Timmy who got the big strikeout when he needed one; the Timmy who knew he was better than the guy at the plate. I wrote that I couldn't wait to see him pitch next against the Dodgers.
It was well worth the wait.
Today marked just the first time all season that Lincecum didn't give up any runs in a start (On April 28th he gave up one run, but it was unearned, in a 2-1 win over San Diego). This game could have gone the way of the last few starts for Lincecum. A double play ball got him out of a jam in the first inning, and pitcher Chad Billingsly ended up on third base with only one out in the top of the third. Lincecum threw a wild pitch and, instead of looking weak and lost like he did in a similar play against Colin Cowhill of the A's a month ago, Timmy became the old Timmy. He rushed to cover homeplate, took a hit from Billingsly (who's got a few pounds on him), and held onto the ball. Billingsly was out, and not another Dodgers player would make it past second base for the rest of the game. Lincecum went seven innings, struck out eight, walked only two, allowed four hits, and lowered his ERA to 5.60, which is the lowest it's been all season.
While his performance during the game showed that the old Lincecum remains, it was his response post-game that proves that he has his swagger back.
"Enough was enough, and it was time to turn it around," he said today after the Giants complete their first-ever three-game sweep of the Dodgers by shutting them out in all three games (first-ever, as in, in franchise history; not a bad way to move into a tie for first place). And when Bruce Bochy came out to talk to Lincecum with two men on and only one out in the top of the 7th, Tim knew he wanted to stay in. And he let Bochy know it.
"He was asking me, 'You got this?' And I said, 'Yeah.' He said, 'What?' And I said, 'Yes sir!'"
This week was a week that the Giants had to take advantage of the Kemp-less, slumping Dodgers. They needed to kick LA while they were down, and they did that in a ridiculously dominant way. The Giants have made up 7.5 games in the standings in just a month. Zito, Vogelsong, and Lincecum were brilliant exactly when they needed, completing this three-game, shut-out sweep of the Dodgers, just giving us fans one more thing that we've never seen before in this franchise. Add that to Matt Cain's perfect game, and I'd seriously consider taking Posey's advice after that perfect game: stay up late and watch this pitching staff whenever you can.
It was well worth the wait.
Today marked just the first time all season that Lincecum didn't give up any runs in a start (On April 28th he gave up one run, but it was unearned, in a 2-1 win over San Diego). This game could have gone the way of the last few starts for Lincecum. A double play ball got him out of a jam in the first inning, and pitcher Chad Billingsly ended up on third base with only one out in the top of the third. Lincecum threw a wild pitch and, instead of looking weak and lost like he did in a similar play against Colin Cowhill of the A's a month ago, Timmy became the old Timmy. He rushed to cover homeplate, took a hit from Billingsly (who's got a few pounds on him), and held onto the ball. Billingsly was out, and not another Dodgers player would make it past second base for the rest of the game. Lincecum went seven innings, struck out eight, walked only two, allowed four hits, and lowered his ERA to 5.60, which is the lowest it's been all season.
While his performance during the game showed that the old Lincecum remains, it was his response post-game that proves that he has his swagger back.
"Enough was enough, and it was time to turn it around," he said today after the Giants complete their first-ever three-game sweep of the Dodgers by shutting them out in all three games (first-ever, as in, in franchise history; not a bad way to move into a tie for first place). And when Bruce Bochy came out to talk to Lincecum with two men on and only one out in the top of the 7th, Tim knew he wanted to stay in. And he let Bochy know it.
"He was asking me, 'You got this?' And I said, 'Yeah.' He said, 'What?' And I said, 'Yes sir!'"
This week was a week that the Giants had to take advantage of the Kemp-less, slumping Dodgers. They needed to kick LA while they were down, and they did that in a ridiculously dominant way. The Giants have made up 7.5 games in the standings in just a month. Zito, Vogelsong, and Lincecum were brilliant exactly when they needed, completing this three-game, shut-out sweep of the Dodgers, just giving us fans one more thing that we've never seen before in this franchise. Add that to Matt Cain's perfect game, and I'd seriously consider taking Posey's advice after that perfect game: stay up late and watch this pitching staff whenever you can.
Wednesday, June 27, 2012
Then again...
The Giants just shut out the Dodgers in back-to-back games at home since 1987.
The defense has been great and all of the potential all-stars are busy making their various cases for why they should be voted in. Buster Posey is hitting .307 in June, with four homeruns and 13 RBIs. Over his last ten starts, Ryan Vogelsong has gone 6-1 and owns a 1.79 ERA. Tonight gave him his 13th quality start of the year, which ties him for the Major League lead with R.A. Dickey and Yovani Gallardo. Matt Cain...well, tonight he got the keys to San Francisco and had June 13th declared Matt Cain day. So, there's really not much more to be said about why he should, not only be an all-star, but start in Kansas City this July.
However, tonight, the biggest impact was made by Melky Cabrera. The Melk Man is batting .352 on the season, which is 4th in the Majors. He's added three more homeruns in June, bringing his season total to seven, which is 2nd on the Giants. He leads the Giants in on-base percentage by far (he's at .352, Sandoval is 2nd at .314). And tonight, Cabrera gave Vogelsong the only run that he'd need. He's been clutch all season, providing a spark at the plate and some great defense in the field. Plus, he deserves, perhaps more than anyone, to be an all-start on that field in Kansas City. He hit .305 in 2011, with 18 homeruns and 87 RBIs. He also had 201 hits last season. He currently has seven homeruns and 37 RBIs for the Giants. More impressively, less than halfway through this season, he already has 105 hits. If anyone deserves to return to the place that traded him, it's Melky Cabrera. He's currently in 4th place to be an all-star outfielder, which wouldn't make him a starter. At least, let's be honest, Matt Kemp (who's currently in 1st place in NL outfielter voting) probably won't be making that start.
Speaking of Giants outfielders, I've got to say really quick that Gregor Blanco could use a break. Not that Blanco hasn't been a great right fielder and lead-off man for the Giants (and they have spent lots of time searching for a solid lead-off guy), but now might be a good time to put Schierholtz in for a game or two. On the season, Gregor is batting .258 with four homeruns and 17 RBIs on the season. He saved Matt Cain's perfect game with an unbelievable catch in the 7th inning of that game. He's got a decent OBP of .350 and his 29 walks are second on the team (second to Belt's 31, look who's OBP is quietly on the rise...).
However,
Over the last month, Blanco is batting .221 with seven RBIs and seven walks. His on-base percentage in June is much lower at .282. And over the last ten games, Gregor is 6-40. He's batting a measley .150, and 11 of his 51 strikeouts on the season have come over this stretch.
For the season, Nate Schierholtz is batting a mere .244. He's got three homeruns to Blanco's four. He hasn't been impressive at the plate. But Schierholtz is always a solid defensive guy in right field at AT&T park. Maybe he shouldn't be starting every day, but it's pretty apparent that Gregor Blanco could use a break. And I just happen to know a guy who could use a day in right field.
Saturday, June 23, 2012
Big Time Timmy Jim
Tonight was a big night for the Giants
They finally won in Oakland, after failing to win a game there since June of 2009. The Giants offense, which had been meager in the last few games, rallied to score four runs in the top of the ninth inning. Brandon Belt extended his hitting streak to ten games with his 2-RBI double to tie the game in the top of the ninth, Hector Sanchez went 2-4 with the go-ahead RBI in the ninth, and Gregor Blanco also went 2-4 with two RBIs.
But the most promising part of tonight's game? By far, Tim Lincecum.
Coming into tonight's game, Lincecum was 2-8 with a league-worst 6.19 ERA. The Giants last won a Lincecum start on April 28th against the Padres (Timmy was brilliant in that start, by the way, going eight innings and giving up no earned runs). Tonight wasn't quite as great as that start, but after going 0-6 since that start, Timmy will take all the positives he can get. He gave up three runs in six innings. Lincecum has given up three runs or less in just five starts all season (including tonight). He was also pretty dang perfect after those first three batters of the game reached base. After those three, Timmy no-hit the Athletics through the next six innings. He did walk four but managed to strike out eight in his third quality start of the season. He lowered his ERA to 6.07. And while he didn't earn a win, he definitely didn't deserve a loss. And Brandon Belt made sure he didn't take one.
There's been lots of talk today about Lincecum's father, Chris, and his comments to USA Today. While maybe it wasn't the most productive way of getting his point across, Chris made some decent points. As a Giants fan, it's been really tough for me to hear over and over about how Timmy should be traded or sent to triple A or have a start skipped. If he would've floundered tonight, skipping his next start would've possibly made sense. But demoting him to Fresno? Or talking about trading him so early in his struggles? What kind of fans have we become. As Chris Lincecum said, this is a pitcher who brought us back-to-back Cy Young Awards (the first ever to do so in his first two complete seasons), four All-Star game appearances, and a World Series in which he was completely lights out (even winning the Babe Ruth Award for his efforts). He is still a starter that people want to pay to see (whether it's to see a great start or to see if he breaks out of a slump). He is still Tim Lincecum. And while his father may have spoken a little out of context, it's true that (some) fans are quick to forget what he's meant to the Giants. He is still The Franchise. He is still Big Time Timmy Jim.
And tonight he took a very positive step in the right direction. I can hardly wait until next Wednesday's game against the Dodgers.
They finally won in Oakland, after failing to win a game there since June of 2009. The Giants offense, which had been meager in the last few games, rallied to score four runs in the top of the ninth inning. Brandon Belt extended his hitting streak to ten games with his 2-RBI double to tie the game in the top of the ninth, Hector Sanchez went 2-4 with the go-ahead RBI in the ninth, and Gregor Blanco also went 2-4 with two RBIs.
But the most promising part of tonight's game? By far, Tim Lincecum.
Coming into tonight's game, Lincecum was 2-8 with a league-worst 6.19 ERA. The Giants last won a Lincecum start on April 28th against the Padres (Timmy was brilliant in that start, by the way, going eight innings and giving up no earned runs). Tonight wasn't quite as great as that start, but after going 0-6 since that start, Timmy will take all the positives he can get. He gave up three runs in six innings. Lincecum has given up three runs or less in just five starts all season (including tonight). He was also pretty dang perfect after those first three batters of the game reached base. After those three, Timmy no-hit the Athletics through the next six innings. He did walk four but managed to strike out eight in his third quality start of the season. He lowered his ERA to 6.07. And while he didn't earn a win, he definitely didn't deserve a loss. And Brandon Belt made sure he didn't take one.
There's been lots of talk today about Lincecum's father, Chris, and his comments to USA Today. While maybe it wasn't the most productive way of getting his point across, Chris made some decent points. As a Giants fan, it's been really tough for me to hear over and over about how Timmy should be traded or sent to triple A or have a start skipped. If he would've floundered tonight, skipping his next start would've possibly made sense. But demoting him to Fresno? Or talking about trading him so early in his struggles? What kind of fans have we become. As Chris Lincecum said, this is a pitcher who brought us back-to-back Cy Young Awards (the first ever to do so in his first two complete seasons), four All-Star game appearances, and a World Series in which he was completely lights out (even winning the Babe Ruth Award for his efforts). He is still a starter that people want to pay to see (whether it's to see a great start or to see if he breaks out of a slump). He is still Tim Lincecum. And while his father may have spoken a little out of context, it's true that (some) fans are quick to forget what he's meant to the Giants. He is still The Franchise. He is still Big Time Timmy Jim.
And tonight he took a very positive step in the right direction. I can hardly wait until next Wednesday's game against the Dodgers.
Sunday, June 17, 2012
Perfect
This past Wednesday, I had the great privilege of working Matt Cain's perfect game. Not even the World Series games in 2010 compared to the atmosphere in the ballpark that night. Cain was beyond brilliant, striking out 14, tying Sandy Koufax as the only pitcher to ever strike out 14 in a perfect game. It was the first in the Giants franchise. And nobody deserved it more. Cain owns a career 77-75 record, due in large part to years lacking in run support. He has a career ERA of 3.28 and has struck out at least 160 in every full season he's pitched. He's reached 200+ innings in each of these seasons as well (except in 2006, where he clocked 190.2). Opponents have hit .225 off of him.
And he has had the lowest run support in the majors since 2005, keeping him under the radar and national attention off of him.
The Giants and the baseball gods owed Cain that perfect night on Wednesday. And when Arias fielded that ground ball for the 27th out, people all over the country took notice. Cain will be reading a special "Top 10" on Letterman on Monday night. And, hopefully, he'll be starting the all-star game in Kansas City in July.
Going back to the last blog, Brandon Belt has finally gotten some consistent playing time. This is the first time all season that Belt has started eight games in a row (he hadn't started more than five games in a row all season). In this stretch, he's hit three homeruns, he's raised his RBI total to 24 (from 15), and has brought his average up to .248 (from .226). He's played a solid first base and hasn't committed an error in, well, a week. (I mean, he's still a 2012 Giant, after all). And he did scoop up that last out for Cain's perfect game. So, there's that.
The only dark cloud on the horizon right now for the Giants still seems to be Tim Lincecum. With yet another rough start in the books tonight in Seattle, his record on the season drops to 2-8, while his ERA climbs to 6.19. He has flashes on brilliance - his change-up was wicked tonight, and his velocity was back up to 93 MPH on the fastball - and then it's almost like he remembers that he's supposed to be the guy who's struggling. The best sign right now is that Lincecum still wants the ball and is adamant that he not skip a start. For now, we'll take all the good signs we can get.
And he has had the lowest run support in the majors since 2005, keeping him under the radar and national attention off of him.
The Giants and the baseball gods owed Cain that perfect night on Wednesday. And when Arias fielded that ground ball for the 27th out, people all over the country took notice. Cain will be reading a special "Top 10" on Letterman on Monday night. And, hopefully, he'll be starting the all-star game in Kansas City in July.
Going back to the last blog, Brandon Belt has finally gotten some consistent playing time. This is the first time all season that Belt has started eight games in a row (he hadn't started more than five games in a row all season). In this stretch, he's hit three homeruns, he's raised his RBI total to 24 (from 15), and has brought his average up to .248 (from .226). He's played a solid first base and hasn't committed an error in, well, a week. (I mean, he's still a 2012 Giant, after all). And he did scoop up that last out for Cain's perfect game. So, there's that.
The only dark cloud on the horizon right now for the Giants still seems to be Tim Lincecum. With yet another rough start in the books tonight in Seattle, his record on the season drops to 2-8, while his ERA climbs to 6.19. He has flashes on brilliance - his change-up was wicked tonight, and his velocity was back up to 93 MPH on the fastball - and then it's almost like he remembers that he's supposed to be the guy who's struggling. The best sign right now is that Lincecum still wants the ball and is adamant that he not skip a start. For now, we'll take all the good signs we can get.
Thursday, June 7, 2012
no, but seriously
I'm going out of town tonight for a few days (woo, Bahamas!), but I wanted to get out a quick blog before I left.
The Giants have been playing great. 8-2 in their last ten games, now only four games behind the Dodgers. A season-high seven games over .500. No errors so far this month. Brandon Crawford has really started to emerge as the great defensive shortstop that we knew he could be. And, as much as I love my boy Schierholtz, Gregor Blanco has really solidified himself as a great right fielder and lead-off man.
But, here's my biggest issue with the last few games...why isn't Brandon Belt starting every single one? Bochy finally came out and said that Belt would see a lot more playing time over the next few weeks, but he's only started two of the last six games (and he's starting today, so I guess three of the last seven). I know that Bochy is trying to get Brett Pill in there and likes to start Pill against left-handed pitchers for the lefty-righty match-up. And Pill has three homeruns to Belts zero. But Belt has 15 RBIs to Pills 9 and they have almost the exact same average (Belt at .226, Pill at .227). While the stats are not overwhelmingly in Belt's favor, he still needs to be starting almost every day, even against lefties. If Belt is your first baseman of the future and you believe that he will be out there every day, he needs to be out there every day. When he's struggling, stick with him. Bochy needs to boost his confidence and let him know that he believes in Belt. It's cheesy, but it's true.
We'll see if he gets more playing time this weekend. I'll be rooting for it from the beach. #freeBelt
The Giants have been playing great. 8-2 in their last ten games, now only four games behind the Dodgers. A season-high seven games over .500. No errors so far this month. Brandon Crawford has really started to emerge as the great defensive shortstop that we knew he could be. And, as much as I love my boy Schierholtz, Gregor Blanco has really solidified himself as a great right fielder and lead-off man.
But, here's my biggest issue with the last few games...why isn't Brandon Belt starting every single one? Bochy finally came out and said that Belt would see a lot more playing time over the next few weeks, but he's only started two of the last six games (and he's starting today, so I guess three of the last seven). I know that Bochy is trying to get Brett Pill in there and likes to start Pill against left-handed pitchers for the lefty-righty match-up. And Pill has three homeruns to Belts zero. But Belt has 15 RBIs to Pills 9 and they have almost the exact same average (Belt at .226, Pill at .227). While the stats are not overwhelmingly in Belt's favor, he still needs to be starting almost every day, even against lefties. If Belt is your first baseman of the future and you believe that he will be out there every day, he needs to be out there every day. When he's struggling, stick with him. Bochy needs to boost his confidence and let him know that he believes in Belt. It's cheesy, but it's true.
We'll see if he gets more playing time this weekend. I'll be rooting for it from the beach. #freeBelt
Tuesday, May 29, 2012
one-two punch
Let's just talk about the Giants three-four hitters really quickly.
They have been unbelieveable.
There's no denying that Melky Cabrera has been a bit of a surprise with how he's been performing this season so far. Earlier in tonight's game, he tied a little player by the name of Willie Mays for most hits in the month of May by a Giant. Ever. Oh, and May isn't over. (As I'm typing this, Melky slaps a single into right field for his 50th hit of the month, surpassing Willie Mays. Wow). His .376 average is second-best in majors, and his OBP of .414 (not including his three hits tonight) is seventh.
Not to be outdone, Buster Posey is showing just why he's batting clean-up. Posey's .302 average has him ranked 5th among MLB catchers. He's got two RBIs for the Giants tonight and leads the team with 27. He also leads the Giants with six homeruns. And when Posey needs a day off, Hector Sanchez is there to pick up the slack. He and Posey have a combined 44-RBIs on the season, the most of any combination of catchers on a single team so far this year.
And if all of that terrifying enough for a pitcher, Angel Pagan is hitting 5th, batting .313 and has hit safely in 24 or 26 games in the month of May. He's third on the team with 19 RBIs (behind Posey and Cabrera with 25). And after having a talk with mamager Bruce Bochy a few days ago, Brandon Belt has seemed to find a little bit of an offensive stride. In his first start since his chat with Bochy, Belt went 2-4 yesterday, blasting the ball for an RBI triple in the first inning. Even though he's only batting .240, after two walks tonight, Belt is 5th on the team with a .359 on-base percentage.
Maybe none of these stats are overly impressive by themselves (except for Melky's), all together they make for a pretty impressive May for the Giants. It's been a group effort, but the team is now four games over .500, a season high. After opening the month with four straight losses, they've won three in a row to (almost) close out the month. Fingers crossed that, tomorrow, they can get another win and that Melky can scratch out another hit.
They have been unbelieveable.
There's no denying that Melky Cabrera has been a bit of a surprise with how he's been performing this season so far. Earlier in tonight's game, he tied a little player by the name of Willie Mays for most hits in the month of May by a Giant. Ever. Oh, and May isn't over. (As I'm typing this, Melky slaps a single into right field for his 50th hit of the month, surpassing Willie Mays. Wow). His .376 average is second-best in majors, and his OBP of .414 (not including his three hits tonight) is seventh.
Not to be outdone, Buster Posey is showing just why he's batting clean-up. Posey's .302 average has him ranked 5th among MLB catchers. He's got two RBIs for the Giants tonight and leads the team with 27. He also leads the Giants with six homeruns. And when Posey needs a day off, Hector Sanchez is there to pick up the slack. He and Posey have a combined 44-RBIs on the season, the most of any combination of catchers on a single team so far this year.
And if all of that terrifying enough for a pitcher, Angel Pagan is hitting 5th, batting .313 and has hit safely in 24 or 26 games in the month of May. He's third on the team with 19 RBIs (behind Posey and Cabrera with 25). And after having a talk with mamager Bruce Bochy a few days ago, Brandon Belt has seemed to find a little bit of an offensive stride. In his first start since his chat with Bochy, Belt went 2-4 yesterday, blasting the ball for an RBI triple in the first inning. Even though he's only batting .240, after two walks tonight, Belt is 5th on the team with a .359 on-base percentage.
Maybe none of these stats are overly impressive by themselves (except for Melky's), all together they make for a pretty impressive May for the Giants. It's been a group effort, but the team is now four games over .500, a season high. After opening the month with four straight losses, they've won three in a row to (almost) close out the month. Fingers crossed that, tomorrow, they can get another win and that Melky can scratch out another hit.
Tuesday, May 22, 2012
not so fast
Just a quick thought after the Giants longest game of the season so far. Let's all just calm down a quick second.
Now, normally I'm the first one to panic or to point out who in the Giants line-up should be benched or traded or who's not going to cut it in the big leagues. But, listening to and reading peoples reactions to tonight's game (a win, by the way), really shocked me. How fickle have we become as fans? Tonight, the Giants improved to 22-20. They haven't been more than two games over .500 all season and were last at this mark on April 29 against San Diego. Bumgarner pitched great, with his one mistake to the
MVP Ryan Braun in the 8th. And while I'm normally the first to jump on the blame-Bochy bandwagon, I'll give him a pass for not putting Romo in tonight to face Braun. Bumgarner had 10 Ks on the night and had struck out Braun in the first. Yes, hindsight is 20/20, and Romo has had success against Braun in the past, but the Giants pulled out the win, so let's just remember that.
People are also ready to throw in the towel on the Brandons. Yes, Crawford made a costly error tonight. His defense has been inconsistent at best and, at times, he looks pretty uncomfortable at shortstop. However, he's only 24. It's his first full major league season. He's got a cannon for an arm. I think he needs a year under his belt to be fully comfortable out there and, despite his struggles, he's shown promise of being the great shortstop that he's projected to be.
People are also ready to write-off Belt. Yes, he's batting .238 with no homeruns so far, but he, like Crawford, has the skill to be great. He plays a great defensive first base, and we saw his power last year, albeit briefly. He's in his first season as the primary first baseman for the Giants, although his playing time has been a big inconsistent. With consistency and more at-bats, the Brandons will be just fine.
Finally, there were even some fans saying that the Giants should trade Lincecum. This seems like an extreme reaction to a guy who's simply struggling on the mound for, wait for it, oh yeah, just two months. Two months! Of a long season. If Timmy is 2-17 in August, with an ERA over six and he continues to over-analyze himself start after start after start, then maybe it's something to look into. But, considering there were no Lincecum trade rumors prior to his start against the A's, this all just seems like a knee-jerk reaction to a guy who's been an amazing asset to this team for the last five years.
Yes, tonight's game had some low-points, but at the end of it, the Giants came away with a win. If we want to, we can always look for the bad parts of a game, but maybe we should just enjoy the good things while we can.
Now, normally I'm the first one to panic or to point out who in the Giants line-up should be benched or traded or who's not going to cut it in the big leagues. But, listening to and reading peoples reactions to tonight's game (a win, by the way), really shocked me. How fickle have we become as fans? Tonight, the Giants improved to 22-20. They haven't been more than two games over .500 all season and were last at this mark on April 29 against San Diego. Bumgarner pitched great, with his one mistake to the
MVP Ryan Braun in the 8th. And while I'm normally the first to jump on the blame-Bochy bandwagon, I'll give him a pass for not putting Romo in tonight to face Braun. Bumgarner had 10 Ks on the night and had struck out Braun in the first. Yes, hindsight is 20/20, and Romo has had success against Braun in the past, but the Giants pulled out the win, so let's just remember that.
People are also ready to throw in the towel on the Brandons. Yes, Crawford made a costly error tonight. His defense has been inconsistent at best and, at times, he looks pretty uncomfortable at shortstop. However, he's only 24. It's his first full major league season. He's got a cannon for an arm. I think he needs a year under his belt to be fully comfortable out there and, despite his struggles, he's shown promise of being the great shortstop that he's projected to be.
People are also ready to write-off Belt. Yes, he's batting .238 with no homeruns so far, but he, like Crawford, has the skill to be great. He plays a great defensive first base, and we saw his power last year, albeit briefly. He's in his first season as the primary first baseman for the Giants, although his playing time has been a big inconsistent. With consistency and more at-bats, the Brandons will be just fine.
Finally, there were even some fans saying that the Giants should trade Lincecum. This seems like an extreme reaction to a guy who's simply struggling on the mound for, wait for it, oh yeah, just two months. Two months! Of a long season. If Timmy is 2-17 in August, with an ERA over six and he continues to over-analyze himself start after start after start, then maybe it's something to look into. But, considering there were no Lincecum trade rumors prior to his start against the A's, this all just seems like a knee-jerk reaction to a guy who's been an amazing asset to this team for the last five years.
Yes, tonight's game had some low-points, but at the end of it, the Giants came away with a win. If we want to, we can always look for the bad parts of a game, but maybe we should just enjoy the good things while we can.
Monday, May 21, 2012
pretty positive
The Giants are headed to Milwaukee, and as they leave San Francisco, they take with them a lot of positive things from this homestand.
They went 4-3 in this last week (and have gone 3-1 since the last blog), and have showed signs of being the baseball team that we all (well, at least I) expected them to be this year.
Some of the good things to come out of this homestand:
Brandon Crawford. In the last week, Crawford has raised his average from .212 to .234. He had two RBIs on Thursday against the Cardinals (in a game that the Giants won by two runs). His defense has also been perfect, committing no errors on the homestand. Hopefully, by playing every day, he can carry this momentum over and continue to gain confidence in the field.
Playing small ball. The Giants finally seem to be doing the little things in a game. Even in the loss today against the A's, on the rare times that the Giants scored, they scored by playing small ball. Both RBIs today came on sac flies. Getting a runner home from third with less than two outs has been a struggle for this team, and even though the offense fizzled in the latter part of the game today, the start of something was there.
Along those lines, the bats have started to come alive a bit. The offense scratched out eight hits on Thursday, Friday, and today and had a whopping ten hits on Saturday. Melky Cabrera has been a leader for the hitters, going 7-16 in those four games, capping it off with a 4-4 game today. He now leads the National League with 59 hits and is 3rd with a .353 batting average almost two months into the season. It's hard to ask for much more than that.
The negative thing to take away from this homestand is obviously Tim Lincecum. To quote my good friend Jenn, "I never thought Timmy would be the one to worry about in the rotation." The Giants are now 2-7 in his starts this season. While Lincecum, like anyone, has had rough patches in his career (his 0-5 August of 2010 comes to mind, and we all remember how he finished that season and what he did in the post-season for the Giants), but this year's struggle has lasted longer than any previous ones. He's got to figure out a way to avoid that big inning. The possible good news is that the problem seems to be more mental than mechanical. And even though it's been a tough 2012 for him so far, Lincecum is nothing if not a tough competitor (just watch that collison with Cowgill at the plate today). I believe that we'll have our Timmy back.
They went 4-3 in this last week (and have gone 3-1 since the last blog), and have showed signs of being the baseball team that we all (well, at least I) expected them to be this year.
Some of the good things to come out of this homestand:
Brandon Crawford. In the last week, Crawford has raised his average from .212 to .234. He had two RBIs on Thursday against the Cardinals (in a game that the Giants won by two runs). His defense has also been perfect, committing no errors on the homestand. Hopefully, by playing every day, he can carry this momentum over and continue to gain confidence in the field.
Playing small ball. The Giants finally seem to be doing the little things in a game. Even in the loss today against the A's, on the rare times that the Giants scored, they scored by playing small ball. Both RBIs today came on sac flies. Getting a runner home from third with less than two outs has been a struggle for this team, and even though the offense fizzled in the latter part of the game today, the start of something was there.
Along those lines, the bats have started to come alive a bit. The offense scratched out eight hits on Thursday, Friday, and today and had a whopping ten hits on Saturday. Melky Cabrera has been a leader for the hitters, going 7-16 in those four games, capping it off with a 4-4 game today. He now leads the National League with 59 hits and is 3rd with a .353 batting average almost two months into the season. It's hard to ask for much more than that.
The negative thing to take away from this homestand is obviously Tim Lincecum. To quote my good friend Jenn, "I never thought Timmy would be the one to worry about in the rotation." The Giants are now 2-7 in his starts this season. While Lincecum, like anyone, has had rough patches in his career (his 0-5 August of 2010 comes to mind, and we all remember how he finished that season and what he did in the post-season for the Giants), but this year's struggle has lasted longer than any previous ones. He's got to figure out a way to avoid that big inning. The possible good news is that the problem seems to be more mental than mechanical. And even though it's been a tough 2012 for him so far, Lincecum is nothing if not a tough competitor (just watch that collison with Cowgill at the plate today). I believe that we'll have our Timmy back.
Wednesday, May 16, 2012
Help!
Oh, how quickly things change!
In my last post, I was cautiously optimistic about where this young Giants team was headed. While I don't think it's time to panic (yet), there have been some major concerns that have become apparent in the last few weeks. The young guys who were going to provide some great defense in exchance for .225 batting averages have held up their end of the bargain offensively. Crawford and Burris have added some speed to the basepaths and have even provided the occasional spark at the plate. However, the questionable defense needs to end here. I loved that Bochy kept Crawford in at short even after his horrific defense game in LA. Boch was right, Crawford needs to learn to deal with games like that because they happen to everyone. Now Crawford needs to show us he can and will bounce back from that. Fewer mistakes need to happen up the middle.
There's not much to say after a lack-luster effort like tonight's game against St. Louis, but what I'm mostly hoping for in the next week is just consistency. Right now the Giants have a good problem (to me, anyway): too many young guys. They have young talent coming up everywhere for almost every position. They've run into a wall, however, trying to figure out exactly how good these guys can all be. For that to happen, there needs to be consistency. Bochy needs to pick a line-up (Blanco or Schierholtz, Belt or Pill, Posey or Sanchez, Arias or Burriss) and put those guys out there day in and day out. Let them show us what they can do when they know they have a spot. And if and when they slump, let them show if they can work their way out of it. Let's see some great defense by guys who are comfortable because they have played the same position every day.
I know there will be some days when guys need time off, or righty-lefty pitching match-ups that call for adjustment (although, with this offense, I'd probably just stick with whoever is hitting anything), but it's tough enough for guys to play on a major league level, without having to wonder every day whether or not their name is going to be on that line-up card.
Fingers crossed that, whetever happens, the Giants can take a couple from the reigning World Series champs this weekend.
In my last post, I was cautiously optimistic about where this young Giants team was headed. While I don't think it's time to panic (yet), there have been some major concerns that have become apparent in the last few weeks. The young guys who were going to provide some great defense in exchance for .225 batting averages have held up their end of the bargain offensively. Crawford and Burris have added some speed to the basepaths and have even provided the occasional spark at the plate. However, the questionable defense needs to end here. I loved that Bochy kept Crawford in at short even after his horrific defense game in LA. Boch was right, Crawford needs to learn to deal with games like that because they happen to everyone. Now Crawford needs to show us he can and will bounce back from that. Fewer mistakes need to happen up the middle.
There's not much to say after a lack-luster effort like tonight's game against St. Louis, but what I'm mostly hoping for in the next week is just consistency. Right now the Giants have a good problem (to me, anyway): too many young guys. They have young talent coming up everywhere for almost every position. They've run into a wall, however, trying to figure out exactly how good these guys can all be. For that to happen, there needs to be consistency. Bochy needs to pick a line-up (Blanco or Schierholtz, Belt or Pill, Posey or Sanchez, Arias or Burriss) and put those guys out there day in and day out. Let them show us what they can do when they know they have a spot. And if and when they slump, let them show if they can work their way out of it. Let's see some great defense by guys who are comfortable because they have played the same position every day.
I know there will be some days when guys need time off, or righty-lefty pitching match-ups that call for adjustment (although, with this offense, I'd probably just stick with whoever is hitting anything), but it's tough enough for guys to play on a major league level, without having to wonder every day whether or not their name is going to be on that line-up card.
Fingers crossed that, whetever happens, the Giants can take a couple from the reigning World Series champs this weekend.
Sunday, April 29, 2012
dream dream dream
This week has been a dream come true for me. At least, as a Giants fan.
Pagan
Cabrera
Sandoval
Posey
Schierholtz
Belt
Crawford
Burriss
Average age: 26.
Though the Giants went 4-3 over the past seven games, the young line-up showed a lot of potential and gave Giants fans much to look forward to (should they continue to get consistent playing time).
Let's start with the defense. In the first game of the double-header against the Mets on Monday, the up-the-middle combo of Emmanual Burriss and Brandon Crawford saved a run and help Tim Lincecum to relax on his way to his first win of the season. That good feeling carried over into Lincecum's start tonight. "Guys making great defensive plays is big," said Tim, "You know, lifts the spirits as well, and...like I said, can lift you up between innings to carry out the next one." Tonight, Melky Cabrera saved at least two hits with his great catches in left field. When the starting pitchers are taking notice and feeling more confident out on the mound because they can trust the defense behind them, you've got a good thing going.
And on the other side of the ball, the youth is finally getting a chance at the plate (on a side note, whatever is going on with Aubrey Huff, I hope he's doing well and is getting whatever help he needs). That being said, watching these young, homegrown players begin to develop with consistent time at the plate is promising. Burriss is batting .260; Posey appears to have found his stride lately, batting .378 with three HRs and six RBIs over the last ten games; Schierholtz has been consistent, batting .288; and, perhaps most encouraging, Belt is up to .278. When asked about Huff being gone and getting more playing time, Belt said, "When they give you that opportunity, you gotta take advantage of it. That's what I've been trying to do here lately. I've been playing every other day pretty routinely lately, so when I get in there I wanna do something to give myself the best chance to play every day."
Even though it's only been a week of this consistent, young line-up, and there's room for improvement, there are been a lot of good things to take away from the last few games. Fingers crossed that this is only the beginning.
Saturday, April 14, 2012
Seriously?
My last post was about how Brandon Belt should start at first base over Aubrey Huff.
Well, here we are. Eight games into the season, and Huff has started seven games, while Belt has started four. The Giants are 4-4, and have won three games in a row. But I'm worried.
Like I said before, Belt needs to be starting at first base. Yes, it's true that Huff is batting .227 and Belt is only batting .091. Huff has one homerun and three RBIs, while Belt has none of the above. However, Huff has 22 at-bats, while Belt has only had 11.
The Giants are at .500, and their pitching is getting stonger as the season goes on (as expected). However, the position of first base is still up for grabs, and this fact alone concerns me a lot. When Bochy was pressed about why Belt wasn't starting at first base he said, "We're trying to win ballgames. ..It's not to get anybody ready." But, based on the season so far, why should we believe that Huff gives the Giants a better chance to win than Belt? And also, why isn't it part of Bochy's job to develop young talent into players that will lead this team into the future?
Tonight Huff went 0-4 and left three men on base. In a tight ballgame (the Giants won 4-3 on an error in the bottom of the ninth), Huff did nothing. He is 35 years old and has always been a very inconsistent hitter.
Tonight, Belt sat on the bench. Who was more effective?
Well, here we are. Eight games into the season, and Huff has started seven games, while Belt has started four. The Giants are 4-4, and have won three games in a row. But I'm worried.
Like I said before, Belt needs to be starting at first base. Yes, it's true that Huff is batting .227 and Belt is only batting .091. Huff has one homerun and three RBIs, while Belt has none of the above. However, Huff has 22 at-bats, while Belt has only had 11.
The Giants are at .500, and their pitching is getting stonger as the season goes on (as expected). However, the position of first base is still up for grabs, and this fact alone concerns me a lot. When Bochy was pressed about why Belt wasn't starting at first base he said, "We're trying to win ballgames. ..It's not to get anybody ready." But, based on the season so far, why should we believe that Huff gives the Giants a better chance to win than Belt? And also, why isn't it part of Bochy's job to develop young talent into players that will lead this team into the future?
Tonight Huff went 0-4 and left three men on base. In a tight ballgame (the Giants won 4-3 on an error in the bottom of the ninth), Huff did nothing. He is 35 years old and has always been a very inconsistent hitter.
Tonight, Belt sat on the bench. Who was more effective?
Saturday, March 24, 2012
Belt it out
As someone who has always criticized Brian Sabean, it almost pains me to admit that he's done a great job in the past couple years with the minor league system for the Giants. The Bonds era was so painful as a fan, to watch prospect after prospect get traded away for aging veterans who rarely produced (A.J. Pierzynski, Ryan Klesko, Ray Durham, Aaron Rowand). Even in recent seasons, with signings for Tejada and Beltran. As a fan, you always want to see homegrown, consistent players out there on the field and, for possibly the first time since I can remember, the Giants are young, homegrown, and are very likeable.
Oh, and they're predicted by "Sports Illustrated" to make it to the World Series this year. Coincidence?
Sabean showed great restraint in this off-season, no going after the big, expensive free agent, but choosing to fill some holes with quiet, young, consistent players. Melky Cabrera is 27 and coming off the best season of his career with the most games player (.305 avg, 155 games, 18 HR, 87 RBI). Angel Pagan is 30 and brings the Giants some much-needed speed (32 steals in 2011). Cabrera has thrived in the Spring, hitting .381 with 3 HR and 9 RBI. Pagan, though he's struggled a bit in Scottsdale, will provide solid defense in the big center field of AT&T park.
The spot on the field that I'm most concerned about? First base.
Brandon Belt needs to be the starting first baseman on April 5th. In Spring, he's batting .380 with 3 HR (tied for second on the team) in 17 games. Huff is batting .275 with 2 HR in 14 games. In 2011, Belt finished the season with 9 HR in 63 games, only 3 behind Huff, who hit 12 HR in 150 games last season. I know that Bruce Bochy tends to lean towards the veteran guys, but if the Giants want to win this year, Belt needs to finally get priority over Huff. Last season, Belt wasn't given any opportunity to get into a rhythm (my biggest complaint about how Bochy handles most young guys, including Schierholtz). Twice, Belt was benched the day after he hit a homerun. It didn't make sense. For a team that struggled so badly offensively last year, they cannot afford to keep Belt on the bench.
In keeping with the theme of a young, likeable, future-oriented team, the Giants and Bruce Bochy have to make a statement and put Brandon Belt at first base. They can't afford not to.
Oh, and they're predicted by "Sports Illustrated" to make it to the World Series this year. Coincidence?
Sabean showed great restraint in this off-season, no going after the big, expensive free agent, but choosing to fill some holes with quiet, young, consistent players. Melky Cabrera is 27 and coming off the best season of his career with the most games player (.305 avg, 155 games, 18 HR, 87 RBI). Angel Pagan is 30 and brings the Giants some much-needed speed (32 steals in 2011). Cabrera has thrived in the Spring, hitting .381 with 3 HR and 9 RBI. Pagan, though he's struggled a bit in Scottsdale, will provide solid defense in the big center field of AT&T park.
The spot on the field that I'm most concerned about? First base.
Brandon Belt needs to be the starting first baseman on April 5th. In Spring, he's batting .380 with 3 HR (tied for second on the team) in 17 games. Huff is batting .275 with 2 HR in 14 games. In 2011, Belt finished the season with 9 HR in 63 games, only 3 behind Huff, who hit 12 HR in 150 games last season. I know that Bruce Bochy tends to lean towards the veteran guys, but if the Giants want to win this year, Belt needs to finally get priority over Huff. Last season, Belt wasn't given any opportunity to get into a rhythm (my biggest complaint about how Bochy handles most young guys, including Schierholtz). Twice, Belt was benched the day after he hit a homerun. It didn't make sense. For a team that struggled so badly offensively last year, they cannot afford to keep Belt on the bench.
In keeping with the theme of a young, likeable, future-oriented team, the Giants and Bruce Bochy have to make a statement and put Brandon Belt at first base. They can't afford not to.
Saturday, March 17, 2012
Good to be back
I'm so excited that baseball is back in 2012!
First of all, I already think that the Giants will be infinitely better this year than they were last year. Like I said in my last blog post (at the beginning of last year), 2011 was an old team that had a lot to worry about. Burrell, Ross, Rowand, Tejada all led to last year's team being very over the hill very fast. However, my greatest dream came true when Rowand and Tejada were released mid-season and Burrell and Ross weren't resigned for 2012. For the first time since I could remember, Nate Schierholtz was going to get a shot in right field. And boy, did he take advantage of the opportunity. He finished the season with a .269 batting average, but brought speed and a great arm to the right field position at AT&T park. He's also 28. Finally, an outfielder with a potential future.
The first spring training game I saw today only confirmed what I had previously thought. Schierholtz had an RBI and scored a run today. He also threw out a guy at home in the top of the 4th inning. His arm and timely hitting was definitely a factor in the Giants victory today (7-2 over the A's), and I believe he will continue to contribue to the 2012 Giants.
The other great positive that was taken away from today's game was Big Time Timmy Jim. He became the first Giants starter to go six innings this Spring. He moved to 2-0 this month with four strikeouts and, most impressive of all, no walks. Even though Lincecum gave up six hits, he looked dominating at times and had his strikeout pitches working for him from the first batter he faced (who he struck out, by the way).
While the defense is yet again a concern (two errors today, one of Fontenot that led to a run and one on Sandoval), there is definitely time this Spring to work that out.
All in all, baseball is back the Bay Area, and it's coming back strong.
First of all, I already think that the Giants will be infinitely better this year than they were last year. Like I said in my last blog post (at the beginning of last year), 2011 was an old team that had a lot to worry about. Burrell, Ross, Rowand, Tejada all led to last year's team being very over the hill very fast. However, my greatest dream came true when Rowand and Tejada were released mid-season and Burrell and Ross weren't resigned for 2012. For the first time since I could remember, Nate Schierholtz was going to get a shot in right field. And boy, did he take advantage of the opportunity. He finished the season with a .269 batting average, but brought speed and a great arm to the right field position at AT&T park. He's also 28. Finally, an outfielder with a potential future.
The first spring training game I saw today only confirmed what I had previously thought. Schierholtz had an RBI and scored a run today. He also threw out a guy at home in the top of the 4th inning. His arm and timely hitting was definitely a factor in the Giants victory today (7-2 over the A's), and I believe he will continue to contribue to the 2012 Giants.
The other great positive that was taken away from today's game was Big Time Timmy Jim. He became the first Giants starter to go six innings this Spring. He moved to 2-0 this month with four strikeouts and, most impressive of all, no walks. Even though Lincecum gave up six hits, he looked dominating at times and had his strikeout pitches working for him from the first batter he faced (who he struck out, by the way).
While the defense is yet again a concern (two errors today, one of Fontenot that led to a run and one on Sandoval), there is definitely time this Spring to work that out.
All in all, baseball is back the Bay Area, and it's coming back strong.
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