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.
Saturday, March 24, 2012
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.
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Too Soon?
It's been 23 games. The Giants are currently just a game under .500 (11-12) and only 5 games behind the NL West first place Rockies. Also, it's only April 27. Is it too soon to worry?
Maybe, but maybe we should anyway.
Today, I heard someone say that, despite their recent offensive struggles, the Giants will turn it around because everyone expects this year's team to be better offensively than last years. My immediate response was...What? Really? Followed quickly by...Why?
Looking at this Giants line-up of Rowand, F. Sanchez, Huff, Posey, Sandoval, Burrell, Ross, and Tejada does not exactly inspire confidence in the offense. It's the same group as last year, and now each player is a year older. The only big change came at shortstop, where Uribe was switched out for Tejada. The average age of this team is 31. Not exactly a team for the future.
Are the averages troubling? Yes. Even this early? Yes. Sandoval is currently the only Giants batting over .300 (.329). Freddy Sanchez is second in average with .283, and Rowand is third at .278. Ten days ago, Rowand was batting an amazing .359. For those of you counting at home, that's a difference of .081. Considering Rowand ended the 2010 season batting .230, his recent slide in average doesn't really bode well for the rest of his 2011.
The rest of the team, with the exception of Buster Posey, is visibly floundering. Posey hasn't had a hit on the road trip so far, which has knocked is average from .280 to .259 in the last two days, but nothing that's too worrisome. Yet. However, the same can't be said for Huff, Burrell, Tejada, and Ross. Tejada is batting .200 with one HR, Huff is batting .218 with two HR, Burrell is batting .261 with five HR (four of them coming in the first two weeks of the season), and Ross has come back from the DL with a rousing .227 average with 0 HR (so far). Ross can get a little leeway because he's only been back for a few days, but the other three guys are key for this team. Burrell helped propel the Giants into the playoffs last year, Tejada was the Giants big, off-season signing, and Huff was the heart and soul of the 2010 Giants team. If Bochy continues to start these three (which he will), and they continue to struggle, the Giants might not finish better than .500 (they still have that amazing pitching).
All in all, it's still a little too soon to panic, but the Giants should be too hesitant to possibly sit a struggle veteran (or two or three) for a younger player, just to switch things up and see what the young guys can do.
After all, the 2010 Giants were a .500 team with Molina until they traded him and brought up a certain young Rookie of the Year catcher....
Maybe, but maybe we should anyway.
Today, I heard someone say that, despite their recent offensive struggles, the Giants will turn it around because everyone expects this year's team to be better offensively than last years. My immediate response was...What? Really? Followed quickly by...Why?
Looking at this Giants line-up of Rowand, F. Sanchez, Huff, Posey, Sandoval, Burrell, Ross, and Tejada does not exactly inspire confidence in the offense. It's the same group as last year, and now each player is a year older. The only big change came at shortstop, where Uribe was switched out for Tejada. The average age of this team is 31. Not exactly a team for the future.
Are the averages troubling? Yes. Even this early? Yes. Sandoval is currently the only Giants batting over .300 (.329). Freddy Sanchez is second in average with .283, and Rowand is third at .278. Ten days ago, Rowand was batting an amazing .359. For those of you counting at home, that's a difference of .081. Considering Rowand ended the 2010 season batting .230, his recent slide in average doesn't really bode well for the rest of his 2011.
The rest of the team, with the exception of Buster Posey, is visibly floundering. Posey hasn't had a hit on the road trip so far, which has knocked is average from .280 to .259 in the last two days, but nothing that's too worrisome. Yet. However, the same can't be said for Huff, Burrell, Tejada, and Ross. Tejada is batting .200 with one HR, Huff is batting .218 with two HR, Burrell is batting .261 with five HR (four of them coming in the first two weeks of the season), and Ross has come back from the DL with a rousing .227 average with 0 HR (so far). Ross can get a little leeway because he's only been back for a few days, but the other three guys are key for this team. Burrell helped propel the Giants into the playoffs last year, Tejada was the Giants big, off-season signing, and Huff was the heart and soul of the 2010 Giants team. If Bochy continues to start these three (which he will), and they continue to struggle, the Giants might not finish better than .500 (they still have that amazing pitching).
All in all, it's still a little too soon to panic, but the Giants should be too hesitant to possibly sit a struggle veteran (or two or three) for a younger player, just to switch things up and see what the young guys can do.
After all, the 2010 Giants were a .500 team with Molina until they traded him and brought up a certain young Rookie of the Year catcher....
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
1 Weekend, 2 Philosophies
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.
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.
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
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