I'm going to post a long winded, opinion based, unreadable season recap on the abortion that was the Giants 2011 season tomorrow. I'm gathering my thoughts, looking up stats and contracts and will give a synopsis of each player for the season that was and the upcoming season.
So I'll see you tomorrow.....
Thursday, September 29, 2011
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
Here we go.....
Basically, the Giants can't lose another game. How sick would it be if they reel off 8 straight and tie at the end of the year and have a 1 game playoff? Like against the Cubs way back in 1998 when and they started Mark Gardner vs. Steve Trachsel and got shut out for 8 innings but put up 3 in the 9th to lose 5-3. I'll be honest, if the Giants had a 1 game playoff with any team other than the Dodgers and Kershaw, I put them as the favorite.
I have a golf tourney today so I gotta keep this short. The Song goes tonight and I'd love for him to produce in the clutch. At this point, every game is a playoff game and if he throws well, it's a huge boost going into next year for the Giants rotation...
I have a golf tourney today so I gotta keep this short. The Song goes tonight and I'd love for him to produce in the clutch. At this point, every game is a playoff game and if he throws well, it's a huge boost going into next year for the Giants rotation...
Monday, September 19, 2011
Why I dislike the Giants....
Because they make me care. I was totally prepared to write them off so I could focus on the football season. Now they've won 8 in a row and are 5 back in the West and 4 back in the Wild Card. Bochy, for the most part, has let the kids play in September and they've responded. Playoffs or not, we have sen what this team could be next year. If they get a leadoff centerfielder, with Panda, Beltran, Keppy, Posey, Freddy and maybe even Belt, Pill or Crawford in the mix, they have a steady offensive base when they're healthy.
Question....when am I ok with Huff as my starting 1st baseman? Well, if Belt is in the left field, never. But my real answer is if he's the 5th or 6th best hitter in my lineup. With Panda and Beltran (if he re-signs) and Posey the Giants have their 3-4-5 hitters (not necessarily in that order). With either Freddy or Keppy hitting 2nd (I prefer Keppy 2nd, Freddy 6th or 7th), Huff can be the 6th or 7th hitter. I'm totally fine with that. We've seen the worst of Huff this year. So next year if he evens out, I'll take .265-.270 with 15-20 HR's and 65-75 RBI's from the 6th/7th hitter.
But for the rest of this year, I'd love for Pill to get more AB's and Crawford to be in the lineup vs. lefties to see if what he can do. If not him, then when the Giants face a lefty, put Keppy at shortstop and let Fontenot play 2nd (he hits a respectable .250 vs. lefties). And I'll say again....CABRERA SHOULD NOT SEE THE FIELD. Mike Murphy should hide his uniform. He STILL offers nothing. I bet he's a great, likable guy. If so, he should turn into what Torres is now. A dugout guy. Who's the first guy to welcome a Giants hitter at the top step of the dugout? Torres. And you know he says, "Vamos! Come on baby!" Love him as a 5th OF'er next year.
Tomorrow the Giants get Kershaw. So, basically, it's a loss. Not because it's the Giants but because he owns them and he's been unreal all year. He's won 17 of his last 19 decisions. The Dodgers have won 13 of his last 16 starts. And he faces Lincy. How does this game not end 2-0 and Lincy throws 7 innings and gives up 1 earned? Kershaw should win the Cy Young in the NL this year. 1st in wins, ERA and Strikeouts.
Here's to hoping the Giants can reel off 8 more in a row after Tuesday and make things interesting :-)
Question....when am I ok with Huff as my starting 1st baseman? Well, if Belt is in the left field, never. But my real answer is if he's the 5th or 6th best hitter in my lineup. With Panda and Beltran (if he re-signs) and Posey the Giants have their 3-4-5 hitters (not necessarily in that order). With either Freddy or Keppy hitting 2nd (I prefer Keppy 2nd, Freddy 6th or 7th), Huff can be the 6th or 7th hitter. I'm totally fine with that. We've seen the worst of Huff this year. So next year if he evens out, I'll take .265-.270 with 15-20 HR's and 65-75 RBI's from the 6th/7th hitter.
But for the rest of this year, I'd love for Pill to get more AB's and Crawford to be in the lineup vs. lefties to see if what he can do. If not him, then when the Giants face a lefty, put Keppy at shortstop and let Fontenot play 2nd (he hits a respectable .250 vs. lefties). And I'll say again....CABRERA SHOULD NOT SEE THE FIELD. Mike Murphy should hide his uniform. He STILL offers nothing. I bet he's a great, likable guy. If so, he should turn into what Torres is now. A dugout guy. Who's the first guy to welcome a Giants hitter at the top step of the dugout? Torres. And you know he says, "Vamos! Come on baby!" Love him as a 5th OF'er next year.
Tomorrow the Giants get Kershaw. So, basically, it's a loss. Not because it's the Giants but because he owns them and he's been unreal all year. He's won 17 of his last 19 decisions. The Dodgers have won 13 of his last 16 starts. And he faces Lincy. How does this game not end 2-0 and Lincy throws 7 innings and gives up 1 earned? Kershaw should win the Cy Young in the NL this year. 1st in wins, ERA and Strikeouts.
Here's to hoping the Giants can reel off 8 more in a row after Tuesday and make things interesting :-)
Saturday, September 17, 2011
Dare I say......6 in a row!?!?!?
So I'm semi-interested now. Here's the deal. If the Giants can somehow pick up 2 more games before they go to Arizona next week, I'll be regular excited. That would mean they'd be 4 games back with a 3 game series in Arizona. While it's still very unlikely that they actually have a say in the playoff picture, it's nice to see Bochy put in the kids and get results. Oh, and I didn't mention the Wild Card, which the Giants are 5 games behind the Braves. It's more likely they get closer to ARZ because of the head-to-head games but if Atlanta decides to shit the bed, more chances can only help the Gigantes.
Now, let's say they get close with a few games left. Does Bochy get a tight butthole and put Cabrera and Burrell and Stewside back in the lineup because they've "been there"? I sure hope not. The guys who have played in the last 10 days (H. Sanhez, Crawford, Belt, Christian, Pill) deserve a shot to play in pressure games. It could only be a good thing. Either they win games and their confidence soars or they lose and deal with failure on the big stage. The Giants have played with a loose confidence since they've been "playing out the string" and it'd be awesome if they stay that way the next 11 games.
So Bochy, keep the kids in the lineup, stop letting Runzler pitch and just because Stewart hit a Coors Field homerun doesn't mean he starts the last 11 games....
Now, let's say they get close with a few games left. Does Bochy get a tight butthole and put Cabrera and Burrell and Stewside back in the lineup because they've "been there"? I sure hope not. The guys who have played in the last 10 days (H. Sanhez, Crawford, Belt, Christian, Pill) deserve a shot to play in pressure games. It could only be a good thing. Either they win games and their confidence soars or they lose and deal with failure on the big stage. The Giants have played with a loose confidence since they've been "playing out the string" and it'd be awesome if they stay that way the next 11 games.
So Bochy, keep the kids in the lineup, stop letting Runzler pitch and just because Stewart hit a Coors Field homerun doesn't mean he starts the last 11 games....
Friday, September 16, 2011
5 in as row?????
Panda hits for the cycle and The Song gets a win. Surkamp is showing he's just fine as a 5th starter and is more valuable than Zeets and J Sanch. In the last 5 games (all wins), here's a breakdown of starts:
BCrawf - 4
Hector Sanch - 3
Eli - 2
Cabrera - 1
So, when Crawford starts, we win. The one start Cabrera had, it took extras to win. Can someone email these numbers to Bochy?
It's nice to see the kids playing. Still, Huff has had 4 starts and Pill 1. I just will never get it. Ross, Panda, Keppinger and Los should all start right now. And then Pill, BCrawf, Belt and Sanchez should start no matter lefty/righty for the rest of the year. Period. Can anyone make an argument to the contrary? Why do we need top see what Huff, Cabrera, Torres, Stewside or DeRosa can do from here on out? They can hit a combined .232 with no pop. Am I crazy?
BCrawf - 4
Hector Sanch - 3
Eli - 2
Cabrera - 1
So, when Crawford starts, we win. The one start Cabrera had, it took extras to win. Can someone email these numbers to Bochy?
It's nice to see the kids playing. Still, Huff has had 4 starts and Pill 1. I just will never get it. Ross, Panda, Keppinger and Los should all start right now. And then Pill, BCrawf, Belt and Sanchez should start no matter lefty/righty for the rest of the year. Period. Can anyone make an argument to the contrary? Why do we need top see what Huff, Cabrera, Torres, Stewside or DeRosa can do from here on out? They can hit a combined .232 with no pop. Am I crazy?
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
Football....Oh, and the Giants
Giants first. Ummmmm, did Bochy just start BCrawf for 2 straight games? I believe he did. Did the Giants win? Oh, that's right, they scored 8 runs....TWICE!!!! Now, was it all Crawford? Of course not. The dude went 0-7 with a walk. But he flat out picks it and should start for the duration. Also, did you see Hector Sanchez's double? Stewside has never put a swing on a ball like that. And he threw a out Maybin who's had 4 stolen bases and Bartlett who's had 6 SB's versus the Giants this year. But he's a bad defender, right? A switch hitter with gap to gap power and at least average defensively. Nope, I'd rather have a guy (or 2) who hits .203 (combined) but as Krukow says, "sits really low for a tall catcher". Ridic.
And in the savior department, Zito was just activated by the Giants. Hey Zeets, thanks but no thanks. How has he not become the only lefty, sidearm knuckleballer in the league. I'm dead serious. Become a specialist and contribute SOMETHING....
On to football. I'm, as you can imagine, a big 49ers fan. I also have the NFL Sunday Ticket so I watch a ton of football on Sundays. Most of my thoughts will have a fantasy football feel to them. Here's a few takeaways from Week 1:
-Jim Harbaugh is going to try to hide Alex Smith as long as he can. Smith had zero high risk throws on Sunday. Their D was very good but you just don't know because they were playing the Seahawks. Tarvaris Jackson is worse than Alex Smith, hands down. I also find it weird that for 6 years (probably longer), no matter who is calling the plays, the 49ers specialize in the 4 yard out on 3rd and 6. I see an 8-8 or 7-9 team this year.
-Darren McFadden is a beast. If he stays on the field (a big if), he's a top 6 RB in the league. For running as upright as he does, he punishes people.
-It's REALLY the year of the QB. As they say, it's a copycat league. Green Bay won without a dominant run game so we are seeing a ton of guys just chucking it. 14 of the 32 QB's in the league broke 300 yards. 44%!!! Only 7 RB's broke 100 yards.
-If Kenny Britt (TEN) stays healthy, he's a top 5 WR. He's got a knack for the big play. Oh, and if he stays out of jail as well.
-Cam Newton looked much better than anyone expected but I'm not on the bandwagon just yet. He very rarely checked down or went through his progressions. He'll need to adapt in a hurry.
So that's just a taste of Week 1. I'm very interested to see the 49ers versus a quality team in Dallas. We'll know a lot about this team by this time next week....
And in the savior department, Zito was just activated by the Giants. Hey Zeets, thanks but no thanks. How has he not become the only lefty, sidearm knuckleballer in the league. I'm dead serious. Become a specialist and contribute SOMETHING....
On to football. I'm, as you can imagine, a big 49ers fan. I also have the NFL Sunday Ticket so I watch a ton of football on Sundays. Most of my thoughts will have a fantasy football feel to them. Here's a few takeaways from Week 1:
-Jim Harbaugh is going to try to hide Alex Smith as long as he can. Smith had zero high risk throws on Sunday. Their D was very good but you just don't know because they were playing the Seahawks. Tarvaris Jackson is worse than Alex Smith, hands down. I also find it weird that for 6 years (probably longer), no matter who is calling the plays, the 49ers specialize in the 4 yard out on 3rd and 6. I see an 8-8 or 7-9 team this year.
-Darren McFadden is a beast. If he stays on the field (a big if), he's a top 6 RB in the league. For running as upright as he does, he punishes people.
-It's REALLY the year of the QB. As they say, it's a copycat league. Green Bay won without a dominant run game so we are seeing a ton of guys just chucking it. 14 of the 32 QB's in the league broke 300 yards. 44%!!! Only 7 RB's broke 100 yards.
-If Kenny Britt (TEN) stays healthy, he's a top 5 WR. He's got a knack for the big play. Oh, and if he stays out of jail as well.
-Cam Newton looked much better than anyone expected but I'm not on the bandwagon just yet. He very rarely checked down or went through his progressions. He'll need to adapt in a hurry.
So that's just a taste of Week 1. I'm very interested to see the 49ers versus a quality team in Dallas. We'll know a lot about this team by this time next week....
Saturday, September 10, 2011
Playing out the string...
Words you hate to hear as a baseball fan. Especially when your team won the World Series last year. But that's what we're faced with as Giants fans. The biggest reason, in my opinion? Believe it or not, it's not Bochean's ineptitude. Seriously. I guess you could thank Scott Cousins, Freddy's shoulder, and Panda's hamate bone. Oh, throw in Nate's right foot, Beltran's wrist and B Weezy's right elbow. Yeah, it's injuries. Were they good enough to win despite those injuries? I say yes but it's debatable. I think if they made a few different moves (in game moves and roster moves), they had a shot. So I'd say it's a 60/40 split. 60% injuries, 40% Bochean/Veterans not playing to their potential.
So what to do next year? Well, let's talk about what they do have offensively. Posey, Huff, Sanchez and Panda. You can mark that. Huff is getting paid $10 million next year and you can be sure the Gaints aren't going to eat Rowand's, Zito's and Huff's money next year (yes, that's what the Giants are doing, eating Zito's contract. Can anyone say that they think he will ever contribute on a baseball field again?). So who plays SS? It's fairly clear the Giants brass (using that term loosely, they're more of a pewter I think) doesn't believe in Crawford is the answer. So going off that belief, I'd say Keppinger has earned the respect of Giants players, coaches and fans. He deserves a 3 year deal (the only caveat to that would be if the Giants can sign Jose Reyes. He would be A#1 on my off season list). That's it. You can stay in house or hit a homerun with Reyes. So that leaves the OF.
So the guys who are UFA's (unrestricted free agents) are Ross, Burrell and Beltran. I can't see the Giants signing Cody Ross next year. He made $6.3 million this year and produced about $1.3 million worth. Unless he takes a huge pay cut, he's gone. Burrell should become a coach. Period. Now, if they want Beltran, I think he'd stay at the right price. He made $18.5 million this year. I see him getting a 2-3 year deal worth in the $12-$15 million per year. He's 33 and I'd be totally fine with a 3 year deal. He's that good. Now onto guys who are arbitration eligible. Torres and Nate. I could see both of them re-signing as backups. Nate could find a starting gig elsewhere but he stays home I think. Torres would have to sign as a 4th or 5th outfielder. He made $2.2 million this year. He won't be getting a raise so I'd take him.
There are a few names I'd love to see on the Giants next year. Michael Bourn is tops on the list. Now, he's arbitration eligible with the Braves but if the Giants could pry him away, he's EXACTLY what they need. An real life leadoff hitter. Other guys you may have never heard of. -Emilio Bonifacio. He plays in Forida, is a SS, but also played in center this year. He's arbitration eligible but could be had in a trade. Love him at the top of an order.
-Angel Pagan. Also arbitration eligible but the Mets could part with him. Switch hitter with pop and lotsa speed. He pushed Beltran from center to right so we know he has skills in the OF.
-Coco Crisp. From right across the Bay. Keeps the ball in play, is an UFA and the guy can flat out play.
Those are just a few guys who could leadoff and play CF. I've heard Grady Sizemore as well but I think that would be a horrible move. Haven't they had enough of the injury bug? Sizemore has had like 37 knee operations in 9 months. P.S. I haven't even talked about Belt and Pill. That's a discussion for another day. But as the season winds down and the football season kicks off, there will be a shift in focus here at 6 Demon Bag SF. Th Giants will always be #1 in my heart, but I've got to stay relevant. Thanks for the support thus far and I hope to keep entertaining.
Oh and P.P.S. - if you're reading this, when you're done, click on one of the adds on the blog and check 'em out. It helps me and you :-)
So what to do next year? Well, let's talk about what they do have offensively. Posey, Huff, Sanchez and Panda. You can mark that. Huff is getting paid $10 million next year and you can be sure the Gaints aren't going to eat Rowand's, Zito's and Huff's money next year (yes, that's what the Giants are doing, eating Zito's contract. Can anyone say that they think he will ever contribute on a baseball field again?). So who plays SS? It's fairly clear the Giants brass (using that term loosely, they're more of a pewter I think) doesn't believe in Crawford is the answer. So going off that belief, I'd say Keppinger has earned the respect of Giants players, coaches and fans. He deserves a 3 year deal (the only caveat to that would be if the Giants can sign Jose Reyes. He would be A#1 on my off season list). That's it. You can stay in house or hit a homerun with Reyes. So that leaves the OF.
So the guys who are UFA's (unrestricted free agents) are Ross, Burrell and Beltran. I can't see the Giants signing Cody Ross next year. He made $6.3 million this year and produced about $1.3 million worth. Unless he takes a huge pay cut, he's gone. Burrell should become a coach. Period. Now, if they want Beltran, I think he'd stay at the right price. He made $18.5 million this year. I see him getting a 2-3 year deal worth in the $12-$15 million per year. He's 33 and I'd be totally fine with a 3 year deal. He's that good. Now onto guys who are arbitration eligible. Torres and Nate. I could see both of them re-signing as backups. Nate could find a starting gig elsewhere but he stays home I think. Torres would have to sign as a 4th or 5th outfielder. He made $2.2 million this year. He won't be getting a raise so I'd take him.
There are a few names I'd love to see on the Giants next year. Michael Bourn is tops on the list. Now, he's arbitration eligible with the Braves but if the Giants could pry him away, he's EXACTLY what they need. An real life leadoff hitter. Other guys you may have never heard of. -Emilio Bonifacio. He plays in Forida, is a SS, but also played in center this year. He's arbitration eligible but could be had in a trade. Love him at the top of an order.
-Angel Pagan. Also arbitration eligible but the Mets could part with him. Switch hitter with pop and lotsa speed. He pushed Beltran from center to right so we know he has skills in the OF.
-Coco Crisp. From right across the Bay. Keeps the ball in play, is an UFA and the guy can flat out play.
Those are just a few guys who could leadoff and play CF. I've heard Grady Sizemore as well but I think that would be a horrible move. Haven't they had enough of the injury bug? Sizemore has had like 37 knee operations in 9 months. P.S. I haven't even talked about Belt and Pill. That's a discussion for another day. But as the season winds down and the football season kicks off, there will be a shift in focus here at 6 Demon Bag SF. Th Giants will always be #1 in my heart, but I've got to stay relevant. Thanks for the support thus far and I hope to keep entertaining.
Oh and P.P.S. - if you're reading this, when you're done, click on one of the adds on the blog and check 'em out. It helps me and you :-)
Thursday, September 8, 2011
Let them play....
The kids, obvi. At this point, the Giants need to know if they're going to let Crawford be their SS next year. A month left should give them an idea if he can hit in the majors. Pill will play for the duration because he's earned it...right? It also looks like Christian is going to keep getting AB's in center.
Football starts tonight. Kind of excited. My mind's all jumbled with Giants, fantasy baseball playoffs and the beginning of the football season. No focus on the blog. I'm cheating my 5 followers. I apologize....
Football starts tonight. Kind of excited. My mind's all jumbled with Giants, fantasy baseball playoffs and the beginning of the football season. No focus on the blog. I'm cheating my 5 followers. I apologize....
Wednesday, September 7, 2011
Update....
Pill just hit another bomb...weird. Huff's back is mysteriously acting up....weird.
P.S. - I wanted to be the first to call him Pill-y The Kid...you're welcome...
P.S. - I wanted to be the first to call him Pill-y The Kid...you're welcome...
Was Huff just on the bench????
And the Giants scored 6 runs? Pill starts and goes ya-ya's his first big league at bat....Weird. Bochy still had to have his boy Cabrera in, who actually had an RBI knock but did play his standard pedestrian defense. They also brought up Justin Christian out of nowhere and he contributed. Beltran and Keppy were studs, obvi.
I'm not going to say much because I don't want to jinx a good thing. Let's hope all the kids are given a chance again today and hell, maybe ARZ loses again just to torture us some more....
I'm not going to say much because I don't want to jinx a good thing. Let's hope all the kids are given a chance again today and hell, maybe ARZ loses again just to torture us some more....
Monday, September 5, 2011
I guess less stress is good, right????
So while the Giants aren't mathematically eliminated, I'm going off the assumption that they're not going to make the playoffs. Of course, Bochy still thinks they're "in it" because there's no other reason for Huff starting than that Bochy thinks they've got a chance. He gives them their best chance, right? Even Scott Ostler, columnist for the Chronicle, said this about yesterday's game:
To some, the situation called for a shake-up Sunday. Something different. Anything.
But Aubrey Huff was back at first base, batting fifth, despite a 5-for-33 homestand (he did single to open the seventh), and a career 2-for-13 against starter Daniel Hudson. Sitting it out was Mark DeRosa, a rare recent ray of offensive hope (5-for-11 on the homestand, on base nine of his last 18 plate appearances). But he's a righty, and so is Hudson.
No Brandon Crawford for defense in the eighth, and who knows if he could have prevented Parra's crucial single on a slow roller to short. No Brandon Belt bunt in the seventh with nobody out and a runner on second. That would be contrary to the book, giving up an out, but one more run there would have been big, and Belt had whiffed twice against Hudson.
That's all water-cooler talk, to use a Jim Harbaugh phrase for useless chatter.
Bruce Bochy has a pencil, not a magic wand.
True Scott, it's not a wand. But he could write out the correct lineup with that pencil. While watching the game today (a 7-2 Giants win), it's clear that Crawford is an MLB-ready SS. Too bad it took them this long to get him back in there.
The reason I get so maddened by Bochean is that they do their jobs not to lose. Take a chance, leave the guys who are hitting .230 on the bench. If a guy is a terrible defender, put in a guy who isn't. Cabrera, Tejada, Stewart, Whiteside, Rowand, Huff, DeRosa, Ross (until a week ago) are all square pegs and starting spots are round holes. What shapes are Crawford or Pill or Belt (until 2 weeks ago)? We don't know. Maybe they're round, maybe they'd fit. But if you KNOW a guy isn't a fit, should it take 3 months of you cramming him into the hole for you to figure it out? Just because a guy was a round peg 3 years ago means absolutely nothing. Actually, less than nothing because you're paying them.
Figure it out. We know Zito will never be a consistent starter in the league again. We know J. Sanchez needs a change of scenery to unleash his true potential. We know the Giants have 2 possible SS's for the future (Keppy and BCrawf). Can anyone tell me that a Lincecum/Cain/Bumgarner/Vogelsong/Surkamp isn't the best starting 5 the Giants could put out there? I'm terrified at what Sabean is going to do in free agency this offseason. He may knee jerk and sign Beltran to a 4 year deal. Great player...if he has a 1 or 2 year deal. Huff ($10 mil)is here next year, as is Freddy ($6 mil). Those are the only 2 guys who are completely locked up next year. Others (Panda, Nate) will be arbitration eligible but will return. So there's a lot for Sabean to mess up. I have nothing but faith in him. How bout you?
To some, the situation called for a shake-up Sunday. Something different. Anything.
But Aubrey Huff was back at first base, batting fifth, despite a 5-for-33 homestand (he did single to open the seventh), and a career 2-for-13 against starter Daniel Hudson. Sitting it out was Mark DeRosa, a rare recent ray of offensive hope (5-for-11 on the homestand, on base nine of his last 18 plate appearances). But he's a righty, and so is Hudson.
No Brandon Crawford for defense in the eighth, and who knows if he could have prevented Parra's crucial single on a slow roller to short. No Brandon Belt bunt in the seventh with nobody out and a runner on second. That would be contrary to the book, giving up an out, but one more run there would have been big, and Belt had whiffed twice against Hudson.
That's all water-cooler talk, to use a Jim Harbaugh phrase for useless chatter.
Bruce Bochy has a pencil, not a magic wand.
True Scott, it's not a wand. But he could write out the correct lineup with that pencil. While watching the game today (a 7-2 Giants win), it's clear that Crawford is an MLB-ready SS. Too bad it took them this long to get him back in there.
The reason I get so maddened by Bochean is that they do their jobs not to lose. Take a chance, leave the guys who are hitting .230 on the bench. If a guy is a terrible defender, put in a guy who isn't. Cabrera, Tejada, Stewart, Whiteside, Rowand, Huff, DeRosa, Ross (until a week ago) are all square pegs and starting spots are round holes. What shapes are Crawford or Pill or Belt (until 2 weeks ago)? We don't know. Maybe they're round, maybe they'd fit. But if you KNOW a guy isn't a fit, should it take 3 months of you cramming him into the hole for you to figure it out? Just because a guy was a round peg 3 years ago means absolutely nothing. Actually, less than nothing because you're paying them.
Figure it out. We know Zito will never be a consistent starter in the league again. We know J. Sanchez needs a change of scenery to unleash his true potential. We know the Giants have 2 possible SS's for the future (Keppy and BCrawf). Can anyone tell me that a Lincecum/Cain/Bumgarner/Vogelsong/Surkamp isn't the best starting 5 the Giants could put out there? I'm terrified at what Sabean is going to do in free agency this offseason. He may knee jerk and sign Beltran to a 4 year deal. Great player...if he has a 1 or 2 year deal. Huff ($10 mil)is here next year, as is Freddy ($6 mil). Those are the only 2 guys who are completely locked up next year. Others (Panda, Nate) will be arbitration eligible but will return. So there's a lot for Sabean to mess up. I have nothing but faith in him. How bout you?
Sunday, September 4, 2011
Short and sweet....
It's a huge uphill climb at this point. Hopefully the Song throws well, the Giants score a few runs and they're 5 out and the D'Backs magic number is still 18 (magic number is your wins plus your opponents losses). I will say this, I truly believe Bochy needs to get off of Cabrera. He offers NOTHING. If you're going to contribute zilch on offense, you better pick it. He doesn't. He plays SS with a piano strapped behind him and a spade shovel for a glove. Would that make the difference in winning and losing? No. But you gotta put guys in a position to win. Bochy does not. That is all....
Saturday, September 3, 2011
They couldn't.....could they?
Well, well, well. The calendar turns and the Giants decide to score some runs. I was doubtful, still am. If you'll recall, this was my quote two days ago, "Right now, I'd say they have a 23% chance of making the playoffs".
That percentage has gone up but not a whole lot. But I'll tell you what, they have planted that seed in the Diamondbacks head. Everything was puppy dogs and ice cream for ARZ in August. They played loose and free but playoff baseball is different. Now it's time for the stretch run and we will see if they have what the Giants had last year.
The positives were plenty last night. Los finally did what we thought he'd do when we gave up Wheeler 6 weeks ago. He's can be the centerpiece of an offense but he needs help. CoRo may have figured something out. It's one game but he looked different last night and that was plain to see. Cain was very good as usual. Nobody talks about him, he's not super flashy but when it's his turn, you always no you've got a very good shot at winning. And as usual, Keppinger came up with a knock. It's going to be fun to see a guy who's never been on a winning team actually play meaningful games. I've said he's a better version of Freddy Sanchez and he hasn't let me down yet. Him at SS and Freddy at 2B next year ain't looking so bad.
Now, the negatives. Cabrera...still a steaming pile of worthlessness. Huff hasn't figured it out yet and our catcher (Whiteside last night) took another 0-4. Your 6-7-8 can't all be auto-outs. It shows you the balls Bochy has to consistently put those guys out there day after day. He's confident that they'll figure it out (they won't, and pretty much everyone knows it) and you have to, in someway, admire that about him. I love that Burrell (and yes, he does wear his shower shoes inside of his cleats) is back and he did walk twice but he can't be the 5 starts-a-week LF down the stretch. Now that the younger guys got a taste of playoff caliber baseball, give em shot Bochy.
Make no mistake about it, that was a playoff game last night. You could feel it in the park. Even through the TV you could tell. The Giants haven't done much right this year (other than pitch), but we all know from last year that they can man up when needed. If/when they win tonight, the D'Backs will feel that grip tighten on their throats. Yes, the Giants did it last year but don't be mistaken, the D'Backs are not the Padres. They are a much better team with an actual offense so the road is much tougher this year. But with another couple W's, the Giants go from 23% to a dead heat for the playoffs.
Prediction for tonight.....G Men win 3-1. Lincecum throws 7 and pitches out of trouble all night. Huff and Panda factor in some way and it's my sincere hope that Crawford starts and comes up with a Vizquel-like play to save a run. I leave you with a few B Weezy quotes:
-Kaboom! You're getting this
-Chuck Norris has been known to throw a baseball 100 mph. I've been known to throw Chuck Norris 100 mph
-I’m a certified ninja. It happened in a dream. Normally it takes a lifetime, but I did it in 12 minutes
-Got Heeeeeem!
That percentage has gone up but not a whole lot. But I'll tell you what, they have planted that seed in the Diamondbacks head. Everything was puppy dogs and ice cream for ARZ in August. They played loose and free but playoff baseball is different. Now it's time for the stretch run and we will see if they have what the Giants had last year.
The positives were plenty last night. Los finally did what we thought he'd do when we gave up Wheeler 6 weeks ago. He's can be the centerpiece of an offense but he needs help. CoRo may have figured something out. It's one game but he looked different last night and that was plain to see. Cain was very good as usual. Nobody talks about him, he's not super flashy but when it's his turn, you always no you've got a very good shot at winning. And as usual, Keppinger came up with a knock. It's going to be fun to see a guy who's never been on a winning team actually play meaningful games. I've said he's a better version of Freddy Sanchez and he hasn't let me down yet. Him at SS and Freddy at 2B next year ain't looking so bad.
Now, the negatives. Cabrera...still a steaming pile of worthlessness. Huff hasn't figured it out yet and our catcher (Whiteside last night) took another 0-4. Your 6-7-8 can't all be auto-outs. It shows you the balls Bochy has to consistently put those guys out there day after day. He's confident that they'll figure it out (they won't, and pretty much everyone knows it) and you have to, in someway, admire that about him. I love that Burrell (and yes, he does wear his shower shoes inside of his cleats) is back and he did walk twice but he can't be the 5 starts-a-week LF down the stretch. Now that the younger guys got a taste of playoff caliber baseball, give em shot Bochy.
Make no mistake about it, that was a playoff game last night. You could feel it in the park. Even through the TV you could tell. The Giants haven't done much right this year (other than pitch), but we all know from last year that they can man up when needed. If/when they win tonight, the D'Backs will feel that grip tighten on their throats. Yes, the Giants did it last year but don't be mistaken, the D'Backs are not the Padres. They are a much better team with an actual offense so the road is much tougher this year. But with another couple W's, the Giants go from 23% to a dead heat for the playoffs.
Prediction for tonight.....G Men win 3-1. Lincecum throws 7 and pitches out of trouble all night. Huff and Panda factor in some way and it's my sincere hope that Crawford starts and comes up with a Vizquel-like play to save a run. I leave you with a few B Weezy quotes:
-Kaboom! You're getting this
-Chuck Norris has been known to throw a baseball 100 mph. I've been known to throw Chuck Norris 100 mph
-I’m a certified ninja. It happened in a dream. Normally it takes a lifetime, but I did it in 12 minutes
-Got Heeeeeem!
Thursday, September 1, 2011
Stretch drive time....
So after this weekend, at least we'll know whether or not the G Men have a shot at the West. With a sweep, obvi they're right in it. If they take 2 of 3, they're 5 out with 22 games left. A big hill but not impossible. If they lose 2 or 3 in the series, they're done. Right now, I'd say they have a 23% chance of making the playoffs. If ARZ stops playing like the '27 Yankees, then that percentage goes up. But make no mistake, if the D-Backs don't start losing a few games, that percentage is 0%.
So Bochy says he sees Pill as a right handed bat off the bench. Excuse me? The dude can play anywhere (mainly plays 1B but can play OF, 2B, 3B) and he rakes. Yeah, yeah...in AAA, I get it. But let's throw Keppy in at SS and let Pill play 2B. Because we all kow we have Albert Pujols at 1B (that's how Bochy sees Huff right?) so he gets as many AB's as he wants. I find it amusing that when Bochy sits Huff, it's because he's giving him a "mental day". Does mental day equal "you're-a-steaming-pile-this-year"?
And while I love him because we kind of do look alike and he's been very productive throughout his career, Cody Ross has been worse than Huff. He needs to be the right hander off the bench for a week or two, give him a "mental 10 days". So here's what I hope the lineup looks like come September 2nd and beyond....
C - Sanchez
1B - Belt
2B - Keppinger
SS - Crawford
3B - Panda
LF - Huff/Ross/Ford/Pill
CF - Torres
RF - Beltran
What will it be....
C - Stew-side
1B - Huff
2B - Keppinger
SS - Cabrera
3B - Panda
LF - Belt/Ross
CF - Torres
RF - Beltran
Because that's worked so far....
So Bochy says he sees Pill as a right handed bat off the bench. Excuse me? The dude can play anywhere (mainly plays 1B but can play OF, 2B, 3B) and he rakes. Yeah, yeah...in AAA, I get it. But let's throw Keppy in at SS and let Pill play 2B. Because we all kow we have Albert Pujols at 1B (that's how Bochy sees Huff right?) so he gets as many AB's as he wants. I find it amusing that when Bochy sits Huff, it's because he's giving him a "mental day". Does mental day equal "you're-a-steaming-pile-this-year"?
And while I love him because we kind of do look alike and he's been very productive throughout his career, Cody Ross has been worse than Huff. He needs to be the right hander off the bench for a week or two, give him a "mental 10 days". So here's what I hope the lineup looks like come September 2nd and beyond....
C - Sanchez
1B - Belt
2B - Keppinger
SS - Crawford
3B - Panda
LF - Huff/Ross/Ford/Pill
CF - Torres
RF - Beltran
What will it be....
C - Stew-side
1B - Huff
2B - Keppinger
SS - Cabrera
3B - Panda
LF - Belt/Ross
CF - Torres
RF - Beltran
Because that's worked so far....
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