I thought Sabean said this team was a contender. Yeah, sure....
In the next few minutes the Giants will lose a game they shouldn't have. A lovely starting job against a red hot team was wasted. A chubby four run lead after 7 innings was not enough to withstand some impressively choke relief pitching. (Come on, a 3 run pinchhit homer by Erstad!! His first ever!! Disgusting.) A knowledgable Giants fan (is there any other kind?) would probably assume that Matt Cain was the unlucky starter, but NO! The Franchise is the victim this time.
Tim Lincecum continued his string of quality starts (he is now 8 for 8 in that category!) yet he will get no decision. It was the fourth time he has "Ked" ten batters in a game. His 3 runs on 5 hits and 3 walks caused his ERA to "balloon up" to a gaudy 1.92. He is second in the league (behind a Red named Volquez) in that category. I do not remember another Giants pitcher maintaining this level of consistency at the start of a season. Anybody out there think of another great Giants start? Didn't Vida start hot?
As a true baseball fan, I have to admit I enjoyed watching Lance Berkman. The guy is unreal right now. An easily over looked important at bat happened in the fourth. With a six run lead, Tim challenged Lance with two runners in scoring position and first base open. Berkman, currently on an epic hot streak, delivered. I know going after him was the right thing to do but sometimes you just have to give someone their due and pitch around him. I wonder what Tim would do the next time?
4 comments:
A few words from up north:
- To continue on the Zo thread, yes, Sabean is insane & has been for a long time. But, the Randy Winns of the world are not the problem. Randy Winn is not decrepit & has many tools. The problem is the likes of Dave 'I hope I never see him on the field again in an SF uniform' Roberts, Rich 'every now and then, I'll get a timely hit, just so they won't dump me' Aurilia, & Ray 'losing my skills rapidly' Durham. Those 3 don't deserve more at-bats. We should just take the financial hit & DFA Roberts - or make him roving minor league baserunning instructor. So, to sum up, I agree - no 'moves' this year, even if we are mathematically in the race. Rebuild, go with the youth.
- For that matter, what value does Keiichi Yabu have on this roster??? He sucks, he's old, he's holding some youngster back.
- Among the youngsters, I am really wondering about Ortmeier. He looks like he can't handle it up in the bigs. Bowker, Burriss, Holm, Lewis ... those guys have some promise. Bocock didn't belong. Velez? I don't know.
- Aside from the occasional implosions (like today's Tyler Walker special), our pitching is great to good - as expected. Good foundation - don't mess with it.
- Finally, a request to break up what are now some very set patterns here on RMC. After Cain's next start, Jon should post. After Lincecum's next start, Mark should post. I love you guys & your loyalty to your individual dudes, but a little cross-posting might be interesting & revealing. Brother Bob, how about, after Sanchez's next start, Zo or I pick up the ball? I assume that he goes tomorrow, so I may get a chance to see it. (I just checked - it won't be on MLB Extra Innings, but I'll be able to catch the Hawk & Wimpy on WGN, so I will get to see the game).
REBUILD - no stupid 'we gotta chance this year' moves! Does Sabean retire with Magowan? Seems like a good idea.
Tim is mortal--he gave up a big hit to the best hitter in the NL. Shucks, I thought he was God.
Winn ain't the issue, I agree. The issue is "over-valuing" players' skill sets. Rowand, for example, is a fine player. But he's not worth a 5-year investment at free agent rates. If he was 25, and would still have value at 30, maybe. I see no reason to sign anyone who's not a true "difference-maker" (a guy like Josh Beckett, perhaps) to anything other that 2-3 year deals. Not that many guys are that far above league average level to waste dollars on and block prospects. The time for ruthlessness is now! Ship out old guys!
Ron, I like your idea re MC/Tim JCP/Matt. I'll run it past the Board of Directors here at RMC and see if we get the clearance to go ahead.
First, Mr. Obsessivegiantscompulsive has added a rational note to the rants about the Sabean comments on Lefty Malo and Bay City Ball, to which I respond, "what is the point of the lunatic fringe if not to go off the deep end on your GM?"
Second, I believe that Rowand is a piece. He cannot be the biggest piece (or, man, are we in trouble), and we may quibble about how much we pay the guy and for how long, but let us not believe that he is THE BIG piece. But, he could look pretty good in the wake of a significant free agent move/rational trade sometime in the offseason. Rowand is not THE hitter to build your offense around, but we don't have that guy, so let us not believe that Rowand is that guy simply by default.
Finally, I would like to see not only a little more cross-posting, but a little more cross-dressing.
What can I say about Sanchez???
- He hits (or throws the ball in the direction of) the catcher's mitt less often than any pitcher I have ever seen ... ever. This doesn't seemed to have improved at all over last season.
- Given that he has no clue where the ball is going, he is still very effective. He must have incredible movement.
- Blowing it all by giving up an HR to a guy who looks even smaller than Eugenio Velez really sucks ass. And, to make it worse, Ken Harrelson had a 'feeling' about it on WGN, & then it happened. Yuck. This was very disgusting.
Well, I guess that we still have the bottom of the 9th to try to get it done against their bloated closer.
But, as tonight's designated Sanchez-watcher, I must say that I am quite disappointed that he gave it up in such crappy circumstances. On the 2008 Giants, you really have to make your own breaks. He didn't - he gave up an HR to mini-Velez.
Maybe, it will make him bear down more in the future.
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