At the risk (or perhaps the enjoyment) of generating some flak here on the ol' blog, I must register my general dismay over our cuddly Panda's attitude & bulk. Let's face it - this guy came into camp last year in about as good a shape as he can be. The result was increased agility in the field & vastly improved hitting. The fact that he clearly gained some weight during the season (with some drop in his production in the latter stages) was not lost on me. I hoped for another off-season of hard work & conditioning.
Now, with healthy new contract in-hand, he has basically declared that 'he is what he is' ... which is clearly out-of-shape again, with little intention to get back into shape. Fortunately, he looks better than the 2010 Panda, but nothing like the pre-season 2011 Panda. His supposed workouts were much more secretive this time. Even if his claim about muscle mass is true, he cannot possibly be as nimble in the field. He is a 3B, not a 1B, C, or a DH. Nimbleness is a required tool.
More than anything else, I am put off by his attitude about the whole thing. The 'work hard to get in shape, perform well, get a big contract' progression does not seem to have had a lasting effect on him. He comes off as less humble & more brash about the whole thing.
I am put off by it. With question marks all over the lineup (whether about new guys & how they'll fit in or guys coming off of injuries or guys coming off of unproductive seasons), he is really the cornerstone. He needs to be ultra-ready.
P.S. - Zo's diversion on the trivia test was not lost on me. Game 6 was not the 1-0 finale. It was a game that the Giants won. That being said, I didn't have too many of his answers without looking them up. Mike Murphy was the only gimme.
6 comments:
Where did you get this information about Sandoval's weight and attitude?
ps - no one said you couldn't look stuff up, I mean, isn't one of the purposes of the innernet that it saves us from having to know anything? You are correct, Game 6 was not the 1-0 finale. Anyway, answers coming soon.
I'm with Zo. I don't recall getting that vibe from the Panda. Did I miss a story or two? Besides, do we really want to read another one of those "he's in the best shape of his life" columns? Seems like we get huge, stinking piles of that. Sort of refreshing to have an "I'm fat--feck off" take on things.
Baseball Musings reads RMC and re-posted a portion of Ron's post!
http://baseballmusings.com/?p=79296
We've all read the same news stories & seen the same photos. Last year, he arrived in great shape, having both done & said the right things all off-season. This year, he has arrived as a work-in-progress, saying good things about what he plans to do during the rest of Spring Training. The margin for sloth is narrow with this guy. I do expect to know what he's been doing in the off-season, & I do expect him to arrive in top condition. The Giants have taken the foot off the gas pedal on this one. They can't afford to.
http://blog.sfgate.com/giants/2012/02/24/panda-rakes-it-right-handed-in-sf-giants-first-full-batting-practice/
Lets see what he does on the field. Would you rather be a good third baseman, or a good eater of fattening foods. His a big fella, and a Gandhi diet will only get him down to about 240.
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