Mac Williamson was among today's cuts to the Opening Day roster. He had a good spring but there's a logjam for the two outfield spots. Williamson apparently still has an option and Jarrett Parker does not. Mac won't like going to AAA but he may have a chance of a promotion later. It's fish-or-cut-bait time for both of those guys, if Parker fails to impress I imagine they'll trade him to free up space. Non-roster invitee Steven Duggar is still in the mix for the 5th OF spot, he'll have to get past Gorkys Hernandez. That's assuming Gregor Blanco gets the 4th spot, and the word is that he's looked good so far. But really only three OF spots are taken: Hunter Pence and the FNGs Austin Jackson and Andrew McCutchen.
Derek Law and Tyler Beede are also headed to AAA. When the Giants picked up Tony Watson that made the bullpen squeeze a little tighter. I thought Law might stick, but I knew Beede would go down. Our 2014 1st-round pick has yet to develop after 400+ professional innings (zero in the bigs). He turns 25 in May so he's still got time. Rule V pick Julian Fernandez, Josh Osich, and FNG Derek Holland survived this round of cuts. We'll see who sticks.
--M.C.
Showing posts with label Spring Training. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Spring Training. Show all posts
Monday, March 19, 2018
Saturday, April 2, 2016
Still More from the State's Capitol
Here are a few more of the sights from Wednesday's exhibition in Sacramento. The crowd was decked out in their finest orange and black. Hell, the RiverCats themselves donned their new orange alternative SacTown jerseys (too cool, must have!). I'm sure I will visit Raley Field several times this summer. Maybe not sliding down a grassy knoll next time, though. ;)
Monday, March 21, 2016
Vlog #2 : MC Projections
Here is the second installment of my new RMC contribution. I got relatively positive feedback so I thought it was worth another try. I figure that branching out into the YouTube universe is a good thing too. It only works if the comments keep coming in, so you know what to do...
Sunday, March 13, 2016
Vlog #1 : FNG
You guys ready to try something different? It is Spring Training after all. So think of this like ...well, I'm an aging veteran pitcher that is so desperate to stick with the club that he tries to throw knuckleballs all of a sudden. Take cover!!!
Saturday, February 23, 2013
Questions of a Tim Nature
As the defending World Champions, ( Wow! What a beautiful phrase.. ) the San Francisco Giants understandably have relatively few unanswered questions heading into the 2013 season. Sure, there's always a spot or two in the bullpen to squabble about, but I'll leave that to smarter authors. For me, once again my baseball universe seems to revolve around the fortunes of Timothy Leroy Lincecum. Big surprise, huh? But seriously, let's face it, the once rock solid, "franchise player" that was Timmeh is a thing of the past. He's a frigging "riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma".
So, let's get to some of those questions. Off the top of my head I can think of 4 or 5...
WHAT WENT WRONG?
Ok, this is not very forward thinking, but sometimes a problem can be identified and fixed. Right? Well, Tim makes this hard. I sure haven't heard him or Righetti or Bochy or anybody really pinpoint a distinct flaw. I guess there was some mention by Tim about his follow through, but it didn't sound very major. Could it explain his terrible fastball control last year? And did he fix it for his post season relief resurgence? We may have to let this question go; however it sure would feel good to place some blame for such a disastrous season (ERA+ of 67 for god's sake!).
DOES THE HAIR CUT REALLY MATTER?
The short answer is, of course, no. But perhaps it is an indication of a new focus or commitment to excellence... nah, the long answer is "no" too.
WHICH TIM SHOWS UP IN 2013? AND DOES IT MATTER THAT MUCH?
Now we are getting to the tough ones. My answer: I can't believe he can be that bad again (he led the league in ER!) so I'm looking for a substantial rebound. I've been burned too bad to really think that Tim will re-climb to the heights of dominance that he once so easily ascended. I'm hoping for about an ERA+ of 120 ( his career average now ) which would probably make him the best #3 starter in the league. Will he matter much? Hell, yea! We proved that we can win the division without him last year ( more like, in spite of him ) but how far do we go in the post season without Tim's contribution last year? Like it or not, Lincecum is a key figure in the NL West race.
And, finally, the BIG question, the elephant in the room type question...
IS 2013 THE END OF TIM"S GIANTS CAREER?
I have said for years that the Giants won't keep three big time starting pitcher contracts, nobody can. Two, sure, but not three. Now I realize that kind of baseball dogma may no longer be true. The Giants have clearly helped establish a new formula for team structure and payroll. Swap that slugger outfielder for a cheaper fast guy and use the money for more pitching. In fact, it could be argued that Tim Lincecum was a big reason for this new thinking; that he was truly a transformative agent. Isn't that worth something? I think so. Which means my answer is NO, this better not be Tim's last season as a Giant. Timmeh has a lot more history to write. Good or bad, he remains one of the most engaging Giants of all time. Matt, MadBum and The Freak all deserve to stay together for a long time to come. And we deserve to see it.
Besides, I hate to mention the obvious ( and disgusting ) destination if Tim does decide to go the free agent route. The filthy rich doggers could pick him up at top dollar rates just to piss us off. That is a future I don't wish to contemplate. Sorry I brought it up.
So, have any questions of your own? Or better yet, answers. It is spring, the time of renewal, so get those brain cells fired up again! The off season is OVER! ( In fact, the first spring training game starts in about a half hour.)
CONGRATULATIONS! You have officially survived another off season. Now write a damn comment!
So, let's get to some of those questions. Off the top of my head I can think of 4 or 5...
WHAT WENT WRONG?
Ok, this is not very forward thinking, but sometimes a problem can be identified and fixed. Right? Well, Tim makes this hard. I sure haven't heard him or Righetti or Bochy or anybody really pinpoint a distinct flaw. I guess there was some mention by Tim about his follow through, but it didn't sound very major. Could it explain his terrible fastball control last year? And did he fix it for his post season relief resurgence? We may have to let this question go; however it sure would feel good to place some blame for such a disastrous season (ERA+ of 67 for god's sake!).
DOES THE HAIR CUT REALLY MATTER?
The short answer is, of course, no. But perhaps it is an indication of a new focus or commitment to excellence... nah, the long answer is "no" too.
WHICH TIM SHOWS UP IN 2013? AND DOES IT MATTER THAT MUCH?
Now we are getting to the tough ones. My answer: I can't believe he can be that bad again (he led the league in ER!) so I'm looking for a substantial rebound. I've been burned too bad to really think that Tim will re-climb to the heights of dominance that he once so easily ascended. I'm hoping for about an ERA+ of 120 ( his career average now ) which would probably make him the best #3 starter in the league. Will he matter much? Hell, yea! We proved that we can win the division without him last year ( more like, in spite of him ) but how far do we go in the post season without Tim's contribution last year? Like it or not, Lincecum is a key figure in the NL West race.
And, finally, the BIG question, the elephant in the room type question...
IS 2013 THE END OF TIM"S GIANTS CAREER?
I have said for years that the Giants won't keep three big time starting pitcher contracts, nobody can. Two, sure, but not three. Now I realize that kind of baseball dogma may no longer be true. The Giants have clearly helped establish a new formula for team structure and payroll. Swap that slugger outfielder for a cheaper fast guy and use the money for more pitching. In fact, it could be argued that Tim Lincecum was a big reason for this new thinking; that he was truly a transformative agent. Isn't that worth something? I think so. Which means my answer is NO, this better not be Tim's last season as a Giant. Timmeh has a lot more history to write. Good or bad, he remains one of the most engaging Giants of all time. Matt, MadBum and The Freak all deserve to stay together for a long time to come. And we deserve to see it.
Besides, I hate to mention the obvious ( and disgusting ) destination if Tim does decide to go the free agent route. The filthy rich doggers could pick him up at top dollar rates just to piss us off. That is a future I don't wish to contemplate. Sorry I brought it up.
So, have any questions of your own? Or better yet, answers. It is spring, the time of renewal, so get those brain cells fired up again! The off season is OVER! ( In fact, the first spring training game starts in about a half hour.)
CONGRATULATIONS! You have officially survived another off season. Now write a damn comment!
Thursday, February 9, 2012
Pitchers and Catchers Report in Ten Days
Ain't it grand? Can't hardly wait, me buckos. Baseball is almost here!
Drop us a line, eh? Chime in. Tell us how you're feeling. Talk amongst yourselves.
Me? Thanks for asking. I'm pretty stoked about the 2012 team.
--M.C.
Drop us a line, eh? Chime in. Tell us how you're feeling. Talk amongst yourselves.
Me? Thanks for asking. I'm pretty stoked about the 2012 team.
--M.C.
Thursday, March 3, 2011
Cain's pain
Matt Cain never gets hurt. At least, never until yesterday. He's scratched from today's start because of elbow inflammation.
Good thing the Giants have The Jeff Suppan Backup Plan ready for implementation.
--M.C.
p.s. OGC looks at Zito's value.
Good thing the Giants have The Jeff Suppan Backup Plan ready for implementation.
--M.C.
p.s. OGC looks at Zito's value.
Sunday, February 27, 2011
Saturday, February 26, 2011
Spring Dreams
Analyzing Spring Training games is probably a lot like analyzing dreams: some "experts" think much can be learned, but most of us know they are just weird and meaningless. Since I'm no "expert," I'm going to take the "weird and meaningless" approach.
And yesterday, in the defending World Champions' Spring Training Opener, Tim Lincecum put on a nice little display of "weird." Unfortunately, it wasn't his usual freaky good "weird."
As I'm sure everyone has heard, Tim pitched poorly yesterday: 5 outs ( 1 K ), 5 hits, 3 runs. That's not really the weird part, after all the hits were only singles. The weird part is that Tim only THREW THIRTEEN PITCHES. In the first inning, Tim gave up 4 singles (the first 4 pitches!), a productive flyout, a sac fly, and a STRIKEOUT...all on NINE PITCHES. The next inning continued in the same way: first pitch single, then he THREW A BALL! (the only one), and finally 2 groundouts on the next two pitches. Thirteen pitches.
Didn't I tell you it was weird .........................................AND MEANINGLESS !!!!!!?????
And yesterday, in the defending World Champions' Spring Training Opener, Tim Lincecum put on a nice little display of "weird." Unfortunately, it wasn't his usual freaky good "weird."
As I'm sure everyone has heard, Tim pitched poorly yesterday: 5 outs ( 1 K ), 5 hits, 3 runs. That's not really the weird part, after all the hits were only singles. The weird part is that Tim only THREW THIRTEEN PITCHES. In the first inning, Tim gave up 4 singles (the first 4 pitches!), a productive flyout, a sac fly, and a STRIKEOUT...all on NINE PITCHES. The next inning continued in the same way: first pitch single, then he THREW A BALL! (the only one), and finally 2 groundouts on the next two pitches. Thirteen pitches.
Didn't I tell you it was weird .........................................AND MEANINGLESS !!!!!!?????
Sunday, February 20, 2011
Printable schedules! Printable schedules!
One thing that was certainly better back in the day was pocket schedules. Those great little tri-fold Giants schedules that you could pick up off a pile at your local Chevron or neighborhood liquor store. Then they got scarce--the small-time merchants didn't have them anymore. You had to go to the mall, or the dugout stores, or the ballpark, where you had to pester the ushers to bring you more. It used to be I'd whip out my wallet and Giants pocket schedule when anyone asked me "what'cha doin' this weekend?" I'd mull over the little color-coded boxes inside the big rectangles and mutter something like "well, they're outta town, back east, New York, that's three hours ahead, so the game's early . . . " and they would walk away, shaking their heads sadly. I'd barely notice that they'd gone, too engrossed in schedule/life/work permutations to care. Yeah, like I said, the good old days. One in the car, one at work, one on the refrigerator, one on the wall. I loved those things. Now they are twice as big and have four times the info! No one is going to whip out a double-layer six-fold schedule these days fer chrissakes, you need a goddamn clipboard to get the thing flattened out! An equivalent 21st-century fan would have his smart phone calling him with reminders to run his MLB app. Or something. I'm still not sure--my cell phone makes people under thirty laugh. But the internet has a way of coming up with new things to make technological immigrants* like myself feel more at home every day. I'm talking about printable schedules, of course. I love printable schedules. I put them everywhere. I don't carry 'em around in my wallet and whip them out anymore, which I'm sure makes the world a better place. But I've got one posted close by. And with DishTV and CSN-BA, I can always answer "uh, the game's on" and be mostly right about what my weekend looks like.
So now that I have my printable schedules, what do I see? Pull yourself up to the computer and print one out and we can go over it together, eh? I like how the Giants open the season--four games in Chavez LAtrine, a day off, two in San Diego, a day off, and then home for three each against the Cardinals and those same LAtriners. Then another off-day, then on the road for six against Arizona and Colorado. That's the just the first inning, the first 18 games (1/9 of 162). Last season, the Giants set a modern record with a stupendous run of great pitching. It was 18 games where they yielded three runs or fewer to the enemy. I call it The Streak™. Have I talked about this already? Skipping ahead to September, I see 25 games, all against NL West teams. The Diamondbacks at home, the Padres on the road, the Dodgers and Padres at home, the Rockies, Dodgers, and Diamondbacks on the road, and the last three at home with the Rockies. That's going to be quite a stretch! Imagine that, the entire month of September against only NL West foes. I like it.
--M.C.
*I took my first computer class at the Lawrence Hall of Science in Berkeley in the spring of 1976 when I was a junior in high school. We sat at teletype machines and entered lines of BASIC. There were big rolls of yellow paper that everything printed on. I remember playing a Star Trek game where you got to fire photon torpedoes at Klingons. Later, as a Berkeley student, I learned how to punch cards with FORTRAN commands and hand them to an operator and wait in line for the oversized printouts on perforated folds of green-and-white lined paper. I remember using a modem (a foam-lined cradle for a telephone handset) in a dorm utility room to connect a remote terminal to the mainframe and bang out some crap in UNIX and then try to learn machine code. You had to log on after midnight when traffic was low. If it didn't work you hauled yourself up to the basement of Evans Hall (smack dab in the middle of campus) where all the other pasty-faced nerds were trying to get their CS homework done in the "off-hours." No wonder I got out of that field--it wasn't going anywhere.
So now that I have my printable schedules, what do I see? Pull yourself up to the computer and print one out and we can go over it together, eh? I like how the Giants open the season--four games in Chavez LAtrine, a day off, two in San Diego, a day off, and then home for three each against the Cardinals and those same LAtriners. Then another off-day, then on the road for six against Arizona and Colorado. That's the just the first inning, the first 18 games (1/9 of 162). Last season, the Giants set a modern record with a stupendous run of great pitching. It was 18 games where they yielded three runs or fewer to the enemy. I call it The Streak™. Have I talked about this already? Skipping ahead to September, I see 25 games, all against NL West teams. The Diamondbacks at home, the Padres on the road, the Dodgers and Padres at home, the Rockies, Dodgers, and Diamondbacks on the road, and the last three at home with the Rockies. That's going to be quite a stretch! Imagine that, the entire month of September against only NL West foes. I like it.
--M.C.
*I took my first computer class at the Lawrence Hall of Science in Berkeley in the spring of 1976 when I was a junior in high school. We sat at teletype machines and entered lines of BASIC. There were big rolls of yellow paper that everything printed on. I remember playing a Star Trek game where you got to fire photon torpedoes at Klingons. Later, as a Berkeley student, I learned how to punch cards with FORTRAN commands and hand them to an operator and wait in line for the oversized printouts on perforated folds of green-and-white lined paper. I remember using a modem (a foam-lined cradle for a telephone handset) in a dorm utility room to connect a remote terminal to the mainframe and bang out some crap in UNIX and then try to learn machine code. You had to log on after midnight when traffic was low. If it didn't work you hauled yourself up to the basement of Evans Hall (smack dab in the middle of campus) where all the other pasty-faced nerds were trying to get their CS homework done in the "off-hours." No wonder I got out of that field--it wasn't going anywhere.
Sunday, February 13, 2011
2011? I'm not done with 2010 yet!
A fellow by the name of Mike Rodriguez is getting a big RMC "shout out" for bringing The Trophy to Siskiyou County. If you haven't heard of Siskiyou County, California, you can be forgiven. It's the 5th largest county in the state in terms of area, beaten out only by the ginormous SoCal counties of San Bernadino, Inyo, Kern, and Riverside, but its population (49,500) would mostly fit in AT&T Park. Nonetheless, The Trophy is coming to a lovely little burg called Mt. Shasta City on Sunday, March 20th. Apparently Mr. Rodriguez is a believer in the "ask-and-ye-shall-receive" school of thought. Mt. Shasta's Parks & Rec Director saw the trophy in Redding with 3,000 other faithful and said "hey, why not us?" I've been anxiously awaiting the announcement by the Giants that The Trophy would be in Southern Oregon, and the March 19th date for Medford was finally fixed! But then the story in the Mt. Shasta News was brought to my attention and I was ecstatic. Now I'll have two chances--Medford is 50 miles north of me and Mt. Shasta about 40 miles south. Thank you, San Francisco Giants. And extra-special thanks to Mike Rodriguez for representin' all us folks here in the 5-3-0!
In other news, the Giants are opening Spring Training this week.
--M.C.
In other news, the Giants are opening Spring Training this week.
--M.C.
Monday, March 22, 2010
Know Thy Enemy
Robert Timm, the webmaster at Dodger Dugout, e-mailed me this weekend and asked if I'd supply a post about the Giants for his NL West preview series. I'll be representin' RMC in enemy territory! Look for it this week, probably Thursday. Today the D-Backs are covered by Doug Franz of Sports 620 KTAR radio in "Know Thy Enemy." This should be fun. Be sure to check it out.
What do you think of the Joe Mauer deal? Is it possible to consider such a thing for a pitcher (er, Tim)? The Giants have four more years and $76 M committed to BZ (not including the 2014 option), so I doubt we'll ever see a deal of that scope again. Then again, I never imagined the Twins would spend this kind of scratch. Carl Pohlad is turning over in his grave!
Todd Wellemeyer or Kevin Pucetas? Ol' Boch likes 'em grizzled--as does his boss--so the odds swing to T.W., I think. Having K.P. ready in AAA for a quick call-up if/when T.W. implodes would be smart. We all hope to see MadBum get that job in the end, anyway, so I'm not sure it's much to fret over. Marc Hulet thinks teams ought to re-think the whole notion of a "no. 5 guy" in his two pieces for FanGraphs (A New Approach to the Fifth Starter and Fifth Starters Don't Exist). In 2009 the Giants got 17 starts from Randy Johnson, 6 from Ryan Sadowski, 6 from Brad Penny, 5 from Joe Martinez, and 1 from Madison Bumgarner. If the three we have now split up the duties for the season (MadBum a late call-up), I can live with it.
The dream dies--Cal gets thumped by the No. 1 seed. No shame in losing to Duke, I suppose, that's a great basketball team. It was a fine season for the Golden Bears, with their first-ever outright Pac-10 title. The old enemy coach worked his magic on the other side of the Bay. Maybe the guy does know what he's doing. The good thing about the loss is now the NCAAs won't distract me any more.
GO GIANTS!
--M.C.
What do you think of the Joe Mauer deal? Is it possible to consider such a thing for a pitcher (er, Tim)? The Giants have four more years and $76 M committed to BZ (not including the 2014 option), so I doubt we'll ever see a deal of that scope again. Then again, I never imagined the Twins would spend this kind of scratch. Carl Pohlad is turning over in his grave!
Todd Wellemeyer or Kevin Pucetas? Ol' Boch likes 'em grizzled--as does his boss--so the odds swing to T.W., I think. Having K.P. ready in AAA for a quick call-up if/when T.W. implodes would be smart. We all hope to see MadBum get that job in the end, anyway, so I'm not sure it's much to fret over. Marc Hulet thinks teams ought to re-think the whole notion of a "no. 5 guy" in his two pieces for FanGraphs (A New Approach to the Fifth Starter and Fifth Starters Don't Exist). In 2009 the Giants got 17 starts from Randy Johnson, 6 from Ryan Sadowski, 6 from Brad Penny, 5 from Joe Martinez, and 1 from Madison Bumgarner. If the three we have now split up the duties for the season (MadBum a late call-up), I can live with it.
The dream dies--Cal gets thumped by the No. 1 seed. No shame in losing to Duke, I suppose, that's a great basketball team. It was a fine season for the Golden Bears, with their first-ever outright Pac-10 title. The old enemy coach worked his magic on the other side of the Bay. Maybe the guy does know what he's doing. The good thing about the loss is now the NCAAs won't distract me any more.
GO GIANTS!
--M.C.
Friday, March 19, 2010
Half full, half empty
Dave Cameron over at FanGraphs profiles the Giants in the on-going "Organizational Rankings" series. We come it at #23. Seems low, even for a skeptical fellow like me. But you should give it a look nonetheless. Marc Hulet chimes in a with his take on our "Future Talent." It's not a particularly positive spin, but worth a read. It never hurts to have some glass-half-empty folks question the wisdom of the glass-half-full crowd, since most of this is guesswork anyway, at least for us amateurs.
THE GIANTS ARE ON TV TOMORROW! Looking forward to that--baseball on the vernal equinox. Now if we can just get Spring Training over and done with and get on with the season I'll be even happier.
--M.C.
THE GIANTS ARE ON TV TOMORROW! Looking forward to that--baseball on the vernal equinox. Now if we can just get Spring Training over and done with and get on with the season I'll be even happier.
--M.C.
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Tim's Third Spring Start
SSSSttttrrrraaaannnnggggeeee lllliiiinnnneeee ssssccccoooorrrreeee ttttooooddddaaaayyyy.
Sunday, March 7, 2010
Surprise rainout
Today's rainout in Surprise, Arizona was a big disappointment. I was so looking forward to drinking a beer and sitting outside and listening to the radio. It is beautiful--sunny and 60s here in the State of Jefferson, although the forecast says it will drop below 20 ºF tonight. Hard to believe as I sit here in shorts and daub my nose with sunscreen. The potential Lincecum-Posey battery was whetting my starved baseball appetite. The gods--again--conspired against Buster. We'll see if Ol' Boch recovers and pencils in our Golden Boy next time out. Let's hope there's a lot more of Thomas Neal and Brandon Crawford and Matt Downs and Conor Gillaspie and John Bowker and Forgotten FreddieLew and the rest of the Young Turks in the coming days. I keep thinking we could have the best (and most expensive) bench in the NL with Molina and DeRosa and Huff and FSanchez. Be nice to find a spot on the pine for Rowand and Renteria as well! I can dream, can't I?
p.s. Emmanuel Burriss' second foot injury news was a real shame. I always thought he was a great story, even if it looks like he'll never be a major-league hitter.
--M.C.
p.s. Emmanuel Burriss' second foot injury news was a real shame. I always thought he was a great story, even if it looks like he'll never be a major-league hitter.
--M.C.
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Put some lead in yer pencils, mates, and . . .
. . . ROSTERBATE!!!
If it is true (q.v. Baggs via ELM) that Emmanuel Burriss is staying with the big club and NOT starting the year in AAA, then that is bad news for Ay-You-Hay-Knee-Oh Velez. Here's how it shakes out (JCP and I spent an hour on this last night):
1B--Ishikawa
2B--Frandsen
SS--Rental
3B--Sandoval
C--Señor Slow, and his backup, the world's luckiest man, Steve Holm.
That's SIX guys.
Four outfielders are set:
LF--Lewis
CF--Gomer
RF--that RF-guy
4th OF--Schierholtz
This Andres Torres fellow is showing some mad skills in center, and our hilarious joke of a $60 million CF who can't hit or field or apparently play a full season will need lots of subbing. I think we need a real OF glove coming off the bench. Our park demands fast OFs with range. We give the #5 slot to him.
That makes ELEVEN.
With 12 pitchers, we keep 2 more guys, with 11 pitchers we keep 3 more. Let's go with 11 arms, at least to start, that seems to be the buzz from camp. If Burriss backs up at 2B and SS, and Uribe backs up at 3B and SS, and Aurilia backs up at 1B and 3B, then we have a full roster. This also allows for Sandoval to get a break from the hot corner. Uribe and Aurilia give me no joy, but Velez can't play first or third, and we've got two (possibly three with Uribe) second basemen, and two backup outfielders, so there's no role for Eugenio. His only chance was to be the last OF spot and I suspect Torres' glove is too good to let that happen. Also, Torres is fast and he's a switch-hitter. (The one wild-card is Jesus Guzman. He's earned a spot with his stick, but they have no faith in his glove. In a Sabean-Bochy universe, that means Uribe.)
So that's the 25-man roster without having to do the hard work of picking relievers. We'll do that later.
If it is true (q.v. Baggs via ELM) that Emmanuel Burriss is staying with the big club and NOT starting the year in AAA, then that is bad news for Ay-You-Hay-Knee-Oh Velez. Here's how it shakes out (JCP and I spent an hour on this last night):
1B--Ishikawa
2B--Frandsen
SS--Rental
3B--Sandoval
C--Señor Slow, and his backup, the world's luckiest man, Steve Holm.
That's SIX guys.
Four outfielders are set:
LF--Lewis
CF--Gomer
RF--that RF-guy
4th OF--Schierholtz
This Andres Torres fellow is showing some mad skills in center, and our hilarious joke of a $60 million CF who can't hit or field or apparently play a full season will need lots of subbing. I think we need a real OF glove coming off the bench. Our park demands fast OFs with range. We give the #5 slot to him.
That makes ELEVEN.
With 12 pitchers, we keep 2 more guys, with 11 pitchers we keep 3 more. Let's go with 11 arms, at least to start, that seems to be the buzz from camp. If Burriss backs up at 2B and SS, and Uribe backs up at 3B and SS, and Aurilia backs up at 1B and 3B, then we have a full roster. This also allows for Sandoval to get a break from the hot corner. Uribe and Aurilia give me no joy, but Velez can't play first or third, and we've got two (possibly three with Uribe) second basemen, and two backup outfielders, so there's no role for Eugenio. His only chance was to be the last OF spot and I suspect Torres' glove is too good to let that happen. Also, Torres is fast and he's a switch-hitter. (The one wild-card is Jesus Guzman. He's earned a spot with his stick, but they have no faith in his glove. In a Sabean-Bochy universe, that means Uribe.)
So that's the 25-man roster without having to do the hard work of picking relievers. We'll do that later.
Sunday, March 22, 2009
Problems I like to have
That fellow with the finger in his mouth has played 332 minor league games--154 at first base, 142 at catcher, 21 at third base, and 15 as a DH. As a member of the 2008 Giants, he logged 41 games--17 as a first baseman, 12 as a third baseman, and 11 as catcher. We've good reasons to try him at third, despite the weirdness of the whole thing:
1. Apparently we have no one else. Unless the resuscitated corpses of Juan Uribe and Rich Aurilia excite you, we've got no one else.
2. We have a catcher. His cup runneth over with Veteran Savvy Clutchness (hat tip to the blogger I stole that from, wish I could remember who you are). This is the stuff gamers are made from, and Señor Slow's stock in the organization is high because of it. Bosses like it. Fans like it. Reporters like it.
3. Gerald Demp Posey III. Yep. That's his real moniker. Now you know why he goes by "Buster." A truly great baseball name by the way, also a great name for border collies. To stretch the analogy to the breaking point, think of catchers as the herders and drovers of the ballclub, rounding up strays, barking orders, generally taking charge due to superior intelligence and athleticism.
Which brings me to our Catcher in the Wings. Check out the item on Extra Baggs from this morning, "More on Posey." Andrew Baggarly passes on some complimentary quotes from Jeremy Affeldt, but also speaks highly of the kid's demeanor. All the news about our young star is good so far this spring. He hits. He hits with power. He has plate discipline. He's athletic, strong, and showing good skills with his glove and arm. Now he's calling games. It is starting to freak me out, all this Buster press, I keep waiting to hear something critical, for someone to point out his shortcomings. The Giants know that no. 1's contract is up this year. I really, really, really, really hope that the organization will part ways with him. We've got young Sandoval, who has actual minor and major league experience as a catcher, and we like him so much we'll shoehorn him in almost any place on the diamond just to get his bat in the lineup. And we've got this rising star, this number one draft pick, this sure-thing-can't-miss otherworldly talent a heartbeat from the bigs. Buster wil get his call-up in September, and we'll be pencilling him in to start behind the plate in 2010. Unless Pablito & the Brain Trust's Travelling Infield Show dazzles fans and big shots alike this spring at The Hot Corner, we could have a problem. But I think I like this problem. What do you guys think?
p.s. Japan 6, USA 2 after six. I like the idea of the WBC, but I must admit I've spent far more time following Six Nations Rugby these last few weeks. Way to go, Ireland! I think they should move it to the fall, after the World Series. So, second thread--your thoughts on the WBC now that Jonathan Sanchez is back home with the team.
1. Apparently we have no one else. Unless the resuscitated corpses of Juan Uribe and Rich Aurilia excite you, we've got no one else.
2. We have a catcher. His cup runneth over with Veteran Savvy Clutchness (hat tip to the blogger I stole that from, wish I could remember who you are). This is the stuff gamers are made from, and Señor Slow's stock in the organization is high because of it. Bosses like it. Fans like it. Reporters like it.
3. Gerald Demp Posey III. Yep. That's his real moniker. Now you know why he goes by "Buster." A truly great baseball name by the way, also a great name for border collies. To stretch the analogy to the breaking point, think of catchers as the herders and drovers of the ballclub, rounding up strays, barking orders, generally taking charge due to superior intelligence and athleticism.
Which brings me to our Catcher in the Wings. Check out the item on Extra Baggs from this morning, "More on Posey." Andrew Baggarly passes on some complimentary quotes from Jeremy Affeldt, but also speaks highly of the kid's demeanor. All the news about our young star is good so far this spring. He hits. He hits with power. He has plate discipline. He's athletic, strong, and showing good skills with his glove and arm. Now he's calling games. It is starting to freak me out, all this Buster press, I keep waiting to hear something critical, for someone to point out his shortcomings. The Giants know that no. 1's contract is up this year. I really, really, really, really hope that the organization will part ways with him. We've got young Sandoval, who has actual minor and major league experience as a catcher, and we like him so much we'll shoehorn him in almost any place on the diamond just to get his bat in the lineup. And we've got this rising star, this number one draft pick, this sure-thing-can't-miss otherworldly talent a heartbeat from the bigs. Buster wil get his call-up in September, and we'll be pencilling him in to start behind the plate in 2010. Unless Pablito & the Brain Trust's Travelling Infield Show dazzles fans and big shots alike this spring at The Hot Corner, we could have a problem. But I think I like this problem. What do you guys think?
p.s. Japan 6, USA 2 after six. I like the idea of the WBC, but I must admit I've spent far more time following Six Nations Rugby these last few weeks. Way to go, Ireland! I think they should move it to the fall, after the World Series. So, second thread--your thoughts on the WBC now that Jonathan Sanchez is back home with the team.
Friday, March 6, 2009
Early Spring Tim
Hey there, it's JCP, the resident Freak freak. In other words, I was the RMC author that got the honor of covering young Tim Lincecum's first full year in the bigs. Tough gig, huh? Anyway, I was figuring on dogging it this spring - that's what all the savvy veterans do - but then Tim has to go all mid season dominating form on me. Sheesh, does this kid have any lower gears?
Today our boy went three nearly perfect innings, one walk, 3 strikeouts. The photo is, of course, courtesy of the incomparable Giants Jottings. Shall we start a pool as to when/if he cuts his hair?
He has given up one hit so far this spring, something like seven innings. In other words, everything is normal. I wonder what he has to work on? Last year brought the incredible plus change to counter his "electric heater," (UL Approved). Is there something new in the "Master Plan"? You know Tim and his Dad have a "Master Plan."
Let's talk Tim, shall we? Projections, adulations, etc., etc. Let me start: This is Tim's team. Everybody else is pretty much fluff, some have some really good potential, but nothing that could not be replaced. Anyone care to contest that?
Well that does it for me. I'm clearly out of shape. I better get some more work in before the season starts or my assignment will leave me in the dust. Oh well, I guess that's what spring is for...unless you are Tim.
Monday, February 16, 2009
A belated birthday wish . . .
. . . to Nate Schierholz, who turned 25 yesterday. Somebody besides his mom needs to notice this guy. What's that you say? Bill James?
Bill knows something we don't.
Over at FanGraphs, a stat-nerd's wet-dream site, they post the Bill James projections for 2009. That system says Nate Schierholz will play 140 games and get 536 ABs. How they do that is beyond me--I never got past tea leaves in school. Take a look.
Birthday boy will pound out a .299/.331/.491 line for an OPS of .822. Too few walks--24--to go along with 75 strikeouts. But 61 XBH (36 2B, 8 3B, 17 HR)! Who is this guy? Can we give him a job?
Extra-base hit leaders in 2008: (2B, 3B, HR, total)
R.WINN 38 2 10 50
ROWAND 37 0 13 50
MOLINA 33 0 16 49
FLEWIS 25 11 9 45
Hmmmm. That's our starting OF and our catcher.
Then there's this guy, who's been smelling for some time even though he hasn't reached his expiration date.
My question for y'all out there: what does Bill James know that we don't? And how does Nate Schierholz get all that playing time? And is he really an .822 OPS guy?
Prizes for the most creative answer.
(And somebody needs to teach me how to make tables!)
Bill knows something we don't.
Over at FanGraphs, a stat-nerd's wet-dream site, they post the Bill James projections for 2009. That system says Nate Schierholz will play 140 games and get 536 ABs. How they do that is beyond me--I never got past tea leaves in school. Take a look.
Birthday boy will pound out a .299/.331/.491 line for an OPS of .822. Too few walks--24--to go along with 75 strikeouts. But 61 XBH (36 2B, 8 3B, 17 HR)! Who is this guy? Can we give him a job?
Extra-base hit leaders in 2008: (2B, 3B, HR, total)
R.WINN 38 2 10 50
ROWAND 37 0 13 50
MOLINA 33 0 16 49
FLEWIS 25 11 9 45
Hmmmm. That's our starting OF and our catcher.
Then there's this guy, who's been smelling for some time even though he hasn't reached his expiration date.
My question for y'all out there: what does Bill James know that we don't? And how does Nate Schierholz get all that playing time? And is he really an .822 OPS guy?
Prizes for the most creative answer.
(And somebody needs to teach me how to make tables!)
Saturday, March 29, 2008
Tim in his Element
I always figured that a rainy, cold night at the PhoneBook would be the perfect conditions for The Enchanter. After all, he's a Seattle boy. I suppose I should be critical of the walk...but you really can't complain about
5 0 0 0 1 9
(Photo credit to Giants Jottings. Thanks for a great spring!)
Great comments from BayCityBall:
"The Giants won their first game in almost a week but the story of the night was Lincecum’s performance. Watching Barry Zito walk 4 guys per game while pumping out mid-80’s heat will most likely get old by June. But Lincecum, at the minimum, is exciting to watch. That type of excitement will make one of the worst teams in the MLB slightly more fun to watch. When Lincecum takes the mound, anything can happen. His style couldn’t be any more different than Zito’s. Zito nibbles and pitches up in the zone with a BP fastball. Lincecum rears back and fires mid-90’s fastballs paired with a devastating curveball. He attacks hitters. He’s small. He’s a freak. He’s just fun to watch."
I was a litle surprised at the low pitch count (67), seems like he could have gone another inning. Another example of special treatment?
Special Agent Jack Taschner has been excellent all spring, including 2 strong innings last night. He still has an option, right? I've always liked Taschner, but I love Threets' velocity. Tough call. I sure hope we don't keep any pitchers over 35, sorry Kline and Yabu.
Last chance for roster predictions!!! How will Sabean "rebuild"????
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