The Lunatic Fringe

The Indespensibles - Part II

2009-04-10T17:42:00.000-07:00

No. 15 - Emmanuel Burriss - First and foremost, Burriss has very little power. In fact, if he hits a ball out of the infield, it might as well be classified as a "bomb" for the diminutive second baseman who was a first-round draft choice in the same draft that produced Tim Lincecum. That said, Manny is in the lineup because of his defense, which is a critically important part of the game if you are going to succeed with pitching, pitching and more pitching. Just ask Colorado and Tampa Bay - both were #1 in baseball for defense in each of their respective World Series appearances over the last two years. Burriss has the potential to be a Gold Glove defender, but if he continues to hit like this guy, then you can say hello to Kevin Frandsen.

No. 14 - Nate Schierholtz - If Schierholtz has a highly productive offensive season off the bench, then he could play himself into a starting Right Fielding role next year as Randy Winn is in the last season of his contract. As the primary left-handed power guy off the bench, the team needs him to produce. Schierholtz can hit, as he's proven in his limited experience. He just needs the opportunity. Secretly, I bet Nate is hoping a starting outfielder goes down with an injury. But that's just me. And if I'm proven anything in my life, it's that I'm a jackass.

No. 13 - Aaron Rowand - Barry Zito's contract gets all the attention, but Rowand's contract (5 year, $70 million) was just as egregious. It should have been the final straw in the proverbial camel's spine in the Brian Sabean administration, but if Sabean has proven anything it's that he is like a cat with nine GM f**k up lives.

No. 12 - Money. Bags. - Speaking of Zito, did you know he signed with the Giants for seven years and $126 million? No, really, he did! In fact, we have him locked up for five more years and a gazillion more dollars! Isn't that freakin' awesome! Not to play Monday Morning Kicker here, but I believe BH, OZ and I all agreed that, "If he doesn't come through on this, then this contract is going to kill our franchise for years." All I'm saying is, he better win at least 14 games this year. Douche.

No. 11 - Randy Winn - Best defensive Right Fielder in AT&T park's history. He absolutely owns that wall. He's also a fairly consistent hitter who tends to explode in the second half. He's also 34 and bound to start slowing down... right..... about....... this..........year. If Brian Sabean is still around in the off-season when Winn's contract expires, he's bound to sign Winn for a 5-year, $70 million deal, ensuring nobody else "has the opportunity to snag him up." I hate Brian Sabean.

No. 10 - Jonathan Sanchez - Electric. My candidate for the pitcher that will take 'The Leap' this year (apologies to Bill Simmons and all the people in the blog world that hate him for no reason other than jealousy). Endurance is his only issue. If he can make it at least 180 innings this year, the Giants are in great, great shape.

No. 9 - Bengie Molina - Mark my words - he will not be batting cleanup come August, and it will have nothing to do with his bat. the issue with Molina is that he is as speedy as herd of turtles stampeding through peanut butter. Travis Ishikawa will lose at least 10 RBI this year from Molina not being able to score from second on a base hit. Sandoval fourth, Ishikawa fifth, Molina sixth. Just one man's prediction. Love Bengie. Love him. But his lack of mobility (which is like saying I have a "lack" of hair) will hurt this team on many occasions.

No. 8 - Sushi Roll Ishikawa - Love what he brings on defense. Enticed about what he brings on offense. Name reminds me of a bento box at a sushi restaurant. Therefore, Sushikawa already lands as one of my top-10 favorite Giants prospects in my Giants fanhood.

No. 7 - Freddy Lewis - He will steal 30 bases this year, even if he is thrown out on 20 additional attempts. Bengie Molina is a 6-4-3 waiting to happen anytime Lewis is on first with less than two outs, so Lewis has the green light. I don't buy into the fact that hitting #3 will allow him to flask more power, as he never hi t many jacks in the minors -- but I do expect him to score 100 runs. Maybe I'm dreaming, but I like his potential.

No. 6 - Jeremy Affeldt - Why this high? Do you not remember Jack "Gasoline" Taschner? Or Mike Stanton? How about... uh... I can't really remember a late-inning lefty who held this much promise.

The Indespensibles

2009-04-04T19:40:00.000-07:00

No 25: Torres - Who? Either he or Velez will be gone in three weeks when they bring Steve Holm back up from AAA. I'm betting Velez gets optioned out simply due to Torres' age (31). Yup, Brian Sabean is still our GM. (By the way, going with 1.5 catchers on your roster when your starting catcher runs like my 83-year-old grandfather two days after a hip replacement makes about as much sense as Keith Olbermann on the guest list at a Fox News holiday party.)

No. 24: Eugenio Velez - I've heard he's fast. I've also heard he plays defense like a blind amputee with a bad case of vertigo. For more information, see: Torres, Don'tevenknowhisfirstname.

No. 23: Brandon Medders - Arizona retread was a surprise addition to the opening day roster. All signs pointed to rule-5 pick Luis Perdomo making the club, but then Brian Sabean remembered that he was Brian Sabean.

No. 22: Rich Aurilia - One of the all-time-great Giants. Will go down in Giants' history with the likes of Robby Thompson, Matt Williams, Rod Beck, Robb Nen, J.T. Snow, et. al. He was a great ten years ago. I will sum my feelings up about his appearance on the 2009 roster with the following words: Are you fucking kidding me??

Solid veteran presence with a track record.

Aurilia taking a throw... in Candlestick Park. Yup, it's been that long.

No. 21: Joey Martinez - The 26-year-old rookie was a surprise in camp, but really shouldn't have been had Sabean picked up a copy of Baseball America's Prospect Handbook at any time over the last couple of years. Martinez led the Eastern League in ERA last year and pitched very well in San Jose back in 2007. He's a ground ball specialist who will start the year as the long-man out of the 'pen, but will be called upon for an emergency start should one of the five amigos go down. He will not ever win a Cy Young, but Martinez will pitch some valuable innings for this club.

No. 20: Juan Uribe - Yes, Juan is related to Jose (second-cousin).

No. 19: Merkin Valdez - He's going to pitch an amazing and tantalizing 15 innings before his elbow flares up. That part of his body is more sensitive than Jim Cramer after being called out on the Daily Show.

No. 18: Alex Hinshaw - If he can find the strike zone, he can be a devastating late-inning specialist. 47 strikeouts in 39.2 innings says a lot about a guy's arm. So does 29 walks in those same 39.2 innings. Throw strikes, Alex.

No. 17: Bobby Howry - While I do not doubt for a second that Howry will pitch many important innings through May, I do doubt that he will be pitching those same important innings come August when Sergio Romo is fully healthy. Howry throws strikes and will be solid in the 'pen, but he reminds me a little too much of Tim Worrell.

No. 16: Edgar Renteria - We will be hearing about his contract as much as we hear about Zito's and Rowand's. Regardless, Renteria is an upgrade offensively at SS and will be a nice stop-gap at the #2 spot in the order. That said, the defense on the left side of the infield, with Renteria and Sandoval, is pretty scary.

Tomorrow - # 15 through 5

From flatlined to, well, barely breathing

2009-04-03T20:04:00.000-07:00

Lesson 1: Conditioning

But at least the Giants are breathing now, and that means so much to my daily life.

And I still think Brian Sabean should be fired.

With the introductions out of the way, welcome back to The Lunatic Fringe at www.firebriansabean.blogspot.com. Let's get started.

I'm loving this team right now and the reason is simple: Homegrown talent.

Baseball Jesus Lincecum, Matt Cain, Dirty Sanchez, Joey Martinez, Merkin Valdez, Alex Hinshaw, Sergio Romo, Brian Wilson on the pitching staff. Freddy Lewis, Kung Fu Panda Sandoval, Travis Ishikawa, Manny Burriss, Nate Schierholtz, Eugenio Velez, Steve Holm (maybe) on offense/defense. Combined, this group forms the best collection of homegrown talent since the 1993 team that ran out Williams, Clark, Thompson, Clayton, Burkett, et. al. It also just happens to be what Giants fans have been clamoring for for several years. One gets the feeling that Brian Sabean took this route reluctantly (ahem, Zito. ahem, Rowand), but who cares at this point (other than this blog's web address).

That's the preface, and what this blog will focus on when it comes to the big league club. We (meaning, namely, me) will also focus on the minor league system, as the Giants finally have a farm system that does more than just sell its' products at a farmers market.

One man's rundown of the 25 man roster coming this weekend

The Barry Zito Four Run Rule, part V

2007-07-17T20:28:00.000-07:00

We've said it all season. If you score four runs for Barry Zito, he will get you a win.

That is unless, of course, he gives up 8. Actually, Zito pitched well on Tuesday. But I can't get over the fact that he's throwing 86 mph fastballs (tops). It's like we signed Jamie Moyer to the richest contract in baseball for a pitcher. Or Woody.

Regardless, it was good to see the Giants win a game. They need to find a way to get Fred Lewis into the lineup. And I realize that's the 100th time I've said that. His swipe of second in the eighth was a pretty big play and his mere presence brings excitement into the game.

It's tradin' time.

Good article in the Washington Post about Tiny Tim

2007-07-17T09:12:00.000-07:00

Although, after reading the article, I get the sense that Lincecum's father is living vicariously through his son. Especially after reading the quote, "I'm not living my life through Timmy," Chris Lincecum.

Yeah, you are. But I probably would too if my son was dominating at 23-years-old.

I smell smoke

2007-07-15T19:46:00.000-07:00

The fire sale can't come soon enough.

What a debacle of a weekend. From the Brian Sabean/Peter Magowan press conference to announce Sabean's two-year extension, the lads sounded genuine that they were about to embark on what most fans have been clamoring for: A rebuilding with an emphasis on players who do not carry an AARP card. If the Dodgers' sweep wasn't enough to convince Sabean that he needs to start selling, now, then nothing will ever be enough.

Here's one man's list of guys who should be on the block:

Matt Morris: It's been argued that he is the top pitcher on the market. If you ask me, that argument has more bullet holes than a Humvee in Iraq... but if some bonehead GM believes it and gives the Giants at least one A prospect in return, I'll be doing cartwheels. Jonathan Sanchez would be the likely candidate as the fifth starter.

The Randy Winn/Dave Roberts/Mark Sweeney pu-pu plater: Winn's contract and full no-trade clause (I mean, Sabes, you seriously gave Randy friggin' Winn a full no-trade clause? What, were you worried he was irreplaceable?) make him damn near impossible to move. Roberts' contract and rapidly diminishing skills make him damn near impossible to move. Sweeney could fetch $500 and a subscription to Playboy. Fred Lewis and Nate Schierholtz would get a shot to play regularly, especially Lewis. I'm not saying Lewis is going to be the second coming of Bonds, but he will at a minimum give you the same production as Roberts and Winn.

Ray Durham: His contract is somewhat reasonable for a middle-of-the-order hitter. Only problem is that Durham isn't really a middle-of-the-order hitter. Hopefully he stays hot and the Giants can sell high. Kevin Frandsen would move into the starting 2B role.

Ryan Klesko: He can hit. He just can't hit when the Giants need a big hit. Dan Ortmeier has played a couple of games at 1B in the last few days. Interesting.

Rich Aurilia: Someone will take Rich. If not, he would be a decent veteran to have around the clubhouse.

Pedro Feliz: Worth a six-pack of Bud Light and maybe a bag of popcorn.

Steve Kline: Lefty relievers are always needed. Always. Should be the easiest salary to get off the books.

Omar Vizquel: I see him going to Boston. Julio Lugo is just about the only shortstop in the game that has hit worse than Vizquel, and Omar would be an instant fan favorite.

Sabean negotiating extension, aging veterans throughout league celebrate

2007-07-11T19:38:00.001-07:00

If anything, I guess it means I won't have to change the web address to this blog anytime soon.

That's right, it appears Brian Sabean is going to get a contract extension. You can either click on the link to get the actual story, or see some of the quotes that may or may not have been heard in various offices throughout baseball today:

-- "I'm an idiot. I'm a friggin' idiot." -- Peter Magowan, owner

-- "Don't think this means we won't meddle in his business any more. In fact, we may go over his head and offer Zito an extension tomorrow. He's been great for the franchise." -- Larry Baer, VP

-- "I'm thinking about trading Cain and Lincecum for Griffey Jr. It's clear that Griff is just about to hit his prime." -- Brian Sabean

-- "Matt Morris has a track record. He's our future."-- Sabean

-- "Sweet. Looks like I'm coming back to San Francisco next year." -- Brett Tomko, pitcher

-- "At least I know I'll have somewhere to sign for my comeback." -- Rick Rueschel, retired pitcher

-- "How did we wind up with Nathan, Bonser and Liriano? Oh yeah. Hey, someone get Sabes on the phone. I'm going to see if he'll give me Cain, Lincecum and Lowry for Luis Castillo." Terry Ryan, GM Minnessota Twins

-- "HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAA!!!!!!" -- Billy Beane, GM Oakland Athletics

-- "God damnit!" -- Freddy Lewis & Kevin Frandsen, in unison

-- "Look, Brian Sabean has had a bum rap in the city by the bay. True, his system hasn't produced an everyday position player since 1993. True, he's been robbed in several trades over the last four years. True, you could field an All-Star staff with the talent he's traded away. True, he has wasted millions on aging veterans who haven't produced. But he is the man who executed the Matt Williams for Jeff Kent trade, which worked out pretty well." -- Peter Gammons

-- "Fuck it, man. Does anybody have a light?" -- Me

If Sabean trades Noah Lowry, I'll personally punch him in his fat nose

2007-07-06T20:03:00.000-07:00

I know what conventional wisdom says. CW says that the Giants will need to trade pitching in order to get position players in return. CW also says that Matt Morris (yes, please. Like, now, please) and Noah Lowry are the two most likely candidates to be traded.

That being said, if Sabean trades Noah Lowry at any point, I WILL change the name of this blog to "Brian Sabean is a Fucking Asshat." (sorry OZ, but that was necessary)

Lowry was his effectively wild best last night in a 4-3 win over St. Louis. 6 innings, 4 hits, 1 run, 5 walks, 5 K's, 92 pitches. It wasn't pretty, but it was effective, and isn't that the point?

Lowry's stats on the season are pretty good, even though he leads the league in walks. He leads the Giants in wins and ERA, which are both kind of important:

9-6, 3.35 ERA, 17 starts, 107.1 innings, 96 hits, 55 walks, 64 K's, .245 BAA.

With runners on, Lowry has a .199 BAA. Important because of the whole walk thing. He certainly has room for improvement, especially in his K/BB ratio, but he's a solid young arm that can be a fixture in this rotation for a long time. With each passing game he reminds me of a better version of Woody Rueter. Any true Giants fan knows how much Woody meant to the staff and the team. He wasn't the ace, but he was rock solid for the most part. Sure he would have the occasional blow up, 83-run first inning, but you knew going into a season that he would deliver close to 200 innings, have an ERA in the mid-3's, have 14-16 wins, and would keep you in most ball games. Lefties like that are hard to find (remember Shaun Estes? Allen Watson? Wayne Franklin?). And when they are home-grown and cheap, there is no good reason to trade them.

Unless you are a fucking asshat.

Lewis must play

2007-07-05T09:14:00.000-07:00

With Dave Roberts mired in an 0 for the season slump (or at least it seems) and Randy Winn playing like, well, Randy Winn, is there any reason for Fred Lewis to be out of the lineup more often than he's in it? The kid can hit and brings some fresh legs to the lineup. After his 3-4 (including another Grand Slam) yesterday, it is apparent that he is forcing his way into the lineup.

Barry Zito = Sellout Dickhead

2007-06-30T11:16:00.000-07:00

At least that's what Jeff Pearlman (author of Love Me, Hate Me: The Unauthorized Biography of Barry Bonds) thinks.

Pearlman released a nice rip job on Zito on Page 2 the other day. Here's some highlights:

In my decade of covering professional sports, few people have disappointed me as greatly as Barry Zito. Though I'm unsure when, exactly, the transformation began, Zito is no longer the kid with the surfboard; the laid-back, Cali-cool dude with the ungodly talent coupled with uncommon humility. No, now he has (egad) a publicist. He has (egad) dated Hilary Duff. And Alyssa Milano (well, no shame there). Worst of all, he has (egad) an attitude. Not an especially good one.

I think Pearlman is jealous. And I think he overuses the word "egad."

Back in the day, Zito was quirky -- and it was fantastic. Whether he pitched brilliantly or terribly, he was guaranteed to be the life of the party once the game had ended. Teammates loved him because he was one of them. Fans loved him because he was one of them. He talked trash, played Halo, told stories and found pleasure in the little things; in walking on the freshly cut grass and throwing strikes.

Now, with a seven-year, $126 million deal from the Giants, Zito isn't the same.

Egad.

So, Pearlman's reasoning for Zitor's change is the contract? I have an idea, Jeff. Maybe he's grown up a little bit and become a man rather than the teenager he often acted like when he was with the A's. I mean, I'm in my late 20's and I can tell you that I act a lot different today than I did when I was 22. But what do I know... (probably about as much as Pearlman).

Giant Tragedy

2007-06-24T12:57:00.001-07:00

Rod "The Shooter" Beck died today at the age of 38. I'll remember Beck as the dominating closer for the 1993 team (with Mike Jackson and Kevin Rogers setting up) that was likely the best in the franchise's recent history. He was the kind of ballplayer you want to root for and the type of personality that makes you a fan of the game. Shooter, we'll miss you.

Globalization is real; It's time to export

2007-06-24T07:16:00.000-07:00

The postings lately have been like the Giants offense. Which is to say, disappearing for days at a time. Sorry about that. It's just that the 2007 version of the Giants are a lot like the 2006/2007 version of the Sacramento Kings. Painful, frustrating, irritating, ridiculous, etc., etc., etc.

You know my view. It's time to sell and let the Kevin Frandsens, the Nate Schierholtzs and the Freddie Lewiss of the world play to see if they can develop. So, here's the list of exportable players:

Matt Morris: His value is higher than at any point in the last two years. He has one year at $9 million left on his contract. Surely a contender could use this curveballing specialist. Out of all the veterans, Morris is likely to bring back the best return because everybody needs pitching.

Ray Durham: All I know is that it's time for the Kevin Frandsen experience at second base. The Giants haven't drafted and developed an everyday regular since Bill Mueller in 2003 (Pedro Feliz was a non-drafted free agent). Mueller's already retired. That's a long, long time. Frandsen does the little things... sometimes dumb little things, but they're the little things that winning clubs need to do. I don't know who would take Durham, but with one year and $8 million remaining, he might be tough to move.

Randy Winn/Dave Roberts: Winn has two years and $16 million left. Roberts has two years and $10 million left. Both are wildly overpaid. It would be surprising if Sabean could find a taker.

Omar Vizquel: There really isn't another option in the system for an everyday SS, so he will likely play out the season in San Francisco. If he wins the Gold Glove this year and is elected to the Hall of Fame in five years, do the Giants retire his number?

Pedro Feliz: Yesterday was a perfect example of why Feliz still plays everyday. He runs into a mistake once every two weeks, is the Giants only real power threat other than Bonds, and there is no other alternative in the system. He's a free agent after this season and is just keeping the third bag warm for A-Rod (seriously, is that even a possibility?).

Steve Kline: I still can't believe Sabean signed him to a two-year deal. But somebody will take a left specialist because, hey, this is a league that still employs Mike Myers.

Rich Aurilia: Nobody will take his 1 year and $4 million contract, because, well, he kind of sucks now.

Barry Zito: His fastball is topping out at 84 and he only has 37 years and $573 kagillion left on his contract. No-brainer that somebody picks him up... wait.

Here is the list of kids that need to play:

Kevin Frandsen: It's time.

Nate Schierholtz: Maybe the most exciting position prospect (which really isn't saying much) because of his age (23) and sweet stroke.

Fred Lewis: If anything, the cycle he hit in Denver merits a roster spot for the rest of the season.

Jonathan Sanchez: He's coming around, but I still would love to see him in the rotation. If Morris takes a hike, maybe they can throw him every fifth day. His 12.50 K/9 ratio is outstanding. If he would just throw his fastball (topping out at 96 yesterday) 7/10 pitches, he would be fine.

Pat Misch: Still at Fresno. Still dealing as a lefty out of the pen.

An Open Letter to Peter Magowan

2007-06-18T20:47:00.000-07:00

Dear Mr. Magowan,

I have been a lifelong Giants fan. When I say "lifelong," I mean "since my first Will Clark rookie card" You see, Will Clark's Topps rookie card is my first memory of 20+ years of rooting for my favorite professional sports team. I grew up in Northern California and endured many frigid games at Candlestick Park. It somehow made perfect sense that the last ever night game at The 'Stick was one of the warmest and calmest evening in the ol' girl's history. I know, because BH and I were there.

What you did in 1993 to keep the Giants in San Francisco was legendary. What you did in the late 90's to build PacBell/SBC/AT&T/Phone Company Name Here/ Park was admirable and a fantastic gift to Giants fans. The first night game at the Phone Park was quite an experience. Again, I know, because I was there.

My point is that I have been a huge Giants fan and I will continue to be a huge Giants fan. But Mr. Magowan, when I read your remarks recently in Ken Rosenthal's column titled, "How Can the Giants Rebuild?" on foxsports.com, it became painfully obvious to me that you underestimate the passion that Giants fans have for their team. And that, Mr. Magowan, begs the question, Are you a fucking idiot? Seriously, are you dumb? You were posed a simple question: How would Giants fans react if the team attempts to rebuild? Your answer was telling:
________________
"We have to compete with the A's. We also have to compete for sports and entertainment dollars with everyone else out there (in the Bay Area) — the 49ers, the Raiders, the Warriors, the Sharks. We're the smallest two-team market in baseball, one-third the size of New York, one-third the size of L.A., half the size of Chicago.

"If we were to announce like the Cleveland Indians did a few years ago that we were going to get younger, play a lot of young players and in three or four years be really good, that kind of announcement would not go down very well with our fans. It may not have gone down that well with the Cleveland fans."

Magowan then cites the decline in Indians' home attendance, from 3.46 million in 2000 to 2 million in '06.
__________

Not to sound like Charles Barkley here, but first of all, don't ever compare us to Cleveland Indians fans. Okay? Are we straight? The only thing in me that resembles a Cleveland Indians fan is when, like in the movie Major League, I look at your roster and say, "This guy is dead."

More importantly, however, is your belief that Giants fans won't stick with the team if you are going to get younger, but promise to be really good in three or four years. You see, we would at least have hope if that were the case. By all accounts, the Indians did a pretty damn good job of rebuilding... twice. As of now, aside from Cain, Lincecum, Lowry, Sanchez, Frandsen, Schierholtz and Lewis, we have no hope. We're like a 95-year-old who has been given three weeks to live. In other words, we're just like your current roster.

But I digress. Mr. Magowan, what else do you have to say about your situation and Cleveland?:

_________________
"About a million-and-a-half people seem to have disappeared," he says. "I'm not entirely sure that attendance declined as a result of them saying, 'We're not going to be good.' It could be just economic factors. I know Cleveland is in an area where the economy is really poor and a lot of jobs have been lost. "But there is a risk in announcing, 'Expect us to lose 90 games the next three years, then we're going to be really good.' . . . I don't think we have to do that. As long as we have the starting pitching that we have, the Giants can compete."
__________

Wow. I'm almost speechless. I mean, the Google campus in Mountain View and the Cisco campus in Milpitas have more jobs combined than the entire city of Cleveland, so, um, yeah, there could be economic factors behind those numbers.

But if I understand you correctly, rather than announce you're going to lose 90 games for the next three years, you would rather not announce it, but still lose 90 games for three straight years? 'Cause, that's kind of what has happened. We, the fans, are sick of coming to the same party year after year.

I do agree with you on one aspect. When you say, "As long as we have the starting pitching that we have, the Giants can compete," you could not be more correct. But that is PRECISELY WHY THE TIME TO REBUILD THE ROSTER IS NOW! (Sorry for the caps and exclamation point, but it was a must.) Your offense and defense can't exactly get much worse. Between the starting rotation and the bullpen, you have some young talent to build around, much like the guys in San Diego (who, oh by the way, are doing pretty well with a young roster). The pitching will keep you in most games, so cut off the dead wood and inject some life in this moribound Titanic.

Look, I don't want to be the bearer of bad news, but I think I speak for most Giants fans when I say that your General Manager has to go. Like, now. Sure, he made some great trades in the late 90's, but the rest of the league caught up to him (2003), has since passed him, and he refuses to make the necessary adjustments to keep pace with the herd. In other words, it's kind of like the Lance Niekro experience at first base. And I don't know about you, but I wouldn't want my franchise hinging on what Lance Niekro is going to do at the plate against, well, anybody.

The time has come to rebuild. I encourage you to read the comments on articles by the aforementioned Rosenthal, Buster Olney, Peter Gammons, et. al. Giants fans are unanimous in this sentiment. You, Larry Baer and Sabes seem to be the only people in the free world that think this is a bad idea. (You also were the only people in the world who thought it was a good idea to give Jamie Moyer... er, I mean, Barry Zito a 7-year deal worth a kagillion dollars, but we can get into that later.) It's to the point that the Rockies are making us look really bad. The friggin' Rockies!

I reccomend you start the rebuilding by trading all of the old farts (see: Durham, Winn, Vizquel, Morris, Kline, Feliz, Klesko, Aurilia, Sweeney, Raiden, Johnny Cage, Scorpion, Liu Kang, Kano, Sonya Blade, Sub-Zero). Finish them. Finish them all!! Oh sure, a couple of them are having decent seasons, but that is precisely why you sell high (by "high," I mean "B- prospects") now rather than waiting for their careers to die like you did with Grissom, Woody, Brower, Tucker, Christiansen, Cruz, Fassero, Dunston, Aurilia...oh, you mean he's still playing?...

And, by the way, when you call up prospects, 33-year-olds with 12 major league at bats don't count (ahem, Luis R Figueroa, ahem.) To say his arrival is "uninspiring" is to do a major injustice to the word "uninspiring."

In short, we will stand by you, Mr. Magowan. But you need to do the right thing. You need to rebuild. And you need to start now. And if Sabean trades Lincecum for Michael Tucker before the trade deadline, I'll punch you and him both in the nose. I swear to God.

The Rocket

2007-06-15T06:17:00.001-07:00

I don't really have much to say about the Giants right now, so I'll post this link... http://www.funnyordie.com/videos/6562

Matt Morris is a lock for the All-Star Game

2007-06-11T21:32:00.000-07:00

Coming into the season, Matt Morris was on a downward spiral. Truly, he hadn't pitched like an ace since 2002, and although he ate a lot of innings last year, they were a lot of crappy innings.

This year, however, Morris has been a savior. After giving up three runs last night, he settled down and pitched eight shutout innings for his second straight complete game and league leading third this season. Morris's numbers reflect how good he has been this season:

7-3, 2.56 ERA, 91.1 innings (7 innings/start), 82 hits, 45 K's, 29 BB's

Dave Roberts and Barry Bonds also had a lot to do with the 4-3 win over Toronto. The Bonds homer in the fourth seemed to energized the team, while the ability of Roberts to get on base and steal a couple of bags was and will continue to be very important.

It was somewhat of a surprise to hear before the game that the Giants sent Dan Ortmeier back to Fresno and called up Nate Schierholtz. The left-handed hitting outfielder was tearing up Fresno, but he is only 23, which puts him a solid 8 years away from reaching "prospect" status for Brian Sabean. Regardless, I'm excited to see him play.

Schierholtz's numbers at Fresno: .347, 222 at bats, 20 2b, 3 3b's, 4 hr's, 33 RBI, .892 OPS

John Hollinger is infecting the entire organization

2007-06-11T20:03:00.000-07:00

Fresh off a season in which statistician John Hollinger created new NBA stat after new NBA stat at the alter of all things sports, some ESPN baseball guy named Jeff Bennett decided he would not be left out.

Bennett explains his rationale for A nother baseball stat this way:

At the start of 2006, I was challenged to come up with a formula that ranks all major league players. After bouncing ideas off the Elias Sports Bureau, MIT and others over the last year, I eventually wrote the formulas that produced the ESPN Player Ratings. What's unique about the ESPN Player Ratings is that they put all types of players' performances (batters, starting pitchers, relievers) into the context of where they rank in the major leagues. The ratings do not discriminate or favor a certain type of player. Sluggers, top-of-the-order hitters, starters, closers and set up men all earn points that contribute to their rating based on where they rank against their peers.

First, who are the "others" you mention after MIT and the Elias Sports Bureau? Your dog? Stu Scott? Linda Cohn? Your mom?

So, let me get this straight. ESPN effectively said to Bennett, "Hey, J-Dog. We don't have a stat to tell us how effective Ramon Ortiz is vs. David Ortiz. I mean, we think we know, but we're not sure. You see, the problem is that Ramon is a pitcher... whilst David is a hitter! But who is better?! Here's the deal, we need you to make up a new stat so we can glorify ourselves some more. Sound good?"

My question to Mr. Bennett is... IT TOOK YOU 18 FRIGGIN' MONTHS TO PUT THIS TOGETHER?! This must be the most complex and wholly unnecessary logarithm ever created for a sport.

Because it is based on major league rankings in several categories, there could be significant movement in the ratings each day.

Super. So, not only are they unnecessary, but they are also unreliable? If there are significant changes each day, isn't that about as reliable of a predictor as, say, I dunno, watching the fucking players and deciding for yourself who's hot and who's not?

Here's my favorite part...

The ratings also function as an awards predictor about as well as any statistical formula created.

Bennett would go on to say, "I'm a better statistician than God. Seriously, these numbers will tell you when Vernon Wells needs to take a dump."

Ridunculous. If you are even the slightest bit curious about whom Bennett's stats site as the top players in baseball (careful, there could be significant change tomorrow!), here's the link...

The 21st best player in the game... today... but maybe not tomorrow. Thank God ESPN provides us with such vital information.

Weekend: One. Giants: Zero

2007-06-10T14:33:00.000-07:00

I'm beginning to think that I could shut the Giants out for seven innings, if given the chance. I mean, if some guy with a name close to Da Nerdo can do it, I'm sure I could try some two-seam fastballs and throw a couple of shutout frames.

On the bright side, Matt Cain on Sunday looked like the pitcher he was in April. Not to sound like Krukow, but when Cain has command of all four of his pitches (fastball, change, slider, Morris-curve), he can be as good as anybody in baseball. In fact, after the Giants took Madison Bumgardner with the tenth pick in the draft on Thursday, Gammons mentioned on the ESPN telecast that Cain should join Jake Peavy in the NL elite at any time.

As day after depressing day passes, it's becoming quite clear that this team has more holes than a taxi in Baghdad. With the trading deadline just six weeks away, it will be interesting to see if the Giants unload some of these veterans in an effort to stock the shelf. There is no way Sabean will be allowed to go after more aging vets by dangling the youngins, right? I mean, right? This team isn't two or three players away; it's an entire lineup away. As of Monday morning, the Giants wake up 8 games back of first and a full 2.5 behind the friggin' Rockies. The Rockies, for chrissakes.

As long as Cain, Lincecum, Lowry, Zito and Morris are around, most fans will still watch and the games will be competitive (if you like losing by only two runs and watching the offense hack away at slop, i.e. 2-0 shutouts) so there is no reason for Peter Magowan to panic and think his glorious ballpark is going to sit empty. Even with an awful summer, the development of Cain, Lincecum and Lowry holds promise for the future.

Brian Sabean is still an idiot

2007-06-08T06:07:00.000-07:00

I just had to throw that out there. Last night is a perfect example as to why guys like Pedro Feliz, Jack Taschner and Steve Kline still have jobs. The problem is they only do something like this once a week, if not once a month.

Entering the ninth inning last night, I had a Giants obituary complete. I was pretty bitter at the prospect of getting swept by a team that has about one player in its lineup that has to shave daily. In fact, if I were a D-Backs fan right now, I would be thrilled about the next seven years or so. That lineup is going to be ridiculous.

Anyways, here's the post, titled "It's like watching Schindler's List after visiting a nursing home"
Martha Stewart is polishing the brass on the Titanic man, it's all going down!

When I saw the defensive alignment last night, my first thought was, "What in the hell is Ryan Klesko doing in right field? This can't be good." Well, it wasn't. Noah Lowry deserved to win, but the adventures of Klesko (see: crappy, shitty, ridiculously awful) in the fourth inning was too much to overcome.

It's to the point where even the third base coach sucks. Tim Flannery's indecisiveness in the third inning brought a screeching halt to what could have been a big inning. Wait a minute... Ray Durham likely would have grounded into a double play anyways, so I guess it didn't matter that much.

And yes, you might as well call me Debbie Downer. With four solid teams ahead of them (okay, maybe just 3), 9 games behind in the standings and absolutely nothing resembling life in its offense, the Giants are drowning in the deep end of an ocean of worthlessness.

The anchors keeping this Titanic in the deep include:
1) Brian Sabean
2) Rich Aurilia's crippling lack of productivity in the 3 hole.
3) Does Durham enjoy grounding into rally killing double plays?
4) How in the hell does Pedro Feliz still have a job?
5) The bullpen. All of them. Especially Steve Fucking Kline and Jack Fucking Taschner
6) Brian Sabean
7) Have I mentioned Brian Sabean?

Do I have to keep going? I've watched the better part of 5 games since Sunday and I can say with complete sincerity that I don't feel like this team stands a chance of making the playoffs.

Next thing I know, Feliz ties the game in the ninth with a homer, Taschner pitches a perfect bottom half, and Kline ultimately saves the game with a perfect inning. Go figure. Maybe Sabean will sign all three of them to four-year extensions today.

Read this Article in the San Jose Mercury News

2007-06-06T17:12:00.000-07:00

That is, if you haven't already.

Kawakami: Blame must fall on Giants' G.M. Sabean, and it's time to go

I actually came across it today courtesy of Big D on the Giants Win blog (link to the right). If you for some reason didn't understand why this blog is titled "Lunatic Fringe," you will once you get to the end of Tim Kawakami's fantastic rant about Brian Sabean's failures as a GM. Of note, according to a Merc poll, 77% of Giants fans want Sabean fired.

By the way, the Jeremy Accardo for Shea Hillenbrand trade (as pointed out in the aforementioned article) is getting worse by the day. If you remember, Hillenbrand was never going to play another game for Toronto after fighting with the Jays' manager. Ever. Wasn't Toronto willing to give him away for two Molson's and $50?

Accardo's numbers are ridiculous: 25.1 innings, 16 hits, 3 runs, 7 walks, 25 strikeouts, 0.91 WHIP, .176 BAA, 3.60 K/BB, 8.88 K/9, 2.49 BB/9, 7 for 8 in Saves, 1 making everybody in Toronto forget about injured closer B.J. Ryan.

By the way, he's 23 fucking years old. That necessitated an F-bomb.

Whatever you do, read that article.

Pitch Counts and Tiny Tim

2007-06-05T13:22:00.000-07:00

Good article on SI.com today: Giants unafraid to give Lincecum high work load.

Check out the graph at the end of the article. Greg Maddux once threw 167 pitches in a game his rookie season. That's not a typo.

Jack Taschner should never pitch with the game on the line. Ever.

2007-06-04T14:39:00.000-07:00

First off, Stapes and OZ, thanks for the regular updates.

I am very, Very, VERY glad that I was out of the country, unable to witness the Armando Benitez Chernobyl incident. I don't know what I would have done. I'm thinking my barbecue would have been launched over my balcony. I may be out of line here, but rather than being traded, I was hoping Benitez would somehow run his car off of the Golden Gate Bridge, manage to survive the fiery crash and catastrophic collision with the bay, only to get eaten by great white sharks. But maybe that's just me.

Fortunately, I returned just in time to watch Jack Taschner snatch defeat from the jaws of victory by gift wrapping a turd burger and handing it to Ryan Howard with the game in the balance. Nice work Tasch. But I don't want to be too hard on the lefty. I mean, he's only allowed 10 runs in 15 innings (6.00 ERA), allowed as many walks as strikeouts (an alarming 11), given up 23 baserunners in his 15 innings, and generally pitched like shit at every opportunity. My point is that I don't understand why he is A) on the roster and B) pitching in important situations. It could have something to do with the fact that Steve Kline is the only lefty alternative, bringing us to a common theme: The bullpen still sucks and is still dead to me.

Back to Taschner, I think he needs to hitch a ride with Benitez or catch the next train to Whocaresjustnothere. In 70 career games, Taschner has a 5.05 ERA while allowing 89 baserunners in 59 innings. If that doesn't scream "SHITTY," then I don't know what does. And it's not as if Taschner is a prospect, given that he is 29.

In case you're wondering and/or care, the best lefty reliever in Fresno is Patrick Misch. Misch has followed up his strong Spring in Scottsdale by pitching well for the Grizzlies: 2-2, 2.52 ERA, 39.1 innings, 41 K's, 0.99 WHIP, .209 BAA. Look, I'm not saying Misch is a savior, but I'm Taschnered out.

Were it not for Brian Sabean, I would hereby designate Jack Taschner the new "whipping boy" (by the way, the transcript from Sabean's conference call with reporters after the trade of Benitez was pure comedy. Was Sabes serious, or was he just fucking with everybody? It's hard to tell.). What Sabean is failing to recognize is that He is the new "whipping boy." Unless he finds a way to draft 5 Tim Lincecums in this Thursday's draft, Sabean will soon go the way of the Benitez.

Operation Shutdown

2007-05-22T15:33:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite sayings ever. Thank you, Derek Bell.

No, that's not my new catch phrase for the Giants offense. Rather, it's what I'll be on for the next ten days. I'll be jumping around England for the next week and a half, researching the complex strategies for successful cricket teams. Cricket: It's like baseball, just without the excitement. Unless you're this guy.

Therefore, this post serves as an open thread for comments and updates. If a big trade goes down or the like, let's discuss. I have a feeling that my mates at the pub won't be much help. Unless my in-laws suddenly get broadband, expect some new posts on or around the first of June.

25% down, an eternity to go

2007-05-21T15:45:00.000-07:00

I thought we would hand out some grades before numbnuts reporters write things like, "The dog days of summer are here!"

(I've never understood what that was supposed to mean. It's like saying something to the effect of, "The rhinoceros days of May are almost over." Truly, it makes no sense. Had I used that on The Orion (college paper), Professor Glen Bleske would have mocked and ridiculed me for an entire semester.)

On to the report card:

A

Matt Morris -- I can't believe I'm saying this, but Matt "I have one pitch, a curveball, and by God I'm going to throw it every chance I get" Morris has been a savior. Really, I can't believe I'm saying this. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go eat some tasty crow.

Noah Lowry -- He's been just as consistent as Morris (arguably better, actually) but he's run into some tough luck. Entering the season, Morris and Lowry were the two question marks in the rotatoin. Through 9 turns, they've been the strength. I cannot remember a starting rotation in my time as a Giants fan that has been this deep. And I'll say it again, Sabean would be a fool to trade Lowry. Lefty starters like this don't come around too often (unless you're willing to pay $126 million).

Randy Winn -- We know the story. He had a huge two months after the Giants acquired him in 2005. Brian Sabean, in all his infinite wisdom, decided that that was enough to give him a 3-year, $24 million deal (ironic mainly because he didn't take into account Winn's "track record."). He had a crap year last year, which everybody pretty much predicted. And now he's the Giants best hitter and a couple games away from matching Robby Thompson for the longest hitting streak by a Giant in the last 30 years. So, here's my question: Is he this good or is he just riding another prolonged hot streak? And if he is just riding another prolonged hot streak, is there another GM gullible enough to take his contract off the Giants' hands?

B+

Matt Cain -- Would have had an A if not for his meltdown against Philly. He's the rock of the rotation for the next 10 years. He's only going to get better and better and better.

Tim Lincecum -- Ditto. Right down to the Philly thing. Totally came out of nowhere. Wait... I've talked about him too much already.

Benji Molina -- I don't know where they would be without his bat. However, when he's on base, it takes an act of God to get him from first to third. Gotta be the slowest runner the game has ever seen. Has he had dual hip replacements or something? Seems like he calls a good game behind the plate though, which is kind of, like, his most important job function.

B

Brad Hennessey -- You're lying if you say you predicted Hennessey would turn into a solid setup man. That means you, Bochy. Still, you know your bullpen is problematic when you say the words, "You know, Hennessey has turned into a pretty solid setup man."

Barry Bonds -- Stapes called it. Something is wrong with Bonds. He was hot early, but he's been a statue at the plate lately.

Fred Lewis & Dan Ortmeier -- Yeah, yeah, yeah, I know. They haven't even played 10 games yet. I don't care. Both have been pleasant surprises. The team could be in a world of hurt right now if these guys didn't step up when Dave Roberts hurt his vagina. Although, I think the league is figuring out that Lewis is vulnerable on the outside breaking ball. Seriously, he doesn't swing at it. Just watch. If you can throw it for a strike, you turn him into a .000 hitter.

Kevin Frandsen -- I like this kid and he needs to get more PT. By "backing up" at 3b, SS and 2b, I reckon he could play four times a week. Think about it. Vizquel hit a wall this year, Durham is a pulled hamstring waiting to happen, and Feliz is absolutely horrible. Why couldn't he play four times a week? Could the production be any worse than what they currently are getting?

C

Jack Taschner -- I wonder what goes through Bochy's mind when he looks down his bullpen and says, "There's a tough lefty coming up, we gotta get Tash loose." Does he pop an Alka-Seltzer before or after saying that?

Kevin Correia -- Correia is starting to come around, but he received a C based solely on the wildfire that he set in Denver early in the season.

Ray Durham -- I'd say we're about two weeks away from Durham's annual hamstring problem. At this point, the lineup wouldn't be missing much and the defense would improve. In reality, Durham would be a pretty effective #6 hitter, but he's miscast as "protection" for Bonds. At times he's been awful.

Rich Aurilia -- Ladies and gentleman, I would like to introduce the worst #3 hitter in baseball. That's not necessarily an insult. It's just reality. Aurilia would be a solid #6 or 7 hitter, but he has been asked to be a vital cog in the offense. Kind of like saying, "Hey, why don't we take the ol' 1973 GMC pickup on a cross-country trip?" Probably not going to produce.

Ryan Klesko -- Who invited Klesko to bat second all of a sudden? When Tim Flannery gave him the sign to bunt last night, did he laugh? I did.

Eliezar Alfonzo -- I think he closes his eyes when he swings. Seriously. I'm not kidding. See ball, hit ball, run like a cement mixer. Pure comedy.

Mark Sweeney -- So, Mark, about that whole amphetamine thing... Do you think you can get back on them?

Dave Roberts -- I'm reminded of something my grandfather used to say about my dad, "He was a good boy when he slept. He just didn't sleep enough." If my grandfather was a baseball fan, he would say about Roberts, "He's a good boy when he gets on base. He just doesn't get on base enough." Should be back in late June.

Vinnie Chulk -- Blaaaaa. Translated to German, Vinnie Chulk means: Scott Munter, Billy Sadler, Brian Wilson, Patrick Misch, Osiris Matos, Justin Hedrick. In other words, take a hike, Choke.

Russ Ortiz -- He was a good story in Spring Training, but the Giants had another one by the name of The Franchise.

D

Barry Zito -- If you're getting paid to be the best pitcher in baseball, you damn well better be somewhere close to that. At the very least, you can't be in the bottom half. I don't think the Giants expect Zito to be the weak link in the rotation for the rest of the year, but that's what he is at the moment.

Omar Vizquel -- Um, he got old fast. Weren't they talking about extending his contract by two more years in Spring Training? Please don't. I love Omar and I enjoy watching him play defense, but he's out of gas.

Jonathan Sanchez -- The lefty was sent to Fresno yesterday to make room for Ortiz. It was the best thing for him. He needs more work. The 24-year-old has an electric arm and he can be a dominant setup man -- or a solid starter. I'll be following his numbers in Fresno. If Sabean has half a brain, he will not trade this guy.

Pedro Feliz -- He has the second most homers on the team. The offense is pitiful. I think the plug was pulled on the Pedro Feliz experience a couple of months ago, but somebody forgot to tell Bochy or Sabean.

F

Steve Kline -- Kind of like tits on a boar. In other words, totally worthless. At least he's locked up for another year. What, was Sabean afraid he wasn't going to be available next year?

Armando Benitez -- I haven't hated too many players while they were wearing the orange and black. But I hate Benitez. I hate Benitez. I hate Benitez.

Hate him.

F quintuple minus

Todd Linden -- To say that Todd Linden was a "trainwreck" would be like saying the war in Iraq is a "disturbance." He was worse than Feliz, and I didn't think that was possible.

So predictable, we even predicted it

2007-05-20T07:18:00.000-07:00

Just by reading the web address for The Lunatic Fringe, you know my feelings about Brian Sabean. Yes, he made a couple of pretty good moves during his early years (Jeff Kent, Roberto Hernandez, J.T. Snow, to name three), but over the last four years he's traded away too much young talent while spending bajillions of dollars on free agents that are way too friggin' old.

Anyway, here's Sabean's comments yesterday, according to the San Francisco Chronicle:

"There are two glaring things we need to do better. We need to score more runs on the average and we need to win more close games. We've had a hard time doing both consistently."

Translation? It's a weak lineup and a bullpen that leaks more oil than my first car - the one that DMo ran into in our high school parking lot.

The thing is that Sabean is confirming exactly what all the experts and pseudo-experts (a pseudospert, if you will) said before the season, which is that this team's starting pitching will be fine (it is), but the offense and bullpen will be weaknesses (it is). So, why is Sabean just figuring this out now?

More from Sabean:

"We're obviously still a work in progress, but so are 22 teams in the big-leagues," he said. "If you look at the standings there are only eight teams that are playing what I would say is pretty good baseball. After that, everybody is in and around .500 trying to find an identity."

In my job, we call that "attempt to justify your poor performance." It's an "but everybody is doing it" excuse that is pretty weak.

But wait, there's more (discussing Zito):
"He's had five good starts and four bad ones, including last night," Sabean said. "His first two weren't very good and his last two weren't very good. It is a small sample size. As long as he's confident, we're confident. He's got a track record of turning things around."
Small sample size? 1/3 of the season is a small sample size? Oh, I forgot about the Sabean "Track Record" Special. He uses that phrase more than anybody I know. You know who else has a track record? Pedro Feliz. With that in mind, why the hell does he still play every day?

Other players with track records: Marquis Grissom, Michael Tucker, Woody Rueter, Livan Hernandez, Rich Aurilia, Jim Brower, Steve Kline, Armando Benitez and the immortal Tsuyoshi Shinjo.

The guys over at Giants Cove talked about all the young pitchers Sabean has traded away in recent years. You know who is turning into a light's-out closer? Jeremy Accardo. Yeah, the guy we traded for three months of the Shea Hillenbrand experience.

Accardo's stats: 18 innings, 0.00 ERA, 9 hits, 5 walks, 19 K's. 3 for 3 in saves.

The Giants have a ton of early picks coming up in the draft on June 7, including six of the top 51 (10, 22, 29, 32, 43, 51). Sabean hasn't produced a position player from the draft in his tenure, so it will be interesting to see how all of these picks shake out. More on the draft and Sabean's Track Record coming soon.

About Saturday night at the yard:

Have I been in a cave, or did Matt Cain unleash a new pitch (a curveball from hell) on Saturday night? If he can incorporate that hook regularly (it was coming in at 73 mph) along with his fastball and change, the kid can be pretty good. Clearly he's been spending some time with Matt Morris and his curveballapalooza act.
This offense is beyond pathetic. While we need another bat, somebody needs to tell Sabean not to trade away any of their young pitchers for somebody like, say, Craig Wilson. Resist the temptation, Sabean. For God's sake, resist it.

ZitNo

2007-05-18T20:11:00.000-07:00

With each passing start (there have been 9 of them now), Barry Zito is reminding me more and more of a very expensive version of Woody Rueter. If he doesn't start topping out at a speed above 85 mph, he's going to start getting spanked. Is that really as hard as he can throw now? It's almost June for chrissakes. And the Giants' brass had no idea his arm was a piece of spaghetti when they signed him to the most expensive contract in the history of a game for a pitcher?

Okay, I'm overreacting a bit. I know that. But seriously, I'm starting to get pretty pissed. I fully realize that six of Zito's nine starts have been decent. Yeah, okay, great. That's all fine and dandy, but for one and a quarter+ million bucks, they need eight out of those nine to be spectacular, not just decent. Seriously, I hope I'm not alone in getting pissed off here. (And yes, I say the word "seriously" way too much.)

Zito's first inning against the A's last night was pretty atrocious. And it was all downhill from there. Three times he got ahead of A's hitters 0-2 in the first, only to walk all of them. He had an adrenaline rush, sure, but that is supposed to help a pitcher, isn't it? Okay, according to Krukow (who I finally got to listen to), it was probably hurting him since he is a "finesse" pitcher. Whatever. If adrenaline was the problem, then I suspect his fastball would have been buzzing in at 88 rather than 84 and 85.

I'm really concerned. Is there something wrong with his arm? I mean, can he really only throw 84-85 now?

Other random thoughts:

-- I agree with DMo that we need to see more of Kevin Frandsen. With the ever-so predictable Ray Durham leg/groin/vagina injury, it looks like it's going to happen sooner rather than later.

-- The offense is even more frustrating than Zito. The most painful aspect of watching Zito get down by three runs early is that you knew... you just KNEW... that the game was over, barring a miraculous offensive explosion. When Bonds isn't producing, there is no thump in the lineup.

-- As much as I love watching the young players play (and I really, really like watching the young players play), it's a problem when your offense is relying on Frandsen and Fred Lewis. They aren't the ones who are getting paid to produce runs.

-- Seven friggin walks, Zito? I mean, seven walks?! And 97 pitches through four innings? I can't get over how shitty he's pitching right now. Zito's stats on the year: 3-5, 5.13 ERA, 54.1 innings, 28 walks, 30 strikeouts.

-- Damnit. Damnit. Damnit.

And on the third day, he pitched like God

2007-05-18T05:56:00.000-07:00

If the Giants' brass decides to put Russ Ortiz back in the starting rotation... wait, can they even be considering that at this point?

The Franchise's performance last night was what we've been expecting. The comments from the Astros' clubhouse said it all.

"He's unbelievable," Astros third baseman Mike Lamb said. "The stuff he was throwing out there tonight, he's everything he was hyped up to be. He was 97 [mph] with movement. You just don't see that every day. My first times up, he's throwing 97 and you don't know what to expect, and then he throws curveballs for strikes. It's tough to do that. He's pretty good, really good."

It's conceivable to think that Matt Cain, Lincecum and Lowry will be the Giants best three pitchers at some point in the near future. Zito and Morris are stabilizing forces at the moment, which leaves no room for Ortiz. Lincecum can not be sent down at this point.

For what it's worth, Ortiz threw 5.2 innings last night in Fresno, allowing 2 runs (1 earned) and striking out 4.

Sabean surprised to hear that position players under 40 actually exist

2007-05-13T18:49:00.000-07:00

So, maybe this Lewis guy can play a little bit. And that Frandsen guy too.

The Giants started five players under the age of 30 in yesterday's ballgame in Denver. Fred Lewis (26), Kevin Frandsen (24), Dan Ortmeier (26), Eliezar Alfonzo (28) and Matt Cain (22) occupied five of the nine spots in the starting lineup. While I have no factual evidence to back up this claim, rumor has it that Brian Sabean went golfing, figuring that a team of such youngsters was sure to crap the bed.

Instead, the Giants shocked just about everybody with an offensive explosion the likes of which we have never seen (thank you, Bill Walton) Lewis' performance was not only spectacular statistically (5-6, cycle, 4 RBI, 3 runs), but impressive because he went to the opposite field for his double, triple AND homer. Bear in mind that Pedro Feliz hasn't hit a ball to the opposite field since 2003 and Todd Linden hasn't accomplished the feat in his life.

Frandsen had a huge day as well, going 4 for 5 with a walk. With Lewis hitting leadoff and Frandsen hitting eighth, the lineup received great energy from the top and the bottom. Not to be left out, Alfonzo and Ortmeier contributed too.

Frandsen and Lewis congratulating one another on being young pimps (at least for a day)

The four sub-Geritol players combined on Sunday for the following numbers -- 14 for 23, 8 runs, 9 RBI, 2 doubles, 2 triples, 1 homer. Let me say that again: The four young players (or as Sabean likes to call them, "Crazy punk kids on their skateboards that cause nothing but trouble") combined to collect 14 hits. I know it's only a game, but that's pretty impressive.

Oh yeah, the best young player of the bunch, Matt Cain, pitched pretty well too.

That being said, the day truly belonged to another rookie. Yup, my son got to experience his first ballgame in person. He was so excited about the young lineup that he crapped his pants, literally, in the top of the first inning. Crapped his pants again from excitement after Lewis' homer in the fourth. Passed out from sensory overload in the fifth. Woke up to congratulate Lewis with a standing ovation in the seventh. And finally pissed himself after Lewis got his fifth and final hit. In short, it was a day that I'm sure he will never remember, but one that I'll never forget.

The one game youth movement

2007-05-13T06:59:00.000-07:00

First things first: Happy Mother's Day to all the moms out there -- and since it's all dudes joining the discussions on this site, that means Happy Mother's Day to all of your moms.

Naturally, I thought there would be no better way to celebrate mother's day than to take my wife and son to game four of the Giants-Rockies series in Denver. I know what you're thinking, and the answer is, yes, I'm a thoughtful, thoughtful man. While my son is not going to have the opportunity to watch Barry Bonds today, he will have the opportunity to see the youngest lineup the Giants have started since, well, I can't really remember. Kevin Frandsen (24), Fred Lewis (26), Eliezar Alfonzo (28), Dan Ortmeier (26) and Matt Cain (22) all will be in the starting lineup today.

Last night at the yard: Not much to say about last night's bla fest. Barry Zito was rocked in the first inning, allowing four runs before people could take their seats. We all know about the Barry Zito Four Run Rule, so giving up four runs in the first inning was kind of a death wish for the insanely rich lefty.

The Franchise, Round II

2007-05-11T13:30:00.000-07:00

Dude, that kid can throw.

The second big league start went much better for Tiny Tim as he used his curveball and changeup a little bit more (still not very often) to hold the Rockies to 3 runs (2 earned) in 7 innings. He struck out 6, including Matt Holliday 3 times. His fastball, which dropped to 91-92 after the third inning in his last start, was still hitting 95-96 in the seventh inning last night. The dude can definitely throw hard.

It was interesting that Bochy let Lincecum throw 112 pitches though. He had been on a strict 90-pitch maximum in Fresno, but the Giants have allowed him to throw 100 and 112 in his two starts, respectively. I don't think it's a bad thing, mind you, but it's something to watch. Pitch count will always be an issue with Lincecum because of his slight build. The reason he dropped to 10th in last year's draft is primarily because most teams saw him as an injury waiting to happen. The Giants didn't feel that way, saying he uses his body more than his arm to throw so hard. Lincecum has never, I repeat, NEVER iced his arm after a game and claims he's never felt soreness in his arm. It's especially remarkable considering he regularly threw 130-140 pitches per game at the University of Washington.

Bochy said after the game that The Franchise would start on Thursday at Houston even though it's the day Russ Ortiz is scheduled to come off the DL. If he throws another game like last night, he likely will secure a rotation spot, meaning something will have to give with Ortiz. Like, say, taking a hike.

-- Numbers of Note --

In just two games, Fred Lewis has as many RBI (3) as Todd Linden did through the first 30.

In just one game, Dan Ortmeier has as many doubles (1) as Todd Linden did through the first 30

Todd Linden still leads the team in strikeouts with 23

I'm totally throwing Todd Linden under the bus right now

Giants first basemen have combined to hit one (1) homerun this year. Dead last in the majors

Jonathan Sanchez has 16 strikeouts in 12.1 innings. But, he's also issued 10 walks in those innings. Until he can pitch with more control, he will remain a mop-up man.

An OPS of .800 is typically the sign of an average hitter for most positions. That said, the miserable OPS numbers of the Giants underscore the offensive struggles. The Giants have two regulars with an OPS over .800. Bonds (1.273) and Molina (.837). Frandsen is at .818, but only has 11 at bats. The other hitters? Roberts (.654), Vizquel (.595 -- horrible), Winn (.763), Aurilia (.709 -- really bad for a 3 hitter), Durham (.720 -- really bad for a 5 hitter), Feliz (.739), Klesko (.783), Sweeney (.792), Alfonzo (.796).

Guest Post: OZ

2007-05-11T09:43:00.000-07:00

With Sondog spending his time down in the fatest cities in America, I thought I'd give some of my thoughts from last nights game in Colorado.

After another poor performance from Ray, Bruce has to be reconsidering Durham as the offensive threat to back up Mr. Bonds. Sure he had an RBI, but he has runners on, usually in scoring position, nearly every time he steps to the plate so that’s not a huge feat.

Molina may be the slowest player to ever don a Giants uniform (sorry J.T.), but he has been hitting clutch and could provide the 9th inning single that this team is lacking (see last nights game ending double play from Ray).

At this point I think they need to back Bonds up with whoever is hot rather than pegging one player for the role.

And on offense, I hate it when all the Giants offense comes off of opposing errors. Rich is an excellent example as he was 0 for whatever until a botched pop fly got him to first base, and since then has been back to his normal monologging self. Those types of runs feel empty and though the rotation appreciates any help they can get, nothing is better than a run produced off a sac fly or clutch single.

I missed The Franchise’s prior start and unfortunately will miss a good portion today as well, which sucks fiercely as I haven’t been this excited to watch a pitcher since Nen. I don’t see how the jitters could be completely out however, as now he's on the road and it’s not like he can draw on the successful start of his prior outing.

I didn’t hear Krukow’s comments after his last start, but I have no doubt it was something like, “Welcome to the show meat.”

Check out his pic on sfgiants.com. It looks like a 12 year old kid going against what could only be decribed as a dirty old man.

With Roberts out, the search for the leadoff man will continue. Stolen bases, since the hit and runs aren’t going to well (I think they’ve been picked off in 90% of the attemps), and in general messing with pitchers heads is what makes this position so vital for a slow offense. Roberts wasn’t hugely popular, but I enjoyed watching him play and feel he is similar to Ricky Henderson, only without the OBP, power, consistency, or record.

With the starting rotation continuing to roll, the offense has to start stepping up to keep this team above .500.

The bullpen continues to be dead to me

2007-05-10T08:02:00.000-07:00

While I have no problem with Brad Hennessey, I despise Armando Benitez with a passion that runs deep. I'm now in Houston, so I didn't see the game yesterday (just the highlights), but the box score had an L next to Benitez and a BS next to Hennessey, so it appears that Matt Morris was in line for another win before another bullpen collapse.

Regarding Morris, how surprising has his renaissance been this year? He's been strong this year (I keep hearing the word "gamer") and has given the Giants a chance to win on most occasions. I hope I'm not getting suckered into thinking he's a good pitcher. However, if Lincecum sticks in the rotation (a lot will depend on tomorrow night), it's nice to have Morris' veteran "moxie" in the mix.

On to Colorado: The Giants throw a relatively young foursome at the Rockies over the four-game series (by the way, it's inexcusable that I scheduled a business trip while the Giants are in Denver. Inexcusable). Noah Lowry tonight, The Franchise tomorrow, Barry Zito on Saturday, Matt Cain on Sunday.

Hey, Curt Schilling has an opinon about Bonds. No, seriously, Schilling wants to share his thoughts.

2007-05-09T12:40:00.000-07:00

In what comes as the most pointless news of the year, there's a lot of hubub about Curt Schilling's comments with regards to Barry Bonds.

Included in the World According to Schill:

"I mean, he admitted that he used steroids," Schilling said during weekly appearance on sports radio WEEI's "Dennis and Callahan" show. "I mean, there's no gray area. He admitted to cheating on his wife, cheating on his taxes, and cheating on the game, so I think the reaction around the league, the game, being what it is, in the case of what people think.

I guess it's somewhat important to note that Bonds has never A) admitted to knowingly using steroids, B) admitted to cheating on his wife, or C) admitted to cheating on his taxes, but if we know anything, it's that if Curt Schilling thinks its true, then it must be true.

I can't imagine what the grand jury in San Francisco is thinking. Something like, "Wait... he ADMITTED that shit?! Holy hell! Let's just skip the prosecution and send him to the slammer!"

I mean, I hated Curt "I am the best pitcher ever, just ask me" Schilling for some time, but this takes my hatred to another level. It's not that I think Bonds didn't do all that stuff, it's that Curt Schilling thinks that Curt Schilling's opinion is so important that Curt Schilling needs to share it.

Curt, I think I speak for most fans when I say, SHUT THE HELL UP!!! When Jose Canseco is saying that you have no legitimacy and that you are a hypocrite, you know you have issues (see the Canseco clip on the right of the link above).

For more thoughts on Bonds, check on this story at http://www.bitterfans.com/ShowArticle.asp?CategoryID=1&ArticleID=400.

Last night at the yard: Didn't see the game last night. Just saw the box score and noticed that Matt Cain got knocked around again by issuing 10 hits (8 of which on the first pitch). Also noticed that Todd Linden went 0 for 3 with 3 strikeouts. Meanwhile, Nate Schierholtz is hitting .350 in Fresno (and Stapes, you're right, I went overboard when I said Lewis and Ortmeier were "ready.")

What the hell happened last night?

2007-05-08T09:49:00.000-07:00

I'm in Dallas on business at the moment, and since Texas in general tends to despise anything from San Francisco (Popular Dallas saying: "If it's from San Francisco, it must be gay. And y'all know what we think about gays."), the game was nowhere to be found.

I did get a chance to see the replays on SportsCenter though and it looked like the Giants got a lucky break with Molina's first homer. It also looked like the Mets treated the ball like it was a grenade everytime it came near them in the fateful fifth.

Anybody want to chime in with any thoughts on what happened?

OK, so maybe calling him "Jesus" was a bit of a stretch

2007-05-07T08:50:00.000-07:00

Nevertheless, it was exciting as all get out to see Tim Lincecum pitch last night. That first inning flamethrowing session was pretty magnificent, despite Ty Cobb's two-run homer (seriously, the guy didn't make an out all weekend), to blow away an all-star second baseman, the reigning MVP and another shmoe was pretty impressive, as Buster Olney reports.

More Lincecum stuff from around the web:

AP's report

SFGiants.com report

San Francisco Chronicle report

Scott Ostler of the Chronicle (who I despise, loathe and generally hate with every piece of my body)

Giants Win report

Giants Cove report

The holy windup

2007-05-05T15:13:00.001-07:00

Phillies get 31 outs in a 9 inning game... and still lose

2007-05-05T14:53:00.000-07:00

Direct quote from Dave Flemming on the KNBR broadcast today: "That's the best stuff Noah Lowry has had in the last two years. Were it not for the defense, he could be going for a complete game."

Obviously, since I was listening to the game on KNBR, I didn't see the game. So I don't really know what kind of stuff Lowry actually had. The numbers support Flemming's claim though:

Lowry: 6.2 innings, 1 earned run (3 runs total), 1 walk, 5 hits, 8 K's

Were it not for Lowry's effort, the Phillies might have scored 100 runs. The defense, from the sound of things, was atrocious. Eliezar Alfonzo made a couple of throwing errors, but made up for things a bit with his solo homer in the seventh. The bullpen came in and did a nice job and the insurance runs late (they seem to be making a habit of that) ensured they would not need to rely on Benitez.

Back to Lowry; he's on fire this year and pitching like he did back in 2005. As discussed at the beginning of the year, Lowry's performance was key to the Giants season. So far, he is exceeding expectations.

Lowry's 2007 stats: 4-2, 38.1 innings, 3.29 ERA, 33 hits, 17 walks, 24 K's, 1 HR, 1.30 WHIP, .234 BAA, 5.34 K's/9 innings

In 2005, Lowry's best season to date, he had similar numbers: 1.31 WHIP, .249 BAA, 7.56 K's/9 innings

The baseball Jesus goes tonight for the Giants. ESPN. National TV.

He might walk to the mound via walking across the water in the bay

2007-05-04T13:36:00.000-07:00

I can't get enough of this Tim Lincecum stuff. This scouting report from Rockies' AAA farmhand, Ian Stewart (a top-level prospect in his own right) is unbelievable. Here's the entire story, courtesy Baseball America:

Triple-A Fresno righthander Tim Lincecum whiffed 14 in his last start against Colorado Springs, getting Sky Sox third baseman Ian Stewart twice.
And it’s not like Stewart is struggling this season. A 2003 first-round pick of the Rockies, Stewart is hitting .318/.375/.409 with a pair of home runs in 88 at-bats.
The 22-year-old third baseman calls Lincecum ‘the toughest pitcher I ever faced,’ and goes further in this breakdown of what it’s like to face him:
“Oh, man that was hard,” Stewart said. “He’s just a max-effort guy with a really different windup and you can’t see the ball at all until it’s right on top of you. It gets on you real quick.
“He kind of leans back over second base and then comes right over the top. Guys on our club who have been in the big leagues said he’s the toughest guy they ever faced too, so that should tell you something.
“And though you only get a very short glance of the ball before it’s on you, the stuff is just nasty on top of that. He was throwing everything for strikes. I mean he located everything and painted the corners with his fastball, worked on the inner half when he felt like it.
“His curveball was really good, a good hard-breaking spike curveball. He threw it for a first-pitch strike, a second-pitch strike, a third-pitch strike.
You get the idea–he pretty much threw it whenever he wanted to and located it
wherever he wanted to.
“I’m not really sure why he’s down here, but for a guy who was drafted last year . . . that guy is filthy.”

The Franchise is coming on Sunday

2007-05-03T20:07:00.000-07:00

Russ Ortiz, we hardly knew ye.

According to reports, the Giants will unveil their baseball Jesus on a nationally televised game on Sunday night against the Phillies. Tim Lincecum will make his debut in the ESPN game of the week, and I... can't... wait. Even my son shit his pants with excitement when he heard the news.

The promotion was made possible by Russ Ortiz's kind gesture of going on the 15-day DL. Ortiz is suffering from either right elbow neuritis or an acute case of suckassitis, depending on who you believe. There's also a school of thought that a fan snuck into his room and pulled a Tonya Harding on his Nancy Kerrigan of a right elbow. Regardless, his disabling condition creates the opportunity that Giants fans needed.

OZ and I had an email discussion yesterday about how much we are enjoying this team, especially the pitching. I can't put my finger on it, but this season seems infinitely more enjoyable than the last two. I don't know, maybe it's the whole winning thing. Even so, the Lincecum hype machine is blaring at such a deafening level that it would be preposterous to keep him in Fresno any longer. The kid had to come up and he had to come up now.

Lincecum isn't officially on the roster yet. The Giants recalled Kevin Frandsen, who was leading the PCL in batting average and OBP, to take Ortiz's spot on the roster. I will be incredibly shocked if Brian Sabean sends Frandsen back down to the minors on Sunday. The team still has about 8 too many first basemen on the roster, so it could mean the Lance Niekro experiment will come to an end. Wait... I'm talking about Sabean here, so it is possible that Sabean will trade Jonathan Sanchez and Frandsen for Charlie Hough.

Much more on this fantastic development tomorrow.

Last night at the yard: I didn't get a chance to watch much of the game last night, what with game 6 of the best NBA playoff series going on and all. Doesn't sound like I missed much though. Matt Cain struggled with throwing strikes early and often (47 balls in 87 pitches), destroying his once majestic ERA. Sanchez followed by throwing balls as well. Just a bad night the two young guys.

Tonight it's old-timers night before the game as Jamie Moyer and Matt Morris entertain the fans before the younger guys take the... Wait... you mean those are the starters for the actual game? Jamie Moyer is still pitching? Like, in the majors?

George Frazier, Barry Zito and the future all-time homerun champion

2007-05-02T19:34:00.000-07:00

-- Yeah, yeah, I know y'all get it by now, but this Barry Zito Four Run Rule thing just fascinates me. Coming into Wednesday night, Zito's career record when he gets four runs of support or more: 86-5. When he doesn't get four runs: 18-61.

The rule was put to the test last night, and Zito left to a 2-2 tie in the eighth. So the record stays the same. He allowed only four hits, walking three and striking out four. Basically, Zito held his own in the no-decision.

-- The night belonged to Mr. Bonds though. The rocket he hit off of Jeff Francis was multiple "8-second TiVo replay" worthy. Once the Rockies loaded the bases in the eighth with Bonds coming up, you just knew he was going to hit the game winner. You just knew. Those of you who have read Mile High Ramblings know that I've said my piece about Bonds. But I'll say again what I've said before: Never in my life have I been witness to such a great hitter. That being said, I am truly amazed that he is hitting this well this season.

-- Brad Hennessey closed out the game (technically he got the win, not the save). Did something happen to Benitez? I really hope so.

-- The close of the series against the Rockies means that those of us who live outside of the Bay Area and watch the games on DirecTV don't have to listen to Rockies' announcer George Frazier for another -- OHHH, DAMNIT! They play the Rockies in Denver next week.

Anyway, here is my favorite Frazier comment from last night:

(Jeff) Francis has to be really careful with Feliz up here. He's a dangerous, dangerous bat. This guy can really hit.

I'm not even going to tell you what he said when the Rockies intentionally walked Feliz in the bottom of the seventh. You can probably figure it out. Just imagine something that a retarded chimpanzee would say.

I end this series by saying the same thing I said when the series started: George Frazier is an idiot. A friggin' idiot.

Russell is walking a fine, fine line

2007-05-01T20:00:00.000-07:00

Russ Ortiz is one day closer to losing his grip on the fifth spot in the starting rotation. Ortiz isn't pitching too poorly, mind you. But with The Franchise putting up utterly ridiculous numbers in Fresno, Ortiz needs to pitch much better than average in order to keep his job as a starter.

In a way, I feel bad for Ortiz. I really do. His comeback is a great story and in any other year he would likely have secured a season-long stay in the rotation. However, this isn't most years.

Barring a trade, I don't see who else the team can pull from the rotation. Forget about Cain and Zito. Morris is impossible to move with his albatross of a contract. Lowry should get the benefit of the doubt because young, lefty starters who can throw 200 innings don't come around very often.

Tim Lincecum is receiving more national hype than any Giants prospect in recent memory. It's nothing short of a huge jolt of excitement.

From an article that appeared on sfgiants.com last night:

What separates Lincecum from mortal pitching prospects isn't his 2007 performance, however. No, the biggest indication that he could be a truly historic talent is what he did in 2006. There, in just 31 2/3 innings (he was drafted in June,keeping him from pitching a full season for the Giants), Lincecum struck out the highest percentage of batters (minimum 100) of any Minor League pitcher in the last 10 years, 30.9. And the hurlers below him on that list will sound familiar to even casual fans: Scott Kazmir, Josh Beckett and Francisco Liriano, just to name a few. Talk about elite company.

Put Lincecum's two seasons together, though, and you get one of the more impressive Minor League pitching performances in recent memory. One-hundred and four strikeouts. Twenty-six hits allowed. Twenty-four walks allowed. Eight runs allowed. A .124 opponents' batting average. And all of that in 62 2/3 innings as a starter.

Cartoonish numbers, right? There has to be a catch, right? Maybe not...
"He has nothing left to prove," states PROTRADE's Brian Mead. "Pitching might be as elusive as a white whale. But Tim Lincecum can't be considered a pitching prospect after what we've seen."

Mead continues: "No, this is clearly a good Major League pitcher who's just spinning his wheels in Triple-A until his team can bring him up. The impact he's going to have will be mind-blowing and immediate."

For Ortiz, his hellacious night against the Rockies (3.1 innings, 8 runs) didn't help his case. And his now hellacious ERA of 6.44 may be one step closer to the bullpen.

George Frazier is a friggin' idiot

2007-05-01T05:51:00.000-07:00

I mentioned this earlier in the season, but it's worth repeating: George Frazier and Drew Goodman, the Colorado Rockies' broadcasting duo, combine to form one of the worst announcing teams in the history of Western Civilization. If you ever get the chance to listen to them... change the channel.

Not to sound like Charles Barkley, but first of all, they bicker with each other like a couple of schoolgirls. Frazier enjoys minimizing Goodman's thoughts with the ol' "Well, I don't agree with that Drew. When I played, you had to do it this way." Right out of Joe Morgan's book.

Second, Frazier is an idiot. It's that simple. I don't know if he even watches teams other than the Rockies. Here are a couple of examples from Monday night:

1) Discussing Pedro Feliz in the first inning (and I'm paraphrasing):
"Every time we come here we ask how Feliz is doing and everybody says, "Oh, he's struggling. He's really struggling."

Okay, sounds good George. What else you got?

"But I don't ever believe it. Every time we see him, he's smoking the ball. This guy simply wears the baseball out. He's a solid hitter."

Um, what? If by "wear the baseball out," (and that's a direct quote) you mean "swing wildly in incoherently at will," then I agree with you.

You see, George, Pedro wears your pitching out because your pitching sucks. The rest of the baseball universe understands that all you need to do is throw Feliz sliders in the dirt and he'll strike out or ground to shortstop.

2) Discussing Noah Lowry:

"Lowry was pretty much exclusively a fastball - changeup pitcher before this
season, but he's altered that this year and is mixing in more breaking pitches."

Sounds good. And?

"The reason he had to do that was because there is not much of a change in
velocity between his fastball and changeup. He needed to mix in something at a
different speed."

For chrissakes, George. Lowry's changeup is so good precisely because he has such a big change in velocity from his fastball. Do you even watch baseball? Lowry throws anywhere from 86-89 with his fastball, while his changeup (his best pitch) comes in anywhere from 73-75. That's a HUGE difference.

George Frazier on himself: "I'm awful. I'm absolutely awful."

About last night: I fell asleep while Kevin Correia was doing his best to blow the lead, but it looks like Kline, pitching for the first time since 2004 it seems, coaxed a big double play from Helton that saved the game. As you know, the bullpen is dead to me, so I really didn't have a problem falling asleep after Lowry left the game.

Russ Ortiz goes tonight against Taylor Bucholz. One thing I learned from the Rockies' knuckleheads last night: Giants' management told them that Tim Lincecum will be up as soon as one of the starters starts to falter. Did you hear that, Russ? That means you.

That's more like the Matt Morris we all know and love

2007-04-29T17:54:00.000-07:00

Matt Morris took his Curveballapalooza act to Arizona on Sunday. Morris went deep in the game, but the bases loaded double by Orlando Hudson (who, by the way, is absolutely smoking the ball this year. Where the hell did his hitting come from? I'd say it's the HGH, but the dude has a physique like Kevin Martin) was the dagger.

The curveballer's line: 7 innings, 12 hits, 3 walks, 5 runs, 2 K's.

The offense struggled too. Randy Johnson didn't look anything like his former self, but the offense couldn't capitalize on plenty of chances to score. Not very good situational hitting, in my unprofessional opinion.

Some stats that will become more important as the season progresses:

Matt Morris: 1.59 whip, 15 walks vs. 14 K's
Todd Linden: 15 strikeouts (leads team) in 40 plate appearances (10th on team).
Omar Vizquel: .275 obp, .211 average with runners in scoring position
Pedro Feliz: whatever

Losing all three games in Arizona is tough, but nothing can perk a team up like, "Hey, the Rockies come to town tonight!" Not only that, but the Giants get to start the series against Colorado's #4 & 5 starters.

Here are the matchups:

Noah Lowry vs. Josh Fogg
Russ Ortiz vs. Taylor Bucholz
Barry Zito vs. Jeff Francis

The Lincecum Watch

2007-04-29T17:34:00.000-07:00

Jesus.

The Franchise is making a pretty tough case against keeping him in Fresno. That is, he's too damned good for the minors.

Here's Lincecum's line from Sunday afternoon against Colorado Springs:

6 innings, 0 runs, 3 hits, 0 walks, 14 strikeouts.

That's not a typo.

14 strikeouts in 6 innings

Lincecum's stats on the year: 5 games, 4-0, 0.29 ERA, 31 innings, 12 hits, 11 walks, 46 K's, 0.74 whip, .119 baa.

With each start, Lincecum is making a case for the bigs. He made the #1 spot on Baseball America's Prospect Hot Sheet last week. Look for him to be prominently mentioned in the Baseball America pages tomorrow.

By the way, he's 4 months older than Matt Cain (who, oh by the way, owns a .109 baa this season).

You know, Achilles had a heel too that was troublesome

2007-04-29T07:42:00.000-07:00

The bullpen. Oooohhhh, the bullpen.

They're still dead to me.

Matt Cain was at his effectively wild best again last night, but it was all for naught as Jack Texaco and Vinnie Exxon decided it would be best to throw gasoline on a small brush fire.

Taschner, in particular, didn't have anything. He had been pitching pretty well on the season, but I can't say that I am "comfortable" with him in a set-up role. Then again, I'm not "comfortable" with anybody in the bullpen at the moment, so he was par for the course, if you will.

I know the stats show that the bullpen has been pretty good, with the exception of last night and the debacle in Colorado a couple of weeks ago, but I don't think many Giants fans have faith in those guys yet. There aren't any true shut-down arms in the group, and that is bound to catch up to the team as the season progresses.

Cain, on the other hand, continues to befuddle opponents. He wasn't particularly sharp last night, allowing 4 walks in 6 innings, but teams just can't hit him. In his last four games, he has allowed 1 hit, 3 hits, 2 hits and 1 hit. Incredible run.

Cain's numbers: 35 innings, 12 hits, 6 runs, 17 walks, 23 strikeouts, 1.54 ERA.

Oh, and that Bonds guy is pretty damned good too: .362 avg, .519 obp, .828 slg. With each game he looks more and more like the 2004 Bonds. He'll undoubtedly get a rest today, along with Bengie Molina and Dave Roberts. His impact on the lineup is, well, it goes without saying.

Speaking of today, Tim Lincecum pitches against Colorado Springs today in Fresno. More on him tomorrow.

Saturday morning stuff

2007-04-28T06:22:00.000-07:00

Sorry I haven't posted in a couple of days. My son has been in the hospital with a bad virus (personally, I think he got sick of watching Pedro Feliz swing the bat), but he's back home now and I can get back to talking Giants.

First of all, that was an impressive sweep of LA. And who would have thought Armando Benitez could start the season 7 for 7 in save opportunities? He isn't exactly "dominating" (and his demeanor on the mound is really pissing me off), but he's getting the job done, which is better than you could say last last two years.

About last night: Ray Durham forgot to show up. Durham left 8 runners stranded in the game. Wow. Bonds was walked three times intentionally and Durham couldn't do anything with it. Tough game for the second baseman.

The Barry Zito Four Run Rule struck again last night. Zito is 1-2 this year when the Giants fail to score 4 runs for him. Don't get me wrong, I think Zito is a terrific pitcher. But if you score 4 runs for him, you will not lose.

The Giants throw their ace tonight: Matt Cain goes against Edgar Gonzalez in Arizona.

Eddie Harris is on a roll

2007-04-25T06:30:00.000-07:00

Matt Morris reminds me of Eddie Harris from Major League. Older veteran. Big-time competitor. Crafty. I'm not sure if Morris is using the assortment of "tools" that Harris was famous for, but whatever he's doing, it's best if he keeps it up.

Morris and his collection of curveballs (seriously, does he throw anything else?) befuddled the Dodgers last night through seven innings. He ran out of gas in the eighth after about 90 pitches, but that was a pretty impressive performance by a guy who used to be a much, much different pitcher. Kevin Kennedy and Steve Lyons commented after the game (Dodgers broadcast) that Morris is "re-inventing" himself this year. He is nothing like the pitcher he was two/three years ago, and nothing like the pitcher from last year either (and that's a damned good thing). He's pretty much a softballer now, throwing only 10 or so pitches that eclipsed 85mph the entire game.

By the way, I was forces to listen to Vin Scully last night. I know it's sacrilege to say this in some baseball circles, but I would rather pop my eardrums with dull screwdrivers than listen to Vin Scully for 9 innings. He... drives... me... nuts...

To paraphrase, this is all I heard last night: "Matt Morris's dad was a steel worker in New York and actually helped build the twin towers, as the right-hander throws a curveball that glides across the plate beautifully for strike two to the diminutive Rafael Furcal who, incidentally, has a steel worker in the family as well. You gotta love those steel worker kids. Furcal's cousin Guantalupe Espondido of Caracas, Venezuela, that hot-bed of baseball talent, is a steel worker on a large ranch that is home to chickens, cows, goats and a couple of well-minded dogs, I'm sure.

"You know fans, there was a lot of steel used to construct Dodger Stadium, and you can check out some of that steel tomorrow night as great seats are still available. And remember, it's Matt Kemp key-chain night. If you're one of the first - as Furcal grounds softly to the amazing Omar Vizquel - one of the fist 40,000 fans, you receive a Matt Kemp key-chain..."

On to some interesting stats:
The Giants' starters lead the National League in ERA at: 2.81 (NY is second at 3.01)
The Giants' pitching staff as a whole is third in the NL at: 3.17 (NY is first at 2.48, LA is 2 at 3.03)
Matt Morris: 3-0, 2.49 ERA, 25.1 innings, 24 hits, 12 walks, 12 K's.

Noah Lowry will try to keep up with the rest of the starters tonight. Randy Wolf goes for L.A.

The Lincecum Watch

2007-04-24T08:31:00.000-07:00

"The Franchise" pitched yesterday for Fresno in the first game of a doubleheader against Tucson. Lincecum was off his game a bit as he walked 6 through 6.1, giving up his first run of the year. Though he only struck out four, he didn't allow a freakin' hit.

Lincecum's updated numbers through four starts: 3-0, 0.36 ERA, 25 innings, 9 hits, 1 run, .113 baa, 11 walks, 32 strikeouts.

From the Fresno Grizzlies' website:

With a 1-0 lead in the second inning, Lincecum ran into his biggest jam of the season. The 22 year old started the inning by walking the leadoff hitter, then hit Tucson third baseman Brian Barden in the hand with one of his 96 mph fastballs. After a wild pitch that advanced both runners, Lincecum surrendered his first run of the season on second baseman Matt Erickson’s sacrifice fly that tied the game 1-1.

“This is the first time in my career I have ever had to take a pitcher out with a no hitter going,” said Grizzlies manager Dan Rohn. “That’s the way it is.”

The Franchise is on a pretty strict pitch count and was yanked after 97 pitches Monday night

According to Brian Sabean, Lincecum isn't long for the minors, but I still think (in my infinite scouting wisdom) that it would be a mistake to put him in the bullpen. You would hate to damage the kid's arm because of an acute need at the Major League level for a team that doesn't exactly I'd take an ace over a closer any day.

Wait... are the Giants good?

2007-04-22T16:29:00.000-07:00

If the rotation keeps putting up zero's like it did through the weekend sweep of the D'Backs, then the Giants could absolutely be good.

Friday: Russ Ortiz - 7 innings, 8 hits, 2 runs, 1 big fist stuck up the collective ass of the team that dropped him by way of a phone call.
Saturday: Barry Zito - 7.1 innings, 4 hits, 0 runs, 5 k's
Sunday: Ace Cain - CG, 3 hits, 1 run, 4 K's

The offense can thank Bonds at the moment. Which is to say, he has pretty much been the offense over the last two days. Bonds is now tied for the NL lead in homers, leads the NL in OPS, and leads the league in ESPN references to steroids.

In the near future, the team is going to need some juice (figuratively speaking, kind of) at the top of the lineup:

(through Sunday)
Dave Roberts: .214 avg, .279 obp
Omar Vizquel: .203 avg, .250 obp

Big series with the Dodgers starting Tuesday.

Tuesday: Matt Morris vs. Derek Lowe
Wednesday: Noah Lowry vs. Randy Wolf
Thursday: Russ Ortiz vs. Brad Penny

Everything is just peachy

2007-04-19T19:28:00.000-07:00

Losing sucks. But winning is like an orgy of happiness.

Take today, for example. After Noah Lowry allowed a couple of runs to give the Cards a 2-0 lead, the rational reaction for any Giants fan was to get depressed. But that was before Richie Aurilia saved the day with another clutch hit (he's making a habit of that), allowing the Giants to "sweep" the two-game series with St. Louis.

Depsite the team's glaring flaws, I'm starting to think this team has an outside chance in the NL West. The primary reason for optimism is the success of the starting rotation. The West is stacked with starting pitching, but the Giants may have the best 1-5 rotation in the division.

Lowry pitched another gem today, looking a lot like the Lowry from 2005. We all know that the bullpen is a weakness, but it could be a much bigger problem if not for the ability of the starters to pitch deep into games. Here are some numbers:

Matt Cain: 20 innings (6.2 per start) - leads the league with a .125 BAA. 2nd with 0.85 WHIP
Noah Lowry: 20 innings (6.2 per start) - .211 BAA. 1.15 WHIP
Matt Morris: 18 innings (6 per start) - living on the edge a bit with a 1.56 WHIP
Barry Zito: 17 innings (5.2 per start) - he makes a butt-load of money. Have you heard this?
Russ Ortiz: 13.2 innings (6.1 per start) - he makes a butt-load of money too... from Arizona.
Tim Lincecum: Um, wait...

The shortest outing by a starter has been 5 innings -- Zito on Opening day and Ortiz in his first start.

Other tidbits:

-- DMo was at both games against St. Louis (BH was there on Wednesday night), seated two rows from the bullpen. Hopefully we will get a scouting report from one of those guys in the near future. Hopefully they heckled Armondo Benitez.

-- Ortiz pitches against Arizona on Friday night. If he beats them, I will laugh. The Diamondbacks are paying Ortiz $11+ million dollars this year for him to NOT pitch for them.

-- Ortiz, Zito and Cain are lined up for the weekend series against the D'Backs. Arizona counters with the bottom portion of their rotation: Doug Davis (3), Edgar Gonzalez (4) and Micah Owings (5)... I have never heard of Micah Owings. Seriously. In the immortal words of Major League, "Who's this fucking guy?"

Laaaaate night win

2007-04-19T07:58:00.000-07:00

Random thoughts from last night's 12-inning win over the Cardinals:

Pedro Feliz is losing his grip on regular playing time one at-bat (and error) at a time. He's driving me nuts. With four first-basemen on the roster, the Giants can move Aurilia to third to get Klesko or Neikro in the lineup. It will happen if Feliz keeps playing like shit. ("Shit" is a technical description of his efforts.)

Stapes called it yesterday: They needed that win last night. If they contend this year, remember last night's game.

Matt Morris is pitching great this year and is starting to live up to his resume. He kept the Cards off-balance with his curveball and had real life on his fastball. I'm shocked at how well he's pitching. Seriously.

Barry Bonds is amazing. I've read Game of Shadows as well as Love Me, Hate Me, and I've come to one conclusion: I love watching him hit.

C-Lo's picture from Tuesday night's game in Denver. The man can hit.

Before the season is out, Jonathan Sanchez will prove to be the most reliable arm in the bullpen. He was hitting 93-96 consistently, with a pretty good off-speed pitch. He's the #2 prospect in the Giants' system, according to Baseball America. He could be great in the rotation in a couple of years, but he has the potential to be a shut-down setup guy right now.

The Lincecum Watch

2007-04-18T11:15:00.000-07:00

As I wrote last night, Tim Lincecum dominated last night, striking out 11 in 6.2 innings of 3-hit, 0-walk ball. Here are today's reports and features:

From Baseball America

From the Tacoma News-Tribune

From sfgiants.com

Here's my favorite part of the Tacoma News-Tribune story:

Lincecum unleashed a 99 mph fastball in the second inning, and his velocity stayed around 93-96 mph most of the game. His curveball bit hard, coming in around 85 mph.

Former Rainiers manager and current Fresno manager Dan Rohn likened Lincecum’s velocity and movement to Seattle’s Felix Hernandez during their time together in Tacoma.

“His stuff is close to Felix’s,” Rohn said.

Hernandez is 6-3, 230 pounds.

“I guess (Roy) Oswalt of the Astros isn’t much bigger than Lincecum,” Rohn said.
Brown, who pitched in 139 major league games, had to think for a moment on a big-league comparison to Lincecum.

“That’s tough,” Brown said. “I guess maybe Pedro (Martinez). He wasn’t that tall, and early on he could run it up there, 96-97 mph.”

The bullpen is dead to me

2007-04-17T20:19:00.000-07:00

If you are wondering if there are any alternatives at Fresno, you'll be happy to know that the club's top bullpen option, Brian Wilson, blew a save by giving up two ninth inning runs (2 runs, 2 hits, 2 walks, 2/3 of an inning) in a loss to Tacoma. Of note, Tim Lincicum pitched 6.2 shutout innings, striking out 11. (Lincicum's season totals: 18.2 innings, 0 runs, 9 hits, 5 walks, 28 strikeouts, 1 Pacific Coast League Pitcher of the Week award.)

Matt Cain dominated again through 7 innings of 2 hit ball on Tuesday, bloody Tuesday. Rockies' announcers, Drew Goodman and George Frazier, gushed about Cain all night while constantly mentioning his pitch count. The duo first referred to the Giants' bullpen as the team's Achilis heel in the first inning. When Cain was finally lifted after 7 innings, Goodman and Frazier basically made out with one another in a fit of joy. Shortly thereafter, the bullpen collapsed like a lawn chair.

I think I speak for most Giants fans when I say, "Damn."

The "Barry Zito Four Run Rule"

2007-04-17T06:08:00.000-07:00

There is no doubt in my mind that Scott Boras used the following statistic during his Barry Zito negotiations with the Giants: Entering last night's game, Zito was 85-4when his team scored 4 runs or more. Now he's 86-4.

I heard that stat from the Rockies' announcing duo of Drew Goodman and George Frazier (who I can stand about as much as I can stand cutting my head when I shave), so you know it was in Boras's arsenal.

Here's the thing though -- I think GM Brian Sabean should have considered this before convincing himself that the words "Rich Aurilia" and "acceptable #3 hitter" went together like peanut butter and jelly. In other words, your team damn well be able to score 4 runs a game more often than not. Zito's career mark is 103-65, meaning he is only 17-61 when his team scores 3 runs or fewer.

The moral of the story? Score 4 runs for Barry Zito and he won't lose the game for you.

If your team can score 4 runs for this guy, you have yourself an ace

The benefit from last weekend's Pittsburgh vacation is that the Giants could throw their #1 starter last night and their #2 starter, Matt Cain, tonight. Frazier went as far as to say that Cain is not only one of the best young pitchers in baseball, but one of the best pitchers, period, in the game. Might be a bit of a stretch at this point to say he's one of the best pitchers in the game (maybe top-25), but Cain has sure impressed more than one opponent.

One more random note: Glenallen Hill is the first-base coach for the Rockies. Hill, one of the worst Giants hitters of all-time (let's just say he was "impatient" at the plate), looks exactly the same as he did 10 years ago. It's unbelievable. Anyway, the aforementioned Frazier (seriously, I can't stand the guy), said earlier this season that Hill was going to be a tremendous help to the Rockies by providing, among other things, hitting tips. Um... what? Isn't that kind of like sending your son to an STD-prevention class in which Paris Hilton is the facilitator?

Glenallen Hill is to hitting what Paris Hilton is to STD prevention

April showers bring May arthritis

2007-04-14T16:47:00.000-07:00

The Giants and Pirates will play two tomorrow, in theory, with Zito and Cain throwing for SF. The forecast looks worse for tomorrow though so the games stand a snowball's chance in Pittsburgh of happening. According to sfgiants.com, they are going to have a hard time making up any games that will be postponed, in part because this is the only trip San Francisco makes to Pittsburgh. The story talks about an aspect of the Collective Bargaining Agreement that is new to me:

If either of Sunday's games is called off, the teams will struggle to squeeze in a makeup date, given scheduling constraints.
Both teams are off on April 23, but playing on that date would put the Giants in action for 28 (or 27, if they play one game Sunday) consecutive days, exceeding the limit set by the Basic Agreement. July 12 is another common day off, but that's a bonus day during the All-Star break.
Playing on July 30 or Aug. 13, two other shared off-days, would force the Giants to play 31 and 30 days in a row, respectively. A Sept. 13 makeup date would thrust a 27-game-in-a-row stretch upon Pittsburgh.

Just like the good ol' days

2007-04-13T17:35:00.000-07:00

Had I not known better, I may have thought I was watching stock footage from 2002.

Barry Bonds clobbering the ball with ease. Russ Ortiz pitching a gem. The Giants winning.

Just like 2002.

The heartwarming aspect of the game was that Ortiz notched his first victory since August 24, 2005, a string of 32 appearances. I think I speak for most Giants fans when I say, "Good for you, Russ. Now you better keep doing it."

The main story, of course, was Barry Bonds. 3 for 3 with two homers and four RBI. Bonds simply overpowered the Pittsburgh duo of Zach Duke and Shawn Chacon. You just got the sense in his third at bat (against Chacon) that he was going to homer again. When Bonds puts on a display like he did last night, there's nothing better to watch. The man can leave an entire stadium in awe. It was very telling that the same fans who showed up just to boo Bonds ended up giving him a standing ovation after his second homer (well, half the fans gave him a standing ovation).

By the way, one of the cool aspects of having the Extra Innings package on DirecTV is that you get to hear the home team's announcers. A couple of days ago I gushed over the San Diego announcing team, placing them right behind Kruk and Kuip on the entertainment scale. With that in mind, I had a thought about the Pittsburgh duo of Johnny Boredom and Richard I'mfallingasleep: They suck. At least I only have to listen to them for two more days.

Barry Zito goes tonight, trying to improve upon his rough start to the season. 30% chance of precipitation for the game.

The Lincecum Watch

2007-04-13T06:29:00.000-07:00

I thought I would start Friday with some positive news from the Giants' system. Primarily, let's talk about the kid Steve Kline knicknamed, "Franchise."

Tim "Franchise" Lincecum

Tim Lincecum's line in Fresno last night:

7 innings
4 hits
0 runs
2 walks
9 strikeouts

After two games, Lincecum's numbers look like this:

2 wins
12 innings
6 hits
0 runs
5 walks
17 strikeouts
0 runners allowed past second base
1 Congressional medal of Jesus

Everybody assumed Lincecum (last year's first round pick out of Washington) would perform well at AAA, but I don't think anybody thought he was going to be this dominant this early. Baseball American ranked Lincecum as the #10 prospect in all of baseball and he would have been higher had there not been injury concerns due to his much-publicized, unorthodox delivery. (OZ, this is mainly for you) Lincecum is a 5'10", 160 pound right-hander who throws up to 99mph with a hammer curveball that scouts say is a top 5 MAJOR LEAGUE curve right now. At times he can be unhittable. His delivery is really weird as he coils his body like Kevin Brown and has a huge stride to the plate that catapults the ball towards home. Baseball America compares his delivery to Sandy Koufax and Bob Feller... good company.

The Giants aren't going to be able to keep the 22-year-old in the minors much longer. Yes, Russ Ortiz, you were meant to hear that. Of course, the starting pitching (including Ortiz) has been great to this point, but I just can't wait to see this kid throw at AT&T Park.

Other Minor League numbers:

The Giants four minor league teams have a combined record of 23-4
The two single-A affiliates (San Jose and Augusta) are a combined 15-1
Brian Wilson, the would-be closer, has pitched 6 shutout innings (2 saves) striking out 8 and allowing only 2 hits (4 walks)
23-year-old Nate Schierholtz had a hot start at Fresno: .357, 3 homers, 8 RBI
The Giants have a ton of speedy middle-infielders at the lower levels. San Jose and Augusta have stolen a combined 33 bases in the first 16 total games (8 each). SS Brian Bocock leads the minors with 9 stolen bases in Augusta's first 8 games.

Looks like the entire weekend could be snowed out in Pittsburgh. Ortiz goes tonight against lefty Zach Duke.

The Arteeeest

2007-04-12T06:20:00.000-07:00

Greg Maddux pitched a hell of a game last night. He kept the Giants hitters off-balance with a fastball that was topping out at 83. The guy is a wizard with the ball. He is truly one of my favorite pitchers to watch because he attacks hitters (75 pitches through 6 shutout innings) and doesn't try to pick at corners.

Padres' announcer Mark Grant made a telling comment about a conversation he had with Maddux. To paraphrase, Maddux told Grant, "I'll probably lead the league in giving up 0-2 hits. But I'm also going to get a lot of 0-2 outs." Point being, Maddux just wants to throw strikes. It's a lesson that a lot of big league pitchers can learn.

On to the team that was shutout, again. Here's a couple of interesting Giants stats this year:

Giants runs against Clay Hensley: 11
Giants runs against the 16 other pitchers they have faced: 9
The Giants offense has scored against the opposing team's bullpen only 3 times, with all 3 runs coming against Dodger pitcher Chad Billingsley
In the seven games started by a pitcher other than Matt Morris, the Giants have scored a total of 9 runs

Look, the Dodgers and Padres both have excellent pitching staffs. The Padres bullpen, in particular, is a collection of studs (they have yet to allow a run in 25+ innings this year - most of those innings have been against SF). My point is that the Giants haven't exactly faced a bunch of cupcakes on the mound. They travel to Pittsburgh and then Colorado after today's off day, so we'll see if those staffs can help the Giants jumpstart their sputtering offense.

The Snooze Button

2007-04-11T07:01:00.000-07:00

I couldn't be happier about two things: 1) The Giants finally notched their second victory. 2) I feel asleep immediately following Kevin Correia's perfect eighth inning.

What I learned this morning is that Armando Benitez tried his mightiest to blow the game for Matt Morris and Co. in the ninth inning, giving up two runs before closing the game. Had I been awake to see the Benitez debacle, I surely would have punched myself in the stomach. Like most of Giants Nation, I can't stand Benitez. I really don't even want to talk about him anymore.

What I do want to mention is an interesting fact I learned while watching the broadcast via the Padres home announcing crew of Matt Vasgersian and former Giants pitcher Mark Grant. (I rank that duo as my second favorite baseball broadcasting team behind Kruk and Kuip. They're that good.)

Through the first two games of the series, the Padres broadcast has highlighted an assortment of stats that you would otherwise never even think about. For example, Gaylord Perry has the lowest Giants ERA against the Padres (minimum 35 innings) at 1.40. Matt Cain is fifth at 1.89. Also, Marcus Giles led the league last year in swinging at the first pitch - a whopping 52% of the time. Pedro Feliz (whom OZ rightly refers to as the "Shareef Abdur-Rahim" of the Kings) was seventh in the league at just under 40%.

At any rate, it's not hard to notice that Matt Morris throws a TON of curveballs. I've actually thought to myself before, in all seriousness, that Morris must throw more curveballs than any other pitcher in the game. You know what? He does! And the Padres team had a stat for it!

The top five % of pitches that were curveballs by starting pitchers last year (I can't believe somebody keeps track of this):
Matt Morris - 28.6%
Chris Carpenter - 21%
Somebody I can't remember - 20.5%
Dave Bush - 20%
Brad Penny - 19%

That's a LOT of curveballs. He's probably throwing even more this year, judging by his two starts. I'd say 40% of his pitches last night had to be curveballs. He's getting away with it though and is off to a fine start to the season.

Is there such a thing as the "Prevent Offense?"

2007-04-10T15:32:00.000-07:00

This is just a crippling lack of offensive production. The Opening Day lineup of Roberts, Omar, Bonds, Durham, Aurilia, Molina, Feliz, and Winn have scored a grand total of 3 runs in the three games they've been on the field together. All three came in game 2. Here's a couple of random thoughts on the offense:

-- I want to see Bruce Bochy say to Pedro Feliz, "Help me, help you. Help me, help you!" Feliz is losing his confidence one swing at a time. He's a groundball to shortstop waiting to happen. I actually threw my dog through the tv last night when he grounded to short after Molina's leadoff double in the seventh. (Dear PETA: Not really)

-- Molina might be the slowest runner I've ever seen, and that includes J.T. Snow. Mike Krukow's "Runaway beer truck" description of Eliezar Alfonzo should be modified to be "beer truck slowly creeping in first gear" for Molina.

-- Roberts and Omar need to start getting on base. Vizquel has had a brutal start to the year.

-- It's still a joy to watch Barry Bonds hit.

Last nights game did solidify the notion that the Giants have some incredibly talented young arms. Matt Cain's 7 innings were incredible and the relief job Jonathan Sanchez did was also impressive.

Jason Schmidt is, to this day, my favorite Giants pitcher of all-time. In his prime, you knew... you KNEW that he would be dominant every time out. I'm getting that same feeling about Cain. When he takes the mound, the Giants have a great shot at winning.

Matt Morris has an opportunity tonight to start the season 2-0. The Giants got to Clay Hensley in his last outing. It will be interesting to see Bochy's lineup tonight. Klesko back at 1st with Aurilia at 3rd?

Panic at the Disco

2007-04-09T08:08:00.000-07:00

According to the San Francisco Chronicle, the 1-5 start to the season means only one thing: The season is over, or, at the least, not worth watching. Well, that's what big Bruce Jenkins thinks:

So now it's off to the road in San Diego, Pittsburgh and Colorado, three teams with more youth, a more sensible philosophy and a better future than the Giants. That's right, the Pirates, too. It has come to that....

"It's over," one scout said to a writer in the press box after Wilson Valdez's two-run triple gave the Dodgers a 5-1 lead against Zito in the sixth inning.
"Yeah,that's a tough deficit," came the reply.
"No, I mean the season."

Of course that's too harsh. But after watching this 1-5 homestand, you can't tell me you feel anything positive about the Giants and their chances to contend in the ever improving National League West.

Um, yeah Bruce, I think that's a little too harsh. And I will tell you right now that there were a couple of positives that came from the miserable homestand: Aside from yesterday's debacle, the starting pitching has been brilliant, and that will win them many games. The dearth of youth on this team is troubling (when have you heard that before), but I don't see this team becoming utterly unwatchable at any point (see: Kings, Sacramento).

I just think it's a little too early for Giants Nation to panic. Well, on second thought, maybe a mini-panic attack is okay... but there's no need to proclaim the season dead.

The Lincicum Watch

2007-04-08T07:24:00.000-07:00

What a line for Tim Lincecum in his AAA Fresno season debut:

83 pitches
5 innings
2 hits
3 walks
8 strikeouts
0 runners even close to scoring

With the starting rotation as a strength to the current Giants squad, Lincecum just needs to bide his time at the moment. He's going to be tough to ignore though if he keeps pitching like this and the Giants keep losing.

Other hot starts for the Giants minor leaguers:

Nate Schierholtz is 8 for 16 with 3 homers and 7 RBI in Fresno's first four games
Travis Blackley, acquired from the Mariners in the Jason Ellison trade, pitched 5 innings of two-run ball, striking out 7 for the win
Emmanuel Burriss, ranked as the Giants #4 prospect by Baseball America, has 3 stolen bases in San Jose's first 3 games
Brian Bocock has 6 stolen bases through Augusta's first 4 games.

Hey, have you heard that Bonds did steroids? No, really, he did!

2007-03-16T08:36:00.000-07:00

by SonDog

-- continued from Mile High Ramblings -- :

Pick 1 SonDog: Matt Cain -- His super-human fastball is awesome. I don't even know if he throws another pitch. Here's something interesting though: He needs to put people away quicker this year. Last year his Achilles heel was getting to 100 pitches after three innings.

Pick 2 BH: Barry Bonds -- I'm taking Bonds. I don't give a shit. He'll hit 35 bombs, .313, 87 RBIs. I don't know if he'll have over 100 hits, but I'll still take him. He'd probably go in the 8th round in any other draft, but this is the Giants.

Pick 3 SonDog: Barry Zito -- I'll take Zito and his $126 million worth of luggage with the third pick. If he goes 15-12 though, the fans and media will be all over him. He has to win 16-17 games with an ERA in the mid to low 3.00's to avoid having Henry Shulman, Andrew Baggerly and the fans from biting his head off in print. As long as he pitches like this, he will be fine.

Pick 4 BH: yeah. It's always good to have the looming threat of catching shit as
your motivation. He's sure to perform. I'll take...fuck, who is there? Durham? Yes, Ray Durham at 4. I don't know. His power numbers have been up over the past couple of seasons, and now he's going to be hitting in the 4 spot. The big question is durability. The hope is that he has adapted to a bulkier, older body, not hitting in the leadoff spot. If they get 130 games out of him, that's a steal.

Pick 5 SonDog: Brian Wilson -- There's no way Benitez is the closer. No way. If Wilson falls on his face, that leaves... Um... Uhhhhhhh... Mark Gardner?

Pick 6 BH: Let's go with big Russ Ortiz as the 5th starter. If he's actually the guy that put together a good winter and is hitting the mid-90's, that will completely change the season for this team. If he blows it and they have to put up with a Ryan Jensen-ish pile of shit in the 5th spot or the ups and downs associated with a young guy like Jonathan Sanchez, not only will it be hard to watch, but...they will be...hard to watch and suck.

Pick 7 SonDog: Guh, Ortiz. We'll see. You're right though, he would change the dynamic of the whole rotation. Noah Lowry at 7. Pitching is going to be the key, as you point out. Because there is no way they generate enough offense (I mean, Durham is your cleanup hitter, Sabes? Seriously? That's not a joke?) to put up with shoddy pitching. I think this is a critical year for Lowry. He needs to prove that last year was a mirage and he's the 200 inning, 15-win kind of pitcher that he was two years ago when he led them in wins, ERA and strikeouts. I'm not saying he has to do that this year, since he's the #3 starter and all, but he needs to be consistent.

Pick 8 BH: I think Lowry's 2005 was a mirage. Matt Morris at 8. He has to be better than last year. Having written that, he gave them over 200 innings last year, and should give them more this year with someone other than Felipe running the show. They don't really need 200+ innings of 5 ERA pitching, but I'll take that over 150 and a taxed bullpen with inflated ERAs. I've got to take a leak. It might be a few minutes before I can respond.

Pick 9 SonDog: Matt Morris... If they are out of contention by the all-star game, Morris is trade bait. Not sure exactly what kind of "bait" he will be, but I can't see them blocking Sanchez or Lincicum if they are out of contention.

Kevin Correia at 9. If Wilson becomes the closer (meaning, if Sabean doesn't sign Craig Lefferts in the interim), Correia likely assumes setup duties. It will be imperative for him to succeed. He showed last year that he can do it in a less-pressure situation. Let's see what he can do when there's more on the line each night. Plus, he's best friends with Bochy's kid, so he'll likely get every chance imaginable.

Pick 10 BH: I've heard Correia is basically seen as the setup guy now. His big issue has always been control, so we'll see. I'm not really interested in seeing 'Mando come in in the 8th with the bags full and no outs. Speaking of...

I'll take Armando Benitez at 10. We know the deal. Fat. Old. Slow. Cranky. Hurt. I don't know. Basically they have done what they've done the last two years with a pile of goo throwing bluh at hitters. Anything above average they can get from this guy is a huge bonus. I'm rooting for him, but who knows what we'll get.

Pick 11 SonDog: I hate Benitez. He's the closer on my all-hate baseball team.

Dave Roberts at 11. Did you know the most games he's played in his career is something like 130? Hopefully his legs can withstand the season. Then again, he's a couple of pulled hamstrings away from batting cleanup. Seriously, if he can swipe 40-50 bags with Vizquel swiping his 25, they could provide a spark at the top of the lineup.

Pick 12 BH: Did you know that Roberts stole second, starting a rally for the Red Sox against the Yankees in 2004? DID YOU KNOW THAT!! NO ONE EVER BRINGS THAT UP!!

Rich Aurillia at 12. The Giants haven't had a useful offensive corner infielder since JT started declining in 2000. He's not going to hit 23 bombs or .300 playing in a real ballpark, but if he can keep his OBP up, that will be useful.

Pick 13 SonDog: I heard he was some sort of hero in Boston, but I wasn't sure as to why.

Randy Winn at 13. Is it just me, or do the Giants have (with the exception of Bonds) the weakest collection of corner outfielders/infielders in the history of the game?

Pick 14 BH: Pedro Feliz at 14. He needs to see more pitches. He had a useless OBP last season, and should have had 25 more RBIs. He's the new Glenallen Hill, he of the worst at-bat in MLB history. He's a stud defensively, and he's a better 3B option both at the bag and at the plate than any other option they've got, but he needs to hit the ball more than he has in the past. That's the magical BH formula for baseball success: hit the ball with the bat, therefore putting the ball in play.

Pick 15 SonDog: You sound like Tim McCarver.

Benji Molina at 15. He's fat and slow. Kind of like the guy they already had, but whatever. If the pitching staff is as successful as it needs to be, his most important job will be behind the plate rather than at the plate. Whatever he hits is a bonus.

Pick 16 BH: Has anyone taken Omar?

I'm gonna take Omar Vizquel.

He's my favorite Giant, but I don't know that he's that important to this team aside from being a steady player. If he hits 2nd or 8th, maybe he'll be a help offensively. He's always good for a long AB, and his OBP is nice, which makes him a good fit for those two spots. I just don't see that big a difference between Omar hitting .260 and .290 as far as affecting (effecting) team results. It is really far more effective to measure his OBP than anything else. Defensively, we know the deal.

Pick 17 SonDog: At 17, Brad Hennessey. I love his name. Plus, he'll be moping up Matt Morris's mess more often than not, and that is an important job.

Pick 18 BH: At 18 I'm taking I'm Not Playing Anymore. At this point, we're cleaning up douche runoff at the Red Bluff City Pool. Unless we are into discussing the importance of the Vinnie Chulk coming in to face the Brewers vaunted #8 righty, marginal utility has decreased beyond the point of interest. It was fun though. If you want a prediction, 92-70. Fuck yeah!!

------------------------------------

As far as the rest of the team is concerned, SonDog thinks 18-25 is as follows:

18: Todd Linden -- He will be playing a ton with Bonds and Roberts making up 2/3 of the outfield. If he goes into the season as the #4 outfielder, as discussed, he's going to play at least 100 games. The question is whether those will be "quality" games.

19: Kevin Frandsen -- Vital as a utility infielder. A Ray Durham injury is about as predictable as a Ray Durham injury, so Frandsen is sure to see a lot of time at 2B and backing up Omar at SS.

20: Steve Kline -- Because 80-year-old lefty relievers on two-year contracts must still serve a purpose.

21: Ryan Klesko -- No longer on the juice, so his power numbers are non-existent. Great signing.

22: Mark Sweeney -- See Klesko, Ryan. Same player, but he never had the power.

23: Eliezar Alfonzo -- Backup catcher. I love Mike Krukow's description of Alfonzo running the bases: "Watch out! It's a runaway beer truck!"

24: Jason Ellison -- Likely to be Fred Lewis by May.

25: Vinnie Chulk -- BH talked about him in #18.

The Future, Part Duex

2007-02-28T11:12:00.000-08:00

It's great to hear that the Giants have locked up Matt Cain for the next four years. If things go according to plan (which is to say they won't), the Giants could (should) produce this rotation for the 2007 season:

Barry Zito
Matt Cain
Matt Morris
Noah Lowry
Jonathan Sanchez

By next year, the rotation should look like this:

Zito
Cain
Lowry
Lincicum
Sanchez

Of course, it's more likely to look like this:

Zito
Kelly Downs
Morris
Russ Ortiz
Scott Garrelts

The Future

2007-02-28T10:57:00.000-08:00

Please, please, please be careful with this kid's arm. Tim Lincicum is the next great pitcher for the Giants... as long as they don't pull a Mark Prior with him.

The Bonds Issue

2007-02-03T13:56:00.001-08:00

by SonDog

It's getting uglier by the minute. Bonds is refusing to sign a contract that he's already signed, largely because somebody leaked the contractual language to the press. Guh. Look, I'll take a season in the dumper (because I've already been through two straight) to get the Bonds issue to go away. I don't care who bats cleanup - it could be Benji Molina for all I care - let's just talk baseball again rather than Bonds. What's a man got to do to get some Todd Linden around here?

Russ Ortiz

2007-01-13T20:36:00.000-08:00

I mean, Russ Ortiz? As in, Russ Ortiz?