Road Trip Rambles On….
Next up, “Sam Lecure”. I do not fear this Sam Lecure. He’s part “Eric Hacker” with a little “Kevin Pucetas” thrown in for taste. Cain deserves a few of these games. After we feast on this fool we face off Judgement Day and find out who are starter will be Wednesday. We know it won’t be Bumgarner who started last night. Does Welly get thrown to the wolves again? Might Iron Head Joe get the call?
A Place To Talk About Giants Baseball 
Don’t forget Sanchez vs Harang on Wednesday. SF gate says it’ll be Welly going for the sweep vs undefeated Leake on Thursday.
I’m just gonna give up now on when the hell Welly’s spot comes up. I’ve been wrong twice now…..
Bryce Harper thoughts? He had a +1.500 OPS in his one year at Joke University. We’ll see. For starters, no one named “Bryce” is ever going to be a baseball star at the major league level. Secondly, until he wipes that bullshit off his face he’s nothing more than a clown (apologies to our resident clown). Thirdly, he’s from Vegas—the all hype/no substance capital of the world. The SI cover as a 16 year old seals the deal on this dude. He’s “JD Drew” if he’s lucky……..
Bryce…. just reading about some of his other ego-infused antics, he’s “Matt Bush” written all over.
… though, possibly, more talent than Bush. Still…
RE: Bryce – he may be a clown…but soon will be a rich clown. I saw an article yesterday where many were rating him as potentially the “best prospect ever.” Hmmm…that’s quite the accolades when you think of all who have preceeded him.
Cainer tonight. Dude has been kicking butt lately, AND the team has been giving him the run support to get a W. Go Giants!
Conteste update. To date – 4 wins, 26 runs, and 4 HRs. Projects to 18 wins, 117 runs, and 18 HRs.
Southern Nevada? I’d question level of competition first of all.
Btw, UNLV used to be known as Nevada Southern….and sent one John Q. Trapp into the NBA. He wound up with the Sixers worst team of all time 72-3 that won 9 games the whole year. I saw them play at Oaktown—walked up and wound up courtside.
Allegedly, Trapp was going to get taken off the floor during a game by the doofus rookie coach they had at the time, and shook his head and pointed to a buddy of his behind the bench. As the coach turned around, the guy flashed open his coat, to let the guy know he was packing. Trapp stayed in the game. But was first to go when they changed coaches soon after.
The little bit I have read about the kid the Giants drafted out of CS Fullerton is that he is the prototypical CFer. Good wheels, hits for average, etc.
Here’s a link with some coverage on him:
http://tinyurl.com/23yebpc
Flav,
His 1.500 OPS was in a wood bat JuCo league at 17. Everyone in the league was 1-3 years older than him. He should be a senior in high school…next year. The kid has a VERY advanced bat, so give credit where credit is due.
As for the make-up, yeah it’s lame. But a bunch of kids do that bullshit thinking it’s cool. Im sure once he gets to rookie ball, the paint stays off his face.
And if someone told me I was going to have a career path similar to JD Drew, I would be very happy.
One question: Would you trade Brown for Harper straight up?
Thanks for the link, Chi. I like the kid’s compact swing, hitch-free as far as I can tell, and he has a beautiful running stride. He looks like a real athlete. I’ll have to keep an eye on him in the CWS.
Man, both Sanchez and Posey have been tearing it up lately. I’m not hearing much bitching about Freddy lately. Amazing what a hot streak does for a guy’s popularity. And Uribe! With all the complaining about Sabean’s signings over the years, has he made a better pickup than the Juanster?! They got the guy for near nothing and he’s been one of their best hitters, and he’s versatile in the field too. I love the guy!
Uribe is on pace to drive in 107 this year. Not too shabby indeed.
Bryce Harper is as much as a sure thing as Mike Stanton, who will be making his debut tonight, but not as sure a thing as Strasburg, also starting tonight. The prospects these days are evaluated with scientific tools as well as scouts. Strasbutg throws a 102 MPH fastball. Harper has the best bat speed of ANY hitter ever measured.
well of course I would trade Brown for Harper. I am just leery of the hype-guys– You might “take JD Drew’s career” but if you re-call, when he came up in the 90’s, he was the next super star. Same with Justin Upton. Same with Todd Van Poppel. Potential gets built up bigger than it is because it’s easy to do and it sells magazines. He could be The Chosen One. But he could just as easily be overrated……
Sorry Flav, don’t mean to be a doomer, but I do fear lecure a little. With not much of a book on him and Cain on the mound, this is when the Giants bats could fall silent again. I hoe not, but I’m just sayin’…
and part of the hype was fueled by the fact that he bailed on HS and hit the cover of SI as a 16 yr old. Again, that’s just all hype bullshit. I’m not buying it right now…..
Cal nailed it. The reason why Harper is almost assuredly going to be an MVP type player is that he completely dominated the competion, despite being so much younger. A Rod, not JD Drew is the most apt comparison.
Harper is 17 years old and likely at least three years from being ML ready. A lot can happen in the meantime, and placing all those expectations on him is a lot of pressure to live up to. We’ll see what happens. Maybe he’ll turn out to be the second coming, maybe not.
Don’t know much about this kid Brown we just drafted, but it says here he broke his finger on a slide May 16th and hasn’t played in two weeks. That’s just great. Leave it to Sabean to acquire another player with a known injury. 🙂
You’re welcome, JBat. Yeah, I like what I see in the kid. Not a bad pick at 24 (interesting that they took a CFer with the “24” pick).
I hear you about Sanchez. A few weeks ago when he was re-habbing many were ready to string him up. Now (and I will quantify this with an “if”)…if Sanchez stays healthy…giving up Alderson and 6 mil a year for two years looks like a hell of a deal.
I agree on Uribe. It amazes me that he didn’t get more action in the off-season. Definitely a great signing for the money. Will be interesting to see how the team proceeds when Rent is activated. How the hell can you sit the guy who leads your team in RBIs?
He hardly turned into Mickey Mantle, right?
“J.D.” Drew attended Florida State University, where he played under head coach Mike Martin. At Florida State, he was the winner of the 1997 Dick Howser Trophy and the 1997 Golden Spikes Award, was named the 1997 Collegiate Baseball Player of the Year, the 1997 Sporting News Player of the Year, and was a consensus All-American (1997). He also was named the 1997 ACC Player of the Year. He was a 1996 member of Team USA. Drew was First Team in 1996, Freshman All-American in 1995 and was named to the College World Series All Tournament Team in 1995. He was the first player in college baseball history to hit 30 home runs and steal 30 bases in the same season. He set a Florida State record by batting .455 in 1997 while managing to become one of only three players in college baseball history to have 100 hits, 100 runs and 100 RBIs. During his college career, Drew broke 17 school and conference records. Prior to the 1997 Major League Baseball Draft, Drew’s swing and all-around talent level had some scouts comparing him to all-time greats like Mickey Mantle and Stan Musial.
What can happen in three years to Bryce Harper??? Oh he could murder someone…oh that just happens to our teenage prospects…
JBat, it’s because he’s only 17 that makes him close to being a can’t miss prospect. And he isn’t 17 in Dominican years either. He’s a high shool kid who was playing against 19-21 year olds, and destroying them. They’re going to move him to the OF to speed up his arrival, which should be in 2012.
JD Drew is hardly a bust. He’s had a 13 year career with an OPS of 891. The odds of any 17 year old being as good as JD Drew are astronomical.
I never said Drew was a bust. Simply that he never turned into “Mantle or Musial”–two players he was compared too before he was drafted…..
So your comparison to Drew is that he won’t live up to expectations? While probably true, that doesn’t mean he can’t have a very succesful career. I laughed when a GM chalked him up for 500 home runs because to do that with anyone is absurd. But he has an advanced skill set at a very young age which will likely lead to success in the show.
JD Drew turned out to be a very solid major league player. Coming out of college, he had a partcular skill set that compared him to some legendary players and that was probably unfair. He ha still had a hell of a career and I would take his production out of the number 1 overall spot in the draft if I were a GM.
I understand the kid is talented, but wasn’t he playing against 19-21 year old JC players? Not exactly the same level as pro ball. I’m not saying he won’t make it big, I’ve just learned to temper my enthusiasm when it comes to “can’t miss” prospects. That is borne of years of watching baseball. There’s a lot of can’t miss guys on the scrap heap of baseball history.
Chi, you can’t sit Uribe. He not only drives in runs, he does it consistently in clutch situations, something the G’s have been lacking since the Bonds years. Gotta find a place in the lineup for that guy.
Harper is from from the “all hype/no substance player you define him as”.
And he would be lucky to be JD Drew.
“Far from”*
GH – I was just noticing that you and I could potentially end up in a tie-breaker situation on the contest.
GH – 15 wins, 119 runs, 22 bombs
Chi – 15 wins, 117 runs, 22 bombs
15 wins, 118 runs, and 22 bombs = tiebreaker. Yeah, and monkeys could fly outta my ass.
Fuck…how many players have lived-up to Musial or Mantle comparisions. Uh, that would be NONE.
JBat, I agree on Uribe. There are a lot of interchangeable pieces. For example, in addition to playing some SS, he can spell Pablo at 3rd, Pablo to 1st, Huff to LF, Posey to C. And he can give Sanchez a puff at 2nd when need be. Bottom line, I agree…he has to stay in the line-up.
I’d rather talk about Brown. I saw him play at Davis a few times, he was solid from what I remember. Then again, Davis doesn’t have any pitching, so who fucking knows. I like the idea of a speed guy in CF who could fit at the top of our line up. Even if it looks like he is a duplicate of Ford, I like the chances that one of then turns out to be a quality MLB player. Word on the street is that the Giants brass felt the draft was at least deep enough in pitching where they could get a quality arm with their second round pick. Hopefully that is the case.
Let’s keep the Cainer on a roll tonight. He’s been dealing lately.
What I’d really like to see from Brown is for him to hit and field. It’d be so nice to have a top of the order guy who can actually do something with the bat, in addition to flashing the leather. Hopefully, he won’t be too far away seeing he’s a college guy.
RE: Brown – Hit and field, AND swipe some bags. And, based on his numbers in college and the Cape Cod League, he can certainly steal a base.
I bet the Giants numbers would be quite different if they played in a park like Cincy. In fact the offense is quite good on this road trip.
“I understand the kid is talented, but wasn’t he playing against 19-21 year old JC players?”
Yeah, that does make a difference. JD Drew was a 21 year old, dominating other 21 year olds, at a higher level of baseball. The odds of him having a successful MLB career were/are higher than Harper’s, but because of the age difference, the kid has a higher upside. If they both were in the same draft, even without the benefit of hindsight, I’d probably go with the surer thing, and take Drew. Baseball, especially hitting, is so hard, you can never tell for certain if a prospect is going to succeed.
The one thing about prospects that can be evaluated with a 100 % accuracy is speed and defense. Brown is faster and a better OF than Harper. The odds of him making it in MLB are actually a scooch higher right now.
Chi, it is coming down to the two of us!!! Why I suggested the third tie-breaker!!
If the Giants go 2-2 in Cincy, they will be on pace for 115…but I think I went to high on runs scored…I need some big runs in Cincy…
“I bet the Giants numbers would be quite different if they played in a park like Cincy.”
Zip and area codes come to mind first.
Yeah Gary Brown can certainly steal bases.One game he stole 3 bases on 3 pitches.The last was a steal of home on a throw back to the pitcher.Quite a heads up play!
You suggested a tie-breaker? Wasn’t aware…I also suggested a tie-breaker. Probably back on the old Flap…Twin was down with what I suggested…but I’ll be damned if I can remember what my suggestion was. Fuck it sucks getting old.
I am currently low on wins (projected to 18 right now). I am dead-on with runs at 117 (current projection), and a tad high on HRs (current projection is 18).
You know why I’m really buying all the hype about Bryce Harper? Because it’s cheap, free actually if you don’t subsctibe to Sport’s Illustrated, and it’s good for the brain if you think some upcoming event is going to be fantastic.
I’m totally stoked about Strasburg’s game tonight. I hope he strikes out 28 men in a row, narrowly missing a perfect game because the ump blows a call at first.
“Going on to have a successful career” is not exactly what they’re lookin’ for, my friends. I remember when Bob Bailey was one of the first “bonus babies” and maybe the first to get the unheard ogf $100,000 signing bonus. Bob did go on to have a good career, but in Pittsburgh he will always be known as a bust… anyway, there ain’t no such thing as “can’t miss”, the closest is “probably can’t miss maybe if”. And a pitcher? Fuck, the odds are better that he’ll get hurt than that he’ll be even a one time All Star. Harper? …probably can’t miss maybe if.
“I hope he strikes out 28 men in a row, narrowly missing a perfect game because the ump blows a call at first.” Why? Rooting for this kid tonight is like rooting for Goliath. Hope “Strassie” has a fine career but tonight the *only* way to root is for the Pirates to rise up and say “not so fast, kid. We’re major leaguers here”… The Buccos are getting disrespected in all this hype. I’d love to see Jones hit a couple in the Allegheny..
I might be wrong but I think Pawlie is My Main Man on the Scene tonight for the Strasburg game. Pics and flowery re-cap likely forthcoming…:)
I’m with Twin – let him pay his dues. When he has been ringing them up regularly for a couple of years, then we can talk. Until then, I hope he has to work his ass off tonight…and the Bucs can say “Welcome to the BIGS, Kid.”
Think you’re right Flav…I think Pawlie is supposed to be at the game tonight for Strasie’s debut.
Chi, my idea was to submit our stolen bases as well to keep consistent with the first two months. We could also then track how everyone did at the end of the year…
Twin, if Jones hits one in the Allegheny, that would be the longest home run in the history of baseball!! About a 500 mile shot!
I am skipping seeing Strasburg for my 10 year old’s opening playoff game…technically if Jones hit one out of the stadium, it would have to go into the Anacostia, one of the nastier and probably dirtiest “rivers” in any urban city in the US…and would still have to travel about 1200 feet and turn right…
I went back to the old site to see if I could find my suggetion for a 3rd tie-break…and couldn’t find it. Guess my eye-sight has gone with my fucking memory.
Hey, has Reno (DirtNRocksNReno) posted on the new blog?
GH, do you know where the Roberto Clemente Bridge spans?
Hum a few bars and he’ll fake it.
Yeah, I forgot it was in D.C. Well I hope he hits one, uh, like, well, real far …
The Phillies roughed up Timmy, so I’m hoping the Bucs do the same thing to Strasburg. I do wish the game was on TV though.
The POTD is typical Giants fans throw-up-your-hands-and-accept-what’s-given-you attitude that typifies ATT and a large chunk of the fan base. After correctly criticizing Kruk and Kuip for letting Rowand skate on horrendous performance because he’s a “gamer”, it’s OK that Rohand sucks as long as he’s batting eighth? The CF position is a power and/or run scoring positition, not a .250 OBP position, if any position not pitcher is such a thing. Rohands D is fine, but it’s not great, and his arm is a shotgun on open choke. You could find lots of guys to play CF giving you the same or better D, and certainly better OBP and production for a CF. Like Torres — he should take over CF with the Burrell, Schierholtz, Huff n Puff triumvirate wheeled around him. Even the dissed Raj Davis is better — with a less than stellar OBP at .656 that’s still better than Rohand’s .636, and with stolen base speed, at $10.5M+ less per year…
Snarkk, yes, Rowand is the loose thread on the garment. And you can pick and pick at it. And if you makes you feel better to rant about it everyday, go for it. It’s just not much fun to read it on a daily basis. And it has nothing to do with being “passive” or not as a fan. If Bochy pencils in Rowand in the lineup, I’m going to root for Rowand to do well. For me, it’s more fun to be a fan with a positive take on things.
I didn’t wait all winter for baseball to start so that I could be bitter that the Giants are only 6 games above .500 at the end of the first week of June.
Well, at least Snarkk’s “POTD” got offed. The “triumvirate” is going to be Burrell, Rowand, Nate; Huff is going to be full time at 1B soon, with his OF starts coming when Panda slides over to first. All that’s going to happen is that Burrell takes more starts and Aarons will diminish, not disappear. Nate has great career splits low in the order (7,8), the problem with Natey are those horrendo numbers whenever he’s been put in favorable slots. I’m for throwin’ him out and see if he sticks this time but he is going to have to produce when he gets his opportunity, his suckitude in May was right there with Rowand’s, Nate is back to square one: earn yer time. Three pitch Ks don’t help…
Chi, GH, there’s 21 games left. Yer going off a little prematurely there . . .
Try the Kegel Exercises, they help correct that particular problem…
Hey Chuck…just having a little fun with GH. It’s early…way early…
Zumie – “I didn’t wait all winter for baseball to start so that I could be bitter that the Giants are only 6 games above .500 at the end of the first week of June.” Nice post…and I agree. Not that I am adverse to talking about situations with the team that need to improve…it just gets old when the same old shit gets ran into the ground over, and over, and over…
How’s this for dominant: Cain’s L3 starts; 0.36 ERA and an 0.560 WHIP. Kegel that!
I’m with Oracle that Nate has fallen down at the plate after a good start. Give him a string of chances over the next month or so, and if he doesn’t produce, he can go the Bowker route to Fresno, I don’t care. He’s got no huge contract that would keep him on the bench. That’s all I want — produce when you’re given a fair shot, or you’re on the pine or gone…
BTW, KNBR noted this morning that yesterday was the first time since 1994 that the Giants used their first pick to take an OFer. I found that fairly amazing…
JBat , the game is on ESPN if I’m not mistaken
The Strasburg game
Uh, maybe not. I thought I heard that ESPN was going to show it.
Cant find it on their site.
Voice of experience, Dennis?
Strasburg’s game will be on MLB network….
Chi and I are obviously being smart asses. As was my Allegheny comment.
Nate’s numbers are not so hot right now to suggest he would out-produce Rowand. Rowand won’t do much damage hitting 8th to go ape shit over.
Giants took another OFer with their 2nd pick, BTW. A SS with the third, and the wonderfully named RHP Seth Rosin with the 4th…
Well, they need to pick it up to reach my prediction of 29 HRs. 8 tonight ought to cover it . . .
Snarkk… And that 1994#1 OutFielder was a bust.Dante Powell and guess what he also went to college at Cal ST Fullerton along with every ones buddy Aaron Rowand.
Welll, based on Oracle’s last post, I’m stoked to hear they went position players with the top 3 picks. You can’t develop position players if you don’t draft em or sign em in the DR or somewhere. At least Sabes didn’t draft Sidd Finch for the 4th pick…
Seth Rosin? Oh, that’s good. Makes on regret Hacker’s a pitcher
Flavor – Congrats on moving to the new blog page. Been out of town and buried in other stuff, but still watching games …
And all I can say is: buy me a Happy Meal. The recent series, coupled with lineup performances of Franchez, Posey, Torres, Huff, and El Mandamas (Uribe), have been among the more entertaining games in years. Sure, the Giants haven’t hit the tough part of the schedule and everyone will have stumbles, but the lineup has picked up the pitching gaffes – an actual team, not reliant on 2-1 squeakers everyday.
DeRosa and Rent are where they belong – forgotten for now, soon to be bad debts on the ledger. Perhaps Posey can inspire confidence in moving on that no. 5 starter.