The Sun Still Came Up Today…
I juts checked, it’s definitely rising this morning; despite the fact that The Todd is going to be taking the mound in a couple of hours for a road start–the horror! When we get back to ATT I think it’s time to switch Posey and Pablo in the line up–we’ve waited long enough for Pablo to break out of this, all he’s doing now is hurting the team. Maybe 2 weeks in AAA to straighten his swing out? Would that be the worst thing in the world? I know, it’ll never happen. But this has gone on to long, something has to be done and sending him out in the 3 hole every game for 4 at bats isn’t working for him. He’s totally clueless at the plate right now…….
A Place To Talk About Giants Baseball 
Let’s hope Cinn hitters don’t knock the fuckin orb out of the sky this morning. Then it’ll come up tomorrow, too. And, the way the Giants have been hitting and battling back, maybe they’ll still be in the game when Bochy pulls Well. A win is possible, despite the Louisville Slug starting on the mound.
Dropping Pablo in the order makes sense, especially, as you say, BF, in light of Posey’s god damned improvement at the plate. Overall, I sense things coming together. They’re dealing with tough breaks (DeRosa, Affeldt) and playing well. They need to get it done against their own Div. next time they get chances. Top of the world, after that. . . .
Very nice sunrise over here in the East Bay, btw. Bright and optimistic.
All I was hoping for going into this roadie was a winning trip. Even if they drop today’s game and split in Cincy, it’s still a winning trip. But, a win is a win, and it would be sweet to head home riding a win.
Oakland tomorrow. They have been playing well. Giants have Timmy, Zito, and Cain lined-up to face the cross-town A’s. And then it is Baltimore. Rotation will be Sanchez, whoever is in the 5 then (my guess…and many of you will hate this) is that it will still be Wellemeyer, and back to Timmy to close out the homestand.
La Bumbinos come in months-end…that will be our first shot at a NL West rival, and a chance to beat down on the Bums.
I’m down with moving Pablo down in the line-up, but my gut sense is that Bochy won’t make that move for a while.
Contest update: 5 wins, 32 runs, 6 bombs. Projection: 17 wins, 108 runs, 21 bombs.
Go Giants!
Oops…Correction. Projection for HRs is 20, not 21.
Todd is still a major league pitcher and I hope not just for batting practice. If he can keep the Reds close for six innings I think we have a chance, get away day, win the series and all.
Panda to Fresno? Not sure about that although they did it to Matt Williams to get his mind right and keep his arms back by licking his sleeve.
Moving Posey up, on paper, would give us more men on base. The four and five slots would have to produce (which they have and can).
We have won 4 of 6 on this road trip, no need to panic. Plus they have been hitting well. If Sanchez Jonathan was able to pitch to Rolen and if Sanchez Freddie got that hit with bases loaded, it is a different game last night.
The league has adjusted to Panda and that can be overcome. I would keep Panda where he is and see how he swings at home.
Torres-RF
Franchez-2B
Panda-3B
Huff-LF
Uribe-SS
Buster-1B
Bengie-C
Rowand-CF
The Todd-P
Lineup courtesy of Duane Kuiper, KNBR. Kuip also quipped that nine Cincinnati ground’s crew where holding the same hose when watering the field this morning. Nine guys holding the same hose? [insert Wellemeyer getting hosed by the entire Reds lineup here].
My comment on the probability (or lack thereof) of moving up Posey was before reading Bagg’s gamer. Here is a quote from that piece that sort of cements that notion:
“Is it time to bump up Posey in the lineup? Maybe let his .450 average go to work in the No. 3 spot and move down Pablo Sandoval?
“I tell you what, I kind of like him where he’s at in that 7 hole,” Bochy said. “Burrell has been a good on-base guy. I think Buster’s coming up in some pretty good situations.”
Bochy said Posey could bat higher today, but only because the manager plans to rest some of his veterans.”
Also, no way I see Pablo being sent down to Fresno. It has been many years since Matty came up, and if I remember correctly, he flat out could not hit a curve, and early on had not had the kind of success that Pablo has early in his ML career. Translation…Pablo isn’t going anywhere.
Where did my post with the lineup go?
sitting right there Denny, posted at 7:47am…..
Sending Pablo down would hardly be the first time it’s happened. Colorado did it earlier this year with their stud catcher Chris Iannetta– and he’s making 4 million dollars this year. He put up like a 1.100 OPS and they brought him back (he’s currently backing up Olivio). I see Pablo at the plate almost literally in a panic to do something positive. If he was down in AAA for a week he could calm the fuck down and just remember how to hit. One week isn’t going to kill us and it might actually, SHOCKER!, help him…….
I am not saying that I don’t see possible positive results from a Fresno trip for Pablo, I am just saying I don’t think it will happen right now. If he continues to struggle, and his average drops down in the .250-.270 range, then yeah, I could see it. But for now, I just do not see it happening.
Also, when Renteria comes back and he is healthy and productive, then perhaps the team is more inclined to send Pablo down for a bit. With that, Uribe could shift to 3rd, etc.
Buster gets moved up one slot. I like Bengie in the 7 better’n the 8. Rowand gets another chance to get on track in Cincy’s band-box. Would be sweet to see him have a good game and go deep.
Just read Snarkk’s last post in Room B…pretty damned funny…
Well, the sun did come up. But, it came up on Gary Cooper, too on that fateful day in Hadleyville. I dunno if Welly can outwit the Red’s gang, but I don’t see Grace Kelly anywhere on the roster….
This being getaway day, a winning road trip already clinched and with the Todd pitching, I thought they might give some of the vets a rest and start guys like Ishi and Nate. Also, why not give Buster a shot at catching Wellemeyer? It can’t turn out any worse than his other road starts.
Sando had two hits and BB the day before, which doesn’t seem like”totally clueless” to me. What possible good would scorching AAA guys do? It’s the mlb pitchers, way more advanced, that are giving him trouble, like they do to most everyone. Realize Todd Helton is at .240 and D. Lee is at .234—these guys have more exp and are making a shit load more $$$ than Pablo and play in better parks to hit in.
Iannetta, btw is currently hitting .170, after hitting .220 or so last year (with pop, sure)…no way you compare him to Sando, who is still at .280. Sophomore jinx, imo, and I’m sure there is a lot of truth in what GH says–pitchers are working him differently, it’s up to him to figure shit out. Which he can’t do from the bench. He’s still plenty dangerous….leave him alone. Posey too.
Speaking of dangerous, look at season numbers for our leadoff guy Torres: .384 OB, OPS .866. He has produced runs at a .247 clip, tho he does have 34 Ks in 166 ABs, about 1 in 5, drove in his 16th run yesterday and hit his 18th double.
Our much lamented Fred, tho, has entered a little slump, 10 for his last 41 with 2 rbis, 3 BBs 9Ks. For the season Fred .315 OB (hitting leadoff in that lineup) OPS .778, producing runs at .225 avg., and of course 51 Ks in 190 ABs, 1 in less than 4. Do we even need to compare defense?
Ha, you got your Fred Lewis comment in before mine but it sounds like we were on the same wavelength…
“Do we even need to compare defense?”
Well, it’s always good for a laugh.
I’m with willied, you let Sando play his way out of the slump. Guys like Rowand and Molina have proven that they’re good for loooong stretches of going hitless and should see the bench when they do. But given that Sandoval can hit nearly any pitch location, he’ll pull out of this thing just fine – even if 2010 turns out to be an off year in his career. I kind of like the idea of moving Pablo down in the lineup for a bit. Not just one day in the 8th spot like Bochy did but several days further back in the lineup (6-7-8) so that he’s not killing the heart of the order which is really playing well right now. Of course, that presupposes that at least one of Rowand or Molina are sitting, if not both. Otherwise, why contribute to a vortex of suckitude by having your 6-7-8-9 be (slumping) Pablo, (slumping) Molina, (slumping) Rowand, pitcher?
It was bittersweet listening to Frandsen on KNBR this morning. I didn’t realize the dude is pulling an .843 OPS with the Angels. Small sample size but still. On my way in to work, I was starting to get this “fuck Sabean” feeling while thinking about Fred Lewis’ OPS in Toronto and Wellemeyer living to see another day. Then, I got into work and checked Lewis’ stats. His OPS is starting to drop back down closer to his career .776 mark. So I’m starting to settle back into my more usual “I can tolerate Sabean as long as he continues to evaluate pitching so well and Posey rakes the ball” feeling. At least Burrell looks to have been the right move at the right time and Velez is playing in Fresno. He’s thick-headed sometimes but eventually he gets the obvious moves correct.
Do we even need to compare the defense. Well, I say no, but I am sure James would argue differently.
So Fred has one more double, 1 more HR and 1 more rbi in 24 more ABs, and 7 less steals than Torres. His league of course does have a DH instead of a pitcher, and he plays in a division with hitters parks like Yankee, Fenway, and Balt, and his own home park isn’t a bad place to hit either. Fred’s doing OK, but Torres is having a better season imo, and bringing a much needed spark to SF offense.
On the plus side, Fred attended Southern U., home of Avery Johnson. Loved to watch him run pick and roll with Webber when they were both here. Good luck with Jersey…..
“It was bittersweet listening to Frandsen on KNBR this morning.”
Yeah, I know what you mean. If only Sabean had known that Uribe was going to be do good, he wouldn’t have signed Renteria and his disfunctional elbow. Go ahead and make the Sanchez trade, then you’ve got Frandsen, who’s a decent SS, as a backup for eight and a half million dollars less than they paid the con artist. Renteria is the Anti-Flood. I resent him and the union he rode in on.
I would take Andres over Fred ANY FUCKING DAY OF THE WEEK. Sorry, James. Well, really…no I am not.
PLAY BALL!
Go Giiants!
Yeah, you can always play the “what if” game with any GM’s moves. My big “what if” is related to how differently the season would have gone if Posey had started with the team and they had redirected Bengie’s $4.5 MM somewhere else or kept it available for a midseason move. On the other hand, without big early contributions from Renteria and Molina, the team doesn’t get off to the hot start that they did. Plus, the thing that keeps me from hating on Sabean is the fact that he’s gotten so many moves right. Huff, Uribe, Torres have all made big contributions on the cheap, which certainly takes away some of the sting of DeRosa, Renteria and Rowand. I also like the way Alderson for Sanchez is finally starting to turn in the Giants’ favor.
Anyone who seriously thinks we have a chance in hell of winning today needs to remove the lollipop from their ass. That said, Go Giants! I’m saying a prayer for The Todd at the moment.
I know a lot of the regulars here don’t like Frandsen because he mouthed off about the Giants’ management, made it seem like they were at fault for his poor performance at the beginning of last season. And you admire Renteria because he’s a champion and when healthy, a damned good hitter. The problem is, he knew he needed surgery on his elbow in 2008 or before. A bone spur isn’t an injury, it’s a pre-existing condition. If he’d gone ahead and had the procedure done after the ’08 season, it’s unlikely, although not inconceivable Sabean would have given him 18 million dollars. His true market value was about half that. He had the worst range of any SS in MLB in 2009 (this season it’s even worse), and he couldn’t hit a lick because of the fucking bone spur he didn’t take care of. Renteria fucked the Giants over, and the bitter irony is that you can’t play him and their leading RBI man at the same time without fielding a shitty defense. The fact is, Frandsen would be a bigger help to the 2010 Giants than Renteria, not because he’s a better hitter, but because he’s got more range at SS.
The allusions to Matt Williams are illusions. Matt’s problems at the plate were entirely different than Pablo’s. Pablo seems to get resurgences that bring everything back together. Drop him in the lineup and let him hit out of it.
Idiot host on KNBR took the Matt W. notion even further this moring while I was driving my kid to school. He asked Kuip if POSEY reminded him of Matt W., with his approach at the plate. Bullshit! Matt Williams could not hit, or lay off, the good low (or just outside) breaking ball when came up. He got better with time, but I remember him whiffing at quite a few of those pitches years later, during his WS games with Cleveland. Posey does none of that (so far). And Kuip told the KNBR idiot exactly that, pointing out how Posey has rarely been fooled by a breaking ball. Kuip also said he thinks there have been no appeals to the 1B ump whatsoever during Posey at bats because his checked swings on breaking balls are so clean and early.
I think the world of Matt W. and those years when he and Bonds played together were thrilling. But Pablo doesn’t have the big hole in his zone Matt had. (Although Pablo might want to be a bit more selective about the high FB, at least until he gets his bat speed back.)
Let’s keep talking shit about Sandoval and Rowand! It’s working!
How ’bout that, Rowand with the big fly. I’ve noticed both he and Welle have had their haircut since last being seen. Hey, it worked for Panda that first day. Whatever works guys…
The sun came up this morning, so put that lollypop back where the sun doesn’t shine, Dennis.
Yeah baby…go Huff-n-Puff.
That lollipop is tasting better by the minute.
At this rate, Giants will have at least a 5-0 lead by the time Well falls apart. I like it.
Oooo-Ribe!
Alright Huffster!!! And Pablo just missed one.Leake’s not fooling them.Good sign.
It would be nice to get a large lead, so that Wellie could go 6, 7 or more, and save the pen for the beginning of the upcoming homestand.
Yeah Gerald!
I hope not sending Juan doesn’t bite us in the ass w/ Bengie due up…
Big money puts the lollipop back up my ass. I like it!
Appears as if the Reds’ vaunted young ace has sprung a Leake.
Well, you guys got your wish (Wellemeyer off the hill)…
By hook or by crook. Shit, he ws off to a nice start . . .
. . .
Oh Jeez, now Wellemeyer gets hurt! Timing is everything, the Todd doesn’t have any.
So much for that theory Chi. But hey i’m fine with it.
So what happened? Am I gonna feel guilty all day now for dissing Well?
Pulled a hammy Xoot. Lets bring up Bumgarner!
Yeah, fill in those of us who are not able to watch on TV….
Wellemeyer good for 3 and now Bautista is in? Todd hurt or something?
Yikes. Well, this could work out real nice, couldn’t it? And Well goes down after 3 shutout innings in front of his family and friends from Ky.
Bum, pack you bags.
Stix, Todd pulled a hammy trying to beat out a DP grounder . ..
Fuck this . . .
Can’t get the out they give you . . .
Leake is 10 for 24 with 4 sac bunts. I like him, he’s got a bit of Lincecum’s chatism. He just took a walk. This could get ugly. Looks like Bumgarner gets the first start of his career next week. Four runs won’t be enough to win. Poor Batista, what a clusterfuck!
Hurt himself running down the first base line. That’s about all we know at the moment.
Fucking Denny Bautista is blowing this in a New York minute. Cocksucker.
Oh boy. Get someone else up. Cain’s pretty rested . . .
kidding.
“chatism”? Is that anything like moxy, or chuztpah?
Worthless piece of shit. Bochy must want to throttle his goddamn ass.
Throw the ball over the goddamn plate!
Get this bum outta here!
For fuck’s sake
OK an out, that’s a start.
4-6-3!
Well, this game hasn’t turned out at all like I’d expected.
this inning is just brutal…
http://atdhe.net/13040/watch-giants-vs-reds
This inning just keeps getting uglier.
Well…as much as many of you want to hang Wellemeyer from the gallows…looks like he was our best chance. FUCK! Let’s hope the Giants can right the ship before everything gets totally outta hand.
Fucking tie game! Jesus fucking christ….that was a quick 4-0 lead down the fucking drain…
That didn’t take too long. Jesus Christ. Have Buster pitch, couldn’t be any worse.
How much fucking goddamn damage does Bautista need to do before Bochy pulls him?
This is bullshit! Bochy is sacrificing the game for the sake of a few outs from Batista. Who is their spot starter, long relief? I refuse to post this until the Giants get out of this inning.
Please tell me that was it for Mr. Overbite.
Well, he didn’t give up the lead, I guess that’s a positive. Shit. Looks like a track meet today.
That was a nice tidy WHIP of 6.00 for the inning.
It’s a miracle this one is still tied.
How’s that chocolate lollipop tasting now Dennis?
Maybe Huff has a cycle in him today.
A double would be nice
ooooooo-reeeee-bay
Come on now
fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck