The Curious Case of Pablo Sandoval…
It came up here last night but I truly am surprised that Sandoval is catching so much heat from the regular beat writers and team reporters for his failure to get to third base yesterday. I want to be clear, I never ONCE criticized his play in last night’s game. I wish I had paid more attention to the replay, but I don’t remember him getting an especially bad jump. He seemed to have a little trouble getting started but hustled the entire way. And he was only out by a whisker…….
True, Pablo is overweight. Everyone seems to want to talk about this and point to it as the reason for his failures this season. But I would argue that we really aren’t giving enough credence to his personal issues. I don’t know all the details but we know that he took a leave a couple weeks ago to finalize a divorce at home….
Pablo’s poor numbers can’t be attributed to simply his weight. How do I know? Look to the OPS…..
Pablo’s OPS, by month, going back to last year:
4/2009: .790
5/2009: .839
6/2009: 1.203
7/2009: .856
8/2009: 1.010
9/2009: .852
10/2009: 1.471
4/2010: 1.008
5/2010: .617
6/2010: .645
7/2010: .597
8/2010: .750, so far……
What I see from looking at this guy’s OPS from month to month is, obviously, a huge drop starting in May of this year. To me, that indicates one of two things: either he’s got an undisclosed injury or his focus suddenly shifted somewhere else…..
I’m going to assume it’s the latter. Pablo walks around as of he doesn’t have a care in the world, “Mr. Happy-go-lucky”. If I could play amateur psychologist for a moment, I think that’s his way of deflecting his feelings about his personal life. I suspect a psychologist would call that “denial” or “compensation”. And, while it’s not an unusual approach to dealing with the stressors of life, it’s probably not the most healthy. If his focus has been elsewhere, and I think it’s easy to argue that it has, that would be a better explanation for his poor year. His weight? He was fat last year and raked. In fact, he might even be a little smaller this year. The pitchers finally figured him out? Hardly, they pitched him the same way last year once they realized he swung at everything. This year he’s missing the balls he raked last year. To me, that’s focus. And if you’re a major league baseball player, your focus has to be 100% on your trade. So far this year, his has not been……
He’s a 23 year old kid who had a bomb dropped on him in May, of that there can be almost no question. He hasn’t dealt with it very skillfully, certainly not from the emotional side. I hope he’s getting the help that he needs. If his OPS this month is any indication, he’s started to move on a little. It’s heartbreaking to assess a human being’s personal life through his month-to-month OPS. Almost ridiculous, really. But the theory I floated today makes more sense, to me, than the “fat theory” or the “Pitcher’s have figured him out and he hasn’t adjusted” theory……..
A Place To Talk About Giants Baseball 
“Bailing out” just meant he got off the hook for the loss. A gift for all. Merry August.
done
unreal. I have no idea how we won this game but I will take it…….
HW = huge win
ITIG = I’ll take it gladly
GNG = good night, girls
CY= See ya
WTF= Why tofu fillets?
WBGIT=Why bring God into this?
Whew-Hoo!!! Thank you very much, Bravos! Atlanta was as responsible for that win as the Giants… Double plays, just can’t seem to get away from ’em…
HWITIGGNG…..agreed.
Fuck yeah I’ll take it.
congrats…great to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat…beautiful day for some ballgames…
Definitely a huge win and great pitching and D was the key!!! Giants D # 1 in Baseball with the Twins,that will keep you in alot of games.
Chipper Jones will have to retire soon. When he does, will he change his first name to Chipped?
On then same note, when Sting finally retires, will he change his name to Stung?
5 pitchers tonight, with Wilson still available tomorrow plus 4 unused relievers. Whitefuck and Rent were in reserve for additional innings. Working out just fine.
Okay. 5 pitchers. But using only 1 starter. That leaves 4 other starters. So, 4 relievers used. That means 4 starters…no…4 relievers less 1 starter with 4 other starters waiting and…
That makes 13 pitchers
Chuckles is still working on the one from the other night.
Yes, but you gave him till Saturday during or after dinner.
So patience, my friend, patience
my fucking luck holds up. I try to tap e the game from he 6th on, and the fucking dvr thinks its the post game…
so, I get 10 minutes
Work on my pole, fuckwad.
Kat: You beat me to the punch. The better bullpen and the superior defensive team won the game. Starting pitching was close to a wash with Zito in top form, throwing only two pitches which didn’t work out.
Was at my local area county fair tonight (county seat has about 1,200 people and there were more there). One of the people there was a young kid wearing a Giants T-shirt. I took that as a good sign.
Got home, we were down 2-1 in the top of the ninth with one out and a runner on. It took a while longer. Padres lose. Dogs behind 6-3 going into the bottom of the 8th. What a night with the Dagos going down to the Snakes new kid on the block whom they just got in that trade with the ChiSox. Dogs trailing the Nats. Whodda thunk it.
Giants pitching may have turned one important corner. Through the season the knock on them has been the base on balls. Check the stats and you will note that there was a monster turnaround in that category this evening as the Braves’ pen was handing out free passes to all and sundry, particularly that BP. Reason that pair of taters did not kill the Giants was that nobody was on base. Giants starters have the lowest BAA in baseball. Drrrty, for example, is totally vicious in not giving up base knocks. Braves’ only attack in both games appears to be the long-ball. Don’t give em the BBs and you got a chance to take em down. Must be the first time this year the Giants scored 3 runs on only 4 hits ~ and that in eleven innings!
From Baggs:
Edgar Renteria has biceps tendinitis and couldn’t swing. Was on deck as a deke once. “But Bobby (Cox) wasn’t buying that,” Bochy said slyly.
The only thing Rent was reserving was a dinner table.
How fast can Burriss get here?
Springtime, for Zito, and Giants’ bats
Winter, for Braves’ fans and the chop
Glookly, Ted Turner had a nasty face
Look out, here comes the pennant race
(don’t be stupid be a smarty, come and join the Giants’ party)
Worked out fine, as it has all year. It’s Black or Bochy as MOY unless they do something goofy and give to Cox as a going away gift. Bochy has been gold, enjoy it.
give to Cox as a going away gift.
————————-
Possible. Like giving the Oscar to George Burns. Who knew he;d last another 20 years?
It’s a final in LA and Dunn helps right where he is. Who has helped his team more in the first week after deadline than the LoogieMeister for the Giants ?
LaBumbos down to their last AB in the bottom of the 9th trailing 6-3 with Jamey Carroll at bat. They are fast becoming irrelevant, though its nice they helped the Dagos along on their skid. Going down to the Snakes and the Nats, the other Cali teams got a bit of egg on their faces tonight.
Cain vs. Hudson tomorrow does not bode well for the offenses of either team. Maybe the Braves will make a few more boo-boos, but it will sure be nice if at least one more hitter besides Torres and Burrell can provide some firepower. Atlanta is looking more and more like splitsville. If so, SF will not go home with its tail between the legs and the Pads lead will remain tenuous as that team appears to be running on fumes with the likes of Jon Garland and Kevin Correia overperforming like crazy.
Home on Monday and its four games with the Cubbies followed by a threesome with the Dagos. Got a feeling that the NLW lead may change hands next week.
Fuck Hotlanta…that place sucks!
And the literary gold just keeps on coming from the Birddog……
“Instead of retiring glavine’s number maybe they should retire the names of the umps who called his pitches 5 inches outside strikes…at least let them give his speech…”
Yeah- it was frustrating to see them call that super wide strikezone for Glavine in the first inning, and you knew the whole game was screwed. It was over.
There’s a theory that he and the Braves only won one World Series out of all those appearances because the American League umps wouldn’t give them that gift of a super wide strikezone.
Have a 2nd job, so less time to post (or read)..
Maddux and Glavine got the wide strike because they hit their spot every time. If the zone expanded to one inch off the corner they would have hit that too. Maddux (with his stuff vs. martinez or Johnson as examples) was one of the the most dominant righthanders ever…
Giants have a much harder schedule in August, so gaining on them is even bigger…
PS thanks for the stats craig…Lets hope Pablo is reverting slowly to form. SD is done if we get the Panda back..
“If the zone expanded to one inch off the corner they would have hit that too.” And their ERAs would have risen accordingly. I have never understood why hard throwing pitchers who have the ability to go up and down inside the strike zone as *defined in the rulebook* should not be rewarded by the umps instead of puffballers like Glavine.