What Do the Giants do with Villalona?
This has been kicked around a bit already. I find it interesting that there isn’t a single headline about his dropped lawsuit at the Giants official website (though Yahoo reports the team is “welcoming him back with open arms”). What a weird situation the team is now in with him. He’s 21 freaking years old. They have precious few hitting prospects in their organization. But their BEST hitting prospect plays the position Villalona had taken over prior to killing that (er, I mean, being *accused* of killing that guy) in the DR (Belt/1B).
From a PR standpoint, the Giants should probably cut ties with the guy. Despite what may or may not have happened, the *perception* is that Villalona paid off the family of the dude who was murdered. It’s impossible to know what happened down there, he’s as likely totally innocent as he is guilty. Maybe he paid off the family, maybe he didn’t. But again, the *perception* is that he was guilty of killing a man. What chapter of The Giants Way does this conundrum cover? I guess with Bow Tie gone….um, nevermind.
What do you do with him? It appears they don’t know yet. I suppose they could shy away from answering anything about him and just let him start playing in their minor league system again. Being a legit hitter goes a long way–though it’s still unclear if that’s what Villalona will ever be……..
Trade bait?
Career minor leaguer?
Our next great hitting prospect?
If I’m Villalona, I never go back to the DR again. He’s got a 2nd chance or maybe he dodged a bad luck bullet frame job. Either way, he’s got an opportunity here. Where and with whom that opportunity lies is unclear. It’ll be interesting to watch it play itself out…..
A Place To Talk About Giants Baseball 
Wow, bizarre, I had not seen this break yesterday.
I’d put him in Puerto Rico for the winter leagues and see you can add him in a deal to the Marlins for Morrisson…
Villalona may or may not have payed off the family. Who knows? We do know the case was dropped and he’s convicted of nothing. If he gets back on track and makes it to the show, move Belt to left.
Agree with Dirt and those who believe, “You’re innocent until proven guilty.” Especially so today, where many rumors are presented as fact not only via the second tier media (e.g., Fox, internet sites and cable television), but also the mainstream media (e.g., 3 networks and city newspapers). Sheesh, I remember when the Enquirer and Star were considered “rag” journalism . . . Pfffft! Today, I rarely trust any of them to be accurate.
‘Innnocent until proven guilty’ is s bit more fluid in the DR than it is in the US.
I’d keep the Angel of Death out of the Caribbean leagues entirely and send him to AZ fall league. He can then play with the Squirrels.
The view from the family he stayed with when he was in A ball in SJ was that he was a nice polite kid who wasn’t any kind of trouble maker, FWIW.
What really happened will probably never come out…even here in USA, famous athletes that go out in public with their buddies often get into some difficult situations because of acts of their so called friends. Marshawn Lynch got popped in LA because he was riding around in a guy’s car that had stolen stuff and controlled substances in it. He complained about how he was shadowed and hassled in Buffalo. Guilty of dwb or in villalona’s case of signing a big contract? Or just making a bad decision to hang with wrong crowd? And the famous and popular are often targeted, like in the old “lobster getting to the top of the barrel” story.
Let the kid make his way on the field. If he can hit and play, fine. This is going to follow him forever, no matter what org he plays for. If he is comfortable here let it go. What positiion he plays doesn’t matter…situations change all the time for big league clubs who think they have a position locked up for years.
yes, I understand the whole *didn’t get convicted of anything*, *innocent until* jazz but there is a reason this hasn’t hit the giants website. Perception is the same as reality to the masses……
Also, it’s interesting that Boras is no longer his agent. I’m not sure who cut ties with who, but it happened recently. *perception* v reality, whether it’s the same or one in the same…..
The Villalona story was a weird one. The pals of the dead guy said Angel shot the guy in the back as he was trying to leave (after bottles started to be thrown), the owner of the bar said he and Angel were in front of the bar on the curb when the trouble rolled out the door. The mother of the victim said at the time that she wouldn’t except money, she wanted justice. Yet, I seem to recall something about Angel refusing to pay and that was why he was put in Jail to await trial. I don’t know but I wish he had stayed in AZ rehabilitating his knee. Didn’t the Giants move him from third to First because of his weight? He was a big kid to start with but I think he got huge while in San Jose (if I’m remembering this right).
On another note – If the Indians don’t exercise the club option for Grady Sizemore, would you take a flyer on a CF with 5 knee operations? Personally, I think it would be worth the gamble but I was wondering what others thought.
I would not take a flyer on Sizemore. Too many injures and surgeries on that knee. I think he’s done…..
No- I would trust Felipe who said Brown could play in the bigs now. I think he’ll open at Richmond and be here by midyear. Let Torres and/or Ross keep the spot warm. Scorpions played their first game yesterday, lost 10-1. Crawford DH’ed and went 0-4, Brown was 1-3 with a triple, Panik played 2B and was 0-2. A kid named “Segura” played SS, can’t find anything on him.
He could have paid off the family and still be innocent. Bogus eyewitnesses appaer and how do they go away- they are paid to go away. The AP had reported that Juan Uribe paid $25,000 to his accuser to drop charges that he shot the guy- Juan denies the shooting and the pay off and says he was acciused because he’s well known and presumed to be wealthy. As with Angel, we’ll never know- but the charges were dropped- proving absolutely nothing about Juan’s guilt or innoncence.
The notion that Angel was extorted because he is a famous athlete rings a helluva lot more true with me than than that he murdered someone.
He could have paid off the family and still be innocent.
—————————————————————————————–
I was about to type that before I read your post. Apparently that is business as usual over there. He could have defended himself in a trial and could very well have been found innocent. But sometimes it’s cheaper and quicker to simply pay the accuser. Different cultures. And if he *is* guilty, well…huh. Just think of how much money O.J. could have saved if he was in that position.
Hey, I just entered the twitter world. I did it to follow the sports writers (and some athletes) that I find interesting. So far, I’m following Affeldt, Murph and mac, Tolbert, Schulman, Romo, Amy G, KNBR, Carl Stewart, AYSO, Damon Bruce, Michael Oher, and Xtra baggs.
Do any of you have additional recommendations?
I recommend you drop murph and mac
the m&m one surprised me, too, but twitter is immediate and we fans like to absorb as much info as we can about our team(s)
BF tweeting? Now I’m sure the end of the world is approaching.
I recommend you drop Twitter. Ha.
Not the only time you’ve ‘followed’ Amy G I’ll bet.
🙂
I added them because I think I am then allowed to post something to their *page*. They read stuff from listeners on the air. I’m actually not sure how any of this twitter stuff works but I am starting by following a bunch of people and will go from their. But I agree with you, I’m not interested in following M/M in the slightest, I just want to be able to post shit @ them if that is even at all possible….
Say it ain’t so, BF……
I’m not really interested in tweeting. I do that enough via facebook. I just want to have access to some of the more immediate breaking sports news stories. I won’t be following Paris Hilton or Demi Moore or any of that jibber jabber…..
my account name is 1flapdown77
I think……
and I’ve been in the twitter world for 12 minutes and no one is fucking following me yet. Slow burn……
I think you need to report what you had with your flapjacks before anyone is going to take you seriously.
At first, this went way over my head . . . Then I had the “Ahhh Ha!” moment, i.e., yes, I can see how people may think that Flav is a connoisseur of pancakes, waffles, etc., and International House of Pancakes.
I thought big pasty was a connoisseur of fine cheddars. This is all so confusing. It’s a sign of the apocalypse.
He don’t do carbs, so it must be the ‘what you had’ that is telling
Flav, if you want to be a *true* tweeter, you have to report your banal, idiotic, mundane goings ons. Such as
“Watching the Maury Show. I am not the father. HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!”
that’s fucking funny.
Flav, I have Maiocco and Barrows for Niner news . . .
They are kinda redundant, bur once in a while one will scoop the other . . .
Also Mike Sando for his NFC West stuff . . .
Flav, you now have your first and only Twitter follower. Dazzle me.
Actually, Ed just joined you. This is a fucking grassroots movement.
Buster Olney just tweet that Verlander is out on the Yankee Stadium field, and looks like he is starting a regular bullpen session. Long-tossing, for starters.
He couldn’t start tonight, could he? That would be huge.
It might be the end of the season otherwise. Fucking Leyland is usually a smart cookie and doesn’t fall for that BS about, “I’m saving him for later.” There is no fucking later . . . DOLLARS TO DONUTS HE STARTS OR AT LEAST PITCHES IF FISTER GETS IN ANY TYPE OF TROUBLE. TAKE THAT TO THE BANK.
This thing from Krukow about the clubhouse not buying Huff’s horse hockey is amazing.
Could be why he didn’t have a bounce back second half.
One of the things that hampered the Giants’ clubhouse atmosphere this season was Huff struggling at the plate. It’s hard to be a clubhouse leader and jokester if you’re way under-performing.
Occupy King Street! Demand an increase in payroll, top tier free agent signings and, and….4 dollar beers!
I like Fister and I read this earlier
The Yankees expect to tell CC Sabathia to lace up his game-day spikes for Thursday’s Game 5 of the American League Division Series, just in case he is needed out of the bullpen.
But Tigers manager Jim Leyland was emphatic that Justin Verlander will watch the deciding game of the ALDS as a spectator, his workload complete for this playoff matchup.
Leyland said “no” twice at Yankee Stadium on Wednesday when asked if Verlander would be an option for him in Thursday’s Game 5, echoing a statement he made after the hurler’s Game 3 start at Comerica Park.
of course this is 12 hours old . . .
that was for DMD
A one am game for me, I’d love to see Detroit sink the evil empire.
I have this thing I do, I am ready to do important things in RL as long as I have an excuse not to do them. Then when I don’t have the excuse, I pull out es la excusa mas grande: I don’t wanna.
so here it is:
I don’t wanna go to work tomorrow, I wanna root on the Tigers
It’s crazy, the Yanks, Phillies AND the Brew Crew could all be out in round one of the playoffs.
Crazy, but groovy, as far as I’m concerned.
Exactly. I have Deetroit, Texas, Phillies, and AZ advancing.
Hope I’m wrong about the Phillies.
Yesterday, the NBA network showed another old Warrior playoff game. The Warriors vs. the Spurs in a first-round ’91 series. The Warriors won the game, and Tolbert played well in the game. It was cool to see Tolbert out there. This was during the heyday of Run TMC, a style of play that was entertaining but never had a chance to go very far in the playoffs. That year the Warriors did knock of the Spurs, but were eliminated in the Conference semis by the Lakers.
That was the Sleepy Floyd series, right? Where he scored 29 in the 4th quarter to beat LA?
How unfortunate for me. Eric Byrnes is getting a lot of air time on the MLB network these days. Apparently they love him.
He’s certainly an “acquired taste”. I’ve recently started to like him a bit — or perhaps I’ve simply built up a tolerance for him. I get the vibe that he himself doesn’t take the ranting persona too seriously — just for radio play.
Did you see DeRosa on TBS coverage? He did a pretty good job. Not great, but pretty good.
Speaking of Timmy, didn’t Juan Uribe go through this last year?
http://www.mercurynews.com/giants/ci_19055607?source=rss
Yes, Uribe did have the same thing happen. Apparently, in the Dominican Republic they go after rich baseball players with murder charges. In San Francisco, these is the comploter du jour
chirp chirp chirp / / / /
Speaking of Timmy again, I don’t think starters have had that great of a record as big game relievers – Tim had to be bailed out by Wilson last year, if you recall. There are exceptions, but these guys aren’t wired that way. If Leyland doesn’t want to uses Verlander, I’ll trust Leyland on that..
It worked for Baker when Rueter came in for Livan. But the damage was already done . . .
He came in as a mop up guy, totally different than being asked to hold a lead, as you acknowledge.
Thanks for the ‘acknowledgement’
See that article on Timmy leaving behind his rented townhouse trashed? Between him and Uribe (last year), you’d think those guys would just try to make things right with their landlords when they leave. When you’re famous, shit you do (or fuck up on) is going to hit the internet. This is Being Famous 101, I don’t understand how they let things get so unresolved (for both of them) that it ultimately hit the press. They both just ended up looking bad.
Something’s odd about the case. How do you over-stay a lease? Can’t the owner just have the locks changed? The lawsuit is for $350,000. Does that include back rent also?
Well, if he was supposed to be out on 11/1 but stayed to 11/4, it’s not like the owner would have changed the locks on him. At most, he would just charge him a few extra days rent and keep his deposit if it wasn’t in correct shape when he left. But 350k? This seems totally frivolous. Either that or tim is insane and let his stoner friends destroy the house. Who knows.
Yeah, it sounds like Timmy came back after he was evicted, and trashed the place.
Or did you not see my 1:38?
“”We’re not saying he broke into the place. He overstayed the lease,” Bornstein said.”
Link to the right on the passing of Steve Jobs, perhaps you have some thoughts.
Have to wonder what Delmon Young did to to get moved again. He had a big year in 2010, and was battling injuries this year. He’s helped the Tigers.
Girardi is emptying every bullet in his holster. CC is coming in for the 5th.
I expect to see Righetti in the 8th.
What they really need is a batter. I heard Reggie on the radio this morning. He sounded good.
Sabathia did just as some you guys predicted earlier today.
Ate himself so silly he couldn’t get out of the bullpen? You guys are screwing me, I have this gm taped. Gonna have to take a break from the Internet for a few hours….
Leyland needed a cig . . . Ha.
I see more scam E_Mails went out. Turns out the account was deleted in Live Mail but not on the Web Should be taken care of now
Yankees starting Soriano in the 7th? Evil Empire must be feeling a bit desperate. A Yankee defeat is almost as satisfying as a Giant victory. Go Tigers!
Tense inning . . . Go Tigers!
I’m sure you all saw Robin Venture was named as ChiSox new manager. My favorite recollection of him is that picture of Nolan Ryan holding him in a headlock and cattle punching him. Old Man teaching the young hot headed slugger a thing or two, and yes, he will pitch him inside if he wants.
Read the book “Baseball Codes” for a completely different take on the story, from Ventura’s point of view.
Jose Valverde will blow this save opportunity. If nothing else, he’s due.
Go Yankees!
One more . . .
. . . and it couldn’t happen to a nicer guy. Yer outta there Alex!
Shit. There goes my WS prediction. I’m not even gonna watch now.
When does the PBA start up again? I’d rather watch bowling…
Winning run given up by pitcher who never should have pitched..
What that pitcher really should never have done, were those Toyota Vallejo car commercials.
They were god awful. He should have learned from Rich Aurilia’s mistake.
Nice. Keeps my interest in this post season alive.
Yes, there is a god. Even if the Giants didn’t make the playoffs, at least the Evil Empire bit the dust. How many times in recent years did that crew of overpaid mercenaries down the Twinks in the divisionals? Payback one way or another. I’m sure the Eastcoast media will bemoan this one. I’d be perfectly content if NY didn’t win it again for 56 years.