Flailing in Arizona
Soooooo……THAT didn’t go very well, did it? This is a weird year. For some reason I am more hopeful about this offense than I was about last year’s offense (where I had zero hope). This year, when I look at each player individually I usually say “I like him offensively.” (with the exception of Crawford though I really do like his swing and he HAS had at bats that were productive and not just *good at bats*) However, when you put them all into the same line up it just doesn’t work. The other day I said “…but this team is a group of guys who are more worried about playing time and just doing enough to stay at this level—they’re worried about just surviving. And that’s no way to play team ball………”
And I feel more and more like this is where the problem lies. Everyone is playing *tight* on offense and defense. Outside of Melky, no one is hitting. And look at the list of guys who are not guaranteed a roster spot for the entire year:
Crawford
Belt
Blanco
Arias
Nate
Gillespe
Pill
Burriss
Hector
Some of those guys are safer than others. But would it surprise you if ANY of those guys were sent down? Maybe Nate wouldn’t go down. Maybe. None of them are taking walks because they’re all up there trying to *make something happen*— and when you try to force something at the plate you usually fail. With each failed at bat you get a little tighter. And pretty soon you’ve got a line up of guys freaking out about their livelihood and wondering if they’re about to get *the call* into Bochy’s office. Also consider that a couple of those guys are playing out of position and that can affect your performance at the plate, too. A final consideration of that list is that a few of them might just not be good enough to succeed at this level. Maybe more than a few……
So I am still hopeful about this O because I do like everyone on that list. It’s 9 guys who step into the box who I say “Ok, let’s see what happens here.” But success reinforces success. And none of them are engaging in enough successes to build off of. I’m staying hopeful; mostly because I have to be……
A Place To Talk About Giants Baseball 
Weatherproof games: Cubs at Brewers, Mets at Marlins, Giants at Diamondbacks. It will be 80 degrees and sunny all weekend in Baltimore and Philadelphia. Saturday will also find pleasant skies and high-70s temperatures in New York, Cincinnati, St. Louis, Boston and Pittsburgh. All five cities, however, will see some thunderstorms Sunday. Chicago will have those showers Saturday, giving way to 66 and nice in time for Mother’s Day. Minnesota and Los Angeles will be sunny with warmer Sunday weather. Oakland will be dry but could see a 10-degree drop into the 60s Sunday. Texas may see some residual showers Saturday but will be in the high 70s with sunny skies as the weekend comes to close.
I’m heading out now, Blade. Should I wear a light jacket?
Might I suggest the Kenneth Cole Peacoat with knit bib?
Orig. $225.00. One Day Special at Macy*s now only $66.99
Yes, unless you’re staying out this evening too, then bring your mittens.
lol. Member’s Only!
“Guaranteed” is a pretty hioh standard. Belt, Blanco,Arias,Hector are close to locks to say. Nate also, unless he’s traded. Gillaspie is a lock to be sent down. Pill and Burriss are iffy, with Burriss safer because of a dearth of middle infielders. Crawford? Sorry but over 300 at bats at .206…these “productive” at bats? Please, he’s conclusively shown he can’t hit here. Barring an injection of skill, he should be gone when Panda returns. Left off the list is Pagan. He’d poison the clubhouse if benched, so they could be looking for a soft landing spot for him if doesn’t turn it completly around. His terrible defense, poor baserunning and embarassing OBP as a lead off hitter make him the team’s #1 liability.That total fluke hitting streak kept him in the LU.
Young players, BTW, absolutely should be worried about being sent down if they don’t produce. that is the way it’s been for over a century and how it will always be. The blue chippers have always been given more time,and that also it how it should be.
Isn’t Burris out if options Twin? Could be a trade candidate if they want to try Cuberson or Bond.
Burriss *is* out of options, he also has very little trade value. I probably should have listed him as probable to stay. He does have some versatility.A lot of what happens with the middle infield depends on whether Fruckie makes it back. Culberson and Bond? It’s possible they’d bring Bond up as a stop gap if they weren’t sure Culberson was ready, but Culberson is who is the current choice as the second baseman of least the near future..I do see that Brock has played a few games at third this year. Moving Arias to SS and giving Bond some 3rd base starts is one of the few cases where “it can’t be worse” would probably be true.
You may see him as just another underperformer, but at least keep it accurate: Belt does draw walks.
Bochy’s defense of Crawford’s hole in the glove play, while he continues to give Belt’s PAs to Hector is as ironic as it is pathetic. Gotta love them match ups. Who knows, without his careful management of the daily line ups, we might be 3 games under instead of 2.
Draw walks? Funny you should say…I finally got around to watching “Moneyball” the other night. Not too shabby. I was just reminded that Brad Pitt is three years older than I am. I found that a little surprising. Even more surprising? I got Brad three years in the looks dept. as well. 😀
As a defensive player right now, Belt is miles beyond Crawford, who’s mental approach to D is fried, IMO. So, Belt getting no love for everyday play, while Crawford basically gets a pass, is no longer tenable. If Bochy can’t figure that out, then he should be replaced. I was a proponent of Craw because last year the alternative deadwood was so bad at SS. Now, since he can’t seem to make routine plays because of pressure or whatever, his lack of hitting cannot be excused, so he needs to go down. Arias or Burriss can take SS until they fuck up, which might happen, might not. If they F up, well, then it’s up to Sabes to make something happen. You can’t have a total questionmark playing SS, it kills the defense and demoralizes the pitchers when routine outs are routinely turned into baserunners…
I hope like paul said that the first month offense was not a mirage and the team will score more runs, while playing good enough D and getting good enough outings from SPs to hold the other teams down. I didn’t see much after melk bomb, but on post game kruk said that once SF makes a mistake AZ jumps all over it. Radio guys lamented plays in the field that could have/should have been made. The all D LU a better option?
Team game tho–everyone has to pick each other up. I’m sure all involved, including bum, would say they don’t have any excuses. Really surprised to hear no scoring after melk’s HR, and lack of walks vs. struggling kid is disappointing. They had 6 vs. barbs the other night and 9 hits, so they are not incapable of same.
But pls, keep the ball in the yard. AZ just seems to burn them with the long ball at home. there were 41 hit last night in all of baseball. My new fav stat to keep track of is the blown save–NL alone last night there were 6 of them, and all in 3 games. Each team had a reliever in the same game blow a save, including venters and mujica, both of whose teams eventually came back to win.
Current odds to win the NL West:
Dodgers: 6/5
Giants and Snakes both 9/4
Padres? You can go into the bathroom stall and pray that they’re due. “So’s Jesus.”
I’ve generally loved what Bochy has done the last few years, even before 2010. I’ve almost always trusted, if not always agreed with, his decisions. If in fact it’s true that each individual player is playing for himself and not truly doing what might be best for the team in any given situation, then it’s the manager’s job to get those individuals working as a team. That’s a basic business management philosophy that’s been around for a hundred years, and I think it still is a big part of a baseball manager’s role now. Continually curious and interested to see what Bochy does for on the field play, but also more curious now to see how he handles in the clubhouse what probably is feeling like a capsized (not yet sinking) ship to some of the players. Of course, some of what really goes on behind closed doors, we fans never see. But we do see the results of handling it well or not handling well, usually in the form of wins and losses…
So there are cracks in your faith in Bochy? Sabean, restricted by ownership or whatever, has been caught with his pants down. No plan at 2b or SS and no backup plan at 3rd.
There are always cracks in faith, huh…. 🙂 I think he’s done as much as he can do, you’re right, this is on the front office, and I’m kinda guessin’ they’re scrambling right now, without much hope of being able to do much. There’s that level, and there’s the level of Bruce’s job as manager to get this team clicking, no matter what he’s gotten to play with. I still believe they will figure something out and also share Craig’s thinking about the individual players, too, and hoping they can gel more as a team.
Crawford needing an injection of skill.. good one, Michael…
I am SO bummed there isn’t video of Harper having a temper tantrum and getting hit in the face with a bat. That would have been classic. It would have made top 5 in this video for sure:
It doesn’t look like Bryce is going to be the best thing that ever happened to the Water Cooler industry..
lol. Actually, he WOULD be if it’s gonna mean he’s going to be destroying a couple each game. The Nats are gonna have to set up a *water cooler* fund for a, uh, *rainy day*.
Yeah, I was looking at it from the wrong perspective.. I have it on good authority, though, that the guys won’t appreciate their wing and beer spread flipped..
Watched the post game interview with Bochy last night with the sound off. I didn’t even need to hear what was being said. He looked ready to explode.
I posted the other day that SF would be lucky to float around .500 with Sandoval out. Unfortunately I still think that is true. Posey, Belt, Cabrera and you can throw out the rest. Reminiscent of 2009, the other club scores 3 runs and I’m saying whelp there’s the ball game.
maybe it looked a little like this…….
Haha. The other links in there are funny too.
usually when my b-ball teams struggled i went back to basics—talk and communicate, be in position to make a play, patient on offense for a good shot and aggresive on team defense and rebounding. I think it works the same here—be patient at the plate and get a good pitch to hit, get yourself in position to catch a ball and make a good throw. Have an idea of how pitcher wants to get you out, and where you should be re: game situation on D and what to do with the ball, once you catch it. Things happen fast at this level and you have to make good decisions. condition of the IF, wihich Flems rags on, is not an excuse–AZ plays 9 innings on it too.
Giants looked great vs. Kershaw, getting a solid single from posey and then a whack (pill was looking for a first pitch fastball as K had done that to him before), playing solid D and getting good pitching for 2-1 W. They played well that night in all phases–playing well all around will get you the W more often than not.
As Charlie Fox would say: “Fun & Fundamentals”
Marlins and Nationals….Zambrano and Harper ….Water Cooler Destruction. Night..
yeah …let’s get two.
Or smash two
For some reason I am more hopeful about this offense than I was about last year’s offense (where I had zero hope).
————————————————————————————————————–
I know. Weird isn’t it. I think it’s the addage of Pagan and Cabrera, healthy Posey, reliable Sandoval. The Giants have 4 guys that *always* (barring injury) should be the strating 4 in the LU
that’s right…strating
Pagan ? My only hope there is that they’re trying figure out how to dump him. His OBP ( numero uno most important stat for a leadoff hitter) is .278. For a useful comparison, Whitey is at .274 career..
Pagan had a slow start. And Whitey wasn’t a leadoff. And I don’t give a shit about batting order anyway. After the 1st inning it’s all academic
Good line from Pavlovic’s blog:“I’d rather see Broderick Crawford at short right now…”
Nice
It’s pronounced BRO-der-ick Crawford.
Speaking (writing) of possible typos, I don’t know how many of you read the SFChronicle but today…I don’t know if it was Schulman or a copy editor-I don’t know if it was a mistake or a subliminal dig but here’s how Bichy was quoted in today’s paper discussing Crawford. Exactly
——————————————————————————————————–
“Right now he’s our shortstop.” Bochy said. “He has to deal with games like this. It’s part of maturing as a player. When you’ve got young players, you have to realize they’re going to struggle and have off days. There are no plans now to change anything?”
———————————————————————————————————
Yup. Yup. Ends with a question mark. Gentlemen.
Stick with one Brandon, stick it to the other.
I know it’s still early but I can’t help it. A Tale of Three Lead Off Hitters
(BA, OBP, OPS)
Pagan .256 .278 .705
Reyes. 234 .319 .658
Torres .308 .426 .887
Tell your statistics to shut up…
Now, now. I said it’s early. But aren’t you a Met’s fan? And weren’t they supposed to suck? And what actual human being wouldn’t be happy for Andres “Adda Boy” Torres ?
Have I mentioned how much I despise Pagan today? I just don’t like the cut of his jib. Pagan’s my anti-Tony Romo.
He’s come back off his injury nicely. I own him in 3 leagues and couldn’t be happier with the production he’s giving me off the waiver wire. I’m hoping he stays healthy.
That’s the question for sure. You know, I pooh-poohed your idea that Affeldt’s contract cost them. But look at it:
Jeremy’s extension cost 5 million
Pagan gets 4.85
They could have kept Andres by not offering arb and signing him to a minor league deal where he gets a million for making the team.
Beltran is getting 13 Milion,
So they lose Affeldt, keep Torres, and would have 8.85 million towards signing Beltran. What’s baffling about the team’s decision to trade Andres is that was pretty much common knowledge by the end of 2011 that, in addition to a couple DL stays, problems with his meds probably led to the poor year. How would an OF of Melky, Vungo, and Beltran look about now?
Yes, that OF would be great but both Vungo and Beltran come with a pretty high injury risk. I’m enjoying watching Andres succeed right now for personal reasons and the fact that he’s just a really good fuckin’ dude. It would be impossible not to root for him as a baseball fan…
While you’re at it, why don’t you see if Gussie Busch will give you Cepeda back for Sadecki…
Poor Loo. But I’d think you’d be happy. I hear Mike Lamb just won player of the week in the West Covina Mixed Gender Slo-Pitch Softball League..
Loo, you feel like taking over for Tom Durkin? I’d be shocked and amazed if he remembered to put on his pants each and every day…let alone remember a silk color and horse name.
Dave Johnson was infinitely worse. He flubs his wY through the race just so he can get to the point where he yells “and down the stretch they come.” a horrible race caller, he made a living off of that one line. Unreal
Josh Hamilton hit another HR today. That makes 9 in his past 6 games.
That’s 6 more than we’ve hit all of May…
STFU with that dumb crap- it’s also more than 14 other teams have hit in May. He should save some of those for when it really counts. If not for his 2-20 in the 2010 series, his team might have had a prayer.
Don’t shoot the messenger. I was just pointing out some cold hard facts. Like the ESPN2 show, Numbers Never* Lie.
What’s your guys’ all-time favorite lie? I’m sure you’re all familiar with the old, “My dog ate my homework” bullshit… Well, I think this applies as this actually happened to my younger brother back in 1980. We were attending St. Jerome’s in El Cerrito. Our cat, “Briffy,” ate Dan’s homework one night. I watched and laughed as he ate it. The next day at school, I get pulled out of Sr. Madelaine’s 8th Grade to go visit my brother in 3rd Grade. His teacher didn’t believe him. So I collaborated his story and said with a straight face, Yep. The cat ate his homework.
Then report some complete cold hard facts, trolliot.
Pav’s blog is full of guys who posit 12 different LUs every thread, and regularly call for either bochy’s or sabean’s scalp, or both. I don’t think the team is as bad as it has looked lately, and they still have top of the league class pitching, starters and pen. How best to get all the parts, as assembled, to work together smoothly, keep everyone’s confidence up, hopefully buoyed by success? Esp in a game with so much failure built into it.
sabes put this together, so he has figure out how to improve it, short term and long, within existing budget constraints . bochy has to manage it on a daily basis; losing sandoval (and wilson and mota to be fair, and you can add in runzler surkamp affeldt and freddy sanchez) makes both of their jobs more complicated. They do have 130 more games and many months left in the long season.
The blog here is tremendous fun and always enlightening. Since I see a lot of b-ball games from the stands, I always try and temper criticism I might have of a player or coach by saying something like, “It’s a lot easier from up here. I’m not being guarded by anyone, or under any pressure.”
This a good point willieD. When you hear the description of Pill’s misplay last night, you first think ‘how hard can it be to play leftfield, FFS?’ But if you consider the last time you played against the power and tempo of pro ball, and how at that pace your wrong turn or mis-step is penalized, well, it’s pretty humbling.
Pill made a mistake on the kind of fly ball that every LFer who has played for any appreciable time at all has screwed up. I’m astounded at how many posters were waiting to jump him at the first mistake he made. And how many give the pitcher a total pass on losing composure and grooving one. The announcers said Bumgarner was seething after Pill’s misplay. He had obviously calmed down later when he properly took responsibilty- but his fuck up on the HR was a far more serious mistake than Pill’s.
All pro players in all the major team sports are paid handsomely. Pressure and potential criticism are part of the deal. If you can’t handle either or both, you’re not going to last long at the highest level. An error here and there is inevitable. Consistent screw ups, ala Crawford now, are not. MLB is a meritocracy, tempered by guaranteed LT deals to those that have proven themselves, unlike Pill. I like the NFL model, other than how they treat their injured and retirees. In the NFL, you don’t perform, you’re outta here, no guaranteed money over the life of a ridiculous LT deal. Or golf, the ultimate meritocracy. You don’t perform, nobody else to blame, and you lose your tour card…
I was just checking ESPN’s scoreboard and the Mets’ game was at the top, so here’s your…
Daily Vungo Update:
1-3 with a two-run single, run scored, two walks, and an outfield assist gunning down Stanton at 3rd…
He must have cut down on the number of strikeouts. My main memory of him in’11 is all the strikeouts.
Maybe you can drum up some memories from 2010 or some from the still great defense he played in 2011. Or just spend some time thinking of the dipshit who replaced him.
Maybe his defense was great in ’11. I do remember several times he muffed hard hit singles hit to him. His hitting woes seemed to follow him to the outfield a few times.
Despite the horrible year Andres had at the plate, his defense was still so valuable that his WAR was better than Pagan’s. I remember some saying that Pagan’s 10 error disaster last year was an outlier. If it’s possible, he’s been worse.
I don’t disagree that Pagan ain’t all that good. I’m just not as down on the Giants about the trade. At the time, Torres looked kind of fading out. An amazing lightning-in-the-bottle 2010 career season being it for him. If they turn out to be completely wrong, then so be it. But I don’t see hammering them over the trade.
I don’t really have any big beef with their off-season moves. They just need the guys they have to play better.
Hey, TF! How ya’ feeling today? Can’t be too bad. I see you got up for the show dough at Calder. 😀
http://tinyurl.com/7rt66ha
Some mook on KNBR called in and suggested Pill at 3B and batting third.
Marty Lurie gave it a “thumbs up.” Gene Siskel is rolling over in his grave.
I’d take him there over LF. He boots one at 3rd, it’s likely not as disastrous as if he boots a ball in the outfield, where greater mayhem is the likely result…
I am actually in West Covina today. Is there a schedule posted anywhere for that softball league? I’m sure the family would enjoy the intimate setting and aura of personal liberation.
I haven’t seen *every left fielder* make a play like Pill did. It was beyond awful. And it’s impossible to say that Bum’s “fuck up was a far more serious mistake than Pill’s”. There were 2 outs when Pill went back and did that stagger-dance job, if he catches it the inning is over. THAT was the major fuck up that inning. And if he hasn’t learned to play better OF defense than that then we will see a lot more fuck ups from him out there–and don’t forget all the balls he fails to get to. He’s a statue out there…….
Losing composure and throwing up a BP fastball is more serious than any physical error.
in your opinion. I am telling you that it is FACT that the inning would have ended had he caught the ball. That inning is 100% on Pill…….
So you’re really one who excuses anything that happens after the third out should have been made. No, Pill was responsible for one run, MadBum’s loss of composure was responsible for two. Hopefully he’ll learn- the truly good pitchers pitch through mistakes made behind them.
no, of course he should be able to pitch through a mistake in the field. But as I posted down below, there was A LOT to have to pitch through up to that point in the game.
The outfield should be Pagan in LF, Blanco in CF, and Melky in RF. Nate off the bench in RF and PHitting. Pill plays first on rare occasion, otherwise he’s the RH PHitter off the bench. Belt plays 1B everyday, regardless. Arias at SS. Crawford to Fresno. If Gillaspie can’t get it done with the glove at third, cut his ass, and get somebody on waivers or a trade. Defense must be emphasized immediately to stop this sieve-like error situation and right the ship. If Bochy doesn’t get that, then he’s gone beyond the bend…
The OF should be Huff and Pill sharing LF, Blanco in CF, Melky in RF. Posey catches only, Belt first, Culberson up for 2B, Arias at SS, whoever at 3rd. They need to make Pagan go away.
Twin, that’s one of the dumbest posts I’ve seen you make in quite a while. Let’s say they “make Pagan go away ” and they just release him. You plan to replace him is to go with Huff (anxiety disorder, career could be done), Blanco and Pill (two guys who might be triple A bound at some point soon and who haven’t come CLOSE to producing what Pagan has produced at this level). Then you want to hand the SS job to Arias, another guy who could easily find himself in AAA again soon and you want Belt to play every day at first even though he hasn’t hit a home run this year and he’s got a total of 5 rbi’s.
That would be the worst offense in the history of the game if it was allowed to play for an entire year……..
BF, there are no real options at 1B other than Belt right now. He is the best defensive player for that position. He has one of the top OBPs on the roster. He’s not hitting for power, but nobody is, regardless of corner or other position. His glovework will save a game or two, given the horrible other infield options we have right now. Arias is the obvious choice at SS right now, Crawford has imploded for some reason, probably because he brought up too fast and given too much responsibility. If Arias can’t do it, I don’t know where the SS alternative is, and that’s a problem. Burriss is no answer for that, nor Theriot with his limited range. Crap, the Orioles signed Tejada to see where he’s at, so I’m not optimistic about pulling a decent SS out of the hat. Sabean has not seen fit to adequately solve this SS problem since Omar left, and that is a huge demerit given the years since that happened…
why can’t Pill play first? That’s his natural position, maybe he wouldn’t be such an adventure at that spot. And why does everyone here think Belt is a better hitter than Pill? They were both 5th or 6th round draft choices so it’s not like one has THAT much better pedigree than the other. Belt hit better in the minors but Pill has hit better in the majors. And wouldn’t you RATHER have the guy who’s hitting better up here and not down there?
BF, if you play Pill at first, then I think you have to send Belt back to Fresno. There’s no other place to play him in SF, he can’t play OF. If you platoon those two at 1B per righty/lefty pitcher, meh. Maybe it gives some certainty to both, is about the best I can say about that. You’ll never know this year, doing that, if Belt is the real deal at 1B for the next 10 years. It’s a predicament. And, that’s not even counting Huff in the equation. I don’t see why he’s even on the 25 right now, given his personal situation, and the roster craziness going on. I’d rather have Pill in LF than Huff…
They need to find a landing spot for Pagan because he’ll poison the clubhouse if benched. They made a terrible mistake with him, as I told you when it went down. Belt? I’m not discussing him. Snarkk agrees with me, harass him about it..I’ve previously explained the deal with Hujff, I expect he’ll be released but that they have to see if his mental problems were affecting his play. I’m not to go over thos point by point because it will just lead to an argument that you always “win” by bogarting the argument. Many others want Arias, Blanco, and Belt starting every day, I admit I’m in the minority with Pill/Huff. Argue with other others on Arias, Blano, and Belt.
As I’ve posted before, far too many of you think it’s perfectly acceptable for the pitcher to blow up because an error was made.
It’s also possible Bum was still seething at the umpire for the 0-2 pitch he thought was a strike which caused him to groove the 1-2 pitch. Pill’s gaffe was the final straw in a bad sequence.
Look, I don’t think Bum was *seething* over just Pill. Before that happened, Crawford made 2 terrible plays and Arias wasn’t even close to stopping a ground ball down the line that any usual third basemen would have at least gotten a glove on (I THINK that happened before the Pill play but it could have happened later). He also didn’t get too many calls from the ump. And if he started *seething* after ALL of that I don’t fault him for making a bad pitch–he’s human, lots of pitchers have mental check outs during periods of a game. They aren’t fucking robots. Timmy had an absurd mental mistake on that pitch to Gwynn.
And Timmy had no excuse either. It’s worse with him, in fact. Pill is human too, and he’s a rookie playing a new position- and they need his pop. Shit, Upton had a worse error last night.
The top 5 OBPs on the squad are:
Melky
Panda
Blanco
Belt
Posey
Huge drop off after Posey, with Nate being 6th. Why Blanco and Belt aren’t out there everyday is just plain dumb….
My favorite hit of the season so far is that running slap-hit to left by Blanco, against the Marlins. It epitomized everything that the 2012 Giants were coming advertised as- faster, more athletic. It hasn’t panned out that way for the team. The team has ended up looking slow and station-to-station again somehow.
The “somehow” is that Bochy won’t play Blanco consistently, the one guy that can pressurizes the opposing defense the most. Plus, if Melky, Pagan, or Blanco gets thrown out trying to steal or a hit and run gets blown up, Bochy is gun shy to do it again for the next coupla games, as if small ball has to work every damn time you try it. He’s still managing for batters to have “aggresive” ABs, for the three run bomb that will never come. SF is 15 out of 16 in NL in least amount of pitches thrown in all the team’s plate appearances….
Bochy will never be a small ball manager no matter what he says. I’d think that would have been figured out by now. But a guy like Pagan always has the green light to steal, that and drag bunting are player calls.
Bochy let the speed guys run in ST. It looked good, a revelation. Then, he shut that down immediately at the start of the reg season, and put Blanco in the freezer for the first three weeks. Bad move. And yes, Bochy apparently will never trust speed, even when he has it. So, why have it, if he’s managing to barely use it. He’s still managing like he’s got power guys, when he doesn’t…
Snarkk, I can’t figure out why he hasn’t given the green light to all the speed guys either. Ironically, HE HAS A HISTORY OF DOING JUST THAT. I put up his SB stats from his San Diego years and that team led the league or was numerous times in the top 5 in SBs. A real head scratcher.
Who said they don’t have the green light? Snarkk does not know that.
I wasn”t talking to you. Besides, you’re the one saying, “They need to make Pagan go away.” Now, that is some funny shit. Go away and replace him with what?
Also – you do not know unequivocally that they DO have the green light. If so, where is that written????
Blade, send him the stats, refresh his memory. I’m not saying those three guys are Maury Wills or Lou Brock or Ricky. But, come on. How many times has a speed guy gotten on first so far, and he sits there? In ST, they were running like crap through a goose. Now, it’s like they’ve got shackles on most of the time. Maybe because team OBP is bad (.303, 12th in NL), he feels like he can’t risk “wasting” a baserunner, but he started out the reg season not using the speed like he used it in ST. As one measure of use of speed, so far this season, SF is attempting 0.91 steals per game. In 2011, it was 0.84. So, not much of an increase, though I think any SF follower would say this squad has way more speed than 2011. http://www.teamrankings.com/mlb/stat/stolen-bases-attempted-per-game
Sabean went out and got some speed, yet it seems to often sit there like a 396 cubic inch V-8 in a garage…
14th? That’s pathetic. We should easily be in the top 5, especially considering that we have little or no power to compensate.
“twinfan1 said, on May 12, 2012 at 2:31 pm (Edit)
The OF should be Huff and Pill sharing LF, Blanco in CF, Melky in RF. Posey catches only, Belt first, Culberson up for 2B, Arias at SS, whoever at 3rd. ”
Seriously, if THAT’S your idea of who we should play every day you really are shooting for fewest runs scored over the course of a season. Why not just call up everyone from triple A and have them play every day. Because Pill, Blanco and Arias are just scrap heap guys and Culberson has done NOTHING to suggest he can play up here. Huff’s a total fucking head case and Belt is hitting like a shortstop.
Seriously, that is the worst offense you could ever envision putting together………
And don’t compare this year’s scrap heap to 2010’s scrap heap. In 2010 we scored Huff, Ross, Burrell—these were already major league players. Pagan is a major league player. Your LU is a bunch of triple A shit that would implode over the course of a full season.
Funny shit. With none of those scrap heap guys playing, Flavor’s infield, by default, is Posey/Belt, Burriss, Crawford, and, uh-nobody, like mine.Or maybe he goes with Gillaspie. Posey/Sanchez catch. His OF is Melky, Pagan, Nate. Now THAT, my friends is one bitchin’ line up…
Blanco RF, Belt 1B, Cabrera LF, Posey C, Pagan CF, Arias 3B, Burriss 2B, Crawford SS, (Cain P)
I like this LU– belt is hitting for nearly no power but he’s been getting on base. And I’ve got zero problem with Blanco until he shows he can’t produce consistently.
Twin, I’m not 100% against the LU you posted. I still like Pagan in the LU (though nor batting lead off) and I’d replace your idea of Culberson with Burriss. I still don’t know why Burriss’ chances dried up so quickly he was playing well.
And I’m also fine Arias at SS, Crawford is a wreck right now.
A lot of power hitters do it in streaks-I think someone already pointed out that Belt hit 1 in his first 67 AB last year, the other 8 in his last 130 AB. He’ll get his HRs. I wouldn’t make too big a deal about his lack of them right now. And if you plan on an everyday LU, don’t use ink- he won’t bat second for long.
With that said, he’ll need to get started- as will Posey and Huff if they actually plan to play him. If he’s still having problems, stick him on the 60 day. Otherwise play him or release him .
Well, I was pretty close with my 9:56 PM line-up last night. Then again, they are only so many possible variations…
Blanco CF–until he proves he can’t hit
Burriss 2B
Melky RF–most consistent so far
Posey C–keep him steady but more breaks
Pagan LF–he’s doing nothing to get on base at top of order
Belt 1B–his light .270 gets another 100 ABs, then its Fresno. I’d play Huff thereafter regardless.
Gillaspie 3B–for defense
Arias SS–for defense
Pitcher
Well, arias and C-Gill both stink defensively so if you have them in there make sure it’s for their bats 🙂
Serious! But I think it’s best Crawford go get his head straight. I like Arias better at SS than Burriss, who I like better in the two-hold, although I understand the logic of Belt there. Just don’t like Arias-Burriss-Crawford together; maybe Cain will pick them up!
Uh, that’s ‘two-hole.’
On another topic, I know most of us in winter-spring were hopeful rather than predictive about Belt’s 25 homers this year, but isn’t his streak approaching Pujols’?
You know, when Pablo comes back tonight’s LU would be my most preferred, with Pablo sliding to 3rd and AriAs taking over SS. Pagan batting 6th is a good thing (as I suggested before the first gm of the season)
Player: BA, OBP, SLG, OPS, RBI, HR, SOs, SBs, Games, ABs
Keppinger (Rays): .296, .329, .423, .751, 7, 2, 2, 0, 24, 71
Burriss: .246, .303, .246, .549, 4, 0, 7, 2, 22, 61
Burriss would be in my LU for his speed and stolen bases and, hopefully, more runs scored. If he was doing that, I’d prefer him to Keppinger and anyone else we have to play 2nd base right now….
He obviously can steal better than Kepp — as long as doesn’t get picked off, like yesterday and too many times before. I still see Burriss not with the Giants after the deadline. Sabes will do something, in a semi-panic mode, to shore up 2b with some type of vet outside the org. Theriot sucks, Burriss is AAAA, and Franchez is now going to be our third baseman (ha ha)…
Twin, you don’t have one without the other, If the D makes the plays, Bummie doesn’t give up the homers. Sure, there’s no excuse, but between Crawford and Pill, AZ got 3 extra outs by the end of the 4th.
Whatever, Chuckie.Once they address how to deal with the two guys who have been have been dreadful at the plate and in the field (Crawford and Pagan),I’ll worry about Pill. Pagan’s OBP is a total disgrace no matter where he hits, he’s a poor baserunner, and a disaster in CF. Crawford is just not a major leaguer. And yet we have Pill being descended on as if he’s carrion ,over one mistake. And here’s the deal- unless he can play third base, there is no other logical place to play him if they continue to play Posey at first. He’s shown enough at the plate to warrant playing time. As I’ve consistenly pointed out, he may show why was considered a AAAA player, but we don’t have enough power to not find out.
Why not Pagan, Blanco, Melky, at LF, CF, RF.
To me, that’s better defensively,
LF limits Pagan’s ability to F up,
Melky’s arm is the best of three– so he goes in RF.
Blanco runs like a deer, he covers CF…
Totally fine with that
The Giants appear to be head-fucked by the BOB, or whatever they call that place. The FUC? Which goddamn bank is it now? Like PacBell/SBC/ATT/EIEIO, they change the frigging name every year.
Is that infield shit? it looked tore up by the top of the 3rd.
I can’t stand that “bowling ball alley” they have from the mound to the plate.
Make up your goddamn mind. Is this a goddamn softball beer bowling frame? Or is it a goddamn softball beer baseball frame? There’s no right answer.
Now that it’s Blanco + Belt at the top, BF is right, the key has been found.
Belt goes yard tonight, Giants win, starting a 6 game win streak.
Or, they make 3 errors and get shutout…
Gotta dash.
Thanks for playing both sides of the fence.
The chicken who lays the egg from the top of the barn doesn’t know its left from its right.
Foghorn Leghorn bet on green, 00.
Not to take anything away from 2010 group, but there were some career years at play (Torres, Huff, Posey, Uribe) and the resurgance of Burrell and Renteria…If ever there was an outlier season, that was it…What made it even more remarkable was It all took place while Panda was in hibernation.
Huff’s was a good year, not a career year. And we should find out if Andres’ was. He’s off to a great start this year.
A free 180 ft.? Thank you very much.
Yeah, Pagan’s an idiot.So is Nate. So is Pill in LF, and so is Posey at 1st. The point is, they can’t afford any mistakes. All their mistakes come back to haunt them. Crawfish is the biggest culprit, but Posey at 1st is a disaster in the making. I think Pill is another accident waiting to happen in left.
For all the offense that the offensive lineup is supposed to produce, it hasn’t done shit. At the least, keep Belt in to sink or swim. Or fuck it, platoon Belt and Pill. At 1st.
Oh boy. RISP. Anyone but Posey scores.
zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
Need some more Ambien? I take Trazodone myself. I think they’re related when it comes to the pharmacology.
They keep telling me the Trazodone has some anti-depressant qualities. Do I seem happier? 😀
Wonder if paulinasia missed that half-inning?
Yes, Joe, I was still sleeping, too early on a Sunday morning here… guessing I’m glad I opted for sleep over watching! But hey, they won in the end…
Not sure if anyone goes to this widget or not but I added Pagan and Melky to it so you can compare their stats to the dudes we don’t have anymore–I should probably change the name of the widget.
What the fuck was that?!???!?
Crawford did that on his own and it was inexcusable. If YOU don’t think you can hit it’s time to retire
yeah weird we said the same thing…they are pitching to you and you have a chance to drive in go ahead run…if you don’t get a strike, let it go by.
what was the point of that? If you are going to bunt, push it to one side or the other of the mound at least and make someone move.
Crawford just showed even he knows he can’t hit on that bunt. On the Pagan thing, I totally agree with Twin, you bench that guy and he is going to make the clubhouse hell.
I hesitate because I’m a broken record on this, but the first-pitch swinging is truly remarkable. Offense is by all accounts horrible. But Pagan gets a hit and Arias a four-pitch walk. Then both Burriss and Crawford swing at first pitches, a mark that desperation overwhelms any notion of an approach at the plate.
Maybe you said it before, but it’s like these guys have no awareness of anything that has gone on before they reach the box. It’s like, hmm the pitcher walked the bases loaded. I’d better swing at that 1st pitch . . .
I nearly choked on my beer when I saw Crawfish bunt. Raise the white flag, dude. You are done.
And Pagan promptly has a couple hits and a stolen base. BTW, whether I’m right or wrong on a guy is no BFD, I make a call on pretty much everybody and I’m right often enough that my ego is just fine if I’m wrong as long as the guy out performs my call..are you believing that crap? Actually I cry myself to sleep when I’m wrong..
I don’t think you care, either. But you will go to pretty much the end of the line with (or against) the call. I’ve got no problem bailing on a call. When you’re wrong you’re wrong and it’s time to move on to the next *call*.
Well, I was joking-and you’re wrong. I’ve always fessed up when I’m wrong- I have no choice because I have several nannies to remind me.
That was incredible play by a guy who’s played a hand full of gms at third base
Anyone really think freddy sanchez makes that play and gets him out?
If he does, he’s right back on he DL.
No doubt– or off to the ER to re-attach a limb
Arias certainly is the pleasant surprise defensively.
Not last night. He was playing 3rd base like the bag was kryptonite.
Damn . . . Nice pitch Matty.
No running?
Cain says “Fuck it, I just do it myself”.
Is Cahill betting on this game? Hit our 2 worst hitters and then give up a hit to the pitcher? Thank you…
Matty! Finally taking advantage of thier mistakes.
and cain knocks cahill out the box, how f-ing embarrassing.
Cain showing the team hitting is easy!
What a leader this guy is..Gets banged off the shin before his first AB,then singles,then breaks up a DP attempt, then smacks a 2 run double.Cain you are the man!
He is The Horse.
Take some Pine Meats!!!
Parra and Upton no match for the Cainer!!!!!! 8K’s and counting
Someone has to be
I’ve got no idea why the baby giraffe exists. Besides being the gayest nickname ever, don’t you have to actually do something to earn a marketing product like that?
Based on the guy we saw last week deep throating that beer, the giants should start selling horse heads immediately
Horse heads . . . I saw that guy. lqtm.
There are few things I enjoy more than watching guys with neck tats fuck shit up.
I wish Cain was up
Take the fucking bat off your shoulder!
no idea what he was thinking…breslow is nothing; he’s got the bases loaded, throws you a couple strikes and you’re not interested.
Did I hear right earlier on the car radio?
Burriss has not had an extra base hit in his last 220 ABs? I knew he had no pop, but that is so pathetic for a position player, it is insane. Then he watches called strike 3 with the bags loaded. He has to go, get anybody in at 2nd that can hit a ball out of the infield. Phuck — put Cain at 2B in between starts…
I understood it when he weighed 130 lbs. or whatever he was a couple of years ago. Now, he just looks skinny, not like he just joined the team from Ethiopia.
Bad throw by Melky, but Burriss has to block that throw. He can’t hit anything but singles, he can’t block a bad throw. Why the puck is he on this team — other than right now there’s nobody better? Oh, there IS that…
Steals. which he doesn’t really seem to do up here. Like I said, if he’s stealing bases/scoring runs he’s am asset. If not, he’s scrap heap.
He’s 2 for 4 attempts, and seems to get picked off fairly often. Not much steal upside there….
Burris for sure sould have grabbed that throw from Melky as well.The error goes to Kelly but I’m not buying it.Yeah Snarkk you heard right, last summerwho knows where Burris hit a bleeder off probably 2 OF gloves and the official scorer reluctantly gave him a double.
Fucking Crawford . . . grrrrrrrrr
He’s become Steve fucking Sax over there….I’ver never seen anything like this from a Giant.
Wilco . . . Once upon a time in a faraway land, there lived a Prince called Johnny Lemaster. Grin.
Actually, Johnny Lemaster was a good fielder . . . he just couldn’t hit.
Johnny could fuckin’ pick it. And he hit around .220. I would take that and his skinny ass and porn stache in a heartbeat right now, and he can wear the Boo uni, too…
GOD CRAWFORD SUCKS DONKEY BALLS AND DICK FOR DESSERT! !!!!
Unfuckingbelievable. Crawford again. Burriss can’t block a throw. WHAT THE FUCK IS THIS SHIT? I swear, I cannot remember a worse fielding POS squad since I’ve been following the Giants. Fucking call Johnnie LeMaster out of retirement. Call Mike fucking Andrews. If there was a worse fielding infield, I can’t remember it….