Having Confidence in the Giants Line Up
I read Bagg’s blog this morning about the Giants not getting a hit with RISP since Panda got thrown out by 632 feet last week. Normally, a stat like that would have me doing a slow burn but I’m finding it hard to fuel thet rage. In years past, I can usually look up and down our LU and find a target to seethe at. This year, I’m just not feelin’ it. I love all 7 of our starters as well as our platoon in LF.
And even with this latest RISP slump (and I think they had another stretch earlier this year that was grim) the Giants still rank above most teams in the NL batting .279 with RISP. The league average is .251. Side Note: St Louis is batting an unreal .352 with RISP. How are they not undefeated right now, lol? Answer: they’re batting an MLB worst .207 with none on. Two of the weirder *First/Last* numbers you’ll see a team put up in the same season….
With RISP and 2 out the Giants are only hitting .220 but the league average is .217 so they aren’t really out of line there. St Louis is hitting .376 nearly .100 points higher than the 2nd place team.
The bottom line is that it’s still April. Every time one of our guys come up to bat I feel good about the ultimate outcome–at least as they step into the box. Maybe next month, if they’re still slumping with RISP, I’ll try to get worked up about it.
A Place To Talk About Giants Baseball 
Is it possible the Giants are last in XBH with runners on base? I know their slugging is in the back half of the NL. The 20 million dollar boon for Marco Scutaro is the move that still has me cringing. Looking at his track record, he’s historically been a slow starter that shows improvement late season and last year was a drastic example. I cringe to think the Giants decided to lay out this contract for him to play replacement level ball for 3 months then hopefully pick it up a notch later. Could be a bench player by year 2 of deal? This is my outrage anyways. And yeah, by blood pressure isn’t all that high.
Someone else talked about RISP the other day, something to the effect about it being a consistent problem-it’s not, and never has been. When it’s all said and done (EOY)-the team will hit about the same w/RISP as they do regularly. Our announcers- all of them- are totally ignorant of the facts about RISP, so they harp and harp on it, Fact is-our current .274 BA/.345 OBP/.740 OPS (as per Baseball Reference ) is likely going DOWN , not up.
RISP “slumps” are a fact of baseball life for every team, it’s only something to spend much time worrying about if one likes to spend a lot of time worrying…
A dearth of XBH would not effect hitting with RISP all that much, it would affect driving in players *not* in scoring position much more…
Scooter IS a guy to worry about, this a guy who hit .238/278 OBP/.570 OPS away from Coors last year and hit .224/.272/.531 in July. Those are numbers that should carry far more weight than his unconscious numbers here last year. Being a bench player by year 2 or even the end of year 1 is hardly out of the question.
That’s what I’m saying Michael: lots of singles, few long balls, I don’t see a lot of 2Bs and 3Bs. Kind of punch and judyish when it comes to bringing in the runs. Need them crooked numbers. They had that streak last year of solo HRs last year that was frustrating. Nothing like a bloop, followed by a walk, followed by a blast.
ps- I see your boy Zito is on the bump tonight. Here’s another loaded question for you: More Zito love at the Merc or at the Flap? About the same?
I’m gonna go out on a limb and say he gets more love here–
I know what you were saying, Ryan. But our offense is hardly the main problem right now. bitching about it is a staple at the Flap, though. Everytime we have a few low scoring games, CHANGES MUST BE MADE !!!
But man, a guy has to work hard to find much to bitch about as to 2012…
Zito? A fine person.
I’m going to have some breakfast and watch the W’s game again, I only caught parts last night. What a strange, frustrating, but ultimately very satisfying win.
Agreed. Without Jack, they don’t win it. But I wanted to strangle him at least twice inside of 30 seconds to go.
Dirt, check your ESPN trade basket. Another one in the hopper and it’s on a time-release trigger . . . No bomb, but I will cancel the trade. š
Everything explained in the proposal. Thanks!
Flavor, Up in your neck of the woods this morning. LoveBugs. Heard of it? Ugh!
Blade, saw your offer but I made my SP moves earlier this this week. Dude is damaged goods If you dislike JJso much why do you end up with him year after year? š
lice place, right?
Bummer.
Yeah, such a pain in the ass. We’ve done 2 treatments at home and are now resorting to this place. Hoping it does the trick. If my daughter hadn’t spent so long growing her hair out I would have just shaved her head. That will be the go to option with the boy if he gets it.
Believe me Dirt – JJ was not on my radar this year (especially after his epic failure last year. Dude is injury prone and until he disproves that, he will have the label). That being said, he’s optimistic that his triceps is all right. By the by, clever that you didn’t actually cancel the trade yet. So I will do so for ya. HEHEHE.
Blade, Sorry I didn’t respond a the FL. Been dealing with a lice case this morning otherwise you surely would have seen a wise ass reply. That is the second time you have tried to pass off JJ to me as he is headed to the DL. Why man? Whhhhyyyy?!?!
Ahh Dirt, you know I wouldn’t put one over on ya. Hey, I mentioned all his medical problems in the trade proposal and indicated that the trade had a milk pass due date (before his MRI report). Full disclosure is my middle name Dirt. š
So Ryan, we all made predictions at the start of the season. Just reading between the lines, it seems you have us third, maybe third at best. This is a serious question, what is your call?
At start of season I had Giants just ahead of Dodgers with the intangible push and the Diamondbacks not far behind the two big payroll clubs. I’m currently enamored with the Diamondbacks pitching and I think it will give them the edge. I think Goldschmidt is the real deal and Belt is more ersatz. The rest of their lineup can do enough to score runs, especially in that park. Pitching and defense is the Giants formula and I think AZ can out Giant the Giants.
Actually, the formula last year was more like good offense and defense, with pitching in the category of just good enough. Is Montero an ersatz Posey? I do agree with you that if you wanted to draw any conclusions based on 23 games, the slugging % is a little troubling. But it’s too early to do that.
I think the Giants formula has been Pitching and Defense. It’s where they’ve been investing the dough and putting emphasis on the field – eg., LF, SS, and 1B. The final product isn’t always what was planned.
Something pretty funny just happened here. I was taking out the garbage and this little kid, maybe 8 YO, walked by and said there was a dead bird on the ground and asked me if he should pick it up. I told him maybe I could get a sheet of newspaper or something and then we could put the poor birdie in the can. The kid says that would be cool, I could hold the bird while he cuts the beak off…
uh, kid- you’re on your own, pal..
Another reason why I am worried about more exponentially worse incidents then the Boston Marathon attack happening. WTF is wrong with the world?
I’ll hope against hope and say he’s a budding ornithologist, not Ted Bundy…
Ornithologist? Hmm, wasn’t that guy Perkins played in Psycho, a “budding ornithologist?” He turned out quite well. Wouldn’t hurt a fly as I understand it.
I didn’t intend that reference, but good call, as I remember, Norman “stuffed” birds as a hobby…
By the by Tom, I am taking your advice to visit Lucca (vs. Siena or Pisa). I spoke with this young (and very attractive) lady today, who said that Siena is nice, but is a bear to explore because of the hills you have to climb and most important, because it’s spread out. Conversely, she said Lucca was a charming village that she really enjoyed and will give me a taste of what Tuscany is really like. Not too many tourists either relative to what Siena, Pisa, and Florence get.
OK, Blade, cool. Suggest the young lady be your tourguide…
New thread on my blog.
Yeah,between 9/11/01 and now there have been 3200 terrorist related deaths in the US.
There have been 900,000+ gun deaths in that stretch of time.
What gets the headlines?
Excellent point Chuck. Your point also illustrates the idiocy of McCain and other imbecilic Republicans diverting our attention to Terrorism issues, when much bigger issues (such as gun violence) are left to fester.
The West, Texas fertilizer plant, filled with hazardous and highly flammable chemicals, had last been inspected by OSHA in 1985 and “DHS had never inspected the plant, due to the plant’s failure to self-report the amount of ammonium nitrate it had on site. The lack of clear regulatory authority and inspections led the New York Times to declare that the plant ‘fell through regulatory cracks'”. The plant contained 270 tons of ammonium nitrate, well over the legal limit, 15 people died, yet the tragedy was a big yawn in the media and Obama never even mentioned worklpace safety in his memorial speech. Only 2 of 63 cable news segments this week about the Texas explosion even mentioned the ammonium nitrate this week despite the fact that that key finding had been issued last Saturday.
It’s not being dismissive of the tragedy that the Marathon bombing was, to be disturbed about the massive overkill and often incorrect coverage of the bombing compared to the certainly equally tragic explosion in Texas.Although Americans were 270 times more likely to die of a workplace accident than a terrorist attack in 2011, the Department of Homeland Securityās budget that year was $47 billion, while OSHAās budget was only $558 million. The goverment has become totally paranoid about terrorist attacks and either vaguely interested in or ineffectual at taking measures to curb gun violence or tackle workplace safety.
I won’t even go into anything more about both the coverage and the nonsense on both sides of aisle regarding the Miranda issue and most likely imaginary ties the Boston murderers had to foreign groups.
I couldn’t put it much better. “Homeland” Security is an extension of DOD budgeteering, essentially. That is, a license to steal from the US treasury. Workplace safety? Corporations pay the politicians well to make sure that doesn’t get much attention — that might hurt the bottom line. I lived in Texas a few years. If you work in a fairly dangerous setting, you’re on your own. No income tax is not the only reason companies locate in Texas — the regulatory and tort environment is candyland for profiteering, and conversely a dangerous swamp if you’re on the lower rungs of the work world. If you think Sacramento is a center of political corruption, try Austin. It’s not even close…
In the late 70s, I spent a month working in the oil fields outside Midland/Odessa. I was on my way back to Calif. after half a year in Chiapas; I needed some money, so there I was, in the oil-rank winter desert. I had a lot of dangerous jobs in my youth, but working in that corner of Texas was the worst.
Anybody else see that youtube video of the father and daughter watching the fertilizer explosion from a distance? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ROrpKx3aIjA
The guy just didn’t realize. Hope the kid’s ok.
I imagine that all of those “right to work” states in the Southwest are hell for laborers in particular.
Absolutely. You outlaw the closed shop and you eviscerate a union’s leverage to improve working conditions in the shop. Nevada’s a right-to-work state, too.
With all the talk of information sharing among law enforcement agengie: the DOD, FBI. Homeland Security, etc.
” a report published in the Dallas Morning News on Tuesday found that at least three state agenciesā the Department of State Health Services, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) and the Office of the Texas State Chemistādid know that the plant had a large stockpile of ammonium nitrate. However, they did not share that information with OSHA or DHS. Representatives from the TCEQ and the chemistās office told reporters that their role in regulating the plant was not to ensure fire safety, but to handle other issues, such as the possibility of environmental contamination.”
However, Office of the Texas State Chemist the chemistās office did know to share information with other agencies on the terrorism risks of ammonium nitrate. According to the Dallas Morning News, āHerrman, head of the state chemistās office, said his staff has attended training in weapons of mass destruction and law enforcement because of security concerns over theft or misuse of ammonium nitrate. But he could not recall any meeting between his office and the TCEQ to discuss in detail how to share information on non-security-related safety concerns about the chemical.ā
Every day 12 people don’t come home from work , killed in workplace incidents , over 4,600 in 2011, nearly 4 million are injured on the job yearly.
Undoubtedly there will be what the government always engages in : hearings, they love hearrings and commissions. there might be civil suits, long trials, undisclosed settlements.We can expect that. Can we expect new safety regulations and legislation mandating more inspectors and inspections? We’d be whistling in a West Texas wind…
( much of this is from an article by Janet Golden, Ph.D. is Professor of History at Rutgers University)
What I found interesting is that the same Texas politicos that voted against gov’t subsidies after the Hurricane Sandy natural disaster in NY;/NJ have OK’d the request for gov’t money to clean up the West, Texas industrial accident.
Ahh, hypocrisy, lawmakers be thy name.
Imposing an eccentric strike zone is just ostentatious bullshit.
How about that Crawfish !!!
Hang a breaking ball to him and you’ll get one pulled into bleachers. He looks a lot stronger this year, but he’s still just as quick in the field.
That new stance he developed during spring training is WORKING BABY!
Meanwhile the nats continue to dominate the reds, has to be killing the cincy fans, too. Harper HR #9
Crawfish HR #5 and it sounds like a home crowd as the Giants fans erupt. goose bumps of joy for the young shortstop. What a dream come true.
Zito freakin’ PAINTING both sides of the plate to pitch out of that jam.
Panda!!!
Yeah, it is 2:30am
Yeah, big, busy, day tomorrow with much sailing planned.
but I am responsible and have got to show Blade how we European Giants’ fans do it.
And it is much easier when the boys are hitting, pitching and scoring.
“but I am responsible and have got to show Blade how we European Giantsā fans do it.’
Fine meds…
This and Ed’s post cracked me up. Yeah Ed – what are you taking to stay up so late?
actually, I fell asleep around 10pm and woke at 2am and instead of going back to sleep . . .
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I like the sunny optimism Magnus exudes in today’s post.
How did that happen? Maybe I’ll put that move to center on hold…
Fuck. Zito’s out of this game soon if he don;t get this guy.
I said it first . . .
The new Petco: Where no lead is safe.
Torres is wearing this one.
Damn, great game until the 4th.
Wow. That was a huge error and no excuse. And no excuse for what followed, either.
Wow. This is bad bad bad.
I’d say it’s only bad bad..
Time will tell tell . . . but, yeah, plenty of innings left.
Torres error was absurd but it didn’t give Zito a license to just fall apart.
Well, this isn’t a team full of a bunch of pussies. They will likely re-group and win this
Hey, Barry’s ERA went down tonight…
what kind of hit did “Vungo’s” UZR rating take? they both came up ant-small tonight.
I don’t think they update it that quickly. But I’d say 6 runs in one inning is just a tad over “replacement level”…
Sorry to say, even a win will feel like a loss tonight. That’s a fairly meaningless statement, but the hell. All the wheels fell off and then the chassis split in half. Welders needed. Gawd. Awful.
Dear Giants, just make believe you’re in Chicago and pull out one of those bizarro victories.
They’d better. SD is not that good, and we should be feasting on these guys.. And those comebacks don’t grow on trees.
Nevermind . . .
Nah, a win will be sweet.
Proudly flip-flopping. Yes, a gritty win will be sweet. (Would be; subjunctive.)
Kuiper: “And now they have the crowd back in it.”
Pence does triple-penance for our sins and inches us toward redemption. REVEREND!
More “redemption ” from Torres. Center field might not be his best spot right now
since I did not see his misplay, I gather it was dreadful
It made Fred Lewis look like a GG
It was a liner that he came in on and completely missed.
Oh. Dave Kingman would be proud.
He totally whiffed on a fly ball. That was his 10th error in 522 games. He wanted to make it a doozy.
Would love to see what would happen if Gaudin plunked Quentin. (Couldn’t help myself.)
Gaugin is painting the corners.
My Impression of that comment: pure gold.
He’s been brilliant
Abstractly au
I must not be a very conscientious or alert fan. How the feck and when did Posey’s BA jump to where it is now? Where have I been?
Looked to me like Pablo was safe.
Well, it wasn’t hand grenades..
Pretty awesome game
If there’s an element of magic that defines a major leaguer, Machi must be lacking it.
Machi has justified his recall so far. It’s going to be a tough pill for him to swallow if he goes back down when Affeldt is back.
Would Machi have performed worse than Chad Gaudin over the last few years, if their circumstances had been reversed?
Gosh, I hate these quizzes. I’m going with “he’s wasted very little MLB payroll.”
Of course! Machi’s potentially better performance would have cost more in salary than the actual value he was likely to contribute on the field. Complicated shit, these baseball front office calculations.
I like Machi’s demeanor. Looks like nothing fazes him.
Tough, tough loss.
Romo had nothing but they still should have the DP.
Let’s see: My daughter’s softball team lost 10-0, the Nets (yes, I’m a Nets fan) pulled off an all-time gag job and lost in triple overtime — and now this. Then again, things could be worse: http://www.app.com/article/20130427/NJNEWS/304270061/Baseball-fight-at-Red-Bank-Regional
I hate losses to the Padres. BOO!
Wow. I’m the luckiest Flapper here in as I didn’t have to see or hear most of this travesty. I was listening on the radio. They were up 5-0. I’m still listening on my way to City College to see my sister’s show which has an 8pm curtain. Torres has a brain fart, Zito reverts and they’re losing 6-5. I’m sitting, parked outside of City College still listening. Posey clutches and Pence triples. Up 7-6. Padres start rallying again and it’s 7:45. I have to go. Show ends around 10pm and I have to hang out for a while, greet the cast and all, many who I’ve worked with in the past. Get in my car. Turn on KNBR listening to Marty Lurie and…
Wow. I’m the luckiest Flapper here in as I didn’t have to see or hear most of this travesty.
Is this what I have to wake up to????? Sounds like a frustrating game. Big lead blown, then a comeback, then losing it. Sigh.
Yeah, your team is flying under the radar for WS 2013 numero tres, the big sombrero.
No ‘splane-in (rickey ricardo voice) Vungo’s big miss for the big inning or Scooter’s bobble giving SD the win.
BTW
All games are free today on MLB.COM!! The Gmen start just after 6pm Italy time and it is the HD premium version. Vogelsong on the hill.
Thanks Ed, I just might catch the last part of the game after dinner.
Yeah, I was wide awake until the 4th inning and it got harder and harder to stay up rooting.
I heard an interesting stat: Zito has .184 opponents BA during his first 45 pitches and .381 from pitch 46 on. Barry fell apart around pitch 62 – 92