by
Greek Giant
In what was surely an unforeseen move by fans, the Giants signed Jimmy Rollins to a minor league contract for one year. The former MVP and World Series Champion will earn $1 million if he makes the Major League club. The signing is a curiosity considering Rollins is 38 and the Giants are already very deep in their infield with Brandon Crawford, Joe Panik, Eduardo Nunez, Kelby Tomlinson and Ehire Adrianza.
Is it possible the move was simply an insurance policy in the event of injuries during the long hard slog of a baseball season? Bobby Evans was typically cryptic when asked to explain the deal. This signing sure smells like there is more to it. Could the Giants be trying to work out a trade involving one of the aforementioned middle infielders?
Is something brewing with the Twins regarding Brian Dozier?
There is a great interview with Jimmy Rollins where he discusses his motivation to sign with the Giants. In it he explains his desire to win one more ring after seeing his former teammates like Hunter Pence and Pat Burrell win their second championship with the Giants.
While I have always enjoyed Jimmy Rollins, especially his propensity for big hits in the postseason, this signing sure looks a bit odd with the naked eye. Maybe there is nothing to it and the Rollins addition is simply filling a spot on the roster for the River Cats while providing some insurance in the event of unforeseen circumstances.
Time will tell.
Breckeroni says J Roll will be vital to a NL Flag
Because he was cheap, minimally useful as a backup, and available.
When is Bruce’s birthday? He needs something like this to give us fans something to bitch about. I think he thrives on these psychic peccadilloes.
LOL. Wouldn’t that be a rip?
The reason Rollins was signed is because actually this is the first year in his career that he has come to grips with and realizes he will never be a starter again. With LA he started and when he first went to CWS he started.
Now he can learn what it is to be a good-great professional ML baseball player to come off the bench left-handed or right-handed and to spell guys in the field. Every year of note the Giants had/have had some then-marginal-type players who they’ve carried on their rosters for various reasons and several of those played key roles and some started due to injuries.
1962 – Infielders Dick Phillips and Ernie Bowman
1987 – OF’s Randy Kutcher and Joel Youngblood
1989 – OF’s Pat Sheridan and Jim Weaver
1993 – IF Erik Johnson – Todd Benzinger and Steve Scarsone
2002 – IF Ramon Martínez – OF’s Tom Goodwin – Tony Torcato
2010 – UT Matt Downs – IF Ryan Rohlinger – OF Darren Ford IF Babe Fonty
2012 – OF’s Justin Christian – Xavier Nady – IF Joaquin Arias – IF The Riot – Ryan Theriot
2014 – IF’s Tony Abreu – Brandon Hicks – OF’s Juan Perez – Tyler Colvin
He does have the advantage, he actually knows how to play baseball at the MLB level.
This dude had a LONG run of success https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kAH5j8gtV-k
And https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CLNL9AJxnKY
Because washed up vets are Bochy’s viagra.
I had a dream that you were cousins through marriage with the Bochy family and another nephew or cousin had heard your comment and Bruce approached you about it….with you standing there….in all your glory and – it didn’t turn out to well for you……
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/bcd55ac36e9075650f7fe96f84513655d52895bff8794f3dd56f66dfcf010d6f.jpg
Why? Was the viagra kicking in? And I bet you really were dreaming about me.
Quasi nightmare. Btw, guys like you typically succumb to a painful disease after living and working a long long time. It just comes out of nowhere….
Good luck with that, if you reach BB15’s current age.
Statistically speaking, there’s a good chance of that happening to guys like me, as well as guys who aren’t like me.
Your Karma is suspect however…
I don’t believe in karma, but if you do, you might not have done yourself any favors there.
Karma is. It’s neither good nor bad nor suspect.
You’ll croak from epistemological dissonance. It’ll be like a flash of light in the dark…. and you’ll just start walking. When you go ribbit, it’ll be over.
Careful it could be Daniel Bufano dreaming about you and vice versa.
That must be hard for you to digest.
How does this help the Giants end the Dodgers stranglehold on the division. In 2017, no title, no playoffs.
Grant Brisbee wrote about this yesterday, too. Besides the guys GG mentioned, they’ve brought Pena back, added Calixte to the 40, and signed a guy who’s playing in the VZL winter league. Plus they gave Adrianza a guaranteed contract. So, including KT, EA, and these other four guys, that’s six utility infielders. It DOES seem like a lot, considering also that they have guys like Arroyo and Hinojosa climbing the ladder.
I think your instincts that somethings up make sense.
Connor Letourneau took Rusty Simmons Warrior beat writer’s place (after Simmons wrote a story last year from his couch when his court-side seat was empty) Connor Letourneau shares a last name with an infamous teacher-mom “Mary Kay” who left her husband for her pupil. Apparently not related.
http://www.sfchronicle.com/warriors/article/Warriors-game-day-Will-fatigue-be-factor-against-10815709.php
@ESPNSteinLine – The Warriors just announced that Draymond Green is available to play tonight in Detroit after the birth of his son earlier this week.
Kerr: “The millennials struggled in the first half. They locked in in the second half, put their phones down and started to defend.”
https://twitter.com/anthonyVslater/status/812131956758630402
GG said: ” Maybe there is nothing to it and the Rollins addition is simply filling a spot on the roster for the River Cats while providing some insurance in the event of unforeseen circumstances.”
I can’t see Rollins playing at Sacramento. He’ll make the roster or retire.
Rollins can still work a walk, get the ball into the OF, bleed a pitcher of pitches,and steer a GB to advance a runner. He’s not going to shake the landscape much anymore, but still, in a pinch, he can advance a runner and not screwup on the base path. In an emergency, he’s a capable, workman like sub.
Which is why he was out of baseball for most of last season.
He’s not a major league player. They need hitters
He’s a marginal backup in an emergency situation. Depending on the situation, he’s a notch above Parker standing in the box with one out taking 3 strikes as he make a roundtrip stopoff near home plate with a man on 2nd.
A- “To see Scout do the Snoopy Dance”
I want him to go full Rockette myself.
Coach K chimes in https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GzowqC1VvNE
Here’s the latest on Leprechaun Justin Turner’s deal with the Doyers:
Details on #Dodgers deal with Justin Turner: https://t.co/GtPyZRVI9k https://t.co/KvswmyAvkj
The other infielder the Giants signed–the guy playing in Venezuela right now–is Juniel Querecuto. Minor league deal.
It’s worth remembering that due to injuries to KT, EA, Duffy, and Panik, the Giants ended up promoting Conor Gillaspie, Ramiro Pena, Grant Green, and Ruben Tejada last year.
How quickly we forget the MiLB firedrill last year was.
I didn’t forget. They kept right on winning with a lot of the Sacramento team in the lineup. Which I thought was a minor miracle. Then the regulars got well and the team got sick.
I’m not convinced anyone really got well.
Agreed–I think Pence and Panik rushed back, to everyone’s detriment.
Like you implied, a fire drill.
Que? Quien? Queremos Martinez o Frazier o Dozier o “Maestro Melvin”!
Melvin? Upton?
Ott!
Woke up really hungry this morning, which is odd because chemo is supposed to curb your appetite and I just had a treatment yesterday. I decided to go to a buffet for the first time in over 20 years which is when I lived here before.
The Palms is right next to my apartment complex. It’s on Flamingo about a mile or two west of the strip. You’d think it would be walking distance from me, it being right next door and all, but the way the parking lots are arranged, the casino entrance is easily 3/4 mile from my door. That’s too much for me at age 86, so I drove. Then I still had to walk 300 yards from where I parked to the buffet. That’s my exercise quota for the day.
I stopped by the Palms office on the way in to get a players card because I heard they discount when you have it. Well guess what. With the players card the breakfast buffet was 6.99+tax. I was amazed. This was no skid row complex. This was a semi-classy. semi-new, hotel casino. What a deal!
When I got inside I saw why. The serving line was pretty small by Vegas standards. Off to the right there was a station where they cook eggs to order. No one was there so I chose to go for the scrambled eggs that were next to it. These eggs looked watery so I spooned some that were drier near the top edge of the pot. These had started to turn brown because they had sat there so long. For $6.99 I shouldn’t complain, right? I topped it off with a cheese blitz, bacon, corned beef hash, and sausages. All perfectly adequate.
On my second trip through, I got some Chinese stuff, some Mexican stuff, ( don’t remember the names. Next time I’ll write them down.) and a pizza slice. Then I came across some chicken fried steak. Steak and eggs are my favorite breakfast meal. When I was in Saigon I always had fillet mignon and eggs (it was very cheap). Here in the States it’s usually chicken fried steak that comes with it.
So I grabbed a steak patty (that’s what it looked like), put on some pork gravy from a nearby vat, and headed back to my table. Well, the steak, when I cut into it, looked like a hamburger patty fried in batter, but it was pretty good, nice and moist with some flavor. It was easily the best dish in the house. When I go back, which won’t be soon, I know what to get. Everything else was pretty pedestrian, but for $6.99 it’s hard to beat.
I remember when people actually gambled in Vegas, they’d comp you breakfast in a lot of the places, early mid 70s. The Riviera’s was particularly good.
I went to a conference at the Riviera in 2013, but they blew it up a year or so ago.
In it’s hey day, it was decadent and spectacular. That’s where I saw Louis Armstrong sit in and jam with the bar band one morning about 2-3 AM in a small side lounge, me and 3-4 other folks. For free. The drinks were even free. Still seems like a movie dream.
i love hearing stories like this from old timers. just kidding. did he blow his horn, or sing?
It’s funny. It wasn’t a performance as such. I guess he was playing somewhere in town, and for some reason just sat in with these guys. As far as he was concerned, there wasn’t an audience, just 2-3 guys at the bar having a late night drink while he and 3-4 other guys jammed, just for fun, I guess. I was an ignorant 21-22 year old kid. It was in January, when Vegas used to be dead, except for the high rollers.
you were probably too young to realize how cool an event it was you were witnessing. i once saw paul anka at an amusement park when i was about 12 or so. i like your story better.
Way too young. I don’t think it even occurred to me at the time how cool it was. I still thought call girls were interested in my winning personality then, LOL. What a rube I was.
And you’re not anymore? That’s rich.
Hawesome.
Glad to hear you have your appetite back. You are one tough cookie and a really good storyteller.
Thanks.
I lived in Reno for three years and was a big fan of casino/buffet dining. Keep it up, Walter. If anyone can still be a reasonably decent driver at 86, my money is on you.
I have no trouble at all driving. I drive better than most people around here. They are not even smart enough to pull out into the intersection on a flashing yellow light left turn. Many times they get stuck back when the light turns red. It pi$$es me off, especially when I’m right behind them and I get stuck too.
My brother used to say that about Reno too. He liked that a lot better than Tahoe.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uj_DEgWAW2U
The free agent class of 2018-19. Pretty incredible.
http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2016/12/2018-19-mlb-free-agents.html
Why did they sign Rollins? Because Bochy hates Tomlinson.
That’s just plain silly.
Speaking of, maybe Bobby has something up his sleeve with Tomlinson. Take away Dozier, the Twins could plug in Tomlinson and perhaps expect him to handle the job ably. By no means would Tomlinson headline such a deal and by no means is this a remotely possible scenario.
If they trade Tomlinson, I will be PISSED!!!
If they don’t trade Tomlinson, you’re still going to be PISSED.
It’s nice when teams strike deals right before Christmas. Nice X-mas present for the player, his family, and for the fans.
Merry X-mas Ben Revere and Angel fans.
This is a great Christmas blues listen, the whole album…
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLBh2bMcvE5lUrNsShtO0UmYbzUxSOa2cI
I saw her eons ago in Chicago in a little blues club.
Article suggesting the Cavs-Warriors are the Lakers-Celtics of this era.
http://fivethirtyeight.com/features/the-cavs-and-warriors-might-be-doing-this-finals-thing-for-a-long-time/
Whoa, the Giants have signed Mike Morse and Justin Ruggiano to minor league deals. I’ve always kind of liked Ruggiano.
Legit major league backup for Span. More legit than Gorkys.
Career 137 wRC+ vs LHP. Hit a slam off Bum last year. I smell a CF platoon.
bloodhound?
Nope, Bochy will not platoon Span, more likely gets playing time over Mac .
He platooned him last year for a time, or was that tale Latin guy a mirage.
Yes late in the year, when he was desperate, but he will give Span a long rope , before he thinks about platooning him .
Is duct tape your tool of choice? Your logic tool needs a little.
So out of Spring Training Span will be platooned, if you believe that I have a bridge I will sell you !
probably a push with Gorkys at this point. Ruggiano no stranger to the whiff. A hard swinger.
Ruggiano has over 50 HRs and a career OPS over .760. Yeah, that’s better than Gorkys.
5 years older and probably 5 paces shorter in range across CF.
Yes, that too. Defense for offense and major league hitting experience.
Shocking statement by you, CC and Scout may kick you out of the Defense rules and Power is over rated club .
LOL.
Merry Christmas, Peter.
Don’t ruin is rant. LOL.
Whoville will win him over…
Stop that shit, my ribs hurt.
I’m worried about the offense in general and the weak outfield. The pitching and infielders can handle the run prevention.
Guess this puts Evans out of the running for Peter Bourjos.
I thought he signed somewhere. Brb.
Kinda like that Span guy
…
I’ve always kinda liked Morse!!
Good vibes, for sure.
Ruggiano is a nice minor league deal signing. Morse is kind of Kyle Blanks at this point. Ruggiano has at least played some CF.
Loading up the stockings with old dudes!
More CF than RF or LF.
Morse has played some shortstop!
Except for when he was giving us a beatdown (which seems like every at bat!).
I remember him being a pest when he was on the Marlins.
Both of them have had injury issues lately and getting older by the day .
Aren’t we all!
Yeah we are, but MLB is trending younger now, except in Bochy’s large head .
I wonder if Affeldt and Hudson want to come out of retirement and join the 2014 reunion tour with Morse.
Ruggiano killed the giants if I recall correctly
Morse memories!
http://m.mlb.com/video/topic/94788780/v36821563/must-c-clutch-morses-solo-shot-ties-it-in-the-8th
https://youtu.be/Lb_FQtm0qb0
I was a big Morse fan in 2014, but that was over 2 years ago , and the last 2 years have not been kind to him, he was DFA’ d last year, and did not play and was not picked up by anybody, Giants just looking for cheap depth, and hoping for a miracle comeback, by some veterans .
Yep. The Pat Burrell thing (again). But you never know. Morse loved it in SF. Maybe he’ll find something left. Hard not to root for the go.
His HR vs. the Cards (against Nishek?) was a dagger in the heart. They were dead meat after that. :o)
This is ridiculously cute.
https://twitter.com/sfgiants/status/812437237291839488
I can barely remember having kids that little. The difference between having two kids and three kids is not additive or even geometric, it’s logarithmic.
It’s squared.
1 kid = x work
2 kids = 4x work
3 kids = 9x work
That is a great picture, the Crawford’s Christmas 2016. Thanks for sharing, Dr. Lefty.
The oldest just turned four the other day. What I can’t imagine is three kids under four. My two girls are five years apart.
i walked outside this morning and saw my neighbors’ 3-4 year-old walking on his roof. He’d pushed open the screen to his bedroom window and taken a stroll. It sure isn’t easy.
Yeah, one of mine was like that. I was relieved she lived long enough to go to kindergarten.
Never forget the day when my 2 1/2 year old managed to go from the back stairs to the top of the pergola. I think he followed the cat. Getting him back was a challenge.
I have one like that, for teenagers. Reciprocals! One teenager has one brain, two hanging out together collectively have 1/2 a brain, 3 => 1/3, and so on.
It is equivalent to the numeric rating of earthquakes.
Seriously cute.
I think some folks are making too much of the Rollins signing. I just think he is looked at by the team as a solid vet who has been through the battles and can provide some solid at bats and some infield depth when needed. Although our starting INF is relatively young, the long season poses a problem seeing guys getting dinged up.
I don’t know if the Giants are looking at Dozier, and frankly don’t care. If we got him cool, but I really like Panik.
For those of you that think Tomlinson is what the Twins would want back as a major part of the deal, you have to know you are kidding yourselves, nice kid but hardly in the same vicinity as a player / starter. If a deal happens it’s Panik who is part of it. The GIants would be sending the message that pop was seen as more needed than the GG defense from Panik.
Other than that, everyone is making a big deal of all the INF the team is accumulating. Not all are mean to be with the club in the long run, some will get injured, others will get cut, it will all fall in place in SS and after.
Plus seriously folks, if you are a team with championship aspirations, are some of these guys really part of wining teams? I mean great Adrianza has been a Giant for awhile, but as I’ve said even Rollins at 60-70% has more to offer.
I will all fall in place.
EA is my guy, over Rollins, in the year 2017. I’m baffled why the Giants signed Rollins, and why at this point, he even wants to try to make a team. Morse at least has the semblance of filling a OF/power gap on the team. Rollins is a head scratcher.
But, mainly what I wanted to say, is all who have posted about a trade involving Panik are scaring the pants off me. No! I already lost Matt Duffy this year, and Santa time is supposed to be a joyous time.
This biz about trading Panik is probably just Internet speculation but maybe the team is concerned about his longevity and ability to avoid injury and stay on the field. Or, maybe it’s concerned about the righty/lefty balance at the plate, they’ve been a bit lefty heavy recently.
Or, that he had a really disappointing 2016 at the plate.
Im not baffled about Rollins. His seems like a typical Giants signing. What I am baffled about is how anyone can still have any excitement over Adrianza,
From what I’ve heard about the Dodgers’ pursuit of Dozier, it’s mainly built around pitching prospects. I could see a scenario where it’s Beede, another pitcher (Blach, maybe) and Kelby. The Twins get two major league ready pieces and the Giants’ top pitching prospect. Maybe they don’t want a guy who’s almost arbitration-eligible (Panik).
This situation is a quandary. I’m a huge Panik fan since he got drafted out of St Johns. On the plus side, plays amazing D with Craw, is a GG, has made an ASG, and is home grown. On the other hand, he does get injured and his stats last year are concerning. Dozier is not the same level as a defender but brings pop this team really needs and does not look to fill by adding an OF solution.
To me it’s a question of now or later. Giants would make the trade you propose to win all now and forfeit some of the future. If they decide not to it’s a decision to keep the guys like Beede and Blach in case Cueto leaves after this season and in case Shark or Moore slide in production.
As I said it’s a now or later proposition.
Should be noted Dozier’s numbers may not match his production in Minnesota, but they could still use his run production.
Same take here. Love Panik. Very bullish on Blach and Beede. But they’re also in a 1-2 year window with Cueto and Pence, Buster and Craw turning 30…and I don’t think there’s enough firepower as currently constructed.
Pretty strong post of the thread candidate on Rollins. Although your reading on the Tomlinson bit was not spot on, the rest pretty much is.
Feliz Navidad.
Good morning, TWG! Merry Christmas to you all! This is such a great group of Giants fans, sports fans and overall good and fun people. It is my pleasure to hang out with you here.
Greek Giant, thank you SO MUCH for putting this together and giving us great posts and comments. You are the best.
MERRY CHRISTMAS!!
Back atcha’, kid!
yes, to both parts: happy holidays to one and all. And indeed we are really blessed with this blog. GG is posting new content at a time when the Baseball Winter used to leave us putting 3,000+ comments on a single post, and it is all great stuff! I’m sure there is a considerable effort required, but there is a nice payback. I wanted to follow up on Michael Morse and Ruggiano’s minor league signings, which I know about only because of the comments section here. There is nothing at Alex or Andy or Hank’s papers/website about Morse, but he has edited his wikipedia page. I bet Morse is thrilled to be given another try with SFG.
Anyway, indeed, thanks George, from all of us.
Alex Pavlovic reported the Morse signing 12 hours ago, along with Justin Ruggiano. I have Alex’s twitter account bookmarked. There are always interesting nuggets in Alex’s responses to followers. I check Alex’s and Hank’s Twitter accounts before logging on here.
Sometimes, people here post comments about signings without stating the source. Sometimes I ask the commenter for the source. Most of the time, I search and figure out the source on my own.
Earlier this week y’all were riffing on your Warriors announcers, and Matthew commented that all things considered your guys are pretty good. Matthew said “I’ve listened to a few of the other teams announcers, and there’s some bad ones out there.”
Last night I’m watching my OKC Thunder vs. the Boston Celtics, with the Celtics announcers Mike Gorman and Tommy Heinsohn. Ugh. They’ve been the TV team for 35 years, and apparently are held in high esteem. I’m not hearing it.
Gorman has this clipped, New England accented, terse style that gives you very little beyond the essentials. Heinsohn? In addition to being a blatant homer, it’s like you’re in a sports bar sitting next to the loud, obnoxious dude who has an opinion on everything, and is usually wrong about half of it. Brutal.
At least the Thunder came back for a nice win. Russell Westbrook again carrying his team to the W.
Heinsohn IS awful, but he’s also really old, so what’re you gonna do?
Last nite coming from Elk Grove i was listening to my team GSWs and Guy Haberman was doing play x play and he’s pretty damn good!! Tim roye is doing television while Fitz is home with his family following his wife’s death but Guy has some serious skills!
Walter talked about his $6.99 Vegas buffet; how about this? A couple of years ago at a work conference a small group of us had been out partying, drinking $49 bottles of wine. We got hungry so we went to the sushi bar in the Cosmopoliton where we were staying. Couldn’t quickly decide what to get so the waitress was happy to suggest the sushi sampler. Sounded reasonable so we accepted. Five minutes later she brings out this big tray of Nigiri sushi. It was very good and finally one of us asked “how much?” $300 was the answer, I almost choked, the only finance guy there. Never ate so much sushi, wasn’t going to let one grain of rice go to waste for $300. As a bonus the bottles of wine at this place were $99 each so the tab went well over $700 for seven people. Of course the sales reps I was with got alligator arms when it came to paying so I had to do it. Days later that was one uncomfortable conversation I had to have with my VPN about that expense report.
That is also a great story on the subject of food. Reminds me of these hazing stories that crop up every now and then where an NFL or NBA or MLB rookie goes out to dinner with the fun loving vets and gets stuck with a tab at a fancy restaurant for a bill over 10K.
We stayed at the Cosmo. My main memory is hiking about 3 miles in the mornings to find a %$# cup of coffee. None in the room!
Wonder if they brought Morse back to shake Pence out of his domestic bliss daze and re-connect with his inner warrior.
https://twitter.com/fifthstarter/status/812518847097946112
ruh roh – clipboard issue 🙂
Well, it’s better than the other night when Lefty said “yes Brandon, oh Brandon!” Mr. Lefty was not amused…
I fixed it. Try it again.
Justin Ruggiano is a nice little stocking stuffer for Giants fans. One thing the Giants needed more than a surfeit of IF depth was more outfield depth. Ruggiano definitely has some miss to his swing, but he does have pop and a career ISO of 0.181. Ruggiano has played over 1400 innings in his career at the CF position, and that certainly helps because Denard Span is unlikely to play 162 in CF. Will Span be platooned? He does have a career split differential of batting about .290 vs RHP and about .260 vs. LHP. Last year the disparity was much greater, so you can’t rule out a platoon developing. It’s a matter of which Denard Span shows up in 2017. The one that hit almost .290 in the second half, whose range was improved, and who had 15 hits in his final regular season 41 ABs including 6 RBIs and 7 BBs (plus a solid, clutch showing in the NLDS)?
So now Gorkys Hernandez has some stiff competition. Will his superior defense trump Ruggiano’s potential to put the ball in the seats? This could be a fun ST battle.
http://img.bleacherreport.net/img/images/photos/003/200/528/hi-res-cdbb748425773c66d9804e09b3dcca6b_crop_north.jpg?w=630&h=420&q=75
Merry Christmas, Slikk.
Sometimes Santa delivers on wishes 🙂
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OR07r0ZMFb8
you know what Scout lately ive been absent from the blog just giving it a rest but for some odd reason i clicked in this morning lol and there was my all time fav rap group lol! Im not sure how to copy and paste smh!
You heard Santa’s sleigh on the roof. Another up top for ya, but for everyone.
Fo sho!
Merry Xmas to you and yours!
Speaking of “rap”, just wrapped some presents for the wife.
Back at you. Enjoy the family time. X-mas ain’t always easy, ain’t always joy, but here’s hoping you and yours are filled with the good stuff.
My guesses: The Giants signed Jimmy Rollins because 1) they know something we don’t; 2) they can’t, won’t, and don’t want to spend much more; 3) they expect and need him to make the team as a bench player.
From the Alligator Records X-mas record. Give this one a listen, it will get to you:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ApYMUX-Skac
Tomlinson can’t be feeling too great about things right now. He hasn’t played a whole lot over the past two seasons (284 PAs), but he’s definitely made the most of his opportunities, with a line of .299/.362/.377/.739, while stealing 10 bases and showing a knack for clutch hitting. Nevertheless, it’s hard to see how Rollins doesn’t make a Bochy-led team. If he hits well in the spring, it will be seen as proof that he still has something left. If he doesn’t? Well, it’s just spring training and he’s a proven vet, so it’s nothing to worry about.
Meanwhile Rollins, over the past SEVEN seasons, has a line of .246/.316/.382/.698, with his production declining in each of the last three years. Last season, before he was released, his line was .221/.295/.329/.624.
I don’t know. Tomlinson should be feeling just fine and should be grateful for his blessings. He’s making half a million dollars. He’s rose from unheralded prospect ashes to be a legitimate MLB caliber utility player. He could be a starter for a 2nd division team. Life’s not so bad for Kelby.
TO makes a great point…
Why would KT feel “just fine” if his prior production, which should guarantee the top utility spot heading into 2017, is usurped by a fast fading, well over every conceivable hill veteran?
Rollins would likely bring that intangible “presence” to the clubhouse and dugout, but I really think there are many more already on the team that are so ring-heavy that adding another is very redundant.
Exactly. This makes no sense to me. I mean, Jimmy Rollins? Really? Goes against everything it seems Evans is trying to do.
The yule tide has obviated my faux, indignant rage.
Tomlinson doesn’t have a contract. He makes that money only if he’s in the big leagues.
Thanks. I do get confused about that point. I had a feeling this might be the case, but went with it anyhow for sheer laziness. What is it, they have to be arb. eligible to be tendered a guaranteed contract?
Nonetheless, he’ll get big league bucks for a majority of the season and earn that big league service for an eventual payday.
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/d/d9/Candy-PayDay-Wrapper-Small.jpg/300px-Candy-PayDay-Wrapper-Small.jpg
As far as salaries go, this sounds like it’s probably pretty accurate:
http://www.sportslawblogger.com/baseball/salary-information/minor-league-salary/
thank you. I’ve seen something similar and that’s why 80K was festooned in my melon.
I’m stealing that line during the season when Rollins is festooned in Melon’s melon.
I’m no expert either, but I believe that players who don’t have a big league contract make the minimum only while they’re on the big league roster.
If that’s the case, I think he gets something like 80,000 prorated for his AAA time and then 500K for his big league time.
Agreed. He’s earned that spot and got buried in the minors for no good reason. He and his wife just had their first child. It has to be discouraging.
What I hope about the Rollins signing is what GG said above: “Maybe there is nothing to it and the Rollins addition is simply filling a spot on the roster for the River Cats while providing some insurance in the event of unforeseen circumstances.”
I cannot fathom, on any universe, Rollins playing AAA baseball.
The insurance part makes sense, but come April 1, it’s either SF or he asks for his release….or he’s hidden on the DL for awhile
…or he retires and eventually becomes a coach.
His agent, Scout Finch, assures us that he is not considering retirement at this juncture….
JR is not playing on the minor league level
Perhaps he won’t be playing at all. Go Kelby and Adrianza!
Show us what you got J. Roll !
TotalFan62 said it best: “I mean, Jimmy Rollins? Really? Goes against everything it seems Evans is trying to do.”
Don’t we think Boch asked for this for Christmas?
I couldn’t say.
I sent him a vinyl copy of “Hooked On Classics”
BTW, Merry Christmas dgg. I’m guessing it’s a rather white Christmas in your neck of the woods. Not that you couldn’t use a break from all that snow. We received an additional 1.3 inches of rain last night – but the rain in So. Cal has been a serious bless from above.
I am rooting for all three. However to get a quality OLD former Allstar who now realizes that he is bench strength cannot be taught to the other two.
Kelby is superior to EA but EA also switch hits but Kelby has been more clutch than EA also.
If TO’s point is true, perhaps now is also the time for your tears on behalf of Gorkys. He must’ve been hopeful for his ticket punched as the 5th OFer on opening day. Bury the rag deep in your face…
Only one thing we can know with certainty – anything choice the Giants make will be the wrong one.
A’s nab a young Cuban arm. http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/mlb/2016/12/23/cuban-pitcher-norge-ruiz-gets-minor-league-deal-with-as/95802244/
Ry Cooder picks up his guitar and plucks a tune!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d6gWtzwp608
This is hard to believe:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l91Y3sDFiu0
Photoshopped or staged
turrible
Sharing a Christmas story
“Until the end of time” by Bob Perks
Off in the distance the old record player is stacked with the sounds of the very best of days gone by. One by one the lp’s drop, skid into place, and the sounds of Christmas fill the room. Perry Como, Frank Sinatra, Mel Torme and Ella Fitzgerald take turns serenading the old man as he opens the box marked “Christmas.” “It’s not the same, but it is the best it can be considering.” “Considering what?” I ask. “Considering the fact that my love is not with me,” he says quietly. “Have yourself a merry little Christmas” he sings above the scratchy sounds of Perry Como. If records are well before your time you would not appreciate this. But there are many who believe the purest sounds come from a 33 1/3 LP’s even with the scratches. You learn to tune them out.
He pulls the box a little closer, then resting his hands on it for a moment, almost like the laying on of hands at a prayer meeting, he pauses, then unties the string. It appears that the string he used, like his dreams, is old, a little frayed and unraveled, but still serving a greater purpose. Lifting the lid, he stops once more and gazes into the box. “Ah, Christmas!” he says. Like a surgeon, he places his hands gently, slowly into the box before him and carefully removes the contents placing it on the table. Whatever this treasure may be, it is wrapped in plain brown paper.
Moving it side to side, he pulls and tugs until it is revealed. “This, this is Christmas,” he says. Then lifting it up slightly above his head he looks underneath as if searching for something. It is a classic old mantel clock. “Oh, my friend that is beautiful!” I said. “Mahogany wood?” He doesn’t answer me. He sat there lost in a place and time perhaps when you and I did not even exist. He held the clock, no embraced it like he was holding the most precious thing on earth. “Oh, I’m sorry. I love this clock. It means the world to me,” he said. “I can tell,” I reply. He smiles and glances back at me. “This is Christmas,” he whispers.
“May I ask why? Why do you see it as Christmas?” He then went on to explain. His wife had been very ill for some time. In the spring of that year she could no longer walk. By fall, her interest in things around her dimmed. Then with the approach of Christmas she seemed to rise above it all. Her husband thought that this was a sure sign that she would recover. Just before Christmas she told him to go to the local store. He was to ask for the “Christmas Box” with her name on it. She made him promise not to open it nor ask what was inside. He did and as requested he returned with the box in hand. “Place it under the bed,” she asked of him. It was on that Christmas Eve that she presented him with the box. Now weakened from the cold dampness and the return of her symptoms, she could hardly make it through the night. “Open it,” she told him. He untied the string, unwrapped the contents and read the small card inside.
“This is a symbol of my love for you…forever until the end of time.” She reached under the clock and removed a small key. Opening the front glass covering the face of the clock, she took the key and began to wind it. With all her strength she could only manage to turn the key a few times. She carefully closed the door and laid her head on his shoulder.
“We fell asleep that way,” he said to me. The next morning, Christmas day, she was gone. “With all her strength she could not manage to wind the clock completely. It stopped just minutes short of midnight on Christmas day,” he said. Then turning toward where I was standing he said, “She loved me until the end of time, her time. I have never wound that clock again It holds Christmas, our last Christmas inside.” We sat together until the last record dropped. How appropriate it was. “I’m dreamin’ tonight of a place I love, Even more then I usually do And although I know it’s a long road back I promise you.
I’ll be home for Christmas …” May the most valuable gift you receive this Christmas be found not in a box, but in the hearts of those you love…”until the end of time.”
beautiful
Thanks for making me cry…
Beauty said ” what’s up?”…
“A ClutchUp post….”
“Did Crawford get traded?”
Beauty carries tissues for stuff like that….OK here is one to make you feel warm and fuzzy inside. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=khQN5ylb3H0
Crawford getting traded would be a torches and pitchforks moment, not a pass the Kleenex moment.
Scout would be happy they made room for J Roll….one less pitchfork
In the spirit of the season, I’ll refrain from negative comments about…well, you know who, but let’s just say I agree with the concerns of those who think washed-up veterans are like crack for…well, you know who.
Amen, Coach.
I just read Ken Rosenthal’s interview with Jimmy Rollins posted on Dec 22. Near the end of the interview, Rollins said something that sounded like the Giants tried to sign him last year and Rollins went with the White Sox because the offer was to play every day. At least that’s how I’m interpreting this statement:
“Last year, I knew that signing with the Chicago White Sox rather than the Giants, I was signing with a less superior team. But the opportunity that presented itself was better. And I went with that.”
I don’t remember the Giants trying to sign Rollins in the 2014-2015 offseason.
http://www.foxsports.com/mlb/story/jimmy-rollins-qa-san-francisco-giants-retirement-rosenthal-122216
I saw that and had the same reaction. I doubt he would have made it up, so maybe that was just a conversation that never made it into the news. I’m sure there are many such.
Former New York Yankees pitcher and pitching coach 75 yr old Mel Stottlemyre is “fighting for his life” as he battles cancer. “Calling all prayer warriors during this holiday season. My father is in the hospital fighting for his life,” Stottlemyre’s son Todd posted on Facebook on Friday. “He has battled cancer for 16 years. He is the greatest champion that I have ever met. I’m praying hard for you Dad. I love you pops. Please lock arms with me and pray for all of our loved ones who are fighting.”
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/31b9df8037eba0a0a5bee4859885118f42fe9460678d668d429d66f66e458025.jpg
http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/s/stottme01.shtml
Giants have a good one in new Squirrels skipper Kyle Haines. Haines, 34, spent the past two seasons in the same role with the Salem-Keizer Volcanoes, the Giants short-season club in the Northwest League. Haines will be joined on the field by returning pitching coach Steve Kline, experienced hitting coach Lipso Nava and athletic trainer Garrett Havig. Kline returns for his third season with the Squirrels while Nava arrives for his first season after spending the past nine years as a manager and coach in the Giants organization. Havig also begins his first season in Richmond and enters his eighth year with the Giants organization.
Hank Schulman posted a story on Christmas Eve, mostly about the Morse signing:
“General manager Bobby Evans said Morse contacted the Giants seeking the contract.”
“Morse will be a longshot to make the team, given his poor performance since his season in San Francisco and missing most of 2016, but if he surprises everyone in spring training he would fill the Giants’ need for potential power off the bench and occasional starter at outfield or first base.”
http://www.sfchronicle.com/giants/article/Giants-give-Morse-a-shot-to-come-out-of-10817375.php?t=53a01c570c&cmpid=twitter-premium
Michael Morse and Justin Ruggiano are not JD Martinez but Oh WoW – let the nostalgia feelings begin to flow – here – today on this the Eve of Christ Mas
J-Mart sure would have been a nice present under the tree and in the middle of the lineup – three hole hitting!
Some players NEED certain OTHER players around them to perform. Morse and Pence are like Jam and Butta.
That said, J-Mart may have “needed” Miggy and V-Mart around him. I guess we’ll find out if and when he eventually gets traded somewhere.
I wonder if Cutch is having a Merry X-mas with all the rumors swirling around. Latest is the Blue Jays kicking tires. That would be a good offensive yard for Cutch to get his groove back. I also wonder where Joey Bats is headed. Oakland? They tried hard for EE, to put some legit heat in the middle of their order.
Joey Bats to Oakland would be the best baseball karma in years
There’s a fit there!
Oakland occupies MLB and they pick up the darnedest up scale players at times even though they “refuse to win”
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all of you Giants fans. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/58d39bd2f5aa5fc7f733eed0d6f163f040ad951188e919086a098e4b05537fd1.jpg
Has anyone heard from the great chef, Michael Scott?
I was just thinking he should post a menu…hope he and Merna are well
He wished all a happiest of holidays about 10 days ago, implying that he was off to the Philippines or the North Pole, and I wished him a “happiest of Matt Hollidays” in return.
So, you kneecapped him like he was Scutaro?! I thought you were nicer than that…
From what he said when he signed off a week or so ago, I took it that he might have been headed for another hospital stay . 🙁
Ugh…let’s send good blog vibes
High on the “Why I Love Christmas” list…. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/7594fe3541a210dda308f63cbfed2e74ce616b693e05667e6afb264a81154ee7.jpg
This is REAL LOVE.
The dogs are blessed.
Thanks for the fix…(Daddy and Beauty are blessed, too)
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/b0fd0d55e3d4b414244a50ad373a5a90d27e2dfab42ce888ae1ac8e4a0e16522.jpg
San Bruno’s own Mike Miguel Murphy and wife Carol have gotten a stocking hung for MM38 since only Grant Green and Brett Bochy have worn that jersey number recently and Brian Wilson and Heath Hembree are not coming back to the fold.
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/bdbfd42aec259e2f7e5ce5250c18a5361f5e2889a4f34124fbd3d881fe6c1f93.jpg
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/c1db0153837be1ed73ae9c32580130b9eec6114e4c2470af9dc78616a74c3435.jpg
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/6548203c2b7c27a4b939858be91d6f13ddd429d7253ad1389acaac95eedc818b.jpg
New Post: http://fe0.84e.myftpupload.com/giants-offseason-news/a-christmas-wish-list/