by
Greek Giant
I was a big Ryan Braun fan until his fall from grace. This Four Tool player (five tools minus speed) is fun to watch. Braun has had a stellar career until his PED nightmare. We all know the story: He tested positive once, in 2011, blamed it on the testing mechanism and organization handling his sample and was subsequently exonerated, only to be caught with a second positive test for a banned substance and suspended in 2013. His reputation will never recover from that debacle in my eyes.
He has since rebounded to have excellent seasons upon his return from the suspension in 2014, 2015, and 2016. Ryan Braun, in short, is exactly the type of player who would fit the needs of the Giants in left field. His defense is above average still and his run producing abilities would provide a much-needed right handed power bat in the lineup. But I don’t want him and neither should the Giants.
Not only would he cost plenty in a theoretical trade. Not only is he on the wrong side of 30 (33 years-old)… Signing him would send the wrong message to fans and players alike while compromising the sterling image of the Giants brand.
One of the most profound elements of my love for our San Francisco baseball club is the feeling that our beloved Giants operate at a more righteous and moral level than other teams like say the Cubs or the Yankees. This feeling, solidified by the Giants refusing to bring back Melky Cabrera after his suspension in 2012, meant a great deal to the legacy and image of our team. We use these terms loosely and derisively in most instances: “image”, “legacy”, and “perception”, but in the case of the Giants they matter. The team has become a standard-bearer on how to treat players and create a culture of winning and success not predicated solely on signing big free agents. The Giants winning ways are to be emulated for many reasons, not least of which is the team’s commitment to players who complement each other on the field and who provide an added level of success off it.
Think about it: The Giants players are rarely, if ever, in the news for bad behavior (a few Sergio Romo and Pablo Sandoval tantrums aside). This level of excellence makes them unique and creates an image that transcends baseball. Signing a player like Braun or Aroldis Chapman would harm the legacy of excellence the Giants have created ever since Barry Lamar retired.
The Giants are a wonderful reflection of the optimism and joy of the Northern California mindset. Going to a Giants game diverges greatly from the experience and aura of going to a Yankees or Marlins game. The feeling in the crowd at Willie Mays Field is far more fan-friendly and innocent than in many other ballparks. I attribute this characteristic not only to the excellent populace of Bay Area baseball fans but also to the culture of winning the right way the Giants ownership, Brian Sabean and Bruce Bochy have cultivated. Don’t get me wrong. I understand the Giants are a multi-billion dollar enterprise and their players are not all Angel(s) Pagans. My point is their approach to signing players who become part of the community and culture of the San Francisco is a major part of the team’s success.
No longer are the Giants a team of prima donnas or bad boys. Led by Bruce Bochy, the Giants are almost an old-school team-first type of baseball club and that is part of what makes them such a joy to behold.
Breckeroni agrees. In the end, it really is about how you play The Game.
I don’t care that Braun used PEDS. I have no doubt that many other players, including some Giants, are users as well but haven’t tested positive. My problem with Braun was his attack on the integrity of the poor guy that collected his sample.
One behavior sort of revealed the other. When you abandon fair play, and excuse it with ‘others do it too’ as the reason,maybe you missed the entire point.
None of the Giants are users, right?
I don’t know, and neither do you. An open ended question by a cynic just makes you sound like a grumpy old man in his rocking chair. If they were, and caught, IMO, they’re ex baseball players. To your point, there is a great book, called The Death Of Meritocracy, you should read. It might cause you to think before you pontificate at least on this subject.
Believing that banned substances are being used to boost performance, particularly when people are chasing their dreams and so much money is involved, is realism, not cynicism. If you have any doubt that this is happening, you’re not the old man in the rocking chair; you’re the world’s oldest believer in fairytales.
I don’t enter into conjecture as a consequence of cynical ignorance. Regardless of what I might believe or not privately, casting aspersions on someone out of ignorance isn’t an attribute to admire. If they’re caught, they’re guilty seems the way it ought to be. You know, that proof thing.
Did I accuse anyone?
You know, you’re either a dilettante or a bit goofy. Because you pose an accusation elliptically, in the form of an open ended question, doesn’t make it any less an accusation. Do you suppose Duvall was/is a peds user, for instance. Is his 26/7 first half vs second half HR production ‘suspicious’. I don’t think so, but you might. It gets to being unable to prove a putative negative, so you use an innuendo instead.
Yes. I think some players in MLB are using. I don’t know which. I’m also suspicious of rapid muscle gain. Do you think the only ones who use are those who test positive? Do you also still believe in Santa?
Fat bloke? Propensity for dressing in red? Yeah, I see that dude every December!
Testing positive is the criteria for proof, your finger in the wind isn’t. Your attitude fits the Salem witch trials mentality more than I’m comfortable with.
Statistics are not proof either, but you love to spew stats that reflect our version of the finger in the wind for many of the Giants value on field.
So what is your take on Matt Cain and the Giants brass on the attack they gave Andrew Bagerly for his reported story on Melkey being pegged by MLB for using PEDS? They mad ehime give a full retraction if I recall only to have the mud slung in his face 2 weeks later.
Because he’s a d**k. See, I rewrote your post in four words! 🙄
There’s that P envy again. (chuckle)
I can see you’ve got closure on this issue. How did bacon fest go?
Awesome. Still full! 👍🏻
Whose a dork Dr?
Grant Brisbee celebrates Blach Friday.
http://www.mccoveychronicles.com/2016/11/25/13747334/ty-blach-sf-giants-fifth-starter?utm_campaign=mccoveychron&utm_content=chorus&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter
Doesn’t Blach’s effectiveness reflect as much on the defense behind him as much as anything crafty? He’s a groundball pitcher, who has a good BABIP because you can’t seem to hit the ball hard off him.
I recall Blach having flyball tendencies, but I could be wrong.
How do you like Brisbee’s style?
I haven’t seen enough to say much about Blach beyond he seems to have a style that keeps hitters from squaring him up. Lots of poor contact.
Brisbee is a bit of an acquired taste. I like the way he writes, but for my tastes, he gets a bit out over his skies sometimes.
Blach had quite a bit of deception in his first 17 ip. Hitters were not seeing the ball. Note the sample size as you are well aware of caveats.
Yes, I thought so too. I saw enough to want to see more.
Nice mention of names. Some combo of maholm and buerhle would be cool.
Breckeroni’s nephew checked with Jobu and said maybe turn the page and see what the new version of Braun is all about. The PED’s was minor. Everybody is taking something but what TO said is the issue.
That said most of us have had second chances and Bobby Evans is a devout Christian.
Every heart needs a second chance…
Dodgers probably give that chance. Sign Plouffe or Valbuena, then swing trade for Forsythe and Colome.
Counteracts the Giants lefties :
Forsythe
Seager
Braun
Gonzo
Plouffe
Grandal
Thompson
Segedin
Pitcher
Are these guys supposed to instill fear in the Giants?
fear? maybe not, but there is a lot of talent there. Just as this years Dodgers team had more talent up and down the entire roster than the Giants. At any given time they could pull out Hernandez, Kendrick, Ethier, Thompson, VnSlyke, etc.
While not fearful, a hell of lot more talent than anyone the Giants could muster up at any one time on the pine.
I challenge you to argue different.
Who had more raw ability. Van Slyke or his father?
I watched his dad a great deal, one is a backup the other was considered one of the best CF in the game for a decade so there. All I can compare is body work.
Steve Sax got about 12 second chances …
STOP STOP it!
http://www.mercurynews.com/2016/11/24/south-san-francisco-skateboard-attack-leaves-officer-in-critical-condition/
Bashed with a skateboard.
Either way – it was intended most likely to maim.
#CriticalConditionCop
Why the #? They caught the guy and he’ll rue the day he was born. Being a police officer is a dangerous job.
The board became a lethal weapon when ….
Excample:
One day after a Saturday baseball game at Aragon High school – two brothers on our team were walking down to the Alameda de las Pulgas to their cars. A car drove by and trouble ensued. The two teammates-brothers had the hood of their trunk open to put gear away. One was a catcher with a lot of gear. The other thugs approached their car and the took out their baseball bats and BONK . At court the brothers were both charged with using their bats as lethal weapons in defending themselves. The law has favored the creepy part of society for a long time now.
why don’t you read this and mull it over. Maybe you will see the big picture for what it really is:
https://thinkprogress.org/this-is-how-many-people-police-have-killed-so-far-in-2016-7f1aec6b7098#.31qimnpoj
Being a cop is a dangerous job, goes with the territory. However, being a person of color in America should not be just as dangerous.
See the slogans of black lives matter and better yet, people of color lives matter (to include Native Americas, Latinos, Asians, are more than just a protest, because these individuals can’t go home and change the color of their skin.
A cop can quit can always keep his job.
I read it twice…you have always played the reverse victim role. You lost all credibility when you first started in on the Pablo criticism on the other blog…
Ask Cepeda and Marichal ….
Ask home grown talent like Joe Morgan what the problem is?
There is an answer, but you’ve never liked it.
If you order chocolate ice-cream and some vanilla from the spoon got on your bowl – you would cry conspiracy and be a victim.
Who were your ROLL models when you were 11 yrs old?
What REALLY happened to you when you lived in the Bay Area…. ?
you would compare ethnicity to ice cream………sad and typical of you
Sad that since you don’t get the metaphor element – you wish to be spoon fed the examples meaning …
no the sad thing is that you rely on making a counter argument utilizing a childish metaphor. I presented articles in black and white print from respected news sources. Your non argument was to discuss stupid ice cream in a lame attempt to sound smart.
Idiot
Actually, it seemed an apt metaphor to me.
I will let others bother with your incoherent babble. WHO haven’t you argued with over your BENT reverse-racism theories here on any blog?
The ice cream example was meant as a light-hearted example that you cannot tolerate anything different than the reverse racism role that you have always projected here.
Again you are like the guy on the beach with the most beautiful Brazilian girl friend but ALAS – she has a mole view-able – and your concern is where it is located rather than looking at the entire picture….
oh boy someone has his knickers all bunched up lolz
When did you present an article from a respected news source? I’m sorry I missed it.
I guess NY times too hard to comprehend. San Mateo Daily Journal and Santa Cruz Sentinel more your speed.
In this particular discussion, you cited ‘thinkprogress.org.” I was surprised though, considering that you apparently read it, that there were so many words compared to the number of pictures.
I could have cited a similar story from the BBC. The stats pretty much the same, which you can’t ignore. But you know the BBC…..dem damn foreigners can’t trust em right Billy bob? 🙂
What do those numbers mean to you? Without context, they are meaningless. Your story was just the typical anti-police rant, with no discussion about why the shootings occurred. From the writer’s perspective, all instances of cops not being convicted amounted to injustice. Certainly a fair look at the issue.
You complain constantly about bias, yet you’re easily the most biased person that comments here. And you should probably prepare yourself, because the cop that shot Philando Castile probably isn’t going to be convicted, either.
when are cops convicted even when they it’s obvious they are at fault. It’s stupid to think otherwise. The system is rigged to work in their benefit. Does not mean one can’t state the obvious and argue on the side of what is right.
And please, you are the last person who should be pointing out about being biased. It’s ingrained in you, incapable of thinking for yourself.
My kind? Dude, you’re a joke. You make that obvious all by yourself. It kind of takes the fun out of it.
Lol, Kaepernick http://www.miamiherald.com/sports/spt-columns-blogs/armando-salguero/article117033883.html
KAP would be better suited in the Bundini Brown role rather than being first fiddle.
Pretty damn funny.
RIP Classy Florence Henderson – Many arrived before “Mrs. Brady” – Well received Up Here.
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/aacba35b8faf71da1c20f6badcce46b16bc29a5bc0fa5d838d22e3c465a8b32a.jpg
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6GkdCiqsFUI&list=RD6GkdCiqsFUI#t=290
Tedeschi has a great womens blues voice. I am not a fan of Trucks guitar work on his records.
what is it that you don’t like about his guitar playing? just wondering, because i thought he was considered one of the better slide guys out there. congrats for your cubbies, btw. ernie has to be proud.
To me I have heard two sides of his playing, one is very good and at times is from the heart but the other side I do not like sounds to composed and technical without the rawness and free flowing. He kind of reminds me of Roy Rodgers for the later technical merits. Myself I prefer a Rod Price slide but he has since passed away.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NW08Rc802MQ
All I can say is the “holier than thou” attitude by the Giants organization and some of their fans is getting quit tedious.
I still hold that one of the most idiotic thing this organization did was not bring back Melky, because in the grand scale of things it was not that bad. The team won and could have win with him, which would have helped turn the page. We would not have had to worry about LF for 10 years.
Every organization has it’s issue. Before Span when the team didn’t have any African American players for a few years, being one of a handful of MLB sqauds, why were there not more people speaking up?
Add to that the fact the Giants draft less players of color than other teams as a result of the strategy to draft more college kids, a situation in itself problematic because there are less HS players of color able to get access to these scholarships:
“According to a report from the Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sport, black players made up only 2.9 percent of Division I college baseball teams in 2014-2015.”
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/04/10/magazine/the-unbearable-whiteness-of-baseball.html
Yawn …
Those damn white people.
Whitey keep bringing me down you pig!
I wonder if “Native” Dominicans or Venezuelans were as darkly complected as Santiago Casilla or Pablo Sandoval prior to 1600. If not I wonder where that pigmentation came from. Hmmmmm……
Rather puzzling since the G’s had no African-Americans on the roster.
OFF Topic
Something VERY odd about this one —–> http://www.cbsnews.com/news/sherri-papini-missing-mom-found-alive-bound-was-emotional-elated-to-be-free-sheriff/
Looks like Charlie Strong’s guys are not gonna blow out TCU – with TCU ahead. At least Charlie does not have to ever work again with that UT by-out. But we know he will.
Lets see:
Jimbo said no and stays at FSU
UT wants Clemson’s Dabo Swinney – that won’t happen.
Texas is gonna MESS it all up entirely. Mack Brown should have had one more year but NO, they bring in Charlie Strong to be the antithesis of Mack Brown and now the school wants Strong to emulate Mack Brown’s ways.
Calling Doctor Phil, Calling Doctor Phil…
Strong to Purdue? Seems like a good fit to me.
Coach Madden’s health may have turned the corner on the + side
http://www.mercurynews.com/2016/11/23/john-madden-talks-thanksgiving-his-health-raiders-rise-49ers-fall-nfl-tv-ratings/
Thanks, Clutch. That was a great read. I could hear Coach Madden’s voice in every response. Love that guy.
If Javier does pitch in 2017 – I hope it is in the AL. I don’t want to see him in the NL strutting off the mound after being brought in to pitch to BB9.
http://www.espn.com/blog/mlb/rumors/post/_/id/31163/mlb-rumor-central-javier-lopez-looking-to-play-in-2017
Or Craw or Panik or Connor or Span
Crawford has looked good hitting lefties and righty or lefty against Panik? He has actually fared well against both and the BA and OBP are pretty close.
Wait, WHAT?!
http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2016/11/giants-have-considered-pursuing-pablo-sandoval-trade-rumors.html
That is a second act I can live without. Wait until May when the Sox release him before you try this chapter.
This must be the silly season.
No, until the CBA gets signed snd this market breaks loose too many bored reporters.
I wonder what top prospects the Giants would get for taking him back?
That article must have been one of those Facebook fake news stories we’ve been hearing about recently.
I think Scout nailed it: The Boston Herald is trolling us.
…while Red Sox management is thinking “PLEASE take this fat pig off our hands.” None chance, Boston.
Back when football was fun.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FszLa0AhBxI
Nothing fun about the sips in the top spot…..
All those nightly reports from Vietnam sort of took the fun out of it.
Really? Not since 69? I found 81, 84, 88, 89 and 94 entertaining.
I gave it up one afternoon t the Astrodome in 1974, I think, at the exciting end of an Oilers, Dolphins game (Earl Campbell had over 200 yards) when I was informed every player on the field was milling around like it was a cigarette break because the game was in the middle of a commercial timeout for TV.
It appears to be a done deal. The BoSox are doing it by the pound. We get Pablo, Boston gets KT and Gorkys. The deal depends on Gorkys and KT- they’ll have to put on 30 pounds between them to match Panda’s weight.
Is that pounds sterling?
This is cruel of Boston beat writers to troll Giants fans.
As much as I love Pablo, I don’t think he’ll ever change.He has no incentive to change. He’s just a big ole hungry lad who never grew up, he’ll probably be out of baseball in 2 years max- with the money to party hardy for a lifetime. Which will be a short one if he can’t turn his life around. That’s very unlikely as long he has the bucks and phony friends with their hands out. Pablo would actually have a better chance for a good life if he was penniless. It might get him some help. But It just doesn’t seem that things will turn out well for him.
Maybe Trump will appoint him ambassador to Venezuela.
Only Billionaires need apply.
You seem obsessed. Not a day goes by….
Senator Matthew Sessions…
Right.
You’re obsessed. Hope you find your safe space, my friend
Obsessed? You’re fixated on that word.
Hey Sesh, is this your boy too?
http://a1.files.biography.com/image/upload/c_fill,cs_srgb,dpr_1.0,g_face,h_300,q_80,w_300/MTE1ODA0OTcxODA2MDAwNjUz.jpg
Maybe Trump revokes all the H1 Visas of the latin players as part of his purge. There is no reason that these players should be allowed to learn to play ball in the minors at the expense of the American citizens.
Or maybe he stays out of something that is nowhere near a priority, but concurrently challenges baseball to better care for MiLB Latin players in the USA trying to escape the third world poverty that is all they know.
I think Sabean had it right years ago: Pablo has an eating disorder. He has all the resources in the world to eat right and stay in shape. Binging and piling on weight like he does sounds like an emotional issue to me, and that can be very hard to fix.
I just don’t understand the Giants’ mindset in even thinking about the possibility of bringing back “Fat Bastard”, er, I mean, Pablo. Dude already said he would miss two people: Bochy and Pence. Not the fans, huh? Thanks for 2012, but screw him.
Well, if that’s the case, I would think that something triggered it. While he was never exactly svelte, I don’t think it became a major issue until after the 2009 season and even then he got himself in shape for a couple of different seasons. He really ballooned after he signed with Boston and there was the strange comment about not missing his teammates-other than Pence and Bochy. I’m not technically a mental health professional but perhaps that whole “ordeal” with the “Pence money” thing and subsequent negotiations was just too much for him to handle- we all know that he is a very emotional young man. I guess the gist of what I’m saying is- I just don’t know. But wherever he lands, I hope that he can somehow get it together.
Complicated study that finds concrete evidence hitting is contagious.
http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0051367
Maybe I’m just a bad reader, I didn’t see mention of Braun’s 2016 needlework:
.305/.365/.538, 30 HRs, 91 RBIs, 16 SBs, 17.4 K%.
By Jove, he would’ve been the Giants best hitter. Dodgers would probably gladly add him to their lineup and let Turner take his 80+ million elsewhere. Although his .275/.339/.493, 27 HRs, 90 RBI was pretty good too.
(Giants need a guy who can do this type of damage in the middle of the order)
well having Belt in the middle of the order is getting them no where.
Getting Braun will cost the Dodgers prospects. They can just sign Turner back for nothing. I’m guessing the prospect-hoarding front office would rather keep Turner. A draft pick in the 30s isn’t all that exciting.
Braun wouldn’t put up the same numbers in the NL West as he does in Milwaukee.
I think Braun to the Dodgers would cost Puig, lower prospects, and the salary relief. Braun would probably replace Turner’s output , with higher OBP. Turner price tag is probably close to what Braun has left on his deal – maybe a little bit more: Could they do both?
Toles
Seager
Braun
Gonzalez
Turner
Grandal
Pederson
Micah Johnson
Pitcher
I’ve read that the Dodgers’ front office is paralyzed with anxiety about Puig. On the one hand, they’re all pretty much over it with him. On the other, they know he’s just turning 26 and still on a team-friendly deal (certainly compared to what Braun makes) through 2020. Their big fear is offloading Puig and having him turn (back) into a star somewhere else. See Gordon, Dee and Ramirez, Hanley (the Dodgers could have used his bat, too).
In other words, nothing
I have just two words,in agreement with GG:
Character counts.
It’s unfortunate we have to endure Efrain’s racism on here.
lol good one
White boys at
Catcher
First
Second
Short
Third – Gillespie
Right
#1 pticher
#3 pitcher
#4 pitcher
#5 pitcher
Entire relief core now that Sergio and Casilla are free agents.
You want racism in a league where 60% of the MLB players are white, the Giants starters and relief core is the epitome of white southern supremacy. The only place where they give the colored people a seat at the back on the pine.
“White Southern supremacy”…”back of the bus”…once a troll, always a troll. About time to block this nonsense.
then block, you can’t even comprehend the original argument and get hung up on a tangent.
Imbecile
Rotation: Bumgarner (North Carolina), Cueto (Dominican Republic), Samardzija (Indiana), Moore (Florida), Blach (Colorado)
Bullpen (TBD): Law (Pittsburgh), Strickland (Georgia), Osich (Idaho), Kontos (Chicago), Will Smith (Georgia), Okert (Texas), Albert Suarez (Venezuela), Cain (Tennessee)
Pretty white, yes, but it’s not exactly the Confederate Army out there. They’re from all over the U.S.
Now if Jake Dunning was on the team, they would have a member of the Confederate Army.
He’s still around, I think. Spent the season with Sacramento.
Dunning surprised me by finishing 8th in MyGuy™ pitchers; just behind Beede and just ahead of Blach and Gage; full season in AAA lowering his ERA/WHIP combo 25%.
BTW: Scores and Rankings will be out soon.
throw out Kontos and Suarez and Cueto and that sure looks like the Republican voting block fro Trump based on states. You know those uneducated lower middle class white boys.
Kontos went to Northwestern and Samardzija went to Notre Dame. Those are really good schools. Osich was a Pac 12 guy (OSU). But don’t let facts get in the way of your biased generalizations.
I won’t….
So Sabean is a white supremacist? Even you don’t believe that.You’re just trolling away on a wintry day.Sounds like a sad need for attention. We’re here to help you.
Just here for your entertainment in an otherwise boring off season.
Cub fans can be divided into 2 pretty equal groups- those who are pissed off that their team didn’t blow it again and those who believe that their own worth is measured by the success of a professional sports team. Which group are you in?
Tired, old and inaccurate nonsense. As The Oracle so accurately defined this troll: calling everyone else a racist while simultaneously proving that he is a bigger racist than anyone here.
Nice to ride on everyone’s coat tails, you never have the balls to say anything on your own.
We don’t
#FreePablo4thirdbase
#GradySpan2LF
#EduardoScutaro2CF
Kaepernick does in one day what the American government couldn’t do in 50 years of trying!
Fidel heard that Kap was repping him and immediately died of embarrassment.
Cmon man “compromising the sterling image of the Giants brand”? The Giants had the poster boy for Cheating and many others. Their head microphone has been pushing for Bonds to be in the hall since day 1. The Giants brass had welcomed back Barry in spring training many times. They even had a relief pitcher banned for 50 games back on the team for the playoff run. There is no sterling brand of the Gaints to compromise. Braun would be a great piece that supplies the power, average and ability to hit with runners on.
Did you read the post? He said since Bonds retired. (Well, stopped playing, anyway.)
Guillermo Mota was a pretty small thing–he was the last guy in the bullpen, but his suspension was from drinking his kid’s cough syrup when he had a cold. Even the MLB investigators believed him in his appeal, but rules are rules.
And Bonds absolutely should be in the Hall of Fame, and the Giants are right to support that.
Word. Good response to a snarky post by 2HH. Everything GG said about the Giants culture is true. We know it, and in his heart of hearts so does 2HH.
You forgot about Chad Guardin
I’m pretty sure that news about Gaudin came out after he was already on the team, and you’ll notice he disappeared pretty quickly and they didn’t sign him back, either.
Actually I believe it was in the off season after his first year as a long relief/part time starter.
He got injured in August (a couple weeks after the icky story surfaced), and that was it for him as a Giant.
Jose Guillen was very quickly dumped for the 2010 playoffs.
Upright, open stance. Lower body not incorporated into swing. Probably could use Lasik surgery. C prospect in the day.
https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/d2/5a/b7/d25ab787309a8f178c838e8c9d8defa1.jpg
Wasn’t it the Ken Burns series that pointed out if Fidel could have hit the curve ball he would been a MLB player and not an SOB dictator?
I don’t remember that part. I like this guy and his motorcycle better:
http://dts4h52y4acn7.cloudfront.net/7660217101451004AEE4EA32F0534C32f.png
Prospect Question:
I am looking to refine MyGuy™ grading on the bonus from level to level. Right now it is the same for both pitchers and hitters… 25% per level in minors and 40% going into MLB. But I know that the different leagues are friendly to one or the other: Cal League easier for hitters; Eastern League for pitchers, Pacfiic Coast for hitters.
So when I notice Arroyo “regress” in AA this year I am thinking it is not as bad as the raw stats look. Anyone with a simple formula is welcome to offer it. I am a prospect judger that is not afraid to say I am getting it wrong and then make some changes.
Maybe it’s like Obamacare – aka The Affordable Care Act. It’s probably much better to modify than to scrap it.
Arroyo slipped from 117 wRC+ to 89 last year moving up to Richmond.
MyGuy™ only gave him a 25% bonus for taking on the next level so he actually only produced 95.1% of what he did the year before, hence “Regressing”. [27th of 35 position players picked by us].
It’s really hard to make sense of those numbers in a prospect. Try and find the KATOH projection.
What would he have looked like as a Yankee?
El Duque
Just noticed his choice of BDUs were not very functional.
One of my dreams is living long enough to see the bitter rivalry between the Miami and Havana baseball teams take shape – and now I’ve managed to outlive Fidel, no small feat, maybe it can happen. Only QE2 has been around longer.
QE2 ! Ha !
OK, gonna go read a chapter about Henry the VIII and Thomas Cromwell in Wolf Hall.
Have you watched the mini series yet? SO good. MyGuy™ Mark Rylance is mesmerizing as Cromwell.
The book is a struggle. My wife put it down and said ‘nahhh’. I’m trying, chapter by chapter. But just put this chapter down – too much concentration involved : who’s speaking, what are they referencing, what’s that expression… Shouldn’t I be reading something I’m more interesting in? Probably. Did not see show.
BTW – got my Wendy Thurm newsletter. I do not think she is “obsessed”. There’s lots of reading in the links she provides.
Skip the book, watch the miniseries. It’s so good.
Wendy Thurm is a thoughtful journalist and a good writer. I wish her well in her new pursuits.
what’s it on?
It’s official: Texas names Tom Herman head coach.
And Ed Orgeron gets the permanent LSU job. Congrats to Coach O!
I have a friend of mine who follows USC football and said Orgeron should have been permanent head coach of the Trojans back when he was there.
Many of us ‘SC fans felt the same. Hiring Steve Sarkisian instead was a disaster and demonstrated some incredible negligence and lack of due diligence on the part of Pat Haden (then the AD). Sark’s drinking issues were no secret even at Washington. They just didn’t look hard enough and/or ignored what they found.
I read that the kids were crying when Coach O didn’t get the job. Hopefully they’ve finally stabilized with Coach Helton, and I’m happy Coach O got the opportunity he’s earned.
All we need now is a USC/LSU bowl game or home and home games on their schedules down the road if both coaches are still around.
Dr Lefty i stopped in Davis last night on my way home from El Dorado Hills and was highly disappointed that there was no Wendy’s restaraunt there! Very unfortunate for me because thats the only fast food joint that i”ll ever eat from…maybe In and Out.
There used to be until about a year or two ago. It’s a Carl’s Jr. now. We do still have In-N-Out, though!
Carl’s Jr. is the one that has the erotic burgers. I tried to order “the one on the left” but they were out of her.
It’s in Dixon, next door.
Thanks
We’ll finally get to see if he’s got the chops as HC or is just a great position coach/recruiter. This is his best fit opportunity.
His half a season in 2013 was the best USC era in five years (since Kiffin’s surprisingly great 2011 season)–until now. I certainly wish him well.
#FightOn
You know things are getting a little out of hand in MLB when Minor league stadums being built are in excess of $200M as is the Giants affiliate in the podunk town of North Augusta
http://ballparkdigest.com/2016/07/25/2018-opening-for-new-greenjackets-ballpark/
Good find. The money must be largely for the accompanying developments. I wonder how committed the Giants are to that town, or involved in the project – sometimes a new park might make the town want a closer MLB affiliation. SC is a long ways from SF.
Ain’t no Class A leagues west of the 100th meridian.
Aah, I see. And one should do some research before spouting: Giants have been associated with the GreenJackets since 2004 so I guess that is a stable partnership.
Yeah, looks like much of the cost is for the apartments and business complex next door. In contrast:
“San Jose Municipal Stadium was built in 1941–1942 as a WPA project at a cost of $80,000 [$ 1.16 million in 2016 dollars].
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Jose_Municipal_Stadium
Michigan D reminds me of the 49ers D from Harbaugh era. Maybe Harbaugh can coach up the D better than O.
But a pick-6 for Ohio State.
…on a really bad play call. Reminded me of some bad Kaepernick/Harbaugh playoff moments.
And now a fumble at the 1 yard line. These plays seem so familiar.
Unbelievable. I’m not a big college football fan but this game is compelling, traditional rivalry, #2 vs. #3, big crowd, 10-1 records on the line.
I have always liked Harbaugh’s fundamentally sound style of football and i like good defense so I am engaged.
For a fairly low-scoring game, it’s pretty exciting.
It’ll be a while before the 49ers have to worry about any more bad playoff moments, NFC Chmpionship Game moments, or Super Bowl moments.
Yup. Everybody wanted to give credit to Vic Fangio but it was clearly Harbaugh. At least Michigan could punch in to the end zone (barely). The niners had so many bad 1st and goal possesions.
http://www.espn.com/blog/sweetspot/post/_/id/76526/while-others-tear-down-giants-and-royals-should-be-all-in-for-2017
Hmmmm. Two years of Dozier for Panik, Arroyo, Blach, + more? That’s a lot to give up. Dozier has hit over 20 HRs for the last three seasons and 42 in 2016, but would that hold up at AT & T? And if it doesn’t, you’ve given up the present and the future for him. I get the argument that they should upgrade a position for more power, but…that’s a lot to give up.
As I think about it, I can’t rule out Blach as part of a trade. His cameo in September and October was pretty impressive, and he had a great year in AAA. So he may have some value, especially for a team like the Twins. Or how about the Rockies? Blach made a spectacular debut there and is from the Denver area, so he’s used to pitching at altitude.
The Giants, much as they like Blach, may feel they could spare him. They still have Cain, they have guys like Stratton and Blackburn good to go and Beede near ready. And they just added Big Dan Slania to the 40, too. For lefties, Matt Gage and Andrew Suarez both had excellent years in Richmond and should have earned promotions to AAA. I could see the Giants trading from that surplus if the opportunity presents itself.
I was looking at Dozier, and aside from last year he’s a RC+ = 100-110 player. That’s good, but it’s driven IMO by a BABIP increase from .270 to .290, both below the AL average of .310-20. Also, his LD% is the lowest it’s been in his career, and his FB% the highest, His doubles rate actually fell. IMO, this is an uppercut swinger who may have a hard time at AT&T. Just a first blush opinion.
Yeah, and defensively he’s not a trainwreck but he’d be a downgrade from our Gold Glover. The Giants surely could use more power, but that infield defense backing up the pitching is a big part of who they are, too.
I was looking at his spray chart from last year. Absolutely pure pull hitter. His doubles were all right down the LF line. His HRs are for the most part just out, and that’s with a Park Factor of ~1.05, whereas AT&Ts is about 0.70. At 6 ft and 190, this is not a big man. Nice article highlighting the reasons his 2016 was as great as it was. Can he sustain it, big question at AT&T and with the Twins.
http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/how-brian-dozier-put-together-a-season-for-the-ages/
Good stuff, CC.
Heh, anytime you want to comp a player without park being an issue for comparison purposes, search Google for “name year neutralized batting”. Dozier normed.
http://m.bbref.com/m?p=XXplayersXXdXXdoziebr01-bat.shtml&t=all_neutral_batting
Or you can just google Aaron Rowand and be done with it!
LOL, yep.
Your a joke too, all about defense all the time, need to score runs to win, notice you gave up on Mac already too, just a joke !
He is a dead pull hitter, and you do not like that or Power hitters in general , your a joke !
I think you hit a major point on Blach. The Giants have 4 starters under contracts that last years not a year. Virtually every minor league starter and potential MLB prospect should be considered as trade bait.
Too much.
I think so. I could see Panik OR Arroyo, but not both. And I want to keep Panik.
+ he maybe on Vitamins
To B, or not to…it’s a quandary.
I wasn’t aware of Dozier until today. His HR numbers and slugging% have both been moving north since 2012.
I saw Dozier this summer when I went to the Twins game, he launched a beautiful home run. The ballpark there is decent sized but that would be too much to give up for him though the Giants do need some right handed pop.
That’s pretty silly. ESPN is a silly place.
http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/how-brian-dozier-put-together-a-season-for-the-ages/
Good Stuff. Thanks
Keep Joe P. and the Brandons, it’s the only way for me to cope with losing Matt D. If Nunez steps in ably or Arroyo comes on in a hurry, the IF is stable for years. Lefty’s right about pitching being what we can offer.
This is one of the most twisty-turny college football games I’ve seen!
The greatest coach EVER lost? What? Sorry I missed seeing his pissed off face.
Wild game. He’s blaming the refs, but the Michigan QB made three brutal turnovers. Michigan controlled most of the game and should have won it.
Same ‘Ol Harbaugh.
Johns a better coach
So was Tomsula, right? You really know your coaches.
You bet your house, didn’t you?
I don’t bet, but if I had, I would’ve won. They beat the spread.
See- you missed your chance.
HaHa …. you’re not making much sense. *I* said “same old coach” – Coach Tomsula, he with the five year win last year, never said a peep about Jimmy Harbaugh.
But Harbs did go into his both arms signalling *no good* just like he did his entire time with the Niners. Ohio State back had forward progress.
You have a man crush on “UM” and a reverse man crush on KP07.
“….not that there’s anything wrong with that….”
Have they shown a replay of that 4th down play (2nd OT)? It seemed like the ball never crossed the plain (Ohio State), because it was blocked by his lineman’s behind.
Just curious. I was rooting for Michigan.
I was rooting for Michigan, too. Their press published two of my books, and I don’t like Ohio State, either. But 4th down spot notwithstanding, Michigan made some huge mistakes that really cost them.
Wasn’t that their 2nd string QB?
He got an unsportsmanlike like conduct penalty for throwing his clipboard on the sidelines. I’d bet he even said the magic word. You think he’d atleast have had to throw the clipboard at the ref to get a penalty.
According to Harbaugh, the ref told him that he also referees basketball, and in basketball that would be a technical, so he called a penalty. I’m not kidding.
I really could care less about either OSU or Michigan in the grand scheme of things, but good to see Harbaugh lose this one.
Since football is getting lots of coverage here today … remember Defense matters too.
The idea of giving up anyone with proven defensive skills for an extra 15 HR is a bad trend here. Ask the SP rotation if they would rather have a hitter give them one more HR every three weeks or have a gold glove 2B everyday.
All the Giants needed was a Closer last year and they go to the WS.
I’m not trading anyone in the infield, period.
http://www.outsidepitchmlb.com/giants-acquire-mccutchen/57032
Story about McCutchen playing LF for Giants
I’m in. Can the Giants match up without giving up too much? I think could build a package around Arroyo and Williamson that the Buccos would consider.
If the Gs sign Melancon and trade for Cutch they would effectively steal their two all-stars for the last seasons…..
If has no physical damage from the injury, he’s a heck of a ballplayer. High character.
Him or Lorenzo Cain is my wish list.
I wouldn’t argue about either, although I’m not really a student of Cain. What I’ve seen of Cain, he’s pretty impressive defensively.
http://www.offthebenchbaseball.com/2016/11/22/free-agent-michael-saunders-a-great-fit-for-giants-phillies/
Article about Michael Sanders being a great fit for Giants or Phillies
Phillies. Jarrett Parker can probably do a pretty good Saunders impersonation.
Sorry Jim, but it didn’t work
http://i.onionstatic.com/onion/5455/2/16×9/565.jpg
Absolutely nothing…. to….. do….with….baseball.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ktYwuw9Mnjo
they just don’t make em like those two anymore. classic..
Can some NFL team please pay Nick Saban $12M a year to let someone else win for a coupleof years…
Players that retired thisyear.
http://www.hardballtimes.com/goodbye-to-all-them-players-who-quietly-retired-in-2016/
It’s a nice tribute to the work-a-day players (not unlike Bruce Bochy’s MLB career).
We need to cull Scout trade list with these guys.
Per Bobby Evans via Chris Haft, there is no truth to the rumor that the Giants have discussed, let alone pursued, a trade for Pablo Sandoval. Sounds like wishful thinking on the part of that Boston reporter.
As it may very well be wishful thinking that the Pirates are going to move McCutchen this winter.
I’d say Lorenzo Cain is an even longer shot of being available in trade. But both could be much more available in July.
I think your on to something. Both Cain and Cutch talk is for finding out players and working out asks for July. Bet ground work is being laid for those trades now. Pulling the trigger now on either one tells two fan bases you’ve given up when both clubs still have playoff aspirations.
I know the style these days is to trade at the deadline, when you maybe give up less to a team that is swirling the drain hole, but why not have McCutchen in left for the entire 2017 season? Cutch could spell Span in CF on occasions, too, as everyone needs days off.
I know I would rather have him now, but I think Huntington thinks he can get more in July. I mean look at what Dempster fetched in a deadline deal. And if Cutch has a rebound season like I suspect he will, his price only goes up. I think this is more a don’t sell low stance by the Pirates than a don’t buy now position by the Giants. I’m all in on Cutch, now or in July.
The Pirates are in an interesting spot. They’ve been competitive for a few years but fell off in 2016. The Cubs are the 800-pound gorilla in that division, and the Cardinals are there, too (and missed the playoffs on the last day for only the first time since 2010). A rebuild may be called for in Pittsburgh, and swapping out McCutchen’s salary and getting some prospects may make sense for them. On the other hand, he’s been the face of their franchise for years and I’m sure is very popular.
I sure would love to see him playing for the Giants the next couple years, though.
It really all depends on this guy:
http://12075-presscdn-0-91.pagely.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/Austin-Meadows.jpg
Austin Meadows has the chance to be Corey Seager of outfielders. Great swing, generates significant power, and has the wheels to play centerfield. He was limited about a half season’s worth of ABs and only 140 AAA PAs to his credit.
The Pirates future outfield is very much him Marte, and Polanco. The Pirates know that they can’t and shouldn’t extend McCutchen beyond his current contract, but that optimal timing for striking a deal is when Meadows is banging on the door and ready.
So again, both timing and the Pirates’ current chances for competing are relevant. It sounds like keeping McCutchen this year or at least through July makes sense as to this Meadows guy. On the other hand, the earlier they trade McCutchen (if they’re destined to), the more that helps their future by freeing up money and adding a better bunch of prospects. If they’re not likely to contend this year, they should trade Cutch earlier rather than later and make do until Meadows is ready. But if they want to keep fans happier, maybe they keep Cutch until they’re sure Meadows can step in.
I can see the Pirates having interest in Williamson. They can use some corner OF, RHH power – and they have seen first hand the type of damage he can do to a baseball.
I believe he hit an impressive shot to straight center in their yard.
Isn’t McCutcheon a player who has already (likely) had his best season. LF is the only opportunity for a up and coming player, I’m surprised that you and Ryan who follow the minor leaguers so closely don’t want to see someone like Mac get a real shot at it. If McCutcheon were to replace Span then I’d be on board.
Mac is a nice athlete that can generate tremendous power – I just don’t see the skill set to be the type of middle of order, professional bat that Giants lineup could really use. Mac works nice as a threat at the back of the order, that may hit .220 to .240 and pop 20 big potatoes.
If they were getting big production from 3B and/or RF, then it would be much easier to roll with Mac/Park in LF.
To me it’s desirable to have some hunger in there and Giants have a line up full of guys who have been paid, I’d give the young guy a shot before trading Blach or whoever it would take to get a vet like Andrew.
It would take quite a bit to get Cutch, including one of Beede or Arroyo, but you’re not wrong about having some hunger in there.
Mac and Park are still wild cards that could click. In a platoon, batting from the 6th/7th spot in the lineup, Mac could hit .260/.330/.460 with 16 HRs, Parker could go for .240/.340/.460 with 18 HRs. That would be sumtin.
I agree with that about the hunger, and I do like Mac, but I also agree with Scout’s hesitations here. I don’t see Mac (yet) as a middle-of-the-order type of guy. The Giants have lots of options for the 7-8 hitter (including the guy penciled in at leadoff, Span). They need a three or five hitter.
You honestly think McCutcheon is further out on the abstract trading block than Cain?
What part of Franchise Cornerstone are you missing? Cutch is the Pirates.
Easy, tiger.
http://www.businessinsider.com/major-league-baseball-opening-day-payrolls-2016-4
I like this sentiment, but baseball is a business too, not just our emotional pasttime. If McCutchen is to ever leave the Pirates, I’d really really really like that plane ticket to be for SFO. He’s exactly the type of character that GG is talking about in the Braun post we’re blabbing beneath.
A trade is *highly* unlikely but even if they have discussed it , Evans would never admit it. I sure wouldn’t. I WANT TO LIVE!!!!!!!
You and Susan Hayward.
That was the reference.
We are old, although maybe you’re born again.
It just makes no sense. He couldn’t wait to get out of town and burned his bridges on his way out. Then he proceeds to gain weight and act like he didn’t give a shit. Why in the hell would they want him back?
Goodbye Pablo and thanks for the memories:
“I am not aware of any consideration of a reunion,” Evans said, “but we’ll never forget all that he meant to the Giants organization.”
Bobby Evans is exceptionally good at saying the right thing while also not saying anything! I tip my cap.
I miss Sabean.
The cottage industry is here. http://www.nytimes.com/2016/11/25/world/europe/fake-news-donald-trump-hillary-clinton-georgia.html
Watching Harbaugh just lose a championship game and unable to punch the ball in from the redzone…..was eerily familiar.
So many similarities between yesterday’s game and a lot of the big games the Niners played and lost. Michigan dominated for most of the game and still lost a heartbreaker.
This rain sure is nice. Over and inch and a half since yesterday. We got a burn pile going just before the storm came – and that included lighting and thunder just about on top of us (put the metal shovel down). Kind of fun being warmed by hot a hot fire while the rain is coming down on you. Thank you for the rain.
We were cocooned yesterday with snacks and college football, so yes, the rain outside was fun.
Not as welcome here having had the Loma Fire in our area and trying to help the landowners stabilize their hillsides. Just part of life in the mountains and the work will make us a better community.
Any ideas from your experience Chef?
The post-fire winters can be more disastrous than the fires themselves it seems. I just know that tons and tons of ash, silt, and sediment moved behind the Pine Flat dam last winter. I imagine considerable water storage lost as a result of one really big fire.
https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2016/11/giants-in-the-face-of-drought/508601/
Thanks. Great read. I love those trees.
Pre-fire and post-fire are like two different lives for us- and Middletown has been reborn as Rohnert Park. The old stick homes that burnt down are being replaced by modular homes. The owners want to flip them and then move out of here. The town is just a nuisance on the way north to nowhere.
Mostly I miss Zeke and Mickey.
Ugh, my daughter goes to Sonoma State and lives in Rohnert Park, so I know EXACTLY what you are saying. Amazing how one can live in Sonoma County and still be in the middle of nothing but retail and chain restaurants (and cheaply made housing).
Here’s hoping Mickey made it to someplace safe, though I know you miss him. As for Zeke, well, all dogs go to heaven and he’s probably stealing food off people’s plates as we speak.
Last year same time……. 1.5 inches of rain
This year……….. 11.5 inches
The World Champion Chicago Cubs will defend their title with a strong farm system still at their disposal. They feature an elite prospect Jimenez and strong depth in the B range. Having let Hammel go for nothing, they seem poised to strike a deal for a mid or top of rotation pitcher and they have plenty of pieces to make that happen. Ian Happ may be part of that happenstance, he was drafted very early as a top collegiate hitter and he still very much has the hit tool in his favor.
http://www.minorleagueball.com/2016/11/26/13734136/chicago-cubs-top-20-prospects-for-2017
Where would some of the Giants top prospects fit on this list?
I figure Beede could be as high as the #2 prospect on this list, given that he seems to have the makings of B+ prospect. Christian Arroyo would probably slide in the 5-7 range as he’s a B prospect. Guys like Andrew Suarez, Sam Coonrod, and Chris Shaw would also fit with the top 15, and same for Austin Slater and Steve Duggar, all of which are within those B-/C+ parameters.
Out of 12 of us in MyHotStoveGuy™ six are predicting a pitcher is the one getting dealt.
I think that the Giants have proven that good pitching and defense are the best assets in the Playoffs.
Starting pitching is the hottest commodity in baseball. Relievers have made quite a rise in value as well.
Hitters are bashing the ball again, like back in the steroid era, so now it’s an arms race again, like the Cold War or something.
I’ve been reading your posts quite consistently for a long time and you seem dead-set on getting rid of Beede and Arroyo one way or another.
I don’t see any mention of such, above.
An aside; https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2016/11/giants-in-the-face-of-drought/508601/
Rephrased, you could say that I seem intent on conveying that Beede and Arroyo are the Giants highest value prospects and would be sought in any trade dialogue.
After moving Duffy and Bickford…Mejia….seems even less likely they are going to move those guys
Once a prospect looks good enough to offer a plausible gate into the seemingly greener pasture next door, Scout is all about negotiating for grazing rights.
To quote Shakespeare, the Giants will “rue the day” they trade away Tyler Beede. (If they ever do such a nonsensical deed.)
It depends how non-sensical Bobby Evans thinks it is to trade for impact talent.
Here’s how it started- two of the Giants groundskeepers were shooting the breeze at a local bar and one of them said he heard it from a friend who heard it from a cousin’s friend.A guy two stools down told his buddy, who knew the brother-in-law of the sportswriter. Then the brother-in-law…well, you can see where I’m going with this…
I thought it was a joint joint effort by a Boston sportswriter and Pablo’s personal trainer.
Another one of those fake news sources trying to affect the results of the off-season.
LOL, a good read on the subject. http://www.nytimes.com/2016/11/25/world/europe/fake-news-donald-trump-hillary-clinton-georgia.html
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aGt0uAC9FIE
Oh hell yeah!
Thanks Steve! I dig Sonny’s Slide. How you doin’? How them Holidays going?
everything is good my brother, thanks. got an update on mom? still kicking ass, and taking names?
It’s a process but she’s on schedule or ahead, was able to taste Thanksgiving at her sister’s, so that was really cool. I’ll head back down some time after she starts the radiation routine. Then that should be it and she just has to take estrogen blocking medication. Very thankful things are going well on this front. Thanks for asking 🙂
she’s still on my prayer list. if she has as strong a will as her boy, she will get through this
Very interesting article about the Dodgers’ finances and payroll.
http://dodgersdigest.com/2016/11/27/dodgers-reportedly-aim-to-reduce-payroll-to-200-million-by-2018/
Nice little jaunt through dodgerville. It’s a very intriguing offseason for them. Multiple holes to fill, a payroll of 170 mil as is, and a target ceiling of maybe 220 mil. Maybe less depending on what comes off books by ’18.
New Stones.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mowOlQqUIhM
pretty good game by Kaepernick today, coming close to beating the Dolphins.
thoughts:
– no way CK should be throwing 46 times in a game but such is the case in this team with no skill position players.
– your receiving leaders should not be named Calek and Droughn.
– defense was awful today, still close to pulling it off
– if Kelly does not bounce to college next year he deserves another year, would at least be more interesting
I think “Calek” and “Droughn” sound like names from “Lord of the Rings.”
Sadly LOTR characters would be better than some of the players on this roster SMH
Especially the elves.
Two turnovers….Selek has to hang on to that ball one ball …
The tipped pass INT – meh – happens all the time.
Magnum PI?
I spelled it wrong: Garrett Celek
The Niners should never had let Delanie Walker get away.
I do not think they “just” let him get away. I believe free agency entered the picture
But … http://www.cbssports.com/fantasy/football/news/titans-delanie-walker-ties-career-high-with-sixth-touchdown/
They did, because if they really wanted to keep him they would have.
I was able to watch, and I concur. I think the key to the awards set not leading in receiving is largely on a tremendously bad right side of the OLine. I know Smith and Kerley aren’t super starts, but the timing of plays is very compromised…
New Post: http://fe0.84e.myftpupload.com/guest-posts/surf-maui-guest-post-my-1962-giants-memorabilia-collection/
Does anyone know if Ken Burns is working on The Eleventh Inning documentary? “Baseball” ended with 2009, tantalizingly close to our golden time! 🙂