by
Greek Giant
I’m not going to provide you with numbers, splits and statistical references. I am simply going to explain why I think Mac Williamson should be the everyday left fielder for our San Francisco Giants ball club. Platooning him with Jarrett Parker would be a big mistake. Let’s first go over the safe thinking and the likely strategy Bochy will employ during spring training and going into the regular season: a platoon with Parker facing righties and Williamson facing lefties. I hate platoons. The splits are over-rated. Guys like Brandon Crawford and Brandon Belt are the reason why platoons should be thrown out the window.
A baseball player needs to maximize his at-bats to gain value for his team. Rhythm, consistency and confidence are the three most important qualities a hitter must bring with him to every at-bat. When you employ the match-ups and platoon philosophy as a rule, you become predictable and you also risk preventing a player from developing into a complete hitter or a productive regular. In theory, I would have loved for the Giants to acquire Yoenis Cespedes. He was my choice for left field but I am not going to be greedy since I did get my second wish in Mark Melancon.
Don’t get me wrong: the line between starter and platoon/pinch hitter in the Major Leagues is pretty darn wide. It is a huge divide in both ability and psyche and some players never quite get there while others, when given the opportunity, even later in their careers, become standouts.
I believe, after watching Mac Williamson last year and speaking with his mom on the subway to Yankee Stadium in that grueling New York heat wave when the Giants were in town (I actually did speak with her on the subway), that Williamson has the tools to be a valuable left fielder, an every day player and perhaps even a star for the Giants. He has a strong combination of power, speed and defensive abilities that make his upside pretty high. While he demonstrated moments of emerging into a good player filling in for Hunter Pence last year, his injury complicated matters for him greatly and he never returned to the Giants in any meaningful capacity since. That was terrible timing for Mac.
My theory is this: with a new start to the season, a healthy recovery from his injuries, and the right amount of confidence shown in him, Mac would emerge into our next diamond in the rough (think Matt Duffy, Joe Panik, etc.). A right-handed power hitter with Williamson’s upside should be allowed to face right-handed pitchers and play every day for a minimum of 100 at-bats. That’s roughly a month of the season. In fact, for his career, Williamson is batting .239 against righties and .212 against lefties… (So I lied about not providing stats). The question for Mac will be putting the ball in play, minimizing strikeouts and hitting enough long balls to justify a sub .250 average and a sub .320 OBP while providing good to very good defense in left field.
I think making the left field competition open going into spring training may be a great idea. If Williamson emerges into the top performer, he should play every day to gain his confidence and rhythm. The rhythm method works in baseball. Just ask Belt, Panik and Duffy. Once they were able to get enough at-bats and play every day, they emerged into valuable players. Brandon Belt was never given the confidence of a long leash and he was subsequently jerked around terribly in 2011. That lack of commitment to him arguably hurt his confidence and delayed his career emergence into one of the top first baseman in the league.
I believe Williamson will be the first home-grown outfielder to contribute to the Giants in a meaningful, if not very important way since….. I can’t remember the last one???
I agree 100% with GG. Mac Williamson should be given a real opportunity to win the starting LF job on an everyday basis. I believe he is a better defensive OF vs. Parker, and also that Parker would strike out far more often than Mac. I have a very good feeling about Mac Williamson, and his limited opportunities in 2016 convinced me that my first impression was correct. I think once Mac becomes a regular the Giants will see that he should be playing RF, while moving Pence to LF for his last two years with the Giants.
To make it more complicated, Williamson had much better avg in the minors facing RHP.
Try 1984…odds against him
This bog hates Parker for some reason, I think it is the same reason some hate Belt, bad body language and lots of strikeouts, but Parker has had more stretches of good play then Williamson, the 3 HR game in 2015, the Giants even played him in CF, and Williamson strikeouts just as much .
i’ll take a bushel of cranberries, as long as you’re there already..
What ?
I see where you’re coming from:
in 205 MLB PAs, Parker has a .267/.371/.494 line.
For Mac, in 161 PAs, he has a . 222/.298/.382 line.
Parker also has better numbers in AAA. But folks have a stronger affinity to Mac.
I actually prefer Jarrett Parker. But I’m in the minority on that.
The funny thing here is that some on this board claimed Belt needed 1,000 at bats the majors to lock in and become consistent. When 1,000 did not do it they claimed 1500 PA needed. 1500PA’s is basically 3 years playing most everyday. Parker would be 31 by then and Mac would be 29. Do these amount of PA’s change due to their age and timeperiod in the upper minor leagues?
I am of the take that the good hitters come up and hit from week 1 or 2. The mediocre hitters take much longer to become accustomed to the league and the pitchers. Since neither has come up and took the bull by the horn, though Parker did show more power neither will likely be a super star or above average for their positions.
Both of them have crazy power. If I lean towards Mac at this point, given the SSS for both, it’s more because I think he has the potential to be a plus-defender in a corner spot with a great arm. The Giants need that pretty desperately. Not sure how Slater is defensively, but I know Duggar is a plus-defender, too.
Also, it’s fair to note that Parker had the advantage of playing everyday for nearly two full seasons in AAA, including the entire 2015 season. Mac’s been bounced around quite a bit the last two years between AA, AAA, SF, and even the Pan Am Games. I really wished they’d let him get at least a half season of solid ABs in AAA last year; I think he could have used it.
I have a sneaking suspicion your opinion of Angel Pagan in LF will rise by July.
Angel is a good major league hitter and above-average base runner, but I’m never going to miss him playing the outfield.
Hold that thought. You may want to revisit it as the season develops.
GG’s expressing an opinion that Mac has more upside as an everyday player is not “hatred” of Parker. I assume both will get a shot and then we’ll see which, of them can contribute more. But I agree with the anti-platoon stance. That was a disaster when Bochy did it in 2012 with Belt, Pill, and Huff. None of them got into a groove and it was a black hole. Finally he stopped it (after Huff had his breakdown) and Belt got the everyday job around the first of August–and had a great last two months. I say pick one and let him play for awhile. If he crashes and burns, try the other one.
Parker had an OPS over 1100 in 2015, that seems like upside to me, your personal bias against Parker, you and another Rivercat’s season ticket holder friend I forget her name now, would post things like , do not like Parker’s look , strut, and stupid stuff like that .
Nope, that was Appalled7, based on observing him at spring training. I don’t have anything against Parker. On the contrary, I relayed a story about watching him be really gracious and friendly with an elderly fan in a wheelchair at a River Cats game this season. I don’t have any bias against Parker. I watched him a lot in Sacramento, especially in 2015, and he had some huge games when I was there, including a walk-off grand slam and an inside-the-park HR.
The only reason I believe a bit more in Mac’s upside is that (a) he’s a bit younger (he’s 26, and Parker will be 28 in a couple weeks) and (b) I think his all-around game (power, speed, defense, arm) is more complete than Parker’s. But honestly, I’m not convinced about either one of them at this point–such a small sample size for both in the major leagues–and I’m happy to see them both get a chance, and may the better prospect win. I’m just against platooning them and jerking both of them in and out of the lineup so that neither gets into a groove hitting major league pitching. Bochy did it in 2012 with Belt and Pill and it was a disaster.
It’s because Williamson is more handsome.
He prefers to be called winsome.
He can’t hit his weight, and he swings a bat like he was dipping snuff?
MR. SLAPPY, but he does not hit bloopers the other way, his career batting average is .267 , so wrong again MR. SLAPPY!
Your not going to provide and stats or splits, you just like Williamson better , nice, seems like the right way to make a decision, do you like the Giants because Orange and Black make you look thin, sounds like the same thing to me .
lol
I laughed too. Pete is flippin’ comedian.
I’m actually ok with Mac getting more of an opportunity this season but only because of his age. This is it, the Giants and a contingent of their fans love to keep these 26+ “prospects” that in one way or another need to see if they are here for the long run or move on. No need to waver around about it year in and year out.
It also can’t be feast or famine, the wish list should not Cesopedes or Mac/Parker, the team brass needs to get more creative in building the roster.
On that note, I actually think the Giant have something up their sleeves. They have plenty of B-/C+ type pitchers that may not be able to crack the Giants staff but there are enough teams out there that need arms. Specially the guys hitting near 25 yrs old, If i was them I’d appreciate getting on the field somewhere else.
I’m glad to hear Williamson’s mom gives him a positive scouting report. It can mean something. I met Mike Kickham’s mom once and she told me he sucked.
I have a schizophrenic relationship with your sarcasm. This one has me cracking up.
Here you go, bud.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TlfoIphZPJY
No video? We had a guy in the ER once. Someone thought he had tabes dorsalis, but it looked much more entertaining than that. Fortunately, it wore off.
Just a bad reaction to Thorazine.
It once was subtle and clever.
I am sure your parents support you in all your endeavors.
It would sure be nice if there was some extra money under the cushions and a deal in place for JD Martinez that does not involve Beede or Arroyo (or a deal for Lorenzo Cain). But since there isn’t, and Evans has called it a winter, the Giants really do have to pin their hopes on the dynamic Mac and Parker duo. I just don’t think it’s fair to say that Mac should be given the job. I think both players should be evaluated in the spring and that during the season, Bochy should try to ride the hot hand. If Parker is crushing righties, but flailing vs. lefties, well, Mac to the rescue. If Mac is seeing righties well, and hitting lasers, then stick with him.
Ultimately, Mac/Park may just be keeping LF warm for either Austin Slater or a trade deadline deal. Slater has the makings to be a better pure hitter than Mac or Park. He has a nice compact stroke and he really started to tap into his power last year. He could develop into something similar to the Cardinals’ Stephen Piscotty in the most optimistic scenario and could very well be the guy that ends the Giants OF developmental drought. And we can’t forget Nate Schierholtz either. He was a pretty good player for the Giants – especially on the defensive end. If Mac can play at the level of Nate, that’s still a pretty good outcome.
My concern for the Giants is the offense of the team down south. If they land Brian Dozier, their lineup is going to be pretty darn stout and it may take some career years for the Giants to keep up with that.
Now that all the blue breath boys have re-upped down south, the front office may decide to do the Mac plus a little Parker experiment only in camp, possibly being ready with a trade around the time camp breaks? They probably can’t afford to wait for the trading deadline if the OF needs help.
(I’m pretty sure this is all we will have to talk about until pitchers and catchers report)
I agree that the Dodgers’ offense will be better. I think the Giants’ pitching staff, top to bottom, will be more stable and of higher quality, especially now that the Giants have a real closer.
I didn’t think much of the lineup the Giants put out there to start 2012. They had no real 2B (until they got Scutaro) and they’d traded for Melky and Pagan, both of whom had really been fourth outfielder types. And the other outfielders were Nate and Blanco (until they traded for Pence). Belt and Crawford were really unknown commodities, too, and Posey was returning after a horrible injury. But then they really surprised us all–no HRs to speak of, but an excellent mix of speed, extra base hits, and great batting averages (Melky “won” the batting title but then “gave” it to Posey, and Scutaro was top-10 as well). That was a good, balanced team with good pitching and defense, too.
So maybe this year’s team will surprise us, too. But I sure wouldn’t argue with another new bat, either for LF or 3B.
I can’t attest to the strength of the division in 2012, but I have a feeling the NL West is going to be much stronger in ’17. Pundits are already jumping on board with the West is Best declaration. Outside the totally rebuilding Padres, there will be no easy wins and hay making within the division. The Giants are very strong, especially on the pitching and IF defense side of things. The Dodgers have their payroll of talents to out-depth everyone else. And the Rockies and Diamondbacks are no slouches. They have real talent and are capable of making a run for the division.
As for 3B – Todd Frazier would be nice counter strike to Dozier. I call your 40 HR infielder.
I think “Nates Fan Mom” – should chime in on the platoon – yes or no.
Then in order or not – “BayAreaRogue” – FireSabean, Public_Service_forthe_Ignorati – Just_Peachy, JD4SF, C_Shell, “E-B”, Dinero, The Farnz, Croix de Candlestick, Appalled7, “SamHatesBelt, PITA, WOJ, Al Oha, wan8iv, ODB, Pacman, anthillunda2nd, KezarMike, kyle Perizi, TheTourist, Eleuthero and then MitchvMan….
Hope springs eternal….
“I’d rather be playing every day, but playing every day in the minor leagues is not nearly as pleasant as platooning in the big leagues.” – Brian Daubach
As manager of the Boston Braves, George Stallings employed platoons during the 1914 season, which helped the “Miracle” Braves win the 1914 World Series. No Braves outfielder reached 400 at-bats during the 1914 season.In 1934 and 1935, Detroit Tigers’ manager Mickey Cochrane routinely platooned Gee Walker, a right-handed batter, to spell center fielder Goose Goslin and right fielder Jo-Jo White, who were both left-handed batters. Also in the 1930s, Bill Terry of the New York Giants platooned center fielders Hank Leiber and Jimmy Ripple. The approach was seldom used in the 1930s, but Casey Stengel, managing the Braves, platooned third basemen Debs Garms and Joe Stripp in 1938. Stengel himself had been platooned as a player by managers John McGraw and Wilbert Robinson.Garms won the National League’s batting title in 1940 with the Pittsburgh Pirates as a part-time player under Frankie Frisch.
* Terms for this strategy included “double-batting shift, “switch-around players”, and “reversible outfield”. Tris Speaker referred to his strategy as the “triple shift”, because he employed it at three positions.The term “platoon” was coined in the late 1940s. Stengel, now managing the New York Yankees, became a well known proponent of the platoon system,and ***won five consecutive World Series championships*** from 1949 through 1953 using the strategy. Stengel platooned Bobby Brown, Billy Johnson, and Gil McDougald at third base, Joe Collins and Moose Skowron at first base, and Hank Bauer and Gene Woodling in left field. Harold Rosenthal, writing for the New York Herald, referred to Stengel’s strategy as a “platoon”, after the American football concept, and it came to be known as “two-platooning”.
From Wiki-rooski
If they platoon Williamson, it ought to be home and away. He’s hitting .350ish away, and .136 at home in AT&T (2016),
Whoa.
Good Night Allen
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/cd817b60bf10054ee0aa923cb35cca1df17bfe52eb35e2cc64b178db9d923e54.jpg https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/88e78bbd2e5296f570ffd05eecff76c47e2747e3d4f99e2fb9cbcc731f0e559e.jpg https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/53609d01e6054e164ce95d01b6f24d740b78563539c1e84a20a5ad9bf2848f17.jpg
Lefty told Mr. Lefty that I like to give updates on the blog about things like kale and cattle. Here’s one:
A few hours ago, we got 5 head of cattle loaded into the hauler’s trailer and waved bye bye. It was good to get it done before the rain and mud comes tomorrow. We can sure use the rain and who doesn’t need the money?
Were these top prospects or just the run of the mill C+ variety?
C types. But winsome group nonetheless. They were nice. Our 7 remaining are nice and winsome too. May have some C+ types there.
Mac will win the popular vote, but Parker wins the electoral vote.
You Cuisinart owners, there is recall of blades for the food processor underway.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/food/wp/2016/12/14/8-million-cuisinart-food-processor-blades-have-been-recalled-yours-may-be-one-of-them/?hpid=hp_hp-more-top-stories_cuisinart924pm%3Ahomepage%2Fstory
Raider’s Vegas move on ballot in March.
http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nfl/raiders/2016/12/14/oakland-las-vegas-relocation-san-diego-los-angeles/95452180/
Although I fervently hope that GG is correct, thus far Inhave seen no real evidence that MW is anything more than a AAAA player. After a very pedestrian seveveral months in 2016 he was 0-22 in September when we really needed him before finally getting a hit. Hope he makes it but Plan B is a better idea, it seems to me.
Once again you have a major hate on for Mac, but at least get your facts right. He had exactly 14 plate appearances in Sept./Oct, so he was not “0-22.”
He had one month, July, in which he had 53 ABs and 62 PAs, and he had an .899 OPS, over .500 SLG, 4 HRs, and 11 RBIs–and made a number of highlight catches. That may not be HOF stuff, but it is NOT “pedestrian,” either. In June he had 29 ABs and 32 PAs and an OPS of .801. In the other months he didn’t have enough ABs to even mention.
The Giants completely mishandled their outfield situation for last year going into this one. For one thing, it would have done Mac a lot better to put in a solid season in AAA, playing everyday, than to keep riding the Capital Corridor back and forth from Sacramento and to mostly sit on the bench when he was with the Giants. Then, when Pagan was banged up and Span was ice-cold in the first half of September, what did our not-so-genius manager do (along with letting Casilla face Jake Lamb and blow four saves)? He played those two old guys every single day and glued Parker and Mac to the bench for weeks.
If Parker and Mac are indeed “Plan A” for the third and fourth OF spots next year, for both financial and organizational reasons, they should have been playing, not rusting.
on the money, doctor..
Yep. Pretty much what Bobby was/is thinking as well…
Hunter Pence played in 52 games in 2015 and 106 in 2016. I’m not sure he will play in many more then the 106 this year. You might see both Williamson and Parker in a large number of games. I would like to see what Williamson can do in and extended stretch.
Late to this discussion but I’d be fine with some mix of Parker and Mac in LF. I’m not convinced that their ages are an indicator that they can’t be good players. The are young outfielder’s in the Giants system and have not gotten the run they might have received in other organizations. The Giants lock in with well paid vets and a manager such as Bochy doesn’t deviate too much. Last year we knew that Pagan, Span, and Pence would get the lion’s share of time barring injury. Pence went down, how many starts did Blanco get that could have gone to Parker or Mac? I like Blanco as most everyone does but there was no upside to him getting some run, they should have gone with the young guys. Span did not earn as much run as he got but of course the investment they made in him provided and additional block for Parker and Mac.
Had rare day off yesterday and heard about James, Irving, and Love sitting out a Cavs game for rest (and not even making the trip). Fitz and Brooks talked about it but missed the point, comparing it to baseball where players such as Posey sit out for rest regularly. Basketball is star driven and it’s just one game when the Cavs or Warriors or whoever comes to town. Plus, back up players in basketball get regular playing time every game. Back ups in baseball often sit for days at a time and teams do have to mix them in for starts in an attempt to keep them from completely losing their timing. Not such an issue with that in the NBA.
Bottom line though is that the NBA schedule is absurd with this last Warriors trip a perfect example. Four games in five days and lots of long distances between the cities. The coaches are making it a point to the league but it is slow to react. How hard can it be? Take the Warriors, Kings, Lakers, and Clippers, send them all out on road trips to Boston, Philly, NY, and NJ, no back to backs and no long trips between the cities. Then reverse it later with the eastern teams voting out west. MLB used to do that, SF, LA, and SD would all go to NY, Philly, and MTL and it made perfect sense. The NBA schedule is just nuts.
I understand why they did it…the schedule is crazy (new CBA was supposed to address that)…but the Posey comparison is weak. Buster typically plays 1B on his off days, but he’s 12-1/2% of the Giants every day lineup. The Cavs sat out 60% of their starting lineup and they are the stars of that team. Maybe if the Giants sat out Posey, Belt, Crawford, Panik, and Pence…we can have a semi-similar conversation. I believe the Cavs also come to Memphis only 1 time a year (which was marketed to no end, I’m sure) so there’s that too.
And NBA games are just ridiculously expensive. It would be very frustrating to splurge on tickets to see LBJ and crew and end up watching bench players.
When you were talking about the hazing stuff (yesterday?), I went and looked up the MLB antitrust exemption stuff…to see if this would have any impact on lawsuits pertaining to bullying (and such) that the rest of the business world need to be sensitive to.
Here is what was said (which didn’t answer my question) how MLB has an exception, but I think it has relevance here with the Cavs. “Baseball is merely an amusement, not a commercial enterprise.” There was also a NBA-related ruling that “that any CBA will receive protection from federal antitrust laws.”
So getting back to your “ridiculously expensive” comment, I wonder if fans have any recourse when they pay to see a player(s)…and their coach decides to give them a non-injury day off. The NBA wasn’t named as “an amusement”, but I wonder if there’s any MLB/NBA link in that regard. You know Memphis sold the heck out of that game (for mini plans, etc.) and people purchased with the intent of seeing the stars of that team.
Can you imagine if you paid for tickets to see the Eagles and they showed up without Frey, Walsh, and Henley…and you got Timothy B. Schmidt (who I like, Sac native), the regular stage guitarist who is the unofficial 5th Eagle (can’t find his name), and 3 back up guys? You KNOW there would be refunds.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z5jyoz0h6GU&index=6&list=LLNVarrLgL2_keBqlPNts7Eg
Good morning, Cap’n Steve. How’s the weather in NY?
buenos dias, amigo mio. it’s as cold as a witches ….did you get something nice for christmas for your beautiful wife, and mom?
working on it :-0 Christmas comes too quickly!
i wish ST got here as quickly as the holidays!
Cold down here in the ATL as well. Bright, sunny day, but high temps in the mid-30s. We’re not very good at cold weather in the South!
I thought this piece by Brisbee was much better than the original by Passan.
http://www.mccoveychronicles.com/2016/12/13/13938820/dodgers-giants-fight-fight-fight-fight
Should the Dodgers work out a trade for Brian Dozier, the 2B with 2 years and 15 mil on his contract that hit .268/.340/.546 with 42 HRs last year, they will lose 2-3 names off the list cited in the article. I imagine Jose DeLeon and Alex Verdugo would really entice MIN.
Evans can then stand his ground, and not react with a lineup something like this (Joe Panik back to being Joe Panik)…
Span
Panik
Posey
Belt
Pence
Crawford
Williamson/Parker
Nunez
or pivot, and react with a countermove that boosts the offense (Suarez becomes super-utility)…
Span
Panik
Posey
*Frazier – 75 HRs last two seasons
Belt
Pence
Crawford
Nunez/Williamson/Parker
Is it ever good to be reactionary in life? Control what is in your means to control. Giants have some excellent pitching and excellent infield defense. They can control the quantity of runs scored by the opposition. And perhaps that is the more essential element to winning the division.
It was -1 on my way to work today, so dgg must be really freezing. Time for some Hot Stove League action, in other words. And what is better than discussing the lineup card, in or out of season?
Coming out of camp, I can imagine Nunez leading off, and Span dropped into the 9th slot, as the ‘2nd leadoff man’, ie resuming the first half 2016 experiment of having our P’s bat 8th.
There is great comfort in seeing Joe Panik’s name written where it belongs. That’s some mighty fine 2HH!
Nunez might end up being “the new Zorrilla” (in 2018) if Arroyo resumes his 1st season’s progress rate?
Well, some of this ought to wake the blog up this morning!
I maintain my resolute support for Denard Span! He’s just a better on-base, better quality at bat hitter than Nunez. I felt like he showed stretches demonstrating the caliber of hitter that he still is. He performed very well at the plate in the final week + playoffs. He can be a .280/.340 leadoff hitter. Nunez, although faster, would more likely be a .280/.320 leadoff. And I like the way Span works the count, giving his teammates an opportunity to see what the starter is offering.
I get your reservations about Nunez, but the fact is that he’s three years younger than Span and can still run the bases. The two most shocking things for me about Span last year were his awful arm and how slow he’s gotten. He clearly lost a step in the outfield–maybe 2-3 steps, and we have a big outfield–and he only attempted 19 SBs and only stole 12. That is just flat-out awful for a leadoff hitter. Nunez had 40 SBs. Span also was being platooned by the end of the season, and Nunez is a switch-hitter.
Among two imperfect options, I think Nunez makes more sense at the top of the order at the respective stages of these guys’ careers. However, I agree that Span will start out there because Bochy.
I support this message
I agree. Nunez should be batting leadoff. And for all the reasons you stated, Span should be on the bench.
Yes, but if Span doesn’t produce, Bochy will move him out of the lead off spot by April of 2018.
Doc — Agree on all your assessments, including “two imperfect options.” However, one exception: Nunez is not a switch hitter.
Ah, you’re right. I think I mixed him up with Ramiro Pena, who is a switch-hitter.
This is also Nunez’s contract year. He will be 30 years old. This season is his chance to earn his one big contract, and that might lead to another pay day at the end of his career. I think we see better strike zone discipline and an all-fields approach at the plate, along with his stellar defense at 3B and 40 SB speed.
Hear, hear.
Good stuff. Span was MyGuy last season, and very likely will be again for the upcoming contest. I am hopeful from the way his season ended last year, and because the HSL is a time for hope anyway.
He hit .287 in the 2nd half and…in my opinion…was a bright spot against the Cubs. Is he the long-term answer, no…but he’s a Giant one more season and he’s the 2nd best OFer they have right now.
Boo-yeah!
It’s 12° here right now, 610nm, and snow is falling steady with another 3-4 inches new snow overnight, so I’ve got to get back out there to shovel snow. The winter storms keep coming every other day. We had 4-5 inches snow fall Sunday night. I spent 6 hours shoveling on Monday. I was almost done around noon, when it started snowing again and I started all over again shoveling the sidewalks to get those cleared before the kids got out of school. Finished up around 3 pm. Yesterday was cold but clear and sunny. No new snow. The roads were packed down and graveled at the corners and driving was easy, not adventurous. I drove to the library and ran a couple of errands, but I should have done more. The roads are hazardous now. The current winter storm warning is on until 6 pm tomorrow. The high temps are expected to go below zero just like in the High Plains where you are. I may have to wear my balaclava but I usually get too hot wearing it when I’m shoveling snow.
My favorite sentence of yours above: “There is great comfort in seeing Joe Panik’s name written where it belongs. That’s some mighty fine 2HH.” I hope TWG’s 2hh appreciates your wordplay.
..meanwhile our host GG is wearing shorts and a tshirt, while Eating baklava.
Memo to PJ, one letter Does make a difference.
It’s 80 degrees and humid here in Florida! I may go to the beach today but as a Canadian, I do miss the snow sometimes!
The only thing worse then the Grammar police, is a pot smoking Musician !
Funny, my image of J is he’s a pretty cool cat, not a smoking hot musician.
those cats are cool if you ask me,
dig?
pot smoking musician is redundant.
Yes it was a Joke, on this blog it is the majority .
Stay safe! We have had two occurences of about an inch of snow. If it warms up tonight, they think we’ll get some more. As you well know, temps down near 0 preclude most of the white stuff. And that the white stuff is way better than the ice.
Snow is better than ice. We’ve had no Chinooks, so not much ice, except on the roads which get icy with road traffic. Tiny gravel dumped on slick spots and all corners helps with traction.
Good for my cousin staying all-in on Span….I can only hope your dedication and support are rewarded by the Broken Wing
I think the Giants need one more bat. Now, maybe Parker or Williamson IS that bat, and maybe Nunez can repeat his career year at the plate and keep improving at 3B (I was pleasantly surprised how good he looked there by the end of the season). But that’s a lot of “ifs” when you also consider how breakable Pence has been and how disappointing Span was.
The Giants are in a “win-now” window this year due to key guys like Posey, Crawford, and Pence aging and Cueto able to opt out after this season. They should forget the tax, bite the bullet, and get another bat.
Totally. The other thing about that additional BAT, is that when Posey is getting his much needed rest, the lineup would still have some presence.
Just read an article arguing that the Giants and NYY should match up for Brett Gardner. Now, he’s not a 40 HR guy like Dozier or Frazier, but he did win a Gold Glove this year, and he’s a proven major league hitter who’s got the kind of gap swing that plays well at AT & T. The Yankees want to shed some payroll so they can bolster their bullpen with a free agent such as Ziegler. They also need some major league ready arms at the back of their rotation. The writer suggested a package of Chris Shaw and Andrew Suarez for Gardner.
The Yankees also would like to trade Headley for the same reasons, and that could be another way to go. Headley hit 14 HRs last year and one year hit over 30 while still playing in the NL West, and it appears his defense at 3B is still at least passable. And as you mention, Nunez could compete for LF or be a good super-utility option.
I don’t love either of these options, but I like them better than standing completely pat.
Gardner,and Headley two of the worst contracts in MLB, only one worse is probably Elsbury, but you like your defensive players that are overrated , Looking more and more that the 1 great year that Headley had was a little suspicious looking , just like that 1 great year Elsbury had .
Gardner’s owed $26 mil (including his 2019 option buyout) for two years. Headley’s also owed $26 mil for two years. Those are hardly the “worst contracts in MLB.” (See Heyward, Jason.)
I’m not saying I’d be ecstatic about either of those, but they are both potential lineup upgrades and probably wouldn’t clean out whatever top prospects the Giants have left. I’d rather have Todd Frazier or J.D. Martinez, but I don’t know that the Giants have the trade chips to get one of them.
I would rather have what we got , then Healey and Gardner, we like different types of players !
Well, you’ll probably get your wish, so think good thoughts that we hit big on either Mac and/or Parker!
(Or maybe Austin Slater…he was hitting the snot out of the ball in August…)
Pagan had a better year then Gardner, .261 , with 7 HR,.713 OPS, Headley .251, 14 HR, .712 OPS .
Except for that Gold Glove thing, but–I know, you don’t need to remind me–you don’t care about that.
I prefer power in corner positions, Gold Glove is a plus, but not at every Position on the diamond in place of offence, you seem to be defense 1st at every position .
I wonder if the Giants might be able to get Frazier w/o Beede or Arroyo.
Suarez, Coonrod, and Shaw has some intrigue. Bryan Reynolds may be of interest too.
Frazier hit .225 last year, and strikeouts more then Belt, this blog would kill him, notice you traded Shaw already the one future Giant with big time pop , for a 1 year rental .
Another lefty (Gardner), but the GG is a positive. Headley had been torched on MLB Radio, but if it places Nunez in LF…then maybe.
Credit to the writer for that price tag. Sounds about right.
Carl Steward agrees with you on the platoon factor, GG. In a twitter conversation with Grant Brisbee on December 8, Carl said: “A platoon would not serve either Williamson or Parker. Pick one and go.”
I was mulling Carl’s statement over when you posted your blog and thoughts. I can see the disadvantages to a platoon, and advantages. It probably would be better to pick one over the other for the everyday role. I prefer Parker. But I think the Giants will need both Williamson and Parker in 2017. It’s highly likely that both of them will end up playing every day. Which is my argument for the Giants bringing in another outfielder.
I’ve got it. Span should be on the bench. Then the Giants can see what Williamson and Parker can do playing everyday, individually and together.
No. No. No. Let’s replace an experienced guy that essentially sat out the previous season…admittedly did struggle, but hit .287 in the 2nd half…was a bright spot in the playoffs…with a couple of guys that hit in the low 200’s and aren’t contact hitters. I’m OK with Williamson in LF (assuming nothing better comes along), but Parker can sit and learn (hopefully).
Parker hit .347 in 2015, with a 1100 OPS, but you always like slap contact hitters, when players bat 5 times a month , they usually do not hit well, Parker and Williamson, and Duvall before that, Pill before that and Nate before that with Bowker too, Bochy and Sabean not good for young hitters with a little pop .
Stop talking sense about Span!
Well, that’s three No’s. I prefer Parker, but like I said yesterday, I realize I’m in the minority.
…and my preference for Williamson has nothing to do with Parker looking like Orlando Bloom 🙂
Span and Pence will each have another hopscotch season.
You got me. I’m flummoxed as to the meaning of “hopscotch season”.
hopscotch = skip from place to place, as in back and forth from the roster to the DL.
So what’s up with Angel Pagan? Haven’t even seen his name mentioned in any Hot Stove articles about OF’s that are still available. No one has any interest in him?
It has to be devastating to Pagan’s free agent prospects that he ended up on the bench with a bad back at the end of the season.
There seemed to be some unspoken drama that was going on there… rumors that the Giants were irritated that he took himself out like he wasn’t really hurting at all? Who knows …
I think he really couldn’t play. I think I read somewhere the Giants were unlikely to put him on the NLCS roster had they gotten past the Cubbies, since you have to pick people who can play.
Or are willing to play. There were reports that the team and players weren’t happy that he sat himself down. For some reason, the combination of age, mediocre hitting, subpar defense and a questionable attitude just isn’t that popular on the free agent market.
Definitely a player who could drive a manager (and bloggers) crazy. When he was on his game he was very exciting to watch and when the Giants offense was clicking it always coincided with Pagan being in a groove. But when he was not … oh boy. His adventurous routes to fly balls in the outfield were always nerve wracking, that’s for sure.
I can’t claim to know what’s in a player’s head but I don’t think he ever intentionally tanked. I wish him well.
Easing up when he got anywhere near a wall probably wasn’t tanking, but Pagan made it clear that he was his #1 priority.
He just didn’t want to end up like Bump Bailey (or the real life Doc Powers)…
Whatever you say about Pagan “Some reports” about him not wanting to play sounds pretty suspect to me. No way a player removes himself from a postseason game if he can play. No way Angel Pagan sat out for any reason other than he simply could not play physically. No way!
Amen, but remember TO wears a vest so he expected Angel to channel his veracity and ferocity for the job and man up and “You Can Do it”
Yes. I expect men to man up.
Is “Man-Up” something you can taste….reach out and touch?
Maybe a picture could be drawn? Can a female “Man Up”? Can my Chocolate Lab – “Man Up”. Could a hypothetical nephew of yours who perhaps was gay – could he “Man UP”
It was reported that some of the players weren’t happy about it, and Pagan seems like exactly the kind of guy who wouldn’t want to risk injury just a couple of days before he becomes a free agent. I’m not saying he was 100%, but I doubt he was willing to take any risks for the team. That’s perfectly in line with a guy who very clearly never wanted to go anywhere near a wall.
The truth is, to be fair, only Angel Pagan knows but I would never assume any professional athlete, no matter how much I loved or did not love him, would want to play in every postseason game if possible. Perhaps I am naive.
Al Rosens stepson David Lowenstein ?
I heard the same thing. I can’t recall if it was Pavs, Baggs, Kuiper, or Kruk…but I heard it too.
The other teams watched him play (and not play) the last few years.
The Moral of GG’s question/statement is for parents to have their sons grow up as switch-hitters. At one time the Walter O’Malley’s and Buzzie Bavasi’s coveted switch-hitters. Baseball has had a ton of mediocre to good to those in the HOF who switch hit. Next time GG bumps into MacWills mom on the subway – maybe he can ask Mother Williamson if her and Hubs ever considered it when Mac was a 11-15 yrs old.
Some, not all
Daniel Nava
The Panda
Aaron Hicks
Neil Walker
Danny Espinosa
Brayan Pena
Carlos Beltran
Dioner Navarro
Coco Crisp
Justin Smoak
Dexter Fowler
Emilio Bonifacio
Matt Wieters
Eduardo Escobar
Marwin Gonzalez
Melky Cabrera
Nick Swisher
Victor Martinez
Jarrod Saltalamacchia
Yasmani Grandal
Robbie Grossman
Freddy Galvis
Jonathan Villar
Cesar Hernandez
Asdrubel Cabrera
Carlos Santana
Jose Reyes
Erick Aybar
Chase Headley
Billy Hamilton
Mark Teixeira
Jose Ramirez
Ben Zobrist
Yangervis Solarte
Kendrys Morales
Angel Pagan
Cliff Pennington
Jed Lowrie
Rock Raines Eddie Murray Pete Rose Chipper Jones The Mick Bernie Williams
Robby Alomar Lance Berkman
Excellent Post Sir!
I spy Eddie Money on that list. Baby hold on!
Well, Murray was money except when Shooter Beck “got heem”.
Scenario:
The Giants had acquired Danny Darwin-Wilson Alvarez and Roberto Hernandez. Hernandez pitched well down the stretch and Beck’s arm was major puss in the Brian Johnson HR Game – although he saved 37 games that year, the role was slowly moving to Hernandez. In the 7th inning, with the Giants behind the Dodgers by one game in the standings, and up by two runs in the game, Hernandez gave up a two-run single to Mike Piazza to tie it up. Doug Henry held the fort down until Beck came on in the 10th. Here came Piazza, Karros, and Mondesi. Three of the Doyers heavy sluggers. Shooter did what everybody was expecting (not), he gave up a single on a one-ball two-strike count to Piazza. Karros and Mondesi followed with singles of their own. Piazza was carrying a piano so with no outs he was held by ( a real Giant fan) Coach Joey Amalfitano.
Bases loaded, no outs, and Todd Zeile coming up. Zeile had 31 home runs that year, and drove in 90, so he was a tough out. Especially with the bases juiced. He already had a run batted in earlier in the game. Shooter , with boos raining down, and Dusty Baker offering words of encouragement with a mound visit, tightened his focus. He strikes out Zeile with four pitches, with a surprise-me fastball right down the middle (where have we heard THAT before) for strike three.
One out. The next spot in the lineup would have been former Giant Darren Lewis (for whom Dusty’s son was named) He went 0-3 in the game, and was replaced when the Dodgers made a double-switch. Instead – Eddie Murray strode to the plate to pinch hit. Beck, on the very first pitch got Murray out on his front foot, and induced a soft grounder to the drawn in Jeff Kent. He threw home to get Piazza, and Johnson fired a throw to J.T. Snow at first to complete the inning-ending, season-saving double-play.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YkDI3ObxZDs
I was at that game. Candlestick shook more than it did during the earthquake.
I am glad you were there also, I think Total Fan62 and JStreet were there. The “Ol Girl” was rockin and rolling. My other non-thunder stick high decibel game was when Snow hit his HR off the foul pole in the eventual loss to the Mets. I was in upper deck @ Pac Bell and NONE of the three WS games were louder.
Wow, Clutch. I too, was at the game (NLDS Game 2 in 2000) when Snow hit that HR. Me and 2 of my friends were sitting in Bleacher section 138. Yes, Pac Bell roared that night too.
What’s a ‘Hubs’? Does it go on a ’56 Caddy?
http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Hub
Ahh, an ignorant provincialist, native to Sacramento.
I look forward to your upcoming lists of right handed and left handed hitters. Invaluable information.
Your baseball memory is sufficient to let it roll right off you tongue.
I just look forward to you being you. This gin joint wouldn’t be the same without you.
Here’s something to brighten your day: video of Bartolo Colon “getting after it” in his offseason workouts.
https://twitter.com/JesseSanchezMLB/status/809448897760235520
Hawesome!!
Inspirational!
That was worth and extra slice.
Remember when Andres the Forever did this during the off season?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uXy1-6FxWOE
dgg’s post about shoveling snow reminded me of Sisyphus. California is about to get drenched with some heavy rain, I imagine that means that her neck of the woods will get walloped with more snow in the coming days.
http://gifrific.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/Lucy-Peanuts-Angry-in-the-Snow.gif
I would misspell Sisyphus if I had to nail it for the final prize.
That’s the PTBNL in the deal for Heston.
Sisyphus.
He has a heavy sinker. Lot’s of downward bite.
The Cardinals farm system is always strong. A glimpse of their present offerings:
http://www.minorleagueball.com/2016/12/15/13972006/st-louis-cardinals-top-20-prospects-for-2017
Take away Alex Reyes, who will lose prospect status shortly, and Luke Weaver, the same, and the Giants system compares favorably well.
The Giants are due up in this series shortly.
Kuiper’s son has his Dad’s sense of humor…
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CzvTL_TUAAQXvih.jpg
Sacramento River Cats new manager announced:
http://www.milb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20161215&content_id=211234686&fext=.jsp&vkey=news_t105&sid=t105
Thanks for that share. Good hire + bringing back the other two.
Hey Foothills – You can buy me this doormat for Christmas: https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/5baa6ffde78cf618ad3218752476d2a898d85bec96e88f0ae08cf30985f9778d.png
Just shoot to thrill me your address…
Wordsmith Footy
I agree on Williamson especially given his going “all-out” defensive mentality and strong arm. What I question is the lack of apparent interest in Blanco. Very good Giant who unselfishly played with a significant injury in a walk year. Bring him back, start Mac and we’ll call it a good off-season.
Maybe ‘we’ wait until June/July to come to that conclusion.
Mac going all out may put him on the DL a few times.
He’s got a nasty reputation as cruel dude, life in the fast lane.
Sad…
SportsCenter @SportsCenter 6m6 minutes ago
Long-time NBA broadcaster Craig Sager has died. He was 65 years old.
🙁
Dammit. The World lost a star and great human being.
New Post: http://fe0.84e.myftpupload.com/giants-offseason-news/our-prayers-for-andres-torres-and-his-family/