by
Greek Giant
The first day of Spring Training is like the first day of school: Your clothes are new and fresh, your sneakers squeeky clean, your schoolbox new and full of pencils freshly-sharpened, your optimism is at its peak, and you might be a tad nervous about your new teammates. For Giants fans, I have heard it said that this season is kind of a must-win-the-World Series one. With Johnny Cueto likely to opt out after the end of 2017 and many Giants heart and soul core players (Buster, Craw, Pence and MadBum) approaching 30 or moving beyond it, the time is now to win. I see the logic behind this argument as much as I want to reject it.
I believe Bruce Bochy will have one of the most talented and dedicated rosters in Major League Baseball. Nobody knows how the season will play out. Between injuries and disappointments, there are a bazillion ways for a team to lose its way by October. Let’s forget all that for now and stay on the optimism path. Going into Spring Training this season I have identified five key questions the Giants will have to consider.
Who Will Be the Fifth Starter?
With recent comments made by Bob Evans about Matt Cain still in the mix for the fifth starter my immediate response was “rurhggh”. But on second thought, what do we expect him to say? The GM can’t simply give the job to Ty Blach just because he had two great starts. The young left-hander will have to earn his way into the rotation. My worry is that Matt Cain will be the default choice instead of keeping this slot open as a full on competition. That’s the distinction for us fans to worry about.
Who Will Start in Left Field?
We’ve debated this to death since last October. Please, please, please, Bruce Bochy play Mac Williamson. Unless Mac stinks up the diamond, I believe the Giants should anoint him the starter early on to build his confidence. We shall see. Maybe Michael Morse will find solid health and his home run stroke? Maybe Jarret Parker will hit the cover off the ball for six weeks????
How Will the New Bullpen Line Up?
With the acquisition of Mark Melancon establishing the closer role for the foreseeable future, the question remains: what will the other roles be for pitchers like Will Smith, Hunter Strickland and Derek Law? The answer may depend on Law’s health and how well players like Josh Osich and Cory Gearrin perform in the Spring. If Giants can shorten their games for their formidable starting rotation, they could end up with a Divisional Title and more.
How Will Eduardo Nunez Fare at Third Base?
The Nunez era at third begins in earnest at the start of this season. Last year, after an auspicious start to his career as a Giant, Nunez was injured and missed the postseason. It felt like starting a new relationship with that special girl only to have to put it on hold after she gets mono and is out for a month. Your appetite was whetted but you still have a lot of nervous questions going forward..
Will Anyone Ever Hit 30 Homers and Drive in 100 Runs for the Giants Again?
Call me an old-school retrograde or whatever (I’ve been called much worse) but there is something to be said for the Giants needing a little bit of power to balance their on base singles and doubles approach to hitting. They don’t have enough team speed for such an approach in my opinion and in last season’s second half debacle the lack of power was a major issue, succeeded in severity only by the bullpen’s implosion.
Pitchers and Catchers are here!
Thanks, GG
Busy day, only time for a quick skim of this, but I’m bummed about Nunez having mono.
😂😢
What?
Must have been that “quick skim” that caught Lefty misidentifying GG’s illustration for a true medical condition.
I’m not sure what you mean, Haak. Can you explain?
I just talked to Nunez this morning and he sounded fine to me. Must have been a quick recovery.
GG wrote: “It felt like starting a new relationship with that special girl only to have to put it on hold after she gets mono and is out for a month.”
He was using a simile to illustrate and not saying Nunez really had mono. Maybe Lefty was just playing along or maybe she read it too fast and took it literally.
Lefty was playing along and goofing around. That’s why the “quick skim” part of the comment. (Also the laughing emoji)
It looked like two crying emojis to me, but I’m not learned when it comes to facial emojis.
The second one was crying. The first one was laughing so hard she was crying. 😉
Okay, I can see that sort of. Obviously, I need an interpreter for facial emojis.
Or… just pay them no mind. There’s no room for me to learn anything more.
Okay. I see that stupid simile now.
Efforts to protect the now-endangered rusty patched bumblebee have been temporarily blocked by a Trump executive order.
Bees aren’t important. We’ll just have cheap immigrant labor do the pollination. Oh, wait…
There are drones being designed to help. http://www.zdnet.com/article/tiny-drones-pollinate-like-bees/
Soon we might all be replaced by drones.
“Hairy drones” huh?
Speak for yourself, Ranger.
This is what I call optimism…
Larry Krueger @sportslarryknbr 2h2 hours ago
The wildcard this Spring is @arroyo_c. I predict he rakes again in the Cactus League and is the starting 3B on Opening Day! Special player
He’d have a stopover in Sacramento before he’d start here. And of course, CG would have to go.
IMO.
He would sure help Rivercats attendance…although they don’t need much help.
Send him a My25ManGuy™ form … we know one pick and no one here has made that pick yet.
Larry has hyped him since the fall league in 2014, never noticed his .273 with 3 HRs season in AA last year , I guess .
In his defense Panik only hit .257 in AA, but then got promoted and hit .321 at AAA. Could Arroyo do that and then have a shot?
That is why I am excited about Duggar hitting .321 in a half season at AA last year. He could be the CF/Table Setter for 2018 for those Boppers that you have coming up?
There is none chance, unless there are some injuries. Arroyo’s still 21. If he goes to AAA and is raking like Panik was in 2014, then maybe, but otherwise, I think he’s ticketed for Opening Day 2018, after Nunez’s contract is up.
Larry changes his statements daily about everything he gets too high or too low about whatever it may be he kills me
Larry does give evidence that he needs to drink de-caf at times.
Mac should be the FULL TIME LFer . PERIOD. Did you like that? CAPS and an emphatic PERIOD in one comment.
OK- Matt Cain does deserve to have first dibs for that 5th spot. But certainly he’ll have to produce real *results* to get the spot. None of this ”well, he gave up 8 but he was throwing good”.
“Will Anyone Ever Hit 30 Homers and Drive in 100 Runs for the Giants Again?” Nope, never.
Seriously- 20 and 90 will do just fine.
Agree agree agree. Mac hits righties better than lefties so there’s zero sense in platooning. He may turn out to be an excellent but that won’t happen with parker. No sense in distracting mac with anything other than a full-time role. Cain will probably be lousy but may as well give him one last shot.
If Mac earns it outright from ST I bet they do that for a while and spell Span and Pence more often.
And we’ve done fine without a big homer/rbi guy. That wasn’t the problem last year. The problem was lousy clutch hitting.
I disagree. I think Pence is going to be hurt all year again. I think he stunk so bad in the playoffs cause he was playing hurt. And with Posey getting older. Our offense is going to take a step back this year. I don’t see Belt ever being more than James Loney type. And Crawford had a career year last year. Giants continue to do the same stupid crap. Bringing Morse back like they brought Ross and Torres.
Three guys doing 18 and 85 beats one guy doing 30 and 100.
We have 7 guys who could hit 15 or more HRs. Not pie in the sky, but a realistic chance for all 7. 4 of them could go 20 or more. BTW, I didn’t even count Panik.
I remember your MyHRGuy™ prediction and have it saved somewhere to blackmail you for some fried. chicken when I need it.
I agree with you on that potential and I think that gets overlooked.
I ‘m surprised you’re not stating your guy Belt will hit 30/120.
I’m sure you have Duffy in for 35/120 somehow. You did say he was better than Bryant right?
O/U on how times you trash Belt this year- 161.5. I have the over.
Take the over easily!!! We coud be discussing the last guy in the bullpen and I will find a way to get a dig at Belt in there!
Is Belt Supporter a redundancy?
An oxymoron
Ha … Duffy really did out hit KB On the Road in their rookie year.
But you were right about KB as he turned that around and hit better on the Road than at Home last year. Was that an aberration or pattern? It will be settled this year. … or over the Five Years that I extended our Duffy/Bryant bet to.
I do like a good defensive 1B and he deserves some part of the Gold Gloves his INF gets nominated for.
Hope eternal that Belt finally has that complete breakout year in 2017 and goes 25 HRs and 100 RBIs.
Here goes, Haak:
Starters: Mac Williamson
Bench: Kelby Tomlinson, Jarrett Parker, Justin Ruggiano
5th Starting Pitcher: Matt Cain (because I’m not in charge)
Bullpen: Steven Okert, Ty Blach (who will be in the starting rotation by mid-May)
Thanks … at least now we get some news on how these guys look … Baseball is Back!
Close to mine (lready posted on prior page)
Starters: Mac Williamson
Bench: Kelby Tomlinson, Jarrett Parker, Rollins
5th Starting Pitcher: Matt Cain (don’t expect to last)
Bullpen: Steven Okert, Ty Blach
Whoa. I really wanted to put Ty Blach in the 5th spot to start out, but I’m betting the Giants won’t do that. I hope I’m right about Ruggiano vs. Rollins, although perhaps it won’t be a versus at all.
I see Rollins making club initially just because of Vet-Love by Boch.
Well, heck.
Not quite the word I would have used.
I will put you down for Rollins … six more guys to pick for me.
Actually five more to go, because you are a CainGuy too right?
Don’t you dare. I’m not picking until I see these guys in practice or practice games.
Okay, it is just early notes I am taking until I get the Real Word from you. Healthy Cain would be amazing even if it frustrates a great new guy like Blach … we will probably need Ty in some string of starts when someone gets an injury that was unforeseen.
I’ve been saying for the last few years that Cain has not been healthy. This quote form the article Clutch mentions above is what I thought was the case in the last couple of years only to be proven wrong and disappointed once more.
“At least Cain steps into the ring with a healthy arm, which was not true the past four springs. His road back from surgery to remove bone chips in his right elbow had more potholes than he or the club ever imagined.”
If this is true, he’ll be in the rotation from the git go. Yes, Wheel Sea. That isn’t from Ryan, BTW, it’s from my friend Sean’s vocab with the likes of Suede Goats, But F***, and a few others. I’m not going to own any of them, thank you.
Yes, Chef. Especially the part about Mac IN CAPS. PERIOD.
There will be some changes in my comments this year. I have retained Steven Miller as my spokesman, I hadn’t been as emphatic as I would l have liked last year. GOT IT?!!
You’re way too smart, Mike, to retain Steven Miller as your spokesman.
He’ll say what I want him to say and he will say it so that it is understood that my comments are not to be questioned.
BTW, they have padlocked Miller’s leftgonad as a means of controlling him. It’s a supremast, rapture thing, I read.
/pees on floor in terror
Yes, Sir.
/jumping overboard
Aye aye Captain.
The bullpen isn’t tricky. Melancon’s the closer and the others have little or no platoon splits and are to some extent interchangeable. Just make sure not to overuse law and give gearrin a shot at showing what he can do, he was excellent last year when he was 100% physically.
I think that Cory is in tough to make the squad. If it’s 13 pitchers, he’d probably be in. If it’s 12 ,I don’t see it.
You might want to clear up your saxophone comment from yesterday. You were using sarcasm and need to include a “/S” after those so we know you are using humor to make a point.
I shouldn’t have posted about politics here. I was being sarcastic. but on the other hand it is a valid and important point, but on the third hand I don’t think this is the place to talk about politics and I shouldn’t have written about that here. If you want to argue whether it’s a valid point, you can look me up on Facebook.
I remember some not so excellent outings as well. Gearrin could get caught in a numbers crunch, because I don’t think Evans will let Bochy carry 13 pitchers and further weaken an already suspect bench.
My take on Gearrin is that he took a big step up in June (he started being much more effective with that pitch which breaks to the right, I don’t know what it’s officially called) but got hurt around the A’s series, has a few disastrous games, went on the DL, then took a while to get himself together after coming back from the DL so he had some not-go-good outings then too. He was very good in June and unhittable in September, that is, when he was healthy. The guy’s got Romo-type pitches in the low 90s, he can make a big contribution.
Now im hearing Hunter Pence is NOT 100 PCT!! WTH has he been doing this off season! I told a friend the other day that Hunter Pence getting married may not be the best thing for his offensive production!
Pence is well past his prime, a guy that has played very hard all his career and his body is not capable of what it was used to, marrige or not Slikk.
If anyone thinks Pence was going to produce at a clip close to his best years they were fooling themselves.
But still, at 70-80% he is the best the Giants have to offer in the OF.
You said something there that I agree with wholeheartedly and that’s why I want Pence on the field at 70% or even or 80% because no one else is better
1) Cain will get every opportunity to start, but hope the team pulls the trigger a month in and not let it draw out. After that It’s most likely Saurez or Blach depending on the need for a R/L matchup.
2) I’ve stated this many times, the Giants future LF is not on the team. Really doesn’t matter who starts the season as it mostly likely will be a parade of players for a while.
3) The bullpen should be much better once the bridge to Melancon is established. Beyond Smith and Law I see it also being a list of multiple guys throughout the year. Guys like Strickland, Kontos and Guerrin are not as sure a thing as many here think. If they don’t produce, time to try new faces. At least they have options.
4) I see Nunez as someone who will surprise folks with his production and versatility, plus I think he will split time with Gillaspie and perhaps see Rollins at some point.
5) No one on this team right now will reach 30/100. But then again that player most likely will be acquired during the season.
My dear friend, who also shares deep concerns regarding the environment and the fate of human kind, Scouty Foothills Rye, also still enjoys the prospect world. He’s feeling a little blue today, but wanted me to forward a couple of links. The first is from his guy, John Sickels. He has ranked 200 top prospects, so the Giants are able to squeeze in some talent at the back end. The other is a recent Top 100 from Baseball America. Indeed, from these top prospect lists, there will be extinction curves similar the the ones we see in nature; perhaps Malthusian or Wilsonian. Although the Giants lack the kind of high ceiling, hype generating talent, they still have some potential major leaguers.
http://www.minorleagueball.com/2017/2/13/14598358/top-200-mlb-prospects-for-2017-minor-league-ball
http://www.baseballamerica.com/minors/2017-top-100-prospects/#mvr6gAf1AGrcAdEK.97
Good Lord. Either come back for real or stop bothering the inmates.
He means, we have missed you.
He feels surrounded.
Oh, but I don’t
We’ll just call you RR (Rachel Ryan) for short.
Sighhhhhhhh
Wish you had gone with Ben Carson, and had a profile pic from “The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly.”
Interesting. This is your first feminine new name. I wish you luck during your transition.
It’s cool now to have women impersonate men.
Especially if you have a rolling podium.
Hank Schulman 35min ago:
Asked about relieving, Cain said, “The bullpen is always a possibility for any of us. That’s not where I plan on being.”
Knock off the bravado, Cain, and try humility for a change.
There is nothing wring with what Cain said. He needs to be completely confident if starting is going to work for him and being a reliever does not have to enter the equation.
that being said, If the Giants are serious about moving deep in the post season, then they need to prepare to cut Cain if is starting days are deemed over once and for all. It will best for him, the fans and the team to just move forward.
I don;t understand the need on this blog to make starters, who are no longer starters, into relievers. Do you see other teams doing it? The reason is it does not always work.
This team wasted a roster space on TL for two years waiting to see if he was a starter or reliever. Do you see TL invited by anyone (with all the teams that are desperate for pitching) to be a reliever this season? No because his career has been over for quite some time. Well, the same may be true for Cain. And if the GIants want the best staff possible, and if Cain does not provide a solid contribution, then why waste a roster spot that could go to a player that may actually contribute?
I could easily see Cain and Blach making the team if they both look good this spring. But I suspect that Matt will be back on the DL, Blach is the 5, and Suarez the long guy.
Insightful.
In making my selections, I decided to predict Cain and Blach would both make the team, with Cain in the 5th spot, and Blach in the bullpen at first, then replacing Cain in the starting rotation by mid-May. Then I was wondering who would replace Blach in the bullpen. I hadn’t thought of Suarez…until now.
If Tim Lincecum had been more open to the bullpen this time last year, he’d probably still be a Giant. Instead, he doesn’t have a job at age 32. Cain might want to ponder that.
Ok, but I don’t think Cain said anything wrong. He has a goal. To be in the rotation. While we can question that actually occurring, he absolutely needs to have that mindset. I suspect if Mac had said, the bench is a possibility for anyone, but that’s not where I plan on being, we’d applaud his positive outlook.
I agree he should have a goal, and same with Mac. At the same time, dgg is right–it does sound a bit arrogant, under the circumstances. Cain should appreciate that he needs to prove himself and win that spot, that he lost his rotation spot in August last year and wasn’t even on the playoff roster, and that younger guys are coming for his job.
As a fan, I do want to hear confidence and optimism, especially this time of year, but I’d also like to hear some understanding that things have changed for him and that trust needs to be earned back. Maybe some urgency and some hunger.
Guess we’re just reading it differently. I think him saying he plans on winning that 5th spot, that it won’t be handed to him, shows both urgency and hunger.
Yeah, I’m with you. Cain is just saying he intends to win that fifth starter’s job. Exactly what I’d expect him to say. Whether he does or not, wheel sea (as our favorite “missing” poster would say).
I think there is a difference. Lincecum was successful in the bullpen and the Giants asked him to consider that move full-time…and he declined. I don’t think Cain has been asked to do that…yet. If they do ask him…and he chooses Timmy’s path…then your “ponder” point will be 100% accurate.
Regarding being a singles and doubles team, Buster reminds of Benji nowadays. He gets on base and is slow. He may not score from first on a double or from second on singles anymore. He clogs the bases and risks runs.
By all means, cut him.
Whoa, Bapah. Smackdown!
bat him 8th where a slow catcher should hit.
What’s a great baseball mind like yours doing on a blog like this and not coaching somewhere?
Batting 8th, he can drive in Big But Brandon after one of his 130 walks he gets, else he can extend the inning after one of the 130 K’s Big But Brandon gets.
Sp.↓
BB9 will bat #2.
Quadruple B(aka 4B aka Bug But Brandon Belt) does not make enough contact to bat second. You need a Joe P back in that spot.
So you know Belt had an OBP of almost .400 in 2016, right?
Small sample size:
He played 7 games in the 2-hole, 34 PAs, 27 ABs: .370/.500/.667/1.167. 6 BBs, 5 Ks. 1 HR, 3 2Bs, 1 3B, 5 RBIs.
Come on, Professor: don’t rain on 2HH’s anti-Belt rant with the facts. He still can’t get over his hatred of our Brandons. Has anyone here ragged on Rizzo or Russell? Not to my knowledge. Let it go, 2HH. Sh!t is way old.
Does Crawford bat 9th and the pitcher 7th in your lineup?
Speaking of Craw, did you see Nolan Arenado’s comment about how enthused he was about being able to play with BCraw? [Now, if his little brother turned into something resembling Nolan, I’d be happy.] Still, quite a compliment.
Didn’t see that. Where was it posted?
I’m not sure it was a couple of days ago. It might even have been on MLB. It was obviously where there was talk of the WBC. It’s true, though and made me like Nolan even more.
Yeah, while people love Bryce Harper and try and conjure up scenarios where he signs with the Giants, I’d take Arenado over him 100 times outta 100.
Amen. In a heartbeat.
Alex Pavlovic wrote about it in his blog about WBC 3 days ago. I posted a comment with the link to Alex’s blog.
“Come on, man. I really want to play with you. I want to play on the left side with you,” wrote Arenado to Crawford.
http://www.csnbayarea.com/giants/giants-not-concerned-about-stars-playing-wbc
Actually he said, “next to”.
I think Crawford hits 13th in 2hole’s lineup.
He’s no Addison Russell, that’s for sure.
Buster had 6 SBs, a career high, last year, only caught once. Maybe he should bat leadoff. His success rate was way higher than Span’s. WAY.
Yep an Huff should have been called to Bunt 100% of the time as he was 1 for 1 in that category.
1 for 1 and IN THE WORLD SERIES CLINCHER!
didn’t he get an RBI on that bunt?
Nope. He just moved the runners over. It turned out to not be significant because Renteria brought them home with a 3-run HR, but it was a 0-0 game in the seventh at the time–moving those runners into scoring position with one out was huge in the moment.
I’ve heard that they are considering using Buster in the lead-off spot, moving Pence to CF, putting MadBum in LF when he doesn’t pitch, and releasing Span.
Pretty sure I saw Kellyanne say exactly that on TV, so it must be true.
I was thinking.. (always a preface, it seems, to some really stupid comment or idea, but) Is there ANY team of the other 29 that wouldn’t take Buster in a heartbeat, if he were offered?
Buster is in his prime and the best catcher in baseball. And he’s a proven winner. I think anyone would take him. Maybe not the Cardinals because of their history with Yadi, but anyone else.
It’s not that bad. He is slow, but he’s a good baserunner as is evidenced by those SBs. Our occasional lack of run production has nothing to do with Buster’s foot speed.
And all those times being thrown out at home as the beginning of last season.
Buster not scoring on pagan’s hit that zobrist messed up was the biggest play in the nlds, imho. I don’t know if it was bad baserunning or slowness but it was a turning point.
I wish that special girl I met only had mono.
OK, I’m not sure whether to laugh or express concern. Was it a joke about STDs? Or is your significant other battling illness again?
Hoping for the former.
It probably had more to do with having good taste.
Laugh. She’s fine. And my humor, yet again, sophomoric. Just ask CC.
Don’t drag me into one of your foot extraction moments.
My foot has never reached my mouth.
That’s because you don’t do yoga
Mateo!! I miss you. You, me and Rachel Carson should have a night on the town.
Rachel dislikes me with every fiber of her body of the day.
Many young, precocious females have father issues. Take comfort in the knowledge that you raised her to the best of your ability.
I’ll know my job is done when she comes back as “Milo”
Minderbinder?
Huh?
Matthew/Ryan dynamic.
If it was crabs, you do know how to get rid of them, don’t you?
Kwell shampoo. Unless you’ve just moved to Prague, don’t speak the language and at a loss what to do. In which case, you do an extreme shave and soak in a bath for two hours. My autobiography is gonna be a doozy.
1. 1/4 cup Gasoline
2. An ice pick
3. Lighter
Douse half the infected area with the gasoline, light it, and when the crabs run to other side, stab them with the ice pick.
Now you tell me.
That will take a long time for me, a Visual Learner, to get out of my mind.
Thanks a lot.
Have a good lunch.
Ice pick.
I love when you take an interest in my life.
You don’t, it seems.
No, I enjoy your posts, CC. The only time I get annoyed is when you employ a major peeve of mine, which is when a person declares someone/something “not funny.” What they should say is, I don’t find it funny. Or just ignore it altogether. We all find different things funny, interesting, etc.
I can’t get very excited about spring training. It’s boring and waaaaay too long. But I imagine Bochy loves it because of all the pitching changes.
He plans to try using 27 pitchers per game, 1/3 inning each. Sort of like having 27 Javier Lopez’s.
And still lobbying for a new rule that would allow mid-batter pitching changes.
Bruce 4-Trips?
Well done, or medium.
Way better than mid- December rosterbation with a finish.
Well, good for you. Go find something else to do for the next four weeks and leave us alone. I for one could do without your pithy comments.
TF, dropping the hammer.
It’s ok for him to call people names, because he is in the in crowd, this blog is more political then politics, maybe GG should start banning people . Oracle is just stating an opinion, and he get’s called a Name for no reason at all .
Pithy is name?
Yeah , Dirty!, maybe not dirty, but he was not being positive, that’s for sure .
No, Peter. This is why people there’s something wrong.
It is an adjective, pithier, pithiest. meaning:
1. brief, forceful, and meaningful in expression; full of vigor, substance, or meaning; terse; forcible:
a pithy observation.
Look it up.
It didn’t bother me, but neither was it intended as a compliment.
To paraphrase woody allen, something is pithy if it has great pith.
PJ referencing the “in crowd” means baseball must be around the corner. Good times.
I’m sure everyone could do without them, or anyone’s.
he did call them pithy, so at least there was that.
I’ve been called much worse.
I once had to wear a Pith Helmet.
Pith
The cumulative effect of the year that Pence stubbornly played 162 games +++ parts of consecutive games the next year has most likely become embedded in his ‘musculoskeletal’ dna. The day before Fan Fest when he and his teammates met with local media – writers – like Hank Schulman – Pence was NONE too happy to have to field the question that right here and now – he is fighting *Some Sort of Injury* on the opposite side of his 2016 Oblique Fiasco. Most likely both oblique sides have now become A Symptomatic and he will have this type of item nagging him the rest of his career. (Especially after various violent swings and misses)
Or, maybe he just got injured, which also happens to guys that don’t play in every game.
True, but there have been some red flags with hitters who have big – unconventional swings regarding oblique injuries.
It’s not encouraging that the Giants will need to slow-play Pence at the outset of spring training.
Totally agree. He was miffed that O Henry even brought IT up.
he needs to be at full strength when the real season starts. if that means a slow-play, or even a no-play ST, so be it. his performance, and ability to stay healthy, will have a big impact on how the team is going to do this year. he’s a veteran. he doesn’t need that much ST to get ready for the season.
I agree Pence needs to be at full strength when the regular season starts. But the news about Pence “having to slow down his workouts after receiving treatment on his side” (which Pence brushed aside as no big deal) has the feel of here-we-go-again. I’m not expecting Pence to make it through this year, or next year for that matter, without an injury or two and significant time missed. Pence seems incapable of pacing himself.
Clutch I agree on the consecutive game played streak doing more harm than good, but Pence is going on 34, an age where a great deal of players are already in the that downward slope of their careers, specially given his style of play.
I guess I will never get over the fact that some peeps think 34 is old for a baseball player. I mean never ran into tons of OF walls ala Griffey or Rowand.
If he latches on to oblique injuries he’ll be a goner sooner than later.
Hey I don’t think 34 sounds that old, but in reality if you were to track the career of many players with solid careers, it is about the age you see a significant drop off.
I hope McCutcheon come back strong but it’s alarming that just past 30 he seems to already be on a downward slide.
Magic Johnson boycotts a hotel chain.
http://www.rollingstone.com/sports/magic-johnson-wont-stay-at-donald-trumps-hotels-w466846
# 18 – Cain, Matt https://tinyurl.com/Cainer-The-Horse
Oh looksee, Pablo comes into camp in shape for Boston , so the odds makers now make Boston the favorite….
https://www.yahoo.com/sports/news/cubs-no-longer-sole-favorite-to-win-world-series-according-to-odds-215254424.html
I don’t see anything in the article that says anything about Pablo. Where did you get that info about Pablo affecting the odds? Or did you make it up, Kellyanne?
It is an undisputable fact. Pablo showes up early to camp and in the best shape in years, the odds makers push Boston to the top. The only news was Pablo ergo Pablo is the reason. These are 100% right.
What does Priebus say?
Reince is a nickname for Reinhold.
His parents named him after a beer?
Isn’t that the brand Sheriff Walt Longmire drinks on NetFlix?
There is some logic to 2hole’s reasoning here. On the other hand, that doesn’t mean there’s any logic to the oddsmakers’ reasoning.
Even if Pablo is in TBSOHL, he still missed almost a whole year and the year before, he was terrible. It’s been three years (his last year with the Giants) since he was even a passable baseball player. He wasn’t even really all that in 2014, except in the postseason. And he’s over 30 now.
This is to say that it might take more than dropping a few pounds for Pablo to turn into anything special. The last time he really was special for any sustained period was 2011, and that’s a long time ago now. He is not likely to be Papi 2.0 next year.
So what is your prediction on his stats this year?
Eh….260, 15 HRs, 65 RBIs. And decent play at 3B.
Red Sox already should be the favorite even without a “in shape” Pablo. They have a great deal of talent, some good pitching and tons of young talent ready to help.
I’m sitting outside in a camp chair with a laptop and some wheat thins, a Pacifico and the dog who keeps looking at me with pleading eyes hoping I drop a cracker or two.
It’s absolutely perfect weather with almost a breeze and 70°. I’m already ready for some baseball. Even 2hole can’t upset me at the moment.
FWIW Still no answer from the top brass
Thanks.
Good for you. 2Hole issues can upset even the most docile amongst us….
Answers to your questions.
1. Cain until he gets hurt AGAIN and stinks it up AGAIN. Broken Record.
2. I’ve been screaming for a Left Fielder for years but it seems no one in the Giants org cares. I say throw Olive Garden Boy out there and put Lead Feet at first base. Speaking of Olive Garden Boy. Is he going to show up this year or just still be James Loney?
3. Our new bullpen should be a lot improved now that Bochy doesn’t have his old tired arms to go too.
4. Nunez is going to be great at third.
5. NO!
Matt Cain has been one of the very best pitchers in SF Giants’ history. Giving him the chance to compete for the 5th spot is the right thing to do. I have doubts that he will win the spot, but he should be told that it’s his job to lose. He deserves that respect.
IMO.
Cain got a huge pay day. I think we respected him enough. Time to move on or move him to the bullpen. Cain needs to be thinking. How can I help the TEAM. Something Timmy didn’t learn.
Giving him the chance to win the job makes total sense. Do you really think that he doesn’t deserve even that? In a fair competition, I don ‘t think that he would beat out Blach, but it is in the team’s interest that there is a competition . Stratton and Suarez might be sleepers. And Matt didn’t say that he wouldn’t go to the pen, just that he was confident on winning the starting spot. Just exactly what he or the other candidates should say. It’s hard to imagine why anyone having a problem with any of that.
I agree. I’m more or less sure that cain will be lousy but it’s better for team morale if he goes out and loses the job on his own.
I agree with your answers to Numbers 1, 4, and 5. (Thankfully, Nunez doesn’t have infectious mononucleosis.) I don’t agree with your #2, Pac. I sort of agree with #3, except to say the Core 4 saved a lot and had a lot to do with 3-in-5.
Good Durant/OKC article. Kind of saddened that the infamous “guy behind the bench” (mentioned by Draymond) was a former San Jose State basketball player. As was said in a well-known Game of Thrones scene, “Shame! Shame! Shame!”
https://theundefeated.com/features/oklahoma-city-thunder-kevin-durant/
On an opposite, more upbeat note, here’s a blog post from a mom who took her kids to the game.
http://thepioneerwoman.com/confessions/thunder-fans-for-life/
That about covers it, GG. I would move No. 5 to No.1, and I would disagree that the bullpen was a bigger problem than the lack of power. Left field was the biggest problem to address because that’s the only position where they could reasonably expect to add power to the lineup. They were in the wild card game because they lacked offense for months and the manager was unresponsive to that, and because Bochy used the bullpen like they were robots. Having a closer with a 1.1 WAR won’t change any of that.
The bullpen didn’t just add Melancon. There’s addition by subtraction, too. Since Bochy doesn’t have established veterans from his Core Four to worry about, he can actually use pieces according to talent and performance, not pecking order and egos.
I agree with you about the offense, but I think the bullpen should be much better this year.
Not just that, the young guys, especially law a smith but also strickland, will have another year under their belts.
I do, too … which is why LF was the biggest need.
The giants have managed to win 3 world series while being near the bottom of the majors in homers (in 2012 they were *at* the bottom). Lack of hrs is just not the problem.
Lack of offense was certainly the problem in 2016. In championship years, they either hit freakish HRs in the postseason or got them from elsewhere in the lineup, In 2016, Bochy kept waiting for the rest of the lineup and it didn’t show up for months. It’s more logical to assume that, rather than the 2010, 12 or 14 offense, will be the norm this year. The need to get offense out of LF and there also will be fewer blown saves.
Let’s look at the numbers
Let’s look at the numbers:
HRs Runs
2010 162 697
2012 103 718
2014 132 665
2016 130 715
In 2016, HRs average for these years, runs scored more than average. That wasn’t the problem in 2016.
Now let’s look at the Clutch score:
2010 -0.83 (#15 in the majors)
2012 +4.82 (#1)
2014 +3.70 (#1)
2016 -2.16 (#15)
Now let’s looks at the walks:
2010 7.9%
2012 7.8%
2014 7.0%
2016 9.1%
There’s the culprit. They’re batting like cowards. They’re waiting for someone else to get the big hit (I’ve given statistics here showing that bad clutch hitting is strongly statistically correlated with lots of walks). That was the problem last year, not lack of homers.
Is there a single Dodger on the US WBC team.
http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/mlb/2017/02/08/team-usa-roster-world-baseball-classic/97665604/
Otaniさん won’t be on Japan’s team:
http://www.japantimes.co.jp/sports/2017/02/13/baseball/japanese-baseball/otanis-samurai-spirit-turned-double-edged-sword/
and your point? Why would it matter either way?
Anomalies are usually interesting, once you entertain the question. I’m curious if it was chance or a policy matter. If that were the case, it certainly might suggest a fragility in their LU worth noting.
Whatever! Go have a beer and think about making society better.
Geesh
You, or PJ, are one the most incurious people I could imagine. Talk about tunnel vision.
plus what the hell are you talking about, there are plenty of Dodgers in the WBC:
http://dodgerblue.com/dodgers-adrian-gonzalez-vidal-nuno-sergio-romo-alex-verdugo-mexican-roster-2017-world-baseball-classic/2017/02/08/
Seriously, pop off when you know what you’re talking about. Otherwise take a rest.
He said “US WBA” , Bubba. No big.
yeah because everyone has to play on the US team right? the roster could be 100 to please everyone.
It counts if a player in on any team.
LOL. Real loud.
He said US WBC
,,,and inaccurate reader. LOL.
If you drink, have another yourself. You’ve got a bad case of uptight.
lol
Policy. Bad investment. Buster and Crawford arguably are too important to risk…
Lou Gehrig’s house is up for sale.
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/02/12/sports/baseball/new-york-yankees-lou-gehrig-real-estate.html?rref=collection%2Fsectioncollection%2Fsports&action=click&contentCollection=sports®ion=rank&module=package&version=highlights&contentPlacement=1&pgtype=sectionfront&_r=0
I’ll be turning in early tonight but before I do, I want my pals here to know that I’m behind them 100 percent.So now you can sleep comfortably tonight.
It gets darker by the hour
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/justice-department-warned-white-house-that-flynn-could-be-vulnerable-to-russian-blackmail-officials-say/2017/02/13/fc5dab88-f228-11e6-8d72-263470bf0401_story.html?utm_term=.b9d8718c0b17
It’s shocking that we’re all still alive.
Pretty much.
Maybe tomorrow will be the last day.
They are closing in on your boy.
Who’s my boy?
Holy Urinating Neo Soviet Hookers, Batman, Mikhail Flynn resigns!
There will be big bucks for tell-all books as others are fired, resign, or flee.
Your boy’s boy has resigned as JVC has already reported to us
I didn’t vote for him. I just don’t agree with the tantrums and hysterics.
I forgot. But look, Harbaugh was never going to win, maybe you should have voted for Donald.
He would’ve been a better candidate than either choice.
What about Gary Johnson? You can’t screw up relations with foreign leaders if you don’t who they are.
Trump only won because the Democrats ran a terrible candidate of their own and a campaign which completely dismissed the concerns of a significant percentage of the population. While they’re screaming and yelling about the horrors of the Trump Presidency, they ought to take a break every so often to look in a mirror.
While they’re screaming and yelling about the horrors of the Trump Presidency, they ought to take a break every so often to look in a mirror.
…and then get back to screaming and yelling about the horrors. Because you know what? The election is over but the horrors continue.
Funny thing is those horrors were all going on with their guy Barry in office. Some might objectively think he made them worse…..
Even the liberal press has failed to stress the real reason that the screaming will not stop-it’s not politics, pal. People are frightened by him. If you don’t see why that is, you have not paid attention or you are just plain dense. I’ll give you the benefit of the doubt, maybe you’ve been writing your script for the baseball season. You know,screaming and yelling about the horrors of the Bochy administration,
Exactly, and I’m not a big fan of fear. The USA and world will both survive. The guys who designed our form of government weren’t dummies; checks and balances, you know? The courts have already placed a temporary roadblock in front of the first major step Trump tried to take. The Democrats will fight everything he does. In two years, the entire House of Representatives will be up for re-election, so if things start to go downhill, there will also be plenty of Republicans who won’t want to go along for the ride.
Trump isn’t a dictator, and never will be. Nor is he a Nazi, or anything close to that. The hyperbole used to describe him often trivializes the true evil doers to which he is so often compared. Meryl Streep talking about the “Brown Shirts?” Please. I don’t think half of Germany was openly mocking Hitler.
Meglomania is bad too…
You wanted to vote for Dick? What would Merna say?
Eggsactly…
You’re like a human MyPillow!
I have been lurking from the couch and trying to keep up as the news unfolds.
Flynn resigns. Who’s next?
But he resigned with full confidence from the President, of course .
I do hope they keep Spicey around for awhile. I look forward to SNL now.
At least one of Kellyanne, Spicer, or Priebus will probably be next.
Why not all three?
They gotta keep Spicer:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=47hHstlHITs
Kellyanne has lost all cred.
Now that they have Sean’s wardrobe in order, he might stay. Especially since they won’t let him keep his new suits if he leaves.
But I liked the dark red one.
Kellyanne would get it.For now, they will just share his wardrobe. No one will ever know.
Can’t lose what you never had.
Trump, I hope
Gosh no, Pence would be worse and Ryan after him would be an absolute disaster, I may dislike the president and many of his policies, but there are some of his policies I like. I do not believe any Republican would embrace those views that I liked, (do not touch medicade/medicare/ssn,deal with visa abuse, tariffs on imports etc.)
I disagree. Hunter Pence would be way way better.
So you would go
Span
Miller
Trump
Posey
Pence
Ryan
Crawford
Panik
Bum
with Conway as the spinster of the no dot…….
I disagree again. I think that Trump is a proven 2 hole hitter.
I thought Harvey Milk was the most prolific 2-hole hitter in the history of San Francisco…
You’ll have to wait a year. Pence is only turning 34 this year.
Still a better choice–besides when does the Constitution matter?
All in good time…
“The GM can’t simply give the job to Ty Blach just because he had two great starts.”
Exactly. Lot to prove yet. And actually it was one ok (he lasted 3 innings) and one great.
I don’t think Evans is “giving” the job to anyone, including Cain. But Blach also had an excellent AAA season before his major league call-up. Blach had a mediocre 2015 season in AAA (though he did still lead the league in innings), but before that, he had good years in San Jose (won the league ERA title) and Richmond. He’s overall had a solid, steady pro career.
That’s how it’s supposed to work: you get drafted, you move up through the system, you wait your turn, you get your chance, you do well. He’s earned a shot. Cain, on the other hand, has lost the right to “own” that rotation spot.
Now that things are getting serious again, does anyone have a theory about why crawford’s fielding was so much better in the first half of the season than it was in the second? In the first half he was like on another planet, and then…
I hate serious.Anyway, maybe he should of had more days off.
Sally Yates has turned out to be one the very few in the White House who acted with any integrity. And she got fired for it. I consider her to be an American hero. This from the Washington Post after she was fired.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/meet-the-acting-attorney-general-fired-by-trump-and-accused-of-betraying-the-justice-department/2017/01/30/05d4478c-e750-11e6-80c2-30e57e57e05d_story.html?tid=a_inl&utm_term=.b59af04cdb28
Maybe Mr. Lefty and the other lawyers on this board can weigh in on the integrity of this legal administrator. Unfortunately she won’t be around to put the brake on silliness at Justice.
I remember that Matt Cain put off his elbow surgery as long as he could because there were no guarantess about what his arm would be like after the surgery. The timing ended up being inconvenient for the team, but it sure seems he was right in putting it off.
It’s a little unclear how many of his post-surgery problems are due to the physical condition of his arm. His velocity is still there–his command is not.
Since the bone chips were removed in mid-2014, he’s had a flexor mass (2015), cysts removed from his pitching arm (2016), and a hamstring injury sustained just while throwing a pitch that cost him nearly two months (he also did the same thing in 2014 before having the bone chip surgery). It’s a big question whether he can even stay on the field, let alone be effective anymore.
On the basis of the veracity of your first paragraph, I’d say that the chance of Matt regaining his old form is, at least, possible. I base this on his history of throwing well while having a lot bad going on with his arm.
Throwing, and more importantly, pitching is governed and controlled by motor programs. Motor programs (MPs) are what most people call (the non-existent) “muscle memory”. MPs are developed from a feed-back loop with the motor cortex and the somatosensory cortex in the brain to the muscles executing the particular movements desired by the program.
His old MPs are not going to work with a “new” arm and we’ve seen what both a bad arm and the old MPs can do to a once-good pitcher.
Now, with a supposedly healthy arm, Cain will have to develop (learn) new MPs for THIS arm and not use MPs that were built for the “old” arm. They just won’t work! If he is able to do that (a very difficult and tedious process) he will be successful. If not, we’ll have to suffer through his learning curve and a bad #5. I’m hopeful he can do this, but having worked with the process of training complex MPs, I’m a realist too. (Of course, I was training apes and not adult humans) I have also spent several years training young humans and it is a slow process. Matt Cain is in neither of these groups.
Consequently, I’m hopeful, but not optimistic, Cain can return to form. He’s a smart guy. “It could happen”.
Thanks Dr.L. I guess it was a stretch to imply the hamstring bone is connected to the elbow bone! 🙂
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J61L3LGD2ko&index=132&list=LLNVarrLgL2_keBqlPNts7Eg
All of the Giants’ beat writers had articles about Cain yesterday. Schulman’s was the most pragmatic, acknowledging that many Giants fans are ready to move on after four inconsistent-to-awful seasons. Baggarly’s was the most maudlin, going on about Cain’s tenure with the Giants and how all his old friends are gone now.
Baggarly also put forward the rather remarkable argument that it would be fine if Cain was simply “five and dive,” since they have four other starters who will eat innings. If Cain were their only reasonable option for fifth starter, I guess that would be a way to look at it, but clearly that is not the case. They have two other guys who made starts for them last season (Suarez and Blach), who both were way better than Cain ever was in 2016, a top prospect who won the ERA title in his league in 2016 (Beede), a former first-round pick who made his major league debut and had a solid year in AAA (Stratton), and a still-young guy who won the PCL ERA title in 2015 (Blackburn).
Plenty of options–no need to settle for five-and-dive from Cain. Baggarly also made the alarming comment that Cain wouldn’t even have to be good in camp to keep his spot because everyone knows how the desert air can be–“he just has to show he’s healthy and can command his pitches.”
I read the same articles too. Cain kind of sounds like he will do whatever he has to to in order to be the #5 starter and doesn’t want to hear any talk of him going to the bullpen (if I’m reading that right.) While I can see the Giants are “obligated” to slot Cain into the 5 spot in the rotation based on his tenure and his salary, I still think Blach has more upside and is the future of the rotation.
Im worried that Cain will be the 5th guy out of ST and Bochy will stick with him til the ASB no matter how bad he is
Yes. That is exactly what will happen.
Bochy loves his vets…
You don’t know that. Let’s give it a chance to play out. Even if Cain starts the season in the rotation–and hasn’t earned it–he won’t still be there at the ASB.
Baggs talks out of his ass doesnt he?
Did you hear Krukow this morning call out Cain on KNBR? Basically said he has NO physical excuse for not being 2012 Cain, he just needs to want it like he used to….. Insinuated he was too comfortable and didn’t burn like he used to.
Lefty maybe right, Cain may not get a leash at all…
New Post: http://fe0.84e.myftpupload.com/2017-giants-offseason-news/last-night-i-dreamt-that-hunter-pence-and-i-became-friends/