San Francisco Giants

2012 SF Giants: Destined for the Playoffs

This particular Giants team is one of my favorites in Giants history. It’s not simply because of the stellar pitching or because of Melky Cabrera or Buster Posey’s play, but the personality and character of this team is remarkable. This is a team full of fighters, believers, and hard workers. This is a team that the average sport’s fan would want to watch and would want to root for. I would enjoy more than anything for this Giants team to win the NL West (by edging out the Dodgers for the title) and making another World Series run. With the trade deadline approaching, do the Giants have enough though to make another World Series run? It’s not clear at this point. Let’s examine the Giants’ season so far.

Let’s first discuss the pitching. Everyone and their mother knows how fantastic the Giants’ starting rotation has been this year (with the exception of Tim Lincecum). The fact that three of the five starting pitchers for the Giants could have easily made the All-Star Game is impressive in itself. So far this season, Madison Bumgarner has a 3.10 ERA, Matt Cain has a 2.74 ERA, and Ryan Vogelsong has a 2.26 ERA. In 2011, Barry Zito had a 5.87 ERA, and this season, he has improved his ERA to 3.75. Who would’ve thought that Tim Lincecum would’ve been the odd man out with a 5.88 ERA this season? Lincecum is battling a severe mental struggle right now as he tries to get out of his pitching funk. Lincecum has not been able to put together three quality starts in a row at any point this season, and that is for sure concerning. The Giants are 6-15 in Lincecum’s starts this year, and that is one of the most important statistics involving Lincecum right now. The Giants bullpen has been stellar as usual, but they have had their ups and downs. The true star in the Giants bullpen has been Sergio Romo. Romo has been the most consistent pitcher for the Giants this whole season with a 0.60 ERA, 35 strikeouts, 8 walks, and 14 hits allowed in 30 innings. Romo should’ve been an All-Star and probably should be named the Giants closer for the rest of the season, because of Casilla’s inconsistency. Giants’ GM, Brian Sabean, will try to acquire another pitcher for the bullpen before the trade deadline, but the pitching staff is already solid.

Giants fans received a lot of criticism (especially from Mets fans and management) about “stacking the vote” for starters for the NL All-Star team. I can understand that Pablo Sandoval didn’t exactly have All-Star numbers coming into the All-Star game, but Cabrera, Posey, and Cain all deserved to start at their respective positions, no doubt. There was no “stacking” for those particular players, because they are simply just the best at their positions, like it or not. The Giants players accounted for 5 of the 8 RBI’s in the All-Star Game, and, in addition, Matt Cain threw two scoreless innings to start off the game. Sandoval hit his first triple of the year and batted in three runs for the NL. Did he not deserve to start the All Star Game? Maybe, but he came through for his team and is a huge reason why the NL has home-field advantage now in the World Series. Cabrera, Posey, and Sandoval are the core of this offense, and Matt Cain is the ace of this pitching staff. To see these four players represent the Giants was quite incredible as a fan.

One of the main questions for this Giants team is what the everyday lineup will be for the rest of the season. One of the common lineups (spots 1-8) that has been used so far has been:

1. Blanco CF
2. Theriot 2B
3. Cabrera LF
4. Posey C
5. Sandoval 3B
6. Pagan CF
7. Belt 1B
8. Crawford SS

Bochy has tweaked the lineup a little recently, inserting Nate Schierholtz into the leadoff position and playing Sandoval at 1B and Arias at 3B. Regardless, the Giants have struggled all season with finding a consistent player for first base. Aubrey Huff is injured and wasn’t starting even when he was healthy, Brett Pill was sent back to the minors, and Brandon Belt has shown flashes of brilliance but, generally, has shown inconsistency as well. The front office wanted to send the message at the very beginning of the season that they wanted to have more youth on the team and that they would stick with their young players, even while knowing that they are prone to offensive struggles during the course of a season. It seems as though Sabean and Bochy should stick with their plan and, therefore, stick with Belt at first base. Unless they are willing to play Sandoval at first base and find a replacement at third base via trade, Belt is the best option. Belt cleared up to the media and the fans in a recent blog post that he still remains confident and that he believes in Bochy’s coaching strategies. Sabean and Bochy need to decide if they want to play Posey at first base more and start Hector Sanchez more at catcher, start Sandoval more at first base, or stick with Belt at first base, because Belt going to the minors is not and should not be an option. This potential move would negate everything that Giants management has said since the beginning of the season.

So who should the Giants target in free agency? Sabean has made it pretty clear that they will not be going after any big-name players, because they don’t have the financial resources to do so. However, Sabean will most likely go about this free agency period like he did during the 2010 season. He will target some pitchers for the bullpen and one or two bench players who will add more depth and versatility to the team. With these possible additions, it seems as if the Giants will be able to make it into the playoffs (through winning the NL West title or one of the two possible Wild Card spots). The Giants will need to improve their overall batting average with runners in scoring position and they will need to address Lincecum’s problems at some point, whether they like it or not. They need to be practical about his current mental approach to games and how inconsistent he can be not just game-to-game but inning-to-inning. If Bochy started Brad Penny one game and skipped one of Lincecum’s starts, that would send a clear message to Lincecum that this issue is on him. He needs to figure it out himself, because at this point in the season, it’s purely mental. If Lincecum can maintain a 4.00 ERA or lower throughout the rest of the season and if the Giants improve their clutch hitting with runners in scoring position, they have an excellent chance of being successful in the playoffs.

Giants Season Update

The San Francisco Giants play the second game of a three-game series tonight against the Los Angeles Dodgers, and it’s fairly safe to say that the Giants played some of their worst baseball of the season yesterday. The Giants were completely stifled last night by opposing pitcher Ted Lilly, and, ultimately, they lost 9-1. Barry Zito kept them in the game for six innings, while only giving up three runs (one unearned), but the Giants could not find any consistent offense.

In addition to their offensive woes, the Giants have now committed a Major League-high error total of 33, with three coming in last night’s game. Some of this is to be expected with a lineup that includes several rookies, but several players, not just the rookies, were bobbling the ball on simple plays too. Bruce Bochy said in last night’s press conference, “It looked like we skipped Spring Training.”

Watch an error by Gillaspie here.
Watch an error by Edlefsen here.

Before the game, the Giants also had to deal with one of their relievers being suspended for 100 games due to performance-enhancing drugs. Guillermo Mota tested positive for clenbuterol, which is a drug found in inhalers that can be a stimulant and can build up muscle mass. This is ironic because Mota has a 5.06 ERA this season and has been pretty much ineffective all season. Mota is serving 100 games this season because this is his second drug offense. He was suspended for using performance-enhancing drugs for 50 games when he played for the Mets, which he served in 2007. This recent suspension does leave the Giants in a little bit of trouble seeing as Mota was their only long reliever on the roster.

Mota’s agent, Adam Katz, plans on appealing the suspension. Katz said, “A 100-game suspension for taking a children’s cough medicine that contains trace amounts of a prohibited substance, which is what happened here, is severe and unfair and does not reflect the intention of the Joint Drug Prevention and Treatment Program.”

There are several things wrong with this statement.
1) Why would Mota even be using children’s cough medicine?
2) Mota would have had to take such a large dosage that normal cough medicine would make more sense to take.
3) Based on that argument, all other players that have used cough medicine before could’ve gotten a positive test too, and they haven’t.
Therefore, this argument as to why Mota’s suspension should be appealed is totally bogus and makes no sense at all.

The Giants are in quite a tumultuous situation right now because of the injuries that they have to deal with and their poor play. This Dodgers series is going to prove to be quite difficult for the Giants since they have to face Clayton Kershaw tonight, who they normally have very little luck against, and Billingsley tomorrow. Hopefully the Giants can start playing tighter defense, hit for a better average with runners in scoring position, and gain some momentum going into the next series.

Giants Swept by D-backs in Opening Weekend Series

The Giants lost their third straight game today, which resulted in the Diamondbacks’ sweep of the three-game series during MLB’s opening weekend. Thankfully, the first three games of a 162-game season aren’t too significant, but the Giants must be somewhat concerned that they were swept by their biggest NL West rival. Surprisingly, fans witnessed a lot of positive elements of this 2012 Giants team in this past series, but, unfortunately, they also witnessed some aspects that need to be improved immediately.

The Giants starting lineup for the first two games of the series was:
1) Pagan CF
2) Cabrera RF
3) Sandoval 3B
4) Posey C
5) Huff LF
6) Belt 1B
7) Theriot 2B
8) Crawford SS
9) Pitcher’s Spot
This starting lineup will most likely be the regular lineup for the rest of the season. This particular Giants team is supposed to feature stronger offense and more youth, which it does. If Burriss had started in Theriot’s place, the Giants would have featured their first all-homegrown Opening Day infield since 1993, which would have been fun to see. Regardless, Giants’ management has clearly made a stronger effort to be more committed to the younger players in this organization, which is an impressive step. In addition to this new committment, the Giants were able to score 14 runs in these three games, which is definitely an improvement since last season. The offense this season features more speed with Pagan, Cabrera, and Blanco, and this offense generally appears stronger through all eight spots (excluding the pitcher’s spot). Also, the fact that Buster Posey was able to catch all three games with no pain is a great sign for all Giants fans and a definite sigh of relief of some sorts.

The Giants showed some areas of concern in this series though. First of all, they committed six errors during the series (three on Friday and three on Sunday). Posey looks a little rusty behind the plate and has committed three errors. Posey hasn’t caught a full game in almost a year, so a couple missteps is to be expected. Brandon Crawford made this team because of his defensive prowess at the shortstop position, however, he has committed two errors on fairly routine groundballs and during important situations where outs were severely needed. Crawford is most likely nervous to be starting consistently now, so his confidence will hopefully come back soon.

Secondly, the Giants have a very left-handed heavy lineup. Against right-handed pitching, this is obviously not a very significant issue, but the Giants are bound to experience problems once they face more consistent left-handed pitching. After scoring six runs on Josh Collmenter (a right-handed pitcher), D-backs manager Kirk Gibson put in reliever Wade Miley (a left-handed pitcher) for four innings, and that’s when the Giants offense was completely shut down for the rest of the game. Bruce Bochy might have to consider starting Brett Pill more just to have more of a right-handed hitting presence.

Lastly, the Giants have to improve upon their batting average with runners in scoring position, which was one of their biggest problems last season. So far this season, the Giants are batting .167 with runners in scoring position and .125 with two outs and runners in scoring position. Last season, the Giants batted .219 with runners in scoring position and .173 with two outs and runners in scoring position. Even if the Giants offense is more well-rounded than last season, clutch hitting has to become a priority to everyone, because if not, the Giants won’t accomplish much this season. Excellent pitching can only carry a team so far, as we saw last season.

This past series didn’t exactly display superior pitching either. It is very early in the season, so fans shouldn’t be too concerned about pitching yet. However, Tim Lincecum continued his poor spring training performances into the first game and Madison Bumgarner looked frazzled in his start. Matt Cain pitched fairly well in the series finale besides a few poor pitching sequences. Lincecum will find a way out of his slump, because he always does. Once he gets into his usual rhythm, Lincecum will hopefully remain reliable throughout the rest of the season. Bumgarner didn’t do well at the beginning of last season, so hopefully his poor performance during this series is because he hasn’t settled into his regular form yet. Last season, Bumgarner had a 6.17 ERA in the month of April. In May of last season though, Bumgarner had a 2.21 ERA. Bumgarner is still very young, so hopefully he will settle down soon and get back to his dominant pitching.

Giants’ fans don’t need to worry, yet. The D-backs are an extremely talented team with powerful hitting and they have one of the best pitchers in baseball right now, Ian Kennedy, so this is not a total disaster that they lost this series. The Giants will face the D-backs in six more series this year, so there is ample time for recovery and revenge. The Giants face the Rockies in their next series, so hopefully they can start to find consistent hitting and pitching.

The 49ers are the SF Giants of the NFL

Over the past year or so, Bay Area teams have found ways to continue to surprise their loyal fans. The San Francisco Giants were able to win the World Series in 2010 when no one (and I literally mean no one) picked them to win, let alone even make the playoffs. This particular Giants team was labeled a team of “misfits” or “castoffs,” but there was still this type of allure around them. They were the proverbial nerds, geeks, and loners on the playground that no one believed in or understood. The bullies were the Yankees and the Phillies of the world that believe that no one is ever going to be as great as they are. Giants fans were even stunned to see their local team beat the almighty Phillies and continue on to the pivotal World Series. They proved to be a team defined by great pitching and defense, ingenius coaching by Bruce Bochy, and amazing team chemistry. These are the main reasons why many teams win the World Series, but it was much more special with this team because of the fact that winning the World Series was so unexpected.

So how does this connect to the 49ers? This season cannot properly be described as a “surprise,” because this particular word doesn’t do enough justice to what has been accomplished so far. Not only did no one expect this 49ers team to be any good, but no one expected this team to win the division. This 49ers team has a different appearance than any other 49ers team in the recent past. They have a tenacity, a determination, and a fun spirit about them that is so captivating. Like the Giants, they are a team defined by not only these particular traits, but great defense, creative coaching by Jim Harbaugh, and amazing team chemistry. This team, also like the Giants, plays with immense confidence despite having some “misfit” characters. These factors have lead the 49ers to a 10-3 record, which is tied for the 2nd best record in the NFC.

Strong similarities can be seen in the stellar defenses of both teams. The starting pitchers (Tim Lincecum, Matt Cain, Jonathan Sanchez, and Madison Bumgarner) for the Giants had a collective 3.36 ERA during the regular season and maintained their excellence throughout the postseason. The starting pitchers had a collective 2.17 ERA during the postseason. This includes Matt Cain’s 0 earned runs allowed over 21.1 innings during the postseason. Madison Bumgarner, in his first postseason and first season as a starting pitcher, maintained a 2.18 ERA. Including the relievers, the Giants pitching staff had a 3.36 ERA throughout the season. The Giants defense also had a 98.8% fielding percentage, which ranked first out of all NL teams. The 49ers defense has been regarded as the strongest asset that this current 49ers team has. With new additions Carlos Rogers, Donte Whitner, and other new starters such as Ahmad Brooks, Tarell Brown, and others, the 49ers defense consistently appears to be one of the strongest defenses in all of the NFL. They are ranked 1st in all the NFL in rushing yards allowed per game. In addition to that, the 49ers defense is ranked 4th in all the NFL is total yards allowed per game. Both of these stats are quite impressive and prove how strong this defense really is compared to other great teams.

Although Bruce Bochy and Jim Harbaugh coach with different styles, they both have the ability to inspire a team and get the absolute best out of their players. Bruce Bochy is a calmer force and coaches much more lackadaisically. Bochy rarely argues calls, rarely yells at players, and always believes in his players. His approach to coaching is much more subtle, but he is known to make all the right decisions at the right time. Jim Harbaugh, in his first year as an NFL head coach, is a more fiery, passionate coach who is not afraid to show his emotions. He can often be too exuberant or excited though. For example, right after winning a rather significant game against the Lions, Lions’ head coach Jim Schwartz accused Harbaugh of “shaking his hand too hard” after the game. This is such a bogus argument that it requires no more description or analysis. Anyway, Harbaugh’s passion is inspiring and quite contagious amongst the players. Both coaches can be seen as their own versions of “players’ coaches.” They are both likeable and respected, but still admired for their high-quality coaching. They become a sort of father figure, and truly want and expect the best out of their players. This type of coaching style is often preferable and can often lead to winning results.

In sports, chemistry cannot be forced. Chemistry occurs when players get along on and off the field and truly believe in each other and the system. The Giants were comprised of many players who other teams didn’t want, hence the names “castoffs” and “misfits.” This underdog mentality was definitely a reason why the players were able to bond off the field and perform extremely well together on the field. Here are some examples of the main castoffs on the team. The Giants were the only team to offer Aubrey Huff a deal before the 2010 season. Cody Ross was placed on waivers by the Marlins and the Giants only picked him up to avoid San Diego from acquiring him. Andres Torres was a career minor league player who never really hit his prime and had suffered from ADHD. Pat Burrell was cut from the Tampa Bay Rays after struggling in his role as DH and the Giants offered to sign him to a minor league contract with no guarantees. What’s ironic is that the biggest castoffs on this Giants team were the players that contributed the most to the success of the team. Aubrey Huff supplied constant offense throughout the season, Cody Ross defined clutch hitting, Andres Torres showed off his speed and defensive prowess in center field, and Pat Burrell provided power hitting that the Giants so desperately needed. The term misfits applies because no one would necessarily think that this combination of players would result in a World Series title. However, these players might not have traditionally fit together, but they did know how to have fun and, therefore, win together.

The 49ers’ key example of a misfit is Alex Smith. Every 49ers fan knows his story. The 49ers selected him with the number 1 pick in 2005 (to this day I still believe the 49ers should have drafted the hometown kid, Aaron Rodgers), which was surprising and upsetting to most fans. Smith experienced many different head coaches, offensive coordinators, and various injuries, which all contributed to the general hatred of him amongst fans (talk about a misfit). Jim Harbaugh was brought in as the new head coach this past offseason, and everyone hoped this would finally be the end of the Alex Smith era. Sadly, this was not the case. Harbaugh decided to bring him back and resurrect his career. Fans were more than skeptical about this decision because he was an unproven quarterback and was thought to be overrated. Harbaugh was the absolute perfect coach to help Alex Smith though. He’s a players’ coach, a former NFL quarterback, and he’s extremely smart and creative with his offense. With this mentoring, Alex Smith has become a relevant quarterback once again and has put him relatively good numbers all season. With a confident quarterback leading the way, the 49ers have great chemistry because they are all fierce competitors, hard workers, and talented players that all believe they can win every game.

Sometimes a sport team can have more influence over others than one would think possible. After the Giants won the World Series, Bay Area fans became very emotional because they could relate to this team. Everybody knew what it felt like to be the underdog and to have all the odds against them. The Giants knew how important they became to the city, so the team and the fans became united. Their winning formula seems to have shifted over the 49ers now. After many years of suffering, 49ers fans can finally watch quality football again. Hopefully the 49ers can surprise the Bay Area like the Giants did by making it to the Super Bowl. Both the Giants and 49ers based their game plans on strong defense, coaching, and chemistry, and this has lead to success for both teams. Along with their winning records, their underdog mentality becomes addictive and inspiring to fans. Sports teams can be powerful figures, especially when lead by misfits.

Giants Trade Sanchez, Acquire Cabrera

The San Francisco Giants traded Jonathan Sanchez and Ryan Verdugo (a left-handed pitcher in the Giants’ minor league system) to the Kansas City Royals today for outfielder Melky Cabrera. This past season, Jonathan Sanchez showed a decline and wasn’t the same dominating pitcher that he was during the 2010 season. He was 4-7 this season with a 4.26 ERA, and he missed the entire last month of the season with a left ankle sprain. Sanchez had somewhat of a rocky road while with the Giants. He went from being a strong prospect at the starting pitcher position, then struggled with command and became a relief pitcher. Then he threw a no-hitter and regained his starter status, he continued his dominance all the way through the World Series title, and this past season he never seemed to reach that same level of dominance. Ryan Verdugo was 8-6 with a 4.35 ERA for Double-A Richmond this past season.

Jonathan Sanchez

Melky Cabrera, in his first season with the Royals, hit a career-best .305, 18 home runs, and 87 RBI’s last season. Cabrera came into MLB with the Yankees and played there from 2005-2009. He won a World Series title with the Yankees in 2009. In 2010, he played for the Atlanta Braves before being traded this past season to the Royals. Cabrera could play center field for the Giants, but it ultimately depends on if the Giants retain Cody Ross or Andres Torres. However, Cabrera is a versatile athlete who can play any outfield position, so this acquisition gives the Giants many options.

Melky Cabrera

This is a significant trade for the Giants. No one knows if Cabrera will become a huge difference maker this upcoming season. However, this trade is significant because it shows that Sabean is not afraid to trade pitching for hitting. He has shown reluctance to do so in the past couple seasons even when our hitting severely needed an upgrade. Sabean first showed this new trend when the Giants acquired Beltran last season for our strongest pitching prospect, Zack Wheeler. This trade is more significant though because it involves an actual starting pitcher, not just a prospect. Sabean said that they have not decided if they are going to target another starting pitcher, or if they will just stick with Barry Zito. If the Giants want to win another World Series title soon, the hitting had to be upgraded, obviously, and this is the first move towards a stronger, more well-rounded offense. The Giants still need to answer the shortstop question and need to bring in a few more hitters, but this is a great start to the offseason. The Giants re-signed both Lopez and Affeldt and have now brought in a quality hitter.

Carlos Beltran

This trade might also signal that the Giants are unlikely to bring Carlos Beltran back. This statement might be a little too speculative, but the Giants simply might not have the money or the space in the outfield to bring him back. To read my opinion on if Beltran is worth bringing back read here. So far, the Giants have been tactical and smart in their spending and trades, so hopefully this trend continues throughout the rest of the offseason.

Brian Wilson Needs to Shave the Beard

It all started when MLB told Brian Wilson that he couldn’t show too much orange on his cleats. This was such an absurd claim, especially since MLB claimed that the hitters that Wilson was facing were “distracted” by the immense amount of orange on his cleats. The reason why these particular hitters might have been slightly “distracted” could be that Wilson throws 98 mph fastballs, which breeze past most competent hitters. I severely doubt that his shoes were at all offensive to the hitters. MLB required that his shoes be 50% orange and 50% black. This sounds amusing, but sadly, this is actually what was required by the league. Again, so absurd. As a form of mockery, Wilson “Sharpie-d” 50% of the shoes so it was a more “balanced” shoe.

The original orange shoes

Once he started to grow out the beard, Wilson decided to continue the trend of mockery. Wilson decided to use the “Just For Men” treatment for his beard, just to ensure that 50% of his hair was black. Wilson refused to admit to this, but it was quite obvious that he was making a statement. And it was a funny one. It was a proverbial slap in the face directed at MLB. Wilson proved to be an extremely effective closer down the stretch, so fans created the “Fear the Beard” trend. It became a national story and fans started bringing “Fear the Beard” signs on all Giants road trips. “The Beard” became a symbol for the 2010 Giants team and all the weirdness that defined it. “The Beard” was the perfect representation of the sense of hope, perseverance, and humor that this particular team exuded.

The Sharpie Shoes

As a diehard Giants fan, I’ve got to say that “The Beard” became more than just a funny story for the Giants during the 2010 season. “The Beard” became the national symbol for all the outcasts and misfits on that team. This team had all the possible quirks, yet everyone truly believed in them. At the beginning of the 2011 season, “The Beard” became bigger and more exaggerated. Wilson refused to let it go. The reason why wasn’t exactly clear, but it could be that Wilson was superstitious or he just really enjoyed being a trend setter. Also, fans still seemed to enjoy it.

I can maybe understand why Wilson would keep his beard for the 2011 season, because all athletes have a form of superstition, so he could have thought that “The Beard” could lead to another World Series title. Everyone knows how the story of how the 2011 season ends, so there’s no point on dwelling on it. Clearly, his beard’s “magical powers” don’t exist, so what’s the point of keeping it? Wilson loves his new fame, and “The Beard” certainly brings him lots of attention and adoration. Wilson has become quite the fame whore, especially since he has starred in two commercials this summer. The first was in a Taco Bell commercial:

The second is for NBA 2K12:

Some fans might find these commercials amusing, but I find them overly exaggerated and just annoying. “The Beard” is no longer the symbol of hope. It has become an overplayed, overused act that is no longer funny and no longer relevant. Brian Wilson needs to shave the beard not just because it’s not funny anymore, but in a sense, it would be a way for him (and the team) to move on from the torture that was this past season. New trends and new traditions can be started this upcoming season, because the Giants are an entertaining, creative team. There really is no point in keeping the beard anymore, except for purely selfish reasons on Wilson’s part. The Giants don’t need a beard to win. It clearly didn’t help this season. Wilson must be keeping the beard around because he loves the attention he receives and the fame that comes with it. “The Beard” started off as a humorous way to bring together the players on the 2010 Giants team, but now it doesn’t do any good for the team and is simply a publicity stunt. The Giants need to move on from the 2011 season, and if Brian Wilson shaved his beard, it would show that the players mean business and are serious about repeating their World Series title.