Hunter Pence

San Francisco Giants: Is Michael Morse The Answer?

Sep 20, 2013; St. Petersburg, FL, USA; Baltimore Orioles right fielder Michael Morse (38) works out prior to the game against the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

This article was originally published on Golden Gate Sports.

The San Francisco Giants have finally found their everyday left fielder. The Giants agreed to terms with Michael Morse on a one-year contract worth $6 million plus incentives based on plate appearances, which could lead to $3 million more. Morse has played nine seasons in MLB for the Seattle Mariners, Washington Nationals and Baltimore Orioles. Morse, who will be 32 on Opening Day next season, is expected to be the starting left fielder for the Giants, but he can also play right field, first base, and even some third base.

Last season, he struggled at the plate because of a wrist injury as he hit .215, had a .270 OBP, and a .381 slugging percentage. He did have 13 home runs and 27 RBI though in 88 games. The Giants are hoping that he can re-create the great production he had in the 2011 season with the Nationals when he hit .303 with 31 home runs, 95 RBI, and he had a .360 OBP and a .550 slugging percentage.

“For me, I thought he was our best option and it’s certainly what I wanted,” Bruce Bochy said. “I’ve always liked him. He’s a threat up there.”

Morse brings many things to the Giants that they severely lacked last season. First of all, the Giants needed a left fielder with right-handed power. One of Morse’s strongest qualities is his immense power. Last season, the Giants had some of the worst production from left field in all of MLB. Giants’ left fielders hit just five home runs last season, the fewest in the majors, and had a collective .651 OPS, the lowest of any position for the Giants.

AT&T Park is known as the ballpark where power goes to die. However, Bochy believes that Morse will be able to translate his power to the confines of AT&T Park, even to the more daunting right field side.

Another quality that Morse brings to the Giants is his versatility. He’s not known for his defensive prowess, but his ability to play multiple positions will prove to be advantageous for the Giants. He was drafted as a shortstop, and, as mentioned before, he can play both corner outfield spots, first base, and third base. Bochy has said that Morse will be in the starting lineup every day, mostly at left field, but also sometimes at one of those other positions.

Lastly, Bochy believes that Morse will be a great fit in the clubhouse. Bochy knows Morse already, because he coached him on a traveling All-Star team in Taiwan in 2011. Bochy commended Morse’s impressive work ethic and energetic personality. He seems like a Hunter Pence-esque type of presence in the clubhouse and on the field, mostly because of his quirkiness and awkwardness.

Aug 4, 2013; Baltimore, MD, USA; Seattle Mariners right fielder Michael Morse (38) doubles in the second inning against the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Mandatory Credit: Joy R. Absalon-USA TODAY Sports

The Giants have a history of acquiring players who are coming off of a poor year, production-wise, and getting fairly good production from them the next year. The Giants saw this pattern when they acquired Cody Ross, Aubrey Huff, and Pat Burrell in 2010. They’re hoping to receive this same type of result with Morse.

“He’s a great for us and what we need — a right-handed bat with power,” Bochy said. “I guess you could make a comparable to when we acquired Pat Burrell in 2010. When this guy is healthy, and he is now, he can do some damage. It’s well worth any risk to bring him aboard.”

The Giants will have many options in terms of their batting order. Bochy said that he likes putting Brandon Belt, Buster Posey, Pence, and Pablo Sandoval in the number three through six spots in the batting order, but this might change with the addition of Morse. Bochy said that Morse could possibly hit fifth, sixth, or seventh. He likes keeping Belt in the three-hole, but depending on pitching matchups and who is hitting well at a given time, the lineup could change day-to-day.

The Giants will have a starting lineup that will look something like: Pagan CF, Scutaro 2B, Belt 1B, Posey C, Pence RF, Sandoval 3B, Morse LF, Crawford SS, and the pitcher’s spot. If everyone is healthy, this is a pretty strong lineup. The Giants will certainly have more power than they had last year with the addition of Morse, and they will have a good balance of speed, power, opposite-field hitting, etc.

In addition to a better starting lineup, another great part of the Morse signing is that it allows Gregor Blanco to come off the bench. Blanco was over-exposed last season because he had to play an everyday role. Blanco was supposed to platoon with Andres Torres, but when Pagan went down with his hamstring injury, Blanco was forced to start every day, which affected his offense.

Blanco will most likely be the Giants’ fourth outfielder and come into games as a defensive replacement in the late innnings for Morse. Since he can play all four outfield spots, he will earn some spot starts too, in order to give a rest day to any of the outfielders. This is the best role for Blanco, and he will be a valuable player off the bench for the Giants this upcoming season.

Morse has been labeled as injury-prone, but if he can play the majority of next season, he will be an excellent fit for this Giants team. As Bochy said, Morse will prove to be worth the risk. He provides some much-needed power, versatility, and a strong work ethic. If healthy, Morse could be the answer to many of the Giants’ problems from last season.

Jermaine O’Neal: A Hunter Pence-Type Leader for the Golden State Warriors

This article was originally published on Golden Gate Sports.

All San Francisco Giants fans remember the speech. Hunter Pence gathered his teammates around him in the dugout before Game 3 of the Giants’ 2012 NLDS series against the Cincinnati Reds. The Giants were down 0-2 to the Reds and were facing the first of many potential elimination games to come. He told his teammates that he wanted one more day with them. He told them to never give up, to play for each other, to win each moment. He spoke with intensity and fierce passion.

Oct 11, 2012; Cincinnati, OH, USA; San Francisco Giants right fielder Hunter Pence (center) huddles with his team prior to the game five of the 2012 NLDS against the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ballpark. Mandatory Credit: Frank Victores-USA TODAY Sports

Reverend Pence motivated his team and led them to victory in Game 3 and eventually to their second World Series title in three seasons. This speech was a defining moment for the Giants in 2012. He motivated his teammates to play with that “never say die” attitude that made them even closer as a team and made them even more powerful.

Jermaine O’Neal has shown this same passion and intensity on this Golden State Warriors team. Every time he steps on the court, he plays tough, he fights, and he pumps up his teammates. The Warriors certainly needed his passion in Tuesday’s game.

On Tuesday, the Warriors took on the Toronto Raptors and got seriously out-played in the first half of the game. They were down by 17 at the half and were down by as many as 27 points during the third quarter. At halftime, O’Neal delivered a Pence-esque speech to get his teammates fired up.

“Jermaine O’Neal gave one of the realest halftime speeches I have ever heard,” Klay Thompson said. “He said we’ll see what we’re made of in the second half.”

O’Neal explained to the team that if they wanted to show that they’re an elite team, they had to play like one. O’Neal told his teammates what they had to do to prove that they are a championship-calibur team.

“I told the team at the half, we’re going to see what we’re made of these next 24 minutes… if we’re talking about doing something special–if we’re talking about being a playoff team, being eighth, seventh, sixthseed, then whatever that was, that’s good enough…

“But if we’re talking about winning a championship, then we need to bring it every single night, dispose of the teams we’re supposed to dispose of and then grind like hell against the teams that are top-echelon-type teams.”

Nov 27, 2013; Dallas, TX, USA; Golden State Warriors center Jermaine O

O’Neal’s speech might end up having the same effect on the Warriors that Pence’s speech had on the Giants. The Warriors could look back on O’Neal’s speech as the defining moment for when they went from hoping to be a great team to understanding the responsibility it takes to be a great team.

It seems like O’Neal delivered the speech with the same passion that Pence had when he gave his speech. O’Neal stood up and confronted his teammates when it mattered. He reminded them what kind of team they are. The Warriors are fighters, and they have that same “never say die” attitude that the Giants had. The Warriors are building this “never give up” identity by winning a game like the Raptors game.

The Raptors game clearly didn’t have the same stakes that the Giants’ NLDS game against the Reds had, but it could prove to be a pivotal moment for the Warriors this season. The stakes might not have been as high, but according to Mark Jackson, this game against the Raptors was the biggest game of his coaching tenure so far. He said it was a big statement win because they easily could’ve given up and moved onto the next game.

This type of win will do a lot for the Warriors’ team chemistry, and it builds character. O’Neal is showing this Warriors team how to be tough and resilient. He’s showing them that not every game is going to be won easily and how they need to grind out wins sometimes. As O’Neal said, great teams find ways to win games where they’re getting blown out or they’re undermanned. If the Warriors continue to play this style, they will become a legitimate title contender.

Both Pence and O’Neal are so valuable to their respective teams for reasons much more than their contributions on the field or on the court. They are the ultimate motivators and preachers. They lead their teams with their dedication, passion, and toughness. Pence inspired his team when they needed him the most, and O’Neal is doing the same thing by being just the motivational leader that the Warriors need.

What Areas Do the San Francisco Giants Need to Address This Offseason?

Jun 14, 2013; Atlanta, GA, USA; San Francisco Giants left fielder Gregor Blanco (7) is greeted at the dugout by team mate left fielder Andres Torres (56) after a lead off home run against the Atlanta Braves during the first inning at Turner Field. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

This article was originally published on Golden Gate Sports.

After winning two World Series in the past three years, the San Francisco Giants have failed to live up to expectations this season. They have struggled all season, and they have several areas of concern that they will need to address in the offseason.

The primary concern for the Giants this offseason is to find a serviceable left fielder. Last offseason, this was one of the Giants’ biggest areas of need as well. Going into this season, the Giants decided to go with a left field platoon involving Gregor Blanco and Andres Torres.

When Angel Pagan got injured, Blanco and Torres had to share not only the left field duties, but also the center field duties. This, unfortunately, exposed each player’s weakness. These two players were meant to platoon, because they’re not everyday players. Blanco is fantastic defensively, but he hasn’t proved that he can be consistent offensively. Torres was weak defensively in left field but looked much more comfortable when he played in center field. He also was inconsistent offensively.

If Angel Pagan hadn’t gotten injured and had played in more games this season, maybe the left field platoon would’ve worked. However, the Giants are going to need to bring more of a consistent offensive presence into left field. Blanco could still be used as a defensive replacement, spot starter, or pinch runner or hitter, but the Giants need to find a left fielder who is fairly solid both defensively and offensively, and, ideally, has some power.

The next area that the Giants need to address is depth. Entering this season, the Giants had a pretty solid starting lineup. However, they lacked some depth off the bench pretty much all season. Joaquin Arias is a great player to have on the roster, because he’s versatile and solid defensively. For next season, the Giants need more versatility off the bench than just Arias though.

Tony Abreu was injured most of the season, and Nick Noonan didn’t prove that he can hit consistenly at the major league level. The Giants need to add more depth in the middle infield, especially since Marco Scutaro has had back issues all season long and his dependability for next season is questionable. If the Giants could sign someone with some power off the bench, that would be especially helpful too.

Another important area that the Giants need to address is how many of their key free agents they will be able to re-sign. It should be their top priority to re-sign Hunter Pence because of his power, defense, speed, work ethic, passion, and veteran leadership.

Jul 13, 2013; San Diego, CA, USA; San Francisco Giants right fielder Hunter Pence (8) is congratulated by starting pitcher Tim Lincecum (55) after a diving catch during the eighth inning against the San Diego Padres at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports

If possible, the Giants should also re-sign Javier Lopez and Tim Lincecum, because they are both key elements to this team for different reasons. Lopez is, arguably, the best lefty specialist in all of MLB, and he has become more valuable to this team than Jeremy Affeldt is.

Lincecum has been a fan favorite for a long time, and he’s shown this season that he has evolved as a pitcher. At the right price, the Giants should definitely make a push to re-sign Lincecum.

The Giants should also solidy who will make up their bullpen next year. The Giants saw some promising relief pitchers come up this year from Fresno including Jake Dunning, Sandy Rosario, and Heath Hembree. Some of these decisions will be dependent on if they are able to bring Lopez back, but, otherwise, Giants management will have to decide if they want to bring back George Kontos, Jean Machi, etc.

They will also have to figure out their starting pitching rotation. Although Matt Cain has struggled this year, he’s still one of the aces of this pitching staff, along with the consistent, reliable Madison Bumgarner. It’s unclear if Lincecum will come back, and the Giants will also have to decide if they pick up Ryan Vogelsong’s team option for next season, which they probably will.

After that, they have to decide who else will start. The Giants will most certainly not be picking up Barry Zito’s team option for next season. They will have to decide if Chad Gaudin should start or come out of the bullpen, if Yusmeiro Petit should start, or if someone else like Eric Surkamp should start.

Although this has been a disappointing season for the Giants, they should have a pretty good idea what they need to improve on in the offseason. Hopefully during the offseason, the Giants get some serious rest too. Fatigue has seemed to be a big issue this season for many Giants players. If they’re able to get the rest that they need after two long seasons in three years and if they’re able to address the areas of need that were mentioned before, the Giants could easily be a playoff contender again next season.

Why the San Francisco Giants Need to Re-Sign Hunter Pence

August 12, 2012; San Francisco, CA, USA; San Francisco Giants outfielder Hunter Pence (8) celebrates after hitting a three-run home run against the Colorado Rockies in the eighth inning at AT

This article was originally published on Golden Gate Sports.

Many players tend to have a great all-around season when they are going to be free agents at the end of the season. By doing this, they get the opportunity to sign a new long-term, hefty contract in the offseason. This is exactly what Hunter Pence has done this season for the Giants.

Pence will be a free agent at the end of this season, and he’s having a fantastic year for the San Francisco Giants. Pence is hitting .290 with 22 home runs and 82 RBI. He also has a .340 OBP, .477 slugging percentage, and a .817 OPS. Since the All-Star break, he’s hitting .338 with eight home runs and 34 RBI.

Pence will be a free agent at the end of this season, and he and the Giants have reportedly begun discussions toward a contract extension. Although he will probably command a fairly large contract, he might be worth it. Pence has said that he wants to re-sign here, and it seems like many of the other Giants players want him here too.

“It’s hard not to be a huge fan of Hunter,” Buster Posey said. “He gives 100 percent from the time he gets here to the time he leaves. He’s probably the hardest worker I’ve ever seen.”

Here are a few reasons why the Giants need to re-sign Pence in the offseason.

First of all, in addition to his impressive stat line, Pence has also started every single game this year. He has an incredible work ethic, he’s extremely fit, and he gives 100 percent on every single play, no matter what the score or the team’s record is. This is the type of guy a team would want leading a clubhouse. He’s a great role model for the younger players, and, he also knows a thing or two about giving a motivational speech.

Second, he provides some protection for Posey in the lineup. Bruce Bochy usually has Posey hit cleanup and, as of recently, has Brandon Belt hitting third, so Pence is the perfect person to hit fifth. If an opposing team wants to pitch around Posey, they’ll have to face Pence. Pence has power, finds ways to get RBI’s, and has a good OBP, so he’s the perfect player to have hitting behind Posey.

Aug 2, 2013; St. Petersburg, FL, USA; San Francisco Giants right fielder Hunter Pence (8) singles during the seventh inning against the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field. San Francisco Giants defeated the Tampa Bay Rays 4-1. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

Aug 2, 2013; St. Petersburg, FL, USA; San Francisco Giants right fielder Hunter Pence (8) singles during the seventh inning against the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field. San Francisco Giants defeated the Tampa Bay Rays 4-1. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

Third, he’s beloved by all Giants fans. His determination, his work ethic, his quirkiness, and his gratitude immediately made him a fan favorite. He’s extremely likable, and he has a lot of character. He’s the perfect representation of this franchise and their fanbase.

Fourth, Pence is an all-around, quality player that would be valuable to this Giants team in the future. As mentioned before, Pence has had a solid year offensively. Most importantly, he brings some much-needed power to this team. Pence has also stolen 21 bases so far this year. Pence became just the seventh player in Giants history to reach the 20 home runs and 20 stolen bases milestone.

Pence joins an elite 20-20 club of Giants including Barry Bonds, Bobby Bonds, Willie Mays, Jeffrey Leonard, Glenallen Hill, and Orlando Cepeda. Any major league club would love to have another base stealer, so Pence is even more valuable to the Giants in that sense.

Defensively, he’s quite strong as well. Since he’s in the best shape of his life right now, he’s even quicker in the outfield and is able to get to more flyballs because of it. Especially since the Giants were so poor defensively this year, Pence’s consistent, reliable defense in right field would be important for the Giants to keep around.

The Giants have three key players who will become free agents in the offseason: Pence, Javier Lopez, and Tim Lincecum. They need to determine which of these three players they want to bring back and how much they are willing to spend on them. Ideally, for Giants fans, the Giants would be able to bring back all three. Financially, it’s not clear if that’s possible.

Re-signing Pence should be a top priority for the Giants this offseason. He’s a talented, versatile player who could really help the Giants next season. He’s also a hard worker, a fan favorite, and he’s a veteran leader in the clubhouse. The Giants need to find a way to bring Pence back next season.

San Francisco Giants Midseason Grades: Offense, Defense and Pitching

This article was originally published on Golden Gate Sports.

Jul 13, 2013; San Diego, CA, USA; San Francisco Giants starting pitcher Tim Lincecum (55) celebrates with teammates after throwing a no hitter against the San Diego Padres at Petco Park. The Giants won 9-0. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports

The 2013 season for the San Francisco Giants has certainly been a disappointment. After winning two World Series titles in three years, the Giants have looked tired this season and are now struggling just to get back to being a .500 team. Going into the All-Star break, the Giants have a 43-51 record, which puts them six and a half games back from the Arizona Diamondbacks in the NL West standings.

One word to sum up the Giants’ season so far: inconsistent. Sometimes, this team looks unstoppable. When the Giants do what got them two World Series titles in the past three years, such as stellar starting pitching, perfect defense, and timely hitting, then they can win a lot of games.

Other times, this team’s effort is laughable. It all starts with the starting pitcher. If the starter gets off to a rough start and gives up some runs, it puts more pressure on the offense and defense, and many times, the Giants can’t recover.

The All-Star break couldn’t come soon enough for the Giants. They could use a break from the long road trips and the mental grind of the game.

Here are the Giants’ midseason grades:

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San Francisco Giants: Should They Be Sellers at the Trade Deadline?

This article was originally published on Golden Gate Sports.

Jun 17, 2013; San Francisco, CA, USA; San Francisco Giants starting pitcher Barry Zito (75) hands the ball to manager Bruce Bochy (15) after being taken against the San Diego Padres during the sixth inning at AT

The San Francisco Giants are in a dangerous slump.

In the month of June, they had a 10-16 record. Since June 15th, the Giants have a 5-18 record. As of today, they are a season-high nine games below .500 with a record of 40-49.

They have been plagued by injuries, inconsistent pitching and poor situational hitting. All of these issues have caused fans to question if the Giants need to be active at the trade deadline.

If the Giants want to be buyers at the trade deadline, they could look to acquire a starting pitcher, a relief pitcher, and a veteran outfielder. However, the Giants haven’t been playing well enough to be able to score a deal (other teams could be wary of the Giants’ struggles or raise the price due to San Francisco’s desperation). In addition to that, the Giants are wary about giving up top prospects and getting just a rental player or a player who won’t make much impact on the team in return.

“We have to ride it out. The team has to play better for us to move forward,” Brian Sabean said. “If we don’t start playing better — the team at hand, especially the lineup itself — there’s not enough help in the world that’s going to turn us around from this.

The Giants also have a lot of areas to be addressed, and they can’t all be fixed via trade.

“You get a little leaky, and you can fill one hole, but if it gets to be too many, you’re asking too much there,” Bruce Bochy said. “It’s gonna come back to these guys getting back to the players they are and executing.”

Hank Schulman, the Giants beat writer for the San Francisco Chronicle, suggests that if the Giants have a bad homestand, they should concede the season now and be sellers, in order to at least acquire prospects for the future. If the Giants do well on this homestand, then he believes that the Giants should become buyers and make a serious run to win the NL West.

He also suggests that if the Giants decide to be sellers, they should try to trade Javier Lopez, Hunter Pence or Tim Lincecum, because they will all be free agents after this season. Also, the Giants could possibly get some quality prospects in return, especially from Lopez and Pence.

So, should the Giants be sellers at the trade deadline? Should they essentially try to acquire talent for the future?

The simple answer is no. First of all, there’s still a lot of baseball to be played. The Giants have 73 games left, and a lot of things can change in 73 games. The All-Star break is in a week, and it might be just the physical and mental break the Giants need.

Second, the Giants have shown that they like being underestimated and and are able to come back from adversity. In 2010, the Giants were trailing the San Diego Padres in the NL West for much of the season, and they didn’t clinch the NL West title until the very last day of the season. In 2012, the Giants were on the brink of elimination in two straight series, and they ultimately won the World Series.

The Giants have been in tough situations before, and they’ve shown time and time again that they can always come back. The Giants have won two World Series titles in three years for a reason.

“This is a club that’s always been resilient,” Bochy said. “They’ve had the ability to bounce back from tough losses, streaks. They’ve been down before. They find a way to get it done. I don’t think that they’re doubting themselves that it will happen.”

Oct 28, 2012; Detroit, MI, USA; Members of the San Francisco Giants celebrate on the field after game four of the 2012 World Series against the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park. The Giants won 4-3 to sweep the series. Mandatory Credit: H. Darr Beiser-USA TODAY Sports

Third, the Giants are a loyal organization. They’re going to stick by their players, win or lose. This is essentially, minus a few injured players, the same team that won the World Series last season. The Giants organization believes in this group of guys.

“These are our guys, though,” Bochy said. “These guys have done a lot of good things here. You know [the slump] feels like it’s been forever, but it’s been maybe three weeks. It’s getting long, but still, they are our guys and we’re going to stay behind them.”

Lastly, the team still believes in each other, it’s still as confident as ever, and it’s still working hard. The players believe as much today as they did at the beginning of the season that they can win another World Series this year. That seems like a tough task now, but it can still be done.

“They’re fighting. I know when you go through something like this and you don’t score a lot of runs, you look flat,” Bochy said. “But they’re doing the work, they’re doing all we’re asking. It’s all we can do, just keep coming out here every day and keep believing that you’re going to come out of this thing.”

If the right deal presents itself, Sabean has said that he’s not afraid to make a deal. He’s not going to make a trade just to make a trade, though. He has had success in the past bringing in players at the trade deadline that make a difference in the second half of the season.

In 2010, Sabean signed Pat Burrell to a minor league deal, acquired Cody Ross off of waivers and traded for Lopez and Ramon Ramirez. In 2012, Sabean traded for Pence and Marco Scutaro.

Will he decide to sell instead of buy this season, though?

“You know, who knows,” Sabean said about the Giants possibly selling at the trade deadline. “I think you’re going to have an open mind going forward to whatever’s in best interests of the organization, the present and future.”

The Giants should not be sellers at the trade deadline. Even though they’re in a potentially disastrous downward spiral right now, they shouldn’t sell some of their most valuable assets, in order to acquire talent for the future.

The season is far from over. A comeback at this point might be tough, but the Giants are reigning World Champions for a reason.