Is Brian Sabean Finally Wising Up as Giants General Manager?

I hate to say it. I am as big a Sabean basher as the next McCoven commenter on McCovey Chronicles. For years, I felt he got too much credit as GM when the Giants were riding high and competing for the NL West Division title every year. I came to these feelings because of two things: A.) He had Barry Bonds, the best hitter alive, and B.) the NL West wasn't exactly flush with talented "management" (e.g. Sabes was the best of a mediocre bunch of GMs in the NL West at the time).

But, as I write this post, the Giants are 64-49, which is three wins better than where they were at last year after 113 games. They are one game back of the Padres in the NL West, which I never would have thought back in June when they looked like a dead lock for third or fourth in the division. They are one game up in the Wild Card race, and I like their chances considering Dusty Baker is managing the Reds (e.g. They are going to self-destruct at some point).

And, who deserves some credit?

Sabes. F'ing Sabes.

Those words don't come easy. However, just look at what he's done this year.

• He signed an aging, "left for dead" ("I Spit on Your Grave"-style) Aubrey Huff to a one year deal worth three million dollars. Huff, a career DH prior to this season, was expected to play first base and provide the Giants with pop, though his projections were rather disheartening (Bill James projected a .338 wOBA and a 4.5 wRAA). What has Huff done? He has mashed (20 home runs), surpassing expectations offensively (his wOBA is .403 and his wRAA is 30) and defensively (he has played three positions and sports a cumulative 2.1 UZR). Huff has been the Giants MVP, and his WAR (4.2, which converts to about $16.9 million according to Fangraphs) proves it. And we all thought Nick Johnson (.330 wOBA; 0.1 WAR) was a better option in the off-season.
• He passed on Jason Bay and Matt Holliday, more expensive free agent choices this off-season. Granted, some of it was out of his hands (Bay said straight up he didn't want to play in SF and Holliday was demanding too large a payday because his agent is Scott Boras), but Sabes made the right move by passing on the two, expensive sluggers. While Holliday looks to be worth his salt (4.4 WAR; .388 wOBA), Bay has been a tremendous disappointment (.144 ISO; .337 wOBA; 1.3 WAR).
• He admitted he was wrong (not publicly, but in action), cut ties with Bengie Molina and by July 1st, Buster Posey was the everyday catcher, which every Giants fan wanted in the beginning of the year except the Molina family. And guess what? The move paid off. The Giants went 20-8 in July, the first time they won 20 games in July since 2000 and Posey has been a spark in the lineup (.387 wOBA; 2.4 WAR).
• He signed Pat Burrell, though everyone thought (including myself) thought it was a dumb idea, that Burrell was done, and that he was just going to cause a logjam in the Giants lineup. I was totally wrong. Bruce Bochy finally decided that Aaron Rowand was benchable, Mark Derosa got surgery and sat out the rest of the year (a blessing in disguise; Derosa would have made the lineup situation worse), and Burrell came in rejuvenated and with a chip on his shoulder to prove the Tampa stint was a fluke. Burrell has posted a .377 wOBA as a Giant, has been a model teammate and has provided one of the best moments Giants fans have had against the Dodgers in quite a while.
• And lastly, he stayed pat at the Trade Deadline, and didn't trade away any top prospects, even though everyone clamored that the Giants needed a bat. My argument for those pining for Jose Bautista or someone similar was this: Where would he play? I think Sabes realized that and decided to roll the dice on this offense, figuring that Pablo would turn it around at some point, which would cover the offense should Burrell and Posey cool (which sort of has happened). Second, the Giants have some special prospects, and I think Jonathan Sanchez is a special (not to mention affordable and under team control for two more years) pitcher, and to lose them for short-term gain would've been a travesty. If you don't believe me, look at how the Ryan Garko and Freddy Sanchez trades have turned out on the Giants end.

Granted, Sabes has made some blunders. Signing Molina was a bad decision. Signing Sanchez, despite his glowing recommendation from Mychael Urban (Urban said that Sanchez was a guaranteed for a .300 average and 10 home runs prior to the season and that we should "Book it." Not quite Urban. Not quite) was a bad decision (his .286 wOBA and 0.3 WAR echo that). Signing Derosa was a bad decision. Not doing enough medical research on Sanchez and Derosa in the off-season was a bad decision.

That being said, Sabes has improved on those mistakes (for the most part). He didn't stay hard-headed about improving the blunders he made earlier this year. In fact, we've seen Sabestradeable player" factory. He understands that they can help you win games NOW. I think Posey has showed him that, and I wouldn't be surprised to see some guys in the minors this year get shots at starting positions next year. A couple of years ago (last year even), we couldn't say that of Sabes. It would almost be guaranteed that a veteran would be starting on Opening Day, even if that veteran is a washed up Steve Finley.

Maybe this is all a flash in the pan. Maybe Sabes is just letting it ride because that's what he does: let things ride when they are working. Maybe he hasn't changed philosophies, but just ran out of options and got incredibly lucky with Huff, Posey and Andres Torres. Maybe this off-season, he'll fall into his same, dumb idiosyncrasies and re-sign Edgar Renteria to a one-year contract because he's been a "Great Giant" this season.

I don't know. I can't see the future. But in terms of the present, Sabes has finally earned my approval as the Giants general manager so far this season.

Now if you excuse me, I'm going to use the rest room and throw up now.

Which Snubbed Giants Have An All-Star Case to Make?

First off, congratulations to Tim Lincecum and Brian Wilson for making the NL All-Star roster. I know Lincecum hasn't been as dominant as in years past, but take this into consideration: despite his "off-year" Lincecum is still ranked fourth in the National League in FIP (ahead of Ubaldo Jimenez actually). So, despite him probably not being as big a "shoe-in" as the past two seasons, Lincecum was certainly deserving of the berth. As for Wilson, I've been harping that he's been one of the league's best closers, and his numbers go beyond saves. In terms of FIP, he's the fourth-best reliever in the National League. That is a far cry from 2008, his previous All-Star season, when his FIP was 3.93.

However, there are some notable exceptions on this Giants roster. Aubrey Huff, Matt Cain, Andres Torres, and Juan Uribe are all names that deserved some All-Star attention, but didn't get the invite today. Unfortunately, it seems like any of them getting in is a long shot at this point. None of the Giants players listed are in the running for the fan "vote-in" (Heath Bell, Carlos Gonzalez, Joey Votto, Billy Wagner, and Ryan Zimmerman were the final five candidates chosen).

So, which Giants players have beefs, and which ones probably aren't All-Star worthy? Let's break down each player's "candidacy."


Aubrey Huff
.290 average, 15 home runs, 47 RBI, .391 wOBA, 17.4 wRAA, 2.6 WAR.

Huff probably is the most legitimate All-Star out of all the Giants players snubbed. He is ranked behind only Joey Votto and Albert Pujols in terms of wOBA for NL first baseman, and his 17.4 wRAA is tied for fourth out of NL first basemen as well. In addition to his offensive skills, Huff has shown tremendous defensive ability (4.2 UZR/150 at first base; 7.5 UZR/150 in the outfield) and flexibility (he has started at first base, left and right field). Thus, it's no surprise Huff's WAR is 2.6, which values to about $10.4 million dollars, according to Fangraphs.

So, why isn't Huff an All-Star? He's coming off an atrocious year, and he is playing for a Giants roster that has made more noise for their pitching and LACK of offense. It's really unfair. Huff is doing what Adrian Gonzalez did a year ago, but while Gonzalez has gotten the respect, Huff's incredible first half has been swept under the rug by the fans, players and of course, Charlie "I hate the Giants players" Manuel.

To illustrate my point that Huff is an All-Star-caliber player this year? He has a higher wOBA than All-Star first base reserves Gonzalez (.386) and Ryan Howard (.367). And, Huff's WAR is almost one and a half points better than Howard's (1.3).

Did Huff Get Snubbed?
Huff deserved an All-Star berth, but this system for first basemen is flawed to begin with. The fact that Joey Votto didn't make the roster is a travesty. Huff, unfortunately, is a victim at a position where fans, players and managers value big flies and hype more than actual overall performance.


Matt Cain
6-7 record, 2.93 ERA, 1.14 WHIP, 3.60 FIP, 2.1 WAR.

Cain was an All-Star last year, and his year this season has been pretty similar to his 2009. He still has been pretty lucky (.262 BABIP) and his high xFIP (4.70) suggest that he may be due for a tough stretch sometime soon, but Cain has still been solid as the Giants' second-best pitcher behind Lincecum. Cain has showed improved control (2.93 BB/9, the first time it's been under three in his career), and he has already thrown almost as many complete games (three) as last season (four).

The main difference between Cain of this season and Cain of last year has been the record. Last year, Cain went 10-2 in the first half of the season, and it seemed to ride him into an All-Star berth. Don't believe the record has any effect? Look at Ubaldo Jimenez, who's advanced numbers are actually LESS impressive than a season ago. What has gotten him into the All-Star game? His 14-1 record trumps his 6-9 record in the first half a season ago.

Much like Jimenez isn't a better pitcher than he was a year ago (though he certainly should have gotten more credit), Cain isn't much WORSE a pitcher in 2010 in comparison to 2009. It's just that the run support hasn't been great (typical for Cain) and he hasn't gotten as lucky.

Did Cain Get Snubbed?
The problem with Cain is that he may have not been an All-Star caliber pitcher last year if not for his 10-2 record. He doesn't have great strikeout stuff, and his BABIP shows that he has been lucky this year (though his 76.4 LOB percentage suggests he hasn't been as lucky as 2009, when his LOB percentage wasn't under 83 percent for the first three months of play). Cain is a very good pitcher, don't get me wrong. But is he an All-Star like Lincecum based on the numbers? That might be harder to prove, especially when Cain isn't ranked in the Top-15 of NL Starting Pitchers in terms of FIP.


Andres Torres
.275 average, .819 OPS, 15 stolen bases, .370 wOBA, 11.0 UZR, 3.0 WAR.

Torres would have been a great story for the All-Star team. The 33-year old journeyman who went from poor, free swinging slap hitter with the Detroit Tigers to patient, speedy hitter with pop to the Giants. Torres has all the credentials of an All-Star candidate: great speed (15 stolen bases on 18 attempts), great defense (27.1 UZR/150), excellent run generation (10 wRAA), and plate patience (0.68 BB/K ratio).

Unfortunately, the powers that be felt Michael Bourn and his .319 wOBA was a better candidate in the outfield (seriously, I hate this "Every team needs one All-Star" rule; the Fresno Grizzlies have more All-Star candidates than the Houston Astros).

Torres can certainly rank up there with the best outfielders in the National League. However, Torres unfortunately plays at a position where the talent level is very deep. Torres' wOBA ranks him 12th out of NL outfielders. Fellow All-Star Snubs like Andrew McCutchen and Colby Rasmus look to be far more enticing candidates than Torres, though Torres' defensive value does give him an edge (He has the second-best UZR out of NL outfielders).

Did Torres Get Snubbed?
When you look at him in terms of pre-season hype and offense alone? No. There are a lot better outfielders offensively than Torres (though that shouldn't take anything away from Torres' season). However, when you look at his defense, and add that with his offensive numbers? Torres looks a lot more like an All-Star-worthy player. Unfortunately, it's offense, not defense and overall value that generate hype for an All-Star berth, and that killed Torres' chances before it could get started.


Juan Uribe
.256 average, 12 HR, .335 wOBA, 2.6 wRAA, 1.6 WAR.

Would you believe me if I told you that Uribe, going into today, was the third-best shortstop in terms of wOBA? Would you believe me if I told you that Uribe has been better offensively than Jose Reyes, who made the All-Star team, and Uribe's higher wOBA and wRAA prove it?

Well, it's the truth, and though he has cooled recently, Uribe still could make an argument that he has been one of the National League's better shortstops this season. Uribe has hit with some surprising pop (12 home runs) and he has done this despite his BABIP (.262) being shockingly low (the league average is .299 and his BABIP last year was .325).


Did Uribe Get Snubbed?
I love Uribe, but no. He didn't. The National League shortstop position is shockingly shallow in terms of talent beyond Troy Tulowitzki and Hanley Ramirez. Uribe is simply the best of a rather mediocre bunch. Furthermore, Uribe's minus-6.6 UZR/150 at shortstop this year has killed any overall value he might have, and despite a high BB/K ratio (0.57), he has swung at more pitches outside the strike zone this year (32.2 percent in comparison to 31 percent last year) and has a higher whiff percentage in 2010 (12.2 percent) than in 2009 (11.5 percent). Uribe is a solid utility infielder to have, but he's no All-Star.

New Poll Up: Which Giants Deserve to Make the NL All-Star Team?

Just a quick post. I put up a poll on the sidebar asking which Giants deserve to make the All-Star game in Anaheim this year. I narrowed it down to eight guys who have a realistic chance of making it:

Tim Lincecum, Matt Cain, Brian Wilson, Aubrey Huff, Juan Uribe, Freddy Sanchez, Pablo Sandoval, and Andres Torres.

I left out Jonathan Sanchez from the list because of his inconsistency and Buster Posey and Pat Burrell because they don't have that many games under the belt.

You can vote for multiple guys on the list. In my opinion: I would think five guys are deserving: Lincecum, Cain, Wilson, Huff, and Torres. Uribe has been good, but I can't see him getting a boost over Troy Tulowitzki (who was an MVP candidate until he got hurt) and Hanley Ramirez (though he certainly is a better candidate than guys like Jimmy Rollins and Orlando Cabrera, as Crazy Crabbers notes). Also, I put Sandoval on this list more out of formality, since his year hasn't been as good as last season. As for Sanchez, he too has been awesome, but I'm not sure if his sample is large enough in comparison to other second baseman in the league.

Would love any input on your all-star picks. You can vote for real on MLB.com. It would be nice to see some Giants position players on the NL roster for once.

Buster Posey Up From Fresno! At-Bat Analysis Later Tonight

Being a fan who has resided in two different areas out of the Giants area for the past five years (four years in Spokane and one year so far in Los Angeles), I don't get to go to many games at AT&T Park. I long for the day when I finally am able to reside in the Bay Area and get season tickets or get enough money to purchase MLB.TV or MLB Extra Innings annually. For the time being though, I have to deal with this reality of following the team from afar.

Well, in my first game of the 2010 season at AT&T Park, I will be able to see the player I have pined for all season: Buster Posey.

According to Andrew Baggarly's blog Extra Baggs, Posey is slated to start at first base tonight with Aubrey Huff moving to left. Now, I'm not so keen about this move on paper. First off, Bengie Molina is not a serviceable Major League catcher anymore (as I have noted in a post yesterday), so I don't know why the Giants cut ties with him or somehow work out a trade. I mean, Molina is poor defensively, has no power and kills the team with his lack of speed. Sure, Timmy is comfortable with him, but you know what? You're going to have to get used to Posey at some point. Why not start sooner than later?

Furthermore, I'm not sure about Huff in left. Huff has only played nine total games in his career in left field, so I wonder if he's going to be able to make the adjustment to the outfield after getting comfortable at first base this season (Huff's 0.5 UZR/150 has been a surprise, especially considering his career UZR at first base is minus-11.8). What makes the situation worse is the fact that Nate Schierholtz and John Bowker are going to be the odd men out. Because of Bruce Bochy's love for Aaron Rowand (and his .286 wOBA), Schierholtz is going to lose playing time because the Giants can't afford to bench Andres Torres, who has become the Giants' leadoff hitter. It's tough to stomach because Schierholtz has been so good defensively in his career and offensively he has stepped up nicely this year (his .340 wOBA and 0.77 BB/K ratio show that).

As for Bowker, he has struggled this year, no doubt (.276 wOBA). However, Bowker needs more playing time and has shown at time that he is on the cusp of turning it around should he be given more at-bats. With Posey up and Pat Burrell apparently on the move to the Bay Area, it almost seems like a given that Bowker is destined for Fresno real soon.

Overall, I'm happy Brian Sabean decided to suck it up and call up Posey. I hope soon enough the Giants management will come to their senses and either bench or designate Molina for assignment and put Posey behind the plate, which will keep Torres and Schierholtz in the outfield, and give the Giants their best lineup overall (both offensively and defensively).

It will definitely be interesting in the long-run. For the short term now, I'm just excited to see Posey play in person for the first time. Expect an at-bat analysis for Posey later tonight or early tomorrow after I come back home from AT&T Park.

Poll Recap Results: Which Free Agent Acquisition Did You Like the Most?

Tried to write a couple of longer posts, but nothing came to fruition, so I'm just going to do a recap of the poll results (and put up a new one later tonight).

Here is the poll that just closed.


Which Free Agent Acquisition Did You Like the Most this Off-Season?

Aubrey Huff: 3 votes (13 percent).
Mark Derosa 8 votes (34 percent).
Todd Wellemeyer 3 votes (13 percent).
Guillermo Mota 0 votes (zero percent).
Byung-Hyun Kim 1 vote (one percent).
Santiago Casilla 0 votes (zero percent).
Denny Bautista 0 votes (zero percent).
Tony Pena, Jr. 0 votes (zero percent).
Horacio Ramirez 0 votes (zero percent).
None (They were all lousy) 8 votes (34 percent).

Reactions: Overall, I'm not surprised. I really did not like any of the signings for the most part. Huff in my mind is past his prime and isn't going to be a 20 homer hitter like everyone thinks. Wellemeyer had a good spring, but it's only a matter of time before he cedes the fifth spot in the rotation to someone else (be it Madison Bumgarner, Kevin Pucetas or someone else). Gullermo Mota is Guillermo Mota. Everyone else? I'm not even going to waste any time.

(Okay, I will. Kim was released and everyone else is in the minors. There. Great acquisitions, right? At least our farm system will have veterans to keep Matt Kinney company.)

The only one I sort of liked was Derosa. As a player, I think he can offer a lot. He can take a walk and he can hit with some power. Furthermore, he developed late in his career, so I have more confidence that his regression will be less staggering than a guy like Huff who peaked earlier (sans 2008, an aberration year). My only problem is that Derosa doesn't seem to fit on this team. He's great when he has potent hitters around him, but when he's supposed to be one of the main run producers? Well...that might be a little too much.

I voted none, but in all honesty, I can live with Derosa tying for the win in this poll. At least it wasn't Huff or Wellemeyer. Then I would have been really down.

BTW: Retro Matt Cain tonight against the Pirates! Another No-Decision!

Is Aubrey Huff Another Sean Casey?

The Giants are six games into the regular season and look good at 5-1 (compounded by Tim Lincecum being 2-0, with another brilliant, seven-inning, 10-strikeout performances in a 6-3 win tonight).

However, while the Giants pitching has been solid so far, it has been a very different story offensively after the first two series of the year against the Astros and Braves.

Sans Edgar Renteria's 5-for-5 explosion in the third game of the Astros series, 3-for-5 home debut (including the game-tying home run in the bottom of the ninth) and Pablo Sandoval's 3-for-4 breakout today against the Braves pitching staff (which included a two-run blast in the eighth inning), the Giants offense, for the most part, has been meager.

And the new acquisitions haven't helped sway that opinion much either.

Despite hitting a home-run on Opening Day, Mark Derosa hasn't displayed much power at the plate (though he has drawn five walks and is sporting a .391 OBP despite his .222 batting average).

And Aubrey Huff? Well, in comparison to Derosa he has looked like Juan Pierre. His line in six games is a .217 average, a .308 OBP and a .217 slugging with zero home runs and no extra-base hits.

Yeesh...not exactly making Giants fans comfortable that he can get back to 2008 form, right?

Well, while it may be a long shot that Giants fans will see the same Aubrey Huff that hit 32 home runs and drove in 108 RBI while sporting a .304 batting average and a .912 OPS in 2010, it is possible Huff might develop into a different mold this season.

After watching Huff for six games (as well as following his numbers in Spring Training), I get the feeling Huff is pretty much a reincarnated version of Sean Casey.

Now, there are both positives and negatives with this comparison.

In terms of the positives, like Casey, Huff so far has proven to be an efficient hitter, especially in terms of plate discipline

In Casey's last four seasons (2005-2008), he posted a BB/K ratio of 1.00, 0.77, 0.93, and 0.68. He never posted a strikeout rate over 12.6 percent (which occurred his last year in 2008 in Boston), and he stayed around the 25 percent league average in terms of swinging at pitches outside the strike zone. Also, Casey showed a great ability to make contact at the plate, as his contact rates his last four seasons were 90.6 percent, 88.5 percent, 89.8 percent, and 89.2 percent.

Huff unfortunately strikes out a little more than Casey (From 2006-2009, his strikeout percentages were 14.1 percent, 15.8 percent, 14.9 percent, and 16.2 percent), but for the most part his BB/K ratios have been solid (0.78, 0.55, 0.60, and 0.59 from 2006-2009), like Casey. After five games in 2010, Huff's BB/K ratios have been stellar at 1.00 (thanks to a 9.1 walk percentage and 10.0 strikeout percentage) and it wouldn't be surprising to see Huff finish the year in that category in the 0.60-0.75 range (the league average is usually around 0.50).

In terms of swinging outside the strike zone in comparison to Casey? Huff isn't much better. His lowest percentage in the last four years was 22.5 in 2006, while his highest was 26.9 percent last year. That being said, those percentages aren't alarming either. To put it in perspective, Pablo Sandoval swung at 41.5 percent of pitches outside the strike zone.

When compared to Sandoval, Huff looks like Nick Swisher.

So Huff is going to be a disciplined hitter at the plate. He is going to draw a good amount of walks (not great by any measure, but good), will make contact (he's never been under 80 percent in terms of contact rate) and won't strike out a whole lot either. Casey did that in his career in Cincinnati, Pittsburgh, Detroit and Boston, and I think it's safe to expect the same from Huff in San Francisco.

Unfortunately though, being compared to Casey does have its downfalls.

For starters, Casey struggled with his power from 2005-2008. After slugging 24 home runs in 2004 with the Reds, he hit only 21 home runs the next four years COMBINED.

What caused Casey's drop in home-run hitting power?

He became primarily a groundball hitter during those last four years, as evidenced by his 1.76, 1.34, 1.38 and 1.10 GB/FB rates. To make matters worse, his flyballs didn't have any potency behind them. His HR/FB percentages from 2005-2008 were 6.3 percent, 6.8 percent, 2.9 percent and zero percent. (Big ouch in 2008!)

Huff has shown similar trends the last four years in the Majors. With the exception of 2008 (0.98 GB/FB ratio), Huff has been primarily a groundball hitter as well (1.23 in 2006, 1.21 in 2007, and 1.32 in 2009). And, while he hasn't suffered a huge drop in his HR/FB percentage like Casey, he has showed some inconsistency in that category as well (14.6 percent and 14.9 percent in 2006 and 2008; 8.5 percent and 9.1 percent in 2007 and 2009).

The biggest concern with Huff though? While Casey put up solid line drive percentages (meaning he made good contact) from 2005-2008 (he had a percentage under 20 percent once in that timespan, in 2005 when it was 18.9 percent), you can't say the same thing for Huff. Huff hasn't had a line drive percentage over 20 percent since 2003.

That's okay if the hitter has some speed or is a slap hitter expected to hit leadoff. Yet if that player is the team's cleanup hitter? Well...let's just say it doesn't make you sleep well at night as a Giants fan.

Overall, there are positives and negatives with the Casey comparison. Huff will be a safe hitter in the lineup, as he won't strike out a ton and he will be a good bet for putting balls in play (and that could be a good thing if he gets lucky). In the grand scheme of things, he is an upgrade over Bengie Molina, last year's cleanup hitter.

However, I have a feeling that like Casey, Huff will struggle to hit for power and will continue to be susceptible to hitting more groundballs than line drives and fly balls (his line drive rate is 11.1 percent after five games in 2010; his groundball rate is 44.4 percent).

He could have a batting average in the .280 range and an OBP in the .340-.350 range, but in terms of power production, I would be surprised if Huff touched 20 home runs not to mention sport a slugging over .430 (and even that is generous).

That's not exactly what you want from your cleanup hitter, like I said before. However, if Giants fans can keep their expectations low, and think "Sean Casey" rather than "Aubrey Huff circa 2008," then I believe Giants fans will be satisfied with Huff's performance in 2010 with the Giants.

After all, while Casey wasn't a spectacular "Albert Pujols" hitter his last four years in the Major Leagues, he still happened to be a serviceable Major League player (his wOBA averaged .332 the last four years).

For a temporary, one-year player worth three million dollars (it could be worse contract-wise; we could have had Adam LaRoche for two-years, $17.5 million), a "Sean Casey 2.0" wouldn't be such a bad thing, especially considering this Giants offense.

The PG Beat: Opening Day, Lincecum Deals, Derosa Homers, Hufff = Sean Casey 2.0?

It's back! And I love it to boot!

Baseball season returns as does the Postgame Beat. Now, this Postgame Beat won't be obviously as long or as complete as PG Beats in the past, but it will still happen people! This is Giants baseball after all.

Anyways, what a way to start off the season. The Giants won 5-2, Aaron Rowand gave his usual 0-for-5 fielding practice for Astros infielders, and John Bowker proved he belonged in the lineup with a long single and a great catch in left field.

To be specific though, here's a few more condensed thoughts from the game:

-- Tim Lincecum looked awesome. Last year he looked shaky against the Brewers, but he got some decent offensive help in that one because Jeff Suppan was on the mound for the Brew crew. Today, he didn't need much help from the Giants offense. The line says it all: seven IP, zero walks, seven strikeouts. That's dominance ladies and gentleman, plain and simple. Going into the year, I thought it was impossible that Lincecum would three-peat the Cy Young. After today, I don't think it's so farfetched.

-- Mark Derosa. Put it on the board...YES! (Sorry to rip from the homer Chicago White Sox announcers). Derosa may not be the total answer to the Giants offensive woes, but he looked pretty good. He drew a walk that sparked the Giants three-run inning second and his homer in the eighth pretty much locked it up. If Derosa continues these solid at-bats, he'll make Giants fans grateful that Brian Sabean forked out the cash for him in December.

-- Aubrey Huff didn't have a bad game. But I was incredibly startled by him out there. He looked incredibly skinny and the way he swung...well, he kind of looked like Sean Casey. Yes, the eight homer hitting Sean Casey who is now an analyst for MLB Network. Now, it is only one game, but I wouldn't be surprised to see Huff put up Casey-in stats. His swing just didn't seem to have a lot of power behind it and he doesn't seem to be the Huff that was putting up 20-homer seasons in Tampa and Baltimore. Like I said, early, but I'm not all too hopeful.

So that's the first PG Beat of the 2010 season. Hopefully, there will be plenty more to come. Go Giants and best of luck to Barry Zito tomorrow.

Around the "Candlestick": Huff Analysis, Prospect Rankings, Roster Talk, Offense Musings

Decided to post some pieces I found on the Internet about the Giants that were interesting. Definitely gives me a nice break to not actually do some original "extensive" writing for a change. Come on. I do enough work on this blog posting as it is. Give me a break! I'll let Harrison Ford voice my feelings. (BTW Thanks Bill Simmons!)

Aubrey Huff Analysis on Fangraphs

I really respect and love the Web site Fangraphs, a sabermetrics heavy baseball site (you can get all kinds of advance statistics on players; it's pretty much an easier to navigate Baseball Prospectus in my mind). Anyways, Jack Moore of Fangraphs posted an interesting article on the Giants' acquisition of Aubrey Huff. Basically, we shared the same feelings: he was less than thrilled about Brian Sabean's acquistion.


John Sickels Top 20 Giants Prospects

This was posted almost two months ago, but due to certain circumstances, I wasn't able to see it until now. Some things I like: Buster Posey and Thomas Neal at the top of the list. Some things I expected: Conor Gillaspie near the bottom. Things that make me a little queasy: Sickels "less than thrilled" attitude concerning Dan Runzler and Waldis Joaquin (both whom I love).

Roster Thoughts from McCovey Chronicles

I went a little off on the McCovey Chronicles a couple of days ago in my Huff Post. I didn't really mean it though. I think was just more upset by the constant Ishikawa bashing than anything else. Really. I love this blog. You know that scene where Jeanne Tripplehorn is crying when she is ex-communicated from the Church of Latter Day Saints in the show "Big Love"? Yeah, that would be me if I was barred from that Giants blog. My favorite blog on the Giants period (other than this one of course...sorry I'm vain).


Some Thoughts on the Giants Offense for 2010

Satchel Price of Beyond the Box Score posted a piece musing on the offense of the Giants going into the 2010 season. In summary, it's probably the most optimistic thing I've seen about the Giants offense in quite some time. There are some things he did point out I didn't agree with (he mentioned that he believes Aaron Rowand is due for a breakout year, while I think Rowand can improve, but only because last year was so atrocious), but for the most part, it makes you think good things about the Giants offense around Pablo Sandoval for a change. If you're a Giants fans, read this and keep it bookmarked for when you're feeling blue.

Same Old Sabean, Same Old Team: Giants Sign Aubrey Huff

I guess I jinxed myself last night. For some reason, out of the blue, I came out of nowhere to defend Travis Ishikawa.

Call it a bad feeling, hunch, whatever. I just knew something was in store this coming week in terms of the first baseman position.

I expected it to be Adam LaRoche.

Instead, the Giants signed Aubrey Huff to what appears to be a one-year deal worth $2.5 million dollars.

Yes, the same Huff that has spent most of his career as a Designated Hitter. The same Huff that posted a .567 OPS and only two home runs in a small, second half stint after being traded from Baltimore to the Detroit Tigers (not to mention complemented their utter collapse to the Twins last season). The same Huff that has only played in one ballpark similar to AT&T Park (Comerica Park) and effectively stunk it up in his tenure there.

At this point, I apologize for what I said yesterday. I almost wish it was Adam LaRoche the Giants signed, even if it meant another year in terms of a contract and a few more million dollars.

At least, he would be a guy worthy of supplanting Ishikawa. At least LaRoche wouldn't be an embarrassment in the infield like Huff most likely will be next season when he'll be missing Edgar Renteria and Pablo Sandoval's ailing throws to first.

Seriously, I'm really just puzzled by this move. I understand it on paper. Huff has good stats (minus 2009) and satisfies a need (a left-handed power hitter). I understand it really was a good contract. It's only one year, it's only two and a half million, and if Huff stinks it up Ryan Klesko style, then Brian Sabean can pull the plug on him. That makes sense.

What I don't get is that the Giants seem to have made their success on pitching and defense last season, and they seem to have just thrown that in the wind simply because everybody kept harking "More Offense! More Offense!" He seemed to be following the right plan when he re-signed Freddy Sanchez, and let go of Ryan Garko. He seemed to make a good signing in Mark Derosa, a guy who can play multiple positions and really hold it down in left field, even if is in the mid-30's and is most likely on the downswing of his career. He made the right call in re-signing Juan Uribe, just in case Edgar Renteria falls off the face of the earth by May (which most likely will happen).

And then, this happens. Huff blows up everything the Giants worked for last year, all because Giants fans, bloggers, and management wanted "dingers" and "immediate run production."

I'm not saying Ishikawa is the second coming of Mo Vaughn. Heck, I don't even know if Ishikawa could reach up to JT Snow level in his career. But what I'm sick of hearing is how pathetic Giants minor league position players are. I'm sick of hearing people hark about how Kevin Frandsen never gets any chances, and then the same people bury Ishikawa when Ishikawa actually puts up similar, if not BETTER numbers than Frandsen in his tenure at Major League level.

Ishikawa may not turn out to be the next Carlos Pena like I imagine him to be. I'll give his naysayers that, just because players usually never live up to comparisons nine times out of ten. However, he's not the next Todd Linden. He's not the next Lance Niekro. Ishikawa is head and shoulders above those guys in my mind. Linden was a great Triple-A hitter, but never could make an adjustment, and Niekro was the benificiary of a surpisingly small stint when JT Snow was hurt. Ishikawa had a good full season as a rookie, and that was despite atrocious road numbers (two home runs, .162 average, .471 OPS), which is more a characteristic of lack of experience rather than his overall play. He can't do any worse than he did last year on the road, and if he can couple that with his solid home stats (seven home runs, .349 average, .935 OPS), he's going to improve. You just can't ignore that.

And yet, Giants fans and management continue to push this idea (and the statistics) out the window, continue to think to themselves that "a proven player" is better, even if that same player may never prove himself again. Seriously, if Sandoval did not have his coming out party like he did in 2009, these same people would have buried the Panda and pined for Jose Castillo again last year.

In my mind, I just don't know if the Giants can do any better next year. I seriously thought they could, I thought Sabean learned his lesson, and then he came out and signed Huff. At this point, I just don't think it's Sabean's fault anymore. In many ways, I believe there is this terrible, hypocritical wave of Giants fans who harp about certain things (don't trade Matt Cain, play Frandsen more, We hate Eugenio Velez) and then make completely contrary arguments (get rid of Jonathan Sanchez, Ishikawa stinks, Giants fans wanting power hitters regardless of the ballparks they played in during their careers).

(Granted, I'm guilty of this as well. I have made contrary arguments in my time here as well. I love Emmanuel Burriss too much. I flip flop on Velez all the time. I actually thought getting Jermaine Dye was a good idea. But it just seems to get worse and worse from fans who only care about RBIs and HRs and don't think you can be successful any other way. I like to think that I observe and care about other aspects of this Giants team.)

Do I hope Huff doesn't stink up the join in San Francisco? Of course. I am a Giants fan, and I want the team to win, regardless of how terrible a team they're set up to be. I'm just frustrated, that's all. I'm frustrated because I thought Giants fans were going to see a team going to be set up to be like the 2008 Tampa Bay Rays, a team that took pride in its pitching and defense, and let the hitting come from less heralded guys within their system. Instead, Sabean has given us this: a team that emphasizes big names over potential and progress, just like before, as always. Nothing has changed with him, despite what Giants fans were hoping when owner Bill Neukom handed him that two-year deal this off-season

I'm going to say it here now: the progress we saw as a defense last year? Throw that out the window. The progress we saw with guys within the system finding success at the Major League level? Forget about it in 2010.

Next season is going to look a lot like those years from 2005-2008 where we had "star" names floundering in San Francisco because a.) they couldn't adjust to the ballpark and b.) they were on the downside of their careers. Next season is going to be like those years where it seemed the Giants had no plan, other than good starting pitching. Next season is going to be like those years when we watched Mark Sweeney, Steve Finley and Dave Roberts.

The only difference is they'll have different names and numbers on the back of their jerseys.