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.
Showing posts with label Pablo Sandoval. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Pablo Sandoval. Show all posts
Monday, June 21, 2010
Friday, April 30, 2010
Panda Progress? Sandoval's Improvement at the Plate from 2009 to 2010
Say what you want about the Giants offense: they can't drive in runs, they don't have enough power, their players fantasy-wise are about as enticing as the idea of Mo'Nique doing a spread for Playboy magazine. (In actuality, I really like Mo'Nique as an actress; I just want to see her clothed...she's not my type body-wise.)
I understand as a Giants fan the sentiment. However, while you can say those things about the Giants' overall offense, you certainly can't say those things of one player:
Pablo Sandoval.
On paper, the progress Sandoval has made at the plate has been incredible.
First off, I know some people at first glance may not be too impressed with his overall numbers. While his batting average (.373), OPS (1.031) and wOBA (.448) are incredible, the obvious statistics don't jump at you. He has only three home runs and nine RBI (granted RBI are kind of hard to get when you have Edgar Renteria and Aaron Rowand batting ahead of you, but for now, let's use the stat), and he has gotten lucky with a .389 BABIP (which is not sustainable if you consider the league average is .296 currently).
If you look at the whole profile this year though, and especially look at where Sandoval was as a hitter at this time last year, the progress he has made is as obvious as a Goodfellas picture in an Italian restaurant.
Here are Sandoval's splits during the month of March/April the past two seasons.
2009: .307 average, one home run, six RBI, three BB, 12 SO, .350 OBP, .790 OPS, 0.25 BB/K , .341 wOBA, 1.94 GB/FB, 5.9 percent HR/FB, 10.4 wRC.
2010: .373 average, three home run, nine RBI, 10 BB, eight SO, .441 OBP, 1.031 OPS, 1.25 BB/K, .448 wOBA, 1.38 GB/FB, 11.5 percent HR/FB, 20.1 wRC.
Sit with those numbers for a second. They definitely put a wrench in all those naysayers' arguments who felt Sandoval going into last year was nothing more than a glorified Randall Simon.
As you can see, Sandoval has improved in every statistical category from this time last year. Three numbers jump out the most: the BB/K ratio, the GB/FB ratio and the HR/FB ratio.
In terms of the BB/K ratio, Sandoval has made an incredible adjustment at the plate in terms of patience. At this time in 2009, Sandoval was known for swinging at pitches at his head (and sometimes making contact with them).
That hasn't been the case anymore. His walk percentage has improved and sits at 10.8 percent going into today's game against Colorado (his walk percentage was only 3.8 percent last year).
Yet the strikeout percentage and BB/K ratio, despite the improvement in walks, is still extraordinary. A guy who has a BB/K ratio over 0.50 is a solid player. A guy who has it over one? Chances are that isn't sustainable in the post-Bonds era unless his name rhymes with "Cool Hose". Nonetheless, it is still noteworthy (if temporary) considering the kind of hitter Sandoval was when he first broke into the league in 2008 (when his BB/K ratio was projected in the 0.40-0.60 range because of his lack of ability to take a walk in the minors).
What has been the reason for the decreased strikeout percentage? Sandoval is swinging less this year, but is making better contact.
Here's the evidence: his O-swing percentage (swinging at pitches outside of the strikezone) is 39.2 percent (down from 41.8 percent last year) and his swing percentage is 51.8 percent (down from 58.2 percent last year). However, he had made better contact on pitches in and out of the strikezone (77.5 and 90.9 percent, respectively, totaling a 84.5 percent contact rate; in 2009, those percentages were 75.2, 87.7 and 82.4 percent, respectively).
A lot of Giants fans, including myself, said that if Sandoval wanted to be less like Jeff Francoeur and more like Pujols or Miguel Cabrera, Sandoval was going to have be more disciplined at the plate. He has done that since last year, and especially since June of last season when his BB/K ratio was over 0.80 every month except for July (when it was 0.29).
When you look at the GB/FB and HR/FB ratios, they aren't exactly impressive either at first glance if you compare him to Cabrera or Pujols. Yet Sandoval, who primarily is known for hitting balls on the ground, has certainly gotten better in terms of putting the ball in the air, and putting some power behind it.
If you examined his HR/FB ratios last year, he sported a 5.9 and 7.4 percent HR/FB ratio in the first two months of play (closer to Eugenio Velez to be frank). The problem? He just hit too many balls on the ground. His groundball rate was 53.2 percent and 53.1 percent the first two months of play, and his line drive rate was under 20 percent and his flyball rate was under 34 percent both months in 2009.
This year has been a slightly different story. While his line drive rate could be better (17.3 percent), his flyball rate is up (34.7) and even better, he is making those flyballs count as evidenced by his HR/FB ratio (11.5). And, if Sandoval can break out in June, August and September/October this season like he did last season in those categories, then Sandoval not only will be a legitimate All-Star, he will be an MVP candidate by the end of the year (an "Inglorious Basterds for Best Picture at the Academy Awards" longshot candidate, but candidate nonetheless; it's hard to compete with Pujols).
Sandoval is far from perfect. His O-swing percentage is still far too high (despite his ability to make contact outside the strike zone, swinging out of the strike zone just makes pitcher's jobs easier) and defensively he hasn't show much improvement in 2010. He has committed three errors this year and his UZR/150 currently stands at negative-22.7 at third base. While he still can improve, it probably would be in the Giants' best interest in the long-run if Sandoval moved to first.
(Though that is certainly hard to do with Aubrey Huff blocking him there...curses "veteran" status! Brian Sabean organizes this team like a Baltimore stevedore union...sorry for "The Wire" reference; it couldn't be helped.)
Despite those negatives, as a Giants fan, you have to be happy with where the "Panda" is at in terms of his career. He is still incredibly young (only 23 years old) and he has shown a strong ability to improve his hitting skills and approach from month to month. If he continues that progress, he'll make it easier for Giants fans to forget about Barry Bonds and the Rowand contact (not completely of course).
There still is a long way to go this season for Sandoval and the Giants. However, it will be important to pay attention to him as the season continues. With Huff most likely a guy that will underwhelm in the cleanup hole, and so many questions concerning this Giants lineup (How long will Nate Schierholtz carry this hot streak? Will John Bowker play? Can Freddy Sanchez be the "All-Star Sanchez" pre-trade?) Sandoval not only will be counted on to carry this team offensively, but even more so than last year.
Judging by this first of month of play, he certainly is capable of doing it.
I understand as a Giants fan the sentiment. However, while you can say those things about the Giants' overall offense, you certainly can't say those things of one player:
Pablo Sandoval.
On paper, the progress Sandoval has made at the plate has been incredible.
First off, I know some people at first glance may not be too impressed with his overall numbers. While his batting average (.373), OPS (1.031) and wOBA (.448) are incredible, the obvious statistics don't jump at you. He has only three home runs and nine RBI (granted RBI are kind of hard to get when you have Edgar Renteria and Aaron Rowand batting ahead of you, but for now, let's use the stat), and he has gotten lucky with a .389 BABIP (which is not sustainable if you consider the league average is .296 currently).
If you look at the whole profile this year though, and especially look at where Sandoval was as a hitter at this time last year, the progress he has made is as obvious as a Goodfellas picture in an Italian restaurant.
Here are Sandoval's splits during the month of March/April the past two seasons.
2009: .307 average, one home run, six RBI, three BB, 12 SO, .350 OBP, .790 OPS, 0.25 BB/K , .341 wOBA, 1.94 GB/FB, 5.9 percent HR/FB, 10.4 wRC.
2010: .373 average, three home run, nine RBI, 10 BB, eight SO, .441 OBP, 1.031 OPS, 1.25 BB/K, .448 wOBA, 1.38 GB/FB, 11.5 percent HR/FB, 20.1 wRC.
Sit with those numbers for a second. They definitely put a wrench in all those naysayers' arguments who felt Sandoval going into last year was nothing more than a glorified Randall Simon.
As you can see, Sandoval has improved in every statistical category from this time last year. Three numbers jump out the most: the BB/K ratio, the GB/FB ratio and the HR/FB ratio.
In terms of the BB/K ratio, Sandoval has made an incredible adjustment at the plate in terms of patience. At this time in 2009, Sandoval was known for swinging at pitches at his head (and sometimes making contact with them).
That hasn't been the case anymore. His walk percentage has improved and sits at 10.8 percent going into today's game against Colorado (his walk percentage was only 3.8 percent last year).
Yet the strikeout percentage and BB/K ratio, despite the improvement in walks, is still extraordinary. A guy who has a BB/K ratio over 0.50 is a solid player. A guy who has it over one? Chances are that isn't sustainable in the post-Bonds era unless his name rhymes with "Cool Hose". Nonetheless, it is still noteworthy (if temporary) considering the kind of hitter Sandoval was when he first broke into the league in 2008 (when his BB/K ratio was projected in the 0.40-0.60 range because of his lack of ability to take a walk in the minors).
What has been the reason for the decreased strikeout percentage? Sandoval is swinging less this year, but is making better contact.
Here's the evidence: his O-swing percentage (swinging at pitches outside of the strikezone) is 39.2 percent (down from 41.8 percent last year) and his swing percentage is 51.8 percent (down from 58.2 percent last year). However, he had made better contact on pitches in and out of the strikezone (77.5 and 90.9 percent, respectively, totaling a 84.5 percent contact rate; in 2009, those percentages were 75.2, 87.7 and 82.4 percent, respectively).
A lot of Giants fans, including myself, said that if Sandoval wanted to be less like Jeff Francoeur and more like Pujols or Miguel Cabrera, Sandoval was going to have be more disciplined at the plate. He has done that since last year, and especially since June of last season when his BB/K ratio was over 0.80 every month except for July (when it was 0.29).
When you look at the GB/FB and HR/FB ratios, they aren't exactly impressive either at first glance if you compare him to Cabrera or Pujols. Yet Sandoval, who primarily is known for hitting balls on the ground, has certainly gotten better in terms of putting the ball in the air, and putting some power behind it.
If you examined his HR/FB ratios last year, he sported a 5.9 and 7.4 percent HR/FB ratio in the first two months of play (closer to Eugenio Velez to be frank). The problem? He just hit too many balls on the ground. His groundball rate was 53.2 percent and 53.1 percent the first two months of play, and his line drive rate was under 20 percent and his flyball rate was under 34 percent both months in 2009.
This year has been a slightly different story. While his line drive rate could be better (17.3 percent), his flyball rate is up (34.7) and even better, he is making those flyballs count as evidenced by his HR/FB ratio (11.5). And, if Sandoval can break out in June, August and September/October this season like he did last season in those categories, then Sandoval not only will be a legitimate All-Star, he will be an MVP candidate by the end of the year (an "Inglorious Basterds for Best Picture at the Academy Awards" longshot candidate, but candidate nonetheless; it's hard to compete with Pujols).
Sandoval is far from perfect. His O-swing percentage is still far too high (despite his ability to make contact outside the strike zone, swinging out of the strike zone just makes pitcher's jobs easier) and defensively he hasn't show much improvement in 2010. He has committed three errors this year and his UZR/150 currently stands at negative-22.7 at third base. While he still can improve, it probably would be in the Giants' best interest in the long-run if Sandoval moved to first.
(Though that is certainly hard to do with Aubrey Huff blocking him there...curses "veteran" status! Brian Sabean organizes this team like a Baltimore stevedore union...sorry for "The Wire" reference; it couldn't be helped.)
Despite those negatives, as a Giants fan, you have to be happy with where the "Panda" is at in terms of his career. He is still incredibly young (only 23 years old) and he has shown a strong ability to improve his hitting skills and approach from month to month. If he continues that progress, he'll make it easier for Giants fans to forget about Barry Bonds and the Rowand contact (not completely of course).
There still is a long way to go this season for Sandoval and the Giants. However, it will be important to pay attention to him as the season continues. With Huff most likely a guy that will underwhelm in the cleanup hole, and so many questions concerning this Giants lineup (How long will Nate Schierholtz carry this hot streak? Will John Bowker play? Can Freddy Sanchez be the "All-Star Sanchez" pre-trade?) Sandoval not only will be counted on to carry this team offensively, but even more so than last year.
Judging by this first of month of play, he certainly is capable of doing it.
Sunday, February 28, 2010
"Around the Candlestick": Divisional Prospects Looks, M's Hernandez vs. A's Anderson Debate, "Four Eyes" Panda, Giants Win
Sorry, I'm feeling a little low after Canada won that Gold Medal game against the US today in hockey. Seriously, Sidney "Freaking" Crosby won it...as he always does. I don't know why, but I'm getting tired of seeing the kid dominate so much. It's kind of tough to explain this feeling. I don't hate the Pittsburgh Penguins, and my favorite hockey team, the San Jose Sharks, plays in the West, so they don't face each other very often.
Who knows why I am starting to develop an annoyance with Crosby. Maybe he's too clean cut. Maybe he's too perfect. Maybe I like Alexander Ovechkin way more and Crosby is just too opposite from him. Maybe if I cared more about hockey I'd figure all this stuff out.
Oh well. Silver ain't bad, U.S. I sure as heck wasn't expecting a silver medal this year. So really, I can't complain.
Anyways, on a lighter note, let's look at some things "Around the Candlestick" style.
2010 MLB Fantasy Prospects By Division Series
As I have said countless time before, I have a lot of respect for Stephen Sheridan and the job that he and his crew of writers are doing at MLB Fantasy Prospects. MLBFP definitely helped put my blog more out there and Remember '51 has definitely skyrocketed in terms of page views and readers since MLBFP put me on their recommended reading list.
That being said, I'm not just doing this to be a nice guy. MLB Fantasy prospects has some great stuff, and now, writer Ben Carsley has a series that looks at the Top 10 prospects in each Division. I have looked at a few of them (AL West, AL Central and NL West) and they are all really impressive. As far as the NL West, three Giants make the list, with Buster Posey at No. 1, Madison Bumgarner at No. 2 and Zach Wheeler at No. 11.
If only general manager Brian Sabean and manager would wise up with Posey. Everybody and their mother seems to have jumped on the Posey bandwagon except them.
Brett Anderson of the Oakland A's vs. Felix Hernandez of the Seattle Mariners
The link I posted is where the most debate is going on (including my own comments on Hernandez vs. Anderson), but other interesting articles concerning this debate are located here (Anderson being the best pitcher in 2010) and here (the 10 Best Pitchers of 2009).
Basically, Bleacher Report writer Nathaniel Stoltz claims that Anderson will be the best pitcher in 2010 and his second half hints that he is due for big success next season, perhaps even more so than Hernandez. Now, technically, Stoltz is a Featured Columnist for the Oakland A's on Bleacher Report, but don't let that fool you. He's actually a lot more objective than you think, and he rests his Anderson argument mostly on Fielding Independent statistics.
It's a interesting point, and he makes a lot of good arguments, but I disagree mostly because a.) Anderson's 2009 paled overall in comparison to Hernandez's (Fielding independent pitching stats included. b.) Anderson's second-half hype was a bit overrated (his August was okay, not great) and c.) Anderson pitched almost sixty less innings than Hernandez, so Anderson had the benefit of a fresher arm in comparison to Hernandez (thus, naturally the small regression in the second half last season.
Nathaniel is holding to his guns on this one apparently though. Now, I'm not saying Anderson can't be a good pitcher (he was a rookie after all last year), but he's not better than Hernandez at this point.
Pablo Sandoval Needs Glasses...Apparently
Thanks to Obsessive Giants Compulsive for bringing this story up. Absolutely incredible. Sandoval couldn't see well last year and he led the Giants in every offensive category by leaps and bounds. What can he do next year? I don't want to think about it. It makes my head hurt just thinking about.
Giants Win Puts Remember '51 on their Giants Blogroll
Not much to say but thanks to Giants Win for putting Remember '51 on their Giants blogroll. A great Giants site that definitely connects you with every and any Giants news story imaginable. Definitely check it out when you have a free moment. Big D, the blogger at Giants Win, doesn't miss a thing.
Who knows why I am starting to develop an annoyance with Crosby. Maybe he's too clean cut. Maybe he's too perfect. Maybe I like Alexander Ovechkin way more and Crosby is just too opposite from him. Maybe if I cared more about hockey I'd figure all this stuff out.
Oh well. Silver ain't bad, U.S. I sure as heck wasn't expecting a silver medal this year. So really, I can't complain.
Anyways, on a lighter note, let's look at some things "Around the Candlestick" style.
2010 MLB Fantasy Prospects By Division Series
As I have said countless time before, I have a lot of respect for Stephen Sheridan and the job that he and his crew of writers are doing at MLB Fantasy Prospects. MLBFP definitely helped put my blog more out there and Remember '51 has definitely skyrocketed in terms of page views and readers since MLBFP put me on their recommended reading list.
That being said, I'm not just doing this to be a nice guy. MLB Fantasy prospects has some great stuff, and now, writer Ben Carsley has a series that looks at the Top 10 prospects in each Division. I have looked at a few of them (AL West, AL Central and NL West) and they are all really impressive. As far as the NL West, three Giants make the list, with Buster Posey at No. 1, Madison Bumgarner at No. 2 and Zach Wheeler at No. 11.
If only general manager Brian Sabean and manager would wise up with Posey. Everybody and their mother seems to have jumped on the Posey bandwagon except them.
Brett Anderson of the Oakland A's vs. Felix Hernandez of the Seattle Mariners
The link I posted is where the most debate is going on (including my own comments on Hernandez vs. Anderson), but other interesting articles concerning this debate are located here (Anderson being the best pitcher in 2010) and here (the 10 Best Pitchers of 2009).
Basically, Bleacher Report writer Nathaniel Stoltz claims that Anderson will be the best pitcher in 2010 and his second half hints that he is due for big success next season, perhaps even more so than Hernandez. Now, technically, Stoltz is a Featured Columnist for the Oakland A's on Bleacher Report, but don't let that fool you. He's actually a lot more objective than you think, and he rests his Anderson argument mostly on Fielding Independent statistics.
It's a interesting point, and he makes a lot of good arguments, but I disagree mostly because a.) Anderson's 2009 paled overall in comparison to Hernandez's (Fielding independent pitching stats included. b.) Anderson's second-half hype was a bit overrated (his August was okay, not great) and c.) Anderson pitched almost sixty less innings than Hernandez, so Anderson had the benefit of a fresher arm in comparison to Hernandez (thus, naturally the small regression in the second half last season.
Nathaniel is holding to his guns on this one apparently though. Now, I'm not saying Anderson can't be a good pitcher (he was a rookie after all last year), but he's not better than Hernandez at this point.
Pablo Sandoval Needs Glasses...Apparently
Thanks to Obsessive Giants Compulsive for bringing this story up. Absolutely incredible. Sandoval couldn't see well last year and he led the Giants in every offensive category by leaps and bounds. What can he do next year? I don't want to think about it. It makes my head hurt just thinking about.
Giants Win Puts Remember '51 on their Giants Blogroll
Not much to say but thanks to Giants Win for putting Remember '51 on their Giants blogroll. A great Giants site that definitely connects you with every and any Giants news story imaginable. Definitely check it out when you have a free moment. Big D, the blogger at Giants Win, doesn't miss a thing.
Sunday, February 14, 2010
Retro B/R Article: Can Pablo Sandoval Be "The Man" for the San Francisco Giants?
This was my first lead story on Bleacher Report. Unfortunately, this was before the "awards" system, so it went unrecognized. In order to get lead story status now, it seems that you have to right about a big news story with your own spin or you have to write about Manny Pacquiao. I don't like to do either, so I haven't had many lead stories on Bleacher Report since this one.
This was me in my typical element: wanting to combine movies and sports into my writing. Looking back, I'm not sure if it worked or not. I think I got a little too carried away with the "Man" motif to be perfectly frank, but at the time, it sure made a whole lot of sense when I wrote it.
Now that we're going into 2010 though, I will say this: Pablo Sandoval definitely is "The Man" for the Giants.
From Bleacher Report
It is difficult not to like the "Kung Fu Panda" if you're a San Francisco Giants fan.
Pablo Sandoval can do it all.
He can hit for power, he can hit for average, he can make that great defensive play, and for a guy 5'11" and 246 pounds, the guy has a little more speed than one might think.
There is no reason why Giants fans shouldn't vote for Sandoval for that final National League All-Star spot. He has earned a place in the Midsummer Classic after an amazing first half that has produced a .326 average, 13 home runs, 48 RBI, and a .379 OBP.
However, as a Giants fan, I am curious to know how the second half will unfold for Sandoval.
With the Giants in a very tight race for the NL Wild Card spot and still looking to somehow catch the Dodgers in the NL West, the Giants will not just need him to continue to be a strong presence in the lineup with his bat.
They will need him to be "The Man" for this Giants team.
Now being "The Man" isn't easy. Being "The Man" in baseball is similar to being a Clint Eastwood or Steve McQueen in the movie world: Many male actors aspire to capture that kind of status, but very few ever achieve it because of how difficult it is to acquire the kind of moxie those actors had.
Movie fans thought at a time Vin Diesel could be "The Man" in the modern movie generation. However, he starred in the terrible children's flick The Pacifier and lost that potential in one fell swoop.
Those kinds of stories are similar in baseball.
A lot of players certainly get the opportunities to be "The Man," to be that kind of player to a baseball team that Clint Eastwood was to the movie The Good, the Bad and the Ugly.
However, many players often fall flat on their face because they can't handle the pressure and don't necessarily have the right stuff to put it all together.
Manny Ramirez is an example of a guy that can handle being "The Man." Albert Pujols is a guy that has been "The Man" since he was a rookie in St. Louis.
Hank Blalock, on the other hand, couldn't become one, even though we thought he was capable after his All-Star game-winning homer in 2003.
Ken Griffey Jr. used to have "The Man" status in Seattle but lost it after injuries and mediocrity in Cincinnati.
David Ortiz was the quintessential one after the 2004 ALCS but then lost it this year when he only hit one homer in the first two months of the season. On the other hand, he might regain it again if he can capitalize on his current hot streak.
As you can see, being "The Man" is a tough challenge. It requires a person to be not only the main bat in the lineup, but also be the guy everyone looks to when the going gets tough.
If an opposing pitcher is mowing down the lineup, players and fans look to "The Man" to get a rally started.
When it is the bottom of the ninth, the team is down by one, and "The Man" is three batters behind the leadoff guy, fans are praying that somebody gets a hit or walk so the pitcher will have to face "The Man."
Because if "The Man" gets up, the fans, players, and manager know he will win the game.
That's how much confidence "The Man" imbues in people. That's how good and how special he is.
Sandoval has all the tools to be "The Man" for this Giants team. Pitchers have a hard time getting effortless at-bats from Sandoval, unlike the rest of the team. You can get bad at-bats easily with the right pitching combos from guys like Aaron Rowand or Nate Schierholtz.
The same can't be said of Sandoval.
Sandoval can get behind 0-2 in a count and still hit a grand slam two pitches later.
Pitchers used to be able to get Sandoval to swing at that high fastball at the eyes.
Now Sandoval just spits on it as it passes by.
Sandoval is the only bat in the lineup who is capable of being dependable and dramatic at the same time—two qualities typically characteristic of a player who is "The Man."
If the Giants want to have a serious shot at the playoffs in the second half, they need him to become "The Man" and embrace it as soon as possible.
Now a lot of people will ask, "Why can't Tim Lincecum be 'The Man?' Or how about Matt Cain?"
A starting pitcher can't be "The Man" because "The Man" needs to be playing every day. "The Man" needs to be able to excel despite the fact that each day could easily make or break his reputation, as well as the team's momentum.
Starting pitchers can only affect their teams every five days. Hitters affect the team every day they're in the lineup, and for anyone who is "The Man," that usually is every game.
Closers have the potential to achieve "The Man" status, but that is even more difficult to see.
In the history of baseball, in my mind, only two closers have achieved "The Man" status: Mariano Rivera of the New York Yankees and Dennis Eckersley of the Oakland A's.
Even now, though, it looks like Rivera's starting to lose that status after blowing save after save against the Red Sox since 2004.
As you can see, Sandoval is the only guy with a shot to capture this legendary standing on this Giants team, and whether or not he is able to be "The Man" will be the difference between the Giants making the playoffs and another season removed from the postseason.
The pressure will certainly be there. After this latest "Vote for Pablo" voting campaign, Sandoval is no longer a player that goes under the radar anymore. Pitchers will be gunning for him, as will opposing managers.
Teams will be sure to not make mistakes against Sandoval when he is up at the plate, and thus Sandoval won't get those breaks he got so easily when he was still relatively unknown.
Yet Sandoval is capable of rising above that. His approach to the plate has improved, and his swing has gotten better as well throughout the course of the year.
And when it comes down to it, it doesn't matter if the pitchers and managers have a plan for somebody who is "The Man."
"The Man" gets the job done regardless.
Is Sandoval going to be "The Man?" I certainly hope so. Like I said before, you have to be crazy not to like him, and not just for his bat either. The fun-loving way he plays the game and his crazy customs at the plate are a sheer delight not just for Giants fans, but for baseball fans in general.
On the other hand, you never know what can happen. For every Ryan Braun who successfully handles the pressure of becoming "The Man," there is an Alex Gordon who can't quite do it.
All I know is that every World Series champion has a guy that was "The Man" on their squad, and this is a Giants organization that has produced its fair share of "The Man" status players in the past.
Mel Ott. Willie Mays. Willie McCovey. Will Clark. Matt Williams. Barry Bonds. All those players were "The Man" for their respective Giants teams.
Hopefully "The Panda" joins that list.
This was me in my typical element: wanting to combine movies and sports into my writing. Looking back, I'm not sure if it worked or not. I think I got a little too carried away with the "Man" motif to be perfectly frank, but at the time, it sure made a whole lot of sense when I wrote it.
Now that we're going into 2010 though, I will say this: Pablo Sandoval definitely is "The Man" for the Giants.
From Bleacher Report
It is difficult not to like the "Kung Fu Panda" if you're a San Francisco Giants fan.
Pablo Sandoval can do it all.
He can hit for power, he can hit for average, he can make that great defensive play, and for a guy 5'11" and 246 pounds, the guy has a little more speed than one might think.
There is no reason why Giants fans shouldn't vote for Sandoval for that final National League All-Star spot. He has earned a place in the Midsummer Classic after an amazing first half that has produced a .326 average, 13 home runs, 48 RBI, and a .379 OBP.
However, as a Giants fan, I am curious to know how the second half will unfold for Sandoval.
With the Giants in a very tight race for the NL Wild Card spot and still looking to somehow catch the Dodgers in the NL West, the Giants will not just need him to continue to be a strong presence in the lineup with his bat.
They will need him to be "The Man" for this Giants team.
Now being "The Man" isn't easy. Being "The Man" in baseball is similar to being a Clint Eastwood or Steve McQueen in the movie world: Many male actors aspire to capture that kind of status, but very few ever achieve it because of how difficult it is to acquire the kind of moxie those actors had.
Movie fans thought at a time Vin Diesel could be "The Man" in the modern movie generation. However, he starred in the terrible children's flick The Pacifier and lost that potential in one fell swoop.
Those kinds of stories are similar in baseball.
A lot of players certainly get the opportunities to be "The Man," to be that kind of player to a baseball team that Clint Eastwood was to the movie The Good, the Bad and the Ugly.
However, many players often fall flat on their face because they can't handle the pressure and don't necessarily have the right stuff to put it all together.
Manny Ramirez is an example of a guy that can handle being "The Man." Albert Pujols is a guy that has been "The Man" since he was a rookie in St. Louis.
Hank Blalock, on the other hand, couldn't become one, even though we thought he was capable after his All-Star game-winning homer in 2003.
Ken Griffey Jr. used to have "The Man" status in Seattle but lost it after injuries and mediocrity in Cincinnati.
David Ortiz was the quintessential one after the 2004 ALCS but then lost it this year when he only hit one homer in the first two months of the season. On the other hand, he might regain it again if he can capitalize on his current hot streak.
As you can see, being "The Man" is a tough challenge. It requires a person to be not only the main bat in the lineup, but also be the guy everyone looks to when the going gets tough.
If an opposing pitcher is mowing down the lineup, players and fans look to "The Man" to get a rally started.
When it is the bottom of the ninth, the team is down by one, and "The Man" is three batters behind the leadoff guy, fans are praying that somebody gets a hit or walk so the pitcher will have to face "The Man."
Because if "The Man" gets up, the fans, players, and manager know he will win the game.
That's how much confidence "The Man" imbues in people. That's how good and how special he is.
Sandoval has all the tools to be "The Man" for this Giants team. Pitchers have a hard time getting effortless at-bats from Sandoval, unlike the rest of the team. You can get bad at-bats easily with the right pitching combos from guys like Aaron Rowand or Nate Schierholtz.
The same can't be said of Sandoval.
Sandoval can get behind 0-2 in a count and still hit a grand slam two pitches later.
Pitchers used to be able to get Sandoval to swing at that high fastball at the eyes.
Now Sandoval just spits on it as it passes by.
Sandoval is the only bat in the lineup who is capable of being dependable and dramatic at the same time—two qualities typically characteristic of a player who is "The Man."
If the Giants want to have a serious shot at the playoffs in the second half, they need him to become "The Man" and embrace it as soon as possible.
Now a lot of people will ask, "Why can't Tim Lincecum be 'The Man?' Or how about Matt Cain?"
A starting pitcher can't be "The Man" because "The Man" needs to be playing every day. "The Man" needs to be able to excel despite the fact that each day could easily make or break his reputation, as well as the team's momentum.
Starting pitchers can only affect their teams every five days. Hitters affect the team every day they're in the lineup, and for anyone who is "The Man," that usually is every game.
Closers have the potential to achieve "The Man" status, but that is even more difficult to see.
In the history of baseball, in my mind, only two closers have achieved "The Man" status: Mariano Rivera of the New York Yankees and Dennis Eckersley of the Oakland A's.
Even now, though, it looks like Rivera's starting to lose that status after blowing save after save against the Red Sox since 2004.
As you can see, Sandoval is the only guy with a shot to capture this legendary standing on this Giants team, and whether or not he is able to be "The Man" will be the difference between the Giants making the playoffs and another season removed from the postseason.
The pressure will certainly be there. After this latest "Vote for Pablo" voting campaign, Sandoval is no longer a player that goes under the radar anymore. Pitchers will be gunning for him, as will opposing managers.
Teams will be sure to not make mistakes against Sandoval when he is up at the plate, and thus Sandoval won't get those breaks he got so easily when he was still relatively unknown.
Yet Sandoval is capable of rising above that. His approach to the plate has improved, and his swing has gotten better as well throughout the course of the year.
And when it comes down to it, it doesn't matter if the pitchers and managers have a plan for somebody who is "The Man."
"The Man" gets the job done regardless.
Is Sandoval going to be "The Man?" I certainly hope so. Like I said before, you have to be crazy not to like him, and not just for his bat either. The fun-loving way he plays the game and his crazy customs at the plate are a sheer delight not just for Giants fans, but for baseball fans in general.
On the other hand, you never know what can happen. For every Ryan Braun who successfully handles the pressure of becoming "The Man," there is an Alex Gordon who can't quite do it.
All I know is that every World Series champion has a guy that was "The Man" on their squad, and this is a Giants organization that has produced its fair share of "The Man" status players in the past.
Mel Ott. Willie Mays. Willie McCovey. Will Clark. Matt Williams. Barry Bonds. All those players were "The Man" for their respective Giants teams.
Hopefully "The Panda" joins that list.
Friday, January 29, 2010
Around the "Candlestick": Simmons Lists Giants, Top 50 Prospects, Panda in Sharks Jersey, Bautista Piece, Angel Villalona!
All right. Bored, and just been browsing around the net. So, I decided to shoot up some links of things I found on the net concerning Giants baseball. Some are creative; some are not. Give me a break. I can't focus with the Zags losing to the freaking Santa Clara Broncos. (Update: they won...thank you Kerry Keating for being the worst coach in the history of the WCC!)
Giants Are N0. 6 On Bill Simmons' Most Tortured Franchise List
Just saw this one this morning. Finally, Giants fans get some much due respect for being a tortured organization. I mean, we heard Red Sox fans moan for 86 years, and Cubs fans continually whine and get massive publicity for it (BTW they should lose their "Lovable Losers" title after the way they crucified Steve Bartman; blame Alex Gonzalez and you're crappy bullpen for the loss Cubs fans!). The Giants haven't won a title since moving to San Francisco for chrissakes! Why is there not a curse moniker for that? I'm sure Mad Dog would love one so he can have something concrete to vent his frustration at on his dying radio show on Sirius.
And to make matters worse, the Florida Marlins (I'm sure the state of Florida has forgotten about them...after all they're too fascinated with Tim Tebow and his "friends") have won two titles! (Ironically, they have beat the Giants in the playoffs in both their World Series runs in 1997 and 2003).
See what the Sports Guy says here:
Bumgarner and Posey Make MLB.com's 2010 Top 50 prospects
Awesome. Just awesome. I know, I could say more, but what else can you say. Giants fans have known this for a year, so it really comes as no surprise to us that Bumgarner finished 10th and Posey fourth on Chris Mayo of MLB.com's Top 50 Prospects for 2010. I really have only two beefs with the rankings:
1.) Bumgarner fell four spots from last year (he was the No. 6 prospect on last year's list). I know his fastball dropped in velocity in the second half last year, but this guy actually did well at the MAJOR LEAGUES last year in a short stint. Shouldn't that count for something?
2.) Why is Buster Posey's video only 15 seconds? Seriously, he's the number four prospect and all you can give him is 15 seconds, while the No. 49 prospect, the Dodgers' Ethan Martin gets a minutes and 23 seconds? Come on MLB Network!
Panda in a San Jose Sharks Jersey
My Spanish isn't spectacular, but I'm pretty sure the description on the Tweet photo says "Pablo Sandoval after visiting the San Jose Sharks' arena this Thursday." (They played the Blackhawks tonight).
See, three years of high school Spanish did teach me something. Also, I will say this...Sandoval looks better in a Sharks jersey than Jonathan Cheechoo in a Giants jersey.
An Introspective on Denny Bautista
What do I know about Bautista? Not much other than the fact that he's Pedro and Ramon Martinez's cousin. However, thanks to Give 'Em Stankeye for putting up a good piece that recalls the "baseball experts" ripping the Orioles a new one for trading him away to Kansas City for Jason Grimsely. Basically, they made Bautista sound like the next big thing.
How the times have changed Denny. How the times have changed.
Angel Villalona Strikes Out (awfully) in Minor League Game
Remember when Villalona was one of the top prospects in the Minors? Then he gained a tremendous amount of weight, was unable to tell the difference between a ball and strike, and involved himself in a murder case in the Dominican Republic. Has it reached Ugueth Urbina-status yet? No, but it will be tough for Villalona to come back after this latest incident, especially with other Giants in the system making tremendous progress while he is...well...not. Just watch the link and how he strikes out on three straight, bad pitches. Can you really see a guy make the Major Leagues with a plate approach like that?
John Shea jinx? I think you could say that...if there was such a thing. Maybe Giants fans can coin that term with a few more flops.
Giants Are N0. 6 On Bill Simmons' Most Tortured Franchise List
Just saw this one this morning. Finally, Giants fans get some much due respect for being a tortured organization. I mean, we heard Red Sox fans moan for 86 years, and Cubs fans continually whine and get massive publicity for it (BTW they should lose their "Lovable Losers" title after the way they crucified Steve Bartman; blame Alex Gonzalez and you're crappy bullpen for the loss Cubs fans!). The Giants haven't won a title since moving to San Francisco for chrissakes! Why is there not a curse moniker for that? I'm sure Mad Dog would love one so he can have something concrete to vent his frustration at on his dying radio show on Sirius.
And to make matters worse, the Florida Marlins (I'm sure the state of Florida has forgotten about them...after all they're too fascinated with Tim Tebow and his "friends") have won two titles! (Ironically, they have beat the Giants in the playoffs in both their World Series runs in 1997 and 2003).
See what the Sports Guy says here:
You'd think a 66-year title drought, the Bonds/BALCO fallout, a borderline Level 1 loss in 2002 and having its first World Series home game in 27 years postponed by a devastating earthquake during batting practice of the first-ever Bay Area World Series would get the message out that, "Hey, we need to start including these guys in all future Tortured Sports Cities discussions." Can you be underrated/tortured? Apparently so.Thanks Sports Guy. Giants nation salutes you.
Bumgarner and Posey Make MLB.com's 2010 Top 50 prospects
Awesome. Just awesome. I know, I could say more, but what else can you say. Giants fans have known this for a year, so it really comes as no surprise to us that Bumgarner finished 10th and Posey fourth on Chris Mayo of MLB.com's Top 50 Prospects for 2010. I really have only two beefs with the rankings:
1.) Bumgarner fell four spots from last year (he was the No. 6 prospect on last year's list). I know his fastball dropped in velocity in the second half last year, but this guy actually did well at the MAJOR LEAGUES last year in a short stint. Shouldn't that count for something?
2.) Why is Buster Posey's video only 15 seconds? Seriously, he's the number four prospect and all you can give him is 15 seconds, while the No. 49 prospect, the Dodgers' Ethan Martin gets a minutes and 23 seconds? Come on MLB Network!
Panda in a San Jose Sharks Jersey
My Spanish isn't spectacular, but I'm pretty sure the description on the Tweet photo says "Pablo Sandoval after visiting the San Jose Sharks' arena this Thursday." (They played the Blackhawks tonight).
See, three years of high school Spanish did teach me something. Also, I will say this...Sandoval looks better in a Sharks jersey than Jonathan Cheechoo in a Giants jersey.
An Introspective on Denny Bautista
What do I know about Bautista? Not much other than the fact that he's Pedro and Ramon Martinez's cousin. However, thanks to Give 'Em Stankeye for putting up a good piece that recalls the "baseball experts" ripping the Orioles a new one for trading him away to Kansas City for Jason Grimsely. Basically, they made Bautista sound like the next big thing.
How the times have changed Denny. How the times have changed.
Angel Villalona Strikes Out (awfully) in Minor League Game
Remember when Villalona was one of the top prospects in the Minors? Then he gained a tremendous amount of weight, was unable to tell the difference between a ball and strike, and involved himself in a murder case in the Dominican Republic. Has it reached Ugueth Urbina-status yet? No, but it will be tough for Villalona to come back after this latest incident, especially with other Giants in the system making tremendous progress while he is...well...not. Just watch the link and how he strikes out on three straight, bad pitches. Can you really see a guy make the Major Leagues with a plate approach like that?
John Shea jinx? I think you could say that...if there was such a thing. Maybe Giants fans can coin that term with a few more flops.
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
"Panda" Fluke? A look at the Projections on Sandoval
After looking through some projections of some San Francisco Giants position players for next season, I was interested by some of the projections concerning the Giants' budding star, Pablo Sandoval.
On Fangraphs, the projections are varied concerning the "Kung Fu Panda". According to Bill James and 109 fan projections, the outlook for Sandoval in 2009 is quite optimistic. BJ projects the "Panda" to hit .327 with 24 home runs, 97 RBI, and have an OPS of .934 and BB/K ratio of 0.66 (a three point improvement in terms of the latter). The fans are equally generous, perhaps even more so on run production end. They project Sandoval to hit 26 home runs and drive in a 110 RBI along with a .323 batting average, .905 OPS and 0.63 BB/K ratio.
However, while those two projections are very comforting for Giants fans, two other projections on Fangraphs, CHONE and Marcel, are actually very pessimistic of Sandoval's future in 2010.
CHONE does project that his batting average will remain high (.323), but unfortunately, that's the only real good sign in their projections. They project that Sandoval will dip in his run production numbers and will only hit 17 home runs and drive in 71 RBI in 2010. Furthermore, they project his OPS to drop to .883 and his BB/K ratio to fall to 0.44.
(Granted, CHONE makes these projections on the thought that Sandoval will only play 138 games, which I think is preposterous due to the fact Sandoval is getting slimmer--or at least trying to--and is only 23-years-old)
As for Marcel, they don't give him much more slack. They only project two more home runs (19) and four more RBI (75) than CHONE. The BB/K ratio and OPS projections from Marcel are a little more generous than the ones from CHONE (0.59 and .918, respectively), but they still are low in comparison to what James and the fans project.
So why do CHONE and Marcel don't give Sandoval much slack? I think there are sticking a little TOO closely to some factors in terms of evaluating Sandoval.
Factor One: Sandoval is too wild a swinger
Sandoval doesn't walk an incredible amount (as evidenced by his 8.3 walk percentage a year ago) and does have a poor tendency to swing out of the strike zone (he swung at 41.5 percent of pitches thrown outside the strike zone, second only to Bengie Molina who had a percentage of 43.9). However, Sandoval's contact rate of pitches outside the zone is 75.2 percent, which goes to show that despite Sandoval's free-swinging nature, he is able to back it up somewhat because he can hit pitches that may be swinging strikes for other guys on the squad.
Furthermore, Sandoval did make some progress in terms of plate patience in the last two months of play. In the first two months, Sandoval had only eight walks combined. In August and September/October (seriously, you can't consider October a month; there is only a week of regular season play), Sandoval accumulated double-digit walk totals (10 in August, 16 in September and October), and drew 13 walks in the month of June before hitting a skid in July where he only had five. Granted, Sandoval won't be challenging Nick Johnson for the walks-leader any time soon. However, Sandoval is getting more selective at the plate, and we may see him more refined in terms of his plate patience in 2010, especially after those promising walk numbers in August, September/October.
Factor two: AT&T Park is a death trap for hitters
This is a true fact, and it takes a different kind of hitter to succeed in AT&T Park. Are you going to see guys put up Raul Ibanez-esque numbers like Ibanez did in Philadelphia last season? Of course not. However, good hitters will still succeed in AT&T despite its dimensions. After all, how do you explain Rich Aurilia's 2001 or Barry Bonds? (Well...probably steroids I guess, but let's just ignore that for now).
That point seems to be the case in Sandoval's favor. Despite AT&T Park's notorious "Pitcher-friendly" reputation, Sandoval put up better numbers offensively at home than on the road. While the numbers weren't that much different in a lot of categories (he hit only one more home and four more RBI at home), the numbers tell a different story in one big category: OPS. At AT&T Park in 2009, Sandoval had a 1.012 OPS. On the road, he only posted a .877 OPS.
Therefore, while AT&T won't exactly be the place for him to hit 40 home runs, the idea that the ballpark will keep him under the 20 home run mark is somewhat ridiculous. Sandoval is a proven hitter in San Francisco, and he will only get better as he continues to feel more comfortable at AT&T Park.
Factor three: Sandoval's supporting cast will kill his stats
This point I partially agree with. While the Giants upgraded offensively (that is of course if you consider Aubrey Huff, Mark Derosa and Freddy "Limp Away" Sanchez upgrades...I will concede and say 'yes' for the moment), the team is still far from being a Murderer's Row by any measure. Thus, Sandoval, much like last season, will have little support behind him, not to mention guys on base when he comes to the plate.
Therefore, I believe Sandoval will struggle in one category: RBI. I don't think he'll hit over 100 mainly because the Giants a.) still have a lineup that will accumulate one awful OBP (compounded even more by Bengie Molina's return) and b.) the Giants' leadoff spot is still undetermined (seriously, Aaron Rowand is a prime candidate...ouch).
So, anyone banking Sandoval to eclipse the century mark in RBI probably should think again. That being said, any of other Sandoval's categories, such as OPS, batting average, home runs, hits and BB/K ratio, shouldn't be affected by the Giants' mediocre lineup. If anything, Sandoval could help OTHER guys on the team because chances are pitchers will pitch around him come Opening Day, knowing that he is the Giants real only legitimate threat. Sandoval will get on base, and guys like Huff and Derosa will get the opportunities to drive him in (whether or not they DO drive him in of course is a different story).
There really is a lot to like about Sandoval next year, and in my mind, the CHONE and Marcel Projections underestimate his ability a little too much. Will Sandoval be the second-coming of Albert Pujols like Willie McCovey coyly implied last season? Probably not (or at least not by next season), but Sandoval will still prove in 2010 that 2009 was no fluke.
On Fangraphs, the projections are varied concerning the "Kung Fu Panda". According to Bill James and 109 fan projections, the outlook for Sandoval in 2009 is quite optimistic. BJ projects the "Panda" to hit .327 with 24 home runs, 97 RBI, and have an OPS of .934 and BB/K ratio of 0.66 (a three point improvement in terms of the latter). The fans are equally generous, perhaps even more so on run production end. They project Sandoval to hit 26 home runs and drive in a 110 RBI along with a .323 batting average, .905 OPS and 0.63 BB/K ratio.
However, while those two projections are very comforting for Giants fans, two other projections on Fangraphs, CHONE and Marcel, are actually very pessimistic of Sandoval's future in 2010.
CHONE does project that his batting average will remain high (.323), but unfortunately, that's the only real good sign in their projections. They project that Sandoval will dip in his run production numbers and will only hit 17 home runs and drive in 71 RBI in 2010. Furthermore, they project his OPS to drop to .883 and his BB/K ratio to fall to 0.44.
(Granted, CHONE makes these projections on the thought that Sandoval will only play 138 games, which I think is preposterous due to the fact Sandoval is getting slimmer--or at least trying to--and is only 23-years-old)
As for Marcel, they don't give him much more slack. They only project two more home runs (19) and four more RBI (75) than CHONE. The BB/K ratio and OPS projections from Marcel are a little more generous than the ones from CHONE (0.59 and .918, respectively), but they still are low in comparison to what James and the fans project.
So why do CHONE and Marcel don't give Sandoval much slack? I think there are sticking a little TOO closely to some factors in terms of evaluating Sandoval.
Factor One: Sandoval is too wild a swinger
Sandoval doesn't walk an incredible amount (as evidenced by his 8.3 walk percentage a year ago) and does have a poor tendency to swing out of the strike zone (he swung at 41.5 percent of pitches thrown outside the strike zone, second only to Bengie Molina who had a percentage of 43.9). However, Sandoval's contact rate of pitches outside the zone is 75.2 percent, which goes to show that despite Sandoval's free-swinging nature, he is able to back it up somewhat because he can hit pitches that may be swinging strikes for other guys on the squad.
Furthermore, Sandoval did make some progress in terms of plate patience in the last two months of play. In the first two months, Sandoval had only eight walks combined. In August and September/October (seriously, you can't consider October a month; there is only a week of regular season play), Sandoval accumulated double-digit walk totals (10 in August, 16 in September and October), and drew 13 walks in the month of June before hitting a skid in July where he only had five. Granted, Sandoval won't be challenging Nick Johnson for the walks-leader any time soon. However, Sandoval is getting more selective at the plate, and we may see him more refined in terms of his plate patience in 2010, especially after those promising walk numbers in August, September/October.
Factor two: AT&T Park is a death trap for hitters
This is a true fact, and it takes a different kind of hitter to succeed in AT&T Park. Are you going to see guys put up Raul Ibanez-esque numbers like Ibanez did in Philadelphia last season? Of course not. However, good hitters will still succeed in AT&T despite its dimensions. After all, how do you explain Rich Aurilia's 2001 or Barry Bonds? (Well...probably steroids I guess, but let's just ignore that for now).
That point seems to be the case in Sandoval's favor. Despite AT&T Park's notorious "Pitcher-friendly" reputation, Sandoval put up better numbers offensively at home than on the road. While the numbers weren't that much different in a lot of categories (he hit only one more home and four more RBI at home), the numbers tell a different story in one big category: OPS. At AT&T Park in 2009, Sandoval had a 1.012 OPS. On the road, he only posted a .877 OPS.
Therefore, while AT&T won't exactly be the place for him to hit 40 home runs, the idea that the ballpark will keep him under the 20 home run mark is somewhat ridiculous. Sandoval is a proven hitter in San Francisco, and he will only get better as he continues to feel more comfortable at AT&T Park.
Factor three: Sandoval's supporting cast will kill his stats
This point I partially agree with. While the Giants upgraded offensively (that is of course if you consider Aubrey Huff, Mark Derosa and Freddy "Limp Away" Sanchez upgrades...I will concede and say 'yes' for the moment), the team is still far from being a Murderer's Row by any measure. Thus, Sandoval, much like last season, will have little support behind him, not to mention guys on base when he comes to the plate.
Therefore, I believe Sandoval will struggle in one category: RBI. I don't think he'll hit over 100 mainly because the Giants a.) still have a lineup that will accumulate one awful OBP (compounded even more by Bengie Molina's return) and b.) the Giants' leadoff spot is still undetermined (seriously, Aaron Rowand is a prime candidate...ouch).
So, anyone banking Sandoval to eclipse the century mark in RBI probably should think again. That being said, any of other Sandoval's categories, such as OPS, batting average, home runs, hits and BB/K ratio, shouldn't be affected by the Giants' mediocre lineup. If anything, Sandoval could help OTHER guys on the team because chances are pitchers will pitch around him come Opening Day, knowing that he is the Giants real only legitimate threat. Sandoval will get on base, and guys like Huff and Derosa will get the opportunities to drive him in (whether or not they DO drive him in of course is a different story).
There really is a lot to like about Sandoval next year, and in my mind, the CHONE and Marcel Projections underestimate his ability a little too much. Will Sandoval be the second-coming of Albert Pujols like Willie McCovey coyly implied last season? Probably not (or at least not by next season), but Sandoval will still prove in 2010 that 2009 was no fluke.
Monday, October 5, 2009
Five good things San Francisco Giants fans will remember from 2009
With the Giants' season officially over, I think it is time to go in retrospective mode over the Giants' 2009 campaign. While there are some things to be disappointed about (mostly concerning the Giants inability to make the playoffs for a sixth-straight year), this really was a great season by the Bay. The Giants finally have seemed to take a turn for the better, and the lofty promises and patience that was preached by GM Brian Sabean in 2007 seem to finally be coming to fruition.
Thus, with that optimism in mind, I wanted to look over five good things Giants fans will remember from this 2009 season.
1. Tim Lincecum and Pablo Sandoval are the "real deal"
--To be frank, I think a lot of Giants fans were worried about these two players (because I know I was). Tim Lincecum was coming off a Cy Young Award-winning season, and Pablo Sandoval was coming off a very hot 41-game, late-season stretch.
However, the main question was this: are these two players capable of putting together back-to-back good seasons? Or are they one-hit wonders in the mold of Mark Fidrych and Angel Berrora?
Well, both guys answered the call, and not only came up with more than stellar statistical seasons, but they have both solidified themselves as concrete figures for this Giants organization.
While Giants fans won't know until later this month if Lincecum will win his second-straight Cy Young, he certainly put up the numbers to merit consideration. This year, Lincecum carried the Giants rotation on his back again, and maintained his reputation as a strikeout, inning-eating artist.
Even though his record was not as good as his 2008 campaign (he was only 15-7 this year after going 18-5 in 2008), his ERA was better (2.48 this year in comparison to 2.62 in 2008), he allowed 14 less walks, and 'The Freak" posted a better WHIP as well (1.04 in comparison to 1.17 in 2008).
And when you also factor in that he lead the National League in strikeouts again (with 261), as well as shutouts (two) and complete games (four), then the case for Lincecum to repeat as the Cy Young seems incredibly stronger.
As for Sandoval, the "Kung Fu Panda" lived up to the preseason hype many experts bestowed upon him in Spring Training. Sandoval led the Giants in every offensive category, highlighted by a .330 batting average, 25 home runs, 90 RBI and .943 OPS. Sandoval pretty much carried the Giants offense the whole season, and if the Giants are able to get a hitter to offer some protection to stocky, third baseman, then it's crazy to think what Sandoval will be capable of in terms of offensive numbers in the future.
With a little help, we could see Sandoval verge into Vlad Guerrero territory. Seriously. That's how impressive his 2009 season was considering the lack of help around him.
2. Matt Cain is a solid No. 2 starter (though not an ace)
--A lot of Giants fans wondered if Cain was a victim of bad luck, or if he was simply not as good a pitcher as we once thought back when he first broke into the league in 2005. However, Cain was able to avoid the pitfalls of the last couple of years (e.g. lack of run support), and was able to put together a solid, All-Star caliber season as evidenced by his 14-8 record, 2.89 ERA, 1.18 WHIP and four complete games.
However, despite Cain's solid year and numbers, Cain faded after having a hot first half of the season. He ended up going 2-6 in his last 13 starts, with five no decisions (which aren't completely his fault, considering he had some pretty good outings during those four NDs, including a game against Pittsburgh where he threw nine innings of shutout ball).
While that late-season fade doesn't destroy Cain's reputation completely as a pitcher, any argument that Cain could be a better ace of the staff than Lincecum was discredited by the end of the year.
Cain is a very good pitcher, and the Giants should look forward to the young, dynamic punch of Lincecum and Cain for a long time. That being said, Cain should only be thought of as a No. 2 starter, and not as a potential No.1 like some people were thinking back in the first half of the season.
3. This Giants bullpen could be very good
--This may be the most stable and promising the Giants bullpen has looked in Sabean's tenure as GM in San Francisco. The Giants are locked up at the closer position in Brian Wilson, who followed up his solid 2008 season with an even better 2009 campaign. Wilson pitched more innings this year than in 2008, and while he had less saves, (38 to 41 in 2008), he had a better ERA (2.74 to 4.62 in 2008), a better WHIP (1.20 to 1.44 in 2008) and a better SO/BB ratio (3.07 to 2.39 in 2008).
Yet Wilson is just the tip of the iceberg. The Giants will return Jeremy Affeldt, (who is coming off a season where he had a 1.73 ERA and 1.17 WHIP) and Sergio Romo, who will both be a lethal 7th and 8th inning set-up punch. Furthermore, the young arms in the bullpen showed a lot of promise as well. Waldis Joaquin has the potential to be a fireballer, and Dan Runzler impressed with his superb velocity and command in his short September callup. Even Joe Martinez, who struggled as a starter, showed some potential to be a very good long-reliever next year for the Giants.
I think it's safe to say that the prospects of the Giants bullpen are a lot better than the days when the Giants had guys like Jack Taschner and Matt Herges as the prime setup guys.
4. The Giants finally got some bang for their buck in terms of Free Agents
--I remember reading a post on a blog earlier this year about the Giants, and a fan complaining that the Giants' problem was they never struck it rich with any players they signed to cheap deals. They used the Russell Branyan in Seattle comparison and said that the Giants either overpaid their veterans, or got production from within, but never really got more than they paid for when it came to free agents.
Well...that changed this year thanks to Juan Uribe and Andres Torres.
Both Uribe and Torres made a combined 1,400,000 dollars this year and yet they brought an incredible amount of production to the Giants lineup. Uribe hit 16 home runs and 55 RBI, while Torres hit six home runs, eight triples, stole six bases (and was only caught once) and posted a .343 OBP (third best on the team).
In comparison, Edgar Renteria, who shared shortstop duties with Uribe at the end of the year, only hit .250 with five home runs, and 48 RBI and he was paid eight million dollars, over four times what Uribe and Torres made combined.
I bet Giants fans wish they could've done that one again, huh?
5. Randy Johnson getting his 300th win and Jonathan Sanchez's No-Hitter
--I think for the most part Randy Johnson will be known as a bust in his tenure in San Francisco. He pretty much only played for three months during the season, and he was far from the "Big Unit" we knew back in Seattle and Arizona.
However, RJ will be known for some key things: his tutelage to the pitching staff (especially Jonathan Sanchez), perhaps playing his last season for his hometown team (he is from Walnut Creek) and of course, notching his 300th win.
While it was against Washington, it was a cool little moment that added to his illustrious career and also brought some much needed attention to a Giants team that hadn't got any big-time press since Barry Bonds left.
Then, after RJ notched 300, the Giants got even more press, thanks to Jonathan Sanchez, who threw the first Giants no-hitter in 33 years (the last one to do it was John "The Count" Montefusco who threw one in 1976). Sanchez's no-hitter was an incredible moment, mainly because it came from a pitcher whom many Giants fans thought was a disappointment, and was on the verge of being traded.
Instead, Sanchez turned his season around after the no-hitter, and could be a dark horse pitcher next year that may be on the verge of having the kind of breakout Matt Cain had this season. Sanchez's stuff has always been undeniable, but in the second-half, he finally was able to put it together with his command.
If he can fully get a hold of his command to go along with his great stuff, the National League better take note. Yet what makes this prospect great though is that it seems like it is capable of happening, and I don't think Giants fans like myself would feel that way had it not been for the no-hitter in late June.
And to add even more fairy dust on those two great moments from Johnson and Sanchez, it was nice to see some Giants milestones that didn't have the word "tainted" attached to them.
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
The PG Beat: Whiteside unleashes the fury, Martinez wins first start, Sandoval batting crown?
Eli Whiteside (left) and Joe Martinez were unlikely heroes in the Giants' 10-6 win over the Astros. Whiteside hit a grand slam, and Martinez earned the win.For the first time since September of last year, the Giants came back and won a game when facing a three-run deficit. I don't know if that's a sign of offensive ineptitude this season, our hard luck when playing behind, or just how weird this year has been. Whatever conclusion you want to come to, I'm happy that this streak was finally broken, and I'm even happier with the team that is hitting the field everyday this past week.
As most of you know, I wrote a post this afternoon on why I think Sanchez is going to put us into the playoffs. Then again though, while Sanchez is the catalyst, there just seems something special brewing with this team. When Eli Whiteside hits a grand slam in the top of the sixth inning in a 10-6 win over the Astros at Minute Maid Park, then you know there might be some chips falling the Giants' way. Listen, I know we had a good June, but I have a feeling August could be even better. We finally have stability at second base, and this team as a whole seems to exhibit a rare kind of confidence since the Sanchez trade. They're loose, they're having fun again and they expect to win, which is something I don't think we really had in June (I think we were more pumped to win, but we didn't expect to).
Case in point, the Giants are down 3-0 in the second inning, and the first thought that crosses my mind is "Oh crap, this is where the Giants unravel and they get killed 8-1." However, Martinez pitches great for the next three innings, holding down the fort, and the lineup doesn't go into a shell, but instead explodes and puts this game out of reach for the Astros by the seventh inning. I think Bip Roberts in the post-game commentary said the Giants totaled 40 hits this series. 40 hits! In three freaking games! I don't think we totaled 40 hits in the 10-game road trip we had to start off the second half of the season.
Speaking of Martinez, what a great outing from the kid. In my mind, his start today shows why he is an upgrade over Ryan Sadowski. If that was Sadowski on the hill in the second inning, he would have unraveled in the third, game would have been seven to zip, and the Giants wouldn't have had the mojo to come back. I think the score could be misleading because I think some fans who didn't see the game might say, "Well, Martinez had a big lead. Big woop." However, Martinez never pitched with a lead. In fact, he pitched with the team behind the whole game (the Giants took the lead in the top of the sixth, and he was taken out after the fifth, but because they scored those runs in the top of the sixth, Martinez still got the win). What Martinez did was keep the Giants in the game after the second inning despite the lack of run support (as always) initially. He kept it close, to allow the Giants chip away by each inning before they had the huge outburst. That speaks volumes to how tough a kid Martinez is. Never mind he is already tough for taking that line drive in the head and coming back to pitch on the mound with no fear. This guy is also a gamer on the mound, and should be a solid mainstay in the five-spot until The Big Unit comes back in September.
While the game had an onslaught from a variety of players, the main guy everyone kept an eye on was no other than Pablo Sandoval. After today, Sandoval's average rose to .334, which puts him less than 10 points behind the current Batting Average leader Hanley Ramirez. Now, I don't know if he can pull off the batting crown, but with Sanchez in the lineup, and with Sandoval seeing and swinging at the ball as well as he currently is, it certainly is possible. If everybody thought the whole "Vote for Pablo" All-Star campaign was big, then I can't imagine what the support would be like if he and Ramirez are neck and neck in the last couple of weeks in the season. That would be a flat-out unbelievable feat for Sandoval if he pulls it off: NL Batting Crown at 22 years old. Wow. I get shivers just thinking about it.
Some good signs for Giants fans with the way this team is playing after their ten-game road trip disaster to start off the second half. They took two games in Houston, which didn't look so likely after Cain lost game one of the series. They also not only remain in the thick of it in the Wild Card, but they are keeping within striking distance of the Dodgers.
I know, I should give up hope in catching the Dodgers, but with them coming into town next week, I still believe we can catch them. If things go well Aug. 10-12, the NL West may be one of the most interesting stories in baseball.
Why? Let's just say "1951" will be a heavily-referenced year if the Giants are able to catch the Dodgers.
Postgame box notes:
Winning pitcher: Joe Martinez (2-0) 5 IP, 7 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 0 BB, 4 SO.
Losing pitcher: Brian Moehler (7-7) 6 IP, 9 H, 7 R, 6 ER, 1 BB, 5 SO.
Giants standouts: Freddy Sanchez, 3-for-5. Pablo Sandoval, 3-for-4, 2B (32). Ryan Garko, 2-for-4, 3B (1). Aaron Rowand, 2B (28). John Bowker, 3B (1). Eli Whiteside, GS (1).
Astros standouts: Hunter Pence, 2-for-5, HR (14). Carlos Lee, 2-for-5, 2 2B (23). Jason Michaels, 2B (9).
Giants probable starters for Friday's game against Cincinnatti: Bailey (2-3) vs. Lincecum (12-3).
Astros probable starters for Friday's game against Milwaukee: Villanueva (2-8) vs. Rodriguez (10-6).
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
The PG Beat: 8 Runs, 16 Hits, and No...Matt Morris was not pitching for the Giants
The new Dynamic Duo in the Bay Area: Freddy Sanchez and Pablo Sandoval. Get used to this image a lot the next year-and-a-half in San Francisco.Well...guess what? It kind of worked! The Giants killed the Astros 8-1 in the second game of this series and, in the words of Harry from Dumb and Dumber, "Totally reedemed themselves!"
Seriously, I have forgotten all about the pain of yesterday's agonizing loss. The offense did what they were supposed to do against a lousy pitcher like Felipe Paulino: they worked the count, they looked for pitches to hit and they cashed in with runners on base. Furthermore, Jonathan Sanchez learned how to pitch with runners in scoring position, and looks like he could be a major factor in the Giants' rotation during this stretch run in August and September. And the Freddy Sanchez-Pablo Sandoval back to back home runs? Let's just say I felt like I did when I was reaching puberty and I saw Carmen Electra in a red dress in the movie "Good Burger" (I actually Tweeted this after the game).
Overall, this is the kind of offensive showing that exhibits what the Giants are capable of. Sure, on paper they don't look great, but any time they can get Bengie Molina and Sandoval going, this offense is certainly dangerous. I think the one player that can really push this team over the top is Freddy Sanchez. He really is swinging a good bat since coming over to San Francisco. He is hitting everything hard, and he could have easily gone three-for-four instead of just one-for-four today (though his one-for-four day certainly spoke volumes as he crushed that home run). I think the Sanchez trade in the end will not only be worth it (even though I liked Tim Alderson) because of what he will be able to do this year, but next season as well. Sure, Sanchez isn't exactly young, but he's not some old geezer either. He's only 31. I think he could have a very big impact next year, and his impact can be even greater once his knee gets fully healthy (though he's not showing much slowdown so far this year, but the knee will always be an issue for the rest of the season).
Another great development that Giants fans need to take quick note of is Eugenio Velez at the plate. This guy is just tearing it up. Seriously, once Schierholtz comes back healthy, the Giants are going to have serious issues...not in terms of what they are going to do with Velez, but rather in terms of what they are going to do with Randy Winn. In my mind, Winn is the weak part of this team right now. Velez is hitting the ball better than him, Velez has better speed and Velez is getting on base more (and he's been our best leadoff option in quite some time). The only advantage Winn has over Velez is defense, but as Velez gets more comfortable playing outfield, I think that advantage will be less noticeable. Then again, with Rowand and Schierholtz in the outfield, how good do we need Velez to be? It's not like he's Adam Dunn or Carlos Lee out there. He can cover decent ground.
Just a great overall effort from the Giants tonight. Both Sanchezes look great. Jonathan is earning his keep in the rotation not only this year, but next year as well (even though we lost the opportunity to see him go hit less for an entire season. Now that would have been a record: the first National League pitcher to throw a no-hitter, and get no-hit for an entire season). As for Freddy? He looks like he can be a Giants fan favorite in the future. Granted, we still can lose this series, but we avoided the sweep at the very least and we're going against a very vulnerable pitcher in Brian Moehler tomorrow (by the way, how the hell is he still in the league? I remember pitching with him when he was on the Tigers in MLB '99 on the Playstation).
Then again, we went against a vulnerable pitcher in Mike Hampton a night ago, and during that game we had a solid pitcher in Matt Cain pitching, not a rookie in Joe Martinez who is coming off the 60-day DL, and is making his first career start.
Postgame box notes:
Winning pitcher: Jonathan Sanchez (5-9) 7 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 3 BB, 8 SO.
Losing pitcher: Felipe Paulino (2-6) 4.1 IP, 9 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 2 BB, 2 SO.
Giants standouts: Eugenio Velez, 3-for-6, 2B (4). Freddy Sanchez, HR (7). Pablo Sandoval, 2-for-3, HR (17). Bengie Molina, 3-for-5, 2B (20). Randy Winn, 2-for-4. Aaron Rowand, 2-for-5, 2B (27).
Astros standouts: Jeff Keppinger, 2-for-4. Carlos Lee, 2B (21).
Probable starters for next game: Martinez (first start) vs. Moehler (7-6).
Pablo Sandoval's hitting approach needs to improve to be a great Giant (This is not Panda hate)
Seriously, I absolutely love "The Panda," but there are some things I think Sandoval can work on at the dish (hint: quit being so Nomar-esque!)Pablo "The Kung-Fu Panda" Sandoval has helped re-energize Bay Area baseball fans this season. After a 2008 campaign that had its moments (thanks to Tim Lincecum and his Cy Young season) but was otherwise lifeless, Sandoval and his free-swinging, pudgy-frame, massive-dip-in-lower lip ways have been a hit at AT&T Park.
Along with the one-two punch of Lincecum and Matt Cain, Sandoval has helped the Giants become winners and relevant again in the National League West.
However, despite all of Sandoval's successes so far this season, I can't help but feel skeptical about the "Panda" in terms of what the future holds for him.
Before the All-Star break, I wrote an article questioning if Sandoval could become "The Man" on this Giants team for years to come. I wondered if he could have the same kind of impact as a hitter on this team that Albert Pujols has for the Cardinals or Manny "I'm a Mountain" Ramirez has for the Dodgers.
A lot of people felt he was going to become "The Man" easily. Some felt that Sandoval was "The Man" already.
I, on the other hand, am not so sure he can become one unless he works on one thing: His patience at the plate.
Sandoval has a unique style as a hitter that echoes superstars like Vladimir Guerrero—if it's in the strike zone, he's swinging (whatever the count). It's the kind of approach I'm sure hitting coach Carney Lansford loves, even though it has produced disastrous results with some of the other players on the squad (cough...Bengie Molina...cough).
Statistically speaking, you can't argue with Sandoval's approach this season. In 100 games, he has 16 home runs, 64 RBI and a .327 batting average.
Additionally, he also has a .374 OBP, a .551 slugging percentage and a .925 OPS.
So judging by those stats, my argument is moot, right? I'm sure people will say: "He gets on base, he gets hits, he drives in RBI, what else do you want from the guy?"
When I'm talking about plate patience, however, I'm not pointing out that he's not getting on base enough, not drawing enough walks or swinging at too many balls out of the strike zone.
What I'm suggesting is that he needs to work on making better decisions when it comes to deciding which pitches to swing in the strike zone.
Look, I understand when Sandoval swings at questionable pitches with two strikes. A protective swing is what a hitter has to do when you're one strike away from getting sent back to the bench.
Yet Sandoval's propensity to swing at those questionable strikes early in the count, and when the count is in his favor, is something that he needs to change.
The reason I advocate this is because Sandoval has incredible power. I know you can't judge it solely by his home run stats (he only has 16, which is still best on the Giants team by the way), but if you have seen some of his home runs this year, you can understand what I'm saying.
Check out the homer he hit into McCovey Cove against the Phillies. Watch the homer he hit during Jonathan Sanchez's no hitter.
When Sandoval takes one out, they aren't ducks or "Wow that barely got out of there" home runs. Each one he gets a real hold of is mashed with the kind of authority that echoes Pujols and Prince Fielder from Milwaukee.
Unfortunately, Sandoval too often settles on swinging at the first strike he sees, and that is usually not something he can put power behind. Sure, I like to see him get hits and like to see him get on base, which is important considering our team OBP is the worst in the league.
However, I also get disappointed when he is only able to hit a "ground ball with eyes" on the first pitch.
If he was just a little more patient, and laid off on questionable pitches early in his at-bats, he could work into more advantageous counts, and he could get more pitches in his "happy" zone where he could really put some serious juice (no steroid reference intended) behind the ball.
Now, I'm not saying it isn't possible with Pablo.
In the beginning of this year, Sandoval had problems staying away from those high pitches away from the strike zone. He has aptly learned to lay off those now. His patience has improved, and it isn't impossible to think that it will continue to improve as he continues to see more and more big-league pitching (after all, he has only played 141 games).
Sandoval is a special player that has great hitting ability as a switch-hitter, a trait that adds more to his already tremendous value. His averages are very similar from both sides of the plate, and that makes him a nightmare for opposing managers when it comes to what pitcher to bring in to face Sandoval in the late innings.
That being said, unless Sandoval is able to hone his patience at the plate, and learns to lay off those pitches early in the count that will only allow him to hit singles, all of his amazing traits will be wasted. He won't fully utilize his power, and he'll forever be compared to Randall Simon (as many Pirates fans have noted) rather than Pujols (whom Willie McCovey compared Sandoval to in Spring Training this year).
I'm not bashing or giving up hope on the "Panda." He may be one of my favorite players since Matt Williams. In addition, I think the year he has had this season may be a stepping-stone for future success, and is not just a "flash in the pan" like some doubters might think.
However, Sandoval is not "The Man" just yet. He is close, but not quite in that upper echelon.
Once (or, as much as I hate to say this, if) he improves his plate patience, next season and beyond, he will become "The Man" for this Giants team. And...
Well...let's just say I hope you're not a Dodgers, Padres, Rockies or Diamondbacks fan.
Thursday, July 30, 2009
The PG Beat: Velez rides again, Sandoval hits one in the cove, J. Sanchez looks good
Seriously, "The Kung-Fu Panda" Pablo Sandoval may be my favorite Giant since Matt Williams...who ironically also played third base as well.Of course, it wasn't all Velez tonight. The Panda named Pablo Sandoval once again came up money as he went two-for-four with a home run into McCovey Cove, and a two-run double on a pitch from ex-Baltimore Oriole Rodrigo Lopez that looked low and out of the strike zone. This guy certainly has a mojo at this park that you just don't see on the road. I mean, it's not like the Giants have a great hitters park either. He plays in a pitcher's park for chrissakes! Yet nonetheless, he still is crushing the ball at AT&T, much to the enjoyment of Giants fans. Hopefully the Panda continues this momentum at home, especially in this series where the Giants will seriously need to generate some offense. The Giants won't be able to get away with any 1-0 games like they had in the Pittsburgh series. This Phillies offense is too good.
Speaking of the Phillies offense, where did they go tonight? Credit Jonathan Sanchez (With Freddy Sanchez now on the team, I will have to refer to him by his first name or at least first initial) for throwing a hell of a game. They guy really did deal tonight, even though he only went 5.2 innings. He had seven strikeouts, and only gave up two runs (which came from a bad first inning and a fluke homer where he tried to get macho after Utley stared him down after a ball zipped by Utley's head). In my mind that was a great start. He got a lead and he was able to pitch well with one. You have to give Sanchez credit for that. Furthermore, I wasn't too angry with Bochy pulling Sanchez. He was near the 100 pitch count and if he gave up another run, his confidence would have gotten shelled. After his no-hitter, and with Johnson on the DL, we need to be careful with our development of Sanchez, and I felt Bochy did the right thing with Sanchez in the sixth. Sanchez has nothing to be ashamed about. He had a great start and I really believe he is a better pitcher than he was in the first couple of months in the season.
Overall, a big win for the Giants to start off this series. This is a very crucial series that could be a measuring stick for this team. However, with us being back over .500, and coming off two trade deadline deals this week, I think we are building some much needed momentum as we enter August. I'm not too high on Sadowski tomorrow (especially with him pitching against new Phillies acquisition Cliff Lee), but if the Giants can swing the bats like they did tonight, than Sadowski won't have to worry about much. If Sadowski has showed us anything, he has showed that he can pitch with a lead, as evidenced by his two wins.
Postgame box notes:
Winning pitcher: Jonathan Sanchez (4-9) 5.2 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 7 SO.
Losing pitcher: Rodrigo Lopez (3-1) 4 IP, 6 H, 7 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 2 SO.
Giants standouts: Eugenio Velez, 3-for-5, 2B (3), 3 RBI. Pablo Sandoval, 2-for-4, 2B (30), HR (16), 4 RBI. Edgar Renteria, 2-for-4.
Phillies standouts: Chase Utley, HR (23). Ryan Howard, 2B (23). Jimmy Rollins, 2B (27). Ben Francisco (1).
Probable starters for next game: Lee (first start in NL) vs. Sadowski (2-3).
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