The San Francisco Giants are currently 22-21 after the Oakland A's completed a three-game sweep at Oakland-Alameda County Stadium (God I hate writing the whole name...I'll just call it the OAC from now on). Panic mode has officially reared its ugly head with Giants fans, and I hate to admit it, but I've hopped on that bandwagon somewhat as well.
However, as a baseball fan, I try to be objective. I look at the numbers and try to keep things in context. I understand Bengie Molina currently has an OBP of .361 and a 0.85 BB/K ratio. That being said, Molina has a career 0.43 BB/K ratio and OBP of .309, so to think he's going to maintain those levels over the full course of a season in my mind is unrealistic.
The same thinking goes with this entire Giants offense. I know. They are coming off two straight sweeps to two, average ballclubs (Arizona and Oakland). Injuries and ineffectiveness have hit this Giants roster hard, and there seems to be increasing pressure on general manager Brian Sabean to make a move, especially with guys like Pat Burrell available. (I'm sure Sabes is "working around the clock" on this; I can picture his reaction if you ask him if he's working on getting an offensive player.)
But how bad has the Giants offense been? Well...let's take a look at the more advanced numbers.
OPS: .722 (19th in MLB).
wOBA (weighted on base average): .319 (19th in MLB).
wRC (runs created based on wOBA): 179 (tied for 21st in MLB).
wRAA (runs above average based on wOBA): minus-9 (19th in MLB).
BABIP (batting average of balls put in play): .299 (tied for 19th in MLB).
ISO (Isolated Power): .136 (21st in MLB).
As you can see, the Giants during the first two months haven't been just below league average. They have had trouble scoring runs (like last year), which hasn't been helped by their relative lack of power (the ISO number I think is the particular killer) or their lineup choices (batting Aaron Rowand at leadoff for so long was a mistake, especially considering his minus-1.7 wRAA is third worst of Giants hitters with 50 or more plate appearances).
However, while the numbers after 43 games certainly isn't in the Giants hitters' favor, you have to look at the month of May specifically. Some interesting numbers pop up.
OPS: .670 (25th in MLB).
wOBA: .298 (25th in MLB).
wRC: 72 (27th in MLB).
wRAA: minus-18 (25th in MLB).
BABIP: .275 (26th in MLB).
ISO: .130 (20th in MLB).
The Giants have been tremendously worse in May, with the only category better than their overall season averages being the ISO, which actually isn't too bad (or at least for Giants standards). The wOBA, wRC and wRAA numbers are particularly disheartening, but I think Giants fans can take comfort in one stat:
The .275 BABIP.
Now, BABIP can mean a variety of things. The Giants could be unlucky (which most certainly has been the case considering their 19.1 percent line drive percentage in May is 12th best in the league) or they just have bumped into very good defensive teams (the Padres, Diamondbacks and Mets, three teams the Giants have played in May, all have solid UZR/150 numbers this year).
However, in all likelihood the BABIP is going to rise or at the very least, fluctuate (the Giants had a .317 BABIP in April) as the season progresses, which will in turn, affect the Giants' offensive numbers. I don't think the Giants are going to top the Majors in offense in a given month anytime soon, but at the same time, I don't think the Giants are going to have as bad a month offensively as they have had this May.
Granted, how is that BABIP going to change? Who knows. The Giants will get luckier, they will face "clunkier" defensive teams (the Dodgers and Rockies have negative UZR/150 numbers, with the Dodgers having the worst UZR/150 in the Majors at negative-15.4) and guys will turn it around and bust out of their respective slumps (crossing my fingers now for Pablo Sandoval). I think those are the best (if only) things Giants fans, management and players can hope for at this point.
Now, Giants fans have to keep things in perspective. The Giants are not a well-built team offensively. Mark Derosa has been a major disappointment (he has a team-worst .243 wOBA), and Molina and Rowand have been deceivingly tolerable (Molina's wOBA at .328 proves that he isn't much better from last season; Rowand's wRAA says it all). And, while Freddy Sanchez has just gotten back from the disabled list, I'm not optimistic about him living up to that $12 million contract if he has more performances like the one he had today (0-for-4, 2 SO).
The Giants have some good pieces though (Andres Torres, who has a .383 wOBA and Aubrey Huff and his .354 wOBA has been a surprise as well), and the offense can still be good enough to remain competitive in the NL West (especially considering their pitching, which has still remained solid...sans the middle relief).
After all, if you look at the division-leading Padres, they rank below the Giants in nearly every offensive category in May, but their BABIP still hovers at .300. When the Padres hit a bad stretch of luck (which they will), it is likely that they will free fall in the standings as well.
It has been a disappointing start to the season, especially when you factor in the poor starts Colorado and Los Angeles got off to. However, the Giants have an opportunity to stay in it, and I think the numbers above show that the Giants have suffered some bad luck and poor management decisions, which I don't think (or at least hope) will happen again. With manager Bruce Bochy mixing up the lineup (and in a good way too), I think there is potential for the Giants to improve those offensive categories a little bit come June.
Will the improvement offensively in the long run by the Giants hitters be enough to win a World Series or NL Pennant? Most likely not. Will it be enough to win the NL West or earn a playoff spot? Maybe. Will it be enough to stay competitive in the NL West?
When you got pitchers like Tim Lincecum, Matt Cain, Barry Zito, and Jonathan Sanchez in the starting rotation...absolutely.
Showing posts with label mlb. Show all posts
Showing posts with label mlb. Show all posts
Sunday, May 23, 2010
Thursday, July 2, 2009
The National League West, A Victim of American League, East Coast Bias
With a history of passionate and crazy fight s like this between the Dodgers and Giants, how can you not like National League West?The sentiment is so widespread that it almost makes you sick to be a baseball fan on the West Coast.
"The NL West is the worst division in baseball."
That statement was echoed a couple of days ago on Adam the Bull and Kimberly Jones' radio show on WFAN in New York as they argued who the best pitcher was in baseball.
Jones said Roy Halladay of the Blue Jays; Adam argued for Dan Haren of the Diamondbacks. Jones immediately dismissed his arguments, because the NL West is "terrible."
This afternoon on the BS Report podcast, Bill Simmons and his guest, Keith Law, didn't shy away from that idea either.
The pair ripped apart the National League West, not to mention the National League. Law, a baseball writer for ESPN and former front officer guy for the Toronto Blue Jays, said the only reason the Dodgers looked so good was because the NL West was so weak.
It's not like I am surprised with this. For the past decade, it's all we've heard from baseball writers, radio hosts and personalities all over the nation.
"The NL West sucks."
"No team in the West is any decent."
"The American League is far superior than the National League."
It's frustrating to hear these things from a West Coast baseball fan's perspective mainly because the arguments against the NL West are so incredibly ignorant and arrogant.
Is the American League better than the National League?
Yeah, but it's not as dramatic an edge as you might think.
You have to factor in two things:
1.) The American League has the designated hitter.
2.) The American League has the two richest clubs in baseball.
The designated hitter is an incredible advantage for a team. With the pitcher not batting, teams don't have to make pitchers take batting practice in addition to taking bullpen during practices.
I guarantee you Halladay wouldn't be looking as good if he had to tire himself with that kind of double duty during practices.
Additionally, with the DH, managers don't have to make big decisions concerning pitchers at the plate. They don't have to waste outs on their pitchers with sacrifice bunts with runners on.
In the National League, when pitchers come up to bat, it's almost a given they're an automatic out. Anything else is a luxury.
And if that isn't advantage enough for the West, the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees exist in the American League. Those are the two richest teams in baseball with the biggest fan bases.
The Red Sox and Yankees can outspend any other team in baseball considering the league's current status without a salary cap in place.
There's not a team in the National League that can touch the Yankees and Red Sox financially. The New York Mets come the closest, but even then, when push comes to shove, if they're after a player, the Yankees or Red Sox are probably coming out with them.
How can the National League compete when every player chases the dollar and the two teams with the most to offer financially are in the American League?
You can't. It's just not possible.
It's like going to a club and asking a guy to settle to hook up with Rose McGowan when Scarlett Johansson and Jessica Alba are available right across the room.
Players are always going to go after those more attractive offers, and in this case, the Yankees and Red Sox are the Johansson and Alba of baseball.
So the American League has an unfair advantages over the National League. What does this have to do with the National League West?
Well, the NL West suffers from the double whammy: the injustices that the AL has over the NL, and the East Coast bias.
Four or five years ago I might have agreed that the NL West was an inferior league. I just can't do that now. The best team in baseball is in the NL West (Dodgers). The NL Wild Card leader is currently in the NL West (Giants), and the second-place team in the Wild Card is also in the NL West (Rockies).
How can a division that has three teams jockeying for playoff position be considered the worst division in baseball?
How is the AL Central better than the NL West when the division leader is 12 points below the third place team in the West in run differential?
And look at the vastly overrated AL West. Why are they such a better division than their NL counterpart? The Oakland A's, a team eleven games under .500, is only nine-and-a-half games behind the first place Angels.
The Rockies are eight-and-a-half games behind the first place Dodgers.
Seems a bit unfair, doesn't it?
The NL West is the classic example of the East Coast bias. While experts and members of the media are fawning of the Red Sox and Yankees and their every movement, they ignore the great baseball that is being played on the other coast.
Instead of staying up and watching the games, people are holding onto biases that were dated three or four years ago.
And it's sad and unfair. NL West fans give the AL East and their teams the respect it deserves (except the Orioles of course, who are just sorry). Why can't the AL East show some courtesy, and do the same?
Because it isn't easy.
Fans of East Coast teams don't want to go the extra mile to really understand how competitive this NL West division team is. They say, "Oh yeah, that's the team Manny plays for," but they don't know a single other player on the Dodgers other than Manny.
They harp about how Josh Beckett is one of the top pitchers in the game and give the cold shoulder to pitchers like Chad Billingsley and Tim Lincecum, two pitchers who could wipe the floor with any team in the ballyhooed American League.
And that includes the Yankees and Red Sox as well.
The NL West is not an inferior division any more. As a matter of fact, you can make the argument it is the best in the National League.
The East is the Phillies and the "DL-infested" Mets. I don't bother to include the Marlins, who even at 41-39, will surely show their true colors soon as their minus-22 run differential exhibits.
The Brewers and Albert Pujols (sorry...I mean, the Cardinals) are the only two decent teams in the Central. However, it's a good bet that only one of those teams will be making the playoffs.
The West, on the other hand, has three teams that are in the front-running for two playoff sports. Furthermore, they would have had a fourth had the Peavy didn't get decimated by injuries.
The only poor team in the league in the West is the Diamondbacks, but they suffer more from awful management rather than talent.
They're basically the same team they were two years ago when they made the playoffs, but a manager-replacement controversy has put a damper on this team which has the potential to be great.
It is a different case from the last-place Indians in the AL Central, who are just bad all-around except for Grady Sizemore.
To be honest, I don't doubt that the American League is slightly better than National League. I have no argument with that point. The National League Central and East are far weaker than in years past.
Yet the NL West is a different story and deserves more respect. It's no longer the most inferior division in baseball. Teams in the West can hold their own, even with the more lauded AL teams who seem to get all the praises.
And baseball experts and East Coast-biased fans should start recognizing this, and start dropping these ideas about the NL West that are three to four years out of date.
Thursday, June 11, 2009
Video Break: Yankees roll call from May 1 game against Angels
God I love Nick Swisher (He was the only Oakland A's player I ever liked). Pay attention to his reaction to the crowd when they chant his name. No wonder Yank fans love this guy so damn much.
Look, I am no New York Yankee fan. In fact, I was ecstatic that they got swept by the Red Sox tonight and are currently 0-8 for the year against them. However, what I do appreciate, whether I like the team or not, are traditions. I'm really just a sucker for them, whether I like the team or not. The reason I'm so fond of real, legitimate (I don't like using the shortened version "legit" on a side note. It reminds me of someone and brings up bad memories) traditions is that nowadays they are so rare to come by. It's easy for something to be a fad, but rarely do fads become traditions. We see it all the time. The Giants fans in 2000 had this stupid trend of barking when there were two outs in the ninth inning because they played "Who let the dogs out" after each win. It only lasted though in 2000 and was never done again because the Baha Men, or Boys or whatever the hell their names were, became stupid and Giants ownership feared fans would start murdering people in their seats because of how much it had irritated people after it had been played a billion times on the radio and through other sporting events (Okay, I'm lying, but not much. It's only 95 percent true). In 2002, the Anaheim (excuse me...Los Angeles-Anaheim) Angels brought in a custom of a Rally Monkey (properly dressed in a cute, but incredibly idiotic mini-Angels jersey) to spark their 2002 World Series run. After 2002, they must have killed the monkey for fear of something happening like in the movie "Outbreak" (e.g. Monkey screwing over the entire human race through a virus) because we never saw that damn animal ever again at an Angels game.
And to be honest, I could list more but I would be deviating from my point. The fact of the matter is, you really have something special for it to become a tradition year after year after year. The Yankees roll call from the right field Bleacher Creatures is it. Basically, as you will see in the video, the right field chants each players name out in the field and chants the name until the player gives them some kind of reaction and then they move onto the next player. It's a really cool thing, and it shows that all that talk about how players drown fans out is hoopla. They're listening, they know what's up, they just choose to ignore it. They don't have special mechanisms like in "For Love of the Game."
Some of the players' reactions are pretty typical (you can tell Derek Jeter has been through this one time too many), but some of the players' responses to the Bleacher Creatures calls are actually quite hilarious. Like I said, I am no Yankees fans, but I must have watched this clip about a two dozens times in the last 24 hours. Great clip, and whether your a Yankee fan or hater, you have to appreciate the fan traditions like this one, mostly because there aren't many, especially in a day and age where most fans are on their laptops or reading books because a baseball game isn't good enough for them (God I hate those people. Do us all a favor and just watch the game on home or listen to it on a radio. You make going to a baseball game less enjoyable for everyone with your goddamn apathy).
Monday, June 1, 2009
Video Break: Francesca blows up about Joba, podcast update
A Yankee caller thought Joba Chamberlain was a good starter. Let's just say Mike doesn't feel the same way...
Heard about this while listening to the BS Report podcast with Jack-O and Dave Jacoby (two of my favorite guests on Simmons' podcast). So, being the curious cat that I am, I checked it out on YouTube and was quite surprised. I've actually become kind of a newborn fan with the "Mike and the Mad Dog" radio show and was only able to catch it during its tail end. I mostly have listened to archives and I must say I'm very disappointed that a.) I didn't live in the East Coast and b.) that I didn't know about the show for so long. Another disappointing thing too with their breakup is that they both really have struggled with their own respective radio shows. Mike seems to be making up for Mad Dog's absence and the YouTube video above shows that he has gone a little "Mad Dog-ish". As far as Russo, I don't know. I've listened to a couple of his Sirius shows and really haven't been that impressed. Maybe it will get better, but so far, I'm just not that optimistic about it.
Speaking of radio shows, a new episode of the podcast is up. I get my former Bulletin colleague and the recently engaged Steven Sandberg on the line and we get to talking about a variety of subject, mostly venting on how bad the NBA draft is going to be. It's a pretty good one I think, and there is a lot of good stuff in there. You can check it out on the sidebar of this blog, where it will link you directly to the podbean hosting site. You can also subscribe to it with ITunes at the Podbean page. Thanks again to Steve for coming on and doing the podcast.
Saturday, May 30, 2009
What the Giants need to do to make a run (please read this Brian Sabean!)
Dan Uggla would bring much needed power and RBI support to a Giants team that hasn't had those two things since Bonds' absence.I'm running high right now. The Giants have just won four straight as they swept the Atlanta Braves and took the first game against the St. Louis Cardinals, their last home series before they hit the road for an NL East swing against Washington and Florida. If the Giants can take two out of three at the very least against the Cardinals this will be big momentum before they hit their interleague series against the hated Oakland A's (yes they are rivals. They swept us in the 1989 Earthquake Series and I have declared Holy War on them since). The Nationals and Marlins are reeling and there is no reason to think why we can't take five out of six or even sweep both series. Well...that might be asking a lot, but we should take four out of six against the Nats and Marlins at the very least. Furthermore, we follow up against the D'Backs after the Marlins series and with the way that team is reeling (with the exception of Justin Upton), the opportunity is there for the Giants to make a big run to pass up the hot Padres and gain some ground on the scorching Dodgers.
The thing is though, our hitting is still lousy. The bats are starting to improve after that lousy 2-9 stretch in Mid-May, but in the long-haul, there really just isn't enough hitting in the lineup for the Giants to make a serious run. Bengie Molina is mired in an awful slump that exhibits why he shouldn't be the Giants cleanup hitter and Pablo Sandoval, our best hitter of the year so far, simply doesn't have the kind of power that can make the team contenders. He's a great contact guy, don't get me wrong. He puts the ball in play and the ball finds holes, but you can't count on him for that big home run or that big double. That just isn't his game nor his style of hitting. He's less reminiscent to a power hitter like Pujols or Bonds and more akin to a slow-slap hitter like Billy Butler. Great contact hitter, puts the ball in play, but you're pretty much getting singles out of the guy and that's it.
The only thing worthwhile is that the Giants pitching, especially starting pitching has been phenomenal. Tim Lincecum, whom I ripped in an earlier post after Opening Week, has looked like his old self. Matt Cain is finally getting some run support and looking like the ace we always knew he would be. Jonathan Sanchez is looking like he always is (great on some days, bad on days when his control is not on) but that is not a bad thing, because when he rides a hot streak, he can be one of the best pitchers on the staff. Even Barry Zito, the 100 plus million dollar man, isn't looking bad. He has been putting out alright outings, but unfortunately, a combination of poor defense and lousy hitting has been his Achilles heel so far that has produced his third straight poor win-loss record out of the gate.
The relief pitching really is the only thing holding the pitching back, mainly because Brian Wilson is a shell of his former self and the set up guys have been inconsistent. Bobby Howry is a perfect example. Totally shuts down the meat of the order against St. Louis last night, but he had nights before when he just gets rocked. If Howry can get some consistency, there is no reason our bullpen can't close the door on the close games. That used to be their MO last year: bullpen closing the door on tight games. And that was with less run support and worse hitting.
So what do the Giants do in order to get in the mix in this NL West Race which looks like Dodgers and everyone else? Well...first they need to solve the Padres. The Giants are a woeful 0-6 at Petco Park this year. While they did sweep a two game series from the Padres in April, that was at a time when the Padres were reeling as well. The Giants have played well against the Dodgers since getting massacred during the opening week. But the Padres have been a different story and the Giants need to get those woeful performances solved. If it's a three-team race between the Padres, Giants and Dodgers, things won't look so good. But if it's narrowed down to a two-team race between the Giants and Dodgers, the odds look a lot better.
Another thing the Giants need to do is get a legitimate power hitter. It's been the priority the fans have been clamoring for even though Sabean is a knucklehead and continues to think guys like Travis Ishikawa and Jesus Guzman are the answers to get it done. Look, I know the Giants are a different team from the Bonds days and I like it. I like that they're more about speed and stretching hits out. I really have come around on Emmanuel Burriss, who is starting to show people why he should be the everyday second baseman. Juan Uribe has been a nice little pickup who's given the lineup some much needed spark (and I think for the time being, we should start Uribe at third and put Sandoval at first. Uribe's a better hitter than Ishikawa and I think Sandoval is more suited for first base anyways). And Aaron Rowand leading off strangely enough has given the Giants lineup the perk that they needed after that woeful mid-May stretch.
Yet there still is that missing run producer that could take this Giants team from good to great. The good thing is, this problem is solvable. There are guys on the market that can come in and help the team immediately. The bad thing is, Sabean is the worst GM in the league and whether or not he has the smarts to make a moves is something to be determined. Here are a few guys I believe the Giants should make serious runs for.
Nick Johnson: I like getting Nick Johnson for various reasons, and reporters everywhere are sure that he's one of the first players to be moved this season. One, you can't overestimate the value of getting a guy that is in the same league. While we have seen exceptions to the rule before (Manny and C.C. last season) for the most part, there has always been a drop off when guys switched from one league to the other. Nomar had a drop off when he went to the Cubs down the stretch and the Cubs suffered for it. Renteria has struggled whenever he has gone to American League ballclubs. So getting a guy from the Nationals is a positive move, just because he is already used to the pitching in the National league. In addition, what makes this trade so tantalizing is Johnson is a northern California guy. He played at McClatchy High School in Sacramento, Calif. A guy familiar with the area can be a wonderful thing. He'll feel right at home and won't need much time to get used to the area. And lastly, and most importantly, the guy can hit. He's healthy for the first time in a while and he has been a catalyst for a rather meager Nationals ballclub. Currently, he's batting .335 with four home runs and 26 RBIs. In addition, he's always been a solid on base guy and can take advantage of the gaps, a quality that is beneficial in a spacious ballpark such as AT&T Park. If the Giants can land this guy for a few minor league arms, (which the Nationals need because there pitching is ridiculously poor), the Giants could make a tremendous leap in terms of improving their mediocre offensive numbers.
Dan Uggla: He's struggling actually right now (.207 average, 9 HRs, 34 RBIs) and the Marlins have always showed in the past that they always want to get younger. With a lot of young farm guys coming up and the Marlins looking as if they are going to be an afterthough in the competitive NL East, an expected fire-sale of big name guys could happen very soon, much sooner than usual. Uggla would bring much needed power to the Giants lineup and could be the kind of second baseman that might bring back for fans memories of Jeff Kent, one of the best second baseman the Giants have ever had. Like Kent, Uggla isn't much of a fielder, but they don't need him to be really. Kent was an average fielder as well, but he was able to take advantage of the Giants home ballpark and was a catalyst behind Bonds in the lineup. With Molina fading fast in the cleanup spot, Uggla coming to San Francisco could be the pop to help the Giants compete with the loaded Dodgers. Furthermore, this could be a win-win for both sides. For the Giants, they get a better hitter, and for Uggla, he gets a fresh start and gets to be "the man" something he really hasn't had in Florida with Hanley Ramirez the main headliner.
Carlos Lee: I've been reading up on this one on a couple of blogs and I'm not exactly convinced, but I'm not totally closed to this idea as well. There is a lot Lee can bring to the table for the Giants. He'll obviously be an immediate power threat not to mention a run-driving threat that Giants have lacked since Bonds was let go. Granted, for all of Lee's inadequacies (lousy fielder, shaky personality) the one thing he does have going for him is that he has always been a consistent hitter. In his tenure with the White Sox, Brewers and Astros his stats have always been around the same, and that is what the Giants have lacked in their lineup. Molina is up one month, down the other. Same thing with every guy in this Giants lineup 1-8. A force like Lee not only would give the Giants lineup a consistent threat, but could also add confidence in the hitters, who'll not feel the pressure like they usually do with runners on. Molina won't need to be the man, and can bat lower in the lineup which he is more suited for. The only roadblock in this is money. He costs a lot and his arrival undoubtedly would mean Fred Lewis or Randy Winn would be packing their bags (most likely Lewis, who I like a lot). But the Giants should definitely look into this, especially since a big-hitting veteran presence could do this young team some good.
So those are some of my thoughts about the Giants as of today. Hopefully they can take their fifth in a row but with Carpenter on the mound, I'm highly skeptical.
Sunday, April 12, 2009
Giants Opening Week Observations
Despite an opening day win, it's been a rough start for the Giants during Opening Week
After a promising opening day where we actually scored 10 runs despite a lousy pitching performance from Tim Lincecum, the Giants look like they're going to finish like everyone expects: at best, in the middle of the pack, at worst, near the cellar.
The problems this season appear to be the same problems from a year ago:
A.) no run support.
B.) inconsistent pitching.
The problem for the staff last year and so far this season is they have really rough "bad" innings. Randy Johnson looked great for four innings, and then he gives up a three-run bomb to the pitcher Gallardo. Same thing with Jonathan Sanchez. Strikes out the side in the second, and then gives up two homers to journeyman catcher Henry Blanco. I think the inconsistency on the staff can be credited to the offense somewhat, especially since it seems as if the staff is throwing a lot of pitches because they're not confident that their team can cover them, so they're trying to strike everyone out. The Giants are pretty solid defensively, so I don't know why the staff doesn't trust their defense more (even tough it isn't as good as last year). Yeah, runs is going to be a problem, but if you're throwing 100 pitches by the fifth inning, you're not doing your team very good. Lincecum, Johnson need to cut their pitches, quit trying to get the big K's and just trust the defense. It'll make for quicker innings and thus get the offense in and out more often which might help them out. Batters can get more into a rhythm and the staff won't feel the weight of the world on their shoulders.
Nonetheless, bad rhythm or not, this Giants offense needs a lot of help. Bengie Molina is going to have that big day every now and then, but he is no way consistent enough be the cleanup hitter. Fred Lewis is doing pretty well to start off the year, but he would best be served at the bottom of the lineup in the seven or eight hole. You can tell he just doesn't like being the target of a pitcher in the three hole, as he looks very uncomfortable up there. I don't think he should be leadoff, because he doesn't get on base well enough, but in a seven hole position, I think he could see more pitches to hit, which would benefit his free swinging style.
Overall though, the whole lineup is a mess. I could go on forever about who doesn't fit where (Randy Winn at leadoff, Emmanuel Burriss in the lineup period). There really is just not a lot to like about this lineup, which makes me angry on why we didn't look into Manny Ramirez more. Sure he would have been a cancer, but god...Lewis at three hole followed by Molina? They really thought they could contend with that combo? Ramirez would have made this lineup jettison because really, all you need is that one great hitter followed by that good complimentary hitter. The Giants have plenty of candidates for that. Pablo Sandoval is a bit hit or miss kind of guy, but he could be that good hitter to follow Manny and even Aaron Rowand, with the way he's swinging, could have been a solid five guy to follow Ramirez as well. Rowand is hitting great lower in the order, which he has always done in his career. His best years in Philly and Chicago were when he was batting in the six and seven hole, not the three like he did last year. I really hope Bochy doesn't move him, even though I'm sure he'll be tempted because he's hitting the best out of anyone in the lineup. Rowand will revert to last year's form I think if he is moved up. Then again though, if I had to choose between Rowand or Lewis, I probably would go with Rowand just because he seems more consistent than Lewis and he has that veteran savvy that Lewis doesn't quite have.
Here are some quick awards for the first week:
Best offensive player:
Honorable mention: Lewis, Rowand.
--Winn has looked good. He has shown good pop and good patience at the plate so far. He looks a lot like how he did a few years ago when he first arrived with the Giants, which I think is a good sign. Lewis really has had a good start as well and is statistically better than Lewis, but I like Winn a lot more because he has 3 SB in comparison to Lewis' zero and he has one of the team's 3 home runs. Rowand is another close pick because he has come up with some clutch hits. However, Winn so far has just looked better overall in my mind at the plate out of the three.
Best pitcher:
Honorable mention: Bobby Howry
--Cain looked awesome against the Brewers. He was on target, looked confident and didn't seem to let the "let's not score runs for Matt Cain" factor that has haunted him the past two years affect him. Great performance and I think he could be the guy the Giants will be leaning on until Lincecum gets his stuff and mojo back. Sanchez looked great at times, but he also looked awful on others. He really needs to get his control harnessed. His stuff is awesome, but he just gives up that mistake pitch way too often. The honorable mention goes to Howry because he looks like a fantastic set up guy. I wasn't to keen on him, but I think he could give the Giants a good 8-9 inning combo along with Brian Wilson.
Most disappointing:
--This was tough, mostly because there's a lot to be disappointed with in the Giants so far. Guys I didn't list on my honorable mention include Sandoval (who's batting .217 with a sub .300 OBP) and Travis Ishikawa (who's batting average and OBP is .211). The reason I didn't put those guys on though was because I expected Sandoval to get off to a slow start because he had so much hype going in. He's actually doing better than I thought considering the pressure put on him by the media and the fans. As for Ishikawa, I didn't expect much from him period. I think he's the second-coming of Lance Niekro: a high profile farm system guy that is not as good as advertised.
Lincecum takes the award naturally because he's coming off a CY Young season and he's off to an awful start. One bad start is one thing. Sabathia had a bad first start this season. But two is never a good sign, especially considering last year Lincecum did all of his damage in the beginning of the season. I don't think he's going to completely implode, but anybody thinking that he's going to match his CY Young numbers from last year is crazy. Renteria is an honorable mention because he was the Giants big signing, is my starting shortstop on my fantasy baseball team "Bring Back Barry" and he's batting .190. I'm not even going to be patient with this guy. I'm dropping him tomorrow. As for Burriss, I was never really bought on the idea of him being the starter this year.While Eugenio Velez has turned into a total bust and Rich Aurilia is way too old, Burriss in my mind just doesn't cut it as the starter. I don't think any amount of ability on defense is good enough to merit playing time with a .111 average. The worst part of this situation is out of the entire possible second base candidates, Juan Uribe is looking like the best option. That's right, Juan "I can't take a walk to save my life but I was still able to win a title" Uribe. I don't know how we couldn't have gotten a Craig Counsell-like second baseman. Anything at this point is an upgrade.
Granted it's just a week and maybe next week Burriss might make me eat my words with a seven hit week. But I'm not that much of an optimist and I'm not that hopeful the Giants are going to do better than third in this division. And considering how weak this division is, it makes the state of the Giants even more depressing.
Now if you don't mind, I'm going out to the bar while wearing my Eliezer Alfonso jersey-shirt.
(A question though for the road. I'm going to incorporate this now more often in the blog)
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
Opening Day Thoughts
Little else beats the beauty of baseball's opening day
Yeah, I know, Opening Night was Sunday and Opening Day was technically yesterday. I know how time works. But since the Giants did not play on Monday and opened up Tuesday, I wanted to wait until today to recap my favorite moments from Opening Night until tonight. Either way, whether it is too late or not late enough, what a great couple of days of baseball. Furthermore, the addition of playing fantasy baseball for the first time has made this baseball season even more intriguing for me.
So here it is, a semi-recap of my baseball experience from Opening night until the end of Opening Day.
Opening Night:
I really was mad about this game in retrospect for a variety of reasons. First of all, my sister, who goes to college in Philadelphia and plays softball for Villanova, has suddenly adapted herself as a newly-born Philadelphia Phillies fan. She loves Chase Utley because she thinks he is hot, went downtown for the clinching game (which eventually got postponed so she missed out) and for Christmas, she bought me a World Series champion T-shirt. I wear the shirt, but it's kind of weird because I have no like for the Phillies (even though I love that Dick's Sporting Goods commercial with Jimmy Rollins taking balls in the chest "Happy Gilmore" style) or no connection to the team whatsoever. I just wear it because a.) it's a good looking shirt and b.) nobody in the state of Washington has a Philadelphia anything shirt.
Yet while my sister's relation to the Phillies does make me steam a little bit, nothing made more angry when I found out two of my main players in Fantasy (Ryan Howard and Chipper Jones) were ineligible for scoring because games for Fantasy started the 6th, and didn't included the 5th game. Granted, it wasn't all that bad for Howard because he went 0-4 with a strikeout. But I had Chipper Jones who went 2-4 and those points would have helped my matchup on Monday when I had absolutely no offense from anybody and a couple of rainouts to boot.
So...basically, I watched the game for fantasy reasons mainly and they contributed absolutely nothing fantasy-wise because they were ineligible due to the asinine move of ESPN scheduling games before "Official" Opening Day. And to make matters the worse, it wasn't all that great of a game. The thing about watching a Derek Lowe start is that while it is fast, it is boring. You don't see any big hits because all he throws are sinkers and when its on, all you get is ground balls. That's all the Phillies did. Ground ball to second, ground ball to third, ground ball to second again. Thankfully, the Braves provided some fireworks with some big home runs from Brian McCann and the immortal Jeff Franceour, but unfortunately, I started the game late and it was already a 4-0 game the time I turned on the TV. The only real exciting part in my time watching the game was the bottom of the ninth where Mike Gonzalez nearly choked away the game, only to redeem himself by getting Howard out looking and Ibanez out to end the game. I have never been a big Gonzalez guy, for even in his days in Pittsbrugh I thought he was fringe-major league player at best. Nonetheless, he got the job done and my friend who has him on his fantasy team was lucky enough to get the save.
Opening Day:
The Red Sox-Rays game has been postponed so I get a chance to watch this one in between classes. Not much offense in this game. Johan Santana is mowing them down, and even Aaron Harang doesn't seem to be having an imploding day like he usually has. While I don't like the Mets very much (even though I do like them more than the Phillies), I'm paying attention to this game because of Carlos Beltran, who is on my fantasy team. I know it's not a great pick, especially since his reputation has somewhat deteriorated since coming to New York. He's known for putting up stats but he doesn't seem to do anything more than get his nice little stat line each and every night. From a Mets fan's perspective, that sucks, but from a fantasy owner's perspective, I have no problem with that. As long as Beltran gets 30 and 100, I don't care if he causes the New York locker room to mutiny against him.
Beltran has a decent game. Goes 1-4 with a walk, not bad but not great. Daniel Murphy hits a big home run in the 5th inning off of Harang which is the main highlight of the game. Who is Daniel Murphy? Isn't he a Nascar driver? Yeah, I know, I was asking those questions too, which just goes to show you how much I care about this game. Will say this though, Mets bullpen looks good, much better than it ever did last season. Sean Green, JJ Putz and Francisco Rodriguez combine for 3.1 innings of hitless ball. I don't think their bullpen could go .1 innings last year without giving up a hit. While this is nice to Mets fans, I'm not so sure if their bullpen will be worth as much as they paid in the off-season. I think K-Rod is great, but closers like him who come off big season usually have a down season the following year, especially if they've just gotten big money. I don't like Putz either. I think Putz is a one-year wonder, and I was never impressed with him any time in his career before he had that big season two years ago. On an optimistic note, an overrated Putz and a K-Rod on the decline is heck of a lot better than an DL-prone Billy Wagner and Scott Schoenweis coming into the ninth.
Side note: Does anyone enjoy K-Rod's post-save celebrations anymore? I hate them. It's like he won the World Series each and every save. Hey K-Rod, we know you're thankful, but god, don't act like you single-handedly won the biggest game in your career each and every time. This and Roger Federer's on his knees celebration after winning each tournament are probably the most overexposed and overexcited celebrations in sports.
I have no liking for either team, but after listening to Bill Simmons American League preview podcast, I am intrigued by the Rangers this year, especially since I don't think much of the Angels or A's in the AL West. I love the Rangers batters. Ian Kinsler is a beast, Josh Hamilton is a pure masher and I think Michael Young has been one of the most under-appreciated middle infielders in the past five years. Furthermore, I have been intrigued by their young guys like Nelson Cruz and Jarrod Saltalamacchia (trying spelling that one blindfolded) who have good pop in their bats. The only problem with the Rangers and has been the case ever since they acquired A-Rod is that they have no pitching. Kevin Millwood was good maybe four years ago, and even then he was fringe-good at the best. Vicente Padilla is about as dependable as a cheap cab ride to the airport, and that's pretty much it. Who else can pitch on the Rangers? Adam Eaton? I don't know why the Rangers don't dish guys like Hank Blalock while they can. They have so much depth in their offensive farm system that they don't really need guys like him. The worst part too is that even when they do get some good young arms, they trade them away. The Rangers could have Edison Volquez, but they traded him for Josh Hamilton. Hamilton is a very good bat, but the Rangers have plenty of bats. They need at least one above-average pitcher.
Cliff Lee really has a bad game, much to the dismay of my Cleveland Indians friend. Young gets two hits, Kinsler gets three hits, and Blalock and Saltalamacchia both hit home runs. I had a feeling this would happen. Granted, it's only one game, but Lee has always been an up and down pitcher. One year he's great, the next he's awful. I don't think he's going to have as awful year this year as he did two years ago, but anybody who has him on their fantasy team would best be served if they dish him while his value is hot.
Wow...9-1 Rangers and Millwood actually looks all right. Maybe this could be a dark horse year for the Rangers.
C.C. Sabathia is making his Yankees debut and I like C.C. because I have this weird connection to him like everyone has that connection to Kevin Bacon. One of my cousins went to high school with him and actually knows him a little bit from a class. Furthermore, my high school baseball coach and Global Studies teacher my freshman year, was a scout for the Rays that actually coached him on a competitive team during the summers. So because of all those weird connections, I have this strange gravitation toward Sabathia.
Only he gets absolutely shelled this game. I mean, shelled. 4.1 innings, 8 hits, 6 earned runs, 5 walks and no strikeouts. Anybody who picked him as their top pitcher pick is pulling out their hair and the city of New York has just declared a state of emergency after Sabathia's dud and Mark Teixeira's 0-4 performance that included him leaving 5 men left on base. Granted, I think Yankees fans are being a little too rash, but then again, when you do pay over 300 million for two players combined and they have terrible first outings, well...let's just say you don't exactly have a good night's sleep that night.
I hate the term "second-favorite team." It compromises fans everywhere because it makes people question how genuine fans of teams really are. However, in order to describe my relationship to the Mariners, I probably would have to say that they are my "second-favorite" team. I used to live in Spokane for six years and my family used to go to Mariners games quite a bit. In fact, we lived during the 1995 "Refuse to Lose" season which was probably the most entertaining baseball season of my life, just as if not even more entertaining than the 2002 Giants run to the World Series. So I have a soft spot for the Mariners and as their organization and city sport-wise are on their last legs, I feel even more inclination to support them.
The Mariners look great against the Twins. Felix Rodriguez looks great like he usually does in the beginning of the season and the M's get great performances from Franklin Gutierrez, whom I think really could be a sleeper this year for the M's (I like him the most out of all their young guys including Matt Clement and Wladimir Balentin). But the best part of the game? Seeing Junior again in a Mariners uniform. God, it's great. I thought I was 10 years old and watching the movie "Little Big League" again after he hit that home run. I really think that this will be a good year for Junior now that he's back in Seattle. You can just tell he really like being back as a Mariner. There's a pep in his step that you didn't see last year in Cincinnati or his disastrous short-run in Chicago with the White Sox. His stats still may not be awesome, but I think they'll be better than most people think.
I loathe both these teams. I hate the A's because A's fans are a condescending bunch that they think they know everything because they have Billy Beane as GM and have read Moneyball. They don't take into consideration that they have one of the worst ballparks in the league, that their owner is a jerk and that the young guys that apparently Beane is all about have actually been worse than advertised. I mean, really, what has Bobby Crosby, Eric Chavez or Mark Ellis done lately?
I also dislike the Angels strongly as well. I'm still bitter about losing that World Series loss to them and that stupid monkey. Heck, one of the reasons I think me and my girlfriend broke up this semester was because she was an Angels fan and I think that was bad karma from the start. But every year, I always hear how good the Angels are going to be and how they're going to win it all. Yet every year they don't. They lose to the Red Sox every year be it in the first round or ALCS. The thing is, while the Angels have mashers, they're clutch-less. How many times has Vlad or Juan Rivera came through when it really counted?
The game is an absolute Angels-fest. Dallas Braden shows how flawed the A's really are. He would barely be a three starter on a good team, but he's the No. 1 guy for the A's. That's how overrated the A's staff is. Granted, he wouldn't be the opening day starter had Justin Duscherer been healthy, but nonetheless, I just don't see much talent at all in these pitchers that Beane keeps ballyhooeing and I don't see the A's winning the division despite all the hoopla about them getting Matt Holliday, Jason Giambi, Nomar Garciaparra and Orlando Cabrera (even though I LOVE Cabrera. He's a free-swinging care-free shortsop. The game needs more guys like him). Those guys' numbers will shrink in the A's football stadium and the pitching isn't nearly good enough to make up for the decrease in offense.
That's it for now...look out for my next post, which will be solely dedicate to the Giants opening day game against the Brewers.
Friday, April 3, 2009
San Francisco Giants 2009 Season Preview
Tim Lincecum will be the main man for the Giants this season from the get-go.I love the season previews. I buy them. I read them. I can't get enough of them. Even as a newspaper editor for the school paper, I take a certain joy in making previews, even if it may not be for a sport that's worth it. (e.g. college soccer).
I was tempted with the thought of doing a full-length division by division AL and NL preview, and I still may do it, but I decided to center on the Giants because in all reality, all I really care about is the Giants. I've been following the Giants since January, when there was the slight possibility that they might have gotten Manny Ramirez. Unfortunately, because of Brian Sabean's tendency to make bonehead signings, we lost out to the rival Dodgers who basically did everything in the world to basically lose their guy but because of the economy and because Manny burned bridges in Boston so badly, they were able to get him back. I absolutely hate Manny now, and I hate Sabean even more because we could have automatically went from fringe contender in the weak NL West to bonafide favorite if we had Manny. But since he's a Dodger now, I have nothing but scorn for the guy.
All right, enough of the anti-Manny, Dodger, Sabean talk. They'll be plenty room for that. Let's get onto the preview.
Last season recap:
The Giants last season, in all honesty, overachieved, despite how crappy a 72-90 record looks on paper. I thought the team was going to be terrible, everybody thought the team was going to be terrible. Heck, people thought last season the Giants were going to compete with the 1962 Mets for the worst record in baseball and I wasn't exactly ruling that out. For years we had put everything behind Barry Bonds and then in an asinine move we decided not to go that route anymore even though the Giants had in no way shape or form prepared for such a maneuver. However, the Giants got big performance from their pitching staff, specifically Tim Lincecum who won 18 games and led the league in strikeouts en route to the Cy Young award (which I am glad he won because I would've been furious if C.C. Sabathia won it despite playing only half a season in the NL). Furthermore, the Giants finally found their closer in Brian Wilson after a six year odyssey of mediocrity that spanned from Matt Herges to Armando Benitez. Wilson saved 41 games and was named to the All-Star team.
Offensively, the Giants were not great, but they got good years from Bengie Molina, whose position in the cleanup spot produced career years in RBIs, Fred Lewis, who showed he was not just a month-long phenom, and even Emmanuel Burriss, who made Giants scratch their heads why they were going with Brian Bocock for so long.
Offense:
Big things are expected out of Pablo Sandoval after he hit .345 in a 45 game stint.- Edgar Renteria was the big offensive signing for the Giants, which is either a good or bad thing depending on how optimistically you want to look at it. Renteria had a real down year last year in Detroit, but he has struggled in his stints in the American League. He had a real down year in Boston the year after his stint with the Cardinals. However, in St. Louis and Atlanta, he had real good years, and now that he's back to being under the radar, there is the possibility that the NL-familiarity along with less pressure will result in a better season for Renteria. In all honesty, I don't care if he does have a down season like last season. A .270, 10 HR, 55 RBI down season is a heck of a lot better than anything we got at shortstop last season.
- Molina returns behind the plate and possibly back in the four hole which is risky because I wonder if he can handle being the main run producer for a second consecutive season. I think last year was kind of a good season for him because it was the first time in his career he wasn't batting in the eight or nine hole. Either he struggles this year because he just can't handle it on a consistent basis or he continues on his pace because he's embrace the role. Hopefully it's the latter.
- The big guy though everyone is talking about from local to national media is Pablo Sandoval. The guy, known for his pudgy stature and tendency to swing at everything and hit a majority of what he swings at, is being labeled as a big-time breakout player. Like I said in an earlier post about my fantasy draft, I'm a bit skeptical. I do think he's capable of breaking out. He's got uncanny contact abiliy and he's a gap to gap hitter, which is what works in a spacious ballpark like AT&T Park. However, I'm not sure if he can do what he did through 43 games over a 162 game span. I'm hoping he can because if he does the Giants could be a sleeper, especially if Manny struggles due to his late report to camp. However, thinking Sandoval is going to lead us to the promise land right off the bat I think is unrealistic. I'll be happy if he produces, but if he doesn't, I won't exactly be sorely disappointed.
- Other guys to watch on offense are Fred Lewis, who is coming off a great season and is capable of doing more, Burriss, who will be the starting second baseman, and Travis Ishikawa, who is slated as the starting first baseman. I'm not totally huge on Ishikawa. I would rather start Sandoval at 1st, make Ishikawa a platoon player and have somebody like Juan Uribe and Eugenio Velez split time at third and second with Burriss. It's not that I don't think Ishikawa can't be good, it's just that we went down this road with Lance Niekro before and look where that led us.
Pitching:
Hopefully Matt Cain will get the kind of run support that can result in a decent record this season.- Lincecum once again is the main man in the rotation for the Giants, which is going to be interesting especially as he will face more number one starters to start off the season in comparison to last year, where initially he was going against the two and three guys of other teams. Lincecum though is a legitimate pitcher. If he gets more run support he could win over 20 games this year because he's so dominant. He strikes guys out and he has a lot of arm strength because of his youth. Rarely did Lincecum have a bad start and even when he did, his team usually rallied behind him to help cover him. I think Lincecum is due for another good year, and with the addition of guys like Renteria and Sandoval, mashers who could provide the run support he didn't have at time last year, he could repeat as the NL Cy Young winner.
- A guy that is due for a breakout season is Matt Cain, the no. 2 starter. The guy has had a sub-par record the past two seasons, but that has been not because of his pitching but rather the utterly pathetic run support he gets in the games he pitches. Cain though could benefit much like Lincecum if the run support improves. He's a hard thrower, gets a lot of K's and has improved control wise ever since his first year as a full time starter where he had a lot of problems with walks. With Lincecum getting a lot of the focus and a lot of attention now on the newly acquired Randy Johnson, Cain could be that sleeper that might finally get those wins that have evdaded him despite solid numbers that last couple of years.
- Speaking of starters, if there is one guy I want out of the rotation, my vote goes to Barry Zito. I don't care how much we're paying him. If Noah Lowry is healthy, I want him in the five spot over Zito. While Lowry may not be healthy and hasn't pitched in over a year, Lowry a couple of years ago was showing signs of being a solid middle of the rotation guy. He still can be a solid back of the rotation guy, for he has had solid experience as a No. 2 and No. 3 starter and could hold his own against 4 or 5 guys. However, Zito I have absolutely no confidence in, even against a spot starter. He has no stuff, his breaking ball sucks, he can't go more than six innings and the fact that he's being paid 126 million and was the sole reason why we couldn't get Manny drives me to the point where I want to cut my wrists. Do I hope Zito puts up solid numbers and finally earns at least 1/8 of his salary this season? Yeah I do. But I like the upside of Lowry a heck of a lot more, especially if he is healthy. If Zito struggles, Bochy better dump Zito from the rotation which I hope leads to Sabean dumping Zito in general. The guy is a sunk cost. Every Giant knows that, so why not get rid of him while we can?
- While Wilson is solid, the Giants bullpen needs more help. Bob Howry and Jeremy Affeldt are supposed to help, but still I'm not all that confident in this bullpen. Too many times we stretched the starters far longer than they needed to because we were relying on middle relief guys like a 40 year old Keichi Yabu. Hopefully Howry and Affeldt can live up to their billing, and if they do, we might minimize a lot of those blown leads we had way too often this year.
Bruce Bochy has done a solid job of adjusting his managing style with changing team demographics the last two seasons- Let it be known I hate Brian Sabean. I think the guy has been GM for two years too long. While some of the minor league level talent we have has developed (Lincecum, Cain, maybe Sandoval), a lot hasn't. For every Lincecum there's a Tony Torcato and Jesse Foppert. Furthermore, Sabean basically mortgaged the entire future on Bonds for so long and did so so badly that he literally gave away guys who could have solved the Giants problems about four years ago. The biggest example? Giving away Joe Nathan and Francisco Liriano for A.J. Pierzynski, whom we had for one, high-turmoil, underachieving year. Sabean also dropped the ball big with the Zito signing, a move fans have been complaining about since day one. In order for Sabean to make his continued stay in San Francisco somewhat justified, he needs this team to produce, especially the younger players, a move that he has never really embraced before when he was constantly shopping younger guys for aging veterans.
- I have really grown to like Bruce Bochy. I thought he was a bad hire initially, an overrated manager in San Diego, but he has really played to the team's strengths last season. He has let the Giants run a heck of a lot more, which is what is needed in this era of post-steroid baseball. Every speed guy increased their SB numbers last season and I think Bochy will steal even more this season. A lot of managers wouldn't be as open to change styles, but Bochy has embraced this team and tried to play to its strengths rather than shape it to his own image like some managers would do.
Overall:
This season hinges on two players: Lincecum and Sandoval. If both those guys produce, the Giants not only could be in good shape this season, but for seasons to come. A lot of the Giants veterans are good, but they are no way prepared to take a team on their back. Renteria has thrived in supporting roles, Molina is a quiet leader that shies from spotlight and Aaron Rowand showed that he just doesn't have the statistical fortitude to be the "man". Sandoval though can be a solid offensive guy that could have an impact on a team like Prince Fielder. Then again though, he could also be the next Randall Simon. As for Lincecum, he's obviously a proven commodity, but can he do it again? Is he the next Josh Beckett or next Mark Fidrych? The season hinges on how those two guys do and it could be a rough year if they don't live up to the hype. However, in a weak NL West where it is the Dodgers and everyone else, an LA slip and surprising performances from the Giants supporting cast could produce a competitive season that could result in the Giants slipping by LA for the NL West crown.
Projected opening day lineup and batting order:
RF-Randy Winn
SS-Edgar Renteria
LF-Fred Lewis
C-Bengie Molina
3B-Pablo Sandoval
1B-Travis Ishikawa
CF-Aaron Rowand
2B-Emmanuel Burriss
SP-Tim Lincecum
CP-Brian Wilson
Sunday, March 29, 2009
MLB Fantasy Draft Recap
While I couldn't draft Barry Bonds, I did at least name my fantasy team after him.
So I just had my fantasy draft. Overall, fun stuff. Football in my mind is superior, NBA is not as fun as you would think. College basketball brackets are great, bowl pick 'ems suck hard. MLB draft so far ranged in the middle, but still not as fun as the NFL.
Overall, I am pretty much on the fence about my draft. Thing about Fantasy sports is if you're active, the draft won't matter. I won fantasy football two out of three years because of guys I picked up off waivers rather than through the draft. If I stuck with the draft I would have been relying on Deshaun Foster three years ago instead of dropping him for Frank Gore, who ended up carrying me to a Fantasy Football title. I don't expect to be staying with Kurt Suzuki for the entire 162 game season, so at this point I did my part in the draft and I'm going to keep an eye out for guys who are off to hot starts or who are going to get a lot of playing time this year.
Guys I really like from my draft is of course my first pick Ryan Howard, who I think is going to have another MVP season because he plays in such a small ballpark and I also like Dan Uggla for some strange reason. I think Uggla's stats this year are going to be more rounded, which means less home runs but less K's. The guy's got a sweet stroke. Hopefully the Marlins put him in the three hole this year instead of two so he can get more RBIs. Carlos Beltran I also think is capable of a big season. The guy has gone under the radar the last couple of years, but I think he's feeling the pressure of the NY media which can produce a big season. However, it can also produce a big drop off, but I think Beltran's too talented to drop off dramatically.
My bench is mostly fast guys, specifically highlighted by a three headed speed monster of Coco Crisp, Lastings Milledge and Fred Lewis. I think Crisp is due for a big year, especially in Kansas City where they will be looking at him more as a leader, and I think with his playoff experience, he'll build on that. I also like Milledge. The guy struggled in the beginning last year because he wasn't used to being the main man, but I think now he's used to Washington, we'll see him get on base more. The guy has more speed than his stats show and I think we'll see that this year, as long as he gets on base more and cuts down his K's. Lewis is a questionable pick because I have that rotten feeling he's going to have an off year from a solid year the previous season. As a Giants fan though, I love him. He was in my opinion our most consistent player last year and that was in his first season as a starter. I got mad at Bochy last year for not running Lewis more in the last couple of years. He's faster than people think, and I think he showed that at times last season.
I'm not so high on the Giants pitching staff. I think Tim Lincecum will drop off (not Mark Fidrych bad, but still a drop-off), don't think Randy Johnson's going to do as much as people think and I think Barry Zito will finally implode for good this season. But in comparison to other staffs, there is so much upside I just had to pick them, even if it is quite a risky pick. My worst pick of the bunch other than Suzuki is probably Pablo Sandoval. In my mind, I picked him solely on his potential, which was an outstanding 421. Yet I don't think he's going to have that good of a year. He barely played last year and I just don't think he's going to produce the kind of numbers people saw from him down the stretch last season. However, Sandoval was my last pick, and it was a very high risk, high reward pick, so I went with him. Jed Lowrie could be a similar situation, but I think Lowrie could have more potential to do better than I pessimistically think because A.) Boston hates Julio Lugo and B.) Mike Lowell's health is so poor. Lowrie will get a lot of at bats, especially with the way he played, even though I'm scared he's going to have an Angel Berroa-esque second year drop off.
Guys I wished I picked? I was so down on Shin-Soo Choo. I didn't watch much of the WBC, but for some reason, the games I did watch featured Korea and Choo was the only major leaguer of the bunch. I think Choo really could be a surprise. He played well in the WBC and he's a consistent kind of guy. Not flashy, but he's super-disciplined. I might try to make a trade with the guy who drafted him, who desperately wants Lowrie. I like Lowrie, but I would be willing to part with him for Choo.
Overall, predictions are fun and all, but it doesn't mean anything. Only when the season starts I can see how well I drafted. Here's to the 2009 MLB season and my team "Bring Back Barry."
Thursday, January 17, 2008
Baseball is a dirty game...and it doesn't matter
Before steroids and HGH, there were fixed games by gamblers and the 1919 Black Sox, further proof that there is no "pure" era in baseball"I'll never watch baseball again because it's become a dirty game."
In all reality, that's really how you tell apart the true baseball fan from the more casual baseball one. While the casual baseball one complains about the cheating and the corruption and how nobody is honest in the game, true baseball fans will comment on it, but not wholeheartedly agree on it.
Why? Because since its inception, baseball is and maybe will always be a dirty game, and only the true baseball fan accepts this.
Don't believe me? Go way back. Before there was steroids, the main thorn in baseball's side was another vice: gambling. It all started with 1919 Black Sox and only got worse once they made Kennesaw Mountain Landis the commissioner who dealt with problems in ways Bud Selig could never have dreamed of (just imagine Bill the Butcher from Gangs of New York and you got Landis, a former WWI veteran). In addition to the eight Chicago players banned for life because of fixing the world series, eight other baseball figures were banned from baseball as well due to gambling related instances. And we're talking banned here. No 25 games suspensions, just "you won't play MLB baseball again, period".
Years later, gambling surfaced its ugly head again (this time with Pete Rose, as everyone knows), but another problem surfaced with baseball that further tainted the game: the player's strike. Because player's and owner's weren't able to come to an agreement over money, the end of the season was canceled, no playoffs were played, and no champion was crowned. It was like watching Rocky without seeing the final fight because the projector in the movie theater broke down and it was the last night the movie was playing. You felt robbed and your heart ripped out from inside. Thus, instead of being corrupt gamblers, baseball players and other figures were now labeled as greedy, money-hungry socialites. They didn't care about fans, they didn't care about the love for the game. All players cared about was getting their checks, and all owners cared about was cutting the cost of the checks they were writing, all of this at the fan's and game's expense.
I could go into other stories of cheating (and believe me, baseball's got plenty of them), but I won't. By now, I know you are asking and saying, "What's the point? So, baseball has roots to corruption. I should hate the game even more, the casual baseball fan claims".
But here's the catch. What the true baseball fan knows and realizes, that almost on a timely basis, that with every period of corruption, everything is validated by one great moment or series of moments. Something so great happens that it brings all the fans back into the ballpark and once again validates that baseball is a beautiful game. After the black sox happened, a player named Babe Ruth came into the game and brought fans to the park with his larger than life personality and hitting prowess that smashed every record conceivable during that era. After the strike, two players named Sammy Sosa and Mark McGuire competed in the most heated home run race of all time and made the game of summer once again gleam in the hearts of baseball fans everywhere and made them forget about player's and owner's greed. For a short time, they rejuvenated the game and once again made baseball a great game.
So you see...that is what the true baseball fans knows that the casual one may never understand. Sure, baseball may be corrupt. Maybe, baseball and corruption will forever go side and side as long as the game continues. But, just you remember, that while this steroids scandal may dominate the media, and while casual fans will slowly grow disenchanted with the game, something will come and make baseball fun and beautiful again.
Because the true baseball fan knows it's like clockwork.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
