BBTF's Newsblog Discussion :: Burriss riding 0-for-27, Palmer’s Halo effect, Sandoval is a Vlad/Gwynn hybrid, Mcpherson

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Tuesday, June 16, 2009

Burriss riding 0-for-27, Palmer’s Halo effect, Sandoval is a Vlad/Gwynn hybrid, Mcpherson

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I noticed that closer Brian Wilson seems to have added a few accoutrements to his gestures after a save. In addition to the crossed arms motion, he kisses the tattoo on his wrist (it means “All honor to Him” in Celtic), taps the brim of his cap and taps his heart.

“Head for memory, heart for strength,” Wilson said.

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Bengie Molina, on what he told John Lackey before the rookie started Game 7 of the 2002 World Series:

“We went through the hitters, but your heart is going so fast and everything is happening so quick,” Molina said. “That’s not the time to say much. Just give him the ball. You know, his demeanor and his way of taking care of things, it told me he was the right guy for that game. I never had any doubt in my mind.”

Scioscia said he went to then-pitching coach Buddy Black after the Game 6 comeback win and asked who was left for Game 7. Black said it was Lackey. Scioscia said, “OK.”

End of conversation.

Tripon Posted: June 16, 2009 at 06:02 PM | 25 comment(s) | Login to Bookmark
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1. Roy Hobbs of WIFFLE Ball Posted: June 16, 2009 at 06:10 PM (#3221057)

Pablo Sandoval is wonderful.

2. Tripon Posted: June 16, 2009 at 06:15 PM (#3221067)

Pablo Sandoval was sick.

The Angels bullpen was even sicker.

3. Good cripple hitter Posted: June 16, 2009 at 06:16 PM (#3221070)

I clicked on the link just to read what was written about Fat Ichiro, and I never expected to read this:

Giants reportedly have signed former White Sox closer Shingo Takatsu to a minor league contract and he’ll go to Fresno once his visa papers are in order.

I didn't even know he was still playing. He was incredibly fun to use in MVP baseball.

4. Rich Rifkin Posted: June 16, 2009 at 06:35 PM (#3221105)

Make no mistake, Emmanuel Burriss is in a monster slump right now. Hard outs and bad luck don’t explain or excuse an 0-for-27 streak. That’s where Burriss currently resides after a particularly feeble 0-for-4 Monday night.

A monster slump or just a monster suck?

Kevin Frandsen is no Robbie Thompson. Heck, he's not even a Tito Fuentes. But Frandsen's hitting .330 for the Fresno Grizzlies (in 179 ABs) and he's better in the field than E-manuel (-3.5 UZR). Burriss (48 OPS+; -8.4 VORP) does not belong on anyone's major league roster, let alone starting for a club which is in playoff contention.

5. Alex_Lewis Posted: June 16, 2009 at 06:44 PM (#3221124)

A monster slump or just a monster suck?

Are you implying that Burris is a succubus??

Does anyone think that Nate Schierholtz is the answer in right field? It's early, but he would appear to be a much better player than Fred Lewis. I like Lewis, but the man's game is flawed. AND he's the older player. Pure and simple. He's trade bait. On the other hand, Nate looks pretty darn solid. He doesn't have a power swing, per se, but it looks like he can generate some average with that hack; batted .308 in the minors, got on base at a respectable if not outstanding clip. Maybe I'm a little too enamored because of his arm and fielding (both of which leave Lewis in the dust), but I think the team will prosper with him as the everyday right fielder.

6. Tripon Posted: June 16, 2009 at 06:45 PM (#3221126)

Fred Lewis plays left field. You'd want to get rid of Randy Wynn.

7. Alex_Lewis Posted: June 16, 2009 at 06:46 PM (#3221127)

I just noticed the headline... Sandoval is a Vlad/Gwynn hybrid, eh? I'll live with that.

8. Shooty: Applying to be Fearless Leader

Posted: June 16, 2009 at 06:47 PM (#3221130)

I just noticed the headline... Sandoval is a Vlad/Gwynn hybrid, eh? I'll live with that.

A Vlad/Gwynn/Terry Forster hybrid, actually.

9. Alex_Lewis Posted: June 16, 2009 at 06:51 PM (#3221138)

Fred Lewis plays left field. You'd want to get rid of Randy Wynn.

Not really. Randy can play any outfield position. He's been getting the run in left, which I think is his best spot anyway. Randy is a pro and I don't want to lose him... Still, if he's the man who other teams want, then by all means. Randy's contract is expiring, isn't it?

Giants have depth in the outfield... Either Lewis or Randy + a pitching prospect should be worth something, somewhere. I don't know if they can draw the corner IF bat that the Giants need (or a person who can actually play 2B), but it's good to have options. FINALLY.

10. Rich Rifkin Posted: June 16, 2009 at 07:11 PM (#3221160)

Randy can play any outfield position. He's been getting the run in left, which I think is his best spot anyway.

Huh? This is Randy Winn's Innings by Position this year:

Left Field -- 93.1
Center Field -- 19.0
Right Field -- 407.0

This is Fred Lewis's Innings by Position this year:

Left Field -- 404.2
Center Field -- no f###ing way
Right Field -- no f###ing arm

11. Alex_Lewis Posted: June 16, 2009 at 07:39 PM (#3221188)

I meant recently (since Bochy has lost interest in Fred Lewis)... Randy started in left both yesterday and the day before. Since we're being willful, Winn's innings by position over the course of his career:

Left Field -- 3,047.1
Right Field -- 3,729.1
Center Field -- 5,519.2

I think that counts as being able to play any outfield position. Personally, I think he looks best in left field. He plays right because, frankly, the Giants haven't had another player capable of doing so for his entire tenure in San Francisco.

12. Petooter: 11'6" 355 lbs of scrap and grit Posted: June 16, 2009 at 07:45 PM (#3221193)

I think #9 might have meant that Winn has been playing left lately when Schierholtz is in the lineup? At any rate, that's the case.

Does anyone know much about Schierholtz? It was brought to my attention the other day that he was drafted as a third baseman. Wouldn't the Giants be better off with Lewis-Rowand-Winn in the OF, Schierholtz at 3B, Uribe at 2B, and Burriss pinch-running (setting aside for the moment whether there's any likelihood of this happening)? I think Schierholtz's bat plays in this lineup, but have no idea if he can still hack it defensively in the infield.

13. Tom Nawrocki Posted: June 16, 2009 at 07:52 PM (#3221201)

Does anyone think that Nate Schierholtz is the answer in right field? It's early, but he would appear to be a much better player than Fred Lewis.

Does that mean Schierholtz is better than Matt Holliday?

14. zenbitz Posted: June 16, 2009 at 08:04 PM (#3221228)

Petunia -

The short answer is, no, he cannot hack 3B.

Absolute butcher (according to 4th hand reports). I mean, the Giants system may be mismanaged, but even they aren't stupid enough to keep Nate as Yet Another Fourth OF Type when their infield is so unbelievably wretched.

15. Steve Treder Posted: June 16, 2009 at 08:05 PM (#3221232)

I think Schierholtz's bat plays in this lineup, but have no idea if he can still hack it defensively in the infield.

Schierholtz couldn't hack it defensively in the infield when he played there. That's why he no longer plays there.

16. Petooter: 11'6" 355 lbs of scrap and grit Posted: June 16, 2009 at 08:28 PM (#3221277)

Well, that answers that question. Thanks to you both. And of course it makes sense now that you put it that way. I think I've been playing too much OOTP lately.

17. Boots Day Posted: June 16, 2009 at 08:58 PM (#3221308)

Kind of sad to see the Giants have gotten away from the tradition of putting bad defensive outfielders at third base. It was their signature move for a while.

18. Alex_Lewis Posted: June 16, 2009 at 09:35 PM (#3221349)

Does that mean Schierholtz is better than Matt Holliday?

He's better than Adam Dunn and Matt Holliday combined.

Adatt Dulliday?

19. Steve Treder Posted: June 16, 2009 at 09:48 PM (#3221361)

Kind of sad to see the Giants have gotten away from the tradition of putting bad defensive outfielders at third base. It was their signature move for a while.

Now this is just false. Kevin Mitchell, Joel Youngblood, Dave Kingman, Jim Ray Hart, Jackie Brandt, Orlando Cepeda, Hank Thompson, Bobby Thomson, and Sid Gordon were not all bad defensive outfielders.

Bad defensive third basemen? Well, you might have something there.

20. Tom (and his broom) Posted: June 17, 2009 at 12:08 AM (#3221595)

so you see they have sent Burris down, called up Matt Downs.

Looking at Downs' numbers i like the move, he is not a star but has been groomed to be a good utility guy, in 300 minor league games he has hit over .300, has 100 doubles and 34 HR's, 54 SB's, 95 BB's and has played everywhere but Catcher and CF.

In a related move they dropped Holm from the 40 man roster to make room for Downs. Whiteside's hitting has closed the narrow opportunity for Holm.

21. Rich Rifkin Posted: June 17, 2009 at 12:27 AM (#3221645)

Downs has an odd split at AAA. He's a right handed hitter who is hitting .329 (.891 OPS) vs. RHPs and .197 (.554 OPS) vs. LHPs. It's probably just a sample size deal, though, as he only has 66 ABs against lefties this season. Kevin Frandsen (who is 2 years older than Downs) is hitting better against RHPs (.341) than LHPs (.302) in AAA, but also has that reverse split, hitting righties better, though not by so much as Downs.

22. North Side Chicago Expatriate Giants Fan Posted: June 17, 2009 at 04:06 AM (#3221878)

Schierholtz sucks.

It's time for John Bowker.

Also, Downs might have been brought up because Frandsen was recently up and sent down, so he can't be called up yet, but the team couldn't wait a few more days because Burriss is that bad.

23. Tripon Posted: June 17, 2009 at 04:23 AM (#3221880)

John Bowker kinda sucks too.

24. Alex_Lewis Posted: June 17, 2009 at 04:35 AM (#3221881)

What is it I'm missing about Bowker? It seems to me that his swing has some pretty major holes. I haven't watched him play this year, so maybe something has changed? Out of Ishikawa, Lewis, Bowker, and Schierholtz, I like Schierholtz the best. Feels like Schierholtz is the one best designed to have success at AT&T; all those other guys have that upper cut hack that doesn't do a whole lot in the Giants' home environment. Plus, they aren't very good. That's a lot of unscientific guesswork, but when your pickings are slim, you're going to have to go with your gut at some point.

Not that I'm the one making the calls, here...

25. 3Com Park Posted: June 17, 2009 at 03:04 PM (#3222222)

Something seems to have changed about Bowker. He's suddenly developed plate patience. Through last year he was a 100K/30BB guy. This year he's 37K/40BB. He deserves a shot.

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Burriss riding 0-for-27, Palmer’s Halo effect, Sandoval is a Vlad/Gwynn hybrid, Mcpherson

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