Whoever started the “Summit Police Chief Randall Disher” FB page…can you move on to “The Standard of Randy Winn”? Thanks.
Right field scarcely concerned the Giants through most of the previous fou-and-a-half seasons while Randy Winn, a skilled and underrated defender, patrolled the position. Winn’s migration to the New York Yankees through free agency has left the Giants searching for an able replacement. Sabean, addressing reporters at the KNBR 680/Giants FanFest, is convinced that Schierholtz can handle the position regularly.
“You always need your best fielder in right field, and the only guy who really has a chance to do that against the standard of Randy Winn is Schierholtz,” Sabean said.
Though Sabean left open the possibility that Andres Torres and Eugenio Velez could platoon in right field, he added that relying upon Schierholtz at that spot will facilitate the Giants’ chances of settling on a consistent lineup.
“Schierholtz can really play right field. There’s no doubt about that,” Sabean said.
Schierholtz, who turns 26 on February 15, started 61 games in right field last year. The respectable .284 batting average he has compiled in 174 games with the Giants since 2007 is offset by his .316 on-base percentage and six home runs in 472 at-bats. The Giants admired Schierholtz’s performance for Carolina in the Puerto Rican Winter League, where he batted .324 in 19 games. His on-base and slugging percentages were .366 and .524, respectively, though he hit one home run in 74 at-bats.
Repoz
Posted: February 07, 2010 at 05:56 AM |
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1. Walt Davis Posted: February 07, 2010 at 06:15 AM (#3455570)I think Sabean was playing Mad Libs there, and just throwing stuff in there.
"You always need your best fielder in ________, and the only guy who really has a chance to do that to the standards of _____________ is ___________"
The Giants also now have by a large margin the best data available on defense in their park (compared to any other team or any other defensive metric site). In fact their defensive data for last year is probably an order of magnitude better than anything done before.
The challenge in right at Pac Bell is playing the strange balls off of the wall. However, centerfield is HUUUUUGE in Pac Bell and therefore it is center (just as in all major league parks) where you need your best fielder. Unless your centerfielder is incredibly slow, he is going to get most balls hit into triples alley (421 feet), dead center (404') and a lot in left center (364').
The problem is the Giants have Aaron Rowand, and while he is not terrible, he is mediocre.
"the only guy who really has a chance to do that against the standard of Randy Winn is Schierholtz."
That is true. Nate does fine in right, though Winn was a bit better. That said, I think they would be better off playing Andres Torres every day in center Rowand in right. They could use Schierholtz, who bats left-handed, as a platoon in some favorable match-ups for him.
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