Archive for June, 2010

PRE-ALL STAR BREAK REFLECTIONS

Props Tim Lincecum for recovering from the worst 3 game stretch of your career and solving whatever issues you had to go 3-0 over the following three starts.

Props Buster Posey for giving Giants fans some offensive hope for the future. Even though you have recently endured your first big league slump, I believe in your abilities to overcome a slump, and you are still over the .300 mark on the season.

Props Aubrey Huff for hitting a home run into McCovey Cove (a little over a week ago).

Props Juan Uribe for stepping up and being a run producing hitter.

Props Freddy Sanchez for playing the game like a true professional; as well as hitting way above the .300 marker on the season after returning from injury.

Props Brian Sabean for the Huff acquisition. The man is earning his pay and then some. So far, he has hit for both power and average. Way to realize Huff’s potential. I give you props. Him and Jon Bowker (I think) have been the only SF players since Bonds to hit the ball into the cove. It’s a shame though that you didn’t pull the trigger on Adam Dunn (who signed a 2 year contract with the nationals for 10 million a year) before the start of the 08-09 season; instead, you have signed both Mark DeRosa and Edgar Rentaria since that time to huge contracts. Both of the latter players named have not done well and will likely continue to not do well. The reason I specifically bring up Dunn is because he is power-hitting lefty who most likely would have socked between 10 and 15 of his 40 home runs (the approximate amount that he has averaged throughout his career) into the cove. As well, it was reported at the time that he would have enjoyed playing for the Giants and there were not many other teams pursuing him i.e reason he ended up on THE NATIONALS (pre- Strasburg mania etc.)!

Now to the flip-side……

No props Brian Sabean for wasting millions on the DeRosa signing this year and the Rowand and Renteria signings the prior years!

No props Bruce Bochy for your seemingly monotonous way of being (including speech, body language etc.). At the very least get a tooth pick and twirl the hell out of that thing like Dusty did.

No props starting pitching staff for not tossing a no-hitter or perfect game. Every other team in the MLB has at least one pitcher who has tossed at the minimum one or the other!

No props Panda Sandoval for not producing the way you did last year. Even though I have faith you will turn it around, your first- half have numbers have not been good.

All in all, if I had to give the Giants a first half grade it would be a B. They are competitive at the moment, but if they do not acquire one more hitter they will not outlast the Dodgers or Padres. Just to re-emphasize my point from the last article the time is now to capitalize on our superior pitching staff!

KEEPING IT REAL

KEEPING IT REAL….

As a youth, when it came to sports talk, I was always opinionated. The only difference between my youth/adolescent years and the adult years has been the fine-tuning of my previously specified sports vernacular (including a little more openness to others opinions etc.). However, and similar to my youthful days, sometimes I just say what “I feel” needs to be said. Therefore, the time has come to start keeping sh#*t real regarding the SF Giants 2010-11 campaign; this entire article will be dedicated to writing about certain truths regarding the current season and what “I feel” needs to take place for them to be a “realistic” contender.

Keeping it real, because every major power dominated position player is no longer on steroids, big hitters are hard to come by. Digressing briefly, real talk, there are maybe two-four power hitters in the league and one of them is a rookie (Jason Heward, a man whose plate patience and dominance remind me of another African American lefty who was with the Giants for quite some time). I just needed to speak about this even just a little bit because I almost just witnessed the 15th perfect game tonight (some Galaragga guy, not Andres) over the last 20 days (exaggeration, but seriously what pitcher outside of Dave Burba hasn’t gotten within one out this year…). Clearly steroids had a huge impact on the game and Canseco was accurate on his approximation of the high percentage of players who took them. On the topic of the Giants, while there are 400 pitchers with e.r.a’s this year of under three (another exaggeration, but at the same time, not really) the Giants still have one of (if not the best) pitching staffs in the major leagues. Therefore, and as stated by a close confidante of mine, “THE TIME IS NOW” to capitalize on that. While Timmy is Timmy, he only has a couple more years of dominance; that is the same for Cain, Zito, Sanchez, and Bumgardner [1](once he gets bumped up, which is inevitably soon because Wellmeyer (sp) is not cutting it).

Dear. Mr. Sabean,

Please trade a pitcher plus a prospect for a legitimate hitter. Keeping it real, the Burrell acquisition does not count. Keeping it real, picking up Dye won’t count either. Fielder definitely would; Pena possibly would.

To continue, keeping it real, Buster Posey is not the real deal…….yet. Sure the man won some minor league accolades (similar to that of another famous Giants lefty (William Clark), however, the minors are not the majors, and Posey, well Posey is not Clark……..yet.

Dear Giant fans,

Please do not get fooled into thinking this man is a legitimate big league hitter because he hit some RBI singles over the past weekend. Let us please see what he does once national league pitchers make adjustments. If the man is a beast (and I truly hope he is) he will also make adjustments and will rake versus every pitcher (Burba included).

Keeping it real, Benji Molina is really f*****g slow. He’s so slow they highlighted it on a Sportscenter episode a couple weeks back. While Molina was not happy with this, instead of being embarrassed because his “mom was watching,” in my opinion he should figure out a way to not be obese and slow. Maybe diet, cardio etc.; or utilizing any other health/strength based strategies one would expect to maintain for a  PROFESSIONAL ATHLETE. Now, here is the point in the blog where I need to slightly check myself. Benji could have some form of disorder that makes him stay overweight and slow. If that is the case, I take back the somewhat accusation-filled statement two sentences ago and say to Benji right on for doing the best with the talents with which God has blessed you with. If not, seriously my man, start handling business, please. Eliminate the carbs, sugars, and any other bad habits that make YOU overweight and slow. I was at a game the other night and I felt sad for you while you tried to get to first, I think the other team may have too; I quickly  stopped feeling sad for you once I remembered you get paid millions of dollars because of an intrinsic talent to hit a ball far and throw it hard.

Keeping it real, my heart wants the Giants to succeed. As well, there are other Giant related topics I could keep sh**t real on, but the key ones have been touched on. If management or players happen to read this, please take some of the points to heart and make the appropriate moves/changes.