San Francisco Giants Allegedly Extend Brian Sabean and Bruce Bochy–the Faithful Sounds Off

by archivedposts on October 12, 2009

When I ran across Deion Sanders' interview on the NFL Network this morning, I was gonna let it go. Notwithstanding my skepticism about officially clearing the air via an interview on your own network conducted by a sympathetic colleague, I was all set to ignore the spectacle.

After listening and watching Neon for a while, it does seem like Deion Sanders achieves a lot of good for underprivileged kids in the Dallas area. Not only that, it seems the good deeds come from a place of sincerity.

That's very commendable, and if more professional athletes and celebrities used their wattage to help the forgotten communities in the country, we'd ALL be a lot better off.

But then Prime Time flubbed a no-brainer. Emphatically and unapologetically.

Asked if he would do anything differently in his handling of Dez Bryant and, to a lesser degree, Michael Crabtree, Sanders replied in the negative. According to the former two-sport star, he didn't do anything wrong.

Got that?

Sanders professes to care deeply about these two kids. He claims to be all about helping them, mentoring them, and guiding them to greater glory in the arena of life. He spent 99 percent of the interview trying to convince his audience of just those things.

Yet both wide receivers are currently sitting on the sidelines instead of playing football. The game is their ticket to that better life (although it's not a guarantee) and they aren't cashing it in at the moment.

Crabtree is getting closer, but who knows how much damage he's already done to his stock?

In the face of this, Neon Deion sees no problems. Nope, wouldn't change a thing. He didn't do anything wrong--something that I'm not disputing--so it doesn't matter that the two young men under his wings have had their lives knocked off-course.

That's because Deion Sanders is, ultimately, all about Deion Sanders.

Sure, he'll help some "African-American" kids (I guess the poor white kids around Dallas don't rate) and offer them a shot at a better life. He'll do exactly that ... until it starts to reflect negatively on Prime Time.

Once that happens, it's all about Deion Sanders damage control--regardless of whether it hurts or helps these athletes for whom he has such unconditional affection.

If you embarrass Prime Time, look out.

Damage control is why Noel Devine "fled" back home (again, Sanders' words) to his family instead of sticking under the tutelage of Deion. The loquacious former defensive back wanted to "adopt" Devine, but the running back decided to head back home where his family was coping with existence having lost both parents.

That's fleeing?

It is in Sanders' insecure world when your direction is away from him.

Damage control is why Neon was careful to put the Bryant situation on the table in clear terms and point out HE wasn't the liar. That's awesome, Deion, except the unavoidable and obvious inference is that Dez Bryant is a liar.

I guess that wasn't Deion Sanders the Mentor speaking.

This duplicitous nature even reared up and bit Sanders, himself.

The long-time Atlanta Falcon kept bemoaning the masses' focus on what he does and not who he is. The implication being that what he does is not the true reflection of his character, but only those who really know the individual know what he's genuinely about.

Sounds good--not perfect, but the kernel holds up to scrutiny.

Of course, then Prime would rattle off a bunch of violin strains about youngsters he'd helped and reiterate, "this is what I do."

Uh, didn't you just say what you do is not really what you're about?

The former Dallas Cowboy also used his air time to point out he didn't just look out for the high-profile, superstar types.

His bleeding heart drips all the way down to the last man on the roster. It's not just about the Crabtrees or Bryants or Maurice Jones-Drews or Adalius Thomases or Chad Johnsons or Champ Baileys (all of whom made it into the interview from Deion's lips).

Sanders cares about the "53rd man on the roster" every bit as much.

He just doesn't name any of them.

If you saw the clip, you know Neon Deion made a very earnest argument that he wants nothing from his subjects because he's already been blessed with so much. Again, the kernel is probably true--he probably doesn't want monetary things or special access.

What Prime Time does want and has always wanted is FAME, and he can't get enough.

An ego like his will NEVER have enough of it, but these active NFL luminaries and blue-chippers can offer Sanders enough reflective shine to feed his starving reserves.

Do you think the correlation between closely associating with current phenoms and television-time is lost on the shrewd self-promoter?

What's worse, do you think Deion Sanders really minded having the cameras basically to himself on Sunday morning for a good 10 minutes?

Not one bit, because it doesn't matter to him WHY he's on camera, he just loves seeing the little red light.

Consequently, you get the polished delivery under a more strenuous questioning than I expected (pretty nice work by Jason La Canfora under the circumstances). You get the Jesse Jackson/Jackie Chiles act--trying to overwhelm plain observation and common sense with bombast, hyperbole, and sheer volume. You get the ingratiating, too-easy smile that says, "yeah, I ate the canary, so what?"

Watch the man and tell me he wasn't having a good time.

Does any of this make Sanders evil, malicious, or morally repulsive? No, no, and no.

As I said at the outset, the dude does seem to sincerely care about the unfortunate and vulnerable. If more people of means followed some of Prime Time's lead, the world would be a better place.

However, as long as his ego and deeper insecurity run rampant, Deion Sanders will be as much a man to avoid as one to follow.


**www.pva.org**

  • Share/Bookmark

{ 0 comments }

When Numbers Lie: Why Tim Lincecum’s ERA Is Better than Chris Carpenter’s

by archivedposts on October 6, 2009

I'm a shade unclear as to the specific voting rules for Major League Baseball's regular season awards. Common sense would dictate the writers who select the winners have to wait until the last of the 162 games (including any one-game playoffs that might be necessary) so that they have a complete data set.

If that's the case, the official tallies should begin rolling in once the Minnesota Twins and Detroit Tigers finish up their hostilities on Tuesday.

Which means I still have some time to do my part in helping to re-direct the group think that seems to be driving Chris Carpenter's charge for the 2009 National League Cy Young.

I won't rehash the general data, but suffice it to say the Carp has small leads in the more traditional categories while his strongest adversary counters with the same in most of the advanced sabermetrics.

Despite Tim Lincecum's stranglehold on categories that more directly and accurately reflect an individual pitcher's efficacy, the brilliant minds at ESPN are leading the general public down the primrose path--straight to door of the St. Louis Cardinals and the bigger dollar signs hanging over the Gateway Arch.

If the ground swell behind Carp sputters, I'm sure the so-called experts will fuel up the "Adam Wainwright for NL Cy Young" bus and start touring the Nation.

Recently, proponents of the Redbird's older ace have taken up the run prevention angle to bolster his case for Big League pitching's highest honor.

It goes like this--the professional pitching game is all about keeping runs off the board, so his lead in earned run average over the Freak (2.24 to 2.48) should be the deciding factor with everything else being so equal.

Well, the rest of the numerical landscape isn't exactly level, but let's pretend it is for argument's sake. In this hypothetical world, I'd agree--Carpenter's slightly superior ability to scatter his baserunners rather than allow them to cross the plate would be enough to take home the trophy.

Of course, there's still one small problem--Chris Carpenter did NOT have a better year stifling offenses even from a run scoring perspective.

When the margin is as small as 24/100 of an earnie per nine innings, the devil can be in the details. If you care to look...or should be expected to do so.

It's fine for casual baseball fans to see a slim lead in earned run average and conclude Player A was better at tossing up donuts, but the actual voters--the men and women entrusted to make an informed, objective (as possible) decision--can't hide behind similarly blissful ignorance. If there's a more telling current under the surface to be found, they must find it because it is their responsibility.

These people should be expected to become intimately familiar with 2009 game logs or splits for each hurler when the case is this close.

Even more so because, when you take a gander, you find a nasty little secret about Chris Carpenter's 2009 season as compared to Tim Lincecum's. One that makes the ultimate choice much easier.

Observe:

Lincecum W  L  ERA  G  IP  H  R  ER  BB  SO  WHIP  SO/9  AVRR R BA OBS SLG
Angels 0 1 3.38 1 8 8 4 3 0 9 1.00 10.10 2.50 2 1 3 4
Rockies 2 1 1.64 3 22 13 4 4 12 26 1.14 10.60 3.25 2 7 2 2
Dodgers 1 1 4.56 4 25.2 20 14 13 9 26 1.13 9.10 3.25 4 1 1 7
Brewers 0 0 9.00 1 3 4 3 3 3 5 2.33 15.00 3.75 3 6 3 3
Marlins 1 0 2.45 1 7.1 3 2 2 4 4 0.96 4.90 4.25 5 3 4 5
Phillies 1 1 1.20 2 15 11 2 2 2 19 0.87 11.40 4.75 1 9 8 1
Braves 1 1 2.77 2 13 12 4 4 4 17 1.23 11.80 6.25 6 4 5 10
Cardinals 1 0 0.00 1 9 2 0 0 0 8 0.22 8.00 6.75 7 5 9 6
Mets 0 0 7.50 1 6 10 5 5 3 8 2.17 12.00 8.25 12 2 7 12
Nationals 0 0 2.84 1 6.1 8 4 2 2 7 1.58 9.90 8.50 9 10 6 9
D-Backs 2 0 1.17 3 23 12 3 3 3 32 0.65 12.50 9.00 8 13 11 4
Cubs 1 1 2.57 2 14 10 4 4 5 14 1.07 9.00 10.00 10 12 10 8
A's 2 0 0.50 2 18 14 1 1 3 20 0.94 10.00 10.75 9 9 11 14
Astros 1 0 0.00 1 7 3 0 0 2 9 0.71 11.60 11.50 14 8 13 11
Reds 0 0 4.85 2 13 12 8 7 4 9 1.23 6.20 13.50 11 15 15 13
Pirates 1 0 0.56 2 16 9 3 1 4 25 0.81 14.10 14.75 16 14 14 15
Padres 1 1 3.79 3 19 17 8 8 8 23 1.32 10.90 14.75 15 16 12 16

                                 
Carpenter W  L  ERA  G  IP  H  R  ER  BB  SO  WHIP  SO/9  AVRR R BA OBS SLG
Rockies 0 0 1.29 1 7 5 1 1 3 2 1.14 2.60 3.25 2 7 2 2
Dodgers 2 0 1.80 2 15 14 3 3 3 10 1.13 6.00 3.25 4 1 1 7
Brewers 2 0 1.17 3 23 11 3 3 5 24 0.70 9.40 3.75 3 6 3 3
Marlins 0 0 4.50 1 6 6 3 3 1 3 1.17 4.50 4.25 5 3 4 5
Braves 0 1 10.50 1 6 9 7 7 2 3 1.83 4.50 6.25 6 4 5 10
Indians 0 1 3.86 1 7 5 3 3 1 3 0.86 3.90 7.25 8 7 6 8
Mets 0 1 3.86 1 7 4 3 3 0 5 0.57 6.40 8.25 12 2 7 12
D-Backs 1 0 0.00 2 11 11 0 0 1 9 1.09 7.40 9.00 8 13 11 4
Cubs 2 0 1.42 3 19 18 3 3 6 14 1.26 6.60 10.00 10 12 10 8
Astros 1 0 1.96 3 23 21 5 5 4 14 1.09 5.50 11.50 14 8 13 11
Royals 1 0 1.17 1 7.2 3 1 1 2 6 0.65 7.00 12.50 13 12 13 12
Reds 4 0 1.29 4 28 19 4 4 2 24 0.75 7.70 13.50 11 15 15 13
Giants 1 1 6.55 2 11 17 8 8 2 10 1.73 8.20 13.50 13 11 16 14
Pirates 2 0 2.40 2 15 10 5 4 3 11 0.87 6.60 14.75 16 14 14 15
Padres 1 0 0.00 1 7 3 0 0 3 6 0.86 7.70 14.75 15 16 12 16


Obviously, that's a lot of cluttered information, but that's why I'm here--to parse out the important stuff. The raw data is simply there for those of you who want to see it with your own eyes.

The categories are pretty self-explanatory expect for possibly the last five.

The runs, batting averages, on-base percentages, and slugging percentages listed belong to each respective team as ranked according to their own league i.e. the Anaheim Angels, Oakland Athletics, Cleveland Indians, and Kansas City Royals are ranked against their American League counterparts. AVRR is just the total of these rankings divided by four, or the average rank.

I'm not about to suggest the AVRR is a precise indicator of overall offensive strength as there is more to offense than merely those four aspects. Plus, it's an inelegant analysis and not simply because the AL teams are thrown in haphazardly.

All I'm arguing is that teams with average ranks less than eight are better than average while those above eight are below average--for such purposes, the bludgeon is an effective tool.

Grouped accordingly, the raw data condenses into this:

Above Average W L ERA G IP H R ER BB SO WHIP SO/9
Lincecum 7 5 2.71 15 103 73 33 31 34 114 1.04 9.96
Carpenter 4 2 2.81 9 64 50 20 20 15 45 1.02 6.33
                         
Below Average
 W L ERA G IP H R ER BB SO WHIP SO/9
Lincecum 8 2 2.28 17 122.1 95 36 31 34 147 1.05 10.81
Carpenter 13 2 1.96 19 128.2 106 29 28 23 99 1.00 6.92


Three things should jump off the page immediately--the San Francisco Giants' ace made six extra starts against top tier offenses, twirled 39 extra frames against the stiffer competition, and STILL posted a better earned run average.

Furthermore, take an even closer look at the caliber of foe.

Not only did Tim Lincecum throw more innings against the top offenses in the National League (and one from the AL), the Freak threw more innings against the absolute best run-scoring teams in baseball.

Tiny Tim spent over 70 frames toiling against the Angels (No. 2 run-scoring offensive in all of baseball), Philadelphia Phillies (No. 1 in the NL), Colorado Rockies (No. 2 in the NL), and the Los Angeles Dodgers (No. 4 in the NL).

Compare that to Carpenter, who chucked six fewer innings even if you open the floor to any better-than-average offense.

Yet Tim Lincecum STILL composed the superior masterpiece.

True, Carp surrendered three fewer earnies in about six extra inning against the weaker lineups. But that's not the primary reason why he leads in earned run average--the Cardinal leads the Gent in that category because Lincecum gave up 11 more earnies while laboring through those 39 additional innings against the stronger offenses.

So what does it all mean?

It means the Franchise's .24 deficit in earned run average can be explained by spending more innings staring down a better collection of hitters. Despite the additional strain, the youngster managed to stay right with an excellent pitcher possessing a much easier schedule.

It means you can add "superior run prevention" to the bullet points in favor of the Freak's candidacy.

And it means Tim Lincecum is the 2009 National League Cy Young.


**www.pva.org**

  • Share/Bookmark

{ 0 comments }

Say It with Me, Tim Lincecum Is the 2009 National League Cy Young

by archivedposts on October 3, 2009

The three-horse race for the National League Cy Young Award is officially over.

The votes haven't been cast or tallied yet as the Major League Baseball season still has some leg in it, but Chris Carpenter, Tim Lincecum, and Adam Wainwright have all finished their respective bodies of work. Carp and Lincecum put a little extra flourish on their campaigns while Wainwright took a bit of a tumble.

In fairness to the St. Louis Cardinals' No. 2, the totality of the slide wasn't his fault. Unfortunately, that very fact makes the Redbird bullpen's fantastic explosion a double whammy.

Not only did it cost Wainwright the magical 20th win, but it also evidenced the ridiculous nature of arguing the win as a substantive metric for proving a starting pitcher's true value. In the modern game of baseball, run support and an effective 'pen are almost as critical to a win because starting pitchers no longer see much of the seventh inning--forget about the eighth or ninth.

Roy Halladay threw the most complete games this year and he tossed nine in 32 trips to the bump.

Zack Greinke (with one start left) and Cliff Lee both finished six contests and nobody else registered more than four unless Matt Cain or Josh Beckett twirls a gem on Saturday. Furthermore, the average starting pitcher in today's game doesn't give his team six innings.

Yet there are still some clinging to the once-hallowed win as a mark of supreme distinction. Well, for those people, Kyle McClellan's abysmal performance must hurt Waino's body of work since it prevented that last, key win.

Sounds stupid, doesn't it?

Regardless of where you stand on wins, losses, and the evolution of Major League starting pitching, there is no doubt the 2009 NL Cy Young will be one of the closest votes in recent memory. Much has been made over what a cluttered mess it's become down and rightly so.

As the dust begins to settle, the final picture looks remarkably similar for all three:

Carpenter--17-4, 2.24 ERA, 1.01 WHIP, 28 GS, 192 2/3 IP, 3 CG, 1 SHO, 144 K, 38 BB, 7.3 H/9, 6.7 K/9, .226 BAA, .581 OPSA, 4.3 RS/IP, 6.9 IP/GS

Lincecum--15-7, 2.48 ERA, 1.05 WHIP, 32 GS, 225 1/3 IP, 4 CG, 2 SHO, 261 K, 68 BB, 6.7 H/9, 10.4 K/9, .206 BAA, .561 OPSA, 4.6 RS/IP, 7.0 IP/GS

Wainwright--19-8, 2.63 ERA, 1.21 WHIP, 34 GS, 233 IP, 1 CG, 0 SHO, 212 K, 66 BB, 8.3 H/9, 8.2 K/9, .244 BAA, .646 OPSA, 5.2 RS/IP, 6.9 IP/GS


Now, I don't really see why anyone needs to go beyond the above. To my eyes, it looks like Tim Lincecum is the obvious choice after you narrow it down to the San Francisco Giants' ace and the one belonging to the Cards.

I really don't see the argument for Wainwright, as phenomenal as his 2009 has been.

The 6'7" right-hander trails one or both of the other front-runners in almost everything particularly meaningful except games started and innings pitched. Wainwright gets points in my book for taking his full complement of turns as well as leading the NL in frames, but, even here, the big fella loses a bit of luster since Tim Lincecum actually carried the heaviest burden on a per-start basis.

Yes, Adam Wainwright also has two more wins than Carpenter and four more than Lincecum. He's also hit fewer batters...what's your point?

As for the Ken Rosenthals of the world who want to point out he's got the best earned run average since the All-Star break (something that's no longer true), I say, again, what's your point?

That's a neat little tidbit, but last time I checked the Cy Young was an award based on a full year's performance. Not how the chucker did in night games or home games or against a certain team--nope, it's given based on the whole enchilada.

Since Wainwright's earned run average is still the highest of the trio, the good second half split also emphasizes his first half split was particularly bad relative to the other two. Oh, and there's the little matter of the first half of the season paradoxically being longer.

Consequently, I don't understand how you overlook Tim Lincecum's often considerable leads over Wainwright in earned run average, WHIP, complete games, shutouts, strikeouts, hits per nine innings, strikeouts per nine innings, batting average against, on-base-plus-slugging percentage against, and weaker run support.

These are all better indicators of an individual pitcher's strength, Lincecum leads in more categories, and, nonetheless, I've seen a growing trend toward Adam Wainwright in recent weeks. All because of a handful of wins and extra innings, which defies common sense and baseball intellect.

As I said above, reason dictates the choice ultimately boils down to Chris Carpenter or Tim Lincecum.

Here, the choice is a little dicier, but the Freak still has the edge.

As shocking as it is to see that Carp actually got fewer runs per innings pitched than Tiny Tim despite STL's far more robust offense, it's not enough to tip the scales back in the Redbird's favor. But it certainly bears mentioning along with his very slight lead in WHIP, substantial lead in earned run average (24 points), and 30 fewer walks.

Once more, though, the bulk of the categorical superlatives are on the Franchise's side of the seesaw.

Lincecum's got the Cardinal No. 1 by over 100 whiffs, over 35 innings pitched (as compared to the negligible 7 2/3 by which Timmy trails Wainwright), 20 points in batting average against, 20 points in on-base-plus-slugging percentage against, one complete game, and one shutout. Additionally, the diminutive dominator surrenders fewer hits per nine innings and fans more splinters per nine.

These are simply the statistical comparisons, mind you.

If, by some perversion of logic, you still saw a dead-heat between the triumvirate after digesting the cold numbers, the intangible department argues for Tim Lincecum just as loudly.

Both Carp and Waino have compelling undercurrents--No. 1 is about two years removed from the dreaded Tommy John surgery while No. 2 is blossoming as a starter less than three years after closing for the World Champions. Both cobbled together some of their best work as the club sprinted to yet another NL Central Division title i.e. they answered the bell when rung the loudest.

None of the above is a small accomplishment and none should be dismissed casually.

Luckily for the Freak, he can match them story for story.

Tim Lincecum is the defending NL Cy Young and--whether you agree with the degree of difficulty attached to repeating--it certainly deserves some measure of appreciation. Two consecutive years baffling professional hitters in the modern era cannot be overstated.

There's always Tiny Tim's size.

At a stout 5'11" and 175 pounds soaking wet, the kid is almost literally playing David to the technologically enhanced Goliaths that rumble around the Show. Only he's using pearls instead of stones and pride is the only casualty.

Or the Freak's age--at 25 years old, he's the youngest of the three stallions by almost three years (although you could argue this one just as firmly for Carp at 34).

Finally, the Franchise is very much the...franchise.

While Carpenter and Wainwright have been able to draft off each other for most of the year, Matt Cain (Lincecum's running mate) tripped up in his first August start and slid to the finish line in a prolonged face plant. Jonathan Sanchez, Barry Zito, and Brad Penny fired some extraordinary innings to help with the slack, but Lincecum was the only "ace" left to carry the burden of the hottest crosshairs.

Not only that, no matter how stellar the two aces are, Albert Pujols will always be the reigning royalty under the Gateway Arch. Prince Albert is arguably the best player in the Bigs; there's no denying he's the best player on the Cardinals.

It can be said with equal conviction that mantle is worn by the Franchise in San Francisco. Pablo Sandoval looks poised to challenge for the belt in 2010, but Little Money's got some work to do.

When you put all the pieces together, the result seems rather obvious--Tim Lincecum is the National League Cy Young winner. Again.

He posted the strongest statistical year and he did it under more duress. Though neither margin is wide, both are significant.

The only question is whether the voters will notice.


**www.pva.org**

  • Share/Bookmark

{ 28 comments }

Love Him Or Leave Him, Freddy Sanchez Will Be a Giant in 2010 (So Love Him)

by archivedposts on September 29, 2009

I'm not sure what to make of a headline that announced Freddy Sanchez is "open" to the idea of staying with the San Francisco Giants in 2010. In all honesty, my first reaction was to be a little perturbed.

When the second baseman came over at the trade deadline for once prized-prospect Tim Alderson, the Giants Faithful were sold on what a Good Guy and great clubhouse presence Sanchez would be. His tearful departure from the Pittsburgh Pirates suggested we weren't buying fool's gold, that the dude really was sincerely good people.

In light of that dual first impression--real and generated by the spin machines--shouldn't the ex-Bucco WANT to come back to the Giants?

After all, Alderson entered 2009 as the No. 45 prospect in all of Major League Baseball according to Baseball America. Even if his stock is slipping a touch due to shakier numbers at Double-A, there's still considerable value attached to his right arm so the organization is entitled to some return on the substantial investment, right?

Well, we--I'm including the fans in the organization--haven't seen much.

Brought in to push the Gents into the playoffs, Freddy Sanchez instead became one of the heaviest anchors that ultimately doomed the club's quest for the second season.

Plagued by injuries of various kinds and degrees since coming to the City, the slick fielder with gap-power was underwhelming when he took the diamond. That wasn't terribly often--25 of 61 possible games, 107 plate appearances, 102 at-bats, .284 batting average, .619 on-base-plus-slugging percentage, a double, a home run, seven runs batted in, and 11 scored.

That's rates somewhere between "ugh" and "too small a sample size to even count." The jury's out on which is worse.

In fairness, baseball is hard enough when you're feeling fine and dandy. It's a cruel and brutal game that saps your mental and physical strength slowly, but with unrelenting persistence. So I'm not knocking Sanchez for his performance or failure to actually take his position--dings that keep your ability from manifesting itself on the field are a part of life in the Show.

The biggest splash at the trade deadline probably deserves praise for playing as many innings as he did.

But Freddy Sanchez is supposed to be one of the dying breeds, a class act. With so much talent heading out the door in exchange for such a nothing showing while the team tried futilely to squeeze its way into the postseason, shouldn't this ferocious competitor be desperate to give the good people by the Bay their devotion's worth?

So I was getting a little hot.

Thankfully, calm reason kicked in about the same time the needle was heading into the red.

It's easy to forget the business side of things as well as all the filters through which most "news" passes.

Even if Sanchez really wants to make good on the implicit love shown him by los Gigantes, he and his agent might feel the need to strike a certain posture in case San Francisco declines the option. Or perhaps it was merely an aside comment, taken out of a larger context that had nothing to do with 2010.

There are countless details that could drastically alter true intent.

Like I said above, everything we've seen from Sanchez does smack of a genuinely decent athlete--unfettered by the demons of insecurity and self-infatuation. He seems to be the kind of pro most of us love to root for, no need to let one little snippet destroy all that.

Oh, and one other thing...

The San Francisco Giants have access to the same exact stats and the brass knows far better than I what it surrendered to import the offensive upgrade i.e. he'll be patrolling second base for the Orange and Black in 2010.

Maybe the wisdom of $8.1 million for Freddy Sanchez and his significant talents is up for debate. However, when the sum also buys a chance to avoid yet another colossal blunder by the franchise on the trade market?

It's a no-brainer.


**www.pva.org**

  • Share/Bookmark

{ 2 comments }

The National League Cy Young and the Power of the Repeat

by archivedposts on September 27, 2009

Depending on what the top three candidates do in their final starts of 2009, the National League Cy Young announcement could be one of the most acrimonious days in recent Major League Baseball history. If current trends hold, the voters will be hard-pressed to find much solid differential amongst the triumvirate and that means die-hard fans in St. Louis or San Francisco will be taking to the cyber-/airwaves with misplaced venom.

Tim Lincecum's edge has been just a touch off lately, Chris Carpenter is throwing better than the Freak yet isn't getting much help from his normally potent offense, and Adam Wainwright is arguably throwing the best while enjoying an ample sufficiency of run support.

This won't be a thorough statistical comparison. As close as such an exercise is with only seven games on the slate, might as well just wait for the final results. There'll be plenty o' time for that...

However, I do think the pole position is still Lincecum's to lose, even in a purely numerical universe.

The Franchise leads in everything except wins, earned run average, and WHIP, and the deficits in the two meaningful metrics of that trio are negligible. The San Francisco Giants' ace blows the other two out of the water in whiffs to go along with his own slights leads in various other categories of note.

Granted, the hollowness of wins takes on some density if Wainwright notches that 20th pelt. Baseball has always been a game of magical round numbers and even I won't discount that "20-game-winner" ring in the ears of the aforementioned voters.

Frankly, unless Tiny Tim throws a clanker in his last trip to the hill against the Arizona Diamondbacks, I can see Wainwright finishing second with Carp in tow should he notch the big two-zero. I'm not saying that makes sense, I'm just saying it could very much be the eventual reality.

But I promised this wasn't about the stats.

This is about a different reason Tim Lincecum should win his second NL Cy Young in as many years. Those would be his first two full-years for those scoring at home.

Another one of the Show's time-honored and time-tested canons is that repeating a profound achievement is damn near impossible.

If you believe the Majors have always found a unique power and beauty in certain numbers, then you must also accept that the difficulty of stringing exceptional seasons in a row cannot be understated.

Whether it be division crowns, league pennants, World Series championships, or the individual stuff like Most Valuable Players and (yes) Cy Youngs.

Check out this list:  Sandy Koufax, Jim Palmer, Roger Clemens, Greg Maddux, Pedro Martinez, and Randy Johnson.

Those are the only hurlers to have nabbed consecutive Cy Youngs in either league since the honor was created in 1956.

Koufax repeated when there was but one award for all of baseball (a period that lasted until 1967) while Clemens accomplished the feat twice, but took a decade to rest in between. Some will tell you the Rocket was perfecting a new kind of fuel in the interim and I can't say logic is against them.

Most impressively, Mad Dog and the Big Unit each put a clamp on the thing for FOUR consecutive years--from 1992-1995 and 1999-2002, respectively.

It should also be noted that Denny McLain technically pulled it off, but his second win was a tie and those are abhorred by the Beautiful Game as much as the magical elements are revered. So I think that keeps him out of this particular discussion.

Regardless, you take that sextet above and many astute observers of the diamond would argue you have a good start on the best ten pitchers to ever grace a professional mound in the modern era.

Each ace's ability to be the absolute best in his respective league--and, in the Man with the Golden Arm's case, all of baseball--is no small part of his considerable reputation.

Fans and analysts love to talk about "wearing the bull's-eye."

For good reason--the supreme talents that populate the professional ranks are accompanied by supreme ego as well as pride. When The Best comes to town or they go to it, the guys who get paid to play seem to take it as a personal insult.

At the very least, they seem to take it as a unique and exciting challenge.

This is especially the case in the 162-game monotony of a Major League season. I'm sure the veterans stop seeing faces and names on uniforms at some point--the opponents just become a constant blur of the "other."

Until, that is, the reigning this-or-that crosses their paths. Then, the ears perk up and the stares get a little harder as the focus sharpens. Maybe they just don't want to get shown up, but I think it's that they want to beat the top-dog at his own craft.

Which means the Freak's statistical brilliance--arguably the most blinding from any perspective already--should take on a whole new luster in the eyes of you non-believers.

The kid is having a two-year run the likes of which I've never seen this closely and it is an outrageous marvel to behold.

We can only hope Tim Lincecum finishes his 2009 season with a splendid flourish so that everyone--St. Louis Cardinal fans included--can appreciate him as much as San Francisco does.

At least for a day.


**www.pva.org**

  • Share/Bookmark

{ 0 comments }

San Francisco Giants’ 2009 Season Is Over–Time to Read the Writing on the Wall

by archivedposts on September 23, 2009

I have dreamed a dream, but now that dream is gone from me.--Morpheus, Matrix Reloaded (and San Francisco Giants fans across the country)

Technically, which means mathematically, the San Francisco Giants are still alive. They sit five games behind the National League Wild Card leading Colorado Rockies with both teams facing 11 games left in their 2009 seasons. So, yes, the pulse is still there.

But they amount to a brain-dead patient kept alive by motors and tubes.

Even the most optimistic soul must now admit there will be no postseason for our beloved squad.

Sure, the wheels could suddenly blow off the Rox' wagon and that old refrain "stranger things have happened" still holds though its grip is slipping. The problem is the Gents would have to make a dramatic u-turn to start playing great baseball, the Rockies would need an equally illogical fall from grace, and it would all have to happen overnight.

That's because the Orange and Black faithful's worst baseball nightmares have materialized in the last four games.

Needing a strong showing on the road in Los Angeles and Arizona to have any hope at the second season, the Gents have delivered just the opposite.

The opener of the series against the Dodgers was actually reason to hope--Jonathan Sanchez took the pill and got battered, but the fellas hitched up their pants and fought back for an improbable 8-4 victory. With the reborn Brad Penny and NL Cy Young candidate Tim Lincecum scheduled for the Saturday/Sunday starts, muted cheer was the order of the day.

Good thing it was muted.

Penny came out and got shellacked for the first time as a Giant and then Tiny Tim got stepped on by the boys from Chavez Ravine. Meanwhile, the Blake Street Blurs were busying taking two of three from the Arizona Diamondbacks in the Snakes' own yard.

Not a good sign considering Colorado has been almost untouchable at home. Slippage on the road was a requisite for its collapse.

Even so, the San Francisco die-hards clung to that last sliver of hope. Aside from the Chicago Cubs, a team in turmoil, los Gigantes face no other opponent above .500 so a tremendous run wasn't out of the question. We just needed those damn Rockies to stumble.

Needless to say, that hasn't happened.

Tuesday night's contests pretty much sealed the deal.

In Arizona, the Snakes torched Matt Cain who is having a final month to forget. Instead of sprinting through the finish line, Cainer is face-planting about 100 yards short of it. After Tuesday's horror show, the Kid is 1-3 in four September starts while chucking only 21 1/3 innings with an earned run average over seven and a WHIP approaching 1.50.

Not good.

Arizona bled the young right-hander for seven runs on Tuesday; Cain recorded an equal number of outs before hitting the showers. The scenario was all the more troubling because the big fella was handed a three-run cushion. Once he departed, the bullpen--asked to absorb almost six innings of work--understandably coughed up three more runs and a spirited rally in the top of the ninth couldn't make up the difference.

Hang another loss on the boys.

In Colorado, the Rox watched their own No. 2--Jorge De La Rosa--get obliterated by the San Diego Padres. The difference, of course, was the Rockie bats kept pace with the Fathers and then some. They started teeing off on Edward Mujica and didn't stop once the merry-go-round in the San Diego 'pen started turning.

To complete the asymmetry, the leaders of the Wild Card pack snuffed out a furious Padre comeback in the top of the ninth to win the game by a run.

It's almost a certainty the San Francisco Giants' playoff dreams were snuffed out right along side the San Diego rally.

In a couple days, when the 2009 season is officially laid to rest, there will be time to reflect on what a triumph the campaign really was. A team nobody outside the City took seriously proved its skeptics wrong and converted a whole lotta true believers.

But faith comes with a price.

Right now, the San Francisco Giants and their fans are paying it.

In full.


**www.pva.org**

  • Share/Bookmark

{ 1 comment }

Angels and Demons: Giants Villalona in Police Custory on Suspicion of Murder

by archivedposts on September 21, 2009

Whoa, I had a totally different article all lined up about the frustration of being a West Coast fan stranded on the East Coast for vacation during a Major League Baseball postseason chase. That's out the window.

I just read that prized San Francisco Giant prospect Angel Villalona is the primary suspect in a murder investigation ongoing in the Dominican Republic.

Suffice it to say that's some shocking news. I'm not really sure where to go with it.

The Giants are my favorite sports franchise in the world and it isn't close. Until now, the ugliest scandal the team's been associated with during my tenure as a die-hard is the Barry Bonds performance-enhancing drug fiasco. That was rough, but in a trivial, "it's only baseball" kind of way.

Killing someone in a bar? Quite the opposite and totally foreign territory.

As of this moment, there aren't many details so it's hard to know whether AnVil is indeed guilty. But the police don't seem to be looking for anyone else and Villalona turned himself in. Both are very bad signs for the young prospect as well as the Giants.

I guess it's not quite as bad as if he were lamming it, but that's like saying at least the bomb that destroyed your home wasn't nuclear.

It seems crass to delve into the kind of professional potential the 19-year-old kid has and what a blow it would be to the Orange and Black organization to lose that talent. When you're implicated in a homicide--shooting someone in the neck no less--I'm not about to sing your praises.

Innocent until proven guilty is still an undeniable tenet of our social ethos, but a presumption of innocence only goes so far in my book.

If the authorities sweep you up in connection with a heinous crime and name you the main suspect--even if you weren't the perpetrator in reality--it's a very safe bet you were doing something wrong.

Do completely innocent people sometimes get grabbed in the process? Absolutely. But that seems a tad optimistic at this point given the few damning facts we know.

Nope, this is almost assuredly gonna be bad.

This is the kid San Francisco rushed out and threw $2.1 million at to sign him away from bullies like the New York Yankees, Los Angeles Dodgers, and some other very deep pockets. If he's guilty, that money's gone, the No. 3 prospect in the system is gone, and the Giant brass has to wear a whole lotta foundation to cover the black eye from the public relations hit.

If he's innocent?

Villalona was still implicated in a murder.

Ask Ray Lewis how long it takes for that stigma to go away. I'm pretty sure Ray-Ray is still waiting.

The rub for the Giants is that you can't totally divorce the person from the franchise.

It's true the Gents aren't responsible for the actions of each individual in their employ. Furthermore, there's no guarantee even the utmost scrutiny of his character would've revealed a propensity for extreme violence. I'm not suggesting the powers-that-be were negligent in any capacity.

Nor am I suggesting they are culpable in any legal or moral sense.

However, San Francisco can't totally skate on the issue.

This is someone in whom the franchise has invested heavily and it's MURDER.

Not some petty theft or even something as serious as domestic abuse. Most people don't go from zero to 60 in their criminal endeavors. Usually, you have to work your way up to taking another human-being's life. Usually, there are at least subtle hints you might be dealing with a sociopath.

Extreme arrogance, fundamental insecurity manifested as hostility, quick and violent temper, etc.--the potential markers are often there if you look closely.

Shouldn't some sort of mental profile be required before you shower millions of dollars upon a 16-year-old teenager (the club signed him in 2006)?

Or what if the Giants did carefully examine his psychological make-up and signed off on it before bestowing the doozie of a contract upon him as well as the monstrous expectations that went along with it?

Would that be better or worse?

After all, if you have some puppy-dog-turned-killer and there isn't any other traumatic event in his life that might've triggered an elemental change in his psyche, then a huge signing bonus and the fast-track to the Show would make for a pretty convenient target.

People often associate "traumatic" with a negative event because that is its most common usage, but anything causing a great deal of stress and/or disruption can be traumatic. It doesn't necessarily have to be bad.

Think being yanked from the DR, given that much coin, and being thrust into pro baseball would be a touch disruptive? Maybe a tad stressful?

Again, I'm not saying the San Francisco Giants are in any way responsible for the alleged crime. I'm just saying these are questions that could haunt those in charge if, in fact, Villalona is the killer.

Hopefully, there has been some sort of enormous misunderstanding and Angel Villalona can clear his name. Hopefully, he had nothing to do with the despicable act and his inclusion in the investigation is just a matter of wrong place/wrong time.

That's the only scenario that can save him from his nightmare and remove the San Francisco Giants from a very uncomfortable situation.

Sadly, there can be no rescue for Mario Felix de Jesus Velete--the 25-year-old man who was killed.

And that is really all that matters.


**www.pva.org**

  • Share/Bookmark

{ 2 comments }

Rockies Place Final Nail in Giants’ Coffin, Schedule Threatens to Drive It Home

by archivedposts on September 17, 2009

The San Francisco Giants' 2009 season might've cleared the point of no return the minute Ian Stewart's two-run bomb cleared the right-center field fence at AT&T Park. Although the game against the Colorado Rockies still had some life in it after Stewart's sixth-inning blast made it 4-0, the Giants wouldn't be able to make up that last run.

Despite a spirited ninth inning comeback against the previously untouchable Franklin Morales, our guys came up one run short and fell 4-3.

What could've been a reasonable last-ditch run at the National League Wild Card, sitting only one game away in the loss column, is now a quixotic charge up a three-loss hill with only 16 games remaining. Under ordinary Major League Baseball circumstances, that wouldn't be overly intimidating.

Unfortunately for the San Francisco faithful, there has been nothing ordinary about the Rox since Jim Tracy took over the team.

Colorado has been molten since June. Ubaldo Jimenez (though showing some wear lately) has blossomed into the ace everyone expected him to be after the magical 2007 run. Troy Tulowitzki has been leading an offensive attack that has been raking, and Jorge De La Rosa might be the most unknown filthy starter in baseball.

How many of you know that Wednesday night's winner for the Rockies has gone 15-3 since opening the season 0-6? Or that he's pitched to an earned run average around three and whiffed roughly a batter an inning?

While Tracy is deservedly reaping the credit for Colorado's violent u-turn, a quick look at his game log will reveal that De La Rosa's phenomenal streak coincides as perfectly with the team's about-face.

When the 28-year-old southpaw won his first game of the year on June 5, the new skipper had been on the job for exactly a week, but had lost four of the seven games in the interim.

The Rockies' temperature started to rise in earnest on June 4, the first win of an 11-game streak that saw the starter get the W in 10 of the contests.

Regardless of who you tab as the primary cog in the clicking engine, one thing is absolutely certain--the engine is clicking. The only serious snag seems to be when they take their show on the road.

Away from Denver, the Rox revert to a somewhat mortal squad.

Even so, the squad sits one game over .500 for the season away from Coors Field. In any event, Colorado only has to leave Denver for baseball six times in their remaining 15 games.

Meanwhile, our Giants must take their wares to Arizona, San Diego, and Los Angeles for a total of nine more roadies. Considering how less potent the boys become away from the City, none of that is good news.

The worse news is that los Gigantes have yet to win in six tries against the Padres at Petco Park and have only managed two wins in two series against the Dodgers at Chavez Ravine. The Diamondbacks have been more hospitable, losing four of six to the Giants at Chase Field.

Nope, the Baseball Gods have done the fellas no favors in September and October. With four games at home against the Chicago Cubs, the only apparent lay-up SF has is a three-game homer against the Snakes. By then, it might be too late.

If it's not already.


**www.pva.org**

  • Share/Bookmark

{ 0 comments }

If the San Diego Padres Killed the San Francisco Giants’ 2009 Season, At Least It Got Its Last Rites

by archivedposts on September 11, 2009

Never let it be said that my fear of the Baseball Gods' wrath is phobic. Exaggerated perhaps, but certainly not unfounded or illogical.

"As a die-hard San Francisco Giant fan with a long memory pockmarked by devastation, I'm trying not to get too excited. But it's getting harder and harder..."

I wrote those words to end an article about Brad Penny's resplendent debut against the Philadelphia Phillies.

It was the morning of September 3rd, the Gents were 73-60, and were staring down the barrel of their season with the gleam of a sterling rotation in their eyes. In truth, the center held for a bit--although Penny's gem would be the only victory of the three-gamer in the City of Brotherly Love, the fellas would traipse through Milwaukee and take two of three from the Brewers.

Then came the anarchy and blood-dimmed tide while innocence and conviction fled.

Just when you least expected it.

Los Gigantes should've been riding a crest of momentum with the lowly San Diego Padres coming to town.

Not only had the Fathers been toiling near the bottom of the National League West for basically the entire year, the club had managed only one win against our guys in six tries at AT&T Park. Granted, that's one more win than San Francisco has managed in Petco Park--a story for a different day.

On top of the apparent powder-puff coming to the City, the Orange and Black was coasting off the last brutal road trip of the year. A roadie that had to be considered a success despite the walk-off loss on getaway day in "Algonquian for the Good Land" (maybe everyone hasn't seen Wayne's World 2...that's Milwaukee).

The Giants managed to split a six-game trek through the reigning World Series Champs' home and a recent house of horrors in Miller Park (3-12 the last three years). Much had been made about their rugged schedule as compared to the other NL Wild Card contenders and rightly so, but a lot of the relative rigor was in those six games.

So the boys had gotten over an ominous hump with postseason aspirations intact.

After what should've been a three game respite, San Francisco would start another charge against the hated rival and NL West front-running Los Angeles Dodgers before the NL Wild Card leading Colorado Rockies came to town. Perhaps that's exactly what the Gents were thinking.

In the Padres series opener, Penny pitched them to victory. His second twirl with the franchise wasn't as fantastic, but it was still very nice and good cheer abounded. Then wheels and spokes started twanging off into the night.

First, Tim Lincecum developed a back ailment and had to miss his start.

Madison Bumgarner filled in admirably and gave the faithful a momentary reason to forget the larger implications of a missing Freak, but he was gone by the sixth. Subsequently, the bullpen caved under the pressure of minimal run support.

Next up, Barry Zito tried to rebound from his first sincerely poor outing in quite some time.

Unfortunately for Zeets, the Pads seem to have his number this year and Wednesday wasn't any different. Although the looping lefty wasn't horrible--5 IP, 6 H, 3 ER, 2 K, 2 BB, and 1 HR--he wasn't the same caliber of brilliant as we've seen over the course of the year (especially the second half).

By the sixth, the new Barry was gone and--again--the minimal offense proved fatal.

Ouch.

Remember those warm fuzzies from the road trip? Gone.

Remember that momentum? Adios.

See those playoff tickets on the horizon? Dwindling away to nothing.

That's what dropping two of three to one of the worst teams in baseball will do to your psyche. Especially when one of the best home performers in all of Major League Baseball drops them in its own yard to road-kill.

Even after absorbing the two losses from San Diego, San Francisco only trails the New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox, and Detroit Tigers for "Best Home Record" honors.

Even buoyed by the two wins, only the Pittsburgh Pirates, Washington Nationals, and Baltimore Orioles have lost more games away from home than the Padres.

I say again, ouch.

All is not lost--with a strong showing against the Bums and Rox in these next six games, the San Francisco Giants can reassert themselves in the race for baseball's second season.

But they need a healthy Tim Lincecum. They need the offense to go back to being plain anemic rather than hideously pitiful. They need the bullpen to batten down the hatches. They need just a smidgen of help from somebody else.

Otherwise, this concluded series with the San Diego Padres could mark the beginning of the end.

If that is the case, what a ride it's been.


**www.pva.org**

  • Share/Bookmark

{ 0 comments }

A Star Is Born: Giants’ Madison Bumgarner Makes Shocking, But Successful Debut

by archivedposts on September 9, 2009

For those of you breathlessly awaiting the story from my long weekend in Los Angeles--notice the optimistic use of the plural--I apologize, but you'll have to keep waiting.

It's a tale I look forward to writing although there is no sex, murder, or international intrigue--not even drunken escapades.  Alas, it would appear I'm getting too old and soft for the acute agony of belated hangovers.  Apparently, I bought them with heavy drinking in high school and college, but the tab is only now coming due.

After only three or four drinks.  Weak.

Anyway, the holiday jaunt will have to wait for tomorrow because a new era in San Francisco Giant baseball started on Tuesday night:  the Madison Bumgarner Era.

Furthermore, casual San Francisco Giant fans and close observers of Major League Baseball are beginning to truly understand the kind of talent depth in which the organization currently marinates.

Do you know another organization that could absorb a missed start by the reigning National League Cy Young--in the middle of a tight pennant race that's heading down the stretch no less--and barely blink?  Well, that's exactly what the Gents did against the San Diego Padres.

In fact, the back spasms/inflammation that precipitated Tim Lincecum's ride on the pine despite his scheduled start probably had more than a few Giant faithful excited.

Really, consider what that means.

Every game in September is a must-win for San Francisco because nobody seems to want to try against the Colorado Rockies.  I know they're playing losers, but...DAMN...where is the pride Arizona?  And you, too, Cincinnati?  How about ONE win?

Since the cupcakes are rolling over for the Rox and los Gigantes have a harder schedule, they can't afford to drop apparent gimmes while Colorado rampages away.  Nevertheless, the club had arguably the best pitcher in the Show ready to go, then had to scratch him, and some fans were happy.

I wouldn't say that described my reaction, but even I wasn't devastated.

How can that be you ask?

It be because the San Francisco Giants were able to pencil in Bumgarner's highly-anticipated name for his Major League debut.  That and the game was against the San Diego Padres.

Much has been made about the young left-hander and for good reason.

The kid is less than a month and a half north of his 20th birthday i.e. he was throwing to fellow high-schoolers in 2007.  Since being drafted, he's been burning through various Minor League levels with scintillating stuff, a funky delivery, and remarkable control.

The franchise's prized-prospect actually skipped AAA altogether.

Instead, on September 9, 2009, MadBum soared straight from AA to the Show and officially began what the City hopes will be a legendary Big League career.

To get a true appreciation of the hype surrounding the southpaw, I'm willing to bet I'm not the only Giant fan wondering whether the monumental upcoming series against the hated Los Angeles Dodgers played any role in the Freak's back spasms.

It won't go unnoticed that the ace was NOT scheduled to face the Bums as the calendar had been breaking.  Now if Tiny Tim is healthy, he'd be able to twirl against them over the weekend.

Additionally, the Giants are currently locking horns with one of the few lineups more anemic than their own in the one trotted out by the Fathers.

So it wouldn't have been an outrageous gamble to slide Bumgarner into a challenging atmosphere against a patsy for some excellent experience while additionally saving their best bullet for their mortal enemy.

Ultimately, though, I'm not a conspiracy theorist--I tend to believe Lincecum really was too sore to take the hill effectively and the Giants recognized the Franchise is too valuable to expose to unnecessary risk (read:  any at all).  Baseball players and managers tend to be creatures of habit as well as too superstitious to go messing with the Baseball Gods.

Few, if any, will risk offending those spiteful deities with the arrogance of counting unhatched chickens.  Even fewer will throw the caution of a groove to the wind.

I tend to believe even the Freak is unfreakish in this regard.

Regardless of whether the debut was a calculated risk or not, it was a success.

Bumgarner won't be the pitcher of record because he exited with a lead that the bullpen surrendered and the Giants ultimately lost the game, but none of that is on the Phenom.  He gave the Gents everything they could've asked for and maybe even more--5 1/3 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 4 K, 2 HR in an unusually live AT&T Park, and a ND.

About two full years removed from high school and chucked directly/unceremoniously into the fray, Madison Bumgarner had the team in position to win the game but for some more shoddy work by the firemen.

Understand, that's significantly better than even Tim Lincecum's first start.

Granted, Timmy threw against a much better offense in the Philadelphia Phillies, but he was also working with the extra seasoning of a college baseball career and almost three extra years of maturity.

Nor did the Freak's debut feature the harsh glare of a postseason chase.

It's certainly disappointing to see Madison Bumgarner's first taste of Major League Baseball end with the thud of a Giant loss.  And it's no guaranteed barometer of future success.

But his first start certainly gave the impression that louder victories are just around the bend.

Lots of them.


**www.pva.org**

  • Share/Bookmark

{ 1 comment }

← Previous Entries