The Second Half

Now that the All Star Game has passed and we have had a good look at where the Giants are (record, health, pitching, etc..), it is a good time to look at the trade deadline, expansion and the dog days leading to the playoffs.

My feeling is that, while the Giants are maintaining, they are far from where they need to be to be competitive for the playoffs.  The fact that they are in first is nothing short of miraculous considering the injuries and lack of production from too many important bats.  lets recap...

Injuries
Freddie Sanchez - Gone for the season
Buster Posey - Gone for the season
Mark DeRosa - May be back before the playoffs
Johnathan Sanchez - Out for now (1st rehab start this weekend)
Bill Hall - Should be back soon

Absent Offensive Production
Aubry Huff
Chris Stewart

Emmanuel Burriss

Brandon Crawford

Eli Whiteside (much improved over the last 5 games)

Pat Burrell
Cody Ross
Andres Torres
Aaron Rowand


I would have added Miguel Tejada to the list a month ago, but lately he has been hitting well, and Mike Fontenote except he is in a  gray area having only recently being activated from the DL.

So, we have dead bats in the outfield, except for the recent run from Nate.  The only production from the infield has been from Sandoval (also, recently activated) and the pitching staff.  The only difference between this year and last is more injuries this year and more 1 run or walk-off wins.

So, solutions...  anyone..  Please do not say Carlos Beltran.  His contract just doesn't make sense unless Sabean is willing to start dropping Burrell, Huff and/or Rowand/Ross.  Are we willing to give up on those non-producers?

Torres needs to start leading off with a better OBP (.823 last year, .672 currently this year) with a .044 drop in batting average this season.

Huff was paid a pile of money and his OPS has dropped from .881 to .660 with a .052 drop in batting average this season, so far.

Burrel and Rowand aren't even playing because when they do they strike out.  Stewart and Whiteside are in the difficult position of having to suddenly catch this staff full time and produce at the plate, which Whiteside seems to be improving with a jump in his batting average of almost .050 points and the all important RBI's.

Are we ready to give up on this team and hire a gun for the stretch, parking good players who were instrumental in last years run and wins or do we hope for health for the rest of the season and for some of these guys to pick it up?

My vote is to look at a catcher for the season to compliment Whiteside and give Steward more time in the minors and then wait out Huff, Ross, Burrell & Torres.  These guys can carry us again.  The question is who would the catcher be?  Ivan Rodriguez, Jose Molina, someone else??

This will certainly keep Bochy's wheels turning.

As usual, let me know if I screwed something up, if you agree or disagree and if your interested in contributing to this site.


UPDATE: Looks like Burrell is on the DL now as well.

Champions of the National League

That didn't exactly go according to plan, but it really couldn't go any other way.  This game went exactly like so many others this season.  Good hitting, but few hits with RISP; excellent bullpen support (including Bumgarner and Lincecum), a bomb by Uribe and too many runners allowed on base by Wilson who once again came through in the end.

My biggest concern when looking at the post game numbers were Posey.  He came up three times with 4 runners in scoring position with 2 outs each time, and did nothing each time going 0-4.  I hope this is not a sign of things to come in the next round.

The Giants were lauded by the National Sports media as undeserving because they didn't win the West, the Padres lost it, nor did they win the NLDS, the Braves were beat up and playing at half capability.  So what, I ask you is their excuse for the Phillies beat down?  The Phillies came into the NLCS with a team firing at full strength and as we have all heard a thousand time, on paper, were the best team in baseball. Opps, someone forgot to tell the Giants.  As I mentioned in my NLCS preview post, I thought the teams matched up well, especially if the giants pitchers could neutralize the Phillies sluggers and the Giants bullpen was up to the challenge, I would say they proved all series and especially last night, that they were.

The Phillies battled but just couldn't hit better than .209 with Utley and Howard being very ineffective.  All three of the Phillies starters took a loss (Oswalts was in relief) but the Giants got to every one last night with 3 runs on 13 hits. While the Phillies were 2 for 11 with RISP.

This team deserves to be in the World Series because they proved over and over again that they are the best team in the National League by beating the best teams in the National League.

Anyone have something to say about the World Series match up, comment.

NLCS Game 3 Review in San Francisco, maybe the best Giants game in my 40 years (so far)

By Brad Morrison

Pandemonium!  It't the only way to describe the reaction of the fans after Juan Uuuuuuu-ribe lifted a Roy Oswalt pitch into left field which allowed Aubry Huff to score on the Sac fly and send the Giants to a 3-1 lead in the NLCS, beating the Phillies 5-4 in game 4.

This game was the essential team effort.  Everyone contributed, pitchers, fielders, hitters.  Buster Posey was arguably the most inpactfull player having a great day at the plate going 4 for 5 with two RBI's and then scooping a seed from Aaron Rowand and holding on through the collision to tag out Carlos Ruiz at the plate.  Pablo Sandavol's great at bats, Cody Ross, stay hot and note to all Phillies pitchers "keep pitching him low and in", Aubry Huff, Pat the Bat, Aaron Rowand with a nice plate approch and then "the throw".  Torres with a great plate appearance against Oswalt taking a walk when every pitch was to the scouting report, the bullpen (Romo gave up the hit and then was lights out) and then Willson.  Brian Willson jumped into the dougout after the game and howelled like a wolf, looked at his team mates and said "we are going to win this, right her, right now, not flights to Philly".

This might have been the best Giants game that I have seen in 40 years, so far.  I think it was a defining moment for this team.  The Giants took the lead, then the Phillies took the lead, then the Giants took it back, then the Phillies tied it, neither team quit, Charlie Manual threw the kitchen sink and the Oswalt at the Giants only to come up short.  And the stones from Oswalt to tell his skipper to give him the ball.  A great game, I'm glad to have witnessed it.