State of the team - 2011 SF Giants midseason review

The baseball season is now at a third of its way through. The Giants sit comfortably (?) with a 39-33 record, six games above 500. The team is leading the surprising Arizona Diamondbacks by half a game in the NL West. By these statistics alone, the team should consider ourselves extremely lucky to be where they are.

Coming off an incredible world championship run last year, the start of this baseball season was very promising. Practically everybody that was on the championship winning team was back. The great pitching staff that posted historic numbers last September and October was still here. The clutch hitting band of misfits that made up the team last year was back. Rookie of Year winner Buster Posey was ready to stake his claim as the perennial NL all star catcher for the next decade. Miguel Tejada joined the team to rejuvenate himself by returning to the Bay Area. Super rookie first basemen Brandon Belt was ready to be the second coming of Will Clark. All the ingredients was there for a proper title defense.

Oh what a difference two and a half months make. 

The magic is still definitely there with the team. The Giants leads the entire world of baseball with their record in one run games, come from behind wins, and walk-off wins. In fact it is rare to see the Giants win a game where they have led from the start. The constant formula is the team will get behind by a couple of runs, the starting pitcher then will hold it to only a couple of runs, then in the late innings the hitters will finally comeback to tie and take the lead, lastly the bullpen shuts down the opposing team. This has been the formula for the Giant’s success so far this season. 

The pitching staff that looked absolutely rock solid last post season is still present. They are up top in all pitching categories such as ERA and opponent’s batting average. A huge amount of credit goes to the feel good story of the team, Ryan Vogelsong. Barry Zito (our 17 million dollar guy!) was pitching around ineffectively with his 83mph fastball. It was a blessing in disguise when Zito injured himself while fielding. Going to the DL allowed Vogelsong to take his spot and arguably (by stats) became the best pitcher on the team. Needless to say if it is not for the pitching staff, the current Giants team will be only as good as the Houston Astros (yes Houston, they got problem). 

Because the position players that looked so good to augment the great pitching for another title run is now a shamble of what the team started with at the beginning of the season. The beloved Buster Posey (along with defense, handling of the pitching staff, and bat) is done for the season with an ankle blown to pieces at the hands of a dirty play by Marlin’s Scott Cousins. Call me a biased homer, but Cousin had a lane to the plate. He decided instead to just pile drive right into Posey. It was nothing but dirty. It is then only justice then that since that night back in late May, the Marlins have gone 3-22, manager resigned, and Cousins is on the DL with a bad back. 

Another guy lost for the season (more likely than not, let’s be honest) was by far the second best hitter (and likely on his way to a gold glove) on the team in Freddy Sanchez. All due to a freak accident in which his hand slipped while diving for a ball, causing his entire weight to be put on his shoulder socket. What happened after that was not pretty, and all too painful.

The guy that was absolutely raking the ball, the 40 pounds lighter Pablo Sandoval, was lost due to a broken hamate bone (raise your hand if you knew what a hamate bone was before) for some 40 games. Only this past week has he come back to the join the team after surgery and rehab. It looks like it will take a bit for him to acclimate back to the big leagues and resume hitting like he was before he got injured.

Brandon Belt fizzled under pressure at the beginning of the season, and was sent down back to the minors when Cody Ross came back from his injury during spring training. As luck would have it, when Belt was ready again and called up to the team he got beaned by a pitch right on his wrist, causing a micro fracture. He promptly joins his fellow Giants on the disabled list. A list that also includes the clutch Mike Fontenot (pulled his groin.. TWICE) and speedy Darren Ford (pulled his ankle while scoring the game winning run against Oakland)

Being riddled with the injury bug is not an excuse (unless you are the Boston Red Soxs), because the rest of the guys needs to step up. Unfortunately by and large this has not happened. Miguel Tejada did not find his fountain of youth in his bat (take a pitch! try to walk! don’t be an automatic out!), though to give him credit his defense has been stellar at third. Aubrey Huff seems complacent this year after winning the world series, with numbers all around that were much lower than last year’s. Pat Burrell became the king of the useless homeruns (only hitting them during times when it did not matter). With Posey out for the season, the backup catcher Eli Whiteside not only cannot hit, but his fielding is below average.

With Tejada ineffective at short, the Giants fast tracked their promising short stop Brandon Crawford to fill in. While he had some early heroics and plays a terrific short stop, his bat has silenced these past weeks. Can’t really blame the guy as he essentially did not even play AAA ball. The platoon filling in for Freddy Sanchez in the form of Manny Burriss and Bill Hall has so far yield negligible results in the hitting department. 

That being said, there are a couple of bright spots on the team with the hitting. Nate “The Great” Schierholtz seems to come through every time in the clutch, Cody Ross has so far been consistent every since he shaken off the cob webs after coming back form the DL, and Andres Torres is still getting on base and setting the table up for the guys behind him. 

But let’s not kid our selves. The teams’ only weakness, and it is a massive one, is that it cannot hit (and score). The team has an absurd record in its favor when it scores four or more runs. Unfortunately that does not happen all too often. The team has lost plenty of games that was winnable if they could just eke out a few runs. You just cannot ask the pitching to pitch shutouts every time out, because the law of averages in baseball dictates that it is just impossible. 

The current team cannot afford a pitching or defensive mistake, otherwise they have almost no chance of winning the game. Kudos to the pitching staff for not threatening mutiny against the hitters for the ineptitude. 

So what happens going forward? First of all the team needs to be completely healthy. Posey and Sanchez is gone for the season, so forget about them (harsh). Fontenot, Belt, and Ford needs to recover and come back ready to contribute. Especially Belt, since he is the lone backup first baseman on the team, and can spell Huff when he is tired (which is often). Not to mention Belt can play solid defense.

After that, the team needs to start hitting and scoring with some regularity. The main reason the team had its run last year was because the hitting picked up. From June on last year the Giants were definitely not at the bottom of the barrel in terms of hitting (and we smacked quite a few homeruns as well). The team will need that kind of production increase again this year if we are to make the playoffs again. Do you know why the Padres faded last year and Giants took the division? They STOPPED hitting (and a 10 game losing streak in September did not hurt). Giants are in first place now, but if the hitting continues to be lethargic, Arizona will clip us. 

Another thing is the Giants need to find another catcher. There is a reason Eli Whiteside was never a full time starter in ANY level of baseball. His hitting prowess is below the average of major league catchers. On top of that his defense is not all that great to compensate for a limp bat (think I have ran out of fingers to count how many passed balls he had these past weeks). The backup catcher Chris Stewart is not the option either. His defense is much more solid than Whiteside, but his hitting is worse (if that is even possible). There is a reason Stewart has been bounced around from team to team. The team just need a defensively sound catcher that can competitively handle the bat that is on par with the league average. In the NL with no DH, a team just can’t afford to give another automatic out. 

Fans better thank the heavens that the pitching staff has been relatively untouched by the injury bug (discounting Zito). And they will have to remain rock solid not only in the health department but the pitching as well for the team to have any chance. Even if the offense improves, the team is still not going to blow out people on a every night basis.

And of course the magic. It may not be the way the team wants to win all the time, but the whole keep it close and we will come back late to win mentality can carry the team for the rest of the season. It has to give the team confidence (and scare the opposing team to death) knowing that they can comeback and win any game that is close because the pitching staff more often than not will keep it that way. Other than the pitching, it is the strongest notion the team can hang their hopes (and hats) on. 

Here’s to a great remaining 2/3s of the season for the beloved Giants. 

Up & down - random thoughts

Can't say that did not suck. I was at the ballpark last night for Giants versus the Marlins when Buster Posey got pulverized by that other guy at home plate and is now going to be out for a at least a couple of months with a broken lower leg and a completely busted (no pun) ankle. Arguably the best player on the Giants, losing Posey for an extended period of time absolutely sucked all the positive energy out of the team and the Giants fan base. Today was overall depressing and a drag, not only because the news of Posey, but the Giants also lost today as well and got swept by the Marlins (guess the team was feeling the same).

It completely overshadowed what was an epic ninth inning comeback in last night's game when the Giants rallied for four (FOUR!) runs to tie the game. I mean the Giants have trouble scoring four runs a game, much less in one inning. It was a sight to behold, and the TRUE fans that were still left in the stadium got a visual treat. It is moment like that, that makes the game a beautiful one. Fans and players alike live for them. Too bad the moment will not not be soon remembered because of what happened only three innings later.

That being said, the team and the fan base must move on. The Giant's pitching staff is still tops in the majors, and have potential to blank an opponent on any given day. Sure losing Posey will mean not only his bat but also his catching abilities in handling the staff, but I think having Bochy as a former catcher means whoever does replace Posey on a permanent basis (Whiteside or somebody else) will be fine in adapting to handling the staff. If Belt plays to his potential, and Panda returns in two weeks continue his form, the offense for the most part will be fine as well. The team is infinitely better with Posey, but it is at the very least still a very competitive team without him. It is not even June yet, plenty of ball to be played.

So other than that, my first week of post under grad life have been great. Finally got past being sick the past couple of weeks was a welcome sign as I finally get to work out properly again. Though I definitely lost some of my strength because I lost a couple of reps on all my workouts. Anyways, treat your body well because being sick absolutely sucks (accept you sleep really well, only to wake up finding out that you are still sick). 

I have to say, my entrepreneurship graduation ceremony this past Friday was the best. Two years of hard work with the same people culminated in a celebration unlike any other. Of course these type of things are all for the parents, but I think for us the graduates we had a great time as well (free booze did not hurt one bit). My favorite part of the ceremony was when our names got called individually to get recognized and make a small speech. Very interesting to see what my classmates have to say during one of their best moments in their lives (I am surprised our professor had the fortitude to hold back the tears haha). Anyways thanks to the power of media, our class will always have pictures and videos of the ceremony to remember with.

Naturally I skipped the "big" ceremony that happened on the next day. My sympathies to those that sat in the sun for four hours only to see your graduate's name get called. I on the other hand slept in, ate pho for breakfast, and then had a nice stroll in Golden Gate Park and drank tea at the Japanese Tea Garden. Not a bad way to spend the day after grad I think (of course there were alcohol involved the night before). 

And the party continues this weekend! Actually all on Saturday. Got invited to a party to watch a soccer (what the rest of the world would call football) match, which just happens to be the biggest soccer match in Europe every year (the UEFA Champions league final). Unfortunately that soccer here is only big every four years when the World Cup rolls around (it is the only time I get to watch a soccer game on TV here in America. Thank you ESPN). I would be a bigger soccer fan if it actually shows up more on TV. Back when I was still in China soccer was about the only sport there is to watch because it was so big everywhere. Here in America I've grown to adore the game of Baseball and American Football, and have seldom watch a soccer game of any sort. Anyways, I am very excited for some soccer action. It is going to be Manchester United vs. Barcelona. Should be a good match at the very least. Who am I rooting for? Well I am rooting for a good exciting game haha. 

Honestly, this whole post undergrad world is still very strange to me. Until next time. 

Together We're Giant - 2011 Giants season preview

By the time this blog post goes live I will already be getting ready to watch my first live Giants game of the season! Thank you coupon codes for $20 dollars seats (against the hated Dodgers no less!). It has been high school since I have watched a Giants game live this early in the season (oh good times). Of course this year is doubly special because the Giants is coming off their World (fcuking) Championship and are on a mission to defend it (there is already torture). 

I quite like the slogan of this year’s ad campaign - together we are Giant. It was much better than last year’s “there is magic inside”. However fitting it end up being as it may, I still think the magic inside slogan is quite cheesy and non to hilarious (as sports advertising should be - all the ESPN Sportscenter ads are very funny). In a way I always admired the Oakland A’s ad campaigns as they are always funny and usually puts their players in impossible situations (Tim Hudson’s pitch is so fast that it altered the space time continuum). I just was not feeling the slow motion style commercials of last year.

This year’s Giants ad campaign so far strikes the perfect cord. It honors fans like us that stuck with them and cheered them on to the championship. Of course those commercials are funny as well (imagine looking into your rear mirror and see Brian Wilson riding in the back, or Buster Posey bum rushing you (keep you pants on ladies) after you’ve closed a sale). I mean hey, a championship ball club deserves a championship level ad campaign.

But enough about the ad campaign. Baseball has been back for a little over a week now, and man has productivity gone down (curse you games for taking 3 hours). But then as any Giants fan would do, you multitask. Have the game on while doing something else and just listen to the broadcast and peak in from time to time (positioning is key). One of the reason baseball is my favorite sporting event is that there is a game literally everyday. Meaning there is also something happy to look forward to - unless the Giants lose then even if the girl you ask to marry said yes, it would still be a bad day. 

The past three days was the Giants first homestand which means all the ceremony of banner raising and rings giving was held. It was like the extension of the parade watching those ceremonies. When the championship banner was hoisted up like a pirate flag, I had chills down my spine. When the players, and especially Kruk and Kuip receive their rings, it was well deserved. When Posey got his Rookie of the Year trophy, he choked up when he thanked his lovely wife (so I don’t know ladies, how much more does a guy have to do to prove that is so far from available on the dating circuit?). It was wonderful seeing the celebration happen, and the fact that the games afterwards were dramatic was the icing on the cake (because not winning during a celebration is so Bonds era type stuff). 

Was sort of disappointed that they did not invite Bengie to the ceremony - seeing as he is just sitting on his ass playing with his kids in his home in Arizona. While giving rings to the Giants hall of famers is a nice gesture (listen, the site of Willie Mac finally get a ring is historic), I sort of hope that after 6 decades of not winning, the Giants would honor more players outside of the hall that played for the organization by giving them rings also (like Boston did back in 2004 when they won the championship for the first time in 86 years). I hope that perhaps they are doing so in private. 

Anyways though now that all the good hoopla is done with and we can finally wave the good vibes of 2010 goodbye, it is time to focus on 2011. Clearly the pitching staff is still tops in the league, though Zito’s two outings so far have been troubling to say the least. In a baseball sense, lefties can survive only having a 86mph fastball (looking at you, the great Jamie Moyer). But what they absolutely must have is location and command - something Zito has been lacking since after the all star break of last year. I understand he is fifth starter and all the pressure is off but did he not work on his game at all? I remember saying back last October that if Zito was any kind of a man, he would try to come back infinite times as hard to prove that he is good contributor to the team. Jury is still out on that one.

Am I the only one that like Zito’s new stache? It reminds of the Office episode when Jim, Dwight, and Michael covertly went to another branch to steal their copier (they wore stache similar to Zito’s as a disguise). 

But yeah other than Zito for now, the rotation and the bullpen is solid. The lineup is looking strong too. DeRosa the super utility man is back healthy. We have Cody Ross for a full season. Panda lost 40 lbs and is looking REALLY good on the plate. Rowand looks to be the best late inning pinch hit replacement guy on the planet (his 12 million dollar salary notwithstanding). Freddy is now hopefully fully healthy, and if so can have a monster year of gettings hits and being on base. Tejada (despite the roids connection) have always been a professional hitter, and he is without a ring so after seeing his teammates get theirs it should fire him up for the whole season. It might still look like a bunch of misfits, but man you can not pay for chemistry for its weight in gold (how is just buying a bunch of guys with talent working out for you eh BOSTON? - hurts me to say this because the AL team I root for is the Redsoxs).

No I did not forget he super rookie Brandon Belt. Sure he is struggling a little right now after the big homerun, but I hope management will see to give him all the time he needs, because from the the brief time I’ve had a chance to look at him, he is going to be a good player. The fact that he has a tremendous eye and can work the count is something that is unique in the Giants Lineup (over the past decade other than the guy name Bonds we have been notorious for being a swing happy team. For that reason alone is worth keeping Belt in the big leagues. Above average fielding and endorsement from Will Clark himself is just extra benefits. I really hope he works out because ever since JT Snow retired, the Giants have been searching for that cornerstone first baseman from the organization. Shoutout to those that came before Belt - the likes of Niekro, Ortmeier, Bowker, and Ishikawa.

And the team is still managed by the smart guy named Bruce Bochy (I am big fan because his head makes mine looks tiny in comparison - and I have a large head). So what more can I say, on paper we have a solid, division winning capable team that is worth watching every single day. This is probably the first year I am not screaming at the team to get a bat, though perhaps this year would be get us a fifth starter that can throw above 90 (is Zito the Todd Wellemeyer of 2011?). 

But there is one shortcoming of the team that I can find - the outfield defense (and Torres just strained his tendon!). I am semi ok with Burrell in left (power hitting that can’t field playing the left field has been a Giants tradition for years, right Barry?), but Huff can’t possibly play the right field well, especially during the home games at AT&T. The problem with the NL is that there is no DH so you can’t just stick guys like Huff or Burrell in that spot. The center fielder will have to cover a lot more room than normally required due to the limited range of the sides. Torres can do it, but do we really want him to have to? 

I guess the problem solves itself once Cody Ross comes back from injury, which brings the bigger conundrum: who are we kicking off the lineup? One would naturally assume Burrell, but as we saw his power is very valuable. My guess would be that between Huff, Burrell, and Ross that it would just be a rotation of sorts with a fine juggling act between starts and off days. And I have confidence in Bochy to do that. Huff should improve to at least average as he acclimates more and more going back to playing the outfield again. I mean a manger should never complain about having too many solid contributors on the team.

It is going to be a good season watching Giant’s baseball - America’s pastime, and the best distraction from “real” life.