SB Nation - Madison Bumgarner

Down on the Farm: Project Prospects Top 25 NL West Prospects

raygu — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 14:00:32 -0000

by Ross D. Franklin - AP

2 months ago: Arizona Diamondbacks' Brandon Allen connects on an RBI double against the San Francisco Giants in the second inning of a baseball game Tuesday, Sept. 22, 2009, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)

View full size photo »

Adam Foster from Project Prospect posted his Top 25 NL West prospects yesterday over at Project Prospect.

Here's a glimpse at the top 5:

1. Buster Posey

2. Madison Bumgarner

3. James Darnell

4. Jaff Decker

5. Jhoulys Chacin

Here is what Adam has to say about a guy I recently traded for in the UBA league:

Brandon Allen

From solid AA bat to PCL HR machine to MLB K-king -- 40 Ks over 116 MLB PA

It remains to be seen if Allen will stick with the Diamondbacks out of spring training. Even though he didn't hit for a high average in the AFL, he did lead the league in walks with 22.

Down on the Farm: Baseball America's Top 10 Prospects in the NL West

raygu — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 15:41:02 -0000

Baseball America recently completed their Top 10 prospects for each NL West Team, and since I took the plunge and subscribed for 3 months, I bring you the Top 10s for the NL West. That's all I figured I needed to get access to the Top 10's for all major league teams. I have already provided you with the Top 10's for the NL East and NL Central teams. Today I bring you the Top 10's from the NL West.

Giants

1.	Buster Posey, c
2.	Madison Bumgarner, lhp
3.	Zack Wheeler, rhp
4.	Thomas Neal, of
5.	Dan Runzler, lhp
6.	Tommy Joseph, c
7.	Roger Kieschnick, of
8.	Ehire Adrianza, ss
9.	Brandon Crawford, ss
10.	Francisco Peguero, of

More after the jump:

Padres

1. Donavan Tate, of

2. Simon Castro, rhp

3. James Darnell, 3b

4. Jaff Decker, of

5. Logan Forsythe, 3b

6. Cory Luebke, lhp

7. Wynn Pelzer, rhp

8. Everett Williams, of

9. Edinson Rincon, 3b

10. Aaron Poreda, lhp

Rockies

1.	Tyler Matzek, lhp
2.	Christian Friederich, lhp
3.	Wilin Rosario, c
4.	Jhoulys Chacin, rhp
5.	Hector Gomez, ss
6.	Eric Young Jr., 2b/of
7.	Tim Wheeler, of
8.	Rex Brothers, lhp
9.	Esmil Rogers, rhp
10.	Nolan Arenado, 3b

Dodgers

1.

Dee Gordon, ss

2.

Chris Withrow, rhp

3.

Aaron Miller, lhp

4.

Ethan Martin, rhp

5.

Josh Lindblom, rhp

6.

Scott Elbert, lhp

7.

Andrew Lambo, of

8.

Ivan DeJesus Jr., ss

9.

Trayvon Robinson, of

10.

Allen Webster, rhp

Diamondbacks

1. Jarrod Parker, rhp

2. Bobby Borchering, 3b

3. A.J. Pollock, of

4. Brandon Allen, 1b

5. Daniel Schlereth, lhp

6. Chris Owings

7. Mike Belfiore, lhp

8. Marc Krauss, of

9. Ryan Wheeler, 1b

10. Collin Cowgill, of

San Francisco Giants Top 20 Prospects for 2010

John Sickels — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 04:20:41 -0000

More photos » by Chris Carlson - AP

3 months ago: San Francisco Giants' Buster Posey gets his first major league hit against the Los Angeles Dodgers during the ninth inning of a baseball game in Los Angeles, Saturday, Sept. 19, 2009. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson)

Browse more photos »

San Francisco Giants Top 20 Prospects for 2010

All grades are EXTREMELY PRELIMINARY and subject to change. Don't get too worried about exact rankings at this point, especially once you get beyond the Top 10. Grade C+/C guys are pretty interchangeable depending on what you want to emphasize. Complete reports on these and over 1,000 other players are available in the 2010 Baseball Prospect Book. Pre-order now for February 2nd shipping!

1) Buster Posey, C, Grade A: No-brainer. All he needs is playing time.

2) Madison Bumgarner, LHP, Grade A-: Almost went with B+, but strikeout rates aren't everything. More concerned about dropping velocity. May still go with B+ eventually.

3) Thomas Neal, OF, Grade B: Solid all-around hitter, saw him in Arizona Fall League and he convinced me bat is for real.

4) Zack Wheeler, RHP, Grade B: I'm hesitant to give a grade this high to any high school pitcher without a pro track record, but I really like Wheeler.

5) Roger Kieschnick, OF, Grade B-: Love the power and he's not just a one-dimensional slugger, but the high strikeout rate and low walk rate is concerning. How will he transition to Double-A?

6) Tommy Joseph, C, Grade B-: Have to see where he fits defensively but scouting reports about the bat are very positive.

7) Dan Runzler, LHP, Grade B-: Very impressive relief arm, if he throws enough strikes.

8) Waldis Joaquin, RHP, Grade B-: Another impressive relief arm, if he throws enough strikes.

9) Jason Stoffel, RHP, Grade B-: Another impressive relief arm, could be a bargain as a fourth rounder.

10) Francisco Peguero, OF, Grade B-: Difficult to grade, speed and high batting average are positives, but walk rate is way too low. Borderline C+.

11) Rafael Rodriguez, OF, Grade C+: Held his own in rookie ball though power isn't there yet. Very very young, loads of potential but have to see how it pans out. Difficult to grade, you can make a case for B- as well as a straight C.

12) Jose Casilla, RHP, Grade C+: Another lively relief arm.

12) Nick Noonan, 2B, Grade C+: Numbers haven't lived up to scouting reports but still young. Giants hype him but I'm not sure at all that he will live up to it.

13) Aaron King, LHP, Grade C+: Live-armed lefty needs better command.

14) Henry Sosa, RHP, Grade C+: Can he stay healthy? Maybe a switch to relief would help.

15) Darren Ford, OF, Grade C+: Not convinced he'll hit at higher levels. Borderline Grade C.

16) Clayton Tanner, LHP, Grade C+: For some reason I like him a lot. Another borderline Grade C guy, need to see if game will work against better hitters.

17) Ehire Adrianza, SS, Grade C: Scouts love him. Great glove. I'm not convinced he'll hit, but I could be convinced to give him a Grade C+ and move him up the list. Anyone want to convince me?

18) Conor Gillaspie, 3B, Grade C: He showed outstanding plate discipline but nothing else. I think he still has a chance to be a good hitter.

19) Brandon Crawford, SS, Grade C: Excellent glove. I do not believe in his bat. Baseball America ranks Adrianza and Crawford much higher than I do.

20) Edwin Concepcion, RHP, Grade C: Interesting power arm at the lower levels with strikeouts/grounders combination.

OTHERS (all Grade C): Brandon Belt, 1B; Brock Bond, 2B; Jorge Buchardo, RHP, Craig Clark, LHP; Chris Dominguez, 3B; Matt Downs, INF-OF: Steve Edlefsen, RHP: Matt Graham, RHP; Julio Izturis, 2B; Mike McBryde, OF; Kyle Nicholson, RHP; Dan Otero, RHP; Joe Paterson, LHP: Brett Pill, 1B; Ryan Rohlinger, 3B: Ari Ronick, LHP; Hector Sanchez, C; Ben Snyder, LHP; Eric Surkamp, LHP; Ydwin Villegas, SS; Craig Westcott, RHP.

The Giants have one can't-miss prospect in Buster Posey, but after that things thin out. Bumgarner is something of an enigma for well-known reasons, and I keep going back and forth between A- and B+ for him. Neal looks very solid to me, while Wheeler is very promising but unproven professionally. The B- guys all have some impressive positives but enough uncertainty to preclude a higher grade at this point: Kieschnick's strikeouts, command for the pitchers, position and lack of experience for Joseph, Peguero's low walk rate. Same thing for the C+ guys only more so.

Baseball America's list which came out today ranks Adrianza 8^th and Crawford 9^th. This reflects the fact that the organization loves them, something that BA weights more heavily in their rankings than I do in mine. I like their gloves but have serious doubts about their bats, especially Crawford's. I've seen him play and I think he looks like a weak hitter. I could be persuaded to boost Adrianza's grade but I just don't believe in Crawford's bat and he's staying a C.

Overall this system has pitching depth, with a mixture of power and finesse arms. They could use more hitting depth beyond Posey and Neal. Joseph provides hope in that department if he is as polished a high school hitter as reports indicate.

Ruining the World Series, Just Like A-Rod and Boras: Rays Trade Iwamura

devil_fingers — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 06:48:07 -0000

More photos » by Kathy Willens - AP

Tampa Bay Ray' Akinori Iwamura watches his second-inning double off New York Yankees' A.J. Burnett in their baseball game against the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium in New York, Wednesday, May 6, 2009. He later talked to Alex Rodriguez about the best way to ruin the World Series even when not playing in it (AP Photo/Kathy Willens).

Browse more photos »

You know, I kept my mouth shut when analyzing the Freddy Sanchez contract. But with reported trade of the Rays' Akinori Iwamura to the Pirates for Jesse Chavez, I can't keep it in any longer.

Think back a couple of years ago when the game of baseball was the victim of possibly one of the worst breaches of its sacred code since some guy didn't run out a ground ball. You all know what I'm talking about: when Incarnation of Evil Scott Boras and his Willing Servant Alex Rodriguez announced that A-Rod would be opting out of his contract. A-Rod is "finally" hitting in the playoffs, but his horrible legacy lives on. Have teams and players no respect for this, the pure, untainted-by-greed World Series, the holiest part of the baseball calender? Instead of talking about the important stuff like whether or not Cole Hamels has quit on his team, Jose Molina's game-calling skills, Nick Swisher's "slump," trying to figure out if this "Chase Utley" character who just came out of nowhere is any good, and psychological speculation about the Yankees reliving 2004, we're going to have non-stop discussion and dissection of these moves, which is exactly the lesson that A-Rod and Boras wanted to teach to narcissistic, irreverent, selfish jerks like Sanchez, Sabean, Friedman, and especially Iwamura and his agent Alan Nero, who obviously negotiated his contract conditions with the idea of ruining from the World Series.

I guess we'll just have to push through and try to enjoy what's left, in between the constant Aki Updates. I'm so mad, I'm not even going to try and analyze Jesse Chavez. You hear that, Iwamura, you attention-craving jerk? Your strategy worked. Even a bigwig like me is going to give ALL the attention to you.

Akinori "It's All About Aki" Iwamura

#1 / Second Base / Tampa Bay Rays

Height: 5-9

Weight: 200

Bats: L

Throws: R

Born: Feb 09, 1979

Hitting: Iwamura was an above-average hitter in 2007 and 2009 (although he only got in 260 PAs during the latter), with a .338 wOBA (using FanGraph's data) during both, and was below average in 2008, with .323. Adjusting for age and regressing, he we'd estimate his skill to be a .329 wOBA hitter, or almost exactly average in this run environement, so 0 runs above/below average.

Fielding: There's a pretty big discrepancy here between the numbers and the fans when it comes to evaluating Iwamura's defense. In 2007, playing primarily 3B, Iwamura's UZR/150 was -0.2. In 2008 he made the switch to 2B, and had +1.6. This past season, he was almost completely average at 2B, with a -0.2. The Fans had a different opinion. According to my translations, the fans thought his skills for 2B warranted a +10.1 in 2007, +12.6 in 2008, and +3.4 in 2009. Overall, I estimate that is about 2.5 runs above average at 2B.

Putting it all together: Iwamura's had some injury problems and he isn't getting any younger, so we'll put him at 75% playing time. Average offense (+0) + 2.5 Fielding +2.5 Position Adjustment +25 AL Replacement Level = ~30 runs above replacement times 75% playing time = about 2.2 Wins Above Replacement.

Despite revealing himself as an obvious egomaniac and possibly a sociopath, Iwamura is probably an average player at worst, and is getting paid like a part-timer in 2010 ($4.25M). Some might think this trade is pointless at best for the Pirates, although as Dave Cameron notes, there's something to be said for a team like the Pirates just getting a good player at a good price. It's not like Chavez looks like much of a loss at this point. And, (to beat it into the ground) maybe the Pirates can turn Iwamura into Madison Bumgarner at the deadline next season!

As for the Rays, I guess their hand was forced by the contract (that's no excuse, though). While Iwamura was cheap for his expected performance, he wasn't going to start next year given the presence of the far superior (and much cheaper and younger) Ben Zobrist (not to mention guys like Sean Rodriguez and Willie Aybar who will be jostling for paying time). So the money can be better used elsewhere for them.

Plus, I bet Iwamura's a choker in the playoffs, just the player after whom he obviously models himself.

Prospect Prologue: Giants Foursome Comes Up Short

Jeremy Kempter — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 06:40:18 -0000

More photos » by Chris Carlson - AP

Browse more photos »

In recent years, San Francisco’s clubhouse has been a retirement home, with each offseason providing general manager Brian Sabean another opportunity to add maturity and mediocrity.

But heading into the 2009 season, a silver lining appeared – and, no, it wasn’t Randy Winn’s hairline.

Help was on the way for Tim Lincicum and Matt Cain and Co. The organization’s farm system was named one of baseball’s 10 best, with a foursome as elite as any.

Left-handed hurler Madison Bumgarner, catcher Buster Posey, first baseman Angel Villalona and righty Tim Alderson were sure to form the nucleus of a contender for the next decade.

Funny thing about those prospect rankings – the path from potential to reality can be long and windy, and sometimes a dead end.

Now, at the end of the 2009 season, and we find the Giants with 50 percent of that foursome out of the picture, and another a disappointment.

First, the Giants, in a move reminiscent of the Kazmir-for-Victor Zambrano debacle, shipped Alderson at the trade deadline to the Pirates for, appropriately, the aging Freddy Sanchez.

Most recently, the 19-year-old phenom Villalona’s career was put on life support. Or maybe death row. He was jailed on murder charges Monday stemming from the fatal shooting of a man at a Dominican nightclub.

Perhaps Sabean has been smart to stay away from high-profile youngsters for the most part.

Bumgarner, 20, would seem to be progressing, becoming the second-youngest San Francisco Giant to start a game on Sept. 8, but he has lost a significant amount of zip on his fastball. While he was regularly hitting 95-97 mph with his heater last year, he’s now throwing 89-91. It might be because his arm slot has gone from about three-quarters to almost side-arm. Instead of appearing like an eventual ace, he looks like a situational reliever.

Bumgarner has had success in his two big league appearances (6.1 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 6 K), but his K/9 has fallen to 7.0 in the minors this season from 10.4 last year.

While he is available in Yahoo leagues, and you may consider stashing him to see if he rediscovers the life on his heater, I find myself jumping off the MadBum bandwagon.

Admittedly, it’s a pretty steep decline in my assessment in one season. I had previously favored him over Tommy Hanson and Brett Anderson. We can only hope Bumgarner has simply run out of gas, or his mechanics will soon be corrected.

The bright light on the horizon for San Francisco’s farm system now beams from Posey, who had a tremendous season hitting .325, 18 HRs, 80 R, 80 RBI, 62 BB, 68 K and a .947 OPS. He is 1-for-3 in the Majors after a September call-up and is a must-grab in all keeper leagues for that day when Bengie Molina is put out to pasture for good.

Of course, that’s also assuming Sabean doesn’t go out and sign Pudge Rodriguez.

New Arms of the Week: September 7-13

Harry Pavlidis — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 01:45:08 -0000

A week after the bumper crop, only four pitchers made their Major League debuts last week. If Tim Lincecum's back wasn't balky, it would've been three.

Madison Bumgarner was called-up to start in place of The Freak. The Giants' prospect showed his true velocity (high 80s), surprising many (myself included) who had read reports of 94-96 mph fastballs. Not so much, only once did he top 91 - and by an eyelash. The soft tossing lefty has a funky cross-over step in his delivery, bringing the ball from the first base side after the long stride across the mound.

Esmil Rogers got the ball for the Rockies on Saturday, featuring a mid-90s fastball. Rogers had a good half-year in Double-A, and a bad half in Triple-A. For whatever reason, a pristine BB per 9 of 1.8 turned into a hideous 5.2. It wasn't all bad, according to MLB.com:

There were five extremely bad games in which he gave up 31 earned runs in 20 2/3 innings. The rest were decent or better.

Dusty Baker called for Pedro Viola three times last week, and the hard throwing lefty has done OK, other than a quick home run in his debut. Viola was first property of the Giants, but, well, he was signed at one position under one name at a fake age. RedLegs Baseball says this about the prospect they ranked 21st in the Cincinnati system:

Viola was originally signed by the San Francisco Giants as an outfielder, but was promptly released when they discovered that Pedro had used a cousin's birth certificate to appear younger than he was.

The fourth debut is someone who, in a perfect world, would be under the tutelage of Rich Dubee*: Tobi Stoner. Stoner has made a couple relief appearances for the Mets.Throwing a little harder than Bumgarner, and from the right-side, Stoner is the sinker-baller of the group.

*I wish I could remember/find the twitterer who I'm stealing that line from

Here are the basics on their stuff. PFX_X and PFX_Z are the movement on the pitch caused by spin. X is side-to-side (negative is to the catcher's left) and Z is vertical, compared to a ball under the influence of gravity alone. A negative PFX_Z indicates top-spin (curveball) and a positive value (all in inches, BTW) indicates "rise". Not literally, gravity wins, but it's effects are dampened.

Esmil Rogers	#	vs LHH	vs RHH	MPH	PFX_X	PFX_Z
Change-up	8	8	0	85.9	-5.6	9.0
Fastball	53	27	26	94.7	-4.8	10.4
Slider	19	9	10	80.6	5.8	-2.6

While the outing was short (four innings), Rogers was throwing very hard for a starter. Big gap to the change, and the slider is slurvey. Rogers did throw strikes (55% in the wide zone) and got ground balls (54.5%).

Madison Bumgarner	#	vs LHH	vs RHH	MPH	PFX_X	PFX_Z
Change-up	4	0	4	82.5	6.1	4.1
Sinker	4	0	4	88.5	7.9	3.8
Fastball	49	9	40	88.8	3.7	7.7
Slider	19	6	13	78.3	-3.8	2.3

Bumgarner (pictured above) threw everything slow, with a slider that's a sweeper without much sink. He threw even more strikes than Rogers (56.6%) and got even more ground balls (62.5%). That's a pretty good start to a career, if you ask me.

Pedro Viola	#	vs LHH	vs RHH	MPH	PFX_X	PFX_Z
Change-up	2	0	2	85.2	7.7	5.1
Sinker	1	0	1	93.2	12.1	1.6
Fastball	38	20	18	93.1	8.1	6.3
Slider	8	7	1	79.5	0.3	-1.8

I read somewhere on the interwebs that Viola could throw 98. He topped out around 95 in his three outings. His control looks about average (55.1% in the zone, 2.1 B:CS) but seems to be a fly ball pitcher (30% ground balls).

Tobi Stoner	#	vs LHH	vs RHH	MPH	PFX_X	PFX_Z
Change-up	16	12	4	75.8	-6.0	4.8
Curveball	10	9	1	71.9	2.4	-4.3
Sinker	17	9	8	90.1	-9.2	6.1
Fastball	16	10	6	89.9	-5.1	8.9
Slider	11	6	5	81.9	2.2	0.1

Mostly threw two-seam fastballs that didn't sink all that much. He'll get to play Winter Ball this year and his name will be easy to find in the box scores, so I'm sure this isn't the last I'll hear about this guy. Well, his results are memorable, too. 65.7% in the zone and a .258 whiff rate. His ground ball rate has been nondescript (42.9%) but he's been hit hard (SLGCON .786, which is 250 points higher than average).

This ends the current edition of Small Sample Size Theater, please join us again next week.

NL West Report: Hispanic Nicknames

Poseidon's Fist — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 16:00:39 -0000

More photos » by Ross D. Franklin - AP

Article-subject language disagreement

Browse more photos »

Earlier this season Giants, who played with a uniform featuring "Gigantes" across the front for Hispanic Heritage Night. The Diamonbacks utilized a similar tactic this weekend, taking the field with "Los D-Backs" emblazened across the front of their alternate black uniforms.

Unfortunately for Arizona, the Hispanic mojo didn't help them on the field, as they appear more like Los Lonely Boys in the NL West cellar after two terrible weeks. Or, as Jim McLennan from the Pit notes, the uniforms would be more apt had a "t" been added after the "Los."

The use of Spanish on uniforms got me thinking...what if the Rockies put on their uniforms and follow the lead of their divisional foes? There may be less of a Hispanic population in Colorado than Arizona or California, but it is certainly a noteworthy presence all the same. In addition, the Rockies payroll is increasing dramatically in the Hispanic sector. Tell me what you think in the poll.

NL West Report

Arizona (62-82, t5th, L3, 23 GB)

Last Week: 1-5. 1-2 vs Dodgers. 0-3 vs Brewers. Arizona was swept for the second straight weekend, sending them to three games below fourth-place San Diego after going 2-11 the last two weeks. The loss yesterday guaranteed the Diamondbacks of a losing season, quite the disappointment after being a popular 1st or 2nd place team in preseason predictions.

Pace: 70-92 (-2 from last week)

Divisional Change: Lost 3.0 games on LAD.

This Week: 3 game road series @ Padres, 3 game home series vs Rockies. The schedule doesn't get any easier for Arizona, who has to go to Petco to play a team riding a 6-series win streak before hosting all the awesomeness that is the Colorado Rockies.

News: Inside the D-backs: Decision on coaching staff to come later

Ken Rosenthal suggests Arizona third base coach Chip Hale or former manager Bob Melvin as a fit for the Nationals managerial position next year, though interim manager Jim Riggelman has a legitimate shot to retain his post.

Top prospect Jarrod Parker will begin a throwing program tomorrow. Arizona's 2007 first-round pick was shut down in July after feeling discomfort in his elbow. After reassessing him in coming weeks, the Diamondbacks will decide whether he requires surgery or not. Says Josh Byrnes:

"Anytime an injury doesn't respond, I think you have to consider surgery...But again there's reason to believe the conservative course will get him back to where he was." - Steve Gilbert, MLB.com

Jarrod Parker

#77 / Pitcher / Arizona Diamondbacks

Height: 6-1

Weight: 180

Bats: R

Throws: R

Born: Nov 24, 1988

Kevin Mulvey, a waiver trade pickup from Minnesota, made his first career start Saturday. He struggled mightily in a 9-2 loss to the Brewers.

Transactions: Recalled OF Trent Oeltjen and C Luke Carlin.

Injuries: Activated LHP Scott Schoeneweis (depression) from the 15-day DL. Nothing new was found in recent bloodwork for Conor Jackson, but he's likely to miss the rest of the season, making it difficult for last year's cleanup man to earn his roster spot back for 2010.

Arizona Diamondbacks Injuries

15-Day

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
Chris Snyder	lower-back	08/23/2009

60 Day DL / Out for the season

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
Chad Qualls	knee	08/31/2009
Conor Jackson	pneumonia	05/12/2009
Brandon Webb	shoulder	04/07/2009

Los Angeles (85-59, 1st, L1)

Last Week: 4-2. 2-1 @ Diamondbacks. 2-1 @ Giants. Los Angeles failed to complete the sweep in both series after winning the first two games both times. It was a strong turnaround after failing to win either series the previous week agains the division's worst teams.

Pace: 97-65. (+2)

Divisional Change: Lost 0.5 game lead on COL.

This Week: 3 game home series vs Pirates, 3 game home series vs Giants. While the Rockies try to win a game at AT&T Park, the Dodgers can force the Rockies to be focusing on the wild card by sweeping the Pirates. It is the first time the Dodgers and Pirates have played this season.

News: Ronnie Belliard is providing an excuse for the Dodgers not to pay Orlando Hudson. In starting in place of Hudson 5 of the last 13 games, Belliard is robbing Hudson of the $10K/PA the starting second-sacker is due to receive per his contract.

Orlando Hudson

#13 / Second Base / Los Angeles Dodgers

Height: 6-0

Weight: 190

Bats: B

Throws: R

Born: Dec 12, 1977

	G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	K	SB	CS	AVG	OBP	SLG
2009 - Orlando Hudson	135	514	70	147	31	4	9	58	53	92	8	1	.286	.354	.414

Say what you will about a collapse - holding a divisional lead for practically the entirety of a season is something to be commended, and only a team with several strong contributors are capable of such a feat. So who is the MVP of the team? The answer from a few players may surprise you.

Brad Penny and Larry Bowa made amends in a private meeting this past weekend. The two were at ugly odds over several issues after Penny's departure from Los Angeles.

Ken Rosenthal also suggests the Dodgers may be interested in Dan Uggla.

Transactions: Called up IFs Chin-Lung Hu and Blake DeWitt.

Injuries: Activated RHP Hiroki Kuroda from the 15-day DL. Clayton Kershaw missed his Friday start with a bruised shoulder. He won't be on the DL and should return soon. Jim Thome is day-to-day with a right heel issue, and Randy Wolf is day-to-day with left elbow stiffness. He is scheduled to make his start tomorrow against Pittsburgh. Will Ohman is still attempting to return to the Dodgers this month after being on the DL since May 28 with a left shoulder injury.

Los Angeles Dodgers Injuries

Probable

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
Randy Wolf	elbow	09/13/2009

Questionable

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
Clayton Kershaw	shoulder	09/13/2009

15-Day

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
Will Ohman	shoulder	05/28/2009
Guillermo Mota	other-excused	08/30/2009

60 Day DL / Out for the season

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
Xavier Paul	ankle	05/21/2009
Jason Schmidt	shoulder	08/06/2009

San Diego (60-78, 5th, L2, 22.5 GB)

Last Week: 4-2. 2-1 @ Giants, 2-1 vs Rockies. The Padres have become the ultimate spoilers. They have now won six straight series, five against the top seven playoff contending teams. Despite winning the series against Colorado, however, the Rockies mathematically eliminated San Diego from the division title Friday.

Pace: 70-94 (+1).

Divisonal change: No change.

This Week: 3 game home series vs Diamondbacks, First 3 games of a 4 game road series @ Pirates. Will there be a letdown now that they will be playing two of the three teams that are more than a game worse than them?

News: The Padres are out to thwart contending teams, and that is no joke. The only consolation for playoff teams is that they have been a thorn in every team's side, defeating every playoff contender they have faced in the last seven series two games to one.

Nick Hundley drove in a run in walk-off fashion, in his first career pinch-hit AB. And he didn't even have to make contact.

An AL Scout says Kevin Towers fleeced Billy Beane with the Scott Hairston deal, the trade in which he recieved RHPs Sean Gallagher, Ryan Webb and Craig Italiano. That's hard to argue against when Hairston has a worse OBP than any Rockie position player, including Omar Quintanilla.

Scott Hairston

#12 / Left Field / Oakland Athletics

Height: 6-0

Weight: 195

Bats: R

Throws: R

Born: May 25, 1980

	G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	K	SB	CS	AVG	OBP	SLG
2009 - Scott Hairston	52	205	21	49	10	1	7	32	8	32	3	2	.239	.269	.400

Ken Rosenthal says the Padres' payroll could be as low as being in the neighborhood of $25million next year. For that to happen, Adrian Gonzalez and Heath Bell would have to be moved, along with Brian Giles leaving the payroll. Those three moves have a decent chance of happening.

Baltimore is averse to trading their top prospects, so they are out of the running for A-Gone, not that I saw much of a fit there to begin with.

Transactions: Recalled RHP Sean Gallagher and LHPs Aaron Poreda and Cesar Ramos from AAA Portland.

Injuries: Rookie OF Kyle Blanks will likely miss the rest of the season with a partial tear in his right plantar fascia (part of the foot). Kevin Kouzmanoff is still day to day with a strained calf.

San Diego Padres Injuries

15-Day

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
Brian Giles	knee	06/19/2009
Kyle Blanks	foot	08/29/2009
Mike Adams	shoulder	08/22/2009

60 Day DL / Out for the season

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
Mark Worrell	elbow	03/27/2009
Cha Seung Baek	forearm	03/30/2009
Shawn Hill	elbow	04/26/2009
Chris Young	shoulder	06/15/2009

San Francisco (77-66, 3rd, W1, 7.5 GB in Div, 4.5 GB in WC)

Last Week: 2-4. 1-2 vs Padres. 1-2 vs Dodgers. I would consider it a failure of a week to lose two games in the wild card standings in which you lose a home series against the Padres then fail to capitalize when the Padres swiped a series from Colorado.

Pace: 87-75 (-2).

Divisional Change: Lost 2.0 games in NL West (LAD), lost 2 games in WC (COL).

This Week: 3 game home series vs Rockies, 3 game road series @ Dodgers. If the Giants don't take advantage of their mound triumverate and at least win the series against Colorado, it will be hard to continue considering them in contention for the wild card, as they would be 5.5 games back at best with 16 games left.

News: Timcecum missed his last start but should be back tonight. He'll face Jason Hammel, who quite literally is the best fifth starter in MLB.

Several Giants are nearing career numbers, not greatly surprising given their youth. However, one player worth highlighing is Jeremy Affeldt, who raised eyebrows by signing a quick lucrative deal in the offseason. He has already shown why he deserved that contract. He leads the league in holds, for what you will make of that.

Jeremy Affeldt

#41 / Pitcher / San Francisco Giants

Height: 6-4

Weight: 225

Bats: L

Throws: L

Born: Jun 06, 1979

	W-L	G	GS	CG	SHO	SV	BS	IP	H	R	ER	HR	BB	K	ERA	WHIP
2009 - Jeremy Affeldt	1-2	65	0	0	0	0	0	53.0	40	13	11	2	28	45	1.87	1.28

I hate to point this out - I really do - but after beating the Dodgers last night, Brad Penny is 3-0 with a 1.64 ERA in three starts since joining the Giants' rotation. That's good for a 0.4 WAR, giving him a strong shot to pass Randy Johnson's three month body of work (0.5 WAR) in just a month. It is worth noting he won the Giants' only game against the Padres as well as defeating two strong offenses and two of the best teams in the National League.

Top prospect Madison Bumgarner made his MLB debut Tuesday. The promotion was a surprise but oddly mirrors the Rockies move to try out Esmil Rogers against the Padres in an effort to delay their hobbled ace for the Rockies series. Bumgarner San earned a no-decision, allowing two runs in 5.1 IP including five hits, two of them home runs.

Transactions: Called up LHPs Madison Bumgarner and Alex Hinshaw, RHP Joe Martinez and 2b Kevin Frandsen. Outrighted RHP Ryan Sadowski to AAA Fresno and DFA'd RHP Osiris Matos. The Washington Nationals claimed P Jesse English from the Giants on waivers.

Injuries: Activated Freddy Sanchez from the 15-day DL, finally. Tim Lincecum missed his last start with back spasms but is expected to take the mound tonight against Jason Hammel and the Rockies. Randy Johnson has seen no setbacks of yet in his attempt to return to action with the Giants in their bullpen.

San Francisco Giants Injuries

Probable

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
Tim Lincecum	lower-back	09/12/2009

60 Day DL / Out for the season

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
Randy Johnson	trapezius	07/06/2009
Noah Lowry	ribs	03/27/2009
Kelvin Pichardo	shoulder	06/28/2009
Emmanuel Burriss	foot	09/01/2009
Henry Sosa	shoulder	08/05/2009

Poll

If the Rockies were to have a Hispanic Heritage Night, what would they put on their uniforms?

Las Montañas

51 votes

Los Rockies

28 votes

Las Montañas Rocosas

26 votes

Rockies

28 votes

Red

10 votes

Other/Tell me in the comments

4 votes

147 votes | Poll has closed

Dodgers head north to face Cain and Company

Phil Gurnee — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 16:58:36 -0000

More photos » by Mark J. Terrill - AP

8 months ago: Los Angeles Dodgers' Andre Ethier, left, celebrates with James Loney, center, after Loney walked with the bases loaded to help the Dodgers win a baseball game against the San Francisco Giants, Wednesday, April 15, 2009, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Browse more photos »

This is a big series not because we are playing the Giants but because the Rockies are playing the Padres and we can expect no help from the boys down south who are undermanned and will probably be overwhelmed by the hottest team in baseball.

So to keep our two game lead, the boys in blue will need to take at least 2 of 3 from the struggling Giants. The Giants still have a potent pitching staff and recently added Madison Bumgarner to the back end of the rotation. The current rotation of Lincecum/Cain/Sanchez/Zito/Bumgartner is a scary sight and will be a scary sight for years to come. Since being demoted to the bullpen and having to make a spot start which turned into a shocking no-hitter, Sanchez has been a solid force giving them four quality starting pitchers. Zito jokes abound but this year they don't have much zing because Zito is doing the job. Since the all-star game here are the splits for the rotation:

Player	ERA	WHIP	OPS Against
Lincecum	2.35	0.977	0.549
Cain	2.7	1.023	0.634
Sanchez	3.17	1.156	0.6
Zito	2.34	1.224	0.652

Four pitchers in the rotation, none with an ERA over 3.17 and none with an OPS against > .652 since the all-star game. They have turned every hitter into a Russell Martin. Since our team already has trouble scoring runs expect this series to be tight.

Luckily for the rest of the league the Giants can't hit at all. If you think the Dodgers are wasting some great pitching you should see what the Giants are wasting. The biggest shock is not that the Giants can't hit, but that they are not the worse scoring team in the NL, only the 3rd worse. They brought up the future in Posey but have yet to get him one single at bat in a week of play. Who knew the 2nd best hitter on the team would only be window dressing as they fight for a playoff spot. If they want to shoot themselves in the foot, who are we to argue with them.

Tonight we face Cain who has consistently been one of the best pitchers in baseball in 2009, but unlike other teams we can counter with an Andre who owns Cain like no one else in baseball with over 25 at bats against him. Andre carries a 1.238 OPS against one of the better pitchers in baseball with 17 hits in 30 at bats. Unfortunately only two of those 17 hits are for extra bases and none are home runs so while we can expect Andre to get on base, someone is going to have to drive him in. Who will step up to the plate tonight? In the past the Dodgers have had more success against Cain then any NL team other then the Phillies with a .822 OPS. Facing Cain will be Kuroda in what has been a forgettable season for him. Now would be a good time to make the same run he made last Sept but can he pitch effectively after taking that line drive off the bong? He will need to with Kershaw/Wolf sitting out this series.

The Giants need to win to keep pace with the Wild Card, they really need a sweep with the Rockies playing the Padres, we need two out of three. This is Sept baseball, don't hate on it, enjoy it. The Giants are desperate, their season swings on this series. Baseball at it's best is baseball that means something in Sept.

One, Two, Three Strikes, You're Out" - September 11

Xeifrank Game Simulation

McCovey Chronicles

Dodgers vs Giants preview

Game Notes:

ROAD WARRIORS – The Dodgers have won a season-high three straight road series for the third time. Los Angeles also won three straight road sets from May 12-27 (2-1 at Philadelphia , 2-1 at Florida , and 3-0 at Colorado ) and from July 3-12 (2-1 at San Diego , 2-1 at New York Mets, and 2-1 at Milwaukee ). The Dodgers last won four consecutive road series from August 29-September 18, 2008 (2-1 at Arizona , 2-1 at San Diego , 2-1 at Colorado , and 3-1 at Pittsburgh ).

BIG TIME – The Dodgers are 7-5 against the Giants thus far in the 18-game season series, and they need to go at least 3-3 in the remaining six games to assure a season series victory. Los Angeles hasn’t lost a season series to San Francisco since 2005, when it went 9-10 against the NL West rival. The two teams split their 18-game season set last year 9-9.

KEEPING THEM IN IT – Dodger pitchers have given up five runs or less in 29 consecutive games beginning August 10, posting a Major League-best 2.67 ERA (78 ER/263.1 IP) overall in that span. In 27 of those 29 games, Dodger pitchers have allowed four runs or less, including nine contests in a row. Los Angeles last gave up more than five runs in a game on August 9 vs. Atlanta , an 8-2 setback. Despite the sterling ERA, the Dodgers are just 16-13 in their last 29 games.

GIVE BLOOD – The Dodgers and the American Red Cross are hosting the Heroes Blood Drive today at Dodger Stadium from 3:00-9:00 p.m. All donors will receive a commemorative Dodgers item and may enter a drawing to win a chance to be honored as the Blood Donor of the Game at one of the remaining regular-season Dodgers home games. To schedule an appointment, or for additional information, please call 1-800-GIVE-LIFE, or visit GiveLife.org.

Pitching Mechanics: Madison Bumgarner

Kyle Boddy — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 05:25:43 -0000

More photos » by Jeff Chiu - AP

Madison Bumgarner reverse rotates significantly, shows the ball to CF, and blah blah no one reads these notes anyway.

Browse more photos »

Let's get one thing straight: Madison Bumgarner is one heckuva talent. Dave Allen over at Fangraphs already talked about his past and his PITCHf/x readouts from his September 8th start, so I'll let you mosey on over there to read more if you like.

Here's a sample pitch from Bumgarner:

People inevitably tend to compare Madison Bumgarner to Randy Johnson, so I found a clip in my database of Randy...

Allow me to list the ways in which they are different...

Madison Bumgarner:

Excessively reverse rotates his shoulders.
Takes a very large step across his body and lands extremely closed.
Has extreme gloveside flyout.

Randy Johnson:

Does not excessively reverse rotate his shoulders.
Steps more or less in line with the plate.
Has the best gloveside tight finish of any LHP I have in my database.

As a result of striding far too closed, Madison Bumgarner severely pulls his pitching arm across his body, which strains the pectoralis minor in addition to other anterior shoulder muscles. He also features severe arm recoil due in no small part to his poor followthrough.

Bumgarner's a great talent, but I feel that his steadily dropping velocity is not a fluke or necessarily a sign of a young pitcher reaching his limits - it could be due to steadily accumulating shoulder damage.

EDIT: Thanks to NoNameOnCard (Trip Somers) for proofreading this for me. Made two errors. E-1, mark it in the book.

Madison Bumgarner Called Up; Lincecum Injured

Grant — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 21:23:36 -0000

He might even start tonight, but for now we just know that he's at least getting called up. Rumor has it that Tim Lincecum has a sore back, and that's why Bumgarner is getting the call. I don't like that rumor, though, so I'm just going to ignore it.

But you're welcome to use this thread for an old-fashioned "Lincecum is hurt and Bumgarner's arbitration clock is starting and what is wrong with this organization and why am I bleeding from the eyes and they released Travis Denker what in the hell" freakout thread.

___________________________

Edit: Update from Schulman:

I want to stress that I have not confirmed this directly, but team officials are not denying The Chronicle's suggestion that Madison Bumgarner is being promoted so he can start tonight's game in favor of Tim Lincecum, who cannot start because he is hurt

___________________________

Edit: Update from the press conference: It's a back injury. Lincecum is day-to-day. Unless he's not injured, like some callers on KNBR think. Conspiracy! Or, maybe his spine melted in a freak industrial accident and they're just not sure how to tell us. I recommend that you all continue to freak out.

1.	Dee Gordon, ss
2.	Chris Withrow, rhp
3.	Aaron Miller, lhp
4.	Ethan Martin, rhp
5.	Josh Lindblom, rhp
6.	Scott Elbert, lhp
7.	Andrew Lambo, of
8.	Ivan DeJesus Jr., ss
9.	Trayvon Robinson, of
10.	Allen Webster, rhp