SB Nation - Randy Winn

NL West in Review: Right Fielders

Poseidon's Fist — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 19:00:18 -0000

The NL West boasted three very strong offensive right-fielders last season. Justin Upton and Brad Hawpe each made All-Star appearances, while Andre Ethier took home a Silver Slugger. What you might not realize is just how close those three were in offensive production last season.

With the fearsome trio eating up at least 580 PA each in right field, they represented the resounding majority of PA for their teams. Brad Hawpe and the Rockies led the way with a park-adjusted .367 wOBA, followed by J-Up and the Snakes at .366, followed by Ethier and the Dodgers at .365.

Naturally, what separates the three teams in overall value then is defense, which proves to be quite the unequalizer.


Teams	Players	Avg	HR	RBI	OBP	SLG	wOBA*	WAR
1. Arizona	5	.294	26	96	.359	.498	.366	4.85
2. Los Angeles	6	.266	34	120	.344	.504	.365	2.56
3. San Francisco	5	.262	8	57	.316	.380	.312	1.76
4. Colorado	6	.270	25	98	.370	.486	.367	1.68
5. San Diego	8	.212	21	76	.280	.366	.298	-0.39

Hawpe was so statistically weak defensively that the Giants actually passed the Rockies on the list, while Will Venable and Randy Winn each passed Hawpe for overall value.

To compare the teams visually (note the blue batting bars for Arizona, Colorado and Los Angeles):

For the full player rankings, click here.

For the raw data and calculations, check this Google Docs link. For team capsules, take the jump

Arizona

2009 in Review

I think we can officially say that the Diamondbacks' 51-111 2004 campaign was worth it for Arizona fans. The pitiful finish assured Arizona with the top pick in the 2005 draft. Their choice just finished his second season as the primary starter, appearing in the All-Star game at just 21. Of the three predominant offensive RF in the division last year, he was the only one to avoid being a black hole defensively. Indeed, he was quite an asset with the arm and range he displayed. Alex Romero posted a near league average wOBA as Upton's primary backup, while Gerardo Parra hit .400 in 28 PA as a RFer.

Justin Upton

#10 / Right Field / Arizona Diamondbacks

Height: 6-2

Weight: 205

Bats: R

Throws: R

Born: Aug 25, 1987

2010 in Preview

Upton's salary was just $412,000 last year, but he also received $1.3million as part of his then-record setting signing bonus. Upton is neither arbitration eligible or a Super Two, so he will make chump change again next season, though his final $2mil installment of his signing bonus will come his way. Obviously, he'll be in right field at Chase Field until finances dictate otherwise.

Colorado

2009 in Review

Despite having the best overall OBP and wOBA in the division, the Rockies fell to fourth in the division due to Brad Hawpe's poor defense. In fact, according to UZR, he cost the Rockies more defensively than any player in the major leagues this season, the second consecutive year he managed that feat (Ryan Braun and Ken Griffey Jr. were worse in 2007). Over the last three years, Hawpe's UZR is 33% worse than any player in MLB. Unbelievably, Carlos Gonzalez actually had a worse UZR/150 in RF than Hawpe, though that's certainly a combination of unfamiliarity and sample size. Hawpe certainly did plenty of damage with the bat overall, earning a spot in the All-Star Game and peaking with a .353 batting average on June 3, the final game before the Rockies reeled off "The Streak."

Brad Hawpe

#11 / Right Field / Colorado Rockies

Height: 6-3

Weight: 205

Bats: L

Throws: L

Born: Jun 22, 1979

2010 in Preview

This has been much discussed here. After making $5.75mil last season, Hawpe is due $7.5mil in 2010 in the last year of the 3-year extension he signed after Rocktober07. With Colorado's very notable outfield depth, Hawpe is most valuable as a trade chip. Dan O'Dowd and Jim Tracy continuously act as if trading Hawpe is the last thing on their minds, which of course means nothing. If Hawpe is moved, Carlos Gonzalez will be in right. However, I'm getting a strong feeling the FO will side with loyalty, holding onto a GenR slugger when a cheaper and talented replacement gets pushed to the bench. Sound familiar?

Los Angeles

2009 in Review

Andre Ethier made a habit of clubbing clutch (5th in MLB in WPA) home runs and getting big hits that helped Los Angeles push forth to a division title. He was rewarded with a Silver Slugger, making Manny Ramirez the only Dodger OF without the honor in 2009. Notice Ethier did not also earn a Gold Glove with Matt Kemp, and that's certainly no mistake. Though Hawpe was the worst NL OF via UZR, Ethier was second.

Andre Ethier

#16 / Right Field / Los Angeles Dodgers

Height: 6-2

Weight: 210

Bats: L

Throws: L

Born: Apr 10, 1982

2010 in Preview

Ethier will be starter, with his salary due to be decided at an arbitration hearing, unless the team can reach an agreement beforehand. Last season, the Dodgers compromised before the hearing and offered a $3.1mil salary. It will be interesting to see how Ned Colletti plays it with the possibly cash-strapped franchise. The club has Ethier, Kemp, Hong-Chih Kuo, Chad Billingsley, Jonathan Broxton, Russell Martin and George Sherrill all eligible for arbitration this offseason. If they choose not to negotiate a compromise, Colletti could save some money if he wins a sufficient number of arbitration cases. Of course, he could get burned and see a player like Kemp or Ethier be awarded a much higher salary.

San Diego

2009 in Review

Brian Giles was supposed to be a reliable veteran for Bud Black in the lineup. However, Giles hit under the Mendoza line, played poor defense and showed little power in 249 PA before succumbing to a season-ending knee injury. Will Venable played superb defense while showing promise with the bat over nearly the same amount of playing time, while Kyle Blanks (a converted first baseman) posted a .400 wOBA in 83 PA.

Will Venable

#25 / Right Field / San Diego Padres

Height: 6-2

Weight: 210

Bats: L

Throws: L

Born: Oct 29, 1982

2010 in Preview

Giles was declined arbitration, so he is out of the picture. If the club indeed trades Kevin Kouzmanoff, Chase Headley can move to third, with Venable and Blanks taking the corners. If this doesn't happen, it will be either Venable or Blanks in right. My money is on Venable, who can handle the outfield without a problem defensively. However, Bill James projected Blanks for well over a 100 more PA. Both are under complete team control

San Francisco

2009 in Review

The Giants continue to have sneaky good showing due to defense. Randy Winn's best days offensively are clearly behind him, but he still posted the best UZR in the division, good enough to place him third in the player rankings. I would also like to point out his veterany thriftiness on the bases, successfully stealing in 14 of his 16 attempts.

Randy Winn

#2 / Left Field / San Francisco Giants

Height: 6-2

Weight: 195

Bats: B

Throws: R

Born: Jun 09, 1974

2010 in Preview

San Francisco declined arbitration on Winn, effectively opening up a free-for-all for AB's in right field. Nate Schierholtz has the strongest claim, as his superior defense and potentially solid bat make him an intriguing option. Bill James optimistically projects a .338 wOBA from him in 2010. Brian Sabean really ought to be looking elsewhere for an upgrade or at least insurance, because that .338 is probably a bit optimistic. John Bowker, Eugenio Velez and Andres Torres are other underwhelming internal options.

Giants Decline to Offer Arbitration to Bengie Molina

Grant — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 05:07:30 -0000

I liked the idea of getting a late-first or early-second round pick for Bengie Molina. I didn't like the idea that Molina could decide to join the Giants for several million dollars if he didn't like the offers he received out on the open market. Not sure how I feel about this yet, but if there was a 25% chance that Bengie accepted arbitration, the Giants were right not to take the risk.

Also of note: The Giants declined to offer arbitration to Randy Winn, Randy Johnson, and Randy "Bobby" Howry.

The Flea Market

DanUpBaby — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 07:02:18 -0000

More photos » by M. Spencer Green - AP

The part of John Mozeliak will be played by John Turturro.

Browse more photos »

THE FLEA MARKET

A VIVA EL BIRDOS PLAY IN ONE ACT

CHARACTERS

JOHN MOZELIAK, a nervous shopper at the St. Louis Ballplayers Goodwill

WALT JOCKETTY, his worldly liaison

TONY LA RUSSA, a disembodied voice

THE GHOST OF CHRISTY MATHEWSON, a cautionary figure

SCENE

The Recession has made strange shopping partners of baseball's vast middle class. WALT JOCKETTY, experienced bargain shopper, steward of a Cincinnati team in the middle of a long and cheap rebuilding process, has seen JOHN MOZELIAK window-shopping wistfully at ballplayer Target long enough to agree to take him under his wing.

So off to ballplayer Goodwill they go. It's not in the newest strip mall, and there are certain types of player—the empty-.275 first baseman, the no-hit, no-field catcher, the righty relief pitcher who specializes in off-speed junk—who will hang on the dusty racks until someone is putting together a particularly weird Halloween costume. But WALT is a veteran of the strange aisles, and he is ready to convince JOHN that there's life after SCOTT BORAS.

WALT: Now this guy, for instance—his agent's name is Scott Boriss. I know the guy, and if you get him on the horn right after his double shift at the mattress warehouse he'll agree to the league minimum just to get you off the phone. I usually start negotiating right when the payphone asks for more quarters.

JOHN: I—I feel awkward being here, Walt.

WALT [looking through a bin of left-handers]: Nonsense. Happens to the best of us. This one has—well, it's most of a slider.

JOHN: I know it does. But this is my big year! Payroll's down, we just made a huge deadline deal, and we've got a big, Matt Holliday-shaped hole to fill in left field. Pretty soon my only duty as General Manager will be christening the ballpark Pujols Stadiang, but this—this is the Offseason of Mozeliak.

WALT: Right, right. So what do you think is better, a LOOGY with no fastball, or a LOOGY with no right arm? I might just take the whole bin. I really—

A MIDI version of WELCOME TO THE JUNGLE rings out of JOHN's pocket. Bargain shoppers glare from behind warped-looking shelving until he flips the phone open and ducks hastily into the UTILITY INFIELDER WHO CAN'T PLAY SHORT aisle. On the phone JOHN can hear a cassette version of WELCOME TO THE JUNGLE, and on top of it, sounding impatient, TONY LA RUSSA.

TONY: Moz Def. Glad I caught you. How's Goodwill? Hey, is Jocko there?

JOHN looks down his glasses at WALT. WALT briefly but firmly shakes his head.

JOHN: You know, ah, he just left. Anyway—what can I help you with?

TONY: I don't know, just calling to chat. You know. I was wondering if you had a left fielder yet.

JOHN [staring at the far wall, where a few unmatched left fielders stand unpromisingly.]: I'll tell you, I'm still looking. But I've got some leads, and I'll—well, I'm sure I'll see you at work. So I can just tell you then.

TONY: About that, Mozambique. I was wondering if you could get one now?

JOHN: Now? Isn't it a little soon?

TONY: Well I don't mean now, of course!

TONY: But if you could get it done in an hour, that'd be great. Anyway, I've got to have two hands to air-play this solo, and Mac's busy air-drumming. Tell Walt Jocketty World I said hey, okay? If you see him again.

JOHN steps out of the aisle to find WALT haggling over a LOOGY.

WALT: Look, I'd give you $400,000, but it says here he's had Dan Johnson Surgery, and to be honest I'm not even sure what that is. I'll fax you an offer sheet. Just be near the front desk when it comes in this time, all right? If they ask what room you're staying in just make something up. [He hangs up.] John, I think I'm going to head out. You see anything you like?

JOHN: I just got off the phone with Tony. I think I'll just grab Xavier Nady on the way out.

WALT: Oh—well, okay. I'll be at the register.

Defeated, JOHN walks to the back of the store, where XAVIER NADY sits in a prime spot on the quiet left fielders' wall. He's been nearly average before, and he can be nearly average again! He is the perfect patch for a team that has not been able to develop its own XAVIER NADYS. But as JOHN takes one last glance at the price tag an eerie but remarkably distinguished chill falls over the aisle. JOHN turns around to find erstwhile Cardinal employee THE GHOST OF CHRISTY MATHEWSON floating carefully over the DISCOUNT SPIRITS aisle and into view. MATHEWSON adjusts his pince-nez and moves one rakish, waxy lock back into place over his forehead.

MATHEWSON: Good afternoon, John—it is I, The Ghost of Christy Mathewson!

JOHN: I know, thanks. What are you doing here? I made the same mistake you did, but that Joel Pineiro in the right-handers aisle, his name sounds exactly like it's spelled. Your guy's at Target this year.

MATHEWSON: I thank you, John, but I'm not here to resume my corporeal meanderings—I'm here to-day with a warning. I owe you as much, after you sorted things out with the players' union. I've been speaking with my—ha, ha—my partners in the, ah ha, para-normal, and I can assure you that none of the ghosts I'm in regular contact with have any desire to possess the Castilian gentle-man on which you've set your left field sights.

JOHN: He's—no offense, Mr. Mathewson, but he's alright on his own, isn't he?

MATHEWSON: All right, perhaps. Adequate, why, almost certainly. But brilliant? Stupendous? When Pete Alexander and I went "Over there" to "deal" with the "Kaiser" did we settle for adequate? Leave adequate to the Old World, friend Mozeliak. If one must arrange for one's left-fielding in this dingy place, it stands to reason that he should aim not for the assuredly unimpressive but for a player who might, should things proceed in his favor, contribute what we called a significant number of Victories As Against the Homunculus.

JOHN: So an Austin Kearns or a Randy Winn, instead of a Xavier Nady?

MATHEWSON: I am merely saying that if one is forced, through circumstance, to look here when they were so recently looking at Matthew Holliday, it might be best to become completely penurious. A Winn on the low end, a Michael Cameron on the high end. And that money might be spent elsewhere, on a replacement for our mutual acquaintance Pineiro or a fleet of Relieving Pitchers to account for these starters' weakened arm-constitutions. The middle path, as my father used to say, only leads to the holes in the fork!

JOHN: Well, Mr. Mathewson—I suppose 'll take that into consideration. Thank you.

WELCOME TO THE JUNGLE begins to play on JOHN's phone.

MATHEWSON: I—I say. I hate to tergiversate but it is in our spectral nature, after all, to make a sudden de-parture! Godspeed, Mr. Mozeliak.

MATHEWSON vanishes; WALT appears, keys in hand.

WALT: Alright, I started the car, so maybe put him on layaway if you're not sure about it. And I'm still not here.

Type-B personalities

DanUpBaby — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 17:00:24 -0000

Your Type A and B free agents for the 2009-2010 Hot Stove season:

TYPE A

Matt Holliday: This seems pretty obvious. Bad news: the Mets, Holliday's current Media Suitor of choice, have a protected first rounder in 2010, leaving the Cardinals stuck with a second rounder should he end up bolting for Queens. I hate to root for the Red Sox, ever, for anything, but they do have the 29th pick...

TYPE B

Mark DeRosa: This also seems pretty obvious. I don't want the Cardinals to resign DeRosa, because his versatility is of questionable value for this team at this point in time, but I don't doubt that somebody will.

Joel Pineiro: Do it. Are the Brewers looking for another starter?

Troy Glaus: This is maybe the oddest case. Troy Glaus made $11.25 million last year, which works out to something like the league minimum per plate appearance, and while last season's salary is not inextricably linked to next year's, as it is for arbitration cases who aren't yet free agents, it's tough to imagine the Cardinals winning the case by offering less than, say, $7 million. That's still a lot of money per plate appearance.

But if the Cardinals aren't interested in going into the season with David Freese as the sole option there's no reason not to offer Glaus arbitration. Healthy, Glaus is as good a player as Adrian Beltre or [type A free agent] Chone Figgins, and he's the only one who would, if he accepted arbitration, be a one year commitment. If he's unhealthy, the Cardinals already have David Freese.

That seems like a low-risk shot at a draft pick, but last year the Cardinals didn't offer Braden Looper, another fair bet, arbitration, so it remains to be seen whether the Mozeliak Cardinals are avoiding the procedure as a general rule. After the jump: yet another outfield option emerges.

Not enough tires yet kicked? Ready to seek out the poor man's Mike Cameron? Randy Winn, the only sitting all-star to ever be traded for a manager, is officially out of a job in San Francisco. I'll be honest: I don't think I could get on board for this. But I can see a case made. Here's what it requires:

Complete faith in UZR. Do you believe it's possible for a 35 year-old career CF/RF tweener to be a defensive juggernaut in the corners? After a long career as a basically average tweener, Winn's spent the last two years almost entirely in left and right and put up 30 (Fielding Bible) or 34 (UZR) runs above the average corner outfielder, who admittedly is often a first baseman, a baseball hater, a crawling man with a glove painted on his back, or all three at once. If he'd been doing this his whole life, or if he had once been Colby Rasmus or Mike Cameron in center, I might accept this at face value, but as best we can tell Winn was once a marginally above-average center fielder, and that was several years ago.
More optimism than even the (still misleadingly named) Bill James projections, which have, in the past, seemed to regress all hitters in the general direction of year-2000 Coors Field. Freely available, now, at Fangraphs, these projections expect Winn to get an entire win back from his miserable 2009 season, which at .276/.337/.389 would still make him three runs worse than an average hitter. At his best—2008's .306/.363/.426 will do—he's Skip Schumaker with some extra power, which makes him an average corner outfielder before his apparently otherworldly defense is accounted for.
Most importantly, the intestinal fortitude to accept another minor disaster in left field. Winn is a good bounceback candidate, but so is Rick Ankiel, so was Chris Duncan; are the Cardinals, with Carpenter, Wainwright, and Pujols currently in their primes, ready to take another high-downside risk at perhaps their easiest-to-upgrade spot on the roster. Winn'll be cheaper than most outfielders who put up a four win season last year, but he's also got a better chance to be a one win player than most of them.

I'm not sure if I'm ready for all that yet, but I've always liked Winn as a player, and if the Cardinals have pinpointed other areas on which to spend their payroll windfall (I would be willing to sign for the minimum, so long as it's a short term deal) he's an interesting low-cost move.

The (Not so) Big Bossman (Jr.): Graph of the Day

Walter Fulbright — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 07:32:16 -0000

In 2007 and 2008, Upton posted wOBA’s of .387 and .354, respectively. This year, that mark has plummeted to just .298. Among batters taking at least 500 trips to the plate, Upton has the fourth-worst wOBA in the game. Only light-swinging middle infielders Edgar Renteria, David Eckstein and Orlando Cabrera have provided less value with the lumber. Per Batting Runs (a park-adjusted measure of offensive production), Upton has gone from +27.2 runs above average in 2007 and +15.3 in ‘08 to a wheezing -13.2 in 2009.

"What's with B.J. Upton?" Fangraphs, Sep. 20, 2009

I'm really not sure if any of you heard about this, but B.J. Upton hit for the cycle. It was the first cycle in all forty-four minutes of the Rays history.

Let's quickly break down said history. The first act of their history was a team with a mission ... to make the best expansion draft selection in Major League history (some guy named Bobby Abreu), and then to immediately trade him to the Phillies for practically nothing.

The second involved, of course, the Hit Parade (McGriff, Canseco, Castilla, and Vaughn), who were roughly a combined 250 years old, giving up Randy Winn in a trade for the right to negotiate with a manager (Lou Piniella, of course, in probably the single worst trade of the last 50 years that didn't involve simply cash), and that thrilling 4th place finish (one of two times they didn't finish last, the other being 2008).

Then of course, the music swells, and the underdog begins to turn it around, starting with the fleecing of the Mets in the Victor Zambrano for Scott Kazmir trade. It's easy to keep track of what act you're in - just look for a corresponding uniform / team nickname change. Of course, it culminated with the emergence of the stars of their show: Carl Crawford, the aforementioned Kazmir, the tragic hero Rocco Baldelli, the renegade executive Stuart Sternberg, and the two kids who were sure to follow and set the world on fire: Delmon Young (the talented but unfocused hothead), and B.J. Upton. They figured the nucleus of talent would help them compete. It did. And B.J. was a star.

Has it really only been a year since B.J. found his place among the best centerfielders in the league? Does it feel like he's 30 to anyone else? Just how badly have those combination ankle / shoulder injuries slowed him down? Were the home runs two seasons ago and the Beltan impression in last year's playoffs a fluke?

In order: Yes, Your call, A lot, and To some degree. The ankle issue is interesting. The baserunning DVC score is way down from last year (when he would have been a 71), but the fielding score is almost exactly the same, both in percentile rank and UZR (10.3 to 10.5). The shoulder is probably telling us the real difficulty at the plate (despite a weird increase in LD%). And the decreased walk percentage on a team that doesn't preach aggression at the plate is probably a sign of a known hole (or abyss) in his current swing that is covering a good deal of the strike zone. As little fun as it is to say this - we're going to have to wait until 2010 to know for sure. But players don't usually show non speed related skills before the age of 27 that magically disappear in their mid 20s (non Mark Teahen division).

One thing, no actually two things are for certain: The cycle is still a silly and arbitrary way of allocating praise. And 2009, injury-free or not, will more likely be remembered as the year that B.J.'s younger brother Justin Upton surpassed him. And likely their two places will never be reversed again.

Data Visualization: Justin Bopp | Data Collection: Justin Bopp & Walter Fulbright | Data Source: Fangraphs.com, BaseballProspectus.com, Baseballreference.com

Fixing the Giants Offense, Part I: Just Do Nothing

Grant — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 16:37:54 -0000

The offseason hasn't even started yet. I already hate the offseason. The hopes of improving the Giants' offense are dead; long live the hopes of improving the Giants' offense.

The team wants to re-sign Juan Uribe, which is a fine idea. But they want to sign Juan Uribe to start at second or third. The Giants' yer-only-good-as-yer-last-200-at-bats organizational philosophy doesn't see how it's possible that a player can decline after a good season. Randy Winn had a heckuva run before the Giants extended him, and he kept producing at that same level, averaging almost 30 home runs a year. Aaron Rowand was a 25-homer guy when the Giants signed him, and, gee, no one's regretting that move, what with Rowand continuing to be a middle-of-the-order force. So when you're looking to repair a completely broken offense, the first question you should ask yourself is, "Are there any 30-somethings who are coming off good seasons that were totally unexpected?" That's where they hide the gold in this league, people.

If Uribe hits like he did this year, he'd be perfectly fine at second or third. The odds of that happening are less than stellar. You have to factor in a possible decline with Uribe. And if he drops back to the performance level of his previous two seasons, he'll be another millstone around the neck of the offense. That's a big leap of faith.

If I were running the team, though, I'd re-sign Uribe too. And I'd promise him a starting job. So I'm not anti-Uribe. He should be the starting shortstop next year. I had a chance to talk with Giants Brass about this, and our conversation is after the jump.

Giants Brass: Whoa, whoa, whoa. But we have Edgar Renteria.
McC: ...who is one of the worst regular players in baseball. His offense is so poor that he'd be a bad player if he were a Gold Glover, which he most certainly is not. He plays the game as if he's encased in a Jello mold, and he's trying slowly fight his way out.

Giants Brass: Well, give him a chance. He was injured.

McC: Even if that's true, even if for the past two seasons his abysmal performances were due to injury, why would you expect him to get better? He's getting older, not younger. When you re-sign Juan Uribe and start him anywhere but short, you're doubling your risk. You're saying, "Well, I hope this 34-year-old, nicked up shortstop can stop being terrible, and I hope this 30-year-old player who had his best season in five years doesn't regress." Why not minimize the risk and say, "I hope this 30-year-old player doesn't regress...but if he does, at least he won't be worse than the player he's replacing, and we'll be able to upgrade another position in the lineup."

Giants Brass: But Renteria makes $9M. He has to start.

McC: Would you like to pay $9M and have a good shortstop, or would you like to pay $9M and have an awful shortstop?

Giants Brass: Uh. The first one?

McC: Good. Because you're going to pay $9M regardless. So you might as well find a good shortstop.

Giants Brass: But Renteria makes $9M. He has to start.

several hours later, after three PowerPoint presentations

McC: So, as you can see, the concept of "sunk costs" applies to baseball as well. You're paying Renteria $9M, yes. But that doesn't mean he's an asset to the team. So if you can find a better player who improves the team, you do it. That $9M isn't coming back, so there's no sense in paying all that money and getting a lackluster performance in exchange.

Giants Brass: Okay, smart guy, answer me this: Why wouldn't Renteria start if we pay him the kind of money that starting players usually get. Hmmm?

McC: Let's move on. So you're plan is to put Uribe at third, moving Sandoval over to first. Edgar keeps his starting job. Rowand starts in center.

Giants Brass: Have you seen what that guy makes? He must be some player!

McC: So that leaves second base as an open position, and...

Giants Brass: I'm pretty sure we'll find a way to keep Freddy Sanchez. He hit .284 for us!

McC: Uh, okay. So now you have two outfield spots to play with, and....

Giants Brass: Oh, no. We're going to start Andres Torres and Eugenio Velez in left. Vrrrrrrrooom!

McC: ...

Giants Brass: Vrrrrrrrooom!

McC: So you have one outfield spot with which to fix the entire offense.

Giants Brass: It'll be tough, especially if Bengie doesn't come back. I mean, the drop off from Molina to Whiteside will be huge over 162 games.

McC: Do you have any players in mind?

Giants Brass: Well, not Matt Holliday or Jason Bay. They'll require contracts that are too big, and they're not worth the long-term risks.

McC: Wow. I agree wi...

Giants Brass: Just kidding. We'll pursue them as if they will fix the offense single-handedly, but they won't want to come here. No, but there are a bunch of options out there. Marlon Byrd is over 30, and he's likely to just keep getting better. He hits for a little power in Texas, which will obviously translate well here, he doesn't take walks...he's perfect. Garret Anderson is due for a breakout season. Randy Winn is due to rebound. We have a bunch of options.

McC: Thank you for your time. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go commit hari kari.

Giants Brass: Good luck! I don't even think he's broadcasting for the Cubs anymore, but he is crazy. I saw a documentary once where he talked about the moon being made of spare ribs. Crazy stuff!

McC: ...

Giants Brass: Vrrrrrroooom!

This team is going to want to rebuild a very bad offense, yet they're committed to retaining one of the worst pieces of that offense, even though he doesn't provide any defensive upgrade, and even though there's a capable replacement who wants to come back to the team. I don't get it.

The REAL Final Cubs On Fox Game For 2009: Cubs vs. Giants, Saturday 9/26, 3:10 CT

Al — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 18:00:21 -0000

View full size photo »

Last Saturday's post, titled "The Final Cubs On Fox For 2009", was incorrect -- I had forgotten, at the time I posted it, that today's game had been added to Fox's schedule. Each MLB team can appear a maximum of nine times a season on the Fox Saturday game and this maxes out the Cubs. They are 4-4 in the previous eight games, so they'll be looking to finish the season with an over-.500 record in these games which can be seen...

... well, today, hardly anywhere. Despite the fact that the Red Sox and Yankees both have magic numbers of 3 (for the wild card and AL East, respectively), Fox is sending that game to the overwhelming majority of TV markets. Here is a complete list of where you can see the Cubs and Giants this afternoon:

Albuquerque; Casper, WY; Cedar Rapids, IA; Champaign, IL; Cheyenne, WY; Chicago; Chico, CA; Colorado Springs, CO; Columbia, MO; Davenport, IA; Denver; Eureka, CA; Evansville, IN; Ft. Wayne, IN; Fresno, CA; Grand Junction, CO; Indianapolis; Louisville; Madison, WI; Medford, OR; Milwaukee; Monterey, CA; Ottumwa, IA; Paducah, KY; Peoria, IL; Quincy, IL; Rapid City, SD; Reno, NV; Sacramento; San Francisco; Santa Barbara, CA; Sioux City, IA; South Bend, IN; Springfield, IL; St. Louis; Terre Haute, IN

Yep. That's it. Basically, areas with a lot of Cubs and Giants fans, a few places around the NL Central, and cities likely to have Rockies fans.

In addition to Derrek Lee and Aramis Ramirez, who both should return to the lineup this afternoon, some other Cubs are banged up:

Reliever Kevin Gregg is expected to be sidelined at least the rest of the weekend because of mild left rib inflammation. He has been sore since pitching Sunday in St. Louis.

Outfielder Sam Fuld, who has been limited in recent days by a sore wrist, was back in the lineup and is expected to get more playing time down the stretch, with prospect Tyler Colvin being used more as a defensive replacement.

Fuld had a nice game last night. I don't think any of us will miss Gregg too much.

Site note: I will be out this evening so today's game recap will be delayed either till late evening or early Sunday morning.

Today's Starting Pitchers


Tom Gorzelanny Cubs	vs.	Barry Zito Giants

6-2	W-L	10-12
5.08	ERA	3.99
39	SO	145
13	BB	74
5	HR	20
vs. SF	--	vs. Cubs

NOTE: Tom Gorzelanny's stats below are with the Cubs only. See the pitcher box above for his full-season stats.

	W-L	G	GS	CG	SHO	SV	BS	IP	H	R	ER	HR	BB	K	ERA	WHIP
2009 - Tom Gorzelanny	3-1	11	5	0	0	0	0	30.1	27	17	17	5	9	32	5.04	1.19

	W-L	G	GS	CG	SHO	SV	BS	IP	H	R	ER	HR	BB	K	ERA	WHIP
2009 - Barry Zito	10-12	32	31	1	0	0	0	182.2	170	84	81	20	74	145	3.99	1.34

Barry Zito has four career starts vs. the Cubs; lifetime record 1-2, 3.96, the ERA very close to his current season ERA, 3.99. However, Zito has been very good in the second half of this season; since the All-Star break, in 13 starts he's 5-3, 2.58. The one way the Cubs might get to him is with patience; he's issued 30 walks in 76.2 innings in those 13 starts. Reed Johnson, who may get the start today vs. the lefty Zito, is 4-for-13 against him and Derrek Lee, who should be back this afternoon, is 5-for-10.

Tom Gorzelanny had a good outing in Milwaukee on Monday, striking out nine and giving up two runs, both solo HR to Mike Cameron. The last time he pitched against the Giants, he threw a five-hit shutout on August 12, 2007, coincidentally, with Zito as his opponent. Only one Giant who started that day will likely play today -- Randy Winn -- who is 1-for-8 lifetime vs. Gorz. Gorzelanny has shown flashes of the pitcher he was two years ago with the Pirates and I think he matches up well with Zito.

Today's game, as noted above, is on a few Fox stations chosen by dartboard. For other games today see the MLB.com Mediacenter.

MLB.com Gameday

Baseball-reference.com game preview

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Please visit our SB Nation Giants site McCovey Chronicles. Grant, who runs the site, is one of SBN's best writers.

Overflow comment threads will post today at 4:15 and 5:15 pm CDT.

Discuss amongst yourselves.

Trade Zambrano? Not After Spectacular 3-0 Shutout Of Giants

Al — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 12:52:29 -0000

More photos » by Ben Margot - AP

Wow, Z. Why can't you do this every time?

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I have been, at times, the leader of the "Trade Zambrano" bandwagon. I did so after the Z - Michael Barrett dustup in 2007, and I told him to "grow up" after the memorable meltdown with umpire Mark Carlson last May.

But there is no doubt that Z is among the most talented pitchers in baseball, and he showed every bit of that talent in shutting out the Giants 3-0 on two hits. In addition to outstanding pitching -- throwing 67 strikes in 98 pitches and allowing just two singles, one by Juan Uribe and another by Tim Lincecum, and issuing a walk to Randy Winn -- Z drove in two of the three Cubs runs, the first by beating a double-play relay throw, and the second with a double to the base of the wall in left field.

Really, what more can you ask of a pitcher? Z took that intensity that we often have seen explode in histrionics and focused every bit of it on his pitching. If we knew that intensity could be that channeled in every single start, not one of us would be asking for him to be sent away (I've even heard a rumor of a "challenge trade" where he'd be sent to the White Sox for Jake Peavy).

And on a night when the start of the game was delayed about five minutes while the Giants presented their annual "Willie Mac" award for community service to Matt Cain (and emcee Mike Krukow gave a shout-out to Cubs broadcaster Bob Brenly, who won the award while playing for the Giants in 1984), Z and the Cubs accomplished all this in one hour and fifty-six minutes, the first nine-inning Cubs game finished in less than two hours in more than three years, since April 17, 2006, a 4-1 win over the Dodgers in Los Angeles.

With Aramis Ramirez still nursing a sore shoulder (Lou didn't want to play him on another chilly night in San Francisco) and Derrek Lee having a bit of a recurrence of his neck problems after an awkward slide stealing his first base of the year and then getting slapped on his helmet by Angel Guzman in the celebration following Jeff Baker's homer (D-Lee says he doesn't blame Guzman and will be back today), the Cubs put another spring-training-like lineup on the field last night, with Baker hitting cleanup and Bobby Scales again in left field. Scales played a competent LF in windy [Phone Holding Company] Park, and Baker drew two walks off Lincecum.

Sam Fuld had three hits, and Len Kasper pointed out during the game that he had singled off two Cy Young winners (Lincecum and Randy Johnson) in the same game. Wonder when that has happened before? The Cubs even scored a run off Johnson, something they've had trouble doing during the Big Unit's long and distinguished career.

But the star of the game was Z, who now has the only two complete-game shutouts for a Cubs pitcher since Jason Marquis threw a three-hitter vs. the Pirates on May 9, 2007. Z was, in many ways, just as dominant than during his no-hitter last September 14. Though he gave up the two singles, he threw fewer pitches and had Giants hitters flailing away at a devastating slider -- seven of the nine K's were swinging.

Keep up the good work, Z, and we'll be thrilled to see you retire as a Cub. And one more thing about recent Cubs baseball: I think I've enjoyed watching them play this week more than at any time all season. The 5-1 record posted since Sunday has included some fine play by just about everyone, and even the one loss was played well. Too bad we had to wait so long.

Finally, there were a lot more excellent entries in last night's photo caption contest. There were two who played off the "Dancing With The Stars" angle, but the winner is going to be the one who posted it first (by time stamp); that would be lohroffc, who posted, simply:

Fukudome and Velez audition for Dancing with the Stars.

Send me your mailing address and I'll send out the DVD. Today's preview thread will be up at 1 pm CDT.

Facing Lincecum: Cubs vs. Giants Preview, Friday 9/25, 9:15 CT

Al — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 00:00:17 -0000

More photos » by Eric Risberg - AP

Write your own caption; another prize for the best one.

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The last time the Cubs faced Tim Lincecum, on May 5 at Wrigley Field, Lou sent onto the field a makeshift lineup that included Joey Gathright leading off in CF (the only game he started as a Cub), Kosuke Fukudome batting third, Micah Hoffpauir hitting fifth, and Aaron Miles starting at SS and batting second (surprisingly enough, he actually worked a walk off Lincecum).

I really have no idea why Lou did this; maybe he was thinking "we're going to lose this game anyway to this pitcher, so I'll give my regulars some rest". And you know what, the spring training style lineup might have actually worked if Sean Marshall hadn't given up a three-run homer to Bengie Molina in the first inning. After that, Marshall settled down and matched Lincecum well for the next six innings; each of them allowed a pair of runs between the second and the seventh.

Tonight, there will be a few sub Cubs in the lineup again (see below), but this time out of necessity due to injuries and several other factors. With Carlos Zambrano on the mound, maybe this time, the Cubs can beat Lincecum; they have done so only once before, on August 21, 2007, and that was primarily the fault of the Giants' bullpen, though Jason Marquis matched up well with Lincecum that night. I was at that game in San Francisco; here's the recap I wrote the next day.

There are only three visiting teams that have a winning record at AT&T Park. Believe it or not, last night the Cubs (now 17-16) joined the Dodgers (43-38) and, amazingly, the Pirates (15-14) on that very short list. (Hat tip to BCB reader bison for the link.)

Lineup via Twittermyer:

Fukudome, rf; Theriot, ss; Ramirez, 3b; Hoffpauir, 1b; Baker, 2b; Scales, lf; Hill, c; Fuld, cf; Zambrano, p

Paul Sullivan asks whether the Giants might be a good match for Milton Bradley in an offseason trade and posits whether Aaron Rowand would be a good return:

... both GMs are motivated sellers, and a Rowand-Bradley deal would not be out of the realm of possibility. Rowand has three years and $36 million left on his contract, while Bradley has $21 million and two years left on his deal. Obviously more players would have to be involved, unless the Giants were willing to pay the Cubs around half of the $15 million difference in the contracts.

Well. Rowand has had a mediocre year (and looked awful striking out against Carlos Marmol last night) and is two years removed from his fine offensive season with the Phillies. But he is an outstanding center fielder; getting him would allow the Cubs to move Kosuke Fukudome back to RF (perhaps he could platoon with Reed Johnson there?) and maybe Rowand has one more good year left in him. Maybe some of the difference in salaries could be made up by asking the Giants to take Aaron Miles in return, too. If a deal like this were made, the Giants would probably have to leave Bradley home during any series at Wrigley Field. It's not the only option or even the best one, but it might be worth considering.

Finally, for the third day in a row, I found a fun photo for which I'll run another caption contest. Prize again is a DVD of "Chasing October". Previous winners can enter, but can't win again (ballhawk and KaliCub, who won last night for this entry).

Today's Starting Pitchers


Carlos Zambrano Cubs	vs.	Tim Lincecum Giants

8-6	W-L	14-6
3.91	ERA	2.47
138	SO	247
73	BB	63
10	HR	10
vs. SF	--	vs. Cubs

	W-L	G	GS	CG	SHO	SV	BS	IP	H	R	ER	HR	BB	K	ERA	WHIP
2009 - Carlos Zambrano	8-6	33	26	0	0	0	0	154.1	147	74	67	10	73	138	3.91	1.43

	W-L	G	GS	CG	SHO	SV	BS	IP	H	R	ER	HR	BB	K	ERA	WHIP
2009 - Tim Lincecum	14-6	31	30	4	2	0	0	211.1	160	65	58	10	63	247	2.47	1.06

The crack in Tim Lincecum's armor might be his recent performance. Is he tiring at the end of a long season? In his last six starts he's a pedestrian 3-2, 3.69 with 20 walks in 39 innings. Maybe the Cubs can wait him out and get on base via walks tonight. The more pitches you make him throw, the quicker the Cubs can get into SF's bullpen. Derrek Lee is 6-for-16 (.375) with a pair of doubles vs. Lincecum, but he won't be starting tonight. And maybe someday, Lincecum will look like he's older than 15.

Carlos Zambrano hasn't faced the Giants since 2007, when they had quite a different-looking lineup than today's, on August 23, 2007. Z threw OK that day, but allowed his opposing pitcher, Matt Cain, to hit a two-run homer. Overall Z is 4-1, 3.40 in seven career starts vs. the Giants, and has not lost (3-0) in six road starts (2.76) since the All-Star break. Edgar Renteria (12-for-31, .387) and Randy Winn (6-for-11, two doubles, a HR) have hit Z well.

Today's game is CSN-centric; Chicago and Bay Area. In Chicago it'll be on CSN Plus, so "check local listings" for the channel on your system (CLTV in Chicago and 285 for the HD version if you have Comcast in the city). For other games today see the MLB.com Mediacenter.

MLB.com Gameday

Baseball-reference.com game preview

SB Nation game preview

Please visit our SB Nation Giants site McCovey Chronicles. Grant, who runs the site, is one of SBN's best writers.

Overflow comment threads will post today at 10:15 and 11:15 pm CDT.

Discuss amongst yourselves.

Dodgers Pregame Notes: Orlando Hudson Sits Again

Eric Stephen — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 19:12:49 -0000

More photos » by Mark J. Terrill - AP

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Here are some notes from today's pregame meeting with Dodger manager Joe Torre:

Orlando Hudson is sitting today, for the eighth time in 19 games since the arrival of Ronnie Belliard. Torre said he is getting Hudson rest, the rest he didn't get earlier in the season. Hudson started the season with the club, which was not expected, and he was playing so well that he didn't get a day off until game number 55. Torre wouldn't say whether or not Hudson was injured, noting "you can't get him to admit anything" anyway, and that the season was simply taking its toll on the O-Dog. When asked whether or not Hudson was the starting second baseman going forward, Torre bristled, saying "He's not starting today."
Torre also noted its easier to rest Hudson with Ronnie Belliard on the club, noting that Belliard is swinging the bat very well right now. Torre praised Belliard's ability to play multiple positions, even first base if needed, an important asset especially in the National League.
I asked Torre about the importance of plate discipline, noting the Dodgers had eight players with 50 walks, and Torre said that when the club has been successful offensively, it has been because it is running the pitch count up, and making opposing pitchers work.
Rafael Furcal, who has two stolen bases this week for only the second week all season, "has had a lot more life in it lately," according to Torre. Torre specifically mentioned the benefit of the rest day Wednesday coupled with the scheduled off day Thursday to Furcal and others in the lineup.
Torre said it is likely that one or both of Jonathan Broxton and George Sherrill will pitch today. Neither have pitched the last two games, and Monday is a scheduled off day. Of Sherrill, Torre praised his consistency and efficiency, and that with Sherrill's experience as a closer, Torre doesn't always worry about matchups when deploying The Brim Reaper (although he didn't use that term).
The pitching rotation schedule looks like this for the upcoming week:

Day	Opponent	Starter
Tue	Washington	Kuroda
Wed	Washington	Billingsley
Thu	Washington	Padilla
Fri	Pittsburgh	Garland
Sat	Pittsburgh	Wolf
Sun	Pittsburgh	Kershaw

Clayton Kershaw will pitch an inning in relief on Wednesday in Washington
As far as the postseason starting rotation, it is too early to tell. Torre was asked if Jon Garland has pitched his way into the postseason rotation, and Torre said he doesn't wait to get ahead of himself.
In the clubhouse, Manny Ramirez and Ronnie Belliard were talking about how hard it is to see the ball during day games at Dodger Stadium. Ramirez, who misplayed a flyball to start yesterday's game, noted that the sun makes it very difficult to pick up the ball off the bat. Even from second base, the sun wreaks havoc, according to Belliard, even with sunglasses.
With the minor league seasons now completed, the Dodgers have a couple of extra coaches here with the team. Tim Wallach, manager of the year in the Pacific Coast League, is here wearing number 29, and Carlos Subero, manager of the Single A Inland Empire 66ers, is also here, wearing number 64.
Per the Giants game notes, Randy Winn leads all active major leaguers with 1,590 games played without ever reaching the postseason.
After the game, a well-rested Hudson will host his inaugural "Skate for Autism Fundraising Event," benefitting the C.A.T.C.H. Foundation. The event is open to the public, and will be held at Skateland in Northridge. General admission is $25, and VIP access is $50. There will be a red carpet showcase beginning at 7pm. For tickets, call (404) 872-9899.

Here are today's lineups:

Giants		Dodgers
LF	Torres	SS	Furcal
2B	Sanchez	RF	Ethier
RF	Winn	LF	Manny
3B	Sandoval	CF	Kemp
C	Molina	1B	Loney
SS	Uribe	3B	Blake
1B	Garko	2B	Belliard
CF	Rowand	C	Martin
P	Lincecum	P	Garland