SB Nation User Blog: BruteSentiment

Players' Nicknames

BruteSentiment — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 16:13:46 -0000

Since the latest sensation out of the minor leagues has already earned himself a legitimate nickname (The Big Sadowski), I thought it'd be time to, once again, review our favorite (or least favorite) nicknames of all time, Giants or otherwise.

I must admit an affinity for Tim the Enchanter, even if other nicknames overcame it once he made it 'big'.

Least favorite: 'Crash'. It's become more like a default title for a longtime minor leaguer. I love the reference, but seeing it used for any longtimer in the minors (Dallimore, McClain, etc.), it becomes a bit old. At least with McClain, who was the active minor league leader in home runs, it was a bit more appropriate than others.

AZL Giants Roster Up

BruteSentiment — Sun, 21 Jun 2009 23:02:33 -0000

So...the Arizona Rookie League roster is up, with a few anticipated names on it.

Pitchers
Name	Pos	Bats	Thw	Ht	Wt	DOB
Raul Burgos	P	S	R	6'1"	210	8/18/1987
Steven Calicutt	P	L	L	6'2"	190	2/7/1984
Edward Concepcion	P	R	R	6'3"	190	10/3/1988
Hector Correa	P	R	R	6'3"	165	3/18/1988
Aaron Davidson	P	R	R	5'11"	205	9/27/1988
Kaohi Downing	P	R	R	5'11"	180	5/7/1986
Brennan Flick	P	R	R	6'1"	180	9/12/1989
Brian Irving	P	R	R	6'2"	205	4/24/1986
Jason Jarvis	P	R	R	6'2"	195	10/1/1987
Cameron Lamb	P	R	R	6'3"	195	5/29/1989
Bryan Millikan	P	R	R	6'5"	202	8/13/1983
Kelvin Pichardo	P	R	R	6'0"	215	10/13/1985
Addison Proszek	P	R	R	6'5"	260	4/17/1987
Andrew Romo	P	R	R	6'1"	230	6/20/1987
Bryan Salsbury	P	R	R	6'2"	185	10/22/1989
Argenis Sanchez	P	R	R	5'11"	190	11/18/1989
Audy Santana	P	R	R	6'3"	160	11/10/1986
Ryan Shaver	P	R	R	6'5"	197	12/17/1984
Ryan Verdgo	P	L	L	6'0"	195	4/10/1987
Ben Wilshire	P	R	R	6'4"	200	3/25/1985
Catchers
Name	Pos	Bats	Thrw	Ht	Wt	DOB
Jesus Navarro	C	R	R	6'0"	180	1/3/1988
Ryne Price	C	L	R	5'11"	190	5/27/1986
Hector Sanchez	C	S	R	6'0"	185	11/17/1989
Infielders
Name	Pos	Bats	Thrw	Ht	Wt	DOB
Julio Izturis	2B	S	R	5'11"	165	8/29/1989
Josh Lopez	2B	R	R	5'9"	170	1/31/1989
Kyle Mach	3B	R	R	5'10"	190	11/8/1986
Leonardo Ochoa	2B	R	L	6'0"	180	10/20/1989
Carlos Quintana	3B	R	R	6'3"	180	6/14/1987
Victor Santana	1B	R	R	6'1"	192	11/31/1988
Ydwin Villegas	SS	S	R	5'10"	165	9/1/1990
Outfielders
Name	Pos	Bats	Thrw	Ht	Wt	DOB
Karl Benusa	OF	L	L	5'11"	190	1/30/1991
Luis Munoz	OF	R	R	6'0"	165	10/10/1991
Rafael Rodriguez	OF	R	R	6'5"	198	7/13/1992
Ryan Scoma	OF	L	L	6'2"	180	9/12/1987
Jonathan White	OF	L	L	6'2"	198	6/16/1986
Sundrendy Windster	OF	R	R	6'3"	185	2/23/1989

So, RafRod is ready to make his debut, and is easily the youngest player on the roster. A few other player notes:

• Pichardo's rehab apparently is about to begin

• Munoz is the second youngest on the team, a draftee out of Puerto Rico

• Scoma is the local kid, UC Davis prospect and grew up in Belmont, played at Carlmont and UC Davis.

• Andrew Romo - yes, that Romo. Sergio's little brother.

• Gus Benusa seems to be the highest 2009 draft pick on this roster, an 8th round high schooler. I'm a little surprised he signed.

minor lines, 6/1/09-6/2/09

BruteSentiment — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 20:56:17 -0000

Apologies for the lateness. Here's the highlights:

6/1 - (A,B) Is Joe Bro a nickname? Joe Borchard knocks two home runs and Frandsen adds another as Fresno has 1/10th of the Giants' season home runs in one game. (C) Neal gets a home run in San Jose's win. (D) Oh, yea, Clark gave up a fly ball to start the game. Which is notable since, well, he struck out the next ten he faced! Clark ties the California League single-game record set back in the days when the teams involved were in Salinas and Santa Barbara

6/2 - (A) Where's that Greg Maddux guy? The GreenJackets faced Tom Glavine after facing John Smoltz a couple of weeks ago. Results are predictable. (B) Angel Villalona hits a home run in an ugly loss. (C) Tim Alderson sets a career high in innings pitched. Too bad about the L. And how long has it been since he walked anyone.

Monday 6/1:

Fresno Grizzlies (AAA): Portland 12, Fresno 10

LF Joe Borchard - 3-5, 3 R, 1 2B (3), 2 HR (2), 3 RBI, .500

SS-2B Kevin Frandsen - 3-5, 1 R, 1 3B (1), 2 RBI, 2 SO, .314

3B Ryan Rohlinger - 3-5, 1 R, 1 2B (16), 1 RBI, 1 SO, .301

2B Matt Downs - 1-2, 1 R, 1 2B (15), 1 RBI, .289

SP Steve Hammond - 4.2 IP, 4 H, 8 R, 7 ER, 3 BB, 4 SO, 1 HR, 4.91 ERA, 2 HBP, L (2-4)

RP Osiris Matos - 0.2 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 0 SO, 1.72 ERA

RP Keichii Yabu - 1.1 IP, 0 H, 2 R, 0 ER, 3 BB, 0 SO, 6.55 ERA

RP Geno Espineli - 1.0 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 1 SO, 3.57 ERA

Game Notes: Two home runs and nine extra-base hits in total could not help the Grizzlies win. Portland scored seven runs in a rough second inning. Three walks, an error and a hit batsmen led to a grand slame and seven runs in total as Portland took the big early lead. In the fourth, however, four doubles with just an out highlighted a five run inning that closed the lead to 7-6. However, Portland added more runs, extending the lead to 10-6 and never giving it up before the loss.

Team Notes: Frandsen's return to Fresno goes well, as he collected his second three-hit game in as many days, and collected his first triple of the season...Borchard is only three games into his Fresno stint, but is doing well. He had just one home run in 12 games for the Gwinnett Braves previously this season...Rohlinger is batting .297 over his last ten games...Velez has hit each of his two Triple-A doubles this season in the last two games. He is slugging .286 in Fresno in eight games...Bowker has eight stolen bases in eleven attempts this season...Hammond had given up no more than two earned runs in each of his last four starts before this game...Yabu made his first appearance since May 11th...Espineli got his first strikeout since May 19th.

Connecticut Defenders (AA): New Britain 9, Connecticut 0

SS Brandon Crawford - 2-4, 1 2B (3), 1 SO, .282

2B Brock Bond - 2-3, .302

SP Jesse Foppert - 3.0 IP, 4 H, 6 R, 5 ER, 7 BB, 2 SO, 1 HR, 1 WP, 1 HBP, 5.65 ERA, L (0-3)

RP Brooks McNiven - 3.0 IP, 4 H, 2 R, ,2 ER, 0 BB, 1 SO, 5.40 ERA

RP Dan Griffin - 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 SO, 6.04 ERA

Game Notes: Connecticut's pitching failed them in this game. Foppert struggled through the first two innings, giving up walks and a triple, but didn't allow a run until the third. Two walks and two singles scored the first New Britain run, followed by a grand slam. In all, the Rock Cats scored six runs that inning, and never looked back.

Team Notes: Crawford, who had gone 0-for-15, is now 3-for-7 with a double in his last two games...Bond hasn't had an extra-base hit since May 25th, and is slugging just .374 with a .413 on-base percentage...Foppert's seven walks allowed were an aberration for him. Before this game, he had given up 17 walks in 25 2/3 innings...McNiven hasn't walked anyone since the first of May, though that's just a span of six appearances for the former starter. He has 13 strikeouts and six walks in 33 1/3 innings total...Griffin hasn't allowed an earned run since May 23rd.

San Jose Giants (High-A): San Jose 6, Stockton 1

LF Thomas Neal - 2-4, 1 R, 1 2B (14), 1 HR (8), 1 RBI, 2 SO, .320

2B Nick Noonan - 1-3, 1 2B (9), 1 E (8), .249

3B Conor Gillaspie - 1-3, 1 R, 1 3B (2), 2 RBI, .269

C Buster Posey - 1-3, 1 RBI, 1 BB, 1 SB (5), 1 PB (10), .299

SP Craig Clark - 6.0 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 11 SO, 3.06 ERA, W (4-2)

RP Wilmin Rodriguez - 1.1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 3 SO, 3.22 ERA

RP Steve Edlefsen - 1.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 4 SO, 1.46 ERA

Game Notes: Craig Clark allowed a fly out to left field to the first batter of the game, which is notable considering what came after that. He struck out the second batter he faced, and the third, fourth, and so forth. When he gave up a two-out walk in the fourth, he had struck out ten consecutive batters, a mark which tied the California League single-game record set in 1964. That was more than enough for the Giants, who scored a run in the first behind a Gillaspie triple and then scored four more in the fourth inning.

Team Notes: Clark's 11 strikeouts were easily his season high, although he did get nine in six innings on May 13th. On the season, he has 50 strikeouts and eight walks in 50 innings of work...Rodriguez walked his first batter since May 8th. He has given up eight walks in 22 1/3 innings this season...Edlefsen had his highest strikeout total since May 13th...Neal's third home run since May 24th was lost in the Clark record, but he's now at eight on the season, and is slugging .552...Posey has gone 4-for-19 over his last five games...Noonan has four doubles in his last seven games, but he's gone just 6-for-29 over that span...Gillaspie now has more triples (two) than home runs (one).

Augusta GreenJackets (Low-A): Lexington 5, Augusta 0

SS Ehire Adrianza - 1-2, 1 2B (5), 1 SO, .273

C Matt Klimas - 1-3, .307

SP Aaron King - 4.0 IP, 4 H, 4 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 6 SO, 1 HR, 5.17 ERA

Game Notes: Lexington opened the game took an early lead, as a walk an error led to a one-out, three-run home run in the first inning. Lexington added additional runs in the third and the fifth, as the GreenJackets were held to three hits by Legends starter Ross Seaton, who threw a complete game and matching what Augusta starter Kyle Nicholson did earlier in the series against Lexington.

Team Notes: Adrianza has a five-game hitting streak going on, but hit only his first extra-base hit in ten games with his double...Klimas is batting .250 over his last ten games...King now has 25 strikeouts against 13 walks in 31 1/3 innings this season...Reichard had his longest outing since April 27th, when he'd had three four-inning games...Woodruff made his third outing of the season, and first one without giving up a run.

Tuesday 6/2:

Fresno Grizzlies (AAA): Fresno 8, Colorado Springs 6

SS-2B Kevin Frandsen - 2-5, 1 R, 1 HR (5), 2 RBI, .317

CF-RF Ben Copeland - 4-5, 2 R, 1 2B (1), 1 HR (1), 1 RBI, .310

RF-1B John Bowker - 2-5, 1 RBI, .339

C Steve Holm - 2-3, 1 R, 1 2B (2), .238

SP Steve Kinney - 5.0 IP, 8 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 1 BB, 4 SO, 3 HR, 6.71 ERA

RP Ronnie Ray - 2.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 SO, 3.33 ERA, W (1-2)

RP Alex Hinshaw - 1.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 SO, 4.80 ERA

RP Geno Espineli - 1.0 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 1 SO, 3.80 ERA

Fresno spotted Colorado Springs a 3-0 lead before getting started. In the fifth inning, down 3-0, Copeland and Holm started the inning with back-to-back singles, then Velez walked with one out to load the bases. Bowker then hit a two-out single that scored all three runners, with the help of an error. Colorado Springs came back to take a 5-3 lead, but Fresno tied it up, and in the eighth, a pinch-hit double by Wald scored two runs and led to a third, to give Fresno the lead for good.

Copeland had hit four doubles in Single-A, but his double and home run today were his first in 11 games at Fresno (12, if you include an earlier stint in Sacramento)...Frandsen is batting 8-for-15 with two home runs and a triple since returning to Fresno...Bowker has a nine game hitting streak, batting 17-for-35...Holm's double is his first extra-base hit since May 23rd, his first game back in Fresno after his latest major league stint...Kinney has given up three earned runs or less in a start only twice in his last eight games...Hinshaw has 18 walks and 17 strikeouts on the season (15 innings)...Espineli has eight hits allowed over his last three innings of work, allowing four earned runs.

Connecticut Defenders (AA): New Britain 2, Connecticut 1

1B Brett Bill - 2-4, 2 2B (18), 1 RBI, 1 SO, .291

3B Brad Boyer - 3-4, 1 R, , 2 E (4), .270

SP Tim Alderson - 8.0 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 3 SO, 1 HR, 2.00 ERA, L (2-1)

Alderson ended up going a career high eight innings, but could not avoid the loss. Alderson gave up a single to start the fourth on a bunt, and the runner got to second on an error by Boyer, and scored on a double. In the seventh, it was a leadoff home run that made it 2-0. Connecticut scored in the 7th as Boyer singled ahead of a Pill double.

Alderson has now given up six earned runs in his last three starts, while not giving up any in his first one and a half (the half being a rain-shortened outing). He still hasn't walked anyone in Double-A since his debut on May 10th...Pill has four doubles in his last six games, and a team-leading 18 on the season...Boyer is 13-for-19 in his last five games, with four doubles.

San Jose Giants (HIgh-A): Stockton 16, San Jose 7

1B Angel Villalona - 2-4, 1 R, 1 HR (8), 4 RBI, 1 SO, 1 E (5), .313

RF Roger Kieschnick - 1-4, 2 R, 1 2B (9), 1 RBI, 1 BB, 1 SO, 1 SB (6), .321

C Buster Posey - 1-1, 1 R, 2 BB, 1 HBP, .303

SP Oliver Odle - 2.2 IP, 8 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 3 BB, 1 SO, 5.86 ERA

RP Edwin Quirarte - 2.2 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 2 SO, 1 HR, 5.03 ERA

RP David Mixon - 1.1 IP, 5 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 1 BB, 1 SO, 1 WP, 6.64 ERA

This game got pretty ugly. Odle allowed each of the first four batters to get on base, en route to giving up four runs in the first inning. It pretty much never got better from there on, capping off on five runs giving up in the 9th, off of Blake Lively and Mixon. The 16 runs and 24 hits allowed are single-game highs for San Jose's staff.

Villalona provided the one of the few Giants' offensive highlights, with a three-run home run in the 7th inning...Kieschnick has hits in nine of the last ten games, but has only one hit in seven of those games...Posey was hit by a pitch to lead off the seventh inning. He stayed in, coming in on Villalona's home run, and played the 8th, but was replaced in the ninth...Odle has exceeded this game's run total twice this season, giving up six earned in both his May 2nd and May 8th starts...Quirarte has a 9.28 ERA over his last seven games...Mixon has a 7.07 ERA in his last ten appearances.

Augusta GreenJackets (Low-A): Rome 3, Augusta 0

DH Ben Woodbury - 1-4, 1 2B (5), .319

SS Ehire Adrianza - 1-3, .275

SP Paul Oseguera - 7.0 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 7 SO, 1 HR, 1 E (1), 1 WP, 1.89 ERA, L (1-1)

Rome SP Tom Glavine - 6.0 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 SO, 1 WP, 0.00 ERA, W (1-0)

So, where's Greg Maddux? Two weeks after facing John Smoltz in a rehab start, the Georgia-based GreenJackets faced another of the old Braves rotation, Tom Glavine, and got handcuffed. Glavine gave up a two-out double to Woodbury in the first, threw a wild pitch, but got out of it and cruised from there. Rome took the lead in the first, scoring on an Oseguera wild pitch following a double and a sacrifice. They took home two more in the fifth on a home run.

Woodbury has two doubles and a triple in his last five games, with five doubles and two triples total in 31 games this season...Adrianza has a six-game hitting streak...Oseguera's third start of the season went okay, despite the loss. Overall, he has 25 strikeouts and five walks in 19 innings.

Mock Draft Contest!

BruteSentiment — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 03:08:46 -0000

So, I like tedious but fun but pointless but brag-worthy stuff. That's why I like Mock Drafts. So, why not share that with everyone? So let's start the first ever McCovey Chronicles MLB Mock Draft contest! (unless it's not the first...)

The rules are simple: Post the way you think that the first round will go. After the draft, we'll take a look and see who has the best prognosticating skills....or whomever should've bought a lottery ticket instead.

Scoring, I propose, should go this way:

Picks 1-10: 1 point each

Picks 11-20: 2 points each

Picks 21-32: 3 points each

Bonus: Giants 2nd Round Pick (#55): 5 points

Bonus: Giants 3rd Round Pick (#86): 5 points

I am certainly open to any suggestions on tweaking the rules. Posts should be done before the end of Monday next week, but if people are willing to allow posts up to the minute before the draft, I'm not picky.

Prize? Snarky bragging rights. Sorry, I have no funds for sponsoring something yet. But if this goes well...next year I'll see about getting a signed ball or something.

Have fun, guys and girls!

Here's some help, if you'd like: A database of mock drafts from smaller sites; The latest Keith Law Mock Draft(Subscriber Content); Baseball America's Version 2 Mock (Subscriber Content).

And, for convenience, here is the draft list. Go ahead and just fill it out.

#1 - Washington:

#2 - Seattle:

#3 - San Diego:

#4 - Pittsburgh:

#5 - Baltimore:

#6 - San Francisco:

#7 - Atlanta:

#8 - Cincinnati:

#9 - Detroit:

#10 - Washington:

#11 - Colorado:

#12 - Kansas City:

#13 - Oakland:

#14 - Texas:

#15 - Cleveland:

#16 - Arizona:

#17 - Arizona:

#18 - Florida:

#19 - St. Louis:

#20 - Toronto:

#21 - Houston:

#22 - Minnestoa:

#23 - Chicago (AL):

#24 - Los Angeles (AL):

#25 - Los Angeles (AL):

#26 - Milwaukee:

#27 - Seattle:

#28 - Boston:

#29 - New York (AL):

#30 - Tampa Bay:

#31 - Chicago (NL):

#32 - Colorado:

2nd Round:

#55 - San Francisco:

3rd Round:

#86 - San Francisco:

EDIT - Tiebreaker - How many pitchers in the first round?

Keith Law's First Draft Up (ESPN Insider Access Needed)

BruteSentiment — Wed, 27 May 2009 07:13:39 -0000

Keith Law's First Draft Up (ESPN Insider Access Needed)

K-Law posted his first mock draft. I'm not going to spoil too much, as it is premium content and I'll respect a writer putting it behind access, but some interesting tidbits:

• He's got the Giants are picking someone not surprising
• He's got someone taken at #4 who isn't even in our community draft choice list at #4.
• One of our recently heavily discussed players isn't taken until the end of the first around. The other truly heavily discussed player...isn't even in the first round. And neither are who you think.

Overall, a very informative piece, not just on the Giants but on all the teams. If you're going to take a serious look at who might actually go where, K-Law's is one of the three mock drafts I'd suggest reading (along with BA and MiLB.com).

Crazy Draft Talk: Tim Wheeler?

BruteSentiment — Mon, 25 May 2009 00:44:36 -0000

Alright, I'm going to go out on a limb and make a fool of myself once more, but I think this question should be asked.

The Giants are in a rough draft position right now. With the number six pick in the draft, there are a lot of pitfalls around them. But I have an off-the-wall suggestion for them: Tim Wheeler, center fielder from Sacramento State. Now, hold off on bashing this idea for just a moment, and hear the reasoning.

Truthfully, there will be a number of talented players available. From high school stars (Tyler Matzek, Zach Wheeler) to college aces (Kyle Gibson) to post-college pitchers (Tanner Scheppers, Aaron Crow), there will be a plethora of pitching likely available, even if some of those guys are taken.

The problem is...pitching? Now, I’m not one to jump on ‘Draft a hitter only!’ bandwagon, especially in a year as down on hitting as this year, but another pitcher may not help the Giants much. The rotation is loaded right now, with three young pitchers and another in a long-term contract. Behind that, the team has two pitchers who are among the best in baseball (Madison Bumgarner & Tim Alderson), and a strong amount of second-tier guys. The Giants’ system had the ERA leaders in five of the six leagues it played in, as well as the full-season ERA leader in any league, and currently has six-man rotations in Connecticut, San Jose and Augusta. It was indicated the recent release of pitching prospect Adam Cowart was partially due to the fact the team did not have the room to develop him as a starter, and was to give him a chance to catch on elsewhere.

While a team can always stockpile, prospect-for-prospect trades are becoming ever harder to make, and the Giants have not been exemplary at doing this in the Sabean reign. That makes drafting another pitcher more likely to cause a logjam than make a trade easier.

Add in that none of the pitchers have an intangible feel like Lincecum or Bumgarner. Sure, the Giants may be able to see what few others do (such as they did with Alderson), but to do that for the third time in five drafts, pulling a top pitcher out of a mid-level pick? That's not likely at all.

Even so, clearly the value at the Giants’ pick will be pitching, and if one were to go for the best player available, it’d be a pitcher. But what about the hitters?

Dustin Ackley, the top college hitter in the draft, will likely be going #2 overall to the Seattle Mariners. Behind him, there are some questions. One is USC shortstop Grant Green, who has underperformed mightily and been rated by some as a power-plus player after a strong Cape Cod league last summer. In a lot of ways, he sounds a bit like a higher-ceiling but less-dedicated Brandon Crawford, who slipped to the fourth round in a strong all-around draft. He has a lot of talent, but has had enough struggles to be scaring teams off. Still, he may even be drafted before the Giants get their chance.

The other main position player is Donavan Tate. The consensus top prep prospect, he is this year’s toolsy, raw prospect. The thing is, there’s no denying his athleticism, but he’s no guarantee to develop all his tools, notably his power. For every Jason Heyward drafted like this, there’s three or four guys like the Giants’ Wendell Fairley, who starts very slow and will take very long to develop. No one disagrees that Tate is a project at best, and that’s before discussing that his agent is Scott Boras, and no one is really sure that he’ll choose baseball over football.

Both of those players seem to have as much, if not more, bust potential than chance to actually reach their potential, and both seem to duplicate recently drafted players. But is there another option?

That’s where Tim Wheeler comes in.

Wheeler finished his regular season with Sacramento State by batting .385/.494/.765 with 16 doubles, three triples and 18 home runs, 15 stolen bases in 17 attempts and 29 walks against 28 strikeouts in 200 at-bats.

Wheeler has been rising on draft boards. In Baseball America’s recent draft, he was at #15 overall, and was the fourth position player taken, behind the three listed above (BA had the Giants taking Tate). That’s a far cry from #6, but not as far as some might make it out to be.

Wheeler has been a hidden commodity, partially from playing at a small school in one of the smaller west coast leagues, the WAC conference. But few disagree he’s now the fourth best position prospect out there. While BA doubts his ability to stay in center, Keith Law and MiLB.com indicates he should be a good center fielder. He makes good contact, and he’s answered some doubts about his power between a good Cape Cod League and a strong junior season. That, and he’s one of the draft’s more accomplished base-stealers.

Wheeler’s playing on the left coast and being a bit of a hidden player may account for some underrating, but that is countered by moving up simply in a weak hitting draft.

So, is it worth it to take Wheeler in what few would disagree is a reach?

Well, in baseball, there isn’t as much value in draft position as in other drafts, where you can trade down to try and get a player you want. With no trades in baseball, you need to take who you want where you want.

But the key to Wheeler is that he’d bring a different look to the outfield prospects the Giants have, particularly in center field. Where the current batch the Giants have are either raw athletes who are having problems adapting (Fairley), or under-tooled speedsters who don’t have the discipline to use their speed (Timpner, McBryde), Wheeler brings a guy who already has the basic tools to succeed. Assuming he stays a center fielder, he’s got the defense, the base-running, and an ability to get on base both with hits and walks. And the fact he has questionable power does nothing to differentiate him from most of the class, including Green and Tate, who both have power that needs developing and that is no sure thing.

If it were to come to position players, I’d rather the Giants take Wheeler and sign him at a reasonable rate, and use the money saved that might’ve been spent on Green or Tate and use it for the July 2nd signing period of Dominican prospects, such as Angel Salome.

As I’ve said, taking Wheeler would not be taking the best player available. And Wheeler has a bit of work to do on his own swing. But he appears to have a better chance to succeed on his talent than the other hitters that would be available, which is no small thing, especially considering the bonuses that Boras-represented clients will demand. I have no doubt I’d prefer Wheeler over Tate or Green. The question will be more about Wheeler versus the available pitchers. And, to that end, I do think Wheeler might be the better fit for this Giants team.

Poll

Who would you go with?

BPA - In other words, one of the pitchers

81 votes

I'll take the higher ceiling of Tate, even if he's less likely to reach it

31 votes

Green isn't overrated, he's just underperforming. Take him

26 votes

Wheeler makes sense, even if it's the 'safe' route.

44 votes

182 votes | Poll has closed

Copeland Officially Back; In SJ For Rehab

BruteSentiment — Fri, 15 May 2009 17:49:42 -0000

Copeland Officially Back; In SJ For Rehab

Andres Torres will be doing rehab starting tonight as well, and Sergio Romo made his first rehab appearance last night.

San Jose: No Public Money For New Stadium

BruteSentiment — Wed, 13 May 2009 04:36:12 -0000

San Jose: No Public Money For New Stadium

San Jose's City Council approved a series of measures for building an MLB stadium (presumably for the A's). First and foremost, it has to use no public money and make the city money.

If you ask me, this is another nail in the coffin for a possible move. I doubt that Wolff can put together enough private financing for a stadium, much less one that will make the city a profit (considering they're looking at building the smallest ballpark in the majors, capacity-wise).

Bumgarner, Alderson, and Crawford promoted to Double-A

BruteSentiment — Thu, 07 May 2009 08:52:40 -0000

For those who have not heard, the latest Giants' top pitching prospects Madison Bumgarner and Tim Alderson were promoted to Double-A Connecticut after Wednesday's game. Hardly a surprise, and the next month will be interesting to watch both of them, in the pitching friendly confines of Dodd Stadium.

However, so was shortstop Brandon Crawford.

Crawford's been the surprise player in the Giants system this year, and has gone mostly unmentioned on most non-Giants sites (He has gotten only passing mentions here save for one fanpost).

Obviously, the question of sleeper or undermatched will soon be answered to a degree in Double-A, playing for the lame-duck Defenders. But that question aside, I do want to ask this group:

Do you care about Crawford? Is anyone outside of Giants' land watching him yet? Or will it take more to get people to take second and third looks at him?

11 Spots Left For The McC/SFD San Jose Giants Game on May 3rd

BruteSentiment — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 21:23:18 -0000

Sorry for the spam, but I'm going to repost this, hopefully to get the last few tickets sold for those who want to come at the (relatively) last minute! We have 13 spots left as of Tuesday Afternoon!

***Original Post Below***

You are cordially invited to join readers from San Francisco Dugout Online Magazine, McCovey Chronicles and GiantsBoard.com to watch the prospect-laden San Jose Giants take on the Modesto Nuts on Sunday, May 3rd! We have arranged for 40 fans to join us on the Martinelli's VIP Deck at Municipal Stadium in San Jose.

EDIT (And sorry I didn't post this originally): The game is scheduled for a 2:05 start. The BBQ opens at 12:30 to start getting food.

For $38 per ticket, you will receive:

• Game Ticket for the Private, Field Level Deck.

• Personal Group Server for food and drinks.

• Full BBQ Meal from Turkey Mike's BBQ, including two beverages.*

• Scorecard and Baseball Bingo card for the chance to win prizes throughout the game.

Of course, you also get the privilege of watching the Giants' top prospects taking the field before they become major league stars. Watch Buster Posey, Nick Noonan, Brandon Crawford, Roger Kieschnick, Conor Gillaspie, Thomas Neal, Darren Ford, and Michael Ambort** as the San Jose Giants try to close out the decade with their fourth California League Championship in ten years!

If the Giants do not change their rotation or promote anyone, SFDugout.com #3 Giants Prospect Tim Alderson is predicted to start this game!**

To take advantage of this offer, click here! (Link Fixed)

SPACE IS LIMITED; FIRST COME, FIRST SERVED!

Tickets must be reserved by Sunday, April 26th.

* No saving your two beverages for the Beer Batter to get four beers. Nice try, though!

** Actual lineup subject to the whim of San Jose Giants Manager Andy Skeels and the San Francisco Giants Front Office. SFDugout.com, nor any website this invitation is on, are responsible for the duly deserved yet untimely promotions of any top prospects; However, in return, you will get to see the next unknown who will grow into a prospect and you can say "I was there when no one knew his name..." That's a fair trade.