FOOCH'S NOTE 7:45PM: I'll have a more detailed post shortly.  For now, I'm moving this to the front page.

Adam Schefter is reporting that the 49ers will hire Jimmy Raye as OC. i was leaning towards hue Jackson, personally. Maybe here were concerns he's never been an OC before? Maybe he was too hot to head coaching searches in the near future? I don't even know what to say. I'd say my mood is typical and as a fan base collectively unenthusiastic. This turned from a relatively benign choice by Singletary to an utterly important choice. I hope it works out. 

UPDATE: Here's Maiocco's blog.

It's going to be Mike McCoy, QB coach of the Carolina Panthers. With McDaniels calling the plays and running an offense with Jay Cutler and Brandon Marshall, Royal, et al. , that's a pretty cushy job, eh? Nice. McCoy played QB at Long Beach State and Utah before bouncing around the NFL, NFL Europe and the CFL. He spent nine season total on the Carolina staff, most recently as QB coach. Jake Delhomme's last game not withstanding.

UPDATE: The proof is in the pudding.

EDITOR'S NOTE 3:00PM - Thanks to MeSoKrabby for posting this FanPost.  And thanks to those who submitted their 100 word pieces.  The NY Times folks told me they were some of the best they'd received this year.  We'll be doing this again for the Jets game so hopefully we'll get some more entries.
_____________________

The 100 word pieces submitted are up on the NYT's football blog, the Fifth Down.

I never knew so many other McCovey Chronicles regulars were also crossover stars at Niners Nation. I will say that the projections were a little more competitive than I expect to see. Nolan, 3-15 on on the east coast as HC. NYG's #1 rushing attack vs. Aubrayo Franklin and Justin Smith. The way the defense has been covering the deep ball. I'm thinking 34-10 or something similar. Not pretty.

The analysts all agree. The 49ers defense can’t get off the field on 3rd down. It’s a big reason the team has gone from an optimistic 2-1 to a depressing 2-4. Since we’ve already opened the wound, let’s dig around inside a bit. On the season, the 49ers defense ranks 26th overall with opponents converting 43% of the time on 3rd down. The pass defense has been average on 3rd downs with opponents converting 39% of the time. Run defense on 3rd down has been outright horrible. Opponents have converted 52% of 3rd down rushing attempt, but even more distressing is the 3rd down short yardage rush defense. The 49ers have not been able to stuff opponents rushing attacks on 3rd and three or less yards, allowing an appalling 71% conversion rate on those short tries. Say what you will, but I think this is evidence of how much Bryant Young meant to the team. Isaac Sopoaga and Ron Fields just aren’t getting the job done on the inside. They don’t demand double teams, and that frees offensive lineman to get to the next level and block the 49er LBs. Kentwan Balmer is only a rookie and not a high impact rookie, either. So, I’ll use this time to launch the “Sign Albert Haynesworth, No Matter the Cost" or “Free P-Willy!” campaigns now because I don’t see any large improvement on the horizon with the current cast.

Livan is listed at 245

B-Money is listed at 225(yeah right!)

Lil'Money listed at 246

If you want to throw in Ianneta catching, he's listed at 225.

That's a tough group to beat. You'd have to check all Prince and Cecil's back to back jobs...Mo Vaughn's....and see if Sabathia has given up  back to backers, but I think we got'em beat tonight. Go Giants!

Full Disclosure: I'm a Warriors fan.

Before I start spewing outrageous trade offers that would never happen,  like when you go to another team's blog and you see "How about we trade Speedy Claxton for Brandon Roy?",  I wanted to check with actual Blazer fans that could offer insight into my thinking before I take the road to Wackoland.

Portland now has Steve Blake, Sergio Rodrigues, Jerryd Bayless and Petteri Koponen at the 1, correct? Would the Blazers be willing to trade Blake/Koponen/Rodrigues? What would they cost? I'm primaily interested in Koponen because he seems to have the fringiest roster spot, summer league performance not withstanding, and he's Finnish, like me.

So, true Blazer fans, what can you tell me about your PG situation and do you think you can spare some dimes?

Could you use Al Harrington? (I know, but I have to ask)

There's a nice article about Jonathan Sanchez at Beyond the Boxscore (SB Nation Plug) and what perfect timing. He's starting today! So, let's say he keeps up his relative good stuff through most of the year, do the Giants trade him for porspects? Cain for prospects? Lincecum for all the gold in Fort Knox? Hold on to all three like a toothless prospector fending off claimjumpers? What's yer favorite old tymie saying?

Grant's quest for global domination  is gaining speed like a meatball rolling off a plate of spaghetti. Who do we have to thank for this?  Barry Zito's suckitude . Deadspin also gives a shoutout to us lowly commenters, but failed to cite the author...Smotheredinhugs  

So Barry is good for something. Just think, only 5 more years of Zito. I don't know if this has been brought up, but a six man rotation would mean more days between Zito starts and less starts overall for him? Glass = Half Full

Buster Olney's lead in his daily MLB blog is about Johnny Blaze. I think you have to be an "insider" to view the whole thing. What if you're an outsider?

Here you go:

As John Bowker rode into his first day in the major leagues Saturday, he kept doing a mental equipment check, double-checking in his mind that he had, indeed, packed everything he would need. Rookies who show up in the big leagues without their gloves or bats or spikes are a cliché. "I can definitely see how that can happen," Bowker said Monday afternoon, from San Francisco.

 

There was so much to do and so little time to do it. Bowker had been in Fresno Friday night, playing for the Giants' Triple-A affiliate, and just after the Grizzlies completed a wild comeback victory, Fresno manager Dan Rohn summoned Bowker into his office. Bowker had seen other players make this trip before, and he knew what that had to mean: He was being called up to the big leagues.

He needed to be at the Fresno ballpark the next morning at 7:30 a.m., Rohn told him, to meet a car service that would take him to San Francisco for the Giants' afternoon game. Bowker went to dinner, packed, got to sleep at 3 a.m. and was up at 5 a.m., throwing together his stuff before meeting the car; he got another hour of sleep during the drive.

He arrived at the ballpark at 10:30 a.m., and 10 minutes later, he took batting practice. The anxiety and nervousness that he felt was overwhelmed by the requirements of his job: He had to get his work done. Carney Lansford, the Giants' hitting coach, pulled him aside and mentioned that he had some videotape of Todd Wellemeyer, the starting pitcher for the Cardinals that day; Bowker learned what he needed -- that Wellemeyer was a fastball-slider type of guy, and that he threw a changeup as well -- and before Bowker knew it, he was standing in the box against the St. Louis right-hander. "I think with everything going on, it didn't give me any time to be really nervous," said Bowker.

 

He singled in his first at-bat, later homered, and then, on Sunday, slammed another homer. In Bowker's first six at-bats in the big leagues, he has seven RBIs and two homers among his four hits. "Now you probably think it's pretty easy," Aaron Rowand joked to him.

 

Bowker has been besieged by e-mails and text messages and phone messages -- "non-stop," he said -- including one from former college teammate Troy Tulowitzki. Within this notebook, there is word that Bowker is working out at first base.

If Bowker isn't starting today, where are we meeting to riot?

Matthew Pouliot breaks down the top prosepects for each team in the NL West. Here's a link to the Giants Prospect page: Rotoworld Giants Prospect Breakdown

#1 is, obviously, Villalona. Money line:"He doesn't take wild swings at breaking balls, and he shows some willingness to take pitches the other way."

A disciplined hitter? In the Giants farm system?

 #2-4 are Sosa, Alderson, Bumgarner, followed by Noonan and Schierholtz.

For some reason Velez is number seven even though he's with the big club. If you take him out Tanner would be #10.

This San Francisco 2008 Giants sesaon is the type of season that weeds out "phony" fans from "real" fans. I use quotation marks to highlight the underlying snobbery of fandom. 2008 San Francisco Giants baseball, will anything be rememebred? "Gamers" may hang around into next season, but it doesn't have any real staying power. So, in an attempt to achieve some rooting interest besides some thing called winning(?), I present the following from Buster Olney:

Some numbers to keep in mind as we watched the punchless Giants this season: The fewest runs scored by any NL team in a 162-game season stands at 464, by the Houston Colt .45s in 1963.

Grant, with your all-encompassing wisdom and undeniable pun-ablities can you incoporate a running tally of Giants runs scored on the season side by side the 464 of the Colt .45s on the main page?

 Despite the overwheling pessimism unfolding from all corners of the baseball universe about our beloved Giants of 2008, it's almost impossible that they will be feebler(more feeble, for you grammar lovers) than the 1995 St. Louis Cardinals infiled as indicated by Zenbitz in an earlier MCC post:

Here's the bottom 10 (bottom 23 goes down to a 6 way tie with 78)
These are ranked by sOBS+, which is the OPS+ relative to other infields of that year/league. By comparsion the 2007 Giants clocked in at 81, the 1985 Giants at 80, and the 1981 Cubs at 83.

1995 STL 66
1982 OAK 71
2003 DET 71
1999 ANA 74
1977 OAK 75
2002 DET 75 (two years in a row this low)
1972 TEX 76
1979 SDP 76
1981 TOR 76
1989 ATL 76

Much thanks to Chris Jaffe at Hardball times who mentioned the 1981 Cubs in this article [from Hardball Times: Worst. Infield. Ever. ]

And looked these up in his database for me.

I think 66 is probably out of reach, even for this putrid squad. Low 70s seems quite doable if Ray-Ray continues where he left off in 07, and Velez/Frandsen/Ortmeier all flop. 

2008 Giants Baseball, how bad could it be?

It's from Rotoworld and it's only about Bengie Molina batting cleanup, but it somehow captures the agony Giants fans will endure every half inning when it's the Giant's turn to bat.

Giants manager Bruce Bochy said he likes the idea of Bengie Molina replacing Barry Bonds in the cleanup spot this year.

Even as pathetic as the bottom half of the Giants lineup is going to be, Molina might actually score more than 45 runs for the first time since 2000 if he spends all year hitting fourth. Molina likely will drive in a fair number of runs again. Still, hitting fourth for the Giants isn't going to be any better than hitting sixth for an average team. We feel bad for the No. 5 hitter, whether it's Aaron Rowand or a lesser player like Rich Aurilia. Molina had a disgusting .298 OBP last season and is one of the five slowest position players in baseball.

Find the swagger Bengie, I'm begging you to find the swagger!

Continue reading this post »

Titled "Evaluating Matt Cain"
When most teams evaluate players, they gather opinions, believing that within the range of observations there will either be consensus or individual insight in dissent that is telling. It's sort of like a Supreme Court decision: A good dissent might be worth as much, in the long run, as the majority opinion.

This season, we'll collect thoughts on players in the same manner, from scouts, general managers, assistant general managers, coaches and managers. The subject this time around: The Giants' Matt Cain, who is coming off a season in which he went 7-16. He is 23 years old, with a career record of 22-29, and a 3.73 ERA.

From an NL scout: "He's going to have to mature. He is a little like Nolan Ryan was when he was a kid, trying to strike out everybody. The adjustments he needs are more mental than physical with him. When I last saw him, he was trying to be an overpowering guy, and it's hard to do in the big leagues."

"He's getting there; his breaking ball is getting there. He's working on his changeup. He could be a No. 1-No. 2 type of starter, but it'll be interesting to see what that environment in San Francisco does to him, with all that losing."

From an AL scout: "I am a fan of him. I see him as an above-average major league starter with a chance to be a staff ace in the near future. While there is some effort in his delivery and he is not the most economical of pitchers at this stage in his career, he appears athletic enough to make adjustments when needed. Cain pitches into a lot of deep counts, but his feel for four different out pitches -- fastball, slider, curveball, and changeup -- allows him to miss bats. Having reached the 200-inning plateau for the first time in '07, he has proven durable.

"Only 23 with a durable power arm, a feel to make adjustments with a deep repertoire, and a level head, Cain should develop into a top-of-the-rotation starter. Even though he benefits from the friendly confines of San Fran's park, his lack of run support may be a problem this season."

From an NL executive: "I love him. The last time I saw him, I saw the makings of an elite pitcher. You love everything you see about him -- the talent, the makeup. He's definitely a No. 1 type of starter; he just needs results. He's been a hard-luck pitcher. Eventually, that's going to change. He's got plus stuff, with a plus fastball and a plus breaking ball -- he's got a power curveball, and he's got deception.

"He pitches upstairs. He throws 93 mph, and the way the hitters' react, it looks more like 100 mph. If you can't lay off the pitch above the waist against him, you're dead. He's an absolute workhorse, and the problem is, he seems to always be pitching in games when the score is 0-0 or 1-1."

From an AL official: "It's hard to not like him. Cain is what we all sort of dream about when we take a high school pitcher. Cain is sort of every scout's dream realized: He's in the big leagues at age 20-21, big and strong and very competitive. He's the reason that people make mistakes in the draft, because everybody hopes to get someone like him.

"He's still got some room to grow and learn and stuff, but he's a No. 1 starter. He seems relatively composed; he goes about stuff very workmanlike. He tries to blow the ball past hitters sometimes, but you know what? The tough thing is that he can do that, against most hitters, and that can sometimes get him into trouble."

Per Rotoworld:
"A source familiar with the early discussions told Newsday that Hideki Matsui and a prospect might be enough to net Noah Lowry or Jonathan Sanchez from the Giants.

The Giants should be looking in a different direction, but it that's really the way talks have proceeded, than a Matsui acquisition wouldn't set the franchise back a lot further. Tim Lincecum apparently won't be on the table in a Matsui deal. If something is worked out, Matsui could still veto it with his no-trade clause. However, some believe he wouldn't, mostly out of deference to the Yankees."

Giving up Lowry for Matsui and a prospect wouldn't be the worst thing in the world. That would also probably neuter Sabean's desire to trade Lincecum for Rios.

From Rotoworld: Asked about a rumored Tim Lincecum-for-Jay Bruce deal, a Giants official said Monday that it was "pure fiction."
Meanwhile, general manager Brian Sabean said that one team has made what he called an "interesting" offer for Lincecum, but added that he's unlikely to part with Lincecum or Matt Cain.

I wonder if the interesting offer was from the Reds?

There has been a lot of jostling between internet sports sites with respect to journalists. Rick Reilly, Dan Patrick, Mike Silver, etc. I found it pretty interesting that ESPN signed Fainaru-Wada. I found it interesting because I thought most of his work was done already. Not that he couldn't go out and do new stuff, but he's sort of been typecast as the Balco guy. Then, less than a week after he's hired by ESPN.com, Barry gets indicted. I'll bet Mark F-W knew the indictment was coming and ESPN.com brought him on for this reason as well as to dig through the debris left after the Mitchell report. What's your take? Am I too Mel Gibson from Conspiracy Theory, or pointing out the obvious?

The free agent period has started. The Giants have many holes to fill. Yet, I don't hear about them talking to anybody. This worries me. I can't bear the Niners/Warriors right now, I need some positive news from somewhere else to balance my emotions out. Is Sabean even in town? Was he in Hawaii with Gavin? C'mon, make something happen!

According to this article, Lowry is done for the season. I don't know what to say? How about, "C'mon!!!!" If there was one thing the Giants could have used, it was a decent shwowing the rest of the yea from Lowry. A, it looks better to perspective buyers, or B, He proes himself as a durable pitcher, instead we gert neither, just ?????

in walks. Not good.

I like Lowry a lot, and he's signed to an affordable, almost discount deal. Defeinitley a discount compared to other lefties in the Giants rotation. After his performance this season Sabean MUST trade him this offseason. I've gone back and forth this year on whether he should stay or go. I was a "Keeper" at the deadline, but I'm a "Trader" now. Plus, the offseason offers more return than we could've got at the deadline. The question is what is the best fit, meaning who's going to be able to give us the most for him?

at the MLB Draft.

Felipe Alou!!!!!

Steve Decker? I know who he is, but, huh?
Jack Hiatt? Wha?

We all know how this should really go down in all sports. Teams are to be represented by their mascots. Krazy Krab, where are you?!!!!

From ESPN Rumor Central: Apr. 7  The Giants have contacted the Brewers about disgruntled reliever Jose Capellan, the San Francisco Chronicle reports. Capellan, 26, requested a trade when the Brewers optioned him to Triple-A Nashville before the season began, and he hasn't backed down from his demand.

I'd give Capellen a shot, as long as they don't trade Billy Sadler.

Tim the Enchanter on the morning show today at 8 am. If you miss it I'm sure it will be posted on their website later.

Jeff Passan takes the mystery away from the gyroball. I have to say, I'm a little disappointed. Gyroballs

He's going to be on with Ralph and Tom on KNBR at 5:00 today(2/21/07). I love me some me, but after I get my me fill, I need more cowbell, then I need some Enchanter.

If you want in the league id is 22530 and the password is nuschler. Its going to be a 14 team max rotisserie league. Categories are tentative and once the league fills up  we'll see what everybody likes. Talkin' softball....

From an ESPN Insider Chat with Jim Callis of Baseball America:

Bill (Boston): Lincecum or Kershaw longterm?

 Jim Callis: Lincecum. I love Tim Lincecum's future. We just did our individual Top 50 Prospects lists for the Handbook (which is done by the way, thank God), and I ranked Lincecum No. 10.

Casey (Gainesville, FL): NL ROY?

Jim Callis: Tim Lincecum

If that's not some good hype, I don't know hype. Jim Callis and Baseball America are very well respected as others in the McCoven can attest. NL ROY? Wow, that would be awesome. Who needs Zito?

It seems A-Rod will have the option to option out of his contract next year. Buster Olney has some ideas on  why he might do it.

"Alex Rodriguez can't see himself playing after his current contract expires, when he's 35 years old.

The more that I think about it, the more I'm convinced that Rodriguez will exercise his right to opt out of his contract after next season. Here's why:

A) If A-Rod has a great season, regardless of whether the Yankees win or lose, it would make sense for him to go back out on the market, considering how inflated the prices are these days.

Imagine if A-Rod hits 45 homers, drives in 130 runs, bats .300. A-Rod would be 32, and while he couldn't match the average annual salary of $27 million that he is owed for 2008-2010, he could conceivably get a deal for $160 million. If Alfonso Soriano, a corner outfielder, can get $136 million at age 31, A-Rod -- usually a terrific infielder -- could get more at 32. With Soriano, you get the offense. If A-Rod becomes a free agent next fall, interested teams would get the offense and the history, because soon, A-Rod, who got off to such a great start at a young age, will start to come into range of all-time records. That'll help fill seats.

And if the Yankees were to win the World Series next year and A-Rod were to conquer all those he's-not-part-of-the-club demons next year, then he'd have nothing more to prove.

B) If A-Rod struggles again, if he has another rough season in which he goes through slumps and throwing issues and gets hit by wave after wave of boos, and the Yankees don't win the World Series, then the contract option will be a convenient way out. He could say, 'Sorry, this is business, and I have a chance for opportunities (translated: guaranteed cash) elsewhere.' If he hits 30 homers, 110 RBI, a .280 average, somebody will throw a big offer at him.

And if A-Rod were to struggle again in 2007, I'd bet that the Yankees would be privately rooting for him to move on.

Market forces could nudge him into free agency, as well. We are still at high tide in this spending spree, and probably will be next year, when Carlos Zambrano could be the most coveted free agent pitcher, Andruw Jones the most coveted free agent position player. A-Rod would be the most prominent free agent next fall, if he chose that route.

But if he merely plays out his contract and waits until after 2010, then he would be 35 and a market correction will probably have taken effect the way it did from 2002-2005. There is a good chance he would hit free agency then at low tide."

Problem: Your franchise faces having an alltime home-run champ who is dogged by performance enhancing drugs.

Solution: Sign the odds on favorite to beat the alltime record.

Will McGowan sign A-Rod?

From ESPN's Eric Karabell, reviewing last years stars and duds of the NL West. Here is who he labled as the hitter to watch:

"Hitter to watch: One of these days Lance Niekro is going to not only stay healthy, but hit for consistent power. Can't blame Niekro's problems on hitting vs. right-handed pitching, since he had the same batting average against southpaws as well. Can't blame the ballpark, since he actually hit much better at home. The Giants thought they had a starting first baseman here. Now it's possible Rich Aurilia has to play there every day. Ugh. "

Is that even an answer? Maybe Karabell was watching him at Fresno and somehow confused it for AT&T. He probably thinks Ellison could fill in left filed with the way he played at Fresno. I would like to see Niekro have a good year though, with his dad passing away and all, but I just don't see it.

At the winter meetings Sabean pulls off one of these: Trade Lowry for Sexson and then sign Lilly for too much money?

Edit by Grant: Keith Law does not agree with the current direction of the Giants.

(Seriously, SB Nation gets harassed when pay pieces get put up. It doesn't strike a chord of injustice in my soul when they're posted, but Grant abides....)