SB Nation User Blog: jasomack

Cheap Home Run Article - Hardball Times

jasomack — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 02:10:33 -0000

I thought it was interesting, so you should to.

http://www.hardballtimes.com/main/article/homer-tracker/

Basically the article is talking about http://www.hittrackeronline.com/ a site that tracks home runs, and what players/teams hit a lot of balls that barely cleared the fences. The Giants were the top team on the list, percentage-wise.

Good news: Aaron Rowand didn't hit many "cheap" home runs (6 of 27). Maybe he maintains more of his power than we expect this year.

Bad news: Most of Randy Winn's (10 of 14) were of the "cheap" variety. I already wasn't excited about his years 34 and 35.

Dodger Stadium

jasomack — Sun, 24 Feb 2008 06:52:02 -0000

Hello everybody. My travels on the taxpayer dollar will be taking me to San Diego in the near future, and I may have an opportunity to catch the Giants on opening weekend in LA. I've never been to the stadium, and was hoping for advice. I guess I mostly just don't want to get shot. Anybody been?

It Wasn't A Joke

jasomack — Thu, 21 Feb 2008 19:18:26 -0000

http://www.mercurynews.com/giants/ci_8322634

Yes, the Giants are really thinking about carrying three catchers. To pinch run for Molina more.

Giants catchers not named Molina had 80 PA's last year. I guess they aren't prospects, so there's no need to leave one of them in AAA to get consistent at-bats, but give me a fucking break. We're considering carrying three catchers when we have three pitchers (Valdez, Capellan and Threets) we'll lose if we cut? And you know reduced-fat Kline will make the team, and one of the savvy-invitees (Yabu and Williamson).

Is the fear that we'll pinch run for Molina, and then Alfonzo will get hurt again? Is giving up a promising young pitcher worth not having an emergency catcher in the game for two innings? Is there anybody associated with the Giants who understands rebuilding teams are supposed to put an emphasis on moves that help the team in the future?

We should trade Molina and use Alfonzo anyway. He's the same player, except younger. I don't know how good his defense is, but it can't be worse than the next two years of Molina, and there's no way he can be slower. Right?? Right?!?!?!

I just wanted to get worked up and rant about something.

The stuff about both our backup C's having experience at 1B was interesting. Interesting being relative to our 1B situation though. If a 4th-outfielder can play the most offensively demanding position, why can't a backup catcher? I LOVE THIS TEAM!!!!!

Poll

Why am I so pissed?

The drugs are wearing off. That's also why your mouth is hurting again.

6 votes

Bochy and Sabean are about as qualified to rebuild a team as FEMA is to rebuild New Orleans.

23 votes

Bengie Molina is our cleanup hitter. That's the spot in the lineup where you put the hitter with the most power and run-producing ability.

12 votes

They're probably going to give up Sanchez for Crede.

6 votes

Our offseason priorities was giving out 17m to a 50-y/o SS and a good-not-great CF.

12 votes

59 votes | Poll has closed

Semi-OT: Play GM with me

jasomack — Thu, 21 Feb 2008 02:42:53 -0000

I just had my teeth pulled, and my elbow sliced open to remove an abscess/drain stuff out, and I'm bored and drugged, so humor me. With all the wonderful deals and not-deals that Sabean has made recently, I'm sure I'm not alone here. I wanted to see what you guys thought.

Every 20 transactions or so, I see one that I go "where were we on that one?!?!1." I know how much everyone loves to play GM (my second favorite play-with-yourself game), so what deals would you have made in the last few years?

I'm not talking hindsight deals (giving up nothing for Matt Holliday) think more along the lines of "why didn't we take a flier on Player X." Fantasy lineups are welcome, if you have a couple you'd like to get out of your system.

The rules: No undoing bad trades, no undoing free agent signings unless you have a reasonable alternative (has to make sense... Sabes tried to get Soriano and Lee, but they didn't want us!), and try to keep it mostly in the last three years or so (the losing/"rebuilding" years). Or you can just ignore my rules completely. I don't want this to be a clone of Grant's hindsight-aided team (http://www.mccoveychronicles.com/story/2008/1/24/102632/069)

Examples: I really wanted Ty Wigginton and Wily Mo Pena last year. Both were had for reasonably cheap, and I was angry. If Pena pans out, we could have had a nice young nucleus with Wigginton, Pena and Frandsen. I would have dealt Winn, especially if I got Pena, to get some AB's for the kids and get this rebuilding thing really rolling.

Frandsen at 1B?

jasomack — Fri, 18 Jan 2008 10:19:27 -0000

I'm on the record as saying Frandsen should be starting at second, but this intrigued me. The Giants seem unlikely to go for a Shelton-type, and have passed on the Phelps/Bozied-types (people with a pulse). Feliz seems a legit possibility (please no) to return to third. Could Frandsen end up getting some AB's at 1st?
He played the rest of the infield, plus left and right, last year. I just want the guy to get AB's. In a perfect world, Aurilia, Durham and Roberts would get off to hot starts and be traded for something useful. I just don't think there's room for everyone to get AB's, unless first base is part of the equation.
So I guess my first question is how likely is it to happen? My second would be should the Giants even consider it?
If Frandsen got 40 games at each spot in the infield, he'd play a full season. It beats him sitting on the bench while Ort/Aurilia, Durham, Vizquel and Feliz replay '07. I'm resigned to the Giants offense being the cream of the crap, but I think there's agreement that most fans will take it if there's a legit rebuilding plan in place.
He'd be the worst offensive 1st baseman in the league. But so would Ortmeier.

Jose Guillen?

jasomack — Tue, 27 Nov 2007 09:49:18 -0000

He'll be 32 next year. There are a number who really want Fukudome or Jones, but I haven't heard Guillen named at all. If the Giants are going to pay for an outfielder with power, I don't see how Guillen doesn't deserve mention.

Here's a look at his OPS numbers against some other potential power sources for next year:

Guillen/ Tejada/ Jones/ Sexson/ Rowand
'05 849 865 922 910 736
'06 817 878 894 842 745
'07 813 799 724 694 889

If the asking price of about 3-4 years at around 10/per is accurate, I'm saying he's someone we should consider. I'd rather have Guillen at 3/30 than Jones at 5/90! And my favorite part is that he won't cost us any players. We'd still have Lowry/Sanchez/Hennessey/Correia to try to deal for a young position player or two.

All-Bounceback Team

jasomack — Sat, 24 Nov 2007 08:38:06 -0000

I wanted to see what players are out there that might be worth taking a flier on. I ended up with most of a team. There's a plethora of players looking to bounce back from injuries/crappiness/both. And, of course, half of them are Giants that are signed for next year.

C Barret
1B Sexson
2B Durham
SS Vizquel
3B Rolen/Koskie/Ensberg
OF Roberts
OF Bradley
OF A. Jones

Bench: Reggie Sanders, Aurilia

SP:
Bartolo Colon
Matt Clement
Freddy Garcia
Ortiz

BP:
Byung-Hyun Kim
Eric Milton (actually not a SP but worth a try)
Fatmando

Non-roster invitee: Mike Sweeney

There are others out there. My favorite candidates to have a nice '08 for the Giants are Colon and Rolen - even if Rolen doesn't become his former self, he plays Gold-glove defense, and hits better than Feliz, even at his worst.

So, discussion starter: who's your favorite candidate to bounce back next year? What other comeback bargains do you think the Giants should go after?

Matt Cain (and his bad luck)

jasomack — Sat, 17 Nov 2007 20:52:19 -0000

Was bouncing around Baseball Musings and came across the Probalistic Model of Range postings. While there's plenty of interesting stuff (like a confirmation of how bad Durham was defensively this year), what struck my mind was how bad defense was behind Matt Cain. We all know about the run support issue... I know its just one defensive metric, but... it was really bad. Especially when looking at the Giants other 4 regular starters, who all had above average defense behind them.

http://www.baseballmusings.com/archives/cat_probabilistic_model_of_range.php

Scroll down to defense behind pitchers... sorry to make you work :)

Sanchez to start Saturday

jasomack — Sat, 01 Sep 2007 01:27:31 -0000

http://sanfrancisco.giants.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20070831&content_id=2181225&vkey=new s_sf&fext=.jsp&c_id=sf

Maybe he'll show he can start, save Lince's arm, and Lowry will use the extra rest to stop Morissing his trade value.

Giants auditioning Taschner?

jasomack — Wed, 20 Jun 2007 23:53:54 -0000

I was wondering if anyone else thinks the Giants might be auditioning Taschner and Kline to be shipped to other teams, especially with the impending fire sale and Wilson/Munter/Misch at AAA.
Anyone looking for an old lefty and another that can't get lefties out?
I was looking at previous games and trying to determine if Taschner had been getting more appearances lately, and it doesn't appear to be so, but I would not shed a tear if either of these two were shipped off for a pair of ham sandwiches and a premium malt beverage.
Kline actually hasn't given up a run this month... I digress... trade him now.