February 2012
82 posts
“There was a little kid behind home plate who was begging for autographs all day. “Mr. Whiteside! Mr. Whiteside, can you sign? “Mr. Sandoval, please!” That sort of thing. It was cute, and plenty of players went over to sign after the workout was over. But the kid got his real prize during the workout; Chris Stewart broke his bat while hitting off Shawn Sanford, and Stewart went over and handed it to the kid. It’s amazing how much someone can light up when they’re handed a piece of cracked wood.”
—Spring Notes (via crimsonkitty)
“Another kid, probably about 4 years old, was heckling the Giants from behind the dugout. He told the Giants not to swing at the first pitch of the game and then asked Sandoval not to swing at low pitches. So if Sandoval starts laying off balls, you know who to credit.”
—Andrew Baggerly (via mneymosyne)
I Didn’t Want Carlos Beltran Anyway | Giantspod →
giantspod.net
When talking about this year’s offseason, most of what the Giants did and didn’t do is fairly easy to defend, given the right mindset and enough cheap booze. Still, while most of the big-name free-agent sluggers ended up with contracts either of staggering length or shocking amounts of money, it’s hard to understand how the market for Carlos Beltran disappeared as quickly as it did. But even though the Giants could have afforded him, I didn’t want Carlos Beltran.
Given Beltran’s career, it’s easy to see how a hitter of his caliber could help the hapless Giants offense. Beltran has a career line of .283/.361/.496, and while he’s not about to repeat his .275/.388/.594, 41 HR, 7.0 WAR, season from 2006 that got him 4th in the MVP voting, he continues to put up solid numbers while he’s healthy.
Still, I can’t shake the feeling that Beltran just wanted to get away. While he backed away from his public comments that he didn’t like hitting at AT&T Park, it seemed pretty clear at the 2011 trade deadline that he only wanted to go to San Francisco because he saw an opportunity to get a championship ring. Without that immediate promise, it’s easy to imagine Beltran turning down any offers from San Francisco that didn’t include overwhelming amounts of money. In other words, while we could lust after the 2-year/$26 million deal that he accepted from the Cardinals, there’s no reasonable expectation the Giants could have had him for that or even any comparable amount.
But that’s okay. Beltran’s numbers sure look good, and would look even better written in loopy black and orange calligraphy doodled in your notebook, but it wouldn’t have been that easy. Beltran played 142 games in 2011, but just 145 in between 2009-2010 combined with knee injury and surgery. Beltran looked healthy in 2011, except for that whole hand/wrist thing, but he’s going to be 35 next year, and you could hear a collective gasp from the crowd every time he made contact with the wall or ground in San Francisco. For a team trying to recover from a season decimated by injury, signing Beltran isn’t a step toward healthiness or durability.
Cain Contract Talks Aren't Going Well →
network.yardbarker.com
Cain told Chris Haft of MLB.com on Saturday that he was seeking a deal of “fair value.”
That was the first time Cain, who can become a free agent at the end of the season, had used the phrase.
Shortly after, Giants president and chief operating officer Larry Baer said the Giants were not close to agreeing on an extension for Cain.
Aaron Rowand bad mouths Giants, makes excuses | 22gigantes.com →
22gigantes.com
What’s up with all the Giants-bashing going on these days from the disgruntled and bitter members of San Francisco’s discard pile?
Last week, it was Cody Ross telling reporters how much better it is in Boston than San Francisco.
Then, yesterday, Aaron Rowand spewed out a bunch of garbage about the Giants, followed by a line of excuses longer than his best hitting streak.
Rowand, who is in the Miami Marlins’ spring training camp as a non-roster invitee, told Clark Spencer of the Miami Herald, “I haven’t been this excited about a season—and baseball itself—in a while. The last couple of years [in San Francisco] definitely weren’t as enjoyable as I would have hoped.”
Read more http://22gigantes.com/2012/02/aaron-rowand-bad-mouths-giants-makes-excuses.html
Lincecum declares himself healthy - MLB - Yahoo! Sports →
sports.yahoo.com
San Francisco right-hander Tim Lincecum went all out during his bullpen session Thursday and reported that he felt just fine.
The two-time NL Cy Young Award winner said he took a precautionary route after feeling some tightness in his back earlier in the week.
Lincecum threw off flat ground on Wednesday and was on target Thursday throwing to Chris Stewart.
“A couple of days ago I felt something in my back and figured why press it,” Lincecum said. “I don’t have to get ready for another month and a half so I just let my body readjust itself. I threw today and felt great.”
“I want to throw more strike ones,” Lincecum said. “I want to get back to using my fastball to control the strike zone.”
Lincecum said he will only throw fastballs and change-ups during his sessions “until I get my arm speed up to where it needs to be.”
