Monday’s News
- Lincecum officially to begin the season in AAA Fresno. Lincecum could easily have made it as a reliever on this team but the Giants want to keep him starting every 5th day. Depending on how the Giants view Sanchez, a very good chance exists that Lincecum could be moved into the rotation this season once injury strikes or when Russ Ortiz reverts back to his 8+ ERA self.
- Giants backing off of Jorge Julio and a trade of Benitez? As previously stated, I wouldn’t take on Julio unless he came very cheap, which he probably wont. Armando will probably stick around too as I have a hard time believing that the Giants, a team that fully buys into the veteran savyness mantra, would ever turn over the closers role to a young inexperienced player such as Brian Wilson.
- From the desk of “How do you still have a job in major league baseball?” the Tigers decide to take Neifi Perez as their 25th man. Perez might be one of the worst players in all of baseball. His 2002 season stands out as one of the worst ever. A OPS+ of 40 should be punishable by death.
- BP’s This Week In Quotes has a couple of Giants quotes that really stresses just how different ballplayers can be. I would love to watch Barry Zito and Steve Kline interact for a few hours because I think it might be something like the Odd Couple but with more yoga.
“Nutrition in this country is so terrible. People want their food, they want it fast, and convenience is such a big factor for people. But your body starts to break down. You can’t really track injuries due to (poor) nutrition, but the more technology evolves and gets in the mainstream, the more we’ll see a link between the two.”
–Giants hurler Barry Zito“Toad food? Tofu? I don’t even know what that is. I don’t believe in dieting. I went on two diets in my life, and I got fatter both times.”
–Giants reliever Steve Kline
26/03/2007 at 9:06 pm Permalink
Actually, I think the job was there for Wilson to take - he just didn’t take it. By any stretch of the imagination, in any category - BBs, hits, ERA. I think if he’d put up the numbers Benitez has put up this Spring, Benitez’d have been traded. But give Benitez credit - he came in and won the job. Hands down. While everyone around him failed.
Has nothing to do with ’savviness.’
27/03/2007 at 5:15 am Permalink
Frank,
I agree with what you’re saying here. Benitez did pitch well in Spring Training and should have won the job by his performance.
I personally would like to see Wilson’s control improve some before he closes but what can you do. And at the same time even though everyone is always talking about how Wilson has ‘closers stuff’ I have a hard time believing the Giants were ever serious about putting him in the closers role. Maybe the Giants liked to talk up Wilson in order to show Benitez that he can be replaced?
27/03/2007 at 3:36 pm Permalink
Sorry, I am hardly rational after today’s meltdown. But I do think, if Wilson had pitched like Benitez, he’d have the job and Benitez would be on the way to Miami. I think it was evident early on that Wilson likely is not yet ready. What a disappointment.
27/03/2007 at 5:31 pm Permalink
Wilson’s line of .1 IP 3H 5R 2BB is extremely ugly.
Ugh!