Recently, on Twitter, I wondered if the Giants’ upcoming middle infield combination might be one of the weakest in recent memory. If you’re just waking up from a year long nap, the Giants’ middle infield was a big problem for the team in 2011, and it looks like things could stay the same this season. I really wish I could… Read more →
Recently, the 2012 ZiPS projections went live on FanGraphs. What that means is that you can now browse the projections at length, and FanGraphs has also conveniently included a wOBA calculation along with the projections. Really cool stuff. But, after looking through pages of these projections, I always eventually come back to the same feeling: Why in the world didn’t… Read more →
Well then. I must say, this isn’t surprising. CBSSports.com broke the story: Though Theriot better fits defensively as a second baseman, he has a great shot at significant playing time at shortstop for the Giants. The only person standing in his way is Brandon Crawford, who hit just .204/.288/.296 last season, which is dreadful. Crawford could then fit well as… Read more →
The title for this blog post might seem a little reactionary; after all, I don’t think anyone expects Brandon Crawford to be a good hitter in 2012, but what are the expectations of Brandon Crawford on offense? The Bill James projections say that Brandon Crawford will be a .282 weighted on-base average (wOBA) batter in the upcoming season. ZiPS —… Read more →
Why is this Giants news? Well, mostly for the fact that for a brief time today, Carroll was rumored to have been courted by a “mystery team”, and it turns out it was probably the Twins. Lefty had a nice post earlier on the merits of Carroll with some included caveats. Carroll, even at 38-years-old next year, is a pretty… Read more →
The offseason. It’s a crazy, weird time. One minute we’re fanaticizing about Carlos Beltran playing right field, and the next, you learn that the Giants narrowly avoid Willie Bloomquist. Seriously, this time of year is fun in a masochistic way; the highs, the lows, the Melky Cabreras, the offseason has it all. I generally hate offseason rumors, but it’s good… Read more →
I couldn’t keep myself from chuckling at these quotes in Todd Rosiak’s latest article for the Journal Sentinel. He [Betancourt] was one of the Brewers’ most polarizing players, frustrating management as well as fans with his undisciplined approach at the plate and lack of range in the field. At the same time, Betancourt was one of the Brewers’ best hitters… Read more →
Andrew Baggarly has an interesting writeup today on Brandon Crawford and his defensive skills at shortstop. The video (above) was linked in the post and it’s amazing to watch. Crawford’s pregame routine in the minors was to put on a defensive show of behind-the-back throws, no-look passes, and all sorts of cool tricks. Baggs states in the article, that: It’s… Read more →
The first day of the 2011 First Year MLB Player Draft has completed and the Giants picked up two prospects with their #29 and #49th overall picks. I’m no draft guru, but the Panik pick feels like a bit of a reach – most pre-draft rankings had him in the 60’s. I’m always a little concerned when the first thing… Read more →
Migel Tejada finally ‘broke out’ of his season long slump in last night’s game, going 3-4 with a single, double, and 1 RBI. /cue majestic trumpets You would be hard pressed to use the term ‘breaking out’ when a player goes 3-4, but this is Tejada we’re talking about. After last night’s game, Tejada’s batting average rocketed from .195 to… Read more →