This blog is dedicated first and foremost to the San Francisco Giants. Secondly it is devoted to the smearing and ripping of the most disgusting franchise in professional sports: The Los Angeles Dodgers.
This is the first contribution by TK, a new addition to the Dodgerhater staff.
When I first heard of the Freddy Sanchez for Tim Alderson trade I was absolutely infuriated. Why on earth are we trading away the #4 prospect in our organization-- a guy who Keith Law of ESPN recently rated as the #26 best prospect in baseball, for a player who is anything but the power bat our organization so desperately needs.
Sanchez is a guy everyone wanted, obviously a nice upgrade over Downs/Frandsen/Velez. He allows Uribe to return to his better suited utility position, but nonetheless, is a player who is tough to imagine as a true difference maker. Simply put, I felt betrayed.
At the beginning of the 2008 season, Giants Nation was disgusted with Sabean’s recent moves as a GM. The great majority wanted him out. Recently, Sabes has been regaining some of the cred that made him one of the league’s top GMs in the late 90s and early 2000s. Sabean’s recent drafts have restocked our farm system, and the free agent gems brought on board have solidified our pen (see: Affeldt, Jeremy; Medders, Brandon; Miller, Justin; Howry, Bobby). In additon, the Garko trade was a nice move as he is a right-handed power bat at a relatively cheap price (and a Stanford guy at that).
But of course, just as B-Sabes started gathering some goodwill – BOOM!!! A massive backhanded slap to the face!
I was suddenly rocked back into reality.
I mean this.
The Pittsburgh Pirates, the same team who traded us Rajai Davis for Matt Morris, while taking on all of Morris's salary, the same team who gave us Jason Schmidt for the immortal Ryan Vogelsong and Armando Rios somehow were able to get the better of the deal????
It was like we had been robbed by an old woman; our candy stolen by a baby.
All the way back to the Bonds signing, the Pirates have repeatedly been a source to supply our farm system. What gives?
In the words of Lee Corso, “Not so fast, my friends.”
Upon further review, I like this trade.
Sanchez, though only having 6 home runs on the season, does rank 5th in the NL in doubles, and carries a .296 average. This is a .296 average which is right on pace with his career .300 avg, not to mention that Sanchez was a former NL batting champ in 2006 (.344 avg.). He also carries a .776 OPS on the year, which ranks 3rd on the team behind Pandoval and the newly acquired Garks. He plays very solid defense, and my favorite, he loves to play the game and do the little things that it takes to win.
Krukow would say…
“Gamer.”
As for Alderson, he is indeed a 20-year-old in AA who is certainly holding his own with a 3.47 ERA in 72.2 innings. However, looking at the peripherals, opponents are hitting .272 on him over the season. Another subject of note is that one of his biggest compliments coming out of high school was that he was very polished. Of course meaning that it is not necessarily a surprise that he advanced quickly for a kid out of 12th grade.
Alderson has a plus curveball, but his fastball only tops off in the low 90s and he doesn’t have a changeup worth mentioning. With this in mind, I still fully expect him to make it to the big leagues and be a contributor. However, I see him more as a Mark Gardner than a Matt Cain, and this current Giants squad does not need a young Mark Gardner.
While some may argue that we could have gotten more for him in return, that is purely speculation. F-Sanch is of proven quality who will immediately help this squad this year and next-- possibly beyond. Too often do fans get overly obsessed with prospects and forget about what truly matters: winning at the big league level.
Could Alderson be the next Francisco Liriano or Joe Nathan? Sure.
But he could just as easily be the next Jesse Foppert, Kurt Ainsworth, Merkin Valdez, Nate Bump, Jason Grilli, David Aardsma, Damian Moss, etc. This is a chance of guaranteed improvement for our squad at a position of need with no clear replacement in sight while giving up a player who’s merely a projection.
Final analysis: This is a clear indication that the Sanchez trade is a win-win trade for both squads. The Giants get their hitter, while keeping their Big 3 intact (Bumgarner, Posey, Villalona). And, of course, the Pirates flip one of their best players into a quality prospect.
Alderson is not the player Giants fans wanted to give up. But I guess all we can say is that it’s just a shame Dave Littlefield isn’t around anymore.
Otherwise he might've taken Sadowski and Velez instead.
We just added a former NL Batting Champ to our lineup ('06, .344) to go along with our other Sanchez, who threw a no hitter. I like our Sanchezes. We good even call them the "Dirty Sanchezes". I could see Krukow calling them that on the air.
We did give up a lot though. One half of our "jailbait" duo of Tim Alderson and Madison Bumgarner went over in the deal. Obviously it was Alderson, who we Giants fans have been enamored with for a couple years now.
The truth is, you gotta give up something to get something, and this is a great move.
Sanchez has an option that vests next year if he reaches 600 plate appearances, which looks like it will probably happen. If for some unfortunate reason that it doesn't, I'd be shocked to see us not go after him as a free agent. We gave up Alderson after all. It is likely that we won't have to deal with that.
Anyway, the guy is a career .300 hitter and will certainly provide the stability at second base that we've been seeking all season long.
It also signals to fans that we are going for it this year. Sabean is doing very well by aggressively filling holes without giving up the farm. Naturally, time will tell how this goes, but Ryan Garko and Freddy Sanchez look like they'll be around here next year.
Bochy said during the press conference that Freddy would probably hit second in the lineup. It's difficult to say now how the lineup will shake out once Aaron Rowand and Nate Schierholtz come back... but I'd assume it would look like this:
CF Rowand 2B Sanchez 3B Panda, Kung Fu C Bengie Molina 1B Ryan Garko LF Winn RF Schierholtz SS Renteria P
But as we all know, it could be anything... Maybe Sanchez leads off and Rowand slides down to 6th or 7th. Maybe Winn and Sanchez hit at the top. We've seen so many different lineups this year that nothing would surprise me at this point.
Bochy will need to find a combo that works.
Regardless, we have a new catalyst up there that will get on base.
Also, don't underestimate the power of a change of scenery and culture. The Pirates play in a beautiful stadium, but that's about it. It's a depressing culture and a depressing scene over there. They haven't had a winning season since I was in like 2nd or 3rd grade, and despite the "dude-vorce" that just occurred (his best buddy Jack Wilson was shipped to Seattle), Sanchez will realize what it's like to play in a great baseball culture with fans that haven't been beaten into the ground for 20 years. I expect him to put on the type of post-trade hitting tear that Randy Winn did 2 years ago. Godspeed.
Notes:
Matt Cain threw a 9 inning shutout, but didn't get the win. What an absolute animal. Granted it was against a demoralized shell of a team, but he just keeps doing it week after week.
Two other great things: Randy Winn producing and A.U. Henio Velez doing anything. I've found that ripping A.U. out loud in front of the TV during his at bats really increases his production. He hit his home run when I yelled that he looked like an alien had sex with a gazelle. Give it a try.
Here's a "video" I found on Youtube of Freddy Sanchez. It's one of those gay slideshows, but it's well done and it's the best I could find of F-Sanch. It's a great pro-Pirates tune on here... it fires me up about our new acquisition, but it makes me feel bad for the Pirate fans. You see shots of Jason Bay and Xavier Nady... Jack Wilson, and every other decent player they've shipped out. No matter how bad it gets over here, at least you're not a Pirate fan. Click here if you're reading this on Facebook or an Email Newsfeed.
Also, farewell to Timmy Alderson. We hardly knew ye...
My buddy Spence and I were talking about how Sergio Romo went from lockdown to disaster in the span of a week. One of us called him a "two faced bitch." This inevitably led to a discussion of what kind of woman each Giants pitcher would be. No homo.
When you put it in these analytical terms, it makes more sense. I mean, what else do we Giants fans think about? Chicks and sports. Only if you're lucky do the two work seamlessly with each other. Anyway. Hope you get some laughs and insight into this.
Tim Lincecum
Timmy is the keeper of a lifetime. She's the girl that if you're lucky enough to convince her to dig you, you better not mess it up. She's sexy as hell, smart, laid back, will age well, and has enough of a wild streak to keep you begging for more without being a crazy ass bitch. (I'm picturing Katherine Heigl here). This is the one you need to marry. If you don't, you might see her going out with some douchebag from New York City or Boston someday, and you'll never forgive yourself as long as you live.
Matt Cain
Cain is the friend with benefits that wants to be more, but you just aren't sure. She's not unattractive by any means, and has even gotten better looking in recent years by dropping a few pounds. But no matter what she does, you're always going to see her more as a friend than a girlfriend. Plus her best friend is Tim Lincecum, and she'll never be able to top that.
Jonathan Sanchez
Wow! What a butterface! Sanchez is the girl that almost has it all. She's got a body to die for and a fun personality, but you have a hard time looking at her face. It usually takes a few vodka tonics to make you forget about her mug sometimes, and dimly lit bars or dark bedrooms are the best settings for her. Every now and then, she'll wear a trashy denim skirt and low cut tank top to a Kenny Chesney concert and you'll forget all about her facial shortcomings.
Randy Johnson
Randy Johnson is a cougar on the prowl. Man she was hot back when she was younger. Still, even at 45 years old, you'll see her hustling pool at the Silver Peso in Larkspur or the Viking in Novato, and think, man, for 45, she's still pretty hot and I'd still do her. Plus you've seen pictures of her back at 26, and it's like, "Damn... she was unbelievable." Ryan Sadowski
Ryan Sadowski is the goofy band camp geek from high school that you never talked to, but ran into at a party in college a few years later. She gets liquored up from 3 screwdrivers and some Natty Light out of the keg and admits she's had a crush on you since Freshman year. She's throws herself at you, and since you've been hitting the Beam and Diets all night, you can't help but do it. Then you feel horrible in the morning because you can't stand the sight of her and her clinginess and knew it was a huge mistake.
Barry Zito
Barry Zito is the girl you thought was Tim Lincecum. You thought she had all those qualities and you could spend the rest of your life with her. You have a child together, and you're doing great in your career, making 7 figures. Next thing you know, she starts drinking and stops caring. You become the bad guy for working so much, and inevitably an ugly divorce ensues. You want so badly never to see her again, but she takes all your money, and you have to keep things civil for the sake of your daughter. Next thing you know, after she's taken everything from you, and you think you're rid of her, she marries some famous guy from LA, gets 3 plastic surgery procedures, and looks better than ever in the tabloids on the arm of that jerk. She ruined everything.
Sergio Romo
Romo was smoking hot in her senior year of high school. She was a high 8 then, and everyone thought she'd only get better looking. Then you saw her next summer, and she'd put on 20 pounds in college and wore the same kinds of clothes that she did before. Smoking a pack of Marb Lights and drinking a fifth of vodka in a night is nothing for her. But would you still do her? Of course. Plus, once she gets her life back together and gets over the craziness of sorority life, she'll probably return to a level comparable to her original form.
Jeremy Affeldt
Affeldt is solid as a rock. She's definitely marriage material. Not too exciting or overly sexy, but is pretty and is generally even keel. She makes you better and doesn't have any negative qualities. Plus she's a lefty and a great mom.
Bobby Howry
Howry is a plain jane that had some good years in her prime. She's more personality than looks, but is so damn weird that no one wastes their time trying to figure her out. She's like an accountant or librarian that went downhill quickly after age 35 and will never recover. Probably an X-Files fan. Justin Miller
Justin Miller is the weird punk/hippie chick that you don't really know, but have met once or twice through friends. She's into a totally different scene than you, and some of the things you've heard her say are offensive and bizarre, but it's because she's so counter-cultural that you're intrigued. Yes, you've thought about it, but it'll never happen. YOU STILL WITH ME??
Brandon Medders
Medders is the country bumpkin from out yonder. You love her accent and the fact that she barrel races in rodeos and knows how to bass fish, but she's just not attractive enough for you to be interested in. Could she get the job done? Of course! What else is there to do in the sticks? But... ehh...
Bonus pitchers:
Madison Bumgarner & Tim Alderson
They are jailbait. Maybe 16 or 17 years old, maybe your buddy's little sister. They're drop dead gorgeous and definitely mature enough, but the law-abiding citizen in you says "NO!" and jumps into water at Ocean Beach. You feel weird for thinking about them, but then try to justify it because they're only thoughts. You promise yourself you'll test the waters around Christmas break in a year or two when you see them at a family friend's party.
Merkin Valdez
First of all, if you don't know what a "merkin" is. Click here. Hilarious.
Merkin Valdez is the foreign chick. Maybe she works at the Mexican restaurant, maybe she's a foreign exchange student. Either way she's got some hot Latina stuff going on that you're very intrigued by. She doesn't speak English, so you don't know how to hit on her, except she understands what you're getting at once you buy her a shot of tequila and lead her onto the dance floor. Obviously not girlfriend material, but exciting nonetheless.
Last but not least...
Brian Wilson
Brian Wilson is nuts. She is the craziest chick ever. She dyes her hair black and she's got blue eyes. She rides a Harley and loves to drink whiskey. She's got a tattoo that peeks out above her low-rise jeans and it wraps all the way around. You're dying to see it. She's Megan Fox.
"She's like a needle to a junkie, she's like whiskey to a drunk. Poker to a gambler, like a bullet in a gun... You can't quit her." -- Gary Allan
She's the crazy ass chick you can't keep up with but can't get enough of. It might be the death of you, but you can't quit her.
Hilarious stuff there. And no one is picturing the Giants as women... just an interesting take on it. Plus... tell me I'm not right! Can someone PLEASE get Bill Simmons to put this in his mailbag?? Haha. Later dudes.
First and foremost, I'd like to apologize for not making a post in a couple months. I had a good run going there and I let this slide. I promise not to let that happen again. This is a long one, but I have a lot to say. With that being said, our Gyros are sitting at 49-39 heading into the stretch run. We're all diehards, but you cannot in all good conscience tell me that you expected them to be this good this late in the season.
It is this remarkable turnaround that has us all flying high and expecting crazy things.
Crazy things like:
1) Giving the Los Angeles Assholes a run for their money in the NL West
2) Securing the Wild Card spot over a potential group of 7 decent teams (St. Louis, Milwaukee, Chicago, Colorado, Florida, New York)
3) A second consecutive Cy Young for Timmy Lincecum or even a first Cy Young for Matt Cain.
4) Calling up one of our super prospects earlier than September
5) Going for it by making a deal to secure another bat or even the unthinkable-- another "A" list starting pitcher.
We'll get back to all of this later... Right now, let's talk about what went right in the first 88 games of the year. 1) Starting Pitching
Timmy Ballgame is enjoying another Cy Young/All-Star season. He's tied with the resurgent Justin Verlander for the ML lead with 149 K's. He's 2nd in ERA at 2.33. He's got 10 wins. Beast.
The best story thus far has to be Matt Cain, who also has 10 wins.
After years of growing pains, mind-bogglingly heinous run support, and some inconsistency, Matt Cain has had the type of first half befitting of any team's #1 starter-- let alone a #2.
What do the following names have in common? CC Sabathia, AJ Burnett, Cole Hamels, Carlos Zambrano, Daisuke Matsuzaka?
They all suck compared to Tennessee Thunder Cain halfway through the season.
Seriously. And a serious bargain as well.
Consider this table and just look at what each pitcher earned for each first half win:
What Cain and Lincecum are doing is just remarkable. Hell, even Tim McCarver's Cream of Wheat brain has put this together.
The angle that no one has been talking about in regards to Cain is his new and improved physique and endurance. Cain hit the weights hard in the offseason, and most likely changed his diet in a serious way. He's a good 10-15 pounds lighter this season and you can tell by looking at him that he's stronger in his upper body. This, along with some run support and his new badass mentality has really given us a helluva ballplayer-- someone who has re-established himself as an "untouchable" commodity in the organization.
2) Pablo Sandoval
The Kung Fu Pandoval phenomenon is in full swing. Even the East Coast-centric ESPN jerks are into the Panda. It's just a goddamn shame that he wasn't invited to the all-star game.
After a bit of a slow start, Pablito has truly hit his stride. How a guy playing 3 positions with a 15/55/.333 stat line doesn't get an all-star berth is simply baffling. Unfortunately he just doesn't have the name recognition yet.
But here, this is not an issue. We have people showing up to games in full panda suits and putting on panda masks during his AB's. Pablo is the coolest guy around, and truly rivals Timmy Ballgame as the Giants' most popular player.
As Krukow would say, "The guy was born to hit."
3) The Bullpen
What was a disaster last season is now a strength.
When the two worst ERA's in the 'Pen belong to Brian Wilson (3.66 ERA, 23 SV, 10.30 K/9) and Merkin Valdez (4.97 ERA, 0 ER & 7 K's in last 7 appearances), you don't have much to complain about.
Surely Brian Wilson drives us nuts and has blown some saves in ugly fashions (ahem... Milwaukee), and Bobby Howry has been a disappointment at times, but other than that, we've got some seriously solid arms in there.
The best of which has been 8th inning beast Jeremy Affeldt.
The 30 year old southpaw has had an all-star caliber season thus far notching extreme stats in the process:
34 IP, 19 Holds, 1.32 ERA, 8.21 K/9, and he currently has a 23 game scoreless streak going right now. He's an absolute bargain at $3.5 million and has been nothing short of incredible.
I see a lot of promise in Sergio Romo as well.
4) Aaron Rowand's resurgence
Ever since Bruce Bochy became desperate and plugged A-Row into the leadoff spot, we've seen a payoff for Rowand's huge payday.
No one really knows why Rowand hitting leadoff has clicked, but it must have something to do with the constant diet of fastballs he's feasting on.
Whatever it is, he's hovering around .300 and is no longer the whipping boy he once was. That of course is still Zito.
Issues for the second half:
1) Get Bengie Molina back on track
Bengie has been really hacking up there-- I mean swinging at balls a foot off the plate. He's not right mentally. He is still very upset about losing his father and is not happy that he hasn't been offered an extension by the Giants. He feels a little under appreciated, and is trying too hard and thinking too much. However, check this out little bit of "Fitz & Brooks-esque mojo" action.
Bengie missed Jonathan Sanchez's miraculous no-no because of the birth of his daughter. This, combined with a couple of days "off" recently (as if he got any rest with that crying baby), as well as signs of life heading into the break, leads me to believe that Bengie may make a comeback as the reliable power source he was earlier in the year.
2) Settle the rotation
What is the extent of Randy Johnson's injury? Will he be back as soon as planned? If he does come back, what do we do with Sanchez and Ryan Sadowski? And Zito? Despite Sanchez's no-hitter, I can't say he's a shoo-in for a starting spot, although he's certainly bought himself some more time.
The Big Sadowski has been pretty damn good, but will the magic end for the goofy Floridian?
3) What kind of move to we need to make? Who's out there?
We've heard a lot of rumors out there. Some are legitimate, some are not. With the blogosphere/talk radio/ESPN cycle going 24/7, random crap gets thrown out there constantly. I of course, am contributing to this phenomenon.
We all know the Giants need power, we've spoken and heard about this ad nauseum. There are very few guys out there that can supply that at a price that doesn't include our sacred gems of Buster Posey, Madison Bumgarner, and Matt Cain.
Let's be real here, this is a core of players that is going to be together for awhile. The future is bright.
Do you really want to trade Tim Alderson, Jonathan Sanchez, and a third minor leaguer for a slumping, Boras-represented, expiring contract, good-as-gone guy like Matt Holliday?
Absolutely not. He is one of the few impact bats out there, but his price is too hefty and his returns are not guaranteed.
The other rumor out there right now is the Giants going after Roy Halladay.
Huh?
Look, it isn't as crazy as it sounds. The price will be extremely steep, as it should be, and pitching is not of great need. However, there are only a handful of teams with minor league systems deep enough to make a legitimate trade offer to the Blue Jays.
It would take Sanchez. It would include either Bumgarner or Buster Posey in all actuality. That sucks. It really would suck.
However, the playoffs are built for disgusting pitching staffs like this fictitious one we're talking about here. Tim Lincecum, Roy Halladay, and Matt Cain is the closest thing to the holy trinity that could ever wear the same uniform.
Tell me who could compete with that. The Dodgers? The Cardinals? Phillies? Mets? Brewers? Rockies? Red Sox? Yankees? Rays? Rangers? Angels? Tigers? White Sox?
No one.
Halladay is signed for another year after this one, and will be nearly 34 when he becomes a free agent. But, he's also a future hall-of-famer.
We are all enamored with the modern day legends of Angel Villalona, Bumgarner, Posey, and Alderson, but I really think we should be living in the here and now. We could win it all... NOW.
Our system is deep.
Hypothetically, let's say we give up Madison Bumgarner and Conor Gillaspie and a third near major leaguer like Manny Burriss for Roy Halladay.
We have our holy trinity until the spring of 2011, plus Tim Alderson (a Matt Cain type pitcher) ready to break into the rotation, Jonathan Sanchez, and presumably a serviceable 10 win-capable Barry Zito.
We'll have Buster Posey ready to rock, the powerful Angel Villalona and Roger Kieschnick still in the system, and 3, count 'em 3 solid middle infielding prospects in Brandon Crawford, Nick Noonan, and Ehidre Adrianza. One of which, presumably the UCLA-groomed Crawford, will be major league ready by 2011 right when Edgar Renteria's contract is up.
So the Halladay for Bumgarner deal would not be the end of the world-- it would be the beginning of something incredible. And remember, the goal is to win a World Series. Look where Billy Beane has gotten thinking this way-- constantly looking towards the future and a bunch of unproven prospects. Why not us? Why not now?
More realistically though, Brian Sabean will play it safe, and keep our entire future intact.
Consider the following needs:
A reliable second baseman who can hit.
A reliable corner infielder who can hit.
A reliable corner outfielder who can hit.
Then, consider the following players available: Freddy Sanchez (2B, PIT), Austin Kearns (RF, WAS), Josh Willingham (LF, WAS), Nick Johnson (1B, WAS), Elijah Dukes (OF, WAS), Brian Roberts (2B, BAL), Aubrey Huff (1B, BAL), Luke Scott (LF, BAL), Mark Teahen (Util, KC).
These guys are all gettable, trust me.
How about this scenario:
Jonathan Sanchez, Nick Noonan/Brandon Crawford, and 10th rated prospect LHP Scott Barnes for Brian Roberts and Aubrey Huff. I do that in a second. Roberts is signed through 2013 and would be a great fit. Aubrey Huff can play 1B or 3B, and has a 11/56/.260 season going, in addition to an expiring contract. Would you deal Sanchez and Crawford for Brian Roberts and Huff? I would. In a second.
The holes have miraculously been filled!
2B Brian Roberts CF Aaron Rowand 3B Pablo Sandoval 1B Aubrey Huff C Bengie Molina RF Nate Schierholtz SS Edgar Renteria LF Randy Winn
The Blue Jays have 2 horrendous contracts and must unload one. Their names are Alex Rios and Vernon Wells.
Both can play center or left, and both are extremely talented, under performing players.
To rid themselves of one of these players, the Blue Jays would theoretically take Zito off our hands, if we ate some of his deal.
Hmmm.... interesting. Zito is owed basically $94 million through the remainder of his contract ($83 million when he's bought out- which he will be).
Vernon Wells is owed $98.5 million over the next 5 years.
It's almost an exact match of salaries. But, to make Toronto give up the clearly superior player, we will have to sweeten the deal, by eating some of Zito's contract, and/or throwing in another player like Gillaspie.
Let's say the Giants eat $20 million of Zito's deal. That would then make Toronto responsible for $63 mil ($83-20), as opposed to the $99 still owed to Wells.
Despite Wells' poor performance, he still provides a much better option than Randy Winn or Fred Lewis in left and is not nearly the lost cause that many think Zito has become. The Zito signing was a disaster, and as Tim Kawakami writes, it's time to move on, at nearly any cost.
Whew. There we go. More to come.
Oh yeah... we haven't done this in a while:
DODGER DOUCHEBAG OF THE WEEK:
Matt Kemp
According to multiple sources, Dodgers OF Matt Kemp was "...so drunk at the ESPYs that at one point during the evening, he stumbled and fell.
Even worse, in the process of falling, he grabbed a woman’s (who appeared to be his date) dress and completely pulled down her top. When those on the scene first attended to the prone Kemp, the woman shrieked, “What about me?!”"
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