Oh, the winter doldrums!!!

This .gif more than adequately illustrates why baseball is the greatest, fairest game in the world.

Because the minute you allow your concentration to be split between the task at hand of helping your base-runner and your spring training dream of a post-game hook-up with the ceremonial Hooters ball girl tanning her legs down the third base line....Well, shucks I don't care how many people yell "Ball, Ball, Ball!!" or how how loud they yell it, your package is going to get lit up.

And deservedly so.

It's OK, dear. They can't see you now. The focus is on the glove.

Keep your head in the game fellas.

We could see the first right turn by a base-runner rounding third-base in the history of baseball next spring training if this keeps up.

Pitchers and Catchers Report in a mere 46 days ( Rays P&C's report Feb 14, 2014).
http://www.springtrainingonline.com/reporting-dates/

When it's consistently below zero in Chicago -- and has been for what seems like the last month -- this is the kind of blog post you're likely to get.

A bunch of players were claimed off waivers today | HardballTalk

Soooo.....we lose Surkamp to make room on the roster for Morse, when we still have Brett Pill on the roster, even though we've sold his contract to a Korean team? It's good to be the Giants GM!! The White Sox seem to be more enamored with Giants spare parts than the Giants have been of late. Surkamp joins Conor Gillaspie at the Second Chance Saloon that is the South Side of Chicago. It beats getting shipped off to Korea......maybe.....Do they have a Hawk Harrelson equivalent in Korea? That would be sweet.

from Hardball Talk:
A bunch of players were claimed off waivers today | HardballTalk:

The White Sox claimed left-hander Eric Surkamp off waivers from the Giants

Surkamp was hit hard in his lone start with the Giants this season, but he had a 2.80 ERA and 71/23 K/BB ratio in 86 2/3 innings over 16 starts between High-A San Jose and Triple-A Fresno. This was his first year back from Tommy John surgery. He’s not a hard-thrower, usually sitting in the 85-89 mph range, but has averaged 10.0 K/9 and 2.5 BB/9 in the minors.

'via Blog this'

Giants DFA Surkamp, officially add Morse and Vogelsong to 40-man roster | Giants Extra

Giants are taking a risk exposing Surkamp like this, maybe they wrangle some spare balls and bats for him in trade, but......It seems like the Giants rushed him back a bit from Tommy John surgery, but who knows? He's worth the risk from the left side as a starter, but at the bottom half of the rotation at best.

Giants DFA Surkamp, officially add Morse and Vogelsong to 40-man roster | Giants Extra:

The 40-man roster is back at 40. The Giants added Michael Morse and Ryan Vogelsong to the 40-man roster yesterday, and left-hander Eric Surkamp was designated for assignment. Surkamp, 26, spent most of the past two seasons recovering from Tommy John surgery. He was roughed up in one big league appearance last season, but pitched well in the minors. Surkamp had a 2.93 ERA in five starts for the San Jose Giants and a 2.78 ERA in 11 starts for Triple-A Fresno.

Given Surkamp’s recent injury history and the fact that most big league rosters are just about full this time of year, the odds would seem to be pretty good that Surkamp will be back with the organization. If not, the Giants are counting on Yusmeiro Petit and Edwin Escobar to be the next guys up if they need rotation help.

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Giants find their left fielder, agree to terms with Morse | Giants Extra

He's not going to be Choo-Choo or Granderson, but they were a tad pricey. He might not have been what Giants fans wanted in Cory Hart, but I like our chances if the benches clear by adding Morse at 6-5, 245. If he hits in the 5-6 area most of the season, it's a success, if he drops to 7th or 8th.....

from Giants Extra:
Giants find their left fielder, agree to terms with Morse | Giants Extra:

While Morse brings significant pop, there’s also a strong injury risk; he has played more than 102 games just once and dealt with a strained quad last season. In October, Morse had surgery on his left wrist. Still, one industry insider said Wednesday that he felt Morse should be the guy for the Giants, saying the club needed to swing for the fences.

         “He’ll either miss most the season or hit 28 homers,” the source said. “But he’s definitely worth the                  risk.”

The Giants have now spent $171 million to bring back Hunter Pence, Tim Lincecum, Javier Lopez and Ryan Vogelsong, and add Morse and Tim Hudson.

...

Morse, 31, is coming off a down year with the Baltimore Orioles and Seattle Mariners. He hit just .215 in 88 games, with a .270 on-base percentage and 13 homers. The Giants are hopeful that Morse can find the 31-homer form he showed for the Washington Nationals in 2011 and the power that the lineup is sorely missing. The Giants finished 29th in the majors with just 107 homers a year ago, and had been looking at a platoon of Gregor Blanco and Juan Perez, two hitters known more for their defense.

In parts of nine big league seasons, Morse is hitting .281 with 83 homers and a .334 OBP.

Morse, who hits from the right side, is listed at 6-foot-5 and 245 pounds, and will fit the Pat Burrell mold the Giants used so successfully in 2010. While the Giants prefer sound defensive players, manager Bruce Bochy often pointed out last season that the club had for years gotten by with poor defenders in left field. In close games, he’ll have the option of removing Morse early, with both Gregor Blanco and Juan Perez expected to be on the bench.

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David Ortiz says New York Yankees lost 'face of ballclub' in Robinson Cano - ESPN Boston

How can Cano be the "face of the team" when according to this survey to determine the face of baseball:
http://espn.go.com/mlb/photos/gallery/_/id/9663156/image/1/1-alex-rodriguez-yankees-22-percent-face-baseball Cano doesn't even make an appearance, and finishes behind fellow Yankees Derek Jeter and Alex Rdoriguez?

He would probably be in the mix somewhere with Curtis Granderson and Mark Texeira however. And we're not even considering recently retired Mariano Rivera for today's "face of the team" purposes.

from ESPN Boston:
David Ortiz says New York Yankees lost 'face of ballclub' in Robinson Cano - ESPN Boston:

David Ortiz says he thinks his Boston Red Sox will benefit from Robinson Cano joining the Seattle Mariners, calling it "great news for us" but a blow to the rival New York Yankees.

Ortiz, speaking in an interview with WEEI Radio in Boston, said the Yankees lost "the face" of the team when they failed to re-sign the free agent second baseman, who has reportedly agreed to a 10-year, $240 million contract with Seattle.

'via Blog this'

Great player? Yes.
Key asset lost? Yes.
Face of the team? No.

Unless Jeter retires and Rodriguez is somehow dismissed from the ball club, Cano would not be considered for the face of the Yankees. Even then, there would probably have to be some sort of DWTS type competition among the talk-show pundits for about a week or so to determine the "new" face of the Yankees.

Maybe now we know why Cano left the Yankees. He will now become the face of the Mariners and be paid quite handsomely for the burden / privilege. They Yankees certainly lost "a face" of the team, but hardly "the face" of the team.

Orioles Sign Francisco Peguero: MLB Rumors - MLBTradeRumors.com

The Orioles showed interest earlier and just waited for the Giants to make a move so they could get him without losing a potential prospect of equal or lesser value. Agree with Orioles GM Dan Duquette that Francisco needs more of an opportunity than the Giants seemed to be willing to give him. But given the lack of plate discipline -- combined with the absence of similar power numbers that Panda produces -- it is really hard to fault the Giants for giving up on Pegeuro.

from MLBTradeRumors.com:
Orioles Sign Francisco Peguero: MLB Rumors - MLBTradeRumors.com:

Rosquete and Vallin did a nice job securing a Major League deal for their client given his scant MLB experience.  The Orioles have been aggressive in securing players of this nature, having also given MLB deals to Kelvin De La Cruz and Edgmer Escalona. Indeed, Baltimore could be a nice landing spot for Peguero. As Kubatko reports, executive vice president Dan Duquette said that Peguero has big league talent. "He just needs an opportunity," said Duquette. "I'm glad we could add him to the organization."

Prior to the 2013 season, Baseball America ranked Peguero eighth among Giants prospects, noting that he had perhaps the best combination of power and speed in the Giants' system. BA called Peguero a "hyper-aggressive" hitter, likening his approach to that of his now-former teammate, Pablo Sandoval. BA also noted that he has the tools to profile as a regular in the Majors if he can improve his recognition of the strike zone.

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:
 Except that.......hmmm let's think about this for a moment.

Pegeuro could develop into a 50+ SB guy, but he doesn't seem like he will develop into anything more than a 15-20 HR guy under a best case scenario. The low-OBA, high K numbers that his lack of plate discipline produces will actually inhibit him from developing his top tool, which is speed.  It will also tend to keep him away from the top of the lineup, further retarding the development of his key asset. Pegeuro seems trapped between deciding whether he wants to be a power guy or a speed guy. Once he decides where his bread is buttered, he should speed up his developmental process.

This is something the Giants organizational developmental staff -- if they even have any on the hitting side -- should have been working with him on. Maybe much like Belt's knuckles, this was missed as well. I'm beginning to believe that there may not be an organization in baseball that does as good a job at developing quality pitchers, while simultaneously doing such an inept job of developing major league ready, quality hitters.

I mean, we let Belt go about his business with his knuckles blissfully out of alignment until he hits a speed bump that almost runs him out of SF. These hitting prospects must go through the organization thinking this is the Giants theme song or organizational philosophy or IDK what?

U2 - I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For

It's a really good tune, but it's a really bad organizational philosophy. It projects a certain feeling of lost-ness or helplessness or something. See what I mean, I can't even think straight to write about it?

I mean, we let Pegeuro wander through the minor league chain contemplating his navel like some sort of Buddhist monk of a  prospect wondering "what am I, who am I, what is my purpose here in this organization?" Until he finally gets run out of said organization, after never finding the answers he so desperately and fervently seeks in order to find his place in said organization.

Isn't that the job of a player development staff, to develop a player? It seems like our staff just winds 'em up, tosses 'em out there and lets 'em try to figure things out for themselves. Which kind of begs the question, "Why do we need a player development staff in the first place?"  

Holy Hot Hanna!!!  Get Sabs back on the line!!!

Hello, Slav? Didn't you just tell me I was doing  a good job?

Hey, Sabs. Lemme ask you something. Exactly what kind of  a slipshod organization are we running here? Letting these prospects like Pegeuro wander through the wilderness without any guidance? Can we get some hitting coaches that can teach hitting better so we can develop hitter into something more than 5-25-.235 type hitters before they get released and go onto other organizations?

Please, just once? Maybe you can ask Santa to put some hitting coaches under the Christmas tree for the organization? That would be nice. Thanks, Sabs. And hey, I'm not asking for me, it's for these kids who you guys keep grinding through the organization like some really bad meat processor. You know how that turns out.  A lot of crushed dreams and some really, really bad meat.

Anyway, Thanks Sabs. I don't want to take up anymore of your time, I'll let you get back to your Christmas shopping and family and junk. Happy Holidays, Sabs.

Giants shopping spree leaves angst under fans Christmas tree

If this is the extent of the Giants free-agent / roster re-shuffling then I'm going on record right now saying Sabean has done a pretty good job. Some fans and bloggers are bemoaning the lack of a quality hitter in LF to replace the ghost of Barry Bonds. Some fans and bloggers feel that the Gians have virtually resigned themselves to also-ran status before the season even begins.

I am not one of them. This team will compete.

from SF Giant Rumors:
San Francisco Giants Baseball (SF Giants Rumors) | All the latest San Francisco Giants Rumors!:

"John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle shares some insights that he gathered from a conference call with Sabean. You know that deep dark hole in left field? Well, it doesn’t seem like it will be filled anytime soon.

“We’re open-minded, but I’m not optimistic it’s going to be a big piece or anything earth-shattering,” said Sabean.

They’ve ruled out outfielders Shin-Soo Choo and Carlos Beltran since they’ve spent substantially on their own free agents this offseason.

Hunter Pence (5 yrs, $90 million)
Tim Lincecum (2 yrs, $35 million)
Javier Lopez (3 yrs, $13 million)
Ryan Vogelsong (1 yr, $5 million/plus incentives)

Free Agent Signing
Tim Hudson (2 yrs, $23 million)

Sabean also closed the door on moving Brandon Belt to left field. That’s a good call, because Belt could be a future Gold Glove winner at first base. Let’s hope 2014 is the year he brings that hardware home!

“He’s not going to play another position other than first base,” said Sabean."

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Good job Sabs!!!

Mike Trout at any age - Beyond the Box Score

Trout is taking out chunks of the early part of the "best player by age" list shown below. As a young phenom, this should place him slightly ahead of the more highly touted "Chosen One" of baseball, Bryce Harper.

Let's see how both players negotiate the middle and top end of this list.

Mike Trout at any age - Beyond the Box Score:

This is an impressive list for two reasons. First, no one on this list other than Appling and Fisk at the very end are anything short of inner circle Hall of Famers. This is a list of some of the best position players in baseball history. Even if Trout isn't going to catch Ruth on the all-time list, he's already made his mark. Second, Babe Ruth is on this list seven times. That seemed worthy of recognition.

Trout should have a few chances to add to his two "best at age" seasons, especially with the Williams seasons in the 11-12 WAR range coming up next. But even if he doesn't, he's already in great company.

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Age	Player	fWAR
20	Trout	10.0
21	Trout	10.4
22	Williams	11.0
23	Williams	11.6
24	Gehrig	12.5
25	Ruth	13.3
26	Ruth	13.9
27	Williams	11.8
28	Ruth	15.0
29	Ruth	12.5
30	Cobb	11.5
31	Ruth	12.0
32	Ruth	13.0
33	Hornsby	11.1
34	Wagner	11.8
35	Ruth	10.5
36	Bonds	12.5
37	Bonds	12.4
38	Bonds	10.1
39	Bonds	11.7
40	Mays	5.9
41	Wagner	5.5
42	Appling	5.2
43	Fisk	2.2

Giants considering futures of Johnny Monell, Francisco Peguero - MLB Daily Dish

If the Giants thought Belt's grip was bad, have they taken a good look at this one? It just looks awkward. Do we even have hitting coaches in this organization?

The Giants appear to have a plethora of backup catchers in the organization and Andrew Susac seems like the "catcher most likely to move Buster Posey to 1B", so Monell simply gets crowded out. Pegeuro may develop into a useful backup OF with some speed, but again he simply gets lost in a mix of guys who seem just good enough to impress for a week or so, but not long-term.

from MLB Daily Dish:
Giants considering futures of Johnny Monell, Francisco Peguero - MLB Daily Dish:

To make room for newly-added pitchers Erik Cordier and Jose De Paula, the San Francisco Giants designated catcher Johnny Monell and outfielder Francisco Peguero for assignment. The team has ten days to either trade, waive or release the two players, and sources have indicated that each should find a new home soon.

'via Blog this'

In the upcoming Rule 5 Draft, the Giants are protecting their favorites and leaving the rest to dangle. I can't see them losing a bat, although maybe somebody takes a flyer on a Jarrett Parker. Maybe a pitcher who needs a change of scenery will get plucked from the organization, but the Giants seem to have arms a plenty, especially at the A level.

from Baseball America:
http://www.baseballamerica.com/majors/watch-list-for-rule-5-protection/

San Francisco Giants (37)Likely Protections: OF Gary Brown.
Possible Protections: 3B Adam Duvall.

Brown has been a little disappointing as he has reached higher levels, but speed and defense make players like him attractive, especially when you consider that he’d be playing for the major league minimum salary while providing 80-grade speed. Duvall isn’t great at third base, but he has legitimate power potential and he draws a few walks.

Giants, Ryan Vogelsong nearing one-year agreement | SFGiants.com: News

Good news on the roster front. Vogelsong's return was preferred over Bronson Arroyo's addition, although Arroyo may seem as if he has more left in the tank. It's a one-year deal, likely the deal is laden with incentives for Vogie so it's a win-win.

from mlb.com
Giants, Ryan Vogelsong nearing one-year agreement | SFGiants.com: News:

SAN FRANCISCO -- Momentum appears to be carrying right-hander Ryan Vogelsong toward a one-year agreement with the Giants, industry sources said late Wednesday and early Thursday.

The Giants have not commented on any negotiations with Vogelsong.

Vogelsong, who was cast into free agency when the Giants declined his $6.5 million contract option for 2014, was known to have drawn interest from a number of teams, including Atlanta, Philadelphia and Texas. The Phillies might have seemed particularly intriguing to Vogelsong, who lives approximately 30 miles from Philadelphia. But he's repeated since late last season that he would prefer to remain with San Francisco.

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Javier Lopez, Giants finalize three-year deal | Giants Extra

When you can carve up great left-handed hitter like Votto like this, perhaps 3 years at $13 million is a relative bargain. Good to see Javy back .

from Giants Extra:
Javier Lopez, Giants finalize three-year deal | Giants Extra:

Acquired at the deadline in 2010, Lopez has a 2.26 ERA in four seasons with the Giants. Last season, Lopez made 69 appearances and had a 1.83 ERA, the lowest full-season mark of his career. In 236 appearances for the Giants, he has given up just two home runs.

“He’s so reliable,” manager Bruce Bochy said in September. “What I love about him is he’s so well prepared and so professional about how he goes about his business.”

The Giants have now spent $161 million on four players — Lopez, Pence, Lincecum and Tim Hudson.

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Giants protect Gary Brown, three others from Rule 5 draft | CSN Bay Area

Not much to see on the roster protection moves as all of the guys mentioned are at least a year or two away from being contributors. Brown needs a big year in 2014 to validate this move.

Finalize Javy and re-sign Vogie over Arroyo. I thought Hudson was instead of Arroyo not in addition to Arroyo. Something about Arroyo's incessant campaigning to be in SF is a turn-off for me. Like he wants to be mayor of SF on the side or something. It's a bit creepy, stalker-like creepy.

Bring back Vogie!!!

from CSN Bay Area:
Giants protect Gary Brown, three others from Rule 5 draft | CSN Bay Area:

SAN FRANCISCO – Two disappointing seasons might have stripped Gary Brown of the “center fielder of the future” label. But the Giants aren’t ready to just give him away.

The club added Brown to the 40-man roster on Wednesday, the final opportunity to add players to protect them from being snapped up in the Rule 5 draft next month. They also added right-hander Kendry Flores, third baseman Adam Duvall and right-handed reliever Hunter Stickland.

Right-hander Guillermo Moscoso was designated for assignment.

The moves leave the Giants full at 40, so they’ll need to subtract someone else when they finalize Javier Lopez’s contract. And they’ll obviously need to clear more space when they sign a fifth starter, whether it’s Ryan Vogelsong or Bronson Arroyo or someone else.

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Jason Pierre-Paul of New York Giants -- Blood will be spilled vs. Dallas Cowboys - ESPN New York

Really?!?!

"We're going to put it on them, man. I'm pretty sure.......?!?!?

I like JPP, but seriously Dude ?!?

First off, talking trash when you're 4-6 is somehow inherently stupid.

Secondly, I don't think Ali would have been Ali, if he had blathered

"I AM THE GREATEST!! I AM PRETTY SURE ABOUT THAT...."

from ESPN New York:
Jason Pierre-Paul of New York Giants -- Blood will be spilled vs. Dallas Cowboys - ESPN New York:

"We're going to put it on them, man," Pierre-Paul said after the Giants' 27-13 victory over the Green Bay Packers, in which he returned an interception 24 yards for a touchdown. "I'm pretty sure the offense is going to get going. The defense is going to get going even more. And the special teams will contribute to it.

"It's going to be a fight. It's going to be a dogfight. There's going to be a lot of blood spilled out there."

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Oh, OK my bad. Maybe you are supposed to talk trash before you're sure certain about the trash you're spewing. Hey, WDIK????

I guess some version of the following is my fall back response to all this nonsense -- a quote attributed to Mark Twain and Abraham Lincoln among others -- but as we see below, its wisdom is as old and authoritative as the Bible in some fashion.

from the quoteinvestigator.com:
http://quoteinvestigator.com/2010/05/17/remain-silent/

Quote Investigator: There is a biblical proverb that expresses a similar idea, namely Proverbs 17:28. Here is the New International Version followed by the King James Version of this verse: 1

Even a fool is thought wise if he keeps silent, and discerning if he holds his tongue.

Even a fool, when he holdeth his peace, is counted wise: and he that shutteth his lips is esteemed a man of understanding.

HOW ABOUT THAT?!?!? 

Seriously JPP, just shut up and play!!! You guys are 4-6 and not that far removed from 0-6. It's enough fun for the Cowboys beating the Giants -- and vice-versa -- without adding the fuel of shoving your words right back down your pie hole to the fire of this rivalry.

San Francisco Giants closing in on deal with Tim Hudson - ESPN

If the choice is Hudson or Arroyo, put me down for Hudson. The Giants will lead the league in short RHP's for the next two years, but that's OK. Both are dogged competitors with some gas left in the tank .

Good news.

from ESPN:
San Francisco Giants closing in on deal with Tim Hudson - ESPN:

"The Giants could also fill their final rotation spot with Bronson Arroyo. Arroyo is also talking with the Twins, among others.

Hudson spent his first six major league seasons with the A's, who selected him in the sixth round of the 1997 amateur draft out of Auburn.

Oakland traded Hudson to the Braves in December 2004 and he pitched nine seasons in Atlanta. The three-time All-Star earned NL Comeback Player of the Year honors in 2010 after he returned from elbow ligament replacement surgery to go 17-9 with a 2.83 ERA. He had back surgery for a herniated disk in November 2011."

'via Blog this'

BREAKING: Lincecum signs two-year deal with Giants (updated) | Giants Extra

I'm not sure about the part about being the most recognizable pitcher in franchise history (Marichal was pretty good), but I'm glad The Freak is back. I still believe he can make a successful transition from power pitcher to finesse pitcher and have many more productive years. A two year deal guarantees a motivated Timmy, he'll be pitching for that blockbuster deal down the road. He's piecing it together in two year increments, so he has to be very confident in both his health and his productivity.

from  Giants Extra:
BREAKING: Lincecum signs two-year deal with Giants (updated) | Giants Extra:

The most recognizable pitcher in franchise history will be a Giant for at least two more seasons.

The Giants and right-hander Tim Lincecum agreed to a two-year, $35 million deal Tuesday, pending a physical. Lincecum, a two-time Cy Young Award winner, was days away from becoming a free agent for the first time.

Drafted 10th overall in 2006, Lincecum is 89-70 in seven seasons with the Giants with a 3.46 ERA. He was 10-14 last season with a 4.37 ERA and threw his first career no-hitter. Lincecum’s velocity has dipped in recent years and there were questions about his ability to remain a starting pitcher. But Lincecum, 29, adjusted his routine last season, spending more time studying hitters and setting them up.

'via Blog this'

Report: Lincecum to Test Free Agency Market

When they seem to speak in the past tense, that can't be good for the odds of a return to SF for Timmy.
So, no Zito, no Vogelsong, no Lincecum would mean a 3/5 change in the starting staff in one year. That is quite an overhaul. It would as if you got rid of 5 of the 8 bats in the starting lineup.

Heeeeeey wait a minute........

Lincecum: 'It's been a really special time here for me'

Report: Lincecum to Test Free Agency Market:

The Giants have presented a two-year structure to Lincecum but talks haven’t progressed; assuming nothing gets done before the end of the World Series, the Giants plans to make him a qualifying offer (one year, almost $14 million) that would set them up to receive draft-pick compensation if he signs elsewhere.

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The Barry Zito Goodbye Report

Agreed. Classy, classy move. Sometimes value is measured in ways that don't lend themselves to measurement. And sometimes it's about more than wins and losses. It has to be.

from billy-ball.com:
The Barry Zito Goodbye Report:

.....Barry Zito said goodbye to San Francisco in a full-page ad.

Class act.

'via Blog this'

Exit Zito

It didn't have all the glitz and glamour of Mariano Rivera's exit, but this was just as moving a ceremony for Giants fans, for different reasons. A lot of bumps and bruises on the way to this send off. A great way to say good bye to a guy who has exhibited a huge amount of grace under pressure. The fans recognized it and made their feelings known.

from Giants Extra:
Zito: “Having that way of going out as a Giant? Wow.” | Giants Extra:

Four days after earning a win in his final start for the organization, Zito was in standby mode as manager Bruce Bochy looked for the right opportunity to let Zito get a proper goodbye from Giants fans. Bochy pulled Zito for a pinch-hitter on Wednesday, but he cooked up a brilliant plan Sunday. Zito was on hold to face left-hander Mark Kotsay, a former A’s teammate who was playing his final big league game.

“If that didn’t work out, I would find a way,” Bochy said. “I wanted to give him the great sendoff he deserves.”

'via Blog this'

Sabean: “The window with the group at hand has closed.” | Giants Extra

Brian Sabean states the obvious in his "State of the Giants" speech. I think a lot of Giants heard that window slam shut fairly early in this season. Surprising to hear that Vogelsong is on the edge of not being back with the Giants and, along with the other more prominent potential non-returnees, Vogelsong's exit would be a shame as well.

Changing three-fifths of the starting rotation will change the look and feel of this team. Petit closed with a clunker, but he still should be pencilled in as the fifth starter right now.


from Giants Extra:
Sabean: “The window with the group at hand has closed.” | Giants Extra:

“I think it’s pretty simple,” Sabean said. “We didn’t have enough depth. Last year, we seemingly were able to overcome injuries and lack of performance. We didn’t’ do that this year and we didn’t get any kind of life raft from the minor leagues, whether that was a fifth starter or what we went through in center and left. Lack of depth became an issue.”

“The window with the group at hand has closed,” Sabean said. “We’ve got to create a new window immediately. That’s the task at hand.”

'via Blog this'

The Voglesong issue.


from mercurynews.com
http://blogs.mercurynews.com/giants/2013/09/27/sabeans-year-in-review-part-ii-on-vogelsongs-option-kyle-crick-the-international-market-and-busters-position/

Will you pick up Vogelsong’s option? “It’s still in discussion. Our goal, with or without Ryan – and he’s certainly going to get every benefit of the doubt – we need to improve strength of pitching staff. We’re behind the Dodgers with the rotation and we’re behind the other four playoff teams, in my estimation. We’ve got to get back to having a stronger starting staff. The numbers show that. It wasn’t a good year as far as consistency and performance.

Could they decline option and then offer a new deal? “Anything is possible. We like Ryan and what we’re hoping is that there’s a place for him on next year’s roster, but we’re juggling a lot of balls right now and I think he realizes that.”

Dissecting the pitching mechanics of "The Freak"

Given his flexibility and relative strength, some of this is going to be difficult for any other person to execute save an elite athlete. The caveat "Do not try this at home" should be attached to any article describing "The Freak" and his pitching methodology. It is amazing to me that pitching coaches across the country will try to implement some of these methods with kids of all sizes, shapes and conditioning levels. But great results spawn many imitators. I imagined an epidemic of groin pulls among youth pitchers across the nation. I guess you have to start somewhere with a model, but what you see here is the end product of years of development, rather than a starting point.

The Baseball Evolution article I believe is a synopsis of an interview with Timmy's dad, who helped him develop his unique approach.  Hopefully, Timmy will be practicing and perfecting his craft for the Giants for years to come. Like Brian Wilson, he will look strange in another uniform.

Having said that, here it goes:

RHP Tim Lincecum pitching mechanics

from Popular Mechanics:
http://www.popularmechanics.com/outdoors/sports/baseball/the-physics-of-the-freak

They call him The Freak.

"The ability to throw a 95 mph fastball has to do more with proper mechanics than size," says Alan Nathan, professor emeritus of Physics at the University of Illinois. "It begins with the legs and works its way up in a kinetic chain, transferring energy from big muscles to smaller ones. It's like cracking a whip." 
The most obvious characteristic of Lincecum's motion is his exceptionally long stride toward home plate. Most pitchers around six feet tall will make a stride that's about five feet long. Lincecum's is over seven feet long. A long stride is advantageous because it maximizes the amount of power a pitcher can generate. But it can also be problematical because a pitching motion can get out of sync as the pitcher's upper body moves faster than his lower body. 

Which leads to a less obvious touchstone of Lincecum's motion. He is remarkably flexible in his torso. Just before he releases the ball, Lincecum's hips have already moved to face the hitter. His belt buckle is aimed at home plate while his shoulders are still facing the third baseman. This contortionist-like flexibility allows Lincecum to get more power out of his lower body than just about any other pitcher. 

Just as important, Lincecum is a true master of disguise. Pitch FX data compiled by major league baseball shows that the two-time Cy Young Award winner uses exactly the same release point for all his pitches—his fastball, his knee-buckling curve, his devastating changeup, and his newly revitalized slider. This means that the hitter has to wait until the ball starts moving to identify the pitch. As the Braves proved in that playoff game, that can be almost impossible. 

from baseballevolution.com:
http://baseballevolution.com/richard/chrislincecum.html

Here's a breakdown of Tim's pitches I sent a columnist back in April 2006: 

He throws two, two-seamed fastballs and a four-seamed (averaging between 94 and 98 constantly). 

1.) One of the two-seamed are with his fingers on top or just on the left side of the closest separation of the seams which sinks and fades to the right of the plate (toward a right-handed hitter). 

2.) The other two-seamed fastball is with his finger-tips (index and middle finger) on the top of the top parallel seam (where the seams are closest to each other) which rises when thrown. 

3.) The four seam is where his finger-tips are touching the top of the seam where the seams are farthest apart of the ball. It tales a little left or right but stays on plain parallel to the ground and is easier to control and Tim feels it's what they call a heavy ball. 

He has two hard breaking curve-balls: His bread and butter which he's thrown since he was about 8 years old. His body mechanics are the same with his breaking balls as it is with his fastballs. The key to having a sharp-breaking curve is the amount of spins and always using a fast arm speed created by using total body whipping mechanics (and a soft grip just like he throws every pitch-What I show anybody that wants to know is that when you hold a ball too firmly the wrist tightens up and end of the whip never takes place. This usually causes sore arms in the bicep and elbow). 

The mechanics he uses along with maintaining core muscle strength (and most important the small muscle strength) is why he can throw for so long, while still maintaining his velocity late in his games (even after throwing 125+ pitches). The small muscles are the wrists, elbow, shoulder, lower-back, groin, and around the knee and ankles.... 

1.) The so-called 12/6 curve is held with the index and middle-finger close together with the index touching and on the left part parallel to the seams when they are closest together on the ball. Pulling the ball down on the same plane as his arm (and "letting" the ball release as apposed to forcing the ball with a snapping wrist so the ball rolls off his fingers). The angle of his shoulders is the key to the direction of the break. 

2.) The 2/8 so-called curve has been my favorite and is the first Tim learned and actually breaks twice (over to the left toward a left-handed batter and down). It's held basically the same as the 12/6 but is deeper in his grip (being held with more of his two fingers and thumb as apposed to the holding it between the middle and second joint on the fingers). The angle of the break is again created by the angle of his shoulders which are at a 2/8 angle (as though you are looking at a clock from the mound). 

He has developed a slider this year which we worked on years ago but never needed (because if thrown too often while developing his fastball it can cause lack of velocity with the fastball due to muscle-memory which tends to cause a cutter and that slows the ball down). But this year he worked on holding the ball with his fingers close together, like the 12/6 curve, and throwing it at about 1:30/7:30 angle and rather than getting on top of the ball at release he rolls around it. He throws it about mid-eighties speed. 

He tried different change-ups for the last three years (the circle with the index and thumb basically touching the tips and throws it with his index, four-finger and little finger controlling it). He's experimented with numerous pressures and deeper in his grip or toward the tips or what they refer to as a football grip and has found a comfort zone with a pitch he worked on in the Cape-Cod league. It dies off to the right and down toward a right-handed hitter in the low eighties. 

He throws a splitter (which is nothing more than an abbreviated fork-ball in the upper eighties) and a knuckleball which they don't feel he needs to throw. Some of the players tell me the knuckle is so nasty that nobody would be able to catch it. 

All in all his mechanics are (as some people have referred to as freakish or un-orthodox) like the old-time pitchers in the 30's and 40's and early fifties. Example: Sandy Koufax, Bob Gibson, Satchel Paige, Bob Feller. Carl Hubbell, Juan Marichal... 

Those athletes didn't throw with just there arms and shoulders as probably 70% or more have been doing for the last 40+ years. Those pitchers don't last for more than 4 to 7 years and usually throw their elbows or shoulders out. Sad thing is that they become pitching coaches and open clinics and teach their mechanics to the children (charging ridiculous fees) addressing their mechanics as "the Pro way" of doing it (after all, all you have to do is watch a game on T.V. and see that most major leaguers are using the muscle-method way of throwing, therefore confirming it), thus creating less than efficient throwers, for the next generation, who in turn throw their arms out and usually can't understand why. Just watching these types of poor mechanics makes me cringe with pain. Pitching is a position that can be taught to almost anybody, but throwing properly is an art and needs to be respected and constantly adjusted due to growth and muscle development and aging. I love it the most in all sports. 

Pill, Pence, Posey, Pablo and Hitting Approaches

Good news for the up and coming Gigantes toiling in both the greater SF sandlots as well as those struggling to make the big club like Brett Pill. If I were Pill , I would stick with the traditional approach employed by Buster Posey. It seems as if Pence and Pablo (Sandoval) employ non-traditional, anomalous approaches which ultimately lend themselves to feast or famine results.    

from Yahoo Sports:
Pence hits two homers in Giants' win - Yahoo Sports:

"Buster (Posey) usually gives me something, but Hunter will usually just say, 'I just try to kill the ball,' which I don't doubt; he does," Pill said of seeking advice from his elder statesmen. "To do what he's doing right now is pretty unbelievable to watch. I think we're all feeding off it. It's been kind of ridiculous."

"Every time I get a hit he comes up to me and asks me what I'm thinking," Pence said. "All I say is I tried to see the ball and hit it as hard as I could. Really, I feel like if I'm mechanical, I get in my own way. That's the truth, and he gets all mad at me, so when he hit that homer I couldn't wait to ask him what he was thinking.

"Up the middle," Pence said, laughing.

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Pence's approach from a hitting mechanics standpoint is like nothing any self-respecting hitting guru would teach to a young person. But it works for him. See ball, hit ball....you can't think and hit at the same time...that can work. There are some great examples and a critique of Pence's unique approach listed below from McCovey Chronicles. It's a classic.

Pablo Sandoval's approach from a plate discipline standpoint is also like nothing you would teach to a young, developing team, but it works for him. My guess is if he tried to back down his hack-o-meter and tried to swing only at "rule book strikes"  it might take away from his aggressiveness and confidence and hurt his average. It lends itself to hot and cold hitting as well, but it does seem amazing that guys like Sandoval, that have this "hack at anything I can reach" approach, seem to hit better in the post-season and clutch situations when pitchers are the most dialed in or have to throw strikes.

Pence's signing virtually assures that future prospects will have a wide variety of hitting approach examples to choose from in the future, if Pablo can come up big next year in his contract year. Five years for $90M is a bit rich, but Pence deserves it based on performance and his leadership by example approach to the game. In that regard he is a textbook example for the kids. So, I guess it all balances out in the end. I'm glad to see the Reverend has found a home.


from McCovey Chronicles:
http://www.mccoveychronicles.com/2013/5/2/4292934/swing-pr0n-hunter-pence-is-the-best-worst-baseball-player-of-all-time

The swing: Like most things Pence, it's confounding example of awkwardness overcome by freakish strength (and probably some sort of alien sorcery). It's an exaggerated leg lift, a sizeable hitch in the hands, a slight step in the bucket (because he doesn't quite get himself squared up from such an open stance), a huuuuge stride, and a front hip that flies open early. Despite all of that nightmare fuel for hitting instructors, Pence manages (post-hitch) to keep his hands back and his bat flat through the zone for long enough to rely on his alien/chimp strength (four-plus times as strong as a human of comparable size) to hit an absolute laser over the right-center field fence. It's no small feat to hit an oppo bomb at Dodger Stadium at night. We make note of this, but ...

The mind. It boggles.

The velocity off the bat: 106.4 mph

The elevation angle: 20.8˚

The distance: 392 feet

The verdict: It's fitting that Pence's ability to turn wrong into right was best exhibited in his first home run of the year. For what it's worth, Pence has a baseball academy in Houston where his instructors presumably teach youngsters how to do whatever the hell it is that he does. The curse. It's spreading.

Exit Sandman

It will be unusual not to see Mariano Rivera closing for the Yankees. Thrown on top of not seeing Andy Pettitte every fifth start and eventually not seeing Derek Jeter at SS every day and this is going to be a very different Yankee ball club in the next few years. Who is going to be the face of the franchise when these guys are gone?

Rivera was classy, almost regal throughout his magnificent career. And he did it with basically one pitch that major league hitters still have not figured out how to attack. First ballot HOF'er.

from mercurynews.com
POSTGAME NOTES: Giants lose No. 82 for first time since 2008 | Giants Extra:

"— Via CSN’s Ahmed Fareed, an interesting story from the Wall Street Journal on balls and strikes, and it includes this note: “Yankees closer Rivera has been helped this year by the fact that 14.3% of his pitches taken outside the zone have been called for strikes, an MLB high.”

When I was writing about Rivera the other day, I asked Pence for his memories from his lone matchup with the Yankees closer.

“I struck out looking,” he said, smiling. “On a ball.”"

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Parcells HOF ring ceremony at Giants Stadium

Once a Giant, always a Giant....

from Giants.com
Giants.com | Gameday LIVE:

'via Blog this'

Pence makes his case for staying in SF

This game highlighted the Giants two most immediate and pressing goals. The first goal is to be sure that we are not speaking of Hunter Pence in the past tense next year. He looks good in that uni, BTW. Pence does seem to be a throwback to a bygone era.

The next goal is to avoid the stigma mentioned in this article, which is to avoid the being mentioned in the same breath as the Florida Marlins. At least when the subject is defense of World Series championships.

from Yahoo Sports:
Pence drives in 7, Giants trounce Dodgers 19-3 - Yahoo Sports:

The only drama left in the NL West is the battle to avoid last place, with the Giants, Padres and Rockies all tied. The only team to finish last a year after winning a World Series was the 1998 Marlins. 

'via Blog this'

That team at least had the excuse that ownership gave up financially and virtually unloaded the entire roster. This group of players do not have that as an excuse.

It seems awfully quiet in the Lincecum front. That is rather disturbing. I don't think it's too out of line for them to pass a little of the $11M some odd savings from the Zito contract over to Timmy's side of the table.

Bumgarner bests Kershaw in battle of the lefty aces

Still, I would trade places with the Dodgers in the standings as the Giants suspend giving up the ghost of finishing .500 for one more day. Mired is a really good word to describe the Giants position in the standings BTW. A late rally to finish third in the division might be the best salve for that pride thingy that Romo speaks of in the article.

Might have wanted to see a little more of that mentality earlier in the season, but WTH?

from Yahoo Sports:
Giants beat Dodgers 4-2 behind Bumgarner - Yahoo Sports:

Mired in last place, the defending World Series champion Giants have been reduced to playing out the string.

''We do want to finish strong,'' Romo said. ''There's a lot of pride here.''

Madison Bumgarner (12-9) allowed two runs and five hits in six innings, extending his streak of allowing three earned runs or fewer in each of his past 18 starts. The left-hander struck out six and walked two in picking up his first win since Aug. 2, a span of seven starts.

''When you're going up against a guy like him (Kershaw), you got to try to at least keep it a tie,'' Bumgarner said.

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Wrestling gets reinstated for 2020 Olympics - ESPN

And rightfully so. More than baseball / softball, which I understand that the world thinks of as primarily an American sport, wrestling is as much associated with the Olympic Games and it's history as almost any sport in the Olympics.

My guess is that the reason they were dropped initially is that there is not much the IOC could do to monetize the sport other than to switch to WWF-style wrestling. Oops, I shouldn't give them any ideas.

Wrestling gets reinstated for 2020 Olympics - ESPN:

Wrestling, which was surprisingly dropped from the list of core sports in February, received 49 votes to win in the first round of secret balloting by the International Olympic Committee. Baseball-softball got 24 votes and squash 22.

The decision capped a frantic six-month campaign by the wrestling body FILA to revamp the organization and reshape the sport to save its Olympic status.

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More on Yusmeiro-mania | Giants Extra

The game will be etched in Giants lore, regardless of the outcome. One pitch, one AB away. Petit becomes almost as heroic in the end.

How Eric Chavez was able to lay off the pitch immediately prior to this one, the 2-2 slider away, was the difference. That's just a veteran, professional hitter winning the battle by a thread.

We'll need a year or so to determine if the Giants have struck Ryan Voglesong-like lightning twice, or if the Petit is just running on adrenaline. Two games against his former team, the D-Backs. So you want to see a larger sample, but the way he was painting with five different pitches my only question about Petit right now is "How was this guy not dominating minor league hitters more?"

from mercurynews.com:
Saturday’s Giants lineup: Cain returns; More on Yusmeiro-mania | Giants Extra:

Good stuff from Carl Steward last night on Yusmeiro-mania.

Carl went from AT&T Park to O.co for a day game between the A’s and the Astros. Here’s what he wrote after talking to Bob Melvin, who managed Petit in Arizona:

“I do remember him pitching some good games in San Francisco,” Melvin recalled. “That’s a good ballpark for him. He can keep the ball in the middle of the field. It’s a big park there. He’s able to keep the ball off the barrel of the bat when he’s good, and he mixes his pitches up. He’s got a little crossfire to him across his body, and there have been times when he’s been really good. Hats off to him, that was a terrific performance yesterday.”

Melvin also spoke to why Petit hasn’t been able to find a stable home in the majors.

“I think it’s because of some consistency issues with him,” he said. “He’ll be good at times and then he won’t be at time. His problem when I was with him is getting the ball up in the zone, and when you don’t throw that hard your fastball is fairly straight. You can give up some homers. But from what I see, he’s pitched pretty well. When he’s down in the zone, he’s much more difficult to deal with.”

'via Blog this'

We'll know final the answer to that in about a year. At worst, the Giants have found the tentative replacement 5th starter for Barry Zito. At best, maybe a guy you can pencil in behind Cain and Bumgarner, depending on the disposition of one Tim Lincecum.

Not a bad starting five to look forward to in 2014:
Cain, Bumgarner, Vogelsong, Lincecum and Petit.

from mercurynews.com
http://blogs.mercurynews.com/giants/2013/09/07/postgame-notes-nothing-nightmarish-about-petits-dream-performance-not-even-chavezs-last-strike-hit/

Which brings us to the long-term outlook of how Petit’s sudden emergence may impact the Giants’ formation of the 2014 rotation. Is he simply on an uncanny roll or has he made some kind of Vogelsong-like breakthrough? Petit, at minimum, will merit a good long look next spring as the Giants work out their five starters, and he said after the game he would take pretty much any contract the Giants offer because he feels that comfortable with them. True, he rarely even hit 90 mph on the radar gun in this game (or any of the other games he’s pitched), but he spotted all of his pitches so well, the Diamondbacks were off balance all night … and they just saw him five days ago, which makes what he did even more striking.

It’s a nice late-season story in a lost year. What’s remarkable is that if Matt Cain hadn’t gotten hurt, Petit probably wouldn’t even have received this chance to prove his worth. He took Cain’s spot in the rotation, and he’s 3-0 with a 2.05 ERA. He’s walked four batters in 21 innings. He should get at least 3-4 more starts, so those will be most intriguing to watch.

Why High-Speed Throwing Is Uniquely Human - Made to play Baseball

We are apparently built for high-speed throwing. Many credit this ability as part of the reason for our survival back in  the day. And by back in the day, I mean WAAAAAAY back in the the day.  Hyperextendible wrists!! Didn't know about that one, but OK. We also have the opposable thumbs thing going for us, for gripping tools and implements like a baseball bat as shown further in the article below.

Form follows function and we have all the necessary raw materials to make us uniquely equipped to be throwing and hitting machines. Therefore, wonderfully made and endowed by our Creator for the great game of baseball on at least two unique levels.  

HOW ABOUT THAT!! 

from the Institute for Creation Research:
Why High-Speed Throwing Is Uniquely Human:

What body structures uniquely equip humans to throw objects frequently, at high speeds, and—for the practiced—with great accuracy? Research has revealed that if the throwing motion depended directly on muscle, we could only generate half the force that the human frame can actually muster. In the course of answering the question of where the rest of the throwing force originates, one recent study stumbled on a number of reasons why the human body looks like the product of specialized and intentional creation.

Publishing in the journal Nature, four scientists led by Harvard's Neil Roach examined the human mechanics of pitching a baseball and compared them to the chimpanzee's anatomy.1 A chimp's long-armed frame is well-suited for climbing and hanging from tree limbs, but this diminishes its potential for sustained, accurate, high-speed throwing. The researchers identified several uniquely human features that helped solve the mystery of mankind's expert throw.

First, humans have longer legs. Taking that first, long step when we begin the throwing motion stores a measure of elastic energy, later to be released. Second, we rotate our hips with a greater range of motion because of, in the Nature authors' words, "the tall, mobile waists of humans."1

Third, the study authors found a uniquely human angle between the head of the humerus (upper arm) bone and the axis of the elbow. So the overall shape of human arm bones helps store energy used for throwing. A fourth feature also has to do with angles. When throwing, the human frame aligns the upper arm with the orientation of the pectoralis major muscle, and these also align with the torso's rotation angle. This arrangement permits multiple forces to align, producing the fastest motion in the human body—the "rotation around the long axis of the humerus," which rotates more than 9,000 degrees per second!1

Last, humans have "hyperextendible wrists" that store and release even more energy.1 Altogether, the stored energy from the legs, hips, torso, shoulder girdle, and wrist loads its force to that of the appropriate muscle energies onto the projectile.

The end result? Professional pitchers can throw baseballs at close to 90 mph over 100 times during a three-hour baseball game.

References

1. Roach, N.T. et al. 2013. Elastic energy storage in the shoulder and the evolution of high-speed throwing in Homo. Nature. 498 (7455): 483-486.

1. Guliuzza, R. 2009. Throwing Darwin a Curve. Made in His Image: Examining the complexities of the human body. ICR: Dallas, TX. p. 22.

* Mr. Thomas is Science Writer at the Institute for Creation Research.Article posted on July 19, 2013.

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That's a Fact - Throwing a Strike from Institute for Creation Research on Vimeo.



Evolution of the human hand: the role of throwing and clubbing

Richard W Young

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1571064/

Conclusion

It has been proposed (Young, 2002) that the earliest hominid specialization was aggressive throwing and clubbing, and that this behaviour increased reproductive success during a prolonged period, driving natural selection that progressively improved its effectiveness. If these assertions are correct, the evolution of the human hand should provide evidence of this process in its anatomical structure.

The fossil record indicates that adaptation for throwing and clubbing began to influence hand structure at or very near the origin of the hominid lineage and continued for millions of years thereafter. During this prolonged period of evolution, the hand underwent a profound remodelling that increasingly adapted it for grasping spheroids in a manner that allows precise control of release and for gripping clubhandles with strength sufficient to withstand a violent impact. Two unique human handgrips were thereby produced. Called the ‘power’ and ‘precision’ grips by Napier (1956) who identified and described them, they can also be referred to as clubbing and throwing grips on the basis of their evolutionary origins.

  http://www.ruf.rice.edu/~kemmer/Evol/opposablethumb.html

Importance of the opposable thumb

The thumb, unlike other fingers, is opposable, in that it is the only digit on the human hand which is able to oppose or turn back against the other four fingers, and thus enables the hand to refine its grip to hold objects which it would be unable to do otherwise. The opposable thumb has helped the human species develop more accurate fine motor skills. It is also thought to have directly led to the development of tools, not just in humans or their evolutionary ancestors, but other primates as well.[6][7] The thumb, in conjunction with the other fingers make humans and other species with similar hands some of the most dexterous in the world.[8]