Arenado has winning hit in 9th, Rockies top Giants - Yahoo! Sports

from Yahoo Sports:
Arenado has winning hit in 9th, Rockies top Giants - Yahoo! Sports:

DENVER (AP) -- Nolan Arenado hit a game-ending single with two outs in the ninth inning Saturday to lift the Colorado Rockies to a 2-1 victory over the San Francisco Giants, losers of six straight for the first time in three years.

'via Blog this'

In describing the current state of the Giants after today's loss, I can hear immortal words of former point-guard Michael Ray Richardson used to describe the state of the New York Knicks as one of their promising seasons ( maybe 1982 or so) went down in flames.

from the basketbawful blog:
http://basketbawful.blogspot.com/2007/03/im-sure-michael-ray-richardson-was-just.html

My favorite Michael Ray quote is widely known as the "ship be sinking" quote. He said it near the end of this career to describe the Knicks' general state of being. It went like this:

Reporter: What do you think is happening to the team?

Richardson: The ship be sinking.

Reporter: How far can it sink?

Richardson: Sky's the limit.

Wall-to-Wall Fans | Chicago Blackhawks Parade 2013 | Bleacher Report

What a great day for the city of Chicago. Two for the Hawks and one for the Sox since we've been here. I would say now it's time for the Bulls and the Cubs to step up, but that would take away from the celebration.

Congrats to the 'Hawks for bringing home the Cup again!!!

from Bleacher Report:
Wall-to-Wall Fans | Chicago Blackhawks Parade 2013: Best Images from the Stanley Cup Celebration | Bleacher Report:

Blackhawks fans filled Grant Park in downtown Chicago to celebrate their teams' second Stanley Cup title in four years.

'via Blog this'

Happy 12th Birthday to Eagle Baseball Club!!!

The numbers behind a stunning quarter of the season | Giants Extra

Finding new and creative ways to lose, for a quarter of a season. Hah!!! I remember when the football Giants did that for over 15 years. Amateurs.

from Mercurynews.com:
POSTGAME NOTES: The numbers behind a stunning quarter of the season | Giants Extra:

Here’s a sobering one: 15-25. That’s the winning percentage for this team since the first game in Toronto on May 14. That’s a .375 winning percentage for those of you haven’t already done the math in your heads.

That’s the worst winning percentage in baseball since May 14.

Yes, arbitrary endpoints and all that. That’s a random date that happened to be the beginning of a road trip that was soon followed by a whole bunch of other road games. But still, it puts a hard number on what everyone is seeing on a nightly basis during this quarter of the season. The Giants are not the worst team in baseball, far from it. Hell, they’re still just 3 1/2 games out of first in this division, where four of the five teams lost for the second straight night and four of five are below .500. Basically, the Giants remain one good week from being back in first place.

'via Blog this'

Giants lose to Dodgers, slink under .500 for first time since Opening Day - McCovey Chronicles

That's right!!! We were under .500 on Opening Day!!! Nothing like getting the season off in the right direction.

I feel so much better now. Because being under .500 half-way through the season is the same as being under .500 on Opening Day.

And we are spoiled. Very spoiled.

Edging back to torture, this team is. Brutal to watch at times.

from McCovey Chronicles:
Giants lose to Dodgers, slink under .500 for first time since Opening Day - McCovey Chronicles:

The last time the Giants were under .500 this late in the season, it was 2008. You usually spit after mentioning that season, maybe make the sign of the cross. If you're wondering why you feel like this, it's because it's pretty danged rare to feel this uncomfortable with a team this late. We're spoiled.

'via Blog this'

Panda back for pivotal L.A. series - Wil Myers debuts in NY - Batman and Robin return to Gotham city

I feel better already.

from Yahoo Sports:
San Francisco Giants - Team Report - MLB - Yahoo! Sports:

3B Pablo Sandoval is feeling good physically. Mentally, he's even better. Sandoval's sprained right foot passed a two-day test in the minor leagues Friday and Saturday on a rehab assignment. He will be activated off the disabled list Monday and is expected to start in the Giants' road-trip opener at Los Angeles. The Giants will be getting a hot bat back in the lineup. Albeit it against Single-A pitching, Sandoval went 4-for-6 in his two appearances for the San Jose Giants, belting a home run in each game he played. He also looked smooth in 12 innings at third base.

'via Blog this'

....from my second favorite 38-37 team. Rays also getting solid efforts from young RHP's Chris Archer and Alex Colome. They are just loaded with young pitching. Now if only David Price can pick it up.

How does that song go "if I can make it there, I'll make it anywhere...." Looks like a good future is in store for Wil Myers.

Wil Myers hits first career home run — a grand slam off C.C. Sabathia at Yankee Stadium

http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mlb-big-league-stew/wil-myers-hits-first-career-home-run-grand-092359187.html

When the Tampa Bay Rays announced the promotion of top prospect Wil Myers last Sunday, they did so hoping the 22-year-old outfielder could provide a little power while helping to lengthen a lineup that had been struggling to produce consistently.

video of the Myers blast off C.C. Sabathia: http://sports.yahoo.com/video/myers-grand-slam-235400287.html


And in Gotham city, Batman (Matt Harvey) appears to have found his Robin (Zack Wheeler). 

from the NY Daily News:
http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/baseball/mets/harper-mets-peak-future-wheeler-harvey-article-1.1376500


Wheeler from his days as a Giants prospect. (heavy sigh) It's OK,

we had to make the Beltran deal at the time
we had to make the Beltran deal at the time
we had to make the Beltran deal at the time

There, I feel much better.

Romo Photobombs Reporter....We need a return of "The Machine"

All right, there's photo-bombing and then there's photo-bombing. This team is missing something. I can't quite put my finger on it but, I think this team misses Brian Wilson!!

from Bleacher Report:
Romo Photobombs Reporter:

CSN Bay Area's Amy Gutierrez went live from the Giants' dugout, and closer Sergio Romo had to think fast. So he grabbed a catcher's mask and a bat and ... well, he did his best.

'via Blog this'

Brian Wilson - Cheap Seats Interview - "The Machine" Revealed

Giants flirting with .500 and filling up the D.L.

Oops, wrong Giants. No time to panic yet, but it doesn't hurt to start looking around for some help. It turns out, the SF Giants may not have to go as far as South Korea to get pitching help. If Fresno can't help, the names being bandies about the most in trade talks are the Phillies Cliff Lee and the Astros Bud Norris.

Of the two, Norris seems like he would be the most economical in terms of both salary and prospects.

For historical perspective, the Giants seem to be about where they were same time last year. It just seems like we're losing more people to the trainers room this year than the last two runs. A trend worth keeping an eye on.

from mercurynews.com:
Giants Extra | A blog about the San Francisco Giants:

The Giants now are 36-34. By comparison, they were 38-32 at this point last season, 4 ½ games back in the division.

So, it’s understandable why Bochy feels fortunate that things aren’t worse, especially when taking into account the slew of injuries incurred by several of his star players.

The Giants high-water mark came May 12, when they completed a sweep of the Atlanta Braves and reached eight games above .500 at 23-15. They are 13-19 since that point.

It’s obvious that the Giants aren’t going to turn around their listing fortunes without all hands on deck.

If all goes well, Sandoval and Pagan will join Scutaro in the lineup as soon as Monday night against the Los Angeles Dodgers for the start of a 10-game road trip.

'via Blog this'

Sad news: Giants Legend Dave Jennings passes away

Sad news. He was one of the few bright spots during a time when the Giants were not very good during the 70's. He may not have been Ray Guy, but he was our guy and he will be missed.

from www.giants.com:
Giants Legend Dave Jennings passes away:

EAST RUTHERFORD, N. J. – Dave Jennings, the most prolific punter in Giants history who was later a radio analyst for the team and is a member of the franchise’s Ring of Honor, died this morning in his Upper Saddle River, New Jersey home. He had turned 61 on June 8.

Jennings had suffered from Parkinson’s disease, a chronic degenerative neurological disorder, since 1996. 

'via Blog this'

Jennings inducted into Giants Ring of Honor along with Alex Webster, Brad Van Pelt, Carl Banks and Mark Bavaro.

from Giants.com
http://www.giants.com/news-and-blogs/article-1/Watch-Jennings-inducted-into-Ring-of-Honor/6fa4fd23-df3c-47c3-bc2f-04be088afa66

SF Giants on verge of signing first-round pick Arroyo | SFGate.com blog

from SFGate.com
SF Giants on verge of signing first-round pick Arroyo | San Francisco Giants: The Splash | an SFGate.com blog:

Christian Arroyo, the Florida high school infielder whom the Giants selected with their first pick in the June 6 draft, is in Arizona to get his physical, which means he is on the verge of signing.

If all goes well with the physical, Arroyo is expected to visit AT&T Park on Thursday, before starting his professional career in the Arizona Summer League.

His signing bonus was not immediately available. The slot recommendation for Arroyo, the 25th pick in the draft, is about $1.86 million, although the Giants might have had to exceed that to prevent Arroyo from accepting his full ride at the University of Florida.

'via Blog this'

Opportunity knocks for Jake Dunning

If he ends up having half the career Joe Nathan has had, Giants fans will consider that a success story. Most of his stats are around 'prospect average'. An 8.51 K/9 is OK, it was +9 or 10 at the lower levels and has been tamped down as he progressed, which is to be expected. Walks are an above average 2.72 BB/9 for a K/BB ratio of 3.13 career entering this season. By comparison Chris Heston was at 3.44 K/BB and he would be another who must have been considered for call-up.

Dunning may still be piecing together the whole pitching thing after the conversion from SS and the majors will be a tough place to learn on the fly. But he has had 5 seasons and 200+ inning in the minors (mostly as a reliever) so it's time to see what he can do for the big club. If he can string some middle innings together, it may be just what the starting staff needs. With the recent string of injuries and sub-par performances, one gets the feeling lately that the Giants starters are running on fumes.

Good luck to Jake!!

from McCovey Chronicles:
Jake Dunning, Hector Sanchez up; Brett Pill down; Ramon Ramirez designated for assignment - McCovey Chronicles:

Dunning was added to the 40-man roster over the offseason to protect him from the Rule 5 draft. The 24-year-old was drafted as a shortstop, though the Giants probably had more of an eye on his arm the whole time. They gave him 88 at-bats in the Arizona League before sitting him down and telling him to watch The Joe Nathan Story, in which Nathan was played by Matthew Lillard for some reason.

Dunning has shown pretty good control for a converted reliever, and while he's never had gaudy strikeout numbers, I'm a sucker for the conversion stories. He's thrown just over 200 innings in the minors. Maybe in inning #218, he becomes Joe Nathan.

He's pretty much Joe Nathan, everybody.

'via Blog this'

Game 1 lived up to sky-high expectations - Cross Checks Blog - ESPN

One down and three to go, boys!!!

from ESPN / Cross Checks:
Game 1 lived up to sky-high expectations - Cross Checks Blog - ESPN:

If Game 1 of the 2013 Stanley Cup finals, a 4-3 triple-overtime victory for the host Chicago Blackhawks, is any indication, the series the hockey world had been anticipating is going to deliver the goods. And then some.

After both conference finals fell far short in the drama department, Wednesday’s final-series opener delivered 112:08 of hockey at its most dramatic. A rollicking back-and-forth affair that left both players and fans limp with exhaustion.

"It’s fun being in the finals, the last two teams playing, all the hockey world is watching, and to be put an effort like that from both sides, it was fun to be a part of," Patrick Sharp said.

'via Blog this'

It's getting hot at the old ballpark, EVERYWHERE!!!

Nothing better than Vin Scully broadcasting the festivities.



from Fox Sports and MLB:
http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/los-angeles-dodgers-arizona-diamondbacks-brawl-zack-greinke-yasiel-puig-ian-kennedy-061113

LOS ANGELES (AP)

The Dodgers took it personally when Arizona's Ian Kennedy hit their star rookie Yasiel Puig in the face with a pitch. Then they really got mad when Kennedy hit starter Zack Greinke with another high pitch.

Punches replaced pitches at that point as a heated brawl involving players and coaches ensued, resulting in six ejections before the Dodgers rallied to beat the Diamondbacks 5-3 on Tuesday night.

Kennedy, Diamondbacks manager Kirk Gibson and coach Turner Ward, along with Puig, reliever Ronald Belisario and Dodgers hitting coach Mark McGwire were ejected in the seventh inning after the prolonged scuffle against a railing that nearly spilled into the stands.

''There were four of us and what, 60 of them?'' crew chief Brian Gorman told a pool reporter after the game.

In the top of the seventh, Greinke hit Diamondbacks catcher Miguel Montero in the back — drawing a warning from the umpire — and both teams came charging onto the field, but the scrum broke up quickly with no punches thrown.

You have the Rays and the Red Sox throwing balls at each other after a bout of "perceived pimping" of a HR shot by Matt Joyce. It wasn't even a HR, it was a foul ball and he dropped the bat more than pimped his ride, but old-schooler John Lackey was having none of it.

You have the Giants and the Pirates trading courtesy shots. Every game I turn to, guys are tossing the old horsehide at each other.

Now this, the Giants rivals the Dodgers and the D-Backs getting after it. Both teams have some former high profile players getting after each other in the scrum. Maybe they should scrimmage each other and settle things on the field.

It's starting to get hot out there. Wait until we get to the dog days of the summer and are smack dab in the middle of a pennant race.

Report: New England Patriots expected to sign QB Tim Tebow - NFL News | FOX Sports on MSN

Tebow goes from a low-class team to a high-class team and the Jets are who we thought they were. Still LOSERS!! It will be interesting to see how the Pats and Josh McDaniel implement him in the offense.

H/T to Erik for this one.

Report: New England Patriots expected to sign QB Tim Tebow - NFL News | FOX Sports on MSN:

The New England Patriots are expected to sign quarterback Tim Tebow and have him in minicamp by Tuesday, according to ESPN’s Ed Werder.

Tebow spent last season with the New York Jets, but was cut on April 29.

'via Blog this'

Giants Agree To Terms With Ryder Jones: - MLBTradeRumors.com

Ryder Jones - MLBdraftables·

Well, that was quick. You can see from below some of the back story that caused his stock to rise a bit. He parlayed that Stanford offer, and the fact that he is a good two-way player, into a higher draft slot and better leverage regarding his bonus number. When you have a commitment from a school with solid academics like Stanford, Georgia Tech, Michigan, Texas etc. it really helps your negotiating position and puts you in an almost can't lose situation. You can walk away from the table if they try to low-ball you.

from MLBTraderumors.com:
Giants Agree To Terms With Ryder Jones: MLB Rumors - MLBTradeRumors.com:

Giants second-round pick Ryder Jones has agreed to terms with the team, Ryder announced via his personal Twitter account (hat tip: Andrew Baggarly of CSN Bay Area on Twitter). There is no word on the No. 64 overall selection's signing bonus just yet, though the slot value of that pick is $872,100, per Baseball America.

Jones, who is advised by Legacy Sports, is a high school third baseman out of North Carolina who had committed to Stanford. BA noted that he has the fallback of moving back to the mound, as he can throw a fastball in the low 90s with a sharp slider.

Baseball America ranked Jones as the No. 197 prospect in this year's draft, noting that his current talent level fit him into the fifth or sixth round but he would need to be drafted higher to break his commitment to Stanford. Jones did not crack Keith Law or Jonathan Mayo's lists of top 100 draft prospects.

'via Blog this'

Giants final draft synopsis

I feel better about this draft after some of the later round picks.  Eleven decent prospects with a chance to stick (maybe more). The Giants plucked eight from BA's top 200 list, more than expected ( 200 / 30 teams = 6.7 expected ). Which is why the Giants staff has a real World Series ring ( some have two ) and I'm still trying to win a facsimile in a fan raffle. Hey, it's as close as I'm likely to get to one, right?

After picking two HS players a bit higher than expected, the Gigantes went back to the college ranks to find value. We already featured Arroyo, who I have heard some better things about ( maybe a HS version of Joe Panik? ) and Ryder Jones. And I did mention D.J. Snelten in my "brush with greatness" story. So onto the other picks of note.

If they can sign highly-regarded HS C John Riley ( # 148 ranked, picked #942 ) the draft becomes even more solidified than it stands currently. His sign-ability may have been considered an issue to get picked that low. He is committed to California.

Getting RHP Pat Young from Villanova ( #189 ranked , picked #402) could also be a coup if he signs. MLB.com has him at 6-7, 210. He would join Notre Dame RHP Daniel Slania, who is listed at 6-5 265 as future closer candidates.

3rd round pick RHP Chase Johnson from Cal Poly - San Luis Obispo may be more of a set-up man according to MLB.com's capsule. He threw well in the Cape Cod League over the summer but lost his team's closer role.

UCLA RHP Nick Vaner Tuig is versatile enough to be considered both a starter and bullpen candidate. He has command of four pitches with a low-90's FB and a plus change.

The other three hitting candidates are (in addition to HS'ers Arroyo, Jones and Riley):
SS Brandon Bednar 6-4, 185 from Florida Gulf Coast Univ. who is a solid, versatile IF with a strong arm. He has a quick, line drive bat and makes contact.

1B Brian Ragira 6-2, 185 from Stanford, considered a good pure hitter with some power potential demonstrated by 9 HR's in the wood-bat Cape Cod League.

LF Tyler Horan 6-2,230 from Virginia Tech who led the Cape Cod League in HR's last summer. He swings and misses a bit but generates good bat speed from the left side. Lack of foot speed leaves LF as his likely OF destination.

So, three college bats, three HS'ers and five decent pitchers. A fairly well balanced draft. I would grade it a B or a B- overall. Good luck to all the new Giants.

---

Apparently, the on-line list is more fluid than the print edition I was working with (old-school). 3rd rounder Chase Johnson apparently cracked the top 200 late as well as well as SS Johneshwy Fargas (171). 


Rockies, Red Sox, Mets, Padres and A's scored the highest using their Top 500 list in the same manner I was using the Top 200. Giants ranked 19th which is causing some angst among Giants bloggers but the good news is the Dodgers and the D-Backs ranked lower and the Padres have been drafting well for a couple of years with little result. Watch out for the Rockies.

UPDATE:
http://www.baseballamerica.com/draft/which-teams-drafted-the-most-players-from-the-ba-500/

Baseball America ranks player for each draft based on talent, assembling our BA 500 through conversations with scouts, crosscheckers, scouting directors and other evaluators. Now that the draft is over, let’s take a look at which teams drafted the most BA 500 players.

But first, a few warnings: We will caution that using this list as an evaluation of a team’s draft is impudent. Without looking closer at the information, this list could be very misleading. This is a fun way to see which team drafted the most talented players, which is how the BA 500 is compiled and not on where the players will be drafted, but signability is another matter. The Padres, for example, tied the Athletics for the most top 100 players (six). But unlike the A’s, who took five of their six top 100 players at the top of the draft and will likely sign them, the Padres are unlikely to sign three of the top 100 players, Connor Jones (34), Chris Okey (72) and Garrett Williams (66), as all three are high school players with strong commitments to top college programs.

Giants (14 total, 0 top 100, 10 top 200, average: 291)
Christian Arroyo (102), Ryder Jones (197), Chase Johnson (183), Brian Ragira (142), Dan Slania (153), Nick Vander Tuig (145), Brandon Bednar (262), Tyler Horan (293), D.J. Snelten (143), Johneshwy Fargas (171), Ty Ross (474), Pat Young (193), Jonah Arenado (312), John Riley (150).

Rodman: LBJ 'average' if he played in '90s - Chicago Bulls Blog - ESPN Chicago

This must be the NBA equivalent of David Wells' assertion that Babe Ruth's stat line would be something like 15-75-.275. An average hitter. Both examples clearly demonstrate the pervasive and deleterious effects of alcohol, and God knows what else, on the brain cells.

I'm not the greatest fan of LeBron James, although he does appear to be maturing nicely, but this is just silly talk.

from ESPN Chicago:
Rodman: LBJ 'average' if he played in '90s - Chicago Bulls Blog - ESPN Chicago:

Dennis Rodman says LeBron James would be "average" if he played in the 1990s, and insists James' Miami Heat would be no match for his old Chicago Bulls team.

'via Blog this'

U's Snelten taken in ninth round by San Francisco | StarTribune.com

The Giants did not get Minnesota's Tom Windle, but maybe the next best thing for a relative bargain in the ninth round. I umpired a game in Antioch back in April 2010 where Antioch played Snelten's team and my partner decided to let me do the plate. I knew they had Snelten and another fairly highly regarded RHP prospect on their staff, so walking up to the field I look to their pen to see who is warming up and it's a lefty popping the mitt with a loud, distinctive cracking sound, so I figured it was him. A couple of radar guns behind the fence confirmed my suspicion.

I'm used to seeing some low to mid 80's stuff, no big deal. But the difference between that and the low-90's he was throwing at the time is a big deal. I remember sizing up the catcher to make sure he was competent thinking to myself that a direct shot would go right through me, leaving a baseball sized bullet-hole.

Turns out the catcher was VERY competent, thank God, nothing gets close to me and it was a great pitchers duel which, if my notes are correct, Antioch won on a walk-off HR in the bottom of the seventh against the other prospect who came in relief in the seventh. One pitch, not coming back, everybody drive home safely.

Anyway, from my vantage point he was a very good prospect with great stuff then and he's probably a better prospect now. From the U's roster info, it seems like he's put on some size since HS which is to be expected.

A very nice pick-up for the Giants if he signs as anticipated. It's always good to see some deserving IL players get a shot. I suppose he could go back to school, be the ace of the staff with Windle gone and see if he elevates higher, but why risk it? At this spot, he's going to get a decent look and some decent money for the effort.

from the StarTribune.com
U's Snelten taken in ninth round by San Francisco | StarTribune.com:

Scouting report on Snelten from MLB.com:

Pitching behind potential first-rounder Tom Windle in the Minnesota Golden Gophers' rotation, Snelten, a left-hander, has made it worthwhile for scouts to stick around to see him pitch. Snelten's fastball sits in the low-90s and he regularly touches 94 mph. His curveball and changeup both need work, but with some improvement he could have a solid Major League arsenal. He attacks hitters and has good poise on the mound. Snelten is more athletic than his 6-foot-7, 230-pound frame might suggest. He profiles as a starter as a professional. Snelten missed the first month of the season with an elbow injury, but has been healthy since returning in March.

'via Blog this'

Giants select Ryder Jones with 2nd round pick....and the Rays order Nutty Buddy's

A bit of a recovery from the 1st round pick. Baseball America had Jones ranked #193 so at the #64 spot another reach pick on that basis. Their thumbnail says "Stanford recruit could be a two-way player thanks to solid power at the plate, low 90's velocity."

This is a little worrisome in that kids that commit to Stanford have a tendency to go to Stanford at a higher rate than some other schools. Georgia Tech seemed to keep a good number of theirs as well.

from sfgiants.com:
http://view.ed4.net/v/5BE8IX/IQFUSJ/3H8RB5/H3SSV4/MAILACTION=1&FORMAT=H?partnerId=ed-7155439-55411678

GIANTS PICK CHRISTIAN ARROYO NO. 25, RYDER JONES NO. 64 IN FIRST-YEAR PLAYER DRAFT

On the first night of the 2013 First-Year Player Draft, the Giants selected shortstop Christian Arroyo of Hernando High School (FL) with their first selection, the 25th overall pick of the Draft, and infielder Ryder Jones of Watuga High School (NC) with their second selection, the 64th overall pick.

Jones Scouting Report

 School: Watauga High School

Birthdate: 06/07/1994  | Pos.: INF
Height: 6'3"  |  Weight: 185 lbs.

At the plate, Jones has good power. On the mound, Jones' fastball has been clocked in the low-90s and he also throws a solid breaking ball.

'via Blog this'

Painful to watch the 2nd round as the guys I had tracked on my wish list were falling in fairly good order with BA's list to other teams.

Trey Ball LHP/OF ranked #9 by BA goes #7 to the Red Sox
Ryne Stanek RHP ranked #11 goes #29 to the Rays (a nice pick to add tot heir pitching riches)
Hunter Renfroe ranked #13 goes #13 to the Padres (leading a parade of Hunter's in this years draft)
D.J. Peterson ranked # 15 goes #12 to the Mariners
Eric Jagielo ranked #17 goes #26 to the Yankees
Jonathan Crawford ranked #19 goes #20 to the Tigers

So we had a shot at Stanek and Jagielo and passed. The trend developing is that Baseball America and Keith Law have the early picks pretty well nailed down such that you could have almost used their draft board as  your own and saved money on scouting.

Like Marge Schott used to say, all those scouts do is watch baseball games. Well, she said a lot of screwy things, but BA does seem to have a good feel for the draft once again. And the good organizations make good early round picks.

In the first round, the A's picked prep OF Billy McKinney from Plano West HS (TX). I heard his name as a possible Giants sleeper pick late and BA raves "McKinney's excellent swing mechanics and bat speed pushed him into first-round consideration." He was ranked #27 and was picked #24 by the A's.

The Rays addressed C position in the first-round with Nick Ciuffo from Lexington HS (SC) the #20 ranked prospect in the #21 slot. The capsule on him from BA was "High energy LH hitting catchers who can hit get compared to A.J. Pierzynski; it's a compliment."

In a related development, the entire Rays athletic training staff went out and got fitted for Nutty Buddy's.

Nutty Buddy on Sport Science

If you don't know, you just don't know. Classic!!!

Getting back to Arroyo, Baseball America had him ranked as the 3rd best SS in the Tampa Bay area behind Oscar Mercado of Gaither HS and Tucker Neuhaus of Wharton HS. It would be interesting to hear the consensus of local players and coaches, but for now the Giants see something that others have not, similar to Carter Jurica. Let's hope that hindsight shows the blog consensus is off base and the Giants scouting staff is correct.

The second round saw our favorite #32 ranked prospect LHP Matt Krook go to the Marlins at the #35 pick, #46 prospect LHP Tom WIndle go to the Dodgers at #56 and #52 ranked Michael Lorenzen go to the Reds at #38 as a pitcher. The Cardinals also scooped up #38 ranked SS Oscar Mercado at the #57 pick. The good organizations make good value picks.

This leaves #36 ranked Bobby Wahl still available for the second day along with #40 ranked OF Cord Sandberg from the watch list. Both would be good values for the Giants next pick at the #101 spot. As would RHP Alex Balog from San Francisco. He is listed at 6-6, 220 and fits the mold of guys the Giants look to develop. The thumbnail on him says "Physical frame and the potential for three plus pitches. Finished the season strong."

UPDATE:
http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/events/draft/y2013/drafttracker.jsp?partnerId=ed-7159218-562231943#ft=round&fv=2b

Balog (Rockies) and the previously mentioned Tucker Neuhaus (Brewers) were selected in Competitive Balance Round B.

I did not see that on the ESPN draft tracker last night prior to shutting things down.

More on Arroyo from mlb.com

5'11" 185lbs DOB: 05/30/95 | Scouting videoArroyo was Team USA’s starting shortstop on the 18-and-under team last summer in the World Championships in South Korea. He hit .341 in the tournament and helped the national team to a gold medal. Arroyo is a steady presence on the field. He doesn’t stand out for his tools as much as his good baseball instincts and his ability to seemingly rise to the occasion. He makes all the routine plays and has solid range. Arroyo likely won’t ever have much power, but makes good contact and covers the plate well. He is committed to Florida.

More on Ryder Jones from mlb.com

6'03" 185lbs DOB: 06/07/94 | Scouting videoBecause Jones' father, Billy, is Appalachian State's baseball coach, he has spent a lot of time around the diamond. His upbringing shows and he has a good feel for the game. While Jones is a two-way prospect, his future is probably as an everyday player. He plays shortstop now, but his range and 6-foot-3, 185-pound frame are better suited for third base. At the plate, Jones has good power. On the mound, Jones' fastball has been clocked in the low-90s and he also throws a solid breaking ball. If he becomes a pitcher, scouts see him as a reliever. Jones is committed to Stanford.

Giants select shortstop Christian Arroyo in first round | Giants Extra

Let's see....
BA has him ranked #102
Keith Law has him ranked #99
Oscar Mercado is still on the board.
It's not a need position
The reviews come right out of the chute talking about how ......if he fails to cut it at short, he can switch to another non-need position of C.

I don't know how I can make this into a good pick. He may hit, four years from now, from a position he was not drafted to fill. We'll never know if he would have still been around in Rounds Two or Three now.

So for now it's on to Round Two.

from Giants Extra:
Giants select shortstop Christian Arroyo in first round | Giants Extra:

The Giants made a surprise selection in Thursday’s MLB draft, selecting shortstop Christian Arroyo with the 25th pick in the first round. Arroyo, out of Hernando High School in Brooksville, Fla., was ranked 102nd in the 2013 class by Baseball America and ranked 99th by ESPN’s Keith Law. According to the MLB Network, Arroyo has a verbal commitment to play at the University of Florida next year.

Here’s part of the Baseball America scouting report on Arroyo:

At 6-foot-1, 180 pounds, Arroyo has surprising pop and grades out as a solid-average hitter if not a tick better. He wants to play shortstop and has excellent hands, a quick release and instincts that allow him to make all the routine plays and some spectacular ones. Still, few scouts see him as a shortstop in the big leagues. Those who don’t think he can catch see him as a tweener, not quick enough for second and not powerful enough for third base. Arroyo is a Florida recruit.

'via Blog this'

2103 MLB Draft - My Shopping List for the Giants

First two rounds today and rounds 3-10 tomorrow.

from ESPN:
http://espn.go.com/mlb/draft/2013/story/_/id/9344839/stanford-mark-appel-no-regrets-second-year-top-mlb-draft-prospect

Here is my wish list to GM Brian Sabean. If we end up with 2 or 3 of these guys in the first three rounds, I will have considered it a success. The talent seems to be tilted 2/3rd towards college talent over HS talent, so 2/3rd to address immediate needs and 1/3rd toward the future. Some will have to fall a bit for the Giants to have a shot at them, but that's what the draft is all about.

from the college ranks, 1st Round:
3B D.J. Peterson, New Mexico
3B Eric Jagielo, Notre Dame
OF Hunter Renfroe, Miss State
RHP Jonathan Crawford, Florida
RHP Ryne Stanek, Arkansas

from the HS ranks:
LHP Matt Krook (CA)
LHP/OF Trey Ball (IN) -  (if he falls)

2nd and 3rd rounds:
OF/RHP Michael Lorenzen, Cal State Fullerton
OF Cord Sandberg (FL) - ( if he falls to the 2nd round)
LHP Tom Windle, Minnesota
RHP Bobby Wahl, Mississippi

Tim Lincecum pitches magnificently, Giants take first game from Jays - McCovey Chronicles

Here's a pitch from April 9th: 
That's the only swing and miss Tim Lincecum had on a curveball all season until Tuesday night.

This gem is from Grant Brisbee at the McCovey Chronicles blog. Are you serious?!? Lincecum came into the league dealing killer-curves and this is the 1st swing-and-a-miss all season?

That is in-freaking-credible. Sorry honey, not a cuss-euphemism.

BTW: I also agree with his theory about the feel for the release point on the CB translating to  better feel for the release point on the FB transferring into better overall control of both pitches. Something to factor into the mix when calling pitches for the Bochy-Righetti-Posey brain trust.

from the McCovey Chronicles:
Tim Lincecum pitches magnificently, Giants take first game from Jays - McCovey Chronicles:

Again, this is not made up! Fifty-nine curveballs before the Blue Jays came to down. One swing and a miss. So it's not like the Giants were ignoring a secret weapon that was covered up in the barn. Lincecum hasn't felt comfortable with his curve in a while, and it showed.

For some reason, he was all curveballs on Tuesday. And it worked beautifully. Of the 31 curves he threw tonight, 17 went for strikes. Three were swings and misses.

And I'm no Don Raghette here, but maybe there's something about the curveball that helps him get on top of his other pitches -- the more he throws the curve, the more he throws his fastball for strikes. That kind of thing. Just an unsupported theory.

'via Blog this'

Catchers are flying out of MLB games at an alarming rate

WOW!! I thought the Yadier Molina ejection vs. the Giants the other night was bad. This one is worse.

from Business Insider:
http://www.businessinsider.com/umpires-ejection-of-pirates-catcher-is-one-of-the-worst-you-will-ever-see-2013-6?

Umpire rule of thumb -- you can strike a ball (hell Greg Maddux is in the HOF because of this half of the rule) but NEVER ball a strike. And yeah, if the catcher didn't turn and face the ump, he didn't show him up unless he used a "magic" word.

Here we balled two.



Pitch f/x data via BrooksBaseball.net

Although given the rest of the article, one of them may have been an "F.U." call, which is different from a "M.U." call. Suffice to say, I can't explain one without the other and I can't explain the first one without using language that Mrs. TheSlav doesn't approve of. So that should explain it.

HINT: One is a Make Up call and the other one is the opposite of a make -up call and the "U" should be a "Y' anyway. Hopefully, that helps. If it doesn't, you need to get out more often and stop reading blogs.

He was apparently giving  'em the old F.U. when perhaps he should have been gently applying the old Make-Up call. The hitter would have understood. He would have been right where he should have been as far as the count goes.

And the catcher would have stayed in the game. Catchers seem to be getting the heave-ho more often than I can remember in the past. Maybe it's the heat.

Top draft prospect Jonathan Gray had positive test for Adderall - ESPN

This illustrates that the folks who make policy, whether it be in sports or government, rarely account well for both perverse incentives and unintended consequences.

from ESPN:
Top draft prospect Jonathan Gray had positive test for Adderall - ESPN:

More from ESPN.com

Due to the odd incentives of MLB's current draft system, Keith Law thinks a positive test for Adderall could make Jonathan Gray more likely to go No. 1 overall, but it will cost him some money. Story

'via Blog this'

from Wikipedia:

A perverse incentive is an incentive that has an unintended and undesirable result which is contrary to the interests of the incentive makers. Perverse incentives are a type of unintended consequence.

Examples 

• In Hanoi, under French colonial rule, a program paying people a bounty for each rat tail handed in was intended to exterminate rats. Instead, it led to the farming of rats.^[1]

Unintended consequences can be roughly grouped into three types:

• A positive, unexpected benefit (usually referred to as luck, serendipity or a windfall).
• A negative, unexpected detriment occurring in addition to the desired effect of the policy (e.g., while irrigation schemes provide people with water for agriculture, they can increase waterborne diseases that have devastating health effects, such asschistosomiasis).
• A perverse effect contrary to what was originally intended (when an intended solution makes a problem worse)

I understand that the CBA covers many areas and the area in which they endeavor to suppress bonus payments to draftees via slotting may prove to work out quite well, especially in this case.

As I'm sure Keith Law will note in his Insider notes, whoever does end up with Gray will have some leverage to knock his bonus demands down a bit.

So maybe in a perverse way, MLB and it's policies will work out in the long run. At least as far as the bottom line goes. But as far as the PR perception that little has been done on the PED front other than push the pushers to more exotic or more under the radar vehicles to enhance performance, things may not be working quite as well as intended.

UPDATE FROM MLBTRADERUMORS.COM:
http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2013/06/jonathan-gray-tests-positive-for-banned-stimulant.html

In fact, in a second piece (this one for ESPN Insiders only), Law outlines a scenario in which this test could actually make Gray more appealing to the Astros with the first overall pick. Law writes that Gray's bonus demands will be lower due to the poor result. One source told Law he expects Gray to sign for a "huge" discount. In that scenario, the Astros could likely sign Gray below slot with the first pick and allocate some of the additional funds to later players without risk of exceeding their bonus pool.

Adderall is typically prescribed as a treatment for ADHD, but Gray did not have a prescription for the drug. In Law's first piece, he notes that more than 110 active players were granted exemptions to use the drug in 2012. Carlos Ruiz's 25-game suspension to open the season was the result of using Adderall without a prescription, he adds. Most teams that Law has spoken to thus far aren't overly troubled by Gray's test, though it does bring his judgment 

Giants Ready to Be Flexible in Unpredictable Draft

Matt Krook #13 - LHP= St Ignatius vs Serra - 4-3 - Neil Sterling

How would you like to be the batter facing Krook (above)? MLB top-rated prospect and he's throwing from the sun-lit-mound, through the shadows and you have to hit it? Hitting is tough enough....

Some new names added to the potential new-Giants watch list. I'm not sure why SS Oscar Mercado and C Nick Ciuffo. The team seems to be well-stocked at those two positions. OF-P Michael Lorenzen would be an intriguing pick.

Baseball America's thumbnail on Lorenzen reads as follows:
52. Michael Lorenzen of/rhp Cal State Fullerton R/R 6-3, 200
The Skinny: Lorenzen's bat is better than it used to be; his 97-98 mph fastball may be better than his bat.

Ciuffo is ranked #20 overall and draws comparison to A.J. Pierzynski. That alone should seal his fate with this organization. Playing the C position is just gravy. Mercado is ranked #38 overall and would be down the road insurance against Brandon Crawford either regressing terribly or blossoming and walking. Not sure we need to use a 1st rounder there.

The Giants need to develop a strong OF bat. The organization has been a bit weak on that front for a long time.

Maybe a Hunter Renfroe from Mississippi State falls to them, he's rated #13. by BA. If you can sign him away from college FB (he is a Mississippi Stae QB recruit), Bradenton (FL) OF Cord Sandberg might be a surprise pick. An athletic, solid bat L/L 6-3, 215 out of HS, so the organization would have to develop him as a hitter.

from Bleacher Report:
Giants Ready to Be Flexible in Unpredictable Draft:

Money matters

Under the Collective Bargaining Agreement, each team has an allotted bonus pool equal to the sum of the values of that club's selections in the first 10 rounds of the Draft. The more picks a team has, and the earlier it picks, the larger the pool. The signing bonuses for a team's selections in the first 10 rounds, plus any bonus greater than $100,000 for a player taken after the 10th round, will apply toward the bonus-pool total.

Any team going up to 5 percent over its allotted pool will be taxed at a 75-percent rate on the overage. A team that overspends by 5-10 percent gets a 75-percent tax plus the loss of a first-round pick. A team that goes 10-15 percent over its pool amount will be hit with a 100-percent penalty on the overage and the loss of a first- and second-round pick. Any overage of 15 percent or more gets a 100-percent tax plus the loss of first-round picks in the next two Drafts.

The Giants' bonus-pool total has been set at $4,712,200, with $1,866,500 earmarked for the first-round selection.

 First-round buzz

Blessed with a full contingent of pitching prospects in the lower Minors, the Giants don't feel as much pressure to deepen their pool of hurlers as other organizations might. They'll likely pursue a position player in the opening round. San Francisco has been linked to, among others, shortstop Oscar Mercado of Gaither H.S. in Tampa, Fla., catcher Nick Ciuffo of Lexington (S.C.) High School and outfielder-pitcher Michael Lorenzen of Cal State Fullerton.

GIANTS' BONUS POOL

Pick	No.	Pick Value
1	25	$1,866,500
2	64	$872,100
3	101	$510,600
4	132	$378,600
5	162	$283,500
6	192	$212,300
7	222	$161,500
8	252	$150,900
9	282	$140,900
10	312	$135,300
TOTAL		$4,712,200
AVG.		$471,220
MLB RANK*		26

* Rank in terms of total bonus pool $
'via Blog this'

from mlb.com:

 http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20030213&content_id=199954&vkey=news_mlb&fext=.jsp&c_id=null

02/13/2003 6:10 pm ET 

Scout school recap

MLB.com

So scout school is over and all of the students have returned home. What have we taken with us? Hopefully a deeper understanding and practical knowledge of how to properly evaluate and report on baseball talent. Several of you have written with specific questions of what to look for, so below you will find a summary of everything we have learned. I think you will find it helpful.

Judgement: Players are judged in five categories: Hitting, hitting for power, arm strength, fielding and running. A player who can do all of these things above average is sometimes referred to as a "five-tool player." Here's how they're judged:The numbers are then added up and multiplied by two to get the OFP # (Overall Future Potential). Here's how OFPs break down:

Arm: What is a "5" arm and how do you judge it? The average Major League player has a 5 arm. It is an arm that makes the routine play. The arm has strength that allows his throws to have on-line carry. The ball doesn't die when it leaves his hand, it carries.

Fielding: What do you look for in an infielder?
Player should also have "quick feet," which means a live, active lower body that allows a player to get into fielding position.

Running: Batters should be timed with a stopwatch from the moment they make contact with the ball until they touch first base. Here's how their speed should break down:
What if there's a wet field and you can't get a player running all out? You can base your judgement on technique. Look for fluidness and effortless motion vs. erratic, choppy, laboring strides. Look for easy, graceful strides.

Hands: What if a player has stiff hands. Can they get softer? Yes, to some degree. Learning to relax the hands and arms and changing the angle of the glove are all things that can be worked on.

Fielding: How do you judge an outfielder?
What if you have to judge an outfielder who doesn't get a fly ball in a game or in pre-game? Observe his actions between innings playing catch, throwing. Look for arm action, arm strength and the carry on the ball when the throws. You can also look for his positioning, anticipation and reaction to balls off the bat.

Catchers: What does he have to do first, second? What about catchers who turn their heads and flinch? All catchers must at least show a 5 arm to throw out baserunners. He also must be able to catch the ball. If he can't catch, he won't have a chance to throw out baserunners. Catchers who flinch are very difficult to correct since it's an involuntary reaction, but it can sometimes be improved upon.

Hitting: How do I know who is going to be able to hit? What do you look for?
Where should I sit to evaluate a hitter? Either behind home plate to look for the fear factor and his stance, or on the open side of the hitter - first base for right-handed hitters and third base for lefties. This will allow you to see his approach, start of the bat and his swing.

Arm action: What is it?
What is delivery? The arm working in conjunction with the body in the process of throwing the baseball.
What is arm speed? The speed of the arm from the start/stop of delivery to the point of release.
What is bat speed? Generation of a quick, powerful swing and the velocity at which the bat travels through the hitting zone. When a player has good bat speed, the ball jumps off his bat.
What is flexibility/agility? Freedom of movement without restriction. Graceful, fluid actions.
What are the qualities a player must have at each position to be considered a prospect?

----

FIRST BASE
1. Hitting -- run production and power
2. Defensive skills -- ability to catch the ball
3. Arm -- doesn't necessarily need Major League arm if hitting is strongest tool

SECOND BASE
1. Agility -- able to move quickly around the bag
2. Arm strength -- able to turn the double play
3. Fielding tools -- soft, dependable hands

THIRD BASE
1. Hitting -- run producing position
2. Arm strength -- long and accurate throws
3. Defensive ability -- quick, agile movement, good glove, soft hands

SHORTSTOP
1. Agility -- active body, able to cover ground
2. Arm strength -- needs to be strong for tough plays in the hole
3. Fielding tools, soft hands -- ability to catch and release quickly

LEFT FIELD
1. Hitting -- power, run production
2. Defensive skills -- have playable ability
3. Arm strength -- playable and accurate

CENTER FIELD
1. Speed -- ability to cover ground
2. Defensive skills -- able to rule the field (take charge)
3. Instincts

RIGHT FIELD
1. Hitting -- get on base and drive in runs
2. Arm strength -- longest throw for outfield (Think Vlad Guerrero, Ichiro)
3. Defensive skills

CATCHER
1. Arm strength -- throw out runners
2. Receiving -- ability to catch ball, soft hands
3. Durability -- backbone of team, tough day in and day out

PITCHER
1. Arm strength -- must have at least average Major League fastball or fastball with movement and deception
2. Arm action and delivery -- no restrictions that cause arm to break down
3. Mental toughness -- wanting to get hitters out

---

Grading Challenges:

Selection of Tools

MLB Scale	60 Yard Seconds	Home to 1stR/L	Catcher's Release	Infield ARM MPH	Outfield ARM MPH	Pitchers MPH Stalker Gun	Hitting AVG	Hitting Power Projected HR's
80	6.4-	4.0/3.9	1.79-	92 +	95 +	99 +	.330 +	45 +
70	6.5-6.6	4.1/4.0	1.80-1.84	90-91	93-94	96-98	.300-.329	35-44
60	6.7-6.8	4.2/4.1	1.85-1.89	88-89	91-92	93-95	.285-.289	26-34
50 AVG	6.9-7.0	4.3/4.2	1.90-1.95	86-87	89-90	90-92	.270-.284	15-25
40	7.1-7.2	4.4/4.3	1.96-2.00	84-85	86-88	87-89	.240-.269	10-14
30	7.3.-7.4	4.5/4.4	2.1-2.2	82-83	83-85	84-86	.220-.239	5-9
20	7.5 +	4.6/4.5	2.21+	81 -	82-	83 -	.000-.219	0-4