Giants surprising draft grade.....maybe not

I like the methodology used to get the result and I obviously like the result. It's a surprising result, sometimes it is tough to see the forest for the trees, but the Giants scouting department deserves to take a bow. Hopefully, it's a short one because the 2014 draft is right around the corner and most reports say this one is loaded with talent. Time to stock the shelves of the organization and position the franchise for success throughout the next decade.



from Bleacher Report:

San Francisco Giants:

Best First-Round Draft Pick of the Last Decade

2008: Buster Posey

Overall Success Rate:
Four big leaguers out of 10 first-round draft picks, per ESPN.com; 40 percent

Draft Picks Still on Roster

Buster Posey, 1st Rd. 2008, 19.0 WAR

Brandon Belt, 5th Rd. 2009, 8.7 WAR

Brandon Crawford, 4th Rd. 2008, 6.3 WAR

Madison Bumgarner, 1st Rd. 2007, 11.9 WAR

Tim Lincecum, 1st Rd. 2006, 23.1 WAR

Sergio Romo, 28th Rd. 2005, 7.8 WAR

Total WAR: 
76.8 WAR
Grade: A

The San Francisco Giants have utilized the draft to build a two-time World Series-winning club. There's no doubt that general manager Brian Sabean is one of the top executives in all of baseball.

'via Blog this'

Opportunity knocks for Cardinals Oscar Taveras

He will debut against the Giants so we will get a first hand look but he has the look of a future superstar in the making. Hopefully, he does not display his prodigious talents today. This guy should be a force to be reckoned with for a long time debuting at 21.



from Hardball Talk:

Oscar Taveras batting sixth and playing right field in MLB debut | HardballTalk:

It’s official. The Cardinals have recalled top prospect outfielder Oscar Taveras from Triple-A Memphis. He’ll take the roster spot of Matt Adams, who was placed on the disabled list with left calf tightness.

According to Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Taveras will bat sixth in his major league debut this afternoon against the Giants. While he has made most of his starts in center field at the Triple-A level this year, he’ll play right field today.

'via Blog this'

P.S: Well, Oscar Tavares was who we thought he was. Pretty swing, but lethal.

http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mlb-big-league-stew/oscar-taveras-homers-in-mlb-debut--receives-curtain-call-from-cardinals-fans-201103267.html

Meanwhile...in Beantown, just another Sawks - Rays lovefest

Boston Red Sox designated hitter David Ortiz is held back by umpire Jeff Kellogg after benches cleared after Tampa Bay Rays starting pitcher David Price hit Mike Carp with a pitch during the fourth inning of a baseball game at Fenway Park in Boston, Friday, May 30, 2014. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)

The home plate umpire butchered this one by issuing the warning too early, thereby depriving the Sawks of the obligatory retaliation. Then everyone gets back to playing baseball. As if that wasn't bad enough, Price bounces another one off of L'il Abner Dude, which should have resulted in his ejection but no...........let's just compound the error why don't we?

So when the law doesn't work to protect you, take the law into your own hands, I always say. 

Giants cutting through St. Louis like Sherman through Atlanta...no time to Panik

 

It seemed like a white-flag kind of lineup at first, maybe relying on Bumgarner to out duel Wainwright, but somone is having an off night and the top of the lineup is capitalizing. How long the Giants can stay with Hicks at 2B batting sub .200, I just don't know. I'm not saying it's time to Panik or anything, but.....

The team is fighting off a bit of the injury bug, with Cain, Posey, Belt, Scutaro, Castilla all on the shelf for some length of time or another. Given that, the Giants record is pretty amazing.

Top of 7th

Series: Game 2 of 4

Giants 7

(35-19, 16-10 away)

Cardinals 0

(29-25, 15-10 home)

• Gamecast

73°
Clear

Coverage:  FSMW

8:15 PM ET, May 30, 2014

Busch Stadium, St. Louis, Missouri 

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
SF	1	4	0	0	2	0	0			7	11	1
STL	0	0	0	0	0	0				0	3	0

Pitcher vs. Batter

Maness (STL): 1.2 IP, 0 ER, 1 K

Morse (SFO): 2-3 (R, RBI)

Hawks and Kings battle for runner-up spot to the Rangers tonight

I'm just saying.....and when you lose the hitting battle by more than a 2-1 ratio and face-offs by a 3-2 split, on the other guys frozen pond, you are looking to get more than your ticket punched. 

Hawks better pick up the pace after the first intermission. 

9:00 PM ET, May 30, 2014

STAPLES Center, Los Angeles, California

	1	2	3	T
CHI	0			0
LA	1			1

Top Skaters

Chicago: M. Hossa - 2 SOG, Even

Los Angeles: D. King - 1 G, 1 SOG, +1

Team Statistical Comparison

Key:  Chicago   Los Angeles
Total Shots  9  8	PIM  0  2	Hits  9  21	Giveaways  4  5	Takeaways  0  2	Faceoffs Won  8  12

Old Coach Q must have laid down the law during the first intermission, because the Hawks turned things around, with some early help from the refs, who have been know to cheat on occasion. 

Hawks evening out the faceoffs but seem willing to take a hit to win the game. This passive - aggressive thing really seems to be working out for the boys, eh? Refs are still cheaters. 

I'm drawing the line at midnight though. After that I don't much care who wins, given that I know they lose to the Rangers. Sucks to get old and cranky. And prescient.

Team Statistical Comparison

Key:  Chicago   Los Angeles
Total Shots  22  21	PIM  2  4	Hits  20  36	Giveaways  11  10	Takeaways  0  2	Faceoffs Won  21  20

9:00 PM ET, May 30, 2014

STAPLES Center, Los Angeles, California

	1	2	3	T
CHI	0	2		2
LA	1	0		1

Top Skaters

Chicago: B. Seabrook - 2 A, 2 SOG, Even

Los Angeles: D. King - 1 G, 1 SOG, +1

HAWKS WIN!!! HAWKS WIN!!!

Final

Series tied 3-3 (Game 6 of 7)

Blackhawks 4

Kings 3

Coverage: NBCSN

9:00 PM ET, May 30, 2014

STAPLES Center, Los Angeles, California

	1	2	3	T
CHI	0	2	2	4
LA	1	0	2	3

Top Skaters

Chicago: P. Kane - 2 G, 1 A, 5 SOG, Even

Los Angeles: D. Doughty - 1 G, 1 A, 2 SOG,

•