Other than the contributions of the kiddie-corps (Panik and Susac) I don't know of anything else that has turned the Giants (once-sinking) ship around more. Replacing Matt Cain was an absolute must. Maybe Petit steps in and gives you the same type of innings and the same record, but he doesn't bring the same presence that Peavy does. His quote below about being a good teammate is classic.
Kudos to Sabean, this is in his GM wheelhouse. Bringing in a veteran and wringing out the last bit of performance out of him. So maybe, this at least partially offsets the Uggla experiment somewhat. Sabean also gets props for bringing back Travis Ishakawa who has been a godsend at first base and as a lefty bat off the bench. I'm sure there was considerable eye-rolling from the assembled Giants bloggers when that move was made (myself included). Ishakawa is almost an offensive weapon now.
This article adds some of the detail and once again is very classy coming from a Sawks reporter.
from NESN.com:
Jake Peavy Trade With Red Sox Paying Dividends For Giants Down Stretch | MLB | NESN.com:
Peavy, who was 1-9 with a 4.72 ERA through 20 starts at the time of the trade, has rewarded the Giants since landing in the Bay Area. He’s 5-4 with a 2.29 ERA in nine starts with San Francisco, helping the team absorb the loss of Matt Cain. Peavy’s 1.12 ERA since Aug. 9 is tops in the National League.
“Over the past few weeks we’ve found some identity as a team,” Peavy told reporters Thursday after another solid performance. “Playing good team baseball, playing for each other, playing hard.”
The Giants entered Friday with a 22-15 record since the beginning of August. They trailed the Los Angeles Dodgers by only two games in the National League West and sat atop the NL Wild Card standings alongside the Pittsburgh Pirates. Obviously, it’s not all Peavy’s doing. But San Francisco looks rejuvenated.
“As you get older, you realize what the word ‘teammate’ is,” Peavy said. “When I walk away from this game, that’s what I want to be said about me. I don’t care about any numbers, any wins and losses. I want my peers, when they get asked about me, to say this guy came in prepared, he got his work done, and he was one of the best teammates I’ve ever had.”
Peavy’s status as a great teammate never was in question. Now, with a change of scenery, he’s back to being a quality starting pitcher, too.'via Blog this'
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