Buster Posey showed off some incredible reflexes to corral a ball in the dirt and throw out a runner | MLB.com

It cannot be repeated often enough, "You cannot run on Buster Posey!!" Even when you think you should be able to run on Buster Posey, you should not run on Buster Posey!! He's like a cat going after a mouse corralling that loose ball.



from MLB.com

Buster Posey showed off some incredible reflexes to corral a ball in the dirt and throw out a runner | MLB.com:

Buster Posey has been great his entire Major League career. He has a Rookie of the Year Award and an MVP Award. He's a five-time All-Star and has won the Silver Slugger Award four times. He's been so good for so long, it didn't seem possible for him to surprise us with his ability on the field.

On Sunday, however, Posey proved that greatness always finds a way to impress. With two outs in the ninth inning of the Giants' 9-5 win over the Rockies, a pitch in the dirt looked like it was going to get away from the Giants' catcher and allow Trevor Story to advance. Let's just say that it didn't quite work out that way:

'via Blog this'

OK, so this we know. What do we not know? We really don't know what we have with the 2018 Gigantes due to all the injuries and this game puts us at .500 through 48 games at 24-24. This game wasn't a "must game", but it was a game the Giants had to have. You cannot let the Rockies come in to your house and take three out of four. So, mission accomplished there.

We're all waiting for the wounded to return. Adding Bumgarner, Cueto, Panik, Williamson, Hanson and to a lesser degree Pence and Melancon will help. But how much?

If the returnees elevate the team from a .500 team to a .600 team, when do they need to start playing like one?

Now would be the immediate answer. A .600 pace the rest of the way, with 114 games left, gets you to 92-70. Playoffs!! Can you say Playoffs?

Even waiting another 7 games to get a kick from some of the returnees would take you from 31-31 to 91-71 in the remaining 100 games. Cool, not much of a decrease in our chances.

How about if we wait until the halfway mark? Play 41-41 for the first 82 games and then turn on the jets and win 49 of the next 82 gets you to 90 wins. Still a probable playoff spot, but not by much, right?

Somehow I feel as if the All-Star break is when you see the team that has to pull the train into the station, regular lineup in place and healthy. No turning back at that point, since 45-45 through the first 90 leads you to 88-74 with a .600 pace the rest of the way. That's not likely to make the playoffs, but it is possible.

Let's see what happens, but at least using math plus reasonable assumptions and past history as a guide as to probability of advancement, we shouldn't need to even consider panicking (What who me?? Panik??)

--

No puede repetirse con la suficiente frecuencia, "¡No puedes correr en Buster Posey!" ¡¡Incluso cuando creas que deberías poder correr en Buster Posey, no deberías correr en Buster Posey !! Es como un gato que persigue a un ratón acorralando esa bola suelta.

OK, entonces esto lo sabemos. ¿Qué no sabemos? Realmente no sabemos lo que tenemos con los 2018 Gigantes debido a todas las lesiones y este juego nos pone en .500 a través de 48 juegos en 24-24. Este juego no era un "juego obligatorio", pero era un juego que los Gigantes tenían que tener. No puedes permitir que los Rockies entren a tu casa y tomen tres de cuatro. Entonces, misión cumplida allí.

Todos estamos esperando que los heridos regresen. Agregando Bumgarner, Cueto, Panik, Williamson, Hanson y en menor grado Pence y Melancon ayudarán. ¿Pero cuanto?

Si los repatriados elevan al equipo de un equipo de .500 a un equipo de .600, ¿cuándo deben comenzar a jugar como uno?

Ahora sería la respuesta inmediata. Un ritmo de .600 el resto del camino, con 114 juegos restantes, te lleva a 92-70. ¡Playoffs! ¿Puedes decir Playoffs?

Incluso esperar otros 7 juegos para obtener una patada de algunos de los retornados te llevaría de 31-31 a 91-71 en los restantes 100 juegos. Genial, no hay una gran disminución en nuestras posibilidades.

¿Qué tal si esperamos hasta la mitad del camino? Juega 41-41 para los primeros 82 juegos y luego enciende los jets y gana 49 de los siguientes 82 que te llevan a 90 victorias. Todavía es un lugar probable para los playoffs, pero no por mucho, ¿verdad?

De alguna manera siento como si el receso del Juego de las Estrellas fuera cuando ves al equipo que tiene que tirar del tren a la estación, alineación regular en su lugar y saludable. No hay vuelta atrás en ese punto, ya que 45-45 a través de los primeros 90 te lleva a 88-74 con un ritmo de .600 el resto del camino. No es probable que llegue a los playoffs, pero es posible.


Veamos qué pasa, pero al menos usando matemáticas más suposiciones razonables e historia pasada como guía en cuanto a la probabilidad de avance, no deberíamos siquiera tener que considerar entrar en pánico (¿Qué me di ?? Panik?)

Giants' Joe Panik homers off Kenley Jansen (and Kershaw)

The historic first two games (and the entire series) had so many good things to like, especially since they happened to the Dodgers. 

Positives:

• Panik 2 HR's in the first two games to propel the good guys to a 2-0 record.
• Ty Blach working the magic againt Kershaw yet again.
• Cueto looking like an ace in his first start
• Strickland making Melancon's boo-boo look like addition by subtraction
• The bullpen overall looking pretty stout
• Would have rather seen Stratton than Holland in 3rd game, but 3 LHP vs. Dodgers is OK

Negatives:

1. Giants continue to prove, like many sabermetricians, that clutch hitting doesn't exist.
2. Two runs in three games is a recipe for a repeat of last year. 
3. Posey and Longoria where are you?

OTOH, they did win two out of three with the negatives and are the negatives likely to recur or do they regress UPWARDS to the mean? We'll see. It's the first series and I'm very happy with 2-3 on the road against the Dodgers.  

from mlb.com

https://www.mlb.com/news/giants-joe-panik-homers-off-kenley-jansen/c-270230822

2 games, 2 Panik HRs, 2 1-0 wins for Giants

4:06 AM ETLOS ANGELES -- Joe Panik won't hit 162 home runs that account for the scoring in each game. He doesn't have to. His accomplishments in two such games are rare enough.
For the second game in a row, Panik was the only player on either team to touch home plate without kicking it in frustration. His ninth-inning home run Friday off Kenley Jansen, the Dodgers' formidable closer, gave the Giants a 1-0 victory that was nothing short of precedent-setting.
View Full Game Coverage
According to STATS, Panik, who went deep off Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw in Tuesday's season opener, is the first Major Leaguer to hit back-to-back solo homers at any juncture of the season to win 1-0 games for his team. The Giants are also the first team since the 1943 Reds to open a season with consecutive 1-0 victories.
"It's a good feeling to be in the situation to make those hits happen," said Panik, who made sure to add, "It all stems from pitching. I said it yesterday -- without [them], I wouldn't be standing here."
This game cornered the early-season market on drama. Giants starter Johnny Cueto retired the first 18 batters he faced before Chris Taylor punched a soft single to right field. That would be the Dodgers' lone hit for the entire game.
• Cueto flirts with perfection in first startThe Giants mustered only two hits as pitching continued to dominate this season-opening series. San Francisco is batting .154 (10-for-65); Los Angeles is batting .121 (7-for-58). Only Panik has provided meaningful offense with his power.
"That's not his game," Giants manager Bruce Bochy said. "But the guys he's hit 'em off, that's pretty remarkable. Couldn't have come at a better time."
Teaming with relievers Tony Watson and Hunter Strickland, who recorded his second consecutive save, Cueto helped San Francisco doom the Dodgers to their second shutout defeat in the season's first two games for the first time in 50 years and second time in history.
Dodgers starter Alex Wood lost his perfect game on the first of three Logan Forsythe errors in the top of the fourth inning. Wood lost the no-hitter on an infield single by Brandon Crawford to fellow shortstop Corey Seager with two out in the top of the fifth inning. Wood struck out five and made 90 pitches.
MOMENTS THAT MATTEREDCan't cash in: The Giants had their best early chance after Forsythe's fourth-inning error. Panik bunted Austin Jackson to second base, but Andrew McCutchen struck out and Buster Posey grounded to shortstop.
Still got it: Left fielder Matt Kemp, whose defense has been the Dodgers' biggest area of concern, made a long run to flag down Jackson's towering fly on the warning track in the corner to end the top of the eighth inning.
SOUND SMART WITH YOUR FRIENDSJansen's pickoff of McCutchen at first base in the ninth inning, which required a Dodgers challenge and video review to overturn the original safe call, was the first one of Jansen's career.
MITEL REPLAY OF THE DAYThe Giants achieved what for them was nearly impossible -- creating a baserunner against Wood -- with the help of replay. With one out in the fifth inning, Hunter Pence tapped a grounder to Dodgers third baseman Forsythe, who briefly lost control of the ball. As usual, Pence hustled to first base. He initially was called out, but replays demonstrated otherwise, and the call was overturned.
WHAT'S NEXTLeft-hander Derek Holland will make his first National League appearance Saturday when he starts for the Giants in a 6:10 p.m. PT contest at Dodger Stadium. Los Angeles will counter with righty Kenta Maeda in its effort to secure its first victory of the season.
Watch every out-of-market regular-season game live on MLB.TV.
Chris Haft has covered the Giants since 2005, and for MLB.com since 2007. Follow him on Twitter at @sfgiantsbeat and listen to his podcast.
Read more: Johnny Cueto, Kenley Jansen, Joe Panik, Alex Wood

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Player Card: Joe Panik

I like the analysis and the approach to disseminating the data. But seriously, Buster Posey "a poor eye" on fastballs? I don't think so. More likely, as a power hitter and the guy most likely to damage against the fastball, he doesn't see many, if any in the strike zone, therefore occasionally has to "chase" outside for the one fastball per AB he can handle, even though it may be a little bit out of the SZ. Maybe we should ask Joey Votto for his thoughts on the matter.

But I can't disagree with too much else and very neatly pass the eyeball test in all other respects, especially regarding these three hitters. I'm not sure if you could parse the data differently for contact hitters versus power hitter anyway. The conclusions might be slightly different if you did and clearly the hitting approach of a Buster Posey is going to be fundamentally different than a Joe Panik to say nothing of the way pitchers attempt to approach them.


from brooksbaseball.net
http://www.brooksbaseball.net/

Joe Panik

San Francisco Giants

Hitter-At-A-Glance 

Joe Panik has seen 2,903 pitches that have been tracked by the PITCHf/x system between 2011 and 2015, including pitches seen in the MLB Regular Season, the MLB Postseason and Spring Training.

In 2015:
Against All Fastballs (930 seen), he has had a league average eye (0.93 d'; 64% swing rate at pitches in the zone vs. 28% swing rate at pitches out of the zone) and a steady approach at the plate (0.11 c) with a low likelihood to swing and miss (8% whiff/swing).

Against Breaking Pitches (276 seen), he has had a league average eye (0.66 d'; 59% swing rate at pitches in the zone vs. 33% swing rate at pitches out of the zone) and a steady approach at the plate (0.10 c) with an exceptionally low likelihood to swing and miss (17% whiff/swing).

Against Offspeed Pitches (203 seen), he has had a very poor eye (0.62 d'; 67% swing rate at pitches in the zone vs. 42% swing rate at pitches out of the zone) and a steady approach at the plate (-0.12 c) with a low likelihood to swing and miss (22% whiff/swing). 

Buster Posey

San Francisco Giants

Hitter-At-A-Glance 

Buster Posey has seen 12,175 pitches that have been tracked by the PITCHf/x system between 2009 and 2015, including pitches seen in the MLB Regular Season, the MLB Postseason and Spring Training.

In 2015:
Against All Fastballs (767 seen), he has had a poor eye (0.82 d'; 68% swing rate at pitches in the zone vs. 36% swing rate at pitches out of the zone) and an aggressive approach at the plate (-0.04 c) with a low likelihood to swing and miss (9% whiff/swing).

Against Breaking Pitches (363 seen), he has had a very good eye (0.95 d'; 66% swing rate at pitches in the zone vs. 30% swing rate at pitches out of the zone) and a steady approach at the plate (0.05 c) with a low likelihood to swing and miss (20% whiff/swing).

Against Offspeed Pitches (121 seen), he has had a good eye (1.12 d'; 81% swing rate at pitches in the zone vs. 41% swing rate at pitches out of the zone) and a steady approach at the plate (-0.33 c) with a below average likelihood to swing and miss (27% whiff/swing). 

Matt Duffy

San Francisco Giants

Hitter-At-A-Glance 

Matt Duffy has seen 1,330 pitches that have been tracked by the PITCHf/x system between 2014 and 2015, including pitches seen in the MLB Regular Season and the MLB Postseason.

In 2015:
Against All Fastballs (716 seen), he has had an exceptionally poor eye (0.66 d'; 63% swing rate at pitches in the zone vs. 37% swing rate at pitches out of the zone) and a steady approach at the plate (0.00 c) with a below average likelihood to swing and miss (12% whiff/swing).

Against Breaking Pitches (288 seen), he has had a poor eye (0.49 d'; 54% swing rate at pitches in the zone vs. 35% swing rate at pitches out of the zone) and a steady approach at the plate (0.14 c) with an above average likelihood to swing and miss (38% whiff/swing).

Against Offspeed Pitches (96 seen), he has had a poor eye (0.75 d'; 80% swing rate at pitches in the zone vs. 54% swing rate at pitches out of the zone) and a very aggressive approach at the plate (-0.46 c) with a below average likelihood to swing and miss (24% whiff/swing). 

'via Blog this'

What would you do for a HR ball?

I would totally do this. And I can't even swim.

New Varsity Jacket - $200
New Cell Phone - $250
Visit to Chiropractor from hitting water so awkwardly - $250
Securing a Joe Panik HR ball from McCovey Cove while at the same time getting national TV coverage for your exploits in FAN-aticism - PRICELESS!!!

Some things are worth it. Oh, for the love of Joe Panik!!!

Sent from my iPhone

Announcing your Giants All-Stars

Buster Posey, Brandon Crawford, Joe Panik and Madison Bumgarner have been named to the National League All-Star Team View as web page    |   July 6, 2015 Four Giants named to the National League All-Star Team Buster Posey, Brandon Crawford, Joe Panik and Madison Bumgarner will represent the Giants on the National League All-Star Team. Buster Posey earned his spot via popular vote, while the very-deserving Crawford and Panik, as well as the 2014 World Series MVP Madison Bumgarner, were selected by Bruce Bochy, the National League All-Star Team manager.

Bochy may come under fire from the St. Louis area for taking Panik over Kolten Wong but really both deserve to be there and it seemed like one was going to be left behind since LeMehieu is having a great year as well. If it was Matheny, he would likely have picked Wong, so the answer is to win in October or expand the roster even further.

The four lessons of Matt Duffy (or You too can Be a Data Hero)

DING, DING, DING, DING, DING!!!! We have a winner.

The First Lesson of Matt Duffy, The Joe Panik Rule....hmmmm both good titles,  but here at The Slav's Baseball Blog, we lovingly refer to it as The K/BB ratio for pitchers. The opposite ratio for hitters would be The BB/K ratio. Both correlate pretty highly for predicting future success and both are, generally speaking, the first screen I look at to filter prospect lists of any kind (there are others).

These metrics are not as widely available for HS players, but for most collegians and certainly for professional players, there is a plethora of data sources where you can find and filter to your hearts content. And isn't that what data analysis is all about?

from McCovey Chronicles:
The four lessons of Matt Duffy, who doesn't make sense - McCovey Chronicles:

The first lesson of Matt Duffy

Pay attention to the minor leaguers who strike out about as much as they walk. Before you look at any other statistic (other than maybe home runs, of course), check the walks. Check the strikeouts. If they're about even (and neither of them are absurdly deflated or inflated), pay attention to that player. You could also call this the Joe Panik Rule, and it applies to any prospect, regardless if they're doing other impressive things.

In 2013, this skinny afterthought was hitting .303/.389/.443 across two levels, including a cool 45 walks to 41 strikeouts in Low-A. This isn't to suggest that he should have been a top prospect then -- it was a performance that just barely got him onto a consensus top-30 list -- but the lesson isn't that every kid will be a star if he can work a count at the same time he's making contact. The lesson is to pay attention to those types.

'via Blog this'

P.S. - Case in point. Daniel Carbonnell was just sent back to repeat Hi-A after a wretched stint at AA. Now, he hit over .300 in Hi-A last year in a short stint and started there this year at over .300. The Giants promoted him to AA and the wheels literally came off, a .146 AVG in 214 AB's with a 53:4 K/BB ratio. That would be fantastic for a pitcher, but turn that smile upside down and for a hitter, it's 4:53 or a wretched 7.5% when we're looking for closer to 1:1 or 100%.

See why he got sent back? Hard to generate the other things that scouts and fans salivate over, the Hits, Extra-Base Hits, and Home Runs, from the contact AB's, when you're spending too much time on the wrong side of the non-contact AB side of the equation and on the wrong side of THAT equation to boot, On the non-contact side, you can K or BB, one is good, the other bad. Not rocket science here and for the most part, very binary.

Brandon Crawford and Joe Panik give San Francisco Giants MLB's best middle infield

I am glad to see people coming around to my way of thinking. It just makes the world a better, safer place. Don't you think? Now excuse me while I scurry around and find something else to complain about.

from espn.com 

Brandon Crawford and Joe Panik give San Francisco Giants MLB's best middle infield 

This season, the Giants have the third-best record in the NL and look poised to make another postseason run. But if your expectation was for Posey and Bumgarner to shoulder the burden of that success, then you'd only be half right. Posey and Bumgarner have both been good, but the top of the Giants' leaderboard in Wins Above Replacement (WAR) per FanGraphs has a couple of names that probably will surprise you.

2015 Giants WAR Leaders

PLAYER	POS	WAR
Brandon Crawford	SS	2.5
Joe Panik	2B	2.4
Buster Posey	C	2.2
Brandon Belt	1B	1.9
Nori Aoki	LF	1.6
Madison Bumgarner	SP	1.2
Chris Heston	SP	1.2
Matt Duffy	3B	1.1
Justin Maxwell	RF	0.9
Sergio Romo	RP	0.7

Shortstop Brandon Crawford (2.5) and second baseman Joe Panik (2.4) are the team's two WAR leaders so far this season. Those totals not only put them atop the Giants' leaderboard, they put them atop the leaderboard of the best middle infields in baseball.

Joe Cool stays hot

I prefer the "Joe Cool" moniker to "Joltin' Joe". Joltin' is kind of reserved for DiMaggio in my opinion, so it would be like nicknaming somebody "Say Hey" or the "Say Hey Kid". Let's hope the hot hitting continue for "Joe Cool"

from Giants Extra:

Joltin' Joe Panik extended his hitting streak to a career-best 12 games. He had an 11-game streak earlier in the season that he wasn't able to extend. He's hitting .316, a season high, with a .384 on-base percentage.

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That's sweet!!! Some things you simply cannot un-see. My eyes hurt!!

Joe Panik: The Other Brandon Crawford | FanGraphs Baseball (Hubba, Hubba)

Of course, I like Joe Panik and Brandon Crawford and we know how I feel about moving .gifs and Fan Graphs. So if you combine all those likes, what else would you have except a real hubba, hubba of an article?


from FanGraphs.com
http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/joe-panik-the-other-brandon-crawford/

It's a really interesting evolution that's taking place in San Francisco. Crawford's offensive development has been something to behold, starting out as a glove-first shortstop with a better bat than most pitchers. Crawford, now, is one of the best shortstops in baseball, provided the season doesn't wear him down. But any attention paid to Crawford is attention not paid to Panik. And while Panik didn't begin his big-league career in the same sort of way, he's also reaching a level at the plate few would've imagined. Joe Panik isn't just a slap hitter. Joe Panik is a genuine threat!

When the Giants first promoted Panik to the majors, they admitted they didn't think he was ready. He was just going to get some on-the-job training, as the Giants were desperate, and you can see now how quickly Panik has adjusted to the competition level. This isn't the point of the article, but here are the top three lefties hitting against lefties since the start of last season (by wRC+):

1. Anthony Rizzo
2. Brandon Crawford
3. Joe Panik

In seventh, by the way, is Nori Aoki. It's not a coincidence. The Giants have a plan here, and it would be tough to argue it isn't successful.

Even the rushed version of Panik held up. Last year, he was an above-average hitter, spraying the ball around and making a ton of contact. But conclusions were reached about his ceiling, because he went deep just once in nearly 300 regular-season trips to the plate. It didn't appear Panik had power. Guys who don't have power have trouble drawing consistent walks. Guys without power and walks have low offensive ceilings. No reason Panik couldn't be useful, but I'd say he fell short of exciting.

In March, an answer to a question, and an answer of certain intrigue, in hindsight:

Over time, my swing is actually going to lead to more power. I'm not too concerned about that right now.

Panik homered on Sunday. He homered last Wednesday. He's up to four homers, in far fewer plate appearances than a year ago, and he's more than doubled his isolated power. Of maybe even greater relevance: Panik has lowered his groundball rate 11 percentage points, and he's increased his fly-ball rate 12 percentage points. It's one of the biggest fly-ball-rate increases in baseball, and that's the sort of thing that tends to mean something.

Panik is changing, and Panik is growing. Under the eye of Hensley Meulens and the rest of the coaching staff, Panik is hitting the ball with more selective authority, and he hasn't even sacrificed any contact. While Panik will never blossom into a slugger, he can turn into a guy who slugs more pitches, and here let's take a look at some big swings in approach.

In the following plot, you'll see 2014 compared against 2015. There are two statistics. The first one is groundball rate on pulled batted balls. The second one, somewhat related, is pull rate on all fly balls.

The simple takeaway: far fewer of Panik's pulled batted balls have been on the ground. And when he's hit a fly ball, he's been a lot more likely to hit it toward right field.

Maybe these rates don't mean much to you. Let's put them in context by considering percentile ranks. First, for groundball rate on pulled batted balls:

• 2014: 88th percentile
• 2015: 9th

Panik went from one of the highest rates in baseball to one of the lowest rates in baseball. That one's easy. Now, for pull rate on fly balls:

• 2014: 1st percentile
• 2015: 64th

Panik went from one of the lowest rates in baseball to a rate comfortably in the upper half. A year ago, Panik just about never pulled a fly ball. Now he still doesn't do itfrequently, but he does it way more. I know all about the nature of the small samples, but I can't not be interested in swings of that magnitude.

Speaking of swings, we have to look. The following are against similar pitches in similar counts. 

First, 2014:

(pictures shown above)

As always, comparing individual swings carries a great margin of error. You don't know if what you're seeing is representative. But let's just say. What might we observe here? Panik is clearly quick to the baseball. We already know he has to be, based on his contact rate. There's a change in the behavior of the front foot — the second small step is gone, with Panik just lowering his heel. In the 2014 swing, Panik is more out over his front foot, while the more recent swing seems to be getting more from the back leg. And look at how Panik finishes. Previously, he cut himself off some. In the more recent swing, he turns his whole back to the camera. He finishes higher, having swung to get more loft. In short, it just looks like the 2015 version of Panik is a hitter who isn't just content to put the ball in play.

I can't speak to how representative those swings might be, but when you blend them with the numbers, you do get a certain picture. Sometimes, a hitter just isn't strong enough to want to hit more fly balls. Billy Hamilton, for example, shouldn't hit as many fly balls as he does. Ben Revere should try to keep the ball out of the air. A year ago, Panik looked like a guy who'd want to keep the ball on the ground or on a line, but now he has proof of some power upside. He shouldn't get too fly-ball happy, but for him, a fly ball can be a hit. It can be the best of hits. With more strength in his swing, Panik is more like a hitter and less like a wall.

At the moment, the Giants have one of the best middle infields in baseball. Neither Crawford nor Panik were all that highly regarded, but they're beating expectations and allowing the Giants to contend with what was supposed to be the league's most terrifying juggernaut. Once upon a time, it seemed like the Giants were particularly good about developing pitchers. Now they're having real success developing hitters. Maybe the Giants are just good at developing players.

Vogelsong throws seven scoreless, Giants win 6-0 | CSN Bay Area

Just what the Dr. ordered for Vogie and the Giants. Pitching and Defense. Three straight shutouts is just phenomenal.

I agree with the blurb about the potential underlying power in Panik's bat. He's banging hangers right now but eventually he will put some drive into fastballs as well and at that point I believe he develops into a 10-15 HR guy.

from CSN Bay Area:
Instant Replay: Vogelsong throws seven scoreless, Giants win 6-0 | CSN Bay Area:

Vogelsong threw seven shutout innings to pace a 6-0 win over the San Diego Padres that was the fifth straight overall and eighth straight at AT&T Park. It was also the third consecutive shutout for the Giants, who are riding a red-hot starting staff. Since Vogelsong’s implosion at Dodger Stadium, Giants starters have a 0.98 ERA. 

....

At the plate: Giants coaches have long believed that there’s more power in Panik’s bat, and he did hit 22 homers in parts of four minor league seasons. That’s not a lot, but it’s more than the one he had as a rookie. Panik now has two homers into the arcade in his last four games. Every little bit helps for a team trying to make up for the losses of Michael Morse and Pablo Sandoval and the injury to Hunter Pence. 

 'via Blog this'

Rule 7.09 (h) on full display

http://m.mlb.com/video/?content_id=85380883&topic_id=6479266

Anytime you can walk-off win against the Dodgers is a god win. I agree with Don Mattingly though, my first impression was "Dang, Roberto Kelly just cost us an out, big-time", but he got away with one. The umpires should know he's new and just learning the ropes on the 3B coaching side. The 3B umpire had his head on a swivel looking into LF (Why, IDK).


from ESPN:
http://espn.go.com/mlb/recap?gameId=350422126

 7.09 (h): It is interference by a batter or a runner when: (h) In the judgment of the umpire, the base coach at third base, or first base, by touching or holding the runner, physically assists him in returning to or leaving third base or first base. (i) With a runner on third base, the base coach leaves his box and acts in any manner to draw a throw by a fielder.

Mattingly on umpires' explanation: "He didn't see it. He was watching the play. I don't know why the third-base ump is watching the play. There's nothing for him to watch. It's a ground ball to left. I don't know who's watching to see if he touched the base. I really don't know what the umpires' responsibilities are there. But I do know there's no way in baseball they allow the third-base coach to come up and basically block the runner from going forward, and that's what happened tonight. That's obviously a missed call. It's not reviewable from their explanation."

Third-base umpire Fieldin Culbreth: "Don came out and asked me did I see him grab him. I told him no, I did not see him grab him. . . . The rule is pretty specific in the fact that he had to touch and physically grab him and assist him in returning to the base. That did not happen. If he doesn't physically assist him in returning to the base then there's no interference."

It is a win against the Dodgers and I am not sorry to say I don't much care how it was acquired. I do look the new-look Yasiel Puig, who seems to finally "get" how the game is supposed to be played and is taking the Dodger veterans advice about behavior modification to heart. He is going to be a flat out beast.

Oh, and F-you Chris Rock. It seems as if the lines of baseballs ascent and the descent of AA-participation, sad though it may be, have been running in a pretty neat little correlation. Kind of throws your little monologue, cute though it may be, right into the dumpster where it belongs. 

from FoxSports.com

http://www.foxsports.com/buzzer/story/chris-rock-major-league-baseball-diversity-042215

I'll take the culture of baseball and hockey over that of the NBA and the NFL any day. Let's just compare police blotters. Another day, another  ex-NFL star convicted of murder. Ho-hum. When exactly was the last murder attributed to an MLB or NHL player?  

Maybe the community should bend to the mores of baseball and hockey instead of the other way around. We'd all be better off. 

How will Joe Panik do for the Giants in 2015? - McCovey Chronicles

http://m.mlb.com/video/?content_id=36820485&topic_id=6479266
Panik's two-run homer


My guess is Mr. panik will do pretty well for the Giants this year. A HR yesterday, on a pitch it looked like he just slapped at and did not get all of, gives a glimpse of the power that I believe will come from his bat later in his career. Joe is now at 3 HR's this spring, tied for the team lead with Brandon Belt.

I love this observation from McCovey Chronicles about Panik because I think it cuts to the heart of what hitting is all about:

A lack of power usually means a player who can't turn a superior eye into gaudy walk totals. Major league pitchers generally have the ability to challenge hitters, partially negating the talents of even the most disciplined hitters if there isn't the threat of a double behind it.

Note: this is what I think some in the SABR crowd have difficulty quantifying and projecting in hitters, JMO .

BTW: I like the recent surge by Daniel Carbonell lately ( .316 BA ) like Matt Duffy, he is going to make the decision to send him out a lot tougher on Bruce Bochy and the staff.

from McCovey Chronicles:
How will Joe Panik do for the Giants in 2015? - McCovey Chronicles:

The projection systems, as well as analysts/scouts like Keith Law, aren't quite as impressed with Panik. 

 Steamer: .255/.305/.337
 ZiPS: .264/.316/.344
 PECOTA: .257/.307/.333 

These systems don't hate you, your favorite sports team, or America. Probably not. They're emotionless, barely sentient spreadsheets. They suck up the minor league numbers, compare them against players who had similar numbers in the past, and spit out major league projections based on what those other players did. History tells us that Panik probably isn't going to hit for enough average or power to be anything close to an above-average hitter. Not yet. All of those systems suggest that he'll have enough defense and baserunning grit to make up for it, but don't expect a repeat of last year's .305 batting average. 

Those disappointing projections are based on a couple of things: Panik had a .343 batting average on balls in play, which is higher than the typical player (while not obscenely so), and he has never hit for a lot of power, even doubles power, in the minors. 

A lack of power usually means a player who can't turn a superior eye into gaudy walk totals. Major league pitchers generally have the ability to challenge hitters, partially negating the talents of even the most disciplined hitters if there isn't the threat of a double behind it.

'via Blog this'

This goes down in Giants lore as simply "The At-Bat"

SF@WSH Gm2: Panik draws first walk of the game

And just like in the Championship Series, everyone remembers the Ishakawa HR but forgets that without Michael Morse's game-tying, pinch-hit HR and Panik's 2 run job earlier in the game versus Adam Wainwright, we might never get to Ishakawa's magical AB.

Earlier in "The At-Bat", Panik had ripped a ball that left the yard by a bunch but just foul. I do think eventually this kid silences the critics (mostly SABR) that don't see any pop in his bat based on his small sample size of AB's in the big leagues. I think Panik eventually develops into a 10-15 HR guy, but I would gladly settle for the Bill Muellar comparisons with the bat.

I will effort getting a clip of the entire AB because it is a clinic on hitting discipline and approach. I'm glad the Giants coaches and Panik's peers agree.

from Mercurynews.com

http://www.mercurynews.com/giants/ci_27668772/giants-instructional-video-raises-goose-bumps

Joe Panik's two-out, ninth-inning walk in Game 2 of the NLDS that drove Jordan Zimmermann from the game. Gregor Blanco's bunt that led to an error and a walk-off run in the NLCS. Hunter Pence's homer in Game 1 of the World Series. Lefebvre cued up the big, instantly recognizable moments but also the nearly imperceptible contributions, too, such as Joaquin Arias moving a runner into scoring position.

The coaches didn't lecture about the significance of each clip, or drone on about what the player did right. Instead, they asked the questions and opened the floor: What were you thinking? What did you want to achieve in that moment? What was your plan? How were you able to execute?

After just 20 minutes, almost everyone on the team had spoken.

"I'm sitting there watching it and getting goose bumps," said Casey McGehee, one of the few newcomers who wasn't part of last year's World Series team. "Pretty much everybody had a hand in making something good happen. Each clip was someone different. It really makes you aware that anyone can make a contribution. When they spoke, a lot of them said something similar: They didn't try to be a hero. They just focused on doing their job at the time."

Lefebvre, who put together the presentation, said the first clip he knew he'd include was Panik's plate appearance in Washington. The two-out, bases-empty walk was a prelude to a last-second comeback in what became an 18-inning victory.

"I loved it. I showed the whole thing," Lefebvre said. "Here he is, the youngest guy on the team, or just about, and there's nothing but calmness on his face. He walks into the biggest moment, and he handles it well."

Panik explained that he didn't change his stance or swing mechanics. He choked up a half inch on the bat, told himself to stay short and, more than anything, refused to allow his eagerness to nudge his strike zone a little wider.

Spring training is long, it is often frighteningly dull and players can hear things like "the little things make a difference" only so many times before it becomes white noise.
Lefebvre got the message across with crowd noise.

"Hearing the commentary, hearing the crowd roar, just all the emotion of it -- for 15 minutes, these guys had smiles on their faces and were pulling for each other," Lefebvre said. "It got all of us going."

from USA Today:

http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/mlb/2014/10/05/washington-nationals-san-francisco-giants-nl-division-series-game-2/16735813/

Game 2 pivot point: After Nationals starter Jordan Zimmermann held the Giants scoreless for 8 2/3 innings, Pablo Sandoval's two-out double into the left-field corner scored Joe Panik to tie the game at 1. Zimmerman only allowed three hits, but his first walk of the evening to Panik was his 100th and final pitch of the night.

None of the heroics would have been possible without the 23-year-old rookie second baseman getting on base with the Giants down to their last out. With Buster Posey due up next, Zimmerman was removed despite dominating the Giants the entire game.

***

Jordan Zimmermann was efficient and dominant in his Game 2 Division Series start. (Photo: H. Darr Beiser, USA TODAY Sports)

Manager's special: Zimmermann seemingly made things easy for Williams. His efficiency with his pitches didn't require any tough decisions on when to go to the bullpen … or whether or not lift his starter for a pinch-hitter.

But the walk to Panik prompted Williams to make the first huge decision of his postseason managerial career. It backfired.

Wilson Ramos tags out Buster Posey as Posey tries to score the go-ahead run in the top of the ninth inning. (Photo: H. Darr Beiser, USA TODAY Sports)

Williams went to closer Drew Storen to get the final out. But a single by Posey and a double by Pablo Sandoval plated the tying run, and only a flawless relay - and a favorable video review - prevented Posey from scoring the go-ahead run on Sandoval's hit.

Giants win in typical Giant style!!!

Let the debates begin!! The Giants confound the experts again, as all the Fox pre-game talking heads picked the Royals to win, and yet the Giants win instead. They announcer didn't notice the Giants had a chance to win until about the seventh or eighth inning and never gave them their props. And friggin' Buck whines and jokes about why he's despised as an announcer. He's a horses ass every step of the way.

Aside from Bumgarner's performance for the ages, the Giants amazingly close this one out without a HR in the series, with an 0-12 performance from their 1-2-3 hitters tonight and without much of an offensive contribution from their top offensive player.


The debate today seemed to center on whether or not this third title in five years stamps the Giants as a "dynasty". In modern day terms, I think they qualify. Chicago columnist Phil Rogers was on Sirius/XM saying that the Atlanta Braves were more a dynasty  since they won /dominated more consistently over a longer period of time in spite of not winning more than one World Series title. Leaving out the irony of a Cubbies sportswriter commenting on "what makes a dynasty", does he really think that Braves fans wouldn't trade an occasional flop for more World Series success? This USA Today graphic doesn't even list the Bravos.

This was Panda, as cool, calm and collected as Bumgarner would be later. And he backed it up with his own signature performance, both in this game and this series. Pay the man, just pay the man!!

If the Giants could find money under the seat cushions to pay Hunter Pence after he came over and sparked the team. If the Giants feel they could find enough money in the budget to make a competitive run at Jake Peavy, who openly flirts and makes googly eyes at both the Cardinals and the Cubs while the Giants are competing for this, Pablo's third Giants title, while Peavy by comparison pisses down his leg with his performance in the World Series and spends his free time polishing his future free-agent bona-fides, then you guys better damn well sign Pablo Sandoval first. He means more to the franchise and more to Giants fans than Jake Peavy ever while, so put that in your calculations and smoke it.

from CSN Bay Area.com
http://www.csnbayarea.com/giants/giants-re-signing-sandoval-well-do-best-we-can

“

Pablo’s at the top of that list. We all know it. Every negotiation is different. Every intention on the part of the player is different. I know we love Pablo and he loves the Giants and we’ll see what happens.

”

— Giants GM Brian Sabean

And how about Jeremy Affeldt. Under-rated, under-appreciated Jeremy Affeldt. Turning in another spit and bailing wire performance that gets the ball to Bumgarner with the outcome still intact after it looked like Hudson had tilted momentum the Royals way. Affeldt righted the ship and I suppose for that gets awarded the victory. More folks than the official scorer should appreciate what Affeldt did getting the Win in this game.

from CSN Bay Area.com
http://www.csnbayarea.com/giants/affeldt-tearful-upon-being-named-winning-pitcher-game-7

“

I couldn’t be more honored that I was a part of this. I can’t wait to see the people in San Francisco. We pitched, and pitching wins championships.

”

 — Giants reliever Jeremy Affeldt

And how about Joe Cool, Joe Fundamentals or whatever nickname eventually sticks doing it with his glove rather than his bat. Where would we be without him righting the ship at 2B this year? And thank God for replay, right? Poetic justice. 

Way to go, Joe!!! Hanging around Brandon Crawford is beginning to rub off on your glove. Hopefully, your bat rubs off on his a little bit more down the road.

It looks like any game that ends in a Buster hug is good for Giants baseball history. If it's not Wilson, Romo and now Bumgarner, to say nothing of Cainer and Timmy for their no-no's and perfectos, these man hugs never get old.

And last but not least, Bumgarner clearly makes the grade among scouts and old-school pitching aficionados.

I guess the amazing, unbelievable, unassuming way the Giants won this year and in some of the same ways, the other two years, makes it somewhat easy to dismiss them an under-rated, lucky and undeserving of matching up with other juggernaut teams from the past and present. I can tell you as a close observer of this team, luck has nothing to do with it.  Pluck and perseverance and stick-to-it-iveness and stick-togetherness DOES. certainly. The essence of the word TEAM. 

Three titles in five years and we could be celebrating and debating about four titles in five years if they don't lose Posey to Cousin's cheap shot heard 'round the Bay Area.  That's not luck chumps. And what some of these guys would know about championship mettle is beyond me. What a brain-dead Chicago columnist would know about what constitutes championship mettle after watching a team that hasn't displayed it in over a century and whose last feeble attempt at same resulted in "Curses Bartman" to say nothing about blaming your failures on a Curse of the Billy Goat is kind of like, well, a Chicago football columnist opining about good, solid QB play. 

Celebrate Giants and Giants fans, You've earned it. Let some of there other guys piss and moan on each other while you're having another parade.