Giants receive residual dividend from Zito signing

I didn't always feel this way, but he was worth every penny and then some. Great story.

from MLB Trade Rumors:
Quick Hits: Ramirez, Hitting Coaches, Hudson, Zito – MLB Trade Rumors:

Barry Zito‘s seven-year contract with the Giants didn’t turn out so well, but he did help them land Tim Hudson, Ryan Hood of MLB.com writes. When both pitchers were free agents last winter, Hudson called his former Athletics teammate to see what he thought of playing in San Francisco. “I said it’s a first-rate organization, from the top down,” says Zito, who assured Hudson that Giants fans had changed since the two pitchers had played together in Oakland. “Giants fans had a little more of a rep of just coming out for baseball games and not really having a die-hard presence and creating an intimidating atmosphere. It was very light. I told him 2010 changed everything.” Hudson posted a 3.57 ERA with 5.7 K/9 and 1.6 BB/9 in 189 1/3 innings for the Giants this season. Zito, meanwhile, says he determined in August 2013 that he would “take some time away from the game and focus on family.” He did not pitch this season.

'via Blog this'

I suppose the issue of whether Zito's contract turned out well or not depends on your perspective and on what it is specifically that you value in life. If you're purely measuring W-L's versus dollars and cents, then you know what, maybe you're right, it a was a horse-shit signing. The ESPN tag line used to be be "The games aren't played on the field, they're played inside a little TV box". Well, dad-gum it, you can't measure everything in life inside an excel spreadsheet.

Moneyball be damned!!!

The Barry Zito Goodbye Report

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

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

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

Class act.

'via Blog this'

Exit Zito

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

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

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

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

'via Blog this'

The Barry Zito Era: $126M for 3.5 WAR = $63M per ring

I hear the argument that the SABR metric oriented crowd makes that this was a horrifically bad contract or investment on the part of the Giants and I have to chuckle a bit. If WAR is the only valid measuring stick, then certainly and without a doubt, NOT a good deal.

But if you had told me when Barry Zito signed with the Giants prior to the 2007 season that by the end of the deal the Giants would have TWO world series championships, I would have to say, also without a doubt, this would be a great deal and a fantastic return on investment.

Now granted, the Giants did NOT win two World Series championships entirely due to the efforts of Barry Zito, but it would be foolish to minimize the contributions he made and the benefits he brought to the table. Some of which are very difficult to quantify.

Remember, this was a franchise that was transitioning from an offensive oriented, Barry Bonds led team to a defensive minded, pitching oriented team. Zito's stature and contract allowed a Matt Cain, Tim Lincecum and Madison Bumgarner to develop under a lower level of scrutiny than if mega-bucks Barry were not around to brutalize. He allowed those guys to develop while flying under the radar.

The team was also making the transition from a veteran oriented, Felipe Alou led team to a younger Bruce Bochy led squad.

Would Giants management and fans have preferred that the Barry Zito of 2007-10 produce more than 40 wins? Absolutely.

Did the 3 win record posted in 2011, almost seal the deal among fans that this was an epically bad signing? Absolutely.

Did the rebound in 2012 balance the scales of being left off the playoff roster in 2010? In a sense, I think it did. Some will say, the Giants won without Zito in 2010 because of this, dismissing ANY of his contributions to get them to the first championship. In fairness, you then have to acknowledge that you don't have the second championship without Zito.

On balance, the Zito era in San Francisco is in my opinion an unqualified success and is an almost heroic path that I can only liken to the path that NY football Giants fans took with a QB by the name of Phil Simms.

There were high initial hopes that were dashed for various reasons, some due to injury, some just lack of productivity. Eventually with Simms and the Giants, two Super Bowls were won.  One of those titles the Giants won with Simms on the DL and a backup finishing the work that Simms started. So, like Zito, some fans will retroactively short-change the accomplishments of Simms to validate their prior bashing by saying, "well, he really only won one title, Jeff Hostettler won the other one". I think I could have QB'd that team after they started something like 10-0. It was a credit to the confidence they had built WITH Simms at the helm that they were able to win it all in spite of losing their leader heading towards the playoffs. Fans who wanted to at one time run both of these perceived bums out of town, are eventually rewarded by basking in the glow of two trips to the sports mountain top. And fans and media pundits are left to re-jigger their prior missives about said bums and re-write history. There are many more Giants fans who will say they supported Simms all along then there actually were.

I have to admit that I did not fully support sticking with Barry Zito as much as I did earlier with Phil Simms, but in both cases, I'm glad the respective organizations DID stick with them. All of  the ex-post facto analysis and hand wringing of why the organizations were wrong but things somehow worked out right notwithstanding, I unequivocally salute Barry Zito for all the strength and perseverance he has demonstrated personally and which he brought to the Giants. To me, his contributions are immeasurable. Going forward, I would challenge the SABR crowd to find a metric that would adequately measure those qualities. Then we might really have something of value to discuss.

Matt Cain is not perfect Giants fans -- Deal with it!!

Wow!! And people think I'm harsh. How does Matt Cain go from ace to chump this fast? We're not even out of April yet. I guess if Barry Zito can go from chump to ace during a similar time-frame, maybe you need some sort of counter-weight to keep the universe from spinning off it's axis or something. Good Grief!!

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

Player Notes:

RHP Matt Cain can no longer be considered the ace of the Giants pitching staff. He put his club in a big hole Tuesday by surrendering run-producing hits by Paul Goldschmidt in the first and third innings as the Diamondbacks built a 4-0 lead. The Giants have yet to win with Cain on the mound this season (0-5), and here's one big reason why: In his last 17 innings, he has surrendered six home runs, including the two-run bomb by Goldschmidt in the third inning Tuesday.

'via Blog this'

For a little historical perspective, Matt Cain is still a pretty neat story for the Giants. I'll bet Billy Beane wishes he could replay this draft story referenced below.

Oh well, maybe someone will right an ex-post facto retrospective of Moneyball or something. Hmmm.....

from foolsandsages.net:
http://foolsandsages.net/2012/06/15/on-matt-cains-perfect-game/

Through it all is Matt Cain. He is known for his steadiness and long tenure with the team. As part of the requirement of being a Giant, Cain must have an animal counterpart; his is a horse. True, he was an All Star twice, but he was never considered a starter. He was thought as “good, not great.” Even those who pioneered the idea that, hey, maybe a pitcher’s win-loss record isn’t the best way to evaluate a pitcher point to his sub-par FIP and xFIP to substantiate that “good, not great” claim.

There’s a book out there, a book about baseball economics that masquerades as a tome of sabermetrics, which touts the benefits of drafting college players over high school ones. This book – let’s call it Moneyball – goes at length to describe the Oakland A’s 2002 draft. In this draft, the A’s have two first round picks sandwiched around the San Francisco Giants’ first round pick. Here is that entire draft sequence as written in the book:

Note the handwritten inclusion of Matt Cain. Normally, I do not write in books – it’s distracting and feels wrong – but this was different. The Giants made their pick. What a simple, innocuous filler. It was almost like the Giants’ pick was inconsequential to the narrative, that Billy Beane and Co. were so wise to take Joe Blanton and John McCurdy. Yet here we are, ten years and ten days after that draft. Joe Blanton is in the majors as a fifth starter with a career 4.33 ERA. John McCurdy never made it past AA. Matt Cain threw a perfect game.

Full Update of Surprises, Busts and Injuries at San Francisco Giants Camp | Bleacher Report

If the worst thing Giant fans have to worry about is Tim Lincecum, then it should be a good season. The life on his fastball appears better this spring versus last. He seems to be able to get low 90's again fairly routinely.  The last couple of seasons there was an APB on a 90+ radar gun read. His breaking pitches find a lot of dirt which is murder on the catchhers, a long day of blocking. All the other starter appear to have not missed a beat from late last season.

Both Lincecum and Zito seem to prefer a catcher other than MVP Buster Posey behind the dish. Odd in that Posey ranks highly in many catchers defensive metrics. The Giants seem to be trying to wean both Linceum and Zito away from their own personal catchers.

The over / under on wins should be about 90 this season, which should equate to a playoff spot again. After that, anything goes.

from Bleacher Report:
Full Update of Surprises, Busts and Injuries at San Francisco Giants Camp | Bleacher Report:

Ryan Vogelsong (3.38 ERA), Barry Zito (3.38) and Madison Bumgarner (1.86) are rounding into shape, and Matt Cain had his best outing of the spring his last time out. Vogelsong also looked sharp in his first start for Team USA in the World Baseball Classic on Saturday.

The rotation should be an even bigger strength for the Giants this season than it was last year, especially if Lincecum can chop a few runs off of his 5.18 ERA from a year ago. Despite his 14.73 spring ERA, the smart money remains on Lincecum bouncing back in 2013.

'via Blog this'

Bonded by failure, Barry Zito, Tim Lincecum give Giants right stuff in Game 1 of World Series - Yahoo! Sports

So many Hollywood story lines to choose from, you wish this could have been the season-ender rather than a lid-lifter. But what a start!!

Panda walks with legends.
Zito -- and to a lesser extent Lincecum -- get their groove back.
Scutaro and Pagan continue their excellence at the top of the order.
Posey showing signs of coming back by grinding through a 2-4 night.
Belt can  make an 0-3 night look productive. Solid AB's.
Only Pence and Blanco appear lost with the bats right now and Blanco adds in with the defensive gems.
Crawford flashes solid leather and occasionally pops with the bat.

Still only one game, but a BIG game indeed. Assist to the Tigers pitching coach for inexplicably breaking Verlander's rhythm with that eye-opening mound visit. Even Verlander appeared startled and it seemed to momentarily get in his head.

The rest is history.

I liked the Game 2 match-up better from the get-go, Bummer  is a gamer and he has been through this "kink in his delivery phase" before. I was hoping to just press Verlander hard and have Zito pitch well enough to keep it close -- the moral victory angle -- but the Giants exceed expectations once again.

Let's see if they play as well from ahead as they do from behind. A 2-game lead will give the Tigers a very tough mountain to climb. A split in SF had to be the Tigers goal coming in and they can still get it. They know they will have a Verlander seeking vindication in Game 4 or 5, but this may shut down any "three starts by your stud and sneak another victory from somebody else" strategy. Verlander seemed a little out of sync all night, without the high 90's top end velocity. He just didn't seem able to put hitters away ('cept Hunter and Blanco).

THREE MORE LIKE THIS GUYS!!!

from Yahoo Sports:
Bonded by failure, Barry Zito, Tim Lincecum give Giants right stuff in Game 1 of World Series - Yahoo! Sports:

And yet it was real, so obviously real because of their affinity for one another. Zito and Lincecum had endured so many low moments. Damned if they weren't going to appreciate one like this.

"It's great for us to be able to share that together," Lincecum said. " … We're just riding the good times and enjoying this."

It was a buddy movie with all of the necessary elements. There was the explosion (Justin Verlander: five earned runs), the sidekick (Pablo Sandoval: three home runs), the salty boss (Bruce Bochy: at his growling best) and the beauty (Gregor Blanco: two sliding catches). And then there were the stars, Zito and Lincecum, playing off one another harmoniously.

'via Blog this'

Zito keeps Giants alive: “This was probably the biggest one for me.” | Giants Extra

Whatever Zito has working for him this year, we sure needed it. It was good to see him get some credit on the national stage for his perseverance and fortitude over the years. While he may not have paid back all of the salary dollars the Giants have sunk into him over the years, I have to say last night he made a HUGE payback to Giants fans and the organization. Way to go, Barry!!

If the ball gets put in Matt Cain's hands in SF, I like our chances. We're half-way there. It's in Vogelsong's hands now -- even though it's vs. Carpenter who is a huge big-game pitcher  -- and I like our chances there as well.

Potentially two more great pitching match-ups, the Giants bats have to do their part. I think whoever wins this series is the WS favorite even though both may go into a Tigers series with thier pitching staff a bit upside-down and bullpens over-worked compared to Detroit.

from Mercury News:
Zito keeps Giants alive: “This was probably the biggest one for me.” | Giants Extra:

"Giants PR whiz Matt Chisholm got Chinese food before this game and found the following message in his fortune cookie: You will soon witness a miracle.

It wouldn’t be fair to Barry Zito to call this a miracle, but this was improbable. Against a lineup chock full of slugging right-handers, Zito, who lasted just eight outs in his previous postseason appearance, pitched a gem. More than a gem. He called this the biggest win of his career, and it couldn’t have come at a better time.

The Giants improved to 4-0 in elimination games and will host Game 6 on Sunday.
“I couldn’t be happier for him,” manager Bruce Bochy said of Zito. “He’s done a great job for us this year. I don’t know how many times we needed to win this year and he would find a way to get it done for us.”"

'via Blog this'

Zito has chance to pull Giants even with Reds - Yahoo! Sports

Giants season is still alive due to an IF hit. Somehow that seems very appropriate. Zito gets the ball with a chance to put it in Cain's hand.

from Yahoo Sports:
Zito has chance to pull Giants even with Reds - Yahoo! Sports:

"Joaquin Arias hit the ball, put his head down and ran. All he knew was that the Giants' season depended upon how fast he made it to first.

''That's the fastest I've ever run to first,'' the infielder said."

'via Blog this'

Posey, Zito lead Giants to 3-2 victory - SFGate

I have to give credit where credit is due. Zito has been outstanding this year and with Lincecum having an off year, I'm not sure where we would be without him. By extension, I guess some of Tom House's 'magic' works some of the time. Let's hope he doesn't mess up Tebow with too many towel drills.

Sabean gets kudos for adding Scutaro and Pence at a manageable cost in fringe prospects.

Posey is Posey - MVP.

For the record, if Melky Cabrera can come back in time for the playoffs, I hope he doesn't. The team has seemingly jelled since he left.

Also, it seems as if the Giants have extended there lead since the mega-Magic deal in LA-LA land. That may help the Dodgers more next year. They may need a chemistry set to bring all the stars/salaries into alignment.

Posey, Zito lead Giants to 3-2 victory - SFGate:

"Zito reached 12 wins for the first time since his final season in Oakland (2006) and is pitching with an adroitness and confidence he rarely has shown in his nearly six seasons in San Francisco."

'via Blog this'

Zito tosses 4-hitter as Giants avoid 0-4 start | Yahoo! Sports

OK, OK Aubrey, you're right. Of course we who sit outside the lines and merely observe just don't get it and never will. I'll leave aside the issue that we also pay your collective salaries for a moment.

But OK. - You're right Aubrey!!!! You are so right there cowboy!!!!

THIS........

Zito tosses 4-hitter as Giants avoid 0-4 start - Yahoo! Sports:

''I couldn't be happier for Barry,'' said Giants cleanup hitter Aubrey Huff. ''It's no secret he gets buried by the fans, the media and all. To see him go out there and put up a complete-game shutout in Colorado, all the haters out there - that's for them.''

MORE THAN MAKES UP FOR THIS......

2007 11-13 4.53 $10M salary 196 IP
2008 10-17 5.15 $14.5M salary 180 IP
2009 10-13 4.03 $18.5M salary 192 IP
2010 9-14 4.15 ERA $18.5M salary 199 IP
2011 3-4 5.87 ERA $18.5M salary 53 IP

Still, almost twice as many millions in salary ( $80M ) than wins.

Silly haters, expecting a player to live up to his contract and junk.

What the heck were we thinking?

I guess the Giants theory is "throw enough $100M contracts on the bump" and eventually some victories will stick.

Sounds like a viable plan.

Of course, we are crowing about a 1-3 record, the three losses coming against our chief competitor for the division. I guess I'm missing something there as well.

But OK, have your moment Aubrey!!

While all us haters are eating humble pie, just know that we have a serving of "just shut up and hit" for you.

Thanks Aubrey. Thanks Barry.

Zito throws in the towel on Tom House's tinkering?

Would it be fair to say that Zito has "thrown in the towel" on the mechanical tinkering of Tom House? I suppose Mark Prior fans or Cubs fans can let out a collective groan. As for the G-men, Zito remains an enigma, wrapped in a riddle, shrouded in mystery.

Zito Ditches New Delivery, Nobody's Surprised:

Zito arrived this year with a new crouched over stance on the mound. I’ll let Andrew Baggarly take it from here:

Zito, who is still owed $46 million, attempted to mimic Tim Lincecum’s delivery during an offseason working with noted pitching guru Tom House. But observers both inside and outside the Giants organization tell me that Zito doesn’t have the arm speed or athleticism to pull off that delivery. Zito’s arm drags behind his body as he plants his front foot, leading to hittable pitches at the belt.

I'm not as up on the "pitching guru" wars as I used to be, but it seems like Zito was a protege of this guy -- Dick Mills.

The Towel Drill Ruins Mechanics and Increases Elbow Injuries


Kids, don't try this at home. Oh snap, too late.

Well, if the yoga didn't work.
And the long-toss regimen didn't work.
And now the towel drill snapper didn't work.
I don't know what's else is left.

How about the Marshall Plan?

http://www.drmikemarshall.com/

It couldn't hurt.

Giants' Barry Zito raves about Triple-A catcher

Sanchez is regarded more for his prowess with the bat, but this endorsement of his defensive ability should help speed his arrival. He has hit -- Panda style -- at every level of development. Let's hope he continues the same trajectory as Sandoval moving forward.

Giants' Barry Zito raves about Triple-A catcher:

"Hector Sanchez, the organization's top prospect at the position, caught three of Zito's four rehab starts, and the left-hander raved about the 21-year-old Venezuelan. Zito said he would be comfortable throwing to Sanchez in a major-league game, an opinion that might carry significant weight as the front office decides whether to give the kid a shot.

'He's beyond his years,' Zito said. 'He's got a good idea on mixing pitches. We threw changeups to lefties and cutters in to righties. I definitely shook him, but I like the way he mixes and the way he receives the ball. The kid is so young, and he rakes' at the plate. He is hitting .299 with eight homers and 52 RBIs combined"

Crazy Zito Trade Proposal - Zito for Soriano?

Crazy Zito Trade Proposal

I say do it. Both teams need what the other player brings and both players are badly in need of a change of scenery. Zito has been an innings eater, but watch his ERA soar when he goes from the cavernous ballpark he now calls home to Wrigley. And if that happens, they won't be calling it the "friendly confines" for very long. The same Cubs fans who blister the airwaves with calls complaining about Soriano will suddenly extol his virtues.

How about swapping Barry Zito for Alfonso Soriano?

Tom Hanks never made a sequel to “The Money Pit.” If he did, he could’ve called them, “The Sori Strikes Back” and “Return of the Zito.” There aren’t many contracts in baseball history that have been more widely panned, ridiculed, dissected and excoriated.

It's almost even on the "bad contract" swap side.

Soriano, 35, is making $18 million this year. Zito, 33, is making $18.5 million.

Next year: Soriano $18 million, Zito $19 million.

In 2013: Soriano $18 million, Zito $20 million.

And 2014: Soriano $18 million, Zito $7 million buyout. (Let’s leave aside the vesting option language for now, shall we?)

So assuming Zito gets the buyout in 2014, and prorating this year’s salaries, we’re looking at a difference of roughly $7.75 million between the two players. Given the longer time frame, that seems like a number the two sides could smooth out one way or another.

Sure, why not? You think the Cubs are that desperate to give away Big Z?

And while Brian Sabean and Jim Hendry are at it, might as well throw Carlos Zambrano and Aaron Rowand in the deal, too.

Trade Barry Zito Central:
http://www.tradebarryzito.com/

Renteria feels "disrespected"!!

File this under one of those "Are you serious!!!" quotes that athletes are famous for uttering.

Where was his concern for "respect" and who was being "disrespected" when he was over-paid and under-performing his 2-yr-$18.5M deal for the 2009-10 seasons? He was getting >$9M in salary then and giving <$1M results. That seems awfully disrespectful. C'mon Man!!!

From ESPN Deportes:

"That offer from the Giants was a lack of respect. A total disrespect. To play for a million dollars, I'd rather stay with my private business and share more time with my family. Thank God I'm well off financially and my money is well invested."

Don't you find it slightly ironic that the reason you are financially well off and therefore able to take time off is at least partly because you were considerably overpaid for the last two years?

Sorry Chief, one series or one swing of the bat doesn't out-weigh a season or two of futility.

BTW, Pat Burrell didn't seem to be "disrespected" when he accepted a similar offer. I guess it beats sitting on the couch collecting zero. We still have the albatross contracts of Zito and Rowand working their way through the organization, so I would be happy if the Giants do not let World Series sentiment and euphoria get in the way of sound business practice.

Win at home and split on the road and we're home free

The Giants cannot be dissatisfied with their work in Philadelphia. A split is about as good as you could hope for there. And if you defend your ground and take two of the next three at home, then all that needs to happen is you go back to Philadelphia only needing to split another two game set to advance.

Easier said than done, but that's what it comes down to at this point. Lincecum put the Philthees backs to the wall with his gem. Sanchez almost matches Oswalt before fading.

I like the match ups for SF. Cain vs. Hamels is a draw. Bumgarner vs. Blanton should favor the Giants. Then comes a Lincecum - Halliday rematch of heavyweights for the upper hand heading to Philly.

I can't see either team sweeping, so IMO it comes down to who takes two of three in Frisco.

Cody Ross continues his Cinderella post-season. I think he stays in SF next year and hopefully beyond. Burrell would be a good keep as well.

Perhaps Guillen, Rowand and Renteria should be looking for real estate agents ASAP.

Amazing that with all the Sabean back-slapping that nobody has mentioned that this may be the first team in recent memory to have it's TOP THREE players in terms of salary off the playoff roster or out of the lineup by choice of the team and not due to injury.

Zito $18.5M - Rowand $13.6M and Renteria $10M the TOP THREE - $42.1M of the team's total payroll of approx. $88M on the bench. ALMOST 50% of the payroll non-productive. Perhaps Sabean deserves a promotion to head up the Obama administration economic stimulus team or special advisor to Ben Bernanke's QE2 effort.

OK, OK. I'll say it, like a good little Giants fan - "If they make it to or win the World Series it's all worth it." But remember this, if they don't then -- much like the national debts effect on the economy -- this will considerably hamstring the Giants efforts to grow in the future.

Did I mention that DeRosa's $6M salary puts him in the 5th spot salary-wise behind Tim Linceum?

And that he has as many hits as I do in this post-season?

Oh, I have mentioned it in the past? Well good, because it bears repeating.

GO GIANTS!!!

Is Barry back with the Giants?

I think so. It seems as if Barry Zito has reworked his approach to accommodate the loss of velocity from his years with Oakland.

According to Aaron Gleeman at HardballTalk:

http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/2010/04/did-you-know-barry-zito-has-a-246-era-since-last-seasons-all-star-break.html.php

what's interesting about Zito's turnaround is that it actually dates back to last season. In fact, since last year's All-Star break Zito has the sixth-best ERA in all of baseball among pitchers with at least 100 innings

The FB velocity numbers are about the same as when Zito signed his huge Giants deal, but apparently Zito is going back to "pitching backwards"--or using his curveball to set up his fastball instead of the other way around.

With Zito revitalized and Jonathan Sanchez continuing his development, the Giants may have the most potent pitching staff in the National League. Tim Lincecum and Matt Cain continue to pitch like elite top of the rotation starters.

Now if only the bats begin to come around......maybe we can shake off the surprising Padres and run away from the competition. It looks like the Rockies may come around once the weather warms up and overtake the Padres as the main competition. The Dodgers may be close to pushing the panic button along with Milwaukee and Atlanta in the NL. In the AL, it seems like the Sox--both Red and White--are also close to panic-button pushing mode.

The Cubs and D-Backs may be close to being in panic mode as well. The Cubs, with the Zambrano shuffle, are showing early signs of fraying around the edges. Zambrano moving from the rotation to the bullpen does nothing to address their need for a significant left handed bat in the middle of the order.

On the plus side, the Rays, Twins and A's continue to do the most with the least and solidify their reputations as the most well run organizations in baseball. The Mets, Nats and Padres lead the surprise list in the NL.

But it is early, the weather is still football-like in many areas, so while firm conclusions cannot be drawn, trends are beginning to develop and bear watching.

A Penny for the Giants Playoff Run??

I guess so!! Who would have thought that on Sept 1st the Giants would be tied for the wild-card spot and a bond-fide contender in the N.L. playoff chase?

And who would have thought that with a rotation of Lincecum, Cain and a rejuvenated Barry Zito and Randy Johnson as a possible lefty specialist out of the pen--plus adding Brad Penny--the Giants have a pitching staff that could actually make some noise if they get there?

And who would have thought that Edgar Renteria and Barry Zito would both decide to make their production at least somewhat match their paychecks?

This could be a surprisingly interesting and intense September for the G-men.

Dodger fan is going to just love Brad Penny when he returns in a Giant uniform. Those reunions are always so sentimental.

I have to say that Barry Zito is starting to pitch like the Barry Zito of old. He has competed all year long. Lately, his curve ball has the look and the bite of the Oakland A's / vintage Barry Zito curve ball. If he has that pitch back, then he can really pitch.

And Eli Whiteside behind the dish is hitting just well enough to keep Sabean to his promise of not bringing Buster Posey up too soon (this season). Posey is still over .300 in AAA so his ascension is a forgone conclusion. With Whiteside around and Sandoval in a pinch, the Giants are loaded enough at catcher to pass on Bengie Molina, unless we start to the Angels vintage Molina down the stretch. Even then, two years and $6 million per may be too rich for the Giants blood.

BENGIE MOLINA IS STUPID

It seems as if the arrival of rookie Pablo Sandoval (pictured above) has rankled veteran Giants catcher Bengie Molina. Molina feels like the Giants are allowing Pablo Sandoval to become Barry Zito's personal catcher. The fact that Zito has been pitching better in the four starts in which Sandoval was the catcher seems to be lost on Molina.

"It is a personal catcher whether they say that or not," Molina told the San Francisco Chronicle. "I'm not happy at all...If they don't consider me a No. 1 catcher, or I can't catch the No.1 guy on the staff, let me know. I ain't stupid. I don't think I've ever been stupid."

OK, Bengie. Since the Giants appear to not have the nads to spell it out for you, then I will.

BENGIE. YOU ARE STUPID.

I mean, let's speak honestly here. What Giant games have you been watching the last couple of years? Have you been hit in the head with too many foul balls? Barry Zito is not the Giants "No. 1 guy on the staff" and hasn't been since the arrival of Tim Lincecum. Unless you measure the No. 1 guy on the basis of salary alone and totally ignore performance.

And if you do that, Bengie, I would submit that as evidence that you are stupid. Very much so.

Further, let me school you on some more of the proverbial handwriting that's on the wall there, champ. You might not be the No.1 catcher for very long. So don't worry so much about who the No.1 pitcher is around Team Gigantes. The winds of change are blowing all around the Giants depth chart. A shitty won-loss record will do that.

Sandoval gives the Giants pretty much everything a Bengie Molina does except experience. And there's only one way for him to get that.

You are 5-11, 225 he's 5-11, 245. The stat lines are similar.

Molina .287 AVG-13 HR-86 RBI-.747 OPS-7% K RATE-3.5% BB RATE
Sandoval .330 AVG-3 HR-15 RBI-.836 OPS-9% K RATE-4% BB RATE

Pretty similar across the board. You do have those Gold Gloves and I respect that, but really how many extra wins per season is that worth? Plus, have you seen the price of gold lately?

Sandoval is also a switch-hitter and that may help bring in a few more fans. We do seem to have more switch-hitters than almost every team in the league, so he'll fit in just nicely with the rest of the lineup. Not that there's anything wrong with you not being a switch-hitter and all.

From a pure economics standpoint, if player Sandoval can give the team the same stats as player Molina, and Sandoval makes nearly $6 million dollars less than Molina, well you understand the business side of the game, right Bengie? It's nothing personal.

Plus we have this guy you've probably been hearing a lot about, guy named Posey. First round draft-pick, All-American boy type, plays your position. cant miss prospect.

Aw, now wait a minute. Is that what this is about, Bengie? Is someone jealous?

Come on Bengie--Jealous and Stupid--that's no way to go through life. There's just no future in it.

Oh well. It's been nice knowing you, Bengie. Really it has.

But hey, just a couple more words to the wise:

1) NO LONG-TERM LEASES. SHORT-TERM MAY BE A BETTER WAY TO GO IN THESE UNCERTAIN ECONOMIC TIMES.

2) DON'T IDENTIFY THE WORST STARTING PITCHER ON THE STAFF AS THE #1 GUY. IT STRAINS YOUR CREDIBILITY AS A CATCHER.

3) DON'T LET THE DOOR HIT YOU IN THE ASS ON THE WAY OUT.

CUBS POP THE ZIT, RAYS POP THE SAWKS

THE DEFINITION OF MADNESS IS DOING THE SAME THING OVER AND OVER AND EXPECTING A DIFFERENT RESULT

The Giants and Barry Zito lost to the Cubs last night 9-2 bringing the Big Zit's record to 3-12. Awesome. When do Giants fans start to wear bags over their heads on night's that Zit pitches? They don't have to be brown paper bags either, I know San Fran is not a blue collar town. They could be those cute bags that you get in those cute little designer stores. Maybe something in a nice pink hue. What color best screams LOSER?!?!?


HERE'S HOPING THAT THE RAYS KNOCK THE SOX ON THEIR CANS AGAIN - JUST LIKE IN THIS BLAST FROM THE PAST

The Devil Rays open a big series against the Red Sox this week with a W.

Two out of three would be fine, but a sweep would be just what the Chowder Nation needs to provide a bit more clarity into the way things are going to be in the division this year.

And with apologies in advance to the panty-waists who will say "Ehhh...mmmmmm, I'm sorry Mr. The Slav, but violence is never the answer." I would agree with that in theory, in a perfect world. But since I prefer to live my life with a healthy dose of REALITY sprinkling in, I would edit that statement with one caveat added--"Yes, violence is never the answer, except in those cases when violence IS THE answer."

Maybe it's only me, but I point to this event as the date and time when the balance of power between the Yankees and the Red Sox changed. It has led to the championships and the dominance of the division that the Sox Nation enjoys today. If anyone from The Nation can point to another pivotal event, feel free to let me know.



I just have a feeling that down the road we may look to the Shields-Crisp-Gomes Royal Rumble as the point where the balance of power in the division shifted once again.

We shall see.....This should be the Rays rally anthem/seventh inning stretch song whenever the Sawks/Yankees come to town this season. IT'S PERFECT!!!! Plus, I think Dee Snider is a local. Hey, if the White Sox could resuscitate "Don't Stop Believing", the Rays can bring this classic rocker back.



If you're scoring at home, that would be Sox="Sweet Caroline" by Neil Diamond vs. Rays="We're not going to Take It" by Twisted Sister. I know what team I'd rather be on if you get my drift ; ;. HAHAHAHA