Giants non-tender Yusmeiro Petit and Hector Sanchez - McCovey Chronicles

Two more long-time Giants who are leaving the fold, Petit to the Nationals and Sanchez to the White Sox. I'm not as flip as Grant Bisbee over at McCovey Chronicles seems to be about the loss of Petit. I don't know if Chris Heston fills the role Petit did quite as well. I'm also not sure the Giants win the last World Series without some significant contributions out of the pen from Petit.

Sanchez seemed to lose the hit too after the concussion(s) and struggled to get it bat, but in his time he was a really good hitting prospect behind the dish. Hector seems to set up for outside pitches in the "decap zone" where foul tips come off the bat really, really hard. It would be hard to justify the veteran salary Sanchez would get with the development of bot Andrew Susac and Trevor Brown.


from McCovey Chronicles:
http://www.mccoveychronicles.com/2015/12/2/9839350/giants-non-tender-yusmeiro-petit-and-hector-sanchez

Giants non-tender Yusmeiro Petit and Hector SanchezBy Grant Brisbee  @mccoveychron on Dec 2, 2015, 7:23p 386 

David Kohl-USA TODAY SportsThe Giants' will have to find a new pitcher to use as their white flag next year, and they're also parting ways with their long-time backup catcher.

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Royals put the crown on a little early, pay the price

(USA Today)

http://m.mlb.com/video/topic/63106348/v36860095

Vargas thinks he took ball four

 10/25/14 | 00:36

10/25/14: Pitcher Jason Vargas thinks he took ball four and makes his way toward first base as his teammates share a laugh

To me, this was the turning point of the game. They Royals start clowning, vision of sugar plums dancing in their heads. The sugar plum being a 3-1 World Series lead, which means we're playing with house money against Bumgarner and go back home no worse than up 3-2 with two games at home to close it out. The Giants are imploding, Vogelsong knocked out, Machi looking knocked up. Why not? 

Only problem is, it's only the third inning and your playing against a former champ. Vargas goes out to the mound all loosey-gooey'd up and begins puking it up, slowly but surely. When you're in a tug of war against an equal opponent and you let up on the pull for even an instant, you can get pulled over the line yourself. IMO, that's what happened to the Royals. They lost the focus that got them in front and it cost them, big time. You can't start your touchdown dance on the 5-yard line and that's what they did. 

Leon Lett Super Bowl XXVII

Of course, Dallas still went on to win 52-17, but Leon Lett still looked like a horse's ass. Speaking of which, it reminded me of another similar moment, that being one Dusty Baker handing the World Series trophy ball to Russ Ortiz, right before the Angels rallied right to the 2002 World Series championship, blowing the doors off the Giants. 

This game was a microcosm of the Giants roller coaster season, within a two or three inning span. They started out looking like a 100-win team, they were on that pace, then the injuries and they begin looking like a 100-loss team and they played at that pace and worse. Within this game, the Giants started out looking like a playoff team, by the fourth inning they had morphed into a 100-loss plus team on the verge of imploding, and then right before our eyes went back to looking like world-beaters. 

I can't recall seeing anything quite like it. The closest parallels I could come with was ironically, the Cardinals sudden implosion against the Royals in their last World Series trip in 1985 and perhaps the 1969 Amazing Mets, in that people perceived them to still be a 100-loss team while they had morphed into a no nonsense 100-win team that just crushed their so-called "better" competitors throughout the playoffs. 

I have to admit, I was having 1985 Cardinals flash-back memories the way the Giants looked in the third inning. Fortunate they turned things around, and hopefully the hitting not only continues, but adds a heaping helping of Buster Posey. I'm sorry, his bat replaces Hunter Pence's on the milk carton. He is not hitting where he is is to turn in productive OUTS!! He is there to provide productive, RBI-filled AB's. Period!! Time to step up. 

It was good to see Hunter Strickland get back on the horse and show not just a 95+ MPH fastball, but the slider, a splitter and a change-up. Where have those pitches been hiding?

And where would this team be without Yusmeiro Petit? Sitting home watching, probably. 

The speed at which Vogelsong lost command and control of the game worries me and he was perhaps pitching for his life in SF which is too bad. I worry the same, unfortunately about Jake Peavy and to a lesser extent Tim Hudson. Adrenaline only takes you so far, usually an inning or two, than ability takes over. That leaves 3-4 inning of trouble to get to our own, over-shadowed shut down bullpen. Could see more of Petit and perhaps Timmy Lincecum. 

It's where we like the ball to be, Madison Bumgarner's hands. I don't want to under estimate the odds of Big Game James Shields pitching two sub-par games in a row, so this could be a battle of the bullpens again, perhaps going into extra frames. As is often the case in World Series games, a player you least expect to have an impact has to step forward. Where have you gone Al Weis? Or Denny Doyle. 

Yusmeiro Petit is my hero

http://m.mlb.com/video/topic/6479266/v36751883

It goes without saying that the unsung hero in the Giants 18 inning win was Yusmeiro Petit. But it shouldn't go without saying at all. As the article's sub-title notes, Petit pitched a one-hit shutout, in relief, within the pressure filled boiler room that was this contest to GET to the point where Brandon Belt could be the hero.

from McCovey Chronicles:
http://www.mccoveychronicles.com/2014/10/5/6911041/yusmeiro-petit-giants-nlds-extra-innings

Brandon Belt hit the dinger. Joe Panik took the walk. Buster Posey hit the single, and Pablo Sandoval hit the double. Tim Hudson was not unlike watching Atlantis rise again from the sea, the bones of its kings new-covered with flesh. But I woke up this morning thinking about Yusmeiro Petit.

Did you wake up thinking about us, Yusmeiro Petit? For you are our hero.

This video gives you an idea of what Petit did on Saturday night:

But the real hero was Petit and I'm sorry to say I fretted through his performance all the way, thinking he was scared and perhaps not up to the the moment. Perhaps I was projecting my own insecurities, fears and inadequacies onto Yusmeiro. Or perhaps I just shouldn't engage in dime store psychiatry in the future since I've proven repeatedly that I'm not very good at it. Who knows?  ¯\_( )_/¯

Anyway, great job Yusmeiro Petit!!

Petit's accomplishment no small feat

Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images

Yusmeiro Petit set the MLB single-season record by retiring 46 straight batters, breaking Mark Buehrle's mark of 45 set in 2009.

Giants manager Bruce Bochy said he will weigh his options but admitted it will be hard to take Petit out of the rotation.

"What a roll to get on to have that kind of record," Bochy said. "As long as this game's been going on, now he's got it."

from ESPN:

Yusmeiro Petit's awesome MLB record - SweetSpot Blog - ESPN:



Here's the play-by-play of all 46 outs:

 July 22 versus Phillies

 1. Grady Sizemore grounded out to the mound.



 July 26 versus Dodgers

 2. A.J. Ellis flied out to center.

 3. Clayton Kershaw grounded out to shortstop.

 4. Dee Gordon struck out swinging.

 5. Yasiel Puig struck out swinging.

 6. Adrian Gonzalez grounded out to second.

 7. Miguel Rojas struck out looking.



July 28 versus Pirates

 8. Andrew McCutchen flied out to right.

 9. Gaby Sanchez struck out swinging.

 10. Neil Walker lined out to center.

 11. Russell Martin grounded out to second.

 12. Gregory Polanco popped out to third.

 13. Brent Morel grounded out to shortstop.



 Aug. 7 versus Brewers

 14. Khris Davis flied out to deep center.

 15. Rickie Weeks struck out swinging.

 16. Mark Reynolds flied out to deep center.



 Aug. 10 versus Royals

 17. Omar Infante popped out to first.

 18. Salvador Perez struck out swinging.

 19. Billy Butler lined out to center.



 Aug. 19 versus Cubs

 20. Kyle Hendricks struck out swinging.

 21. Chris Coghlan struck out swinging.

 22. Javier Baez struck out swinging.

 23. Anthony Rizzo struck out swinging.

 24. Chris Valaika struck out swinging.

 25. Luis Valbuena grounded out back to the mound.



 Aug. 23 versus Nationals

 26. Denard Span flied out to left field.

 27. Anthony Rendon struck out looking.

 28. Jayson Werth popped out to second.

 29. Adam LaRoche flied out to left field.

 30. Ian Desmond struck out swinging.

 31. Bryce Harper popped out to shortstop.

 32. Wilson Ramos lined out to right field.

 33. Asdrubal Cabrera grounded out to first.

 34. Jordan Zimmermann struck out swinging.

 35. Denard Span struck out swinging.

 36. Anthony Rendon flied out to deep right field.

 37. Jayson Werth struck out looking.

 38. Adam LaRoche grounded out to shortstop.



 Aug. 28 versus Rockies

 39. Charlie Blackmon lined out to right.

 40. DJ LeMahieu struck out swinging.

 41. Justin Morneau flied out to center.

 42. Nolan Arenado flied out to center.

 43. Corey Dickerson struck out swinging.

 44. Brandon Barnes struck out looking.

 45. Jackson Williams struck out swinging.

 46. Charlie Culberson struck out swinging.



 The streak ended when opposing pitcher Jordan Lyles doubled down the left-field line.



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More on Yusmeiro-mania | Giants Extra

The game will be etched in Giants lore, regardless of the outcome. One pitch, one AB away. Petit becomes almost as heroic in the end.

How Eric Chavez was able to lay off the pitch immediately prior to this one, the 2-2 slider away, was the difference. That's just a veteran, professional hitter winning the battle by a thread.

We'll need a year or so to determine if the Giants have struck Ryan Voglesong-like lightning twice, or if the Petit is just running on adrenaline. Two games against his former team, the D-Backs. So you want to see a larger sample, but the way he was painting with five different pitches my only question about Petit right now is "How was this guy not dominating minor league hitters more?"

from mercurynews.com:
Saturday’s Giants lineup: Cain returns; More on Yusmeiro-mania | Giants Extra:

Good stuff from Carl Steward last night on Yusmeiro-mania.

Carl went from AT&T Park to O.co for a day game between the A’s and the Astros. Here’s what he wrote after talking to Bob Melvin, who managed Petit in Arizona:

“I do remember him pitching some good games in San Francisco,” Melvin recalled. “That’s a good ballpark for him. He can keep the ball in the middle of the field. It’s a big park there. He’s able to keep the ball off the barrel of the bat when he’s good, and he mixes his pitches up. He’s got a little crossfire to him across his body, and there have been times when he’s been really good. Hats off to him, that was a terrific performance yesterday.”

Melvin also spoke to why Petit hasn’t been able to find a stable home in the majors.

“I think it’s because of some consistency issues with him,” he said. “He’ll be good at times and then he won’t be at time. His problem when I was with him is getting the ball up in the zone, and when you don’t throw that hard your fastball is fairly straight. You can give up some homers. But from what I see, he’s pitched pretty well. When he’s down in the zone, he’s much more difficult to deal with.”

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We'll know final the answer to that in about a year. At worst, the Giants have found the tentative replacement 5th starter for Barry Zito. At best, maybe a guy you can pencil in behind Cain and Bumgarner, depending on the disposition of one Tim Lincecum.

Not a bad starting five to look forward to in 2014:
Cain, Bumgarner, Vogelsong, Lincecum and Petit.

from mercurynews.com
http://blogs.mercurynews.com/giants/2013/09/07/postgame-notes-nothing-nightmarish-about-petits-dream-performance-not-even-chavezs-last-strike-hit/

Which brings us to the long-term outlook of how Petit’s sudden emergence may impact the Giants’ formation of the 2014 rotation. Is he simply on an uncanny roll or has he made some kind of Vogelsong-like breakthrough? Petit, at minimum, will merit a good long look next spring as the Giants work out their five starters, and he said after the game he would take pretty much any contract the Giants offer because he feels that comfortable with them. True, he rarely even hit 90 mph on the radar gun in this game (or any of the other games he’s pitched), but he spotted all of his pitches so well, the Diamondbacks were off balance all night … and they just saw him five days ago, which makes what he did even more striking.

It’s a nice late-season story in a lost year. What’s remarkable is that if Matt Cain hadn’t gotten hurt, Petit probably wouldn’t even have received this chance to prove his worth. He took Cain’s spot in the rotation, and he’s 3-0 with a 2.05 ERA. He’s walked four batters in 21 innings. He should get at least 3-4 more starts, so those will be most intriguing to watch.

Petit comes up large again for Giants

http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/gameday/index.jsp?gid=2013_09_06_arimlb_sfnmlb_1&mode=video&content_id=30389219&tcid=vpp_copy_30389219

Petit's near-perfect outing

• 09/06/13
• 04:28

9/6/13: Yusmeiro Petit is almost perfect, going 8 2/3 spotless innings before allowing a hit, ultimately striking out seven D-backs

I would have missed this one too. I went to bed after five having nodded through those five not realizing how the Giants scored two runs. Of course, had I heard Kuip say "Petit, perfect through five!!", I would have instantly perked up.

 Petit continues his impressive run at a spot in the 2014 starting rotation.

  Arizona Diamondbacks at San Francisco Giants - September 6, 2013 | MLB.com SF Recap:

SAN FRANCISCO -- Yusmeiro Petit barely missed baseball immortality, but gained legitimacy.

One strike away from becoming the second San Francisco Giants pitcher to pitch a perfect game and the 16th in franchise history to record a no-hitter, Petit yielded a single to pinch-hitter Eric Chavez that onrushing right fielder Hunter Pence dove for and caught on a heartbreakingly short hop.

Petit finished with a one-hitter in the Giants' 3-0 victory Friday night over the D-backs, continuing his quest to establish himself in the Major Leagues and end his 12 professional seasons as a journeyman.

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Giants Extra | A blog about the San Francisco Giants

This is a guy who has always put up solid minor league numbers. Petit was solid enough to be tabbed by Nate Silver's PECOTA rankings as a legitimate major league prospect. I saw Petit's name mentioned in the Index of Silver's most recent book The Signal and the Noise and read up a bit on his prior history.  The fact that he has not parlayed that success and potential at the major league may scream either AAAA player or late-bloomer as the Mercury News article suggests.

Let's hope for the Giants sake that he is finally figuring out how to get major league hitters out and win ball games.

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

But the real story was Yusmeiro Petit. One good start, you say, OK, maybe it was just a fluke. A second good start, especially one that includes one walk and 10 strikeouts, and you sit up and say, “Hey, Sabes, we may have something here.” To be sure, against all odds, there seems to be some grist to this 28-year-old Venezuelan possibly being a late-bloomer.

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