Decker to manage SJ & other minor-league stuff

by FavoriteSpring on Dec 15, 2007 8:23 AM PST

The Little Giants have announced their 2008 staff. As anticipated, Steve Decker replaces Sakata as manager, after 3 years managing Salem Keizer. New pitching coach is Pat Rice, who has been Seattle's minor league pitching coordinator the last 8 years. Gary Davenport returns as hitting coach after 2 years with Connecticut.

http://www.sjgiants.com/ArDisplay.aspx?ID=1101&SecID=27

BA latest transactions page has the Giants signing Japanese RHP Keiichi Yabu to a minor league contract. He'll turn 40 this year, so nothing dramatic about this. Yabu pitched in 40 games for the A's in 2005 (anyone see him then?). In 2006 the Rockies released him in ST and he pitched in Mexico. I don't know about 2007.

Also the Giants re-signed Justin Leone to a minor league contract. Just a few years ago he was a pretty highly-rated 3b prospect with Seattle, last year he played all over the IF and OF at Fresno.

Finally, Andy Baggarly writes in today's Merc that the Giants have been talking to Scott Boras about Dallas McPherson. All right! Seeing as how he had back surgery in January and only started his comeback in instructional league in September, its hard to imagine McPherson playing in the majors this year, but signing him and letting him work his way back in Fresno would be a great move. Here's an article on him, before the non-tender:

http://futureangels.mlblogs.com/futureangels/2007/12/the_return_of_d.html

This FanPost is reader-generated, and it does not necessarily reflect the views of McCovey Chronicles. If the author uses filler to achieve the minimum word requirement, a moderator may edit the FanPost for his or her own amusement.

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Uhh...

Sorry about that, shikantaza - when I started writing this your diary on McPherson wasn't up yet. I should've checked again before hitting "post".

by FavoriteSpring on Dec 15, 2007 8:14 AM PST reply actions

Re: Uhh...

no worries, man... it's all about giving the info to the peeps.

Psycho killer, qu'est-ce que c'est?

by shikantaza on Dec 15, 2007 8:20 AM PST up reply actions

Leone

I like the Leone signing, he did well last year in the PCL and I was hoping the Giants would call him up at some point.

He's a nice 3B/UTIL insurance player.

by xanthan on Dec 15, 2007 8:16 AM PST reply actions

Re: Leone

yep, he has power and steals about 20 bases as well. Signing with the Giants made even more sense for Leone this year than it did last year with the big club not having a third baseman yet. As for the Japanese pitcher, why am I not surprised that with all the Japanese guys coming over here this year the Giants signed the oldest one?? Have we signed Sadahuru Oh yet??

Bring me a cleanup hitter please!!

by rxmeister on Dec 15, 2007 8:22 AM PST up reply actions

Re: Leone

No word on Oh, but Sabean has been in contact with the agent for Takezo Kensei.

All your signature are belong to us.

by EliminateMe on Dec 17, 2007 10:39 AM PST up reply actions

Re: McPherson

if he's back playing now, I would think there's a chance he could be ready by opening day. I'm sure Sabean will ask Scott Boras about that, and I'm sure Boras will be perfectly honest about it just like he always is.

Bring me a cleanup hitter please!!

by rxmeister on Dec 15, 2007 8:30 AM PST reply actions

Re: speaking of minor league stuff...

Yeah, that bit about Fairley jumped out at me too when I saw this on BA. Not exactly sure what "ceiling" means beyond athleticism (Baggarly also writes that Bumgarner has a higher ceiling than Alderson, but ranks Alderson higher for now) - but it sure is fun to read sweet things about Fairley too.

Anybody out there who lives near Augusta and can go see that team play in 2008 - man, do I envy you. What an incredible bunch of young prospects they'll probably have: Villalona, Noonan, Culberson, Fairley, Williams, Ambort...; and Bumgarner, Alderson, Joaquin, Bucardo, Rodriguez, Edlefson, Turpin, Paterson... Wow.

by FavoriteSpring on Dec 15, 2007 8:51 AM PST reply actions

re: "ceiling"

I understand "higher ceiling" to mean that, if both Alderson and Bumgarner each reached all of their potential, Madison would be thought of as the better pitcher. I, too, rank Alderson higher than MadBum right now because I believe Tim is more likely to approach his "ceiling" than Madison is his.

Think of it this way: imagine there's an objective way of measuring each player's pure talent potential. We might posit that Willie Mays-like talent would be a "100" on such an imaginary scale. So maybe we would conclude that Willie was a "100/100" - that is, his ceiling was 100 and he achieved all 100% of that. On this imaginary scale, I would guess that MadBum's ceiling is perhaps a 90, and Alderson's is perhaps an 85. But Bumgarner's likelihood of reaching that 90 is only 70%, whereas Tim's likelihood of reaching his is 85%. (These numbers are pulled directly from my nether regions, and are for purposes of illustration only. Your mileage may vary.) SO, we'd say that:
Bumgarner = 70/90 = 63
Alderson = 85/85 = 72.25

Comparing their "ceilings" is a guess, and ascribing the likelihood of their reaching those ceilings is a guess, so we have a guess multiplied by a guess. Confidence, thy name certainly isn't prospect evaluation. Nonetheless, everyone remarks on Alderson's uncanny command and how he seems more likely to shoot through the system. Bumgarner is going to have to develop some offspeed pitches. But if he does, watch out.

The SF Giants: agressively promoting young talent since 2008.

by Lyle @ McCovey Chronicles on Dec 15, 2007 1:48 PM PST up reply actions

Keiichi

I saw Yabu pitch for the A's in one game. I wasn't very impressed.

Nattowear | comics | Durham? I hardly know 'im!

by Natto on Dec 15, 2007 11:57 AM PST reply actions

Re: Keiichi

I'm surprised the Giants signed a player with his youth and inexperience.

Bonds stands alone.

by nostocksjustbonds on Dec 15, 2007 2:31 PM PST up reply actions

Re: Decker to manage SJ

Sorry, Shikantaza, but BA vigorously enforces their copyright protection. I could probably live with a link to the post on the other board, but I can't hang with the text on my site.

It's easier to get busted here than at Warriorsworld, unfortunately. Less chaos.

by Grant Brisbee on Dec 15, 2007 5:29 PM PST reply actions

Re: Decker to manage SJ

Question for everyone here. Is this Steve Decker coaching the SJ Giants, the same Steve Decker that was our can't missing catcher prospect of the early 90's. I remeber that guys, watching himj hit 5 HR's after a septemeber call up, thinking he was going to be the next Gary Carter, then being dissapointed.

Is that the same guy?

Your 2010 NL rookie of the year,... Andy D'alessio

by ramirez415 on Dec 17, 2007 1:38 PM PST up reply actions