It's been a while since there was an old timey fill-in-the-blank trivia contest `round these parts. About three years ago, I used quotes from the 2001 STATS, Inc. Scouting Notebook to fashion such a contest. This time around, I'm digging deep for the...uh...lessee...2002 STATS, Inc. Scouting Notebook, which can be yours from Amazon for twenty cents plus shipping.
And "contest" insinuates that there will be a prize. So...uh...lessee...the winner will receive an autographed Jeff Juden rookie card. It's autographed by me instead of Juden, but I think we can all agree that raises the value of the card.
I'm not above sneaky and downright misleading questions, nor am I above using a player whom you haven't thought of since November of 2002, so feel free to look at the 2001 and 2002 rosters while you vie for the magnificent prize:
- ____ may not possess the athleticism of a Pokey Reese, but he is handy enough to fill in at first base when the Giants need help there.
- If ____ could hit nearly as well as he plays center field, San Francisco might have another All-Star in its lineup.
- Once a sneaky basestealer, ____ has become a station-to-station runner.
- ____ will mix in an occasional curve or changeup, but neither really plays an integral role in his plan.
- Middle relievers of ____ ilk are almost interchangeable, as harsh as that may sound.
- The Giants acquired ____ for the (2001) stretch run, but he didn't provide relief.
- The Giants were thrilled when ____ exercised his $1.15 million player option for 2002.... ____ continues to prove his value not only on the field, but also in the clubhouse.
- ____'s approach consists of anticipating the fastball and adjusting to offspeed stuff, and his manager was impressed enough to place him in the cleanup spot for most of the final month.
- One scout theorized that some umpires are so bamboozled by ____'s unique break that they're too stunned to call strikes.
- ____ has shown one sign of age; he's considered to have a "slider-speed" bat, partly explaining his low home run total and his second-half fade.