Open Wistful Thinking Thread
Remember how worried a lot of us were when the Giants were linked to Carlos Lee? And remember how, when the Giants didn't sign Lee, how they turned around and signed Barry Zito with the money earmarked for Lee?
Damn, how I wished the Giants had signed Carlos Lee. With Lee, the Giants probably would have been forced to fill center field with an in-house option, like, oh, Randy Winn. This would mean no Rowand. No Rowand would give the Giants more money to throw at C.C. Sabathia (still a bad move, but with no Zito around, I'm down...)
Sure, Lee would be worth a few more wins each year, which would have meant that the Giants wouldn't have been able to draft Buster Posey. But that's good news for you Smoakophiles out there, right?
Oh, and Bengie Molina would not have ever had to hit clean-up. The laws of nature would not have been violated so.
Read the hindsight-strengthened stupidity of this quote and shudder:
I'm sorry, Carlos. I'm sorry, readers. I'm sorry, world.
Come back, Carlos! I didn't mean those hurtful things!
Comment starter: What free-agent signing in the past were you terrified of, only to have it turn out to be a good deal? Or, at least, would have helped the Giants more than the option they eventually signed?
Comments
I totally whiffed on Molina because I thought he’d break down really quickly. Catchers past the age of 30 with weight issues? No thanks. But he’s been a pretty good Giant during his time with us.
/deer head
Bay City Ball
by xanthan on
Nov 24, 2008 11:20 AM PST
reply
actions
1 recs
And if we’re talking about other teams, I thought the deal that Mags got from the Tigers was crazy. He was coming off some weird knee surgery procedure that he had to leave the United States to get. I know the Tigers had some injury language written into the contract but it was still a little risky.
His OPS+’s during his time with the Tigers: 113, 112, 167, 127. Not bad.
/deer head
Bay City Ball
by xanthan on
Nov 24, 2008 11:24 AM PST
up
reply
actions
0 recs
Yeah, I hated the Molina deal and he’s very much outplayed my expectations.
Barry Zito: Mike Hampton with a guitar
by JakeS on
Nov 24, 2008 3:03 PM PST
up
reply
actions
0 recs
Carlos Lee still isn’t very good though. He gives most of the runs he produces on offense back on defense. I mean, I’d rather have him than Zito, but he still wouldn’t have been a very good signing (unless we put him at first, in which case it might have been better.)
Matt Cain: He'll save children, but not the Dodger children.
PABLO SANDOVAL AM STEAL DEATH, DESTROYER OF WORLDS.
by jponry on
Nov 24, 2008 11:25 AM PST
reply
actions
0 recs
You know, I can’t really think of any off-hand. The signings I’ve thought were terrible have mostly turned out to be terrible. Maybe I’m forgetting something – if so, I’m sure I’ll come up with it later.
I’ve been wrong in the other direction plenty of times, though – I’ve liked signings that have ended up causing nothing but grief. Like Edgardo Alfonzo. And, though it shames me to admit it, I liked the Armando Benitez signing at first. He was GREAT with the Marlins the year before we got. Lights out. Which makes his horrible, horrible tenure with the Giants that much more painful.
Never has a poster been more correct in the history of the internet. Ever! - ResDog on yours truly
by jcb9 on
Nov 24, 2008 11:25 AM PST
reply
actions
1 recs
A-Rod
My adopted Giant: "Raptor Jesus" Guzman
by Goofus on
Nov 24, 2008 11:26 AM PST
reply
actions
0 recs
I’ll take my crow cold & straight.
I thought Benitez would be some were between poor- average. I know the front office was going after some one to close so I thought he was the least of evils. It turned out much, much worse.
A side of Roberts as well. I thought as a 4th outfielder/ show the kids how to play/ insurance policy incase the young outfielders were 4A or worse was not a terrible idea. I had no idea they were dreaming of him as a full time starter or they would then go get Rowand a year later.
Ivan Ochoa - Heir to the legacy of Rob Andrews & Rikkert Faneyte!
Here comes Captain Obvious wearing his Atomic Wedgie!
by daveinexile on
Nov 24, 2008 11:33 AM PST
reply
actions
1 recs
After Bonds hit 73 homers, I remember discussing how much I’d be willing to pay to re-sign him. Myself and pretty much everyone I’d talked to agreed that we’d offer a reasonable contract, but probably wouldn’t keep him around, because he was ready to break down.
In 2002, the Giants went to the World Series. Egg on my face (and playoff tickets in my hand, baby!).
"He called the sh** POOP!" -- Adam Sandler
by JRPhillips on
Nov 24, 2008 11:47 AM PST
reply
actions
0 recs
wait…Giants went where?
/blinks
Charlie Hayes ate my homework
by glenallen hill's waterpipe on
Nov 24, 2008 12:39 PM PST
up
reply
actions
0 recs
they won the National League pennant, then baseball had to cancel the World Series because of a mass, undersea, unexplaned sponge migration.
by tyrannoman on
Nov 24, 2008 12:56 PM PST
up
reply
actions
0 recs
oh come on Ray
The sponges moved about a foot and a half
FIRE BRIAN SABEAN... UNLESS HE KEEPS DRAFTING WELL. .. AND SIGNS UNDERRATED PLAYERS LIKE AFFELDT OR PHELPS. .. OR ALRIGHT WHO'S PLAYING WITH THE ALIEN MIND-SWITCHING RAY?
by zenbitz on
Nov 24, 2008 1:02 PM PST
up
reply
actions
0 recs
this post reminds me of the time
Grant tried to drill a hole in his head.
Go Fred Lewis... You're better than the alternative... Yippee...
by Uribe nee Gonzalez on
Nov 24, 2008 4:20 PM PST
up
reply
actions
0 recs
THAT WOULD HAVE WORKED
FIRE BRIAN SABEAN... UNLESS HE KEEPS DRAFTING WELL. .. AND SIGNS UNDERRATED PLAYERS LIKE AFFELDT OR PHELPS. .. OR ALRIGHT WHO'S PLAYING WITH THE ALIEN MIND-SWITCHING RAY?
by zenbitz on
Nov 25, 2008 10:40 AM PST
up
reply
actions
0 recs
I thought the Rowand signing was bad
but it was because I thought Rajai and Dave were better alternatives. Ha!
After a year… the signing is still bad. though not as bad as Zito. and not as bad as not re-signing Bonds and signing Rowand. uhhh… if that makes sense
Adopted Giant: Aaron King
Wearing the crown by 2011. Or at least the LOOGY hat
by baetown415 on
Nov 24, 2008 11:48 AM PST
reply
actions
0 recs
I didn't like the Vizquel signing at the time
I thought he was too old and washed-up to give the Giants any value.
Uh…whoops.
GROUGTHINK ALERT
by groug on
Nov 24, 2008 11:55 AM PST
reply
actions
0 recs
Hmm, now that you mention it, I sort of fall into this category too. Well, my feeling was that a 2-year contract would’ve been fine, but three years was too much. Which isn’t an entirely indefensible position.
Never has a poster been more correct in the history of the internet. Ever! - ResDog on yours truly
by jcb9 on
Nov 24, 2008 11:58 AM PST
up
reply
actions
0 recs
Same here.
When I was a kid I used to pray every night for a new bicycle. Then I realized God doesn’t work that way, so I stole one and prayed for forgiveness. - Emo Philips
Neglectful father of David Quinowski
by marcello on
Nov 24, 2008 12:18 PM PST
up
reply
actions
0 recs
yep. Omar brought much-needed joy to the Giants even if the 3rd year of the contract was a disaster. Great signing.
Disfrute Los Gigantes every day at www.leftymalo.com
by leftymalo on
Nov 24, 2008 12:19 PM PST
up
reply
actions
1 recs
…isn’t the question here free agent signings that you didn’t want to happen that didn’t happen and now you kinda wish they had?
Matt Cain: He'll save children, but not the Dodger children.
PABLO SANDOVAL AM STEAL DEATH, DESTROYER OF WORLDS.
by jponry on
Nov 24, 2008 12:02 PM PST
reply
actions
1 recs
Reading comprehension is stupid and overrated
GROUGTHINK ALERT
by groug on
Nov 24, 2008 12:49 PM PST
up
reply
actions
0 recs
Yeah, I agree with Goofus.
/deer head
Bay City Ball
by xanthan on
Nov 24, 2008 12:50 PM PST
up
reply
actions
0 recs
But that was grou....oohhhhh
This actually went through my mind for a few seconds.
The Basil Fawlty Moderating Strategy:
"We could run a nice blog here if we didn't have all these members getting in the way."
by WalrusMan on
Nov 24, 2008 4:23 PM PST
up
reply
actions
0 recs
But we are talking about signings that did happen that we didn’t like at the time that turned out alright.
My Dave Righetti is better than your Dave Righetti.
by howtheyscored on
Nov 24, 2008 11:11 PM PST
up
reply
actions
0 recs
The one thing good thing about getting Zito rather than Lee is that it allowed us one more year of Bonds, including 756. Not sure it was worth it, though.
by Evan on
Nov 24, 2008 12:16 PM PST
reply
actions
0 recs
ya in some way that makes it worth it to me as a fan that was there, tho maybe not to the whole ‘winning team philosophy business’ tho. what a dilemma
by lincypoo i wuv u on
Nov 24, 2008 7:06 PM PST
up
reply
actions
0 recs
Gee, I've been calling that a bad thing
My 2008 mantra has been “If Carlos Lee took the money, we wouldn’t have been saddled with either Barry.”
It’s not that Barry’s HR chase wasn’t fun. It’s that Sabean’s strategy around him set back the rebuilding effort.
"[Greg] Vaughn is in a funk so deep, George Clinton wearing a miner's helmet couldn't find him."
- Jim Baker, ESPN.com, May 2002
by achiappanza on
Dec 2, 2008 1:00 PM PST
up
reply
actions
0 recs
Bad Vlad
When he signed w/ Angels for 11mil.We signed JT & M. Tucker and then told we were tapped out.Then somehow had 8mil for G.Maddox,which he refused.That was big and could have been big for us.RH power hitter w/ Bonds,come on!
by hudson101 on
Nov 24, 2008 12:20 PM PST
reply
actions
0 recs
Randy Winn’s extension has turned out well. Gotta eat crow on that one.
Beltre after his big year seemed like a disaster in the making, and a lot of people still see it that way, but in fact the M’s got a good deal, and he would have spared us a lot of Alfonzo and Feliz and Castillo.
by Evan on
Nov 24, 2008 12:20 PM PST
reply
actions
0 recs
Also, I was a big advocate for Andruw Jones last year and was furious that the Giants chose Rowand over him.
I may yet be proven right on that one, though.
by Evan on
Nov 24, 2008 12:23 PM PST
up
reply
actions
0 recs
Sorry to say you were behind me on Andruw Jones
Was standing with Boras on this hoping SF would sign for lots of monies. Thanks for not listening to me, Sabes.
The player who got away and wished SF signed was Carlos Beltran. Thought he was soft, injury prone and not in love with the game enough to earn the big bucks. Now wish he was playing CF and batting third in the order.
by wilriv21 on
Nov 24, 2008 12:34 PM PST
up
reply
actions
1 recs
I gotta sign this confession, too
even worse, I thought the Giants’ should’ve traded Durham for Sexon….ugh. Can’t even imagine the suckitude of that mess.
by tyrannoman on
Nov 24, 2008 12:58 PM PST
up
reply
actions
0 recs
haha I was on board for that too
by lincypoo i wuv u on
Nov 24, 2008 7:08 PM PST
up
reply
actions
0 recs
i'd rather have Andruw poo Jones and his contract
than Aaron, uh, “scarin” Rowand and his
Adopted Giant: Aaron King
Wearing the crown by 2011. Or at least the LOOGY hat
by baetown415 on
Nov 24, 2008 2:11 PM PST
up
reply
actions
0 recs
Not a FA
But can`t get over that A.J. deal!We could use those P`s now,esp.Nathan!
by hudson101 on
Nov 24, 2008 12:26 PM PST
reply
actions
0 recs
?
No clue what you’re talking about. I remember no such thing.
When I was a kid I used to pray every night for a new bicycle. Then I realized God doesn’t work that way, so I stole one and prayed for forgiveness. - Emo Philips
Neglectful father of David Quinowski
by marcello on
Nov 24, 2008 12:33 PM PST
up
reply
actions
1 recs
I was also against the Molina signing at first. Now I love Bengie.
"While conservatives tell you 'leave things alone and no one will lose,' and liberals tell you 'interfere a lot and no one will lose,' baseball says 'someone will lose.' Not only says it - but insists upon it! ... Democracy is lovely, but baseball's more mature." BVCE supports SF Dugout and Manny Burriss.
by BaronVonCurrentEvents on
Nov 24, 2008 12:49 PM PST
reply
actions
0 recs
We just signed Renteria
2 years $18 million
You probably know it as MYANMAR, but it will always be BURMA to me!
by NuschlerFace on
Nov 24, 2008 12:53 PM PST
reply
actions
0 recs
Did you accidently leave out the:
/bad joke?
They say some players get out of bed hitting; Pablo Sandoval doesn't wait that long
by bgunn on
Nov 24, 2008 12:57 PM PST
up
reply
actions
0 recs
I wish I did...
You probably know it as MYANMAR, but it will always be BURMA to me!
by NuschlerFace on
Nov 24, 2008 12:58 PM PST
up
reply
actions
0 recs
Argh!
Why now?
This is stupid. They could have waited and not lost a draft pick.
by Lars The Wanderer on
Nov 24, 2008 12:58 PM PST
up
reply
actions
0 recs
what? Why not wait a week…or at least wait for Furcal to play out. That being said, I don’t mind the deal so much. $9mil seems about right, and 2 years isn’t so bad. But why now?
by tyrannoman on
Nov 24, 2008 1:00 PM PST
up
reply
actions
0 recs
so far the only one reporting this is mlbtraderumors…hopefully it’s a false start (like when it was reported the A’s signed Mike Cameron a few years ago).
Unless the $9mil for Renterria will allow the GIants to seriously chase down CC or Tex, I don’t get the timing here.
by tyrannoman on
Nov 24, 2008 1:07 PM PST
up
reply
actions
0 recs
I have always liked Renteria, but I don’t understand the timing for sure.
You probably know it as MYANMAR, but it will always be BURMA to me!
by NuschlerFace on
Nov 24, 2008 1:04 PM PST
up
reply
actions
0 recs
sort of on the same subject...
I still wish we could have had a chance at Aramis Ramirez. I was really bummbed when he decided not to test free agency.
My adopted Giant: "Raptor Jesus" Guzman
by Goofus on
Nov 24, 2008 12:54 PM PST
reply
actions
0 recs
Grissom
that was I think the the highest value-to-my-disgust ratio.
FIRE BRIAN SABEAN... UNLESS HE KEEPS DRAFTING WELL. .. AND SIGNS UNDERRATED PLAYERS LIKE AFFELDT OR PHELPS. .. OR ALRIGHT WHO'S PLAYING WITH THE ALIEN MIND-SWITCHING RAY?
by zenbitz on
Nov 24, 2008 1:04 PM PST
reply
actions
0 recs
Good Call
Marquis was fantasic for two years here, and I thought he would be on the bench halfway through the first season.
by tyrannoman on
Nov 24, 2008 1:08 PM PST
up
reply
actions
0 recs
Oh man, I miss ole’ Grip and his crazy bug eyes.
by The Double Deuce on
Nov 24, 2008 2:46 PM PST
up
reply
actions
0 recs
Ray Durham
He really bounced back and turned out to be the only tradable player on the team.
by JesseSeg on
Nov 24, 2008 4:18 PM PST
reply
actions
0 recs
when i was a lil one
and was all ‘zomg wins’ I wished we had resigned sidney ponson and he would rebound after his craptastic half-season with us, haha
by lincypoo i wuv u on
Nov 24, 2008 7:12 PM PST
reply
actions
0 recs
DH for Ellis Burks
worked out pretty damn well – me: pleasantly surprised
Charlie Hayes ate my homework
by glenallen hill's waterpipe on
Nov 24, 2008 10:14 PM PST
reply
actions
0 recs














