Which Giants Player Will Have a Breakout Season in 2009?
by wilriv21 on Dec 12, 2008 4:05 PM PST
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PrintDuring the 2008 season many prospects of the SF organization had an opportunity to realize their dreams of playing in the major leagues . The Giants promoted the kids from Fresno, Connecticut and even San Jose.
Infielders Brian Bocock, Manny Burriss, Eugenio Velez Travis Ishikawa and Pablito Sandoval saw action. Kevin Frandsen was on the DL most of the season and returned to have a successful stint in the AFL. Newly signed Jesus Guzman will be given an opportunity to win a job in 2009.
Outfielders Freddie Lewis and John Bowker brought some cheer to Giants fans. Nate Schierholtz is ready for his close-up.
Pitcher Jonathan Sanchez finally became a mainstay in the rotation. Relievers Sergio, Sir Alex Hinshaw, and Osiris Matos made their debuts.
Which SF Giants player will have a breakout season in 2009? I believe Billy Sadler will be able to find his command and will have a huge breakout season for the Giants.
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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+1
…and I think both are candidates, but I’d put my $$ on Nate.
Too optimistic to think MadBum or Alderson make their debut? They would obviously be candidates, though I expect them to spend most or all of the year in the minors.
Giants: World Series Champions...in 2011.
by Giants_Junkie on Dec 12, 2008 4:15 PM PST up reply actions
I hope both of them tear it up in the minors but not make it up to the big club just yet.
I’d rather pace it now that we have a really strong rotation.
I can see them as September call ups maybe? That would be fun.
by Giant Voodoo on Dec 12, 2008 4:24 PM PST up reply actions
Alderson yes..
If Alderson dominates I think he comes up and goes to the bullpen. Bumgarner I can see him moving up to AAA but not all the way. He needs to be a starter, while Alderson some think is destined to go to the bullpen anyway.
The Basil Fawlty Moderating Strategy:
"We could run a nice blog here if we didn't have all these members getting in the way."
I can’t see Alderson coming up to pitch out of the bullpen unless the team is truly in contention
by FluLikeSymptoms on Dec 12, 2008 5:19 PM PST up reply actions
I heard they got a new guy named Renteria that might be good.
Maybe him?
Giants: World Series Champions...in 2011.
I was kidding.
Giants: World Series Champions...in 2011.
by Giants_Junkie on Dec 14, 2008 9:17 AM PST up reply actions
I predict the only breakout Billy Sadler will have in 2009 will be something that will be treated by a dose of Valtrex. No offense to your interesting post and optimistic outlook, but Sadler isn’t making this bullpen. Wilson, Romo, Affeldt and Howry are sure things, and the Giants announced yesterday that they tendered Taschner. That leaves two spots open. Sabean talked about keeping three lefties, so Hinshaw will probably make it, and since they drafted Perdomo in the Rule V, if he shows anything at all, he gets the last spot. That leaves Sadler at Fresno, where he hopefully finally finds the strike zone. My pick is Pablito, by the way. He is a line drive machine.
Brian Sabean's dad- will make a few phone calls to help his son find a new job after next season
Yeah, if we can vote for Pablito...
…he gets my vote. Not sure if there are criteria here (someone who didn’t spend all of ’08 on the MLB roster?).
Giants: World Series Champions...in 2011.
by Giants_Junkie on Dec 12, 2008 4:21 PM PST up reply actions
I feel Cain broke out last season
It was his first season where he had a good ERA on the road as well as SF. That consistency will help the Giants win a lot more games with him starting, once our offense gets better.
Adoptive parental unit of Kevin " 2007's Most Spectacular Pitcher" Pucetas.
"I'm a Giant now... I like watching the ball get up there" - Wendell Fairley
"I'm really proud to be on this team." - Nate Schierholtz
"Woo hoo" - Tim "The Kid" Lincecum
by obsessivegiantscompulsive on Dec 12, 2008 11:03 PM PST up reply actions
Buster
Sergio Romo will gladly hand you a bench to sit on / GIANTSPACE™ / Adopted brother of the AnVil
but I hardly know’er!
Someone had to do it.
by Giant Voodoo on Dec 12, 2008 4:25 PM PST up reply actions
if you’re right you can have whatever you like. i said you can have whatever you like.
/rimshot
Dodgers fans eat their young.
And TI can have stacks on deck!
Less arm, more talk. Raisingcain is a GAMER.
Adopted Giant: Henry Sosa
by raisingcain on Dec 12, 2008 11:44 PM PST up reply actions
IAWTC
Absofreakinlutley good pick. We could use a good 1B surprise .
My adopted sons Matt Downs and Ben Copeland . Still not ramked in the McC prospect list.
I don’t think it will be TI. I think Sabean’s going to acquire a player for one of the corners before spring training starts, with Pablo moving to the other spot.
Brian Sabean's dad- will make a few phone calls to help his son find a new job after next season
Yeah Doc, my agreement was more a wish than a belief. It would be great to have at least a league average posistion players come through the system. Lewis surprised me last year. Frandsen had a chance last year until he blew out his achilles. Pablo was a blast to watch.
If at least some of the Giants “youth” is homegrown, it gives me hope for the next fifty years of the Giants. Pablo seems to the annointed 3B, but they are Sabean words. I think he’ll just stick him wherever he can to get his bat on the field.
My adopted sons Matt Downs and Ben Copeland . Still not ramked in the McC prospect list.
EME
Matt Cain: He'll save children, but not the Dodger children.
PABLO SANDOVAL AM STEAL DEATH, DESTROYER OF WORLDS.
if he plays an entire season at AAA I would consider that a breakout season for him at this point.
by FluLikeSymptoms on Dec 12, 2008 4:26 PM PST up reply actions
if he plays an entire seasonat AAAI would consider that a breakout season for him at this point.
Fixed
My adopted sons Matt Downs and Ben Copeland . Still not ramked in the McC prospect list.
+1
I was going to say that!
Adoptive parental unit of Kevin " 2007's Most Spectacular Pitcher" Pucetas.
"I'm a Giant now... I like watching the ball get up there" - Wendell Fairley
"I'm really proud to be on this team." - Nate Schierholtz
"Woo hoo" - Tim "The Kid" Lincecum
by obsessivegiantscompulsive on Dec 12, 2008 11:03 PM PST up reply actions
Nah.
The Basil Fawlty Moderating Strategy:
"We could run a nice blog here if we didn't have all these members getting in the way."
/wink
Matt Cain: He'll save children, but not the Dodger children.
PABLO SANDOVAL AM STEAL DEATH, DESTROYER OF WORLDS.
I had to.
All credit goes to jponry.
The Basil Fawlty Moderating Strategy:
"We could run a nice blog here if we didn't have all these members getting in the way."
Jermey Affeldt
the Giants trade Brian Wilson at his peak value, Affeldt becomes the closer, saves 40 games.
by FluLikeSymptoms on Dec 12, 2008 4:20 PM PST reply actions
no way
Sergio will close
Sergio Romo will gladly hand you a bench to sit on / GIANTSPACE™ / Adopted brother of the AnVil
by SoFa King Mike on Dec 12, 2008 4:20 PM PST up reply actions
he hasn’t proven his “closer makeup” yet
by FluLikeSymptoms on Dec 12, 2008 4:22 PM PST up reply actions
I think highly in his delivery. Very deceptive arm motion(s).
It’s not lights out stuff, but he gets the outs.
Sergio Romo will gladly hand you a bench to sit on / GIANTSPACE™ / Adopted brother of the AnVil
by SoFa King Mike on Dec 12, 2008 4:31 PM PST up reply actions
I like Romo a lot
That whole “closer makeup” thing is sarcasm. I do think it would be wise to keep him in a lower pressure role at least until he has a full season in the big leagues.
by FluLikeSymptoms on Dec 12, 2008 4:35 PM PST up reply actions
Absolutely. Right now, a Romo / Affeldt righty/lefty setup tandem would be awesome.
Sergio Romo will gladly hand you a bench to sit on / GIANTSPACE™ / Adopted brother of the AnVil
by SoFa King Mike on Dec 12, 2008 4:37 PM PST up reply actions
closergameristic qualities are a must
and can only be proven on the battlefield on men
Psycho killer, qu'est-ce que c'est?
The beard is growing this winter.
The Basil Fawlty Moderating Strategy:
"We could run a nice blog here if we didn't have all these members getting in the way."
Silky-Sergio at least has to comes back with that pimp-ass mustache he had when he got the initial call-up. Rohlinger should grow his back as well, it was his only redeeming quality IMO…..I think everyone should grow a mustache i guess
I wanted to adopt, but all the good looking babies were taken
by joeytothelimit on Dec 12, 2008 7:40 PM PST up reply actions
In all seriousness, wasn't Sadler once considered a COF?
Not that I think he could do it at this point…I just seem to recall that was the thought at one point.
Giants: World Series Champions...in 2011.
by Giants_Junkie on Dec 12, 2008 4:23 PM PST up reply actions
he was. Kevin Goldstein once said that he thought Sadler had a better chance of being a quality late inning reliever than Brian Wilson
by FluLikeSymptoms on Dec 12, 2008 4:25 PM PST up reply actions
Sadler has the stuff, but he needs to get better control and not get too overly excited about every time he strikes out Manny Ramirez
Sergio Romo will gladly hand you a bench to sit on / GIANTSPACE™ / Adopted brother of the AnVil
by SoFa King Mike on Dec 12, 2008 4:27 PM PST up reply actions
I understand the whole tradition in baseball about not showing up the other guy, and i can live without the thug-life gang signs you see in the NBA after crazy dunks, but i didn’t mind it when Sadler was so pumped when he actually had some success at the major league level.
I wanted to adopt, but all the good looking babies were taken
by joeytothelimit on Dec 12, 2008 7:44 PM PST up reply actions
I’m sure we will soon see the ‘waving hand in front of face’ move that we see in the NFL and NBA. I predict it will be JC Romero first (If it has not yet been done by a pitcher yet). I think it would be funny to see someone like Scott Eyre do it though
I Don't Tolerate Intolerance!
by Giant among Angels on Dec 12, 2008 9:09 PM PST up reply actions
why do people keep saying that Brian Wilson is at his “peak value??” He has a 100mph fastball, a 92mph slider, and he had a 4.62 ERA in 2008. How is that possibly the best he can do?? If anything, Sergio Romo is at his peak value. His numbers aren’t sustainable based on his stuff.
Brian Sabean's dad- will make a few phone calls to help his son find a new job after next season
your numbers aren’t sustainable based on your stuff
Matt Cain: He'll save children, but not the Dodger children.
PABLO SANDOVAL AM STEAL DEATH, DESTROYER OF WORLDS.
by all means, let’s trade Brian Wilson. Teams are lining up to trade their best players for a closer with a 4.62 ERA, especially in an offseason where experienced closers are on the market both in trade and as free agents. I vote that the phrase “trade Brian Wilson at peak value” gets put up there with “Matt Cain third starter at best” as ridiculous notions that should be scoffed at whenever possible.
Brian Sabean's dad- will make a few phone calls to help his son find a new job after next season
The differnce is
That trading Wilson at peak value is generally a smart thing to do, it’s just arguable whether or not he is at peak value right now, since he’s obviously better than his ERA, but also not as good as his saves.
OTOH, Saying that Cain is a third starter is just plain wrong.
..so allow me to present Tim Lincecum and Matt Cain as two sweet, sweet bottles of warming hooch.
I kinda agree.
I don’t really know what evidence there is that Brian Wilson is due for a massive regression
You're thinking like a smart man
Instead of a (supposedly) dumb GM. The reason some people (delorean was the first, I believe) advocate trading Wilson is that they believe that GM’s are very likely to overvalue him because of his saves. And in the saves department, he is due for a pretty big regression.
..so allow me to present Tim Lincecum and Matt Cain as two sweet, sweet bottles of warming hooch.
Yeah, but I think the Meister’s got a point in that the same GMs that overvalue saves are likely to overvalue a reliever’s ERA.
I also think there is a case for hanging on to high K, high BB relievers and hoping that they figure out where the strike zone is. It happens decently often and that’s where lights out relievers come from.
I belong in this line!
Ivan Ochoa - Heir to the legacy of Rob Andrews & Rikkert Faneyte!
Here comes Captain Obvious wearing his Atomic Wedgie!
I acknowledged that in my reply to rxmeister. I’m just saying that saying “Wilson’s ERA should have been lower, therefore we should keep him” is just as wrong as saying “Wilson should have had less saves, therefore we should trade him”. It’s always more complicated than that.
..so allow me to present Tim Lincecum and Matt Cain as two sweet, sweet bottles of warming hooch.
From Urban Dictionary:
Natch:
(1) Abbreviation for naturally.
(4) Shortened version of biz natch, which is a derivative of bitch.
(5) n. One who is a slutty dirty skanky hoe.
So…which one is it?
..so allow me to present Tim Lincecum and Matt Cain as two sweet, sweet bottles of warming hooch.
where’s 2 and 3?
Castillo got the DFA. Guestimate for Castillo DFA to come before the 2009 season = 2.
GM’s are going to look at ERA over saves, especially since it’s obvious whether you’re good or bad, the number of saves is going to depend on the number of opportunities you have. You think there’s a single GM that thinks Brian Wilson is better than Mariano Rivera because he had two more saves last season??
Brian Sabean's dad- will make a few phone calls to help his son find a new job after next season
Was this supposed to be a reply to me?
..so allow me to present Tim Lincecum and Matt Cain as two sweet, sweet bottles of warming hooch.
natcherally?
adopter/sponsor of "Go, Antoan" Richardson
by foothillsfan on Dec 17, 2008 8:38 AM PST up reply actions
So let it be written. So let it be done
Proud adopted parent of future big league slugger Thomas Neal
by nostocksjustbonds on Dec 12, 2008 10:15 PM PST up reply actions
Minor leaguer: Noonan
Major leaguer: Franny
by AngelWillSaveUs on Dec 12, 2008 4:31 PM PST reply actions
Noonan’s gonna have a huge season. He could be up in the majors by 2010
by Useful_Idiot on Dec 12, 2008 5:55 PM PST up reply actions
I think that'd be pushin it a little
He’s not even in A+ yet; unless he absolutely destroys A ball and AA, and maybe AAA, I’d doubt he moves up that quick. He still has yet to have any kind of good year; his numbers this year weren’t too shiny.
He hits a lot of line drives and consistently makes solid contact, which is the sort of thing that carries a player to the big leagues. 2010 may be pushing it, but I don’t think it’s unreasonable for him to end this year in AAA, and then be a mid or early season call up in 2010.
by Useful_Idiot on Dec 13, 2008 11:03 AM PST up reply actions
Breakouts... of sorts
Major League offense- Renteria (has best offensive season out of anyone on the team)
Major League pitching- Zito (becomes a league average pitcher)
Minor League offense- Rohlinger (has a very solid season in Fresno and becomes a serious candidate for the 2B job in ’09)
Minor League pitching- Jarvis (best name in the minor leagues leads to great success)
Giants! Giants! HELP US GOD!
good call on Jarvis
That is going to turn out to be a great pick. Plus, I love that the guy has an appreciation for music.
by FluLikeSymptoms on Dec 12, 2008 4:43 PM PST up reply actions
Agreed...
except Noonan is clearly the best name in the minor leagues.
by VizquelQuest on Dec 12, 2008 5:01 PM PST up reply actions
Hinshaw will find the strike zone and pound it incessantly!!!!
Adopted Giant: Aaron King
Wearing the crown by 2011. Or at least the LOOGY hat
pound it
Giants: World Series Champions...in 2011.
by Giants_Junkie on Dec 12, 2008 4:43 PM PST up reply actions
that’s what she said!
Sergio Romo will gladly hand you a bench to sit on / GIANTSPACE™ / Adopted brother of the AnVil
by SoFa King Mike on Dec 12, 2008 4:44 PM PST up reply actions
...Instead!
That’s what she said.
The Basil Fawlty Moderating Strategy:
"We could run a nice blog here if we didn't have all these members getting in the way."
Or maybe pound it like this!
Adopted Giant: Aaron King
Wearing the crown by 2011. Or at least the LOOGY hat
callin em from the gut
Ishikawa and Sanchez.
I think Cain will improve, but not enough to call it a breakout.
Taking the likely guys… I like it
Adopted Giant: Aaron King
Wearing the crown by 2011. Or at least the LOOGY hat
Also
probably has the least probability out of the 3 logjammed guys at 2B
Adopted Giant: Aaron King
Wearing the crown by 2011. Or at least the LOOGY hat
*Least probability of being average…. or even making us not go insane
Adopted Giant: Aaron King
Wearing the crown by 2011. Or at least the LOOGY hat
You know who I would've liked to have seen fighting it out for 2B.....
Adopted Giant: Aaron King
Wearing the crown by 2011. Or at least the LOOGY hat
I ♥ this comment. . Well just the Matt Downs breakout part really.
My adopted sons Matt Downs and Ben Copeland . Still not ramked in the McC prospect list.
me too
Well actually even though sosa’s my adopted son I don’t really think he could have a breakout season – he already did, then regressed since then. Anyway, I still support the downs part of it.
Less arm, more talk. Raisingcain is a GAMER.
Adopted Giant: Henry Sosa
by raisingcain on Dec 12, 2008 11:46 PM PST up reply actions
Sanchez will have 2 good months!
Proud adopted parent of future big league slugger Thomas Neal
by nostocksjustbonds on Dec 12, 2008 10:16 PM PST up reply actions
Fred Lewis and Jonathan Sanchez
Lewis will hit for more power and produce more runs further down the lineup.
Sanchez will have a stronger second half.
Cain might go psycho if he doesn’t get run support.
I was about to write this. Freddie is gonna start strong and end up in the 3 hole, and is gonna anchor the offense. 100 runs at least.
"I didn't know (after seeing a spectacular over-the-shoulder catch) whether to shit or go blind." - Former Giants Outfielder Harvey Kuenn on Willie Mays
by stealth snail on Dec 12, 2008 5:03 PM PST up reply actions
Please just call him Fred
Sergio Romo will gladly hand you a bench to sit on / GIANTSPACE™ / Adopted brother of the AnVil
by SoFa King Mike on Dec 12, 2008 7:00 PM PST up reply actions
Don’t make me post the “don’t call him Freddie” story again. Fred, or Frederick.
My adopted sons Matt Downs and Ben Copeland . Still not ramked in the McC prospect list.
Would Alfredo suffice?
I Don't Tolerate Intolerance!
by Giant among Angels on Dec 12, 2008 9:10 PM PST up reply actions
and you won’t call him anything but Fred
My adopted sons Matt Downs and Ben Copeland . Still not ramked in the McC prospect list.
Very sad...
Giants: World Series Champions...in 2011.
by Giants_Junkie on Dec 14, 2008 9:43 AM PST up reply actions
If he batts mostly in the 3 hole with 90+ runs along 90 rbis then...
We better all be calling him Mr. Lewis. And mean it.
Ivan Ochoa - Heir to the legacy of Rob Andrews & Rikkert Faneyte!
Here comes Captain Obvious wearing his Atomic Wedgie!
I'm going with Freddy too
I think he’s going to improve upon last years numbers. He’s well on his way to becoming a solid every day pro. He’s going to be the Giants best outfielder next year and not because the other Giants suck but because he’s just going to be that good.
by Sigualicious on Dec 12, 2008 5:34 PM PST up reply actions
Lincecum
He will not allow a baserunner.
You probably know it as MYANMAR, but it will always be BURMA to me!
If he give up 100 home runs next season
It’s your fault
Adopted Giant: Aaron King
Wearing the crown by 2011. Or at least the LOOGY hat
Good Point
I’ll go with Bowker ripping AAA to shreds and Hinshaw turning into a less creepy Brian Fuentes in the bigs.
You probably know it as MYANMAR, but it will always be BURMA to me!
by NuschlerFace on Dec 12, 2008 5:09 PM PST up reply actions
forget about a perfect game. Perfect Season!
by FluLikeSymptoms on Dec 12, 2008 5:05 PM PST up reply actions
What does break out season mean?
Does Frandsen “winning” the 2b job and posting a 500 ABs with a 270/320/350 season count as break out? Or does Schierholtz batting 300 with 6 homeruns in 400 ABs as 4th outfielder count?
But to answer the question (kinda). Hopes and Predictions:
I hope TI rips 20 HRs.
Breakout for Scheirholtz is SLGs 450.
English tears it up in AAA.
Cain pitches just as well as he always has but wins 18 games and ESPN is shocked. Then they talk about Barry
Castillo got the DFA. Guestimate for Castillo DFA to come before the 2009 season = 2.
I’m going with Nate, he’s one of the few players we have with moderate upside. Kind of like Fred Lewis going into next year, if someone gets hurt he could seize a spot.
/deer head
Bay City Ball
Fixed
Kind of like Fred Lewis going into last year, if someone gets hurt he could seize a spot.
/deer head
Bay City Ball
Agree
I want Nate to get the chance to play everyday. Even when he doesn’t make solid contact he still get those seeing-eye bloops or grounders.
I Don't Tolerate Intolerance!
by Giant among Angels on Dec 12, 2008 9:14 PM PST up reply actions
Lewis, Pablo, Hinshaw, Velez
Lewis because he wont be hurt and he’ll prove to all the nay-sayers that he wont regress and he’ll actually get better, Pablo just because he’s Pablo, Hinshaw because he will throw strikes, and Velez just because I needed a not obvious pick. He did show good contact ability in AAA, so maybe he’ll learn to translate that at the higher level.
I'm going Franny and Perdomo
I’ve always been a Frandsen fan, and i could see a .290/.360 season in him w/ slightly above average defense at 2B. as for perdomo, I say we keep him all year and he posts a sub 4.5 ERA. Nothing special, but more than anyone expected out of him
Todd Jennings: If he's on the DL, he can't suck as much, right?
by Speedforthewin on Dec 12, 2008 10:15 PM PST reply actions
major leaguer: Sanchez, definitely. Last year was just a warm up. He finally got a full season as a starter at the major league level. In 2009, he will demonstrate that he has figured a lot of things out.
Minor Leaguer: Aside from my boy, Wendell Fairley is going to go off in Augusta/San Jose.
Proud adopted parent of future big league slugger Thomas Neal
by nostocksjustbonds on Dec 12, 2008 10:21 PM PST reply actions
awww I was gonna call Fairley :(
I guess I’ll take Lowry. whabam miraculous comeback as he proves to be an adequate 4th starter
Sanchez is the most ready in the majors, he had a sub-4 ERA to mid-season before his stamina gave in, and he was dominating games about as well as Lincecum was doing for a while, so they could be quite a duo during parts of the season. I think there is a good probability that our rotation could be shut down deadly in 2009 with the four we have now, five if we happen to sign The Big Unit.
Breakout in the minors, I think I would torn between Posey and Villalona, but will have to go with AnVil. And what I mean by breakout, I mean he puts together a great season instead of a good month or two. And for Posey, I am thinking he could pull a Lincecum-type rise, hit the cover off the ball, Molina gets hurt and Posey rises to the occasion.
Adoptive parental unit of Kevin " 2007's Most Spectacular Pitcher" Pucetas.
"I'm a Giant now... I like watching the ball get up there" - Wendell Fairley
"I'm really proud to be on this team." - Nate Schierholtz
"Woo hoo" - Tim "The Kid" Lincecum
by obsessivegiantscompulsive on Dec 12, 2008 11:36 PM PST reply actions
Bengie Molina 2.0 will continue with his good hitting with .300/.350/.475 w/ 17+ Jacks.
Lewis will recover and hit .290/.370/4.50, jack 15+ Homers, and will grab 30 bases.
Affeldt will have a very solid season, thanks to the park.
and Frandsen will pwn himself.
Hasheem "The Dream" Thabeet or Brandon Jennings. A Warrior in 09.
With the 6th Pick in the 2009 MLB Draft, the SF Giants pick Donovan Tate.
Andre Smith in Silver & Black in 2009.
I'll go Burriss
Playing every day in fresno still maintians higher then 340 OBP, steals at better then a %75 rate and figures out how to lenghen his good streaks with a glove.
Ivan Ochoa - Heir to the legacy of Rob Andrews & Rikkert Faneyte!
Here comes Captain Obvious wearing his Atomic Wedgie!
ML hitting: Frandsen. I’d go with Nate, but I’m afraid he’ll be riding too much pine.
ML pitching: Sanchez.
MiL hitting: Wow, lots of choices here. If Posey starts at San Jose, I’ll go with him; if he starts at Norwich, I’ll go with Villalona. Even though both are highly regarded, it’s all just potential until they actually do it – and this year I believe they will. Dark horse candidate: despite enduring Norwich all year, Matt Downs will quietly put together a decent season, lead his team in several categories, and win his third team MVP in a row.
Sergio Romo: striking out professional hitters since 2005.
Lyle is the sharksrog if Scott Barnes supporters!
How fast does his dad throw?!
/deer head
Bay City Ball
I have to say I am enjoy the Matt Downs love sprinkled arround this thread. Its good stuff. Kind of lke warm pie.
Ivan Ochoa - Heir to the legacy of Rob Andrews & Rikkert Faneyte!
Here comes Captain Obvious wearing his Atomic Wedgie!
Aaron Rowand
Yes, I said it. And I’ll say it again.
Aaron Rowand will have a break out year that will be the beginning of a long and fruitful contract with the Giants. Solid to good defense in CF and above average hitting to boot.
So there.
Hector Sanchez: really getting tired of playing baseball in foreign countries...
I want cup of whatever your haveing!
Ivan Ochoa - Heir to the legacy of Rob Andrews & Rikkert Faneyte!
Here comes Captain Obvious wearing his Atomic Wedgie!
by daveinexile on Dec 13, 2008 12:42 PM PST up reply actions
mmmmmm… tastes gamey
Sergio Romo will gladly hand you a bench to sit on / GIANTSPACE™ / Adopted brother of the AnVil
by SoFa King Mike on Dec 13, 2008 1:09 PM PST up reply actions
the grit in it the finely crushed dreams of Giants Fans.
My adopted sons Matt Downs and Ben Copeland . Still not ramked in the McC prospect list.
the grit in it is the finely crushed dreams of Giants Fans.
..must learn how to type
My adopted sons Matt Downs and Ben Copeland . Still not ramked in the McC prospect list.
Solid to good defense in CF and above average hitting to boot.
I’m not a Rowand hater (except when he’s not throwing to the cutoff man), but given his contract and expectations upon his arrival, would that really be considered a “breakout”?
My adopted Giant: "Raptor Jesus" Guzman
Sure
Someone who is above average on defense (maybe 5-10 runs) and an OPS+ hitter of around 110 would definitely qualify as a breakout after the year he just had.
Now, I’ll grant you, as a Giants fan, my definition of “breakout” for hitters is a little low.
Hector Sanchez: really getting tired of playing baseball in foreign countries...
Breakout year
My vote goes to Kevin Frandsen who becomes Robbie Thompson II.
Radical Racing
Are we looking at a 1986 RT year then?
The Basil Fawlty Moderating Strategy:
"We could run a nice blog here if we didn't have all these members getting in the way."
He better start striking out now
Frandsen would need 250 games to K as much as Thompson in one normal season.
breakout year
i sincerely hope villalona destroys san jose…
and side note, what will batting fifth in the lineup do to fred lewis’ ability to steal??
LiNcEcuM and cAiN R STUDS
BARRY ZITO
since Rowand was taken/
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?
Slim to none
I don’t think anyone will have a breakout season for the Giants at the major league level this season. I think the closest will be Jonathan Sanchez, whose improvement will be very close to the breakout level. Billy Sadler is a guy who would seem to have a shot, and I think Nate Schierholtz will prove him self at the major league level if given the chance.
I do expect bounce-back seasons from Aaron Rowand and Edgar Renteria. Tyler Walker and Kevin Correia too — just not for the Giants. Surely Barry Zito will bounce back a little, although I mistakenly thought he would have a slight bounce-back last season.
Instead of a bounce back, he had a significant bounce backward.
Zito initially...
But he ended it really well, and not like the illusion he did in 2007, his velocity was up and he was striking out more batters than he has in years, nearly a decade.
Otherwise pretty much agree with you, other than I have Sanchez a bit higher than you, I think he will be able to do it.
Adoptive parental unit of Kevin " 2007's Most Spectacular Pitcher" Pucetas.
"I'm a Giant now... I like watching the ball get up there" - Wendell Fairley
"I'm really proud to be on this team." - Nate Schierholtz
"Woo hoo" - Tim "The Kid" Lincecum
by obsessivegiantscompulsive on Dec 15, 2008 8:03 AM PST up reply actions
Bounce back
Barry Zito did strike out 7.08 batters per nine innings during September. That is higher than any full-season figure he has put up since his Cy Young year of 2002.
September was clearly his best month of the 2008 season, as it has been overall during his career. The only two poor Septembers he has had were in 2005 and 2006, the two years before he signed with the Giants.
I thought at the time that his uncustomary decline in September in each of those years may have been a sign of the wear and tear his pitching more innings over the six seasons previous to signing with the Giants than anyone aside from Livan Hernandez. And that may indeed have been the case. The past two seasons he has had good Septembers compared to the rest of his season, and that came after he had thrown far fewer pitches than in previous seasons.
Josh Phelps
Realizes this is his big chance to make a splash in the bigs, goes on an epic tear in spring training, and earns a spot at 1st base platooning with Ishi. His hot hitting continues in the regular season and he ends up leading the team in HRs (shouldn’t be too hard – didn’t Bowker lead the team for almost half the season last year).
Another vote for Nate
Strater and best offensive outfielder by mid season.
Lowry...
Wondering why there seems to be little to no faith/support for Lowry around these parts. Whats the deal with “exertional compartment syndrome”?
I know he wouldn’t count as a “break-out”, but a healthy and effective Lowry would mean an incredible amount to this team.
There’s no faith because he hasn’t been healthy in 1.5 years and might not be for the next season.
/deer head
Bay City Ball
I really want a mug of what he is having. It must be good!
Ivan Ochoa - Heir to the legacy of Rob Andrews & Rikkert Faneyte!
Here comes Captain Obvious wearing his Atomic Wedgie!
Schierholtz
Should have spent all last year in the majors.
A noob or n00b is someone that lacks intellegance or common sense, most people think that noob is a word used only in the online gaming world, but in reality it is becoming an ever popular word with teenage society.
a noob could be simply a level 100 running round shouting ‘’WTF DO I GO!?’’ or someone calling someone else a noob and then getting hit with a brick, anyone can call anyone a noob, but normally they are noobs themselves
-robert_d_wilfong
Instead of who?
Playing what?
There just wasn’t room for him on the team.
The Basil Fawlty Moderating Strategy:
"We could run a nice blog here if we didn't have all these members getting in the way."
Cain is a good choice
As he made a big step in 2008 by being able to pitch well both on the road as well as home. Previously, he was mostly a home-made player, pitching very well at home, but poorly overall on the road. 2008 was his first season where he was able to get his road ERA down in the good to great department. Hopefully he can continue that in 2009 and take another step forward.
Adoptive parental unit of Kevin " 2007's Most Spectacular Pitcher" Pucetas.
"I'm a Giant now... I like watching the ball get up there" - Wendell Fairley
"I'm really proud to be on this team." - Nate Schierholtz
"Woo hoo" - Tim "The Kid" Lincecum
by obsessivegiantscompulsive on Dec 15, 2008 8:07 AM PST up reply actions
iawtc
Sergio Romo will gladly hand you a bench to sit on / GIANTSPACE™ / Adopted brother of the AnVil
by SoFa King Mike on Dec 16, 2008 11:43 AM PST up reply actions
Since August 1, 2007
Since July 28, 2007, Matt Cain has found greater consistency. In what represents a little over a season and a third, Matt has 32 quality starts in 46 games, for a 69.6% quality start percentage. To give you an idea of how consistent that is, Tim Lincecum’s career quality start percentage is just higher at 71.9%.
Oh, and in addition to the 32 quality starts, Matt also had two scoreless outings of more than five innings, but which didn’t meet the six-inning minimum for a quality start. Add those two in, and Matt has pitched pretty darn well in nearly three out of every four of his last 46 starts.
I’m going to guess that that level of consistency hasn’t been matched by more than a dozen major league pitchers. With 21 quality starts this past season, Matt was tied for 8th in the National League.
For the first nearly two full years of Matt’s career, he wasn’t very consistent. But in his last 46 starts, he HAS been 3.57. That is very good — but not all that much lower than his 3.74 career mark.
It doesn’t appear to be entirely coincidental that Matt’s 3.57 BB/9 mark over those last 46 starts is identical to his 3.57 ERA during the period. His 3.76 BB/9 this past season was also identical to his 3.76 ERA. And over his career, Matt’s 3.74 ERA is just five points lower than his 3.79 BB/9 rate.
Unless he makes a very significant improvement in his control, I don’t see Matt having a true breakout season. For Matt to become a true Don Drysdale to Tim Lincecum’s Sandy Koufax, he likely will need to make serious inroads toward Don’s career 2.24 BB/9 rate.
Great topic!
I can’t decide between Thomas Neal and Nick Noonan.
From a statistical perspective, Neal hit about .290/.370./.470 in the second half, finishing strong in a tough environment for hitters. It was his first healthy season in awhile, and he might be moving to back to the outfield, where his bat is more valuable.
As for Noonan, his numbers weren’t that impressive, but the Giants apparently love him, with talk of sending him to Double-A. I wouldn’t go that far, but, because of the strong scouting reports, I could see him breaking out. I think he may have more power than we’ve been expecting (just a hunch).
I have high hopes for a strong Merkin Valdez return, I think a Valdez-Wilson back end of the bullpen could be lights out.
Brian Wilson
His ERA significantly underperformed his peripherials last season, and he exhibited a bit of bi-polarness.
I think he stands a legitimate chance of having a very good season in ‘09 both by experiencing some ERA regression as well as getting his BB’s down.
Saves, the stat which people will look at, will probably be down (or at least sv %) but overall I think his value will increase.
Velez will either break out or go away. I hope it is the former.
In a shocking, suprise move...
Sabean brings Shinjo back and he wins league MVP.
And then this shirt is finally worth something!
His play is hard to remember besides being bad. But I do remember that bleached blonde/orange hair
I Don't Tolerate Intolerance!
by Giant among Angels on Dec 16, 2008 12:07 AM PST up reply actions
Excellent D? Horrible offense?
Sounds like a great situation to DH him!
The Basil Fawlty Moderating Strategy:
"We could run a nice blog here if we didn't have all these members getting in the way."
That one play where he was backing up right field, picked up the ball while facing the wall, turned a fired a strike in one motion was one of the coolest plays I’ve ever seen. Right up there with Omar catching the runner off 3rd base.
My adopted Giant: "Raptor Jesus" Guzman
I don’t recall that Shinjo play you speak of. Vizquel’s play was just great instincts, or maybe at one time he remembered seeing the same baserunner round the bag hard in a similar situation and kept it in the vault to use that later. I think Frandsen can have that same sort of heads-up ability as well.
I Don't Tolerate Intolerance!
by Giant among Angels on Dec 16, 2008 7:50 PM PST up reply actions
Actually...
I remember Pedro saying that Vizquel told him that he was going to do that in that situation. Either Vizquel knew that runner was going to be too aggressive with his route around third (as you suggested), or he felt it. Either way… one of the best double plays ever because it made a Dodger look stupid.
Brian Sabean is akin to a treatable form of cancer... just get rid of it before it kills you
by milesntrane on Dec 16, 2008 11:11 PM PST up reply actions
Actually...
You don’t just guess that a specific player is going to do that in that particular situation without some previous knowledge or scouting report (not sure if that is what you meant?). Also, Feliz should always be expecting a back-door play on every double play w/o ever discussing it. Even a “heads up” HS SS will do that play as well. Many SS do that play and eat the ball because the runner did not round the bag hard enough. It was a good double play because it was against the Dodgers, although I would not say it is one of the best plays ever. In my mind, it is nowhere near the top of that list. I expect nothing less than from ANY MLB SS.
I Don't Tolerate Intolerance!
by Giant among Angels on Dec 17, 2008 12:22 AM PST up reply actions
Semi both explainations I think..
I believe it was a really fast runner going to first and it was a slowly hit ball, so Vizquel knew he had no chance to get the out at 1st so he just turned and threw hoping for something.
Awesome play though.
The Basil Fawlty Moderating Strategy:
"We could run a nice blog here if we didn't have all these members getting in the way."
I agree
Both of those plays are two of my favorite plays I have ever seen. That Shinjo one was in Montreal, right?
Brian Sabean is akin to a treatable form of cancer... just get rid of it before it kills you
by milesntrane on Dec 16, 2008 11:08 PM PST up reply actions
Needs more belt buckle
Catcher are base running. Hitters are offense.
Only [hella] games left until the end of Zito's contract.
does anyone else remember all the articles in the chron after they got shinjo about how he was going to be the solution to all the Giants’ leadoff problems?
lol
Matt Cain: He'll save children, but not the Dodger children.
PABLO SANDOVAL AM STEAL DEATH, DESTROYER OF WORLDS.
A buddy of mine caught Shinjo’s Grand Slam ball that year. (No “The Dawg” is not my buddy!)
You probably know it as MYANMAR, but it will always be BURMA to me!
by NuschlerFace on Dec 18, 2008 7:59 PM PST up reply actions
Vote No on Sadler
I think Sadler is doomed with control issues. If I was a GM, I’d put to rest the idea that guys with control issues will eventually get over them. It happens, but not as often as they’d like. Throwing with control is a skill. Much like throwing with velocity, or throwing with movement. Now, whether one thinks throwing with control is a more learnable skill than the other two, that’s for you to find out after you’ve personally pitched 1000+ hours in your life. But I think the Giants need to focus less on changing people, and focus more on developing what people already posses. It’s a lot like a marriage.
I’d personally like to see guys coming out of the pen that are guranteed to hit spots, as opposed to guys that are guranteed to miss bats when they eventually hit a few spots, if they do. But last season, I saw a lot of Giants bullpen pitchers throwing great stuff right down the middle of the plate, or throwing balls.
Brian Sabean is akin to a treatable form of cancer... just get rid of it before it kills you
Velez
the late inning heroics in mid September, I think one was righty and one was lefty, the good hitting generally late in the season, I think he gradually displaces Frandsen and becomes the offensive gamerish sparkplug. Though he is built more like a spark plug wire. Minors, I am thinking Neal also. Minor pitching, Cowart as a surprise
adopter/sponsor of "Go, Antoan" Richardson
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