Bowker continues to impress
by giantsrockdudes on Jul 2, 2008 9:25 PM PDT
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PrintMan I love this guy, he is showing that his first 4 games were no fluke this kid has the goods. After his 6th inning home run I had to do a little research; He currently has 9 home runs with 204 AB's, an average MLB player has around 600 AB's in a season; so doing simple math shows that at this pace throughout an MLB season John Bowker would wind up with....... 26 home runs and 101 rbi's. Now who says we need Texiera for a 160 million. Bowkermani will live forever. YAY Johhny Boy
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He’s improving every month
April: .193/.217/.404
May: .297/.343/.375
June: .325/.373/.584
needs to take more walks though
He's getting better at that
He’s getting better at pitch recognition and learning how to identify breaking pitches, which seems to be helping a lot.
His new strikeout pitch
Is the high fastball…I’m not even a scout and I can see that
Bill Mueller? I expect at least A-Rod type numbers from my son, Conor Gillaspie
yeah i noticed
it can throw you off if your sitting on a breaking pitch, though, which is what I think he’s doing.
During the series in Washington
Don Sutton (Nats color guy) said by the end of the series that that’s the way he would attack Bowker. We’ll see how John does adjusting to that pitch once the league gets the scouting report (I’m guessing—much better than Marvin Bernard did!).
My boy ain't fat, he's just big boned. Big bat, too.
Sure
It seems Don Sutton (Nats color guy) .... oh, I see. (Stupid browser hangup….)
My boy ain't fat, he's just big boned. Big bat, too.
Oh...nevermind.
What’s all this talk about Soviet jewelry?
Your 2011 SF Giants: the 2008 Augusta Greenjackets!
And why do all the signs say it's free?
I'm adopting a true Giant and an awe-inspring gamer: tk. "Atta babe."
During the series in Washington
Don Sutton (Nats color guy) said by the end of the series that that’s the way he would attack Bowker. We’ll see how John does adjusting to that pitch once the league gets the scouting report (I’m guessing—much better than Marvin Bernard did!).
My boy ain't fat, he's just big boned. Big bat, too.
Don Sutton
Also once said, “I think I would look great with a perm.”
Kevin Correia: MLB's best fifth starter on a last place team
by VidaWantsYourCar on Jul 3, 2008 7:43 AM PDT up reply actions
Got to love the improvement from Bowker
But I’d really like to see him facing some lefties. Granted, he’s hitting and slugging .154 against southpaws, but he’s certainly not going to figure things out by not facing them. If he’s going to be an everyday player, getting that split to semi-respectability is the next step in his development.
VAE PVTO DEVS FIO
and he now leads the team in homers...
which is actually kinda sad…
Tears of joy, boon!
He sends them out with Bondsian ease at times.
This team cannot produce a prettier homer.
but he has 9 homers
that’s why it’s sad. I didn’t mean it was sad that Bowker led the team.
But there's a special math for this case
AA guy hitting 9 homers Is like 63 dongs in dog years
This team cannot produce a prettier homer.
Maybe it’s just me, I always found Krukow pretty attractive.
2008 Giants: Scrappy! Scrappy! Joy! Joy!
Especially with a perm...
Adoptive parental unit of Kevin "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
by obsessivegiantscompulsive on Jul 3, 2008 1:56 PM PDT up reply actions
Let's see
Let’s see how John turns out. So far it has been encouraging that he essentially skipped AAA and has fared pretty decently. I don’t think his OPS has broken .800 yet though, has it?
Until a corner player’s OPS exceeds .800, I don’t think he can be taken all that seriously.
Bowker-Lite
We’re all on a homer diet this year, anyway
I side with Natto
We shout down the Oracle Sharksrog, who will probably review the case and apologize to the site.
Resident Bowker Backer back at it
But, as you mentioned, he skipped AAA and he is playing in a park that is difficult on lefty power hitters and it is his first season in the majors.
He has flaws. He isn’t taking any walks. But I don’t remember him being Schierholtzian during his minor league career so I think he can improve that.
Otherwise, he’s looking good.
Only 888 games until the end of Zito's contract
John "Hustle" Bowker
I love watching this guy hustle down the line. no matter the situation, John drops his head and gets out of the box and it is really a breath of fresh air compared to many big leaguers today. I think Bowker has been great and am really pulling for this guy, who I think actually shows what it means to be considered a gamer.
How to be a gamer by John Bowker:
1)Play wherever they ask you 1B/OF
2)Study the game and work on areas that give you problems (pitch recognition)
3)Smile and have fun playing the game
4)Run non stop
5)give 110% effort all the time
Way to go John
by krukkuipandclint on Jul 2, 2008 11:39 PM PDT reply actions
umm
a. 110% is not possible.
b. I’m pretty sure all players study the game and work on areas that need improvement. they don’t just come to the ballpark, play games and then go home.
c. 102 OPS+ and 8 HR in limited plate appearances > putting head down and hustling to first.
BROCK BOND LIKES HIS MARTINIS PUNCHED IN THE FACE, NOT STIRRED.
by SloIsLonelyForTheOrange on Jul 3, 2008 1:28 AM PDT up reply actions
There IS an explanation
Bowker seems to have borrowed the extra 10% effort from Bengie, who “hustles” to first base as if in the grip of an alien death ray.
Pedantic technicality (sorry)
110% is possible, just not possible in the context of someone giving effort.
Olma Rosario; liking the cut of your jib since 2008
Free Angel Joseph from US immigration!
I’m actually sure there are quite a few big leaguers who have huge natural ability, then never give a thought to actually playing the game. Not to bring up a retired, stupid guy, but Canceco admitted it on several occasions.
And even Canseco worked out,
and used substances that improved his performance. While he might not have actively thought about it, he did things that made him a better player.
MLB players do not just go to the park, play games and go home.
ZIPS: Milledge: 466 HR, 485 2B, 2282 hits, 278-379-524
I was referring to actually working on the flaws (mental and physical) in one’s game. Jose eating steroids like they were candy and getting all ripped like the Hulk isn’t working on your game.
They made him a better player, no?
So why is that not working on his game?
ZIPS: Milledge: 466 HR, 485 2B, 2282 hits, 278-379-524
I would argue they actually didn’t, in the end. He ended up being soooo big and muscle bound that he literally couldn’t play defense, and ended with a rash of injuries that were most likely PED caused. This actually made him a worse player.
he
was taking them quite early on and definitely won an MVP while using PED’s so, yeah i think they got him better at his game.
Also, he always sucked at defense. The very nature of doing drills and showing up at spring training is working on your game. It’s impossible for players not to work on their game because if they don’t, they will immediately fail. Baseball is a precision sport that requires copious amounts of repetition work to build muscle memory.
BROCK BOND LIKES HIS MARTINIS PUNCHED IN THE FACE, NOT STIRRED.
by SloIsLonelyForTheOrange on Jul 3, 2008 12:44 PM PDT up reply actions
that’s why I added the “in the end” qualifier. I agree, he wouldn’t have been an elite ballplayer without the PED’s, but he went overboard and they cost him a good bit in the end.
Jose didn’t always suck at defense. When he was first called up by the A’s, he had a rocket arm and could run quite well. He never got a good jump on the ball, but he did have the speed to make up for his mistakes. By the end of his career, I don’t think he could outrun Benjie.
All those activities you mention are manditory. I was thinking more of his off the field process, studing film, looking for holes in his own swing, working on the mental approach to the game.
You are 100% correct that baseball, more than any other sport, is a game repitetion and perfecion. However, by taking BP and hitting 4 times in every game every day for 8 months, you do build up a fair amount of muscle memory just showing up everyday.
exactly
all of those things are mandatory. Reviewing film and looking for holes is necessary and mandatory and all players do it.
BROCK BOND LIKES HIS MARTINIS PUNCHED IN THE FACE, NOT STIRRED.
by SloIsLonelyForTheOrange on Jul 3, 2008 10:00 PM PDT up reply actions
I think the point is
Some players, as some people, are more willing to look at themselves in the third person and strive to make improvements.
Others just go with what they are good at and try to get better.
It is my opinion that there are many players in MLB who have a ton of natural talent and never have to critically analyze their game and look for small ways to make it better.
Then there are others who have enough natural talent to hang around, but can only become useful players by working on all aspects of their game and intelligently taking steps to improve areas where they are deficient. Bowker appears to be one of these.
Eugeniooooooo!!!!
by FairweatherFan on Jul 3, 2008 10:22 AM PDT up reply actions
It really annoys me when people get carried away with the whole “over 100%” thing. 100% is a 100%. I don’t mind 110% much, but I really got annoyed when some player (was it Bengie maybe?) said something about giving “1000%”. Jesus christ enough already.
Less arm, more talk. Raisingcain is a GAMER.
Adopted Giant: Henry Sosa
Give Mike Weathers some credit
Those Dirtbags of his really hit the majors ready to play ball. Tulo last year, Bowker & Longoria this year. I say let’s go to that Long Beach State well more often (though Todd Jennings hasn’t really worked out so well).
My boy ain't fat, he's just big boned. Big bat, too.
Forget 110% effort all the time
100% all the time is not humanly possible. Players are not mechanical robots. If a player is giving the same effort all the time, he’s not giving 110%, or 100% all the time. He’s likely giving 80-90% all the time.
ZIPS: Milledge: 466 HR, 485 2B, 2282 hits, 278-379-524
Yeah but...
...how lame would it sound for Bochy to be out there praising Bowker: “He’s a kid who gives 80 to 90 percent every day.”
The All-Father is now a Giant!
I would
love it
BROCK BOND LIKES HIS MARTINIS PUNCHED IN THE FACE, NOT STIRRED.
by SloIsLonelyForTheOrange on Jul 3, 2008 12:44 PM PDT up reply actions
Bowker's Splash Hit
man, if you watch the replays, it really did look effortless.. kind of scary in a way, for such a small dude. i like him though, his stance reminds me of bonds’ a little bit.
If my head is full of white hairs by the end of this season.. I blame Brian Wilson. (I'm only 22, dammit!)
I was high up in section 127 when he hit that ball and it looked like an easy 5 iron from a solid pro. Nice easy tempo and the ball jumped off of the bat! While I had no doubt it was gone, It shocked the hell out me that it made it that far out of the park. The tempo of his swing just did not seem capable of putting that much smack into the ball.
In short, I was amazed too.
Krukow likes to say his power is Bondsian, but as nice as Barry’s swing was, he never had that effortless tempo. (Barry’s pitch recognition and eye-hand coordination were much further developed than Bowker’s so don’t think I am saying that Bowker is better than Barry.)
The other thing I’d like to mention here is that the last two Bowker jacks were on breaking balls. A hung curve in Cleveland and a slider last night. When he came up he couldn’t hit a breaking ball to save his life.
a swing less like Bonds's is not usually a good thing
..I hear what you’re saying, I just don’t think a nice, effortless swing is a virtue. Generating bat speed takes effort. Here, though, I am not worried about Bowker—I think he swings hard, you just don’t notice it quite as much as with Bonds.
That said, Bonds had better bat speed. If you want to hit for power, maximize bat speed.
by wcw on Jul 3, 2008 2:13 PM PDT up reply actions
My point exactly. Ernie Els and Freddie Couples generate tremendous club head speed, but look smooth as silk doing so. Bowker’s swing last night was similar, and it obviously had the bat speed, because that ball traveled!
To further this analogy, Tiger does not look as smooth as Ernie or Freddie, but he is generating even more club head speed, and more accurately than those two as well. So Bowker is to Barry, as Ernie is to Tiger.
Small dude?
He’s 6’2”, 190 pounds according to BA, 200 pounds according to media guide, BP did not deem him worthy enough of mention in the main section.
Adoptive parental unit of Kevin "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
by obsessivegiantscompulsive on Jul 3, 2008 2:00 PM PDT up reply actions
I’ve become a real believer in Bowker. I’m prejudiced in favor of him, because I attended his first game (and thus saw his first homer), but still, for some time, I was wondering if the Giants should do something like sign Pat Burrell to play first base next year. Increasingly, though, I think Bowker may be the answer.
He could, as mentioned above, stand to take some more walks, but I like his approach at the plate. He’s not a hacker (though he does have his blind spots, of course), and really, having an OBP about 50 points above your BA (as he has the last two months) is not bad. Especially when it’s accompanied by home run power.
With Bowker and Lewis, the Giants have two good home grown position players establishing themselves in one season. I don’t expect either to be great, but still, they should at least be good. Considering the utter lack of homegrown hitters since the days of Matt Williams, that’s got to count as one of the biggest highlights of the year.
This
Considering the utter lack of homegrown hitters since the days of Matt Williams, that’s got to count as one of the biggest highlights of the year.
I said at the beginning on this season that if two more more of our minor leaguers turned out to be ML average or better this season would be a huge success.
Fred Lewis, John Bowker, and to a less extent Manny Burriss seem to be on track.
Eugeniooooooo!!!!
by FairweatherFan on Jul 3, 2008 8:56 AM PDT up reply actions
please stop discounting Bill Mueller, who was a home grown hitter. You can legitimatley say the Giants’ haven’t produced an All Star position player since Matty, but Mueller was a good hitter.
Oh, I don’t mean to discount Mueller at all. He’s one of my all-time favorite Giants, actually. But Matt Williams first came up in 1987. In the 21 years since, we’ve produced Bill Mueller and almost nobody else worthwhile – which certainly qualifies as an “utter lack of homegrown hitters.”
Pedro Feliz!
..so allow me to present Tim Lincecum and Matt Cain as two sweet, sweet bottles of warming hooch.
when do we officially stop saying this?
do we have to wait until the end of the year to pronounce Lewis (or whoever) a ML caliber homegrown hitter? ‘cuz i’m pretty much ready to do so now with him at least (and i’m getting close with Bowker).
Idolizing Robb Nen since 2002...
by Smoke on the Water on Jul 3, 2008 12:01 PM PDT up reply actions
If you’ll look to the original post I was responding to the response of, that was basically what I was saying – that, with Bowker and Lewis, we’re doing better with homegrown hitters than we had in the previous 20 years.
Bowkers Platoon Splits
Suffer from an impossibly small sample size this season. He is batting .154 vs. lefties, but in only 28 PA’s.
While I’m certain it would hurt is overall numbers, I would really like to see Bowker get some AB’s vs. lefties in the second half. He might not be as incompetent there as we have been led to believe.
Eugeniooooooo!!!!
And certainly will never become MORE competent by never getting the chance.
I'm adopting a true Giant and an awe-inspring gamer: tk. "Atta babe."
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