Pablito
by Grant on Jul 23, 2008 12:52 PM PDT
50 comments
I went on an Arthurian quest for a plunger last night. Apparently, those things aren’t as easy to find at 10:00 p.m. as you’d expect. Lucky for me, though, because I was able to catch a breaking news story on KNBR while I was driving around. The Giants had made a secret roster move! Was our intrepid cleanup hitter going to a contender? Was Rich Aurilia going to bring back more than Ray Durham? Randy Winn? Tyler Walker?
Nope. Steve Holm back up, and Eliezer Alfonzo back down. Even though Brian Sabean is surely going to win a Littlefield at this year’s Incompys for allowing Brian Bocock to get over 100 at-bats, he’s getting greedy and shooting for the Marble Award (most pointless roster move) as well. Go Brian!
What caught my eye, though, was this blurb from Andrew Baggarly:
… So even if it doesn’t happen tomorrow, it won’t be long before we see (Sandoval).
First instinct: AWESOME! I want to see this kid hit in the worst way. A 21-year-old with power, playing at a premium position? Get a different glove, and put that Posey shlub back at short. ¡Viva Sandoval! ¡Viva Sandoval! ¡Viva Sandoval!
Second, more rational instinct: Uh, isn’t he still a 21-year-old with plate discipline concerns and about 70 at-bats above A-ball? It’s great news that he’s raking in Connecticut, but it seems a touch sudden.
The eternal dilemma, this is. I want to watch all of these guys. Correia down, Bumgarner up! Noonan for second! But that wouldn’t be sound management, now would it? Rushing players starts their arbitration clocks quicker, and it can hamper their development. Durr. That’s straight from Baseball Nerddom 101.
But Pablito’s MLE for his 273 at-bats in San Jose was .268/.304/.413. That isn’t great, but it’s far from a soul-crushing embarrassment. It’d be something to build on, and a line like that might even give him more confidence. And Sandoval’s MLE from Connecticut is .293/.312/.472, so maybe, just maybe, he’ll hit a little bit at the major league level right away.
But what’s the rush? Why now? What is there to gain?
But it’d be fun to watch, especially if he just keeps raking. That could be the story of the year for the Giants.
But…
Comment starter: Pablo?
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I’d definitely like to see him as a September call up. Probably no more than that though, unless Bengie is traded, I guess.
Matt Cain: He'll save children, but not the Dodger children.
by jponry on Jul 23, 2008 12:59 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs
This. The worst thing we can do to Pablo is allow him to be “Burrissed”.
by rotorueter on Jul 23, 2008 1:13 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
i agree
i’ve got no problems with the organization giving him a cup of coffee in september. i don’t think little tastes of the big leagues like that really hinder a prospect’s development.
Idolizing Robb Nen since 2002...
by Smoke on the Water on Jul 23, 2008 2:18 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
I think it helps devolp prospects. They get a taste of MLB pitching, get to see the big ballparks, and find out the girls all have long legs and brains…
by tyrannoman on Jul 23, 2008 2:36 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Trade him for Chris Washburn
j/k. bring him up in September if he’s still crushing it in CT.
Billy Hayes: His job is better than yours.
by delorean on Jul 23, 2008 1:02 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs
Glad you added the “j/k”—before that, I was pretty sure you actually wanted to trade him for a coke-addled NBA player from the 80’s.
"I been waitin' a long time for this! I been waitin' since the f**kin' amateurs!" --WILL "THE THRILL" CLARK
by Josh from Hollywood on Jul 23, 2008 1:30 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
i would totally trade him for Larry Smith
Billy Hayes: His job is better than yours.
by delorean on Jul 23, 2008 2:29 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Dig the MLE use, Grant. You can join my STATS team.
I say give him a shot in September and if he does great, see if you can move Molina in the winter, or pair them up next year.
by xanthan on Jul 23, 2008 1:08 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs
He can join your team, but he can’t go to your lair. I have dibs on getting Grant into my lair first.
My Dave Righetti is better than your Dave Righetti.
by howtheyscored on Jul 23, 2008 1:08 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
What’s your lair? The porn dungeon and D&D room?
"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 Jul 23, 2008 1:14 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
you had me at "porn dungeon and D&D room"
you complete me
Billy Hayes: His job is better than yours.
by delorean on Jul 23, 2008 1:16 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
My Dave Righetti is better than your Dave Righetti.
by howtheyscored on Jul 23, 2008 1:29 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Very nice. I especially like the screensaver.
"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 Jul 23, 2008 1:53 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
HowTheyStalked.jpg
FTW
Derin McMains had five fingers, but he only used three.
by oooreebay on Jul 23, 2008 2:50 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
How did I miss that thread?
Only 875 games until the end of Zito's contract
by thehavenot on Jul 23, 2008 6:16 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Now would be good, but...
Clear the garbage off the 40 man roster and let’s see it. 2009 if it must be. Is there anything better than Pablo out there right now? The only detriment I would see here is not getting the time behind Bengie. A young player needs starts and at bats.
I guess if I were the one pulling the strings I’d say Pablo can stay in AA and then move up to AAA at the end of the year. Then have the whole thing wide open in ST 2009 and give Pablo an equal shot with the other catching candidates. As great as Posey is, and could be, can he do like Lincecum and be in the bigs in a calendar year’s time? That factors in here too. And I know Sandoval can move to first base, but right now since Posey hasn’t even swung a wooden bat, Sandoval is the advanced one. Figure him out first.
"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 Jul 23, 2008 1:13 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs
We will see him in September. He deserves to be rewarded for having such a great year. Seeing him sooner than September I think would be a waste of his time, and ours as we likely wouldn’t see him play much.
by Hobbes2d on Jul 23, 2008 1:21 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs
Even though Brian Sabean is surely going to win a Littlefield at this year’s Incompys for allowing Brian Bocock to get over 100 at-bats…
I imagine the Incompys are held in the Grand Ballroom at the Milwaukee Best Western, and Isiah Thomas is the emcee for the evening.
No, my Crazy Crab bobblehead is not for sale.
by Kitspool on Jul 23, 2008 1:23 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs
entertainment by Three Jacks and a Jill
Billy Hayes: His job is better than yours.
by delorean on Jul 23, 2008 1:28 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
+1
for an excellent Tap reference.
The All-Father is now a Giant!
by EliminateMe on Jul 23, 2008 1:37 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
I imagine there will be plenty
of Natty Light on tap that night to keep the uneasiness flowing well into the wee hours.
Derin McMains had five fingers, but he only used three.
by oooreebay on Jul 23, 2008 2:51 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
September
Reward the kid for a great season. Let him learn from Holm & Benji about catching. Let him start a few games at C and 1st.
More important, get him ABs at Catcher in the AZ Fall League. Evaluate him in spring training to see if he’s good enough to be Benji’s back-up in 2009. My guess is Fresno for at least half a season before being brought up when we’re falling out of contention and Benji is on the trading block.
Hector Sanchez: really getting tired of playing baseball in foreign countries...
by tedfordfan on Jul 23, 2008 1:28 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs
Wait...
I thought Littlefield won a Sabean?
Anagram of "Giants pitcher Matt Cain" = TRAGIC MAN, ISN'T PATHETIC
by Stuttering John Tamargo on Jul 23, 2008 1:32 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs
I have 10 words for you:
“We’ll take Matt Morris and the remainder of his contract.”
No, my Crazy Crab bobblehead is not for sale.
by Kitspool on Jul 23, 2008 1:36 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
If by a "Sabean" you mean...
...getting escorted out of the office by a security guard after packing all his stuff into a cardboard box, then yeah, he won that.
The All-Father is now a Giant!
by EliminateMe on Jul 23, 2008 2:04 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
September call-up and nothing more. I can wait. I think.
by Natto on Jul 23, 2008 1:41 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs
Yeah, agreed.
Though I’d kinda rather see him get some AAA time first. Just to be on the safe side. Am I too cautious here?
Tentatively adopting Dan Ortmeier. And Boom Goes the Dynamite.
by Andy from DC on Jul 23, 2008 1:49 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Agreed. We don’t need Pablito getting all Bocockian and expecting to start 1/3 of a season whilst putting up a little ~.190/.240.
Give him a cup in September for tearing up AA, then re-evaluate in the offseason.
Derin McMains had five fingers, but he only used three.
by oooreebay on Jul 23, 2008 2:54 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
I kinda feel like...
fuck the arb clock! I wanna see any prospect that might turn into something above average…
Fairley odd parent to Wendell
by WTF on Jul 23, 2008 1:50 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs
If SF is good enough for Burris, Bocock, Denker .......
then it certainly is good enough for Pablito. What did any of those bums prove above A ball before they got promoted? Some people want Denker starting at 2b while he has yet to prove his worth. Same with Burriss. Believe Pablito is more of what SF needs – an XB hitter/run producer.
BMoney can certainly use many more days off and if SF is not going to call up TI to play 1b then Sandoval can bring his 1b glove to SF and get a couple of starts at 1b when Molina is catching Sanchez.
by wilriv21 on Jul 23, 2008 2:09 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs
As excited as I have been to see the trove o' prospects at the MLB level...
...it comes as a bit of a shock that it happened all at once.
It’s like when your mom gave you $5.00 to spend on video games at Chuck E. Cheese, and instead of rationing out over the entire night playing 25-cent games, you pissed it all away quickly on the dollar games. I’d like to have some coins rattling around in my pocket at the end of the affair, so let’s not be so quick to get every prospect up to the show.
I’m from the mindset that a full season at AAA never hurt anyone (expection: Timmeh).
Derin McMains had five fingers, but he only used three.
by oooreebay on Jul 23, 2008 2:58 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
I can’t stop wondering where you found the plunger.
I would like to see Pablo only in September, on the conventional wisdom that he needs to play a lot and get lots of ABs.
by out machine on Jul 23, 2008 2:39 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs
I voted September
Then I wondered about the 40-man implications of that. But then I realized that we still have GROD on the 40-man, and I wouldn’t have any problem with designating either him or Notgardo. Or both, really, but you need to have someone like that in Fresno in case of emergency, and I’d rather one of them than Eli Whiteside.
The All-Father is now a Giant!
by EliminateMe on Jul 23, 2008 2:51 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs
Maybe August
after Aurilia is dealt. Pablito could get some at bats as backup catcher, but also as 1b man
by SFGAmsterdam on Jul 23, 2008 2:55 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs
Nothing in the blub made it seem like it was imminent. I’d expect a Sept call up after the rosters expand and the season is over in Conn.
by AngelWillSaveUs on Jul 23, 2008 3:06 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs
Dad say’s September cup o’ coffee and then back ot Fresno to start ‘09.
One more thing about Pablito that’s worth mentioning: he’s the first switch hitter we’ve developed in the last few years who isn’t weakest from the left side of the plate (see: Linden, Ortmeier, Burriss). In fact as a left-handed hitter this year he’s put up some monster numbers (.391/.437/.678 cumulatively between SJ and CT), but that does mean his RH hitting this year has been fairly weak (.274/.320/.398 cumulative, only .243/.305/.345 at SJ). At 21 another good solid 400 ABs in the minors isn’t a bad idea.
My boy ain't fat, he's just big boned. Big bat, too.
by Roger on Jul 23, 2008 3:24 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs
next time you speak to your son
tell him i waited to say hey to him for like 45 minutes after what ended up being his last game in SJ. Meanwhile, the bastard had already slipped out the back door.
Billy Hayes: His job is better than yours.
by delorean on Jul 23, 2008 3:36 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Shafted By Pablo Houdini
Molina's gonna test his arm...
by Victorious Secret on Jul 23, 2008 4:14 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Baseball Prospectus has much more favorable translations for Pablo.
San Jose:
.320/.368/.536.
Conn:
.340/.358/.573.
by Dan from NM on Jul 23, 2008 6:21 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs
Are those peak translations or the regular ones? His SLG is outrageous in those translations.
by xanthan on Jul 23, 2008 6:29 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
His slugging has been outrageous this year to begin with. 1.000 + OPS in SJ. Near 1.000 in Conn so far. Doesn’t hurt that he’s been hitting like .350 for the year either.
by Hobbes2d on Jul 23, 2008 6:32 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
holy shit.
Matt Cain: He'll save children, but not the Dodger children.
by jponry on Jul 24, 2008 12:39 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
I want to see this kid hit in the worst way.
Aren’t there already plenty of guys on the team who hit that way?
Adoptive father of howtheyscored. The beatings will begin momentarily.
by Goofus on Jul 23, 2008 9:23 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs
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