I really hope he becomes a contributing member of thus team at some point.

The organization is probably sticking with Ishikawa because he’s out of options, and they want to be completely sure he can’t turn it around before cutting ties with him. When they give up on him, he’s done. Bowker could get more seasoning in the minors. Ishi would have to go through waivers. While it’s likely no one would claim him (OrtNiekThritis, presumably), you are pretty much ending his career in a Giants uniform. That’s just a decision they’re taking their time with.

Ishikawa’s defense is keeping him alive at this point. As long as he keeps flashing the glove like he has, the team will most likely continue to be patient with him and hope his bat heats up.

One of the top NL rookies in 08? Were we watching the same season?

I would say demote Aurilia, but Joe morgan would keep saying we lacked leadership untill I was forced to kill myself, or him. So I guess Bowker is going to have to stay in AAA.

I’m a Bowker fan, but he absolutely should’ve started the season in the minors. He had some promising moments in 2008, but some glaring issues as well. Yeah, he had 10 home runs – but only 1 after the all-star break. He had a great month in June, but after that he fell of a cliff, and his post-break line was just bad: .207 / .255 / .304. He was striking out way too much – 23 times in 72 at bats in July! – and not walking enough. His defense at first was poor enough to become a real issue.

Of course, it’s not surprising he had some of these issues, because he was a non-elite prospect who essentially skipped AAA. In his first few games, and again in the month of June, he showed us that he has the tools to be a good hitter. But the rest of the year, he showed us he was still in need of minor league time – he was still developing into a real player.

Thankfully, he’s been doing pretty well in AAA, and he’s really been addressing his most glaring issue – his poor K/BB rate. That gives me hope that he can adjust to the league, just like how the league adjusted to him. I hope he’s back with the major league team this year, and I hope he’s part of the team next year. But in order for that to happen, it was certainly the right decision to send him back to AAA for more paprika, cumin, and other seasoning.

Ishikawa has had a far more longer slump than John, and Bochy/Sabean are sticking with him. But of course the organization throws John under the bus because he had a slump in his rookie year, and the league figured him out, something that most rookies experience.

I don’t think this is true on any count. First, Bowker’s slump lasted about two months last year – in July, his line was .194 / .247 / .278 and in August it was .167 / .265 / .233. In those two months, he had about 110 plate appearances, which is more than Ishikawa has had so far – so Ishikawa’s slump isn’t longer. What’s more, Bowker was worse than Ishikawa’s line thus far (.233 / .295 / .291), and defense was an issue for him, too.

And while there’s plenty to criticize Bochy and Sabean for this year, I don’t think they threw Bowker under the bus, as I went into in my previous comment. Sending him down was reasonable given than he had options left and that the Giants had better options at the positions he can play – those being left and right field. I don’t think it’s helpful, ultimately, to look and him next to Ishikawa and ask what would have been because I don’t think the organization sees him as an option at first base. That experiment is over (at least for now, mind you – it wasn’t that long ago that the Sandoval at third base experiment was dead and gone!).

complaining about Bowker starting the season in the minors is about like complaining about releasing Matt Palmer

Bowker is an outfielder. He’s played exclusively there this season – all as a RF. He was pretty bad a 1b last season, though he was learning the position at the major league level, which isn’t easy. It may have effected his offense as well. He’s played great this year, but hoping he’d be an everyday 1st baseman is a pipe dream, and thus the comp to Ishikawa isn’t apt.

DON’T BE FOOLED BY BOWKER;

Bowker should resign himself to playing in the minors until September, lest he suffer the same fate as No-go Nate. How else will he (and Frandsen, too) get sufficient at bats? I’m all for benching A-Row, but that train of thought is delayed at Big Brain Station.

let alone a top 10 rookie, if he was ranked 2nd or 3rd in most of those catagories the yeah, but to be 5th, 6th or 7th in rookie catagories doesn’t impress me much

…we have to figure out what to do with Aaron Rowand.

So if Schierholtz plays only right field, and Bowker plays only right field ummm….