Now That Molina's Back, Who Hits Cleanup?
by SSC24 on Jan 19, 2010 4:09 PM PST
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PrintWill the Giants stick to their original plans and go with Huff, or will they put Molina back in the 4-hole to do what they signed him (for three years and 16.5 million) back in 2007 to do?
The first question I ask myself is whether Molina can handle another year of hitting cleanup and taking the lion's share of the catching duties.
The second question I ask myself is where he would hit if he were to not hit cleanup. I mean, he's slow as hell...(that's an understatement if you are wondering).
The third and final question I ask myself is when Buster Posey will be ready to be a full-time major league catcher. He apparently has shown signs of fatigue in the Arizona Fall League, and will not be rushed onto the field. He will begin the season in Triple-A Fresno to continue his much-needed development, which was previously told to us was not needed, as Giants Brass indicated that it was ready to begin the season with him as the starting catcher. This was obviously a bluff and a good one on Sabean's part. The sly dog played Torrealba and all his suitors, who ended up thinking that the Giants were serious players in the Torrealba sweepstakes. :P
So here is a poll that I hope you will all be kind enough to respond to:
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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Yeah seriously.
If Molina’s here, NOBODY ELSE bats cleanup.
These are my principles. If you don't like them, I have others. -Groucho Marx
Neither.
Yes, really, I have not updated my blog in a long long time: http://skaldheim.livejournal.com/tag/baseball
If you are really dumb enough to believe Molina bats 4th*
please be sure to record it here for posterity.
/rolls eyes
*until, as someone pointed out, Huff and/or DeRosa get injured in the second week
Have you heard of a certain Bruce Bochy?
I speak fluent English and Arabic and have a working knowledge of Spanish. Yet a certain GrahamCrakalaka cannot distinguish me from Mike Fox. Man...
I have, and I've pulled my hair out right along with you.
I, too, understand your pain as my own.
But there is no way, given DeRosa and Huff in the lineup, that Bengie bats cleanup. None.
We may collectively disagree with Bochy/Sabean on some key points (some of which are fundamental WTF’s, I know), but there is nothing in even their f-ed up little paradigm that would justify putting Bengie in said 4 hole. (barring multiple injuries, of course).
by KrazyKrabMeat on Jan 19, 2010 8:40 PM PST up reply actions
Mind says Sandoval, reality says Molina
Giant Dirtbags: John Bowker, Steve Hammond. MIA List: Todd Jennings, Brian Anderson
Jeremy Affeldt induces DP's
by Giant among Angels on Jan 19, 2010 6:44 PM PST reply actions
the fucking janitor
doan worry, poplo loe he team, he wan get berry good for body to play the beisbol
by Tim LinCyYoung on Jan 19, 2010 7:06 PM PST reply actions 1 recs
About halfway through the year, when Huff’s 20th big fly lands at the warning track in RF in AT&T park (18 of the 20 will have taken this same path, with only two actually clearing the fence), he’ll finally be demoted out of the cleanup spot. The question then is – does Rowand get a chance, get hot for 20 PA’s and get labeled a cleanup hitter for the rest of the year? Maybe somehow Sabean spins Velez into a “potential cleanup 20-20 guy”? If they can’t make up some BS about how someone else is a natural cleanup hitter….well, here comes Molina, taking back his rightful spot. Thomas Neal is then traded for….hmmm…shit. I don’t know how this is going to work, we pretty much have every spot locked up by a veteran. I guess we still have RF not filled by a piece of shit veteran, so we trade Neal for some horrible RF’er, who then bats cleanup. We go on to finish 15 games out of the playoff race. Such is life rooting for a Brian Sabean run franchise.
this team is now slower than slow
Really slow now, and Massachussets turned over the long term democratic ted kennedy senate seat to a republican. Tell me it isn’t rigged!
Maybe they can auction off the clean-up spot for each game to raise money for Haiti.
GrahamCrakalaka
by GrahamCrakalaka on Jan 19, 2010 9:01 PM PST reply actions
Somewhere out there, Dunston is lurking....
Waiting to get into some poor hitters head…Maybe Posey goin to AAA will help him….keep Shawon VERY far away…Walks and plate discipline are for PUSSIES!!!
by MoreroidsforZito on Jan 19, 2010 9:15 PM PST reply actions
Bengie Molina bats cleanup because he is the cleanup hitter
Noone else can bat cleanup.
Status: Feels so broke up. Wants to go home. || Still boycotting Johnsonville and Giants souvenirs or ballpark foods for repossessing my K Wall in right field.
Can’t bat cleanup unless you’re a cleanup hitter, can’t be a cleanup hitter until you’ve proven you can bat cleanup.
by Missing Barry on Jan 20, 2010 7:18 AM PST up reply actions
Buster Posey
in Fresno
Giants pitching coach Dave Righetti. "I treat Timmy differently from most pitchers: I leave him alone."
Mychael Urban: Wow. Probably Dye at this point. Good outfielder, could adapt to RF at AT&T, good RBI guy.
Actually, this is a sad, sad post. Sad because we have no real options other than Huff and Bengie, and sad because we all know that in Bork-logic there is a real potential to put Bengie’s inferior OBP in that spot.
I actually wouldn’t mind the Bengie signing if A: Posey were here and starting every third game or so. Which given the incentive noted by Grant today is not realistic. And B: Bengie never bats higher than 6th in the lineup, and only 6th if Renteria is in the lineup. If Rent stays south, then I want Uribe in the 6th spot and Bengie 7th.
Those conditions are not going to be met, so I am against this signing.
Posey were here and starting every third game or so
What’s the point in running his service clock only to start every third game?
by Missing Barry on Jan 20, 2010 9:33 AM PST up reply actions
Because I am skeptical about how effective time in Fresno would be for Buster. We have all seen how well players who are thriving in Fresno do when they get here. Every third start would get Buster 8-10AB vs. MLB pitching ever week which would be much more effective time spent than full time in Fresno. In my opinion.
It is a moot point however. Every third start is not realistic so yes, his time is better spent in Fresno where he will at least swing the bat. Very much like Timmay, I don’t feel Buster has much to prove in AAA, so this is a bad signing.
We have all seen how well players who are thriving in Fresno do when they get here.
I think you’re overestimating this. Who has really “thrived” in Fresno but not in MLB? I think if you looked at these players MLE’s, you’d find they weren’t really “thriving”, or were at least doing so in a limited sample. I think playing every day at the AAA has plenty to offer a player – probably not as much as playing often at the MLB level for someone that seems MLB ready like Posey, but given that it can give us an extra year of team control and not waste his cheapest year on a non-playoff team, I think it’s a good move to keep him in AAA. I’m firmly believe it’s better to leave a guy in the minors a year too long than bring him up a year too early. Essentially, given 6 years of cheap, team control, I’d rather have him start that clock later (and at a higher level) to really maximize his contributions over that period. I don’t believe, once you consider the contract aspect of things, that letting a guy develop at the MLB level is the right call. 1 average year and 5 good years is better than 2 average years and 4 good years.
And then when it comes to start every once in a while, I just don’t think we’re getting much value out of that and we’re wasting a ton of value (a cheap, team controlled year)…
by Missing Barry on Jan 20, 2010 2:02 PM PST up reply actions
I get your point about getting value, and my point regarding Posey is based upon undefinable “intangible” value Molina may be bringing.
The main issue remains that Molina is blocking Posey. It remains to be seen if Posey has anything left to prove to anyone not name Bochey, which I doubt that he does. Given the incentive in the contract there is no benefit to having Posey at MLB level at all this year, so I feel it is a wasted year for him.
Actually, even if the pitching does regress some, this team is better than last year’s team already. Albeit, not sexy better, just better.
Huff > Ishikawa/Garko/Aurrilia
DeRosa > Velez/Lewis/Torres
Sanchez* > Velez/Frandsen
Full Time Nate/Bowker > Winn
**Uribe > Renteria
“If he is in the lineup.
""If he gets more AB due to an early acceptance of Rent’s permanent deterioration.
We don’t need a first rate offense, an average one will do. And with the pitching anything can happen in the playoffs.
Because Bengie Molina is one of the worst regular hitters in baseball, he should probably bat 8th.
STEVE HOLM! refuses to be the odd man out.
It's impossible to bat Bengie 8th
He’s too slow for a pitcher to successfully put down a sacrifice bunt. Even Bork has acknowledged it.
Adopted father of the prettiest player in the organization, Nestor Rojas.
by stealth snail on Jan 20, 2010 4:19 PM PST up reply actions
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