San Jose Wins Sixth Consecutive First Half Title

This was mentioned in brief in the Minor Lines, but it's kinda buried. The previous record for consecutive first-half titles in California League history before this run was three. This kind of consistency is amazing for a minor league team.

almost 2 years ago BruteSentiment 16 comments 0 recs |

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Is it safe to say this demonstrates that San Jose is consistently sporting more talent than the rest of the league? If so, why isn’t this translating to higher minor league levels? Or is that a dumb question because we can’t really expect it to translate anyway?

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by giantsfansince1981 on Jun 16, 2010 11:49 AM PDT reply actions

I think that the main dynamics at work here is pitching and home-field advantage.

1. The SJ Giants have been consistently stocked with good pitchers over the past 6 years – both starters and relievers.

2. The SJ ballpark is a slight pitcher’s park, but in the Cal League that equates to an extreme pitcher’s park. There are so many band-boxes and launching-pads in the Cal League that SJ Stadium is a veritable paradise for the Giants’ pitchers. They don’t have to worry about pop-ups to the OF turning into HRs like the pitching staffs of so many of the other teams in the league. Think of it like Coors Field before they started doctoring the baseballs. The Rockies pitching staffs would get so shredded in their own stadium that they would lose their confidence and even beging pitching poorly away from home.

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by Fla-Giant on Jun 16, 2010 12:03 PM PDT up reply actions

Interesting. Do you think the edge in pitching equalizes a bit as players move up the minor league chain? So that hitters have caught up a bit and maybe other pitchers have as well by AA and AAA?

I feel prickishly demanding!

I couldn't be prouder of my recent adoptee - Tim Lincecum's dealer. He provides the secret fuel behind both Cy Youngs. Also, he taught Timmy the change-up.

by giantsfansince1981 on Jun 16, 2010 12:17 PM PDT up reply actions

Yeah, although I think that both bad and mediocre pitchers and hitters get weeded out as you go up the ladder. The odds are also more stacked against a pitcher in the minor leagues due to poor playing conditions, smaller ballparks, and the greater likelihood of bad-fielding teammates.

"There ain’t much to being a ballplayer, if you’re a ballplayer." - Honus Wagner

by Fla-Giant on Jun 16, 2010 4:57 PM PDT up reply actions

Very cool

But I’m still waiting for this to translate to success at the big league level.

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by j14 on Jun 16, 2010 11:50 AM PDT reply actions

Cool

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by Natto on Jun 16, 2010 4:58 PM PDT reply actions

Doesn’t the big league team own a sizable part of the SJ Giants?

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by tedfordfan on Jun 16, 2010 8:10 PM PDT reply actions

25% IIRC

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by Gobroks on Jun 16, 2010 8:30 PM PDT up reply actions

Awesome.

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by walkoff baltimore chop on Jun 16, 2010 9:32 PM PDT reply actions

That’s two dynasties we have in our system. SJ and Salem Keizer (which has one 5 league championships and 7 division crowns in 13 its years of existence).

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by Roger on Jun 17, 2010 7:29 AM PDT reply actions

Such a dynasty that they may very well have caused the NWL to change their playoff format.

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by BruteSentiment on Jun 17, 2010 10:12 AM PDT up reply actions

Good article!

Sounds like sour grapes to me. I seem to recall the last few years that the Volcanoes were pulling away at the end of the year, not falling back.

"There ain’t much to being a ballplayer, if you’re a ballplayer." - Honus Wagner

by Fla-Giant on Jun 17, 2010 10:44 AM PDT up reply actions

I wonder if it has something to do with the way the Giants manage their minor league system.

Loading teams with older players and being extra conservative with mid-season callups would certainly lead to a better winning percentage in the low minors, and the Giants have been accused of both in the past (to what extent those accusations are accurate is an open question).

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by Bhaakon on Jun 17, 2010 10:41 PM PDT up reply actions

I actually like that the Giants do that

in some situations players warrant a midseason call up (like Brandon Belt, this year) but I think putting young kids in a winning environment has a positive impact on their development-especially if they’re really hyped-so they don’t feel like they have to carry the team.

Proud father of Mike Krukow (who is more than 3 times my age)
Grab Some Pine, Meat
Still cheering for Kevin Frandsen
John Bowker: One of the 3 best OF's on the Giants roster

by Gobroks on Jun 18, 2010 12:21 AM PDT up reply actions

I don't think a winning environment really matters.

I don’t see much of a connection between winning and producing quality major leaguers. If anything, it may be a distraction: part of the (admittedly theoretical) reasoning for keeping promising but rough prospects in the minors is the lack of pressure to win being conducive to addressing flaws in their game. For instance, a pitcher with a great fastball but weak secondary pitches would be able to work on his secondary pitches against live batters in the minors because there’s a strong focus on individual development, whereas in the majors, where the pressure to actually win trumps all, he’d probably be told to simply abandon any sub-par pitches. If there’s pressure to win in the minors (which is going to happen on a competitive team, whether the coaches are driving it or not), then it could occasionally be at loggerheads with the more important goal of personal development.

Ultimately, though, it’s probably a negligible effect either way.

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by Bhaakon on Jun 18, 2010 2:51 AM PDT up reply actions

I think, to some level, players need to be able to handle success

I do think it is good for them also to struggle a bit in the minors so they’ll learn how to cope with it in the majors, but I think learning how to deal with success and winning is also important.

Proud father of Mike Krukow (who is more than 3 times my age)
Grab Some Pine, Meat
Still cheering for Kevin Frandsen
John Bowker: One of the 3 best OF's on the Giants roster

by Gobroks on Jun 18, 2010 3:01 AM PDT up reply actions