minor lines, 5/10/11
by steve S on May 10, 2011 10:53 PM PDT
in They Might Be Giants
Email
PrintTuesday highlights from the Giants' farm: Matt Yourkin had 6.0 scoreless IP, Tommy Joseph homered and singled, and Carlos Willoughby reached base in all five plate appearances.
AAA: Fresno defeated Nashville 6-3
(after leading 4-0 through six innings)
Fresno: 3B Conor Gillaspie: 3 for 5, 2B, SO, CS
Fresno: LF Brandon Belt: 1 for 5, 3 SO
Fresno: 1B Brad Eldred: 1 for 3, BB, 3 SB
Fresno: RF-1B Travis Ishikawa: 1 for 2, 3 BB
Fresno: P Matt Yourkin: 2 for 2
Nashville: 1B Mat Gamel: 2 for 2, BB
Fresno: SP Matt Yourkin: 6.0 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 5 K
Gillaspie had three hits, raising his AVG to .288. Yourkin had the Grizzlies' only other multi-hit line. Ishikawa reached base four times. Through his first nine games in May, he is hitting .400/.545/.680 in 25 AB. Belt had a hat trick, giving him once again more strikeouts than walks in his PCL stint this year. In the 2nd inning, 270-pound Eldred singled and then stole second, third and home. The Brewers' Gamel reached base in all three of his plate appearances.
Yourkin's seventh start was his most effective start of the year as he had his first start without allowing a run. He also matched his season-high 6.0 IP. Despite an ERA just above 4.50, his peripheral stats look rather good with 36 H, 10 BB, and 39 K in 37.2 IP.
AA: Richmond lost to Bowie 5-4
(allowing two runs in the bottom of the 9th inning)
Richmond: SS Nick Noonan: 2 for 4, 2B, 2 SO
Richmond: RF Roger Kieshnick: 2 for 4, 2B, SO
Richmond: 1B Joe Koshansky: 1 for 4, HR, 2 SO
Richmond: C Johnny Monell: 1 for 2, 2 BB
Richmond: SP Clayton Tanner: 6.0 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 4 K--1 HR
Richmond: RP Danny Otero: 2.0 IP, 1 K
Richmond: RP Jason Stoffel: 0.2 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 1 K--1 IBB, 1 WP
Noonan and Kieschnick each had two hits, but both still have AVGs below .250. Monell reached base three time, but his OBP remains below .300. Koshansky had his 3rd HR.
Tanner allowed three unearned runs in the 1st inning but followed up with five scoreless frames. He got his ERA below 4.00. With 2.0 scoreless IP, Otero lowered his ERA to 2.11. Stoffel had his 4th blown save. Tanner, Otero, and Stoffel combined for a 16/3 GO/FO line, keeping the infielders much busier than the outfielders.
A+: San Jose defeated Lancaster 9-6
San Jose: CF Gary Brown: 3 for 5, 2 SB
San Jose: 2B Ryan Cavan: 3 for 5
San Jose: 1B Tommy Joseph: 2 for 4, HR
San Jose: SP Craig Westcott: 4.0 IP, 6 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 2 BB, 2 K--1 E
San Jose: RP Hector Correa: 3.0 IP, 2 K
San Jose: RP Heath Hembree: 1.0 IP, 1 H, 2 SO--1 HB
Brown and Cavan both had three hits, raising their respective AVGs to .366 and .263. Joseph led off the 4th inning with his 3rd HR.
Westcott had his least effective start of the season as he allowed 4 ER for the first time this year. It was also his shortest start when he was ejected after four innings. Correa provided 3.0 perfect IP in relief. Hembree got his 9th save despite allowing a couple baserunners.
A-: Augusta defeated Rome 5-4
(scoring all five runs in the first two innings)
Augusta: 2B Carlos Willoughby: 3 for 3, 2 BB, SB, CS
Augusta: 3B Adam Duvall: 2 for 3, BB
Rome: SS Edward Salcedo: 2 for 3, HR, SB
Augusta: SP Austin Fleet: 5.0 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 4 BB, 2 K--1 HR
Willoughby reached base in all five plate appearances, raising his OBP to .384. His SB/CS line is now 12/3. Duvall also reached base three times. Reaching base nine times of his last four games, he has raised his OBP to .326. Salcedo, whom the Braves signed for a $1.6 million bonus over a year ago, had his 2nd HR.
Fleet had a good start despite allowing a season-high 4 BB. His ERA is still almost 4.50, while his K/BB dipped below 2.00.
167 comments
|
0 recs |
Do you like this story?
Comments
I’m starting to think Brown needs to be promoted. Not tomorrow or anything, but if he keeps this up I’d like to see him in Richmond at least by June.
Seth Rosin can hit the side of a barn with a baseball. From space.
Giants baseball: We're stupid enough to WIN that (TM)
Yeah, his SLG is up to .492 now (.135 ISO)
So he’s hitting for some power, and hitting for AVG and getting on base.
and JCP isn’t exactly blocking him. If Brown keeps this up for another month or so, I would promote him to AA
JCP may not be
But Francisco Peguero would be, when he’s back from injury.
"The knowledge of the game is inversely proportional to the price of the seat." ---Bill Veeck. •Check out the new look of SFDugout.com•
by BruteSentiment on May 11, 2011 11:23 AM PDT via mobile up reply actions
Don’t you think that Peguero will be groomed as a RF now that Brown and Parker are in the fold? I have to imagine that if Brown and Pegs are on the same team that Brown will start in CF and Pegs will be in RF.
"There ain’t much to being a ballplayer, if you’re a ballplayer." - Honus Wagner
Keep an eye on my son, Jake "The Jacksonville Rifle" Dunning. From SS to the mound - exclusively toeing the rubber since March 2010.
For now, no grooming...
They’ll all play CF until one of them makes the majors. It’s as likely that one might be traded than one be shifted, and they’d have more value in center than in right field.
"The knowledge of the game is inversely proportional to the price of the seat." ---Bill Veeck. •Check out the new look of SFDugout.com•
by BruteSentiment on May 11, 2011 2:34 PM PDT up reply actions
the question is
is he promoted when he eclipses 300 PA’s or the All-Star break. There is no reason to believe that he will not continue to hit at this level, and he will be 23 this year so an aggressive promotion is in order.
Adoptive father of Caleb Hous.... hous... housyourdaddy?
by OmahaGiants on May 10, 2011 11:48 PM PDT up reply actions
Not to mention the hit tool is the only real question
The speed and defense are already there. If he shows the ability to hit and/or get on base at a good clip I don’t see that there’s much left for him in the minors.
Seth Rosin can hit the side of a barn with a baseball. From space.
Giants baseball: We're stupid enough to WIN that (TM)
The speed may not be a question, but his ability to read pitchers and steal effectively is currently in question.
"The knowledge of the game is inversely proportional to the price of the seat." ---Bill Veeck. •Check out the new look of SFDugout.com•
by BruteSentiment on May 11, 2011 11:24 AM PDT via mobile up reply actions
Well, he’s not terrible, but 70% isn’t good enough. That said, he has 30 attempts in 154 PA this year. In a full-year, 600 PA environment (not that high considering he projects as a leadoff hitter), that’s about 120 steal attempts, which would mean over 80 SB in a full season even at that rate.
It’s unlikely he’s going to run wild like that in the big leagues, so the questionable steal attempts and CS should fall. That, and he could just get better at stealing bags.
by North Side Chicago Expatriate Giants Fan on May 11, 2011 11:28 AM PDT up reply actions
Man, I miss the days of 80 SB players in the lineup.
MY DAD WAS WRONG!
MY BOY NEEDS TO THROW HARDER!
Meh
I think reading pitchers is done more on an individual basis than a real skill that you can improve with practice. You have to get to know a pitcher’s move, and they all have different ones. So if that’s his issue, the reason he’s not stealing at a better rate, then I don’t think it should hold him back.
Seth Rosin can hit the side of a barn with a baseball. From space.
Giants baseball: We're stupid enough to WIN that (TM)
Agreed...
…but he should be seeing as many different moves as possible. Pitchers also all learn tricks, and if he’s falling for them in Single-A (as noted by all the times he’s been picked off, and not just caught), then he’ll be more bamboozled at Double-A.
"The knowledge of the game is inversely proportional to the price of the seat." ---Bill Veeck. •Check out the new look of SFDugout.com•
by BruteSentiment on May 11, 2011 2:35 PM PDT up reply actions
Only problem
Richmond is a tough place to hit and they may not want to risk destroying the guy’s confidence that early. Still I would love to see him in Richmond soon.
Proud member of the cesspool of ethical bankruptcy known as the McC.
Proud adoptive parent of Brett Bochy, he's my boy now Bruce!
by Giant Torture on May 11, 2011 5:16 AM PDT up reply actions
Frankly, a guy who’s confidence can be destroyed isn’t likely to be a successful professional athlete at the highest levels. Struggling a little bit isn’t necessarily a bad thing in a player’s professional development, and prolonged easy success isn’t necessarily a great thing.
MY DAD WAS WRONG!
MY BOY NEEDS TO THROW HARDER!
I’m not suggesting they promote a 16 year old from the DSL up to San Francisco. But I sure wouldn’t hold back a 22 year old college grad, 1st round draft choice who’s performing exceptionally well in A ball because the hitting environment in AA is scary.
MY DAD WAS WRONG!
MY BOY NEEDS TO THROW HARDER!
Yeah sure. Posey played 80 games in SJ; Belt 77; Brown’s at 31 now. So mid-June isn’t unlikely.
MY DAD WAS WRONG!
MY BOY NEEDS TO THROW HARDER!
I get what you’re saying, and Belt may a good comp because like Brown they made some pretty big changes to his swing upon hitting the big league’s. I’m not suggesting that Brown is fragile, just that the mental aspect is often overlooked by stathead’s, but not by FO’s. I agree that June/July is a better time frame to promote him, but wouldn’t do it now.
Heath Hembree, on the other hand, is the man and should be promoted immediately.
Proud member of the cesspool of ethical bankruptcy known as the McC.
Proud adoptive parent of Brett Bochy, he's my boy now Bruce!
by Giant Torture on May 11, 2011 8:01 AM PDT up reply actions
I’m less worried about confidence and more worried that a guy will change his swing or approach in response to the tough environment. Of course, coaching should take care of that, but one can’t be sure….
by North Side Chicago Expatriate Giants Fan on May 11, 2011 8:55 AM PDT up reply actions
Really you’d think someone with an approach like Browns which should be to keep the balls outof the air should be least affected by the environment.
Also it’s worth noting that Nelt excelled there. I’ve always felt that the biggest problem with the EL was the quality of hitters we were sending there.
MY DAD WAS WRONG!
MY BOY NEEDS TO THROW HARDER!
by Roger on May 11, 2011 9:10 AM PDT via mobile up reply actions
That’s certainly a valid point. Well, both, but the last one especially.
by North Side Chicago Expatriate Giants Fan on May 11, 2011 9:24 AM PDT up reply actions
I’ve always felt that the biggest problem with the EL was the quality of hitters we were sending there.
I’m not championing the quality of position prospects that we currently have in AA, but your statement doesn’t explain why the entire EL consistently posts the worst offensive numbers of any league in the minors year-in and year-out. It also doesn’t explain why a career AAAA guy like Koshansky has a SLG/OPS line of .342/.640 with only 3 HRs so far in the EL, when he never hit less than 21 HRs or put up a SLG/OPS line of less than .435/.752 in the PCL over the last 4 seasons. Finally, it also doesn’t explain why the Atlanta Braves AAA prospects generally put up such indifferent offensive numbers over the many years that Richmond was their home stadium.
"There ain’t much to being a ballplayer, if you’re a ballplayer." - Honus Wagner
Keep an eye on my son, Jake "The Jacksonville Rifle" Dunning. From SS to the mound - exclusively toeing the rubber since March 2010.
The offensive environment is difficult. I didn’t deny that. But elite players still tend to do decently well there.
Also, you’re wrong about how bad an offensive environment it is. The FSL I think is most often the worst offensive league, and the MWL and SL are usually right there in the mix as well. It’s not like the EL is some bizarre aberration where the sport can barely be identified as baseball and where the air secretes some toxic ooze all over the players destroying their ability to play the game forever. There are lots of difficult hitting environments in the minors. There are terrible pitching environments in the minors. There are horrific fielding environments in the minors. It happens. You deal with it.
And as for the Braves, not sure what to say. Chipper Jones at 21 put up an .887 OPS there. That seems pretty good. Andruw Jones hardly played there but he hit 5 HR in 12 games (to go with a 1.214 OPS). David Justice failed there in his first half season, but when he came back at 23 put up numbers that were much like the major leaguer he’d become (.790 OPS). Ron Gant only really played there when he was sent back down to the minors, but he had a very good year leading to his Comeback Player of the Year award. Javy Lopez hit .305/.334/.511 as a 22 year old in AAA. That’s decent sampling of the good Braves hitters I can think of who came through there and don’t think it bears out that they all put up indifferent numbers.
MY DAD WAS WRONG!
MY BOY NEEDS TO THROW HARDER!
Should we be somehow surprised that Mark Lemke was a mediocre hitter in the minor leagues? I’d wager that’s a better line than he ever put up in the majors.
MY DAD WAS WRONG!
MY BOY NEEDS TO THROW HARDER!
no, I thought it was a pretty good line for lemke in richmond. definately was not making a counter point.
WWRWD?
Mostly I was just curious. I also looked up Ed Giavanola but he didn’t get to AAA until he was 25. he hit: .282/.345/.392.
How would people feel if Culberson had either of those lines this year?
WWRWD?
I’m pretty sure he’ll reach that Average target. The SLG and the OBP are the big questions.
"Don't trust anyone under the age of 30" - Brian Sabean
by Smotheredinhugs on May 11, 2011 4:30 PM PDT up reply actions
Also it’s worth noting that Nelt excelled there.
I’m choosing to read this as a really clever amalgamation of the names “Belt” and “Neal.”
Hector Sanchez: Suck it Russell Nathan Coltrane Jeanson Martin.
That’s what I thought. An unstoppable switch-hitting power-hitting walk-taking real-being black/white cyborg hybrid from the future.
Yeah I think he’s EL bound around Memorial Day or so.
I’d also like to see Willoughby promoted to the Cal League, which would make him a little bit more age appropriate and give us a better idea of what to make of him.
MY DAD WAS WRONG!
MY BOY NEEDS TO THROW HARDER!
Absolutely! Carlos needs to establish himself in the CAL league this year. I still wonder why the F.O. took such a slow approach with him.
Baseball players are smarter than football players. How often do you see a baseball team penalized for too many men on the field?
Not that I wouldn’t love to see Carlos in SJ this year, but there’s just no room for him. He’s not going to take PT away from Cavan or Jurica or Liles anytime soon.
"There ain’t much to being a ballplayer, if you’re a ballplayer." - Honus Wagner
Keep an eye on my son, Jake "The Jacksonville Rifle" Dunning. From SS to the mound - exclusively toeing the rubber since March 2010.
What can you tell me about Jurica that would cause me to do anything but laugh at his selection in last year’s draft?
Baseball players are smarter than football players. How often do you see a baseball team penalized for too many men on the field?
I can remind you that it was the Giants who selected him and not some other poor saps.
MY DAD WAS WRONG!
MY BOY NEEDS TO THROW HARDER!
+1
It’s not what we think of Jurica, it’s what the Giants think of him. Right now they like his future prospects much more than Willoughby’s.
"There ain’t much to being a ballplayer, if you’re a ballplayer." - Honus Wagner
Keep an eye on my son, Jake "The Jacksonville Rifle" Dunning. From SS to the mound - exclusively toeing the rubber since March 2010.
Everyone says it's an overdraft
And he’s not done anything so far to show otherwise. But let’s give him some time to show that he’s incompetent before we just assume he is.
Seth Rosin can hit the side of a barn with a baseball. From space.
Giants baseball: We're stupid enough to WIN that (TM)
I've seen him play
Go with your assumption
Adopted father of Brian Bocock, Brad Boyer, Sharlon Schoop, Shane Jordan, Jeremiah Luster,Trey Webb,David Quinowski, and Jeff Arnold.
"GM Jack Zduriencik is one of the sharper tools in the shed. Elsewhere in that shed, Brian Sabean continues to pound screws into bricks with a garden rake."
I'm getting excited about him
Matt Cain: He'll save children, but not the Dodger children.
I call him gerald. he’s a pristine white handkerchief, though? nediB eoJ Joe Biden ‽ Joe Biden.
KG on GB:
Gary Brown, OF, Giants (High-A San Jose): 3-for-5, 3 R, 2 SB. 12-for-19 in his last four games and .366/.444/.496 overall in 31; could be in Double-A soon and in San Francisco at some point in 2012.
Billy Hayes: His job is better than yours.
"ZIPS Is Indeed Supose To Science." --GRM
Well, barring injury, he’ll certainly be in SF in 2012 for the Bay Bridge Series at the end of spring traiining.
The main stat to watch for Brown is his K-rate. As long as he continues to consistently make contact at the plate he should get on base at an acceptable rate. The 2nd thing to watch out for is his SB percentage. He needs to do a better job of not getting caught steeling so often going forward. A guy like him should be expected to be close to an 80% success rate in the minors if hie’s going to be a good base stealer in the majors (right now he’s at 70%).
"There ain’t much to being a ballplayer, if you’re a ballplayer." - Honus Wagner
Keep an eye on my son, Jake "The Jacksonville Rifle" Dunning. From SS to the mound - exclusively toeing the rubber since March 2010.
Would be nice to see Joseph come into his own.
Gigante. Campeón. Pumpkin. Andrés Torres.
Dursh nerf darsh narf. Poop.
.248/.295/.380 with a 6:27 K:BB
I’m still not sure why he didn’t repeat Augusta-that way he and Sanchez could’ve been played everyday at C and he would’ve still been age appropriate for Low A
Feh
Sink or Swim!
It’s not good player development, but whatever.
Gigante. Campeón. Pumpkin. Andrés Torres.
Dursh nerf darsh narf. Poop.
LOL
To read this so shortly after the previous comments about Brown and Willoughby.
"The knowledge of the game is inversely proportional to the price of the seat." ---Bill Veeck. •Check out the new look of SFDugout.com•
by BruteSentiment on May 11, 2011 11:26 AM PDT via mobile up reply actions
Well those guys are actually playing well
Gigante. Campeón. Pumpkin. Andrés Torres.
Dursh nerf darsh narf. Poop.
Pill
Homered for the Grizzlies. Interesting he’s been playing second base.
not interesting when you realize
bond on the dl, rohlinger and burris with the big club
but it increases his trade value and/or interest in a rule 5 pickup
i wonder how long before the giants give hinshaw his outright…the guy hasnt been good for the past two seasons….despite the extra coaching he has been given
Phew
Bond is on the DL. That’s not inherently good, but I was afraid considering he wasn’t playing. At least there’s a reason.
Seth Rosin can hit the side of a barn with a baseball. From space.
Giants baseball: We're stupid enough to WIN that (TM)
I agree with the Hinshaw comment. I’m sure his stuff is good enough that someone will pick him up, but he doesn’t seem destined for success with the Gigantes. Tanner’s days may be numbered as well (though likely he’s safe through the end of the year) with the way he’s performing in AA.
"Don't trust anyone under the age of 30" - Brian Sabean
by Smotheredinhugs on May 11, 2011 4:17 AM PDT up reply actions
Watched the game in person
He did not look very good at 2B. Lack of range (for a second basemen) was very obvious.
by misterbrister on May 11, 2011 6:14 AM PDT up reply actions
Belt, Ishikawa, Pill, Eldred. Koshansky in AA. Belt will be back in the bigs, but that’s a lot of first basemen, not to mention the Tommy Joseph/Johnny Monell guys that probably won’t stick at C.
Speaking of rearranging deck chairs, isn’t there any chance one or more of the non-Belt guys can be moved for A) slightly above replacement-level SS/Utility IF, or B) some young, tarnished-but-slightly-interesting player so Augusta can have someone younger than 24 on the roster?
by North Side Chicago Expatriate Giants Fan on May 11, 2011 9:04 AM PDT up reply actions
kroon had another save
his 8th
really hope he doesnt take the out on june 1….but with the need for arms all across the mlb, i have a feeling that his agent’s phone has been ringing off the hook
and the guy really wants his kids to experience the thrill of seeing their old man throw in the show
Not to mention Casilla's return is going to force someone out of the pen anyway
There’s no room for Kroon. I’m starting to think we should trade someone. I wonder if anyone would bite on Ramirez?
Seth Rosin can hit the side of a barn with a baseball. From space.
Giants baseball: We're stupid enough to WIN that (TM)
might need to actually include some decent young arms in a trade for a SS
certainly conceivable that giving up a guy like Runzler might be part of the package that gets it done.
Idolizing Robb Nen since 2002...
by Smoke on the Water on May 11, 2011 1:06 AM PDT up reply actions
Red Sox
Red Sox really need bullpen help as they pretty much have a two person ‘pen. I know Ramirez came from Boston so that’s probably a no-go, but could they package Runzler or Affeldt with Kroon for Scutaro? I’m sure Lowrie would require more, but since they called Iglesias up last week, maybe they think he’s ready and would be open to dealing Lowrie.
Proud member of the cesspool of ethical bankruptcy known as the McC.
Proud adoptive parent of Brett Bochy, he's my boy now Bruce!
by Giant Torture on May 11, 2011 5:14 AM PDT up reply actions
They called up Iglesias because Scutaro went on the DL and they went out of their way to note that the Iglesias call up was a short term deal and he was heading back to the minors as soon as Scutaro came back and they didn’t need the depth.
I keep saying, I can’t understand why anyone would think we should give up players for a SS who is in no way an upgrade over what we have. Marco Scutaro would not help us. He’s not good. He is expensive. We have one of those already. We don’t need to pay a Dan Runzler + others just to get a second one.
MY DAD WAS WRONG!
MY BOY NEEDS TO THROW HARDER!
Scutaro would be an upgrade over Tejada because he can reasonably field his position, while Tejada can’t. Scutaro isn’t necessarily a good answer, but he could be a stop-gap for the rest of the year. I get what you’re saying about giving up Runzler and I was just throwing some names out there, but I tend to think of relievers as fungible assets that have wild swings from year to year. Last year Scutaro was a 2.1 WAR player and while Tejada was a 1.3 WAR player, he spent a good chunk of the year at 3B. Also, Tejada is 37 while Scutaro is 35.
Scutaro is not the optimal answer and I somewhat agree that it’s not good to give up big league players for someone that expensive who offers a marginal upgrade, but the way Tejada has played thus far. I would be okay with a Kroon for Scutaro type deal.
Proud member of the cesspool of ethical bankruptcy known as the McC.
Proud adoptive parent of Brett Bochy, he's my boy now Bruce!
by Giant Torture on May 11, 2011 8:12 AM PDT up reply actions
Actually Scutaro’s career defensive numbers aren’t very impressive. And he’s looked every bit as terrible this year as Tejada (leading to howling fans in both cities screaming for replacements).
Looking at the entirety of their careers it’s hard for me to come to the conclusion that Scutaro would be upgrade over Fontenot as hard as it is for me to believe I’m saying that.
MY DAD WAS WRONG!
MY BOY NEEDS TO THROW HARDER!
by Roger on May 11, 2011 9:04 AM PDT via mobile up reply actions
Yeah
If we’re getting someone from the Red Sox it needs to be Lowrie or Iglesias. I don’t want Scutaro unless he’s very cheap and Tejada, DeRosa, and Fontenot are all OPSing under .650 or so.
Seth Rosin can hit the side of a barn with a baseball. From space.
Giants baseball: We're stupid enough to WIN that (TM)
I’m guessing we’ll be able to trade some bullpen piece by June. Ramirez seems like a viable candidate. Could Sabs trade 2 bullpen pieces?
"Don't trust anyone under the age of 30" - Brian Sabean
by Smotheredinhugs on May 11, 2011 4:19 AM PDT up reply actions
Why would a team who thinks of themselves as championship contenders move a guy who their manager seems to feel is his best middle reliever? Not that I’m saying they shouldn’t necessarily do this, but can anybody build a reasonable argument that they might do this? Sabes doesn’t get rid of relievers at the deadline — he acquires relievers.
Also, given that we got him for Dan Turpen (who’s since been in approximately 47 different organizations) is it likely that we’d get much better than somebody else’s Dan Turpen for him now?
MY DAD WAS WRONG!
MY BOY NEEDS TO THROW HARDER!
Well assuming we do nothing, we probably lose someone – certainly Kroon. So kicking tires seems to be in order.
"Don't trust anyone under the age of 30" - Brian Sabean
by Smotheredinhugs on May 11, 2011 6:55 AM PDT up reply actions
And I’m guessing – The Giants would rather have Casilla on the team as well…. They like his K’s. I sense that his DL trip was in some ways an effort to limit his innings this year and let the Bullpen situation sort itself out.
"Don't trust anyone under the age of 30" - Brian Sabean
by Smotheredinhugs on May 11, 2011 7:08 AM PDT up reply actions
I’m guessing Runzler goes down when Casilla comes back.
MY DAD WAS WRONG!
MY BOY NEEDS TO THROW HARDER!
Runzler has pitched better than it looks at first.
What has happened is a bunching-up of what he has surrendered. With an average distribution of events, his ERA would be barely over half what it is.
(Yes, I know about judging by ERA, but the “ERA” I’m talking about is what he’d have if he pitched like he is pitching over some very long span of time.)
Professional baseball analyst since 1980.
Wir sind gewohnt, daß die Menschen verhöhnen was sie nicht verstehn.—Goethe
In Runzler’s case, though, I wonder if part of the reason that he doesn’t get an even distribution of events is because, mechanically speaking, he’s not going to the mound with the same stuff every time out. Of course, that’s true of all pitchers, but given Runzler’s history of control and command issues, I think he may at this point in his career fall a little bit outside the bell curve on the consistency of his stuff and command from outing to outing.
I do think that’s something he can work on and fix of course.
MY DAD WAS WRONG!
MY BOY NEEDS TO THROW HARDER!
This is what I think too
But Ramirez has pitched better than I think he will going forward, so his value is about as high as it’s going to be right now. Kroon, meanwhile, has an opt-out on June 1. The difference between the two is probably negligible, so I’d like to trade a mediocre reliever who’s pitching well and call up Kroon. Mota is another trade candidate, but he’s been fantastic and he can go longer than Ramirez.
Seth Rosin can hit the side of a barn with a baseball. From space.
Giants baseball: We're stupid enough to WIN that (TM)
but again, the Giants aren’t going to move players that they clearly value more to make room for a player that they clearly value less. And they showed us that they did value Ramirez and Mota over Kroon when they created the roster out of ST (as well as in Bochy’s bullpen usage since then).
MY DAD WAS WRONG!
MY BOY NEEDS TO THROW HARDER!
It is quite likely that they will lose Kroon, barring some more bullpen injuries. But I don’t see much reason to believe they’d want to move Ramirez in order to keep Kroon when they’ve already shown in every conceivable way that they consider Ramirez to be the more valuable commodity. They could of course shop Kroon, but given that he can opt out and shop himself on the free market if he wants, it’s hard to imagine what motivation other clubs would have to pay useful inventory of their own for him.
MY DAD WAS WRONG!
MY BOY NEEDS TO THROW HARDER!
Good point
Short of working out a trade that sends Affeldt/Runzler/whomever elsewhere, we are likely to lose Kroon (the Kroon in June leaves soon). That’s really a shame.
Baseball players are smarter than football players. How often do you see a baseball team penalized for too many men on the field?
I like Kroon as much as the next guy, but (in a SSS, to be sure), he has a 4.26 BB/9 in AAA. Isn’t that just a little scary?
by North Side Chicago Expatriate Giants Fan on May 11, 2011 8:59 AM PDT up reply actions
Ks are the good part. Those are nice.
by North Side Chicago Expatriate Giants Fan on May 11, 2011 9:04 AM PDT up reply actions
A lot of relievers have high BB rates
Hell, Wilson did for awhile. Kroon obviously doesn’t have Wilson’s upside and he’s not a long-term commodity like Wilson is, but when you’re only pitching one inning that level of walks isn’t scary, because it’s basically one walk every two appearances. If you’re striking guys out at a good clip, you can get away with allowing hits as well.
It’s not like Kroon would come in and become the closer. But as a middle reliever, how bad would he be? And how much is Ramirez worth? Considering we’re going to lose Kroon for nothing, I’d like to cash in on Ramirez now and call Kroon up. Even if he tanks, we still have Runzler in the minors once Casilla comes off the DL.
Seth Rosin can hit the side of a barn with a baseball. From space.
Giants baseball: We're stupid enough to WIN that (TM)
Remember Al Holland?
Professional baseball analyst since 1980.
Wir sind gewohnt, daß die Menschen verhöhnen was sie nicht verstehn.—Goethe
just curious
but what makes you guys think Kroon will be more effective than anyone we have in the bullpen right now?
He’s getting so much love on this site
by Sabean_Is_Iago on May 11, 2011 9:39 AM PDT up reply actions
It’s not the best comparison, because Affeldt is a LHP, but he’s just not very good right now. 5.3 BB/9, 7.9 K/9, 1.3 HR/9, in a SSS, but last year wasn’t really any better. 4.3 BB/9, 7.9 K/9, 0.7 HR/9 in 2010, but with a much higher hit rate than this year (wide BABIP fluctuation – overly high last year, overly low this year).
Affeldt’s ZIPS projection is better than Kroon’s, although both are good. ZiPS rest-of-season is basically a wash between Kroon and Affeldt. But Affeldt gives the pen three lefties and the concomitant flexibility to exploit platoon splits. That said, Affeldt isn’t a lefty-killer, but Kroon isn’t exactly necessary with Mota and Ramirez tearing up middle relief, and Casilla presumably returning soon. And that’s without mention of Sergio Romo, who must be on a milk carton somewhere.
by North Side Chicago Expatriate Giants Fan on May 11, 2011 9:50 AM PDT up reply actions
And the Japan numbers. ZiPS projects him for a 3.7 FIP, which is perfectly cromulent. That’s between 0.1 and 0.3 better than ZiPS, Bill James or Marcel’s preseason projections for Ramon Ramirez or Santiago Casilla.
As a result, I would have Ramirez on the trade block. He looks great right now, and I bet any number of teams might bite. The Giants could certainly use some position prospects right now.
Yeah, that’s not going to happen.
I am afraid that Romo may be the guy they are thinking of moving, for whatever reason he isn’t pitching.
May 29, 2010: Steven Revetria becomes Giants General Manager. The rest is history.
"118 elements, and still no stanfurdium"- carp, paraphrased
Bandwagons are fun- that's why people get on them in the first place.
by natteringnabob on May 11, 2011 11:05 AM PDT up reply actions
Romo is cheap, effective, and under team control for several more years – they won’t move him unless it’s for an impact player.
"There ain’t much to being a ballplayer, if you’re a ballplayer." - Honus Wagner
Keep an eye on my son, Jake "The Jacksonville Rifle" Dunning. From SS to the mound - exclusively toeing the rubber since March 2010.
I didn’t say it was a good idea, any more than not pitching him now is a good idea.
May 29, 2010: Steven Revetria becomes Giants General Manager. The rest is history.
"118 elements, and still no stanfurdium"- carp, paraphrased
Bandwagons are fun- that's why people get on them in the first place.
by natteringnabob on May 11, 2011 11:16 AM PDT up reply actions
And dude throws hard
Don't think he can cut it in the bigs? Brock Bond will be the bigger man and walk walk walk away.
I don't get why they haven't switched him and Runzler yet
Matt Cain: He'll save children, but not the Dodger children.
I call him gerald. he’s a pristine white handkerchief, though? nediB eoJ Joe Biden ‽ Joe Biden.
Heath Hembree
No walks tonight, control will improve and he will move up.
Proud member of the cesspool of ethical bankruptcy known as the McC.
Proud adoptive parent of Brett Bochy, he's my boy now Bruce!
No waks, but he hit a batter and gave up a hit. He’s definitely taking a page from the Brian Wilson book on closing. I do love the fact that he’s flirting with a K/9 of nearly 18 once again this season. For his career Hembree has 44 K’s in 23 innings for a K/9 of 17.2 – even Brian Wilson never did that.
"There ain’t much to being a ballplayer, if you’re a ballplayer." - Honus Wagner
Keep an eye on my son, Jake "The Jacksonville Rifle" Dunning. From SS to the mound - exclusively toeing the rubber since March 2010.
Ks 42%, BB/HBP 13%. Wilson never had a K rate like that, but Wilson was a high-round talent who fell because of injury.
Wow, striking out almost half of the hitters he faces. That’s insane.
Matt Cain: He'll save children, but not the Dodger children.
I call him gerald. he’s a pristine white handkerchief, though? nediB eoJ Joe Biden ‽ Joe Biden.
Only for a starter. For relievers, it’s unusually good, but not crazy. Among pitchers with 10+ IP Hembree is second in the Cal League to Steven Ames and his 45%. Al Alburquerque (who?) leads the majors with 46%.
Tigers reliever. I was sure he was a lefty. I was wrong. He had a career 10 K/9 in the minors, so expect that to fall (which you would anyway because sustaining that rate was not to be expected).
by North Side Chicago Expatriate Giants Fan on May 11, 2011 11:30 AM PDT up reply actions
Carlos Marmol was close last year, wasn’t he? Back down in the 30% range for 2011, if memory serves.
Kimbrel's doing it this year
Seth Rosin can hit the side of a barn with a baseball. From space.
Giants baseball: We're stupid enough to WIN that (TM)
Yeah, Marmol was out of this world last year. 6.0 BB/9 is a whole lot easier to take with a 16.0 K/9.
What worries me about Kroon is that his (bb-ref #s) 4.0 BB/9 will turn into a 6, and his 11.9 K/9 will turn into a 9. That still might be ok, especially when you absolutely want a guy to pitch for a strikeout, but I think I need an MLE for Kroon.
Don’t get me wrong; I still love Kroon.
by North Side Chicago Expatriate Giants Fan on May 11, 2011 3:15 PM PDT up reply actions
I think he’s fantastic inventory. But I’m not sure I need to move heaven and earth to make room for him.
MY DAD WAS WRONG!
MY BOY NEEDS TO THROW HARDER!
Wait a sec.
We were talking about Hembree in this portion of the thread, how did Kroon suddenly appear in the middle of it?
"There ain’t much to being a ballplayer, if you’re a ballplayer." - Honus Wagner
Keep an eye on my son, Jake "The Jacksonville Rifle" Dunning. From SS to the mound - exclusively toeing the rubber since March 2010.
Belt
Three Ks facing another lefty. His minor league numbers suggest that we should resign ourselves to some pretty strong platoon splits out of Brandon in the majors. Not that that’s in anyway unusual for a LH hitter, but still, sigh.
MY DAD WAS WRONG!
MY BOY NEEDS TO THROW HARDER!
Seeing him in person...
He looked like he was purposefully taking pitches, trying to be more patient. To be honest, the Brewers’ pitcher didn’t have great stuff, and a fair amount of the strikes thrown to Belt were corner pitches that could have been called either way. He hit the ball hard his last at-bat, unforunately it was right to an outfielder.
After the game he was nice enough to sign a ball for my wife, even though he was visibly frustrated at his performance.
by misterbrister on May 11, 2011 6:17 AM PDT up reply actions
2 of those K’s were looking.
"Don't trust anyone under the age of 30" - Brian Sabean
by Smotheredinhugs on May 11, 2011 6:56 AM PDT up reply actions
He’s had much higher K rates vs. LHP than RHP pretty consistently up the levels.
MY DAD WAS WRONG!
MY BOY NEEDS TO THROW HARDER!
Should I have my pic taken with Wheeler or Brown?
I spent $100 at the SJ Giants store, and now get to have a picture taken with my choice of SJ Giants player before a future game. So, Wheeler or Brown?
San Francisco Giants, 2010 World Series champions.
by Giant Fan in Singapore on May 11, 2011 6:21 AM PDT reply actions
Wheeler!
"There was no torture in the end. Only rapture." - Mike Krukow
2010 Giants: World Series Champs
Neal before Zod!
Official Sponsor of the 1997 San Francisco Giants
by nostocksjustbonds on May 11, 2011 7:51 AM PDT up reply actions
I'm leaning that direction
He looked so great that day we went. The real deal.
San Francisco Giants, 2010 World Series champions.
by Giant Fan in Singapore on May 11, 2011 8:26 AM PDT up reply actions
This is probably not part of your analysis, but Wheeler is a really funny, charming, nice guy. He is great with the fans.
Giants Baseball: Why Not?
"Things I never thought I'd see #47783: Schwarzenegger applauding Ryan Rohlinger" -- Your mother, Nov. 3, 2010.
Actually, that's a great reason to choose him!
I don’t think they will allow us to chat much, but it’d be nice to do it with someone who is charming and funny.
San Francisco Giants, 2010 World Series champions.
by Giant Fan in Singapore on May 11, 2011 11:56 AM PDT up reply actions
Along the same lines...
Wheeler has a twitter.
"Today, it's as if McCovey's line drive finally went through. And the earthquake didn't happen. And Spiezio struck out. And Snow was safe."
Vroom. Walks. Five positions. Justin Christian
And he’s pitching tonight, nerbs!
May 29, 2010: Steven Revetria becomes Giants General Manager. The rest is history.
"118 elements, and still no stanfurdium"- carp, paraphrased
Bandwagons are fun- that's why people get on them in the first place.
by natteringnabob on May 11, 2011 11:56 AM PDT up reply actions
Was at the game last night, some observations
Hector Sanchez looked good defensively and offensively. He had hits in his first two ABs (2-5 overall), with a scorching double that missed being a HR by 2 feet. Appeared to block the plate well (Westcott wasn’t too sharp) and gunned down a runner early in the game with an absolute strike.
Brown’s hit in the 1st inning was a high chop to the left of the pitcher’s mound that should have been a routine play. The pitcher grabbed the ball on one hop but Lancaster’s 1st baseman must’ve thought it was going toward him. That split-second misjudgment gave Brown enough time to easily reach 1st base. (The 1st baseman never even got there in time.) Brown proceeded to steal second, but needs to work on his slides — he got a great jump, was going to easily steal the bag but slid way too early and almost stopped cold before he reached second. He went to third on a passed ball or wild pitch, and scored on another passed ball/wild pitch. Got to see him really show off his speed in the 6th on a triple hit into the alley in right field. He got a great jump and is so fast I think he could’ve scored if one of the outfielders had cut the ball off before it rolled to the wall for a triple.
Wescott got thrown out arguing with the home-plate ump after his most stressful inning. The umpire was horrible, and Westcott was letting him have it every time he covered home plate after a single scored a run. On the 3rd out he was covering 1st on the grounder to Joseph, and must’ve said something pretty loud when he turned around to the home-plate ump because he was tossed quickly.
San Francisco Giants, 2010 World Series champions.
by Giant Fan in Singapore on May 11, 2011 6:37 AM PDT reply actions
I’m still aboard the Hector Sanchez bandwagon, although we’ve only been creeping along recently. Here’s to picking up some speed!
Baseball players are smarter than football players. How often do you see a baseball team penalized for too many men on the field?
Woo H. Sanchez!
Please turn into our version of David Ross!
Seth Rosin can hit the side of a barn with a baseball. From space.
Giants baseball: We're stupid enough to WIN that (TM)
What's the book on Correa?
I know he’s not a prospect, but he looked good in his three innings — especially in light of how bad Westcott looked in his last.
Also, the radar-gun readings are back on (below the Adobe sign) but for some reason were only registering for Lancaster.
San Francisco Giants, 2010 World Series champions.
by Giant Fan in Singapore on May 11, 2011 6:39 AM PDT reply actions
I know he’s not a prospect
I don’t agree with this and I don’t think that the Giants do either. They know that:
1. Injuries have delayed his development cycle.
2. Relievers often take longer to develop in the minors.
3. Correa has decent stuff.
"There ain’t much to being a ballplayer, if you’re a ballplayer." - Honus Wagner
Keep an eye on my son, Jake "The Jacksonville Rifle" Dunning. From SS to the mound - exclusively toeing the rubber since March 2010.
He's the guy we got for Ronny Paulino
by Gobroks on May 11, 2011 12:59 PM PDT via mobile up reply actions
Ronny Paulino was never a Giant
I don’t see any games played for him in an SF uniform!
Stats, or it didn’t happen.
/sarcasm
"The knowledge of the game is inversely proportional to the price of the seat." ---Bill Veeck. •Check out the new look of SFDugout.com•
by BruteSentiment on May 11, 2011 2:39 PM PDT up reply actions
I figured as much, still disappointing
San Francisco Giants, 2010 World Series champions.
by Giant Fan in Singapore on May 11, 2011 6:53 AM PDT reply actions
Randomness
Who adopted Heath Hembree? I would like to try to work on some sort of trade to adopt this sterling reliever as I think it’s only fitting.
Proud member of the cesspool of ethical bankruptcy known as the McC.
Proud adoptive parent of Brett Bochy, he's my boy now Bruce!
Hurley can be friends with Sergio Romo
because both know what it’s like to be LOST
by North Side Chicago Expatriate Giants Fan on May 11, 2011 10:15 AM PDT up reply actions
You are my only hope, help me...
I am in the Highlanders Bar, surrounded by cougars from what seems like Alabama or somewhere in the southern region, some clearly close to twice my age. Help. now. If you don’t get this message in time, save yourselves, run while there is still time.
Obviously any links in the above post are probably NSFW
The baseball gods do not always punish the wicked but they will not just allow people to spit in their faces -- Joe Posnanski
Kudos, You are a sick, sick man, but you are very good at it -- wcw
Make the best of it
They will probably buy you drinks, young man
by North Side Chicago Expatriate Giants Fan on May 11, 2011 10:16 AM PDT up reply actions
So, Ryan Cavan question
He’s now got close to 1000 minor league PA’s with the following line: .279/.361/.466. The thing that confuses me is the batting average. His K% is ~15%, which isn’t very high, and he’s obviously got some power, so why is the AVG so low?
I guess the easy answer is he’s just not that good. But for someone who doesn’t strike out much and hits the ball hard, I’d honestly expect a higher BA.
Juan "Doesn't Cheat The Game" Perez, future CF for the World Champion San Francisco Giants.
I’m too lazy to check for myself, but I would imagine that he hits a lot of flyball outs given the healthy cuts he takes at the plate. Given what I’ve heard on the radio so far this season, it doesn’t seem to me that Cavan ever goes up to the plate just trying to make contact. His line drive rate is also probably lower than normal.
"There ain’t much to being a ballplayer, if you’re a ballplayer." - Honus Wagner
Keep an eye on my son, Jake "The Jacksonville Rifle" Dunning. From SS to the mound - exclusively toeing the rubber since March 2010.
Given the huge caveat that minor league numbers can be a bit spotty, his LD% is a bit low outside of this year. It just seems odd to me that he wouldn’t be striking out more given that approach.
Juan "Doesn't Cheat The Game" Perez, future CF for the World Champion San Francisco Giants.
I think that we need Roger to provide us some historical data and player comps background info.
"There ain’t much to being a ballplayer, if you’re a ballplayer." - Honus Wagner
Keep an eye on my son, Jake "The Jacksonville Rifle" Dunning. From SS to the mound - exclusively toeing the rubber since March 2010.
Fangraphs has his K% at about 17.5% – for whatever that’s worth. He does seem a little like a poor mans Pedroia, except without the glove…or the bat speed….or the ability to hit for average.
"Don't trust anyone under the age of 30" - Brian Sabean
by Smotheredinhugs on May 11, 2011 4:53 PM PDT up reply actions
Gary Brown= CAL Player of the Week
San Jose Giants center fielder and leadoff hitter Gary Brown was named the California League Offensive Player of the Week for the week ending on May 8. Brown hit .433 (13-for-30) with five doubles, one home run, four runs scored, two stolen bases and 12 RBI last week.
May 29, 2010: Steven Revetria becomes Giants General Manager. The rest is history.
"118 elements, and still no stanfurdium"- carp, paraphrased
Bandwagons are fun- that's why people get on them in the first place.
by natteringnabob on May 11, 2011 11:01 AM PDT reply actions
It looks like Crawford will be playing for SJ this week.
Brandon Crawford: Your SF Giants 2012 Opening Day starting SS?
Woo!
"Today, it's as if McCovey's line drive finally went through. And the earthquake didn't happen. And Spiezio struck out. And Snow was safe."
Vroom. Walks. Five positions. Justin Christian
Anyone know what happened to Neal?
And/or when he’ll be back?
"Today, it's as if McCovey's line drive finally went through. And the earthquake didn't happen. And Spiezio struck out. And Snow was safe."
Vroom. Walks. Five positions. Justin Christian
from the horse's mouth
TdaddyNeal: Had another good day throwing. Now headed to my 1st Rehab game to DH excited to be back on the field playing. #LeeGoo
about 2 hours ago via Twitter for iPhone · Reply · View Tweet
he had a shoulder/arm injury of some sort. it was checked out by the team doctors and it was nothing major apparently.
"There was no torture in the end. Only rapture." - Mike Krukow
2010 Giants: World Series Champs
Neal before Zod!
Official Sponsor of the 1997 San Francisco Giants
by nostocksjustbonds on May 11, 2011 11:39 AM PDT up reply actions
Wasn't it a shoulder injury that caused him to miss so much time a couple years ago?
Same shoulder?
San Francisco Giants, 2010 World Series champions.
by Giant Fan in Singapore on May 11, 2011 11:57 AM PDT up reply actions
Yes. He actually had to have surgery on the right shoulder in 2006.
"There ain’t much to being a ballplayer, if you’re a ballplayer." - Honus Wagner
Keep an eye on my son, Jake "The Jacksonville Rifle" Dunning. From SS to the mound - exclusively toeing the rubber since March 2010.
right. it’s why he played 1b/DH in Augusta.
"There was no torture in the end. Only rapture." - Mike Krukow
2010 Giants: World Series Champs
Neal before Zod!
Official Sponsor of the 1997 San Francisco Giants
by nostocksjustbonds on May 11, 2011 12:01 PM PDT up reply actions
Shouldn't we freak out if it's the same shoulder he had surgery on?
San Francisco Giants, 2010 World Series champions.
by Giant Fan in Singapore on May 11, 2011 12:14 PM PDT up reply actions
No
I think that we’re too busy freaking out about the major league Giants.
Seriously, it seems that all involved, including Neal, don’t think that it’s a major setback.
"There ain’t much to being a ballplayer, if you’re a ballplayer." - Honus Wagner
Keep an eye on my son, Jake "The Jacksonville Rifle" Dunning. From SS to the mound - exclusively toeing the rubber since March 2010.
Tdaddy say:
1-4 RBI and SB … You know your in extended spring training when you get hit square in the elbow an they say it hit the knob of the bat :-/
Billy Hayes: His job is better than yours.
"ZIPS Is Indeed Supose To Science." --GRM
Comments For This Post Are Closed
Secondary Sidebar
User Tools
Related FanPosts on McCovey Chronicles
Related FanShots on McCovey Chronicles
FanPosts
Community blog posts and discussion.
Recommended FanPosts
Recent FanPosts
In Association With
Big League Stew - MLB - Yahoo! Sports
- Get a grip: Reds’ Todd Frazier loses bat, still connects for home run (Video)
- Eric Hosmer redefines the Baltimore chop with infield double (Video)
- College player makes impossible over the fence catch to save tournament game (Video)
- Security!: Camden Yards guard collides with Royals’ Mike Moustakas
- The Juice: Nelson Cruz matches career high eight RBIs, Pujols stays hot in Seattle
