:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/18099961/169488020.0.jpg)
Some minor-league stats:
| Year | Tm | Lev | G | PA | H | BB | SO | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | San Jose | A+ | 1 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | .000 | .333 | .000 | .333 |
| 2013 | Giants | Rk | 2 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 0 | .000 | .400 | .000 | .400 |
They might seem like some pointless numbers to you, but there's a snippet of context you might need. The first one ended with Angel Pagan being carted off a California League field. The second one might end with a promotion to Fresno. From SFGiants.com:
San Francisco manager Bruce Bochy expects outfielder Angel Pagan to return to the Majors on Sept. 1. After success in the first two games of a rehab stint with the Arizona League Giants, Pagan could join Triple-A Fresno "in a few days."
Thank goodness. It's not like Pagan was hitting that well (.262/.314/.374 -- or what he hit before the Mets figured they wanted a change), and the center field defense is likely to take a little hit, but all I know is that the Giants were contenders when Pagan was on the team, he left, and then the wolves attacked, sparing no one.
It's an open question as to when you knew this wasn't going to be the Giants' year, but I don't think there's a lot of argument as to when everything changed. The most exciting moment of the season, non-Lincecum division, was almost certainly the walk-off inside-the-parker against the Rockies. Almost made you think it was going to be one of those seasons again. The Giants were five games over .500 and in first place. It was the last game Pagan played this season.
Since then: 28-46. Exactly one game better than the Astros.
You can see how I want him back, even as something of a woobie. When he was around, the Giants weren't the Astros. Man, those were fun times. Looking forward to getting those fun times back, even if it's irrational to expect one person to bring them all back.
But he probably will.
He's Angel Pagan, you know.