A hopeful start by the youth-infused lineup is once again obliterated by a haggard bullpen.
But I'm sure you all are more ticked at something else:
LaTroy Freaking Hawkins.
I can't even believe he has a job. But, of course, he picks up the W, joining the likes of Chan Ho Park, Jason Johnson and Mike Hampton as baseball zombies who have feasted on the collective ineptitude of this meek, meek franchise.
And now, without further ado, your midday roundup.
Snark Alert: I really debated kicking this guy while he's down. But, ultimately, I decided to be the smaller, more petty person.
Jose Castillo (remember him?) had a bit of a reputation as a malcontent on his previous stops on his DFA Tour of the NL. So while John Bowker was nothing but classy in accepting his assignment to Fresno, what did Castillo have to say?
"I'm not happy," he said. "I'm surprised. I think I played good for this team. It was the first year I played third base."Well, in addition to the fact that Shrekstillo made more than a few of his appearances at third with the Pirates last year, I'd like to pose this question to Jose: what, exactly, is your definition of "good"? Does it include an assessment of a .191 average post-All Star Break?
Add "delusional" to the list of colorful adjectives you may already ascribe to Jose.
Cold-Blooded: The Giants cost Geno Espineli his Olympic dreams by calling him up just ahead of the games in Beijing.
So it makes perfect sense that they would send him down just as Olympic baseball heats up. Matt Palmer is the beneficiary of Sabean's ice cold trigger finger, in a move that presumably covers the Giants if they need long-relief or spot start in the dog days.
Prospect Bonanza Continued: Baggarly (who's on a roll, I must say) reports that the Giants inked intriguing 13th-rounder Juan Carlos Perez. The D2 outfielder slipped because of visa issues, but you can't argue with the numbers. This is what Baseball America had to say:
Perez put up the craziest statistics in the state. Playing at hitter-friendly Western Oklahoma JC, he set Division II junior college records with 37 homers (one short of the overall juco mark) and 102 RBIs while batting .465 with a 1.102 slugging percentage. While his stats might be inflated, the 6-foot, 185-pounder has legitimate tools. He has a sound swing with bat speed and easy power, average speed and arm strength, and a chance to play center field. The bigger issues with Perez are his age (he'll be 22 in November) and his immigration status. A Dominican, he stayed in the United States after his original tourist visa expired, which could prevent him from gaining a work visa to play pro ball. If he gets his paperwork, he could go in the first 10 rounds.Baggs, meanwhile, makes a comparison with this guy.
From your mouth to God's ears, Andy.
Contract Talk: A quick primer for those of you who are wondering what the difference between a major league contract (which Buster Posey signed) and a minor league contract, the more traditional contract for draftees.
Essentially, a major league contract is guaranteed, and the signee is eligible for the minimum required salary of a major leaguer, which is set at $390K this year.
Perez, for example, will get his bonus money, but will be salaried at a minor league level, which is generally peanuts at the lower levels, and, um, cashews once you work your way up.
Look Out, Earthquakes: James at A Giants Minor League Blog (a nice recent complement to the already excellent Giants blogosphere) proposes a very interesting, and likely, scenario for the Single-A Giants next spring:
Various baseball people have been musing about whether or not Conor Gillaspie should be moved to second. Here’s one reason why it might not happen. It is likely that he will begin next year on the San Jose roster with Nick Noonan who is limited to only second base. There has been some talk that Noonan might be promoted straight to Connecticut but that’s absolutely crazy. Unless Noonan makes huge strides in plate discipline this offseason, sending him to Connecticut is just setting him up to fail. So, it is likely that the San Jose roster next year will consist of Angel Villalona at 1B, Nick Noonan at 2B, Conor Gillaspie at 3B, and Buster Posey at C. That’s a hell of an infield. Madison Bumgarner will also be on that team.So, come '09, there could very well be a dominant Giants ballclub - you'll just have to head further down 280 to find it.
Comment! Freak excluded, who is your favorite current Giant? Tough, isn't it?
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3 comments:
Furthermore, Castillo had a Feliz-esque .290 OBP and he didn't have the "power" that Feliz had.
Incredibly stoked that the Giants are starting to have a farm system worth discussing.
Favorite Giant? Easy. Freddie Lewis.
The Giants' pen is worse than slavery.
Favorite giant? Matt Cain. Followed him in the minors and he will be a lifelong giant. Lincecum will not.
Fred Lewis is my '08 fave. I like his continuing improvement. He's made almost every baserunning and fielding mistake you can think of this season, but he's also shown that he's learned from them and his fielding and baserunning are better every day. I like his cerebral approach at the plate. He works a lot of counts. He's patient. He likes the challenge of hitting in the middle of the lineup and he's shown some real pop. I don't think we've seen all Fred can do yet--that will make him fun to watch next year and (I hope) beyond that.
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