Random Rumor-Mongering

With the CC Sabathia non-sweepstakes behind us (leaving Brian Sabean more petulent and whiny than usual), the Giants offseason seems to have taken a turn for the boring.

Sabean has reaffirmed that the Giants will not go after Mark Teixeira, inferring he's not a player worthy of the franchise money he will assuredly get, though you could have fooled me. And Bruce Bochy has gone so far as to pencil in his 2009 lineup publicly, which ELM broke down nicely (pun intended).

Realizing the possibility of management returning to the mean (read: ineptitude) and not addressing the notion of Bengie Molina hitting cleanup, or that Rich Aurilia inexplicably remains on the radar, there absolutely has to be a third way. There are no less than four different ways to address the power vacuum where the team can stay competitive in the short-term while not hurting the long-term at all.

Dollars aside, Edgar Renteria's short-term deal is a good model: there isn't likely to be anyone ready at short for at least two years, and even though Renteria's defense is in decline, he's light years above anyone else the Giants trotted out there last year.

Sign Pat Burrell to a two-year deal that includes a first baseman's glove
Burrell is among the plethora of middle-tier free agents feeling the economic crunch. A Bellarmine product, there's been much talk he'd love to play for his de facto hometown team. Judging by his career stats at Pac Bell, I could see why.

He's a butcher at first? Maybe. He played first in the Phillies' farm system after playing third in the collegiate ranks only to shift to left to accommodate the indomitable Rico Brogna. He really hasn't played much at first since as the Phils have trotted out Travis Lee, Jim Thome and Ryan Howard for stretches during Burrell's tenure.

For two years, I'd give him a shot to be coached up by J.T. Snow. He's only 31, so the guy isn't on the downslope just yet.

And for those of you that think that he'd be "blocking" Travis Ishikawa or John Bowker, I commend your post-J.R. Philips/Desi Wilson/Damon Minor/Lance Niekro/Dan Ortmeier belief that a marginal Giants first base prospect could actually, you know, work out...

Sign or trade a bucket of baseballs for Ty Wigginton
Wigginton is arbitration-eligible and has been mentioned as a candidate to non-tendered ahead of tomorrow's deadline. The Astros simply can't afford him given their current financial situation, and should they even tender him, it shouldn't take much to get him as long as the Giants pay his salary.

Wigginton is a rich man's Rich Aurilia. He can play three infield positions and plays an adequate third. He hits for power. And the only reason his team doesn't want him is financial. Once again, he blocks no one and gives you insurance in a very fluid infield. Wigginton also allows you the ability to trade Molina if the right offer comes along and have Pablo Sandoval slide behind the dish.

Beyond the Boxscore even had Wigginton as one of the top ten third basemen of 2008. I like...

Offer Henry Sosa or Kevin Pucetas for Adrian Beltre
Beltre is good. He plays a good third. He hits well. He hits like .440 well at Pac Bell.

And given yesterday's trade, I'm not convinced that the new guy in Seattle's at all an improvement over the old guy. He certainly, at the very least, isn't interested in winning in the next two years.

As for the fact that Beltre's in a contract year? You retain roster flexibility and cost certainty. If the guy goes off, maybe he's apt to re-sign. He's certainly shown an affinity for the West Coast. You only got him for one of your mid-level prospects at a position where you're stacked...

Offer Pucetas AND Sosa for Dan Uggla
Not Jorge Cantu. Not Jeremy Hermida. Don't trade Sanchez. But this is an attractive package of decent pitching talent to a team with it's own cost certainty woes. You don't give up your top level prospects, and you bring in a proven power guy at a position of need. And you control him for a few years yet...

There are some moves that I wouldn't advocate, particularly signing Adam Dunn, who has hit hideously at Pac Bell and has a way that seems to sour teams and fans on him alike.

There's a legitimate case to be made for doing nothing, although I certainly won't. But you, my friends, can. Isn't the Internet terrific?

Comment! What you got, Armchair GM?

Thanks Geritol!

In spite of a blown save by Brian "Frown" Wilson, the Giants' lineup got a walkoff in the ninth against the venomless D-Backs.

In this game, while the kids played a big role, it was actually the work of the older dudes that got it done.   

Barry Zito turned in a Lincesque performance, going six innings and striking out nine, while only allowing two runs and driving one in at the dish. 

Food for thought:  If we throw out the horrendous performance of two weeks ago in Cinci, Zito has averaged more than seven innings over his last four starts with a 2.17 ERA and a 2.9 K/BB ratio.  Me likey.  Me likey very much.  It begs the question, is Zito finally settling down into his Lard Lad-sized contract or is it just Zito's MO to start horribly every year and then get hot when it matters least?  Only time shall tell, but this fan hopes it's the former. 

On the offensive side, Grandpa Richie had a three-hit game for his seventh time this season and continues to show that he is a valuable asset to a club full of whippersnappers.  Omar Vizquel added a hit and two walks (one of them intentional) and scored a run on the way to the win.

In other news:

- Giants first-round sandwich pick Conor Gillaspie made his Major League debut when he pinch ran for Bengie Molina in the sixth inning.  While he was thrown out at second on a fielder's choice, he was given a warm reception by the somewhat slim hometown crowd.

- Brandon Webb sat down with Baggarly to talk about the Cy Young race and Tim Lincecum before the game.  My favorite piece from that article came when the two discussed what criteria should be considered when handing out the CY:

Q: And what about who has the most wins?
A: The thing with wins is we’ve got no control. You could have a 1.00 ERA but if your team doesn’t score, you’re going to go 0-30. It’s not something you control. That’s why the wins and losses are skewed.

There you have it, folks.  Lincecum's win total doesn't matter to BWebb.  Too bad he's not a member of the perenially thick-headed Baseball Writer's Association of America.

Reports of My Demise Exaggerated, Giants Are Different Matter

Despite the large amount of revenue OBnB generates, a few other (theoretically) necessary responsibilities reared their ugly heads at once, putting me out of commission.

Luckily, the break absolves me of the false sense of jubilation that may have come with a five game winning streak for this plucky but ultimately doomed young team. With their second straight loss to the defending NL champion (remember that?) Rockies, the boys in black and orange showed this bunch is still a work in progress.

Happy trails, Matt Palmer. And welcome back, Osiris.

And now, with apologies to The Rock, I give you my Wednesday Rundown:

- Pablo Sandoval is good. I read this article about how Class A San Jose was completely galvanized by his arrival, only to fall back to the pack when he was promoted to Double A Connecticut, at which point the Defenders surged. It would have been good to link and relate to the recent improvement of the Giants.

But I couldn't find it, so take my word for it. To make up for my eroding search engine eagle eye, check out this interview Sandoval did with Defenders beat reporter Joe Perez upon his promotion to Connecticut in June.

Hope this kid sticks - he loves the game, and not in a creepy 'phile Favre way.

- A pleasant byproduct of Sandoval's callup has been the recent rebirth of Big Money's bat. Since Sandoval's arrival on August 14, Molina's batting .333 with 11 RBIs, his most productive stretch since early July.

Though it's been easy to be tough on the big guy after his ridiculously hot start, it's easy to forget he's played the most demanding position on the diamond without much respite, on 34 year old knees to boot. Baggarly did a piece on Molina couple days back:

For now, the focus with Sandoval is short-term. But Molina knows that teams seldom let their best offensive prospects stay behind the plate. Their production inevitably suffers because of the grueling nature of the position.

"You should see Bengie when he takes his shirt off," a teammate said. "He has bruises all over."

Molina acknowledged that because of numerous foul tips, there have been times this season when he could barely grip a bat.

"Yeah, but I don't have any excuses," Molina said. "I want to be out there every day and I do the best with what I have."

Molina is committed to guiding Sandoval behind the plate. He'll do the same for Buster Posey when the No. 1 draft pick (fifth overall) arrives in major league camp next spring.

But Molina wouldn't be surprised if Posey eventually moves, too.

As you may have noticed, the Giants have no shortage of good guys behind the plate.

- And speaking of Posey, who I seriously just this moment realize has a name ripe for nicknames should he flameout (God forbid), his professional career has begun in a smashing fashion. In 4 games in the Arizona Rookie League, Posey's hitting a Sandovalian .438 with a dinger and 3 RBIs.

Turns out there's no shortage of talent behind the plate either.

Are we sure Brian Sabean's still the GM?

- Finally, everyone (and by everyone, I mean the media) needs to shut up about this CC Sabathia nonsense. Hey, I love that the Giants can still be a preferred landing spot for any blue chip free agent, but the organizational pitching budget would appeared to be tied up in, well, not CC Sabathia.

A Tale of Two Yetis

Bengie "Sas-Squat" Molina lifted a three-run blast and drove in five runs, while up-and-coming catcher/possible third base solution Pablominable Snowmandoval added two hits and one RBI to come from behind and beat the more-miserable-than-ever Padres.

Randy Winn also notched three hits and was on base four times, raising his batting average to a team-leading .306 for the season.

Kevin Correia worked a solid six innings lasting long enough to get himself and the team one more W in a nice stretch of baseball.

Having won five in a row, the Giants now seem poised to make a run at Colorado for the third spot in the NL West.  The pennant it ain't, but at least it's something to shoot for.

Vets: "Kids Are Alright, We're Good Too"

Part of me wishes that Randy Winn and Bengie Molina spread out their surprisingly sublime nights (maybe retroactive to any game during the Houston debacle) but hey, I'll take it.

The best development? The resurgence of Matt Cain in this second half. And I'm for anything that minimizes the use of the chokepen.

TD Minus 6 Hours (Now With Live Blogging!)

Let's get this out of the way first: I hope you'll excuse me for my Oedipus eyes after watching Benedict Davis throw out the first pitch out in a DODGERS JERSEY.

What's worse, though, is he could have stayed on the mound and dominated this lineup. Instead, the most talented youngster Chad Billingsley did the honors, finishing off a series victory for Captain Colletti's Band o' Men.

More importantly, we're now six hours away from the non-waiver trade deadline and all sorts of interesting things are happening:

~ Manny Ramirez may be heading to the Marlins in a three-team blockbuster, although time is working against the principals.

The rumored deal would send Ramirez to Florida, Marlins outfielder Jeremy Hermida to Pittsburgh and Pirates outfielder Jason Bay to Boston, with all other pieces still to be worked out.

~ An agreement has been reached to send Ken Griffey, Jr. to the Chicago White Sox. Now Griffey, having 10-and-5 veto rights, needs to okay the deal.

~ The Yankees decided that they're the Yankees so they went ahead and bought an overpaid mercenary to replace the injured Jorge Posada.

~ And, as you all know, stars such as Mark Teixeira and CC Sabathia have already been moved.

Oh, wait, I'm sorry, you wanted Giants deadline news?

Well, I'm not in the business of fabricating, but I hear Brian Sabean is working the lines hard to rid Bill Neukom of contracts to fund a San Francisco production of No, No, Nanette.

Okay, there's one piece of gossip that has the Twins looking into acquiring Rich Aurilia. Although the Twins have been rumored to be using Boof Bonser (as in the third pitcher the Giants sent to the Twins in the...wait, seriously, you don't know this story?) as trade bait, don't really see how a Rich for Boof deal makes much sense - principally, because I don't know how Rich is worth that much.

It looks like everyone, from the Marlins to the Phillies to the Tigers to the Cardinals, have rumored interest in Jack Taschner.

And the Bengie Molina to the Marlins for Mike Jacobs talk has officially reached the players' ears:

Jacobs, who has 22 home runs, said he wouldn't be surprised if he is dealt to the Giants for catcher Bengie Molina.

It's no secret the Marlins have coveted Molina, who would solidify their catcher position.

Jacobs said he caught wind on Tuesday that he could be headed to San Francisco. So when he was removed after six innings, he wondered in the dugout if he was about to be dealt.

"It crossed my mind," Jacobs said after the Marlins edged the Mets, 7-5, on Wednesday. "Nobody said anything to me."

Jacobs's average be damned, I will never ask for anything again if Sabean pulls the trigger on that deal, pulls a rabbit out of his hat and trades Randy Winn for a Crazy Crab bobblehead and moves John Bowker to right.

But, because I just said it combined with the fact that it makes perfect sense, absolutely none of those things will happen.

Baggarly weighs in. Did you know that The Franchise is half Filipino?

Oh, and don't worry, Balloonhead Bochy ain't sweatin' it - he's going fishing with Felipe.

[9:01AM]: ESPN's Jerry Crasnick is saying that Molina won't be dealt. I'm going to choose to believe that Crasnick is a damned dirty liar - at least for four hours.

[10:07AM]: Scratch the Marlins off Taschner's possible destination list - they just traded for 68 year old lefty Arthur Rhodes.

[11:18AM]: Schulman opines that nothing's brewing but has this tidbit (that I won't let myself believe):

By the way, a source told me that the Twins do want a second baseman, and the Giants and Twins have been talking. Despite denials by Brian Sabean and Bruce Bochy, they might have stuck Jose Castillo at second base throughout the Dodgers series to showcase him for Minnesota. You'll know Friday when you see who's at second base agains San Diego.

[11:34AM]: There have been some rumblings of the Giants' potential interest in Adrian Beltre, but it doesn't appear talks are going anywhere.

Looks like one of those "one man's crap is another's (salary) dump" kind of things (I really need to start laying off the poop jokes).

[1:30PM]: The deadline passed a half hour ago and there seems to be nothing doing. Deals can be announced much after the fact, but that would be giving this front office the benefit of the doubt. And that's just stupid.

Comment! Open deadline thread engage!

Silver Lining-Free Zone

I'm sure you're all aware of the skeletal plot of a contrived sports movie: a team of scrappy unheralded players perseveres through a period of complete incompetence, meeting the expectations of every outsider, only to band together and prove that the sum is greater than the value of its parts, leading to a sappy and painfully predictable ending.

This Giants team is the antithesis of that. Except you have the same general disregard you did for these guys as you did for the duration of Air Bud: Seventh Inning Fetch.

The Giants, from the top levels of management down, demise into preseason expectations is officially complete. Let's count the ways, shall we?

The Lineup: You all remember Jason Johnson, right? Oh wait, why should you? Quick refresher: the guy was a craptastic pitcher for the Orioles in the late 90s and early 2000s before eventually pitching his way out of the MLB and onto the Seibu Lions last year.

So, obviously, he shuts the Giants down for six.

To add insult to injury, Chan Ho Park came into relieve and also proceed to do away with the lineup in a cruel and efficient manner.

Don Drysdale was up in the ninth, but I can only assume Joe Torre, classy guy that he is, spared us his wrath.

Brian Sabean: He actually sold a part in Ray Durham, so there's that. And it doesn't look like he wants to buy, which is okay.

But for Ganesha's sake, snippets like these make me want to unleash the lunatic inside:

Sabean will listen to offers for Molina and Winn, but the Giants would have to win the deal. In other words, the Giants would have to receive, for openers, a young position player who could fill a glaring need. In the Giants' case, that is power. As Sabean said on his radio show Thursday, "I personally don't see those deals out there."

I'll forgo the outrage bit and simply state this opinion: I would trade Molina and Winn (and their 2009 contracts) for Pablo Sandoval and Nate Schierholtz in a heartbeat.

If anyone's offering a the Air Bud Trilogy for the entirety of their contracts, please just do it now.

But then, to destroy my spirit even more, Schulman weighs in with this:

"I think you have to be open minded because of the division we're in," Sabean said Tuesday.

[Snip.]

[In relation to Molina] The Marlins are said to be dangling first baseman Mike Jacobs, who has 22 home runs this year. John Bowker, at 24 is three years younger and, in the Giants' eyes, could become a better hitter than Jacobs.

Meanwhile, teams are stepping up conversations about left-handed reliever Jack Taschner, but again, the Giants are reluctant to deal a commodity - namely, a left-handed setup man whom the team can control for the next three years - that would not be easily replaced.

Really? Think we're all set at first with Bowker (who I love)? Not worth taking on a 27 year old plus power corner infielder who has more than twice as many homers as anyone else on our team in an extreme pitchers park?

Oh, don't know if you forgot, but John Bowker is an OUTFIELDER!

Better get used to this bunch of clowns.

And finally...

Bruce Bochy: That's right, I've turned. Jose Castillo, after doing his best Chuck Knoblauch on Monday, was out there again last night. Bochy's defense?

"We want to take somewhat of a look at him," Bochy said.

[Snip]

"I like the way he swings the bat," Bochy said.

Schulman puts it more bluntly:

Jose Castillo started at second base for the second straight game. Manager Bruce Bochy said the Giants want to evaluate him as a potential second baseman for the future.

Translation? The 2009 Bruce Bochy-led Giants will live and die by Shrekstillo.

It is an absolute disgrace that our team has once again been hijacked by a huge headed BB. Taking a look at a repeated failure like Jose Castillo while Manny Burriss toils on the bench? Hell, I'm not the biggest Eugenio Velez booster, but at least he hasn't been released by the Pirates and the Marlins.

I almost wish that Bochy copped to showcasing Castillo rather than implying that he's a part of this team's future. The Giants picked this guy up off waivers mere days before the start of the season because, lo and behold, Sabean had done nothing to address the position after the departure of Pedro Feliz.

That's like being forced to lick a piece of dog poop by the local bully, deciding it doesn't taste as bad as you thought, and making it a part of your regular diet.

(Yeah, the 12 year old in all of you should probably check out Step Brothers if you haven't already.)

I can't even look at these guys right now.

Oh yeah, the Giants lost.

Trade Deadline News No Match for Veriz*n Crappiness

You can pin the no-post weekend on a certain unnamed internet service provider that, quite frankly, never delivered on their said promises of a telecommunications entourage.

I'm sure the loyal crazies, er, readers of the blog were up in arms over the lack of my pontifications regarding the ghastly D'Bag sweep of the good guys. A few positives, including a Fred Lewis four-hit game against one of the best, albeit, ugliest lefties of all time and another lights-out start by The Franchise in the game that shall not be mentioned.

(On an unrelated note, in case any giant-headed managers are reading: Scott Linebrink > Akinori Otsuka > Alan Embree > Steve Reed > Jim Poole > Your Mom > Everyone > Tyler Walker)

And now, your Monday Before The Deadline Primer!

~ Randy Winn: Winn seems to be drawing tepid interest from the corner outfielder-poor Metropolitans. ESPN speculates that the Giants are amenable to sending some cash with Randy in order to facilitate getting actual talent back.

The Yanks had been scouting Winn, but it looks like they've addressed their outfield vacancy by dealing for Xavier Nady.

~ Bengie Molina: The Marlins and the Yankees have emerged as potential suitors for Molina.

Following the Yanks' emptying out of their already thin cupboard in the Nady/Damaso Marte deal, the Marlins would seem to be a preferable match for the Giants. They have a lot of depth on the farm if not top-line talent (that seems to be pretty much all with the big league club, Cameron Maybin exempted). Given the Marlins depth at the corner infield spots, there could be a match here somewhere.

~ Rich Aurilia: Looks like the Cards may be interested.

As a fungible piece in the last year of his deal, I'm sure he could get moved for a low-level prospect. But he's one guy I don't necessarily want to see get moved. He's a solid backup and a great presence on this team, the kind of guy who will mentor the youth and embody the notion that this franchise was once relevant.

~ Jack Taschner: Left-handed reliever. Available. If the Giants want to trade him, they will be able to. The Marlins are also looking for a lefty reliever, so there's a larger trade possibility here.

~ Tyler Walker: Seriously, he has come up in rumors involving his the Rays, for whom Walker moonlighted in 2006.

If Tampa is willing to cover 3% of his salary and promises not to make fun of the Giants, that's Brian Sabean's biggest win since the Jason Schmidt deal.

~ Omar Vizquel: No real news that I can find. A team could theoretically opt for him as an insurance policy. Once again, wouldn't expect anything but some salary relief.

~ Matt Cain: Included simply out of due diligence, although indications seem to be strong he's not even close to being on the block.

Then again, Brian Sabean does have a certain cloak and dagger element to his oft-questioned ways, so I would never take him at his word.

The Rangers, as I've harped on before, would be a perfect match in any potential Cain trade. But the only thing I'm seeing is that the Giants are scouting Hank Blalock.

While the writer in the above article has a point that Sabean ain't all that, I will pay the gas-cost inflated ticket price to fly to Dallas and punch him in the face if Madison Bumgarner or Tim Alderson were to be included in a package to secure Blalock.

Don't really know what to believe, but for a guy who hasn't hit very well in recent seasons in a hitter's paradise while battling back problems, I simply don't see the Giants moving anything more than a couple B-level (read: not Bumgarner, Alderson, Villalona) prospects for him.

For the record, I would still think that's too much.

Comment! Open trade possibility thread! Great opportunity for first time commenters.

Straws Clutched Much?

So the Giants continue their domination of the Washington Natgonnaworkhereanymores. Rich Aurilia, Omar Vizquel, and Bengie Molina each contributed mightily to the win. And would-be Olympian Geno Espineli get his first ML W.

Now I may come off as snarky, negative, and mostly detached in my ramblings about this team, but I'll tell you what, a win's a win, and it always feels good.

Disclaimer having been declared, comments like these detract from said win (over the worst team in the league, records be damned):

Will manager Bruce Bochy really plant Vizquel on the bench in August if he keeps hitting the way he has in this series? Vizquel is 4-for-6 since he had "the talk" with Bochy and general manager Brian Sabean on Tuesday about his curtailed role after the trade deadline.

Already, Bochy is rethinking his plan to rest Vizquel and an equally hot Bengie Molina today. Finally, Vizquel said after his first three-hit game since May 15, he is starting to feel it with the stick.

And Richie, God bless him, has used the two straight wins over the contraction-worthy Nats as a platform for his pro-vet agenda:

"There's a wealth of knowledge in this clubhouse with a few guys," Aurilia said. "I hope people realize that and take advantage of it."

Hey, Sabean! Can that guy for insubordination!

But seriously, don't let the craptastic wins fool you: trade 'em all.

Sandoval Still At Large: The Yeti of hopeful Giants fanboys (and girls) remains tucked in a weird expanse of the Northeastern United States where pastels and boating shoes are the norm...for boys. For now, OBnB fave Steve Holm is back up with the parent club to replace the departed Eliezer Alfonzo.

I expect this won't be the last transaction pertaining to Giants catchers we see this season. And you just have to wonder, what with Big Money heating up and news like this coming out of the Bronx, could Sabean actually pull the trigger to deal our admirable if overmatched cleanup hitter?

Schierholtz an Olympian: Congrats to Nate! Perhaps this will prompt management to call him up and give him a good look. Not because he earned the spot, mind you, but because they're jerks.

Further Proof That Farm System Doesn't Suck: Rotoworld took a break from fantasizing about major league ballplayers in their mothers' basements to fantasizing about minor league ballplayers in their mothers' basements, releasing a Midseason Top 150 Prospects list.

Giants check in with five (it would have been six with Buster Posey signed - he would have been at #32); Madison Bumgarner leads the pack at #21.

Comment! Where are potential landing spots for Aurilia, Molina, Vizquel (yes, Omar Vizquel), Jack Taschner, Randy Winn et al? Throw out your trade package ideas.

Optimists Need Not Apply

Rejected slogans for the 2008 Washington Nationals:

"The Nats: Good for What Ails Ya"

"Wily Mo Pena Is, Like, Really Strong - Strongman Strong"

"We're Going to Be Good...NAT!"

Whatever it ended up being, the Giants certainly don't seem to be fazed, taking their fifth straight from the woebegone Nationals. The Big Money that we enjoyed so much through May made his triumphant return with two (trade him now) homers, and Barry Zito improved his trade value to dizzying highs in running up his record to 5-12.

Duh: In an utterly shocking development, Bruce Bochy informed Omar Vizquel that he will not be the regular starter at short. But wait, there's more: that is effective post-trade deadline. In making that bit of news public, the Giants reinforce the notion that they have not one iota of knowledge as to how to effectively manage assets.

Sandoval Soon?: The esteemed Andrew Baggarly reports that Eliezer Alfonzo has been sent back to Fresno, closing the chapter on one of the more puzzling Giant callups of the 21st century.

But here's where it gets interesting. According to Baggs, Steve Holm would appear to be the beneficiary in the interim, but there's a chance that as early as next week (pending deadline deals), Pablo Sandoval, arguably the best hitter in the Giants system right now, could get the callup. The 21 year old catcher/corner infielder has followed up a stellar high A stint with an equally impressive line in about a month of AA ball.

After shellacking the rehabbing David Ortiz-led Portland SeaDogs last night, Sandoval is hitting .343 with 6 HRs and 27 RBIs in 110 ABs, all while hitting at notorious pitcher's park Dodd Stadium.

Roberts Activated: Um...did you know he stole second base in the ninth inning of Game 4 of the 2004 ALCS?

From within that piece, the would-be heir apparent to Ray Durham looks to make an early comeback.

Espineli Up: In my euphoria of being a Giants fan these days, I somehow overlooked that the Giants brought up right handed slop thrower Geno Espineli. In a hilariously tragic twist, the callup stripped Geno of his ability to pitch in the Olympics next month - you know, the last Olympics in which baseball will be played.

That's just cold, Sabes.

More on Hammond

Ryan Topp did a prospect analysis of the Brewers last offseason and had an interesting blurb on brand new Giant Steve Hammond and his best potential future role:

#19 Steve Hammond,, LHP
6'2” 205 lbs. Born 4/30/1982

Drafted in the 6th round of the 2005 draft out of Long Beach State University

Call me stubborn, but I'm not ready to give up on this personal favorite just yet. Drafted with an eye towards making him a reliever eventually, he performed so well in 2006 between High A Brevard and AA Huntsville that the team decided to keep him in the rotation for the foreseeable future. Things didn't go well in 2007 for Hammond in AA, a change largely driven by a 2.5 hits per 9 inning increase and a resulting .26 jump in WHIP. His K rate only declined slightly and his walks actually went down, which got me to thinking about a potential move to the pen. Sure enough, his K rate steadily declines as each inning passes all the way through the 5th, which would indicate some trouble holding his stuff deep into games. He did show trouble with walks in the first inning, which would be a problem were he to move into short relief. Still, I would like to see how he reacts to a move to the pen before writing him off as a prospect. If last years struggles as a starter persist into this season, I would expect that move sooner rather than later.

This predates Hammond's AAA debacle (in a very limited sample size) this season (0-4, 7.41 ERA in 17.1 innings) but it's still interesting to note.

Perhaps the Giants picked up him up with an eye towards replacing Jack Taschner.

It also turns out the Giants did kick in about half of Ray Durham's remaining salary. Although I hated on Darren Ford yesterday, the addition of Hammond to the trade, while clearing a spot for Manny Burriss to play every day, makes this deal pretty palatable.

Oh, in case you still care, the Brewers took the Giants' dignity as well as Durham, completing the sweep in a forgettable game.

Comment! What's next? In addition to Taschner and Omar Vizquel, should the Giants start aggressively shopping Bengie Molina and Randy Winn?

Sheatty

Remember the climactic scene on the exchange floor in Trading Places where Valentine and Winthrope are working the Frozen Concentrated Orange Juice Markets?  And, meanwhile, the evil Dukes are using their faulty information on the Florida orange crops to manically buy before realizing they're sitting on lemons (so to speak) and sell what they can before going bankrupt?

I feel like the Dukes.

I'm flip-flopping like a politician: sell this whole freaking team as far as I'm concerned.

Looks like we may be able to get some value for Special Agent Jack (last night's performance notwithstanding), Day to Day Ray, Aurilia, and perhaps even Vizquel.  There are rumors that the Brew Crew and the Cards are among the interested parties.

I add Molina and Winn to that list.

Comment-Starter: If a team offers you a bounty for Matt Cain a la CC (No Period) Sabathia, should you listen?

At Least They Don't Dive

In an effort to make relative the ongoing struggles of the Giants offense, I give you an athlete even more pathetic than Frederick, Raymond, Randall, and Bengamin (otherwise known as the 0 for Shea Gang) combined:

Reformed bust Barry Zito (take that Kawakami) tries to be the stopper tonight.

Comment-Starter: What do you do to give this offense a shot in the arm?

Reports of Cain's Demise Premature

It strikes me that the potential years-long battle for the title of ace will be a fun sub-plot for this franchise. On a day where the wondrous Tim Lincecum was featured in Sports Illustrated and Jon Sanchez was named NL Player of the Week, Matt Cain reminded us why he was once the lone young stud in the Giants rotation.

In what was easily his best start of the year, Cain shut down the league-leading Cubs offense (albeit without Aramis Ramirez), hurling 8 innings of 2 hit ball while racking up 10 Ks.  And, in a shocking twist, he gets the win in a 2-1 triumph by the Giants.

Jose Castillo closed out Cain's night with perhaps the best defensive play of the year (after two ugly errors in two days).  Buy MLB.TV, watch Baseball Tonight, or find a time machine and go back in time to watch his snag of a Mark DeRosa grounder - a full extension pick to his left on a high bounce, an immediate pop up to the point of no balance, and a wing and a prayer one hopper to John Bowker.

Mere amateur blogger prose could not accurately describe the poetry of that play.  Cain was shaking his head in disbelief as he walked off the field.

Brian Wilson gives up a run in a terribly sloppy save.  The 100 MPH fastballs were fun, but I'll take 95 with location and a couple of less ulcers.

Alfonzo Back, Holm Down: Evidently, Eliezer Alfonzo's PED-ban did nothing to diminish his stature among the higher-ups, as he gets called up nine days after his reinstatement to replace Steve Holm.

Love the Holm, but his defense has left something to be desired, and it will be nice to have Alfonzo's ML experience, both in calling games and with the bat, behind Big Money.  Still, I'll miss the improbable winner of the Giants backup spot out of spring training.

Happy trails, Steve.

Comment-Starter: Who do you see having the most successful career as a Giant - Cain, Lincecum or Sanchez?

Vintage Suck

On a night where the Giants adorned their garb of yesteryear, Omar Vizquel decided to go throwback, too, flying all over the field and collecting the Giants' first straight steal of home in 25 years.

Unfortunately, the rest of the team played like it actually was the late 1970s (the G-Men wore the orange pullover from '78-'82) - they couldn't run, swing a bat, and seemed generally distracted by bright colors when they weren't soiling themselves in key situations.

And, in one of the most oft-repeated phrases in Bay Area baseball history, the A's beat the Giants.

From now on, as far as I'm concerned, as long as Barry Zito (who won the race for the fastest to double-digit losses in the NL) doesn't completely implode, I put all of his losses on the offense.

(Real world example warning.)

Barry's like the guy in your department who has his job as a favor to a higher-up - a guy who, in spite of his repeated gaffes, will never get canned. If your department continues to fail and he's the guy screwing it up, it doesn't make a lick of difference. If an exec eventually demands someone be held accountable, who do you think is going to pay?

I'll give you a hint: it's not going to be John Q. Moneydummy.

I'll give you another hint: it's going to be you.

So that's why I blame the offense. You're going to have to bring at least 5 runs when Zito pitches. It's just a reality you accept if you're a member of the Giants offense over the course of the next five and a half years. (Sigh.)

Bear in mind, my sympathies for their plight is limited: they only have to score a run, two tops really, thanks to the consistent dominance of Tim Lincecum on days he pitches. Even Stevens.

The top two culprits on the offense these days? Big Money (batting .190 in the past week) and Aaron Rowand (.227 in June).

Hope our 4 and 5 hitters right the ship in short order. The lineup simply isn't built to pick up our two best hitters.

Cainer versus Harden tonight.

Unifun: Check out this prototype for the Giants jersey redesign in 1993. Had no idea that it got so close to production.

My gut reaction is that it's kind of an abomination, but it has a certain ugly charm to it. Some veteran Giants fans may remember that a similar inverted coloring scheme was employed in the seasons between '73-'76.

A Tale of Two Catchers

We all just knew that Yorvit would go and screw us again, and he just barely gets it done in a 1-0 snorefest.

Special Agent Jack Taschner, who has very much turned the corner this season (and hasn't allowed an earned run in almost a month), nearly cleaned up a wild Keiichi Yabu's mess. Coming in with a bases loaded, no out situation in the bottom of the ninth, the wily lefty was only a Big Money catch and tag away from getting out of the jam.

Instead, Big Money had a rare miscue - Fred Lewis caught a one out Torrealba fly ball and threw an absolute seed to Molina, who appeared to tag out a streaking Garrett Atkins, only for replays to show that he never caught the ball in the first place.

But I'm not losing my lunch over that. I'm losing it because of the Felizitis that has become this team in Colorado, who have gone 0 for 18 this series with RISP.

And worst of all, Timmy gets nothing for putting up more donuts than even the corpulent Colorado crowd could consume because the Giants can't hit a heretofore mediocre Ribaldo Jimenez.

The Giants try to salvage the day game as Dirty goes against the even more mediocre Greg Reynolds.

Check Your Head

Me (two days ago):

Horwitz makes his first start - I'm not holding my breath for a Bowker-esque first full game.

Brian Horwitz (a 4 for 8 with a homer later):

Check yourself.

And Bri Rock is born. (Click here if you don't get it, you weird, slightly off-putting, but not really rebellious emo kid.)

Once again proving I don't know jack, Bri Rock and the 1927 New York Yankees decided to call it a game early in a drubbing of the New York Wets the Bed.

In another cruel-life counterexample to my ill founded assertions, Jonathan Sanchez is looking like a pitcher that has a plan, even out of the stretch, and his run of good starts continues. (He's also starting to look pretty comfortable at the plate.)

An interesting contrast to the starting pitcher for the Mets last night, Oliver Perez, another lefty with filthy stuff and a questionable mound presence. When it's all said and done, Sanchez's career arc could very much mirror Ollie's - fits of inconsistency (as last night's outing displayed) interspersed with absolute brilliance. Although it seems he's been around forever, Perez is, at 26, only a year senior to Sanchez.

And a huge congrats to Big Money for his 1,000th hit. Molina's quickly becoming one of my all-time favorite Giants. From the big guy:

"It means a lot to me. It's like most of the guys hitting 3,000. I know and understand I'm not a superstar. I'm not a Hall of Famer. But to get to 1,000 hits for a guy who wasn't supposed to sign and signed for $1,000 - $750 after taxes - for a guy who wasn't supposed to make in the minor leagues, for being the slowest guy in the world, to get 1,000 hits is really an honor for me. ... No scout in Puerto Rico gave me a chance to be a pro."

P.J. Martinez makes his long-anticipated return tonight. New Yorkers wonder what they'll get.

Meanwhile, San Franciscans wonder which kind of washed up ace they'd prefer: the injury-prone kind or the untalented kind. We'll get a first hand look tonight.

- A lot of prognosticators are licking their chops, as David Ortiz gets hurt, giving the Bonds to Sox as DH rumor momentum.

- Threets DFA'd. Best of luck to the hard throwing lefty.

- The Giants have expressed interest in Sac State's Gabe Jacobo, potentially as a fourth or fifth round pick. Jacobo's an athletic power hitter without a clear position - he was a prep shortstop before playing first in college.

- Define AAAA.

- Scary thought: "Hey kids, getting hurt's part of the game. And remember, one big stolen base does in fact a career make."

Discussion Junction (yeah I like that): With Randy Winn continuing to jack up his trade value and the young guys looking good, who do you think will be manning the Giants outfield on game 162?

???

Who were those guys?

Excuse my confusion, but those mysterious men in gray scored in double digits - for the first time all season. (They were the second to last to get there, however, with the Royals still reliably being the Royals.)

I gave Feliz-lite grief yesterday for his atrocious hitting with the bases loaded, but the team as a whole entered last night's play hitting .094 (3 for 32) in such situations. In yesterday's win, they went a blistering 3 for 4.

Jonathan Sanchez acting the part of poised pitcher while the opponent's starter repeatedly got rattled? You had to see it to believe it. In the words of Boch:

"He's just really growing as a pitcher. He had it all going tonight, and aside from the command, he was very composed. It's great to see how poised he has become."

Some great stuff from opposition press about the throttling the Giants delivered last night. Melvin calls it their worst loss of the year. Fantastic.

A legitimate leadoff hitter, cleanup hitter, and #5 hitter really does wonders for an offense. It's too much to ask that Bengie and Rowand keep up this whiffle ball streak, but it does underscore what the presence of one legitimate power bat could do for this team.

If only there was one available...

As for that #6 hitter - well, he had a good game, actually a good month, but I still say he kills any of our fathers if he gets a chance.

I can't wait until his value invariably bottoms out with a bottom injury and he gets traded for Shea Hillenbrand.

Some more good news: with yesterday's win, the Giants move to 5-3 and clinch a winning road trip.

Bad news: a suddenly decent Big Wet Rat takes the mound against Zito tonight.

8 Bits of Wonderful

Tim Lincecum is good. Really quite good. I can't overemphasize how good he is.

He proved it again last night.

He has a third of our team's victories. In other words, if this team wins 75 games, he would have 25 wins.

He's 5-0 when the Giants enter his starts on a losing streak.

He's 7-1 with a 2.33 ERA and 76 Ks in 69.2 IPs.

Simply, Tim Lincecum is video game good.


- Ditto Big Money. Out of his mind. An 8 for 8 stretch with RISP? Get outta here.

- On the other hand, or perhaps foot, Jose Castillo (800 foot homer notwithstanding) can't get a hit (or a sac fly) with RISP to save his life. .217 overall and a ghastly 0 for 9 with the bases loaded and 0 for 3 with runners on 2nd and third.

He's Pedro Feliz...lite. I just said it. Deal with it.

- Ray Durham doesn't play hard. In the words of Mark Grace, who I don't often quote, "Durham just stretched a triple into a double."

UPDATE: The fantastically bitter (and insightful) Mr. Lomez of the Bay Area Sports Machine devotes an entire entry to the hellacious sucktitude of Ray Durham. A must-read.

Molina de Semana

In what promises to be one of few pieces of recognition the 2008 San Francisco Giants receive, our venerable cleanup hitter proved not only the best of the Flying Molina Catching Brothers, but the whole darn National League as he is named the Player of the Week for the week of May 19-25.

His stats from the week? .652 (15-23) batting average, nine RBIs, .654 on-base percentage, 15 hits, six of which were doubles, and a 1.043 slugging percentage. In the backbreaking May 25th doubleheader on Sunday, he went a combined 6-for-7 with four doubles, five RBI and two runs scored.

In a word: ridiculous.

Congrats, Bengie.

- Great matchup tonight as "Keep Us Closer" Tiny Dancer faces Dan Haren at the field formerly known as the BoB. 6:40 start.

- Pedro Martinez will return next week as the dysfunctional Metropolitans of New York come to Pac Bell on June 3rd.

"We look forward to a dominating 2/3 of an inning from Pedro," manager Willie Randolph told the vultures, er, press corps in New York. "We plan on lifting him at that point to preserve his body for his next start in August."

"Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go pick up the Wilpon's dry-cleaninng."

- Orlando Cepeda avoids the slammer. I'm pretty sure that he'll quit after this whole ordeal...

- Another thing I'm sure of: this is what will happen whenever the Giants ever hoist a trophy, be it in my lifetime or my great-grandchildren's.

Discussion-Explosion: What other individual awards could the San Francisco Giants win this season?