Matt Cain pitched 5 perfect innings but the Cubbies came back with the help of some poor fielding. Key Lines:
Pablo Sandoval- 2 for 3. BA= .381 Pablo drove in the only two runs as Morse and Pence scored on his single in the bottom of the 4'th inning.
Matt Cain- 5 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 7 K. ERA= 0.00. It doesn't get much better than that. I didn't see what his stuff looked like, but the line would indicate that he was in complete control of everything. Wow!
David Huff- 1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 0 K. ERA= 9.00. Huff makes his spring debut with so-so results. He's getting a late start, but the door is still open for that long relief/6'th starter slot.
Jeremy Affeldt- 1 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 2 K's. ERA= 3.00. Not a great outing by any stretch, but Affeldt was hurt by a Keystone Cops play in which both Brandon Crawford and Tony Abreu committed errors.
Jose De Paula- 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K. ERA= 0.00. De Paula continues to make impressive appearances in different roles.
Barry Bonds arrived in camp today for a weeklong stint as a special instructor. The press conference went as well as could be expected and better under the circumstances. He sounds happy and eager to be part of the Giants organization again. Great to hear he's living in SF now. He sounded humble when he said he isn't sure if he can be a good coach or not. He's here to find out.
I kind of feel like the 2 rings have taken a huge weight off the entire organization. Just think of how frustrating it would be to remember Barry's career if we were still waiting for the first one.
If you are interested in getting some great firsthand information about minor league camp, check out the website Giant Potential linked over to the left. Connor Penfold is the proprietor and he has terrific information with pictures and videos. Just a teaser: If you are impressed by the Giants wealth of young pitchers who were and are in big league camp, they have at least 2 more ready to join that group: Luis Ysla and Keury Mella. Remember those names and check out Giant Potential!
Around the League: While the Atlanta Braves await the outcome of Kris Medlen's MRI, Brandon Beachy, another TJ survivor, came out after 2 innings of a planned 4 inning start complaining of biceps tightness. The Bravos may be starting to regret thinking Tim Hudson wasn't needed anymore.
Monday, March 10, 2014
Fantasy Focus: All Non-Drafted Team- Pitchers
Pitching is deeper than ever this year. You can get good pitching late in drafts and several rosterable pitchers are going undrafted in many leagues. If you have no innings limit in your league, these guys make good streaming options. Here are some undrafted guys I find interesting:
Scott Feldman, Astros. 2013: 12 W, 132 K, 3.86 ERA, 1.18 WHIP, 181.2 IP. The W's may be harder to come by with that Astros lineup, but I always look for low WHIP's and he gives you that.
Rick Porcello, Tigers. 2013: 13 W, 142 K, 4.32 ERA, 1.28 WHIP, 177 IP. Porcello is an extreme groundball pitcher who should benefit greatly from the Tigers improved IF defense. He also started to strike more people out in the second half last year.
Henderson Alvarez, Marlins. 2013: 5 W, 57 K, 3.59 ERA, 1.14 WHIP, 102.2 IP. Alvarez is an extreme contact pitchers who won't get you many K's and he has a pathetic lineup backing him up, so W's may be hard to come by. Don't forget that WHIP is a category, though, and he has a great WHIP!
Nate Eovaldi, Marlins. 2013: 4 W, 78 K, 3.39 ERA, 1.32 WHIP, 106.1 IP. Eovaldi is sort of the mirror image of Alvarez. He gets K's, but is going to have a higher WHIP. He throws really hard and I like his upside.
Erasmo Ramirez, Mariners. 2013: 5 W, 57 K's, 4.98 ERA, 1.45 WHIP, 72.1 IP. Ramirez was a big disappointment last year, mostly due to injuries. He will be as high as the Mariners #3 starter this year and has pitched well in the spring. A nice sleeper to draft late.
Scott Feldman, Astros. 2013: 12 W, 132 K, 3.86 ERA, 1.18 WHIP, 181.2 IP. The W's may be harder to come by with that Astros lineup, but I always look for low WHIP's and he gives you that.
Rick Porcello, Tigers. 2013: 13 W, 142 K, 4.32 ERA, 1.28 WHIP, 177 IP. Porcello is an extreme groundball pitcher who should benefit greatly from the Tigers improved IF defense. He also started to strike more people out in the second half last year.
Henderson Alvarez, Marlins. 2013: 5 W, 57 K, 3.59 ERA, 1.14 WHIP, 102.2 IP. Alvarez is an extreme contact pitchers who won't get you many K's and he has a pathetic lineup backing him up, so W's may be hard to come by. Don't forget that WHIP is a category, though, and he has a great WHIP!
Nate Eovaldi, Marlins. 2013: 4 W, 78 K, 3.39 ERA, 1.32 WHIP, 106.1 IP. Eovaldi is sort of the mirror image of Alvarez. He gets K's, but is going to have a higher WHIP. He throws really hard and I like his upside.
Erasmo Ramirez, Mariners. 2013: 5 W, 57 K's, 4.98 ERA, 1.45 WHIP, 72.1 IP. Ramirez was a big disappointment last year, mostly due to injuries. He will be as high as the Mariners #3 starter this year and has pitched well in the spring. A nice sleeper to draft late.
Sunday, March 9, 2014
Spring Training Game Wrap 3/9/2014: Giants 3 Dodgers 2
3-2 seems to be the Giants magic score this spring as they won by that score for something like the 4'th time in 5 games. Brandon Hicks took Clayton Kershaw deep in the second and drove in all 3 runs while Edwin Escobar overcame the butterflies and some squeezing by the ump. Key Lines:
Brandon Hicks- 1 for 2, HR, 2 BB. BA= .429.
Edwin Escobar- 3 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 4 BB, 0 K. ERA= 1.50. I was following on Gameday. There were several pitches called balls by the ump that were well within the K zone on the Pitch Fx monitor. I thought the kid did a good job of keeping his composure settling down to limit the damage. Afterwards, Bochy hinted that Escobar might be getting close to being the first option for reserve starter.
Jason Berken- 3 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K's. ERA= 4.50. Nice effort by Berken who has MLB experience and could work his way into the reserve starter mix.
Jean Machi- 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K's. ERA= 4.15. Machi certainly did not hurt his cause in making the roster as he bailed out Melonhead Jr in the 8'th and then slammed the door in the 9'th all with just a 1 run lead on the Dodgers.
Clayton Kershaw(Dodgers)- 5 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 0 BB, 1 K. ERA= 10.00. Better than his first 2 starts of th spring and better than his last start of 2013, but still not exactly what you expect from Kershaw. I don't know what his velocity was, but it looked like he laid a lot of pitches right out over the plate on the Gameday strike zone. The pitch that Hicks hit out was belt high and down the middle with nothing on it.
Madison Bumgarner pitched 5 shutout innings in the Future's Game. I could not find boxscore, but the Giants won that one 8-0.
Long article by Alex P on Extra Giants about Gary Brown. Sounds like he and the Giants are still not quite on the same page. Kind of a mixed reaction from me here. I agree with Brown that he should not become a slap/groundball hitter, especially since he only bats from the right side. That approach just isn't going to work. Agree with Bam Bam and the organization that he needs to hold his hands higher.
Barry Bonds arrives in camp tomorrow.
Around the League:
RHP Kris Medlen, Braves, left today's game holding his right elbow and was diagnosed with the dreaded "forearm strain." He will likely start the season on the DL. The next headline you read in those kinds of injures is usually about a visit to Dr Andrews.
Brandon Hicks- 1 for 2, HR, 2 BB. BA= .429.
Edwin Escobar- 3 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 4 BB, 0 K. ERA= 1.50. I was following on Gameday. There were several pitches called balls by the ump that were well within the K zone on the Pitch Fx monitor. I thought the kid did a good job of keeping his composure settling down to limit the damage. Afterwards, Bochy hinted that Escobar might be getting close to being the first option for reserve starter.
Jason Berken- 3 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K's. ERA= 4.50. Nice effort by Berken who has MLB experience and could work his way into the reserve starter mix.
Jean Machi- 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K's. ERA= 4.15. Machi certainly did not hurt his cause in making the roster as he bailed out Melonhead Jr in the 8'th and then slammed the door in the 9'th all with just a 1 run lead on the Dodgers.
Clayton Kershaw(Dodgers)- 5 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 0 BB, 1 K. ERA= 10.00. Better than his first 2 starts of th spring and better than his last start of 2013, but still not exactly what you expect from Kershaw. I don't know what his velocity was, but it looked like he laid a lot of pitches right out over the plate on the Gameday strike zone. The pitch that Hicks hit out was belt high and down the middle with nothing on it.
Madison Bumgarner pitched 5 shutout innings in the Future's Game. I could not find boxscore, but the Giants won that one 8-0.
Long article by Alex P on Extra Giants about Gary Brown. Sounds like he and the Giants are still not quite on the same page. Kind of a mixed reaction from me here. I agree with Brown that he should not become a slap/groundball hitter, especially since he only bats from the right side. That approach just isn't going to work. Agree with Bam Bam and the organization that he needs to hold his hands higher.
Barry Bonds arrives in camp tomorrow.
Around the League:
RHP Kris Medlen, Braves, left today's game holding his right elbow and was diagnosed with the dreaded "forearm strain." He will likely start the season on the DL. The next headline you read in those kinds of injures is usually about a visit to Dr Andrews.
Saturday, March 8, 2014
Fantasy Focus: All Non-Drafted Team- Batters
One of the exercises I like to go through in preparing for a fantasy draft is to look at the worst case scenario for every position. In other words, who might I be able to count on getting if I leave a given position to the end of the draft or if I get too exuberant about spending money early in an auction. With that in mind, I thought it might be fun to compile an All-Star team of players likely to be non-drafted. I looked up players at each position who are less than 20% owned in Yahoo leagues right now. Since this covers all Yahoo formats, it means that if you are in a standard 10 or 12 team league, there is close to a 100% chance that these guys will go undrafted, unless you take them at the end of your draft. Let's take a look:
C Welington Castillo, Cubs. 2013: 41 R, 8 HR, 32 RBI, 2 SB, .274 BA, 428 PA. Castillo was widely regarded as a sleeper last spring. Nobody is paying him any attention this year due to a somewhat disappointing 2013. I would just call your attention to his second half stat line: .288/.388/.475, 6 HR in 165 PA's. Projected over a full season, those are monster numbers! Not saying you can just multiply his second half stats by 3 and get his 2014 projection, but HR's in the high teens with a .270 BA is not at all unreasonable as an expectation.
1B Justin Smoak, Mariners. 2013: 53 R, 20 HR, 50 RBI, 0 SB, .238 BA, 521 PA. First base is a thin position this year and Smoak was the best I could find. The 20 HR's is mildly interesting but he hit 19 in 2012 with a .217 BA. You might want to use this information to decide to fill your 1B slot before the end of the draft. On the other hand, if Smoak could just find a way to get his BA into the .250 range, he could become rosterable in CI/IF/UT slot in deeper leagues.
2B Rickie Weeks, Brewers. 2013: 40 R, 10 HR, 24 RBI, 7 SB, .209 BA, 399 PA. 2B is another thin position. 2013 was a lost year for Weeks as he lost his starting 2B job. The Brewers appear to be given him a chance to win it back this spring and he is swinging the bat better. Personally I would not draft him, but his situation is worth watching closely in case you need to add a 2B from the waiver wire after the season starts.
3B Cody Asche, Phillies. 2013: 18 R, 5 HR, 22 RBI, 1 SB, .235 BA, 179 PA. For better or worse, Cody Asche is the Phillies starting 3B for 2014. That alone makes him worth considering as a fantasy 3B as this is another thin position. Whether he can sustain his 2013 performance is open to question, but it wasn't bad projected over a full season's worth of PA's. Worth monitoring on the PA market after the season starts.
SS Pedro Florimon, Twins. 2013: 44 R, 9 HR, 44 RBI, 15 SB, .221 BA, 446 PA. At 6'2", 180 lbs, Florimon is large for a SS. His 2013 numbers get interesting if projected over a full season's worth of PA's with double digit HR's and Steals an excellent possibility and 20/20 not out of the question. Again, I would not draft him, but he's worth following closely on the FA market once the season starts.
OF Raul Ibanez, Angels. 2013: 54 R, 29 HR, 65 RBI, 0 SB, .242 BA, 496 PA. Ibanez just keeps going as he enters his age 42 season. He is slated to be the Angels' full time DH which may bump his PA's close to 600. Nice power source at the end of your draft.
OF Justin Ruggiano, Cubs. 2013: 49 R, 18 HR, 50 RBI, 15 SB, .221 BA, 472 PA. It looks like Ruggiano will be playing nearly everyday in the Cubs OF. His .260 BABIP suggests the possibility of a bounceback in BA which should also help his counting stats. The move from Miami to Wrigley Field won't hurt a bit. A 20/20 season is a strong possibility.
OF Michael Morse, Giants. 2014(ZIPS): 48 R, 14 HR, 47 RBI, 0 SB, .253 BA, 427 PA. Morse's season hinges on his health. He will come out of game in which the Giants are leading in the late innings for a defensive replacement, so the projected PA's may not be too far off. He could put up significantly better numbers if he remains fully healthy.
OF Ryan Ludwick, Reds. 2014(ZIPS): 36 R, 13 HR, 52 RBI, 0 SB, .244 BA, 354 PA. Ludwick's 2013 season was lost due to injury. He appears to be healthy this spring and new manager Bryan Price is talking about batting him 4'th against LHP's and 5'th against RHP's this year. He is a good bet for 20+ HR's if healthy and batting in the middle of the Reds lineup should push his R/RBI up considerably.
C Welington Castillo, Cubs. 2013: 41 R, 8 HR, 32 RBI, 2 SB, .274 BA, 428 PA. Castillo was widely regarded as a sleeper last spring. Nobody is paying him any attention this year due to a somewhat disappointing 2013. I would just call your attention to his second half stat line: .288/.388/.475, 6 HR in 165 PA's. Projected over a full season, those are monster numbers! Not saying you can just multiply his second half stats by 3 and get his 2014 projection, but HR's in the high teens with a .270 BA is not at all unreasonable as an expectation.
1B Justin Smoak, Mariners. 2013: 53 R, 20 HR, 50 RBI, 0 SB, .238 BA, 521 PA. First base is a thin position this year and Smoak was the best I could find. The 20 HR's is mildly interesting but he hit 19 in 2012 with a .217 BA. You might want to use this information to decide to fill your 1B slot before the end of the draft. On the other hand, if Smoak could just find a way to get his BA into the .250 range, he could become rosterable in CI/IF/UT slot in deeper leagues.
2B Rickie Weeks, Brewers. 2013: 40 R, 10 HR, 24 RBI, 7 SB, .209 BA, 399 PA. 2B is another thin position. 2013 was a lost year for Weeks as he lost his starting 2B job. The Brewers appear to be given him a chance to win it back this spring and he is swinging the bat better. Personally I would not draft him, but his situation is worth watching closely in case you need to add a 2B from the waiver wire after the season starts.
3B Cody Asche, Phillies. 2013: 18 R, 5 HR, 22 RBI, 1 SB, .235 BA, 179 PA. For better or worse, Cody Asche is the Phillies starting 3B for 2014. That alone makes him worth considering as a fantasy 3B as this is another thin position. Whether he can sustain his 2013 performance is open to question, but it wasn't bad projected over a full season's worth of PA's. Worth monitoring on the PA market after the season starts.
SS Pedro Florimon, Twins. 2013: 44 R, 9 HR, 44 RBI, 15 SB, .221 BA, 446 PA. At 6'2", 180 lbs, Florimon is large for a SS. His 2013 numbers get interesting if projected over a full season's worth of PA's with double digit HR's and Steals an excellent possibility and 20/20 not out of the question. Again, I would not draft him, but he's worth following closely on the FA market once the season starts.
OF Raul Ibanez, Angels. 2013: 54 R, 29 HR, 65 RBI, 0 SB, .242 BA, 496 PA. Ibanez just keeps going as he enters his age 42 season. He is slated to be the Angels' full time DH which may bump his PA's close to 600. Nice power source at the end of your draft.
OF Justin Ruggiano, Cubs. 2013: 49 R, 18 HR, 50 RBI, 15 SB, .221 BA, 472 PA. It looks like Ruggiano will be playing nearly everyday in the Cubs OF. His .260 BABIP suggests the possibility of a bounceback in BA which should also help his counting stats. The move from Miami to Wrigley Field won't hurt a bit. A 20/20 season is a strong possibility.
OF Michael Morse, Giants. 2014(ZIPS): 48 R, 14 HR, 47 RBI, 0 SB, .253 BA, 427 PA. Morse's season hinges on his health. He will come out of game in which the Giants are leading in the late innings for a defensive replacement, so the projected PA's may not be too far off. He could put up significantly better numbers if he remains fully healthy.
OF Ryan Ludwick, Reds. 2014(ZIPS): 36 R, 13 HR, 52 RBI, 0 SB, .244 BA, 354 PA. Ludwick's 2013 season was lost due to injury. He appears to be healthy this spring and new manager Bryan Price is talking about batting him 4'th against LHP's and 5'th against RHP's this year. He is a good bet for 20+ HR's if healthy and batting in the middle of the Reds lineup should push his R/RBI up considerably.
Spring Training Game Wrap 3/8/2014: Mariners 18 Giants 3
The Giants had several pitchers get torched in the first televised game of the spring, but Kruk, Kuip and Amy G were in mid-season form. Key Lines:
Andrew Susac- 1 for 3, 2B. BA= .200. Susac roped a nice line drive double down the LF line that went to the wall and drove in 2 runs.
Ehire Adrianza- 1 for 2, 2B. BA= .286. Adrianza started the rally with a line drive double into the RF corner that hit the bottom of the fence on the fly and dropped straight down to the ground. Man, this kid looks good in a baseball uniform!
Ryan Vogelsong- 2.1 IP, 6 H, 7 R, 5 ER, 1 BB, 2 K's. ERA= 7.36. Vogey just didn't have it today. Said his mechanics were out of whack. Fell back into some bad habits that surfaced last year. Just have to hope he gets back on track.
Yusmeiro Petit- 2.2. IP, 3 H, 2 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K. ERA= 17.60. Petit pitched both better and worse than the line indicates. He pitched much worse in failing to put out the fire Vogey started in the 3'rd inning, but then settled down and pitched well over the next two frames.
Erasmo Ramirez(Mariners)- 4 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 4 K's. ERA= 1.04. Fantasy Alert: Ramirez appears to be well on his way to making the Opening Day starting rotation in Seattle. If he does, he is definitely fantasy relevant and should be available at the very end of most fantasy drafts.
Michael Morse sat out the game with some calf tightness. These things always sound innocuous until the player misses a month of playing time. Hunter Pence has a sore left elbow that should not be a long term problem since it's his non-throwing arm.
After his most recent start, Timmy referred to Hector Sanchez in a way that made it sound like Hector is his catcher. Then there is an interesting interview with Heath Hembree up on sfgiants.com where he was asked what the coaching staff and catchers did to make him feel comfortable. He replied that Hector had caught him a couple of times in San Jose and and again in Fresno and that was a help. We all know the special relationship Hector had with Barry Zito. I don't think it's a huge deal and I'm not trying to imply that Buster is not liked by these pitchers or that they can't pitch just as well or better when he is behind the plate, but clearly, Hector has a way about him with the pitchers that is way beyond his years and MLB experience.
Giants send send their regular lineup on the road to face Clayton Kershaw tomorrow, while keeping Madison Bumgarner at home to face the "Futures" lineup. Seems like Bochy is up to his old tricks with the Dodgers and Donnie Baseball. Edwin Escobar gets a big start tomorrow against the Dodgers home lineup.
Andrew Susac- 1 for 3, 2B. BA= .200. Susac roped a nice line drive double down the LF line that went to the wall and drove in 2 runs.
Ehire Adrianza- 1 for 2, 2B. BA= .286. Adrianza started the rally with a line drive double into the RF corner that hit the bottom of the fence on the fly and dropped straight down to the ground. Man, this kid looks good in a baseball uniform!
Ryan Vogelsong- 2.1 IP, 6 H, 7 R, 5 ER, 1 BB, 2 K's. ERA= 7.36. Vogey just didn't have it today. Said his mechanics were out of whack. Fell back into some bad habits that surfaced last year. Just have to hope he gets back on track.
Yusmeiro Petit- 2.2. IP, 3 H, 2 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K. ERA= 17.60. Petit pitched both better and worse than the line indicates. He pitched much worse in failing to put out the fire Vogey started in the 3'rd inning, but then settled down and pitched well over the next two frames.
Erasmo Ramirez(Mariners)- 4 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 4 K's. ERA= 1.04. Fantasy Alert: Ramirez appears to be well on his way to making the Opening Day starting rotation in Seattle. If he does, he is definitely fantasy relevant and should be available at the very end of most fantasy drafts.
Michael Morse sat out the game with some calf tightness. These things always sound innocuous until the player misses a month of playing time. Hunter Pence has a sore left elbow that should not be a long term problem since it's his non-throwing arm.
After his most recent start, Timmy referred to Hector Sanchez in a way that made it sound like Hector is his catcher. Then there is an interesting interview with Heath Hembree up on sfgiants.com where he was asked what the coaching staff and catchers did to make him feel comfortable. He replied that Hector had caught him a couple of times in San Jose and and again in Fresno and that was a help. We all know the special relationship Hector had with Barry Zito. I don't think it's a huge deal and I'm not trying to imply that Buster is not liked by these pitchers or that they can't pitch just as well or better when he is behind the plate, but clearly, Hector has a way about him with the pitchers that is way beyond his years and MLB experience.
Giants send send their regular lineup on the road to face Clayton Kershaw tomorrow, while keeping Madison Bumgarner at home to face the "Futures" lineup. Seems like Bochy is up to his old tricks with the Dodgers and Donnie Baseball. Edwin Escobar gets a big start tomorrow against the Dodgers home lineup.
Friday, March 7, 2014
Spring Training Game Wrap 3/7/2014: Giants 5 Royals 0
Hunter Pence hit his first HR of the spring. Mark Minicozzi continued his feel-good story with his second spring homer. Giants pitching continued to dominate Cactus League hitters. Key Lines:
Hunter Pence- 1 for 3, HR. BA= .250. Pence getting his work in, getting ready for the season.
Mark Minicozzi- 1 for 4, HR(2). BA= .429. He'll be going down to Fresno, but nice spring story.
Gregor Blanco- 1 for 3, 2B. BA= .231. 4'th OF job is his.
Andrew Susac- 1 for 1, 2B. BA= .143. Looking forward to his season in Fresno.
Tim Lincecum- 3 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K. ERA= 0.00. Timmy didn't strike anybody out, but he also did not walk anyone. I think he's been talking to Tim Hudson!
Derek Law- 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K. I didn't see it, but the line looks darn impressive!
Erik Cordier- 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 2 K. That K/BB won't get it done in the long run but it worked this time. Shades of Brian Wilson!
Brett Bochy, George Kontos- 1 scoreless IP each.
Marco Scutaro's spring debut has been pushed back again increasing the probability that the Giants will open the season with both Tony Abreu and Ehire Adrianza on the 25 man roster.
Around the League:
Sad new from LA: Dr. Frank Jobe died at the age of 88. His surgery for Tommy John that took on the name of the player, extended the careers of scores of pitchers whose time in the game would have otherwise ended with torn ulnar collateral ligaments, one of the more revolutionizing developments in modern sports history!
Free agent RHP Ervin Santana has reportedly fired his agent, Bean Stringfellow(really?) due to unhappiness with his current contract situation, or lack of same. Santana might have wanted to do this before he accepted his agent's advice to decline a $14 M Qualifying Offer from the KC Royals, as anyone with a passing knowledge of the game could see that he was going to have a tough time finding a large, longterm deal given the situation.
Speaking of Tommy John Surgery, KC Royals reliever Luke Hochevar will undergo the procedure. Hochevar was the Dodgers first round draft pick in 2005, failed to sign with them, then was drafted #1 overall by the Royals in 2006. Now, let's see. I think there was someone else drafted by the Giants that year about 10 picks later. Who could that be…..?
More Royals news: RHP Brad Penny had a rough outing Thursday, hurt his left hand punching a wall and was released today. Gotta think this is the end of the road for the once dominant pitcher.
Hunter Pence- 1 for 3, HR. BA= .250. Pence getting his work in, getting ready for the season.
Mark Minicozzi- 1 for 4, HR(2). BA= .429. He'll be going down to Fresno, but nice spring story.
Gregor Blanco- 1 for 3, 2B. BA= .231. 4'th OF job is his.
Andrew Susac- 1 for 1, 2B. BA= .143. Looking forward to his season in Fresno.
Tim Lincecum- 3 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K. ERA= 0.00. Timmy didn't strike anybody out, but he also did not walk anyone. I think he's been talking to Tim Hudson!
Derek Law- 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K. I didn't see it, but the line looks darn impressive!
Erik Cordier- 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 2 K. That K/BB won't get it done in the long run but it worked this time. Shades of Brian Wilson!
Brett Bochy, George Kontos- 1 scoreless IP each.
Marco Scutaro's spring debut has been pushed back again increasing the probability that the Giants will open the season with both Tony Abreu and Ehire Adrianza on the 25 man roster.
Around the League:
Sad new from LA: Dr. Frank Jobe died at the age of 88. His surgery for Tommy John that took on the name of the player, extended the careers of scores of pitchers whose time in the game would have otherwise ended with torn ulnar collateral ligaments, one of the more revolutionizing developments in modern sports history!
Free agent RHP Ervin Santana has reportedly fired his agent, Bean Stringfellow(really?) due to unhappiness with his current contract situation, or lack of same. Santana might have wanted to do this before he accepted his agent's advice to decline a $14 M Qualifying Offer from the KC Royals, as anyone with a passing knowledge of the game could see that he was going to have a tough time finding a large, longterm deal given the situation.
Speaking of Tommy John Surgery, KC Royals reliever Luke Hochevar will undergo the procedure. Hochevar was the Dodgers first round draft pick in 2005, failed to sign with them, then was drafted #1 overall by the Royals in 2006. Now, let's see. I think there was someone else drafted by the Giants that year about 10 picks later. Who could that be…..?
More Royals news: RHP Brad Penny had a rough outing Thursday, hurt his left hand punching a wall and was released today. Gotta think this is the end of the road for the once dominant pitcher.
Thursday, March 6, 2014
Spring Training Game Wrap 3/6/2014: Giants 3 Reds 2
The Giants won their 3'rd consecutive game by the same 3-2 score as Pablo Sandoval homered and Tim Hudson pitched 3 more strong innings in his second spring start. Key Lines:
Pablo Sandoval- 1 for 1, HR, BB. BA= .308. I feel a big year coming on for Pablo!
Jusn Perez- 1 for 3, 2B. BA= .412. Juan Perez is battling for that 5'th OF slot.
Ehire Adrianza- 1 for 2, BB. BA= .300. Adrianza continues to impress.
TIm Hudson- 3 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 3 K. ERA= 0.00.
Jeremy Affeldt, Santiago Casilla, Adam Reifer, Juan Gutierrez- 1 scoreless IP each.
First cuts of spring training as Angel Villalona was optioned to Fresno. Kyle Crick, Clayton Blackburn, Ty Blach, Chris Heston, Jose Casilla, Sandy Rosario, Rafel Dolis, Jeff Arnold, Ben Turner, Mac Williamson, Javier Herrera and Joe Panik were assigned to minor league camp.
Around the League:
Bad news for the Phillies as Cole Hamels suffered a setback in his rehab from shoulder soreness.
Pablo Sandoval- 1 for 1, HR, BB. BA= .308. I feel a big year coming on for Pablo!
Jusn Perez- 1 for 3, 2B. BA= .412. Juan Perez is battling for that 5'th OF slot.
Ehire Adrianza- 1 for 2, BB. BA= .300. Adrianza continues to impress.
TIm Hudson- 3 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 3 K. ERA= 0.00.
Jeremy Affeldt, Santiago Casilla, Adam Reifer, Juan Gutierrez- 1 scoreless IP each.
First cuts of spring training as Angel Villalona was optioned to Fresno. Kyle Crick, Clayton Blackburn, Ty Blach, Chris Heston, Jose Casilla, Sandy Rosario, Rafel Dolis, Jeff Arnold, Ben Turner, Mac Williamson, Javier Herrera and Joe Panik were assigned to minor league camp.
Around the League:
Bad news for the Phillies as Cole Hamels suffered a setback in his rehab from shoulder soreness.
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