Thursday, March 7, 2013

Game Wrap Spring Training 2013: Indians 6 Giants 4

Chad Gaudin took a big step toward winning the long relief/spot starter role on the Giants roster while The Brandons continued their hot hitting, but it wasn't enough to beat the Indians in Goodyear, AZ.  Key Lines:

Brandon Crawford- 2 for 3, 3B.  BA= .400.

Hunter Pence- 2 for 3.  BA= .318.  Pence seems to be getting untracked.

Brandon Belt- 1 for 3, 2B.  BA= .464  You know you are going good when you go 1 for 3 and your BA drops.

Chad Gaudin- 3 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K, GO/AO= 6/1  Gaudin started in place of Timmy who is still nursing a blister.  In the process, Chad made a statement about who should be the long man/spot starter in the Giants bullpen.

Josh Osich- 0.1 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 1 BB, 1 K.  ERA= 20.25.  Looks like Josh' days in major league camp may be numbered.

Heath Hembree- 1 IP, 3 H 4 R, 2 BB, 0 K.  ERA= 11.25.  Hembree gave up back-to-back jacks to Swisher, a 3 run blast, and Jason Giambi.

Kontos, Lively and Jean Machi pitched 1 scoreless IP each.

10 comments:

  1. Can't believe Gaudin is with his 9th team and he's only 29. Rooting for him as he brings the most durable arm.

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    1. Yup, I've always liked Gaudin and couldn't quite figure out why he has not had more success. The Giants have a strong track record of revitalizing careers in similar situations.

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    2. With Timmeh, Zito and Vogey with questionable futures, we certainly hav room for a guy to come out of nowhere and establish himself a stud #4 a la Vogey in '11.

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    3. Not sure what you mean exactly by questionable futures. My thoughts.

      I think Timmy is going to be fine going forward, he had a huge hiccup with his conditioning preparation for the season, I don't think that's happening again for him. I have not given up hope that the Giants resign him but yes, there is a strong possibility that this is his last season with us.

      Zito and Vogelsong are only questionable because of their age, but there is nothing in their performances that says that their future is more questionable than any other pitcher, young or old, as they are both in good shape and very experienced. It is more that when a player is their age, you cannot reliably project out beyond one season's worth of performance. You can hope and make bets, say, on the ones who keep themselves in great shape all the time (Bonds, Zito), but you can't really know, I don't think.

      But that is not much different with young players who are new to the majors too, just the other end of the tunnel. Will they continue to play that well? Will the other teams figure out their Achilles heel? Will success go to their heads and screw them up in some self-destructive way? Will they injure themselves?

      As far as breaking out like Vogelsong, I would put my bet on Boof more than Gaudin, as he's recovering still from TJS, and that probably was bothering him in the years leading up to the surgery already. Like Vogelsong, he had talent that was apparent and sought after, but just couldn't put it together with his prior opportunities.

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    4. Timmy has had a couple of hiccups, actually (August 2010 fer instance).

      You all can beat me up and down all over this board and I'll be thrilled to eat crow till the cows come home (and mix metaphors as well, apparently), but, I don't think Timmy is ever going to be an impact pitcher again.

      Regardless of whether I'm right or you are OGC, I think it's fair to call his future questionable.

      Zito's questions may be performance, or money. Or both. But his future is also not certain here.

      However, Vogelsong. Vogelsong. He is starting to remind me of Cain of a few years ago. The Saber guys just kept waiting and waiting for Cain's peripherals to catch up with him. Hasn't happened yet. That's how I feel about Vogey. Just keep on doubting the guy. He'll just keep going. I do wish the Giants would show a little good faith and good will and pick up his option for '14.

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    5. While I get ogc's point, I also think it is fair to say that Timmy and Zito's futures with the Giants are uncertain.

      Timmy will be a FA at the end of this season. I don't see the Giants wanting to pursue an extension before the season starts and I don't see anything happening during the season, so Tim is going to be a FA.

      Zito has an option/buyout coming up. Whether the option gets picked up or a lower yearly cost extension worked out vs just buying him out depends a lot on his performance this year. Right now, I'd lay the odds at 50/50.

      Vogie also has an option for '14. I'll say there is about an 80% chance he pitches well enough for the Giants to pick that up, so his future is less uncertain.

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    6. I meant exactly that I did not know what was meant by CSS. Then I shared some thoughts.

      If aug 2010 counts as a hiccup and makes his future questionable, then you basically labeled all pitchers questionable futures. Every pitcher has such a bad stretch, even the best. Overall, Tim has been great except last season but even then he had clear points where he was very good, showing that it is a hiccup of no consequence as long as he got into good conditioning, which he did.

      Overall, I think odds are that Vogie will do well enough to get option picked up. Same for Zito doing well enough.

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  2. wow. wbc is all about "upsets" or maybe not

    the fact that dickey's knuckleball wasnt working tonite is probably the same reason zito got crushed....az conditions not good for pitchers who rely on junks

    kinda sad that the wbc is not being shown on a network...in my opinion, its more interesting and fun than the upcoming march madness

    fyi, i think vogey's option will be picked up, as he also has value coming out of the pen, and the contract will not be so large as to preclude that

    bacci

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  3. I come down to sunny Arizona and I get hailed on, not once but twice. The walk back to the hotel was like something out of Shawshank. Got to yell some encouragement to Kieschick and saw Peggs take a called third strike with the bases juiced. Belt and Pence do long ball toss together, the goofy Texans. Hope to see a game today!

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    1. Hope you get to see a game too, Shankbone! Man, that would be a bummer to make the trek to Arizona then have all the game rained out.

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