Mike Leake made a statement with a complete game shutout while Matt Duffy led the way on offense. Key Lines:
Angel Pagan- 1 for 3, BB, SB(12). BA= .263. Pagan's bat has cooled off a bit as he is just 2 for 11 in his last 3 games, .231 over his last 7 and .250 over his last 15.
Kelby Tomlinson- 1 for 3, 2B, BB. BA= .292. Kelby is going to play some OF in either instructional league or fall league. Not sure how he would be eligible for the AFL, but it seems like the rules are pretty loose for that.
Matt Duffy- 3 for 4, HR(12), SB(12). BA= .300. Duffy keeps the pedal to the metal. Hey, a 12/12 season is pretty nifty. Can he make 15/15 in the last 5 games? Will he finish with a .300+ BA? He's my candidate for the Willie Mac Award, hands down!
Jarrett Parker- 1 for 3, BB. BA= .342. Bobby Evans told Marlon Byrd that the Giants would be playing the kids the rest of the way, so Byrd's option is not going to vest. Evans reportedly told him the Giants remain interested in re-signing him, but they have had so much success with rooks lately, they might be feeling more bold about committing to them from the start.
Nick Noonan- 1 for 3, HR(1). BA= .125. Noonan's first career MLB HR.
Mike Leake- 9 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 1 K, GO/AO= 16/6. ERA= 3.70. This was Mike Leake saying "I want to be here next year and you want me to be here." Did it come 2-3 starts too late?
Tim Hudson makes his final MLB start tonight. Don't expect him to stay in the game too long.
Brandon Belt underwent surgery to clean up a torn meniscus that had been bothering him most of the season.
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Affeldt just announced his retirement. Shame it had to end on a sour note, but it's rare for a professional athlete to finish on top of his game.
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure of the AFL rules. But I know you can go more than once as Mejia and Blackburn are going their second time.
I'm looking really hard at Parker. It's hard to get past his K-rate. But, OTOH, his BABIP in the minors was .402 this year (if the calculator I used is right) and .359 for his minor's career. If he can sustain the BABIP (like Brandon Belt does), his obnoxiously high SO rate might not be as big deal as it is for most high SO guys. Still, going to have to be reserved about jumping on his bandwagon.
I like the Leake shut-out. And while he did struggle some as a Giant, he still finished the year with a 3.70 ERA. That puts him at 41st for ERA in 2015. Hardly chopped liver and only 0.04 behind Zimmerman, a player a lot of people (including myself) think is a very legit #2. And while Zimmerman has a better ERA history as a pitcher, Leake's last three years have been: 3.37, 3.70 & 3.70. So I can live with a guy who pitches like that. It may not be Ace numbers, but there are a lot pitchers who are worse.
I don't see Affeldt going out on a sour note. He had a great season in 2014. He had a tough season this year, but only after the injuries finally caught up with him. I credit him for being honest with himself and knowing when it's time to go. A sour note would be if he tried to hang on next year, maybe with another team and just not be able to compete a the MLB level.
DeleteRead his account of how Buster Posey talked him out of retiring mid-season in the transcript of his news conference on Extra Baggs.
Big salute to Jeremy Affeldt! Next to Bummy and "Joltin' Joe" Panik, Mr. Affeldt brought Ring #3 last year. Agree with Moses, I like Leake for 2016. As I have stated before, reach out to the Merced Kid and let's shoot for the brass ring in 2016! Screw the Dodgers! Perhaps the Cubbies finally break the jinx...or the Pirates go all the way. I'm personally going to root for the AL (save the Rally Monkeys and the Evil Empire).
ReplyDeleteThanks Doc for the minor league recaps and forecasts. I wouldn't change it a bit if I were you.
Cheers and Let's Go Giants!
NWGiantsFan
DtF!!!
My bet is that they see Byrd mainly as a solid bench presence and a backup to rest other outfielders, not as a platoon starter. If they were to keep him for a platoon, what would that mean for Blanco?
ReplyDeleteAn outfield of Pence, Pagan and Aoki with Blanco as the "platoon" starter for all three is plenty solid, with Mac Williamson in the pipeline. Parker has shown some bright points, but it still seems like he needs to strengthen some areas of weakness (IMHO fielding, strikeout rate). Pagan is a good contributor when he's healthy, and he is now and for the start of next season. Plus, if he gets injured again, Blanco/Byrd can cover just fine. Unless they see a way to strongly upgrade through a trade or think Williamson/Parker will contribute as they develop, I don't really understand the Pagan trade speculation.
I will be very surprised if the Giants trade Pagan, but it wouldn't be the first time I was surprised at something they did.
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