A Sign of Things to Come?

It would be really easy to say that today's 5-0 loss to the Dodgers is only one game and doesn't mean anything. But it is hard to say that when it pretty much epitomized everything that is terrible about the 2008 Giants. The offense couldn't get anybody past first base, and when it did, it couldn't cash in. The defense and base-running were sloppy. Barry Zito looked like he was throwing BP, but hey, at least his mechanics looked good. No, I can't think of one positive I saw in today's game. I expect guys like Fred Lewis and Eugenio Velez will start seeing regular playing time sooner rather than later. On the bright side, at least we've got Matt Cain and Tim Lincecum starting the next two games.

Giants 25 Man Roster

No Barry Bonds and a whole lot of new faces ...

Pitchers:
Matt Cain
Kevin Correia
Brad Hennessey
Tim Lincecum
Jonathan Sanchez
Jack Taschner
Erick Threets
Merkin Valdez
Tyler Walker
Brian Wilson
Keiichi Yabu
Barry Zito

Catchers:
Steve Holm
Bengie Molina

Infielders:
Rich Aurilia
Brian Bocock
Jose Castillo
Ray Durham
Daniel Ortmeier
Eugenio Velez

Outfielders:
Rajai Davis
Fred Lewis
Dave Roberts
Aaron Rowand
Randy Winn
If you can't recognize most of these names, you should read this.

Memory of Bonds Not Erased After All?

Giants ownership have fired back at reports that the Giants have erased the memory and accomplishments of Barry Bonds by removing his prominent likeness from the stadium. A letter to the San Francisco Chronicle reads...

Editor - We were extremely disappointed to read the recent assertions by two Chronicle columnists that the Giants are somehow attempting to erase the memory of Barry Bonds from our ballpark. In fact, quite the opposite is true. The only things that were removed from the ballpark were the items that were relevant to Barry as an active Giants player.

All of the plaques and markers that recognize his historic achievements and contributions remain on permanent display in and around the ballpark. This includes seven of the 14 plaques in the Giants History Walk and his seven MVP awards, along with the other Giants who won the honor (Jeff Kent, Kevin Mitchell, Willie McCovey and Willie Mays). On Opening Day, we will unveil a plaque on the right-centerfield brick wall marking his record-breaking home run. Additionally, Barry Bonds is prominently featured in our 50th Anniversary displays around the ballpark and on the cover of our media guide - which highlights some of the Giants greats over the past 50 years.

The contributions of Barry Bonds to our club and our community can never be erased in the minds of the millions of fans who witnessed all that he achieved in a Giants uniform over 15 seasons.

- Staci Slaughter, Senior Vice President of Communications, San Francisco Giants

Enough Jose, Tomorrow's Opening Day

Barry Zito going up against the Dodger Blue ...

... let's hope 2008 starts out better than last season.

Jose's Ex Wrote a Book, Too

Somehow I missed this, but following the success of Juiced : Wild Times, Rampant 'Roids, Smash Hits, and How Baseball Got Big, Jose's ex, Jessica, dropped a book of her own - Juicy: Confessions of a Former Baseball Wife. It begins...

At the age of nineteen, I fell hopelessly in love with the most gorgeous man I had ever seen. It took me the better part of a decade to get over that horrible addiction.

The reviewers on Amazon.com seem pretty torn over this one. Some love it.

I found ths to be a fascinating book. It reads like a novel. Even though you know the ending, each chapter left me in amazement as to what they could come up with next. I realize that this is just her story, and that his story of the maeeiage would be different but who cares. This is not a story with a great deal of depth, but it is JUICY. (John Matlock)

Some hate it.

I borrowed this from a friend as I read Canseco's juiced. This is what happens when trash come across lots of money! Jessica and Jose should have their daughter taken away from them as they are clearly unfit to be parents. What sort of a parent leaves their child at home to go out and do drugs, have threesomes and participate in screaming matches in front of their child? Unfit parents-that's who.

And most say they can't be sympathetic to Jessica because she should have know Jose would cheat on her.

I think I need to read more novels.

Also, get set next week for the release of my new book, Juice it Up: Wild Smoothies, Rampant Raspberries, Blended Fruit, and the Confessions of a Baseball Fan Who Got Hooked on Jamba Juice. I'm telling you ... I name some big names.

Jose Canseco Injects Nightline With a Shot of Cold Hard Truth

Jose Canseco was the top story on Thursday's Nightline, as Martin Bashir sat down with the controversial ex-big leaguer to discuss the allegations set forth in his new book, Vindicated: Big Names, Big Liars, and The Battle to Save Baseball. Canseco is one entertaining motherfucker, but not really all that compelling. He refused to produce any evidence to his claims about A-Rod (who reportedly asked Jose's advice on steroids dealers), asserting only that "The timing's not right." When Bashir stated that that answer wasn't good enough, Canseco responded, "Let's see if they call me a liar again." He does have somewhat of a point there, given that his allegations about Giambi, McGwire and Palmeiro have all proved true to a certain degree. Then again, that doesn't given him a free pass. Naming A-Rod seems a tad convenient and sure to help the book sell. Given that few look back at Canseco as one of the game's "legends," he seems to have adopted this "juicer" character as a means to keep himself in the limelight.

A note to anyone who is thinking about taking steroids: Do not ask the advice of Jose Canseco, for he will name you in one of his books. Ask Greg Anderson instead - he's more loyal.

Canseco also responded to allegations to he wouldn't name Magglio Ordonez if the Tiger slugger invested in his film project. He denied this. Does this mean there's going to be a Juiced movie. That sounds fucking awesome. And seeing as how he's in the same shape he was in 20 years ago, Canseco should just play himself. That's going to be way better than the Game of Shadows movie.

Here's a snippet of the interview...

Wait ... Did the Season Start?

Ok, I'm not sure, but it looks as though the baseball season has already started. On Tuesday and Wednesday, I think the A's and Red Sox went to Japan and played two regular season games - but now they're back to playing exhibition games. Anyhow, both teams are currently on pace to finish at .500, which is great news for the A's but probably won't help the Red Sox defend that World Series title.

In exhibition news, the Giants came out swinging (and missing) in their first game back at the lovely China Basin stadium; they lost 7-2 to the Mariners. At least Bochy's optimistic: "These things should not happen on a major-league field," Bochy said. "We can't play that type of ball." Oh, fuck.

The Giants have a weekend full of exciting exhibition ball before heading out to LA to take on the Dodgers. Some of us would rather just watch Canseco on Nightline, though.

Giants Say, "Barry Who?"

Ok, so we knew the Giants were headed in a new direction that would not include exhiled home run king, Barry Bonds. But from the sound of things, the Giants are looking to erase the memory of number 25 completely. ESPN reports:

The left-field wall no longer bears an image of Bonds chasing Hank Aaron for the home run crown, nor elsewhere is the number of Bonds' home runs in relation to Aaron posted.

There are no "756" signs -- signifying the home run he hit to break Aaron's record -- anywhere in the park, in fact. A team spokeswoman said the Giants would put up a plaque to note where he had hit his last homer with the team.

While the team looks to erase the memory of Bonds, the big question remains of who will actually show up. A report in today's San Francisco Chronicle states, "discounted tickets are being sold through Costco for the first time. Single-game and season-ticket sales are down from a year ago. And at StubHub, an online ticket marketplace for resellers, the value of Giants ticket sales overall is down 25 percent from last year."

Hope you weren't planning to make a living through scalping this year.

So Much For Frandsen

Kevin Frandsen came to camp ready to win a starting spot at second base. Then he got moved to short ... and that was a disaster. Then, he struggled at the plate. Now, Frandsen is just going to have to wait. The San Francisco Chronicle reports, "Rounding second base in an attempt to go first to third in the first inning of a minor-league game Monday, Frandsen sustained what is believed to be a torn left Achilles tendon and is expected to miss the entire season. He's scheduled for an MRI exam today." Bruce Bochy added, "The kid worked so hard and was looking forward to competing for the starting job. I'm sure it's tough for the kid's psyche right now."

Canseco Thinks He Has Dirt on A-Rod

...and probably on this kid, too.

I am so excited for the release of Jose Canseco's new book - Vindicated: Big Names, Big Liars, and The Battle to Save Baseball - which hits stores on April 1. If you have not read the equally wordy predecessor, Juiced : Wild Times, Rampant 'Roids, Smash Hits, and How Baseball Got Big, I highly suggest you do so.

While Juiced dished on big names like Jason Giambi and Mark McGwire as steroid users, Vindicated has some new targets, namely Alex Rodriguez. Freelance writer Joe Lavin spilled the beans to ESPN on some of the more smokin' details:

He says Canseco claimed he didn't inject Rodriguez but "introduced Alex to a known supplier of steroids." Lavin also says "Canseco claims that A-Rod was trying to sleep with Canseco's wife."

Damn.

Canseco also writes about the infamous June 1998 party at his house. Brian McNamee, Clemens' former trainer, has said Clemens spoke with Canseco at the barbecue and soon after approached the trainer about using performance-enhancing drugs. According to Lavin, Canseco wrote that Clemens did not attend.

We're pretty sure this is false.

Canseco's credibility may come under attack, considering former Sports Illustrated associate editor Don Yaeger turned down an opportunity to work on the book. "I had a chance to review the Jose Canseco [material] that he provided me. I don't think there's a book there," he said. "I don't think he's got what he claims to have, certainly doesn't have what he claims to have on A-Rod."

Richie Is A Giant

Charlie and I went to see Rich Aurilia at the Giants Dugout Store several years back. He had a very quiet presence, but seemed like a humble and genuine guy. That was back in his first stint with the team, a run from 1995 to 2003, in which he saw one All Star appearance and countless postseason action. He was pretty well liked during that time for his timely hits, good looks, and 37 homer/97 RBI season of 2001. But Richie is not quite so well-liked now - his age and contract seem indicative of a Giants' strategy fans disagreed with. But, you see, I am not going to criticize the team's decision to bring Richie back and keep him around. Because ...

Richie is a Giant.

I'm sentimental, and the more baseball changes the harder it becomes to do so. It's so rare teams finish out their career with the team they started with. Even if Richie didn't start out in the Giants organization, it's where he had his best years, and he's way more of a Giant than he is a Mariner, Padre, or Red. It broke my heart that J.T. Snow had to finish his career in Boston. I'm happy to see Richie back in uniform, if only to bring back memories of better times.

To his credit, Richie's had a pretty solid Spring, both offensively and defensively, and looks to be the leading candidate for first base. Maybe I'll get the last laugh on this one.

Video: Aurilia's game-winning hit 4/18/07 against St. Louis.

Giants Celebrate 50 Years

It's been fifty years since the Giants organization ventured over to the West Coast. Excluding the past few years, there have been some great memories and many greats have passed through the clubhouse ... no World Series titles, though. To commemorate the occasion, Bruce Jenkins gives us his all-time Giants roster. Its a pretty good list, though I would have Rich Aurilla starting at short over Omar Vizquel, if we're actually factoring how they performed on the Giants. Ray Ratto adds how he thinks the next 40 will go.

Zito Bounces Back

I watched a little bit of yesterday's 4-3 win against the White Sox, and Barry Zito looked like he finally got his shit together. Facing pretty much Chicago's A lineup, he went 5 2/3 scoreless innings, giving up two hits while getting his first four strikeouts of the spring. Zito's next start against major leaguers will be March 31, opening day against the Dodgers. He concludes Cactus League play with a 10.31 ERA. Not great by any means, but at least he was able to finish well.

In appears, the bullpen competition has come down to four guys for the last two spots: right-handers Merkin Valdez and Keiichi Yabu, and lefties Steve Kline and Erick Threets. My hope and my guess is that youngsters Valdez and Threets get the spots, with Yabu going back to Triple-A and Kline getting traded or released.

Nomar Breaks Hand

Hey Dodger fans, looks like Nomar will be starting the year on the DL. Is that three years in a row? I lose count.

(Note: I realize he's got a Red Sox hat on in that photo, but you have to love the pre-Mitchell Report innocence of it).

Taking a Break From Baseball

I'm pretty much a one-sport guy. I'll watch the Super Bowl every year, and a Warriors game every now and then, but I've never been able to develop the passion for any other sport that I have for baseball and the Giants. But I'll admit it. Over the last few years, I've become a huge sucker for March Madness. I don't follow college basketball that closely, probably because I go to a school with little pride in its athletics, but come this time of year, I can't wait to fill out my bracket. In the weeks before the start of the baseball season, it's the best way to get a sports fix. I think other sports would benefit from adopting a similar tournament style. Seriously, does the NBA really need four rounds of best-of-seven series? The Giants fell to 6-17 in Cactus League play today, and I'd rather zone out until the season starts. As far as my pick to win it all, I'm taking UCLA.

Bring Barry Back (In a Few Months)

Imagine this - it's late May, and - to the surprise of many - the Giants are hanging on the NL West. The starting pitching is strong, the bullpen is better than expected, and all that is missing is a little offensive punch. And then comes an announcement over the loudspeaker - a video greeting from Barry Bonds letting the fans know he will be back in a few weeks for one more go-round.

The Major League Baseball Players Association is - not shocked - but at least intrigued by the lack of offers directed towards baseball's exiled home run king. ESPN reports that "union head Donald Fehr said his staff will examine possible collusion against Bonds and others."

The 43-year old Bonds doesn't sound ready to hang 'em up just yet. He's been training hard, as you can see from the picture on his official website. He has also stated,

I'm not going to retire. I don't think that's going to happen. I'm working out, I'm training. If my phone rings, it rings, if it don't, it don't. I have a cell phone. I have a Blackberry. They work. If something comes up, I'm sure they'll let me know. I'll come back in July if I have to. It depends on the circumstances.

Which leads me back to the Giants, who most likely will be in need of a left handed power hitter come July. Maybe it would be against everything the Giants claim to stand for right now, but it might actually give us a fighting chance. And come on, is Barry's impact in the clubhouse all that bad? Ok, that was not a good question but ... come on, what have the Giants got to lose?

Ex-Giants Fall on Hard Times

There was a Jerome Williams sighting at Giants camp yesterday. Remember him? The guy with the puka shells who threw a couple complete games back in 2003. Well, he's back. At least he's trying. The former pitching phenom is looking for a job with anybody and is hoping the Giants will give him another shot. Williams has bounced around since being traded in 2005, seeing a little major league time with the Cubs and Nationals. Apparently he would be happy even pitching in A-ball.

Less modest is former Giants outfielder Todd Linden. Linden showed up at A's camp as a non-roster invitee this Spring and expected his .231 lifetime batting average to guarantee him a job on the opening day roster. To be fair, he did just about everything he could to make the team, hitting a Little League-esque .526 (15-26). But it appears the A's have decided to leave him off the roster going to Japan to open the season. Linden, who was upset about the way the Giants bounced him around during his time in San Francisco, is not too happy.

"This is disappointing," Linden said. "It doesn't make sense to me, and that's an understatement. It's a clear message that I'm not a part of their plans like they told me I was going to be. I don't know what else I could have done."

It appears Linden may end up in Japan anyway, as there is some interest from Japanese clubs. His frustration is understandable, but I don't think his expectations should have been so high to begin with.

Observations From This Weekend

I had the chance to watch pretty much all of Saturday's 14-8 win over the Mariners and today's 5-2 loss to the Angels. Here are some things that stood out to me:

- Both Barry Zito (5.1 IP, 7 ER) and Matt Cain (6 IP, 5 ER) had ugly lines in the box score, but both recovered well from bad first innings, especially Cain, who didn't allow a run in his final five innings. Zito has yet to strike out a batter this spring, but after the first inning he was able to keep the ball down and he got some swings-and-misses against his breaking balls, which is encouraging.

- The Giants seem to have come the realization that Dan Ortmeier, who is hitting .167 in 42 at-bats, is not ready to be an everyday player at the big league level. At the moment it appears Rich Aurilia will get the opening day start. At this point, I don't think the Giants have any choice but to trade for a first baseman, as they lose what little roster depth they had with Aurilia in the lineup.

- Brian Bocock can field like a major leaguer, but he hits like the single-A player he is. Duane Kuiper noted that he probably hasn't seen many pitchers like Erik Bedard and Jered Weaver, and he looked completely overmatched. It won't get much easier in the NL West. It frustrates me that the Giants were willing to give Kevin Frandsen a shot at short but not Eugenio Velez.

- The three top bullpen arms - Brian Wilson, Tyler Walker, and Brad Hennessey - all looked very good in their outings this weekend. I haven't seen Jack Taschner live in action, but his numbers are very good, and he should make the team. I expect the other three spots in the bullpen to go to Vinnie Chulk, Steve Kline, and Merkin Valdez.

- I was impressed with what I saw out of Aaron Rowand. Everyone seems to be anticipating a huge drop-off in his production, but I think he could still put together a very solid season.

Durham Beats Out Frandsen

Oh, Kevin Frandsen came to camp with a suspicious "new" body and a boatload of confidence. Then they put him at short for a couple games and it all went to shit. After some much-hyped competition, it seems pretty clear Ray Durham will be wheeling out to second on opening day in Los Angeles. (Yay?).

Lest we remind you yet again that Durham is in a contract year and that does tend to have a certain magical effect on him when it comes to offense.

No worries about Frandsen, though - he'll get plenty of time around the infield ... just not at short.

So, what do you think? Has Durham proven himself enough, or should the Giants be ready to yank him from that lineup card at the slightest hint of inconsistency?

What the Giants Need

I can't believe I didn't think of this earlier.

Rumors Are More Fun

As you can probably tell from the lack of posts over the last few days, I'd rather not talk about the players that are actually on the Giants' roster. Instead, I thought I would take this opportunity to discuss some of the latest rumors surrounding the club.

Joe Crede trade rumors have started to die down in the last week or so. One reason is Crede's .080 Spring batting average in 25 at-bats. Another is that White Sox GM Kenny Williams seems to be insisting on getting something of value for Crede, who he still sees as the club's potential opening-day third baseman. Now, as anyone who's talked to me knows, I've advocated a Crede trade since before the rumors even began. But at this point I'm kind of happy Brian Sabean hasn't pulled the trigger yet. Scouts have reportedly been looking at Tigers' third baseman Brandon Inge, who has been out of a job since the Miguel Cabrera deal and has publicly asked to be traded. While Inge doesn't have the upside of Crede, a trade for him may be a better logistical move for the Giants. Inge still has three years and $19.1 million left on his contract. That's pretty bad, but perhaps the Giants could swap a similarly bad contract, say, that of Dave Roberts. Roberts could have some value to Detroit as a late-inning pinch-runner and defensive replacement. Dumping Roberts would give Fred Lewis an everyday job, and Nate Schierholtz a roster spot. A 1-for-1 swap seems fair to me. Who knows, maybe Inge could return to the 27-homer, 83-RBI player he was for the AL champs two years ago.

One of the worst signs of a horrendous Spring has been the performance of Dan Ortmeier. In 37 at-bats, the projected opening-day first baseman has hit .189 with two extra base hits (both doubles). While Spring Training numbers may not mean anything, Ortmeier's performance seems to play into many Giants' fans doubts about whether he is deserving of an everyday spot. One name that has been thrown out as a potential trade target is Oakland's Dan Johnson. The A's plan to start rookie Daric Barton at first, and Mike Sweeney has had a good spring, seemingly making Johnson expendable. Johnson has never quite been able to put it together at the major league level, but he's shown some power and on-base potential, and could give the Giants something resembling a legitimate cleanup hitter. Jonathan Sanchez is too much to give up. Brad Hennessey?

In summary, if the Giants make these deals, the everyday lineup, once Omar Vizquel comes back, could look something like this. We're probably still a last-place team, but at least we dump some dead weight and give our young outfielders a shot. I've penciled in Durham and Inge, but Kevin Frandsen would likely still see plenty of at-bats at second and third.

Fred Lewis/Rajai Davis, lf
Randy Winn, rf
Aaron Rowand, cf
Dan Johnson, 1b
Bengie Molina, c
Ray Durham, 2b
Brandon Inge, 3b
Omar Vizquel, ss

SNL Spoofs Clemens

Last night's Saturday Night Live featured this semi-funny Roger Clemens sketch, starring Jason Sudeikis as Clemens.

Odds and Ends

Lots of small news items today, nothing that I think merits a whole post.

- Barry Zito looked much better yesterday, allowing just one run in three innings. The Giants lost to Kansas City, however, 3-1.

- Kevin Frandsen is out as the starting shortstop, after looking completely lost there for the first week of Cactus League play. He will go back to competing for time at second and third. According to the Chronicle, the competition for shortis now between minor-leaguers Brian Bocock, Emmanuel Burris, and Ivan Ochoa. I would like to see if Eugenio Velez can fare any better than Frandsen, as he is more major-league-ready than any of our other options. I think at this point we have to hope Omar makes a speedy recovery.

- Ken Rosenthal (who, until recently I thought was just Fox Sports' annoying sideline reporter, but is actually a pretty reliable baseball writer) reports that the Giants are willing to discuss trades for about a dozen players, including Ray Durham, Rich Aurilia, Randy Winn, and Steve Kline.

- SI's Jon Heyman says the White Sox are not happy with what the Giants are offering for Joe Crede, and that they may wait until the trade deadline. Could this be code for, "Noah Lowry walked nine fucking guys in one inning"?

- Bullpen Update: After a series of poor outings, Scott Williamson was released and Randy Messenger was re-assigned to minor league camp. While I'm a little surprised Messenger was sent down so early, it's a sign that management is willing to give someone else a chance. Speaking of which, Merkin Valdez struck out all three hitters he faced yesterday and has thrown four scoreless innings this Spring. He is out of options. The Giants need to find a spot for him.

- As expected, 17-year old super-prospect Angel Villalona will play first base rather than third for Augusta, the Giants' Class A affiliate.

Maybe He Can Hit

I didn't get a chance to listen to much of today's 8-6 loss to the Rangers, and I'm pretty happy about that. After a shaky first start, Noah Lowry was supernaturally bad today, walking nine batters and throwing two wild pitches in 1+ innings. Out of 50 pitches thrown, 12 were strikes. This strikes me as slightly more than early Spring Training rustiness. Bruce Jenkins described it as "a set of pitching mechanics in complete breakdown." There is something else going on, something that Lowry himself does not want to talk about, as he refused to speak to the media after his performance. Even Dave Righetti could not find the words to explain what happened.

I've already seen a couple comparisons to Rick Ankiel, who broke down during the 2000 Division Series, and has since resurrected himself as a power-hitting outfielder. This got me thinking. Lowry's always shown promise at the plate, and he did play that one inning in right field last year. I still think it's a little early to be panicking though. We'll give Noah another start or two before we start to seriously doubt his ability to pitch at the big league level.

There were some bright spots in the loss. Former prospect Merkin Valdez, a long shot to make the bullpen, threw two scoreless innings, while Kevin Correia rebounded from his first outing with three of his own. Tyler Walker and Vinnie Chulk each threw a scoreless inning as well. Ray Durham had two hits and Rich Aurilia drove in three runs, while Travis Denker continued his hot spring with a game-tying single to push the game into extra innings. Tim Lincecum starts tomorrow against the Padres, and the game will be televised for those with MLB.tv.

Get This Man a Uniform

A regular season uniform, that is. About a week into Spring Training, Eugenio Velez is pretty much daring Bruce Bochy and Brian Sabean to send him back to Fresno. In four games, he has hit .429 with a 1.038 OPS, and coming into today he led all players with six runs scored and five stolen bases. The Giants have said they expect Velez to become a "super utility man" in the mold of the Angels' Chone Figgins. He had a brief but impressive call-up last September, but was expected to start this year in Triple-A. However, with the injury to Omar Vizquel and the frequent ailments of Ray Durham and Rich Aurilia, he may not be such a long-shot anymore. He's already gotten time at second and third, and I expect to see him a little at shortstop and in the outfield as well. I would love to see an opening day double-play combination of Velez and Frandsen. Because of his blazing speed and solid bat, he could develop into a dynamic leadoff hitter, which the Giants have not had in years. This makes him in my view the most valuable of all the younger players fighting for a roster spot.

Dear Barry Zito

Dear Barry Zito:

I have used space on my blog to write open letters to before and I will continue to do so this season. Just so you know, I have not given up on you. You are still my favorite player and I expect to carry a big grin on my face when you become the first Giant Cy Young winner since god knows when.

Which is why I am writing you to say - don't worry about it; it's not so bad. I know you only lasted 2/3 of an inning in your spring debut. Sure, you gave up 8 runs during that time, but you should still hang your head high, hit the club with some friends, and then come home and play guitar along with your favorite John Mayer songs.

The pressure will always be on you, courtesy of that fat salary. But, don't forget, you earned that contract and you will continue to earn it. You are still at the front of what I consider to be one of the best Giants staffs ever. You are a mentor for those young players, and you will regain your swagger. So, don't beat yourself up over one start. Just ask yourself, "What would someone with warrior spirt do?" Well, they would know they were going to thrive their next time out, and simply brush it off.

all the best,
Will of Still Orange and Black

Why Bloggers Hate Crede

Joe Crede hit his first Spring Training home runs yesterday against the the Diamondbacks, and as Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times put it, "The home run didn't have enough juice to travel all the way to the San Francisco area, but you can bet that the Giants at least heard about it." One can assume that scouts from the Giants were on hand.

Since the Crede trade rumor was first announced, the Giants blogosphere has been almost universally against the move. They argue that Crede's injury history and poor production last year would make him no better than Pedro Feliz. Yet many of the same people trashing Crede couldn't wait for the Giants to sign someone like Morgan Ensberg or Dallas McPherson, who have had similar problems over the past few years. Now I understand that those two were free agents, and the Giants wouldn't have had to give up much to get them. But it's not as if the White Sox are going to ask for Matt Cain or Tim Lincecum. We probably wouldn't even have to give up Noah Lowry or Jonathan Sanchez. The most likely trade in my opinion would involve a spare bullpen arm. I don't really see Brad Hennessey turning into another Joe Nathan.

I think what has happened is that many Giants fans have become so invested in hating Brian Sabean that they are against any move he expresses interest in making. Crede is only 29, but if Sabean wants him, he must be "old." Some fans try to hide their bias by saying "I want the kids to play." Well, Crede is certainly more of a kid than Rich Aurilia or Ray Durham, who are the ones playing now. Without a doubt, his injury history makes him a risk, but maybe the Giants need a risk right now. Maybe he will be another Pedro Feliz. But at this point, fuck it. I'd take that.

Where's the Swagger?

Oh yeah, Oakland's got it.

At least Bruce Bochy is optimistic:

That's about as ugly as I've seen. It's been a long time since I've seen one played as bad as that, pitching and defense. It's hard to do, really, what we did. We gave up crooked numbers in six of the nine innings. Obviously we have a lot of work to do. We've got to tighten up. It's early, but it's not acceptable to have a game like that, even in spring training.

Um.

Hey ... have you downloaded Amplive's Radiohead remixes (featuring Too Short and Del the Funkee Homosapien)? You should - it's the best thing out in music right now. Wait, maybe I should post that at our other blog.

Nothing to Cheer About

The Giants lost 23-5. Barry Zito gave up 8 runs in 2/3 of an inning. Discuss.

A Little More to Cheer About

The Giants played split-squad games against the Cubs and Mariners on Friday, beating Chicago 8-6 while losing to Seattle 5-3. The loss, however, was somewhat more newsworthy than the victory. Tim Lincecum showed some early swagger, throwing 2.2 scoreless innings. The offense also knocked new Mariner ace Erik Bedard around for three runs in the second inning. Of particular interest was the play of Travis Denker, acquired in the Mark Sweeney trade. Denker started at second base and picked up a couple hits and an RBI. I wouldn't be surprised if Denker saw saw playing time in the big leagues later this year. Unfortunately the offense couldn't generate any more runs the rest of the game, and the bullpen blew the early lead, with Scott Williamson and Randy Messenger giving up two runs each.

In the victory over the Cubs, most of the offense came from no-names. Outfielder Eddy Martinez-Esteve hit a game-tying homer in the seventh, and outfielder Ryan Rohlinger hit a grand slam to put the Giants ahead in the eighth. Eugenio Velez continued to make a case for a roster spot, going 2-3 with two stolen bases and two runs scored. A day after Kevin Correia got lit up by the Cubs, Jonathan Sanchez didn't fair much better. The lefty allowed three runs in the first inning on three hits and two walks. If Correia and Sanchez continue to perform poorly, perhaps Pat Misch could steal the fifth starter's spot. Misch threw two shutout innings against Seattle, striking out three.

Tomorrow: Barry Zito makes his Spring debut against the A's.