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As I see it the problem is more systemic than strategic: how the hell can you get to the playoffs with 7 or 8 players hitting around .225?? How can you win games with 2.6 runs per games? You can't. How can you win when the chief refuses to bench certain hitters or take the time to assemble the correct batting order derived by statistical anaylsis? You can't - presently the Giants can't string three hits together; it had been two months since they hit a homer with a man on base (broken Friday); they can't hit with men in scoring position with less than two outs, not even when the guy is on third.
I take it back: Panda can, sometimes Keppinger, And Nate could when he was well - not enough.
Somebody in management is to blame: buying the wrong players or the wrong hitting coach, or (sorry for mentioning one of the elephants in the room) too many benzedrine tablets prescribed to overcome jet lag. Just look at "certain" players; (one comes to mind, he looks strung out at bat).
Mind you I am a life-long fan and saw them play at Seals Stadium even before Candlestick was built, but this team stinks, and it's not just the injuries either.
As I see it the problem is more systemic than strategic: how the hell can you get to the playoffs with 7 or 8 players hitting around .225?? How can you win games with 2.6 runs per games? You can't. How can you win when the chief refuses to bench certain hitters or take the time to assemble the correct batting order derived by statistical anaylsis? You can't - presently the Giants can't string three hits together; it had been two months since they hit a homer with a man on base (broken Friday); they can't hit with men in scoring position with less than two outs, not even when the guy is on third.
I take it back: Panda can, sometimes Keppinger, And Nate could when he was well - not enough.
Somebody in management is to blame: buying the wrong players or the wrong hitting coach, or (sorry for mentioning one of the elephants in the room) too many benzedrine tablets prescribed to overcome jet lag. Just look at "certain" players; (one comes to mind, he looks strung out at bat).
Mind you I am a life-long fan and saw them play at Seals Stadium even before Candlestick was built, but this team stinks, and it's not just the injuries either.
The consecutive solo HR streak was broken by Cody Ross back on Aug. 14, not last Friday..
And while I agree this team can't hit, has no speed and doesn't play good defense...that's a product of injuries as much as anything else. The injuries have even hit key people in their bullpen. For example, Romo was unavailable for the 8th yesterday and Wilson is on the DL.
Outside of Huff, I can't think of one player who was in the opening day lineup that hasn't either gone down for the year or spent significant time on the DL. Looking there for the source of their struggles certainly makes more sense than blaming it on amphetamine use..
Sure there have been some mistakes. Bochy's love of and sticking with under producing veterans for one. Signing Tejada, giving up Zach Wheeler for Beltran (the Giants have gone 12-23 since the move), and Cabrera. I don't care if Crawford is hitting .180 or whatever..he more than makes up for his deficiencies at the plate with his glove. He should have been playing everyday.
Not everything is the fault of injuries, some players like Torres and Huff are having down years, but while the baseball gods were kind to the Giants in 2010, the exact opposite has been true in 2011. Sometimes, it's just not your year..
BTW, the entire team doesn't stink...not unless you feel that way about a pitching staff that still ranks among the top couple in MLB in virtually every category..
As I see it the problem is more systemic than strategic: how the hell can you get to the playoffs with 7 or 8 players hitting around .225?? How can you win games with 2.6 runs per games? You can't. How can you win when the chief refuses to bench certain hitters or take the time to assemble the correct batting order derived by statistical anaylsis? You can't - presently the Giants can't string three hits together; it had been two months since they hit a homer with a man on base (broken Friday); they can't hit with men in scoring position with less than two outs, not even when the guy is on third.
I take it back: Panda can, sometimes Keppinger, And Nate could when he was well - not enough.
Somebody in management is to blame: buying the wrong players or the wrong hitting coach, or (sorry for mentioning one of the elephants in the room) too many benzedrine tablets prescribed to overcome jet lag. Just look at "certain" players; (one comes to mind, he looks strung out at bat).
Mind you I am a life-long fan and saw them play at Seals Stadium even before Candlestick was built, but this team stinks, and it's not just the injuries either.
I don't think Bochy is managing differently than he was last year when they won it all, the problem hasn't been in game strategy failures, it has been failure to execute any strategies due to absense of talent.
Absense of talent is the fault of the GM. The Giants won last season and fell into that classic trap of thinking that what offense they had was good enough, consequently nothing was done in the off season to improve it. But the offense was only good enough last season because of unexpectedly superior performances from Huff, Burrell, Ross and Torres. Unsurprisingly, except perhaps to Sabean, all those guys came back to Earth in '11. Signing a rapidly declining Tejada and hoping for a miracle...that was a great plan, wasn't it?
The Giants experienced tremendously good fortune last season and Sabean's plan for '11 was to rely on a repeat of that luck. None of what is happening now is in any manner surprising to me, it was last season when the surprises took place.
I don't care if Crawford is hitting .180 or whatever..he more than makes up for his deficiencies at the plate with his glove. He should have been playing everyday.
Crawford's bat has been worth -11 runs in 172 plate appearances. He has produced runs (wRC+) at 44% of the rate of the average major league hitter.
Defense is harder to measure, of course. 3 years of UZR data is usually considered to give an accurate measure of a player's fielding ability.
Over the last 3 seasons the best everyday defensive SS has been Brendan Ryan. Ryan has been worth 10 runs per 150 defensive games.
If we say that Crawford is on par with the best defensive SS in baseball then his glove is worth about 10 runs per season. He bat is worth about -35 runs per season.
Factoring in positional adjustments (shortstops don't hit as well, generally, as first basemen or right fielders) Crawford is probably just above replacement level. That's not good.
But he's probably the Giants' best option at SS. I agree with you there.
He's probably also a bit better hitter than he has shown so far.
Its the injuries. We have Posey and Freddy on DL. The pitcher Sanchez is on DL too.
This team is better then ever before. We are WORLD CHAMPIONS!
Nobody predicted the Giants to win the WS last year.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Doctor Blues
As I see it the problem is more systemic than strategic: how the hell can you get to the playoffs with 7 or 8 players hitting around .225?? How can you win games with 2.6 runs per games? You can't. How can you win when the chief refuses to bench certain hitters or take the time to assemble the correct batting order derived by statistical anaylsis? You can't - presently the Giants can't string three hits together; it had been two months since they hit a homer with a man on base (broken Friday); they can't hit with men in scoring position with less than two outs, not even when the guy is on third.
I take it back: Panda can, sometimes Keppinger, And Nate could when he was well - not enough.
Somebody in management is to blame: buying the wrong players or the wrong hitting coach, or (sorry for mentioning one of the elephants in the room) too many benzedrine tablets prescribed to overcome jet lag. Just look at "certain" players; (one comes to mind, he looks strung out at bat).
Mind you I am a life-long fan and saw them play at Seals Stadium even before Candlestick was built, but this team stinks, and it's not just the injuries either.
Well they looked like the champs at today's game in San Diego. Power, pitching and precision. All on display. Reminded me of the surprise which I felt last season when the team which showed up for the playoffs was several cuts above the team which had played that season. I think that Texas is right. Posey was a lighting rod in many ways and the performances by the free agents (today as well Ross nearly hit a clutch grand slam) were just spot on. Hard to repeat this when they are hurt...but today.....they looked ferocious.
Well they looked like the champs at today's game in San Diego. Power, pitching and precision. All on display. Reminded me of the surprise which I felt last season when the team which showed up for the playoffs was several cuts above the team which had played that season. I think that Texas is right. Posey was a lighting rod in many ways and the performances by the free agents (today as well Ross nearly hit a clutch grand slam) were just spot on. Hard to repeat this when they are hurt...but today.....they looked ferocious.
The Giants pitchers may not have the records to prove it but their ERA's is very low so its not their fault if they end up losing the game.
I heard that Barry Bonds is making a comeback. If he does then Giants should sign him.
Giants are also in race for the Wildcard with the Braves.
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