The Improbable Burrell

[filosofy29]

With Giants, Pat Burrell assumes unlikely role of team leader - San Jose Mercury News

This has been one of the (if not the) craziest Giants seasons I can remember. These guys seem to be able to walk in-between rain drops. No matter what happens, I'll remember this season fondly.....but I still think they can bring in that WS hardware if everything keeps lining up correctly.

 

[SF11704]

My take on the possibility. Many of us on this board have played some baseball. Some probably have pitched a game or two. With that in mind: I look at the last ATL-SF series and see a line where our SP gave up a total of 3 earned runs over the four games (maybe less, I didn't have time to go back and look). These games were dominant.
I believe that it wouldn't matter if it was ATL or PHI or even the NYY. I still believe that Lincy's 14K gem would have withstood any of their line-ups. Because the PHillies are better than us offensively doesn't mean our pitching wouldn't have shut them down.
Having pitched a little in my youth I can never remember having any specific game plan for a specific team. You always went with your best pitches for that day. I think that these same 4 games by our SP would have seriously hurt any opponent. Both PHI and NYY included. Just my 2 cents but I think our pitching is capable of shutting down any offense

 

[filosofy29]

I hope you're right Anthem, only time will tell. I definitely had a different approach to certain teams and certain hitters. For the most part though, (I agree with you in this respect sf11704) I'd go with whatever pitch/pitches I was more confident in that particular day. EDIT: Then again, I didn't pitch as far or as high up as tzill (teh old southpaw) or gp. I pretty much had a fastball (not much, but mid to high 70's), a traditional changeup (palm grip) and kind of a knuckle curve that sometimes worked and sometimes helped out the opposing teams slugging percentage, lol.

Good story on Posey as well.

Mark Purdy: Take it from Johnny Bench -- Buster Posey is a catch - San Jose Mercury News

 

[nateistheshi]

You guys are making me miss playing baseball hahaha. I feel like I quit playing a bit too soon, and now even if I wanted to I wouldn't make the college team. Interesting fact though, I went to the same high school as Justin Upton, and I decided to leave early on the day of tryouts. A couple of guys who weren't that good but were used as pinch runners/defensive replacements (a role I would've assumed as well since I was faster than a couple of them,) made the team. So if I decided to stay and try out instead of going home, I probably would've been a teammate of Justin Upton for 2 years.

On Pat Burrell, he's been so great for this team, on and off the field. I hope that management finds a way to bring him and Huff back next year, and I also would love it if they can give Pat a coaching job when he retires.

 

[SF11704]

hear you Filo - I also didn't pitch past HS and that's probably why we didn't have any 'books' on other teams or individual players. I was pretty much had a fastball and an assortment of other 'junk'. Never really special. I just tended to throw what was working.
I think our pitching is as good as anyone's. It's the hitting that has me worried. While I think we can hold teams to 3 runs I'm not sure we can score 4. In that streak where we held the opponents to 3 runs of less for 17 games we were 11-6. That's good numbers but with a little more run support - maybe 14-3

 

[nateistheshi]

hear you Filo - I also didn't pitch past HS and that's probably why we didn't have any 'books' on other teams or individual players. I was pretty much had a fastball and an assortment of other 'junk'. Never really special. I just tended to throw what was working.
I think our pitching is as good as anyone's. It's the hitting that has me worried. While I think we can hold teams to 3 runs I'm not sure we can score 4. In that streak where we held the opponents to 3 runs of less for 17 games we were 11-6. That's good numbers but with a little more run support - maybe 14-3

Do you think we would've went 14-3 if Cody 3 RBI in the NLDS Ross starts instead of Guillen?

 

[SF11704]

Nate - not sure what we could have done with other players at that time. I just think that we have great pitching but also have issues scoring runs. I was initially a fan of the Guillen signing but it never seemed to work. Maybe the neck injury or maybe it was just him. Looking back now - I would love to trade the Guillen games for Ross games. I don't believe that Guillen hurt us but I don't think he contributed much either.

 

[gp956]

My take on the possibility. Many of us on this board have played some baseball. Some probably have pitched a game or two. With that in mind: I look at the last ATL-SF series and see a line where our SP gave up a total of 3 earned runs over the four games (maybe less, I didn't have time to go back and look). These games were dominant.
I believe that it wouldn't matter if it was ATL or PHI or even the NYY. I still believe that Lincy's 14K gem would have withstood any of their line-ups. Because the PHillies are better than us offensively doesn't mean our pitching wouldn't have shut them down.
Having pitched a little in my youth I can never remember having any specific game plan for a specific team. You always went with your best pitches for that day. I think that these same 4 games by our SP would have seriously hurt any opponent. Both PHI and NYY included. Just my 2 cents but I think our pitching is capable of shutting down any offense

This is exactly right. Every player on the Phillies are guys you can pitch to, consequently they can be shutdown by a dominate pitching performance. And none of the phillies pitchers have off the charts nasty stuff, so if they think they can just throw anything up there and get people out... well that's not going to happen -the phillies pitchers are too good, too mature, to think like that.

Aside from all that, I just got this guy feeling that the Giants hitters are going to dominate in philly.

 

[Heathbar012]

This is exactly right. Every player on the Phillies are guys you can pitch to, consequently they can be shutdown by a dominate pitching performance. And none of the phillies pitchers have off the charts nasty stuff, so if they think they can just throw anything up there and get people out... well that's not going to happen -the phillies pitchers are too good, too mature, to think like that.

Aside from all that, I just got this guy feeling that the Giants hitters are going to dominate in philly.

I'm with you. Maybe not dominate, but I think there is something to be said for a team that plays half of its games in a pitcher's park. When they do get the opportunity to bat in hitter-friendly places there is an explosion of runs. For example, the Brewers' series in July. I don't think there is a team in the NL that ever had a better chance to upset the Phillies than the Giants do right now. Of course, they are still the better team on paper. That's why it would be an upset. .

 

[gp956]

I'm with you. Maybe not dominate, but I think there is something to be said for a team that plays half of its games in a pitcher's park. When they do get the opportunity to bat in hitter-friendly places there is an explosion of runs. For example, the Brewers' series in July. I don't think there is a team in the NL that ever had a better chance to upset the Phillies than the Giants do right now. Of course, they are still the better team on paper. That's why it would be an upset. .

Oh, don't get me wrong - if the giants play 82 games in philly, they're still an average hitting team - i just have this GUT feeling the bats are going to explode this weekend.

 

[nateistheshi]

You could definitely say that they're due for it, and it would stop all the bullshit talk from other team's fans and the fuckers at espn who are always busy licking the scrotums of the Yankees, Redsox, Mets, and Phillies. It'll hopefully keep those fuckers from constantly saying the only reason we're here is because we're lucky. Of course they'd still probably find a way to do so.

 

[filosofy29]

As an anti-fan of ESPN, I'd love it if the Giants and Rangers played for the WS Ring. That said, it's very unlikely from an odds standpoint. Although Cliff Lee does own the New York Yankees.....especially in the Playoffs. IIRC, he beat the Yankees both times in the WS last year for Philly.

 

[Robotech]

My take on the possibility. Many of us on this board have played some baseball. Some probably have pitched a game or two. With that in mind: I look at the last ATL-SF series and see a line where our SP gave up a total of 3 earned runs over the four games (maybe less, I didn't have time to go back and look). These games were dominant.
I believe that it wouldn't matter if it was ATL or PHI or even the NYY. I still believe that Lincy's 14K gem would have withstood any of their line-ups. Because the PHillies are better than us offensively doesn't mean our pitching wouldn't have shut them down.
Having pitched a little in my youth I can never remember having any specific game plan for a specific team. You always went with your best pitches for that day. I think that these same 4 games by our SP would have seriously hurt any opponent. Both PHI and NYY included. Just my 2 cents but I think our pitching is capable of shutting down any offense

I'm with you on that. Great pitching is great pitching and is capable of holding down any lineup. We've seen it so many times in the playoffs where pitching is great and runs are scarce. While the Phillies lineup is certainly excellent, our Giants have the pitching to make this a competive series. None of us will be surprised if the Giants lose, but I would be really surprised if the Giants don't make most of these games close. The Giants may very well get swept, but the margin of victory in all of those games will be 1 or 2 runs. That's just Giants baseball for 2010.

 

[Heathbar012]

I'm with you on that. Great pitching is great pitching and is capable of holding down any lineup. We've seen it so many times in the playoffs where pitching is great and runs are scarce. While the Phillies lineup is certainly excellent, our Giants have the pitching to make this a competive series. None of us will be surprised if the Giants lose, but I would be really surprised if the Giants don't make most of these games close. The Giants may very well get swept, but the margin of victory in all of those games will be 1 or 2 runs. That's just Giants baseball for 2010.

... and probably this entire decade.

 

[SFAnthem]

I'm with you on that. Great pitching is great pitching and is capable of holding down any lineup. We've seen it so many times in the playoffs where pitching is great and runs are scarce. While the Phillies lineup is certainly excellent, our Giants have the pitching to make this a competive series. None of us will be surprised if the Giants lose, but I would be really surprised if the Giants don't make most of these games close. The Giants may very well get swept, but the margin of victory in all of those games will be 1 or 2 runs. That's just Giants baseball for 2010.

I think that's what makes this Giants team so intriguing. They are always on the edge of losing or winning a game. The outcome of each game is always semi in doubt.

* I just want to celebrate another champagne party... ok, maybe two