7/26/14 GDT Kershaws @ Strongs

[calsnowskier]

If you had ten Baby Giants who are untouchable in trades, who would they be for you, Cal?

1. Crick
2. Susac (can't be traded now anyway)
3. Blackburn
4. Okert
5. Mejia
6. Hall
7. Duffy
8. Panik (does he count still?)
9. Williamson
10. Law/Osich

In general, I don't think we have any "off-the-table" kids in the system right now. I just don't want to pay the prices needed to acquire players that could make a difference IF WE DON'T WIN TWO OF THE NEXT THREE.

If you are asking more who I see as our top to right now, and not asking past that, than your list is close, I guess. I haven't given any thought to a top 10 list recently.

I would add Arroyo, certainly, and maybe Blach an/or Kurrasch; and while farm bully arms are an apparent strength, I am not sure they belong on a top 10 list in that amount. Not sure who should be dropped and added ATM, though. I would need to do some prep work to put together that kind if list.

 

[msgkings322]

While I agree I don't think it's that simple. Do you think the Doggies reallty want our pen? Look at the stats in some detail. We may look good to US but we have blown twice as many saves as their pen. It's about the point of view. I also think that fans do see their teams flaws but they are magnified beyond reality. Why, because they frustrate the crap out of us. I also think that even a team with lousy chemistry but tons of talent (Doggies) can go on some damn impressive runs. LA played at a 42-8 rate last year. Teams with issues in the talent area (like us) need to replace parts to fix it. Much more difficult.What would we all think if the Doggies pick up Price while we try and fix our issues with Uggla and Peavy? I think their moves will be for an extended run in the playoff (doesn't mean they work). Ours, on the other hand are about getting to the playoffs. We are both going to be buyers but each with a different intention. Unlimited funds make the landscape much different for the Doggies fans.

Short version: Dodgers have a ton of talent and unlimited budget to add more. I dont disagree, but what's the conclusion? Give up? Stop trying? We are right there this year, and we should fight to make the playoffs this year. going forward the Dodgers wallet will be a major challenge. We knew that, and Giants' ownership knows it. Not much to say about it, to use the hated cliche 'it is what it is'.

 

[SFGRTB]

Belt may be back. He may not. Concussions are "funny" like that. Lets assume he will be back within the week, for discussion purposes.

Pagan is getting a LOT of heat on KNBR ("We are not blaming him for this, it is just who he is") the last week or so about how he needs to be basically 100% before he will take the field. I dont know how accurate that is, but this is the second season in a row he has missed extended time while the team continues to think he was just around the corner from being ready to play. I will pencil him in the lineup only when he actually steps in the box to take an AB. Not a second beforehand.

Getting a 2B will cost us an arm and a bat just to get an OK player (Murphy). It seems Utley wants to stay put and the Rays may be taking themselves out of the sell market.

3 out of 4 from Philly is nice. But the Phils S.U.C.K. Our offense showed up because that stadium is a friggin band-box. We play against a legit playoff team (and maybe we are one as well), and we get absolutely destroyed in the first two games. "Well, they set up their rotation to face us with their top 3 pitchers." Who gives a fuck! If we were to meet them in the playoffs, do you expect that we would miss their top 3 pitchers?

I think our pitching is passable to get it done in the playoffs. We have 1 legit ace who can go against any other pitcher in the Bigs. We have 2 other pitchers who can be passable as legit #2s for a playoff team. We may then be able to scrounge together enough innings out of the two #4s we have and our elite bully to get the job done.

The problem is that our offense is just a joke. You can tuck yourself in at night with the "It was Kershaw and Greinke" excuse. As I said earlier, that excuse is BS. We have been doing this for the last 8 weeks against Joe Blow and Steve Schmoe as well as Clayton Kershaw and Zack Greinke. This offense is either complete shit, or we have the worst luck in the history of baseball where we are getting every pitchers career best game every night.

I will grant you the excuse that we have been decimated by injuries. Sure, that is legit. That is why I am not laying any of this at Boch or Sabes feet. But that does not change the fact that this team's offense simply cannot compete with the better teams in the league. Beating the Marlins and Phillies is nice, but that is expected. If we continue to REGULARLY get blown out by teams we may face in the postseason, why sell our souls just to get to the postseason?

If we do not win 2 of the next 3 games AT HOME, than I do not want any more trades that cost us anything of any value whatsoever. I am not saying we should be sellers. That is simply not the Giants way. But I do not want Crick or Susac or Brown or Blackburn or Mejia or Okert or Hall or Duffy traded to assist this team. If they go on a tear in August, and some of the injured players return, than I am OK with re-assessing the situation at that time to see about any trades.

I agree that we have a flawed team, but I haven't seen any other NL team that has separated itself from the pack. These next 3 games won't be an indicator of future success because we won't have Belt, Pagan or a second baseman. If we don't get any of those things the rest of the season, then yeah I don't see us going far (we've experienced it since June and it's ugly), but get 2 of the 3 and it might be able to keep us in the upper echelon.

 

[Stokes1931]

I remember having 'no chance' to beat Halliday, Cliff Lee, Verlander, etc in the past. The hitters we had were not great hitters, but they were scrappy, and could beat anyone, given the chance. This year's hitters, aside from Pence, are not scrappy, and seem to just be overwhelmed by some pitchers. Don't know why. It could be worse, i could be a Chubs fan.

Hope for Peavy to deal tonight and the slumbering bats to wake up.

 

[msgkings322]

I remember having 'no chance' to beat Halliday, Cliff Lee, Verlander, etc in the past. The hitters we had were not great hitters, but they were scrappy, and could beat anyone, given the chance. This year's hitters, aside from Pence, are not scrappy, and seem to just be overwhelmed by some pitchers. Don't know why. It could be worse, i could be a Chubs fan.

Hope for Peavy to deal tonight and the slumbering bats to wake up.

So Sandoval, Posey, Belt, Pagan, and Crawford are no longer 'scrappy'? Those were our hitters in 2012 also.

(note 2 of those are on the DL...another issue)

We can go around and around like this forever....the same exact guys look great when they are winning, terrible when not. cal makes a good point, he doesn't want to give up assets if we don't have a playoff team. So you just have to decide if we do. I think we do. Others don't. And it doesn't matter what any of us think anyway, it matters what the front office thinks.

 

[1phlapdown]

I remember having 'no chance' to beat Halliday, Cliff Lee, Verlander, etc in the past.

Good point. This also brought to mind the Ashkon vids on utube where he expressed the same thought in one of them. I go back to them from time to time when the G's play has me in the dumps, like right now, and they raise my spirits. . If any of you are unfamiliar with them, check 'em out! He has one for '10 + '12.

 

[SFGRTB]

Good point. This also brought to mind the Ashkon vids on utube where he expressed the same thought in one of them. I go back to them from time to time when the G's play has me in the dumps, like right now, and they raise my spirits. . If any of you are unfamiliar with them, check 'em out! He has one for '10 + '12.

I watch the "27 outs" video, which is in the 2010 game 5 W.S. sticky thread, in times like this. And highlights of Pablo crushing 3 homers against Verlander.

Those Ashkon video's are great too.