Game Thread: 91916 KerBum!

[LHG]

Belt is not having a down year.

Looking at offense, hitters at or above .800 OPS:
Gorkys Hernandez - .947 (start him every single day!)
Brandon Belt - .846
Hunter Pence - .817
Buster Posey - .807

Batters with a 2.0 or higher OWAR:
Posey - 3.4
Eduardo Nunez - 3.2 (2.4 with Twins)
Belt - 2.7
Pence - 2.2
Brandon Crawford - 2.1

 

[calsnowskier]

Mark Melacon is the ideal target.

He is my #1 target. But he will be EXPENSIVE (read TOO expensive).

 

[LHG]

Gorkys probably makes the team, but he will be taking Blancos spot. They still need to fill Pagan's spot, and if they don't go big (Bruce, Cespedes, Batista, etc), I don't see a FA signing (and I don't want any of the guys I mentioned).

If they don't trade for a bat, than it will be an open competition between Span, Gorkys, McParker and Slater for left and center.

Sure hope that is the scenario that plays out (minus a "big" signing. Bruce and Bautista, especially would be awful moves).

 

[calsnowskier]

We all knew the 'pen was a question mark in Feb/Mar. TPTB pushed some buttons and hoped young guys could step up and make meaningful contributions. I hindsight those young guys weren't good enough. Strick didn't continue to improve Law turned out nice but he can't do it by himself.

It was a question, yes. But it was not a concern. We had bully arms to burn on the farm. Black, Law, Osich, Okert, Crick, Blach, Stratton, Heston, Mejia and a slew of mlfa's.

No one, outside of Law, stepped up. And all of the established guys decided to perform at the bottom end of their expectations.

I don't blame the coaching staff. But this crew has been together for over 7 years now. It is time for some fresh blood. I can't imagine getting better personal than Raggs or Gardy, but where else can you infuse a new personality? Where can a new voice be heard?

 

[SFGRTB]

He is my #1 target. But he will be EXPENSIVE (read TOO expensive).

I think I'd be quite alright with Mac in LF next year, with Gorkys and Parker backing up Span and Pence. Spend yo money on Melancon. Law, Strick, Smith, Suarez can stay. Osich/Okert/Reynolds can battle for LOOGY, and I'm still okay with KCYa coming back. One SSS of a season doesn't wipe away 6 elite seasons for me (but he may want to move on anyway).

 

[shrksfn9192]

First game of a series. (Loss - check)

Only one walk. (Loss - check)

Brilliant pitching by the starter (Loss - check)

Total freaking implosion by our bullpen. (Loss - check)

Complete and total slumber by our "hitters" (Loss - check)

Can this season get any worse? Any worse?!?

Yes, if they manage not to finish above .500. The 2016 Giants are the opposite of the 2010, 2012, and 2014 teams. Blowing a 9th inning lead is not a surprise anymore, it's commonplace now. Just mercifully end this season already. Hopefully, the front office has learned a lesson from having such an awful, worthless bullpen.

 

[msgkings322]

LOL I literally cannot.

Honest to god never seen anything like this BRIB 1st half to imploded bullpen and vanished bats. Just a collapse for the ages. I guess the even year thing is not a thing anymore.

I'm very happy we got ours recently though...

Good organizations keep it competitive, we will be again next year.

 

[msgkings322]

By the way it's clearly time for Posey to just STFU about not playing 3rd. He's hurting the team that he is the captain of. I'm not saying go all in right away, but he needs to play 20-25 games at third next year, and do 20-25 at first. Otherwise he's a slap hitter the second half of every year. He's not God, he is a ballplayer who needs to get realistic.

Yes I know he's elite behind the dish, so is that going to work, getting a singles hitting catcher? We need to replace his legit middle of the order bat then. I say let the change be in Posey not in the roster, see how it goes.

 

[shrksfn9192]

LOL I literally cannot.

Honest to god never seen anything like this BRIB 1st half to imploded bullpen and vanished bats. Just a collapse for the ages. I guess the even year thing is not a thing anymore.

I'm very happy we got ours recently though...

Good organizations keep it competitive, we will be again next year.

Yeah, the front office has a lot of damn work to do this offseason.

 

[msgkings322]

Yeah, the front office has a lot of damn work to do this offseason.

Bats and bullpen, bats and bullpen.

 

[msgkings322]

Maybe they kinda pulled in the reins a bit this year thinking even year magic would just happen again, LOL

No excuse next year, let's see the big guns....

 

[msgkings322]

I'm saying they tried to do it with the same formula this year as 2010 and 2014 (and kinda 2012) and that's fine, it obviously worked for a long time. But maybe phase II of the dynasty is to change the approach, try to be smart in free agency with bigger deals?

 

[calsnowskier]

I'm saying they tried to do it with the same formula this year as 2010 and 2014 (and kinda 2012) and that's fine, it obviously worked for a long time. But maybe phase II of the dynasty is to change the approach, try to be smart in free agency with bigger deals?

The FA route got them to the Series in '02...

 

[calsnowskier]

Damn.

It wasn't a dream...

 

[LHG]

The FA route got them to the Series in '02...

Actually, if you look at the 28 guys that played the bulk of the season, or important parts of the season, the vast majority were acquired in trades (14). Another 7 were produced through the farm system (8 if you count Zerbe since he made his debut with the Giants). Only 5 were signed as major league free agents (7 if you count minor league free agents). One guy was selected off waivers.

Santiago - signed 2 year, $3.7 million deal
Snow - traded by Angels
Kent - traded by Indians
Aurilia - traded by Rangers
Bell - traded by Mariners
Bonds - signed, essentially, 14 year, $163.6 million deal (I know, that wasn't the original deal, but it covers the time between his two forays into free agency)
Shinjo - traded by Mets
Sanders - signed 1 year, $1.75 million deal
Lofton - traded by White Sox
Minor - drafted
Martinez - traded by Royals
Goodwin - signed 1 year deal
Torrealba - amateur free agent
Feliz - amateur free agent
Dunston - signed 2 year, $2.1 million deal
Benard - drafted
Hernandez - traded by Marlins
Ortiz - drafted
Rueter - traded by Expos
Schmidt - traded by Pirates
Jensen - drafted
Nen - traded by Marlins
Worrell - traded by Cubs
Rodriguez - traded by Diamondbacks
Witasick - traded by Yankees
Zerbe - minor league free agent
Fultz - drafted (then traded and signed back as a minor league free agent)
Eyre - selected off waivers from Blue Jays

 

[SF11704]

Stayed away from responding for almost all season. The second half has been an emotional disaster for me. Can't say how many things I've 'walled' during this run. But I do have some observations. Not sure anyone here will agree but ... I'll give them anyway ...

1. The 'pen' hasn't been solid at all. Almost all year. The blown save statistic for the pen in general is a little south of 60%. I just think we masked the issue in the first half by 'coming back' and taking a few of those game. Not many but a few. Just enough to hide the issue.
2. Casilla has been brutal in the role of the closer. 11 BS and also tagged with 7 losses. 7 losses for a closer is just insane. At what point do they realize that he's not doing the job and they need to look elsewhere ... anywhere
3. Bochy will be a HOF manager but maybe it's time to rethink his ability to manage THIS team. I'm not sure he knows how to manage and motivate a team that is LOSING. Talent is part of the equation but not the whole picture. Bochy loves his vets and will play them in most if not all situations. I don't think it has anything to do with his 'management' ability ... just not sure he can motivate this team or r4eally take them to task if needed.
4. I will never understand yesterday's decision to take out MadBum. He was at 97 pitches and could easily go to 125+ if needed. Madbum caused a fire storm and I think that is what the team needed. I would have given him back the ball and let the chips fall where they may. MadBum is one of the team leaders ... we should have let him lead. I also can't buy that he would have been distracted! Let him pitch the 8th and then say he's distracted.
I also thought that Law was pulled a little too quick.
5. In general the offense has all but disappeared. That is what highlights the 'pen' issues. Getting a whopping 3 hits last night just made it all the more difficult but I've seen us blow some really large leads late in games ... so ... pitching with a cushion isn't a guarantee either.
6. Since I live in NY I get to see the Mets more than I would like. They have had some offense issues but their pen is stellar. They also hit a LOT of Home Runs .... probably more than most of you realize. They have been very hot lately. At this point I think they are one of the WC teams. The other will be us or the Cards ... not an easy one game series for anyone ....

 

[1phlapdown]

Puig is a fuckhead, no doubt.

The Dodgers will likely shit the bed in the playoffs per usual, take solace in that.

You have as good a chance as any other team. 'Shaw and Maeda will make you competitive and you have live bats. The wild card is Jensen imho. Lots of BSs from him this year and historically. CK should shake off the post season let downs of the past.

Oh, lest I forget, you don't have Donny anymore, and that may be the linchpin for your playoff success.

 

[navamind]

 

[1phlapdown]

 

[lasportzphan]

You have as good a chance as any other team. 'Shaw and Maeda will make you competitive and you have live bats. The wild card is Jensen imho. Lots of BSs from him this year and historically. CK should shake off the post season let downs of the past.

Oh, lest I forget, you don't have Donny anymore, and that may be the linchpin for your playoff success.

Jansen is the least of my conners in that the bats rarely show up during the playoffs to even set the table up for him.

Rich Hill is the pitching "X" factor for the Dodgers (pitching tonight). Early returns are promising, but his blister issues appear to be very touch and go.

And as noted above: will this team ever find a way to generate runs and support quality starts in the playoffs? Game 5 against the Mets last year was beyond frustrating with countless runners in scoring position. Hell, I might have been in scoring position at one point during the game.

As for your Giants.... they cannot play worse. And I mean this as a positive. Here they are tied for the Wild Card and yet to play to their potential. I suspect they earn a Wild Card berth, Mad Bum does what he does and you're playing the Cubbies where anything can happen when you have Cueto and Matt Moore dealing.