Opening Day GTD! 4/6/12 The Defending defending World Series Champions vs. D-Backs

[guitarmy21b]

I'll be watching since I'm on 24 hour CQ duty and the Rangers already played. Hope Posey and Melky get me some points!

 

[tzill]

Bochy names Theriot his opening-day second baseman
April 6, 2012, 10:08 am

PROGRAMMING NOTE:Giants Pregame Live starts at 3 p.m. on CSN SportsNet Bay Area, followed by Giants-Diamondbacks at 4, and GiantsPostGame Live immediately following the final out.

PHOENIX -- The Giants included a neat stat on the front page of their game notes: If Emmanuel Burriss were to get the nod at second base, the Giants would field their first fully homegrown starting infield on opening day since 1993.

Oops.

Giants manager Bruce Bochy spoiled the fine work of his PR staff. He told KNBR this morning that Ryan Theriot would be his starter at second base against Arizona right-hander Ian Kennedy.

Theriot is 3 for 9 against Kennedy, but the move probably has more to do with Burriss' late-spring cooling trend. It also has to do with Brandon Crawford's consistently strong showing at the plate. Bochy had planned to bat Burriss seventh in the hopes he could get on base and Crawford could move him over. But the Giants are confident enough in Crawford's ability to drive in runs that he will begin in the No.7 spot.

Also, the Giants do not have an additional backup infielder because Joaquin Arias didn't make the club. Burriss is seen as more of a true backup than Theriot, who really struggled on the left side of the infield.

All perfunctory caveats apply: This is just opening day. One out of 162. No, this doesn't mean you can mark down 600 at-bats of Ryan Theriot this season.

One other news item from Bochy's appearance on Murph and Mac: He said Buster Posey will catch all three games in the Arizona series. Count on Hector Sanchez catching Barry Zito on Monday at Coors Field.

Getting back to that infield note, the Giants in 1993 featured catcher Kirt Manwaring, first baseman Will Clark, second baseman Robby Thompson, shortstop Royce Clayton, third baseman Matt Williams and pitcher John Burkett.

Here are a few more nuggets from the game notes that aren't completely irrelevant:

--There are just 13 players on the opening-day roster who were active for the Giants on opening day in 2011.

--On today's roster, 15 players are homegrown. Last year, just 10 were homegrown.

--Tim Lincecum is 1-1 with a 1.59 ERA in three opening-day starts. With his fourth assignment, he's second only to Juan Marichal's 10 lid-lifting starts.

--Yes, it's required that all beat writers work in the term "lid lifter" at some point today. That's one item checked off, and it's not even noon. Swell!



Read more: Bochy names Theriot his opening-day second baseman
Tune to SportsNet Central at 6, 10:30 and midnight on Comcast SportsNet Bay Area for more on this story

I'm hoping this trend continues and next year we have 20 homegrown...

Gone: Huffer, Franchez, Pagan, Affeldt, Mota, Hensley
Add: Brown, Panik, Peggs, Hembree, Surkamp

C - Buster
1B - Belt
2B - Panik
SS - Stamos
3B - Panda
LF - Melky*
CF - Brown
RF - Peggs

SP - Tim, Bum, Cain, Vogey, Zeets*
RP - Beard, Romo, Casilla, Lopez, Runzler, Hembree, Otero
Bench - Chez3, ManBurr, Pill, Riot*, White Shark*

That's 21/25 homegrown....could be more if Arias makes the squad and Zeets gets traded (Surkamp starts). I think Melky and Shark get re-signed, though.

 

[tzill]

Boch took one look at Burriss's heatmap and said "No" to starting him.

This.

Repped. Not to get all Nolan-y on Opening Day, but that dude just ain't a major league hitter. OTOH, Franchez looks like he might actually be ready BEFORE May....

:arg:

 

[GiantsPackersChamps2011]

Posey owns Kennedy

 

[GiantsPackersChamps2011]

HOLY CRAP THE SEASON IS ABOUT TO BEGIN
YESSSSSSSSSSSSS

 

[GiantsPackersChamps2011]

I guess it's time for my post count to sky rocket again

 

[sfsportsfan]

i didnt know Linden was back in the organization.


Weak, Pagan.

 

[GiantsPackersChamps2011]

LOL i see the last name Cabrera first thing that came to my head
HOLY CRAP I HATE YOU ORLANDO CABRERA DAMN YOU!......oh wait it's MELKT

 

[ColinCoby]

Melky!! 1st hit of 2012.

 

[tzill]

Goldschmidt, Hill, and Roberts with some ownage on Freak.
Melky, Pagan, Posey, Riot with some ownage on Kennedy.

Sigh....2 pitch fucking out to begin the game by Oxy.....

 

[xxERICSMITHXX]

Cabrera with a 2B for our first hit of the season...trade already paying off

 

[MarcoPolo]

first hit of the season !! w00t!! and a fast guy on 2nd with just one out.

 

[tzill]

The Melkman cometh...

 

[GiantsPackersChamps2011]

BUSTER POSEY

 

[sfsportsfan]

been waiting almost a year for this

 

[tzill]

Panda just missed that one....

 

[MarcoPolo]

Damn, off the bat I was thinking HR for panda. But cabrera moves to 3rd - it's up to Buster now.

 

[tzill]

Huffer with his first clutch AB of the season.

 

[MarcoPolo]

Huff up now. As Scooby Doo would say ... "Ruh Roh".

 

[tzill]

And....a one pitch fucking out. Fuck...you....Huff.