Spring Training 2012

[tzill]

Maybe Filo can sticky this for us.

Here's a quote from Shulman:

In one of Bochy’s more telling comments today, he said there’s going to be “a competition” among Aubrey Huff, Brandon Belt and Brett Pill, who all will get time at first base and left field.


Just as a I thought, they're going to give Pill some run in LF. All three of these guys make the final cut.

 

[jingo]

Spring Training News

(Didn't know if this should appear under a new thread. If not, sorry.)

Vogelsong strains lower back
February 19, 2012, 9:33 am

Ryan Vogelsong’s 2012 season isn’t off to a dream start. The right-hander won’t pick up a baseball for the first 7-10 days of the spring after straining his lower back in the weight room a week ago.

“I got a little frisky one day,” said Vogelsong, who sustained the injury the day after the Feb. 6 FanFest. “I was doing some squats and feeling good, so I put a little more weight on and I tweaked it. It was nothing I hadn’t done all winter.”

Vogelsong is not listed with either group of pitchers to throw off a mound. Matt Cain and Tim Lincecum are in Sunday’s group. Brian Wilson and Madison Bumgarner headline Monday’s group.

Vogelsong was more irritated than concerned about the setback.

“I’m not in pain. I don’t really feel it,” he said. “We just want to make sure it’s really, really strong before we start pushing forward. This is the conservative time of the year.

“It just stinks that it happened. You work all offseason to be ready the first day of camp, and so to have this happen is a little damper. But it’s better than the middle of June.”

Vogelsong won his first big league game in six years last season after the Giants signed him as a minor league free agent – then went on to make the NL All-Star team, lead the staff in ERA and pick up a Cy Young vote.

The Giants can’t bank on finding another Vogelsong. Those kinds of stories happen once every few decades, not every year. With a lack of rotation depth, it’s vital that Giants’ starters – including Vogelsong -- remain healthy this spring.

Tune to SportsNet Central at 6, 10:30 and midnight on Comcast SportsNet Bay Area for more on this story

 

[ColinCoby]

Apparently Belt, Schierholtz, and Crawford are among the position players that arrived early.

Any chance Schierholtz can surprise and become an above average hitter? He certainly showed flashes last year after he changed his positioning in the box (looked a lot like Andre Ethier's approach).

And what can we expect from Crawford? I think we'd all be eternally grateful if he bats .250.

 

[SFGRTB]

If Crawford can hit .250/.260, he will be a league average hitter because of his plate discipline and pop. I expect a .250/.350/.410 line from him, which will be more than enough to stick at SS with his D.

Nate, hard to tell. Pre-All star break he put up a .293/.343/.464 line (.807 OPS), but post he had less AB's and injuries that slowed him down. I don't think he can put up those numbers from the first half, but he might be able to. He has been in the league 4 years, enough time for pitchers to adjust to him and for him to adjust back. If he can stay healthy, it's his chance.

 

[filosofy29]

Hey Jingo, moved your post in here just to stick with the theme. Hope you don't mind.

Can't wait for Giants baseball to be back.

 

[tzill]

Apparently Belt, Schierholtz, and Crawford are among the position players that arrived early.

Any chance Schierholtz can surprise and become an above average hitter? He certainly showed flashes last year after he changed his positioning in the box (looked a lot like Andre Ethier's approach).

And what can we expect from Crawford? I think we'd all be eternally grateful if he bats .250.

He projects out to 250/325/350 5 HR 40 RBI

I'd take that.

 

[tzill]

If Crawford can hit .250/.260, he will be a league average hitter because of his plate discipline and pop. I expect a .250/.350/.410 line from him, which will be more than enough to stick at SS with his D.

Nate, hard to tell. Pre-All star break he put up a .293/.343/.464 line (.807 OPS), but post he had less AB's and injuries that slowed him down. I don't think he can put up those numbers from the first half, but he might be able to. He has been in the league 4 years, enough time for pitchers to adjust to him and for him to adjust back. If he can stay healthy, it's his chance.

Nate projects out to 280/340/430 10 HR 40 RBI.

Again, I'd take it.

 

[SFGRTB]

 

[SFGRTB]

 

[SFGRTB]

Nate projects out to 280/340/430 10 HR 40 RBI.

Again, I'd take it.

Over a full season that's what? 15 homers, 65 RBI's? With great D and speed, thats very valuable.

 

[ColinCoby]

Thanks SF. Your posts/pictures got me pumped. Rep.

 

[ColinCoby]

Nate projects out to 280/340/430 10 HR 40 RBI.

Again, I'd take it.

Got any Belt predictions? (assuming he gets the ABs, which I think we have to assume this year)

 

[Stokes1931]

Just made reservations for Spring Training with my son (a soon to be UCLA grad, and HOPEFULLY gainfully employed!)

3/24 Angels @ Rangers
3/25 Dodgers @ Brewers (a neighbor of ours is Ron Roenicke's mom, who will be there the same weekend)
3/26 Royals @ Giants

Good batch of games, and the first time we have gotten tickets to the Scottsdale stadium. Last year, we wound up watching the Giants' "B" team with Shane Loux battle the Cubs at HoHoKam Park- what a dump!

 

[Stokes1931]

Kroon retires: per Baggs

Kroon announces retirement

 

[SFGRTB]

Just made reservations for Spring Training with my son (a soon to be UCLA grad, and HOPEFULLY gainfully employed!)

3/24 Angels @ Rangers
3/25 Dodgers @ Brewers (a neighbor of ours is Ron Roenicke's mom, who will be there the same weekend)
3/26 Royals @ Giants

Good batch of games, and the first time we have gotten tickets to the Scottsdale stadium. Last year, we wound up watching the Giants' "B" team with Shane Loux battle the Cubs at HoHoKam Park- what a dump!

I was there! Wasn't even a sunny day, made everything worse. And on top of that, Rowand was in the lineup, not a very good experience.

 

[calsnowskier]

Dayum, that's a sexy pic...

(in a completely hetero, platonic way)

 

[SFGRTB]

 

[tzill]

Got any Belt predictions? (assuming he gets the ABs, which I think we have to assume this year)

270/360/470 25 HR 75 RBI

 

[ColinCoby]

Kroon retires: per Baggs

Kroon announces retirement

Somewhere Cazic weeps quietly...

 

[tzill]

I'm starting to get very optimistic about Belt. I think he might break camp as the starting 1b, with Huffer sharing time in the OF with Melky, Nate, and Pagan. I'm also encouraged that Pill will be playing some OF...I think he'll be OK in LF.