Spring Training 2012

[Stokes1931]

Whoa-boy...

C3PO is looking good, but he is not a star. I think his ceiling is as a lower-end starter / top-flight BU catcher.

Now that is a fine prospect, but dont get all crazy on us here...

Just biding our time until Susac arrives, according to tzill.......

 

[Heathbar012]

Whoa-boy...

C3PO is looking good, but he is not a star. I think his ceiling is as a lower-end starter / top-flight BU catcher.

Now that is a fine prospect, but dont get all crazy on us here...

 

[calsnowskier]

Inconceivable!!

 

[mistgl]

Whoa-boy...

C3PO is looking good, but he is not a star. I think his ceiling is as a lower-end starter / top-flight BU catcher.

Now that is a fine prospect, but dont get all crazy on us here...

LET ME DREAM GOD DAMN IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I'll settle for Ramon Hernadez production....

 

[tzill]

Whoa-boy...

C3PO is looking good, but he is not a star. I think his ceiling is as a lower-end starter / top-flight BU catcher.

Now that is a fine prospect, but dont get all crazy on us here...

'xactly.

I mean, he's no Susac....

 

[tzill]

Just biding our time until Susac arrives, according to tzill.......

You fucker Stoksey....beat me to it.

:arg:

 

[Stokes1931]

You fucker Stoksey....beat me to it.

:arg:

Sorry, it was too ripe to pass up. I will try to show more restraint next time. It is, after all, still the season of Lent.

 

[jingo]

What are your opinions regarding the future at catcher and first base? There are at least 6 names (Belt, Pill, Posey, Joseph, Sanchez, Susac) covering the 2 positions (there may be more that I am not aware of since I do not follow the minors/draft). Pill appears to be a career backup and Belt's future depends on Posey's ability to be a fulltime catcher (and for how long). How do you see the others fitting in the lineup?

 

[calsnowskier]

What are your opinions regarding the future at catcher and first base? There are at least 6 names (Belt, Pill, Posey, Joseph, Sanchez, Susac) covering the 2 positions (there may be more that I am not aware of since I do not follow the minors/draft). Pill appears to be a career backup and Belt's future depends on Posey's ability to be a fulltime catcher (and for how long). How do you see the others fitting in the lineup?

Other names to throw into the mix are Angel Villalona, Ricky Oropesa, Dave Burg, Chris Dominguez and a longshot, Ben Thomas.

AnVil, Oropesa and Thomas are all current 1B; Burg is a catcher; and Dominguez is a 3B, but his bat and arm are enough that the G's are looking to move him (Panda has the hot-corner sewn up).

 

[calsnowskier]

What are your opinions regarding the future at catcher and first base? There are at least 6 names (Belt, Pill, Posey, Joseph, Sanchez, Susac) covering the 2 positions (there may be more that I am not aware of since I do not follow the minors/draft). Pill appears to be a career backup and Belt's future depends on Posey's ability to be a fulltime catcher (and for how long). How do you see the others fitting in the lineup?

As for guys you mentioned...

Pill could be OK, but I see a ceiling of Ryan Garko for him.

Belt is still a wild card, but the job us his to lose at this point. I see his ceiling at about Rafael Palmeiro. Maybe John Olerud.

Posey is looking a LOT like Mauer at this point. All-World talent, but a big injury question. If he is able to bounce back, than he could be Thurman Munson, Yogi Berra, Gary Carter... HOF potential behind the plate, but just a decent starter at 1B.

As for C3PO, ToJo, and tz-bitch...

C3PO will serve as Poseys BU for a few years, probably filling in until tz-bitch is ready to push Posey. ToJo will likely be a key piece in a big trade.

 

[SFGRTB]

Other names to throw into the mix are Angel Villalona, Ricky Oropesa, Dave Burg, Chris Dominguez and a longshot, Ben Thomas.

AnVil, Oropesa and Thomas are all current 1B; Burg is a catcher; and Dominguez is a 3B, but his bat and arm are enough that the G's are looking to move him (Panda has the hot-corner sewn up).

As for guys you mentioned...

Pill could be OK, but I see a ceiling of Ryan Garko for him.

Belt is still a wild card, but the job us his to lose at this point. I see his ceiling at about Rafael Palmeiro. Maybe John Olerud.

Posey is looking a LOT like Mauer at this point. All-World talent, but a big injury question. If he is able to bounce back, than he could be Thurman Munson, Yogi Berra, Gary Carter... HOF potential behind the plate, but just a decent starter at 1B.

As for C3PO, ToJo, and tz-bitch...

C3PO will serve as Poseys BU for a few years, probably filling in until tz-bitch is ready to push Posey. ToJo will likely be a key piece in a big trade.

What are your opinions regarding the future at catcher and first base? There are at least 6 names (Belt, Pill, Posey, Joseph, Sanchez, Susac) covering the 2 positions (there may be more that I am not aware of since I do not follow the minors/draft). Pill appears to be a career backup and Belt's future depends on Posey's ability to be a fulltime catcher (and for how long). How do you see the others fitting in the lineup?

What he said. To add on, Dominguez will likely be tried in the OF some this season, or move to AAA and be used for trade bait.

Villalona is starting in SJ whenever he gets his Visa worked out, which means Oropesa will start in Augusta. Each will likely be moved up steadily, one level at a time per year. Burg will likely move to AA, but his a career backup/utility (he plays 1st,3rd, catcher). Thomas is in Augusta as well. Don't think any of these guys make noise until 2015.

Pill is nothing that should be getting in the way of Posey or Belt. Could have a nice run as a pinch hitter (Matt Stairs made a career off it).

At one time it looked like ToJo wasn't going to stick at catcher and his future was at 1st, but he made HUGE strides as a catcher (enough to be named defensive catcher of the year in A-Ball) and now his future looks a whole lot brighter. He will be in AA this year with a lot of people watching him.

Susac will start in SJ and won't be rushed by any means. Chez3 is the odd man out in all of this, he will never be the starter, but he will be a damn good backup, possibly best in the game.

For now, Posey will be at catcher for the next 2 years at least and Belt will settle into 1st next year, if not this one. I foresee ToJo being ready in 2 years (a full year in AA and a full year in AAA) and one of the first to really make things interesting. Will he move Posey off catcher or will he be traded? I think Belt better make himself comfortable in LF because I speculate ToJo sticks and the Giants keep him. I don't see any moving Posey to second or nonsense like that. Here's how I see it:

Giants get creative and split time at catcher between Posey and ToJo, don't carry a backup catcher as a result. Belt plays LF.

2014 Opening Day lineup:

CF-Brown
2B-Panik
3B-Sandoval
1B-Posey
LF-Belt
C-Joseph
RF-Peguero(maybe Melky, Nate, Blanco)
SS-Crawford
P-

2014 Opening Night lineup:

CF-Brown
2B-Panik
3B-Sandoval
C-Posey
LF-Belt
1B-Joseph
RF-Peggs
SS-Crawford
P-

Get the picture? The reason I'd do this, keeps both kids fresh and possibly elongates their careers.

 

[gp956]

Ripped from McC:

Baggs on Murph & Mac

Brandon Belt: “Believe me, this front office is full of Brandon Belt believers…But they(Giants) want to make sure he’s going to be in a position mechanically where he can make adjustments from day to day and really compete and excel against big league pitching. They’re still working on him everyone morning on the back fields to try to get him to shore up that approach and make some of these changes. He’s had a good attitude about it. He knows they’re not trying to overhaul him as much as just help him be the best hitter he can be. When you hear the hitting coach say all these things—and that belief is pretty wide spread through the front office and the coaching staff—you start to think that it makes a lot of sense for him to go to Fresno and continue to work on these things.”

Brett Pill: “He looked pretty good taking ground balls at third base. He’s got a good arm and good hands—not a lot of range…They envision him as a bench guy…I think he’s on the team—or should be on the team.”

Emmanuel Burriss: “In terms of what the Giants do on opening day, I think Emmanuel Burriss is probably the guy they are going to go with…I think he may be exposed as an everyday player playing everyday”

 

[gp956]

Best news of spring training:

Baggs:

Posey caught seven innings Monday, seven more on Tuesday and doubled in three at-bats as the first baseman Wednesday. Then he walked through the clubhouse without a hint of a limp.

The grind of a 162-game season is much, much different than the semi-controlled environment of spring training. But based on what I expected the day I arrived in Scottsdale, Posey looks terrific thus far. By extension, that means the Giants are having a very, very good spring.

 

[CameronFrye]

How can the Giants keep Yusmeiro Petit on the active roster over Zito? DL stint? Move Zito to scrub long relief? What needs to be done to ensure Zito does not cost the Giants 10-12 wins this year with his horrendous pitching?

 

[gp956]

How can the Giants keep Yusmeiro Petit on the active roster over Zito? DL stint? Move Zito to scrub long relief? What needs to be done to ensure Zito does not cost the Giants 10-12 wins this year with his horrendous pitching?

I hear the Giants are looking into hiring a Falconer to reduce the amount of bird poo in the stadium.......

 

[msgkings322]

How can the Giants keep Yusmeiro Petit on the active roster over Zito? DL stint? Move Zito to scrub long relief? What needs to be done to ensure Zito does not cost the Giants 10-12 wins this year with his horrendous pitching?

The thing is he's shitty but not -10 WAR shitty. Whatever other 5th starter you plug in there might get you 1 or 2 more wins...

That said I do hope they phantom injury him if/when he craps the bed

 

[iHATEdodgers]

How can the Giants keep Yusmeiro Petit on the active roster over Zito? DL stint? Move Zito to scrub long relief? What needs to be done to ensure Zito does not cost the Giants 10-12 wins this year with his horrendous pitching?

Zito retiring. It's the only way. Do it you fucker!

 

[gp956]

Baggs:

Giants manager Bruce Bochy said he plans to begin the season with a 12-man pitching staff -- a somewhat surprising announcement, since the club will operate with just a four-man rotation for the first nine games. Why carry a 12th pitcher?

.
.
.
.

Well, maybe the decision can be described in four words: Coors Field, Barry Zito.

 

[jingo]

Fontenot on Waivers

The Giants placed infielder Mike Fontenot on waivers Thursday morning. The team sent out a text message announcing the move.

Fontenot hit .227 last season with four homers and 21 RBIs in 85 games. He was obtained in a August 2010 trade with the Cubs.

The move suggests that either Brandon Belt or Hector Sanchez is going to make the Opening Day Roster.


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

 

[Heathbar012]

The Giants placed infielder Mike Fontenot on waivers Thursday morning. The team sent out a text message announcing the move.

Fontenot hit .227 last season with four homers and 21 RBIs in 85 games. He was obtained in a August 2010 trade with the Cubs.

The move suggests that either Brandon Belt or Hector Sanchez is going to make the Opening Day Roster.


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

My wife is gonna be stoked. For whatever reason, she hates him. I think it's the silent "T" at the end of his name and the mutton chops. Plus, she has an irrational apprehension about liking short people.

EDIT: Somebody please rep jingo for me. I'm tapped out for 24 hours. Apparently, it's been a busy morning.