GIANTS PLAYERS REPORT CARDS: The Infield

Buster Posey: A Regular Season, B+ Playoffs

Sure, .305 with 18 homeruns doesn't sound like A material for most. However, this kid was a rookie catcher, who also played top notch defense, called amazing games for our staff and displayed a maturity unlike any rookie I have ever seen. Did I mention that he won Rookie of the Year as well? Posey has a high ceiling and even if he stays around the same numbers as this year, he will be a great catcher for a long time. I think Posey could develop into a 30 HR hitter with that swing down the line, but until then,  I will take the .300 / 20 HR season. Great Season for Buster Posey...

In the playoffs, Posey wasn't quite as dominant at the plate as he was in the regular season, but his defense, clutch hitting and control of the pitching staff was fantastic.  Even though he didn't come up with a ton of big hits, he did enough to help the Giants win the WS. Nuff said. 

Eli Whiteside: Regular Season B

Whiteside was great defensively and for that he gets at least a B-. He had some clutch hits early in the season when we still had to deal with Molina, but overall his bat was just mediocre for a backup catcher. Would be fine with him as the backup catcher next year, but he is and always will be a decent  backup catcher

Mike Fontenot: Regular  Season C+, Playoffs C

At times I thought Fontenot could be a plus utility infielder and at times it seemed he couldn't do anything very well. He had some clutch hits near the end of the season, but his lack of a plus glove and no power what so ever makes him just an average utility infielder. I think he can still be useful on our roster, but my hope for him maybe making a run at SS for this year was short  lived and the best he will be is a utlity INF for us down the line

In the playoffs Fontenot was nothing special....I was not very impressed, but he also wasn't a disaster.

Travis Ishikawa: C+ Regular Season, C Playoffs

I like Travis, but I don't think you can say he really made any improvements this year and thats why I stuck him with the C+. He had some nice moments as a pinch hitter, but 3 hr in over 150 at bats doesnt cut it for a 1B. If he was a gold glove type defender at SS or CF, it would be different, but it looks like Ishikawa will need a good spring to stay on the big league squad. If he can keep moving that average up and hit for some more  power, I think a team with a hole at first might give Travis a year to prove himself, it just wont be the Giants.

In the Playoffs Travis didn't do too much. No memorable moments for me to recall.  

Freddy Sanchez: B Regular Season, B Playoffs

I have a feeling I may get some gripe about this, but Freddy Sanchez was better than expected this year, but not by all that much. His average was above .300 and his extra  base power was minimal at best. He played a Gold Glove worthy second base and for that he gets the B boost. For a guy making 6 million, he did enough to earn his paycheck, but I still would like to see him perform consistently throughout a season, instead of having crazy hot spells where he tears the cover off the ball. That being said, we could be a lot worse off than having Freddy at 2nd.

In the playoffs, Sanchez had some monster games in the field and the one memorable game at the plate. He definitely helped the Giants win some games, but he also had games where he provided very little (626 OPS in playoffs). For that he gets a B as well. 

Aubrey Huff: Regular Season A, B Playoffs 

If you told me that Aubrey Huff would hit 26 home runs, have an OPS close to 900 and play a great 1B at the beginning of the season, I would have told you that you needed to watch more baseball...I expected Huff to be a nice addition and not just the garbage vet that Sabean is known for, but I didnt expect this. For that, he gets a big old A. There seemed to be about 2 months where Aubrey Huff was the Giants offense and those big Huff nights were likely the difference in us making the playoffs (you could say definitely). I hope Huff returns, but I also hope we dont overpay for his services.

Huff had some big nights in the playoffs, but I was hoping for more than 1 HR. He had that big defensive play in the WS as well + the big HR, but I would have liked to see him do a little more against ATL and Philly. Either way, I cant give him the A range without a couple more big nights at the plate. He will however, always be remembered as the leader of this 2010 Giants WS champs.

Pablo Sandoval: D- Regular Season, C- Playoffs

Without a doubt the biggest let down on this team. I understand the normality of a sophmore slump, but its a slump, not a slumber. His OPS dropped 200 points, had 12 less HR's (in the same # of at bats), lost 70 points on his average and ground into 16 MORE DOUBLE PLAYS!!! The weight gain aside, this guy looked like he forgot how to swing a bat this year and all parts of his game were just off. He had little spurts where he showed shadows of his old self, but they were short lived. Never thought I would be cursing the Panda's name as much as I was this year. We need the old Panda back, or he may not be in the majors too much longer.

Saving Grace = Huge 2 run double in the playoffs. Other than that, he was basically useless in the playoffs as well. Also hit into 3 GIDP in 19 AB's. Yiiiiiikes

Edgar Renteria:C- Regular Season, A Playoffs

Can you say unexpected...If only George Bush's face was in this picture

He was much better this year than last, but that is not saying much at all. I know he was injured, but he didn't hit all that well and his range at SS was terrbile for most of the season. 10 million for a utility infielder is far too much. His improvement kept him out of D range, but he didnt do all that much for the Giants...in the regular season.

In the Playoffs, Edgar Renteria made me feel violated. How could I hate a player so much in their first 2 regular seasons and then watch them be a key part in winning a WS? He came in, took over for last years MVP of the giants and had 2 HUGE home runs and even played some solid defense. He will never earn the 19 million that we payed him, but he definitely made that sour taste leave our mouth and everyone will remember that old sac of beans having an absolutely  phenomenal World Series. Thank you Edgar, for your only amazing 2 weeks as a Giant..they counted.

Juan Uribe: Regular Season A-, B Playoffs

Sure the average is ugly, but 24 hr's and 80 rbi from "utility INF" is pretty damn amazing. He even played a great SS (especially great for someone of his "size") and seemed to be a good leader on the team. Without Uribe who knows where this team goes, so for that, he gets an A- (average 20 points higher and thats a straight A)

In the playoffs Uribe played solid D and had a couple big Hr's, especially the clincher against Philly. However, after the D and HR's, he didn't hit the ball very well consistently. Again, he did enough to help, but wasn't an impact player throughout the playoffs

Next time: Outfielders

GIANTS PLAYER REPORT CARDS: The Pitching Staff

So, I have part one of my Giants Report Card:



For each player I rate their regular reason (solely with Giants, not with their prior team) and their post season. I base their grade via season stats, my perception of their performance, their growth as a player and their importance to the team.



My first portion will be the Giants pitching staff, everyone on the 40 man roster who had any significant playing time.



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Player Grades:

Jeremy Affeldt: C-
Regular Season, B Playoffs

Jeremy didn’t pitch terrible down the stretch for the Gmen
and showed that he is still more than capable of being a shut down set up guy.
However, that being said, his performance on the field this year wasn’t close
to what we saw from the best set up man of 2009. Location issues with the
fastball and his issues with his curve made him half the pitcher he was last
year. 4.14 era and a 1.6 WHIP don’t cut it for Aflac and I expect a big rebound
this year. A 4.14 era isn’t exactly gas can bad, but its not what you expect
for a guy making 4 million and who got an MVP vote in 2009.

At least he showed some of his old self in the playoffs, but
he still wasn’t perfect.

Madison Bumgarner: A-
Regular Season, A+ Playoffs

3 era and a 1.3 WHIP aren’t exactly out of this world, but
when you consider that Madison was being tabbed the next great Giants failure
after losing velocity at the end of last year and a tough Spring, he deserves
all the credit for his success. While Madison isn’t the power pitcher some
might have expected from his minor league performances in A and AA, he has been
outstanding none the less. He reminds me a lot of a Tom Glavine type guy who
just goes out and throws strikes and while he can strike out guys when he needs
to, he doesn’t have to in order to win ballgames. He had some rough outing
early on, but his 1.13 era in September showcased that when this guy wants to,
he can be as good as anyone on our staff.

In the playoffs, Madison shined even more and had maybe the
most memorable start of any rookie pitcher in MLB history, when he went 8
innings in game 4, ensuring the Giants went into game 5 with control of the
series. If Madison doesn’t shut down the Rangers, who knows where the World
Series would have gone. It’s easy to forget that he went into Atlanta and beat
the Braves to prevent a 5^th game and that he pitched 2 massive
innings in the clinching game against Philly. Is there anything this kid can’t
do? (He can ever hit!)

Matt Cain: A- Regular
Season, A+ Playoffs

Shotgun, aka Matty Cain, had himself another stand out
season in the shadow of Tim Lincecum. Only difference is, that this year, he
might have been better than the Freak. While his era actually went up a small
bit, he improved his WHIP to a stellar 1.084. I thought this might be the year
where Cain makes a run at the CY and at times, he appeared more than capable. He
gave up more home runs than I would have liked, but you can’t argue with a
decrease in walks each season the past 2 years. Many teams would have Matt
penciled in as their number 1 and we are lucky enough to have him pitching
behind Timmy.

In the playoffs, Matt Cain was absolutely outstanding. 0 ERA
says it all and if you take away 1 bad pitch by Romo, he easily could have gone
3-0 in the playoffs. He mixed his pitches perfectly and kept his fastball out
of the middle of the strike zone. If the playoffs are a sign of anything, its
that Matt Cain may not even be at his peak yet…a scary thought. A + for the 0
ERA Texas Cainsaw Massacre…

Santiago Casilla: A
Regular Season, B+ Playoffs

Santiago Casilla was absolutely phenomenal for the Giants in
2010. He is a guy who had a lot of control issues previously in his career, but
he has appeared to have figured out many of them. With Affedlts issues, Casilla
stepped up big time for the Giants. With a 2 seam fastball in the high 90’s and
a nice 2 plane slider, most teams never had a chance against him. There were
games where he didn’t have his location and it causes issues, but he was
predominantly unhittable and a key member of the bullpen. A1.6 WAR is nothing
to complain about from a guy who couldn’t find a contract this offseason.

He had the one bad game against Philly, which ended up not
hurting us as we won in the bottom of the 9^th, but other than that,
he was pretty much great. Still can’t get a A when you nearly cough up a game…

Tim Lincecum: C+
Regular Season, A Playoffs

Not easy to give The Freak a C+ regular season grade, but he
wasn’t himself in the middle of the season and was hard to watch at times.
Statistically he regressed in about every statistical category, yet since the
team was so much better, still won more games this year than last. He had a lot
of trouble with location and his change up at points this year and it made him
look very human at times. He gets a passing grade this year however, because an
outstanding September helped the Giants make the playoffs. His new found slider
was as nasty as anything I have seen him throw and I can’t wait to see him come
back next year with his new 4 pitch repertoire (2 seam, Slider, Change, Curve).
I think he realizes that he cant stop working hard and we will see a CY Young
Timmy Next year.

In the playoffs, Timmy was outstanding. 4-1 with a 2.43 era,
including 2 wins against “one of the greatest post season pitchers ever” (can
you say Jinx Joe Buck and ESPN?). His game 1 against ATL and Philly were
statement games that set the tempo for the rest of the series. Timmy was vital
to our WS run and he was as good as he has ever been. Doesn’t get the A+
though, because he didn’t have the 0 era and he did have one loss. Still,
amazing from the freak

Javier Lopez: A+
Regular Season, A+ Playoffs

You think this guy likes not being in Pittsburgh anymore? I
don’t know if its our Hetch hetchy water, the clam chowder or the smell of
garlic fries, but this guy was as lights out as you can be. 1.42 era and a 0.68
WHIP!!! DIOS MIO! We traded to get a guy who could shut down Left handed
hitters, they hit .162 off of him, A GOOD TRADE! He might not be able to repeat
this year again, but its quite apparent that when this guy is on, he is
basically a terror for left handed hitters.

How do you follow up a near perfect season with the Giants?
You just do the same thing in the playoffs: 1.59 era, giving up 1 hit! 6 holds
and a win....Not too shabby Mr. Lopez

Ramon Ramires: A+
Regular Season, D Playoffs

Ramon Ramires was as good as Lopez in the regular season if
not better. 0.67 era and only 13 hits over 27 innings. I was amazed with his
ability to get the ground out in tough situations and I think he will be a nice
middle inning reliever for the Giants in the future

13.5 ERA in playoffs…ouch. Lets hope this was just a bad
bout of pressure getting the best of a good relief pitcher.

Chris Ray: C regular
season

If you have no idea who I am talking about, you are likely a
bandwagon Giants fan or you didn’t pay attention until the end of the season.
We picked up Ray in the Molina trade and I would say that Posey getting the
starting job was more important than anything Ray did. He started off hot and
it appeared that maybe we had hit it big with the hard throwing righty, but the
honeymoon quickly ended and he decided that a 4 era was more in order. He had 1
really bad appearance against Colorado which didn’t help his cause, when he
helped us lose a big game there. He was no on the playoff roster and will
likely have to earn his job this spring.

Sergio Romo: A-
Regular Season, D+ Playoffs

The bearded assassin was a big part of our bullpen this year
and at times was our go to guy. There were times where people were calling for
his head after a 2 blown saves against the Dodgers, but if you look at his
year, he was great. The fact that he went all September with no earned runs, 3
hits and a single walk, was just icing the cake on an already great season. I
still hope he develops a 3^rd pitch (he has a change, but never
throws it), but his slider is nasty and his fastball is quick enough to make
guys miss. Did I mention he looks like a lot of guys at Gitmo?

In the playoffs: 6 appearances, 3 were bad ones. His ERA was
over 7 and he coughed up that game against Atlanta. His last 4 outing produced
0 ER, but he definitely wasn’t the same guy we saw in September.

Dan Runzler: C
Regular Season

I assumed that Runzler had a poor season, because of
injuries and I don’t have many found memories. However, at closer look, he wasn’t
terrible (3.00 era). The walks were definitely an issue, but I definitely see Runz
having a bounce back year in 2011. He has got the stuff to be elite, excited to
see what he can do as a starting pitcher (http://www.kffl.com/gnews.php?id=679062)

Jonathan Sanchez: A
Regular Season, C- Playoffs

 While I still have
higher expectations for Sanchez in the future, this year was a huge step in his
development. He posted the lowest ERA of any Giants starter and at times was
flat out unhittable. He still had his games where you were pulling your hair
out, because the guy couldn’t find the strike zone, but those times were far
fewer than 2009. My key development for Sanchez was the growth of his change
up, which I think can help him become an elite pitcher in this league. He still
needs to get his walks down, a lot, but I am hopeful with his repertoire, that
he can become a Johan Santana type talent.

In the playoffs Sanchez looked tired and nervous. He had 1
great start against ATL and then the next thing you knew he was getting railed
by the Phillies and Rangers. He had never pitched that many innings and his
velocity was down, so interesting to see how he fairs as his arms gets stronger
with time.

Brian Wilson: A
Regular Season, A+ Playoffs

I wanted to give him a A- regular season, but I thought
people would report my blog for abuse, since the guy was possibly the best
closer in all of baseball this year. Not to mention, his ERA was down to 1.8
era and he had 48 saves. I feared the beard and I would hope every hitter that
faced him did too. The reason I think he still has room to improve, is that
every two or three games, he makes every Giants wish they were wearing Oops I
crapped my pants…

In the playoffs, Brian Wilson was perfect. 6 saves, 0 era.
He is a machine, hence why he is friends with the machine.

Barry Zito: C-
Regular Season, F Playoffs

This was actually a tough decision, because at moments
earlier in the season, Zito was as good as anyone on our staff. That being
said, he made no improvement over his stats from 2009 and his 2^nd
half was absolutely terrible. There was about 2-3 months where I thought Zito
might become a good pitcher again, but it appears he is destined for
mediocrity, at the highest paid level. The saddest thing about Barry is that
every year I have to root for him, because I know his 20 million dollar salary
will never be moved and we just have to hope he can put it all together (which
he has shown he can still do at times). I hope that next year Zito can combine
2^nd half 2009 with 1^st half 2010 to put together a season
where he actually earns a significant portion of his insane contract.

Playoffs: 20 million dollars, 0 innings pitched, FAIL!

Giants of Baseball - Check one off my Bucket List, Watched Giants win WS

Greatest sporting day of my life...without a doubt, not even close
I have been watching the Giants as a die hard for around 10 years now, going to my first game in the early 1990's. After 2002, I thought that we were cursed and that I might never see a WS here in San Francisco. Little did I know 8 years later, with a bunch of unwanted mercenary bats, we would be standing as the WS champion.

First off, I want to congratulate Timmy for his stunning performance. With the exception  of the 1 ab against Cruz, Timmy was absolutely off the charts. He was throwing every one of his pitches for strikes and the changeup was as good as I have seen. He established the fastball early for strike 1 and then kept the Rangers guessing by throwing a lot of inside fastballs, low change ups and nasty sliders off the plate. He went up against a great hitting team with their best pitcher on the mound, didn't get a run for 6 innings and still kept the Rangers blanked until the 7th. Timmy was huge to end the year and in the playoffs, he deserves a WS ring.

I have dissed Renteria for 2 years, at least weekly. Until the last couple weeks, it was deserved. However, for the WS, he deserves every second of praise, because he was HUGE for us. His WS stat line is amazing and he was so key to victories in game 2 and 5. He played good defense at SS (even though his range is limited), especially when turning 2 (which we did quite a bit) and used his veteran experience to get it done. Amazing, is that he has a completely torn elbow ligament, which was causing him a lot of issues when partially torn and actually was better once he completely tore it. I will eat my crow, Renteria was essential to our WS and I will always remember him for that. I hope he bows out on top and all I will remember is watching him hit that 3 run homer in front of city hall, with 10,000 other giants fans.

Also, Bochy deserves credit for out achievement and I will stop questioning his decisions...for awhile. I still think Brian Sabean is getting far too much credit, but I do think Bochy deserves a lot of this WS. He made great decisions with the pitching staff and his lineups did just enough to win it all for us. He built a real team, that played like a real team and cared about eachother. It resulted in the 1st WS in SF and for that, I will respect Bruce Bochy for the rest of my life. No matter what he does in the next couple years, I will remember him for his amazing decisions in this WS and the success it brought.

I still can't believe we just won, so I don't even know what to say. I will post more tomorrow when it really settles in...

I LOVE MY SF GIANTS, I LOVE MY CITY AND I LOVE LIFE!!!