Day 2 Draft Recap

With the second day of the 2009 MLB first year amateur day coming to a close, teams will now comb over all the scouts info in hopes of finding a diamond in the rough over the last 20 rounds tomorrow. Some teams are going to strike it big, it's inevitable with another 600 names being called out tomorrow, it's happened before. Some notible names over the years...

The Dodgers took Mike Piazza in the 62nd round (1390 overall)in 1988.
Keith Hernandez went in the 42nd round in 1971.
Kenny Rogers in the 39th round in 1982
Jeff Conine was had in the 58th round in 1987.
Rual Ibanez was taken in the 36th round in 1992.

... so the question is, can the Giants make that find? Only time will tell...

The more important question to ask is "How did the Giants do on day two?" Everyone is familiar with the first round picks, everyone knows the first 3 rounds should be studs... but teams... no franchises (not Timmy) are made on day 2. Scouts live to find that one guy who know one knows about,who can be had on day two. Some of the best players from our generation, heck even the 2009 Giants were taken on day 2.

Some of the Greats of the past/present include Ryan Sandberg (20th), Don Mattingly (19th), Ken Griffy Sr. (29th), Andre Dawson (11th), Mark Grace (24th), Brett Butler (23rd), Orel Hershiser
(17th), Jose Canseco (15th), Jim Thome (13th), & Albert Pujols (13th)

The Giants success on day two, by rounds:
-Brian Wilson, 24th, 2003
-Billy Sadler, 6th, 2003
-Kevin Frandsen, 12th, 2004
-Jonathan Sanchez, 27th, 2004
-Joe Martinez, 12th, 2005
-Alex Hinshaw, 15th, 2005
-Sergio Romo, 15th, 2005
-KevinPucetas, 17th, 2006
-Travis Ishikawa, 21st, 2002

(No need to look back through the draft classes of 1996-2000, the took those years off. Actually, the Giants drafted 248 players over that 5 years span and only 7 played more than 150 major league games, the best being JACK FREAKIN TASCHNER!!!)

Back to this years draft though. History & logic appear to be on our side though. (Did I really just refer to something Brian Sabean did in the same sentance as history & logic?) It appears that Sabean has reversed course in recent times, especially since getting a better scouting dept & LISTENING to them. If this all holds true,we should see a few gems out of this group. Now, onto todays picks:

4th- Jason Staffel, a top ranked closer in the draft out of Arizona. He was hit more than expected this year,probably causing his slide to here, but is in the right organization to learn. Expect him to develop well.
5th- Brandon Britt, 1B, U Texas Austin
6th- Matt Graham, RHP, Oak Ridge HS, TX. Reportedly a project that can thrown 95 already. Likely to go to UNC.
7th- Nick Liles, 2B, Western Carolina
8th- Karl Benusa, CF, Riverview HS, PA
9th- Evan Crawford, CF, IU... He's on Twitter
10th- Jeremy Toole, RHP, BYU
11th- Josh Eshleman, SS, Mt San Jancito JC, CA
12th- Chris Heston, RHP, East Carolina U
13th- Shawn Sanford, RHP, U South Florida
14th- Bryan Salsburg, RHP, MT San Jancito JC, CA
15th- Kyle Vazquez, RHP, Franklin Pierce U
16th- Ryan Cavan, SS, UC Santa Barbara
17th- Chris Gloor, LHP, Quinnipiac
18th- Jonathan Walsh, OF, Coppell HS, TX- is a catcher with below average skills so far but above average bat & is Switch hitter. It's believed to be difficult to sign him away from U Texas at this point. Likely position change in future for him.
19th- Jason Walls, RHP, Troy U
20th- Mitchell Morman, RHP, Des Moines area CC
21st- Zach Wasserman, 1B, Lake Shore HS, MI
22nd- Andrew Biery, 3B, Kansas ST
23rd- Adam Champion, LHP, U Arkansas Little Rock
24th- Alexander Burg, C, Wash St
25th- Steven Rogers, RHP, Tulane
26th- Luis Munoz, CF, Puerto Rico BB Academy
27th- Kyle Mach, 3B, U Missouri
28th- Jamaine Cotton, RHP, Western Oaklahoma St College
29th- Luke Demko, RHP, U Rhode Island
30th- Craig Wescott, RHP, Bellhaven College

Cross your fingers...we'll find out about summer 2013...

Giants select P Zack Wheeler #6

With the #6 overall pick in todays 2009 MLB draft, the Giants selected High Schooler RHP Zack Wheeler, out of Dallas, Georgia.

Wheeler was one of the top 3 H.S. pitchers rated on all boards, including Tyler Matzek & Jacob Turner. Wheeler ended up going before all the other High Schoolers except Donovan Tate who went to the Padres at #3.

Wheeler reportedly already throws 98mph, but is consistently clocked in the low to mid 90's. The knock on him is his inconsistent curveball and lack of a change up.

The Giants have an excellent track record on pitchers, especially other recent H.S. pitchers taken like Matt Cain & Madison Bumgarner. With the limited issues spoken of Wheeler, I don't see any reason why the Giants cannot teach him better mechanics or a change up. Hell, Lincecum learned a change up while warming up for a game last year. Plus, Wheeler has the potential for Matt Cain size. At 6'4" 170 lbs, most scouts seem to think he has the right frame to add not only muscle mass, but velocity...and durability

Wheeler is a great choice. It gives the Giants options. Not like the selection of a fast track guy like Aaron Crow would have, but the Giants never-the-less have options.

Here's a look at the current rotation plus minor league starters & the years the Giants control them through:
Barry Zito- 2013
Tim Lincecum- 2012
Matt Cain- 2011
Jonathan Sanchez- 2011
Randy Johnson- 2009
Joe Martinez- 2014

Kevin Pucetas-2014+
Madison Bumgarner- 2014+
Tim Alderson- 2014+
Henry Sosa- 2014+
Scott Barnes-2014+

Zack Wheeler-2015+

+ players haven't reached the majors yet thus the 6 year time period the team controls them hasn't begun, subject to change to a later year.

With all these pitchers, the Giants should be in position to make a deal for a bat they desperately need

Draft prediction: Ackley or Crow falls to the Giants

One last quick look at the draft before it starts in a few minutes.

With the Nationals set to pick #1, they would be crazy not to take P Stephen Strasburg.
The Pirates at #4 seem posed to take C Tony Sanchez.

That leaves 3 picks until the Giants. logic says CF Dustin Ackley should be off the board, and all indications suggest the Padres take him at #3 if the Mariners pass, but Donovan Tate seems to be the pick they are trying to hide. I can see him going to the Padres even if Ackley is still there.

The Orioles at #5 really seem to like Zack Wheeler and I don't see him going sooner...

So that leaves the Mariners at #2 to the fate of the Giants. Early indications had Aaron Crow going there, but lately all the talk is Dustin Ackley. Either way, I really think one of these two falls to the Giants at #6...

Which brings me to the Giants...I think they take either Ackley or Crow, whoever falls...

If you remember recent drafts, Posey, Bumgarner, Gillespie, Alderson, & Lincecum all fell to the Giants...

Kevin Frandsen recalled

Travis Ishikawa was placed on Bereavement leave today, allow the Giants to recall hot hitting Kevin Frandsen. Frandsen has hit over .500, 19-35, with 5 doubles, 2 homeruns, and 6 RBI's since returning to Fresno.

In that 2 weeks span, Kevin Frandsen has had a fire lit under his ass. By all indications, he seems to be playing with a chip on his shoulder. As Andrew Baggerly reported a few days ago, “The Giants don’t see me as an everyday player, but I see myself differently,” Frandsen was quoted as saying. “At a certain point, you realize a lot more teams need help, no matter how much my heart is set on this team.”

Not the sound of a happy Giant, but non-the-less he's back up. This could be good for Kevin, or this could spell the end for him here. Not directly, but if Frandsen is right this may be one of his last chances in town...

If the Giants truly don't see Frandsen as an everyday player, they might be looking to showcase him for a midseason trade right now.

On the other hand, Frandsen can use this opportunity to steal a position away from others on the team. He seems focused. He's driven. He's hitting the shit out of the ball...and no one on the Giants other than Aaron Rowand (the least likely Giant to lose his job) can say that. Frandsen can play 1B, 2B, 3B, SS, RF, LF... He's not going to unseat Pablo Sandoval, but he could play the other corner spot. Ishikawa, Juan Uribe, & Richie Aurilia beware, this could be the time he takes over a job...

In the same breath, it's hard to see Emmanuel Burriss lose his position due to his phenomenal defense as well as he's getting on base except for his recent 4 game skid...still, Fransden can fill in so many places...

One way or the other, this could be similar to the Pat Misch scenario a few weeks ago, wheras the Giants are looking for help but if it doesn't work, they may be looking to move on from the player...

I hope I'm wrong. As much as I'm a fan of Frandsen's game, even if he never becomes an every day player, there is nothing wrong with a guy who can play everywhere on the bench. Marco Scutaro has made a career out of it. Frandsen is certainly more qualified at this point in his career than either Richie Aurilia or Juan Uribe is

2009 Draft examined: Why the Giants need to find a bat, yet need to take a pitcher

Draft day is tomorrow! The Giants have only 1 early selection (6th), and Time to break out the champagne and strawberries, cause Sabean is about to make us toast to the heavens with... a question like "who did they say?"

Actually, in all fairness, he's done OK for us the last 3 years, especially since giving Bobby Evans more say & hiring Ron Schueler 2 years ago to teach him how to spot non pitching talent...not that I'm complaining about the pitching we've drafted over the decade. Still, with the needs the Giants currently have & the lack of really anything substantial offensively in this years draft, I worry about what decision the Giants brass makes with the 6th overall pick.

The Giants need to make this pick count, and then worry about the rest later. So whom to take?

Really, with the 6th pick, Giants need a Time Machine. They need to go back to 2003 and select any one of Carlos Quentin, Adam Jones, Jared Saltalamchia, or Matt Murton, with their 22nd overall pickas each would be drastically helping the offense this season because David Aardsma (he of the trade with Jarome Williams for LaTroy Hawkins) is certainly helping. Shit, for that matter, they could have taken Brandon Wood, who went 23rd to the Angels, and be better off. Actually, if they had taken Chad Billingsly, who went 24th tothe (gulp) Dodgers, the Giants would be in even better position for what I'm about to propose. (Consolation prize goes to Andre Eithier as he was picked just 7 spots in the second round AFTER the Giants took C Jeffery Jennings {he who doesn't even have a baseball stat I can link to his name})

Then again, if I had a time machine, the first thing I'd do wouldn't be baseball related, but the second... well I go back to Oct. 26, 2002 and SHAKE THE SHIT OUT OF DUSTY BAKER UNTIL HE REALIZED NOT TO PUT FELIX RODRIGUEZ IN TO FACE SCOTT SPIEZIO IN THE 7TH!!!

Back to reality though. Reality is, the Giants have the 6th overall pick in the draft and NEED help on offense. They need help now. Not too many draft picks end up fast tracking the majors like Evan Longoria, so the help won't come this year, or probably even next from this draft class. But the Giants need help now.

This years draft is widely considered to be weak on top tier offensive talent and strong in first round starting pitching. So weak infact, that the top ranked offensive talent accross almost all boards is Dustin Ackley, who the best favorable comparison I've heard is John Olerud...exceptin center.(OK, I'd take 10 years of Olerud's offense, but it's not like they are comparing him to Joe Carter). Problem is, he most likely will be gone by the time the Giants pick. The other guy you can definitely forget about is Stephen Strasburg, because if he doesn't go #1, the Nats GM will get fired. He certainly won't fall past his native San Diego at #3 who would giveanything for him.

Back to the Giants needs though. After Ackley, the pickings are slim.

There's Grant Green, the USC SS who has slipped down everyones boards. Compared at times to Troy Tulowitzki or Evan Longoria, but as McCovey Chronicles puts it..."his detractors make him sound like Kevin Frandsen". Green might be the best chance after Ackley of seeing someone in the majors sooner than later.

Then there's Donovan Tate. The H.S. kid with a former NFL player for a father & Scot Boras as an agent. Not that I wouldn't draft a Boras client, but Tate is young and raw. Tate may develope into a very good ballplayer, but he won'treach the majors until atleast 2012 & likely won't show good numbers until 2013. In case you are wondering, the Giants currently only control Lincecum thru 2012 & Cain thru 2011.

Then there is the solid prospect but argueable reach & a step down in his respective reconginition as far as talent goes. Tim Wheeler has an "advanced bat" and is refined in his baserunning skills, plus is a good CF. He might help sooner than later, but the realquestion is,can the Giants to better at #6?

If they go with the Best Player Available, it likely will be a pitcher. High School Preps are flush this year. Guys like Tyler Matzek, Zack Wheeler, Shelby Miller, & Jacob Turner are all highly touted, and will be fine picks... then again, the Giants are flush with Pitching talent already and should be more than fine for the next 4-5 years. They could take one of these guys, wait for the development, and have the nexxt superstar in the wings in 2013. Or they could do this:

Take the best/most polished college pitcher available to add to the current surplus of minor league arms that are quickly pushing to be a major league surplus, and allow the Giants to make a trade for an established major league bat next season. Lets face it, no matter how good Bumgarner or Alderson get this year, they don't make in impact on the majors until next season...at the same time they, or who ever else, bring back more trade value next season.

Arms like Mike Minor, Aaron Crow, Tanner Scheppers, Alex White, & Kyle Gibson all have the ability to make us salivate the same way Bumgarner & Alderson currently are, or Lincecum before them, or Cain, or Lowry did. At least one of these guys will be available come #6 tomorrow.

Imagine drafting an Aaron Crow & being able to turn him into a Matt LaPorta next season, whether it be at the cost of Tim Alderson, or Crow himself? Either way, the Giants aren't going to find that LaPorta here tomorrow. Nor are they going to find a Chris Davis/Josh Vitters/Ryan Braun/Evan Longoria...not that the latter two can be had via trade anyway...but the only way the Giants land one from thsi years draft is to trade from their surplus...

Starting Pitching...

Can we swallow that yet? What are your thoughts?

Pat Misch Gone...Soon to be forgotten...

Pat Misch, you will be missed... HaHa, that was fun to say.

Who am I kidding. I already have forgotten why I dreaded his early season callup this year, that is how much I'll miss him. Oh yeah, I just remembered the last two seasons.

Misch was placed on waivers earlier this week, and as luck would have it, the suckers in Blue and Orange who call themselves the Mets took a flyer on him. Actually, Misch could still develop into a nice long reliever in the game.but his time in SF was numbered. He failed to have any concistancy and was holding up a 40 man roster spot when a ton of talented starting pitching was breathing down his neck...Pucetas, Sosa, Snyder, Alderson, & Bumgarner.

A week in review (mostly because I've been gone)

Alright, I'm back. After a week off work and away from a computer, time for some catch up.

Sorry for the delay in getting back to some of your questions. Work called. Had to go out of town for a class for work this week, as well as recover from last weekends Relay for Life.

(by the way,for those of you who don't know...The Relay for Life is a fundraiser for Cancer through the American Cancer Society. We had a fellow fireman, Jim Peterson, die from cancer this past Dec. so we put a team together to help raise money. We raised over $14,000, under team Peet's Fire Angels. 7 of us walked all 24 hours and over 40 miles each... And we are very proud to say Lance Armstrong rode stage 20, May 30th, of the Giro d'Italia dedicated to our very own Jim Peterson.) http://twitter.com/lancearmstrong/status/1972272993

Anyway, enough about my week, how about them Giants. Taking away the UUUUUUGLY game they just lost in the Florida rain, they have had a good start to this road trip. I wrote earlier that this may be a make or break trip for them, a 10 day road trip. If they go 2-8, they probably head toward the sellers line in the annual buy/sell game called the July trade deadline. If they go 8-2, they B-line straight for the buyers line in hopes of making that tough deal that may or may not sacrifice the future for an unexpected win now approach in 2009. A give or take a game .500 trip is still a positive after the miserable performances the Giants have fashioned thus far... so far, 3-2 is pretty good.

Given the fact that the Giants haven't played a rain free game yet, again with the exception of tonight, the pitching, defense, and offense has been pretty good. Fortunatley for me, I was able to miss the bullpen blunders of game 1 when Lincecum apparently had another win locked up.

CONGRATS TO RANDY JOHNSON on his #300 career win. It was great to see him lock it up right away, now the entire team can focus on winning without a huge distraction. In case you missed it, Randy Johnson gave an interview on KNBR the next day that is well worth listening to. Gary Radnich was the host and hit hm with an unusual barrage of questions that led Johnson to loosen up, at the same time put Radnich in his place. You can hear it online here.

Matt Cain had another strong outing and has strengthened his case to be the NL starter in the ALL-STAR game.

Barry Zito got win #2, without any run support again.

Pablo Sandoval hit a homerun...crickets...oh yeah, so did Aaron Rowand...even Richie Aurilia got his first one in the last day of May...but that's all. 3 homeruns since Travis Ishikawa hit his first homerun of the season in the first game of the Braves series last week, 11 games ago.

Speaking of Rowand, how about his sweet 16 game hitting streak that coincides with his move to the leadoff spot. It's very nice to see him earning his keep offensively right now. I wonder who pushed for that move, him or Bochy? For any flak he gets over his contract, he is a total gamer that just wants to win. Maybe leadoff is just the right amount of pressure for him.

And then there is Sanchez... As a friend of NuschlersNews, Sarah S put it today, "which diirrty will show up to florida tonight. the beach baller tosser or the marble slinger????" (By the way, if you're on twitter, she's a definite follow. A diehard Giants fan and an entertaining read... @luvboysofsummer) That's a pretty accurate assessment of what we have seen out of Sanchez this season. A good game here, a bad game there. Toss in a great outing over there, and cap it off with, well tonight.

Sanchez is pitching himself right out of the hearts of Giants fans, but at the same time, he is making it extremely difficult to move him. Personally, I would like to see the Giants wait and try to correct his issues. Sanchez has all the talent in the world. His swing & miss ratio is one of the best in the game, better than Lincecum. The problem isn't there, that's obvious though. But this inconsistency has to end. A rough start is understandable, but not this.

But this is for another post, one that I'll get to soon. As well as a Matt Cain post, should be up tomorrow.

For now, enjoy the 3-2 road trip, and hope for at least that record the second half of it. Timmy is pitching tomorrow, and maybe just maybe it won't rain.