Giants Beat The Dodgers

I just love the sound of those 4 words together. With a final score of 10-8, the Giants beat the Dodgers today for the second time this spring.

Much has been made about the spot start outing Madison Bumgarner made, specifically in striking out Manny Ramirez. More so than this outing though, is what he has shown this spring as a whole...The maturity of a major leaguer. Don't get me wrong, he still has a lot to learn, but it's sure fun to think we might actually have another Tim Lincecum in the minors. Bumgarner has been nothing short of flawless. 8 innings, 0 runs, 2 hits, 2 BB, 10 K...not bad at all...Looking forward to seeing him this septmeber...

Youth Movement Over after an unsuccessful 26 days...

Manny Burriss won the job today!!!!!!!!

Kevin Frandsen was cut today????????????????

WHAT THE FUCK!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!

Alright, so the Giants (namely Bruce Bochy & Brian Sabean) announced a few roster moves today and allowed some insight into their thinking as to the final roster shape... ... ...and in my wildest dreams, I didn't think this was possible. I thought...I mean I bought into...what i'm trying to say...

...YOUTH MOVEMENT, WHERE IS THE FUCKING YOUTH MOVEMENT???

OK, i'll try to calm down a little and back up...

Kevin Frandsen & Jesus Guzman got their pink slip today, that is both are heading to AAA Fresno. Brandon Medders & Justin Miller were told today, thanks for your hard work, but even though we are likely to keep 12 pitchers instead of 11, you both aren't likely to be one of them...

Sooooo, the team's best hitter (Guzman-.412/.444/.922/1.366, 9 2B, 5 HR, 11 R, 15 RBI) didn't do well enough to make the team. Fan favorite and hardest competitor, who only suffered last year because of injury, hasn't been a minor leaguer since mid 2006 (Frandsen- .274/.333/.384/.717, 5 2B, 1 HR, 11 R, 6 RBI, incredibly solid defense with only 1 error) wasn't enough to stick as a backup, considering he can play all infield positions, and the outfield. (Hell, I bet he can catch too). So, if you have a minor league option and aren't starting, you can't stay up here huh?

How about pitching better than every other reliever in camp not named Brian Wilson? Does 12.3 innings, a 1.46 ERA, 3-1 record with 1 save, 2.5/1 K/BB ratio, 1.05 Whip, & 7.30 K/9 sound like a good enough spring to make the staff??? Not for Medders, he should have been better...Bam, go to Fresno...

No, Medders wasn't nearly good enough for you??? Well, how does this sound? In 7 games... 9 innings, give up 4 hits, NO BB's to 5 K's, 0.00 ERA... just in case you missed it, a 0.00 ERA, 0.44 Whip, & .129 OBA. Not that it's perfect or anything, I mean, I'm sure he could have thrown a few less pitches along the way. No, I think the Giants must have had better options since this wasn't good enough to get Miller into the rotation.

So, the Giants must have one hell of a team to pass on these young guys who fit perfect into A) the biggest offensive need. B) A Young and Strong clubhouse leader to lead the Giants through this Youth movement. C) Flexible movement from the bench. D) An Improved bullpen E) AN IMPROVED BULLPEN

Wait, I was just running down the list of what's left in camp and I'm a bit confused. Uribe & Aurilia are both going to make the team? What do we need two veteran utility IF's for? Velez & Torres are both going to make the team? What do we need two speedy type, pinch runner, 5th OF types? For that matter, what do we need 6 OF's for? When was the last time a team carried 6 OF's? None of this makes sense...

Obviously, right now, the Giants team should look like this: Lincecum, Johnson, Cain, Zito, Sanchez...Wilson, Howry, Affeldt, Miller, Medders, Valdez, Perdomo... Rowand, Lewis, Winn, Ishikawa, Burriss, Renteria, Sandoval, Molina... Frandsen, Torres, Guzman, Schierholtz, Holm...

But balancing roster spots is tough business. Still, it's hard to imagine that 5 of these players aren't going to be there. How does this happen? It's called Brian Sabean... After an offseason full of what I thought were good moves to put the Giants in the best possible position this spring, he then reverts back to his old self at the moment of truth. Where is the Youth Movement now?

It's not as if the youth hasn't done EVERYTHING asked of it this spring, or last season as well for that matter. Sabean still decides to go with the veteran presence. Bochy too!!! Uribe or Aurilia I could see, both played well...but both of them? NO WAY. One is on the downside of his career and the other's upside ended 4 years ago, at 26 years old.

I can only see starting off the year this way under the pretense of inevitable trades...but how likely is that. The FA market was flooded today with IF & OF alike. With guys like Sheffield, Jenkins, McPherson, Lamb, & Pena all available, many teams are going to be a little less likely to be dealt. Given the fact that many Giants had great springs, the likelihood is still there for a trade, but I wouldn't hold out hope. Velez, Uribe, & Aurilia all are probably on the block.

As for the others, it is true that everyday playing time is good for them, especially Guzman learning a new position, but there is something to be said for earning a job even if it is on the bench...

...As for the off season, how's that working out now? Renteria is hitting shitty...and blocking Frandsen....

More Spring Cuts...and a couple of callups???

...And then there were 32...

With 3 games left in the Cactus league season, the Giants are having to make some tough decisions. Today they trimmed the roster down so that there are only 7 excess players in camp. A few positions are still up for grabs and wide open.

Buster Posey, John Bowker, & Osiris Matos were reassigned to minor league camp. While expected all along, it's still sad to see Posey go. He has been such a refreshing reminder of what is to come and outperformed everyone's expectation except maybe his own. Posey will head to Single A San Jose where he will work with a pitching staff full of exceptional talent including Madison Bumgarner & Tim Alderson. I find it hard to imagine that the Giants won't accelerate Posey this year. One indication the Giants are thinking about him as next years everyday catcher would be a promotion to AA Connecticut where he can learn under the tutelage of ex-catcher and current manager, Steve Decker.

Bowker more or less was caught in a numbers game as somany young players are excelling this spring, he needed to tear the cover off the ball to make opening day...He didn't... He still has been showing his power upside, but needs to work on his overall approach to hitting before making the jump for good. He should end up in AAA and have a chance to play everyday. Look for a midseason call up or two if there are a few injuries in the outfield or to Ishikawa.

Matos showed a lot of promise but was outperformed by a few not on the 40 man roster who deserve to make the staff, as well as the act the Giants only plan to carry 6 relievers. Matos should pitch in AA to start the season, but could find himself in AAA. Expect him to be the first right handed short reliever called up once someone inevitably gets hurt. Also, if the 11 man staff falters early, he could be the 12th man.

Another interesting move was the recalling of both Keiichi Yabu & Ramon Ortiz to compete for the long reliever spot out of the pen. Both had been horrible earlier this spring and were sent to minor league camp to work on their skills. Both had been pitching fairly well since the demotion so this call up may be in part on merit. I don't see either as a good option at this point nor do I think the Giants are actually intending on using them, but a second look never hurt anyone.

More over, this shows the Giants are probably failing in their attempts to acquire the long reliever the are after (for their price) via trade and are trying to show they have other options. They are also probably trying to push Justin Miller & Brandon Medders just a little more to see if they can muster another inning of stamina.

Expect one of two things in the next few days: A trade, or the announcement of a 7 man rotation to open the season. Ideally, the Giants would trade a few players for a quality long reliever & a minor leaguer or two. Look for Luis Perdomo, Merkin Valdez, Justin Miller, Brandon Medders, maybe Billy Sadler or Pat Misch, Eugenio Velez, & Juan Uribe to be a potential trading piece. Ideally the first four all make the team, but it is not likely unless they expand.

A 7 man bullpen makes sense to start out as it gives the starters a few extra weeks to build stamina and the team more time to find a trade partner. By late April, I fully expect to see a 6 man rotation. For now, it's hard to select who doesn't deserve to be part of the 6 out of this: Brian Wilson, Jeremy Affeldt, Bobby Howry, Merkin Valdez, Brandon Medders, Justin Miller, Sergio Romo, Alex Hinshaw, Luis Perdomo... and don't rule out Will Ohman in the next few days...

A Trade for a Trade

The Giants have traded...

...A left handed reliever for a backup catcher...For a minor league pitcher...

Not exactly the eye popping news story most fans have been clamoring to hear this off season. Pretty certain most fans first...second...third...and fourth thoughts were hoping around hope that the Giants brought in a bat. Someone, anyone who might give us just a sliver of more hope for offense heading into the season, because really, that is all we really need. Still, I think this is a decent deal for the Giants.

Jack Taschner's days have been numbered ever since Jeremy Affeldt signed this off season. Even before that, the emergence of Alex Hinshaw last season allowed rumors to surface of his departure. Taschner's late season performance, combined with his fairly awful spring, made me wonder what he could fetch in return. He has shown enough promise in the past to make me think he has the ability to be a setup man, 7th inning, maybe 8th, but certainly a lefty specialist. His wildness...not so much. If you had asked this time last spring what he could fetch, I'm betting it was about a backup catcher and a low to mid level minor leaguer, so all in all this ain't bad.

Ronny Paulino, acquired from the Phillies for Taschner, is a solid backup catcher. A career .278 hitter with Pittsburgh, last year saw him struggle at the plate as a backup and dealing with a nagging ankle injury. As the starter the two previous seasons he was solid. While the Giants didn't exactly have a screaming need for an improvement at backup catcher, never the less he would have been one. The current backup, Steve Holm, performed very well in that roll last season, but had made the jump a few levels to get there, and only has most of last year under his belt in the big show. Paulino, at the very least, would have given the Giants a bit more experience as well as more proven hitting. One thing Holm brings that no one else not named Jason Kendell is, Barry Zito's trust. For some reason, Zito preferred Holm to Molina last fall and once the transition to his personal catcher was made, Zito pitched terrific...If for no other reason, that is reason enough to keep Holm around about 5 more years.

About an hour after completing the Taschner for Paulino trade, the Giants turned around and flipped Paulino to Florida for Hector (not Kevin) Correa. According to Chris Haft, at MLB.com, Correa was "the #3 prospect in the N.Y./Penn league in '07, earning allstar honors with the short-season Class A Jamestown club, going 6-2 with a 3.22 ERA in 11 starts". According to Baseball-Reference.com, Correa just turned 21 and has only pitched in the minors since 2006. It looks like a very short sampling in '06 in Rookie ball, then a full '07, followed by a very short '08 where he only pitched to 63 batters over 12 2/3 innings. In a google search, it appears he had shoulder problems last year forcing him out. Still, he was widely considered one of the Marlins top Prospects so if he bounces back from the injuries, the Giants could have made one hell of a deal. If he never pans out, they still don't come out looking too bad. Taschner was the third lefty in the depth chart, so he wouldn't have provided much in useful situations this year. Good Move.

The 40 man roster dilema

Really, if you look at the 25 man roster, the way things are shaping up, to field the best team possible it should look like this. Winn, Rowand, Lewis, Ishikawa, Burriss, Renteria, Sandoval, Molina as the starters, and Holm, Frandsen, Schierholtz, Torres, Guzman, Aurilia as the reserves. The problem here is 3 people get bumped from the 40 man roster. Given Velez and Aurilia can be interchangeable but the veteran leadership gives him the nod, especially since Torres can be the pinch runner extraordinaire. Combine that with the two relievers Justin Miller and Brandon Medders who should make the team, and the Giants have a huge, 5 person problem, with the 40 man roster. Usually teams can find a player or two out of spring who are injured to use on non-roster invitees for a while, but I can't recall 5 before. The only way around this is to either expose a player to other teams or make a trade. This is where all these recent trade rumors are coming from.

The front office must really be scrambling right now, trying to find trade partners. Jack Taschner's name has been floated out there, as well as Eugenio Velez, Luis Perdomo and Merkin Valdez. I understand Taschner, as even though he has struggled this spring had trouble since last spring since being called up, he still has trade value. Velez makes sense considering the spring he has put together as well as how he finished last season. Velez still has youth on his side and can play infield and outfield. Perdomo & Valdez, not so much. Good young arms are what the Giants need for the bullpen and both will be used this year. The problem with Perdomo is the rule 5 draft status. He shouldn't make the squad out of camp, so technically he needs to be offered back to the Cardinals. However, he has showed enough this spring to warrant the opportunity for a mid season call up so I see no reason why the Giants won't try to work out a way to keep him.. That would assume the Cardinals to agree to some sort of arrangement, which given the facct that his name has been mentioned in trade rumors make it likely the Cardinals are playing hard ball. Valdez, on the otherhand, should NOT be traded. He is what they need...he is what they are looking for, a hard throwing young right handed pitcher who gets guy out. With the injury history he has, combined with the promise he has already shown at the major league level, the Giants need to hold onto him and wait it out.

So then what are the options. Clearing 5 spots is tough. The Giants will be looking to stock the farm system with some mid range talent that ideally could be called upon mid season. Taschner, & Velez would clear two spots. I can see them dangling Aurilia & Uribe to see what they can get, & keeping the other one. Although this still doesn't help the 40 man roster dilemma, it could still bring in a decent minor leaguer. Other's I expect them to shop, Pat Misch, Waldis Joaquin, and Brian Bocock, but none of them are likely to bring much back, or find a trade partner at this point. A team like San Diego, financially in ruins and in dire need of pitching, may give us a bag of balls and a few In & Out burgers for Misch. A team like the Blue Jays, who are short on SS's, may want try to grab Bocock, but if they offer cash in Canadian dollars, were in trouble because I'm not sure Sabean knows the exchange rate.

Yesterday's news on minor league pitcher Kelvin Pichardo and his suspension for PED's couldn't have come at a better time. Now the Giants have 50 games to learn what they need to about one of these guys.

Noah Lowry should end up on another 60 day injury list, so there is another spot.

As of this morning, the Giants are at 37 players on the 40 man roster, so they are looking good. I expect a few minor trades are coming, but nothing exciting most likely. In addition to above, I expect them to acquire a long reliever, probably some teams 5th starter who have a number of minor leaguers pushing the major league roster. The Marlins fit this bill and Sabean likes to deal with them. Tampa too.

One interesting team is Detroit. They have both Nate Robertson & Dontrelle Willis looking like relievers opening day, and they need a lefty in the pen. Given, both of those two are lefties and have large contracts, but if they take on enough money,one of them could possibly fit here.

The World, Up-side-down

I'm sure you've noticed this spring the impressive hitting being displayed by the Giants Youngsters. I'm also just as sure you've noticed the slumping hitting show the Vets are putting on. But have you noticed the trend...

Here is the Offense, from a Major league service time point of view:

-Richie Aurilia, 13.027
-Edgar Renteria, 12.143
-Randy Winn, 10
-Bengie Molina, 9.077
-Juan Uribe, 7.089
-Aaron Rowand, 7.065
-Kevin Frandsen, 2.083
-Fred Lewis, 1.129
-Eugenio Velez, .162
-Emmanuel Burriss, .162
-John Bowker, .151
-Nate Schierholtz, .078
-Travis Ishikawa, .065
-Ryan Rohlinger, .047
-Pablo Sandoval, .047
-Buster Posey, 0
-Andres Torres, 0
-Jesus Guzman, 0

Now take a look at the team leaders overall offensively:

-Jesus Guzman, .404/.440/.872/1.276, 8 2B, 1 3B, 4 HR, 10 R, 14 RBI
-Andres Torres, .455/.510/.636/1.146, 1 2B, 2 3B, 1 HR, 15 R, 5 RBI, 4 SB
-Buster Posey, .421/.435/.789/1.224, (19 AB) 1 2B, 2 HR, 6 R, 7 RBI,
-Pablo Sandoval, .417/.440/.625/1.065, 2 2B, 1 3B, 2 HR, 5 R, 7 RBI
-Travis Ishikawa, .327/.351/.655/1.006, 3 2B, 5 HR, 9 R, 10 RBI
-Fred Lewis, .341/.400/.659/1.059, 4 2B, 3 3B, 1 HR, 10 R, 7 RBI, 3 SB
-Ryan Rohlinger, .269/.269/.808/1.077, (26 AB) 2 2B, 4 HR, 9 R, 11 RBI
-Emmanuel Burriss, .404/.458/.463/.922, 3 2B, 11 R, 6 RBI, 2 SB
-Nate Schierholtz, .316/.409/.526/.935, (19 AB), 1 2B, 1 HR, 3 R, 3 RBI
-Eugenio Velez, .327/.352/.519/.871, 3 2B, 2 3B, 1 HR, 12 R, 9 RBI, 5 SB
-Richie Aurilia, .344/.475/.500/.975, 2 2B, 1 HR, 7 R, 3 RBI
-Kevin Frandsen, .333/.397/.474/.871, 5 2B, 1 HR, 10 R, 5 RBI, 1 SB
-Juan Uribe, .283/.283/.435/.718, 4 2B, 1 HR, 6 R, 9 RBI, 1 SB
-Bengie Molina, .283/.298/.413/.711, 3 2B, 1 HR, 1 R, 11 RBI
-Aaron Rowand, .229/.260/.438/.698, 4 2B, 1 HR, 6 R, 9 RBI, 1 SB
-John Bowker, .226/.317/.377/.694, 2 2B, 2 HR, 9 R, 10 RBI
-Edgar Renteria, .235/.250/.333/.583, 5 2B, 2 R, 3 RBI
-Randy Winn, .240/.250/.320/.570, 1 2B, 1 HR, 1 R, 6 RBI

As you can see, the inverse of the order almost holds true to everyone. As a matter of fact, Bowker is about the only significant displacement. What does all of it mean... Well, maybe absolutely nothing, but what is the fun in that. Actually, it could be a sign of good things to come... or maybe a sign of the bad...

Who likes a Pessimist? Yeah, I know, but it would be an injustice to not recognize other possibilities. The Bad... With all of the regulars hitting so crappy this spring, one could justify the nation wide argument that the Giants just can't hit, and the vets are showing their true colors early, getting up there in age, and have lost a step or two. The youngsters full of youth and exuberance, are only hitting well down in the warm desert air and once they get back to PacBell (I still have a problem with AT&T) Park, they will come crashing down. Along with that, the youth movement is too inexperienced to carry the hitting over all season...Yeah, but who likes a pessimist?

I think that this just means the Giants are in great shape. I don't worry too much when I see gamers like Molina, Winn, and Rowand struggling. It's early. These guys will find their stroke soon enough, and Winn seems to be on a roll lately. Renteria was already a question mark coming into the season and what he is doing now is already an improvement on the combined SS numbers from last season. Really, it's the top have that get me excited.

5 of the top 8 hitters, Posey, Rohlinger, Guzman, Torres, & Burriss weren't even expected to make the team and the first 4 of them undoubtedly weren't even really considered. The plan with Burriss, to get him a season at SS in AAA has blown up and Guzman & Torres are causing a major 40 man roster dilemma, as well as a few of the middle relievers. Posey and Rohlinger both won't make the team anyways, but have probably opened a few more doors for Brian Sabean and company. The reality of this whole thing is if the Giants want to field the best team they can out of camp, they are going to have to make a few trades...and not necessarily to get better hitting.

Guzman has earned a job on the 25 man roster. He has the hottest, and possibly the best bat on the team. He has nothing left to prove down on the farm. The problem is,where does he fit, and how to create a spot on the 40 man. Torres has also earned a job...at least he would be the best fifth outfielder. He is much older, and at 31, really doesn't need the minors to show what he has. He just needs an opportunity. He has the same issues Guzman has, how to create a spot.

"Don't get used to the Long Ball!"

A lot has transpired over the last week down in spring training...

A triple play... Zito pitched a good game...A homerun hitter who says he doesn't hit homeruns... a reliever was cut...then resigned... a minor league trade with major league implications (I silently scream WOOHOO to this one)...Zito pitched a good game... the search is on for a long reliever... the offense is producing exactly to the inverse of their MLB service credit...the WBC...well, we have Sanchez back now, are any Giants fans still watching?...Zito pitched a good game... Sandoval is tough...the Manny & Franny show is heating up...Buster is making a statement...So is Madison...Timmy Jr is not... and Who's at Short?

Oh yeah, did I mention... BARRY ZITO PITCHED A GOOD GAME!!!

Well, it seemed like a lot as I was sifting through all the info, maybe it is anyway. Let's take a look.

Ryan Rohlinger started what turned out to be a triple play today on a ball hit by Oakland's Bobby Crosby. Not that it has any significance on how good the defense may or may not be, but noteworthy never-the-less. A Triple play just shouts Baseball at it's most basic,most fundimental level, as it is one of the most rare of all plays.

Travis Ishikawa broke out of his mini slumpin a big way today with 2 homeruns and a single, bringing his spring total to 5 along with 10 RBI's. As Henry Shulman pointed out, Ishi had 27 total homeruns last year, but when interviewing him after todays game, Travis said he's not a homerun type hitter and for the fans to not get used to it. I have news for you Travis, too late! You may not want the pressure, but you can't take away the fact that you actually hit 27 homeruns last year...11 more than team leader Bengie Molina. Fans have gravitated towards Ishi because he represents hope and promise and youth. No one is expecting Ishi to take the league by storm,or even be the 3rd best hitter on the team for that matter, but we do get to hope. Along with a defense that the Giants won't have seen since JT Snow (not that he will be that good), but a 20+ homerun, .260 BA season given 500 AB's is not too much to expect...and it will be an improvement overall.

Keiichi Yabu was released Friday after already being optioned to AAA 2 weeks ago. Yabu posted pretty good numbers last season for being plucked from obscurity and teetering on elderly. Factoring in his age of 40, the apparent need for Long Relief due to wanting to keep 11 pitchers, and the question of what to do with Andres Torres and Jesus Guzman, presumably he was simply caught in a numbers game along the lines of the 40 man roster...

Keiichi Yabu was resigned today to a minor league deal and thought as a possibility to rejoin the 40man roster later this season if the 11 man thing fails or injuries add up. I smell a change is a comin at the major league level, and not the pitching...

Lefty just dropped a tidbit at the end of his latest post that a minor league trade with the White Sox just happened. Apparently the Giants will recieve SS Sergio Santos for future considerations. Andrew Baggerly thinks he will be the starting SS at AAA Fresno...because Manny Burriss looks like he will make the team... Oh Yeah... I want to see this happen. It's tough, because Manny has shown enough promise at Short to make me believe he can be the SS of the future and a season in Fresno might be perfect for him, yet I want the Giants to win and win now.How can you argue with his spring and performance on the big club last spring...More on this later...

Suddenly, all the Giants off season bullpen work doesn't look like enough. From a group including Brian Wilson, Jeremy Affedlt, Bobby Howry, Sergio Romo, Alex Hinshaw, Merkin Valdez, Jack Taschner, Keiichi Yabu, & Billy Sadler, along with Brandon Medders, Osiris Matos, Justin Miller, Luis Perdomo, & Ramon Ortiz, I thought surely the Giants would have a quality pen out of the gate, maybe top 5 in the NL. Suddenly they are shopping though. An injury to Valdez last year isn't healed... Romo is hurt and could be out longer than expected... Hinshaw is running through sophmore struggles... Howry looks old (well, he kind of is) even though he's been effective thus far... Taschner seems to think walks are a good thing... Yabu is gone, kind of... Sadler is showing his minor league stuff, I think he forgot which camp he is still in... Ortiz really was washed up 5 years ago... and Perdomo looks like a rule 5 draftee for a reason... Now, the last three (Matos, Miller, & Medders) have been nothing short of unstoppable, but that is against late inning spring training hitters and there is the continuing theme of 40 man roster spots. Still, an out is an out... Let's see, that leaves us with a closer and two setup men, a minor leaguer with 20.3 total big league innings of so-so pitching, and two non-roster invitees. What to do with the staff?

This must be the reason why the Giants have recently been linked to Will Ohman, who wants about $1.75 mil for this year, plus incentives. I don't see the problem with that, MAKE IT HAPPEN SABES! As well as the daily rumors regarding wanting a long reliever. Indeed they would need a inning eater/spot starter who can chew up 4-6 innings if needed. They have a few options in Pat (ughh) Misch or Joe Martinez, but both would be better suited starting in AAA. I can see a trade involving a few of the players mentioned like Eugenio Velez or Jack Taschner. There is not much left on the FA market and you're not gonna convince Pedro Martinez to be the 6th starter, so a trade should be in order. On second thought, if they can't find a good match now and go with Ughh or Martinez, they may have plenty of options in a month or two with potential blockbuster trade chips...again, more on that later.

Have you noticed how the offense is doing. Staggering to me is WHO is producing, not as much HOW. I'm going to write on this next in more detail, but for now... The best hitters on the team are the guys making the least money and off the 40 man roster, followed by the guys fighting to make the team, followed by the guys who should be on the team,followed by the guys who make the most and we couldn't rid ourselves of very easily or at all... What I mean is, a potential problem.

The WBC... Puerto Rico is out... The Giants are together again... Opening day is 17 days away... ... ... Oh yeah, Team USA is still in it. Horray... Sorry to them though, I'd trade a WBC title for a World Series title ANYDAY... Still, I have to admit, it's been fun to watch.Any Baseball is good baseball...Well,there was that one day my sophmore year of HS when we beat Grant HS 43-1 in 4 innings. That wasn't very good baseball. But I am a fan of the WBC,I just don't want it interfering with my Giants. And then there is rooting against team USA for a few innings the other night until the Puerto Rican coach pulled Sanchez and made me not feel like such a traitor anymore... But I just don't think it's right the way it is. Something has to change in it. Not sure what yet, but I'll let you know when I figure it out.

Pablo Sandoval got popped in the mouth by a hard smash to third. This just in, he's tough. Afterward, Sandoval said he liked the experience. Awesome, my kind of attitude. He may not be the most graceful 3B we've ever had, nor the best, but at least we won't be able to attribute any mistakes to being scared of the hot corner. I mean, he's a freakin catcher for shit's sake, he shouldn't be scared. Still, with that attitude, I can see him getting much better.

"What's on Second?" Seems like that is the question of the spring. The most competitive job on the club at first seemed to have implications of one would start in Frisco and the other in Fresno. Not so fast... Emmanuel Burriss & Kevin Frandsen have performed so well, they have their own show now... "Manny & Franny"... Really, the fact is they have both performed remarkably well this spring and have put Bruce Bochy and his staff in a tough spot. Right now, there is no favorite. It is in a good way at least. They have also created a problem for Brian Sabean. Baring a complete and utter collapse, both players have earned a spot on the big club, something the Giants undoubtedly didn't expect. The plan all winter once Renteria was signed, was to have Burriss start the season at Fresno, and try to be the Giants starter there next year... Well, that plan is out the window now. Now the real problem is which players are going to be expendable, considering outside of the two of them, Sandoval, Ishikawa, and Lewis, the best offensive players have been the non roster invitees, Guzman & Torres. Stay tuned.

A noteworthy observation unlikely to have an impact on the opening day roster, but could totally change the dynamic of the team come November, and quite possibly July. Buster Posey is tearing up spring training, both offensively and defensively.... Madison Bumgarner is virtually unhittable, but in a smaller sample size from Posey... Tim Alderson is NOT!!!

Posey is looking like he may be ready this year after all. He wont make the team, but he is hitting .421/.435/.789 in 19 AB's, and has displayed more power than anyone expected, hitting a ball 435'. His defense has been even more spectacular, saving a run on a difficult block and another on a running catch. What is significant here is a hot start to the minor league season would likely prompt the Giants to let Molina walk after the season instead of trying for a one year deal. I could see them also looking to deal Molina come the summer as Molina likes it here and at his age, physical prowess, and the current FA economy, he will likely be a Type A FA and except the Arb offer to stay...Bumgarner could do the same. No one expects another Lincecum type vaulting through the minors, but if he gets hot early, and one of the pitchers goes down, I see the Giants could possibly make Sanchez, or,god hlp me, Matt Cain available....Alderson just ooks like a guy not quite ready for the competition. He will be better served on the slow track for this year. He has great stuff, but is nervous and unconfident this spring. Just as a kid should be when facing these guys at his age.

Zito dropped an interesting statement when talking about the infield. "Who's at Short?" Some of the reporters have taken it as a potential jab at Renteria, or a sign that maybe he doesn't own the job. I think those are a little overblown and it's more of Zito being surprised that all the questioning was good spirited and non confrontational after his good outing, as well as most of the questions being directed towards second. He's probably so used to defending himself, he tried a joke and it sailed right over their heads...But it got me thinking. Maybe Renteria isn't as long for this team as we thought. He really is only signed for this season, as next year is a team option. Given the Manny & Franny show going on, is it possible Sabean is rethinking the decision to sign Renteria. I think it's entirely possible that the Giants entertain offers for him this summer as they watch the season unfold, and if Burriss continues his play, we could see a deal, regardless of the teams record...

On that note, It is entirely possible the Giants trade Molina, Renteria, an Randy Winn this season, and still stay competitive...Maybe we will actually see the farm bare it's fruit in '09 instead of '10.

And last but certainly not least...Barry Zito pitched a good game the other day... 6 IN, 6 H, 1 BB, 3 K, 1 ER. I'll take that EVERY DAY!!! Scouts sound confused as to whether the radar gun was reading 81-83 or 83-85 MPH. Either way, not real fast, but i'll take the faster one if I get to choose. I'll be the first to admit, I'm a fan of Zito. I want his to win so bad. I think he can bounce back. I like his attitude and determination. He's a good teammate and a hard worker. He hasn't lost his ability due to being lazy. But he still has that contract and has to live up to it. Sure, the Giants would be thrilled to have a 14 win season with him as a 4th starter, but that isn''t what they planned on. Zito needs to keep working and trying, and we need to stay on top of him. We'll folllow him closely throughout the season and keep you posted.