When the Giants Come to Town, It's Bye-Bye Baby

05.29.2007
Post-Game 5/29: End of the Line

Dear Brian Sabean,

A tall man wearing the baggy uniform of your baseball club just walked past me on the sidewalk, turned around and kicked me in the nuts. It made no sense, as I was wearing a black hat with an orange “SF.” I was on his side. As I writhed on the ground, gasping for air, he extended a hand and said, “No, I’m here to help, really. You can count on me.”

I reached out, figuring the original assault was a case of mistaken identity he meant to put right. He pulled me up to a standing position then, just before I regained my balance, he let go and I fell back to the sidewalk.

“Look pal,” he said, “I got you nearly vertical. You gotta do some work, too.”

He walked away, smirking, with a big “49” on his back.

Mr. Sabean, I do not say this lightly. I do not say this rashly. I do not say this often: Fire him now. Correct me if I’m wrong, but I’ve only said it about a small handful of players in your employ: Neifi Perez, Pedro Feliz, perhaps a couple others. As the year started, I was willing to give Armando Benitez a break. I am, in many respects, a practical man. Play well and help my team win, and I shall at least tolerate you, perhaps celebrate you.

But this has gone too far. Fire Benitez now. He has lost many fans’ confidence, now he has permanently lost mine. No doubt he has lost his teammates’, as well, after they battled like hell without their only two power hitters against the best team in the league, only to see a hard-gained lead blow away like infield dirt in a gust of wind. 

Spend the rest of the year with Kevin Correia, Vinnie Chulk and Jack Taschner blowing saves. Force Russ Ortiz against his will into the closer role. I don’t care how painful it is. I’d rather lose with players who are trying their best than win with a man who has had every opportunity to prove his reputation wrong, but cannot do so.

The Giants announcers on the post-game radio wrap were as critical as I’ve ever heard hometown broadcasters. “A disgusting loss.” “Mistakes you expect from a high schooler or a guy right off a college campus, but not from a veteran.” “Inexcusable.”

For those of you who’ve read this far but do not know what happened tonight, please click here. I cannot continue.



Also on the Network:



[May 30, 2007 12:15 AM]  |  link  |  reply
Steve H. said

Malo, I feel your pain. I live in SW Ohio and looked forward to the ESPN telecast of this game....which was a truly great contest until Benitez' meltdown in the 12th; I agree-he must go... NOW!
I've watched more games than most casual fans, and I'm not aware of any pitcher ever committing two balks in a a single inning; has any true fan ever witnessed this?? I've followed the Giants closely for over 40 years, and I'm not sure I can recall a more devastating and painful loss than this...I'm PISSED!!!!

[May 30, 2007 1:33 AM]  |  link  |  reply
BawLa said

Well before we over-react lets stop and realize that this was bound to happen. Armando's great spring and beginning of the year quieted the roar of the mob, but in the back of our heads, we knew it just could not work. We were waiting for the blowup, so we could blow-up, and here it is. Now we have the pretext to move on and I hope the action is swift.
***
On the bright side, Armando did give us a couple months so we could sort out the best candidates to replace him.
***
I originally did not think it would be wise to throw Ortiz into the closer role, but now I'm on that bandwagon too. Even if it doesn't work out it will give us a chance to bring up another kid and buy us some more time to let Hennessey, Correia and Taschner continue to duke it out for dominance.

[May 30, 2007 2:03 AM]  |  link  |  reply
Josh said

I agree. Armando sucks.

But, don't let his poor performance blind you to Ortiz's. Oritz is equally horrid, just in a different way.

Taschner is the best closer prospect now. Even if they keep Benitez in the closer role, they should permanently ban him from pitching against his former team, the Mets. He lost a really painful one last year if I remember correctly.

[May 30, 2007 2:41 AM]  |  link  |  reply
Josh from Hollywood said

I agree that it's high time Benitez left. I even think Sabean might agree after the recent comments and the ungodly display tonight -- maybe the worst choke job I've ever seen by a man who's made that his signature move. The problem is they are left to pick between Correia, Hennessey, Taschner, Wilson, etc. to try to find a replacement. That's fine with me considering the alternative, but that realization just makes it all the harder to get over what is quickly becoming my white whale as a giant fan -- the trade of personal favorite Jeremy Accardo.

The ironic thing is that while the Giants have let the bullpen in general, and the closer specifically, fall into a state of continual disrepair since 2003, they have actually been very good at developing late-inning relievers. The problem is, they've traded the two best away. Unfortunately, I don't think any of the ones they have left is another Nathan or Accardo.

[May 30, 2007 10:42 AM]  |  link  |  reply
bpfastball said

I've been watching baseball since the late 60s and I can't recall ever seeing a walk, balk, bunt, balk run scoring play.

Absolutely gruesome. Worst closer in the history of baseball.

[May 30, 2007 11:25 AM]  |  link  |  reply
Anonymous said

I agree with Josh. Taschner seems to have the most electric stuff, and he has more tenacity. But I wouldn't sleep on Hennessey. Brad has been the most consistent. And I can't recall ever seeing Brad throw the curve until last night. It wasn't exactly an iron hammer, but I think it could be effective if pitched lower in the zone.

[May 30, 2007 12:32 PM]  |  link  |  reply
Boof said

I said a while back that I'd have to stop watching the Giants if they made Ortiz the closer as that would mean that they have run out of ideas and talent. I'm afraid the day has come when I must retract that statement.

Buttmando should not be tolerated anymore. He needs to be DFA'd immediately. Even if it means that Ortiz would have to take over the closers role, I just don't care anymore. ANYONE EXCEPT BUTTMANDO BLOWNITEZ IS ACCEPTABLE. Hell, even bring back Matt Herges or Gary Lavelle or Rod Beck for christsakes!

Message to Sabean: BUTTMANDO SUCKS.......can't put it any more clear than that. There is no point to keep running him out there as he has totally ruined any potential trade value he may have with that last outing. Please make him go away.....NOW! YESTERDAY IS TOO SOON!

[May 30, 2007 12:33 PM]  |  link  |  reply
Boof said

I said a while back that I'd have to stop watching the Giants if they made Ortiz the closer as that would mean that they have run out of ideas and talent. I'm afraid the day has come when I must retract that statement.

Buttmando should not be tolerated anymore. He needs to be DFA'd immediately. Even if it means that Ortiz would have to take over the closers role, I just don't care anymore. ANYONE EXCEPT BUTTMANDO BLOWNITEZ IS ACCEPTABLE. Hell, even bring back Matt Herges or Gary Lavelle or Rod Beck for christsakes!

Message to Sabean: BUTTMANDO SUCKS.......can't put it any more clear than that. There is no point to keep running him out there as he has totally ruined any potential trade value he may have with that last outing. Please make him go away.....NOW! YESTERDAY IS TOO SOON!

[May 30, 2007 12:34 PM]  |  link  |  reply
Boof said

I said a while back that I'd have to stop watching the Giants if they made Ortiz the closer as that would mean that they have run out of ideas and talent. I'm afraid the day has come when I must retract that statement.

Buttmando should not be tolerated anymore. He needs to be DFA'd immediately. Even if it means that Ortiz would have to take over the closers role, I just don't care anymore. ANYONE EXCEPT BUTTMANDO BLOWNITEZ IS ACCEPTABLE. Hell, even bring back Matt Herges or Gary Lavelle or Rod Beck for christsakes!

Message to Sabean: BUTTMANDO SUCKS.......can't put it any more clear than that. There is no point to keep running him out there as he has totally ruined any potential trade value he may have with that last outing. Please make him go away.....NOW! YESTERDAY IS TOO SOON!

[May 30, 2007 12:38 PM]  |  link  |  reply
ELM said

>I'd have to stop watching the Giants if they made Ortiz the closer

You have to be flexible. Ortiz is clearly a better pitcher than he was a year or two ago. Not an ideal closer, obviously, but he'd give the Giants some breathing room to figure out other options. Or perhaps, Eck-like, he'd blossom in that role.

[May 30, 2007 12:38 PM]  |  link  |  reply
SharksRog said

When someone says that a relief pitcher -- ANY relief pitcher -- is the worst closer in history, he almost certainly is wrong.

Or to put it another way, I'm sure that MANY closers have been called the worst after a particularly galling performance. But at most, only one such instance has actually been correct.

Maybe we are now correct in calling Armando the worst closer in history -- but since his save percentage is still well above 80%, I sincerely doubt it.

It sounds more like someone irrationally blowing off steam.

[May 30, 2007 1:02 PM]  |  link  |  reply
Will C said

The problem is our options were pretty limited. Okay, maybe we should have made a move during the spring, but who would we have brought in? Jorge Julio would be near the top of the list, and he's as bad as (or worse than) Benitez now but without the history of success!

Chad Cordero isn't the property he once was. I agree with others, the solution has to come from inside. I might vote for Hennessey, actually.

Considering Hillenbrand can't hit, has a terrible personality and left anyway, and I hate Chulk, I reckon the Accardo trade might be one of Sabean's all-time "great" goofs...

[May 30, 2007 2:06 PM]  |  link  |  reply
ELM said

The key to dumping Armando is getting his salary off the books. The money he's owed (not just '07, but $3.2 M in 08-09) could cover the costs of bringing in higher-paid bats.

[May 30, 2007 2:33 PM]  |  link  |  reply
Boof said

I'm sorry, but there is no key to dumping Buttmando. You admit that it is not in your interest to continue to have him on your roster, you cut bait, eat his contract, and DFA him. That's what the D'backs did with Ortiz and that is exactly what the Giants should be doing with Blownitez' sorry ass.

[May 30, 2007 3:01 PM]  |  link  |  reply
johnP said

"Maybe we are now correct in calling Armando the worst closer in history -- but since his save percentage is still well above 80%, I sincerely doubt it."


The 80% save percentage is what makes him the worst. It is high enough that he is kept around, despite the fact that everyone knows that he will blow the important ones.

[May 30, 2007 3:18 PM]  |  link  |  reply
trilljester said

ELM,
New feature request for the blog: An Armando Benitez days-until-he's-no-longer-a-Giant countdown timer. I'll even provide the simple code for it.

[May 30, 2007 4:13 PM]  |  link  |  reply
ELM said

If we don't know the day he leaves the team, how can we count down?

[May 30, 2007 4:41 PM]  |  link  |  reply
Ed said

The NY Times story credits Davidson (umpire) with makin g the call and doing the explaining.

Benitez never has been clutch in a truly clutch situation - last night was hardly a playoff situation but to Benitez facing his "terminator" team he clutched his throat, his groin and his brain.

If by any grace of God should this team reach the playoffs due to the 3 strong starters, each would hbave to go the full 9 innings - less than that would certainly bring Benitez on in one or more of the games - and we all recognize the gutless wonder would embarass himself.

ESPN's Top-10 countdown showed Omar 's toss - and n #1 was Benitez' disaster.

[May 30, 2007 5:47 PM]  |  link  |  reply
I Hate Benitez said

If you feel like we feel, please visit and join our quest for a Benitez-less existence for the G-men.

http://benitezmustgo.blogspot.com/