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

09.04.2007
It's Up To You To Heed the Call-Ups

Matt Cain rocked, Nate Schierholtz hits well but fields poorly, Giants only score four at Coors, Labor Day loss.

More interesting: five more players called up on the heels of Schierholtz and Saturday night’s losing pitcher Jonathan Sanchez.

If you haven’t followed the farm closely this year, keep an eye on Erick Threets. He throws high 90s, sometimes 100 according to reports, but often has no idea where it’s going. Wheee! Put down the popcorn, ladies and gentlemen, and pay attention.

Also, Eugenio Velez: the Giants plucked him from Toronto’s system as a minor-league free agent, and he won the (low A) Sally League MVP in 2006. Thing is, he was 24 years old. A 24–year-old in low A is not generally considered a hot prospect. But he played most of this year at AA, got a bump to Fresno, and here he is! The big time! Skyscrapers and everything, just like he pictured it!

If your heart isn’t warm enough, please contemplate Dan Giese, the 30–year-old minor league vet who has never, ever played in a big-league game despite a career of excellent peripheral numbers:

599 IP / 549 K / 547 H / 109 BB 

More strikeouts than hits allowed! Five Ks per walk! If he debuts in S.F. and you’re there, give him a rousing huzzah.

Also up: our old friends Eliezer Alfonzo and Scott Munter. If insomnia has gotten its hooks into you, feel free to start a heated debate on the merits of Eliezer vs. Guillermo Rodriguez as next year’s backup catcher. On your mark, get set…
Also on the Network:



[September 4, 2007 2:26 AM]  |  link  |  reply
Randy said

Zzzzzzz. Grod?

[September 4, 2007 12:35 PM]  |  link  |  reply
obsessivegiantscompulsive said

Also, sounds like Lewis will be up once he heals and the Giants need to drop someone off the 40-man (or shift someone to the 60-day DL) to place Geise on our 40-man roster. I wonder what move they will make to do that.

[September 4, 2007 12:47 PM]  |  link  |  reply
ELM said

Perhaps Chulk to the 60-day if his condition doesn't clear up soon. If someone has to be dropped, I'll bet on Atchison. He started out strong but has been lit up nearly every outing since mid-August.

[September 4, 2007 3:33 PM]  |  link  |  reply
BawLa said

FREE DAN GIESE!!!!!

I am excited to see Threets. He will scare the shit out of guys with triple-digit speed and 0 control.

Schierholtz should learn 1B. Period.

[September 4, 2007 4:45 PM]  |  link  |  reply
obsessivegiantscompulsive said

Oh yeah, Atchison; I don't even remember him doing well, it seemed like everytime we needed someone to come in and shut down the rally, he would come in and let all the inherited runners score. We could have had a much better August without his "help".

[September 4, 2007 5:26 PM]  |  link  |  reply
ELM said

Check his game log: good at first then a steady decline.

[September 4, 2007 5:31 PM]  |  link  |  reply
ELM said

And now that I've got you all geeked up on WXRL, here's the latest update:

Hennessey 2.80 (up from 2.62)
Kline 1.14
Wilson 1.06 (down from 1.20)

[September 4, 2007 5:34 PM]  |  link  |  reply
gdog said

ah, I think it's time to take a month off from the Giants. During that time, we can reminisce about Otto Velez and Sedale Threat.

[September 4, 2007 11:44 PM]  |  link  |  reply
PKoel said

I don't believe that Threets has come close to 100 MPH since he was injured a few years ago. He tops out at around 94-95, and his K-rate is way down over the past couple of years. Still doesn't have much control, though. He's already made it further in the organization than Ricky Pickett or Stephen Randolph just by getting called up.

[September 5, 2007 2:40 AM]  |  link  |  reply
cyrus said

Valdez got moved to the 60 day DL to accomodate Giese.

As for my boy Schierholtz, I didn't see the game- what did he do?

As far as moving him to 1B- didn't he start out a 3B and get moved to the OF for some reason? Why not just move him back and have him replace Feliz next season, or have Feliz play ss?

[September 5, 2007 10:15 AM]  |  link  |  reply
obsessivegiantscompulsive said

According to reports, Threets has finally given up velocity to get more control (it's all relative :^).

Schierholtz got moved from 3B to the OF because the Giants did not believe that he could handle the defense there. That was a bit controversial because other observers felt that he should have been given more of a chance there; however, most observers acknowledged that he was lacking and questionable there at 3B defense, they only thought that perhaps with more experience there he might work out, so it was no slam dunk that he would have worked out there. But after a couple of years in RF, if he's still so bad, perhaps 1B is ticket, particularly if EME's prospect light is fading.

[September 5, 2007 9:33 PM]  |  link  |  reply
Shane said

Nice with the Clash reference, Lefty.