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

03.20.2008
Not Now Nate

Roster moves: Nate Schierholtz has been optioned to AAA. Not a big surprise. Also optioned to Fresno are Travis Denker (which means he skips AA completely -- keep an eye on this kid), Travis Ishikawa, and Billy Sadler. Emmanuel Burriss and Ivan Ochoa were also demoted.

Brian Sabean acknowledged that Nate got screwed by the numbers: "He's a victim of the rule, really. It's a matter of keeping our inventory."

Sabean has a habit of talking about players as if he were once a used car salesman. (He also likes to "kick the tires" of free agents.) He might not be politically correct but he's right about the inventory. Cutting loose Rajai Davis or Fred Lewis right now would be foolish. Nate is undoubtedly frustrated that he'll be back in AAA while Brian Bocock and Eugenio Velez travel north (today's reports say Velez is in). But Nate will have his day as soon as one of the five outfielders goes on the DL or is traded. And if he's not the starting left- or right-fielder on opening day 2009, there better be a damn good reason.

The Giants have also brought Ryan Rohlinger into major-league camp. He's a 24-year-old who's never played above low-A. The brass is being coy about his chances of actually making the team, but don't bet your subprime mortgage on it. If anything, the promotion is a way to showcase Rohlinger to other teams, although no right-minded GM would want Rohlinger as a centerpiece to a deal. But for a GM about to trade a third baseman and who wants a little long-term third-base insurance as part of the return package, Rohlinger might be a good throw-in.

Add to the mix the struggles of Dan Ortmeier and the achilles-heel injury of Kevin Frandsen, and who knows what the opening day lineup will look like. Based on current tea-leaf configurations and a likely opening day assignment against Brad Penny, I'll go with this:

LF Roberts
3B Velez
RF Winn
C Molina
CF Rowand
2B Durham
1B Aurilia
SS Bocock
P Zito
Also on the Network:



[March 20, 2008 12:02 PM]  |  link  |  reply
Boof said

Man, that is one shitty lineup! If they win 70 games, it would be a miracle.

[March 20, 2008 3:57 PM]  |  link  |  reply
Chris replied to Boof

Shitty? More like GRITTY!

[March 21, 2008 2:20 AM]  |  link  |  reply
Kent said

They'll just eek out a "victory" vs. ye ole' Mets team. 100 loses, easy.

[March 21, 2008 12:04 PM]  |  link  |  reply
reeky said

And the shittiest thing might well be the pitcher -- how many losses will it take to DFA Zito?

I'm looking for Cleveland Spiders gear -- anyone know any sources?

[March 21, 2008 7:16 PM]  |  link  |  reply
Frank said

Very much off topic, but I will address this to you, Lefty, as you were a pitcher.
Today (and going mostly by the box score, not by watching tohe game), Zito is cruising into the 6th. Through 5 he's given up 2 hits and 0 BBs. Then in the sixth he loses his control and walks 3.
How can that be? I mean, a guy comes to ST well conditioned and strong, ready to start the season. I understand he has to build up his pitch count and arm strength, but I would think, at this point in ST, fatigue would not be a problem, that a guy wouldn't run out of gas in the 6th inning. What am I missing?

[March 22, 2008 6:03 AM]  |  link  |  reply
jeff d said

looking at that (shitty) lineup makes me wish baer et al would have ditched the "gamer" campaign for the one I findly recall from '85 or '86 - "ya gotta like these kids." (Still have the t-shirt - er, rag.) The bar seemed lower somehow. Gamer is looking a lot like a cheap excuse for "Loser."

[March 24, 2008 9:38 AM]  |  link  |  reply
Jim E replied to jeff d

jeff d, to have a "you gotta like these kids" campaign, you have to actually like the kids. I hate these kids. These kids suck. The campaign should be "The 2008 Giants: Plenty of open seats in a beautiful ballpark!" or "The 2008 Giants: Come work on your tan!"

[March 22, 2008 11:40 AM]  |  link  |  reply
Frank said

Cancel that, Lefty. It appears my recollection was way off and that Zito waled only 1 in the 6th and one got on via error Velez.

[March 23, 2008 9:09 AM]  |  link  |  reply
jeff d said

it might be the simplest method of evaluating sabes' job performance - and perhaps the most obvious, too -- but is there a lower talent-to-payroll ratio in MLB than that of our $90M 'Gamers'? Baltimore is in close contention at $93M...but the rest of the numbers are depressing, starting with the Phils, at a mere $89M. And in the bargain bin of the NL West you have the DBacks or the Rockies in the low $50Ms. Those are '07 numbers, of course, but whatever. Harumph Baby.