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

04.20.2008
4/19/08: Every Fifth (or Sixth) Day

Giants 3, Cards 0: Tim Lincecum earned his merit badge today in cardinal-domination. It wasn't 11 Ks in 6 innings, his tally from his last start, but it was perhaps more impressive as he kept his pitch count down and worked out of jams against a team that had just seen him six days earlier. His punch-out of Albert Pujols, two men on, no outs, after falling behind 3-0, was the coolest Giant thing I've seen -- I should say heard -- all year.

But the Giants braintrust is thinking about a six-man rotation when Noah Lowry returns, as noted in Saturday's papers. I like the idea somewhat, but it hurts to think we'd have to wait an extra day to watch Timmy pitch. Unless the starters were all guaranteed an inning or two of in-game "side work" between starts: wouldn't it be cool if his side work was in the 9th inning with a one-run lead?

Also from the front office today, a very curious roster move: Raj Davis has been released to make room for Emmanuel Burriss. Apparently Brian Bocock -- who had a nice game today, a single, a walk, and a brilliant defensive play to end the game -- needs back-up. So the Giants risk losing a guy who can be a valuable bench player in order to lend support to a guy who really shouldn't be on the roster in the first place. It's like calculus, in which you can still get credit for a proof even if the outcome is wrong, as long as your logic, even if flawed, follows a reasonable course. Wait a second, I flunked calculus. I'm probably not the go-to guy for higher-math analogies.

But I can calculate this: the Giants now have two punch-and-judy single-A ballers in their middle infield (yes, I know Burriss started this year in AAA), and they might lose Davis, who will only report to Fresno if he isn't claimed on waivers.

I'll be disappointed if he's claimed. In the long run he might not have more bat skills than, say, Jason Ellison, but he's proven to be a better base stealer and much better outfielder. He's a nice guy to have on a roster for late-inning defense, pinch-running, and the occasional start against a lefty. The move means a few things: 1) Rowand is in fact getting healthier (despite the revelation that it's a cracked rib, not just bruised) and won't need much time off; 2) Dan Ortmeier can platoon with Freddie Lewis if they want to sit Freddie against tough lefties; 3) Ray Durham might not be around much longer, and the Giants want to see now if Burriss can help plug the hole Durham would leave. 4) Omar Vizquel might not be back for a long time.

Another move announced today: Erick Threets goes on the D.L., Keiichi Yabu takes his spot.

PLODAG: Lincecum, with honorable mention to Rowand, who hit his first Giant home run and got three hits overall.

The Upside: Bocock. 1-for-3 with a walk and tight D? I'll take that every game.



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[April 20, 2008 3:32 AM]  |  link  |  reply
Frank said

uhh, yeah. That would be 333 BA, 500 OBP. Your observations, 1-4, are very astute. Even without Davis they have more OFs than they can possibly use, barring imminent use of softball rules, to wit: Rowand, Winn, Bowker, Lewis, Velez, Ort.
The Burriss move is puzzling. Even discounting starting his service clock, he really isn't playing any better than Ochoa at AAA. I understood Ochoa getting sent to AAA, he had a terrible offensive and defensive ST. And he started his year in Fresno poorly. But after that poor start (he's hit 300 over the past 10-12 days) he is now hitting better than Burriss.
Ochoa: 235/310/314/624
Burr: 258/281/306/588

[April 20, 2008 10:17 AM]  |  link  |  reply
Chris said

I don't get the Burriss move that much or why the heck Rich Aurilia is still eating roster space.

OK, if the 'Cock needs backup, why not throw Aurilia out there 1-2 games every couple of weeks? I know his days at short are long gone but he might be able to handle it for 1-2 games.

Or

Call up an organization solider like Frank stated above, someone like Ochoa. Why would you call up Burriss to play as a backup when he's never hit above A-ball and he definitely needs time to develop (Read: play every day, not bench ride).

It's a puzzling move indeed.

[April 20, 2008 4:36 PM]  |  link  |  reply
obsessivegiantscompulsive said

Say, I suggested a 6-man a while ago in my blog, with a twist that harkens back to the days when there was a swing man. When there is an off-day, the starting pitchers get 5 days of rest before their next start anyway. As if they were in a 6-man rotation.

So my suggestion was to keep all the top 4 starters on a pitch every 6th day schedule (haven't done this for an actual schedule, so there might be some where they pitch differently).

For the bottom two starters, if it is a period of 6 games played consecutively, they will both get a start in the rotation. If it is a period of 5 games and a rest day, alternate one who starts and the other gets to go long around the same time he normally starts. There's usually at least one game in a stretch where the starter only goes 5-6 innings, so for the starter who gets skipped, basically pitch him the final 3-4 innings, don't go to relievers unless really necessarily, but basically give the bullpen a rest.

About Burriss, I can understand why people have questions about that, but he did play in the elite AFL and did well, and the Giants typically put players they expect/hope/think can be in the majors soon.

Also, not that they take this into consideration, but Burriss is one of our top rated prospects, whereas Ochoa doesn't even make any top Giants prospects lists, even the Top 30 list.

Besides, I know some feel they know enough already, but there are some of us who still wonder what type of position player evaluators we have on the Giants. Can this be the same Sabean who picked up Jeter, Posada, Snow for the Yankeess long ago? Who traded for Jeff Kent in a controversial trade, essentially, for good or bad at the time, staking his reputation on it?

I would feel better about whether they can evaluate good prospects if someone can break out when they give them a chance. So far, most of our position prospects have not been good, but that's what happens most of the time when you draft so low in the first round.

[April 21, 2008 8:03 PM]  |  link  |  reply
chad said

Burress allows Bochy to pinch hit for BoCock without going to a crappy ss afterwards...