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

08.27.2008
Livan Largesse

Our old friend Livan Hernandez is throwing tonight for Colorado, and if the Giants can’t muster a bunch of runs against him, it’ll be the latest and saddest indication of their chronic offensive anemia.

Livan has some embarrassing numbers this year, including 13.3 hits and only 3.5 strikeouts per 9 innings. In three starts with the Rockies, who claimed him off the scrap heap from Minnesota, Hernandez has allowed 25 hits and 21 ER in 12 1/3 IP.

Despite strong career numbers against Livan, it would be a fine time to rest Aaron Rowand, who is 2 for his last 18 and has made some terrible throws lately. Jon Miller noted on the radio this week that he couldn’t reach the cutoff on a reasonably easy throw toward third. Given his reputation, you have to wonder if he’s playing hurt. We should probably assume he is.

Often overlooked in all the gamery gamerness this year is the point at which a player stops inspiring his teammates and starts hurting his team because he can’t turn on an inside fastball or make a strong throw from the outfield.

With four years and $48 million left on Rowand’s contract after 2008, the Giants need to get serious about making him rest more. He shouldn’t be a #3 or #4 hitter, but he’s a nice player to have around. Let’s make sure he stays that way by keeping him as healthy as possible. Start with a rest tonight, and let the rest of the Giants knock Livan’s slop all over the yard.

***

SMALL PRINT UPDATE: Matt Palmer had his cup of coffee, or more accurately, spilled most of it on Brian Sabean’s new white cashmere rug, and he’s on his way back to Fresnoville. Osiris Matos is up. Matos or someone else will have to move soon, though, because Jonathan Sanchez is slated to start Monday.



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[August 27, 2008 4:44 PM]  |  link  |  reply
Frank said

No, they won't have to make any moves as Mon = Sep 1.

[August 27, 2008 6:14 PM]  |  link  |  reply
Jefferson said

I'll take a consistently healthy player over a "gamer" who hurts himself with fake hustle any day.

Furthermore, I'm not certain that Rowand is throwing any worse than at any other point in the year. I've never been impressed with his accuracy or his distance.

[August 27, 2008 8:28 PM]  |  link  |  reply
Johnny Disaster replied to Jefferson

In many ways he's the anti-Bonds. Barry has said that he considered it his job to go less than all-out at times so that he would be available for the team in the maximum number of games overall. Apparently, Willie Mays taught him that with his talent, avoiding injury was an important duty. Or he was just a lazy bastard...
Considering his reputation as an outstanding outfielder, I've actually been most surprised by Rowand's poor throwing choices - making throws that let the trailing runner advance to no purpose is my prime example. Continuing with the unfair comparison, Barry was uncanny about denying the opposition this type of 90 foot increment, especially so earlier in his career.

[August 27, 2008 6:31 PM]  |  link  |  reply
obsessivegiantscompulsive said

Yeah, look at Molina, once Sandoval came in and took more games, Bengie's stats took off, he's been hitting very well, helping the recent winning streak.

Perhaps once Monday comes and Schierholtz joins the team with the Sept Call Ups, Winn could move to CF in some games and allow Nate to play and to rest Rowand. Plus, as hot as Winn has been, give him a few days of rest too. Lewis could use a rest in LF as well, that would give Schierholtz 3 starts per week, plus PH duty, roughly 20 PA per week, 80 PA in September, that's nearly full time play.

[August 27, 2008 6:49 PM]  |  link  |  reply
obsessivegiantscompulsive said

Just cause he's scuffling does not mean that Livan won't be good against any Giants club, good or bad offensively. He will be determined to throw his best tonight.

He performs well when he has incentive to, like when there is a big contract to be had, and I assume he still wants to show up the Giants for essentially giving him away that season. After all, he took a bat at the owner of that storage unit he was renting in Florida, and the guy was like Methusulah, so it wasn't like he was dangerous, Livan is just a little off in his thinking.

So as bad as he is now, whie he cannot be bothered, he will probably bring it up a notch against the Giants, so you never know if the gem he threw is related to his will or not; unfortunately for any team he's with, his will is not always there.

[August 27, 2008 7:07 PM]  |  link  |  reply
Paul R. said

He performs well when he has incentive to

...except when it's Game 7 of the World Series. Gah! (runs and sticks head in oven)

Is Schierholz an option at all at first base? He didn't play there at all in the minors but he did play a lot of third base (badly) in his first few years. Whatever gets him regular at-bats in September.