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

03.25.2009
Bochy [Hearts] Richie

Oh Bruce Bochy, you sly man. I see what you're doing. Clever lad, but naughty, naughty for trying to fool us. Before I reveal to the world your scheme, I will lay it out, plot point by plot point, like Hercule Poirot twirling his moustaches before a rapt audience assembled in the old manor library.

First, you realize that this could be your last year as a manager. Your contract runs out after 2009, and more teams are moving toward a new generation of skippers. You think, hmm, I am not ready to retire. You have recently read George Lakoff, so you decide to reframe the debate. You think, what is the biggest knock against me?

Answer: Unwarranted veteran loyalty.

Then you survey the team you now run and you think we are getting younger, but Bon dieu! this is not my youth movement. This is Brian Sabean's. If we win, or at least do better than expected this year, I will not get the credit. No one will say, "Ah, but look, Bochy has changed his ways! He is now friend and wise counsel to the inexperienced!"

And if the youth movement results in another 90 or, God forbid, 100-loss season, the merde lands in your driveway anyway. Happy shoveling. 

As you say in America, this is a lose-lose situation.

So you say to yourself, what I need is a hedge. And that hedge will be Rich Aurilia. Among the fan base, he is much beloved. He still has some skills when healthy, such as mashing left-handed pitching. You maneuver to bring him back on a minor-league contract. If he makes the team and does well as a grizzled savvy right-handed bench bat and utility infielder, you look great.

But this is not enough. You raise the spectre that the old Bochy will not go quietly. You say to the beat reporters (or what's left of them these days) that Aurilia might play more at first base than everyone expects. "Richie is probably going to be out there, and that includes against some right-handers."

You smile to yourself as the comment produces groans and grumbling and hand-wringing. Here we go again, same old Bochy, says the Lunatic Fringe.

Then, and this is the brilliant part, once the season starts you defy those expectations and only play Aurilia when absolutely necessary, thus making everyone think, Oh, that old Boch-dog, he has learned new tricks! He can let the kids play! In fact, he has a new spring in his step himself! Perhaps he will manage for another 10 years!

Only an oversized brain like yours could concoct such a brilliant, convoluted scheme. I look forward to your next Jedi mind-trick: Eugenio Velez, Late-Inning Defensive Replacement.


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8 Comments

| Leave a comment
obsessivegiantscompulsive | March 26, 2009 12:29 AM | Reply

That's funny, he's been letting young pitchers take over the pitching staff, so it looks like he is willing to go with the young guys.

Plus, he sat Roberts last year, even after he came back, and played Lewis until he left to get his bunion operated on. And played young players extensively at 1B and 2B the past two seasons, and 3B last season. And Sandoval caught Zito so much that Molina publicly grumbled.

Roger replied to comment from obsessivegiantscompulsive | March 26, 2009 9:25 AM | Reply

I suppose "extensively" is in the eye of the beholder. But in 2007, 138 starts at 1B went to Klesko, Aurilia, Sweeney or Feliz (23 to Ortmeier and Niekro), 124 starts at 2B went to Durham (despite a .218 BA) and Aurilia (38 to Frandsen/Velez).

In 2008, 49 starts at 1B went to Aurilia and the rest to young players, primarily Bowker, Ishikawa, and Sandoval; 67 starts at 2B went to Durham and the rest to youngsters; and 140 starts at 3B went to Aurilia and Castillo.

So I'd say last year you could reasonably say extensive time at 1B and 2B went to youngsters but not 3B, though it's pretty arguable how much of a "choice" that represented for Bochy (especially once Durham was traded). Aurilia did still manage to get 90 starts in for the season, which is a lot for a supposed utility player. In 2007 I don't believe you could make a reasonable argument that "extensive" time was given to any youngster at any position.

Boof replied to comment from obsessivegiantscompulsive | March 26, 2009 6:52 PM | Reply

I'm not sure I buy into the "willing to go with the young guys" statement when I see that Aurilia got over 400 ABs last year!

GiantsBigWig | March 26, 2009 7:34 AM | Reply

El Lefty,
That was the funniest post I have read anywhere in quite a while. Nice work. And I just have to comment that the evidence which obsessive cites for Bochy's willingness to play youth last season is not convincing given the sole goal of the Giants after the all star break should have been to evaluate the youth. Anyway, Lewis only got a job because Roberts got hurt and he out-performed Roberts to such a degree that it would have been unimaginable for any team, let alone a rebuilding team, to make any other choice. But given that the objective post all-star break undeniably should have been to evaluate the young talent, why did it take until September for this process to begin in earnest? Late July and August were by-in-large wasted. And how can all of the ABs given to Aurilia, McClain, Molina, Winn, and to a lesser extent Vizquel at the expense of Ishikawa, Sandoval, and Schierholz possibly be justified at the end of last season? Ishikawa hardly even had the chance to take a single swing at left-handed pitching, so the Giants have no idea if he can hit MLB lefties. And Sandoval would never have gotten all those ABs if he hadn't forced the issue by being the best hitter on the team. Sandoval should have been starting at catcher nearly every game in Aug and Sept last season so that the Giants could undertake a full evaluation of his abilities at that position. (See
http://www.baseballamerica.com/blog/prospects/?p=1835
http://www.baseballamerica.com/blog/prospects/?p=1724
on Sandoval's excellent defense metrics at catcher). If they had done so, then perhaps the Giants would have had the gumption to trade Molina in the off-season, and he wouldn't be our clean-up hitter. Sandoval should be catching for the Giants, or at least he should have been given the full opportunity to succeed at catcher, because his value is maximized there. As much as I like them both, the Giants should have traded Molina and Winn in the offseason in the interest of creating a winning team in 2010 forward. Perhaps if Schierholz would have started everyday throughout August and September (except of course when he got hurt) then the Giants would perhaps have been bold enough to make a move on Winn. I think Bochy's vet worship is mainly to blame for the dismal failure of the Giants to fully evaluate their young players when they had the risk free opportunity last season. The only players to whom they gave a full evaluation were Bowker, Ochoa, and Burriss, all of whom were substantially over-matched for most of the season, but now at least the Giants have a clearer idea where they are at with these players, and these players had a chance to grow and develop.

KM | March 26, 2009 2:38 PM | Reply

"First, you realize that this could be your last year as a manager. Your contract runs out after 2009, and more teams are moving toward a new generation of skippers."

This is a key point. By "new generation," I take it you mean managers who aren't tied to the 1970s and who can understand an advanced stat sheet (or at least converse with a GM who can). Bochy is not that guy. Here in the NW, Mariners fans were encouraged when the new manager (Wakamatsu) came in and said things that showed he gets it. Like, he noticed a reliever with a high GB ratio who gave up a lot of hits in 08, and knew something must be wrong with the middle-infield range. And he's right.

I expect the Giants will be among the last to hire a "new generation" manager. Maybe Sabean would have to go first, then Neukom can have his way.

DProfessor | March 26, 2009 2:50 PM | Reply

Sickeningly funny because it's true. Fire this automaton Bochy and bring in someone with a pulse.

LargeFarva | March 26, 2009 9:21 PM | Reply

I have been pleading for years for the Giants to let the kids play. Back even when the Lizard was the manager. The thing is, you can't blame Bochy too much since it has been Sabean flooding our roster with over the hill guys blocking any opportunity for a kid to play. GRRR Sabean. GRRRR!

Pato | March 27, 2009 12:47 AM | Reply

Easy solution is to drop Steve Holms down to AA and use Pablo as a backup catcher. Then you have room to keep Burriss, Frandson, Richie, and Uribe in the infield. Play whoever is hot and hope it is enough to either win the division or get Sabean fired... I would probably be equally happy with either.

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