Once upon a time, a 25–year-old Giants outfielder finally got his chance after he spent what seemed like years punishing triple-A pitching.
He was under the radar for much of the year, with a .570 OPS in limited at-bats, but on a summer road trip that included a swing through the Midwest, our friend made a nice splash. He got hits (12 for 25 in six games), he hit for power, he showed off his strong arm and his wheels. This is it, Giants fans said. This is the turning point.
Anyone care to guess this young fellow’s name? Here’s a hint.
If you said Nate Schierholtz, I don’t blame you. On the current road trip, which includes a swing through the Midwest, Nate had a six-game, 14–for-29 streak. He cooled off last night with an oh-fer but still hit a couple balls hard.
Is Schierholtz experiencing a Lindenesque flash-in-the-pan? I’m not saying that. I’m just sayin’.
Here’s today’s Bucket Of Cold Water on Your Campfire #2, courtesy of BP’s Kevin Goldstein:
One pitcher with numbers that are impossible to argue with is Giants righty Tim Alderson. After leading the California League in ERA during his full-season debut last year, the 20-year-old has a 2.36 ERA in his first nine Eastern League starts for Double-A Connecticut. Scouts still find it difficult to warm up to Alderson, however. "It's not an insult at all, he's a for-sure, big-league starting pitcher for me," said one scout who saw him recently, "but it's strictly back of the rotation for me," he added, while explaining that Alderson's backwards style of pitching is not one that is usually conducive to major league success. "That plus breaking ball is his calling card, and he's a guy with plus-plus control and average command, but he can't pitch off his fringy fastball, and you don't really see many changeups out of him."
Does this mean the Giants should sell high on Alderson immediately and trade him for a big bat? If the above scout’s opinion is already widespread among other teams, they might not be able to trade him so easily — at least not for the bat they want. And what about Schierholtz? Is there anything about his game that makes you think he’s not for real? Discuss.
