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

10.17.2009
Carney Goes Down Swinging

I missed this in yesterday's Chron: Carney Lansford wishes his successor good luck, because he's going to need it. Baggs talked to Lansford, too, and got quotes like this:

"A major league player should not be as poor at [situational hitting] as we were in my two years. Do I take it personally? Of course I do. I know it cost us games. I'm a human being. I'm not a machine. But I'll sleep good at night knowing I took my best shot."

I recommend reading both articles. It was kind of weird that Lansford took time to talk to both reporters on the day of his father-in-law's funeral. He must have really needed to get all that off his chest. Or he must have really needed to defend himself publicly as he starts to search for a new job, which he said he doesn't need. Or both. 

When the Giants trot out their next hitting coach, expect to hear all sorts of talk about the new guy's track record in doing this or that (especially if it's Hensley Meulens and his work with Eugenio Velez, which we've already started to see floated in the press -- and which is basically a bunch of hand-waving, as I noted two days ago). Whatever the Giants say, remember Lansford's words: "I wish I had more offense to work with, but I had what I had. I don't know what I would've done differently."
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8 Comments

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Chato's Land | October 17, 2009 8:09 PM | Reply

Management CYA 101:

a) Find someone to blame to be a scapegoat.

b) Find someone to praise to be a savior.

Net effect, change agent/savior keeps hope alive whilst providing cover/distracting fans to keep selling tickets.

New boss, same as the old boss.

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obsessivegiantscompulsive | October 19, 2009 11:57 AM | Reply

Yeah, I would not be happy about Hensley, I think your analysis hit the nail on the head regarding Velez.

But while Carney said all the right things about hitting, I am just not a Hriniak fan, I see no good coming from swinging down on the ball, at least not for our hitters who need to be driving in runs, they need to do what Ted William's taught, upper-cut swing, go for the fences. Our leadoff guys with speed and do the swing down on the ball, but not our power guys. So I'm glad Carney is gone, though I was happy when he was first hired, I thought a hitting champ would have some good things to pass on to our hitters.

I would like to see Jack Clark get a chance, though I'll bet Lurie is probably still holding a grudge against him for all the lip Jack the Ripper gave while he was here.

Good point about the timing. I think Carney, deep down, wanted to note how cold-hearted the Giants were to let him know that he was fired the day of his father-in-law's burial, plus force him to have to respond on that day to the media.

This was like after an interview I once went to, for a job I desperately wanted and needed, as I was out of work and trying to change fields. I knew it didn't go well, I knew the letter of rejection was coming. I was hoping they would have enough heart and humanity to wait a day to send it out, so that I would get it after Christmas instead of on Christmas Eve. Of course, I got it Christmas Eve.

50andstillfly replied to comment from obsessivegiantscompulsive | October 19, 2009 12:56 PM | Reply

That is cold!

I tend to agree with Lansford's point that once these players get to the major league level, by and large their hitting style is formed and they don't go looking for help unless/until they struggle. Young players like Panda may be more receptive to suggestions, but the veterans aren't likely to change and since even the giants' "young" players are in their late 20's, there is not much that a hitting instructor can do with this bunch. If they had a veteran hitter who could demonstrate as well as teach the value of patience, like a Bobby Abreu, THAT might get the team's attention, but they had no shot at getting Abreu in the offseason. Oh wait . . .

Boof replied to comment from obsessivegiantscompulsive | October 19, 2009 2:17 PM | Reply

Before anyone starts blaming Carney Lansford (or any hitting coach for that matter), they should really lay the blame where it should be lying. For a good summation of that, take a look at Scott Ostler's pice in today's Chron. There is a link below to the full story, but here is the key piece:

"The fellow who collected all those free-swinging, non-thinking hitters in one clubhouse, and the fellow who gave those free-swingers license to swing freely - both those fellows were given two-year contract extensions.

Boss Bill Neukom has said he and his staff will produce a definitive guidebook on the Giants' way to play baseball. Apparently, the batting section of the Giants' bible will be short, and not required reading."

For the full link: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/10/19/SPRA1A7FIB.DTL

Pato | October 19, 2009 4:55 PM | Reply

I'm glad someone in the media has the balls to come out and tell it how it is. It isn't like it is brain science or rocket surgery or anything, every successful team has a good offense so it would kinda make sense for the Giants to try to get one before our young pitching is neither young nor ours anymore. After 14 years it is pretty clear that Sabean isn't the man to be able to do this though so unless he gets fired halfway through the season next year which isn't out of the realm of possibilities, I see a team that is going to win fewer games then they did this year. Good thing about that is it should prove to Neukom that Sabes is an idiot and he needs to find someone else. Sabes kinda screwed himself in a way by the Giants winning 88 games this year, the bar and expectations are now raised to a level where he is sure not to reach again which should result in his firing at some point next season or the following.

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