[情報] Athlon Baseball 2009 Giants Preview
Athlon Baseball 2009 San Francisco Giants Preview
The post-Barry Bonds era hasn’t started well for the Giants. They are coming
off their fourth consecutive losing season, something that hadn’t occurred
since 1974-77 — the darkest days of the Candlestick era. New managing partner
Bill Neukom has pledged to instill a culture change, complete with a “Giants
Way” manual that stresses effort, discipline and intelligence. All of that
sounds good, but what they could really use is a 30-homer, 100-RBI presence to
firm up a soft lineup.
Rotation
Tim Lincecum didn’t lead the NL in victories or ERA, but he was a runaway
winner of the Cy Young award — the first by a Giant since Mike McCormick in
1967. Lincecum might have the best pure stuff in the Show. He developed a
dominating changeup to counter his upper-90s fastball and led the majors in
strikeouts. Matt Cain has been a hard-luck pitcher for two seasons but has the
size, stuff and temperament to be a 20-game winner. Barry Zito should be the
ace but has yet to live up to his $126 million contract. He made adjustments
following an 0–8 start last year, throwing a sinking, two-seam fastball more
often, and vowed to enter camp in the best shape of his life. Zito hopes to
learn a thing or two from newly acquired Randy Johnson, whom he calls “
arguably the greatest left-handed pitcher of all time.” The Giants believe
Johnson, who signed a one-year, $8 million deal in late December, will thrive
in spacious AT&T Park. Jonathan Sanchez is coming off an encouraging first full
season as a starter, though he ran out of gas down the stretch. Sanchez could
be shifted to the bullpen when/if Noah Lowry returns to good health. Lowry
underwent two surgeries last season, one on his forearm in March and one on his
elbow in September.
Bullpen
Brian Wilson’s 41 saves tied for second in the NL, a plateau that only Robb
Nen and Rod Beck had reached in franchise history. Wilson’s 4.62 ERA wasn’t
much to look at, but he converted 87 percent of save opportunities and made his
first All-Star team. The Giants’ problems came in the seventh and eighth
innings, and the team moved swiftly to address those shortcomings by signing
free agents Jeremy Affeldt and Bob Howry. Both are strike throwers good for
70-plus appearances. Sergio Romo was lights-out in September and likely will
play an important role. The Giants also have the advantage of three lefties in
the bullpen, with young Alex Hinshaw and holdover Jack Taschner complementing
Affeldt.
Middle infield
Omar Vizquel was a fan favorite in four seasons with the Giants, but the team
said goodbye to its 41-year-old defensive wizard. Edgar Renteria was signed to
replace the 11-time Gold Glove winner, and he’s got plenty to prove after a
terrible season in Detroit. Renteria contended for a batting title as recently
as 2007 with the Braves, and the Giants hope he’ll feel at home again in the
NL. He must disprove scouting reports that his range has eroded and his bat has
slowed. Emmanuel Burriss might have retained the starting job at shortstop if
not for a knee injury that bothered him in the Arizona Fall League. Burriss
will compete at second base with erratic-but-toolsy Eugenio Velez and
organizational favorite Kevin Frandsen.
Corners
Pablo Sandoval had only 145 at-bats with the Giants after making his major
league debut Aug. 14, but that’s all it took to establish himself as the best
offensive player in the organization. With GM Brian Sabean stymied in efforts
to trade for a corner bat, the Giants planned on starting Sandoval at third
base — a position he played sparingly in the minors. He’ll also bat third in
the lineup. The Giants have a lot riding on the 22-year-old switch hitter, but
he might have the talent to pull it off. He’s a natural lefty who taught
himself to throw right-handed when he was nine years old. Barring other moves,
Travis Ishikawa is the leading candidate to start at first base by virtue of
his plus defensive ability and respectable offensive showing at the end of last
season. The Giants would like to platoon Ishikawa, who struck out 27 times in
95 at bats last season.
Outfield
Aaron Rowand got off to a tremendous start after signing a five-year, $60
million contract, hitting .330 through May. But with AT&T Park’s large
dimensions getting in his head, he hit .239 the rest of the way and had only
one RBI in September. His defense wasn’t Gold Glove caliber either, and he
struggled to cover the large open spaces in the NL West. His arm was highly
erratic as well. The Giants plan to rest Rowand more often, which will be
easier because Fred Lewis and Randy Winn can both play center in a pinch. Lewis
has poor instincts in the field and at the plate, where he takes too many
strikes. The Giants plan to move him from leadoff to fifth, where they believe
a more aggressive approach will turn him into a 20-homer guy. Lewis had major
foot surgery after the season to correct a bunion but was expected to heal in
time for spring training. Winn is penciled in as Lewis’ replacement in the
leadoff spot.
Catching
Bengie Molina thrived despite being miscast as a cleanup hitter, collecting a
career-best 95 RBIs to lead the club for the second straight season. With the
Giants unable to land a big bat, Molina was primed for a return to the cleanup
role. Molina gets good marks for his game-calling, and he is a leader who takes
losses harder than anyone. He isn’t the best at blocking balls and is among
the slowest runners in baseball. He’s in the final year of his contract; with
top pick Buster Posey on the horizon, he’ll probably be auditioning for other
clubs.
Bench
Nate Schierholtz collected a bronze medal for Team USA at the Beijing Olympics
and made headlines for taking out Chinese catcher Yang Yang in a brutal home
plate collision. He’ll bring that fire as a fourth outfielder and will be the
top left-handed bat off the bench. Dave Roberts figures to play sparingly as a
fifth outfielder, though his wheels and bunting skills will be handy late in
close games. While Sandoval was developed primarily as a catcher, the Giants
plan to carry capable backup Steve Holm to reduce the strain on their young
phenom. The Giants don’t have much sock on the bench.
Management
Sabean and manager Bruce Bochy have contracts that will expire after the 2009
season, and they’ve got a new boss to impress. Former Microsoft lead counsel
Bill Neukom took over as managing partner for Peter Magowan, and he has refused
to give either Bochy or Sabean a vote of confidence. Neukom has a reputation as
an intellectual, but he entered his new role with the club with no assumptions,
saying he would seek to learn as much as he could. Neukom’s stated objectives
are for the Giants to grow the farm system, to finish .500 or better in 2009
and to contend consistently in 2010 and beyond. A fifth consecutive losing
season could convince Neukom to look for new leadership in baseball operations.
Final analysis
The Giants didn’t see any value plays for a big bat on the free agent or trade
markets during the Christmas shopping season, so they’ll enter the season
hoping for incremental improvement from their young offensive players. In any
other division, they’d cap their hopes at a .500 record. But in the miserable
NL West, their pitching alone could keep them in contention long enough to
warrant a midseason boost to the lineup. Crazier things have happened.
Beyond the Boxscore
Rookie record The Giants debuted 16 rookies in 2008, surpassing the franchise
record of 14 held by the 1926 New York Giants. Mel Ott was among the Giants who
debuted for the ’26 club.
Giant bat Randy Winn homered from both sides of the plate May 29 at Phoenix and
repeated the feat Aug. 30 at Cincinnati. In 2005, he hit for the cycle at the
Reds’ Great American Ball Park. He is the only player in franchise history to
accomplish both feats while wearing a San Francisco Giants uniform.
Home (but not) run Bengie Molina managed to do something unprecedented in
baseball history against the Dodgers: He was credited with a home run but not a
run scored. Molina had stopped at first after his deep fly hit the top of the
right field arcade, and Bruce Bochy inserted pinch runner Emmanuel Burriss.
Umpires determined on replay that the ball struck the metal roof, making it a
home run. But crew chief Tim Welke wouldn’t allow Bochy to undo the
pinch-running move. So Burriss, with a look of disbelief, completed Molina’s
home run trot. “Nice swing,” Molina told Burriss, who was credited with the
run scored.
D.C. return Burriss had an emotional homecoming when the Giants played a series
at Nationals Stadium in June. Earlier in the year, Burriss became the first
graduate of a Washington, D.C., public high school to reach the majors since
1981.
French for winner Bochy won his 1,034th game on April 28 to pass Felipe Alou
for the most by a foreign-born manager. Bochy was born to an Army family in
Landes de Bussac, France.
Bay times The Giants commemorated the 50th anniversary of their move to San
Francisco with a season-long celebration that included reunions with former
franchise greats. The club unveiled a wall of fame on King Street, as well as a
statue of Orlando Cepeda. The Giants welcomed another Hall of Famer in
December, when longtime Oakland Tribune and Sacramento Bee beat reporter Nick
Peters was announced as the winner of the J.G. Taylor Spink Award.
Farm System
2008 Top Draft Pick — A natural leader and tremendous athlete, Buster Posey
was a shortstop who volunteered to move behind the plate because Florida State
had a need. He developed into an excellent defensive backstop. With a huge
junior year at the plate, he won the Golden Spikes award. Posey played all nine
positions in a game — including pitcher, where he threw 92 mph as an
occasional closer. The Giants were ecstatic when he fell to them with the fifth
pick. He’s still relatively new to catching, has almost no experience calling
games and hasn’t seen a variety of pro pitches. Still he isn’t expected to
need much time in the minor leagues.
2007 Top Pick — Madison Bumgarner, LHP, South Caldwell (N.C.) High School
Blazed through A-ball with a 1.46 ERA, best in minors; 164 Ks in 141.2 IP.
2006 Top Pick — Tim Lincecum, RHP, Washington
Nine players were taken ahead of the 2008 NL Cy Young award winner — six of
them pitchers.
2005 Top Pick — Ben Copeland, OF, Pittsburgh
Giants didn’t pick until the fourth round; they lost Copeland to the A’s in
the Rule 5 draft.
2004 Top Pick — Eddy Martinez-Esteve, LF, Florida State
Second-rounder was a pure hitter in college, but rash of injuries crushed his
value.
2003 Top Pick — David Aardsma, RHP, Rice
Made only 11 appearances as a Giant before he was traded to Cubs for LaTroy
Hawkins; has bounced through four organizations.
Other Prospects (age on Opening Day)
1B Angel Villalona (18)
Still just a teenager, the $2.1 million bonus baby has big-time power
reminiscent of Andres Galarraga.
RHP Tim Alderson (20)
Posted best ERA in Cal League despite being young for the circuit; delivery isn
’t smooth, but he has impeccable control.
2B Nick Noonan (19)
Smooth, left-handed stroke will make him a big league regular by 2011, though
defense needs work.
SS Ehire Adrianza (19)
Soft-handed defender has all the tools and tremendous feel for the game; Giants
hope he’ll succeed Edgar Renteria after 2010.
LHP Scott Barnes (21)
Eighth-round pick in ’08 dominated in his pro debut; has better stuff than
Noah Lowry at the same stage.
Statistician
94 >> Home runs for the Giants in 2008, the fewest by a National League team
in a non-labor-shortened season since the 1993 expansion Florida Marlins.
10 >> Number of Giants who hit their first major league home run in ’08,
tying the 1948 Chicago Cubs for the most since 1900.
265 >> Strikeouts for Tim Lincecum, making him the first pitcher in Giants
franchise history to lead the majors.
261 >> Career consecutive starts for Barry Zito, a run that ended when the
Giants skipped the struggling pitcher in early May.
31 >> One-run victories by the Giants, tying the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
for the most in the majors.
3 >> Number of Giants pitchers to record 40 saves in a season, after Brian
Wilson joined Robb Nen and Rod Beck
16 >> Seasons under the leadership of retiring owner Peter Magowan, who
purchased the franchise in December 1992.
Difference Maker
The Giants will place a ton of responsibility on third baseman Pablo Sandoval.
They plan to bat him third even though the switch-hitting sensation jumped from
Double-A straight to the majors in August and has played in only 41 big league
games. A free swinger with uncanny plate coverage, Sandoval was the top hitter
in the Venezuelan winter league. Pitchers will look to exploit his
aggressiveness by getting him to chase pitches. The Giants’ meager offense
will look infinitely worse if Sandoval falls into their trap.
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