Post by Rog on Sept 27, 2014 14:53:34 GMT -5
When a team suffers as many injuries as the Giants did and still makes the playoffs, either they're a really good team, or they had some unexpected heroes. In the Giants' case this season, they ARE a very good club -- and they've had a handful of unexpected heroes.
Gregor Blanco -- Believe it or not, Gregor was a big hero. With the frequent injuries to Angel Pagan and Mike Morse, the Giants needed someone to hold the fort. He got off to a very slow start (especially before either player was injured), but he came on to play a decent center field and left field when needed.
Jake Peavy -- Did anyone make a better deadline deal than Brian Sabean? Brian actually made his move before the deadline, as soon as it was clear Matt Cain wouldn't be around for a long time. Like Blanco, Peavy got off to a slow start. But once he got going, he was like a second ace behind Madison Bumgarner.
Joe Panik -- It's tough when you lose your second baseman and number two hitter for the entire season. The Giants struggled and struggled through a handful of replacements, including Marco Scutaro himself in a brief, desperate attempt to replace himself. Joe Panik too got off to a slow start, but once he got going, he became one of the league's top contact hitters. Not something you would expect from a rookie, although we have long been comparing him to Scutaro himself.
Michael Morse -- Morse tailed off after a torrid start, he played horrible defense and almost walked instead of ran the bases. He got injured late. But he played the 2nd-most games of his career (131), and he virtually duplicated his career stats despite playing in a lower-scoring season and park. For 1/$6, he was a bargain.
Jean Machi -- Machi proved his 2013 breakout season wasn't a fluke and became a very reliable set up man. Although it faltered down the stretch, the bullpen was likely the Giants' biggest strength, and Machi did more than his share toward that.
Andrew Susac -- The Giants truly needed a solid backstop backup when Hector Sanchez's season ended due to concussion. Susac came in and was so solid he showed he might be a capable starter himself.
Travis Ishikawa -- Ishikawa failed in the major leagues with the Pirates and was released. After a slow start at Fresno, he came up to fill an important role for the Giants while Brandon Belt was out. With the injuries to Pagan and Morse, he might be the Giants' best left fielder right now, even though he has hardly played there.
Sergio Romo -- This one certainly seems counter intuitive, but the same failed closer whose ERA was 5.12 as late as his first game after the All-Star break, Sergio has once again become a solid set up man, posting a 0.93 ERA since.
Hunter Strickland -- Who knew that a pitcher who had never pitched above AA would become in a small sample arguably the Giants' best reliever down the stretch? In just six innings, Strickland has turned himself into a viable candidate for the post season roster.
Ryan Vogelsong -- Many were disappointed when the Giants made a belated signing of Vogelsong as their 5th starter. But how many 5th starters pitch 180 innings and post a 1.28 WHIP and a 4.00 ERA?
Yusmeiro Petit -- How does a journeyman pitcher who couldn't make the big leagues just over a year ago suddenly set a record for batters consecutively retired? Petit was a star as a long reliever (1.84 ERA) and has been more than serviceable as a replacment starter for Tim Lincecum (3.93 ERA in over six innings per start).
That's 10 unexpected heroes and one resurrected hero. They had a lot to do with the Giants' overcoming an emergency room of injuries and still making the playoffs. The Giants were unable to overcome injuries in 2011 and 2013, but this under-the-radar group (including some not so far under) has had a lot to do with that.
Gregor Blanco -- Believe it or not, Gregor was a big hero. With the frequent injuries to Angel Pagan and Mike Morse, the Giants needed someone to hold the fort. He got off to a very slow start (especially before either player was injured), but he came on to play a decent center field and left field when needed.
Jake Peavy -- Did anyone make a better deadline deal than Brian Sabean? Brian actually made his move before the deadline, as soon as it was clear Matt Cain wouldn't be around for a long time. Like Blanco, Peavy got off to a slow start. But once he got going, he was like a second ace behind Madison Bumgarner.
Joe Panik -- It's tough when you lose your second baseman and number two hitter for the entire season. The Giants struggled and struggled through a handful of replacements, including Marco Scutaro himself in a brief, desperate attempt to replace himself. Joe Panik too got off to a slow start, but once he got going, he became one of the league's top contact hitters. Not something you would expect from a rookie, although we have long been comparing him to Scutaro himself.
Michael Morse -- Morse tailed off after a torrid start, he played horrible defense and almost walked instead of ran the bases. He got injured late. But he played the 2nd-most games of his career (131), and he virtually duplicated his career stats despite playing in a lower-scoring season and park. For 1/$6, he was a bargain.
Jean Machi -- Machi proved his 2013 breakout season wasn't a fluke and became a very reliable set up man. Although it faltered down the stretch, the bullpen was likely the Giants' biggest strength, and Machi did more than his share toward that.
Andrew Susac -- The Giants truly needed a solid backstop backup when Hector Sanchez's season ended due to concussion. Susac came in and was so solid he showed he might be a capable starter himself.
Travis Ishikawa -- Ishikawa failed in the major leagues with the Pirates and was released. After a slow start at Fresno, he came up to fill an important role for the Giants while Brandon Belt was out. With the injuries to Pagan and Morse, he might be the Giants' best left fielder right now, even though he has hardly played there.
Sergio Romo -- This one certainly seems counter intuitive, but the same failed closer whose ERA was 5.12 as late as his first game after the All-Star break, Sergio has once again become a solid set up man, posting a 0.93 ERA since.
Hunter Strickland -- Who knew that a pitcher who had never pitched above AA would become in a small sample arguably the Giants' best reliever down the stretch? In just six innings, Strickland has turned himself into a viable candidate for the post season roster.
Ryan Vogelsong -- Many were disappointed when the Giants made a belated signing of Vogelsong as their 5th starter. But how many 5th starters pitch 180 innings and post a 1.28 WHIP and a 4.00 ERA?
Yusmeiro Petit -- How does a journeyman pitcher who couldn't make the big leagues just over a year ago suddenly set a record for batters consecutively retired? Petit was a star as a long reliever (1.84 ERA) and has been more than serviceable as a replacment starter for Tim Lincecum (3.93 ERA in over six innings per start).
That's 10 unexpected heroes and one resurrected hero. They had a lot to do with the Giants' overcoming an emergency room of injuries and still making the playoffs. The Giants were unable to overcome injuries in 2011 and 2013, but this under-the-radar group (including some not so far under) has had a lot to do with that.
