Post by rog on Oct 2, 2018 1:19:49 GMT -5
The past couple of seasons we have complained bitterly about the Giants' rash of injuries. There is certainly justification for that, but there are other teams with similar injury woes who have survived them.
Earlier this season we compared the Dodgers' injuries with the Giants. We said, for instance, that the injury to Alen Hanson was as difficult as the Dodgers' injury to Hyun-Jin Ryu. One difference was that Ryu was out 3 1/2 months, while Hanson missed three weeks. But at least as big a difference was that Hanson was a utility man, while in the 2 1/2 months Ryu was able to pitch, he put up a 1.97 ERA in 82 innings.
We might have noticed when he faced the Giants that he's a pretty good pitcher. Probably not 1.97 good, but his career ERA of 3.20 is slightly better than Madison Bumgarner's 3.26 mark this season.
We talked about the loss of virtually the entire season by Julio Urias as no big deal, since Urias was far from a proven commodity. That is certainly true. It is also true that he was ranked as highly as a prospect as Tim Lincecum, Madison Bumgarner and Buster Posey -- at 19!
How did he look against the Giants this weekend? Apparently he looked that good to the two other teams he faced too. Returning from injury, he gave up one hit and no walks in four innings, striking out seven.
So for most of the season the Dodgers didn't have Ryu, and for virtually all of it, they didn't have Urias. The suffered many other injuries to their pitching staff as well, including two strings on the disabled list by their ace, Clayton Kershaw. No Dodger starter began more than 27 games, but six started more than 20 games. And Ryu started 15.
But they survived because of two youngsters -- Walker Buehler, 23, with a 2.62 ERA and Ross Stripling, 28, 3.02.
So what does this have to do with the Giants? The Dodgers became a power because they got new front office leadership replacing Sabean-lite Ned Colletti. Now the Giants appear to have replaced Brian Sabean himself, along with top henchman Bobby Evans. The Giants seem to be kicking Sabean out to pasture, and Evans out to ... somewhere.
It appears that the new leadership will be given power, as was the Dodger leadership. The Giants still have Buster Posey and the two Brandons, who are still young enough to help. They are hoping for health no later than 2020 from Johnny Cueto and Jeff Samardzija. They have some young starters led by Dereck Rodriguez. They have an ace to lead the staff or provide signiticant trade bait.
They have Joey Bart and Heliot Ramos in the low minors.
It is hard to say which direction the Giants will go. But like the Dodgers when their new leadership too over, they have the potential to grow. The Dodgers did so initially by trades and spending money. But their ultimate goal was to do it with young players developed internally.
It worked. It could work for the Giants too. This is the time for change. Let's pray it is meaningful.
Earlier this season we compared the Dodgers' injuries with the Giants. We said, for instance, that the injury to Alen Hanson was as difficult as the Dodgers' injury to Hyun-Jin Ryu. One difference was that Ryu was out 3 1/2 months, while Hanson missed three weeks. But at least as big a difference was that Hanson was a utility man, while in the 2 1/2 months Ryu was able to pitch, he put up a 1.97 ERA in 82 innings.
We might have noticed when he faced the Giants that he's a pretty good pitcher. Probably not 1.97 good, but his career ERA of 3.20 is slightly better than Madison Bumgarner's 3.26 mark this season.
We talked about the loss of virtually the entire season by Julio Urias as no big deal, since Urias was far from a proven commodity. That is certainly true. It is also true that he was ranked as highly as a prospect as Tim Lincecum, Madison Bumgarner and Buster Posey -- at 19!
How did he look against the Giants this weekend? Apparently he looked that good to the two other teams he faced too. Returning from injury, he gave up one hit and no walks in four innings, striking out seven.
So for most of the season the Dodgers didn't have Ryu, and for virtually all of it, they didn't have Urias. The suffered many other injuries to their pitching staff as well, including two strings on the disabled list by their ace, Clayton Kershaw. No Dodger starter began more than 27 games, but six started more than 20 games. And Ryu started 15.
But they survived because of two youngsters -- Walker Buehler, 23, with a 2.62 ERA and Ross Stripling, 28, 3.02.
So what does this have to do with the Giants? The Dodgers became a power because they got new front office leadership replacing Sabean-lite Ned Colletti. Now the Giants appear to have replaced Brian Sabean himself, along with top henchman Bobby Evans. The Giants seem to be kicking Sabean out to pasture, and Evans out to ... somewhere.
It appears that the new leadership will be given power, as was the Dodger leadership. The Giants still have Buster Posey and the two Brandons, who are still young enough to help. They are hoping for health no later than 2020 from Johnny Cueto and Jeff Samardzija. They have some young starters led by Dereck Rodriguez. They have an ace to lead the staff or provide signiticant trade bait.
They have Joey Bart and Heliot Ramos in the low minors.
It is hard to say which direction the Giants will go. But like the Dodgers when their new leadership too over, they have the potential to grow. The Dodgers did so initially by trades and spending money. But their ultimate goal was to do it with young players developed internally.
It worked. It could work for the Giants too. This is the time for change. Let's pray it is meaningful.
