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Post by klaiggeb on Jan 7, 2023 10:28:18 GMT -5
There is no question that I tend to be negative, usually seeing more negative than positive.
I don't ever make New Year's Resolutions, but I've made one this year: stop being negative.
With that in mind, here is what I see as possibilities for our upcoming season.
Are we going to win the division?
Not likely.
But...
I believe we have a more than reasonable chance to have five... maybe six players with twenty or more Home Runs.
Pederson
Hanniger
Conforto
Yaz
Bart.
I also believe that Villar has a shot at twenty + also. Not a good one, but one all the same IF he continues to grow and does not succumb to any kind of sophomore jinx. Not that I believe in any kind of jinx, but that pitchers would adjust to him, and he can't or won't adjust to them.
A lot of things have to go right for all of that to happen, starting and ending with GOOD HEALTH!
We have a good shot at having an above average starting staff, and a pretty decent back end to our bullpen.
I stated in the past that I believed that Villar was too short to play 1B... then I remembered Steve Garvey. Not the tallest guy on the planet, but he did pretty well over there.
NOT saying Villar will hit like him, just that he 'could' do okay over there.
Anyway, those are my thoughts.
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Post by reedonly on Jan 7, 2023 11:37:46 GMT -5
GK mentioned in his exit interview that off season conditioning was an issue and that while he cannot control what players do in the off season, he expects professionals to do enough work to keep in shape and be ready. It became painfully obvious during the season that a lot of players did not do much during the lockout (the ones who had multiple soft tissue injuries and delayed surgeries) and it was obvious which players kept themselves in shape (Freeman, Goldschmidt, etc). I think a big part of why they parted with Longoria and LaStella was the way those two approached the lockout. Belt is part of that category, also but since he is more of a legacy player, they may be more willing to put up with Belt and his knees.
Since they will have a full spring training in 2023, there should be a lot less of the soft tissue variety injuries that they had in 2020, 2021, and 2022.
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Post by reedonly on Jan 7, 2023 11:40:08 GMT -5
There is no question that I tend to be negative, usually seeing more negative than positive.
I don't ever make New Year's Resolutions, but I've made one this year: stop being negative.
With that in mind, here is what I see as possibilities for our upcoming season.
Are we going to win the division?
Not likely.
But...
I believe we have a more than reasonable chance to have five... maybe six players with twenty or more Home Runs.
Pederson
Hanniger
Conforto
Yaz
Bart.
I also believe that Villar has a shot at twenty + also. Not a good one, but one all the same IF he continues to grow and does not succumb to any kind of sophomore jinx. Not that I believe in any kind of jinx, but that pitchers would adjust to him, and he can't or won't adjust to them.
A lot of things have to go right for all of that to happen, starting and ending with GOOD HEALTH!
We have a good shot at having an above average starting staff, and a pretty decent back end to our bullpen.
I stated in the past that I believed that Villar was too short to play 1B... then I remembered Steve Garvey. Not the tallest guy on the planet, but he did pretty well over there.
NOT saying Villar will hit like him, just that he 'could' do okay over there.
Anyway, those are my thoughts. Even though the off season was ...okay, with the resources they had to work with, it was still disappointing. Now we are left with whatever they get on the churn. Wynns has been churned out. |
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Post by Islandboagie on Jan 7, 2023 12:14:39 GMT -5
Boly- I believe we have a more than reasonable chance to have five... maybe six players with twenty or more Home Runs.
Pederson
Hanniger
Conforto
Yaz
Bart.
I also believe that Villar has a shot at twenty + also.
Boagie- Depending on his mindset, Crawford does too. He could be in the mindset that the Giants did him wrong by trying to land Correa without talking to him, and he could feel that he doesn't want to give it his all for a team that was eager to phase him out. OR, he could want to prove them wrong and make them look bad. Crawford had his best season in 2021 because he felt slighted by the media around MLB because they didn't consider him a top free agent shortstop, so Crawford does tend to play better with a chip on his shoulder.
That being said, homeruns are great, but chances are the Giants pitching staff will give up significantly more runs and homeruns than their offense will amass.
I never thought I'd say this, and I don't feel comfortable saying this now, but if the Giants wanted to save their offseadon from being monumentally dissapointing there's one guy that just became available, that could bolster their pitching staff and maybe give them a chance to be competitive. If I were them I'd definitely jump on it. #1, he's a frontline starter whether you like him or not. #2 he now has an axe to grind with the Dodgers. He's a dick, no question about it, but he's got fire, and that can be contagious in a clubhouse. I believe this could be the only move the Giants have left to save the 2023 season.
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Post by klaiggeb on Jan 7, 2023 16:09:21 GMT -5
Bauer? I think I'd pass on him because of what he'd do to the mindset and the clubhouse.
Then again, he could buy into the woke BS Kapler spurts and be very good.
But IMHO, the man has no honor. And if I'm the GM, talent or not, I want people who will represent the team and the City with honor.
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Post by reedonly on Jan 7, 2023 16:10:32 GMT -5
Boly- I believe we have a more than reasonable chance to have five... maybe six players with twenty or more Home Runs. Pederson Hanniger Conforto Yaz Bart. I also believe that Villar has a shot at twenty + also. Boagie- Depending on his mindset, Crawford does too. He could be in the mindset that the Giants did him wrong by trying to land Correa without talking to him, and he could feel that he doesn't want to give it his all for a team that was eager to phase him out. OR, he could want to prove them wrong and make them look bad. Crawford had his best season in 2021 because he felt slighted by the media around MLB because they didn't consider him a top free agent shortstop, so Crawford does tend to play better with a chip on his shoulder. That being said, homeruns are great, but chances are the Giants pitching staff will give up significantly more runs and homeruns than their offense will amass. I never thought I'd say this, and I don't feel comfortable saying this now, but if the Giants wanted to save their offseadon from being monumentally dissapointing there's one guy that just became available, that could bolster their pitching staff and maybe give them a chance to be competitive. If I were them I'd definitely jump on it. #1, he's a frontline starter whether you like him or not. #2 he now has an axe to grind with the Dodgers. He's a dick, no question about it, but he's got fire, and that can be contagious in a clubhouse. I believe this could be the only move the Giants have left to save the 2023 season. I wondered if they would go that route, also. Odds are that the Giants are too "woke" to try something like this. Like you, I do not feel comfortable with this guy and its sad that its gotten to the point that we would even consider him. From what I've read, the Dodgers were willing to have him come back. During a sit down meeting with Dodgers brass in Arizona, he showed no remorse and then something caused the Dodgers to change their mind. One thing that bothered me was that while the Dodgers were pounding their chest about TB, they seem to give a free pass to Julio Urias who shoved a woman in a parking lot and going after Aroldis Chapman (who the Dodgers actually cancelled a trade with the Reds in 2016 following a battery, gunshots incident). Whatever bothered the Dodgers during their meeting could give the Giants pause, also. Even secondary cues such as body language or tone of voice could play a part. |
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Post by reedonly on Jan 7, 2023 16:16:36 GMT -5
Bauer? I think I'd pass on him because of what he'd do to the mindset and the clubhouse. Then again, he could buy into the woke BS Kapler spurts and be very good. But IMHO, the man has no honor. And if I'm the GM, talent or not, I want people who will represent the team and the City with honor. Bauer's politics is really complicated. He voted for Trump but identifies as a social liberal. He criticized Apple and Twitter for having left wing media bias and defended the use of Chief Wahoo. He doesn't seem to be too far off from becoming like Aubrey Huff, who the Giants are trying to distance themselves from. |
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Post by klaiggeb on Jan 7, 2023 17:24:32 GMT -5
My issue with him is what he got suspended for in the 1st place. Those kind of off the field issues would be a real concern to me if I was a player, and/or Management
That kind of stuff cannot be allowed to happen, and because of that, I wouldn't want that kind of a player on my team.
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Post by Islandboagie on Jan 7, 2023 20:54:48 GMT -5
They distanced themselves from Huff after he was retired. You don't think they knew of his beliefs before?
They also stood behind Pablo when he was accused of rape..that could have wound up the same way as the Bauer situation if the accuser decided to take it to court.
How about Larry Baer "manhandling" his wife? They allowed him to return.
And then of course they hired Kapler after he knowingly tried to cover up a rape.
The Giants have tried to beef up their public relations through the media, but they will still turn the other cheek if they feel it's profitable to do so.
I'm not excusing Bauer's actions, he acted foolish, even if she consented, which the evidence would appear she did. Regardless, he was dumb to put himself in that position. Just as Pablo was when he also put himself in a similar position.
And to Boly's point, which i totally understand..but at the same time, I keep thinking - what do we have to lose?
1. We have a manager who disrespects our flag, and the people who died for it.
2. We have a franchise shortstop who is coming off a big slap in the face that he may or may not have forgiven.
3. Our attendance is falling off
4. Webb has expressed concern with the management and the in-game decision making.
It's not exactly a clubhouse chemistry that's intact. It's very broken, and because of that I believe Bauer basically fits right in, because he too has a very broken reputation that he's eager to fix.
If I'm the Giants ownership I'm at a sink or swim breaking point here, and Bauer might be the perfect guy to force the issue. Worse case scenario is it blows up in their face and then the Giants can then shit can Farhan and Kapler and start over.
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Post by reedonly on Jan 8, 2023 12:22:18 GMT -5
Boagie: Boagie- Depending on his mindset, Crawford does too. He could be in the mindset that the Giants did him wrong by trying to land Correa without talking to him, and he could feel that he doesn't want to give it his all for a team that was eager to phase him out. OR, he could want to prove them wrong and make them look bad. Crawford had his best season in 2021 because he felt slighted by the media around MLB because they didn't consider him a top free agent shortstop, so Crawford does tend to play better with a chip on his shoulder.
If Crawford cannot perform, they might plan to slide Estrada over to SS. That said, I expect Crawford to make the majority of starts at SS.
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Post by reedonly on Jan 8, 2023 12:23:26 GMT -5
Boly: I believe we have a more than reasonable chance to have five... maybe six players with twenty or more Home Runs.
Pederson
Hanniger
Conforto
Yaz
Bart.
They are also banking on JD Davis. The key might be to see how they can fit both Villar and Davis in the lineup. Schmitt might make it to the big club at mid-season. Schmitt does not have a lot of power and provides defense. They might have a bit of a logjam at first with a lot of players, none of which is a true first baseman. First base is probably a mixture of Flores, Villar, Davis, LMWJ. I'm still worried they will sign Belt.
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Post by klaiggeb on Jan 8, 2023 15:00:24 GMT -5
Boly: I believe we have a more than reasonable chance to have five... maybe six players with twenty or more Home Runs. Pederson Hanniger Conforto Yaz Bart. They are also banking on JD Davis. The key might be to see how they can fit both Villar and Davis in the lineup. Schmitt might make it to the big club at mid-season. Schmitt does not have a lot of power and provides defense. They might have a bit of a logjam at first with a lot of players, none of which is a true first baseman. First base is probably a mixture of Flores, Villar, Davis, LMWJ. I'm still worried they will sign Belt.
Power?
Yeah, lots of power.
Long, inconsistent swing with way too much swing and miss.
So I ask myself, which is the real JD? the guy who hit all those HR's with the Mets?
Or the JD of the last couple of seasons.
IS he a strictly platoon player?
Those are things to which I hope we find positive answers.
They keep talking up Schmitt... but ALL they talk about is his defense.
And that's fine if you're a CF... but Not for a 3Bman.
I would love good defense over there, but if the guy is a Darrin Lewis with the bat, no thanks. |
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Post by Islandboagie on Jan 8, 2023 15:17:39 GMT -5
Schmidtt has been fairly consistent at all levels offensively. He hit well in Richmond, which is a good sign. Other than that I can't tell you too much. I guess we'll have to wait and see what he does this season in triple A.
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Post by reedonly on Jan 8, 2023 17:00:47 GMT -5
Boly: I believe we have a more than reasonable chance to have five... maybe six players with twenty or more Home Runs. Pederson Hanniger Conforto Yaz Bart. They are also banking on JD Davis. The key might be to see how they can fit both Villar and Davis in the lineup. Schmitt might make it to the big club at mid-season. Schmitt does not have a lot of power and provides defense. They might have a bit of a logjam at first with a lot of players, none of which is a true first baseman. First base is probably a mixture of Flores, Villar, Davis, LMWJ. I'm still worried they will sign Belt.
Power?
Yeah, lots of power.
Long, inconsistent swing with way too much swing and miss.
So I ask myself, which is the real JD? the guy who hit all those HR's with the Mets?
Or the JD of the last couple of seasons.
IS he a strictly platoon player?
Those are things to which I hope we find positive answers.
They keep talking up Schmitt... but ALL they talk about is his defense.
And that's fine if you're a CF... but Not for a 3Bman.
I would love good defense over there, but if the guy is a Darrin Lewis with the bat, no thanks.Schmitt has not shown a lot of power but he supposedly has a stocky frame similar to Matt Chapman and his stats show a similar progression. Chapman's power emerged after he turned pro but its not a sure thing that Schmitt would have the same kind of power. He does have a plus arm which allowed him to works as a closer in college. Schmitt is seen as a long term solution to third base. |
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Post by reedonly on Jan 9, 2023 12:02:21 GMT -5
Boly: I believe we have a more than reasonable chance to have five... maybe six players with twenty or more Home Runs. Pederson Hanniger Conforto Yaz Bart. They are also banking on JD Davis. The key might be to see how they can fit both Villar and Davis in the lineup. Schmitt might make it to the big club at mid-season. Schmitt does not have a lot of power and provides defense. They might have a bit of a logjam at first with a lot of players, none of which is a true first baseman. First base is probably a mixture of Flores, Villar, Davis, LMWJ. I'm still worried they will sign Belt. The best defensive configuration is Villar at 3B and Davis at 1B but Villar having options, they may go Davis at 3B with a platoon of LMWJ and Flores at 1B (ugh). |
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Post by reedonly on Jan 9, 2023 12:15:45 GMT -5
They distanced themselves from Huff after he was retired. You don't think they knew of his beliefs before? They also stood behind Pablo when he was accused of rape..that could have wound up the same way as the Bauer situation if the accuser decided to take it to court. How about Larry Baer "manhandling" his wife? They allowed him to return. And then of course they hired Kapler after he knowingly tried to cover up a rape. The Giants have tried to beef up their public relations through the media, but they will still turn the other cheek if they feel it's profitable to do so. I'm not excusing Bauer's actions, he acted foolish, even if she consented, which the evidence would appear she did. Regardless, he was dumb to put himself in that position. Just as Pablo was when he also put himself in a similar position. And to Boly's point, which i totally understand..but at the same time, I keep thinking - what do we have to lose? 1. We have a manager who disrespects our flag, and the people who died for it. 2. We have a franchise shortstop who is coming off a big slap in the face that he may or may not have forgiven. 3. Our attendance is falling off 4. Webb has expressed concern with the management and the in-game decision making. It's not exactly a clubhouse chemistry that's intact. It's very broken, and because of that I believe Bauer basically fits right in, because he too has a very broken reputation that he's eager to fix. If I'm the Giants ownership I'm at a sink or swim breaking point here, and Bauer might be the perfect guy to force the issue. Worse case scenario is it blows up in their face and then the Giants can then shit can Farhan and Kapler and start over. From what I've been reading, Bauer seems to be most interested in going to a team which has a chance to win a WS (as well as a team which does not seem to be bothered by morals). That would be Houston. |
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Post by reedonly on Jan 10, 2023 11:16:02 GMT -5
Boly- I believe we have a more than reasonable chance to have five... maybe six players with twenty or more Home Runs. Pederson Hanniger Conforto Yaz Bart. I also believe that Villar has a shot at twenty + also. Boagie- Depending on his mindset, Crawford does too. He could be in the mindset that the Giants did him wrong by trying to land Correa without talking to him, and he could feel that he doesn't want to give it his all for a team that was eager to phase him out. OR, he could want to prove them wrong and make them look bad. Crawford had his best season in 2021 because he felt slighted by the media around MLB because they didn't consider him a top free agent shortstop, so Crawford does tend to play better with a chip on his shoulder. That being said, homeruns are great, but chances are the Giants pitching staff will give up significantly more runs and homeruns than their offense will amass. I never thought I'd say this, and I don't feel comfortable saying this now, but if the Giants wanted to save their offseadon from being monumentally dissapointing there's one guy that just became available, that could bolster their pitching staff and maybe give them a chance to be competitive. If I were them I'd definitely jump on it. #1, he's a frontline starter whether you like him or not. #2 he now has an axe to grind with the Dodgers. He's a dick, no question about it, but he's got fire, and that can be contagious in a clubhouse. I believe this could be the only move the Giants have left to save the 2023 season. John Shea said that someone familiar with Giants' thinking said that they will not pursue Bauer. |
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Post by klaiggeb on Jan 10, 2023 11:54:42 GMT -5
Huff or no Huff, Baer or no Baer... just going after a player because of his talent is the wrong way to do things and worse, sends the WRONG message to our youth: "Doesn't matter what you do off the field, no matter how egregious, just win for us."
totally wrong attitude
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Post by Islandboagie on Jan 10, 2023 19:22:45 GMT -5
I've given up on our youth, unfortunately. They're gonna flip bats, get in shouting matches with fans and push trainers, that's what they do. They're entitled little pricks who feel they're the most important thing on earth. I want Bauer because he's a fantastic pitcher with fire, and I think he can change the rest, and if not..our franchise has already become a joke regardless.
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Post by klaiggeb on Jan 10, 2023 21:28:42 GMT -5
I've given up on our youth, unfortunately. They're gonna flip bats, get in shouting matches with fans and push trainers, that's what they do. They're entitled little pricks who feel they're the most important thing on earth. I want Bauer because he's a fantastic pitcher with fire, and I think he can change the rest, and if not..our franchise has already become a joke regardless.
It's been that way since Jeff Kent's last days with the Dodgers.
But I disagree with you about Bauer.
Which probably means we'll sign him.
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Post by reedonly on Jan 11, 2023 11:14:42 GMT -5
Boagie: I've given up on our youth, unfortunately. They're gonna flip bats, get in shouting matches with fans and push trainers, that's what they do. They're entitled little pricks who feel they're the most important thing on earth
Is that in general or is there someone in the organization doing that? That seems very disrespectful.
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Post by reedonly on Jan 11, 2023 11:17:52 GMT -5
Boly: It's been that way since Jeff Kent's last days with the Dodgers.
Why is that the tipping point?
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Post by klaiggeb on Jan 11, 2023 15:07:52 GMT -5
Not the tipping point, but for me, a starting point. It's the first time I can remember that younger players starting pushing back at vets acting like primma donnas and entitled, spoiled children.
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Post by Islandboagie on Jan 11, 2023 20:00:20 GMT -5
Reed- Is that in general or is there someone in the organization doing that? That seems very disrespectful.
Boagie- In general, not specifically the Giants.
Over the last roughly 5 years, I've seen too many times football players acting up towards refs, trainers, coaches etc..and in basketball the players are often at odds with the fans.
I believe it has a lot to do with the racial divide..some black athletes these days tend to react very poorly toward any criticism because they think it's some form of racism. I don't necessarily blame them, the Liberals taught them that's a reasonable response.
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Post by klaiggeb on Jan 12, 2023 9:38:24 GMT -5
Bingo!
You nailed it!
They are reacting to how they have been taught
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Post by reedonly on Jan 12, 2023 11:33:28 GMT -5
The only guy I've heard of on the Giants who has taken it out on a trainer is AJ Pierszynski when he elbowed Stan Conte a long time ago. This is probably why the Giants never went after guys like Puig who otherwise might have fit well skill set wise. Also, the Zack Littell incident is only one I can remember recently. Shows how intelligent Littell is because Kapler is probably stronger than Littell is.
It's not just athletes and I could go on a long rant that would probably be off topic on a sports message board but its sad.
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Post by Islandboagie on Jan 12, 2023 21:58:59 GMT -5
The incident I'm referring to is last weekend a green bay packers player pushed a trainer as he was trying to tend to a hurt player on the field.
I think baseball and hockey are a little better about having a certain decorum, because most go through college and then the minor leagues. I would guess the minor leagues are a humbling experience to the point where when they get to the top they are very grateful for being there. Whereas football and basketball, they never stop believing they're hot shit.
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Post by klaiggeb on Jan 13, 2023 10:59:52 GMT -5
I saw that one, boagie, and IMHO, it's just one more example of players acting out and doing some stupid, stupid stuff.
I think you nailed it: There is no ML, so to speak for football and basketball so egos never learn to get checked
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Post by reedonly on Jan 13, 2023 11:28:24 GMT -5
I'm a believer in whatever goes around comes around and at 64 I am old enough to appreciate the sacrifices of those that came before.
I think the youth nowadays have the attitude that they will stay young forever or at least do not believe that their skills will diminish. It starts out with that little half second less reflex you have while driving and then everything hurts. I have a late 30-something year old boss who treats me like one of the other 30 year old workers but I think I am under her radar. It's irritating but at least I'm not on her bullseye.
As far as in baseball, its not as bad but I think parents get out of hand when they treat the kids like a pro sports lottery tickets or when they have kids go to launch angle/spin rate tutors or worse, get elective Tommy JOhn surgeries in hopes of getting a bionic elbow. Also, I don't like it when kids are forced to do one sport only and not develop other parts of the body as in farm work or in other sports. For kids in baseball, I'm not sure if its the money or parents or what but its a lot less fun all around than it used to be.
The one thing the Giants do well in the city is the Junior Giants which is a little league they set up where kids can learn teamwork, leadership skills, as well as a few baseball skills and open to both boys and girls. The Giants do a lot of things weird but this is one area that they've got it right.
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Post by reedonly on Jan 13, 2023 11:35:03 GMT -5
The incident I'm referring to is last weekend a green bay packers player pushed a trainer as he was trying to tend to a hurt player on the field. I think baseball and hockey are a little better about having a certain decorum, because most go through college and then the minor leagues. I would guess the minor leagues are a humbling experience to the point where when they get to the top they are very grateful for being there. Whereas football and basketball, they never stop believing they're hot shit. Not to excuse them but in football, basketball, and hockey, there's a lot of adrenalin pumping all the time and way shorter fuses. |
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