Andres Torres: Platoon?

Throughout the playoffs, opposing managers routinely brought left-handed specialists to face leadoff hitter Andres Torres. The rationale for this move is simple. Torres, a switch hitter, is perceived as a bigger threat from the left than the right. Some numbers seem to support this notion. In 2010, Torres hit a solid .284 from the left while managing only a meager .226 from the right. In addition, 14 of his 16 home runs this year came from the left. These stats lead manager Bruce Bochy to flirt with the idea of platooning Torres with a right handed hitter such as Aaron Rowand. There are several reasons that this is a bad idea for 2011.

When looking only at 2010, Andres Torres appears to be significantly better from the left side. Interestingly enough, this was not always the case. If you remember back to 2009, Torres' offensive production came almost completely from the right side. In limited playing time, he hit a robust .338 from the right and a mere .210 from the left. While both of these numbers are small sample sizes, they show that Andres is capable of being a respectable hitter from the right side. What should we expect from Andres Torres in 2011? His 2010 peripheral stats indicate that he is due for a small resurgence as a right-handed hitter. His right-handed BABIP of .275 was below league average, especially for a man of his speed. He actually hit more line drives and fewer pop-ups from the right side. It is reasonable to expect that Andres Torres will not have a significant platoon split next year. He may be a better hitter from the left side, but he is certainly not terrible from the right.

Another essential aspect of Andres Torres' game is his speed. The Giants' projected 2011 lineup will be one of the slowest in the league. Just last year, Aubrey Huff ranked second in the stolen bases category with just seven. Cody Ross has above average speed, but he has never stolen more than ten bags a season. If the Giants fail to get a speedy shortstop such as Jason Bartlett, Torres will be the only running threat on a team that already struggles to push runs across the plate. His ability to make things happen on the bases is invaluable. For this reason, keeping him out of the lineup is simply not an option.

Torres' final and arguably most important asset is his defense. While he was snubbed of a Gold Glove this year,  he was undeniably one of the best outfielders in baseball. His amazing range was crucial when Bruce Bochy chose to surround him with two DH's, Pat Burrell and Jose Guillen. Better yet, he has the ability to play all three positions with ease. According to Ultimate Zone Rating, Andres Torres was 21.2 runs above average in the field in 2010. That number ranks him as the second best defensive player in the game, trailing only Yankees speedster Brett Gardner. Even if Torres continues to flounder while hitting from the right side, his excellent glove work should more than compensate.

Jose Guillen Linked to PEDs

I apologize; I should've mentioned Jose Guillen's HGH shipment sooner. Oh, how I love to talk about how much I dislike him...

When he was acquired, I said this:

Is Guillen really a better option for the starting lineup than Ishikawa, with his inferior hitting, atrocious defense, and his carcinogenic clubhouse attitude? I think not. Unfortunately, Bruce Bochy disagrees with me.

Perhaps more relevant, however, is when I said this:

Let's not look too much into Guillen's history of power numbers:

SF Chronicle: "Veteran major-league outfielder Jose Guillen, who played part of the 2003 season for the division-champion A's, bought thousands of dollars of steroids and human growth hormone from a troubled Florida anti-aging clinic and had some of the drugs shipped to the Oakland Coliseum, business records show."

As it turns out, Guillen wasn't done using performance-enhancing drugs:

But Jose Guillen only put himself and his wife in a world of legal hurt when the Giants' outfielder allegedly arranged for a shipment of nearly 50 pre-loaded syringes of human growth hormone to be sent to his San Francisco address in September, while his team was clawing its way to a playoff berth.

I could say that this is just adding insult to injury -- the injury being his poor performance after his acquisition (or, of course, the injury being his neck injury). But I think his actions pretty much speak louder than any words could. Just another reason to dislike him. May San Francisco never be poisoned again with his presence in a Giants uniform.

The Giants: DH Options

There was a very good article on Fangraphs (by Dave Cameron) about the Giants DH options.

Basically, the Giants will have to face a minimum of two leftys in their three games in Texas. They'll face CJ Wilson in Game Three, and Cliff Lee in Game Five, and they might (although I doubt it) face the lefty Derek Holland in Game Four. That means, ideally, their DH would be able to hit left-handed pitching.

Dave Cameron proposes four options in his article:

1. DH Pablo Sandoval. This could work...Sandoval has a good power bat, and the Giants would certainly benefit from having a different guy manning third base. The clear problem here, however, is that he hasn't hit well against left-handed pitchers this year. He's batted just .227 with one home run from the right side in 2010.

2. DH Pat Burrell. Put Aaron Rowand in the outfield. This is not an option that I am very enthusiastic about. Pat Burrell has never had success in his career as a DH (you might remember that he was designated for assignment earlier this year, after doing a terrible job as the Tampa Bay Rays DH). As Dave Cameron points out, he’s a career .209/.306/.348 hitter when not playing the field." I don't think it would be fair to put Burrell in a position that he's uncomfortable with, especially if it's being done merely so the Giants can fit Rowand's bat into the lineup. Even if the Giants did DH Pat Burrell, I would prefer that they use Nate Schierholtz in the outfield. They'd have better defense, speed, and Schierholtz actually has hit leftys well in his career (.354/.390/.500). <--- that's no mistake. He's seriously been that good against LHP, although it is bloated quite a bit by luck (.414 BABIP vs. LHP in his career).

3. DH Aubrey Huff. Put Travis Ishikawa at first base. This is an attractive option from a defensive standpoint...not that Huff is a bad defender. Ishikawa is top-notch though. The problem here is quite obvious, and it's the fact that Travis Ishikawa is a left-handed hitter. He has not had much success against LHP in his career,  with a .230/.288/.246 slash line. In these one-run games, though, defense is quite important. His glove certainly outweighs his lack of offensive ability.

4. DH Jose Guillen. I don't think there's any reason this should be done whatsoever. I don't care that Jose Guillen is a right-handed hitter. He's old, slow, hasn't played in weeks, and his bat isn't even good -- he strikes out a lot, rarely walks, and doesn't hit with much power. So no. This is not an option. I doubt he'll even make the World Series roster.

So what's the best option? In Game Four, if Tommy Hunter pitches, DH Aubrey Huff and put Travis Ishikawa at first base. The Giants will benefit both defensively and offensively, as Travis Ishikawa is a good defender and can hit right-handed pitching well. In Game Three, I'm fine with trying Pat Burrell. I suppose putting Aaron Rowand in the outfield might work, as he is a right-handed hitter, and would benefit from the fact that the Rangers stadium is a hitters park. If DHing Burrell doesn't work, then the Sandoval option can be attempted for Game Five. When in doubt though, go with what will help the team defensively. Ask Brooks Conrad. Ask Chase Utley. Ask anyone that's played in the postseason so far. Defense has made a huge impact in these tight games, and I would hate to see the Giants lose because Aubrey Huff bobbles a ball, Pat Burrell can't get to a ball in time, or Pablo Sandoval overthrows first base.

The options aren't great. I think they just need to go with what's working. If someone's hot in Games One and Two, don't stop playing them...

NLDS Game Four Recap: We're Going to the NLCS!!!

The Giants are going to the NLCS!

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Game Summary: 

It was yet another pitchers duel on Monday. Madison Bumgarner got the quality start, going six innings and allowing two earned runs. Derek Lowe, too, was impressive, going 6.1 innings with eight strikeouts, two earned runs, and just two hits allowed. 

In the third, the Braves took a 1-0 lead with a Brian McCann sacrifice fly.

The Giants answered in the sixth, when Cody Ross hit a solo shot to left field to break up Lowe's no-hit bid. 

The Braves did not hesitate -- unfortunately -- to reclaim the lead. On the first pitch in the bottom half of the sixth inning, Brian McCann hit a deep solo shot to right field to make the score 2-1. 

In the seventh, Lowe fell apart completely. He allowed a walk to Aubrey Huff, followed by a Buster Posey single, and after telling Bobby Cox to keep him in the game (Cox was ready to bring in a reliever), a walk to Pat Burrell. 

Peter Moylan was brought in to face Juan Uribe with the bases loaded, but couldn't preserve the Braves' lead. Uribe hit a grounder to short, but the Braves failed to record an out. (Alex Gonzalez threw to second for the force out, but the umpire ruled that Omar Infante's foot had come off the bag. It was a bad call...)

With the game tied 2-2, Cody Ross smacked a single through the hole in the left side, and, although Pat Burrell was thrown out at home, the Giants managed to take a 3-2 lead. (Buster Posey scored on the play). 

Santiago Casilla came into the game, shut the Braves down for the seventh inning and most of the eighth inning (Javier Lopez struck out Jason Heyward for the final out in the eighth). Brian Wilson came in, and...it wasn't easy (two walks), but he secured the win for the Giants. 

And now they're going to the NATIONAL LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES!

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Andres Torres and Juan Uribe continue to struggle. They were a combined 3 for 30 (.100) in the NLDS. Is it time to panic? No...of course not. Those were four games. They'll certainly see an improvement in Philadelphia. They won't face any worse pitchers...but Citizens Bank Park is hitter's heaven. Seriously. How else would Aaron Rowand ever put up a .300, 25+ HR season? On a simliar note...his at-bat tonight was pretty terrible. He swung at a low pitch that was completely out of the strikezone. It can happen against Jonny Venters, though...Quite a good, young reliever. 

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Santiago Casilla = new setup man? I like what I saw out of him. Of the six batters he faced, he struck out two, and induced three groundouts. The Giants will have time to think about their eighth-inning setup-man situation...but I would be content if they were to put him in this role...as long as it's not against Chase Utley, Ryan Howard, Raul Ibanez. In that case, I say they should just use Javier Lopez (for the lefty vs. lefty matchups). 

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I was honestly nervous that Jose Guillen would be the Giants' starting right-fielder for the NLDS. I didn't figure they would just take this job from him and suddenly give it to Cody Ross. But they basically did. And it was one of the best decisions (albeit a no-brainer) Giants management has ever made. 

Cody Ross played solid defense...and his offensive numbers were certainly substantial. He batted .286 with the game-winning RBI in Game One and Game Four, and a crucial home run in the sixth inning of Game Four. His .571 slugging percentage this series was second only to Pat Burrell's .600 slugging percentage. The Giants could very well have lost Games One and Four without Cody Ross in right field. 

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This video, produced and edited by http://whitecollarbrawler.com/, is a pretty good 2010 Giants anthem, encompassing "Fear the Beard," the Rally Thong, and plenty of other 2010 Giants references to the tune of Journey's "Don't Stop Believin'"

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Edgar Renteria is batting 1.000...he's two for two in this series. I'm likin' what I'm seeing out of him. Who knows if it will continue? Maybe it's all the postseason experience he's had (55 playoff games to his name prior to this season). He's had two clutch late-inning hits though. And contrary to my beliefs, has been valuable off the bench. Although, he did screw up a double-play opportunity in the eighth...

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The Giants certainly won the "Battle of the Rookies." Here's a comparison chart of how Buster Posey and Jason Heyward did in this series: 

Not to mention the six-inning two-earned-run performance by the Giants' other rookie, Madison Bumgarner.

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Bumgarner has a bright, bright future. At age 21, he became the youngest Giants pitcher to win a postseason game. What he's done this year...it's just impressive. Especially when compared to Todd Wellemeyer's performance as the Giants' fifth starter. I certainly can't wait to see how he does in the near future. He's gotten better with each start. Now, he's a top young arm...just look at the 1.13 ERA he put up in September. Best part? Highest average fastball velocity of any start in his career. 

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Bad umpiring...this time, it was in the Giants' favor. There was the Posey stolen base in Game One. He was clearly out. Then there was Game Two, a play at first in which Alex Gonzalez was called out...but Aubrey Huff took his foot off the bag...so he was actually safe. That's the play that got Cox ejected in Game Two. And then there was the Giants' seventh inning rally. On a force out at second, Pat Burrell was called safe because the umpire thought Omar Infante had taken his foot off of the bag. He actually had his foot on the bag at the time he caught the ball, though...The Giants are lucky all these calls went their way. For the Giants' and Phillies' sake, I hope that the NLCS umpires do a better job. I would assume that umpires are better when it gets to a bigger stage. Hopefully that's the case.

It wasn't too noticeable. But I think Burrell was out at second...

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You should read this:
ESPN Stats & Info: Bumgarner latest Giant among men

It's got some cool information. To sum it up, this was the first postseason series ever in which all the games were decided by one run. Madison Bumgarner became the second youngest starter in postseason history to win a series clincher. And...the four key players in Game Four (Posey, Bumgarner, Ross, Casilla) were not with the team at the beginning of the season. Interesting stuff.

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Here it is again...what a great season. This team has certainly exceeded my expectations (and the expectations of many)...

NLDS Game One Recap

Based on game scores, these are the top nine starts of Tim Lincecum's career.

Date	Opp	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO	HR	GSc
2009-06-29	STL	9.0	2	0	0	0	8	0	91
2008-09-13	SDP	9.0	4	0	0	3	12	0	88
2009-07-27	PIT	9.0	4	2	0	3	15	0	87
2009-04-18	ARI	8.0	5	0	0	0	13	0	85
2010-09-24	COL	8.0	2	1	1	0	9	0	83
2007-07-01	ARI	7.0	3	0	0	0	12	0	83
2007-07-21	MIL	8.0	4	0	0	1	8	0	81
2009-06-12	OAK	9.0	7	0	0	1	8	0	80
2007-05-17	HOU	7.0	2	1	0	1	10	0	80

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Play Index Tool Used
Generated 10/7/2010.

Rounding out the top ten list, fitting nicely into the number one spot, is Tim Lincecum's October 7th NLDS Game One start against the Atlanta Braves. How good was he? Nine innings, zero runs, two hits, and a whopping fourteen strikeouts. In context, this is clearly the best start of Lincecum's career...he absolutely dominated a competent offense (Atlanta ranked fifth in the NL in runs scored during the regular season) in the first playoff game of his career. But even out of context, it's the best start of his career -- at least judging by the game score. He achieved a game score of 96, eclipsing his previous career high of 91, and solidifying his reputation as the Giants' ace. He's truly a Giant among G-men. 

That was pretty much the story on Thursday night. 

Tim Lincecum dominated for nine innings. The Giants' offense, on the other hand, was rather silent, but what matters is the W. 

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Summary:

The Giants struck out nine times. They hit 15 groundballs, and grounded into two double plays. This was, of course, to be expected with a sinkerballer on the mound, but you still would hope they could've gotten a few more balls elevated.

Buster Posey made the scoring happen. After leading off the fourth inning with a single, he did something that he has never once done in his major league career: he stole a base. From the replay, he was clearly out...but who cares? For once this season, a bad call was in favor of the Giants...anyway... The stolen base put him in scoring position, and Cody Ross proceeded to hit a ball through the hole on the left side, scoring the Giants' only run of the game.

Aubrey Huff, on paper, had a good game -- as I had predicted. He went one for three, with a walk. In reality though, he didn't really get the job done. He failed to contribute during the Giants' greatest scoring opportunity of the game: in the third inning, with runners at second and third and two outs, he struck out swinging. He was also caught stealing in the eighth inning after singling. So...not a great game from Aubrey.

He is doing this for the first time, though. He has never been in the playoffs -- along with Freddy Sanchez, Pablo Sandoval, Buster Posey, Andres Torres, and Cody Ross. Hopefully they'll quickly adjust to playing in these high-stakes games (Posey, Torres, and Ross didn't seem to have any troubles...).

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How great is it that Jose Guillen was not on the playoff roster for the NLDS? He has put up abysmal numbers for the Giants, and has no defensive range or speed -- I mention this every single day. Cody Ross pretty much confirmed that this was a smart decision by having the Giants' game-winning hit as the starting right-fielder.

Barry Zito was also left off, as was expected. It makes sense. He won't start, won't be needed as a reliever...so why not free up a spot? It's a shame that a guy with a $126 million dollar contract is on the bench, but I guess it's just a testament to how much of a mistake that contract was...

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In case you're not familiar with the origin of one of Tim Lincecum's nicknames, Big Time Timmy Jim, here's where it comes from:

For The Few Jose Guillen Defenders Out There...

Most Giants fans understand that Jose Guillen is bad. But for those of you that still aren't buying it, take a look at this.

Since 1961, only eight non-pitchers have racked up the following numbers as a Giant in a single season:

• 100+ PA
• Fewer than four home runs (less than or equal to three)
• 25+ K
• Fewer than six walks (less than or equal to five)
• Batting average of less than .300

Here they are...

Rk	Player	Year	HR	SO	BB	BA	PA	G
1	Jose Guillen	2010	3	29	5	.274	135	40
2	Eli Whiteside	2009	2	30	4	.228	134	49
3	Ivan Ochoa	2008	0	28	4	.200	134	47
4	Shawon Dunston	2002	1	33	3	.231	153	72
5	Kim Batiste	1996	3	33	5	.208	136	54
6	Steve Scarsone	1993	2	32	4	.252	112	44
7	Brad Wellman	1985	0	33	4	.236	188	71
8	Hal Lanier	1964	2	44	5	.274	401	98

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Play Index Tool Used
Generated 10/3/2010.

So there it is...Jose Guillen's 2010 season among other infamously terrible Giants seasons in the last 50 years.

National Leaguers this year who met this criteria:

• Nick Stavinoha   
• Reed Johnson     
• Jose Guillen     
• Garret Anderson  
• Tony Abreu       

 Jose Guillen is in the same company as these other no-names/washed-up players.

And he plays horrible defense. What a terrible acquisition...