tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23735245.post5759999493098402612..comments2024-02-23T20:49:09.057-08:00Comments on obsessivegiantscompulsive: A Tale of Three Pandas and un Petit du Cainobsessivegiantscompulsivehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11362706004246875823noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23735245.post-34069094990629198062014-05-30T21:51:44.446-07:002014-05-30T21:51:44.446-07:00Just to be clear, I wasn't saying that he wasn...Just to be clear, I wasn't saying that he wasn't hitting during that "walk" phase. I did hear some about him not being lucky with line drives being caught, to corroborate what you said. <br /><br />My main point is that most fans saw there being two periods: bad then good. I wanted to point out that he was trying to implement the patient hitter mentality first, as characterized by all those walks, then switched gears and went back to Panda hacking, which led to his wild stretch of striking out a lot, before he found his batting stroke.<br /><br />It would be great if he could do that switch, but I'm more than happy with him being the way he can be at his best. I mean, when he's hitting, it don't matter that he don't walk much, he still has a high OBP.<br /><br />He is a very exceptional athlete. How many athletes can learn to be a great fielder using their opposite natural throwing hand (right)? I was sold in his first year with the Giants, when I saw, not once, but twice score on a close play at home, both times dodging the tag, once with a slide of great beauty that most guys considered athletic can only dream of sliding like that, and the other time with a deft move to jump over the swipe tag to score, very balletic. I totally agree with your point.<br /><br />I want him as my 3B also, hence why I have pretty much steadfastly stood in his corner in terms of wanting him to stay on the team the past few years, even as others want to trade him away, either for nothing or for a lot. However, no way I want him at a Pence Plus contract, that is way out of whack with the current market, if he think he can get that elsewhere, good luck, but as the saying goes, be careful of what you wish for. Aurillia learned that one too late, Cody Ross too.obsessivegiantscompulsivehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11362706004246875823noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23735245.post-27129028379627431852014-05-29T22:16:11.739-07:002014-05-29T22:16:11.739-07:00Your conjecture about Pablo's season is very f...Your conjecture about Pablo's season is very feasible. However, during the first few weeks when he was taking walks, he actually hit quite a few really hard line drives, driving the ball to the outfield, and he was robbed several times. It seems as if some if his frustration started to show. His post looking for walks phase should even be skewed more, as I think at least two of his walks after his walk phase, were intentional. I still think it is a good idea for him to be selective at the plate, but still ready to keep his hitting balance and drive the ball. I think he is under rated by many fans. He is an exceptional athlete, and switch hitter of extra ordinary caliber. I want him as my third baseman unless I can get the 1994 version of Matt Williams. nomisnalahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08297640472949764321noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23735245.post-18928975624107493212014-05-27T13:24:28.606-07:002014-05-27T13:24:28.606-07:00I go back and forth on that, but mostly my stance ...I go back and forth on that, but mostly my stance is the same: say good bye if he's gunning for Pence Plus, but I'm OK with $13-15M per season, and no more than 4 guaranteed seasons, 5th only if option that vests upon PAs over seasons 3 and 4 plus 4, at least 550 PA in 4, 1000 over 3&4. That fits in with what other 3B have been getting in his performance level and given his lack of health over time. If it is over 4 years or over $15M, I think it's time to say good-bye to Panda, if he had kept up his fitness AND not said that lovely "I got two years to get thin" statement, i.e., I'm all about da money, honey, I might have been OK with going waaay above market to sign him, but what he's done hasn't earned such a history making contract outside of A-Rod. His only superlative was his 3 homers in World Series. He was very good early on and had he continued that, could have earned that big a payday, but what he's done this season is too little, too late.<br /><br />And as our first month showed, we survived very well thank you with Pablo not even hitting at Neifi levels, we probably could survive with Arias or Adrianza there, but probably Sabean will find 2015's version of The Beast at 3B and sign him. In any case, our lineup is pretty strong without Pablo.<br /><br />Sidenote: been wanting to mention that Krukow noted one morning that Pagan has learned to not try to pull outside pitches, that instead he's going the other way instead and that's a strong reason why he's hitting so much better this season. And if true, from my take, a reason why he won't regress, as some might think based on his history, plus this is not outside of his best years, and he has been up and down all season, but mostly up.<br /><br />Personally, I like Adrianza enough to let him battle Arias for the spot, and in any case, give him a lot of starts because I don't expect Arias to hold the job full-time. As noted, we survived Pablo's face plant in April. I would like to see what Ehire can do with regular starts, and then I'm ready to label him utility infielder if he fails. For I expect the Giants to start seriously thinking of Posey starting at 3B starting in 2016, by then we should know whether Hanchez or Susac are ready to start (or at least platoon) at C, so we don't need anything long-term at 3B.<br /><br />And if we do keep Pablo, then we shift him to 1B and Belt to LF at that time. <br /><br />There are a lot of ways things can go, that is the beauty of having a lot of options with the players you got on your roster who can play multiple positions.<br /><br />Thanks for the comment.obsessivegiantscompulsivehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11362706004246875823noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23735245.post-9248117181458841412014-05-26T19:21:00.639-07:002014-05-26T19:21:00.639-07:00I love this take on the team, and especially the P...I love this take on the team, and especially the Panda analysis. Good stuff OGC. I'm happy for Panda, to be back on the horse. Still don't know if I'd like the Giants to commit long term to him, but that has been tabled anyways.Shankbonehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04803824507120403397noreply@blogger.com