Since my focus this year is on the big picture, I'm bringing back something I thought was good for understanding how long a baseball season is: treating the season as 9 innings. I first wrote about this concept when I was writing as Biased Giants Fanatic for Fanhome about 15 years ago, and I think it's good for seeing the big picture.
These are just my opinions. I cannot promise that I will be perfect, but I can promise that I will seek to understand and illuminate whatever moves that the Giants make (my obsession and compulsion). I will share my love of baseball and my passion for the Giants. And I will try to teach, best that I can. Often, I tackle the prevailing mood among Giants fans and see if that is a correct stance, good or bad.
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Wednesday, April 17, 2019
Wednesday, April 10, 2019
Drafting is Hard, Then It Becomes Near Impossible
I'm stealing Shankbone's favorite phrase (Drafting is Hard) for the title of this post.
Below is the response I gave to someone talking about the Giants poor draft record, plus changes...
Below is the response I gave to someone talking about the Giants poor draft record, plus changes...
Tuesday, April 09, 2019
Your 2019 Giants: Another Two First Names: Tyler Austin
The Giants traded for Tyler Austin, firstbaseman/OF, from the Twins, for OF Malique Ziegler, who has been a prospect that some prospect hounds have liked (I could go either way, had not any feelings either way).
Austin, an extreme power hitter (17 homers in 244 AB) but poor OBP, looks to be the starting LF once he gets the chance to practice out there again, since he's been mostly playing 1B this spring. Eventually, it sounds like Austin in LF, Duggar in CF, and Pillar in RF, but for now, it's Austin at 1B, Belt in LF, Pillar in CF, and Duggar in RF. And, apparently, Austin batting 2nd vs. LHP.
Below is what I wrote in The Athletic about the trade, with usual caveat (that I continually tweak...).
Austin, an extreme power hitter (17 homers in 244 AB) but poor OBP, looks to be the starting LF once he gets the chance to practice out there again, since he's been mostly playing 1B this spring. Eventually, it sounds like Austin in LF, Duggar in CF, and Pillar in RF, but for now, it's Austin at 1B, Belt in LF, Pillar in CF, and Duggar in RF. And, apparently, Austin batting 2nd vs. LHP.
Below is what I wrote in The Athletic about the trade, with usual caveat (that I continually tweak...).
Wednesday, April 03, 2019
Your 2019 Giants: Why Connor Joe?
I'm posting my comment from The Athletic here (I've been posting articles I might have published here before instead on TA or on Twitter, I'm trying to stay Big Picture here, but I thought my finding is too important for the Big Picture not to post here). I am a habitual tweaker, so...
Your 2019 Giants: Move by Move: Kevin Pillar Acquisition
The Giants acquired Kevin Pillar from the Toronto Blue Jays, for the package of players that other teams had already decided not to take them from the Giants: Alen Hanson, Derek Law, and Juan De Paula. They also DFAed Michael Reed to clear 25-man and 40-man spots for Pillar.
Pillar is a below average hitter, roughly .700 OPS career hitter, but has been considered an elite defensive CF for most of his career, until the last season or two. Still, all the major WAR metrics (baseball-reference, FanGraphs, and Baseball Prospectus) valued him at 2.0+ wins in 2018 still, bad offense and declining defense.
Pillar is a below average hitter, roughly .700 OPS career hitter, but has been considered an elite defensive CF for most of his career, until the last season or two. Still, all the major WAR metrics (baseball-reference, FanGraphs, and Baseball Prospectus) valued him at 2.0+ wins in 2018 still, bad offense and declining defense.