Giants baseball returns to the airwaves vs. A's, 5 things to watch out for

Giants baseball is back!

The sound of the ball hitting the glove, the crack of the bat, the fresh-cut grass, and all the things that reminds us of baseball returns today for many teams--including for the San Francisco Giants.

The Giants will take on their Bay Area rivals, the Oakland Athletics, at 12:05 p.m. on KNBR 680.

Here is the Giants lineup, according to According to Andrew Baggarly of CSN Bay Area.



1. Blanco CF
2. Belt 1B 3. Sandoval 3B
4. Pence RF
5. Morse LF
6. Sanchez C
7. Abreu 2B
8. Crawford SS
9. Colvin DH
Petit P.

Here are five things to look out for in today's game:

1. Can Michael Morse swing the bat pain free? If he can, the Giants could have a power hitter who could flirt with 30 or more home runs.

2. Can Brandon Belt repeat the good vibes from last year? He made the adjustment in how he grips the bat and then took off last year. Giants broadcaster Mike Krukow told KNBR he thinks Belt is going to be an All-Star this year. If Belt indeed turned a corner, the Giants have another man who could approach 30 home runs. In the second half last year, Belt hit .326 with 7 home runs and 29 RBIs.

3. Can Yusmeiro Petit add to the Giants' pitching depth? Many of the Giants top pitching prospects are still a year or two away, but if Petit could do what he did last year towards the end of the season, the Giants should have a decent band-aid in the rotation if one of their starters goes down to injury. Petit went 4-1 with a 3.56 ERA last year with the Giants.

4. Pablo Sandoval's Weight: We will see today how Sandoval's slim-downed body translates into baseball games. If he were to have a bad day at the plate today, that doesn't mean it will foreshadow how he will do this season, but getting out to a fast start will ease the mind of Bruce Bochy--and Giants fans.

5. What do the Giants have in Tyler Colvin? The Giants' bench is not that deep. But if Colvin can relive some of his solid seasons with the Cubs, the Giants will have some left-handed power off the bench.

Enjoy the game!

Giants come in to spring training healthier, fitter, hungrier

Photo by SD Dirk via Flickr Creative Commons

The Giants probably would admit they were not in the best physical shape in 2013.

After winning the World Series in 2012, the Giants suffered their first losing season in five years, with a 76-86 record. Part of that was because of injury, but poor offseason conditioning was a factor too.

Fans could point fingers at Sandoval's weight gain or Buster Posey's breakdown in the second half, but the Giants learned from their mistakes last season and have hit the gym for 2014.

Perhaps the most anticipated player coming into camp was Pablo Sandoval. Would he be able to take his physical shape seriously heading into a contract year?

After the Tweets showing his new-and-improved body, the Giants saw the slimmer, quicker Panda firsthand when he reported to Scottsdale earlier this week.

Enfocado en esta misión y dia a dia dandolo todo -I'm on a Mission-work hard play harder @UnderArmour @Mik3Sand0vAl pic.twitter.com/zuI610DGC3
— KFP48 (@KFP48) December 9, 2013

According to Alex Pavlovic of the San Jose Mercury, Sandoval weighed in at about 250 pounds Tuesday, an estimated 30 pounds less than the end of last season.

“He looked good – real good,” Giants manager Bruce Bochy said. “He’s moving quicker. The first-step quickness, there’s a significant difference, I think.”

He had spent the winter in his native Venezuela, where he had packed on the pounds in seasons past.

But Sandoval did not pig out on home-cooked meals this time. Instead, he was staying in game shape by playing in the Venezuelan Winter Leagues and eating healthy meals prepared by a professional cook--his brother Luis.

The reward for his hard work could be a more dynamic player, which could lead to a bigger contract and more playing time.

If the weight loss leads to improved range at third base, there may not be a need for a late-inning defensive replacement. Sandoval hopes that is the case.

"I'm preparing in my mind to play nine innings," he told Pavlovic. "For 162 games."


An enigma last season was Buster Posey's second half. After the All-Star break, Posey hit just .244 with two home runs and 16 RBIs.

This followed a Posey-like first half, where he hit .325 with 13 home runs. Although the 2012 National League MVP will not admit he wore down midseason, he did tell Pavlovic he needed to do more strength conditioning.

"I feel like no matter how you feel physically or mentally, you should be able to find a way to get the job done," Posey said. "I didn't do that in the second half, and I look forward to this year. You learn from last year and hopefully be a better player."

The Giants' All-Star catcher doesn't want a repeat of his sluggish second half. Posey said he added 10 pounds of muscle this offseason and looked noticeably more muscular when he showed up to FanFest on Feb. 1.

Although catching is perhaps the most grueling position in the game, Posey said it had no impact on his slump. But it does leave one to wonder if three full seasons in the squat is starting to take its toll on the 26-year-old catcher.

One of the newest Giants, outfielder Michael Morse, is trying to overcome health issues of his own. According to the San Francisco Chronicle, Morse is blaming his abysmal 2013 seasons--where he hit just .251 and had a .651 OPS with the Mariners and Orioles--on a wrist injury.

After finding the right hand specialist, with the help of former Giant Mark DeRosa, Morse told reporters last week he is now pain free.

If Morse's wrist has indeed healed, the Giants may get the 2012 slugger who hit .291 with 18 home runs and 62 RBIs in 102 games. That is not bad for a potential seven-hole hitter.

And just to make Giants fans more optimistic about their free agent pickup, Morse reportedly put on a power show during live batting practice Thursday, muscling opposite-field shots out of the ballpark.

The hitters weren't the only ones getting in to better shape for 2014.

Tim Lincecum, who rarely did any offseason baseball activity in year's past, tried a different approach as he tries to recover from back-to-back disappointing seasons.

With the help of friends willing to catch for him and a warehouse he rented out, Lincecum prepped for the season a bit earlier.

“We threw down some turf, threw down a mound, a couple nets and some of my friends, who’ll let me throw anything at them,” Lincecum told Andrew Baggarly of Comcast SportsNet Bay Area.

The two-time Cy Young Award winner practiced regularly in the warehouse in Seattle this winter, according to CSN Bay Area.

“I thought more throwing could be good to get my release and the feel for the ball coming out of my hand as early as I could, instead of finding it as I go,” Lincecum said.

The extra work may pay off this season. Baggarly said Lincecum looked "a bit crisper while throwing to Buster Posey" during his first official bullpen session earlier this week.

Tim Hudson, who figures to mentor Lincecum this offseason, has worked hard to come back strong from a broken right ankle.

"I'm on my way. I'm not where I want to be. I'm a little further behind than I normally am just from a body standpoint, but I've never been this old, either," the 38-year-old Hudson told Henry Schulman the Chronicle.

The Chronicle also said Hudson "looked as though the broken ankle and months of rehab never happened," as he was throwing to hitters during live batting practice. Almost every pitch he threw was knee-high or below, and hitters were chopping balls on the ground.

The sinkerballer is expected to be ready by Opening Day.

"I feel like I'm right on schedule to be healthy for the start of the year," Hudson said to Pavlovic when pitchers and catchers reported on Feb. 14. "The ankle feels really good. It's definitely pretty close to 100 percent. It's not quite there yet, but we still have a few more weeks to get it there. I don't suspect it's going to be a problem."

One Giant who is always in good shape is center fielder Angel Pagan.

But that didn't prevent him from missing most of 2013 with a strained left hamstring. When Pagan did not play last year, the Giants were just 42-54.

Pagan, however, showed last year he is completely healthy coming in to 2014. Pagan hit .323 after returning to the lineup on Aug. 30, sparking the Giants to a strong 2013 finish.

According to Chris Haft of MLB.com, Pagan showed up to camp in "excellent physical condition." Pagan told Haft his offseason stretching and agility drills will help prevent a repeat of the 2013 hamstring problems.

AngelVine #SFGiants #SFGSpring https://t.co/RJ65nhMUIZ
— San Francisco Giants (@SFGiants) February 20, 2014

Even the backups are taking physical fitness serious this offseason. Backup catcher Hector Sanchez showed up to camp about 20 pounds lighter than last year, when he weighed 234 pounds, according to Haft.

Time will tell if the hard work at gym will pay off for the Giants, but in a time where baseball is full of complete athletes, the Giants have put themselves in a good position to have a memorable 2014 season.


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Giants Decline Barry Zito's Option, Pay $7 Million Buyout

The Barry Zito era in San Francisco has ended.

The San Francisco Giants have officially parted ways with left-hander Barry Zito by not picking up his $18 million option, electing instead to pay him a $7 million buyout, according to a tweet from Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times. This officially completes his seven-year, $126 million contract the Giants signed him to in 2007.

The 35-year-old posted a mediocre 63-80 record with a 4.62 ERA in 197 starts in San Francisco (208 appearances), but he probably will be best remembered for his spectacular Game 5 performance in the 2012 National League Championship Series. In that he game, he helped the Giants stave off elimination by pitching 7.2 scoreless innings, earning the win.

The Giants went on to win that game 5-0, fueling the Giants' series win after they were down 3-1. Zito later beat Justin Verlander in the World Series.

...

Although Barry Zito pitched horribly for most of his Giants career, it's hard to say the contract was not ultimately worth it. The Giants won their first two championships with Zito under contract with them, including his clutch pitching in the 2012 playoffs.

Although, the other side may say it was a bad investment that hindered the Giants from signing offensive talent during the dismal years of 2007-2009 (even though they won 88 games in 2009). The Giants may have won in spite of Zito, rather than because of Zito.

It is a tough call on how to assess Zito's worth in terms of his contract, but his positive attitude, good work ethic, and clutch postseason pitching, speaks for themselves.


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Could Tim Lincecum's No-Hitter Be a Turning Point?

The San Francisco Giants, losers of eight of their last 11, badly needed a spark.

They may have been ignited by the San Diego Padres and Tim Lincecum.

The Freak hurled 148 pitches to accomplish the 15th no-hitter in franchise history. The result was a team-wide spirited celebration at the pitchers mound that started with a sneak-attack bear hug by catcher Buster Posey to Lincecum.

Could the sweep at the hands of the New York Mets truly have been rock-bottom? Is this the turning point the Giants have been looking for?

The team needed something to give them energy--some hope--but recent history may dictate that the no-hitter may not matter too much.

Last year, after Matt Cain's June 13 perfect game, the Giants went 2-5 in the games after the no-hitter. That included a June 14 loss to the Houston Astros 6-3 on the next day.

After Jonathan Sanchez's July 10, 2009 no-hitter, the Giants won the next game 2-1, but lost the next six-out-of-seven after that.

And how did the Reds do after Homer Bailey's no-hitter about a week-and-a-half ago? They are 4-6 since then.

The difference among those others teams is they were well above .500 at the time of their no-hitters. The Giants have no time for the hangover effect--every game right now is too important.

After the no-hitter, the Giants are still seven games below .500, and six-and-a-half games behind the first place Arizona Diamondbacks. The Giants have put themselves in a position in mid-July where they have to get closer to .500 fast--and it starts with taking advantage of a struggling Padres team by sweeping them in four games.

If there's one thing on the Giants' side going forward, it's that the no-hitter lifted and energized a team that was badly struggling--and well under .500. Today's game means going into the All-Star break eight games or six games below .500--and the latter sounds much better.

The Giants should celebrate the no-hitter, but they can't get complacent. Winning three-out-of-four in San Diego keeps the Giants alive, but a four-game sweep would put them truly right back in the National League West race.

...

Lincecum (5-9) has evolved from thrower to pitcher. He carved up the Padres in a completely different way than vintage Lincecum would have.

Instead of blowing hitters away with a mid-90s fastball, Lincecum relied on good location with all of his pitches. Just like Homer Bailey threw almost exclusively fastballs to Giants hitters late in the game at the time of his no-hitter, Lincecum threw change-up (or splitter) after change-up.

Lincecum was just as effective.

More importantly, this proved to him that he could still be a premiere pitcher without a blazing fastball. It will give him confidence going forward and teach him how to pitch to contact.

Even so, as long as he has that change-up, the strikeouts will be there when he needs them. He had 13 in his no-hitter last night.

...

It's good to see the Giants' offense finally return to something more normal. In the first inning, Pablo Sandoval turned on a 94-mph fastball and raked a RBI double.

Brandon Belt, who looked overmatched at the plate, also turned on a good fastball. Instead of swinging and missing, like he has been doing almost automatic, he ripped a 95-mph fastball over the right-center-field fence for a two-run home run.

The hitters' timing is coming back.

...

The Giants cannot stop now. Barry Zito (4-6, 4.62) will take on Eric Stults (7-7, 3.50), who threw a complete-game shutout against the Colorado Rockies in his last start.

They need to keep playing good baseball and battle if they want to get back over .500.

It starts by kicking a team that is down, like the Padres--meaning a sweep. There are no more mulligans if you are seven games below .500 and are serious about climbing out of the hole.





Stats from ESPN.com.

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At Least Three Giants Heading to 2013 All-Star Game

The world-champion San Francisco Giants will have at least three representatives at the 2013 All-Star Game  at Citi Field in New York.


 To the victors go the spoils--the old saying rings true in this year's Midsummer Classic. The defending world champions are six games below .500, and are in fourth place in the National League West, but have the most All-Star representatives among National League teams below .500.

Buster Posey, Madison Bumgarner, and Marco Scutaro are the trio of Giants that will be at the 2013 All-Star game in the Big Apple.

St. Louis Cardinal's catcher Yadier Molina beat out Posey in the voting. Although Posey has more home runs and RBIs, Molina leads baseball with a .346 batting average and may be the best defensive catcher in the game.

Bumgarner probably got his spot because--well--Bruce Bochy is the National League manager, and the 23-year-old right-hander has been the most consistent pitcher for the Giants. After his masterful seven-inning, two-run performance Saturday against the Los Angeles Dodgers, Bumgarner has a 3.05 ERA and the fourth-lowest WHIP (walks and hit per innings pitched) in the league at 0.97.

Scutaro is having a solid season following his career year in 2012. He is hitting .311 with a .346 on-base percentage.

Aside from the recent road trip, he continues to be a spark plug at the top of the Giants lineup.

Scutaro is honored Bochy selected him.

"I spend 10 years in the big leagues and have never been there," Scutaro told the San Jose Mercury News. "I'm kind of at the end of my career and to be able to live that experience, it's special."

This is Scutaro's first All-Star appearance in his 11-season big-league career.

And the Giants could have one more--but that's unlikely. Right-fielder Hunter Pence is in the final vote between five All-Star hopefuls, but he has the worst numbers among the quintet.

He is also mired in a slump. He is 2-for-23 in his last seven games (.087 average) and has to compete with Dodgers' rookie sensation Yasiel Puig--who is batting .407 with eight home runs in his first month as a big-leaguer.

But one cannot underestimate the passion and support Giants fans have for their players. Last year, fans voted Pablo Sandoval over David Wright as the starting third baseman in the 2012 All-Star game, even though Wright was hitting 50 points better than Sandoval, with more home runs and RBIs at the time.

Sandoval was leading in the polls a few weeks ago, but his recent 3-for-28 road trip shrunk his batting average from .293 down to .269. Wright is hitting .304 and has five more home runs that Sandoval (with 13)--and has a .393 on-base percentage.

The fans got it right in 2013 by voting in Wright as the NL's starting third baseman.

Giants' manager Bruce Bochy will be managing this year's NL All-Star team, so he may try to sneak in another one of his players if there is a need for an injured reserve.

Closer Sergio Romo is a possibility. He has a 2.25 ERA, with 20 saves and a 0.97 WHIP.

And striking out Puig and Adrian Gonzalez in the bottom of the ninth inning of yesterday's game against the Dodgers doesn't hurt his cause either.

Full All-Star game rosters can be found here.


Photos by By Eltiempo10 (Own work) [CC0], via Wikimedia Commons, SD Dirk, and Michael Marconi.

Stats from ESPN.com.

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Help on the way from San Jose for struggling SF Giants pitchers (but not this year)

The San Francisco Giants are 11th in the National League in earned-run average (4.15 ERA).

That's right. The same starting rotation as last year's World Series-winning team is among the bottom-feeders in National League ERA.

But the same starting five is just a shell of its former self. Giants starting pitchers rank third-to-last in the league with a 4.82 ERA.

Despite the pitching struggles, the Giants remarkably sit just two-and-a-half games out in second place in the NL West at 31-28.

While the starting pitching has been abysmal, the stellar bullpen has continued from last year--along with good hitting. The Giants rank third in the National League in bullpen ERA (2.85) and are second in the league in team batting average (.268).

Few would have thought, after years of experts touting how deep the Giants' farm system was in pitching, the Giants would be in this mess. Matt Cain, Tim Lincecum, Ryan Vogelsong, Madison Bumgarner--and recently--Barry Zito, have carried the Giants, but it's a rotation-wide struggle this year.

But there's some good news and bad news.

The bad news--the Giants have no major-league ready stud in the upper minors to save the day. The Giants tried to bring up Mike Kickham from Fresno to make a start, but it was well--a disaster.

They sent him down shortly after. Kickham has a 4.57 ERA in 11 games started in Fresno.

The good news--the Giants have a surplus of pitching talent down in the lower minors.

According to Baseball America, The San Jose Giants, the SF Giants' Class-A team, have three-out-of-six pitchers in the organization's top 10 prospects.

Kyle Crick is the SF Giants'
number 1 prospect of 2013.

Kyle Crick, the SF Giants' number 1 prospect of 2013, is making a great impression right now. In three starts, Crick has a 0.93 ERA--but has only pitched 9.2 innings due to injury. His longest outing of the season was four innings.

In those nine-plus innings, Crick gave up 10 hits and struck out 12. He is currently on the 7-day disabled list and has not pitched since April 18.

Contrasting with the big-league Giants, the Class-A Giants lead the California league with a 3.53 ERA. They also lead the league in strikeouts (552), saves (19), fewest runs allowed (241), and fewest home runs allowed (35).

Even though he is not on the top-10 prospects list, Chris Marlowe, who Baseball America said has the best curveball in the organization, is lighting up the California League with his pitching.

In seven starts, Marlowe is 3-0 with a 1.95 ERA. He has only given up 33 hits in 37 innings pitched, but he is currently on the seven-day disabled list with shoulder fatigue.

The SF Giants have pitching troops in reserve--but they need a bit more training. For now, the current starting five will have to figure it out.

The biggest problem for them is command. Tim Lincecum, Matt Cain, Madison Bumgarner, and the injured Ryan Vogelsong--all former San Jose Giants--must hit their spots and avoid location mistakes down the middle of the plate.

Last night against the Toronto Blue Jays, Lincecum was a model example of what good location in the strike zone can do. The Giants should hope his seven innings of one-run ball becomes the norm more than the anomaly because help from the minors is still a couple of years away.