Manny Ramirez Goes 0-For-2 in Oakland Athletics Exhibition Debut

Oakland Athletics' slugger Manny Ramirez had a less than stellar first day on the job.

By User shgmom56 on Flickr (Originally posted to Flickr as "DSC03222") [CC-BY-SA-2.0 (www.creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

Ramirez took two at-bats in the A's Cactus League opener and grounded out both times, including into a double play in the bottom of the first inning. He was the starting designated hitter for that game.

Although Ramirez struggled at the plate today, he told ESPN he felt good.

"At least I was seeing the ball pretty good," Ramirez said.

Ramirez signed a minor league deal worth $500,000 back in February. If he makes the big-league club, Ramirez will have to serve a 50-game suspension for violating Major League Baseball's drug policy.

As for Ramirez's new green-beanied wardrobe?

"I like the white uniform. It's beautiful," Ramirez told ESPN. "My friends, they'll be calling, 'Man, you look so good in green.'"

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Before you all bring out the "I told you so" comments, consider this...

It was Manny's first baseball game in a year. He has not faced live pitching in a real game since the very beginning of last season, and it is a good sign that he even put the bat on the ball today.

Does this mean he is going to start mashing the ball like he did back in his heyday? Definitely not, but if he can give the A's .265, with 20 home runs and 75 RBI, I think Oakland would be very happy.

The bottom line is it is simply too early to tell how Ramirez will do this season based on one preseason game. Even the best of the best go hitless in a game, and look way worse than Ramirez did, but the first game is always overblown simply because there is no past history to go by.

Ah, the quandary sports sometimes is. Strap em' on folks. It's going to be a bumpy ride with Mannywood in town.

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Will Manny be a contributor for the Athletics this season? Was today's two failed at-bats a microcosm of Manny's 2012 season? Or do you think Manny will tear it up this season?

Will Ramirez do more harm than good for the A's? Will Manny be Manny?

Lastly, is an opening game (whether it be opening day or the preseason opener) overblown too much by the media or is a good start crucial to a baseball player's success.

We will find out as the soap opera called a 162-game baseball season unfolds. Stay tuned....

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Buster Posey Looks Good in Spring Training, Manager Bruce Bochy to Limit Catching Duties

By Vince Cestone

A bit of good news for those San Francisco Giants' fans worried about the health of Buster Posey.

On KNBR radio earlier this week, avid baseball enthusiast and radio broadcaster/historian Marty Lurie said Buster Posey didn't even look like he was injured. He was throwing, hitting, and catching the ball as if he was not injured.

I always knew that Buster Posey was a resilient young player, and I had no doubt that he would get through this. When I heard Lurie say that Posey looked as if he was not injured, somehow I was not surprised.

Due to Posey's fearless attitude both at the plate and behind the dish, who's to stop him from blocking the plate again and succumbing to another season-ending surgery?

Bruce Bochy, that's who.

According to Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle, Bruce Bochy said after a workout last Sunday he did not want Buster Posey blocking the plate when runners attempt to score.

Rajiv Patel/Flickr UCinternational[(www.creativecommons.org]

"I don't want him blocking the plate right now," Bochy told Schulman. "I've already talked to Buster about this. There are ways you can make the tag without blocking the plate."

Schulman also reported Posey wanted to catch during the Cactus League opener on March 3.



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I understand Bochy's willingness to protect his star catcher, but what happens when the game is on the line?

Imagine this scenario...

The Giants are playing a wild game in Colorado. The Giants were down by a couple of runs heading into the top of the ninth inning, but they score two runs to tie it.

The bottom of the ninth inning comes along.

The Giants retired Dexter Fowler on a ground out. The next batter, Jonathan Herrera triples. Up comes Carlos Gonzales.

Gonzales hits a fly ball to shallow-to-medium right field. Nate Schierholtz catches the ball and fires home. The ball approaches Posey who must stand behind the plate, or somewhere outside of the baseline, as Herrera races home.

The ball hits Posey's glove when Herrera is two feet from home plate. Posey makes a lunging attempt to tag Herrera, but Herrera does a fade-away slide and gets his hand on the third-base edge of the plate before Posey can tag him.

The Rockies win the game.

Had Posey blocked the plate, and he hung on, the Giants take the game into extras.

Conservatism does not work in do-or-die plays. Posey knows that, and I think he would, in the heat of the moment, block the plate and do what is best for his team to win at that moment. He is just that kind of player.

The point is to play the game right. If you get injured, whether you are Buster Posey or Scott Cousins, that is just part of the game.

Remember, in sports, nothing is for certain--whether it's success or your health. If you play a sport in fear, then what's the point of even playing the game if you cannot play it right?

What do you guys think? Will Posey disobey Bochy's orders and let his adrenaline and desire to win take over on a do-or-die play?

Was Bochy right to discourage Posey to not block the plate, and perhaps discourage him from playing the game right? Is it fair that Eli Whiteside could block the plate, as opposed to Posey?

We will find out the answers to some of these compelling question as the season begins.

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Photo Attribution: By Rajiv Patel (Rajiv's View) on Flickr (Original version)UCinternational (Crop) [CC-BY-SA-2.0], via Wikimedia Commons

Bay Area Ball: The Giants and A's Return to the Bay Area

It's a late night tonight, and I got a ton of eBay items to sell, so here's a good summary on tonight's game from a very good blogger. Follow him on twitter @BayCityBall08.

Quick thought from me: The Giants looked good tonight. Aubrey Huff crushed a high fastball into the port walk tonight (off a lefty), and Pat Burrell showed opposite-field power, crushing a two-run double to right field off Brett Anderson. That is a sign they are right.

Belt didn't get a hit, but I still want him on the team to replace Ross in the lineup.

If Rowand is in there, that would be a big mistake by Bochy. He just cannot make contact and looked horrible in his lone plate appearance tonight striking out.

Cain was solid. He gave up three runs and left in the fifth, but he had good command. That's all that matters in spring training. One of the runs came on two cheap bloop hits.

Anyway, on to the article.

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Bay Area Ball: The Giants and A's Return to the Bay Area: " The Cactus league is finally over, and it's almost time to get some meaningful baseball going... Put that on hold for a few more day..."

MLB.com article of Lincecum's outing today

Here is today's MLB.com article about how Lincecum did today. It was not good, but at least the rain wiped it out (the game was canceled after 3 innings).

Note: I did not write this nor contributed to it in anyway. This piece was written by MLB.com's Chris Haft.
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Article Link: http://sanfrancisco.giants.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20110321&content_id=17053900&notebook_id=17053976&vkey=notebook_sf&c_id=sf

Lincecum deceptively ugly against Rockies

By Chris Haft/MLB.com

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- Though rain wiped out the Giants' Cactus League affair Monday against the Colorado Rockies, the experience still counted for Tim Lincecum, whose pitching line was deceptively ugly...


My Thoughts

Hey, it's spring training. As long as nobody gets hurt, and Lincecum got his work in, then, all is fine.

Giants Injury Report: Brian Wilson out with a mild oblique strain

Giants All-Star closer Brian Wilson was diagnosed Saturday with a mildly strained left oblique, the team announced Saturday.

Wilson believes he will be ready for opening day, but Martie Lurie of KNBR said on the Giants' postgame show that March 31's opener is in jeopardy for the bearded right-hander.

Wilson will not throw the ball until Monday, when he will be re-evaluated.

Wilson earned a major league best 48 saves last season. He reported the discomfort last Friday, the day after pitching a shutout inning against the Angels in an exhibition game.

Coming into Saturday's game, Wilson pitched five innings in the preseason and gave up just one run (1.80 ERA). 

My Thoughts

This is a bit of a concern for me.

Brian Wilson is one of the best closers in the National League, and I do not think the Giants have anyone formidable to replace him with. Casilla does not throw enough strikes for me in the ninth, and Sergio Romo is just too prone to the long ball late in the game (as seen in the NLDS).

Although Javier Lopez is a good pitcher, I want someone who can throw gas coming into the ninth inning. If this were 2009, I would say Jeremy Affeldt could step in, but he just has not been consistent enough of late.

A possible under-the-radar candidate could be Marc Kroon. Kroon was a successful closer in Japan who nearly broke the all-time saves record over there. He is doing okay in spring training, giving up two runs in six innings (3.00 ERA), while striking out four.

Still, it would be very difficult to replace Wilson. Wilson insists he will be fine for the opener in Los Angeles, but anything could happen and the Giants need to look at other options just in case.


Information from Chris Haft, a reporter for MLB.com

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