2010 San Francisco Giants Preview
Written by MC Homer, Friday April 02 2010
…And you probably thought I wasn’t going to preview my 2010 San Francisco Giants before the season began, pffft.
Opening Day for the most important team in baseball is Monday. Game time in Houston is 7:05est. I know where I’ll be, on my couch, remote in hand, eagerly casting my baby blues upon my almost-too large HD Sony television, soaking in the vibrant colors of Minute Maid Park. I’ll be the guy wearing my faded Giants t-shirt and sweat-stained Giants hat, cheering for everything good and crying over the rest. It all starts in three days; my countdown has begun. This is the only Monday I have ever looked forward to.
That is when and where the San Francisco Giants begin the 2010 campaign, in Houston. Here we are, mere days away from the most wonderful day of the year, and Bochy has yet to fill out an opening day lineup. The Giants’ goal this year is to make the postseason, but playoff teams already have their lineups figured out. The best teams spend the final week (or more) of spring training ironing out the kinks such as creating gameplans and executing them soundly. The Giants have yet to even decide on a starting right fielder, let alone who will keep the end of the bench warm. This troubles me.
The pitching staff has not changed much from last year’s squad, aside from the addition of Todd Wellemeyer who claimed the fifth starter’s spot with an outstanding spring. Tim Lincecum, Matt Cain, Barry Zito and Jonathan Sanchez are all back again. The bullpen looks nearly identical. Young guys like Sergio Romo and Dan Runzler will see the bulk of the action late in games, along with elder statesman, Jeremy Affeldt. Brian Wilson is back, but the hard-throwing closer signed a contract extension in the offseason, so let’s hope complacency doesn’t set in.
Top pitching prospect, Madison Bumgarner, was thought to have all but locked up the fifth spot in the rotation, then his velocity dropped and the strike zone became elusive, so he will start the year in Fresno. The other rookie phenom pitcher in the Giants farm system is Kevin Pucetas. He pitched well enough this spring to be given heavy consideration for the final spot in the rotation only to be passed over for a veteran. Pucetas is not a hard thrower, reaching the mid-80’s at best, but pounding the strike zone with good location and a penchant for pitching to contact have proven to be an effective combination for him. He has a chance to make the 25-man roster as a reliever and spot starter.
Of all the offseason acquisitions, it was not a player that will have the most impact on this team. Carney Lansford is out and Hensley "Bam Bam" Meulens is in as hitting coach. For whatever reason, Giants players didn’t respond to Lansford’s approach, or maybe he had a bad one, who knows. Meulens spent last year with the Giants triple-A affiliate in San Jose, so he knows many of the young guys; he already has developed relationships, chemistry with them. His job now is to deliver his message of patience to a team that was dead last in all of baseball in walks and on-base percentage last year, good luck with that. The naysayers lead me to believe that his lifetime .220 batting average would suggest that he can’t hit. Maybe, but didn’t someone once say, those who can’t do, teach?
The offense was the problem last year and it is assumed to be the problem again despite a couple new faces. Four things happened during the offseason to improve San Francisco’s offense. First of all, Bengie Molina is back. No, he is not a clean-up hitter, but he was our clean-up hitter. He produced nicely, as well as any catcher in baseball (20 homeruns, 80 RBIs), except for that bum, Mauer. The way Bengie handles the pitching staff defensively is enough for me anyway. The re-signing of Juan Uribe was big as well. Uribe (and Sandoval) single handedly carried the Giants offense down the stretch, just missing the playoffs. He may not start everyday but his versatility comes in handy and at the very least, his bat provides power coming off the bench. In the clubhouse, he is as well liked as anyone, and that includes the Panda.
The other two upgrades came via free agency. The Giants needed a thumper to hold down the middle of the lineup, a guy who could strike fear in opposing pitchers. Neither Mark DeRosa nor Aubrey Huff are that guy, but each of them is an upgrade over the incumbents. Travis Ishikawa will grab a roster spot for his mastery with the leather at first and fantastic offensive output at home, but Huff will likely be the regular, everyday first baseman. DeRosa will play several positions this year, both infield and outfield, but mostly he will prowl left field. He is the ultimate utility man; skilled enough to start everyday at nearly any position. Both Huff and DeRosa bring a veteran presence; something teams can never have too much of. Huff even has a chance at the playoffs, something that can’t be said for his 10 years with the Devil Rays (before they dropped the Devil) and Orioles.
Grisly veteran, Aaron Rowand will see the very first pitch for the Giants in 2010. He will start in centerfield and bat leadoff. This was a decision made weeks ago; a solid spring combined with last year’s success in the leadoff spot helped make up Bochy’s mind. Rowand showed up in Scottsdale noticeably trimmed down. The lighter frame paid dividends this spring on offense, but he may have regained a step on defense as well with his new aerodynamic physique. It is no secret that he is not the prototypical leadoff man, but with the Giants new hitting instructor’s perspective and guidance, Rowand may return to the offensive threat he once was; then again, he played in Philly, everyone hits in that ballpark.
After Rowand, the lineup is unsettled. The two spot will eventually be filled by Freddy Sanchez who will start the year on the DL. He is rehabbing from offseason knee surgery but is reported to be ahead of schedule. That leaves several options for the two-hole, so let’s skip that headache and move to Pablo Sandoval, who will occupy the three spot in the lineup. Sandoval is coming off his first full big league season. He led the team in homeruns, RBIs, runs, and walks. The free-swinger will need to produce again for San Francisco to have a shot at the playoffs. Who knows, maybe he won’t be screwed out of an All-Star appearance this year, too.
Huff and DeRosa will bat fourth and fifth respectively, but behind them are more question marks. Juan Uribe will presumably start the year at second base in place of the injured Freddy Sanchez, so maybe he hits sixth. Then again, maybe Bengie Molina does, or will he hit seventh? Whoever the right fielder ends up being could fit there as well. The six, seven, eight slots will go unfilled until after Sunday’s preseason finale. With the excellent spring San Francisco had, these difficult decisions are good problems to have. Too bad spring ball doesn’t count.
Eugenio Velez, John Bowker, Andres Torres, Nate Schierholtz, and Buster Posey are all vying for roster spots. The Giants top prospect, Posey, is a catcher and needs to play everyday, so he will likely begin the season in Fresno, despite playing some first base this spring. The way Bowker has hit the last month, I have to believe he makes the team. He can play outfield and first base and he has the power in his bat that the Giants so desperately need. If he can be patient and lay off the slider at his back foot this year, he will see a lot of playing time because the kid can flat-out rake. Heck, Bowker was PCL (Pacific Coast League) Player of the Year last year so he has little left to prove in the minors. Velez and Torres are essentially twins. Both utility outfielders are switch hitters with excellent speed and surprising pop in their bats. Torres is slightly better defensively, but Velez handles the stick better and can play infield as well. Schierholtz has struggled at the plate this spring but his defense in right field is unparalleled with his laser-like right arm. He was tentatively scheduled to start in right field, but Bowker’s torrid spring may have changed those plans.
My 2010 San Francisco Giants have all the ingredients to make a post season pie. This team has a good mix of veteran leadership and youthful exuberance. In the clubhouse, you will find a tight-knit family. Surprise or not, last year’s enormous improvement over the previous season planted seeds of hope in this franchise. Goals have been set high, I just hope they aren’t expecting too much. This team is still going to struggle to score runs and they are old up the middle on defense (Bengie, Rowand, Renteria, even Sanchez) so the pitching will have to have another great year; at least we know they have the potential to get the job done.
Prediction:
Since every lame preview article has a prediction, I would feel remiss if I didn’t pitch in my cent; hey, times are tough. The fan in me says the Giants are going to win the World Series, sweeping the (insert your favorite team here) in four games, but the realist in me is not even sure we will make the post season. There is no guarantee the pitching staff will be as dominant as it was in 2009 and the offense, even with the additions, is still painfully inept. Colorado will win the division handily, but the wild card is coming out of the East. The Giants will take second in the division followed by the Dodgers, Diamondbacks, and Padres. More post season predictions will follow in the coming weeks, but for now, is it Monday yet?
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2 comments
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So true my friend, so true.
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Nice article MC Homey. I'm glad I didn't have to send you to rehab if you picked the Giants to win anything. Great pitching, no hitting just won't be enough.....again. And now I'm picturing you on the couch like Al Bundy. Remoter in one hand, the other hand down your pants.