GIANTS - 5/8/02

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The question shouldn't be "how many jacks will Barry Bombs hit this season?" It should be "how many free passes to first will a-scared pitchers give him this year?" It's the first week of May and The King has walked forty-two times. Didja get that? Let's do the math, it'll be fun. That projects out to 227 walks for the season. That's just sick. Barry already holds the single-season walk record of 177, earned last season. The silver lining to limited launches? All that easy strolling down the first ninety feet has apparently allowed his touchy hammy to heal. He was obviously tracking balls down better and running the bases easier in his last few games. A healthy powerbase also lets him swing harder. Look for his home run bashing to pick up the pace once more. That is, if these chicken managers and pitchers give him something to hit.

Switching Tsuyoshi Shinjo (CF) and David Bell (3B) in the lineup has helped both players better their batting averages. DaBell has been a pretty solid lead-off guy and has been money with men in scoring position. Shinjo has responded to the pressure-lessened 7th spot with more disciplined AB's and better ball contact. But let's face it, the Giants acquired Shinjo for his defense. Period. Anything else is icing.

Rich Aurilia (SS) is also fighting/nursing a sore groin, and is being carefully managed by Dusty and Trainer Stan Conte. Aurilia has been in a mini-slump for the last seven days, but is showing signs of coming out of it. During Tuesday 5/7/02's game vs. the Mets, he only went 1 for 5, but it was a double.

How does Benito Santiago (C) do it? This man is 37 years old, throwing out would-be base stealers from his knees, and improving his batting average daily. The first seven days of May have been good to him...he's batting .400 in that time, .258 for the season. Not that you'd want him on a fantasy baseball team, I bring it up because I think it's amazing.

After Wednesday, 5/8/02's game against the Mets, the G-Men had won six in a row and knocked Mets pitcher Shawn Estes (P) out of the game in the 5th. This actually blew my prediction of Estes imploding in the 4th, but don't hold that against me. Shawn's quotes the next day are illustrative of both why the Giants finally got rid of him and why he won't ever have a Cy Young award. Commenting on pitching against the team that gave up on him, he said it "...wasn't as difficult as I thought it would be." Um, Shawn? You lost, 8-2. You were expecting maybe 20-2? His next Einstein-ian statement? "I'd like to turn back the clock and do it again…" Uh, yeah, Shawn, so would the Giants. They won 8-2. Right now he's a hurler who has great stuff. Until Estes learns how to get up for the big games before the first pitch instead of after he's knocked out of the game and sitting at the press conference, he won't be worth a spot on anyone's roster.

Local Perspective
Discussion boards and sports news writers in the Bay Area are all calling for a lineup switch to heat up the middle of the Giants order. But the dogs are heading back for their cages based on the performance of Jeff Kent (2B), JT Snow (1B), and Reggie Sanders (RF) over the last few days. All are showing good signs of heating up. Over the last seven days Sanders is batting around .389, including a game-winning four-bagger (I hate the phrase "walk-off home run." But I digress.) Snow has upped his average from barely-above-Mendoza-line to .250 on the season. Kent is still spotty, but over the last 10 days has had more disciplined at bats with a couple of homers. Kent must focus, grasshopper. All Giants fans and critics know that the only way Barry Bonds will see any pitches worth even showing up at the plate for is if Kent, Snow, and Sanders get seriously hot, especially Kent, the guy hitting right behind Barry. Hey, it could happen. It should happen. Managing Partner Peter McGowan, GM Brian Sabean, and Dusty Baker are banking on it happening. And these are three pretty smart baseball guys.

Rumor Mill
Barry playing first base? Not for the foreseeable future. Ignore all "reports" of this. Dusty and Barry did mention it as a possibility a few years in Barry's future, but I ain't holding my breath waiting to see Barry stretch and pick a bounced throw to first. If his hammy can't take standing in left field, then it can't hold a mink-covered ice pack to JT Snow's two-run-saving-a-game-gold-glove defense.

Injuries

Jason Schmidt (SP)
- Day-to-Day. He was yanked in the first inning in Saturday 5/4/02's game at Cincinnati after coaches and the trainer noticed his mechanics were way off. He indicated stiffness in his left shoulder. An MRI on 5/5/02 showed nothing serious, just minor inflammation according to Stan Conte. A side-action session to evaluate Schmidt in the bullpen during the Mets game on Tuesday 5/7/02 convinced Conte and Dusty Baker to pencil in Jason for his next regularly scheduled start on Saturday 5/11/02. My personal opinion? Stand by for another stint on the DL. He's the $30 Million Man with really nasty stuff, but he needs a Costco-sized roll of duct tape to hold his shoulder together and a psychiatrist to get over his recent and inexplicable fear of the mound. *Sigh* Geez, I hope I'm wrong.

Jason Christiansen (RP)
- Left elbow tendinitis. 15 Day DL starting 4/29/02, however Stan Conte has stated there is no ETA for Jason being activated once he is eligible to come off the DL.

Shawon Dunston (OF)
- Ribcage muscle strain. 15 DL retroactive to 5/6/02. Giants called up Tom Goodwin (OF) from Triple-A Fresno Grizzlies to take his roster spot.

Side Notes
The recent trade of Calvin Murray (OF) to Texas for cash may have been a surprise to some. Or maybe not. Maybe you just don't care. However, I thought it was a nice story of a professional sports team in a typically money-grubbing, annual-report-cooking business actually taking care of a player. The Giants needed the roster spot for returning Jason Schmidt, and Calvin was the only "extra" position player. Unfortunately he was out of minor league options and would never have cleared waivers anyway. Rumor had it some east coast teams had him on their claiming radar. The Giants front office knew that next to staying with the Giants Murray most wanted to play for the Texas Rangers. He was born in Dallas and calls it home with wife, kids, and other family. So Brian Sabean pulled the trigger on a trade to a team that desperately needed a starting outfielder. Calvin Murray publicly thanked Sabean and the Giants organization for the way they handled the sitch, and for showing him respect as a player. Giants fans wish him the best of luck with his new team. At least he's a starter now on a team where he can showcase his talents. And his .239 batting average. Did I say that out loud? I should be nicer. This a feel-good story after all. Seriously though, Texas got a good deal and a good player. Look for him to bloom getting to play every day.

Quick View

Add:
David Bell (3B) - Pick him up if you need a utility player
Reggie Sanders (RF) - He's approaching boiling point
Todd Worrell (RP) - He's been money in relief
Ryan Jensen (RP) - Lots of and good numbers so far

Drop:
T. Shinjo (CF) - We didn't hire him for his bat

Hold:
Barry Bonds (LF) - Duh
Russ Ortiz (SP) - Solid, solid, solid
Jeff Kent (2B) - Heating up (pretty-please?)
Rob Nen (RP) - Getting into his groove
Rich Aurilia (SS) - The rest of May should see his average improve
Jason Schmidt (SP) - Let's see how his next start goes, if he actually starts

Trade:
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