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I am not a fan of Brian Sabean.  Not once over the last 4 seasons have the Giants fielded a well-balanced offense.  Not once (since Nen / Felix) has their bullpen been competent.  He has a predilection for putting over-the-hill veterans in multi-year deals (he caught lightening in a bottle with Galarraga and Benito, but his luck ran out a long time ago on this angle).  He often pointed towards Bonds’ long term contract and salary requirements to deflect criticism.  And in general I’ve observed him to be bristly and unaccountable when confronted with facts about his reign (while on KNBR 680).

Over the next few days, I’m looking back at five of Sabean’s “moves” (or lack thereof) that have bothered me most:

#5- Armando Benitez

In my view, this is when Sabean really started his groove of buying high.  Going into the ‘05 season, Armando Benitez was coming off of a career year (1.29 ERA, 47 saves) with Florida.  That got him three years and $21 million from Sabean, who apparently has a very short memory.  I remember watching quite a few Mets games in ’03 and seeing more than a few *spectacular* meltdowns from Benitez.  The guy may have been able to thrive on a low-pressure Marlins team, but he was an absolute mess at Shea the year before.  Sure, hindsight is 20-20, but most of the other Giants fans I knew were also wondering aloud about that signing before Benitez had thrown a single pitch in the ‘05 season.  Sure enough, he was a head case who consistently walked leadoff batters and gave up fat pitches / big home runs in save opportunities.  He also drew more boos from Giants fans than any player I can remember in recent years (even Marvin Bernard).

Go To Next:  #4, Aaron Rowand

This offseason is a heck of a lot more intriguing than the previous few offseasons for Giants fans.  The starting pitching is easily in the top 5 in the MLB (more on that in the near future).  Vizquel’s weak bat is finally out of the lineup, even if it’s being replaced by a Renteria whose career is clearly on the downslope.  The outfield may be lacking power, but the speed and batting average combination is compelling.

I’m concerned about the bullpen, but right now I’m even more concerned about the infield.  You’ve got Pablo Sandoval at first, and it’s hard to know how to interpret his .345 avg in just 145 ABs last year (who knows what that guy’s going to do this season).    You’ve got weak-hitting Burriss and Frandsen platooning at 2B.  You’ve got an old Renteria at SS with Bocock (who batted .143 in 77 ABs  in ‘08) backing him up.  And finishing off that who’s who list of ‘infielders you’ve never heard of’ are Ryan Rohlinger (32 ABs in ‘08) and Conor Gillaspie (5 ABs in ‘08) on the depth chart at 3B.  And the re-signing of utility infielder Rich Aurilia isn’t reassuring.

The Giants apparently are not likely to land Crede.  So when you look at the free agent board, about the only quality infielder still up for grabs is Orlando Hudson.

You know exactly what you’re going to get with Hudson:  somewhere in the .280-.290 range in BA, 10 HRs, 65 RBIs and a decent number of extra base hits.  It’s hard for me to believe that those numbers wouldn’t fill some gaps for the Giants batting in the #6 position.  IMO, Sabean should grab  Hudson, then shop around Burriss for a middle reliever.

Maybe it’s harsh to call for a Giants personnel firing in only my second blog post, but Renel Brooks-Moon needs to go.  She either needs to go, or they need to turn that PA system’s volume WAY down this season.  Renel is the only female PA announcer in MLB, true – but that’s certainly not why I’m calling for her termination.  It’s not that she’s a woman … it’s that she has a terrible, piercing voice.   How someone with such an obnoxious voice could land a career as an announcer of all things is something that perhaps only Ralph Barbieri could appreciate.  I can’t even tell you how many times I’ve been at a Giants game, been nursing my 5th beer (you gotta put on the beer goggles to appreciate their offense) and truly feeling “in the zone” – only to be jolted awake by one of Renel’s spastic shrieks.  There’s nothing about that woman, her voice or her delivery that is even remotely related to or condusive to baseball.  I’m not saying that the Giants should replace her with a male PA announcer either.  Pick another woman, fantastic, I’m all for it.  In fact, pick a random woman off the street – any woman – and give her Renel’s job.  And please, Bay Area media, stop giving Runel these little fluff stories where you talk about all her cutesy little Giants merchandise.  We’ve all got Giants schwag at our homes, BFD.  That is not proof that someone is good at their job.  Giants HR folks:  conduct an approval poll amongst the fans re. whether they’d like to keep Renel or get a new announcer.  I’m telling you, the stats will prove that you are torturing an otherwise captivated audience.

After meeting Jeff Gross and learning about his venture, Major League Blogging, I decided to jump on board and blog about the Giants for the ‘09 season (and hopefully beyond, if all goes well).  I think the concept of organizing authentic fan blogs for each Major League team has a lot of potential, and I can’t wait to see where this goes.  I also have a lot of strong opinions about the Giants and am hoping to meet and converse with other Giants fans via this blog.

A few miscellaneous points about me and my biases:

* I was born in Raleigh, North Carolina, and was a huge NC State Wolfpack fan growing up (I met Jim Valvano at a Clemson / NC State football game)
* Not having a “home team” growing up, I became a big fan of the Pirates during the Van Slyke / Bonds / Bonilla years
* I later became a Cubs fan – both because of the availability of all the games on WGN / cable and because I really enjoyed watching “The Hawk” take his ABs
* I switched allegiance to the Giants when I moved to the Bay Area in 1999, and that’s where my loyalty will stay from here forward (though the last few years have been trying)
* By day, I’m the founder of ITDatabase, a research service for marketing, sales & PR pros in the Information Technology industry
* I live in Western Addition in San Francisco with my wife and 6 month old son
* I play golf at Presidio and Harding Park as much as I can – but am what you would call a “duffer” (17.9 hdcp)

I’m really looking forward to jumping in and getting started on a whole host of different issues related to the Giants.  But just off the top of my mind, some thoughts about things I am / am not interested to discuss on this blog:

* I AM interested to offer some critical analysis of Brian Sabean’s performance over the last few years
* I AM interested to occassionally visit Bonds’ legacy (and to what extent it should / should not be honored)
* I AM interested to talk about restaurants, bars and other “must visits” near AT&T Park
* I’m NOT interested to provide “homer” commentary on the Giants (Mike Krukow’s got that well-covered) … I plan to be as objective as possible
* I’m NOT interested to surface ongoing details about Bonds’ steroid case (I can’t think of anything less interesting to talk about at this point)

Send me an email (travisjohnvan@gmail.com) anytime with criticisms or suggestions.  Thanks!

After the Los Angeles Angels signed Ervin Santana to a four year $30 million deal last Saturday, are the Giants be thinking of doing the same their own superstar, right hander Tim Lincecum?

Maybe, but not on immediate time. Club officials and Luncecum himself said last Sunday that multiplayer deal talks are not active, although everything can change with one phone call.

“Nothing’s going on right now,” Lincecum said Sunday. Generally, he added, the business side of baseball concerns him “very little. I’m just worried about the season. What I hear, I hear about from my agent [Rick Thurman] and I haven’t heard anything. I’m just playing the waiting game.”

Lincecum is the reigning National League Cy Young Award winner. Santana on the other hand, owns a 51-37 career record, an All-Star season, and finished 16-7 with a 3.49 ERA.

Lincecum is 18-5 with a 2.62 ERA and has a ML high 265 strikeouts last season. During the Giant’s opening workout for their pitchers and catchers, Lincecum threw with his usual flair off the bullpen. It was his third throwing session off a mound this year, and can clearly be said that he is still on the verge of “bringing the old out of himself.”

“My dad always says, ‘Find rhythm first,’ so I tried to do that,” Lincecum said.

At one point, Lincecum played with his two-seam fast ball. Guided by Mark Gardner, Lincecum threw one that the bullpen coached liked.  “Atta boy,” catcher Eli Whiteside hollered. “I figured it out,” Lincecum called back, grinning.

When Randy Johnson pitches, everything stops and every eye is on him, waiting for yet another strike out. Last Saturday, he provide a glance of what is yet to come and what came to help him win 295 games, strike out 4,789 batters and of course five CY Young awards.

Below are some of the questions the left handed pitcher answered with a smile, and, despite all of his achievements, with immense humility.

Advise to young pitchers:

“There’s nothing in this game I haven’t done. You’re wondering whether you’re ever going to win a ballgame. And then I’ve won 10 games in a row. I’ve had surgeries. I’ve had to battle back from those kind of things.

“I’ve had bad games. I know how you can mentally be dragging a little bit towards the end of the year. I know the demands that Tim [Lincecum] will have this year after winning the Cy Young. The door is opening for Brandon Webb. The door is opening for a player like Tim Lincecum. “I won a Cy Young in Seattle and then I came to Arizona and won four in a row. Ironically enough, my best year statistically wasn’t until I won my fifth Cy Young.

Randy Johnson: The type of pitcher:

“At this point in my career, my ability and my skills may have diminished, but not my edge or my desire to still be good. As long as I have that, that’s what motivates me. That’s what motivated me and that’s why I was so dangerous, I suppose, because I could throw 100 mph and I wanted to win. Now I still want to win, but I can win throwing 92 and it’s made me a better pitcher, as well.”

The possibility of his 300^th victory with the Giants and not with Arizona or Seattle.

I’ve done a lot in Arizona; it would have been fitting to do it there. It’s not like I’m not familiar with the San Francisco Giants. I’ve pitched against them quite a bit. I’m familiar with the ballpark. I’m familiar with the Bay Area. It’s where I grew up. It’s as good of a last chapter, if you will, of my career that there could be.”

There’s not a blank page yet. We’re still filling the page up. The author’s still at work. I haven’t had a 5.00 ERA since, because my back has been surgically fixed. If I do, I’ll retire.”