Man, how could I have forgotten / overlooked Sabean’s truly awful decision in ‘03 to trade Francisco Liriano and Joe Nathan for A.J. Pierzynski?  Maybe my subconscious shielded this horrible event from memory to protect me from the emotional trauma of reliving all these Sabean fumbles?

In any case, this one belongs somewhere in the top 3 of the list.  My apologies.

MLB Trade Rumors has some excellent analysis on the insanity of this Sabean “move.”

Finishing off my list of the top five Sabean bust “moves” (or lack thereof) …

#2- Barry Zito

This is such an obvious bust that I almost don’t even want to insult anyone’s intelligence by explaining it.  Let’s just say that the writing was on the wall (before Sabean pulled the trigger) that Zito was not the same guy that won the AL Cy Young.  It’s beyond baffling that Sabean made a pitcher with sub-mediocre velocity the richest in MLB history at $126-million.  But SEVEN YEARS to boot?  Granted, no one could have predicted just how awful Zito was going to become.  But again, this was a move that had Giants fans scratching their heads as soon as it happened.  That $18-mil per season could’ve gone towards a lot of other gaps in this team, and it’s basically now just a write-off.  SF Chronicle Giants reporter Henry Schulman reported today that Zito was throwing BP and showing “great control.”  What’s new here?  That Zito’s throwing BP to the Giants instead of the other team?  It must be easier to spot your pitches when they’re only 72 MPH.  I hope for all of our sakes that Zito’s worst Giants years are behind him, and that somehow he can Jamie Moyer his career back into shape (i.e., learn how to be a finesse / junk pitcher with mental toughness).  Nothing would make me happier than to see the guy pull a David Copperfield and somehow get his career back on track.

And a surprise #1- NOT ONCE protecting Bonds with a big bat in the lineup

Ok, looking at Sabean’s “moves” objectively, Zito’s contract should be at the #1 spot here.  But what bothers me most as a Giants fan is the sub-mediocre offensive talent that Sabean put around Bonds in the lineup during the peak years of his career.  Look at teams like the Mets, with Wright, Beltran, Reyes and Delgado.  As a Giants fan, it’s a foreign concept to see such a star-studded offensive lineup.  And when you look back at Bonds turning freaking Jeff Kent into the NL MVP, you gotta wonder what might have been if Sabean had ever put even one legit offensive superstar into that lineup either in front of or behind Barry Bonds.  Rewind back to the early ’00’s – before Bonds’ steroid use was known.  All that was known at that time was that this guy was off the charts in his productivity.  The combination of on base percentage and power numbers was unreal.  But just look at the weakness of the guys batting before and after Bonds year after year, during the peak / twilight of his career:

2001
#2- Rich Aurilia
#3- Bonds
#4- Kent

2002
#2- Aurilia
#3- Bonds
#4- Sanders

2003
#3- Aurilia
#4- Bonds
#5- Alfonso

2004
#3- Tucker
#4- Bonds
#5- Alfonzo

2006
#3- Durham
#4- Bonds
#5- Alou

Rich freaking Aurilia batting in front of the all-time HR king all those years?  Michael freaking Tucker?  A fat and declining Edgardo freaking Alfonso batting behind him?  WTF?!  This was so frustrating to experience as a fan.

In 2003 and 2004, Bonds had 45 HRs in each year (and avg 25 doubles), and yet only 90 and 101 RBIs in each of those years, respectively.  That is amazing to think about – that a guy could have that many HRs and extra base hits and yet that relatively few RBIs when batting in the cleanup spot.

Bonds’ steroid use is a separate issue, and is really after the fact anyway.  I’ve just been disgusted as a Giants fan (in this era of huge free agent spending, big market teams) to repeatedly see the Giants NOT get a single legit super star year after year, during the peak of Bonds’ career.  The Yankees get A-Rod.  The Angels get Vlad.  The Tigers get Magglio.  The Mets get Beltran. The list goes on and on of the awesome offensive players that Sabean repeatedly did NOT get.  How is this possible, when the Giants are in a big market and consistently are hovering around the top five in MLB attendance?

It takes a real incompetent GM.

Btw, other “notable blunders” that did not make this list:

• Sidney Ponson (this guy was a disaster)
• Ryan Klesko (did Sabean lose a bet to Bruce Bochy?)
• Omar Vizquel (would have been a great pickup if the Giants were a baseball museum and not a team)
• Ray Durham (totally overpaid him based on historical performance)

Soriano can still run

Just days after Lou Piniella suggested that Alfonso Soriano might drop down the line-up, it has been commented that it would be ‘improbable’ that Soriano hits anywhere but the 1 spot. However the Cubs are set to experiment this Spring with different lead-off hitters. Lou has stated all Winter that his regulars will be getting some extra days off, a lead-off man is needed when Soriano takes to the bench, the likely candidates being Ryan Theriot and Aaron Miles.

Soriano reacted to the news by saying:

“I’m very happy — happy at how I feel [physically],” Soriano said. “I think [Piniella] saw me running, and he knows I can be the guy I was in 2001, 2002. I feel very good right now.”

Both seasons saw Soriano swipe 40 or more bases, so can Soriano swipe 40 again? i seem to think that he won’t, he has battled leg problems for the past two years, and putting pressure on him to run might not be the best thing. Although if Soriano want’s 40 bases and is healthy, he may well get them.

When Lou was asked about the possible line-up for 2009 he replied that he was leaning towards a lineup of  Soriano, Miles, Lee, Bradley, Ramirez, Fukudome, Soto and Theriot. That is one strong line-up if you ask me, left handers, right handers,  power patience and speed.

This should be obvious to Lew Wolff! Just look around! Why Fremont? You really think that the fan base will just love you if you build a nice stadium and slap a corporate name on their like “Cisco Field”? I don’t think so!

I dont think so!

This ball-club has moved too much. They have been too Kansas City and Philly. They have built up some history in Oakland, so why move? Walter Haas is rolling in in grave (RIP Walter).

Here is solution Mr. Wolff: Use your b-r-a-i-n

I guarantee that 90% of your fan base will not be happy, and 30% will become Giants fans!

Here are some good options, with out moving away from Oakland

1. Buy Out Golden Gate Fields

This place has no future, they just want somebody to take it away. Wolff, buy this place, it is perfect! It is right on the San Francisco bay, just as easy to get there as getting to the Colosseum, and the fans would be happy!

2.  Spruce up the Old Yard

Everybody knows how bad the A’s park is. It is shared with the Raiders, not good. Trust me, Candlestick park was bad enough. If the Wolff could work out a agreement with Al Davis (shivers) they could fork up the money to fix up the park! They could make is look nice.

Im sure there are more solutions out there, so please, leave a comment, I would love to hear about what you have to say.

-Harrison

As you may know I love this team.

But now that Mike Jacobs is gone I have to find someone else to rip on.

Jeremy Hermida is that guy.

He just might want to kill me

The “can’t miss” prospect hit .273 with a .369 OBP in ’07. Then he followed it up with .243 & .323 last year.

After an ‘08 season where the Marlins established a team record for home runs Hermida said this…

“It’s easy to kind of just try to go along with that. You see that and you get out of your approach a little bit. My approach is being a gap-to-gap guy. I’m trying to do that.”

Trying!?!

He also said he’s never watched game film, “Ever”. But will start this sesason.

“I was always capable of going out there and making adjustments on the fly. But at this level, with the advanced scouting, you have to be a little more prepared with what they’re trying to do with you.”

Unacceptable. You are not Roger Maris.

It seemed like if he wasn’t losing the ball in the sun, or popping up / striking out with men on base he was “trying” to hit a home run, but instead knocking some kid in the face with a foul ball.

Last season Hermida was Mike Jacobs, minus the homerun power.

So now the Marlins are moving him from left field to right (where he will have more chances to F up) to improve their team defence.

What?

At least the sun won’t be in his eyes.

Hi Everybody, my name is Jeff Gross and I will be covering the Mets during this 2009 baseball season. As some of you may know, I am also the site founder, and I would first like to make a statement about this site as a whole.

I just wanted to use this space to give my complete appreciation to the other authors on this site, and fans of baseball in general. It’s the fans that make the game. The conversations, debates, camaraderie, and the overall emotions that go into being a fan of a sport truly make it something incredible to be a part of. This is the exact purpose of the website here at MajorLeagueBlogging.com – It’s a place for fans to interact and be a part of a community that is chocked full of other enthusiastic and knowledgeable fans. So I encourage everyone to enjoy the site, comment, interact, and get involved!

Seriously, baseball is one of my biggest passions, and in the past few years I have really started to get completely engulfed in the world of Major League Baseball. In essence, that is why I started this blog. There really was no place for me to vent, brag, or otherwise get my thoughts out about the sport. I also figured there were others like me who wanted to do the same. This site was born on the foundation of true fans who have nothing but appreciation and love for the sport as a whole.

Ok, so a little about me: I am 24 years old and I live on Long Island. As you might have guessed I am a lifetime Mets fan, as is my mother and father. We do have a split household though, my brother and sister…both Yankees fans! My fiance WAS too but she is in the process of being converted.

For me watching the Mets has always been an awesome experience. We all know they have their ups and downs like all teams, but in the end they have brought me far more happiness than sadness. I know, I know, it has been tough the last few years for us Mets fans, but I am very confident that this year will be better overall.

We have a revamped bullpen, a new stadium, and I feel an overall better team. So just to let you all know, I will be posting a player by player rundown over the next few weeks. I plan on breaking down each position the best I can, and give some insights on some of the players and their potential impact on the team this season. I will also try to keep you Mets fans out there up to date with all of the up to date news and stories surrounding the Mets and their training camp.

Oh yeah, and there is also a chance that we may have some guest bloggers of some notoriety chiming in every so often about the New York Mets…more on this later.

 The Dodgers are apparently now in talks with free agent second baseman Orlando Hudson.  Hudson has reportedly lowered his asking price from $10 million since, with todays market, there are no teams willing to pay that for him. 

Colletti told dodgers.com that he wasn’t necessarily looking to replace Blake DeWitt, but more or less looking at options.  The article on dodgers.com said if Manny doesn’t sign we could always use Hudson at second, move DeWitt to third, and Casey Blake to left. 

Personally, I would like the signing, as Hudson is a proven second baseman, a 2 time gold glove, and he can hit.  Last year Hudson hit .305 while only playing in 107 games due to an injury, but if you look at his stats, his average has gotten better every year.  I don’t know how much I would like the musical chairs of players, especially since, if Manny doesn’t sign, we have a perfectly healthy Juan Pierre to play left, and while he doesn’t add the power that even Blake has, he has batting average and speed.

Ideally, we could sign both Hudson and Manny and have an even better offense than last year.  I’d like to see Hudson as an everyday 2B and let DeWitt and Blake fight it out for 3B/utility IF.  Granted, there would be many options that Torre could look into with this signing, and would be nice to add another bat to our lineup.

Shortly after telling Cardinals 3rd base coach (and Puerto Rico manager) Jose Oquendo that he would not play for Puerto Rico in the WBC, Joel Pineiro has been told that he has secured the # 5 spot in St. Louis’ starting rotation. TLR (manager Tony La Russa) announced today that Pineiro won the battle after being the favorite for that spot. He joins Chris Carpenter, Adam Wainwright, Todd Wellemeyer and Kyle Lohse.

Hey, there could be a worse # 5 starter for the Redbirds...

Also, Skip Schumaker is still vying for the team’s starting 2nd base job. The team is committed to making him their starting 2nd baseman, and even he is up for the idea.

“That’s the No. 1 thing. I wouldn’t be doing this, putting all this work in if I didn’t feel like there was a chance to do it every day and to win a spot. I know it’s going to take a lot of time. I’m working the kinks out every single day. It’s not an easy thing to do. If I take every day as a working day to move forward, then I’m going in the right direction. But I wouldn’t be doing all this if I didn’t think I had a shot.”

From the outfield to 2nd? It could happen.

The White Sox catching situation for 2009 will be similar to 2008, as they have had the same started since 2005.

A.J. Pierzynski will once again take duty as the starting man behind the plate for the majority of the season. We all know A.J. as a colorful character in the game of baseball. We all remember his years in San Francisco, where he did not fit in well with the team. And he would be on the list for being involved in the most controversial plays in baseball. Nearly every opposing ballpark he goes to, he gets booed, even if he has had no ugly past with that team. Yet, here on the South Side, he is adored—by fans, by teammates, and by the management.

Pierzynski will be starting catcher for the South Side in 2009

What Pierzynski lacks in skill, he makes up for it in leadership. He plays from the heart and his emotions can spark a team. When he plays, he plays the game smart. But his statistics don’t disappoint either. Throughout his MLB career, A.J. is a .284 hitter, with exactly 500 RBI. And he is not slowing down. In 2008, he kept it up with a .281 average, showing that he can still play. He wants to be playing on the diamond every single day, although others want to prevent injury and give him a rest. But there is no resting for A.J. He gives it his all, well, all the time, whether cheering on the bench, or on the field. And with the White Sox going through a “youth movement”, Pierzynski is the perfect fit to help tutor the young players.

But when Pierzynski is getting a break, who will be filling in at catcher? Toby Hall won’t be back on the South Side. Cole Armstrong, who has not played in an MLB game, will most likely take the role as back-up.

The truth with Armstrong, is no one knows what he can do. He was invited to play for Canada in the World Baseball Classic but declined. He played in AA in 2008, and 2/3 of the way through the season, was promoted to AAA. He improved when he went up to play in AAA. Last year at Spring Training ,many White Sox coaches were impressed at Cole’s ability to field. He could be what the White Sox need to throw out baserunners. If this guy can adjust to the majors, he could be a reliable starter in the future!

Interesting article from Todd Zolecki, Phillies beat writer for MLB.com

The best quote comes from Charlie talking about wrestler Kevin Nash and Ryan Howard.

He’s a pretty big guy,” Manuel said. “I talked to (bench coach) Pete Mackanin. I might want to replace Pete with Kevin Nash as bench coach. That way I can really be a redneck, hard nosed manager.”

I love Charlie. He speaks the truth. He’s very understated, but when he does speak, he spits out some great lines.

In Pedro Feliz news:

Pedro Feliz fielded ground balls for the first time.

“Look, he may miss some itme, but it won’t be much,” Manuel said. “Again, he might not miss any. We’ll probably know more about that in another two or three weeks.

I find it funny that Chase Utley had major hip surgery and is already ahead of Feliz on the rehab. I love Pete Happy for his defense, but he needs to step it up on the offensive side this season.

-KK