Here's to Hoping I Get to Make Several "House of Cards" Puns in the Near Future

10 years ago, the Giants squared off against the Cardinals in the NLCS. That one worked out pretty well. What I remember most is how quickly it all ended. There were two outs, nobody on, and then...single, single, walk-off single. Just like that. World Series bound. Glorious. Strangely, I remember almost nothing about that series other than that inning. Of course I watched every game, but I was away at college, and was just not as plugged in. And interestingly, it was the result of that World Series that followed that made me the Giants fan I am today. Never forget (believe me, I've tried). But I digress.

Mike Matheny was behind the plate, calling the pitches that led to those 3 quick, glorious singles. Now 10 years later he's managing against Giants. So that's interesting.

By virtue of a miraculous comeback by the Cards, the Giants have homefield advantage in this series. So that's something.

Counterpoint: the Cardinals have some sort of magic pixie dust that gives them incredible eyes at the plate, which allows them to grind out at bats in the most pressure-packed situations, taking balls that are mere inches out of the strike zone, which allows them to make those previously mentioned miraculous comebacks. So are the Cards really the team the Giants want to be facing? I could write about that.

But what I can't get out of my head is this: If Melky Cabrera got suspended about 10 days earlier, he'd be the Giants starting left fielder. But because he appealed the suspension, the sentence was delayed, and it took him through the end of the regular season and first round of the playoffs. The Giants removed him completely from their minds, and now there's a Gregor Blanco/Xavier Nady platoon in left. Had he been eligible to return for the last few games of the regular season, I'm betting they would have welcomed him back, just as they did Guillermo Mota. Having Melky Cabrera on the roster would allow the Giants to not have Nady, have Blanco for speed off the bench, and have Melky Cabrera on the roster. Sure, he'd likely be PED-free Melky. But from what I understand, the testosterone he was taking mainly aided him in recovering from the daily grind of the long season. Kept him fresh. I'm guessing after not playing for 50 games, one is pretty fresh. I'm not saying he'd hit .350. But he's good on defense, and he's good on offense. It's almost as if he's like if you combined Blanco and Nady into one, and then....ah never mind that's not even close. He's simply way better than both.

Maybe there's some sort of clubhouse chemistry thing going on. But you know what also helps clubhouse chemistry? Winning. There's also no doubt that public relations are being considered. But you know what's good for public relations (and revenue)? Winning a World Series. The decision is just....interesting. And I'll leave it at that.

Giants in 7.

Giants Make History, Move on to NLCS

Sometimes, ownage can be a two-way street. For the vast majority of his career, when Mat Latos has faced the Giants, he's basically bent them over a barrel. But when the games have mattered the most, it's the Giants who have had their way with their arch nemesis. In September, 2010, the Giants kicked off their comeback against San Diego by knocking Latos around. I believe Buster Posey contributed with a big fly. Then in Game 162 of that season, we all remember the Johnny Sanchez triple en route to 2 runs and handing him the loss. Posey also added an insurance run late in that game, via a solo shot. Latos struck back in Game 1 of this NLDS, pitching 4 clutch relief innings and giving up just one run (hey, what do you know? It came on a Posey dong-job). Which brings us to the winner-take-all Game 5. With 2 runs already in and the bags loaded, Posey got his man once again. Watching him watch that behemoth blast sail into the upper deck was a thing of beauty. Watching the reactions from the catcher and Latos himself was more than satisfying. Clinching a playoff series is always sweet, but doing it against Mat Latos, whom all Giants fans know is a complete pile, is just perfect. He's got a long offseason ahead of him, and I may write to him every day just to thank him for serving up that pitch to our hero.

After the Posey grand slam, I was comfortable with that 6-0 lead for all of about 5 minutes. Matt Cain immediately began peeing himself, and this game turned out to be nothing short of torturous. Tremendous effort by the defense. Posey's throw, and the catches by Crawford and Pagan all bailed out the Giants' pitching as they navigated through the final 4 innings, all of which were stressful (can I get on Rogaine and send an invoice to the Giants?). Not surprising, considering the new rule the Reds got implemented which allowed them to bring the up top of the order whenever they wanted (at least it seemed that way). Yes, there was something very familiar about this game. It all culminated in another gutsy performance by my favorite Giant, Sergio Romo, who channeled Brian Wilson in earning a 4-out, nothing-easy-about-it Save. That dude is a beast, and it's going to be a shame when he realizes, "hey, I'm the best pitcher on this team. I should be a full-time closer. Who want's to pay me?"

This was a series built on the bullpen for the Giants. While it didn't come through in Games 1 and 2, it was largely responsible for the 3 historic victories. In what will surely turn out to be an underrated performance, George Kontos turned in 3.2 innings, 2 hits, no walks, and no earned runs over 4 appearances. After coming into 2012 as one of the best pitchers in the league, Tim Lincecum was arguably the worst (literally!) in the league by the end of the regular season. So to have him come through with what could be described as a season-saving relief outing in Game 4 was pretty special. He saved the front-line relievers for the decisive Game 5, and they all were needed. You gotta figure he earned a start in the next series.

Speaking of decisions, it should be noted that Bruce Bochy is off to another remarkable start in these playoffs. He's a different manager in the post-season, tailoring all his moves to perfectly fit a short series. It's fun to watch. Yes, that's right. Bruce Bochy: fun to watch. Mind = blown.

I hate the phrase, but there's something about this team that makes you think that they just "know how to win". Whether it's the Pence pre-game speeches, Cain pitching to the score, Bochy's match-up moves, or the bullpen taking it up a notch with runners in scoring position. Maybe after they lost 2 in San Francisco and the world was counting them out -- maybe they had them right where they wanted them. I somehow doubt it was their plan, considering that coming into this series the Reds had not lost 3 in a row at home all year. But this team has made history as the first team to win a best-of-5 series after losing the first 2 at home.

Whatever happens in the NLCS, don't count them out.

Ah, Ah, Ah, Ah, Stayin' Alive, Stayin' Alive

The Giants and Reds have played 28 innings so far in this NLDS. The Giants have had the lead in exactly 1 of them. They've managed a grand total of 4 runs on 13 hits through the 3 games. No starting pitcher has pitched into the 6th inning. Tim Lincecum has pitched out of the bullpen, and Sergio Romo has stepped into the batter's box.

And yet they've staved off elimination to force a Game 4.

In any run to the World Series, a team needs to get some breaks. The Reds got some in Game 1 when the Giants hit a few scorchers right at the defense in RBI situations. In Game 3, the Giants got theirs, taking advantage of a base running mistake in the 1st inning, and a passed ball and mishandled grounder in the last. But certainly credit the pitching staff in this one as well, who allowed just 1 hit after the 1st inning. In a classically gritty Ryan Vogelsong effort, he battled through 5 innings, never giving in to match a nigh-unhittable Homer Bailey. And the bullpen was 2010-esque, in the form of Jeremy Affeldt and Sergio Romo splitting the final four frames. According to Mike Krukow in the post-game discussion, Romo got away with a few hangers, but it's hard to look bad in a 6-up-6-down performance.

Hunter Pence finally showed up in the series. Many Giants will credit his pre-game emotional speech for getting them ready to win. Any team facing elimination always needs that extra motivation, and in this case the Giants got so fired up that they exploded for 1 hit and 1 run through the first 9 innings. Thanks Giant's media, but I'll credit his key hit in the 10th inning while limping down to first base (fighting a calf cramp). He also made a nice diving catch in the 2nd inning.

And so now the Giants are a few hours away from a very winnable, series-tying Game 4. The injury to Reds' ace Johnny Cueto may finally show some benefits to the Giants, as the Reds will trot out Mike Leake (8-9, 4.58 ERA). The Giants are doing their best to keep things fair by handing the ball to Barry Zito, but I, like many Giants fans, have come to gain a strange (but not strong) sense of confidence with him out there over the last couple of months. Why? It's strictly anecdotal. McCovey Chronicles explains that there's not much new about this new Barry Zito. After all, his ERA is the same as it was in 2010 when he was left off the post-season roster. And now he's starting an elimination game. But still! They've won his last 11 starts! And while he'll never live up to his massive contract, he really has a chance to significantly move the needle with the baseball fans of San Francisco. It would also be very easy for him to demolish the bit of good will he's built up, but it definitely shows something that he's getting the ball over Tim Lincecum or Matt Cain on short rest. He'll definitely have a short leash, and even if he pitches adequately, I'm predicting another nice appearance from our boy, Timmy.

Last night the Giants showed up in Cincinatti's rear view. The Reds have got to be a little bit nervous about it.

A's Are In!

Congrats to the Oakland A's on being baseball's best story for the 2012 season so far. (The Orioles are right there in terms on playoff unlikelihood, but they didn't win their division. They still have a game to win before playing in the Division Series. UPDATE: And they did win. Way to go Orange and Black). The A's somehow beat out the Rangers, who are every bit the powerhouse that the Yankees are. Whether you look at this as a magical run by the A's, or a historic collapse by the Texas*, this is quite a story.

How they did it, I have no idea. Seriously, name 4 players on the A's. And now they've suddenly become the team that nobody wants to play. It's not even worth speculating on whether they can continue to ride their all-rookie starting rotation (seriously?!?) to advance, but I'll be rooting for them. In case you haven't noticed, I'm somewhat of a Giants fan. So another shot at the A's in a Bay Bridge 2.0 Series would be ideal. UPDATE/SOMETHING I WISH I WROTE ORIGINALLY: I remember hearing a brief anecdote about the NASA engineers in the '60s, and it went something like this: they were too young and stupid to realize getting to the moon was impossible. Seems like the same attitude may apply here.


*Those poor, poor Rangers. After losing 2 World Series in a row (with the 2nd one being perhaps the worst WS loss in history), the only time during the entire 2012 season they were NOT in first place was at the end of the last game. If they don't win this play-in game against the Orioles...man, it's just agonizing. UPDATE: Yes. Agonizing indeed.

Thoughts Heading Into the NLDS

"Listen, here's the thing. If you can't spot the sucker in the first half hour at the table, then you ARE the sucker."
-Matt Damon in Rounders

Kind of makes you a bit weary heading into this post-season, right? I'm looking around this playoff field in the National League, and I'm not seeing any pushovers. What does that mean about the Giants? Sure, you could argue that they are playing their best ball of the season right now. Winning two out of every three games (or something like that) since Melky went down. But for the last month or so, they've been feasting on the weak competition in the NL West. Frankly, any playoff team should be winning two out of three. And with the starting rotation not having a great September, you can't just point to the Giants' pitching and say everything will be fine. They may be winning at a pretty incredible clip, but they're not playing their best baseball. Speaking of pitching, the Reds have Cueto, Arroyo, and Mat "Joffrey Lannister" Latos. The Nationals lost their best pitcher (by choice!) and still probably have the best rotation of anyone. I'll be rooting for the Cardinals to knock out the Braves, and the Nationals while they're at it, but then suddenly they've got the same magic they had going last year, and who would want to go up against that? It will be very interesting to see how the hitters respond to pitchers qualified to be in the Cy Young discussion, and managers who don't intentionally walk the hitter in front of Marco Scutaro (lol Don Mattingly).

Conclusion: The Giants are in trouble. Good news: So are the Reds. So is every other team still in this thing. 5-game series* are volatile beasts, where blown calls, errors, and Cody Ross can swing the outcome (lol 2010 Braves).

About the roster decisions coming: there aren't that many of them. The choice in the bullpen comes down to Mota, Kontos, or both. I'll trust Bochy in whatever he does. Last time he conducted an award winning symphony with his decision-making, so he's earned my trust here. For position players, there's Xavier Nady, Aubrey Huff, Aubrey Huff's pinch runner, and Eli Whiteside fighting for 2 spots (assuming the Giants bring both Mota and Kontos for a 12-man pitching staff). Huff has certainly earned a spot with his bat and his eye this past month, but the fact that he needs a designated runner diminishes his chances. Nady's right-handed bat does fit better against a heavily left-handed Reds bullpen. Taking Whiteside would allow them to use switch-hitting catcher Hector Sanchez off the bench without worrying about having to use an emergency catcher. So there are definitely a few combinations to consider. But ultimately, it probably won't matter. However they choose 'em, at some point in the series there will be a situation where you say "boy I wish they had chosen abc over xyz".

Really, it's Tim Lincecum who should be the odd man out. In 2010, the Giants only took 4 starters (because that's all you need), and left off Barry Zito. Lincecum's ERA is a full run higher than Zito's was. And yet, in all likelihood in Game 3 or 4, the Giants will hand the ball to their worst, most unreliable starter this year. After a walk, hit, and Joey Votto 3-run homer, he'll get yanked, but the damage will have been done. Vogelsong seems to be very much back on track, but because he's "better suited for the bullpen" than the other guys, he may be hanging out with relievers this month. If Lincecum does get a start, I say let him try to make it once through the order, and if he does, quit while your ahead before the inevitable blow-up. It's happened time and time again this year. To expect anything else would be silly. (Yes, while what I'm writing does make sense to me, it's also a far-fetched reverse jinx attempt to make Lincecum look like The Freak we used to know, in which case then go ahead and let him strike out 14 losers).

Prediction: Giants in 5


*Siri, what's the plural of "series"?

Giants Clinch NL West! Looking Ahead to Playoffs

Last year, whenever the Giants fell behind (even by a run), it was cause for worry. This year? It's no big deal. When the Giants were down 1-0 early last night against the Padres, there were not any anxious feelings of not knowing when or if they'll score. These days, they are putting up crooked numbers on the scoreboard more frequently than any time in the last half-decade. At least it feels that way. Ohmygod, you guys, I just looked it up and the Giants are 5th in the National League in runs scored. 7th in OPS. It's a good thing the World Series will be over by December, because I'm thinking the Mayans may have been onto something (the first indication was when it looked like the Pirates might even finish with more wins than losses, but not even the end of the world is as powerful as the Barry Bonds Curse*)

So how'd we get here? We're not used to describing the Giants as low-stress. But that's exactly what this run has been. Somehow, Posey hasn't slowed down. Pagan has turned out to be one of the most productive leadoff men in the league. If Scutaro played left field, I don't think anyone would have even noticed that Melky got suspended (when he was up last night with 2 outs and runners on 2nd and 3rd, I said out loud "oh good, Scutaro's up. That's 2 more runs." And he delivered as usual). Even Crawford has hit better than expected. Add it all up, and you've got a team who has disposed of their division rivals quicker than any year since 2003.

What if the pitching staff was hucking it like they were in 2010? Good night. The Giants would be the overwhelming favorite to take the trophy home. And that's an exciting thought. This year's staff, personnel-wise, isn't very different from where it was 2 years ago. Voglesong replaced Sanchez, and Brian Wilson is out this year. But other than that, it's built the same. Of course, the biggest difference of all is the quality of Tim Lincecum. And maybe his decline, along with the Wilson injury, is most of what you need to explain why this year's team ERA is 5th best rather than THE best. Last year, the Giants were 55-9 (.859) when scoring 4 or more runs. This year they're 71-19 (.788). Those numbers do a good job explaining the differences between this year's team and last. But yeah, if the pitching resembled what it did in 2010, watch out. Just another reason why it was a sound strategy by the Giants to clinch early -- the starters, as a group, look pretty gassed. I imagine they'll have a light load the rest of the regular season.

Will the hot hitting continue into the playoffs? That question induces less excitement for me. I'm a bit worried Scutaro and the others will fall back to Earth. Not only that, but during this run of catching and then separating themselves from the Dodgers, they haven't exactly faced a ton of playoff aces. And then there's the whole rust vs. rest thing to consider. Still, there's no reason the avalanche of hits can't continue. It only has to last a bit longer.

Circling back to the Melky situation. Pretty crazy that at the time, his suspension was a good candidate for low-light of the season and a turning point for the worse. But since he walked out of the clubhouse without saying goodbye to anyone, they're 25-10. If they make it to the NLCS, should they bring him back? From a baseball point of view, yes. They could use a left-fielder who is competent at the plate. But chemistry-wise, I'm not sure it be wise. Players tend to take it personally when other players use PEDs, as they should. For every player who improves his play by using them, a different player loses his job. So to insert that distraction back int the clubhouse could be trouble. But only the players can speak to that accurately. Would be cool if he became a hero, though.

11 more wins, folks.



*Just in case you're not aware, the Pirates haven't had a winning season since Barry left them. That was 1992. Kneel before Bonds! He went to the Giants in the best free agent signing in the history of sports. Thanks, guys.

The Muscle Melk Man - Building Numbers, Breaking Hearts

Imagine one night you decide not to go to a party, but instead opt to have a quiet evening at a coffee shop. And you meet this girl, who seems pretty and nice and fairly easy to talk to. But after you go out with her a few times, you just can't get enough of her. She's smart, funny, and she seems to get even better looking each time you notice her. Great skin, gorgeous eyes, and an hourglass figure you wouldn't believe. And my god, she's into you too! That never happens! Moreover, you found out from your friends that that party you didn't go to wasn't even that great (so you didn't even give up a lot for the chance to meet this chick). All your friends are like "jebus, how the hell did you score THAT girl?" And you're all like "I know, right?" And after explaining how she didn't used to be this good looking, but it all came together for her a couple years ago, you slyly add,  "and by the way, they're real and they're spectacular".

And then you find out Melky Cabrera tested positive for PEDs. 

Turns out Melky had numbers-enhancement surgery and didn't tell any of us. Personally, I would guess it happened two years ago before he put together a very good season with Kansas City. But this year with the Giants, it was going to a new level. Talk about your all-time too-goo-to-be-true's. The Giants will be without their hit factory for the remainder of the regular season, and the first 5 games of the post-season, if they make it that far. There's no way around it: This. Is. Devastating. 

I'm pretty mad at Melky for this. For making us believe in this great story. For getting our hopes up that he could hit .350 for the rest of the year. I feel sorry for the Melk Men and Maids for idolizing a cheater. [Side note: before you get all puffed up and try to call me out for being a hypocrite because I only have nice things to say about Barry Bonds, remember that Bonds never broke any rules. Melky did]. He broke our hearts, too. 

He was leading the league in hits and runs. By one statistical measure (Baseball Reference's Wins Above Replacement), he is the 4th best player in the league*. There's no way the Giants can replace that kind of production. Buster Posey's shot at 100 RBIs probably just vanished. For the Giants to make the playoffs, everyone will have to step it up. And that includes the pitching. It would be very unwise to count this team out, but also naive to think this isn't a blow to morale. 

Just when things looked like they were falling into place, too. During Tuesday night's win against the Nationals, I remarked to myself "this is probably the best line-up the Giants have put out there this year. Probably in years." A white-hot Posey, Scutaro in for Theriot, Pablo off the DL, Belt on an up-swing of his pendulum season, Hunter Pence figuring things out, and of course Melky, who was the beacon of consistent awesomeness. (McCovey Chronicles, as always, beat me to this point, here and here). 

However, after sorting through all my anger and disappointment, I think I've arrived at a place of "is what it is" nonchalance. After all, if you had told me after the Jonathan Sanchez trade that Melky would be a 4.7 win player in 2012, I would have been thrilled. We already got all the production out of him that we could have expected going into the year. If the Giants fail to make the playoffs, it won't be because of Melky Cabrera. It will be because they weren't good enough, as a team. There's room for improvement with the players already in place that can fill the Melky void. Belt can stay hot. The bullpen can pitch better. Timmy can find mediocrity. Pablo is back. 

Still, this sucks.


*Not to mention the All-Star Game MVP, helping the National League get home field advantage in the World Series. Will the American League representative demand that the All-Star game be replayed? Maybe then Mets fans can do a better job of voting David Wright in.

Three things to watch when the 49ers open their preseason tonight at the Stick

We are finally here folks.  The NFL is back for another season.  I've got to say it's great to start the season without the BS of a labor agreement in flux and having to see Roger Goodell's mug on the tube day in and day out.

The 49ers are currently 8/1 odds to win the Superbowl with only New England and Green Bay ahead of them.  Even though this is not important at all, if I were a betting man these odds look pretty nice right about now.

With that out of the way, let's focus on this week.  What story lines will emerge?  Who will move up on the depth charts?  Here are three things (In no particular order) to watch for tonight at the Stick.

1.) The battle for the back-up QB position.

As it stands right now, Colin Kaepernick is first in line behind Alex Smith.  Look for Johnson to make his mark to take over that spot starting tonight.  Both guys should get plenty of reps and with Johnson's knowledge of Harb's offense he should be able to jump right in and move the ball down the field.

Who do you think will win the spot?



2.) There's a  healthy stable of running backs on the squad... Who's going to shine the brightest (Gore not included)?

La Michael James (LMJ), drafted in the 2nd round of this year's draft has the potential to help his team out immediately.  As most of us know by now, LMJ is a freak of an athlete and his ability to make people miss along with his toughness makes him a leading candidate to become a break out star in his first year in the league.  That being said, the presence of LMJ as well as the addition of veteran Brandon Jacobs to the back field is going to get the best out of every running back on the team.  Along with Gore the Niners have Kendall Hunter and Anthony Dixon.  Look for Hunter and Dixon along with LMJ to get the bulk of the carries tonight.  Don't want to speak too early, but I feel LMJ is going to break a huge one tonight, but them again he's a Duck and now a Niner... What's not to love!?!?!


3.) So the biggest and baddest defense in the league last year return almost everyone... the question is, who are the new guys that are going to be fighting for playing time on the #1 D in the league?

Can't wait for tonight!  Should be fun to watch things unfold.  Harb's has a history to never show his cards in the preseason as well as barely play any starters until the final game, if that.  Have a great weekend!

Whooooo's got it better than us??!?!?!?!

Peace,

Mr. A

A Farewell to Shierholtz

Nate the Great. Nasty Nate. The JuggerNate. These are the nicknames that we as Giants fans won't get to use anymore. At least until we get another dude named Nathan on the team. But Nate Schierholtz was more than just his fun nicknames. I'll miss him, and not just because he and I are body dopplegangers. Plus he gets bonus points for being a local boy.

I'll remember him hitting with no batting gloves. I'll remember him swinging over and over again at that slider on his back foot. Mostly I'll remember his defense. He made sweet sweet love to right field at AT&T Park, and it was a joy to watch. No doubt one of the best arms we've ever seen out there. I'll remember him grabbing and then losing a starting outfield job over and over again. And that, really, will be his legacy. I used to feel sorry for Nate, but the fact is, he never did truly grab the bull by the horns to become a mainstay in the line-up. People would say "just let him play for a whole year and see what he does". But that's not really how it works in baseball, especially in Bruce Bochy's dugout*. If you're one of those guys who "needs to be out there every day", then you're probably not good enough to be out there every day. Nonetheless, Nate Schierholtz was a nice 4th outfielder, and a good Giant.

And with the departure of Schierholtz also comes the end of an era for Giants baseball. With the release of Manny Burriss coming days before the Schierholtz trade, none of those "prospects" from the late '00s remain on the team. Kevin Frandsen, Freddy Lewis, Eugenio Velez, John Bowker, Travis Ishikawa, Matt Downs, Ryan Rohlinger, Brian Bocock, Dan Ortmeier, Manny Burriss, Nate Schierholtz. These names represent the utterly futile efforts of the Giants to develop hitting talent during that decade. This is one era I'm not sad to see end, even though those guys will always hold an ironically special place in my heart. Hopefully the next crop of Belt, Pill, Crawford, Gillaspie, Culberson, and some kid named Posey will do better. (To be fair, Pablo Sandoval is on the borderline, but probably should be included in that first group).

So enjoy Philadelphia, Nasty Nate. You'll no doubt see those numbers get a bump from that band box of a stadium you'll be playing in, and you'll look especially good playing next to Juan Pierre LOL! Here's to hoping you finally get that regular starting job. Good night, sweet prince.



*Unless you're Brandon Crawford.

Reaction to Hunter Pence Trade

"Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it."

"Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results."

These gloomy quotes, from George Santayana and Albert Einstein, respectively, are the first words that came to mind after hearing that the Giants acquired Hunter Pence from the Phillies in exchange for Nate Schierholtz, catcher Tommy Joseph (the organization's #2 rated prospect), and Seth Rosin (a single-A pitching throw-in). The move is eerily similar to last season's deadline acquisition of Carlos Beltran. They gave up a top prospect (last year it was their #1 prospect in pitcher Zack Wheeler) for a hard-hitting right fielder from an NL East team. Last year's didn't work out so well. Of course, that was in no way Beltran's fault. After a minor injury, he raked the ball all over the place while the rest of the offense dried up like beef jerky, leading to a distant second-place finish.

Once again, the Giants have, on paper, the best team in the division, and they've added an upgrade to their offense, which can sputter at times (shocking, I know). They are a better team now than they were before the trade. I wonder by how much though. His numbers this year are really not that great. His .784 OPS is way down from last year's .954. When looking at OPS+ (which adjusts for ballpark and normalizes OPS for easy comparison to the rest of the league), his 109 is actually less than Schierholtz's 115. And he's at least a minor downgrade in right field defense compared to Blanco or Shierholtz. With just 2 months left to go this season, will Pence really make a significant difference in the pennant race?

The good news is that Pence is actually hitting better away from hitter-friendly Philadelphia, and has particularly good numbers at AT&T (.329 average with three doubles and five home runs in 76 career at-bats here). Plus there's the intangibles of giving the clubhouse a boost, and I'm sure the fans will quickly fall in love with his quirkiness and all-out efforts on the field. Once Sandoval returns from injury, the Ginats can trot out a fairly faersome midle of the order. (Yes, those typos are on purpose. I tried several times to type out that sentence correctly, but every time it would immediately crash my computer).

Still, more than anything, this trade highlights once again why the Giants should have just re-signed Carlos Beltran (or not traded for him at all). In this whole saga, I give the front office poor marks for the lack of budgetary foresight when they made that trade combined with cheapness and lack of offensive-fortitude foresight during the offseason. Beltran just stroked his 24th dong-job of the season to put his OPS at .893. The Giants will likely have to pay Pence about $13 million next year, which (look at that!) is exactly what Beltran will make next year.

The fact is there's really no way to evaluate this trade at this time. Tommy Joseph is a good few years away from the majors, and we just don't know how good Pence will hit for the Giants. But with Posey and Hector Sanchez under team control, the Giants are probably set behind the dish for the foreseeable future. So using Joseph as a trade chip was probably the best use for him. In flipping him with Shierholtz, they get a proven star, who hopefully can light a fire and contribute heavily to a World Series run. As I've said before, the window is open now; best to take advantage of it while you can. The Giants are probably a little better right now, and probably a little worse for the future (a thin farm system did just get thinner).

I'm still hoping the Giants' biggest deadline pick-up will be a Tim Lincecum who is worth watching.