2013 San Francisco Giants Thread

Originally posted by Rubberneck36:

a message from the man, Larry B


__________


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Dear Giants Fan:

Thank you.

For years we have admired and appreciated the enthusiasm and loyalty of our fans.

This season I was awestruck.

No team in baseball has what we have. Not even close.

As we dropped in the standings after our World Series Championship season, you stuck with us. Game after game, you fired up grills in the parking lots. You wore your Panda and Giraffe hats, your Angel halos, your Gamer Babe T-shirts. You brought your gloves and your babies, your blankets and your scorecards. You showed up in such great numbers on the road that sometimes it seemed that every game was a home game.

And even during the roughest stretches, you brought such energy and optimism that our players – your players – poured everything they had onto the field. The day we were mathematically eliminated from contention, Brandon Belt hit a walk-off single in extra innings that had his teammates mobbing him on the field as if the pennant hung in the balance. Three nights earlier, Giants newcomer Yusmeiro Petit came within one pitch of a perfect game – a gritty, electrifying performance that pulled all of us out of our seats. In Los Angeles a week later, we took three of four from the first-place Dodgers behind Hunter Pence's jaw-dropping five home runs and 12 RBIs.

I could not have been prouder of how our team faced the setbacks and disappointments of this long and difficult year. There isn't a more competitive, hard-working and close-knit collection of players in the game. To the end, they were driven and focused. They pulled together. They played, as Tim Lincecum said, "with a purpose every game regardless of the standings." That purpose in the final weeks: Preparing themselves for 2014.

The same has been true for the front office and coaching staff. The baseball operations department -- coaches, scouts, administrators – is already examining what we could have done differently and what we can learn moving forward. Was there a way to mitigate the impact of losing our leadoff hitter for 84 games, our fifth starter for 69 games, two key relievers for a combined 113 games and our All-Star third-baseman for two different stints on the DL? Could we have rushed minor-leaguers onto the roster to plug those holes without compromising their long-term development? Was there a better way to support players fatigued from shortened off-seasons two of the last three years and, for some, a shortened spring training?

We are fortunate to have fans who understand the complexities of a baseball season. To field a contender year after year, an organization has to fill immediate needs while developing young players through the farm system. General manager Brian Sabean and his staff do a superb job at both. They have acquired key players through trade and free agency. And no staff has been smarter or more consistent in preparing prospects for the Major Leagues. We have more homegrown players on our roster than almost any team in the Major Leagues: Posey, Cain, Bumgarner, Romo, Lincecum, Sandoval, Crawford, and Belt. And there are more in the pipeline: This season our seven minor-league teams finished No. 1 among all MLB teams in overall winning percentage.

We're thrilled that Hunter Pence will be a San Francisco Giant for the next five years, keeping together a strong, young core of players that includes All-Stars Buster Posey, Madison Bumgarner, Sergio Romo, Matt Cain and Pablo Sandoval. And we're working hard to keep Tim Lincecum and Javier Lopez.

I won't pretend our road will be easy in 2014. The competition in the NL West is as formidable as it has ever been. In response to our two World Championships, our division opponents have stocked their rosters. As vigorously as we're working to bolster our lineup for next year – filling spots in our starting rotation and the outfield in particular – we won't change who we are. Giants' baseball is team baseball, look-into-each-other's-eyes baseball. We'll battle our division rivals inning-by-inning, game-by-game, with the smartest manager in baseball, Bruce Bochy, calling the shots.

We have one goal: To contend for the championship every single year. Your energy and loyalty are integral to that goal. Hunter perfectly captured the unusual, powerful relationship between our players and our fans in accepting his Willie Mac Award last week. "I'm not going to say you're the best fans in the world. You're more than that. You're a part of the heart and soul of this team."

Again, thank you. We will keep you posted about moves and signings during the off-season. And we'll see you at Giants gatherings during the winter and on February 1 at Fanfest to kick off a new season, a new start.

good s**t, Larry. you have me hyped for next season already.

Originally posted by boast:
good s**t, Larry. you have me hyped for next season already.

Still will have blanco as our LF.

Originally posted by pdizo916:

Originally posted by boast:

good s**t, Larry. you have me hyped for next season already.

Still will have blanco as our LF.

Cespedes for posey

Originally posted by InconvenienTTruth21:

Originally posted by pdizo916:

Originally posted by boast:
good s**t, Larry. you have me hyped for next season already.

Still will have blanco as our LF.

Cespedes for posey

No Posey for you.

Originally posted by boast:

good s**t, Larry. you have me hyped for next season already.

Ya, I like it. Guess you were the first person to actually read it. Hope he pulls something off.

Happy Birthday, Matt Cain

A few thoughts after the season is over.

1. Pagan's injury really hurt us. When Vogey and Pagan went out, we were in first place and doing fine. We lost a quality pitcher and an explosive player. Pagan's defense is better than advertised, and he always seems to get something going with his bat. In our spacious park, he is a perfect blend of speed and power.

2. After a few years of post-season play, and a 2012 WS run, our pitchers arms were tired. The world baseball classic is a very cool event, and I can see why players want to represent their country, but our pitchers arms were tired and this event caused fatigue half way through the season. I think this is the reason their numbers and performance declined. With a long offseason and no WBC, I think they come back strong again.

3. LF. Obviously we all know Sabean missed the boat here. Blanco, Torres, etc. could have been a great 4th OF player, but not an everyday player. Torres was garbage. Blanco is decent, but lacks consistency.

4. Belt showed if you just leave him in the lineup and hit him 3rd, he will produce. After the numbers he put up after the grip and stance adjustment, I am really excited about Belt next year.

5. Crawford made some great progress this year. I look forward to him next year also. A solid 7th hitter with great defense.

6. Scutaro can hit, but damn his defense sucks. Cost us a few games.

7. Pablo lost some weight late in the season and his productivity increased. He is also injury prone when heavy. I hope he realizes that and finds a happy medium. I dont think he needs to be super fit and skinny, just in shape. The WBC didnt help last offseason as he started the season fat. I hope we see the Pablo of the second half to start the season.

8. Posey is great. We did a good job of resting him, I love the dude.

9. Pence was great for us this year, and I believe he is our leader. We over paid, but I am happy to have a good defender, who can hit, steal bases and is still young.

10. Romo is a solid closer. /discussion.

11. Timmy looked much better at the end of the year learning to pitch instead of throw. I think he can still be a solid SP, but I hope we dont over pay.

12. The bullpen is missing a few pitchers. If we keep Javy, and Affeldt is healthy, we have great lefties. We have a solid closer, and a few hard throwing righties. We need to give up on a few guys like Kontos and look for depth. A few guys that pitched late in the year, including our almost perfect game kid should help. Look for Hembree to get a shot.

13. We need to look for a solid LF. I am interested to see the early season spring games to see who can come in and play from the minors.

14. Hector is our backup catcher. I think he made that statement. Injuries set him back this year, but he is back and hitting well. Hope his D improves.

15. Sabs, take a look at some of these international players please!

16. Boch is a great manager. /discussion.

17. Arias is a solid backup infielder. He can play anywhere. I wouldn't be surprised to see him pitch 5 strong innings in relief. Dude can just play.

I look forward to next year. Wasnt our year for sure. The NL West has changed, we need to be smart on our spending. We have to target a few guys. I think a LF should be attracted to us for the obvious reason; you will START. Thats what you want.

Go G's!

Well said Rub, GO GIANTS!

Originally posted by Rubberneck36:

A few thoughts after the season is over.

1. Pagan's injury really hurt us. When Vogey and Pagan went out, we were in first place and doing fine. We lost a quality pitcher and an explosive player. Pagan's defense is better than advertised, and he always seems to get something going with his bat. In our spacious park, he is a perfect blend of speed and power.

2. After a few years of post-season play, and a 2012 WS run, our pitchers arms were tired. The world baseball classic is a very cool event, and I can see why players want to represent their country, but our pitchers arms were tired and this event caused fatigue half way through the season. I think this is the reason their numbers and performance declined. With a long offseason and no WBC, I think they come back strong again.

3. LF. Obviously we all know Sabean missed the boat here. Blanco, Torres, etc. could have been a great 4th OF player, but not an everyday player. Torres was garbage. Blanco is decent, but lacks consistency.

4. Belt showed if you just leave him in the lineup and hit him 3rd, he will produce. After the numbers he put up after the grip and stance adjustment, I am really excited about Belt next year.

5. Crawford made some great progress this year. I look forward to him next year also. A solid 7th hitter with great defense.

6. Scutaro can hit, but damn his defense sucks. Cost us a few games.

7. Pablo lost some weight late in the season and his productivity increased. He is also injury prone when heavy. I hope he realizes that and finds a happy medium. I dont think he needs to be super fit and skinny, just in shape. The WBC didnt help last offseason as he started the season fat. I hope we see the Pablo of the second half to start the season.

8. Posey is great. We did a good job of resting him, I love the dude.

9. Pence was great for us this year, and I believe he is our leader. We over paid, but I am happy to have a good defender, who can hit, steal bases and is still young.

10. Romo is a solid closer. /discussion.

11. Timmy looked much better at the end of the year learning to pitch instead of throw. I think he can still be a solid SP, but I hope we dont over pay.

12. The bullpen is missing a few pitchers. If we keep Javy, and Affeldt is healthy, we have great lefties. We have a solid closer, and a few hard throwing righties. We need to give up on a few guys like Kontos and look for depth. A few guys that pitched late in the year, including our almost perfect game kid should help. Look for Hembree to get a shot.

13. We need to look for a solid LF. I am interested to see the early season spring games to see who can come in and play from the minors.

14. Hector is our backup catcher. I think he made that statement. Injuries set him back this year, but he is back and hitting well. Hope his D improves.

15. Sabs, take a look at some of these international players please!

16. Boch is a great manager. /discussion.

17. Arias is a solid backup infielder. He can play anywhere. I wouldn't be surprised to see him pitch 5 strong innings in relief. Dude can just play.

I look forward to next year. Wasnt our year for sure. The NL West has changed, we need to be smart on our spending. We have to target a few guys. I think a LF should be attracted to us for the obvious reason; you will START. Thats what you want.

Go G's!

i'm drinking the KoolAid

I really hope Baer follows through and signs a legit OF to complement Pence and Pagan.

Originally posted by VaBeachNiner:
I really hope Baer follows through and signs a legit OF to complement Pence and Pagan.

maybe an intl player.


I think the most likely scenario is they'll trade a young pitcher like blackburn + filler for a decent OF.

Originally posted by pdizo916:

Originally posted by VaBeachNiner:
I really hope Baer follows through and signs a legit OF to complement Pence and Pagan.

maybe an intl player.


I think the most likely scenario is they'll trade a young pitcher like blackburn + filler for a decent OF.

Agreed. I think they'll either re-sign Timmy or spend big bucks on 1 more SP, but they'll address LF the same way they obtained Pagan and Melky.

No. 12 is a biggie for me. A dominant bullpen was always a huge key to our success. It simply wasn't that good last year.

Originally posted by OregonDuckNiner:
No. 12 is a biggie for me. A dominant bullpen was always a huge key to our success. It simply wasn't that good last year.

I think Chad Gaudin moving to the starting rotation affected that BP to a degree.

Bobby Evans had a real good interview on 95.7 The Game with Bucher&Towney yesterday. Just some things he mentioned:

• Everyone valued Pence as a leader, competitor, his durability, and the way he represents being a Giant
• There is mutual interest from the Giants and Timmy's people in resigning
• They're doing their homework with international players
• Got to see Abreu and was really impressed with his defense at 1B but understands the market for him will be fierce. Believes Abreu may go where the money is.
• Would seriously consider Belt to LF if Abreu were to come in and play 1B