2009: A Giant dynasty

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Opening Day!
San Francisco Chronicle
4-6-2009

Opening day is finally here for the Giants. The Giants play this afternoon in Los Angeles, pitting the NL Cy Young award winner Tim Lincecum against Chad Billingsly.

Injuries:
Giants- none
Dodgers- Furcal for 7-8 more weeks; Jonathan Broxton for 5 weeks.

Dick Fieldman

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Giants Dominate the Opener; Beat LA 11-0
San Francisco Chronicle
4-7-2009

If the Giants can play like this everyday watch out. Lincecum scattered 4 hits over 7, striking out 6. Lowry and Taschner finished the 4-hit shutout. Rowand hit a 2 out RBI in the first. Sandoval put the game away with a grand slam to right field in the 6th. Aaron Rowand got his first homerun of the year in the 7th.

When asked if he has been working on his power in the off season Sandoval replied "We beat the Dodgers man! We're in first place in our division, in the league! I'm sorry what was the question?"

Guillermo Mota tore a muscle in his back throwing a pitch and is out for the season.

Tomorrow nights matchup sends Matt Cain to the hill against Hideki Kuroda

Dick Fieldman

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Tough Loss
San Francisco Chronicle
4-8-2009

The Giants trailed 5-1 going into the 8th and looked lifeless when out of no where they scored 5 runs to take the lead. Then Sergio Romo, after retiring the first 2 batters gives up three consecutive hits, 2 runs and takes the loss.

Tonight's game is an interesting matchup putting the very old Randy Johnson against the very young Clayton Kershaw. Two talented lefties from different generations. Who will prevail?

Dick Fieldman

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Come From Behind, Bullpen Hangs On
San Francisco Chronicle
4-9-2009

The Giants score 2 in the 5th and one on the 7th to win 3-2. Randy Johnson notched his 296th victory going 6.1 innings, giving up both Dodger runs. Brian Wilson got his first save, giving up a hit and a walk.

Sandoval had a tough day, though he did get the game tying RBI.

1st AB: First and second, 0 out; K
2nd AB: First and second, 1 out; popout
3rd AB: Second, 2 out; RBI single
4th AB: Third, 2 out; Ground out
5th AB: First and third, 2 out; K

Off day tomorrow, then to Milwaukee. Jonathan Sanchez vs. Braden Looper. The Brewers are 0-2 and have lost Alcides Escobar for the season and Matt Gamel for 4-5 more weeks.

Dick Fieldman

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Giants win 3-1 to move to 3-1
San Francisco Chronicle
4-11-2009

Jonathan Sanchez hit an RBI double to score the first run of the game and threw 7.1 innings of shutout ball to earn his first win. Brian Wilson got his second save, though rocky, giving up the Brewers lone run. Frandsen started his second game in a row, and is hitting .700 and looks to have won the second base job for now. Sandoval is struggling and is going to get today's game off. Ishikawa is also struggling at this point. None are feeling as bad as AA Conneticut Defender Daryl Maday. The pitcher is supposed to be out for the next 11 months. Ouch.

Barry Zito, who had a terrible Spring, will attempt to keep the Brewers bats in check for another night.

Dick Fieldman

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Zito Gives up 5 in 5
San Francisco Chronicle
4-12-2009

Zito was not sharp, giving up 5 runs in 5 innings as the Giants lose to the Brewers 6-3. Lowry pitched the final 3 innings giving up a HR to Bill Hall, the first batter he faced before shutting the door the rest of the way. Rowand hit is second HR of the year, only the third for the Giants in their first 5 games. Today the rubber match as Lincecum goes against Looper.

Dick Fieldman

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Giants Win the series, move to 4-2
San Francisco Chronicle
4-13-2009

Lincecum gave up 1 run over 6 innings striking out 9 getting his second in of the year. Taschner pitched the final three for a long save giving up 2 in the 9th on a HR by Weeks. Sandoval and Ishikawa continue to struggle as both are hitting below .150, though Ishikawa got a key 2 RBI hit today. Tomorrow the Giants habe their home opener against the Padres. The Padres are 4-3 and will be playing without Headley and Gerut (injuries), or Eckstein (suspension).

Dick Fieldman

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Too Little Too Late
San Francisco Chronicle
4-14-2009

The Giants drop to 4-3 as a ninth inning rally fell short, final score 9-7. Sandoval is hitting under .100 and is really slumping. Cain gave up 7 runs in 5 innings. The Giants simply have n offense, and when their pitching struggles it is just impossible to win. Even though they ended up scoring 7 runs and had the tying run on second, it just never felt like they had a chance. At first glance, it doesn't look like the number one farm system is going to offer much help as they are struggling as well. I'll offer a full organization report every Monday starting next Monday.

Dick Fieldman

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Big Unit + K-Fran = Win; Blockbuster trade
San Francisco Chronicle
4-15-2009

The Big Unit pitched a complete game, giving up 2 runs to earn his 297th career victory, moving to 2-0 on the year. Frandsen homered, and the ice cold Sandoval went 1 for 4 to raise his average.

The big news is the trade after the game. The Giants sent Rowand, Winn, and 4 minor league players (all organizational depth with little to no chance of reaching the majors) for Travis Buck, Sean Doolittle, and Andrew Lambo. I have some serious problems with this trade. First, it saves the Giants 18M going from 12M under to 6M budget room. It is great from that standpoint. But, Rowand and Winn are both still pretty good. So far there has been no backlash from the fans but we'll see.

Rowand had 2 of the Giants 4 homeruns. Winn was hitting over .300 with a VORP of 3.7, and had swiped three bases.

Travis Buck is off to a hot start with 3 homeruns and hitting over .400. Time will tell if this is a good deal, but at this point, this writer says no. And they can't even alter their scouting budget in the middle of the season, so this extra cash does necessarily lead to international free agents.

And to play center, the Giants called up 23 year old Julio Borbon from A ball. I mean, I nkow he is a highly touted prospect, but is it necessary to rush him along like this? Again, we'll see, but Reed Stevenson is really out on a limb with this trade and roster move if you ask me.

Third rubber match in three series today. So far the Giants have won all their rubber matches and therefore series. Sanchez looks to continue on his strong first outing.

Dick Fieldman

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Does Reed Stevenson Sleep?
A Giant Blog
4-15-2009

In a move that I like, but early fan response does not, the Giants ship out Zito and his enormous contract to Seattle. The Giants also give up Ishikawa, Burriss, Downs, Velez, Bowker, and 2.8M. Ishikawa struggled too much, Burriss got beaten out with an early strong showing by Frandsen, and a couple AAA prospects who should be able to play but won't be all stars.

In return, The Giants get Beltre, Morse, and Johjima. The Giants don't free up any money this year, but the three players they get in return are on one-year deals, and Zito was signed long term. Beltre will provide some power and good defense, allowing Sandoval to move to first and out of the three hole. This may relieve some of the pressure on him, and hopefully he can find his swing. Morse becomes the utility infielder to replace Burriss, and Johjima has not been added to a roster and I have a hunch the Giants are just going to eat his salary if they can't trade him and release him.

Misch has been called up to take Zito's spot in the roation as Stevenson apparently doesn't want to rush any of the young pitchers. Word is Mark Redman has been offered a minor league deal to slip into the AAA rotation.

Dick Fieldman

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Buck Goes Deep, Giants Win the Series
San Francisco Chronicle
4-16-2009

Sanchez pitched 8 innings, striking out 8, and giving up a lone run as he tired in the 8thi inning. Travis Buck homered in his first game as a Giant, and Fred Lewis lead off the bottom of the first with his first homerun of the year. Julio Borbon went 2-3 in his major league debut. Giants win 5-1 and move to 6-3 on the year. They have won every series 2 games to 1.

Tonight they open a four game series at home against the Cardinals. Misch will make his first start of the year, going against Wainwright. Jason Motte will miss the series for the Cardinals. The Cardainls, in seperate deals have traded Duncan and Ankiel away, and in return received Polanco and a relief pitcher Joe Nelson. They are currenlty 7-2 with an offense leading the league in most categories. Great first team for Misch.

Dick Fieldman

[Klew1986]

I like this dynasty so far. Just wondering, do you have AIM? It would be cool to share tips and stuff about our games.

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Originally Posted by Klew1986

I like this dynasty so far. Just wondering, do you have AIM? It would be cool to share tips and stuff about our games.

Thanks. I'm having a lot of fun with it. I don't have AIM, but feel free to send me a pm through these boards. I'm new to this game so don't know how many tips I could offer, but would be very interested in sharing what I do know, and getting tips and info from you as well.

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Mike "Walk Off" Morse; Tough News on the Farm
San Francisco Chronicle
4-17-2009

Mike Morse got his first AB as a Giant in the bottom of the 9th inning with two outs in a tie ball game. What does he do, simply rips a single into left center to send the Giants players and fans home happy. What a great way to get your teammates to accept you. Sandoval has 5 hits in the last 2 games and it seems his slump is over. Moving to first base, and 6th in the lineup seemed to do the trick. Renteria still has not found his swing, and was supposed to be up in the ninth when Tony Madrid made the brilliant (questionable at the time) move to pinch hit for him with Morse. Misch pitched a great game giving up only two runs for the no-decision. Sergio Romo got the win.

The Giants got 12 hits, but only scored three runs. There really is a severe lack of power as Buck had the lone extra base hit, a double.

News out of Fresno, the AAA affiliate, is that Brian Horwitz suffered an injured back and his career is over. He was the starting RF, and a great guy in the clubhouse. It's tough to see these injuries happen.

Dick Fieldman

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Lincecum 3-0, Giants 8-3
San Francisco Chronicle
4-18-2009

The Giants win again as they beat the Cardinals 9-1. This is two wins in a row against the Cardinals, so they will at worst get a split, at best a sweep. This series is a real test for the young team, and this has to give them a lot of confidence. Sandoval had another 3 hits, including a homerun. Frandsen also went deep in the game. Lincecum only gave up one unearned run through 6, striking out 7. Morse got the start for the slumping Renteria and went 2 for 2.

The Giants have contract offers out to Miguel Cairo and Ryan Langerhans. They both already have turned down minor league contracts but seemed receptive to a big league offer. As I understand, they would provide depth at Fresno, and only be called up in case of emergancy. Since no one else has taken a chance on them, it might be time for them both to decide whether they want a paycheck or retire.

I was just informed that Winn is not projected to net any compensation through FA, lessening the blow of trading him away. The newly aquired Beltre is projected as a type A FA thus should net 2 additional draft picks if the Giants do not extend or resign him.

Today Cain looks for his first win, going against the 1-1 Chris Carpenter.

Dick Fieldman

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Bring Your Brooms!
San Francisco Chronicle
4-19-2009

The Giants are looking to complete a 4 game sweep after winning game 3 against the Cardinals 7-2. Cain got his first win of the year, striking out 8 in 7 innings. Beltre went deep twice, and Sandoval collected 2 hits and 3 RBI's.

Dick Fieldman

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No Sweep; A Weird Trade; an Organizational Report
San Francisco Chronicle
4-20-2009

There would be no 4 game sweep, and this was clear from early on as the Giants lose 9-1. Randy Johnson got his fair share of K's but also gave up 8 runs, 7 of them earned. Renteria is still mired deep in a slump.

The Giants signed Langerhans and Cairo, but in a strange turn of events, both refused to play in AAA. Reed Stevenson immediately flipped htem to the White Sox, along with C's Adam Witter and Hector Quinones. In return the Giants get Brent Lillibridge, and Brian Anderson. I feel like Adam Witter could have gotten a better return, but all-in-all, not bad.

This Monday I wanted to take a look at the organization.

MLB

The Giants are 9-4 exceeding expectations. All positions are playing wwll except Renteria at SS, and Molina at C. The bench is hit and miss, getting good play out of Max Ramirez, and Jesus Guzman, but Aurilia, Roberts, and Schierholtz are struggling.

The pitching has been fantastic, starting and bullpen.

AAA

The Grizzlies are 5-6. On offense, Posey, Gillaspie, and Lambo are the top prospects. All three are struggling to date. As for the pitchers, Alderson has dominated, while Matt Harrison had one good and one bad outing.

AA

The Defenders are also 5-6. Elvis Andrus is the top offensive prospect and is struggling. Neftali Feliz is 2-0 but with an ERA in the mid-4's.

A+

The Giants are an abyssmal 2-9. Engel Beltre, Nick Noonan, Jackson Williams, Carlos Triunfel, and Angel Villalona are all struggling. In 2 starts, Bumgarner has an ERA over 11.

A

The Greenjackets are 8-3. Wendall Fairley has been okay to date.

Summary

For an organization bubbling with talent, the numbers are not there yet. It is early and the parent organization is playing well, but I'm sure the Giant front office is keeping a close eye on this, especially since many of th trades ahve been to boost the farm system even more.


Arizona is coming to San Francisco for a 3 game series. The D-backs currently trail the Giants by half a game. Stephen Drew was traded to the Blue Jays for Casey Janssen, and are at full health.

Dick Fieldman

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These Kids Don't Know When to Quit
San Francisco Chronicle
4-21-2009

Jonathan Sanchez gave up 5 runs, and walked 7 in 5 innings. The score was 6-1 Diamondbacks when the Giants scored two in the bottom of the 7th on a Travis Buck double. They then scored 10 in the bottom of the 8th to win 13-6. This is how the bottom of the 8th went:

Pitching: RHP Juan Cruz
Batting: RHB Max Ramirez	Base on Balls
Pitching: LHP D. Slaten
Batting: SHB P. Sandoval	0-0: Hit by Pitch M. Ramirez to second
Batting: LHB D. Roberts	2-2: SINGLE (Line Drive, 6D) M. Ramirez to third P. Sandoval to second
Pitching: RHP C. Qualls
Batting: RHB E. Renteria	Wild Pitch! M. Ramirez scores P. Sandoval to third D. Roberts to second Base on Balls
Pitching: RHP T. Pena
Pinch Hitting: LHB J. Borbon	2-2: DOUBLE (Groundball, 3L) P. Sandoval scores D. Roberts scores E. Renteria to third Runner from 3rd tries for Home, SAFE, no throw or cutoff
Batting: LHB F. Lewis	3-2: Fly out, F7 (Flyball, 78M)
Batting: RHB K. Frandsen	0-1: Ground out 5-3 (Groundball, 56)
Batting: LHB T. Buck	0-1: TRIPLE (Flyball, 8RM) J. Borbon scores
Batting: RHB A. Beltre	2-1: 2-RUN HOME RUN (Flyball, 7D), Distance : 386 ft
Pitching: RHP J. Rauch
Batting: RHB M. Ramirez	1-2: SINGLE (Line Drive, 9S)
Batting: SHB P. Sandoval	0-0: SINGLE (Flyball, 7S) M. Ramirez to second
Batting: LHB D. Roberts	1-2: TRIPLE (Flyball, 9LD) M. Ramirez scores P. Sandoval scores
Pitching: RHP C. Janssen
Batting: RHB E. Renteria	Passed Ball! D. Roberts scores 1-1: Fly out, F8 (Flyball, 8RXD)

Now that is an exciting game, putting the Giants in first place in the division. Slumping Renteria went 2-4. Frandsen and Max Ramirez each had three hits, and Buck had 3-RBI's. Howry ended up with the win.

Dick Fieldman

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Giants Look to Sweep Division Rivals
San Francisco Chronicle
4-22-2009

Giants take game 2 of the three game series against the Diamondbacks 3-1. The Giants are now 11-4, with a 2.5 game lead in the division. Misch pitched 8 strong innings and Wilson shut the door for his third save. Lewis went deep for the second time, Frandsen collected three more hits, and Buck stayed hot with a pair of hits, one a triple. Tonights game, Lincecum vs. Webb. Wow, I can't wait for this matchup.

Disc Fieldman

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Sweep!
San Francisco Chronicle
4-23-2009

The Giants swept the Diamondbacks and Lincecum improves to 4-0 on the year. Guzman hit a 2 RBI double to give the Giants the lead for good in the sixth inning. Julio Borbon was injured unfortunately and looks to miss 2 weeks. Newly acquired Brian Anderson was called up to take his spot on the roster.

The Giants have an off day before heading to St. Louis for the weekend.

Disc Fieldman