Jun 01 2006 04:37 PM
Edited 1 time(s), most recently on Jun 02 2006 02:09 AM
DocTee wrote me saying he's out of town and having trouble posting his Gigantic thoughts. He sent me a copy and I post it here.
Another baseball axiom proved true: “teams are a reflection of their manager” and both skipper Felipe “Fossil” Alou and the Giants are old. The Giants sport one of the NL’s most veteran lineups, with Barry Bonds (41), Steve Finley (41), Moises Alou (39) Omar Vizquel (39), and Jose Vizcaino (38) getting significant playing time. But the team has prospered in the resurgent NL West, largely due to the inspired play of youngsters like Lance Niekro (son of Joe and nephew of Phil), the steady Pedro Feliz, and a solid starting staff that features veterans Jason Schmidt and Matt Morris, rookie Matt Cain and the serviceable Jamey Wright.
The Giants are also strong defensively up the middle, with a trio of perennial Gold Glovers: SS Omar Vizquel (10) CF Steve Finley (4) and C Mike Matheny (3). Their defensive ability and veteran composition means that the Giants rarely beat themselves; the key seems to be to get into their bullpen, anchored by Steve Kline and Armando Benitez. Omar Vizquel (7/10), quietly having an All-Star campaign, is the only real base-stealing threat on this squad.
Currently the Giants sit in 5th place with a record of 27-26.
It’s only a matter of time, methinks, before age and injuries doom this team. Then again, GM Brian Sabean is one of the shrewdest executives around, and he has a penchant for adding the needed parts at the trade deadline.
Projected Lineup:
AVG | HR | RBI | OBP | SLG | |
| C Mike Matheny | .231 | 3 | 18 | .276 | .338 |
| 1B Lance Niekro | .250 | 4 | 20 | .300 | .393 |
| 2B Ray Durham | .240 | 4 | 21 | .314 | .392 |
| 3B Pedro Feliz | .263 | 9 | 35 | .294 | .455 |
| SS Omar Vizquel | .318 | 3 | 22 | .419 | .455 |
| LF Barry Bonds | .254 | 7 | 20 | .482 | .483 |
| CF Steve Finley | .255 | 2 | 23 | .343 | .425 |
| RF Moises Alou | .378 | 7 | 25 | .436 | .671 |
Bench
AVG | HR | RBI | OBP | SLG | |
| OF Randy Winn | .265 | 5 | 24 | .341 | .417 |
| 1B Mark Sweeney | .264 | 3 | 19 | .313 | .481 |
| IF Jose Vizcaino | .188 | 0 | 2 | .291 | .203 |
| C Todd Greene | .375 | 0 | 2 | .390 | .550 |
Probable Starters
| W-L | IP | ERA | WHIP | K/9 | AVG | |
| RHP Matt Cain | 3-5 | 55 | 5.07 | 1.27 | 6.55 | .226 |
| RHP Jamey Wright | 5-4 | 67 | 4.43 | 1.34 | 4.43 | .264 |
| RHP Matt Morris | 3-6 | 65 | 5.40 | 1.40 | 4.29 | .267 |
Cain: After skipping a turn in the rotation to get back in the groove, Cain responded with a complete-game one-hitter at Oakland on May 21, and looked just as dominant at the beginning of his next start, when he struck out the side to open Saturday's home game against the Rockies. But even though he kept Colorado hitless until the fourth, Cain struggled with command of his offspeed pitches, walking five in 5 2/3 innings.
Wright: Wright had his shortest outing of the season in his last start on Sunday against the Rockies. He went just 3 2/3 innings and gave up six runs --- all in the fourth inning --- on 10 hits. Wright will look to get his sinker back, but has not faired well against the Mets and is 1-3
lifetime with a 5.63 ERA.
Morris: Morris allowed only six hits over six innings last Monday, but lost, 5-1. The veteran had little run support, with manager Felipe Alou commenting on players being tired from the long overnight flight from the West Coast. Morris is now 1-6 with two no-decisions over his last nine outings after starting the season 2-0.
Bullpen:
| W-L | IP | ERA | WHIP | K/9 | AVG | |
| CL Armando Benitez | 3-0 | 11.1 | O.79 | 1.59 | 5.56 | .275 |
| LHP Steve Kline | 1-1 | 14.1 | 3.14 | 1.60 | 5.65 | .250 |
| RHP Kevin Correia | 0-0 | 26.2 | 3.04 | 1.31 | 6.75 | .243 |
| RHP Jeremy Accardo | 0-0 | 21.0 | 3.00 | 1.10 | 9.43 | .205 |
Injuries: P Tim Worrell. 15-day DL, right cervical muscle strain.
EX-Factors: Armando Benitez, Jose Vizcaino
No current Mets have ML ties to the Giants.
Recent History: The teams met in San Francisco at PacBell, I mean, SBC, I mean, AT&T Park, just last month. The Mets took two of three, including an extra-inning affair when Barry Bonds tied the game with a ninth-inning pinch-hit homerun off Billy Wagner. (The Bannister injury game) Matt Cain looked awesome in game 1 — here’s hoping it was a fluke, but recent success, including a CG 1-hitter against Oakland in interleague play — suggests it was not. Relive the series here:
http://www.ultimatemets.com/gamedetail.php?gameno=7079
http://www.ultimatemets.com/gamedetail.php?gameno=7080
http://www.ultimatemets.com/gamedetail.php?gameno=7081
All-Time History: Mets 239 wins, 289 losses
Random Facts: The Giants were originally named the New York Gothams.
Since moving to SF in 1958 the team has not won a championship, despite plenty o’ regular season success.
Twice in recent years the team was on the verge of relocation: in 1976 to Toronto, and in 1996 to Tampa-St.Pete.
Avoid shaking hands with “Never Noivous” Moises Alou.
For a treat, try and catch the hometown announcers: Mike Krukow, Duane Kuiper, Greg Papa and Jon Miller.
The Giants mascot: Lou Seal, is
only marginally more popular than the anti-mascot, "Crazy Crab,”
who graced Candelstick in the early to mid eighties.
Neither can hold a candle to this guy:
Triviality: Name the only players who suited up for all of what were once NY’s teams --- Mets, MFY, Dodgers and Giants --- during their career.
