please let brian go

I’ll start by saying I think picking up Brad Penny is fine. I doubt he’ll amount to much, but he’s cheap and he’s better than Joe Martinez.

But the Giants have more pressing needs than a #5 starting pitcher. They have somehow stumbled into a Wild Card race, and … well, here is their lineup for their first game in September:

Eugenio Velez … this “leadoff hitter” had an OBP of .319 coming into the game.

Edgar Renteria … he doesn’t get on base, doesn’t hit for power, leads the team in GIDP. OPS+ of 74.

Aaron Rowand … probably the “best” hitter in the lineup, he’s hitting .276 w/12 HR, 104 K and 26 BB.

Ryan Garko … the “cleanup” hitter has a SLG Of .341 since joining the Giants.

Juan Uribe … this almost-average hitter (OPS+ 97) is part of the “heart of the order” for this team.

Randy Winn … only marginally better than Renteria at this point, and hitting .162 w/0 HR against lefties this season.

Ryan Rohlinger … career average of .105 coming into the game.

Eli Whiteside … OPS of .588.

Pablo Sandoval, the only guy on the team who can hit, was out with an injury. Bengie Molina can’t hit (OPS+ 85) but he’s better than Whiteside. If you pasted those two guys into the above lineup, you’d have one guy who could hit and seven who couldn’t.

And Brian Sabean went out and got a fifth starter.

Comments

[Charlie Bertsch]

Would you have gone for Thome? Or Jermaine Dye?

Also, what are your thoughts on Jonathan Sanchez now? Does he have the potential to be consistently good?

And is there any chance that Zito has turned a corner that he's not going to reverse himself and turn back around?

[Steven]

Jermaine Dye would have been a good idea. This fellow offers that opinion in slightly more histrionic language:

http://www.onlybaseballmatters.com/archives/2009/09/01/disgusted/

I think/hope Sanchez has blossomed for good. And Zito seems OK for the short term.

But all of those people who think the Giants will be dangerous if they get to the post-season because of their rotation need to accept that a rotation of Lefty Grove/Warren Spahn/Roger Clemens/Greg Maddux wouldn't win a World Series with the hitting the 2009 Giants have. They are 14th in the league in runs scored ... only two teams have scored fewer runs, and one of them, San Diego, is down there mostly because of Petco. Only the Reds have a worse offense than the Giants in the NL.

Like I said a couple of days ago, this has been a fun season. But it's also frustrating, and as long as the Idiot is in the front office, we can expect more of the same. This team has great potential ... hopefully they'll get someone as GM who can take them to the next level.

[Charlie Bertsch]

That dude is worked up! I have to agree with you that the lineup is of historically bad proportions. I often follow games on the computer, where the stats in my face remind of just how little I have to hope for in the next at-bat.

[Steven]

Awhile back, Neal said that the usual pattern for watching a baseball game was to tune in when your team was batting, then take a leak or walk the dog while the other guys hit. But with the 2009 Giants, you watch the pitchers and leave the room when the Giants bat.

[Charlie Bertsch]

Neal is absolutely right! When I'm "watching" on the phone with ESPN's GameCast, that's exactly what I do unless Sandoval is going to be up. But I wasn't fully conscious of this practice until reading your comment.