August 14th, 2009
Of course, we should never read too much into preseason games. Two years ago, when the Niners hosted the Broncos in the preseason, Alex Smith looked pretty good, and that very regular season was remembered for Smith’s struggles, shoulder injury, and the horribly failed experiment of Jim Hostler as offensive coordinator. Having said that, what we know of Mike Nolan as a defensive coach, is that he had a goal to always shut down the running game early. This should create opportunities in the passing game.
Even though he was an awful head coach, Nolan’s idea to shut down the opposing running game early was a good idea. The problem was that his offense spent such little time on the field, his defense eventually became tired, and would give up a lot of rushing yards in the second half. Nolan’s philosophy also exposed areas in his pass defense.
As the Broncos defensive coordinator, we have to believe that Nolan will be looking to stack the line of scrimmage to stop the 49ers ground attack. He might have a good opportunity to do so considering the Jimmy Raye led 49er attack so desperately wants to establish a ground game this year, and also because Frank Gore won’t play. In Denver, there is so much pessimism regarding the Broncos defense, because of their terrible performance a year ago (3rd worst in the NFL in points allowed), there is no doubt that Nolan has motivation to restore fans’ faith in the team. Nolan also wants his defense to feel better about themselves. I doubt another defense in the NFL has gone through as much criticism and scrutiny as the Broncos defense has in the last year. Stopping the run, and forcing the Niners to beat them through the air, may be the best possible way for Nolan to restore his players’ confidence.
For these reasons, I’m not going to go overboard if the Niners tear up the Broncos pass defense tonight, however, there would be some (emphasize on “some”) cause for concern if Shaun Hill and/or Alex Smith aren’t effective throwing the ball. This is still a Broncos defense that is very short on talent. Former Niner Ronnie Fields is probably Denver’s best defensive lineman (as a nose tackle), and we know that Fields would have trouble making the 49ers team this year. (And, it’s not like the Niners have great defensive lineman on their roster.) For all the struggles the Niners have in the pass-rush department, the Broncos have more problems when it comes to finding true pass-rushers in their 3-4 defense. If you factor in the Broncos are trying to work in eight new starters on defense, they obviously should have some issues establishing cohesiveness.
Putting all of this together, Hill and Smith should have success throwing the ball tonight even though this is the first preseason game under a new coordinator. If they do throw the ball well, it won’t mean the Niners will have a good offense. If they don’t move the ball, however, we’re going to have some definite questions heading into the next couple of preseason games.
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Categories: San Francisco 49ers |
Tags: 49ers, A's, Alex Smith, Broncos, Chaz Schilens, Darren McFadden, Darrius Heyward-Bey, Frank Gore, Giants, Gina Carano, Isaac Bruce, JaMarcus Russell, Jimmy Raye, Michael Crabtree, Michael Vick, Mike Nolan, Nomar Garciaparra, Pablo Sandoval, Raiders, Ron Wotus, Ronnie Fields, Shaun Hill, Tim Lincecum | No Comments
August 11th, 2009
Maybe it’s because they haven’t won a championship in San Francisco. Maybe it’s because of all the heartbreaking conclusions to seasons past. Maybe it bugs me more, because I’m too optimistic. (I even joked about the negativity just a few weeks ago.) Whatever it is, Giants fans are, by and large, pessimistic, and the 2009 Giants deserve better. The Giants play the game the right way, and has positioned itself for a pennant chase, despite mostly low expectations.
Sure, I’m as disgusted with Edgar Renteria’s at bats as anybody else. Bengie Molina’s inability to take a pitch drives me nuts. Randy Winn’s plate appearances can take away the optimism from even some of the most ardent fans. Jonathan Sanchez’s inability to get out of fourth and fifth inning jams, despite great stuff, is maddening. The Giants aren’t the only team with problems, however. The Dodger bullpen and rotation depth has been frustrating for their fans. Rockies fans have just about had it with Chris Iannetta, and Jason Hammel certainly doesn’t make them feel any better. You think Cardinals fans enjoy Rick Ankiel, Todd Wellemeyer, and Kyle Lohse?
As said before, every contender in the National League is flawed. There is no reason for Giants fans to feel worse about our problems than anybody else. It’s okay to point out the various inabilities of the team when at the office or the bar, but I have a problem when a packed house, in what is the biggest game of the year to that point, seems to lose all optimism because of one swing of the bat… in the fourth inning! Understandably, this team hasn’t mounted many comebacks this year, but they did come back from two runs down eight days earlier, and from three runs down just five days earlier.
While perusing the McCovey Chronicles Game Thread last night, you’d think the game was over after the Matt Kemp double (which, some would say, it was). There was even an “Open Depression Thread” started in the later innings with the team only down three runs. While I don’t care as much about what is said by those who aren’t at the game, it does give you an idea of the pessimistic nature many, and maybe most, Giants fans have about this franchise.
The Giants are probably the underdog in this 2009 playoff chase. However, that’s a major reason why they the fans to give them that extra adrenaline. Think of the 2007 Warriors upset of Dallas. The Warriors were the underdog, and it might have been a little hyperbole, but the players did say they couldn’t have done it without the fans. For that series, the Dubs had the greatest home-court advantage the NBA had seen in the last ten years. The Giants have a lot of these same types of fans, who try to get the crowd riled up. The problem is for every 7,000 loud die-hards, there are about 20,000 fans who are waiting to jump at the first sign of trouble.
All I ask, as a die-hard Giants fan, is for all of you who go to every game, or just go once in a while, to throw total support this team’s way for these final 21 home games. As an underdog, this team needs it more than others. Sure, the offense will be frustrating, but when we groan about it, we’re not filling in the Giants players on anything they don’t know. In a baseball world that has been obsessed with home runs, this team is still refreshing because they play solid defense and thrive on good pitching. Not to mention, this is still a mostly young team, that is going to need our full support for the next several seasons, when they are consistently in pennant races. So why not cheer as if we’re starting our rebuilding success a year early? After all, whether your optimistic or pessimistic, as die-hard fans, we’re going to be equally disappointed if this team misses the playoffs, right? (more…)
Categories: San Francisco Giants |
Tags: 49ers, A's, Alex Smith, Bengie Molina, Bill Hahn, Bruce Bochy, Buster Posey, C.J. Watson, Cal, Cardinals, Casey Blake, Dave Dravecky, David Forst, Dodgers, Edgar Renteria, Eugenio Velez, Giants, Gio Gonzalez, Jahvid Best, Jonathan Sanchez, Kirk Morrison, Kory Sheets, Mark Ellis, Matt Kemp, Mike Johnson, Mike Nolan, Mike Singletary, Nate Schierholtz, Orlando Hudson, Raiders, Randy Winn, Rich Aurilia, Robert Gallery, Rockies, Shaun Hill, Stanford, Stephen Jackson, Terry Donahue, Travis Ishikawa, Trevor Scott, Warriors, Will Clark, Zach Miller | No Comments
August 7th, 2009
As I watched Livan Hernandez get lit up in San Diego by the worst offense in the league last night, I couldn’t help but think about Omar Minaya and his incompetence as Mets general manager. No matter what your feelings are toward Billy Beane and Brian Sabean, I think it’s safe to say they certainly aren’t among the worst ten general managers in the game (I think they are, at least, in the top fifteen). The thing I can respect about Beane and Sabean is that they have stayed away from old, veteran has-been’s holding down starting rotation spots these last couple of seasons.
There may have been a time when Beane and Sabean turned to retreads, but not anymore (no, Randy Johnson doesn’t qualify considering his sub-4 ERA last season). In today’s game, general managers need to be smart with their payroll and it makes no sense to pay a veteran like Hernandez $2 million (with incentives) or Tim Redding ($2.25 million!!! Is Minaya in bed with Redding’s agent?), when you can easily find a minor leaguer who can do a better job at the minimum salary.
That’s why it’s always better to turn to the Vin Mazzaro’s of the world, or even lesser prospects such as Joe Martinez and Ryan Sadowski. It’s better than the 5.08 and 6.61 ERA’s that the Mets have received from Hernandez and Redding this season. If the Giants and A’s were throwing out these types this season, we’d all have pitchforks.
Omar Minaya sucks, and we didn’t even have to bring up the awful Oliver Perez contract.
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Categories: Oakland A's, San Francisco Giants |
Tags: 49ers, A's, Adam Snyder, Alex Smith, Barry Zito, Billy Beane, Bobby Convey, Brandon Jones, Brian Sabean, Cal, Derrick Burgess, Donte Stallworth, Freddy Sanchez, Giants, Jay Richardson, Jeremy Roenick, Joe Martinez, Jonathan Sanchez, Kenny Stabler, Kevin Riley, Kyle McLaren, Livan Hernandez, Madison Bumgarner, Michael Crabtree, Omar Minaya, Pablo Sandoval, Raiders, Ray Guy, Ryan Sadowski, Sharks, Shaun Hill, Stanford, Tim Redding, Trevor Cahill, Vin Mazzaro, Warriors | 1 Comment
June 18th, 2009
The Giants are leading the wild card! Woo-hoo!!
What’s that? Oh, okay. Not anymore.
Leading the wild card doesn’t mean crap in June. It seems that this “wild card race” is making people forget about what this season is supposed to be about. Yes, the Giants want to make the playoffs and probably believe they’re good enough to be a postseason team. I still think they have a good chance to make the playoffs.
This season, however, is about playing the young players and determining whether or not some of these guys are going to be good enough to go forward, beyond 2009. In the offseason, the Giants will sign a couple of position player free agents and that will take away a couple opportunities from younger players in the system to establish themselves. 2009 is an excellent opportunity to evaluate young position players such as Emmanuel Burriss (although he was certainly given great opportunity), Kevin Frandsen, Travis Ishikawa, Nate Schierholtz, Fred Lewis, and John Bowker (when he gets his chance). It was my understanding that the main goal of 2009 was to find out exactly what the Giants had in these players. This was the year to give them the at bats and the experience, so we can have a better evaluation before the Giants really try to make a run in 2010 and 2011.
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Categories: San Francisco Giants |
Tags: 49ers, A's, Alex Boone, Andres Torres, Bob Geren, Cal, Don Nelson, Emmanuel Burriss, Fred Lewis, Giants, Jack Cust, Jahvid Best, JaMarcus Russell, John Bowker, John Bryant, Jonathan Sanchez, Juan Uribe, Kevin Frandsen, Kevin Love, Kevin Riley, Matt Cain, Michael Wuertz, Nate Schierholtz, Pablo Sandoval, Patrick Christopher, Patrick Willis, Phil Jackson, Phil Mickelson, Raiders, Rajai Davis, Rich Aurilia, Scott McKillop, Shaun Hill, Tiger Woods, Tim Lincecum, Travis Ishikawa, Warriors | No Comments
June 17th, 2009
One of the reasons Clint Hurdle was fired in Colorado was because he couldn’t stick to an everyday lineup. He was constantly moving guys around in the order and in the field. He almost ruined big-time prospect Ian Stewart because of the constant position and lineup changes. And Hurdle played approximately 137 players at second base, including Stewart, over the last season plus. Jim Tracy, meanwhile, has stuck with Clint Barmes, and Barmes and the team have played better since. I’m not saying that is the key to the Rockies improved play, because they were a very underachieving team as a whole. It just helps to have some kind of stability.
I bring it up because Bruce Bochy is on his way to playing about 87 guys at second base this year. Here’s hoping that Kevin Frandsen (sorry, no faith in Matt Downs) is called up on Monday, when he’s eligible, and that Bochy throws him out there everyday until the end of July… at least. Then, the Giants will have a better idea of what to do when the trade deadline hits. Like a lot of fans, I was hoping Frandsen would win the job out of spring training. I was then pleasantly surprised for a moment when Burriss started hitting okay (with zero power). With the 0-for-27 slump, Burriss also hasn’t even been that good defensively, which means a change had to be made. Frandsen obviously doesn’t embarrass himself defensively since the team is willing to play him at shortstop.
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Categories: San Francisco Giants |
Tags: 49ers, A's, Adam Kennedy, Alex Smith, Anthony Randolph, Brad Ziegler, Cal, Damon Huard, Emmanuel Burriss, Giants, J.T. O'Sullivan, Jonathan Sanchez, Kevin Frandsen, Matt Cain, Matt Downs, Matt Holliday, Mike Norris, Mike Singletary, Pablo Sandoval, Sammy Sosa, San Jose State, Sean O'Sullivan, Sharks, Shaun Hill, Stanford, Stephen Curry, Warriors | No Comments
June 10th, 2009
As mentioned yesterday, the Giants almost had to take a pitcher because there were so many good ones, and such few hitters, on the board for that 6th overall spot. I don’t think that Brian Sabean, John Barr, and company drafted Zack Wheeler because they have premeditated intentions to trade one of their top pitching prospects. However, down the road, likely in the offseason, this does clear up an opportunity for the Giants to deal one of their pitching phenoms for some offense.
The phenom who is most likely to go is Tim Alderson. Madison Bumgarner has reached untouchable status, Barry Zito’s contract is untradeable, Jonathan Sanchez is tradeable but won’t fetch mush other than a rent-a-player (if that), there would be a riot if Tim Lincecum were dealt, and Matt Cain could also go, but likely won’t considering his contract is so affordable, and he’s now having his best season (although some would say this offseason would be a perfect time to deal Cain because his value will never be higher). Alderson is the most likely to go during the offseason because, if his solid season continues at Connecticut (27 innings, 2.00 ERA, 1 BB, 24 K’s) he will likely crack Baseball America’s Top 20, and maybe even Top 10, prospects for 2010. (He was a #45 on BA’s list coming into 2009.) Nobody ever trades away Top 20 prospects, but the Giants pitching surplus could put someone on the market that other teams around baseball could be salivating over.
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Categories: San Francisco Giants |
Tags: 49ers, A's, Aaron Cunningham, Barry Zito, Brandon Jones, Brett Favre, Brian Sabean, Cal, Cam Weaver, Chris Wondolowski, Craig Clark, Dick Tidrow, Drew Storen, Earthquakes, Florentino Perez, Giants, Grant Green, Henry Sosa, Jahvid Best, JaMarcus Russell, Jeff Garcia, Juan Uribe, Kenny Diekroeger, Kevin Frandsen, Kevin Johnson, Kevin Pucetas, Madison Bumgarner, Marvin Jones, Matt Cain, Nick Garcia, Nnamdi Asomugha, Pablo Sandoval, Raiders, Randy Bennett, Randy Winn, Sharks, Shaun Hill, Stanford, Tim Alderson, Tim Floyd, Tim Lincecum, Travis Moen, Zack Wheeler | No Comments
June 5th, 2009
There’s a ton of fluff pieces about the great Randy Johnson, and I actually enjoy those pieces, but I like writing about things that no one else is touching on. In this case, it’s one of the things that Johnson said last night.
“I didn’t come here to win five games. I just want to continue on. I want to help this team turn things around.”
Johnson went on to say how much the wins mean to him, as opposed to the strikeouts, because baseball is about winning games, and that’s his goal for the Giants. To help this team win as many games as possible. Whether some people/columnists/experts want to believe it or not, the Giants do have a chance to make the postseason this year. Yes, their lineup is incredibly flawed, but if you play defense and pitch well, you’ve got a chance because everybody is flawed.
So, why not the Giants?
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Categories: San Francisco Giants |
Tags: 49ers, A's, Aaron Cunningham, Alex Smith, Andrew Bailey, Billy Beane, Brett Anderson, Bruce Bochy, Damon Huard, Giants, Joe Staley, Louis Murphy, Matt Cain, Matt Holliday, Nate Davis, Nate McLouth, Patrick Marleau, Paul Wong, Raiders, Randy Johnson, Sergio Romo, Sharks, Shaun Hill, Theo Robertson, Torrey Mitchell | No Comments
