4.11.2007
Sweeney's Coming, Everybody Look Busy
Yes, our favorite Giant martyr, nailed to the cross of Barry Lamar and left to hang, is coming back from the limbo of the disabled list either tomorrow or Friday. Roll that stone away, brother, and rise.
So who's the sacrificial lamb? Bruce Bochy seemed to figure out last night that Pedro Feliz isn't getting the job done, hasn't been getting the job done, and will never get the job done. But Feliz is earning $5 million this year, so don't expect the Giants to cut him just yet. (I don't think they can trade him, either, not for a couple months.)
Ryan Klesko isn't going anywhere. He needs to play more, not less, and his time should come at Feliz's expense. Lance Niekro, who made the team thanks to Sweeney's opening-day DL assignment, has gotten all of four at-bats so far. He should only start against lefties, and the Giants have only faced one lefty starter. Plus the team they've played five out of eight times, San Diego, has no lefties in its bullpen. If Niekro stays, his opportunities should come more frequently, but it's telling that on the Giants Web site, Niekro's position is listed as "-".
[Ed. note: If Niekro has any chance to start against a RHP, it'll be tonight. Lifetime he's 7-for-11 with a homer and four doubles vs. Greg Maddux.]
The only guy who's played less and deserves more is Kevin Frandsen. One at-bat in eight games. He's basically a late-inning pinch-runner on this team. Send him down to play everyday in Fresno? It's possible, but team speed will be further diminished. When the game's on the line and Molina gets on base late, Frandsen is valuable.
You have to ask yourself, WWJD: What Would John Schuerholtz do? Because these days, asking "WWBD?" -- What Would Brian Sabean Do? -- is enough to drive anyone to desperately seek relief from a higher power.
*****
NOW LISTENING TO: M. Ward. Fabulous. I love it when my friends turn me on to artists I've never heard before. He could be Cat Power's more talented brother: quietly intense, odd, playful, keenly aware of pop music's roots, but hopefully without the live demonstrations of erratic behavior.
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So who's the sacrificial lamb? Bruce Bochy seemed to figure out last night that Pedro Feliz isn't getting the job done, hasn't been getting the job done, and will never get the job done. But Feliz is earning $5 million this year, so don't expect the Giants to cut him just yet. (I don't think they can trade him, either, not for a couple months.)
Ryan Klesko isn't going anywhere. He needs to play more, not less, and his time should come at Feliz's expense. Lance Niekro, who made the team thanks to Sweeney's opening-day DL assignment, has gotten all of four at-bats so far. He should only start against lefties, and the Giants have only faced one lefty starter. Plus the team they've played five out of eight times, San Diego, has no lefties in its bullpen. If Niekro stays, his opportunities should come more frequently, but it's telling that on the Giants Web site, Niekro's position is listed as "-".
[Ed. note: If Niekro has any chance to start against a RHP, it'll be tonight. Lifetime he's 7-for-11 with a homer and four doubles vs. Greg Maddux.]
The only guy who's played less and deserves more is Kevin Frandsen. One at-bat in eight games. He's basically a late-inning pinch-runner on this team. Send him down to play everyday in Fresno? It's possible, but team speed will be further diminished. When the game's on the line and Molina gets on base late, Frandsen is valuable.
You have to ask yourself, WWJD: What Would John Schuerholtz do? Because these days, asking "WWBD?" -- What Would Brian Sabean Do? -- is enough to drive anyone to desperately seek relief from a higher power.
*****
NOW LISTENING TO: M. Ward. Fabulous. I love it when my friends turn me on to artists I've never heard before. He could be Cat Power's more talented brother: quietly intense, odd, playful, keenly aware of pop music's roots, but hopefully without the live demonstrations of erratic behavior.
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