[Mick]

Giants roster is resilient, given all the injuries this year, and with Dickerson and Mikey Yaz reverting to their AAAA norms.  It sure would be nice to see the bullpen do its job more than once in a blue moon.

Is it possible to hold one's breath for a month?  This week with ATL and LA will tell us a lot.  

Funny how time seems to stand still in our minds but passes ever so quickly in the real world.  Crawford and Posey 34?  Say it ain't so, but 2010 was ELEVEN years ago.

Giants bullpen has been terrific this season. How good?  They lead NL in saves. Lowest WHIP. Lowest number of walks and are second in ERA.   They have had to pitch a lot of innings. Overall, it’s been excellent.  (Late inning relievers are a little like FG kickers. They can hit 19-20 big kicks. Fans remember the 1 more than the19). But I’m concerned about the wear and tear. I suspect they will add two pitchers Sept 1.  

Yaz average and OBP are lower. But he’s still hitting for power and he’s a plus outfielder.  Dickerson has been disappointing, but not useless.  He’s a guy that has big hot streaks. Now would be a good time.

You're right.  My perspective is always clouded by looking at the Dodger roster which reminds me of the old Steinbrenner Yankees, ie best team money can buy, and so easy to hate.  

Ruf is a pleasant surprise and I'm hoping he's more than a one-season wonder.

I think Ruf (like Posey, Crawford, Belt, Solano, Flores, Longoria and others) has really responded to the batting coaches.

Along those lines, I've been meaning to post for a while now about Kevin Pillar.  Saw him play for the Mets as a 4th outfielder, he went 0 for 2 with an HBP playing in one of the three Mets losses to the Giants.  I've been thinking about how close he came (maybe not that close) to re-signing with the Giants for about $10 million (he had made $5.8 mms. with the Giants in 2019), and it wasn't popular with anyone that an early Farhan decision was to turn away Pillar -- now paid in the $3.6 million range.  He made $4.25 mms. splitting the year with the Red Sox and Rockies and a .798 OPS.

His current line with the Mets is .206/.245/.363/.609.  And, a bit like his time with SFG, he has 10 HRs in 261 ABs to go with his 64 strikeouts.  I do wonder, however, whether the Giants' crack batting coaches could have worked the magic on Pillar that they have on -- well, basically everyone else.  And if nothing else, I appreciate Pillar's walk-up music -- Queen's "Fat Bottomed Girls."

[Mick]

Giants roster is resilient, given all the injuries this year, and with Dickerson and Mikey Yaz reverting to their AAAA norms.  It sure would be nice to see the bullpen do its job more than once in a blue moon.

Is it possible to hold one's breath for a month?  This week with ATL and LA will tell us a lot.  

Funny how time seems to stand still in our minds but passes ever so quickly in the real world.  Crawford and Posey 34?  Say it ain't so, but 2010 was ELEVEN years ago.

Giants bullpen has been terrific this season. How good?  They lead NL in saves. Lowest WHIP. Lowest number of walks and are second in ERA.   They have had to pitch a lot of innings. Overall, it’s been excellent.  (Late inning relievers are a little like FG kickers. They can hit 19-20 big kicks. Fans remember the 1 more than the19). But I’m concerned about the wear and tear. I suspect they will add two pitchers Sept 1.  

Yaz average and OBP are lower. But he’s still hitting for power and he’s a plus outfielder.  Dickerson has been disappointing, but not useless.  He’s a guy that has big hot streaks. Now would be a good time.

You're right.  My perspective is always clouded by looking at the Dodger roster which reminds me of the old Steinbrenner Yankees, ie best team money can buy, and so easy to hate.  

Ruf is a pleasant surprise and I'm hoping he's more than a one-season wonder.

I think Ruf (like Posey, Crawford, Belt, Solano, Flores, Longoria and others) has really responded to the batting coaches.

Along those lines, I've been meaning to post for a while now about Kevin Pillar.  Saw him play for the Mets as a 4th outfielder, he went 0 for 2 with an HBP playing in one of the three Mets losses to the Giants.  I've been thinking about how close he came (maybe not that close) to re-signing with the Giants for about $10 million (he had made $5.8 mms. with the Giants in 2019), and it wasn't popular with anyone that an early Farhan decision was to turn away Pillar -- now paid in the $3.6 million range.  He made $4.25 mms. splitting the year with the Red Sox and Rockies and a .798 OPS.

His current line with the Mets is .206/.245/.363/.609.  And, a bit like his time with SFG, he has 10 HRs in 261 ABs to go with his 64 strikeouts.  I do wonder, however, whether the Giants' crack batting coaches could have worked the magic on Pillar that they have on -- well, basically everyone else.  And if nothing else, I appreciate Pillar's walk-up music -- Queen's "Fat Bottomed Girls."