2009 Topps Finest Baseball Rookie Redemption #10....

Topps has announced it's 2009 Topps Finest Baseball Rookie Redemption #10 card as .................drum roll.......... Tommy Hanson AUTOGRAPHED. But wait...wasn't Tommy Hanson already a number 2 Redemption?

1. Matt LaPorta, Outfield, Cleveland Indians
2. Tommy Hanson, Pitcher, Atlanta Braves
3. Andrew Bailey, Pitcher, Oakland A’s
4. Julio Borbon, Outfielder, Texas Rangers
5. Colby Rasmus, Outfielder, St. Louis Cardinals
6. Kyle Blanks, Outfielder, San Diego Padres
7. Neftali Feliz, Pitcher, Texas Rangers
8. Nolan Reimold, Outfielder, Baltimore Orioles
9. Rick Porcello, Pitcher, Detroit Tigers
10. Tommy Hanson, Pitcher, Atlanta Braves (Autographed)

Yep! He was already included. So my question for Topps is why not already include his autograph on the card that was produced for redemption number 2 and leave the tenth redemption for another rookie? Am I not right in questioning this move?

BTW:
I pulled this redemption from 4 boxes of 2009 Topps Finest Baseball this year:
Baseball 2009 Topps Finest MLB Rookie #10 Red Refractor Pending
Baseball 2009 Topps Finest MLB Rookie #10 05/07/2009 Pending
Baseball 2009 Topps Finest MLB Rookie #2 05/07/2009 Pending
Baseball 2009 Topps Finest MLB Rookie #2 05/07/2009 Pending

I will certainly have my fill of Tommy!

AFL Rosters Released

Rosters for the Arizona Fall League were released this week, and the 18th edition of the circuit, which starts on October 13, is shaping up to be as strong as usual. Here are some of the highlights for each team's roster.

Phoenix Desert Dogs

Top Prospect: RHP Stephen Strasburg (Nationals). Strasburg will be of the most well-known players in fall league history when he takes the hill for the 5-time defending AFL champs. This year's top pick is probably just looking to get acclimated to pro ball in preparation for a major league call-up next year.

Pitchers: 10th overall pick Drew Storen, also a Nationals righthander, will close for Phoenix. Orioles RHP Brandon Erbe will continue to try to harness his electric stuff in the rotation. RHPs Heath Rollins and Matt Gorgen are sleepers for the Rays.

Position Players: The Desert Dogs will be putting up a lot of crooked numbers. They have Derek Norris (Nationals) and J.P. Arencibia (Blue Jays) sharing catching duties; Jemile Weeks (A's), David Cooper (Blue Jays), Brandon Snyder (Orioles), Josh Bell (Orioles), and Chris Marrero (Nationals) in the infield; and Corey Brown (A's) and Grant Desme (A's) in the outfield.

Peoria Javelinas

Top Prospect: OF/1B Dustin Ackley (Mariners). The 2nd overall pick this year will start his pro career in Arizona. He has amazing contact hitting ability, and hopefully we'll get a chance to see him play some outfield.

Pitchers: The Javelinas have a decent collection of arms. Their best are Phillippe Aumont (Mariners), Cody Satterwhite (Tigers), Joshua Fields (Mariners), Travis Schlichting (Dodgers), Robbie Weinhardt (Tigers), and Zach Braddock (Brewers).

Position Players: The Javelinas' outfield is highlighted by Jordan Danks (White Sox), Andrew Lambo (Dodgers), and Lorenzo Cain (Brewers). Infielders Scott Sizemore (Tigers), Cale Iorg (Tigers), Dayan Viciedo (White Sox), and Taylor Green (Brewers) are all solid prospects, as is catcher Jonathan Lucroy (Brewers). 1B/OF Ryan Strieby (Tigers) can mash. Mariners SS Carlos Triunfel will try to salvage his 2009 after a broken leg knocked him out of the regular season.

Surprise Rafters

Top Prospect: 1B Ike Davis (Mets). Davis, a 2008 1st-round pick from Arizona State, has assuaged concerns over his rough pro debut by putting together a nice 2009 campaign.

Pitchers: The Surprise rotation will consist of RHPs Ian Kennedy (Yankees), Lance Lynn (Cardinals), Danny Gutierrez (Royals), and some other lesser-known players. Lightning-armed righty Adam Reifer (Cardinals) is their most logical choice for closer.

Position Players: 3B Mike Moustakas (Royals) is the biggest name, but he has been disappointing. SS Jeff Bianchi (Royals) and 2B Daniel Descalso (Cardinals) have both had excellent years, and they'll make a solid double-play combination. The Rafters' outfield is headlined by Daryl Jones (Cardinals) and David Lough (Royals). Austin Romine (Yankees) and Bryan Anderson (Cardinals) make for a good catching duo. 1B/OF Mitch Moreland can hit, too.

Peoria Saguaros

Top Prospect: OF Jason Heyward (Braves). The top hitting prospect in the game will take some more hacks in the AFL. Though he's only 20, he's auditioning for a 2010 call-up.

Pitchers: 2009 1st-rounder Mike Minor (Braves), a lefthander from Vanderbilt, will front the rotation. Craig Kimbrel (Braves), Connor Graham (Indians), Zach Putnam (Indians), Steve Garrison (Padres), Chia-Jen Lo (Astros), Evan Scribner (Padres) are also worth keeping an eye on.

Position Players: Peoria will be exciting to watch, as they'll feature an explosive offense. Flanking Heyward in the outfield will be Chris Heisey (Reds), Nick Weglarz (Indians), Cedric Hunter (Padres), and Jon Gaston (Astros). Hot-shots Yonder Alonso (Reds) and Freddie Freeman (Braves) will share first base; and Lance Zawadzki (Padres), Zack Cozart (Reds), Brandon Hicks (Braves), and Carlos Rivero (Indians) will also be in the infield. Even though Astros #1 prospect Jason Castro won't need much help behind the dish, Mitch Canham (Padres) and Matt McBride (Indians) will be quality backups.

Scottsdale Scorpions

Top Prospect: C Buster Posey (Giants). Posey's an athletic backstop and an elite hitter who's reached Triple-A one year out of college. He could be in the majors soon.

Pitchers: Nobody jumps out in the Scottsdale staff, but they should find a couple competent arms out a group that includes Joe Martinez (Giants), Bryan Augenstein (Diamondbacks), Mike Cisco (Phillies), Steve Edlefsen (Giants), Michael Schwimer (Phillies), and Cesar Valdez (Diamondbacks). The rest of the bunch--particularly Daniel Moskos, Donnie Veal, Tony Watson, and Scott Mathieson--is synonymous with unfulfilled expectations.

Position Players: The Scorpions are going to score runs in bunches. Domonic Brown (Phillies) is an elite prospect, Jose Tabata (Pirates) can rake if he's focused, Thomas Neal (Giants) has put up a .332/.422/.582 line this year, Brandon Allen (Diamondbacks) is a big bopper, Collin Cowgill (Diamondbacks) is similar to Cody Ross and hits more like his 5-9 frame suggests, Wilin Rosario (Rockies) has major upside, Darin Holcomb (Rockies) is a professional hitter, and Steve Susdorf (Phillies) is a sleeper.

Mesa Solar Sox

Top Prospect: OF Mike Stanton (Marlins). Stanton has unlimited raw power, as well as athleticism and aptitude. The AFL will be an outstanding barometer of his hit tool, as he'll be facing upper-level pitching every day. He'll be fun to watch regardless of how many whiffs he might rack up.

Pitchers: Pitching won't be Mesa's forte. The best of the lot after Cubs hurlers Andrew Cashner and Blake Parker is low-upside arms like Alex Burnett (Twins), Mike McCardell (Twins), John Gaub (Cubs), and Dustin Richardson (Red Sox).

Position Players: The Solar Sox will have a bevy of high-profile prospects dotting their lineup: Josh Vitters (Cubs), Matt Dominguez (Marlins), Ryan Kalish (Red Sox), Rene Tosoni (Twins), Peter Bourjos (Angels), Starlin Castro (Cubs), Hank Conger (Angels), Luis Exposito (Red Sox), and Chris Parmelee (Twins).

*Logos courtesy of www.milb.com

Giants Notes

The MLB Waiver Trade Deadline is just 3 days away, and the Giants could still use some help in various areas of their roster. I'm not expecting anything too big to go down if something indeed does, but there has been some rumblings going around over the last 24-48 hours that are posing some interesting scenarios.

According to MLB.com, the Giants have placed a waiver claim on Brewers closer Trevor Hoffman. Now, that doesn't necessarily mean that they're going to acquire Hoffman, but it does give them the chance to discuss a deal with the Brewers while also keeping Hoffman off limits to the Dodgers and Rockies. I think Sabean was more so trying to keep Hoffman away from those 2 squads, which promoted them to put a claim on him, but the more I think about it, the more Hoffman would actually make sense for this team. Earlier in the year, the Giants bullpen was having trouble finding innings to stay fresh, but now they're starting to get a tad overworked. Overall, the Giants bullpen has been better than they've been since 2004, but they still could use a nice veteran addition like Hoffman for the stretch drive. Back in 1997, the Giants had Roberto Hernandez and Rod Beck in their bullpen, two above average major league closers, and it really shortened games. If the Giants could somehow land Hoffman and toss him in with Brian Wilson, Jeremy Affeldt and a rebounding Sergio Romo, it would make any lead the team had after the 6th inning pretty darn safe.

Another decision looming for the Giants is what they're going to do with their number 5 spot in the rotation. Joe Martinez has really struggled in three of his last 4 starts, and has yet to make it through 6 full innings as a starter. It's really taxing the bullpen each time this guy takes the ball, and it wouldn't surprise me if the Giants find someone else to take his next scheduled start. A name from outside the organization that has surfaced recently is Brad Penny. The burly right-hander was just released from the Red Sox and apparently is looking to move back to the NL to right himself after struggling in the AL for most of 2009. Penny is apparently healthy, and is just 2 seasons removed from a 16-4, 3.03 era season with the Dodgers. I do think a move back to the NL and into a spacious park like AT&T would be ideal for Penny. There are other teams that are interested in him though as the Yankees would like him to become their 5th started for the final month of the season. Anyway, Penny likely won't clear waivers until Monday morning, so don't look for anything to happen with him until then, but I would be all for giving this guy a shot in the Giants rotation, especially in a low-risk, potentially high-reward type situation like this.

Up Next: The Giants have the Rockies coming into town for a 3 game weekend series starting Friday night, as they try and get revenge on them after losing 3 of 4 in Colorado last week. The Giants have set it up so that their top-3 starters will all throw in the series as Tim Lincecum faces Ubaldo Jimenez Friday, followed by a Barry Zito/Jason Marquis match-up and capped with a Matt Cain/Jasom Hammel duel. The pitching match-ups heavily favor the Giants, but the Rockies are playing extremely well at the moment, so it should be a fun weekend to watch... Also, we're going to be hooking up with Tom Verducci, SI's Senior baseball writer, for an interview and we'll hopefully have that transcript ready before the end of the weekend, so be sure to check back on Saturday or Sunday for that!

Chicken Scratch of the Day

Mr. Brennan took the time to sign these cards rather nicely. So far from what I've seen with other sticker autos and his "on cards" autos his signature is very consistent.

EbAy "Hero of the StuPid"

ALBERT PUJOLS 2005 ABSOLUTE TOTT JUMBO LOGO PATCH

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=110426448323
UP FOR BID IS A 2005 ABSOLUTE ALBERT PUJOLS JUMBO LOGO PATCH SERIAL #D 69/100. All cards are NM-MT condition or better unless otherwise specified. Seller reserves right to cancel any bid with under 10 feedback or a negative feedback history. Add $3.00 for shipping USPS with delivery confirmation. Insurance is $7 additional. Seller not responsible for uninsured items. Paypal payments accepted from and shipped to confirmed addresses only.

The card is a fake and there is no doubt about it. There has never been a St. Louis Cardinals design that has ever had the bird feathers on the outside inside portion of the bat at the barrel portion of the bat. Up above is a picture of their current two bird logo since 1998. In the auction it has the bird feathers flipped on the card. Plus the way he states his answers in the questions just leaves something to be desired.

NFL Future Star turns into Terrell Owens? BEER???

Michael Crabtree. Mr. Texas Tech. It seems apparently that Mr. Crabmoneytree cannot get a deal done with San Francisco. I think Al Davis of the Oakland Raiders was smart when it came to passing on him in the 09 NFL draft (did I just call Al Davis smart???). Perhaps the organization could smell the trouble he was going to be brewing and decided to just simply pass on ta....

Oh to hell with Crabmoneytree! ATTENTION ALL BEER DRINKERS

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- Beer drinkers beware: The cost of a cold one is going up. Anheuser-Busch InBev., which brews Budweiser, plans to raise prices. "We plan on taking price increases on a majority of volume and in a majority of markets this fall," the brewer said in an email statement. "The increase helps cover some input costs" The U.S.-Belgian brewer said prices will go up "across different price tiers" including its high and low-end brands.

Sorry this was more important of a news breaker than whoever it was that I was talking about.

Santana Making Strides In New Organization

The Dodgers last year traded "a pair of minor leaguers" for third baseman Casey Blake, which uninformed pundits hailed as a good acquisition for L.A. One of those "minor leaguers" will wind up being the gem of the deal, though (and at a fraction of the price).

Catcher Carlos Santana, the centerpiece of that swap, has become one of the top prospects in the minors in the 13 months since the deal (although he was very highly-regarded at the time, too). Santana, a converted 3B/OF, is an athletic backstop with thunder in his bat and uncanny plate discipline. Coming off a .326/.431/.568 season last year (spent in High A), Baseball America ranked him as the Tribe's #1 prospect and the 26th overall prospect in the game.

The 23-year-old Dominican Republic native is in the midst of another successful season: He has elevated his game and solved Double-A in 2009. Through 117 games with Akron, he is hitting .285/.410/.522 with 20 homers and 81 walks. A switch-hitter, Santana has been better from the right side (1.042 OPS), but he's above-average either way (.874 OPS batting left). He's raised his numbers after the all-star break, showing his ability to make adjustments at a new level. Since he has showed last year's breakout was no fluke and that he can master upper levels, I ran Santana all the way up to #5 on my midseason prospect list.

Santana has some rough edges to polish up, mainly with his receiving skills, but he still should be ready for a September call-up and an expanded role with Cleveland in 2010. He'll be the long-term replacement for Victor Martinez (the player whom he most resembles), giving the Indians average defense and incredible offensive production for a catcher. He's a future All Star and has massive upside. Santana is one of the most exciting prospects in the minors, giving credence to thoughts that the Blake deal was a heist for the Indians.

Carlos Santana

*Photo courtesy of www.indiansprospectinsider.com

The "porn stache" is back in baseball....well the minors.

Jason Giambi agreed to a minor league contract with the Colorado Rockies today and will be starting in the AAA Colorado Springs Sky Sox. I am glad to see he has signed with someone. I hope he can rebuild his confidence again and be back at the pro level at still mash up the ball.

Giants Losing Ground In Wild Card Race

This weekends series vs. the Rockies was definitely one that the Giants wanted to use to gain ground in the wild card race. It's still pretty early, and they do see the Rockies a couple of more times before the end of the season, but if they can't manage to win Monday nights game and split the series with these Rockies, they'll find themselves 4 games back in the race and will have a hole to dig themselves out of.

The Giants who had been heating up coming into this series (Eugenio Velez, Nate Schierholtz and Randy Winn) have really gone cold in the mile high city. Velez was thriving in the leadoff spot for most of the second half, but has gone just 1 for 19 over his last 5 ballgames, and his average has dropped from .330 back into the .270's because of it. Schierholtz is another guy who was really swinging a hot bat coming into this series. He hasn't quite fallen off over the last couple of games like Velez has, but he'd be the first one to tell you that he hasn't done as much at the plate as he's like over the last couple of games. Nate did homer in Saturday nights' loss, but that's the only hit he's collected in 10 at-bats in one of the most hitter-friendly yards in all of baseball. The Giants need to get their offense going early on in Monday's game and hopefully get out to an early lead. They don't have the offense to come back from 4 run deficits, even in a place like Coors Field. As they showed in Tim Lincecum's start on Friday, it doesn't necessarily matter who you have on the mound in Denver, runs will be scored, you just need to be ready to keep up with the Rockies and the Giants haven't been through the first 3 games.

Ryan Garko has been somewhat of a bright spot in this Rockies series though. Garko hit his first two home runs as a Giant in Saturday nights' loss, and has gone 3-9 with 3 runs and 4 RBI in the series. Garko was kind of sputtering along for a couple of weeks there, and people were starting to wonder if this guy would ever get any offense going here in the National League, and I think he answered that on Saturday night. If Garko can start hitting the ball like he has in Denver, then the Giants offense will get that boost that they thought they were getting late in July when they pulled the trigger on the Garko deal. The other Giants newcomer, Freddy Sanchez, has been nursing a bum shoulder for the last week, and it's created a void in the Giants lineup and in the number 2 spot of the order. I think it's safe to say that Sanchez is the Giants most complete right-handed hitter at the moment, so losing him for these games in Denver is certainly hurting the team. Hopefully there are some changes on the horizon regarding the Giants batting order, because Bengie Molina in the cleanup spot, and Eugenio Velez at the top of the lineup while struggling are killing this team.

Up Next: After the Monday nights game, the Giants will return to San Francisco for 3 with the Diamondbacks then 3 more with the Rockies, so again, no matter what happens on Monday night they still will have a chance to redeem themselves against Colorado 6 more times this year. Also if you want to put some money on the Giants, check out the baseball sportsbooks for all your baseball odds and baseball betting!

Chicken Scratch of the Day

Mr. Harry Douglas. Oh how I was surprised when I pulled this lovely little 1/1 last year from Topps Finest. I don't mind printing plates all that much but it is nice when it's a rookie one. AS for his signature...well that seems a little bit like a backward "N" with a loop and three lines. I've pulled three of his auto's and this one is the best by far. His SPX autograph version is pretty consistent with his other signatures. For this Harry gets 2 sharpies.

Forgotten Rookie of the Week

Grice-Mullen was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Houston Texans shortly after the 2008 NFL Draft. However, he was released on June 13. On July 24, 2008, Grice-Mullen was signed by the Chicago Bears. He was waived a month later on August 24. Grice-Mullen was signed to the practice squad of the British Columbia Lions of the CFL on September 9, 2008, and was later placed on the active roster. During the 2008 season, Grice-Mullen caught 9 passes for 175 yards and 1 TD. Grice-Mullen caught a 67-yard TD pass in the Lions' season finale.

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ryan_Grice-Mullen

Ravishing Relic of the Week

For the RROW I chose to pay tribute to a nice little jersey card I pulled last year from Donruss Threads. I am not a Cowboys fans by any means but you have to respect the legends that are on this card. I also like the various colors and was glad it was not all of the same colors like some of the others I've seen.

Giants, Rockies Set for Showdown

The Giants just missed sweeping the Cincinnati Reds on Thursday, as their offense was unable to support another Matt Cain solid start. They did however take 2 of 3 from the Reds, a team they had to take advantage of after losing 2 of 3 at home to them a couple of weeks back. Now, it's on to Colorado, where the Giants hope to gain ground, and possibly re-take the top spot in the National League Wild Card race.

The starting pitching was once again rock solid in the Reds series but unfortunately, none of the starters got credit for a win. Surprisingly, the Reds got to Tim Lincecum on Tuesday night and handed him his worst start since May 15th by getting to him for 5 runs on 6 hits in 6 innings of work. It wasn't a horrible outing by the reigning NL Cy Young winner, but certainly not Lincecum-esque. The Giants offense luckily came through for Timmy though, and allowed him to exit without a decision, furthering his impressive streak of just 2 losses since April 12. Barry Zito and Matt Cain also helped ease the load on the bullpen in the final two games of the series. Zito put forth his 7th straight start in which he had to feel pretty good about. We've been talking a lot about Zito since the start of the second half here, and I know it's hard to believe, but he's been the teams top pitcher, leading in both era and wins, since the start of the second half. Matt Cain followed Zito's 6 scoreless innings with an 8 inning, 1 run performance in Thursday's loss to the Reds. That's the game that was really frustrating to watch as the offense left 10 runners on base and a bunch in scoring position, much like they did for most of Cain's stars in '07-'08.

So, even though the offense is still not hitting on all cylinders, the Giants are still playing relatively good baseball, and they have one of their most important series' of the year approaching. I know it's only August 20th, and there are still 40+ games left, but this up-coming four-game set with the Rockies should be a big one. The Giants will enter it either 1.5 or 2 games back of the Rockies (depending on what they do in their game with Washington tonight) in the wild card race. Depending on how things go over the weekend, they could find themselves 4 or 5 games back after this series, or they could leave Colorado in sole possession of first place in the wild card standing. The first two games of the series are going to be especially important, as the pitching match-ups are kind of in favor of Colorado, but the key to the series will be what kind of offense the Giants will be able to put up in the high altitude of Coors Field. One of their new adds, Ryan Garko, had himself his best series as a Giants in Cincinatti, going 4-12 with 4 RBI in the 3 game set. Garko is definitely someone the Giants need to get going for this stretch drive, and it looks like he's heating up just in time. Hopefully he starts showing some pop (he's yet to homer in 62 at-bats as a Giant), and this weekend would be as good a time as any to really explode offensively.

Topps.....why must you stink with redemptions?

Here's a lovely letter I got from topps this morning. Why even bother making the cards if they can't even get a signature before hand? I hate Topps and their redemption process and redemptions in general.

Dear Consumer.

This email is to inform you that the Topps Company is currently beyond the 15 week processing time allocated for the following redemption card:

PIN #: Product: Card/Player Name
FBBQ1MCEVB Topps Finest Dexter Fowler AU Rookie Letter Patch

Our staff is working diligently to process and ship your redemption card as soon as possible. Please continue to check your Online Redemption account for updates regarding the status of your card.

If you no longer wish to wait for the redemption card, please contact our Consumer Relations team in order to place a substitution request for a card of equal Beckett value.

Do not hesitate to contact our Consumer Relations department via phone at 1-800-489-9149 or via email at support@etopps.com for assistance. A consumer relations representative will be available to assist you Monday through Friday from 8:30am to 4:30 pm (ET).

Sincerely,

Consumer Relations
The Topps Company, Inc.

Ravishing Relic of the Week

This is how a jersey card should be done. Give us a big piece of jersey and not that little one inch square junk. Props to Leaf/Donruss/Playoff for creating a card that has some meat to it. Now you must sit back and gaze your eyes upon this meaty jersey card FOOL! LOL!

Chicken Scratch of the Day

I pulled this baby out of a box of 2008 UD masterpieces and I was rather amazed not at the fact that it was limited to just 10 copies but rather how beautiful the penmanship was that my very eyes were seeing. Mr. Johnston even put his nickname on the card as well "moose". Today Mr Johnston....I salute you with the first 5 sharpie rating!

OH MY GOD!!! IT'S BRETT FAVRE!!!!

Ahhhhhhhhh yessss.......Mr. Brett "I can do no wrong" Favre has come out of his retirementive ways yet again to show us that an old man can truly take another team down the historic path to the holy "Super Bowl". What happens if this experiment fails? What if Favre does not get his daily Metamucil and becomes "backed up"? It's bad enough that Brett Favre qualifies for the "cash for clunkers" program. If Favre were to become injured that means Sage will come in and try to rescue the team until Sage comes to his senses and realizes that he is not the Jedi Apprentice everyone expects him to be since Favre is his Jedi Master. Sage will quietly go and sit down on the bench and begin to suck his thumb and look for a ball to fumble after realizing his skills are feeble. This in turn will regulate the quarterback position to the one....the only.....BOOTY MASTER aka JOHN DAVID BOOTY (Tarvaris Jackson will be a part of the nation's unemployment percentage by Friday anyhow). However back to Brett Favre (he is the news)! What are some things that might be bigger than Brett Favre's ego? Let's see:

A. An extremely large man (500lbs) jumping belly first into a children's swimming pool?
B. Martha Stewart's ego?
C. John Madden's ego?
D. Paris Hilton's ego?
E. The Pope's ego?
F. The last turd that came out of Childress?
G. Nancy Grace's ego?
H. The Eiffel Tower?
I. Niagara Falls?
J. Scott Boras's ego?
K. Bigfoot?
L. Someones ex-wife mother in law?
M. John Holmes?
N. Ron Jeremy?
O. Beckett Sports?
P. Topps?

Unfortunately none of the above mentioned item's can compare to Favre's ego. Did they sign Favre so we could hear John Madden talk about Brett all the time (it's his mancrush)? Will Brett Favre get to have his revenge? Will Brett Favre zigged when he should've zagged? Will Brett Favre ever leave the NFL? Not soon enough.

Top Talents Get Top Dollar as Negotiations Go Down to the Wire

Last night (midnight ET) was the deadline for 2009 draft picks to sign a professional contract, meaning many of the best amateurs in the nation are watching the ink dry on multi-million dollar bonuses. All but two first-rounders eventually came to an agreement with their clubs. (That doesn't include #12 pick Aaron Crow, who, as an indy leaguer, has extra time.) Scott Boras Corp. clients had particularly contentious negotiations, but once again Boras came out a winner. Boras clients set records for the richest overall deal ever, the top bonus for a high school player ever, and the highest bonus handed to a prep pitcher. Here's some of the biggest news from the last few days. (As always, Baseball America's Draft Database has a complete list of the bonuses and signees.)

• #1 pick Stephen Strasburg, after months of speculation, accepted a major league deal including a $7.5 million bonus and $15.1 million guaranteed. He had been rumored to be seeking much more than that, but the pact is still the richest of all time. Strasburg couldn't possibly have gained any more leverage by rejecting the Nats' offer, so he wisely accepted the figure. Now we'll see if he can live up to expectations and turn a franchise around single-handedly.
• Rangers 1st-rounder Matt Purke, a high school lefty who went 14th overall, was one of two 1st-rounders to not sign. Purke will take his overpowering fastball-breaking ball package to TCU, where he will be draft-eligible after 2 years.
• LeVon Washington couldn't come to terms with the Rays as the #30 overall pick, either. That would seem to make the speedy 2B/OF ticketed for Florida, but apparently he doesn't qualify academically, so I guess we'll see what happens.
• Dustin Ackley (Mariners, 2nd overall) garnered an MLB contract with a $6 million signing bonus and $7.5 million guaranteed. The smooth-swinger also has salary incentives for how quickly he reaches the major leagues. Seattle also got high school infielder Nick Franklin, their other 1st-rounder, for $1.28 million over the weekend.
  
• Donavan Tate, a high school outfielder from Georgia who went third overall, signed a $6.25 million deal with the Padres (that is spread out over 4 years because he is a multi-sport athlete). That is the largest bonus ever handed to a high school player. Earlier, San Diego gave 52nd overall pick Everett Williams $775,000 and 4th-rounder Keyvius Sampson $600,000. The trio spurned UNC, Texas, and Florida State, respectively.
• The Rockies capped off a superb draft by signing 11th overall pick Tyler Matzek for $3.9 million. A 6-3 lefty with incredible upside, Matzek had been headed to Oregon. Colorado got 3 1st-round talents--Matzek, 30th pick Tim Wheeler (OF, Sacramento State), and 32nd pick Rex Brothers (LHP, Lipscomb)--as well as several other sound picks. That'll give the farm system a nice boost.
• San Francisco's #1 pick, RHP Zack Wheeler, netted a $3.3 million bonus as the 6th overall selection.
• The Tigers spent big on a couple of Scott Boras clients, giving them one of the better draft hauls in the industry. Their top pick, Missouri high school RHP Jacob Turner, received a major league contract that includes a $4.7 million signing bonus and $5.5 million in guaranteed money (making it the largest contract ever for a high school hurler). Turner, who had been committed to North Carolina, has touched the upper-90s and flashed a nice curve and change. Detroit also gave 2nd-rounder Andy Oliver, an Oklahoma State lefty, $1.425 million. Prep shortstop Daniel Fields (6th round) signed for $1.625 million.
• Shelby Miller, a fireballing Texas righthander, signed an above-slot $2.875 bonus and instantly became the Cardinals' best prospect.
• The Indians locked up #15 pick Alex White with a $2.25 million signing bonus. White is a power righty out of North Carolina.
• The Reds spent over $3 million to sign their top two picks. Arizona State RHP Mike Leake, the 8th overall pick, took home $2.27 million and USC RHP Brad Boxberger, a supplemental-rounder, got $857,000.
• I wasn't blown away by the Marlins' effort, but at least they did come to terms with all of their top choices, particularly high school hurlers Chad James ($1.7 million) and Bryan Berglund ($572,500).
  
• The Blue Jays were aggressive in getting 3rd-rounder Jake Marisnick, an athletic high school outfielder from California, to sign for $1 million, but they had snafus with a trio of their other top picks. Supplemental-round LHP James Paxton will return to Kentucky, and high school pitchers Jake Eliopoulos (2nd round) and Jake Barrett (3rd round) will head to college. That's an extremely disappointing draft for Toronto, who didn't exactly have a thriving farm system in the first place.
• The Twins signed 1st-rounder Kyle Gibson for $1.8 million despite concerns over his health. Gibson, who has a stress fracture in his forearm, will be a steal if he regains his stuff--he could've been a top-10 pick if not for the injury.
• The Yankees signed their 1st-round pick, high school outfielder Slade Heathcott, for $2.2 million. New York also picked up prep catcher J.R. Murphy (supplemental-rounder) and Vanderbilt RHP Caleb Cotham (5th-rounder) for $1.25 million and $675,000, respectively.
• The A's doled out some huge bonuses, cementing their draft class as one of the finest in the game. 1st-rounder Grant Green, a shortstop from USC, got $2.75 million, while top high school catcher Max Stassi received $1.5 million. Ian Krol (7th round), a high school lefty, got $925,000 to sign with Oakland. Stassi had committed to UCLA, while Krol was an Arizona recruit.
  
• Tennessee outfielder Kentrail Davis, a sophomore-eligible Boras client (double whammy), inked a deal with the Brewers. Davis had an up-and-down spring, but still got $1.2 million (well above slot for the 39th overall pick).
• LSU took a blow when touted recruit Brody Colvin signed with Philadelphia (for $900,000). A power righthander, Colvin gives the Phillies' weak draft class a necessary boost. His bonus was the third highest in the 7th round.
• The Mets had a pretty awful draft, but they did sign 2 of their best picks. LHP Steven Matz, New York's first choice and the #72 overall pick, received $895,000 to forgo Coastal Carolina and 14th-round LHP Zach Dotson got $500,000 to pass up Georgia. That was about it, though. A big-market organization in dire need of a talent injection, New York completely and epically failed this year.
• The Rays handed prep 1B Jeff Malm (5th round) $680,000 and prep outfielder Todd Glaesmann (3rd round) $930,000. Tampa Bay was not so fortunate with its first two picks, though, as Washington and Stanford recruit Kenny Diekroeger went unsigned. That's kind of a rough draft for TB, as Malm, Glaesmann, and C Luke Bailey (4th round) are three of their only draftees whom I actually like.
• With Crow still yet to sign, major league clubs have spent over $160 million on the first 10 rounds of the draft this year, about the same as last year (a team-by-team look is available here). The Nationals also set the record for the most money sunk into a single draft class. Looks like MLB's misguided attempts to keep bonuses down are failing miserably.

Now the draft is finalized, we can begin to gauge teams' efforts (although it takes years to give them a proper final assessment). I think the Diamondbacks and Rockies had the top two drafts (taking draft position into consideration--the Nationals obviously collected the most talent), and I think the Mets and Blue Jays acquired next to nothing. Now that we know which college recruits were successfully shepherded through the draft and which ones were snatched up by pro ball, I will have a complete wrap-up of the top recruiting classes coming up.

Dustin Ackley

*Photo courtesy of www.seattlepi.com

Giants Split Four With Mets

After mustering only 7 runs in the first 3 games of their series in New York with the Mets, the Giants offense exploded in Monday's finale, enabling the Giants to leave Flushing Meadows with a 4-game split.

The Giants have been playing very average baseball of late, and haven't really taken advantage of the teams they need to be taking advantage of. The Mets are a team that has scuffled all year long, are completely banged up, and shouldn't really have the fire power to keep up with a team like the Giants, yet the Giants could only salvage of split. A big reason why they were able to salvage the split was the offensive day from Aaron Rowand. The Giants' center fielder had arguably his best day as a Giant, going 4-5 with a home run, 2 RBI and 2 runs scored. Rowand's average had dipped below .270 for the first time since May 2oth, so his big day was definitely something he needed and maybe that will get him back on track. The other outfielder the Giants would very much like to get going is Randy Winn. The veteran right-fielder continues to struggle through his worst season as a Giant, but he had a three hit game with a couple of runs scored on Monday as well. With Nate Schierholtz back, and Eugenio Velez striving in the leadoff spot, playing time is getting slim for outfielders, and if Rowand and Winn cannot continue to help out the offense, Bochy needs to seriously consider sitting those guys down for a bit.

The Giants starting pitching threw very well in New York, including another solid outing from Jonathan Sanchez and another victory for rookie Joe Martinez. In fact, it looks like Martinez is quietly grabbing hold of the fifth spot in the rotation and it doesn't look like he'll be relinquishing it anytime soon. He's yet to go more than five innings in a start, but he's certainly shown the ability to keep the ball in the yard and keep the Giants in the game when he's out there. He had one sub par start vs. LA last week, but other than that, he's been nails for the Giants. It's still unclear on when and if Randy Johnson will return to the club this year, so it's especially crucial that the Giants get some support from the bottom half of their rotation. Barry Zito has been pretty darn good since the All-star break, and Jonathan Sanchez has looked like a new pitcher since he threw his no-no back in early July. I thought the Giants rotation would suffer a set-back with The Big Unit on the shelve, but that hasn't been the case. If the Giants can get Randy back in September and he's anywhere close to full-strength, then it will be icing on the cake.

Note: Speaking of the pitching staff, the Giants inked their first round pick from June's Amateur draft just before the deadline on Monday. The Giants and right-hander Zach Wheeler agreed on a deal that will pay the rightie just over 3 million dollars in guaranteed money. Can't wait to see him get his professional career started.... For those of you looking to do some MLB gambling this season, be sure to check out our baseball handicapping and any info you'll need on how to bet on baseball at Betfirms!

Chicken Scratch of the Day

Mr. Pie.....I believe that if you would put a lot of effort into your signature you might be able to actually spell your whole name. If your signature efforts are anything like your playing efforts.....well perhaps then riding the pine is truly for you.

Forgotten Oldies

1959 Topps #196 Billy Moran
Billy was signed by the Cleveland Indians as a free agent in 1952. He then played for the Los Angeles Angels, Toronto International, Los Angeles Angels again, and then in 1965 he finished his career with the Cleveland Indians. He had played Second base primarily, shortstop and third base. In 1962 he was an All Star.

Giants Struggling Again

Since the second half of the year started, the Giants have either been on a hot streak, or a cold one, but nothing really in-between. They lost 4 of 6 at home to the Dodgers and Reds over the week, and couldn't get anything whatsoever going vs. the Mets' Brett Parnell Friday night, making the right-handed rookie look like a young Doc Gooden in the process.

The problem for the Giants over the last week has once again been offensive struggles. They scored just 7 runs in 3 games with the Dodgers after losing 2 of 3 at home to the Reds. The team has struggled since the start of the second half, but they normally save their struggles for the road, which made it a little concerning to see them choke so hard at home. They barely avoided being swept by the Dodgers, thanks mostly to Tim Lincecum's masterpiece no-decision on Thursday, but the Giants are going to have to start learning to win when they don't get the 8 inning, 1 run starts from their starters, and they haven't seemed to figure that out lately. One reason why I think the offense continues to sag is because of Bengie Molina sticking in the cleanup spot. We've mentioned this a little bit here lately, and just when you think Bochy will make the change, he trots out another lineup with the Giants' catcher in the cleanup hole. Again the Giants don't have an abundance of options for that spot, and no-matter who they put there, he'll be an unconventional clean-up guy, so they may as well go with a hitter who will keep rally's going and get on base with consistency, two things Molina has not done for the better part of the year.

With Eugenio Velez cooling down a bit at the top of the lineup (it was inevitable that he'd eventually come back to life), it's even more crucial that the Giants have people in the middle of their order who are keeping innings alive. I think the best thing Bochy can do with the cards he has is lineup the teams best three OPS' in the middle 3 spots of the order. Right now, those three would be Freddy Sanchez, Nate Schierholtz and Pablo Sandoval. Only Sandoval of that bunch is your prototypical middle-of-the-order guy, but in this lineup, those guys are your best options. I'd also like to see Travis Ishikawa and Fred Lewis given a little more pt to see if them may be able to kick start the offense a bit. Ishikawa has outplayed Ryan Garko in every since of the term since Garko's arrival in San Francisco, and I know that the Giants want to see Garko succeed and will give him ample opportunity to do so, but they need to be playing their hot hitters at this point in time. Randy Winn has gone stone cold along with Molina, as Winn's OPS has dipped below .700. I would like to see Schierholtz given Winn's spot for a while or until Velez plays himself out of the lineup. Here's the way I'd like to see the top 5 spots in the lineup play out with the way things are currently going: 1. Velez LF 2. Uribe SS 3. Sanchez 2B 4. Sandoval 3B 5. Schierholtz RF.

Draft Signings Update

With the deadline to sign 2009 draft picks just 3 days away, signings are in full force. You can check on Baseball America's Draft Blog for a full recap, as well as to see which players sign over the last few days. Here are the most noteworthy so far:

• The Royals signed North Carolina prepster Wil Myers for $2 million, easily the highest bonus in the 3rd round this year. Myers plays a variety of postions (maybe even catcher), and has a power bat and good athleticism.
• Kansas City also forked over a 4th-round record $1.45 million for Clemson LHP Chris Dwyer. Dwyer, an unprecedented draft-eligible freshman, battles inconsistency, but also has a dominant fastball-curve combo. (Remember that I nabbed him in the 36th round last year?) Nice job by KC, as both of these players will greatly improve their system. $3.45 million isn't much in the big picture anyway.
• Chad Jenkins, the 20th overall pick, became the 14th 1st-rounder to sign when he agreed to a $1.359 million bonus with the Blue Jays. Jenkins, a hefty righthander from Kennesaw State, has a good knowledge of pitching along with a low-90s fastball, slider, and changeup.
• One of the most coveted high school pitchers remaining, South Carolina righty Madison Younginer, got a deal done with the Red Sox. Younginer, Boston's 7th-round pick, pocketed $975,000. The former Clemson recruit has a power repertoire, headlined by a fastball that touches 97 mph.
• Perhaps an even bigger coup for the BoSox came when they gave 3rd-rounder David Renfroe $1.4 million. The Mississippi prepster has excellent offensive potential and could be a bargain. He's also a stellar pitcher, but will play shortstop as a professional.
• The Diamondbacks inked 18th overall selection Bobby Borchering, a power-hitting prep third baseman who has drawn Chipper Jones comparisons, to an above-slot $1.8 million deal. Borchering had committed to Florida.
• Supplemental-rounder Tommy Joseph, a power-hitting catcher from Scottsdale's famed Horizon High, agreed to a $712,500 signing bonus with the Giants. That's a great value for San Fran, and just adds to the depth of their farm system.
• Matt Graham, a power righthanded pitcher from Oak Ridge High in Texas, also signed with the Giants. He got a $500,000 bonus.
• Baltimore signed their 8th-rounder, Rice RHP Ryan Berry, for $417,600. This is a major steal, as Berry was a first-round candidate until he dealt with shoulder woes this spring. He has a fastball that touches 93, a plus knucklecurve, and an occasional slider and change. The O's also doled out $200,000 to get LHP Ashur Tolliver, their 5th-rounder.
• The Pirates also payed up for several hurlers to solidify a pretty decent draft. Colton Cain (8th round), an unrefined lefty with power stuff, got $1.125 million. RHP Zach Von Rosenberg (6th round) received $1.2 million. He has a feel for pitching as well as above-average stuff. Projectable Arizona prep righty Trent Stevenson (7th round) got $350,000 ($200,00 above MLB's maximum slot recommendation for picks after the 5th round). Pittsburgh also signed Stanford's Jeffrey Inman (12th round) for $425,000. The 6-2 righthander consistently pitches below expectations, but he also has major upside. Kudos to the Pirates for recognizing how badly their organization needs young talent--and ponying up the money to get some.
• The Rays signed C Luke Bailey, a 4th-rounder and perhaps the top backstop in this year's deep high school crop, to a $750,000 bonus. Bailey is recovering from Tommy John surgery, but he has plus tools on offense and defense.
• The Diamondbacks brought 2nd-rounder Chris Owings, a high school shortstop from South Carolina, into the fold with a well-over-slot $950,000 bonus. More surprisingly, Arizona got prep LHP Patrick Schuster under contract ($450,000 signing bonus). Schuster, who threw 4 consecutive no-hitters against sub-par competition, has a sneaky 86-91 mph fastball and a slurve, but would've been better off following through on his commitment to Florida.
• Georgia's recruiting class took a blow when the Red Sox got 26th-rounder Miles Head under a pro contract. Head has good offensive potential and would've been an impact player for the Bulldogs.
• There are still 17 unsigned first-rounders, many of whom will go down to the wire. Baseball America's Draft Database has a complete list of signed and unsigned picks.

Forgotten Rookie of the Week

"Drafted by the Montreal Expos in the 18th round of the 1998 Major League Baseball Draft after attending the University of New Mexico, Serrano pitched for the Single-A Vermont Expos and Cape Fear Crocs in 1998. In 1999, Serrano had a ERA of 2.13 for the Single-A Jupiter Hammerheads in 44 games and was promoted to Double-A Harrisburg to start 2000. He had a 4.20 ERA and stayed at Double-A in 2001 until a promotion to Triple-A Ottawa after recording a 2.18 ERA. On March 24, 2002, he was traded to the New York Mets with Jason Bay for Lou Collier. He pitched for Triple-A Norfolk until the Kansas City Royals purchased his contract on July 5, 2003. He made his major league debut for the Royals on August 7, 2004, appearing in 10 games that season, including 5 starts. Serrano became a free agent at the end of the season.

On November 18, 2004, Serrano signed with the Oakland Athletics, with whom he became a full-time starting pitcher. He was released after 16 starts for Triple-A Sacramento during which, he went 8-3, compiled a 3.91 ERA, and struck out 89 in 92 innings. On July 3, he signed with the Cincinnati Reds. In 12 starts for Triple-A Louisville, Serrano had a 3.75 ERA and became a free agent after the season. On December 9, 2005, he signed with the Boston Red Sox recording a 2.50 ERA for Triple-A Pawtucket. On January 4, 2007, Serrano signed a one-year minor league contract with the Florida Marlins and spent most of the year with Double-A Carolina and only 4 games with Triple-A Albuquerque.

Jimmy Serrano sign a contract for the Atlantic League Southern Maryland Blue Crabs on April 6, 2009."

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jimmy_Serrano

Chicken Scratch of the Day

Mr. Bush, now that Kim is available perhaps you might be able to play better this year on the gridiron. Hopefully you can stay healthy and mentally focused and remember not to include a certain part of Kim in your signature ( )( ) You get an extra sharpie bonus for that!

Ravishing Relic of the Week

As advertised on the Topps website that this "Patch Card" is supposed to be numbered to 20. However it is not numbered at all and I hope this isn't a screw up like what they did to the 2007 finest football rookies auto's which if you sent them in they hand numbered the cards. We all know how accurate Topps can be!
This card comes from 2009 Topps Football hobby edition. It is a Tony Romo manufactured game patch card (like we really needed more of these).

EBAY "Hero of the Stupid" for this week.

Here we have the most amazing list of excuses for selling a card on Ebay. It's worth reading and laughing over in my opinion. Asking price is 1.5 million and then the seller has this to say, "THE LAST LISTING OF THIS CARD HIGHEST OFFER WAS $2000.00 PLEASE DON'T WASTE TIME OFFERING A DOLLAR OR SO THIS IS A SERIOUS LISTING".
Some people will attempt to scam you any way they can.

Item number: 280293388999
alex rodriguez 2007 moments and milestones 1/1 red auto
Item condition: --

Price: US $1,500,000.00 Buy It NowBuy It NowBuy It Now
or
Best Offer: Make OfferMake OfferMake Offer
You can also: Watch this item
Now watching in My eBay Now watching in My eBay
Shipping: FREE shipping Other (see description)

You can read the item description at the link below:

http://cgi.ebay.com/alex-rodriguez-2007-moments-and-milestones-1-1-red-auto_W0QQitemZ280293388999QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUS_SM_Sports_Cards?hash=item4142c9b2c7&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14

I do believe he may be two scoops short of a full bowl of fruit loops.

Giants' Fantasy Baseball Interview

This year, the Giants Baseball Blog started a monthly interview with the Fantasy Baseball Hot Stove Blog, in which we here at the GBB answer various questions regarding the Giants' players value in fantasy baseball. Here is the final interview of the fantasy season, done Monday @ http://fantasybaseballhotstove.blogspot.com/:

FBHS: I had no idea until I read your blog. Barry Zito has been dealing of late. His last five starts he has a 2.32 ERA as you point out. I'm still not convinced though. He is Barry Zito after all. Give me one reason why he will be able to keep putting together quality outings.

GBB: Well, I'm not too sure he's going to sport an era in the low 2's for the rest of the second half, but Zito's clearly in a rhythm now, one that Giants fans have yet to see him in since he crossed the bay. His velocity is up from 85 mph on average last year to around 88-89 with consistency this year. It doesn't seem like much, but I think that's making a big difference in how his other pitches are beeing percieved by hitters. He's striking out more batters and keeping them off the basepaths. He just seems like he's throwing with a lot more confidence, and is getting himself out of jams when he needs to. Zito's always been a second half guy as well, so I would expect him to continue being strong down the stretch, just maybe not as strong as he has been over the last month. He's made the loss of Randy Johnson a lot easier to swallow too.

FBHS: Despite the fact that Bengie Molina has taken some steps back from last season, Pablo Sandoval has put up some really solid numbers. Do you think if Sandoval was protected better that his overall numbers would see a jump or would his approach at the plate and the way pitchers attack be the same?

GBB: I think Sandoval has done a terrific job putting up numbers in a lineup that is pretty hard to do so in, but yeah, if he had more protection, his numbers would undoubtedly be even better. For some reason, Bruce Bochy insists on hitting Bengie Molina fourth, even though he has an OPS under .700. I would like to see the lineup shifted around a bit and Molina dropped lower in the order, where his measly OPS and pathetic base-running abilities wouldn't be as magnified. The thing is though, the Giants don't really have many better options at that spot. They would like Ryan Garko to take off and maybe take that slot, but he's still slowly learning the National League. I still am expecting to see some sort of lineup change eventually though. Maybe Sandoval into the fourth spot and Freddy Sanchez into the three hole? Anyway, it should be something to keep an eye on down the stretch.

FBHS: If only the Giants had left Eugenio Valez with the big club through June and July he might have had Joe D's record. He has a hit in every MLB game he's appeared in dating back to May 19th. Now he's hitting lead off. He has some serious value as a run scorer there, but another issue of interest to fantasy players will be how much he can run. Is he a green light guy or are the Giants more cautious with him?

GBB: Velez has been amazing since his recent promotion, but he really didn't show a whole lot up here earlier in the year, or during his showcasing last season. He also lost his green-light permission last year with some baserunning blunders. He's got tremendous speed (was something like 19-20 in sb attempts in the spring of 2008), but he has yet to master the art of baserunning fully. He's been on a tear with the bat though and is really sparking the Giants at the top of their lineup and I think the steals will come as long as he stays in the lineup. The Giants don't have a team built for the home run, so they need to play little ball, and Velez really is the epitome of that. He's also flexing a bit of power (2 home runs over the weekend at AT&T Park) which is a bonus on-top of that average and on-base percentage!

Chicken Scratch of the Day

Dodger Blue or is it the Cleveland Indians or is it the Devil Rays or is it designated for assignment by the Rays on August 7, 2009? Jonathan Meloan had helped lead the Wildcats to the College World Series in 2004 and was drafted by the LA Dodgers in the fifth round of the 2005 MLB draft. Jonathan had bounced around on a lot of minor league teams in 2006. He did manage to win the post-season "Double-A Relief Pitcher of the Year" Award in 2007. He had a brief call up to the Dodgers in Sept of 2007. On August 11, 2009 he did win his second reward: 1 sharpie. His signature looks like he took his first name and wrote it smaller as his last name. Interesting.

This, that , and all things that go..... "well that stinks"

Today Kenny Watson was released from the Bengals. The Harrisburg native had played for Penn State and was an all American at Harrisburg High School. Sad to see his career close with the Bengals. However when one door closes another one opens as I hope he can make another team. You gotta support the locals!

In MLB the Blue Jays placed Alex Rios on Waivers who then was picked up by Chicago White Sox. What in God's name is the Blue Jays doing?!?!?!

I have no love lost for Jason Giambi being released. It happens in the "business".

Armanti Edwards, who is 32-5 as App State's starting quarterback, ran over his own foot while mowing the lawn. OUCH!!!

Amani Toomer signed by the Chiefs....Now I'm Pissed!

Giants Can't Handle Reds At Home

The Giants suffered a rare home series loss this weekend, losing 2 of 3 to the Cincinnati Reds, and it was the pitching that couldn't hold the Reds down.

On Friday night, Tim Lincecum put together a pretty good start on paper, but if you watched the game, you know that he did not quite have his best stuff with him. He allowed just 2 earned runs on 6 hits in 7 innings, and struck out 7 batters in the process, but he got into a little bit of trouble late and the Giants' bullpen couldn't hold on for him. The Reds scored 7 runs in the final two innings of that ballgame and ultimately blew out the Giants after entering the late innings down a few runs. Brian Wilson blew his 5th save of the year and Sergio Romo continued his struggles by allowing a run in just 1/3 innings pitched. The Giants bullpen has hit sort of a dry spell lately and I think it has to do with them not getting as much work, which is a good thing. The Giants starting pitching has been terrific lately, even without Randy Johnson, and it's really cut into some of the relievers work load. Merkin Valdez just went 9 days in between appearances, as threw in his first game since July 31st on Sunday, just to show how hard it's been to find innings. I wouldn't worry too much about their implosion on Friday Night though, they've been very solid throughout the year and should be solid down the stretch.

The Giants' bullpen wasn't great this weekend, but Barry Zito, and Eugenio Velez continue to put on a show. Zito put together his fifth consecutive quality outing in which he's allowed 2 runs or less while Eugenio Velez had himself another crazy weekend at the plate. This is by far his best stretch of starts he's had since joining the Giants, and he couldn't have picked a better time to do it. We've talked at length here about how the loss of Randy Johnson has put a little extra pressure on the rest of the starting staff, and Barry Zito in particular has really answered the bell since the Unit hit the shelf. In his five starts since the All-star break, Zito's gone 3-1 with a 2.32 era and a 1.16 WHIP with 25 strikeouts in 31 innings. The dude has been absolutely dealing, and even though he's been a huge disappointment in his 2+ years here so far, he's still got plenty of time to make good, and he's on that track right now. He's approaching .500, which is something I would have deemed nearly impossible when he was 1-6 with on May 30th.

We've talked about Velez a lot here in recent posts, so I'm not going to get into him too much. But all he did this weekend was put together two more multi-hit ballgames, including a couple of home runs, which raised his average to .330 entering play on Sunday. He's also playing solid defense in the outfield, which comes as a bonus to his offensive abilities. The Giants seem to have different players stepping up at different times this year, which is really keeping their offense afloat. For much of July, it was Pablo Sandoval and Aaron Rowand who were carrying the offense, but right now, Velez is the guy who's getting everything going. The amazing thing about it is, many people didn't even think Velez would be a serviceable utility guy up here, let alone someone who'd take a starting spot and not relinquish it.

The thing I am interested in seeing play out is how the playing time gets divided when Nate Schierholtz returns? Schierholtz was one of the Giants' hottest hitters when he hit the DL in late July, and they're going to need his bat in there when he's ready. With Velez playing the way he is, and taking the reigns of the leadoff slot, it's going to be hard to just remove him from the lineup, or even start cutting into his playing time when Nate's activated. I think the guy who's playing time should be cut into is Randy Winn. I like Winn as much as the next Giants fan, but numbers don't lie, and he's the week link in the outfield right now. Winn is having, by far, his worst offensive season in his career, and just when you think things are on the up with him, he goes on another 2 for 19 stretch or something. What's making his low average and OBP even tougher to swallow, is the fact that he's hitting for zero power. An outfield of Velez in left, Rowand in center and Schierholtz in right is what I'd like to see take the field when Schierholtz is activate, at least until Winn heats up or someone else cools down.