Bochy's Farewell

In what's been a rather dull offseason for Major League Baseball with the top two coveted players in Bryce Harper and Manny Machado still on the free-agent market less than a week before the start of Spring Training exhibition games, the news of San Francisco Giants skipper Bruce Bochy announcing his retirement following the 2019 season might be the biggest news yet this offseason. The 63 year old skipper who is already the oldest manager in the league, will celebrate his 64th birthday less than three weeks into the 2019 season. However, it's safe to say he'll be treated like everyday is his birthday for the entire season by his team, front-office and fans alike as he looks to hang it up following his 13-year tenure as manager of the Giants and his 25th season overall.

Basically a shoo-in for Cooperstown, the future Hall of Fame skipper announced from a dugout prior to Monday's Spring Training workout in Scottsdale, Arizona that the 2019 season would be his last at the helm of the team he managed to three World Series titles in 2010, 2012 and 2014 and helped create into a dynasty. "In my mind it's time," he told reporters before admitting his plans to stick around the game of baseball in some form or capacity. What position that'll be, we'll just have to wait and see, but my guess is that Giants brass will make him a Giant for life or for however long he's willing to man a position. The active leader in wins among all Major League managers, Bochy currently stands with 1,926 total wins during his combined time spent with the Giants and San Diego Padres which places him 11th on MLB's all-time wins list. A former Manager of the Year Award winner in 1996 with the Padres, Bochy would go on to lead San Diego to only their second World Series appearance just two years later before losing to New York during the Yankees' 1996-2000 dynasty. Relocating from San Diego to San Francisco in 2007, Bochy would become one of only five managers in MLB history to lead a team to three titles in a five-year span and is the only manager in the game's history with 900+ wins with multiple franchises.

Helping bring a trio of World Series championships to a city that had been starving of a title since the Giants followed the archrival Dodgers from New York to California in 1958, not many of the players he managed were as beloved as the manager himself during his time spent spent with the Giants which I'd say is pretty rare for a skipper these days considering how short we've seen some managerial careers last in certain places. As for the other nine managers before him to hoist the Commissioners Trophy at least three times, they've all been enshrined into Cooperstown which should make Bochy a lock to one day be able to say the same. Boasting a career record of 1,926-wins and 1,944-losses which equates to a .498 winning percentage, Bochy is 975-969 during his time with the Giants who will need to win at least 75 games in 2019 to ensure a winning record for their skipper of the last decade plus. But Bochy's team will try doing a lot more than that to help give him a proper sendoff, even if it means fighting off superior teams like the Dodgers and Rockies within the division. 82 wins shy of tying another Hall of Famer and World Series-winning manager with the Giants -- Leo Durocher, Bochy could move into the top 10 of all-time wins among managers. But we all know another miraculous postseason run and fourth World Series title is really what lies on the minds of Bochy and his team as they prepare for his final go-around.


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Even Year Tragic? Giants lose MadBum, Shark to Injuries

With Baseball season on the horizon, you can almost smell the scent of freshly cut grass and the mouthwatering aroma of garlic fries in the air. But with less than a week remaining before the first pitch of the 2018 MLB season, San Francisco Giants fans were given a rude awakening with some not so fortunate news regarding not one, but two of their starting pitchers.

Making his final Spring Training appearance before San Francisco's season-opener in L.A. against the rival Dodgers, a game that will be televised on ESPN and was expected to feature Madison Bumgarner versus Clayton Kershaw while showcasing the most storied rivalry in all of baseball, the Giants ace will now be forced to watch from the dugout instead of taking the mound. Hosting the Kansas City Royals in Scottsdale, Arizona in the team's final Cactus League game of 2018, MadBum was struck on his pitching hand by a Whit Merrifield line-drive in the third inning of a 9-6 loss. Fearing the worst, Bumgarner would leave the game immediately following the incident to undergo x-rays that would reveal a fracture in his left throwing hand. The injury which is described as a broken pinkie finger will require surgery, derailing Bumgarner's plans of making his fifth consecutive Opening Day start and puts the team in a difficult position to start the season. One that both MadBum and the Giants know all too well as the team experienced life without their ace for three months in 2017 after a dirt-bike accident sustained during the club's April 20 day off in Denver left Bumgarner with bruised ribs and a sprained left shoulder.

Forced to fend for themselves without the best pitcher on their staff, the Giants went on to suffer their second worse season in San Francisco franchise history by losing a total of 98 games and finishing a whopping 40 games behind the archrival Dodgers. And now the Giants will once again have to survive the gauntlet of the National League West for at least the first two months without their ace, a division which features three playoff teams from a season ago -- the NL Champion Dodgers and both Wild Card winners -- Arizona Diamondbacks and Colorado Rockies. Making matters worse, Bumgarner's injury came just hours after the team learned that No. 3 starter Jeff Samardzija could miss up to a month with a sprained right pectoral muscle. Like they say, when it rains it pours. The injuries put a damper on what was otherwise a successful Spring Training considering no major injuries were reported prior to the last few days. And then just like that, the Giants are dealt a blow that will strip them of two starting pitchers. And Samardzija ain't no slouch either. Sure he hasn't produced the numbers he wishes he'd have in his first two seasons in a Giants uniform, but he proved to be a workhorse in 2017, leading the National League in innings pitched with 207 2/3 innings as well as walks per nine innings with 1.4.

While Bumgarner has dazzled this year during Spring Training play to the tune of a 2.84 ERA in five starts, logging 27 strikeouts in 19 innings, the exact opposite could be said for Samardzija's Spring. The 33-yeard old righty was underwhelming during his Spring Training campaign and his 10.64 ERA in four Cactus League starts (11 innings) was an automatic red-flag, which resulted in the team's concern. The injuries sustained by Bumgarner and Samardzija opens up a pair of vacancies in the Giants starting rotation. Though losing a pair of starters a week before the start of the season makes things more difficult in one aspect for Giants skipper Bruce Bochy, it makes things easier in another. Given the task of having to choose between Chris Stratton, Ty Blach and Derek Holland for the last two spots in the Giants pitching rotation, all of whom were competing for a spot in the rotation, all three will likely be called upon now with Bumgarner and Samardzija missing an extended period of time. As if San Francisco needed even more pressure to bounce back from their putrid 2017 campaign and hang with the rest of the big boys in the division, they'll be given the daunting task of having to stay afloat for at least the first months without two key starters which could very well spell a slow start to the season. Something they can ill-afford if they wanna regain their "even year magic."


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Giants turn to New Trio for 2016 Success

With the temperatures starting to heat up and baseball's Spring Training officially underway, it's time to dust off those ball caps and mark our calendars for Opening Day. And with it being another even year, who could be more excited for baseball than Giants fans? In what he's calling possibly the greatest starting rotation assembled during his tenure with the ball club, Giants skipper Bruce Bochy has to like his team's chances at making it yet another successful even numbered year.

With pitching being the formula in all three of the Giants' World Series runs, the team's front-office once again focused on making starting pitching a priority over the offseason. While it was the division-rival Arizona Diamondbacks who won the sweepstakes for the top free-agent on the market in Zack Greinke, the Giants went with the adage that two is better than one, signing two of the top five pitchers available in righties Jeff Samardzija and Johnny Cueto. Samardzija was first to land with the G-Men after their failed attempt to add Greinke, making the former star receiver for the Notre Dame football team seem like a consolation prize, agreeing to a 5-year, $90 Million dollar deal. He would be joined by the coveted arm of Johnny Cueto just days later, who inked a 6-year, $130 Million dollar contract. The tandem of Cueto and Samardzija helps stabilize a Giants pitching staff that outside of ace Madison Bumgarner and rookie Chris Heston who showed flashes of brilliance, struggled mightily all season in 2015.

Samardzija struggled in his first full season in the American League last year while with the Chicago White Sox where he finished with an 11-13 record and an ERA of 4.96 in 32 starts. Having coined the nickname "Shark", AL hitters took a bite out of Samardzija in 2015 as he surrendered a league-high 29 home runs and allowed the most hits (228) and earned runs (118). All of which are numbers Samardzija should definitely rebound from in 2016 by simply playing his home games at the pitcher-friendly confines of AT&T Park alone. Not to mention he'll have one of the better pitch-framing catchers behind the dish in Buster Posey and a much improved defense fielding behind him to go along with the teachings of veteran pitching coach Dave Righetti. Since making the switch from a reliever to a starter in 2012, the 31-year old Samardzija has tossed the 10th-most innings in baseball with 822 and is one of only three pitchers to log at least 210 innings in each of his last three seasons, joining Max Scherzer and R.A. Dickey.

As for Cueto who turned down a deal worth a reported 6-year, $120 Million from the Diamondbacks earlier in the off-season which resulted in them breaking the bank for Greinke, the Dominican-born hurler lands with another team quite familiar with winning championships after helping the Kansas City Royals claim their first World Series title in over 30 years. The Giants are just happy he's on the same squad now as Cueto joins a team he's dominated throughout his career, having posted a 3-1 record and an ERA of 2.08 in six regular season starts against them. Also, his 1.69 ERA at AT&T Park is the best of any ballpark in which he's made multiple starts. Cueto's 2015 campaign was a tale of two halves which ultimately ended in him winning a World Series ring. After enduring a tremendous first half of the season with the Cincinnati Reds before landing in Kansas City at the trade deadline where he saw small sample sizes of success but mainly struggled and was unable to duplicate the kind of production and effectiveness he had in Cincy, Cueto came through and delivered when it mattered most -- during the postseason.

Boasting a career record of 96-70 with a 3.30 ERA, Cueto has done especially well against NL West opponents, having posted a stellar 2.87 ERA against them. Since 2010, Cueto's ERA of 2.87 ranks third among MLB starters who've pitched a minimum of 900 innings, behind only Clayton Kershaw and Adam Wainwright. The Giants will hope to see more of the Johnny Cueto that dominated the first half of 2015 but know they've got another workhorse on their hands as he trails only David Price and his new teammate Madison Bumgarner in innings pitched over the past two seasons with a whopping 480 2/3 innings (regular and postseason) to his credit. While the Giants became the first team in MLB history to sign two pitchers to free-agent contracts worth at least $90 Million in the same offseason, they also made a non-pitcher signing that fans are equally as excited about. Serving as the icing on the cake, the Giants put the finishing touches on their busy offseason with the acquisition of outfielder Denard Span who agreed to a 3-year, $31 Million dollar pact.

A true lead-off hitter who puts the ball in play and seldom strikes out, Span is coming off a 2015 season plagued by various injuries, most notably a hip ailment which required surgery and limited him to just 61 games. When healthy, however, Span has proven just how valuable he can be, both at the plate and in the field, having become a fixture on the highlight reel by making spectacular plays with his glove and even leading the National League in hits in 2014 with 184. Expected to shift to left field when not manning center field in place of fellow outfielder Angel Pagan who's been battling injuries of his own over the past several seasons, he should fit right at home with his newest ball club. A healthy season from Span who will now patrol the vast outfield of AT&T Park and even better -- hit in a yard that has plenty of gaps and dimensions that could cater nicely to his hitting ability (he's led each the AL in 2009 and NL in 2013 in triples), could play a vital role in San Francisco's 2016 success. Despite finishing 84-78 in 2015, eight games behind the division-winning L.A. Dodgers, the Giants did finish the year with a +69 run differential and were tops in the NL in batting average, thanks in large part to their All-Star shortstop Brandon Crawford. After slugging a team-high 21 home runs a season ago and winning a Gold Glove Award, the Giants rewarded their homegrown shortstop to a six-year, $75 Million dollar contract extension for the cherry on top of what was a successful offseason for the team that plays in the city by the bay.


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Cubs Trade 12 days for 1 year with Top Prospect

With Major League Baseball's Opening Day just around the corner and Spring Training nearing its end, the Chicago Cubs have been all the rave up to this point. After what could very well end up being a historical off-season for the franchise which saw the signings of one of the top two free-agent pitchers on the market in Jon Lester and arguably the best skipper in the bigs in Joe Maddon, Kris Bryant who is not only Chicago's top prospect but is the number one prospect in the Majors, has been tearing the cover off of the ball this Spring. The 23-year old third baseman which has also seen some playing time in the outfield, leads the league in home runs this Spring and has Cubbie fans licking their chops looking into what should be a very bright future for an organization which hasn't won a World Series title in over a century. 

In just 14 games this Spring, Bryant, a Las Vegas native and graduate of Bonanza High School, has belted 9 home runs, while driving in 15 RBIs and logging a robust .425 batting average, the type of numbers that would usually result in a player being a lock to get the opening day nod at the hot corner. But not in this case. Monday, the Cubs made a decision that was sure to grind the gears of Bryant's agent Scott Boras and the MLB Players Association alike when Cubs president of baseball operations Theo Epstein announced the team's plan to have Bryant start the season at the Minor League level. Though the news of the team's decision is fresh off the presses and was finally made official, sources around the ball club say Epstein and company had their minds made from the start which has caused the Cubs front-office to be the target of criticism from those on the outside looking in. But if we're talking solely from a business standpoint while keeping the future in mind, the front-office made the decision every single one of us would make if we were at the helm. 

By having Bryant start the year in the Minors, they can delay the start of his service clock and thus gain another full year of his services as he won't become eligible for free agency until after the 2021 season instead of 2020 had he made the opening day roster. To dumb it down some; if the Cubs can wait it out for the first nine games of the season (12 days), they'll have another year's worth of Bryant's services which considering his potential, is a no-brainer. Not to mention the championship drought that lingers on the north side of Chicago. If I'm a fan of the Cubs, I'm thrilled that the brain trust has their eyes focused on the bigger picture and that's the future of the franchise, opposed to the front-office giving him the green light to start the year only to watch him struggle out of the gates and send him back down to the Minors. Or worse, witness him become a free-agent and sign elsewhere a year earlier than he could have had we been patient for an additional two weeks. 

Bryant's red-hot hitting this spring is no fluke as the second overall pick of the 2013 MLB Draft also hit a league-leading 43 home runs in the Minors last year which should bring smiles to the faces of fans sitting in the bleachers at the friendly confines of Wrigley Field. With such bright young talent as Starlin Castro, Anthony Rizzo and Jorge Soler already on the big league roster and prospects Javier Baez and Addison Russell in the Minors and next in line to be the core of the franchise, the Cubs should be a fun team to watch and a contending powerhouse in the NL Central for many years to come.


Follow me on Twitter: @FraserKnowsBest

Tough start for Defending Champion Giants

Before their title defense could even begin with the start of Major League Baseball's regular season still a month away, the defending World Series champion San Francisco Giants were dealt a sizable blow in just their third Spring Training outing of the year. Facing Corey Black of the Chicago Cubs, Giants outfielder and clubhouse ringleader Hunter Pence took a pitch high and in off of his left forearm in the sixth inning that caused him to exit the game. With everyone in the dugout from manager Bruce Bochy on down fearing for the worst, x-rays revealed a non-displaced fracture in the ulna bone which will keep Pence on the shelf for 6-8 weeks. 

Although the timing of the incident is somewhat fortunate given the injury occurred prior to the regular season, Pence will be without the benefit of working on his timing at the plate and everything else that Spring Training allows you to prep for. And while Pence expressed no ill will towards Black and even replied to his tweet which Black issued to wish the Giants outfielder a speedy recovery to which Pence replied, "It happens my friend. Thanks for the concern, it's part of the game we love." With the timetable for Pence's return out of his favor given he currently owns the longest active streak in baseball having played 383 consecutive games which will now be in jeopardy, life without their iron man won't be long for the Giants but it'll still take some getting used to, granted Pence has appeared in every single game since San Francisco acquired him midway through the 2012 season.

Since his arrival to the ball club, Pence leads the team in home runs, runs batted in and extra-base hits. But he's meant more to the team than just a statistical leader and everyday gamer, he's been the voice and soul of the ball club during two of their three title runs. The injury to Pence opens the door to a number of outfielders looking to get some playing time including Gregor Blanco, Juan Perez and non-roster invitee Justin Maxwell. The resilient Hunter Pence has plans of returning sooner than team doctors have ruled him out for but waiting out the full 6-8 weeks might be best as the Giants look to win their fourth World Series title in 6 years and put an end to the curse (if you wanna call it that) of the even numbered years.


Follow me on Twitter: @FraserKnowsBest

The Captain's last Voyage

When the New York Yankees take the field at the start of the 2015 season, they'll be doing so without one of the team's fixtures and all-time greats. Entering his 20th and final season in Yankees pinstripes, shortstop Derek Jeter announced earlier this week that he'll be hanging up his cleats and retiring at the conclusion of the 2014 season. The franchise's all-time hits leader who turns 40 years old in June, broke onto the big league scene in 1995 as an injury replacement at shortstop, a position he would soon takeover and never look back while creating quite the name for himself and setting the standard for many of today's young players. Having achieved just about every highlight and award possible to go along with his five World Series rings as well as date a laundry list of some of Hollywood's hottest babes, there's very few things the one better known as "the Captain" has yet to accomplish throughout his Major League career that is nothing short of first-ballot Hall of Fame worthy.

When he wasn't making dazzling, acrobatic plays with his glove such as his signature "jump-throw", he was diving and crashing into the stands. And when he wasn't doing that, he was getting it done at the plate, driving in runs while earning such nicknames as "Mr. November" and "Captain Clutch". Whatever it was that he did, he gave it his all. But it wasn't until 2012 that we were all reminded that Derek Jeter is in fact human. Though the world didn't come to an end in 2012 like many predicted, the next closest thing happened in Yankee land when Jeter fractured his left ankle while reaching for a ground ball in the American League Championship Series versus the Detroit Tigers. Jeter's absence would be a devastating blow to the Yankees lineup as Detroit went on to sweep the series and advance to the Fall Classic. The injury to Jeter's ankle along with a handful of other ailments would plague his 2013 campaign, forcing him to miss all but 17 games last season. Prior to 2013, no other season saw Jeter play fewer than 119 games aside from the year he was called up to the Majors some 19 seasons ago. So if it seems like it's been forever since someone not named Jeter routinely roamed between second and third base, it's because it has been. At least it has for me.

Since I can remember watching baseball as a child, the Yankees were always the glitz and glamour of the Major Leagues, almost always had some of the best players and without a doubt had the nicest uniforms. It's hard to think back and see a Yankee team without Jeter as the everyday shortstop mainly because I was five years old at the time he was called up. And while I've never been a fan of the Yankees and would much rather root against them, Jeter is one of the few that has donned the pinstripes that I can honestly say I've always liked. With baseball's Spring Training in full swing, the Bronx Bombers are less than a month away from kicking off the season without another mainstay in closer Mariano Rivera who took his farewell tour just a season ago and received gifts from every ball club along his journey before calling it quits after 19 years in the Big Apple. Though he wasn't healthy enough to be on the field to witness most of it, hopefully Jeter took notes as he will take a similar approach while making his rounds across the country to other visiting ballparks around the league and receive gifts while doing so on his way out.

It's hard to believe that next year will be the first season in which neither Mariano River nor Derek Jeter's names will be called during player introductions. No 'Enter Sandman' by Metallica will be playing from the stadium speakers to introduce the "Sandman" himself who ran out of the bullpen gates to compile a record 652 career saves, the most all-time. And the famous recording of long-time Yankees public address announcer Bob Sheppard introducing Jeter as, "Number two" will no longer be heard. Highly regarded as a consummate professional among those he's worked for and played alongside of, Jeter is the type of guy you'd want your kids to grow up idolizing. At least that would be the case if I had kids. Jeter, a 13-time All-Star, wore the pinstripes the way they were meant to be worn -- with class. And though 2014 will see Jeter take his farewell tour, I like to think of it as a victory lap rather before he embarks on his next journey -- Cooperstown. 


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Giants excited to welcome back Posey, look forward to what the 2012 season has in store

With the countdown until pitchers and catchers report to camp less than 24 hours from now, no team is looking forward to step one of Major League Baseball's spring training more than the San Francisco Giants who will see the return of their star catcher Buster Posey. Though he's been in numerous interviews and was seen countless times walking in crutches over the past six months or so, for Giants fans, it has seemed like a lifetime since Posey was last seen on the baseball diamond in full gear following his freak accident. On May 25 of last season, the San Francisco faithful was stuck holding their breath when their reigning Rookie of the Year catcher was the unfortunate victim of a home plate collision in which Marlins outfielder Scott Cousins steamrolled the defenseless Posey who had to be helped off the field and treated for a broken fibula. The injury would put an end to Posey's season as well as put a dent in the Giants' chances of contending for a second consecutive World Series title.

Nearly a year later, Posey is expected to report to camp healthy enough in hopes of working out the kinks and getting back into regular season form. But as one could expect, it won't be easy given the continuous toll manning the catcher position puts on ones body. Posey, however, appears to have that bravado in him that lets you know he'll do whatever it takes to get back to where he once was. With that said, it's hard to bet against someone like that, let alone one of the games premiere backstops and bright young stars and is why I think he'll be just as big of an impact when he returns as he was before he got hurt. Prior to his absence, Posey ranked in the top 3 among catchers in Runs (59), Home runs (18), RBI's (70), and Hits (130) from May 29, 2010 when he became the teams full-time starter to May 25, 2011 when the injury occurred. His production (.284 BA, 4 HR's and 21 RBI) following the Giants' first 45 games games last season was missed deeply in a lineup which struggled on offense, ranking at the bottom in almost every offensive category possible. Another Giant that fans are looking forward to seeing again is second baseman Freddy Sanchez who underwent season-ending surgery after dislocating his shoulder on June 10, while diving for a ball.

With only a few minor roster changes from last year, on paper the Giants appear to once again showcase a lackluster offense. With last year's mid-season acquisition Carlos Beltran now playing in St. Louis, the Giants will have to look elsewhere to find a leader on offense assuming it'll take Posey at least a season to get comfortable in the batters box and get his swing back. Another pair of Giants that fans will have to grow accustomed without, are Pat Burrell who after 12 seasons in the big leagues has decided to hang em up and Cody Ross who last month signed with the Boston Red Sox. Not to be forgotten is speedy outfielder Andres Torres who was included in the trade for Angel Pagan. All of whom played key roles during San Francisco's title run in 2010, but struggled mightily at the plate in 2011. Despite their offensive woes just a season ago, the Giants still managed to finish ten games above .500 with an overall record of 86-76 mainly due to their dominant pitching staff which is once again expected to carry the team in 2012.

When the rest of the squad reports to spring training on February 23, Posey and company will welcome two new faces in Melky Cabrera and the aforementioned Angel Pagan, both of whom were acquired via trade during the off-season in hopes of giving the Giants the shot in the arm they so desperately need on offense. Another addition will be in infielder Ryan Theriot who serves as a base running threat and was signed as a free-agent after helping the Cardinals claim their NL best -- 11th World Series title last season. San Francisco's lone addition in the pitching department will be Clay Hensley who recently pitched for the Marlins and has some history with Giants skipper Bruce Bochy who Hensley served for both in the rotation and in the bullpen while with the Padres. Look to get your first glimpse of this newly constructed Giants offense in action on March 3rd when they host the visiting Arizona Diamondbacks at 12:05 p.m. @ Scottsdale Stadium.