We've long known that Brian Sabean subscribes to the theory that you can't trust anyone under 30 but it's a bit disheartening to see that his views are coloring the local scribes as well. The San Francisco Giants, scuffling along at 20-31 today, refuse to play anyone with a future that might include the next decent team by the bay. That should be something they catch hell for but, alas, it's not to be. Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle thinks that he's discovered a conundrum at play with the Giants roster. It centers on the continued existence of Randy Winn, Ray Durham and Rich Aurilla in the everyday lineup.
For fans who believe that everything the Giants do on the field in 2008 should set a foundation for 2009 and beyond, manager Bruce Bochy's lineup decisions are maddening.
On the other hand, how can Bochy bench the older guys when they are playing so well?
Schulman uses their May numbers to "prove" his point but when you take both months of the season into account, it's not looking quite so smart. Winn has the highest OPS at 773 and gets on base at a good clip which is okay unless you're a corner outfielder who should provide power as well. He'd be a much more defensible choice if the Giants didn't have Nate Schierholtz slugging .503 in AAA.
Durham and Aurilla, combined age 72, offer very little outside of those veteran intangibles Sabean loves so well. The team should be giving younger players John Bowker and Emmanuel Burriss long looks in their stead. Neither one may amount to much at the big league level, but the Giants aren't winning with the veterans so, really, what's the downside?
The silliest part of Schulman's argument is that sticking with the older players is going to help the team at the box office. Losing teams don't sell a lot of tickets, regardless of the age of the players, and the ideas that the turnstiles will be flooded with Aurilla backers is a laughable one.
The Giants still act like a team that has Barry Bonds's bat in the middle of the lineup. The time is long past due for them to move onto the next phase of team building. Every minute they stay with mediocre veterans means they're that much further from actually becoming a contender.
(H/T Baseball Musings)
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
6-05-2008 @ 3:09AM
happy0535 said...
BEEN A GIANT FAN SINCE 1947. LOVE MY TEAM. FROM NEW YORK TO CAL. THEY ARE MY TEAM. FOLLOW THEM TO NEW YORK, PHILLY, AND WASHINGTON WHEN THEY MAKE THEIR EAST SWING. WATCHED THEM LOOSE THREE GAMES IN PHILLY THAT THEY COULD HAVE WON. JUST MY THOUGHT -----PLAY THE KIDS--NOTHING TO LOOSE--SORRY TO SAY --BARRY ZITO IS A PITCHER WITH AN ARM THAT JUST BURNED OUT. HE IS OURS FOR 5 YEARS BUT NOT ABLE TO BE IN THIE STARTING ROTATION. PLAY THE BEST PROSPECTS IN THE SYSTEM. THAT IS IF THEY ARE READY. LETS TAKE OUR BEATING NOW BUT BUILD ON THE KIDS. THE FANS IN FRISCO WILL SUPPORT THE TEAM IF THEY SHOW THEY WANT TO WIN AND COME TO PLAY EVERY DAY. THE GIANTS HAVE A BUDDING YOUNG STRONG PITCHING STAFF THAT CAN ONLY GET BETTER. IF YOU HAVE NO SLUGGERS THEN PLAY SMALL BALL. SPEED AND STRONG DEFENSE WITH AGGRESSIVE ATTITUDE CAN MAKE YOU A WINNER.
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