There are different ways of standing out.
Hopefully, he can stop standing out by being the worst pitcher on the staff. The last start was encouraging.
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Posts Tagged ‘Jeremy Affeldt’
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3-to-1 odds this means that the Giants decide they don’t have enough money for both a shortstop and a center fielder…and then they decide to spend on center field, where there’s less good options, and a great in-house option coming soon that would get blocked.
Just saying…
Life Is A Contact Sport But Baseball Isn’t Anymore
on February 20, 2012 at 12:01 am- 2012 »
- Comic »
- Spring Training
Yesterday, the news came out: Giants manager Bruce Bochy had ordered catcher Buster Posey to not block the plate anymore.
Honestly, there’s a baseball traditionalist who is a little sad about that. I admit it: I like things like ‘gritty’ and ‘scrappy’ play. Baseball’s not often a physical game, but I like those moments that it is. A collision at home plate is exciting. And I say that as someone who played catcher long ago on school playgrounds, and got involved in a few from some over-eager bullies.
But on the other hand: more Buster Posey. What happened last year ended the season. Sure, the team was in first for a few months after it, but everyone felt the loss of Posey. It killed the team. Everyone knew it. So, yea, in the name of keeping the star hitter healthy, no more plate blocking.
But Buster’s the kind of guy I am. I’m pretty damn sure that, during a pennant chase or the playoffs, if the game’s on the line, Buster’s going to get in someone’s way.
I’m not worried about the San Francisco Giants’ ability to survive without Brian Wilson. At least, not too much.
It’s not like losing Wilson isn’t a blow. This guy is one of the top closers in baseball. For all the crap he takes, for all the torture he induces, he does go out there and get saves time after time. He has more saves than any other closer in baseball since he got the regular job, and that’s despite missing some time at the end of last year.
That said, the Giants have a bullpen that’s playoff tested. Sergio Romo was one of the best non-closer relievers in baseball last season. Santiago Casilla filled in admirably when Wilson went down last year. Jeremy Affeldt may brainfart like no one else can at times, but other times he comes in and shuts down the Phillies for innings in the NLCS when the starter gets himself taken out barely after he’s warmed up. And Javier Lopez can absolutely knock ‘em down.
These guys can do what Wilson does on the field. Maybe not as well, but close enough. It’s what Wilson does off the field that I’m worried about.
Wilson is the lightning rod of the Giants. Make no doubt about it. He wanted the role, and went out and took it like it was his birthright. And unlike almost anyone in any public field, he handles it with more grace and intelligence than I’ve ever seen. Forget baseball, he outclasses celebrities and political figures. He absolutely never responds to the haters. He never seems to be down. He also never gets himself in trouble off the field. No fights, no drugs, no gossip. None. It’s the most amazing thing about him, that with all he does, he’s not a self-destructing mess like Dennis Rodman.
These Giants succeed without the pressures many east coast players have. Sure, part of that is the lack of the east coast media mentality, but another part is that few Giants stars face the level of scrutiny that even other Giants players have faced. When the general media wants a quote, they want Wilson. When players need to deflect, they can deflect to Wilson. When the media needs to talk about anything Giants, you damn well bet they’ll start by talking about backup shortstops, and still somehow end up talking about Wilson. And that’s not Wilson stealing the spotlight, that’s the media doing it themselves.
Without Wilson, other players will get a bigger share of being the face of the team. That’s not an enviable position. Who knows how they might react? Some players take the pressure on the field. Others get into off-field issues. I’m not sure I trust Lincecum with that, especially the way things are right now.
No one can handle the media like Wilson. I hope he’s taught some of the guys a few of his tricks.
Oh, and as for Wilson’s on-the-field comeback? I have absolutely no doubt. Even if he comes back with less velocity, or the mandate to stop throwing sliders, or anything else, I feel confident the player can adapt. You may have heard this in the past, but I’ll say it again: Wilson is the smartest man in any room. Period. He understands a lot more than he lets on. If anyone can think his way out of limited stuff and find ways to continue hounding hitters, I believe he can.
PS – The roll call above goes like this from left to right: Lopez rocking the Captain’s outfit; Casilla with the wrong jersey coloring in his shoes (Why does he have the wrong jersey on? Because of this, obviously!); Affeldt, extending his mohawk from the chin to the top of his head; and Romo, preening his beard.
PPS – If the ‘Committee’ lasts more than three weeks before Bochy settles on a regular guy finishing games, I’ll be shocked. Committees suck.
Don’t look at me, this is what you signed up for. This is what it is to be a baseball fan. Your team wins it all…and a few days later, they’re back where the other 29 are: in the offseason trying to chase themselves for another ring.
Enjoy the weekend…it’s going to be a long offseason.
I know, I know, Romo has a beard…but it’s always changing. After all, he started this year with the Melky chinstrap beard, as many guys grew, before getting it bigger. Last year, there was the Millard Fillmore (which was my favorite.
The Many Facial Hairs of Sergio Romo
You simply can’t market something that changes so much.
And the others? Well, soul patches just aren’t marketing material since the 1990′s.
Of course, the real point is not to let Brian Wilson go. Even at $6.8 million, which I will admit is expensive for even a proven closer, I’d say that the Giants should hold onto him.
Wilson holds more value than just as a pitcher to the Giants. He’s a brand. He’s an identity. During the 2010 World Series run, he was the face of the Giants. Not the dominant Lincecum, not the youthful and earnest Posey, or the slumping, overweight Panda; it was the Beard.
And that was a good thing. Wilson relished the attention. He was one of those rare people who was able to handle it in his own way. But the point was that with the media glare on him, it was off of the other young players who weren’t necessarily as media savvy or media friendly. Even in the 2011 victory lap, Wilson stayed a huge focus.
While most of the players have grown and shown an ability to stand up in the media spotlight, this year would be different. There are real concerns on this team for 2013, not the least of which is what Henry Schulman termed a “Cold War” between Lincecum and Posey. With Lincecum up for free agency after this season, the media would be stupid not to look at that. But with Wilson around, the spotlight would be shared, both about Wilson’s comeback as well as his impending free agency as well.
That’s worth the investment.
Wilson is a Giant…and he should remain that for at least one more season.