Comments on: Buster Posey Promoted

By: Bhaakon

Bhaakon — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 21:53:52 +0000

I’ve heard that Lincecum’s change is actually a split. The Giants’ announcer occasionally zoom in to show you the grips on pitches, but they haven’t done so with Lincecum’s change/split. I know that pitch f/x pitch identification is still a work in progress, but is there any way to tel which it is using the data?

By: DC

DC — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 19:28:22 +0000

Bengie has probably had one of his worst defensive seasons as a catcher this year. It just shows that he’s losing it. I have no factual data, but a friend of mine has developed one of his own catcher defense formulas, and Bengie is below average. I thought it would be awesome seeing Posey catching Lincecum today, unfortunately that won’t happen.

By: SharksRog

SharksRog — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 16:33:56 +0000

Barring unusual circumstances, it doesn’t appear Buster Posey will be getting many plate appearances in September. Clearly Bengie Molina will get the bulk of at bats once he is healthy, and backup Eli Whiteside has actually done an impressive job with the Giants’ starting pitchers in his 20 or so starts on the season.

It does seem likely, however, that the Giants would benefit more from Posey’s bat than that of Whiteside or even Molina. To compare Buster to Bengie, Posey is likely to hit for more average and power and as pointed out here, to get on base a LOT MORE. Molina has been a very good clutch hitter over his career, while it remains to be seen how well Posey will fare in that role. Defensively Posey may already be approaching Molina and Buster will likely have a longer defensive peak than Molina enjoyed.

It seems unlikely that Posey will be the Giants’ catcher to any significant degree in 2009. But it seems almost certain he will be their catcher to a significant degree for the 15 or so years thereafter.

Catcher has been the weak link positionally in San Francisco Giants history (along perhaps with shortstop). That appears to be on the verge of changing.

By: MPC

MPC — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 16:23:17 +0000

Well played, sir.

By: CH

CH — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 15:41:29 +0000

I live just outside NYC, but I have the Extra Innings package, so I get to see a lot of Lincecum. It’s great that the pitch value section of this website rates his changeup so highly, because I’ve been shocked by the lack of attention it receives. Even the SF announcers don’t seem to talk about it that much. “This is a good time for him to throw that big hook of his. OH, he went with the changeup and got him swinging.”

Yeah, it’s the best in baseball, I think I’d use it in 2-strike situations too. Not that the hook isn’t great too.

As for Posey, I’m sure they’re only calling him up so they can trade him to the Rangers for Michael Young next year. Then I’m assuming Sandoval will be shipped to Toronto for Vernon Wells. Sabean loves that “veteran presence,” regardless of cost. Or performance.

By: Joe R

Joe R — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 14:06:54 +0000

I do need to see me some Lincecum. Boston gets absolutely no Giants games.

By: B

Thu, 03 Sep 2009 13:16:50 +0000

Yes, they do. Which makes this move weird unless we really plan on playing Posey.

By: B

Thu, 03 Sep 2009 13:14:27 +0000

The examples you used support DC’s point pretty strongly. Ishikawa, Lewis, Frandsen, Bowker, Ort, Schierholtz…all guys the Giants have jerked around with no seeming plan or ability to evaluate which ones are good and which ones are not. Meanwhile we run the likes of Torres out there over superior players like Lewis because Sabean has no idea what a good hitter looks like. We traded for Garko, who’s basically the same talent level as Ishikawa overall.

By: The East Coast

The East Coast — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 13:00:29 +0000

Who are you?

By: Bhaakon

Bhaakon — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 09:16:29 +0000

A 25 year old shorty, one might say.