Bleacher Report - Articles by Nick Sturiale

San Francisco Giants: Time To Call It Quits?

Nick Sturiale — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 20:27:27 -0400

At what point does a team finally determine that their season is done and they need to begin moving forward with the next season? For this year's San Francisco Giants, the time is now.

They were embarrassed by C.C. Sabathia and the Milwaukee Brewers at home tonight by a score of 9-1.

For weeks, there has been talk that maybe the Giants should be buyers at the deadline and make a run at the dismal National League Western Division title.

The Arizona Diamondbacks and Los Angeles Dodgers, now two games under .500, are holding onto a seven-game lead over both the Giants and Colorado Rockies.

Seven games back may not seem like a terrible place to be, given the talent of the team. However, the team is 16 games under .500 and have dropped 10 of the last 14 games. They own the worst home record in baseball at 17-29, and they are in an awful position.

Matt Cain was tagged for three earned runs in six innings, The powerful Brewers offense got to him early on a J.J. Hardy RBI groundout and a Rickie Weeks RBI single. These were the only runs that the team would need to hold off the lowly Giants offense.

In fact, the only run the Giants were able to gather off of Sabathia was an Aaron Rowand solo home run in the bottom of the eighth. Aside from the one earned run and four hits allowed, Sabathia blanked the offense.

The Giants largest issue was the continuation of a bullpen unable to keep runs from scoring. Keiichi Yabu, Jack Taschner, Osiris Matos, and Sergio Romo combined for three innings of work, allowing four runs on six hits. These hits included home runs by Prince Fielder and Mike Cameron.

Not that it made too much of a difference, because Sabathia was flat out dealing Friday night at AT&T Park, but it is an issue that must be addressed, as the team's bullpen continues to struggle.

Outside of Alex Hinshaw and Keiichi Yabu, who is completely unreliable, no Giants reliever even has an ERA under 4.00. Tyler Walker's tendency to blow games in big situations has cost the team numerous games.

The reality is that this team is going nowhere in 2008, and to even consider this team for contention in the playoffs is absolutely ridiculous.

Even if the team was somehow able to play decent baseball the rest of the season and both Arizona and Los Angeles were to completely collapse and fall into disarray, they would still struggle to claim a division title.

The Giants have absolutely no hope this season and need to consider themselves serious sellers at the deadline.

With the realization of being a non-contender, the Giants need to begin to phase out many of their older veterans like Ray Durham, Randy Winn, Omar Vizquel, Rich Aurilia, and even Bengie Molina. These guys are all expensive wastes of veteran talent, who could serve other clubs well.

Unfortunately, it is time for these guys to go. The Giants must begin their rebuilding process by acquiring young talent and giving them big league experience before the end of the year.

Many clubs around the league could be interested in some of these players, and some even have a lot of young talent. Consider a team like the New York Mets who may be interested in acquiring Randy Winn, especially if they do not get Ryan Church back from his injury.

They may need a fast outfielder, who can still swing the bat, making Winn a great fit. They may also be interested in acquiring Ray Durham, with injuries to Luis Castillo, and Damion Easley having to play as the starter, which may make Durham a valuable piece.

The Cardinals may also want to add a player to help make a run at the first-place Cubs and keep the Brewers from taking over. With all of the injuries on their team, they may definitely be interested in acquiring a veteran bat in exchange for some prospects.

Look for the Phillies to be interested as well, with their recent offensive problems and a lot of young talent to give as well. A player like Bengie Molina or Randy Winn may fit in well in Philadelphia for a final push in the second half of the season.

The Giants season is over and it is time to be thinking about next year. They have a lot of talent to give that teams may be interested in. Rather than thinking of themselves as contenders for winning the worst division in baseball, they need to be thinking about how they can get valuable young prospects.

After all, for this team, the future is now. If the Giants want to be contenders years from now, they need to start now.

Barry Bonds: Why the Embattled Slugger Should Be on a Team Now

Nick Sturiale — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 21:07:04 -0400

Before the season began, I thought, without question, and so did Barry Bonds, that the new home-run champion would have a job this summer.

Coming off an All-Star season in which he broke the all-time home-run record of 755, belting 28 to end the season with a career 762 homers, Bonds was a free agent with an unsurpassed statistical resume.

The seven-time MVP and former Gold Glove left fielder was unceremoniously let go by the Giants after a 22-year career, the last 15 of those years with San Francisco, and was hoping to find a job with an American League team in need of a bat. But with his numerous links to use of human growth hormone, he also has an unsurpassed resume of unpopularity.

Six months later, it seems there are plenty of teams, especially in the AL, that could use a good lefty hitter at this point in the season, but none of which have contacted or made much effort to go after Bonds. His agent has repeatedly said there have been no offers, and it doesn't appear as if there will be any for Bonds this year. It has gone so far that an investigation has taken place in baseball for possible collusion among general managers.

I know that if I am a GM right now, I would be on the phone with Bonds' agent, Jeff Borris, working out any possible deal that I could. There are plenty of reasons to do this and so few not to.

At the top of that list is that Bonds will provide any team with instant offense. There is no question that the 43-year-old still has some power after last year's showing, and he can make any pitcher fear for his life. He is still good for 15-20 home runs the rest of the year along with 30-40 RBI. Those are good numbers for a guy who would be just virtually picked up off the street and added into the lineup.

Bonds will also provide a spark of energy in the clubhouse, as well, despite the fact that he is seen as a nuisance to most clubs. Sound like I'm contradicting myself? Well, I'm not, entirely. Bonds' bat in the lineup has the potential and could give any team instant power and more runs, which will provide more energy and enthusiasm in any clubhouse instantaneously. Any club that is struggling for offense now and looking for an extra push to take pressure off its pitching staff (ahem, Yankees) would gain a lot of energy in its clubhouse with Bonds.

Bonds also has the ability to act as a leader in any clubhouse being a 22-year veteran and has plenty of baseball experience and knowledge that would be beneficial for any young players to watch. While the Giants may be glad to have dumped the veteran out of San Francisco, any of the young players will tell you how big of an impact Bonds had on them, going back to the Candlestick Park days in the '90s.

Just ask Fred Lewis, F.P. Santangelo, Marvin Benard, and Armando Rios, all of whom learned and played with Bonds. It wasn't the young guys that couldn't get along with Bonds' selfish demeanor, it was the veterans who were jealous of his accomplishments and could never amount their careers to anything great. Just look at Marquis Grissom, Ellis Burks, Jose Cruz Jr., Kenny Lofton, and Reggie Sanders. There is no question that a team could use Bonds in its clubhouse as a leader to help develop younger players.

Bonds will also have a huge advantage playing in the American League, as he won't have to worry about playing the field because he can serve as the designated hitter. This runs a far smaller chance of injury and almost guarantees that Bonds will remain healthy for the remainder of the year. He's a had a lot of time off, and asking Bonds to come back for the second half of the year would be no problem for him despite all of the nagging injuries he's had to put up with throughout his career.

The final reason that signing Bonds would be a great decision is he'd likely come cheap. There is little question that Bonds would come as a great deal for the remainder of the season, probably around $5 million. That is a steal for any team looking to push itself into the playoffs and compete for a pennant.

The reasons not to sign Bonds have included the fact that it's time to move on, there is too much baggage with him, he's a nuisance in the clubhouse, and he wants too much money. People have also said that he is getting what he deserves after a career of shutting down fans over and over. While some of these allegations might be true, the benefits far outweigh the costs.

Where Bonds would sign and what would be a great fit for him remains unknown. We know it would be an American League team and one in contention for the playoffs. New York, Boston, Tampa Bay, Chicago, Minnesota, Detroit, Anaheim, and Oakland would be the only possibilities.

New York desperately needs a bat to take the place of Hideki Matsui, who is going to be on the DL for a long time, as well as to take some pressure off their pitching staff, which is having to carry the team. Boston could use another bat, though its situation is not as drastic as New York's. The absence of David Ortiz has done nothing but allow J.D. Drew to break through and begin to earn his paycheck.

Bonds also said he would never play for the city of Boston a few years ago, but times have changed. Tampa Bay could definitely use the powerful bat in the lineup as the Rays have lost seven straight and are in desperate need of some help. If they want to stay in contention with the Red Sox, signing Bonds would be a huge help.

The White Sox could also use a bat, as they have a strong rotation backed by a solid bullpen, but are trying to hold off the Twins and Tigers to take the division. The White Sox might not have what it takes with Carlos Quentin, Nick Swisher, A.J. Pierzynski, and Joe Crede all underperforming, so Bonds could be the answer they've been looking for.

Minnesota is unlikely, as the Twins main concern is their pitching, but if they can't go out and get a pitcher to add, why not add some offense to score more runs?

Detroit's problem is similar to Minnesota's and it is hard to believe that we would even be talking about the Tigers in need of a bat with the lineup they have, but they are going to need all the help they can get as they try to take the division.

Anaheim wants to run away with the division as it is holding onto a six-game lead over Oakland. It hasn't been their hitting, but their pitching, led by John Lackey, Jered Weaver, John Garland, and Ervin Santana, that has kept the Angels in first place. Vladimir Guererro, Torii Hunter, and Garrett Anderson have completely underperformed, so adding Bonds to the lineup could be the missing piece for the Angels.

The A's have had to deal with so many injuries it is unbelievable that they are still even in contention. Their entire lineup is diminished with injuries to Eric Chavez, Frank Thomas, Bobby Crosby, Mike Sweeney, and Ryan Sweeney. They have pitched really well, but they need some offensive help and Bonds might not be all they need, but it is definitely a start if they want to stay in the pennant chase and compete for the division. As you can see, there are many teams that could use Bonds in their lineup to make a second-half push.

It's hard to believe that Bonds is not on a roster right now with all of the holes on teams trying to compete for a playoff spot. I know if I was a GM, I would have Bonds on my team.

Clint Hurdle's Ill-Advised Managerial Decision Costs NL Homefield Advantage

Nick Sturiale — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 20:02:57 -0400

I usually am not one to say that any particular play or moment in a game can cost a team the victory, but after watching the 2008 All-Star Game, I have come to the conclusion that it is possible.

As the bottom of the eigth inning began yesterday at Yankee Stadium, the National League was clinging to a 3-2 lead and looked as if it may be headed for its first victory in a dozen years. The bullpen gates opened, and out came the National League saves leader (25), Brian Wilson, into the game to pitch in his first All-Star Game.

Was Clint Hurdle going to leave him in for a two-inning save? It seemed unlikely, but was definitely a possibility. The only other option was left-hander Billy Wagner, and, with his recent woes, there was no way Hurdle would leave it up to Wagner to close. Wagner had 22 saves on the season but in 28 chances, blowing four of those six in the past month. Wilson hadn't blown a save since May 2 at Philadelphia and has continued to dominate through lineups after a rough start to the season.

Obviously, it was difficult to tell whether or not Wilson was going to be able to power through the eighth inning with Carlos Quentin, Carlos Guillen, and Grady Sizemore due up to bat, so getting Wagner ready was a great call just in case he was needed.

Wilson immediately made an impact on the game, hitting 95 mph on the radar gun with his first pitch, a ball to Quentin. With the count 2-0, Quentin flied out to center field. Next came Guillen, who saw just how dominant and nasty Wilson could be and why he was a second representative for the San Francisco Giants with starter Tim Lincecum. Wilson and Guillen battled, with Wilson hurling pitches reaching 96, 97, and 98 mph, while Guillen fouled off several trying to stay alive and just put the ball in play against the hard-throwing right-hander. With the count full, Wilson threw one of the filthiest pitches I have ever seen, striking out Guillen for the second out of the inning.

At this point, Hurdle had a tough decision to make with Sizemore, a lefty, coming up to hit against Wilson, a righty. Completely overlooking the situation at hand, Hurdle decided to bring in the left-hander, Wagner, to get the lefty-lefty matchup, rather than stick with the dominant Wilson. We all knew what was coming.

With the count 1-1, Sizemore singled to right field, and, all of the sudden, things were not lookig so good. Wagner, struggling to keep the ball above 90 mph, was no comparison to what Wilson had been throwing just minutes before him, but he was Hurdle's guy, nonetheless.

Rookie Evan Longoria came into the game to pinch-hit for Milton Bradley and, with the count 1-2, Sizemore took off for second, sliding in safely with a steal on a ball to even the count. Longoria then ripped a double down the line to score Sizemore and tie the game at 3.

Now, normally it would not seem like a bad idea to bring in Wagner at that point in the game. After all, he has been one of the game's top closers over the past few years and he is the multi-million dollar man for the Mets. Wilson is still a young, fairly unproven rookie who is capable of blowing up at anytime.

The problem is that there was just absolutely no reason for the change to be made. The lefty-lefty matchup is overanalyzing the situation and shouldn't be used as a justification for such a move. Wilson was throwing gas on the mound and has been performing at this level in these types of situations all year long.

Hurdle knows this, having seen Wilson pitch against his team five times this year with four saves and ten strikeouts. There is just no question that if a guy is doing that well in situations where he is used to pitching, he should stay in the game, no matter who is coming up to bat. No manager would take out a hitter who was 2-for-2 on the day and replace him with a struggling hitter, no matter how big the name was.

Hurdle brought in Wagner to help save his own appearance, too. Let's face the facts: If the game was going to be tied up and a save was to be blown, who would he rather have do it? Wilson or Wagner? If Wilson blew the save, Hurdle would be ripped for relying on a young rookie and people would demand answers for why he didn't bring in Wagner. If Wagner blew it, the blame would solely rest on his shoulders, and Hurdle would be in the clear.

Whether or not Wilson would have come back to pitch in the ninth to close out the game, had it stayed a 3-2 game, is up in the air. In fact, it is unlikely that it would have been the case, and Wagner probably would have been summoned to pitch the ninth. That would have been an acceptable move on Hurdle's part. To take Wilson out of the game with two outs in the bottom of the inning while on a roll was just a terrible decision.

Wilson will come back to San Francisco having made a serious statement in the All-Star Game and, even though he was removed to soon, there is no question that players and managers around the league know who he is and will be sure to give him the respect he deserves now.

The decision ultimately cost the National League the game and home field advantage in the World Series. While the National Laegue had its chances later in the game, this small decision to take out Wilson changed the World Series and provided the American League with one more small advantage, as if they needed it. It is unfortunate to see that a decision in a game, so otherwise meaningless, could have such a big impact.

Instant Replay Will Only Interfere with MLB: Leave the Game Alone!

Nick Sturiale — Sun, 25 May 2008 18:06:44 -0400

When Abner Doubleday created the game of baseball, he certainly did not envision a game that would be tainted by performance enhancing drugs, corked bats, and betting scandals.

While Major League Baseball has done its best to clean up the game in all of the given scenarios, they are now faced with another issue that could have dramatic effects on the game itself—the issue of instant replay.

Instant replay and baseball just do not belong together in the same sentence.

While it has been initiated into the other three major sports, and I'll admit has been quite effective, baseball simply has no need or place for it. Baseball is a game of tradition and a technological system that alters the judgment of an umpiring crew is terrible for the game.

Umpire crews normally consist of four men, except for postseason play when six men crews take the field to watch the foul lines in right and left field. These crews are among the top officiating crews in all of sports and I would say they are probably the strongest at their jobs when compared to referees in basketball, football, and hockey.

Not to mention they are paid much larger contracts than referees in any other sport, due to such a strong union protecting the umpires.

First of all, there is way too much controversy as to what should and shouldn't be allowed to be reviewed. Some people say that only fair/foul balls should be reviewed while others say that it should include home run calls, due to the A-Rod incident. Others believe that all calls should be reviewable.

The system is never going to be completely fair if some calls are reviewable while others are not, as we can see with the NFL instant replay rules.

One must either be in favor for all calls to be reviewable or none at all. The only way to keep it entirely fair would be to have no instant replay system.

Umpiring crews have a job to do—to make the calls that they see.

As a former umpire myself, I can tell you that we make mistakes and miss calls, as it is only human error. But, in all honesty, baseball is not a game of perfection, and there is human error within the game itself.

Umpires' judgment and authority are strong within Major League Baseball. Their calls are final and never subject to review, unless of course they collectively decide on a change in the call. Any type of replay system would do nothing but undermine their authority and take away their ability to make judgment calls.

Plus, there is no question that a replay system would add unnecessary time to the game itself.

People have said that it would not take any longer than it does now for an umpiring crew to huddle up and make a decision, but that is not the case. If we look at the NFL, the replay system adds unnecessary minutes to the game, while the fans sit and wait and broadcasters ramble about the same thing over and over until a decision is finally made.

It would be the same thing in baseball.

A huddle of umpires making a decision is quick and effective, while a replay system would require the crew chief to examine the play and the call multiple times. Then he would huddle with the rest of the umpires to let them know what was going on.

For a game that takes way too long already, adding more time is the last thing MLB needs.

Above all else, a replay system causes fans, players, managers, and owners to lose complete faith in the umpires, and there would be much less emphasis on training and working to achieve perfection with the system put into place.

If the system were to be initiated in baseball, an umpire's call would make no difference. Whether the call was correct or not, a manager could challenge the call and it would be reviewed. Umpires would be essentially useless on the field with a technologically advanced system to make the calls for them.

Even ESPN's K-Zone, which has been great for fans to see at home, has hurt umpires of Major League Baseball because it has put their judgment into question.

The umpire may have picked up something that K-Zone did not and that may be the reason why a certain call was made. Umpires are there to make calls based on their own judgment, not based on what a computer says.

The entertainment value of an argument between a manager, or even a player, and an umpire is absolutely priceless. Fans love it. Baseball would lose a lot of entertainment value with a replay system put into place because it would put an end to these arguments on the field.

Managers and players would have no reason to argue with an umpire and risk getting ejected when they could just look at a replay to determine what the correct call was. I don't think that a replay would be much more entertaining than an argument.

The future of baseball is in serious question here. It would completely take away the tradition of the game and the umpires' authority, who have worked so hard training to get where they are now.

If we want baseball to be the game it was supposed to be, rather than what it has become, instant replay is not the answer. Instant replay has no place in baseball and needs to be kept out by all means necessary.

Giants-Marlins: Make or Break Start for San Francisco's Barry Zito

Nick Sturiale — Thu, 22 May 2008 19:02:05 -0400

A year and a half ago, Giants management somehow convinced fans that signing the 28-year-old lefthander to a seven-year, $126 million deal was the best move the team could make.

Now, in the midst of a dreadful 2008 season that has witnessed veterans fall out and rookies unable to play at the next level, sits the $126-million-dollar man, Barry Zito—and his 0-8 record, something which has angered Giants fans.

Let us go back to the offseason before the 2007 season to explain the circumstances surrounding the signing. At the time, Zito was the only number-one starter the Giants, along with multiple other clubs, could even consider signing.

To lock this ace up required a large amount of money, especially when competing with teams—like the Mets and Rangers—willing to fork over large contracts. At the time, the Giants were still thinking about making a run at the postseason, hoping that Zito would be the answer to get them there in Barry Bonds' final year in a Giants uniform.

Back to 2008. We stand in May, 48 games into the season, with the Giants sitting at 19-29 and Zito yet to earn a single victory. It took an 0-7 start, an ERA over 7.50, along with fan complaints on the radio, to finally prompt Giants management to relieve him of his duties and demote him to the bullpen. But the Giants continued to lose anyway, and he is back on the mound as the number-one guy.

Zito's last three starts have provided Giants fans with some hope, as his ERA has dropped all the way down to 6.13—throwing 16 innings and allowing just seven runs. While these numbers are nowhere near what an $18 million dollar pitcher should be throwing up, his start in Florida tomorrow will be the test of whether or not he is capable of being the Giants' ace.

Zito has pitched decently in his last few starts, but not quite well enough to convince Giants fans that he is their guy. Tomorrow night in Miami, as the Giants take on the hot streaking Marlins, all eyes will be on Zito—partly because the rest of the team is nothing to look at, and partly because of what is expected of him.

As Zito goes against one of the younger, tougher-hitting clubs in the league, we will finally be able to tell just what he is capable of doing.

Zito knows what is expected of him, and has continued to say that he is not living up to expectations, but this really is his final test. If he pitches a gem, like he should have all along, Giants fans may begin to feel sorry that his offense can't put more than two runs on the board for him.

But if he implodes on the mound like he did against Arizona earlier this year, he could be in big trouble.

We all know Zito is capable of being a Cy Young winner, as he won the Award in 2001. But until he returns to that form, Giants fans will not see the value in a player whose contract rivals that of Barry Bonds. While he isn't expected to win the Cy Young award, he is expected to win—and that's all the fans have asked.

The Giants will head into Florida tomorrow night. And in front of about 7100 fans, we will see if Zito is capable of returning to the form that he agreed to embody when he signed with the Giants.