Bleacher Report - Articles by Michael New

Giants-Brewers: Martinez Scare Clouds Giants' Victory

Michael New — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 02:21:21 -0400

In a scary moment at AT&T Park, rookie pitcher Joe Martinez took a line drive off the head with two outs in the ninth in Thursday's game against Milwaukee.

Brewers' center fielder Mike Cameron smoked a fastball back up the middle, which hit so hard off the young hurler's head that the ball went out of play over 60 feet away.

Obviously shaken up, Mike Cameron knelt down at second base with many Giants players coming over to try and console him. It seemed the entire stadium took a moment of silence as the on-lookers waited to see the outcome of the unfortunate circumstance.

Martinez surprisingly walked off the field on his own, bleeding from the upper right side of his forehead and his nose. Upon impact, he fell to the ground limp-like and bounced back up in a very awkward all-in-one motion.

He seemed to come to and clinched his head after removing his cap.

Fortunately, insiders who visited the hospital tonight have confirmed from Giants' executives that the CT scan was negative and he doesn’t seem to have any broken bones or a shattered skull.

Martinez has a concussion, but that seems to be the worst of it.

For those that can stomach it, watch this horrofic event.

The Giants eventually won 7-1, taking the first series of the year.

Next up, the San Diego Padres take on Barry Zito in his regular-season debut.

Milwaukee-San Francisco: Yovani Gallardo, Brewers Beat Giants 4-2

Michael New — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 01:22:22 -0400

In a game that was single-handedly won by one player—starting pitcher Yovani Gallardo—the visiting Milwaukee Brewers beat San Francisco 4-2 on Wednesday night. Gallardo pitched a great game and had the Giants back on their heels for most of the evening. He pitched seven frames and gave up only one run.

In the top half of the fifth inning Gallardo came to the plate with two men on and hammered a three-run homer off Randy Johnson over the left-field wall. That broke a tie game and put the Brew Crew up 4-1.

That ended Johnson’s night in his first official start in a Giants uniform. Up until that point he had pitched a great game. He made a mistake with a fastball up in the zone and out over the plate. Gallardo made him pay!

As it goes, the Giants took their first loss of the year. They threatened in the seventh inning in a two-out rally that left the bases loaded with Bengie Molina grounding out to J.J. Hardy to end the inning.

These teams meet again at 4:05 p.m. PT on Thursday with Matt Cain taking the mound in the rubber match of the series.

Go Giants!

San Francisco Giants: Back in Black…and Orange!

Michael New — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 00:26:01 -0400

It’s back in black and orange for the San Francisco Giants!

I, as well, am back in action writing about my favorite team. You can expect regular updates from me on games, stories, and insider tips, and rumors.

The season started off great for the Giants with their first victory over the Milwaukee Brewers 10-6.

Tim Lincecum, 2008 NL Cy Young winner, took the mound on opening day for the Giants. He was totally amped to start the season, as the adrenaline was getting to him all night. He couldn’t calm himself down and only lasted three full innings.

The Giants hitters looked especially sharp today—including their youngsters.

Travis Ishikawa hit a first inning base clearing triple into triples alley that got the crowd rockin’. Pablo Sandoval looked impressive and made Sabean look like a genius. We also had three homers in the game by Randy Winn, Aaron Rowand, and Bengie Molina—our savvy veterans.

So much for the team that can’t hit, huh? Maybe this season will turn out better than we thought!

The best part about the first day of the season is all of the anticipation. Are we going to have a good team this year? That is to be determined.

However, I’ll make my official declaration here and now that the Giants win the National League West this year and finish the regular season with an 85-77 record.

San Francisco Giants: Barry Zito Pitches Well through Five, Gets No Decision

Michael New — Tue, 13 May 2008 01:10:27 -0400

The San Francisco Giants lost Monday night in the series opener to the Houston Astros, 7-3.

Barry Zito got the start and looked pretty good through the first five innings. The Giants gave him a little run support, and they were up 3-0 going into the top of the sixth.

Early that inning, he lost command of the fastball a little bit and started to fall behind a few hitters. He gave up one run, but looked like he was going to be able to retire the side without too much damage.

Then, he hung a changeup behind in the count to Lance Berkman, who made him pay. He hit that pitch high and deep for a two-run bomb to the deepest part of the yard, tying the game at three runs a piece.

You could see the anguish on Zito’s face as he gave up the three-run inning. As I watched the game, I really did feel bad for the guy, as he had pretty good stuff all night, but got behind a few batters that were costly.

In the bottom half of that inning, I was hoping that the Giants could pick him up and regain the lead before they pulled him out of the game. That would have at least given him a chance for the win.

I thought we had a chance too, with the heart of our lineup coming to bat. But we went 1-2-3 that inning, and sent Vinnie Chulk out for the seventh. Definitely a tough outing for Zito again.

Although it was disappointing that he gave up the lead, there were a lot of things he can build on after the game tonight. It appeared he was keeping the ball down a little better than previous games. It also looked like his curveball was coming back to form and he was able to throw it for strikes.

I’d love to see Chris over at Bay City Ball do a pitching analysis on his performance Monday night. It looked like he had some of his movement back, and I’d be curious to see how he did versus previous starts.

This was the first time Zito has gotten a no-decision, after seven consecutive losses in his first seven starts of the year.

Needless to say, it will be a game that Zito looks back on and wishes he made fewer mistakes in that sixth inning. But it was definitely his best performance of the year. I can’t wait to hear his interview after the game to see what he has to say.

Conversation starter: What was up with the bonehead play by Keiichi Yabu on that busted pickoff move? Come on!

How Many Runs Will Barry Zito Give Up Tonight?

Michael New — Wed, 07 May 2008 13:49:34 -0400

Barry Zito has been named the starter tonight against the Pittsburgh Pirates after being demoted to the bullpen last week. The San Francisco Giants skipped him in the rotation for his last start and he has thrown just two bullpen sessions since. He has not appeared out of the pen and has not received any game experience since his demotion. Why the sudden change of heart?

For all you Giants fans out there, we’re going to do a poll today to see how many runs you think he’ll give up tonight:

0-2 Runs

3-4 Runs

5-6 Runs

7-8 Runs

9+ Runs

Also, just for giggles, how many innings will he last?

0-2 Innings

3-4 Innings

5-6 Innings

7+ Innings

Raise your voice and shout out an opinion on the game tonight! I can’t wait to hear what each of you have to say. My guess is he’ll last 4 2/3 innings and give up 5-6 runs. Be bold people! Put your money where your mouth is.

What Do We Do With Zito?

Michael New — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 18:30:00 -0400

Barry Zito, the San Francisco Giants No. 1 starter in the rotation, the supposed ace of the staff, and the second highest paid pitcher in the history of the game, is suddenly washed up!

The problem is that the Giants have him signed through 2013. Including this year, we’ve got six more seasons where he will make a total of $111.5 Million. Gulp!

The line on Zito so far this season is pretty pathetic to say the least. He is 0-6 in his six starts this season, with a 7.53 ERA, 15 walks, 11 strikeouts and has given up 30 runs. Lefties have hit .348 off him and righties have hit .333. He’s averaging only 4.2 innings per start and taxing the bullpen every time he takes the mound.

So, it’s time to look at our options. I’ve compiled a list of the top 6:

1) Send him to the bullpen to see if he can figure out his location problems.

2) Skip his next start and give him some extra work with Rags on the side.

3) Pull off a miraculous trade and dump at least a portion of his salary. (Who am I kidding)

4) Option him back to the minors where he can regain his confidence.

5) Force him into an extended stay on the DL citing an arm problem.

6) Cut ties and eat the $111.5 Million we owe him.

Honestly, every scenario here makes my brain hurt. I can’t stand the fact that we are even talking about this subject to begin with. But, since we’re in the situation, we’ve got to put our GM hats on and figure out what we can do.

Although I would like No. 3 to happen, I know that no team out there in their right minds will trade for him. So, if it were me, I would do No. 1. We can’t afford to run him out there every fifth day and blow the game.

We’ve got to do what is best to help this ball club win, and keeping Zito in the starting rotation is not the answer. So, I ask you…what would you do?

Giants Win Third Straight; Beat Cardinals 5-1

Michael New — Fri, 11 Apr 2008 14:27:07 -0400

The San Francisco Giants have won their third straight game. Kevin Correia pitched magnificently, as he lead the Giants on to victory. He took a shutout into the 8th inning and had great stuff all night long. He finished giving up five hits over 7 2/3 innings, while striking out four. His ERA for the season is now a measly 2.63.

Well, it looks like our starting pitching is living up to its hype! We’ve got a solid starting five who could all be legitimate #1’s over the next couple of years. With this kind of rotation we have a chance to win every night. I’ve been a Giants fan my whole life and I can’t remember a time when we’ve had a better starting five.

Fred Lewis had a great game last night for the Giants as well, with two runs scored and an electrifying triple! He’s turning out to be all that we could hope for and it looks like he’s going to be the regular from now on in left field. I’m excited that he’s getting his shot. Two nights ago he thrilled Giants fans with his defensive play as he caught a ball off his shoe laces and came up throwing for home. He gunned the guy out trying to tag up from third on a one-hop to Bengie Molina. He’s a five tool player!

Tonight we get back to the top of our rotation where Barry Zito takes the hill. I really hope he can get his stuff together. It would be nice to see him get his first win tonight.

Giants-Dodgers: San Francisco Starts Season with Win in Stormy LA

Michael New — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 23:06:37 -0400

The San Francisco Giants secured a 2-1 victory last night against the LA Dodgers on a stormy night chock-full of great pitching.

Though both starters were late scratches due to weather, they each came into the game in relief. Tim Lincecum pitched four solid innings, giving up only one run to achieve his first win of the season, and the Giants' first as well.

This was a badly needed victory for the Giants who have high hopes for their club early in the season. It is vital that they begin the year with some momentum to keep morale high. All the experts have picked them to finish last in their division this year.

Most importantly, they must establish themselves at the plate, where they have struggled all spring.

My best friend Todd was at the game in LA decked out in all his Giants gear for the rainy night. He sat pretty much anywhere he wanted as the stadium was quite empty due to a one hour and 14 minute rain delay in the top half of the fifth inning.

But he stuck it out, along with the other faithful, and watched as the Giants pulled down their first victory of the season.

It was good to finally see some of the youngsters get a start last night. I hope we keep up the youth movement as I see it as crucial to our success moving forward.

Bill James claims that the best years of a baseball player’s career are the ages 25-29. So, we’ll see if those guys get into the games for us.

Tomorrow the Giants travel to Milwaukee to face the Brewers in a three game series. We’re expected to see Jonathan Sanchez vs. Carlos Villanueva on Friday at 11:05 PT.

San Francisco Giants Get Blanked by Los Angeles Dodgers 5-0 on Opening Day

Michael New — Mon, 31 Mar 2008 23:53:16 -0400

The Los Angeles Dodgers totally obliterated the San Francisco Giants today. Opening the season for the Giants, Bruce Bochy put together the following lineup:

7. Luis Castillo - 3B

8. Brian Bocock - SS

9. Barry Zito - P

According to Brian Sabean, we were planning on a HUGE youth movement this year, yet only one Opening Day starter is under 30: Brian Bocock, who is playing for an injured Omar Vizquel. So far, we’re not sticking to the plan.

Bochy also said in the offseason that he was planning on playing the best player at each position, regardless of salary. That also did not happen, as the highest paid player at each position took the field for Opening Day.

Looks like the same old Giants...and we’re in for a long season.

It’s going to be VERY long if I have to watch the cane-walking Giants take the field day in and day out. Let’s get the youngsters out there! Our triple A squad beat us last week for crying out loud! That should tell you something.

One more thing: Why is Aaron Rowand batting sixth? He’s by far the only guy in the lineup who might be considered an offensive threat. Move him into the third or fourth spot please!

Now that I’ve ranted for a while, let’s get to today’s game.

Barry Zito started off the day giving up three Dodger’s runs in the first, including a home run to Jeff Kent. The next inning he gave up another run on an RBI single by Rafael Furcal. That pretty much sealed the deal for the Giants. They came up with five hits in the entire game, two of which were collected by our only offensive threat, Aaron Rowand.

Since there’s not much else to talk about, I’m going to look forward to tomorrow’s game. I’m hoping for a completely new lineup from Bochy since this one didn’t work. Hopefully we’ll see some youth. Tomorrow’s game features Matt Cain vs. Derek Lowe.

San Francisco Giants: Omar Vizquel Out Four to Six Weeks

Michael New — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 21:21:39 -0500

Just when you thought it couldn’t get any worse, you go and find something like this!

It’s sad to say, but the San Francisco Giants won’t be fielding their starting shortstop come opening day. Omar Vizquel tore the medial meniscus in his left knee and won’t be able to return to the field for 4-6 weeks.

He was flown back to San Francisco and operated on today.

Team doctors said the surgery went exactly as planned and he’ll be on schedule to return sometime the first week of the season, barring any setbacks. However, the 41-year-old shortstop may not heal as quickly as we need him to. With age comes longer healing times and it could be the end of April before we truly see him take the field and playing at 100 percent.

What this means for the Giants is that Kevin Frandsen will get the opening day starting job at short, ending his competition with Ray Durham for the job at second.

This also means that we will see Rich Aurilia as the starting third baseman, unless the Joe Crede deal goes through before the end of spring training. I just hope that this doesn’t put more pressure on the front office to bring someone on that we don’t need. I’d hate to see us lose a great prospect just to put on a band-aid.

Spring Training games officially begin tomorrow with the Giants facing the Cubs at home in Scottsdale. Stay tuned!

Giants Baseball: Omar Vizquel Injures Knee

Michael New — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 17:01:32 -0500

Just when you thought it couldn't get any worse...you go and do something like this!

It's sad to say, but the San Francisco Giants won't be fielding their starting shortstop come opening day. Omar Vizquel tore the medial meniscus in his left knee and won't be able to return to the field for four to six weeks.

He was flown back to San Francisco and was operated on today. Team doctors said the surgery went exactly as planned and he'll be on schedule to return sometime the first week of the season, barring any setbacks.

However, the 41-year-old shortstop may not heal as quickly as we need him to. With age comes longer healing times and it could be the end of April before we truly see him take the field and playing at 100 percent.

What this means for the Giants, is that Kevin Frandsen will get the opening day starting job at short, ending his competition with Ray Durham for the job at second. This also means that we will see Rich Aurilia as the starting third baseman, unless the Joe Crede deal goes through before the end of spring training.

I just hope that this doesn't put more pressure on the front office to bring someone on that we don't need. I'd hate to see us lose a great prospect just to put on a Band-Aid.

Spring Training games officially begin tomorrow with the Giants facing the Cubs at home in Scottsdale. Stay tuned!

San Francisco Giants Sign Vinnie Chulk to One-Year Deal

Michael New — Thu, 07 Feb 2008 18:27:38 -0500

The San Francisco Giants recently announced that they have signed relief pitcher Vinnie Chulk to a one-year, $837,500 deal for next season.

Chulk, 29, finished 5-4 with a 3.57 ERA in 57 games last year. He was tied for the team lead in appearances when a circulatory ailment caused numbness in his right middle finger and forced him to miss the season’s final month.

Vinnie was definitely one of our better relievers last year and we desperately needed to sign him to get some bodies in the pen.

I’m still not convinced, however, that the other players carried over from last year are the answer to our relief problems. As you all know, our bullpen was one of the worst in the majors last season. When the season closed it stood as the glaring answer to our failure. Yet we have done nothing to improve it.

It is clear that the Giants want to give their youngsters a chance to prove themselves. We will see how the season pans out, but my guess is that we will be changing our tune a bit by next offseason.

We need to bring some big names to this club or people will lose interest.

Philadelphia Phillies Sign Ex-Giant Pedro Feliz

Michael New — Tue, 29 Jan 2008 18:18:13 -0500

Late last night, rumors were flying around the league that Pedro Feliz had agreed in principal to a two-year deal with the Philadelphia Phillies worth an estimated $8.5 million with a club option for 2010.

With principal and performance-based incentives, the deal could be worth up to $15 million after all is said and done.

Feliz had reportedly been asking for a three-year deal worth close to $21 million as he hit the free agent market at the end of the season.

Apparently, his price has come down considerably as the 2008 season approaches.

Brian Sabean, GM of the San Francisco Giants, has repeatedly stated that he would not offer the sure-handed third baseman a three-year contract and that his price was too high.

If Feliz were willing to sign a one-year agreement, then the Giants would have considered it, but not three years.

Feliz will join a solid lineup with the Phillies that has been assembled to score a lot of runs. He will likely bat in the sixth or seventh spot in the lineup, a place that should better suit him.

The third baseman had previously batted behind Barry Bonds for a good portion of his stay with the Giants, and I believe his productivity will go up as he hits with less pressure.

But Feliz will definitely have more power hitting in the home-run happy Citizens Bank Park in Philly.

For the Giants, I am so glad they will never see him in the orange and black ever again! I’ve had too many years of watching him miss an off-speed pitch for strike three and walk himself back to the dugout.

Good riddance, Feliz!

Bring on Kevin Frandsen!

Barry Bonds Asks Judge to Throw Out Perjury Case

Michael New — Wed, 23 Jan 2008 12:13:42 -0500

Barry Bonds asked the federal judge to dismiss perjury charges today, arguing the indictment is “scattershot” and noted for its “striking inartfulness.”

This gives us an inside look at how his lawyers are beginning to outline and defend their client.

The attorneys said that the questions asked by prosecutors during Bonds’ December 2003 grand jury appearance were vague, ambiguous and confusing. The lawyers asked that the case be thrown out on the grounds that he couldn’t have been lying when the questions asked of him did not allow a concise response.

It should be noted that motions such as these are frequently filed but rarely granted. The lawyers are definitely trying what they can, when they can to get the process streamlined as possible.

Bonds has been accused of lying on nineteen different accounts, of which he has been indicted on four separate charges of perjury and one obstruction of justice charge. Bonds’ attorneys argue that the instances should be detailed and charges should be filed separately, instead of being lumped together.

This way, the charges can be dismissed and approached on an individual basis.

An interesting development indeed for Mr. Bonds as the season grows closer by the day. He is still a free agent with no potential suitors that we know about. I’m sure many teams are waiting to find out more about his legal troubles before beginning negotiations with the all-time home runs leader.

It is to be seen whether he will sign a contract for another year or if this will be the end of the slugger’s career. If it is, he’ll go away under suspicion of using performance enhancing drugs.

If he gets signed for another season, the story continues, and more and more records will undoubtedly fall from the pages of history.

Giants Sign Brad Hennessey to One-Year, $1.6 Million Deal

Michael New — Sat, 19 Jan 2008 16:47:44 -0500

In anticipation of pitchers reporting to Arizona for spring training here in a few weeks, the San Francisco Giants are trying to take care of the three pitchers they still have in the salary arbitration process.

Today they inked potential closer Brad Hennessey to a one year, $1.6 million contract. He will compete with Brian Wilson for the full-time closer role next season. The competition should get pretty heated as the two are so evenly matched. Hennessey has a little more experience, and Wilson, though younger, does possess slightly better skills.

Hennessey spent the majority of last season as the closer for the Giants, executing 19 of 24 save opportunities for them. Wilson finished the last two weeks of the season as the regular closer and did a great job. I can’t wait to see them in spring ball when I go down for my annual trip to Giants Spring Training in Scottsdale.

Yesterday, Vinnie Chulk and Kevin Correia each negotiated salaries with the Giants. Vinnie Chulk is asking for $975,000 while the team has offered $725,000. Chulk went 5-4 with a 3.57 ERA in 57 appearances before being placed on the disabled list on August 24th. He will compete for the set-up role next season and will definitely come out of the bullpen.

Kevin Correia has asked for $1.3 million while the team has offered $850,000 for next season. Correia was 4-7 with a 3.45 ERA in 59 appearances in 2007, including a 3-1 mark and 2.54 ERA in eight starts. He will be competing for the 5th starting pitcher spot in spring training.

Stay tuned as the best guess is that Chulk and Correia will be signed in the coming days.