Bleacher Report - Articles by Michael Barnett

Alex Ramirez Breaks Home Run Record!

Michael Barnett — Mon, 19 May 2008 05:20:15 -0400

Congratulations to Alex Ramirez of the Yomiuri Giants. In three major league seasons with the Indians, Ramirez was never able to show his stuff. But in the land of the rising sun, Ramirez has become a hero. After seven seasons with the Yakult Swallows, Ramirez was tabbed to play outfield for the Yomiuri Giants this season.

And on Sunday, in the Tokyo dome, Ramirez hit his 224th career home run. This puts him past Roberto Petagine for the most homers hit by a foreign-born player in Japan's Central League.

But what really seperates the Venezualan slugger from the rest of the league is his home run celebration. Do yourselves a favor and check it out.

Fought Any Ham Today?

Michael Barnett — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 11:55:18 -0400

Who's the next Daisuke? Where will the next Fukudome come from? These are million dollar questions. General managers are hired and fired based on finding and investing in arms and bats from lands afar. I'd like to take a looks at three Asian pitchers who may land in the Major League's next season.

Koji Uehara: In 1998 Uehara was offered a $3 million deal from the Anaheim Angels (back then the Angels were still proud to be affiliated with Anaheim). He was just coming out of college and decided to enter the NPB Draft. He was taken by the Yomiuri Giants in the 1st round and won the Sawamura Award (the Japanese equivalent of the Cy Young) as a rookie. Over his nine seasons in NPB he's accumulated a 106-58 record with a 2.97 ERA.

On the field, Uehara's been the Greg Maddux of his peer set. He's got a 4-pitch repertoire. Along with a low-nineties fastball, he carries a splitter, a cutter, and a slider. Just like Maddux, pinpoint control has been his calling card. Last season, the Yomiuri Giants used him as their closer. Uehara only walked 4 all season, compiling 32 saves. It's unclear (to me, at least) why the Giants used him out of the pen last season. It's worth mentioning that Uehara and Yomiuri have a long history of contract squabbles.

In early April, Uehara announced that he plans to jump to the Major Leagues in 2009, and as a 10-year man, he will do so as a free agent, avoiding some of the crazy "posting" issues that Daisuke went through. Yomiuri and the New York Yankees have a long standing friendship, plus Hideki Matsui is a former teammate of Uehara's. I'd guess that he lands in the Bronx next year to the tune of $12 million a year.

In three NPB starts this season, Uehara is 0-2 with an ERA of 5.85. He's struggled despite being given leads by his offense.

Rhee Dae-eun: A nineteen year old who the Cubs signed out of Korea last season. He's in Peoria right now playing A-ball for Ryne Sandberg's team. Here's his numbers over his first 3 starts of the season: 16 ip, 8 hits, 1 er, 15 k's, 4 bb.

The right-hander’s listed at 6'2 and 195 lbs. He already throws three pitches well and is working on a fourth. His best pitch is a tailing four-seam fastball that usually comes in between 87-93 mph. He can locate it to both sides of the plate and has very good control overall. He throws a well-developed 11/5 curve that drops as low as 73 and a less-developed splitter in the 77-82 range. The fourth pitch is a power slider.

He's nineteen, so the Cubs have no reason to rush him. But if he keeps destroying hitters in A-ball the way he's been doing, don't be surprised if he moves through the organization quickly.

Yu Darvish: Before starting in, it's worth mentioning that Jeff Passan wrote an excellent article on Darvish. It's far more complete than anything I could write here.

http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news?slug=jp-japandarvish032308&prov=yhoo&type=lgns

Darvish, a member of the Nippon Ham Fighters, is easily the most compelling pitcher in Japanese Baseball today. And he's everything America loves, good looks, soap-opera-style off-the-field-drama, and the makeup of an ace. He throws in the mid-to-high 90s with ease and has a wicked slider, change, and sometimes works a cutter. He's a big kid and has room to fill out his upper body as he is still only 22-years old, but his lower body is relatively thick and generates power at a Major League level.

The only question is, can NPB keep him in their ranks. He would have to go through the posting process, just like Matsuzaka did. Chances are the Yankees would be interested, they've reportedly been scouting him since he was in high school. You can expect the posting fee to be more than Diasuke's, i.e. way more than $50 million. If I had to guess, he'll play for Japan in the 2009 World Baseball Classic and use that as a launching point for a 2010 MLB career.

In 4 games this season, Darvish is 3-0 with a 0.54 ERA.

A Season of Misery Begins Proper for San Francisco Giants: Was '85 Any Better?

Michael Barnett — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 05:57:42 -0400

Have you got that feeling? The feeling that you've been kicked in the head? Well, it probably won't go away any time soon.

The San Francisco Giants are a miserable 1-and-6 following their home-opening loss. Despite the upbeat feeling I get from watching Eugenio Velez fly around the bases, I think there are more bad times than good in store for us in the final 155 games.

The best moment for me was when the Giants announced that this awful 8-to-4 drubbing at the hands of Greg Maddux and the Padres was the highest attended game of all time at AT&T Park.

42,861 people came by to see the worst Giants team constructed since the 1985 squad.

To be fair, in the ninth inning—when I managed to stop weeping—there were nowhere near 42,000 people in the stands.

But it made me wonder, who would I take in a seven game series? The 1985 Giants (the first team that I really followed as a kid), or the 2008 Giants with their mismatched assortment of youth and age.

At first base, you've got Rich Aurillia or David Green. I'll take Aurillia only because he is the lesser of two evils. Frankly, I'd prefer a 17-year-old Angel Villalona.

At second base, take your pick: Ray Durham or Manny Trillo. I'll take Trillo. Not because he's better, but only because he'll play every day.

The glass-man, Ray Durham, will probably not make it through a whole season. My final choice in this matter will be the totally unproven Eugenio Velez.

On the hot corner you can have either Jose Castillo or Chris Brown. Well, .270 with 16 home runs doesn't sound that bad. Brown is a no-brainer. Rest in peace, Chris.

At shortstop, choose between Brian Bocock and Jose Uribe. Granted, Omar Vizquel will get the call most days for the 2008 Giants, but for our purposes, I'll leave you with only the two choices. And out of reverence for the dead, I'll take Uribe.

Behind the plate, you have Bengie Molina or Bob Brenly. Brenly's 1985 performance was pathetic beyond words. He hit an anemic .220 that year, so I have to go with Molina here.

In left, we have Dave Roberts or Jeff Leonard. The Hack-Man struck out 107 times in 507 at-bats in the 1985 season. I'll let you do the math.

Just the same, no one draws my ire the way Dave Roberts does. I'll take Leonard.

In center, take your pick: Aaron Rowand or Dan Gladden.

In 1985 I was a middling little league center fielder, so I have a soft spot for Gladden, who stole 32 bags for the Giants that year. But Rowand is probably the better pick here.

Out in right, it's either Randy Winn or Chili Davis.

Davis led the 1985 Giants with a .270 batting average.

This is kind of a crap shoot, but I don't see the Giants retaining Winn's services all year. I think he'll get flipped to the Mets when Moises Alou returns, and then is immediately hurt again. So I'll take Davis.

On the hill, from the right side, Matt Cain or Mike Krukow.

If you're a Giants fan who watches games on television, you know that you are stuck with both guys. I'll take Cain.

From the left side, Barry Zito or Atlee Hammaker. The choice, of course, is Hammaker.

And in the pen, Brian Wilson or Scott Garrelts. Garrelts had a great season in 1985, one that Wilson will most certainly not duplicate. Taking hitting trends of their respective eras into account, I'll take Garrelts.

In the dugout, you can take one of three men. They are Bruce Bochy, Jim Davenport, or Roger Craig.

Bochy, in 2008, and Davenport, in 1985, will be remembered for losing 100 games in a season.

Craig only managed a few games in 1985, but because of the splitter and the way he taught it to everyone in the NL West, I have to go with the Humm Baby.

In reviewing my list, it seems as though I prefer the 1985 Giants to the 2008 Giants.

Wow, that is so sad. 100 losses here we come.

The New Look San Francisco Giants

Michael Barnett — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 06:49:41 -0400

Life without Barry Bonds begins in Los Angles next Monday, and it goes without saying that the San Francisco Giants of 2008 will be a vastly different team than they have been for the last decade or so.

So what will the Giants of 2008 have to offer? Certainly not power.

I think we'll be fortunate to have a 25-homer man on the roster this season. I do think speed will be our strong suit this season. However, two of the fastest Giants may be left off the 25-man roster.

It seems as though left field will be patrolled by a platoon of Dave Roberts and Rajai Davis. This means that Fred Lewis will most likely start the season in the minors. Lewis hit .300 this spring and led the Giants with four triples.

The Giants signed Jose Castillo last week.

This made sense when you consider that Ray Durham, Omar Vizquel, and Kevin Frandsen are hobbled with injuries. But if you're already planning on opening the season with Brian Bocock at shortstop, why not plug Eugenio Velez in at third or at second. Velez was easily the most exciting Giant this spring, stealing 13 bags and holding his own with the bat.

I guess it really doesn't matter; the Giants will finish last regardless. But if you're going to finish last, why not do it with an exciting roster that has more "upside" than "track record."