Showing posts with label Matt Cain. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Matt Cain. Show all posts

Friday, March 9, 2018

What I Am Thankful For As A San Francisco Giants Fan

The easy answer is 2010, 2012 and 2014. And to some degree, those are certainly three of the things I am most thankful for, especially 2010. However, what I am truly thankful for is the fandom itself.

I am thankful for 1983. That was the year of my first game at Candlestick Park. My father took me to the game. I don’t remember what game it was. I don’t remember if the Giants won or lost. The Giants won 53% of their home games that season, so I had roughly a 50/50 chance of seeing a win. I am much more thankful of my father taking me to the game in the first place. I am thankful for the love of the game he had and the love for the game he instilled in me.

Candlestick Park, Home of the San Francisco Giants 1960-1999
I am thankful for 1987. My first pennant race. I am thankful for being seven years old and beginning to live and die with my team. I am thankful for the young homegrown stars like Will Clark, Robby Thompson, and Chili Davis and new players traded to the team like Jeffrey Leonard, Jose Uribe, Kevin Mitchell, Mike Krukow, Don Robinson, and Dave Dravecky. I was heartbroken when they lost to the St. Louis Cardinals, but I was excited for the future.

I am thankful for 1989. My first World Series. I am thankful for seeing some of my favorite players evolve like Clark, Mitchell, Robinson and more. I am thankful for new additions like Steve Bedrosian and Brett Butler playing key roles. I am also thankful for the first responders and everyone that came to the aid of the victims of the 1989 Loma Prieta Earthquake. Despite the loss to the Oakland Athletics, that reality hit home harder than any loss could ever do.

My father and I were in the car heading home to watch Game 3 when the earthquake began. We were listening to the pregame on the radio when it felt like all four tires went flat at the same time. But then you look around and every other car is stopped on the freeway as well. I am thankful that we weren’t on the Bay Bridge that day or on 880. I am thankful that so many survived.

Barry Bonds waves to the crowd after a home run, 1993.
I am thankful for 1993. I am thankful for Barry Bonds agreeing to sign with my favorite team and the 15 years of entertainment he provided my family. My grandfather was near the end of his life as Bonds was beginning his career in San Francisco and he would watch every game. He would call my dad to comment on the fact that Barry Bonds had homered in the exact same spot as he did the day before.

[Sidenote: My grandfather would watch the replays of the game on SportsChannel Bay Area and not realize they were replays.]

I am thankful for the excitement Bonds, Dusty Baker, Rod Beck, Matt Williams and so many more brought my grandfather, my father and me.

I am thankful for 1997. I am thankful for Brian Sabean and the team he built. I am thankful for Williams and all he did for the Giants in his time in San Francisco. I am thankful for Jeff Kent, J.T. Snow, Rich Aurilia, Russ Ortiz, Shawn Estes and Kirk Rueter. I am thankful for the era that began that season.

Kirk Rueter's first pitch at AT&T Park on April 11, 2000
I am thankful for 2000. I am thankful for the most beautiful baseball park I have ever set foot in. I am thankful for Ellis Burks, Robb Nen, and Mark Gardner. I am thankful for the first time I was able to take my dad to a game. I am thankful for sitting at Pacific Bell Park with my father, driving the two of us to the park to enjoy the game I had loved for the past 17 years.

I am thankful for 2001. I am thankful for Bonds and the season he had. With every home run, I felt like I was home instead of being away at college, 1,646.2 miles away. I am thankful for home runs 71 and 72 as I shared baseball history with my roommates and felt a connection to my team despite being so far away.

I am thankful for 2002. I am thankful for my second trip to the World Series as a fan. I am thankful for how close we got. It was gut wrenching and heart breaking and still feels raw to this day, but it was such a special season. I am thankful for all of the players that were a part of that team. I am thankful for Kenny Lofton, Benito Santiago, David Bell, Reggie Sanders, and Jason Schmidt. I am also thankful for the team’s first round draft pick that season.

Matt Cain's Debut Start
I am thankful for 2005. I am thankful for the debut of Matt Cain. I am thankful for the first move towards an eventual championship. I am thankful for the front office changing their philosophy on how they would build the Giants in the future. I am thankful for future draft picks like Tim Lincecum, Madison Bumgarner, Buster Posey, Brandon Belt, Brandon Crawford, and Joe Panik.

I am thankful for 2008. I am thankful for taking my future wife on dates to San Jose Giants games and seeing those homegrown draft picks up close. I am thankful for watching Posey and Bumgarner with her and watching them get to the big leagues. I am thankful that my wife was a Los Angeles Dodgers fan before we met which meant she already loved baseball. I am thankful that because of those San Jose Giants games, she fell in love with the Giants. I am thankful for her family, despite their love for the Dodgers, were happy for me and my team when they made the playoffs. I am thankful that she fell in love with them organically. I am thankful that when they won it all in 2010, she was the first person I hugged.

And yes, of course I am thankful for 2010. I am thankful for every torturous moment. I am thankful for every thrilling moment. I am thankful for every Bruce Bochy decision, every Cain pitch, every Posey at bat, and every Lincecum strikeout.



I am most thankful for November 1, 2010 about 30 minutes after Brian Wilson struck out Nelson Cruz in Game 5. About 30 minutes after that last strike, I showed up on my father’s doorstep and knocked on the door. When he answered the door, I hugged him and cried. It was one of the most special moments a son could have with his father as it relates to sports. It is why we care so much about the game itself. Losing happens. No team goes undefeated. The people you share those moments with and the shared joy you feel when your team wins the final game of the season is indescribable. Had the Giants won all the time, 2010 wouldn't be as special as it was. Had the Giants continued to win the World Series every other year like some “Even Year Magic,” 2010 wouldn’t be as special as it was.

I truly loved seeing San Francisco win the World Series in 2012 and 2014. But the moment i embraced my father on the night of November 1, 2010 is the best moment I have ever shared with him when it comes to our Giants.

Aaron Saltzman, the next great Giants fan

And now my son, Aaron, who is two years old, will be the next generation to be a part of this fandom. I look forward to introducing the Giants to him and rooting for new players that come along and become his favorites. This is bigger than any win or loss the team can have. This is more special to me than whether the Giants sign the next Barry or draft the next Buster. This is what I am thankful for, this is what baseball is all about, and this is what the San Francisco Giants mean to me and my family.
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Wednesday, May 25, 2016

The Giants Big Three are Historically Good Already

The San Francisco Giants went into the off-season with a desire to improve their starting pitching. Bobby Evans went out and signed Jeff Samardzija and Johnny Cueto to help shore up a staff that had trouble pitching deep into games. When asked about why the team signed the two right handed pitchers, both were labeled as "innings eaters."



Cueto and Samardzija have done much more than that. Along with Madison Bumgarner, all three have an ERA under three, and are a combined 20-5 in their 30 starts. These three pitchers are the main reason the Giants are in first place and have won 12 out of their last 13 games.







If you look at a pitchers Game Score, anything over 57 is considered excellent. For more on what Game Score is, you can refer to Beyond the Box Score here. Using Game Score to look at Giants history, no pitching staff has pitched this well through 48 games since 1969. That staff included Hall of Famers Juan Marichal and Gaylord Perry. Marichal, Perry and Mike McCormick combined for 18 starts of 60 or higher in 1969. The Giants top three pitchers in 2016 now have 22 starts with a Game Score of 60 or higher this season. In those starts, the staff is 17-2. In more recent history, the Giants championship staffs in 2010, 2012, and 2014 didn't have as many strong starts as this 2016 club has. The entire starting staff in 2016 so far has 25 games of 60 or more with Matt Cain pitching two and Jake Peavy pitching one. The 2010 staff had 23 games of 60 or higher to this point in the season, while the other two championship teams have less as a group than just Bumgarner, Cueto and Samardzija. The Giants top three pitchers are also in the top 10 in all of baseball for their total Game score.



The Giants were expecting their two prized free agent signings to help take the pressure off of incumbent starters Bumgarner, Cain and Peavy. But it was also to take pressure off a bullpen that was overworked in 2015. Both Sergio Romo and George Kontos, who were used heavily last season, have already been to the disabled list this season. The team also has put added responsibility on young arms like Josh Osich and Hunter Strickland.

Regardless of the reasons the Giants brought them in, it is clear that Cueto and Samardzija have been as good as any free agent signing this season and that we are also witnessing one of the strongest staffs in San Francisco Giants history.
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Friday, May 6, 2016

Jake Peavy, Matt Cain and the Giant Problem



Jake Peavy and Matt Cain are struggling. They have been bad enough in the first month of the season, that fans want them removed from the starting rotation. Trying to find two worthy replacements in May is hard enough, but trying to figure out what is wrong is even more difficult.

According to Jacob Fagan of Baseball Essential, Peavy and Cain have combined for an 8.10 ERA and a 5.15 FIP, which are brutal numbers for two veteran pitchers.


With numbers like that, it is no wonder fans have been calling into the the local sports call in shows and demanding something be done. Peavy and Cain both struggled with injuries last season and came into 2016 healthy. Peavy, when healthy, was good last year and there was optimism that his numbers could be strong this season. Cain, who has been injured for parts of the last three seasons, had a setback during Spring Training and didn't return to the mound until right before the start of the season.

The Giants added free agent starting pitchers Johnny Cueto and Jeff Samardzija in the off-season, so there was less concern about Peavy and Cain. Because they wouldn't be asked to be at the front end of the rotation, there would be pitchers to back them up if they struggled. Unfortunately for Peavy, Cain and the Giants, the struggles have been bad enough that the Giants are 1-9 in the last 10 starts between the two.

Surprisingly, the Giants are still in 1st place because of how well Madison Bumgarner, Cueto and Samardzija and because the rest of the National League West is also struggling. This is also another reason for concern because most of the games so far this season has been against the NL West and the road the rest of the way will be tougher.

To make matters more intriguing, Tim Lincecum is scheduled to pitch in front of scouts today. Lincecum, the former two time Cy Young award winner for the Giants, would be a savoir if he can be productive once again for the orange and black.

So who is already in the system that might help? According to Connor Penfold of Giant Potential, there are a few possible options in the minor league system. Former 1st round pick of the Toronto Blue Jays, Ricky Romero, is currently pitching in Triple-A along with Chris Heston and Clayton Blackburn. All three have struggled so far in Sacramento this season, so there is no clear cut answer.


Brian Murphy, co-host of the Murph & Mac show on KNBR, brought up a good comparison to the Peavy and Cain problem from a decade earlier. In 2004, Kirk Rueter was 9-12 with a 4.73 ERA and 4.95 FIP. Rueter was not only a fan favorite since his arrival from the Montreal Expos in 1996, but he also was productive. Rueter ended his Giants career with the most wins by a left handed pitcher in team history. He never had ace "stuff" but he always seemed to keep the Giants in games, field his position and find ways to win. However, in 2004, the winning slowed. By 2005, Rueter stopped being effective. He went 2-7 with a 5.95 ERA and a 5.35 FIP. After 8 straight seasons of at least 27 starts and 7 of the those 8 with at least 32, he ended 2005 with only 18.

Rueter had been such an important part of those previous 8 seasons, that seeing his production fall so dramatically was tough. The team wanted to give him the chance to turn things around. Mike Krukow, a former Giants ace himself and current team broadcaster always points out that there are only so many innings in a pitcher's arm. 2005 was the final season for Rueter as a Giant in part because his arm ran out of innings. 

2005 wasn't a great year for the San Francisco Giants either, and one of the reasons that Rueter still started 18 times despite poor numbers might have been because of the entire team's lack of success. In Peavy and Cain's case, the team is still in first place and can't afford to fall out of the race. With so much talent on the roster, the Giants will either need Peavy and Cain to turn things around themselves or find replacements before it's too late. The question for Bruce Bochy, Bobby Evans, Brian Sabean and the rest of the Giants decision makers will be how many more starts for Peavy and Cain in 2016.

Of course, looking at things another way, Murphy did point out that winning 3 out of 5 is a great way to make the post season.


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Wednesday, March 16, 2016

#SFGiantsMadness 2016 Thread

#SFGiantsMadness Championship




#SFGiantsMadness Final Four






"Stretch" Bracket: Elite 8



"Dominican Dandy" Bracket: Elite 8



"BARRY! BARRY!" Bracket: Elite 8



"Say Hey" Bracket: Elite 8



"Stretch" Bracket: Sweet 16





"Dominican Dandy" Bracket: Sweet 16








"BARRY! BARRY!" Bracket: Sweet Sixteen








"Say Hey" Bracket: Sweet Sixteen








"Stretch" Bracket: Round 2












"Dominican Dandy" Bracket: Round 2












"BARRY! BARRY!" Bracket: Round 2












"Say Hey" Bracket: Round 2












"Stretch" Bracket: Round 1




















"Dominican Dandy" Bracket: Round 1




















"BARRY! BARRY!" Bracket: Round 1




















"Say Hey" Bracket: Round 1




















Play in Games








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Thursday, February 25, 2016

BREAKING NEWS: Matt Cain has Cyst Removed from Right Arm



The San Francisco Giants announced this morning that Matt Cain had a cyst removed from his right arm and will resume baseball activities in ten days.



Andrew Baggarly reported as well that the procedure was done this morning by team doctors according to General Manager Bobby Evans.




Any other pitcher in the rotation would be looked at as a minor setback, but Cain has had setbacks for the last three seasons. From the All-Star break in 2013 through the end of last season, Cain's right arm has been evaluated and surgically repaired several times and now his spot in the rotation may be in jeopardy.

Cain has already been penciled into the #5 spot in the rotation, but with Chris Heston still on the roster, it is likely that Cain won't be rushed back. Heston started 31 games last season and was one of the team's most reliable pitchers the first half of the season, including a no-hitter vs the eventual National League Champion Mets. Heston did struggle after the All-Star break, but his experience last year should make it a fairly simple decision for Bruce Bochy if the team decides to start Cain on the disabled list.

When the San Francisco Giants won the World Series in 2012, Matt Cain was their ace. He was the starting pitcher for every clinching game that post-season, started the All-Star game in July and threw a perfect game. It was his most successful season professionally, where he went 16-5 with a 2.79 ERA and 1.040 WHIP.

Cain had established himself as one of the games top pitchers and his first seven full seasons for the Giants were as good as the organization had seen since Hall of Famer Juan Marichal pitched.

It was identified several years ago that Cain had bone chips in his elbow that might someday need to be removed. Cain continued to pitch season after season with the problem and excelled. 2013 was the first time his elbow seemed to be a problem and it's a problem Cain and the Giants have battled ever since.

The Giants are loaded on paper with inning eaters in their rotation and Cain has always prided himself on taking the ball every fifth day and giving his team a chance to win. Sometimes the strongest compliment you can give any pitcher is that he puts his team in a position to win every time out. For 2 1/2 years, Cain has struggled to do that with the consistency he showed from 2005-2012.

Now, in 2016, it's hard to be confident that his consistency will be able to return. This latest setback may only be for 10 days, but it's been much longer since Cain has been able to be the team's most reliable pitcher.

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Friday, October 23, 2015

Free Agents Aren't Worth It.

For the last several off-seasons, big money teams have thrown millions of dollars to high priced free agents. They have also signed players on their rosters to extensions and traded for high priced players. All of these moves were made with a simple idea in mind. These teams felt like the piece their team was missing was either a frontline starter or middle of the order bat. By spending large sums of their profits to bring in this All-Star caliber player, these teams have felt it was the missing piece to much future success.

That has to be the reason. It wouldn't make sense for it to be any other way. That's why the Texas Rangers gave Alex Rodriguez $252 million in 2001. That's the reason the Angels gave Albert Pujols $240 million in 2012 and why the Mariners gave Robinson Cano the same last off-season.

Of the 20 largest contracts ever given to free agents in baseball history to change teams, only four players have won rings with that team: Manny Ramirez, C.C. Sabathia, Mark Teixeira and Barry Zito.  The Red Sox handed Ramirez a $160 million deal in 2001, and three years later, he helped the Sox break "The Curse of the Bambino" to finally win the World Series and then won again in 2007. By the end of the contract, Manny was being Manny too often and he left Boston. Considering the recent history of large contacts, however, this was the clear winner as the most successful free agent signing in the last 15 years.

The Yankees gave Sabathia $161 million and Texieira $180 million in 2009 and it paid immediate dividends, as they led the Yankees to their 27th title that season. Sabathia was their ace for the next four years, but has struggled the last three seasons. Teixeira also had good seasons through 2012, and then struggled in 2013 and 2014 like Sabathia. In a tragic turn of events, Sabathia has checked himself into rehab for alcohol and his future is in doubt. Teixeira had a Comeback Player of the Year worthy season in 2015, and now heads into the final year of his contract with some hope.



The Giants gave Zito $126 million back in 2007. For the first four seasons, Zito was widely considered by fans in the Bay Area to be a terrible signing and when the team went to the post-season in 2010, he wasn't included on the playoff roster. Now as any Giants fan will tell you now, Zito's pitching performance in the 2012 post-season wiped all the bad thoughts and all the bad seasons.  However, this also shows just how unlikely it is for your team's big free agent signing being the missing link.

Max Scherzer and Zach Greinke, who signed with the Nationals and Dodgers, respectively, as free agents, just has Cy Young caliber seasons in 2015. Scherzer is in the first season of his mega deal. Greinke, who signed for $147 million in 2013, has an opt-out in the contract that allows him to become a free agent again this year. Scherzer certainly wasn't the problem in Washington, and his contract still has time to be "worth the price." Greinke helped the Dodgers win the National League West three straight seasons, something the Dodgers had never done before. However, by opting out this year, and because the Dodgers didn't win a World Series in that short time, was Greinke's signing worth it?

Prince Fielder helped lead the Detroit Tigers to the World Series in 2012, the same year he signed with the Tigers for $214 million. However, he is already an ex-Tiger, helping lead the Texas Rangers now.

Carl Crawford was signed by the Boston Red Sox in 2011 and quickly traded to the Dodgers along with Adrian Gonzalez and others. That trade helped shaped the 2013 Red Sox that won the World Series, but it was their much more affordable replacements that helped David Ortiz lead the Sox that year.

Alex Rodriguez signed his $275 million extension in 2008 and Derek Jeter signed his $189 million deal in 2001. Both were on the 2009 Yankees that won the World Series with Sabathia. A-Rod and Jeter were already Yankees at the time, but they are also the only players among the top 10 contracts to win a ring during their deal.

The Yankees 2009 team had a payroll of more than $220 million according to Baseball Prospectus. Adding Sabathia and Teixeira to a team that already had Jeter and Rodriguez is something that only the Yankees could have afforded at the time. The Dodgers, among others, are now willing to outspend the Yankees and it has led to bloated contracts being given out to players outside of the Bronx. Outside of that 2009 team the Yankees bought, there has been very little success from buying players in free agency.

Buster Posey signed a $167 million extension in 2013 and the Giants won a third World Series championship in 2014. That seems to be the smarter play for teams looking to shell out huge dollars for players. Matt Cain's extension came in 2012 for $127.5 million and he led the Giants staff that season. However, Cain's struggles since because of injuries and inconsistency show how fragile these signings can be.

For a team like the Giants, Yankees, Dodgers or Red Sox, the teams are able to withstand the blow more than others. With no salary cap in baseball, teams can spend whatever money they have, based on their profits and the revenue sharing rules that have been recently added. That revenue sharing has helped teams that don't have the same profits as some of the larger market teams, but it hasn't allowed them to overpay for multiple free agents. It also hasn't allowed them to re-sign their own for the price players can earn on the free agent market. We are seeing this now with International signings as well, as the Cubs, Dodgers, Giants, and others are battling for all of the top players.

Giancarlo Stanton will begin playing under his record setting $325 million contract next year. Will the Marlins win a third World Series during the 13 years of the contract? Will Stanton opt out the way Greinke has this off-season, and pursue a larger deal after the 2020 season. Or will Stanton be traded by 2018, when his contract bumps up to $25 million a season?
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Monday, October 19, 2015

#SFGiantsMadness down to the Sweet 16

Jeremy Affeldt & Ryan Vogelsong are both still alive in #SFGiantsMadness


After a week of voting on Twitter, we are down to the Sweet 16, and this year we had some incredible upsets. Top seeds went down as fans clearly voted for this current group of Giants over past legends. Last year, the voting was pretty consistent and many top seeds advanced. There were some upsets last year as well, as fan favorites such as Mike Krukow and Hunter Pence made it to the sweet 16 last year. This year, they were joined by some other unlikely winners.







#16 seed Jeremy Affeldt and #2 seed Ryan Vogelsong took out Hall of Famers Juan Marichal and Orlando Cepeda respectively. Affeldt announced his retirement this season, and Vogelsong may have also thrown his last pitch in orange and black, so fans certainly wanted to show these men some love in the voting. However, it is still a shocker to see them dethrone legends like Marichal and Cepeda. Not only are they Hall of Famers, but they also are well known to the fan base as the Giants consistently have them be a part of every ceremony and championship parade and event. Current fans know who these legends are, even if they were too young to see them play. It just goes to show that voting is always going to be based on fan preference and sometimes that means upsets happen.

Also in the 2nd round, Sergio Romo defeated Hall of Famer Gaylord Perry in a #10 vs #2 matchup. Romo took an early lead and never relinquished it, despite a last ditch effort by fans to send more votes to Perry.


In 2014, Krukow and Pence won in the 1st round despite being #11 and #14 seeds. Only Pence made it to the 2nd round, however, because they just so happen to be in the same bracket.


This season, both were #11 seeds and both are cruising into the Sweet 16 with 2nd round victories. Krukow taking down former teammate Robby Thompson and Pence taking down Matt Williams.





Three #1 seeds remain, with Willie Mays, Willie McCovey and Barry Bonds. Only two #2 seeds remain, with Will Clark and Buster Posey. Matt Cain is also the only #3 seed left standing, as #6 seed J.T. Snow took down Bobby Bonds, along with Krukow and Pence.

The champion may still end up being the defending champion Mays, and it's possible that 7 of the 8 winners in round 3 could be a top 3 seed. However, if the previous two rounds are any indication, this is going to be madness.
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Wednesday, October 7, 2015

Matt Cain and the 7 Underappreciated Seasons



Matt Cain has an impressive resume. He has won three world championships as a member of the San Francisco Giants, he is a three time All-Star, including starting the Midsummer Classic in 2012, and has also thrown a perfect game. Cain has been a "horse" for the Giants rotation since his call up in 2005.

In the storied history of the Giants, pitchers such as Christy Matthewson, Juan Marichal, Tim Lincecum, Jason Schmidt and Kirk Rueter have seemed to get more respect and love from the fan base. Cain always seemed to be overshadowed throughout his career.  From the huge shadow of Barry Bonds, to the bigger names in the rotation like Schmidt, Barry Zito and Lincecum. And even now with the emergence of Madison Bumgarner, who is the latest great pitcher to join the franchise's encyclopedia of greats, Cain has always seemed to be the other guy. However, from 2006-2012, Cain may have been the best pitcher the Giants have ever seen to start a career since they arrived in San Francisco in 1958.

Matt Cain, in those 7 seasons, had a 30 Wins Above Replacement, according to Baseball-Reference.com. Cain was 21 years old when he began the 2006 season and was 27 during his 2012 campaign. To put that in perspective, Greg Maddux, from 21-27, had a WAR of 32.2. Bob Gibson, who was 24 years old in his 2nd season, had a WAR of 30.2.

Cain's 30 WAR is better than Max Scherzer, Barry Zito, CC Sabathia, Jim Palmer, Andy Pettitte, David Price, Randy Johnson, Gaylord Perry, Vida Blue, Jon Lester and Roy Halladay among others in those same seasons.

To put his 30 WAR in perspective another way: Only 37 pitchers in the history of the game have a WAR of 35 or better from their 2nd through 8th seasons and only 15 pitchers since 1958. Only 23 have a WAR of 40 of higher and only 8 since 1958.  Matt Cain was on a 1st ballot Hall of Fame path through his 2012 season.

Matthewson and Marichal were far and away better than Cain in those seasons, but nobody else who's worn a Giants uniform is. Cain has been the greatest pitcher in San Francisco Giants history since Marichal and yet most fans look at everyone from Lincecum, to Bumgarner to Schmidt or even Rueter when looking at the great pitchers in Giants history.

Cain has shown an amazing consistency throughout his career with the Giants. Here is some statistical proof.


What makes Cain so special was his ability to pitch despite consistently pitching for the inferior team early in his career. Before all the championships, Cain pitched for the 2006-2009 Giants that did not reach the post-season. Just look at what Cain accomplished by age 25.


In 2007 and 2008, in particular, Cain had a win-loss record of 15-30. Despite such a dismal record, only 15 pitchers in all of baseball had a better WAR than Cain's 9.2. In that same two year stretch, Roy Halladay had a record of 36-18 with a WAR of 9.7. Cain had 28 games in those two years where he pitched 7 or more innings and gave up 3 or fewer runs, yet had a Win-Loss record of 9-9 in those 28 games with a 1.97 ERA. In the 26 games Andy Pettitte pitched in that 2 year span, he had a 16-5 record and a 1.91 ERA.

Giants fans refer to these types of losses as getting #Cained with it's own hashtag on Twitter.  Pitching 7 or more innings and giving up 3 runs or fewer is not an uncommon thing for Cain. What is also uncommon are the Giants losing in those games. 125 times in Matt Cain's career, he has hit the 7 inning and 3 runs or less mark. Cain dominated with a 1.58 ERA and a 0.85 WHIP in those games, yet is 60-21. That means the team has #Cained him 65 times. Twenty-one times, he has taken the loss and the other 44 times, he was officially given a no decision. The team has also only won 81 of those 125 games.

For comparison, Tim Hudson has 130 games over the last 10 years of 7 innings or more and three runs or less and his W-L record is 84-20, despite a near identical 1.57 ERA and 0.89 WHIP.  Winning the game is the most important part of any sport. However, in a team sport, you need teammates and Cain struggled to get the run support and defense necessary to make his great pitching reflect the scoreboard.

Baseball statistics guru @AceBallStats shared some incredible statistical proof that Matt Cain was in fact #Cained an incredible number of times.





Ultimately, when Matt Cain's career comes to a close, regardless of how it ends, baseball fans need to read between the lines and see that Cain was one of the best pitchers of his era. Cain has struggled the last three seasons to stay healthy and his last three years has called his value into question. There is no minimizing his value to the team for his first seven full seasons. Not when you look at all the numbers and all the factors and realize what Cain accomplished.


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Tuesday, April 21, 2015

Giants are 4-10, Let's Keep Calm and Panik

The San Francisco Giants are in last place. Only two teams in baseball, the Miami Marlins and Milwaukee Brewers have a worse record than the Giants 4-10 mark. The Giants are next to last to only the Boston Red Sox in hard hit ball percentage.

Buster Posey, the team's cleanup hitter and former league MVP, is currently hitting .229 with two extra base hits. Casey McGehee, who has been the Giants replacement for Pablo Sandoval, is hitting .194 with two extra base hits. And Brandon Belt, who was suppose to be having his breakout season, is hitting .152, with zero extra base hits.  Madison Bumgarner, the Sports Illustrated Sportsmen of the Year, NLCS and World Series MVP and Silver Slugger winner last season, has a 5.29 earned run average and has given up 10 earned runs over 17 innings. In other words, 4 more runs than he gave up in the entire 2014 post season over 52 and 2/3 innings.

Hunter Pence, the life blood of the team, has been on the disabled list and has yet to play an inning in 2015. Matt Cain and Jake Peavy are both currently on the DL as well, with no set timetable for their returns.

The famous World War II poster, Keep Calm and Carry On, has been reshaped and renamed many times over in recent times and the current 2015 Giants new motto has become "Keep Calm and Panik."



This isn't coming from management or from the public relations staff and it has not yet come from the team's official store. Bruce Bochy isn't preaching it to his players either. It's coming from the fanbase. An awkward mix of die hards who have gone through the five decades of struggles and the new generation that believe in odd year curses and demand titles every season.


Fans have raised expectations of this franchise to a level that few organizations have ever felt in the history of baseball. The New York Yankees, arguably the greatest franchise in sports for their unparalleled success, are one of the only franchises to make a run like the Giants have in recent history. The Boston Red Sox have also won three World Series over a ten year span, as well as the Oakland A's and Cincinnati Reds who both had runs in the 1970's. Besides those four franchises, you have to go to the St. Louis Cardinals in the 1940's or the Yankees again to find a team with the type of success the Giants have had since 2010.

This brief history lesson is to remind all of the new "die hards" that this type of thing we have seen with the Giants is rare in Major League Baseball and that the expectations, ultimately, are unrealistic, from a historical point of view.

However, we live in a day and age where people voice their opinions 140 characters at a time and prefer to shorten their attention span only to what is trending.

The Giants are going to be in a lot of trouble in Matt Cain and Jake Peavy end up sidelined for an extended length of time this season. It is magnified by the fact that every team in the National League West is off to a better start and that is primarily because of them already winning series against the Giants head to head. The hole the Giants have dug for themselves is not due to a tougher schedule. It is due to losing to the teams they will be competing with for a division title.

Ultimately, the Giants will either need to get healthy quickly, or look to make a trade or two to upgrade the starting staff or the middle of their order.  Fans today don't want to wait until July when the trade deadline approaches, so expect more complaints from a fanbase that has watched their favorite team build a dynasty.
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