Friday, May 11, 2007

Sometimes you just have to be lucky

A little reshuffling of the roster 6 weeks into the season is not a bad thing. You never know when injuries will pop up and it was clear that Linden and Niekro weren't much help.

At this point of the season teams aren't all that interested in trades so the Giants had to fill from within. Lincecum was a no brainer. He was dealing in Fresno and is a particularly shiny attendance draw for a stadium with more empty seats than usual. It's that pesky little problem of the lack of no brainer callups from the position player ranks that rankles.

Schierholtz is hitting very well and he needs to because he almost never walks. He also took a page from the Niekro playbook when he injured himself just as an opportunity with the Giants came open. Ortmeier is frighteningly reminiscent of Linden. Timpner is reputed to have a glove and some sense of what it's there for but also never walks or gets extra base hits. The other guys who may someday emerge are in the low minors. Last night Fresno ran out only 2 position players from their own system (Timpner and Knoedler which sounds like a juggling act from the Shrine Circus) and 6 career minor leaguers from other organizations.

So that leaves Freddy. For no logical reason, I am guessing Lewis will be one of those guys who is a better big leaguer than any sane person could reasonably expect. Every once in awhile a player just sort of puts it together at the right time and in the right situation. Dan Uggla is a recent example. He floundered around in the minors for 6 years never really impressing then had a great season for the Fish. Can Freddy be a guy like that?

I say, why not? The law of averages dictates that eventually Feliz will lay off a slider in the dirt and the Giants will get a real spark from one of their farm hands. Benevolent fortune has to smile sometime, doesn't it?

1 comment:

drd said...

Reno,

I always read your comments on sfgate, cafe new & utne and openmic so now I can get a daily dose here.