Kuzul

I knew New York Mets general manager Sandy Alderson about 30 years ago. He was new in baseball, acting as the general counsel for the Oakland Athletics. He was a classy guy. Very nice, very engaging. Very friendly to a young kid who was doing some day of game work for MLB Productions.

The guy who ripped Giants fans and one of the fine young hitters in baseball, Pablo Sandoval, is a different guy. Alderson showed absolutely no class with his Twitter comments. He came across as petty and arrogant.

Alderson tweeted:

ASG election of “Kung Fu Panda” shows the value of a cute nickname. Surprised Giants fans didn’t elect a “ball dude” to start at 3B.

— Sandy Alderson (@MetsGM) July 3, 2012

Of course Wright deserves to start ahead of Sandoval at third base for the National League.

But did Alderson forget about the 2009 election, when Sandoval clearly deserved to be voted in over Wright? That time the vote went the other way. I’m sure he wasn’t complaining then.

Alderson shouldn’t take it out on the Giants or their fans for voting for their most beloved young player. He has two groups to blame, and they’re both very close to home.

The first group is MLB for allowing a flawed process to exist. You’re allowed to vote 25 times per email address. Now if you want to take the time to create 1,000 gmail accounts, you can vote 25,000 times.

And quite frankly, based on my experience with the poor technology at MLB, I wouldn’t be surprised at all if the process could have been compromised. After all, the Bay Area is host to the world’s technology center, Silicon Valley.

Leave it to some tech savvy Giants fan to hack into the MLB servers or create a code that circumvents the balloting.

The fact that Freddie Sanchez was fourth in ballots at second base, despite not playing for over a year, and that Brandon Crawford and Brandon Belt were second at shortstop and first base respectively, tells me something is not right.

The second group Alderson should blame is the New York Mets fans for letting this happen. Alderson said it himself when he tweeted:

Wright vs.Sandoval: A city of 8 million was outvoted by a city of 800,000.

— Sandy Alderson (@MetsGM) July 2, 2012

And he’s absolutely right. This would have never happened to a Yankee.

I guess the Mets have been losing so long that their fans forgot what to do when they win.

Stop whining Sandy and stop blaming the Giants and the fans for getting their player voted in.

The culprits all reside right there in New York.

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Pablo Sandoval may be back at third base for the San Francisco Giants, but after his dismal performance on Sunday, there is cause for concern.

Yes, the Panda has only been back two games, but with his latest string off-the-field issues, how good will Sandoval be?

No question when Sandoval is healthy, he is a dynamic threat at the plate with his ability to hit for power and average.

Before his injury he was the Giants‘ best offensive weapon hitting .316 with five HR and 15 RBI. Yet after six weeks off and increasing coverage about his weight issues, will Sandoval re-emerge and help the Giants push for the playoff?

Remember the Giants won a World Series without major contributions from the Panda.  

So be excited that Sandoval is back, but here are 10 reasons why he isn’t as important to the Giants’ success as many would like to believe.

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Prior to Saturday’s afternoon game vs. the Texas Rangers at AT&T Park, Giants manager Bruce Bochy was asked numerous questions about Pablo Sandoval.   Affectionately known as the “Panda,” Sandoval was activated from the 15-day disabled list today after missing 35 games while rehabbing from surgery on a fractured hamate bone in his left wrist. 

While there were a number of questions surrounding Sandoval’s rehab and availability to hit from both sides, Bochy was asked if he appreciated Sandoval’s recent comments about taking his fitness seriously. 

Pulling no punches, Bochy responded immediately, saying, “There comes a time when you don’t want to hear it, you need action, and that’s got to happen now.” 

Bochy didn’t stop there, as he elaborated on the weight Sandoval has apparently lost this week, “That has to be consistent, it can’t (just) be for three or four days, or a week, it’s gotta be for the season.”

This is not the first time Bochy and the Giants have taken issue with Sandoval’s weight.  After lighting it up in 2009, his first full season in the big leagues, a heavier Sandoval struggled in 2010. 

By some reports, Sandoval had put on 25-30 lbs, and by the stretch run to the World Series, his hitting and his fielding had suffered.

After finishing the season with only 13 home runs, and a .268 average, Bochy and Brian Sabean sat Sandoval down and told him he needed to commit to his fitness and conditioning or he would find himself as the odd man out.

The talk seemed to work, as Sandoval spent most of the offseason in Arizona working on conditioning and his overall weight.  When Sandoval showed up to spring training in 2011, he was leaner and by his own account, in the best shape of his life.

The conditioning clearly paid off on the field, as Sandoval hit .315 last year with 23 home runs.  Interestingly, prior to the wrist injury this year, Sandoval was hitting .316 with five home runs in 24 games.  

Other than five errors at third base, Sandoval wasn’t showing signs that he was reverting back to his 2010 issues, but he’s obviously put on a significant amount of weight, and the Giants are clearly concerned.

Commenting further about Pablo getting into playing shape and staying there, Bochy noted that “That’s what he needs to do, that’s what we want to see, and he knows that’s what he needs to do.” 

Pablo will start today at third base and bat third in the lineup.  Bochy also commented that he hadn’t been able to sit down with Sandoval since he arrived from Fresno but would definitely get with him later. 

With Melky Cabrera sidelined for a few days with a strained hamstring, the Giants need Sandoval to come in and provide the same spark he provided the offense prior to his stint on the disabled list. 

If Sandoval struggles at the plate or in the field, you can bet Bochy will be receiving an increasing amount of questions about Sandoval’s weight.

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San Francisco third baseman and 2011 All-Star selection Pablo Sandoval is being investigated by the Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Department over possible sexual assault charges, according to Andrew Baggarly of CSN Bay Area.

Sources told Baggarly’s employer that the alleged incident took place early in the morning this past Friday at the Seascape Beach Resort. However, those same sources explained that Sandoval was not a registered guest at the resort during that time.

Sources who talked with CSN Bay Area claim that the woman in question reported to the authorities that she was too intoxicated to give consent.

The investigation is still on going, and it’s important to note that Sandoval has not been charged by the police according to sources cited by CSN Bay Area.

Sandoval’s attorney, Eric Geffon agreed to an interview with CSN Bay Area, explaining:

On Friday, June 1, Pablo Sandoval voluntarily met with the Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Department related to a consensual, personal relationship of a sexual nature that took place on that day.

Geffon added that his client was fully cooperative with the authorities during the process.

Baggarly attempted to get the Giants‘ opinion regarding the alleged incident but was declined. Vice President Staci Slaughter simply told the reporter:

Given the off-the-field nature of the issue, we refer all comment to his attorney.

Slaughter did comment that Sandoval will play in his Single-A rehab assignment game with the San Jose Giants Saturday night.

The career-long Giant hasn’t played in a major league game since May 2 due to fracturing his hamate bone in his right wrist.

Sandoval had surgery to remove the bone and is starting the final step in his rehab process by working through the San Francisco farm system before making his return to the big leagues.

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San Francisco Giants third baseman Pablo Sandoval had a resurgent 2011 season, batting .315/.357/.552 with 25 home runs and 70 RBI, and earning his first All-Star appearance. 

But Sandoval also flashed a great glove at the hot corner last season, according to the defensive metrics on Fangraphs. His performance on the field may have earned him what looks to be the coolest bobblehead we’ll see this season.

Through their official Twitter account, the Giants posted a picture of what the first 25,000 fans who attend the team’s Aug. 26 game against the Atlanta Braves will receive.

Check this baby out.

How slick is that? Kung Fu Panda looks so very Joe Cool, sporting shades and chewing bubble gum while diving for a baseball.

I’ll bet the bubble doesn’t even pop while Sandoval makes the play. 

Oh, and he doesn’t appear to be looking the ball into his glove, giving the certain “web gem” of the year even more flair. Perhaps he’s blowing that bubble to a kid in the stands who will remember that moment forever.

Say it’s so, Panda!

Sandoval’s action figure adds to what looks to be a great year for bobbleheads, including the Stephen Strasburg figurine that 15,000 Washington Nationals fans will receive on April 14 (via Washington Post), the Hello Kitty edition that the Los Angeles Dodgers will give to 50,000 of their presumed fans on July 1 (via MLB.com) and the great moments in Houston Astros history bobbleheads that fans will get throughout the season (via Chron).

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From winning the World Series in 2010 to missing the playoffs in 2011, the San Francisco Giants have experienced euphoria and crashed back to earth.

The Giants are a pitching-rich, offensively depleted team. They enter 2012 with one mission in mind: to prove their championship a season ago was not a fluke. It won’t be easy. Everything that seemed to go right on their path to the World Series went wrong the following season.

Will Buster Posey return to form? Can Aubrey Huff find his swing? Does Tim Lincecum have another Cy Young season in the tank? Fans are eager to see if a team largely unchanged during the offseason can overcome the hardships and disappointments of 2011.

Let’s take a look at five major possibilities for the 2012 season.

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I hate to write this article, but Chipper Jones will be 40 years old during the first month of the 2012 season. That means it’s time to take a look at five guys the Atlanta Braves could bring in to replace one of their all-time great players, a player with a World Series ring, MVP Award and batting title.

Chipper has said he will return for 2012, and has a $7 million club option for 2013 that would become automatic if he plays 123 games in 2012. Since the Braves have limited options right now, there’s a good chance he reaches that number of games if he can stay fairly healthy.

It’s also worth noting that he is still 385 hits away from 3,000 after picking up 125 in 2011, so there’s a chance he tries to stick it out through 2014 to reach the magic number of 3,000. Since it’s unknown how much he would have in the tank at that point in his career, I’m looking at guys that would replace him following the 2012 or 2013 seasons.

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Yeeech.

Losing three of four in Atlanta was disappointing. 

But getting steamrolled by the hapless 40-85 Houston Astros in the opener of a three-game weekend series? That’s senseless. And pitiful.

Here’s senseless: Pablo Sandoval hurts his left shoulder twisting a stubborn soda bottle cap and is out of Friday’s lineup (just joshing; he hurt it swinging the bat Thursday in Atlanta).

Here’s pitiful: the Giants infield Friday consisted of Huff at 1B, Fontenot at 2B, Tejada at SS, DeRosa at 3B. I affectionately call that group the O-Gang, as in: nO offense, Old, and Oh-my-gosh-these-guys-look-awful.

Sorry for the sarcasm. How else are we going to get through this?

Atlanta did defeat Arizona Friday, so the Giants NL West deficit remains two-and-a-half games. It only feels like it’s seven.

So what comes next? Locusts in the clubhouse? Bed bugs in the players’ hotel rooms? No cold beer at the hotel bar for Aubrey Huff? Stay tuned.

Meanwhile, here are five things to watch for as the Giants continue this dreadful road trip. 

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The Giants offense has been lifeless over the past week and now, their best offensive threat is injured.  Third baseman Pablo Sandoval broke the hamate bone in his right hand while taking a swing in Washington on Friday and will have surgery to remove it this Tuesday in Arizona.  He will likely miss at least 4-6 weeks, according to the San Jose Mercury News.

The injury to Sandoval couldn’t come at a worse time for a Giants lineup that is struggling to score runs.  The Giants have been shutout twice in the past four games and many of their key hitters currently have batting averages in the low .200s.

Ryan Rohlinger, who got some playing time with the Giants last season, has been called up from Triple-A Fresno and should be with the club for Sunday’s game against the Nationals.  On Saturday, Bruce Bochy moved Miguel Tejada, who has played the last several years at third base, to the hot corner and gave Mike Fontenot a start at shortstop.

After their dismal offensive start to the current ten-game road trip, questions arose about what the Giants need to do to wake up at the plate.  Now those questions will only intensify, as the Giants’ leading hitter, Sandoval, is out for at least a month.

One of the questions that is certain to come up is whether the Giants should recall Brandon Belt, who was sent down to Fresno to work on what has been called a minor tweak needed for him to square up fastballs.  Belt, since being sent back to Triple-A, is hitting .429 with two doubles, two home runs and six RBI’s in just five games.

It appears that Belt has made the minor adjustment to his swing and, from all accounts, he looked to be a very patient hitter at the plate during his 17 games with the Giants, walking eight times in 52 at-bats.  His high strikeout total and lack of productivity when swinging, however, led to his demotion to Fresno.

The Giants will need to give serious thought to the idea of bringing Belt back to bolster a lineup that is in dire need of new blood.  Last season, when Buster Posey was called up from Fresno in May, his presence gave the Giants a spark that led to a remarkable turnaround, from a .500 ballclub just prior to the All-Star break to a postseason berth and eventually, a world championship.

Perhaps what this club needs now is another infusion of new blood in the form of Brandon Belt’s bat.

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Last night was my first night at the yard in 2011. I failed at going to the park in 2010, only attending five Giants games in one of the most exciting seasons in recent memory, three of which were in Washington, D.C. against the Nationals.

But last night I was at the yard, and I saw something (two things, actually) that reminded me of something that the Giants didn’t have until last year: power. 

Let’s look at the last few years: (NL rank) [MLB rank]

2007: 131 HRs (14) [25]. The last year with Barry Bonds.

2008: 94 HRs (16) [30]. The only team with under 100 homers.

2009: 122 HRs (15) [29]. The number one team had twice as many (New York Yankees, 244).

2010: 162 HRs (6) [11] The same amount as Texas, who was “the best offensive team” in 2010.

You lose Barry Bonds, you lose a lot of power. But even before then, Giants fans were always clamoring for someone else to hit home runs around Barry Bonds. There was no more Moises Alou or Jeff Kent to back him up. And then he left. 

The Giants sure fell in love with the long ball last year though, and they really stressed that they couldn’t rely on it this year to win games. The first few wins of this homestand didn’t need the home runs, but instead were all about “keeping the line moving” and getting runs home. None of them were walk-off home runs, but walk-off hits. 

Last night the Giants fans were treated to two home runs that got them back in the game, and then ahead. I’ll admit, I was already taking a lot of flak from all the Dodger fans that I was with when Barajas hit his homer, and was not expecting back-to-back jacks from Pablo Sandoval and Mike Fontenot in the slightest. 

But then the Panda hit one high and deep to left-center and (from our seats, at least) it barely cleared the wall, giving an Ian Kinsler-esque bounce that went the right way. And then Mike Fontenot, who hit one home run in 2010, stepped up to the plate. He looked like a bat boy when getting his high-fives, AFTER he took Ted Lilly way over the Willie Mays Wall in right.

That was not a cheapie. And it put the Giants ahead. Late in the game, that back end looked very strong, once again. Ramon Ramirez, Javier Lopez, Sergio Romo, Jeremy Affeldt and Brian Wilson. Game over. 

Homers get it done. If the Giants can sprinkle in a few game-winning hits to go with their bevy of homers like last year, they’ll win more games. I don’t think they’ll live and die by the home run as much, which also leads to less pressing to hit home runs, and a higher overall average and OBP. 

I love when the Giants win, especially when they beat the Bums. Homers by unexpected people just make it more fun.

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