Official 2011 San Francisco Giants Season Thread (86-76) 2nd Place in NL West

[dland24]

BY ANDREW BAGGARLY ON MAY 26TH, 2011 AT 5:54 PM |

Baggs here from Chicago, where I just touched down on a scheduled travel day. Tremendous work by Carl, Dan, TK and Candid Cam for all the timely, focused and accurate updates they’ve provided on Buster Posey’s condition and how the Giants are responding to such a significant crisis for the franchise.

I was able to connect with Bengie Molina after landing here, so before I drive up the Tri-State Tollway to Milwaukee, I wanted to pass along his thoughts on the Posey play, and on the (rather popular) possibility that he could resume his career with the Giants.


Here’s the interview:

“I almost cried, man. I was watching the game and saw where Schierholtz was when he caught the ball. I knew it was going to be one of those plays.

“What I saw, what happened is that the ball maybe hit his hand. He didn’t catch the ball. If he catches it, then he finishes turning and he finishes the tag. But he stopped turning so he ended up in a bad position. It’s not that his positioning was bad. I would have done the same thing. But by not catching the ball, he didn’t finish his turn. The same thing would’ve happened to me.

“It’s a terrible, terrible thing. I feel so sad for him, for the team, for the fans. Our wives are friends, too. I sent him a text saying I am hoping and praying for him.

“It was my biggest fear in the game – the play you can’t avoid. I wasn’t a superstar. My knee or my shoulder, something like that happens, and I’m out of baseball. Thank God it never happened.

 

[lightweight champion]

Originally Posted by dland24

Originally Posted by Lightweight Champion

Originally Posted by LiveMyReality

Originally Posted by dland24


Been arguing with my friends all day about this.  Just because there was a "lane to slide" does not make it dirty.  The ball beat the runner by more than 5 feet.  There is NOTHING wrong with lighting up the catcher right there.

For me, the absolute BOTTOM LINE is, assuming Buster Posey caught the ball, if Cousins slides, hes out.  There are other points brought up by either side, and I still go back to that point.  If Posey catches it (which Cousins HAS to assume he will), Cousins is out.  Its a tied game in extra innings.  You hit the catcher.  Period.  End of story.

Play was clean.

Completely agree.

I'm not seeing why he would change directions, though. If he stays the course and blasts Posey's arms or shoulder the likeliness of Posey holding onto the ball aren't that great anyway.

Come on bro.  You are taught to go right into the catcher.  Square him up.  Which is exactly what he did.

I know, I'm just salty the way the whole thing unfolded.

And a Bengie return is also welcome, he knows the pitching staff very well.

 

[lightweight champion]

Originally Posted by dland24

Originally Posted by Lightweight Champion

Originally Posted by LiveMyReality

Originally Posted by dland24


Been arguing with my friends all day about this.  Just because there was a "lane to slide" does not make it dirty.  The ball beat the runner by more than 5 feet.  There is NOTHING wrong with lighting up the catcher right there.

For me, the absolute BOTTOM LINE is, assuming Buster Posey caught the ball, if Cousins slides, hes out.  There are other points brought up by either side, and I still go back to that point.  If Posey catches it (which Cousins HAS to assume he will), Cousins is out.  Its a tied game in extra innings.  You hit the catcher.  Period.  End of story.

Play was clean.

Completely agree.

I'm not seeing why he would change directions, though. If he stays the course and blasts Posey's arms or shoulder the likeliness of Posey holding onto the ball aren't that great anyway.

Come on bro.  You are taught to go right into the catcher.  Square him up.  Which is exactly what he did.

I know, I'm just salty the way the whole thing unfolded.

And a Bengie return is also welcome, he knows the pitching staff very well.

 

[lightweight champion]

I digress. Cousins launched himself before Posey ever caught the ball. Clean play, just really really unfortunate for us. Nearly everything has been misfortune for us

 

[lightweight champion]

I digress. Cousins launched himself before Posey ever caught the ball. Clean play, just really really unfortunate for us. Nearly everything has been misfortune for us

 

[rawex5]

The catcher in that video is like 6'5 250.

 

[rawex5]

The catcher in that video is like 6'5 250.

 

[TheGodFresco]

Volg is really nice, i called it in his 1st start

lol

but damn swept at home smh, not good, got to bounce back at MIL

2 months without posey is about what i expected, should we make the post season he will be back.

On that note, we can still make the playoffs, but thats gonna rely heavily on what moves we make at the deadline. We really need another bat with Posey down and tejada, huff and others playing like trash. Hopefully when pablo comes back he'll be hitting like he was. it will be tough now.

 

[TheGodFresco]

Volg is really nice, i called it in his 1st start

lol

but damn swept at home smh, not good, got to bounce back at MIL

2 months without posey is about what i expected, should we make the post season he will be back.

On that note, we can still make the playoffs, but thats gonna rely heavily on what moves we make at the deadline. We really need another bat with Posey down and tejada, huff and others playing like trash. Hopefully when pablo comes back he'll be hitting like he was. it will be tough now.

 

[dland24]

Originally Posted by RaWeX05

The catcher in that video is like 6'5 250.

Wait, was that actually not Pablo catching?

 

[dland24]

Originally Posted by RaWeX05

The catcher in that video is like 6'5 250.

Wait, was that actually not Pablo catching?

 

[lightweight champion]

Originally Posted by GSDOUBLEU

Volg is really nice, i called it in his 1st start

lol

but damn swept at home smh, not good, got to bounce back at MIL

2 months without posey is about what i expected, should we make the post season he will be back.

On that note, we can still make the playoffs, but thats gonna rely heavily on what moves we make at the deadline. We really need another bat with Posey down and tejada, huff and others playing like trash. Hopefully when pablo comes back he'll be hitting like he was. it will be tough now.

Nah he's done. Even if he's cleared to play I doubt he's behind the dish. If he is he's putting way too much stress on his leg. And if he's at 1st or 3rd I don't think he'll have the range to make plays. He'd be a bigger defensive liability than Panda was last year, that's saying something.

 

[lightweight champion]

Originally Posted by GSDOUBLEU

Volg is really nice, i called it in his 1st start

lol

but damn swept at home smh, not good, got to bounce back at MIL

2 months without posey is about what i expected, should we make the post season he will be back.

On that note, we can still make the playoffs, but thats gonna rely heavily on what moves we make at the deadline. We really need another bat with Posey down and tejada, huff and others playing like trash. Hopefully when pablo comes back he'll be hitting like he was. it will be tough now.

Nah he's done. Even if he's cleared to play I doubt he's behind the dish. If he is he's putting way too much stress on his leg. And if he's at 1st or 3rd I don't think he'll have the range to make plays. He'd be a bigger defensive liability than Panda was last year, that's saying something.

 

[livemyreality]

True, reading that he also tore three ankle ligaments in addition to his fractured fibula. His season is done. I wouldn't want his injury to be a lingering problem for the rest of his career if he decided to come back at the end of the season if the Giants made the playoffs. Who knows, maybe Chris Stewart will do big things.

 

[livemyreality]

True, reading that he also tore three ankle ligaments in addition to his fractured fibula. His season is done. I wouldn't want his injury to be a lingering problem for the rest of his career if he decided to come back at the end of the season if the Giants made the playoffs. Who knows, maybe Chris Stewart will do big things.

 

[chris82790]

If we cannot find a catcher in the near future would Bochy re-explore the idea of putting Panda behind the plate when he comes back?

Of course not the full-time catcher but just alternate enough so that Whiteside is not back there everyday. I know there are outside factors as well such as learning how to call a game and gaining the trust of the staff, etc, but if we cannot find someone or if Pudge and Bengie do not come here then what other options do we have? Chris Stewart?

 

[chris82790]

If we cannot find a catcher in the near future would Bochy re-explore the idea of putting Panda behind the plate when he comes back?

Of course not the full-time catcher but just alternate enough so that Whiteside is not back there everyday. I know there are outside factors as well such as learning how to call a game and gaining the trust of the staff, etc, but if we cannot find someone or if Pudge and Bengie do not come here then what other options do we have? Chris Stewart?

 

[coondog16]

Originally Posted by dland24

Originally Posted by RaWeX05

The catcher in that video is like 6'5 250.

Wait, was that actually not Pablo catching?

Pretty sure that is Panda catching, back in the minors I believe.
  

 

[coondog16]

Originally Posted by dland24

Originally Posted by RaWeX05

The catcher in that video is like 6'5 250.

Wait, was that actually not Pablo catching?

Pretty sure that is Panda catching, back in the minors I believe.
  

 

[rawex5]

It probably is him. I saw the video on my phone and he looked much bigger.

 

[rawex5]

It probably is him. I saw the video on my phone and he looked much bigger.

 

[livemyreality]

Totally forgot that Bengie was a free agent. You think the Giants would look into re-signing him? Hahaha. Money Molina!!!!!!!!!1

 

[livemyreality]

Totally forgot that Bengie was a free agent. You think the Giants would look into re-signing him? Hahaha. Money Molina!!!!!!!!!1

 

[tim lincecum]

vs.
4-4	6-1
2.06	2.37
75	62
24	15
1.07	1.02

[th="col"] T. Lincecum SF

[/th] [th="col"] S. Marcum Mil

[/th] [th="row"]Record[/th] [th="row"]ERA[/th] [th="row"]K[/th] [th="row"]BB[/th] [th="row"]WHIP[/th]

Torres, CF
Sanchez, 2B
Burrell, LF
Huff, 1B
Schierholtz, RF
Tejada, 3B
Crawford, SS
Whiteside, C
Lincecum, RHP

 

[tim lincecum]

vs.
4-4	6-1
2.06	2.37
75	62
24	15
1.07	1.02

[th="col"] T. Lincecum SF

[/th] [th="col"] S. Marcum Mil

[/th] [th="row"]Record[/th] [th="row"]ERA[/th] [th="row"]K[/th] [th="row"]BB[/th] [th="row"]WHIP[/th]

Torres, CF
Sanchez, 2B
Burrell, LF
Huff, 1B
Schierholtz, RF
Tejada, 3B
Crawford, SS
Whiteside, C
Lincecum, RHP