Who's out in the outfield?

The San Francisco Giants currently carry six outfielders on their roster. The average amount of Outfielders for a major league club to carry is 5. However, what's unique to the Giant's situation is that all of these players are good enough to be starting for a team in Major League Baseball. The Giants have acquired 3 of these players midway through the season in hopes that they would improve the team. Each player brings their own unique skill set to the table. And with the playoffs looming, the Giants are going to need to find the best combination of outfielders to win games. Who should be seeing regular playing time? and who should be on the bench?


Breakdown
Aaron Rowand - Rowand is a Gold Glove winning outfielder who also possess some power in his bat. He may not hit 30+ homers anymore, but it is not unrealistic to think that he can blast 20 home runs given that he plays an entire season. This season, Rowand has lost his starting job in CF but it's important to remember that he is playing with a broken jaw. Most people who suffer an injury that severe would struggle to tie their shoes, let alone play professional baseball. Prior to the pitch from Vincente Padilla, Rowand had started the year on a hot streak. Aaron Rowand is not much a base-stealer and given the Giants' lack of team speed, they need a player who is able to steal some bases. Rowand will be a Giant for awhile, because his contract expires after the 2012 season. He is making $12 million a year which is way too much for a bench player. However, he is playing injured, and should be able to rebound from this season. Rowand is still a threat that can be used as a pinch-hitter, and an excellent late inning defensive replacement. Aaron Rowand is renown for always giving 100% effort on every play.
-His current stats for the season: .237 Batting Average, 10 home runs, 32 RBIs in 302 ABs.

Andres Torres - Torres is a perfect fit for the San Francisco Giants. He's defensive skills are outstanding, and like Aaron Rowand, always gives 100% effort. Perhaps more importantly, Andres can fly. If Guillen and Burrell are playing in the outfield, then the Giants need Torres to cover significant more ground in the spacious outfield of AT&T park. Not only can he cover ground, but he can steal bases. He is currently ranked in the top 10 in stolen bases for the NL. Batting in the leadoff spot, Torres has been a spark for the Giants. He has surprising power, which is evident by his 13 homers (ranks 3rd among Giants), and has already set an AT&T park record for doubles in a season. He can hit for average and finds ways to get on base. Not only that, but Andres can play all 3 outfield positions. Torres is the only outfielder who has a starting spot locked up. In fact, on my poll where I ask "If you were Bruce Bochy, which 3 players would you start in the outfield?", Torres is the only player who has recieved a vote from every person who has answered.
-His current stats for the season: .284 Batting Average, 13 home runs, 59 RBIs in 436 ABs.

Cody Ross - I'm going to be honest, I don't know much about Cody Ross. Last season Ross hit 24 home runs and his speed is above average. However, he was pushed out of Flordia to make room for Cameron Maybin. Showing that he is an exandable player. He is also not much of basestealer, never achieving more than 10 stolen bases in a single season. Ross has the ability to play all three outfield positions, and seemingly is the perfect #4 outfielder. He has pop in his bat and hits for a decent average. He is a big threat as a pinch-hitter as well. Defensively he is not great, but he is definatelty not a bad defender either.
-His current stats for the season: .266 Batting Average, 11 home runs, and 60 RBIs in 467 ABs.

Jose Guillen - Jose Guillen has the power in his bat the Giants have lacked for the past few seasons. Reggie Sanders was the last Giants RF who had similar power to Guillen. The one extreme downside to Guillen's game is his speed. His range is not what you would hope for in an outfielder. With that being said, his arm is outstanding. He can hit for a decent batting average, and can produce when runners are in scoring position. Also, Guillen has the ability to play LF, although he is mostly used as a Right Fielder.
-His current stats for the season: .265 Batting Average, 17 home runs, and 67 RBIs in 441 ABs.

Nate Schierholtz - Nate "The Great" Schierholtz is a great assest for the San Francisco Giants. If he played everyday, there is no question that he would win a Gold Glove. Also, with more consistent playing time I believe Schierholtz could be a .300 hitter. His speed is terrific, but he isn't a base stealer. Physically, Schierholtz is built solid and looks like he should be able to pound over 20 homers a year. But he isn't much of a power bat. For the runs he may not always produce with the bat, he will save more with his glove and arm.
-His current stats for the season: .249 Batting Average, 3 home runs, and 14 RBIs in 205 ABs.

Pat Burrell - Pat Burrell is a weaker version of Jose Guillen in my mind. He is an extremly streaky power hitter, who lacks speed. He has carried the team at two different points in the season when he was hot, but the incositenticy is difficult to deal with. He lacks the ability to play multiple outfield positions. Burrell's throwing arm is inaccurate, and is an offense minded player. He comes up in big at-bats late in the game, which is why I see him as a perfect pinch hitter, with the occansional start. The same way Jim Thome and Jason Giambi were used when they joined the NL West last season.
-His current stats for the season: .247 Batting Average, 14 home runs, and 49 RBIs in 295 ABs.


Who Should Play
If I were Bruce Bochy, I would start Andres Torres, Jose Guillen, and Nate Scheirholtz. The combination of great defense, speed, and power is hard to pass up. This would also give the Giants three great players coming off the bench. Cody Ross or Aaron Rowand would have the oppurtunity to be late inninng defensive substitutions, while Pat Burrell would be the biggest threat as a pinch hitter. In any case, each player will get their chance to play and help the Giants continue their playoff push.

One Year Anniversary

Today marks the one year anniversary since I created this blog! Posting in not as consistent as I would like it to be, regardless one year is a huge milestone. I am going to be posting a lot more regularly now as I am settling into college life.

I am thankful for every single person that has read or followed my blog. I appreciate all the feedback I have received over the past year. As well as realizing the differences of opinions I share with other Giants/49ers fans. This has been a wonderful experience, and I'm glad I got the opportunity to share it with others. Readers are my sole motivation to continue, and I would like to thank you.

I am hopeful that this blog will continue to grow. I look forward to get a bigger audience and to butt heads with more fans. Big things are planned for SanFranSports in the upcoming year!

As always, I am open for feedback on how to improve.

Again, THANK YOU!

Caffeine Free

A few weeks ago, Glen Coffee decided to end his football career. After only playing one season of professional football, enough was enough for last year's third-round draft pick.

The #74 overall pick in the 2009 NFL Draft looked like he would be a keeper from day one. In the 2009 preseason, Coffee was tied for the NFL league in rushing yards with 249, on 42 carries. He averaged almost 6 yards a carry and was the subject of a few posts on this blog. He also sparked talk about the 49ers having a two-back system, with him getting almost similar carries to Frank Gore.

However, things panned out differently in the regular season. Glen Coffee ran for only 226 yards, on 83 carries, only scoring 1 touchdown. Despite nearly double the rushing attempts in the regular season, Coffee ran for less yards than he did in the preseason. Coffee even started two games (week 3 and 4) when Frank Gore was injured, but never quite lived up to the expectations he set in the preseason. Of course when playing against second-team defenses, stats are going to be better in the preseason, but they should never be to the extent of what Coffee's statistical differences were. In fact, Coffee only averaged 3 yards per carry in a single regular season game two times during his rookie season.

Some reports indicate that Glen Coffee was getting destroyed on the practice field by Anthony Dixon before he decided to hang up his cleats. I am skeptical to believe these reports, but even if this was true, Coffee was still basically ensured a spot on the San Francisco 49ers' roster, because of the lack of depth at running back.

Upon further research, I read this quote from Glen Coffee explaining why he left the game,
"It was a struggle for a long time. Actually when I look back I feel I never should have entered the draft in the first place. Football was no longer my dream. I found Christ in college. It changed my views on everything. But I still was a football player because it was expected of me, it was something I did all my life. I was basically wasting the (49ers') time."

I watched Glen Coffee interviewed on ESPN's Firstake, where he expressed interest in becoming a full time minister. A very similar situation happened to the Oakland A's earlier this year when Grant Desme, one of the A's top prospects, left baseball to enter priesthood. Coffee left tons of money on the table, as now the 49ers will be able to recover $621,000 in signing bonus on the four-year deal Coffee signed as a rookie.

For the interview on ESPN here is a link: http://search.espn.go.com/espn-firstake-glen-coffee/videos/6