A Press Democrat Blog

Overtime

Ted Sillanpaa looks at the San Francisco Giants, other Bay Area sports and gives a dad's-eye view of Empire prep and youth sports trends

Giants’ defense hurting struggling pitching staff

Saturday, at 11:58 by

By TED SILLANPAA There’s grave concern over the way the Giants’ starting pitchers have performed lately. They’ve given up bunches of runs. The concern, exactly as expressed, is misplaced. It’s easy for pitchers to get hitters out, put up scoreless innings, when they’re pitching well. It’s those pitchers’ ability to do the same without their best stuff that made them world champions. And, it was solid defense that enabled the Giants’ five starters to succeed and for the team to… Read More »

Zito will earn every penny of his $126 million contract

Wednesday, at 6:34 by

By TED SILLANPAA Twitter @tedsillanpa ted.sillanpaa@pressdemocrat.com Barry Zito has, inexplicably, earned every penny of the $126 million contract that Giants gave him to sign as a free agent before the 2007 season. Don’t roll your eyes! Zito was a postseason hero who will go down among Giants legends for beating the Cardinals in St. Louis in an NLCS elimination game, then besting Tigers’ stud Justin Verlander in Game One of the World Series. Moreover, there’s no calling those autumnal heroics… Read More »

Trout’s contract: Key to losing Bay Area sports talk listeners

Monday, at 5:33 by

By TED SILLANPAA On Twitter @TedSillanpa  Stuck in the car, driving home, without my music or the podcasts that entertain me as radio once did. Old, old habits die hard, so I tuned to KNBR to hear my favorite Bay Area radio guy Tom Tolbert talking about Angels star Mike Trout. Actually, Tolbert and co-host Ray Ratto were talking about Trout’s contract being extended by the Angels and … OK. I’ll admit that I don’t care about player salaries or… Read More »

Giants show Brian Wilson it’s a business

Saturday, at 1:52 by

By TED SILLANPAA The San Francisco Giants did the right thing not offering Brian Wilson the $6.8 million deal that would’ve been the minimum necessary to retain rights to the closer who is coming back from his second Tommy John Surgery. We don’t know when Wilson will be full strength, so sending him into free agency was the only appropriate business decision. The Giants didn’t need to do what general Brian Sabean did on Friday, however, when the famously bearded… Read More »

Beane, not Sabean, best baseball architect around

Thursday, at 8:32 by

BY TED SILLANPAA Tap the brakes a little, OK? I read that the world champion Giants have the best organization in baseball, that Brian Sabean’s the best general manager in baseball. Like I say … tap the brakes. Let off the gas some. Sloooow down! Sabean did a great job building a world champion in San Francisco, but it seems an argument can be made that he’s not the best builder of baseball teams in Northern California. I admire his… Read More »

Pagan was good, but didn’t have career year with Giants

Thursday, at 5:50 by

Made-up stats are too quickly adopted as facts. So, for the record, free agent center fielder Angel Pagan did not have a career year with the Giants in 2012. Northern California fans apply the phrase “career year” too quickly to free agents leaving the Giants, or the Athletics, simply because they only really know what the free agent player did in San Francisco or Oakland. So, Giants’ fans who didn’t follow Pagan in his first six big league seasons assume… Read More »

Scutaro decision much like Giants faced in 2011 with Huff

Tuesday, at 10:57 by

By TED SILLANPAA There’s no earthly reason to really be thinking about the world champion Giants’ 2013 season, but it appears some folks insist upon doing so. They’re wondering if the organization will pay to retain the services of second baseman Marco Scutaro and center fielder Angel Pagan. Given that the Giants kept the 2010 world championship in tact, built around a young pitching staff, there’s no reason to expect the organization to approach preparation for the upcoming season differently.… Read More »

Why Lincecum’s dominating out of the Giants bullpen

Sunday, at 2:16 by

By TED SILLANPAA Tim Lincecum is particularly well suited to pitch in relief, under the intense pressure of the World Series. He’s got amazing confidence and a resilient arm. When he’s right, his three or four pitches can be unhittable. He’s a craftsman of the highest order. That’s how he won back to back Cy Young Awards. The Lincecum who struggled mightily in 2012 lost some confidence, obviously. He was pitching against the memory of the Cy Young Award-winning Lincecum. Starting… Read More »

Giants have to plan for World Series DH: Huff? Sandoval?

Tuesday, at 1:17 by

BY TED SILLANPAA The Giants’ lack run-producing bats on the bench becomes an issue now that they’ll be using the designated hitter against the Tigers when the World Series moves to Detroit. There’s no clear way for the club to best address the issue of filling the DH role. There are a few alternatives: 1. Use Pablo Sandoval as the designated hitter and benefit from the improved defense that Joaquin Arias provides at third base. The problem? How will the… Read More »

Aces set for World Series Game 1: Verlander vs. … Zito?

Monday, at 9:23 by

BY TED SILLANPAA First World Series game I saw featured Whitey Ford against Sandy Koufax in the shadows at Yankee Stadium in 1963. In 1968, I watched 30-game winner Denny McLain face Bob Gibson. I never thought I’d see the likes of those matchups again. Never figured I’d see a mound duel that captures America’s attention like either those did in Fall Classic play past. I was wrong. The Detroit Tigers will send the best pitcher in baseball, Justin Verlander,… Read More »