GAMEBALL and JOKE 5/11 NATS at GIANTS

GAMEBALL and JOKE
5/11 NATS at GIANTS

GAMEBALL

ISHIKAWA

So now that Burriss and Winn seem to have gotten past their early season woes……my mind drifted to Ishikawa……What happened to that aggressive power bat that was spraying balls to all fields????
Well, I cut the data every way you could, Spray charts, Batting Average on Balls in Play, Infield fly percentage, Wind speed of an unladen swallow…..seeing what I might be able to find that the naked eye has not detected……
The results……well…..in 2008 looks like Ishikawa revamped his swing, likely trying to generate more power….lets look at Groundball, Linedrive, Flyball splits
Before 2008 (rounded)
GB = 50%, LD = 18%, FB = 32%
2008
GB = 38%, LD = 20%, FB = 42%
while maintaining a hit rate on balls in play of about 32%
this would seem to bode well for the future…..
Additionally in 2008, he cut his Strikeout rate from above 30% to 20%.....
Now looking at 2009, the GB/LD/FB splits remain……
GB = 34%, LD = 19%, FB = 47%
But the hit rate falls to 28%...
And K rate JUMPS to 33%...
So what does all this mean????
Lets assume the hit rate is luck, and he will get back to about 32%, only worth about 0.20 points of BA….not much
So really it’s the strike outs that are killing him……
Now all this work, all these slicing and dicing, and one thing kept hitting me over and over……69 AT BATS…..ONLY 69 AT BATS…..good god, really hard to condemn a guy when he only has 69 at bats……hell Ishikawa got 3 fucking hits in 4 at bats tonight…..and his batting average went from .188 to .219……he does that again tomorrow and he's all the way up to .247……
As we have seen with Burriss and Winn…..when you are hitting .100 something with less that 100 AB's a few hits can change those averages REALLY quick and the pressure starts to lift and confidence starts to grow………
Heck, I didn't even mention his defense….this kid has a glove, range AND instincts and the FEARLESS determination to go get the ball…….
I say it right now……Travis is AS GOOD DEFENSIVELY AS JT SNOW……..so Travis may never hit 30 BOMBS…..but if he can pitch in 275 with 15 HR and gold glove Defense…..He will be a valuable part of a winning team……..


TIP OF THE CAP :
WINN
SMOKING the ball all over the field, and burning around the bases…..LOOK OUT BUMS….RANDY IS HEATING UP….and nobody goes on a tear quite like Mr Streaky himself……..

R ZIMMERMAN……
Good god, that shot to right…..reminds me of Adrian Beltre in a contract year……


JOKER

HUMAN BUTTPLUG

So this has been beaten to death by now, but here is my two cents……If you are going to pull a bush league move like that
1) Do it on the field, not hiding in your dugout like a pussy where only TV cameras could catch you
2) Do it when you take the lead….not TYING THE GAME…..you went on to lose
3) Make sure your target doesn't throw 100 MPH with a wild streak…..
What the FUCK where you thinking???? You think the Giants needed a jolt in the ass, some poster board material?????
Believe me, that just gives a jolt to an already energized Giants team…..whereas a suddenly vulnerable Dodger team is on an emotional low, and about to get their pitching exposed BIG TIME with a trip to Philadelphia who just happen to be leading the league in Homers….BOMBS AWAY!!!


SMACK OF THE STICK :
MANNY
Synthethic testosterone, eh?
Never tested positive for Steroid, eh?
Was a prescription for "medical issues," eh?
….so go ahead and add LIAR to the JUICING offense…….
"…… The test revealed the testosterone was synthetic -- in other words, it was ingested somehow…….. The synthetic testosterone in Ramirez's body could not have come from the hCG, according to doping experts, and so suddenly Ramirez had two drugs to answer for. Worse still for the ballplayer, MLB now had a document showing he had been prescribed a banned substance. This was iron-clad evidence that could secure a 50-game suspension,…….."
From ESPN