SUNDAY, MAY 8, 2011 PAGE A1
SWITCHING THINGS UP
CLUB AQCUIRES FIRST ONE-WAY HITTER
BY BOB GREENLEAF
SPORTSWRITER
SAN FRANCISCO BAY TRIBUNE
THE SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS MADE HISTORY BEFORE THE 2011 SEASON EVEN STARTED.
IN FACT, THEY TRIPLED THEIR FUN BY HAVING THEIR MLB, AAA, AND AA TEAMS COMPILED ENTIRELY OF BATTERS WHO SWITCH-HIT.
"IT WAS PLANNED FROM DAY ONE TO DO THAT ON (FREE AGENT) DRAFT DAY," SAID GIANTS MANAGER BRUCE BOCHY.
BY EARLY MAY, THE EXPERIMENT HAD ENDED AFTER A COUPLE OF TRADES. SAN FRANCISCO ACQUIRED ONE PLAYER WHO WAS EXPERIMENTING WITH SWITCH-HITTING, 18-YEAR-OLD CF AARON CONNER, AND ANOTHER PLAYER WHO WILL NEVER SWITCH-HIT: MIGUEL CABRERA.
"IT WAS WORKING BETTER IN THE MINORS, AND WE WEREN'T ENAMORED WITH (MARK) TEIXEIRA'S PLAY," SAID BOCHY. "WHEN WE GOT THE CHANCE TO GET CABRERA TO REPLACE TEIXEIRA, IT WAS A NO-BRAINER."
THE DEAL SATURDAY NIGHT, AFTER A SF WIN OVER COLORADO, BROUGHT THE GIANTS TO 17-16. CABRERA (.319, 7, 20) HELPS A BIT IN THE PAYROLL DEPARTMENT, AS HE'S DUE $90 MILLION OVER THE NEXT FIVE SEASONS WHILE TEIXEIRA'S $108 MILLION CONTRACT RAN A YEAR LONGER.
DON'T WORRY, MIGUEL CABRERA WILL STICK TO HITTING RIGHT-HANDED.
TORONTO SHIPPED CABRERA AND RP DARREN OLIVER TO THE GIANTS FOR TEIXEIRA, CP JOE NATHAN AND HIGHLY-REGARDED ROOKIE BACKSTOP JAMES HARDWICK.
"IT'S DEFINITELY BEEN A LEARNING EXPERIENCE FOR THE MANAGERS AND COACHES DOWN THE LINE," SAYS BOCHY. "WHY WOULD YOU EVER NEED TO PINCH HIT?"
NOT THAT CABRERA WILL EVER BE PINCH-HIT FOR IN A CLOSE GAME ANYWAY.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
TRANSACTIONS
JUNE DRAFT
1S-24: CARTER CORCORAN SP L/L 20 6-1 197
2-26: RAY WILLIAM SP L/L 20 5-10 188
3-26: BRETT McCLENDON CF R/R 20 5-7 204
4-26: JUAN QUINONES 3B R/R 19 6-2 190
5-7
REC RP T SAITO
ACQ 1B M CABRERA AND RP D OLIVER FROM TORONTO FOR 1B M TEIXEIRA, CP JOE NATHAN AND CT J HARDWICK
OPT RP S LINEBRINK
5-5
REC SS PAT DORWIN AND SP CHUCK STROEHMER
OPT RP T SAITO AND SP C RICHARD
5-4
ACQ CF A CONNER, CP JOE NATHAN AND SP C STROEHMER FROM THE ANGELS FOR SS JOSE REYES AND CF G MATTHEWS JR.
5-1
PROMOTED SS P DORWIN FROM AA TO AAA
4-5
OPT CF B STARKS AND REC CF T CROWE
----------------------------------------------------------------------
UPDATES-2011
MAY
28-27 4.11 .270 -2
JUNE
35-47 4.21 .265 -13
-------------------------------
SWITCHING THINGS UP
CLUB AQCUIRES FIRST ONE-WAY HITTER
BY BOB GREENLEAF
SPORTSWRITER
SAN FRANCISCO BAY TRIBUNE
THE SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS MADE HISTORY BEFORE THE 2011 SEASON EVEN STARTED.
IN FACT, THEY TRIPLED THEIR FUN BY HAVING THEIR MLB, AAA, AND AA TEAMS COMPILED ENTIRELY OF BATTERS WHO SWITCH-HIT.
"IT WAS PLANNED FROM DAY ONE TO DO THAT ON (FREE AGENT) DRAFT DAY," SAID GIANTS MANAGER BRUCE BOCHY.
BY EARLY MAY, THE EXPERIMENT HAD ENDED AFTER A COUPLE OF TRADES. SAN FRANCISCO ACQUIRED ONE PLAYER WHO WAS EXPERIMENTING WITH SWITCH-HITTING, 18-YEAR-OLD CF AARON CONNER, AND ANOTHER PLAYER WHO WILL NEVER SWITCH-HIT: MIGUEL CABRERA.
"IT WAS WORKING BETTER IN THE MINORS, AND WE WEREN'T ENAMORED WITH (MARK) TEIXEIRA'S PLAY," SAID BOCHY. "WHEN WE GOT THE CHANCE TO GET CABRERA TO REPLACE TEIXEIRA, IT WAS A NO-BRAINER."
THE DEAL SATURDAY NIGHT, AFTER A SF WIN OVER COLORADO, BROUGHT THE GIANTS TO 17-16. CABRERA (.319, 7, 20) HELPS A BIT IN THE PAYROLL DEPARTMENT, AS HE'S DUE $90 MILLION OVER THE NEXT FIVE SEASONS WHILE TEIXEIRA'S $108 MILLION CONTRACT RAN A YEAR LONGER.
DON'T WORRY, MIGUEL CABRERA WILL STICK TO HITTING RIGHT-HANDED.
TORONTO SHIPPED CABRERA AND RP DARREN OLIVER TO THE GIANTS FOR TEIXEIRA, CP JOE NATHAN AND HIGHLY-REGARDED ROOKIE BACKSTOP JAMES HARDWICK.
"IT'S DEFINITELY BEEN A LEARNING EXPERIENCE FOR THE MANAGERS AND COACHES DOWN THE LINE," SAYS BOCHY. "WHY WOULD YOU EVER NEED TO PINCH HIT?"
NOT THAT CABRERA WILL EVER BE PINCH-HIT FOR IN A CLOSE GAME ANYWAY.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
TRANSACTIONS
JUNE DRAFT
1S-24: CARTER CORCORAN SP L/L 20 6-1 197
2-26: RAY WILLIAM SP L/L 20 5-10 188
3-26: BRETT McCLENDON CF R/R 20 5-7 204
4-26: JUAN QUINONES 3B R/R 19 6-2 190
5-7
REC RP T SAITO
ACQ 1B M CABRERA AND RP D OLIVER FROM TORONTO FOR 1B M TEIXEIRA, CP JOE NATHAN AND CT J HARDWICK
OPT RP S LINEBRINK
5-5
REC SS PAT DORWIN AND SP CHUCK STROEHMER
OPT RP T SAITO AND SP C RICHARD
5-4
ACQ CF A CONNER, CP JOE NATHAN AND SP C STROEHMER FROM THE ANGELS FOR SS JOSE REYES AND CF G MATTHEWS JR.
5-1
PROMOTED SS P DORWIN FROM AA TO AAA
4-5
OPT CF B STARKS AND REC CF T CROWE
----------------------------------------------------------------------
UPDATES-2011
MAY
28-27 4.11 .270 -2
JUNE
35-47 4.21 .265 -13
-------------------------------
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