My All-Star Picks

Every year I take a somewhat serious stance on all-star voting for the mlb all-star game. Every year a great player is sure to get snubbed, while a fan favorite who is not doing well makes the team. I understand that people vote in players they know by name or are on their team. I always was a stat based guy, it is what I attribute my success in fantasy baseball too. So when making my picks a lot of it is based of stats, but I also looked at what I thought would make a great overall team as well as what players I feel should go...So without delay here are my picks for the all-star game rosters. All stats mentioned are through 6/27/10

American League Starting All-Star Roster

1B - Miguel Cabrera - Detroit Tigers
Cabrera is off to a monster start so far. Batting .332/ 20HR/ 64 RBI. He leads all AL 1B in RBI and is tied for first in HR's with Paul Konerko, and is second in batting average. There are a lot of other good choices in this group of players but Cabrera stands out. Others who should make the team:Paul Konerko- White Sox, Justin Morneau- Twins, Kevin Youkilis - Red Sox


2B - Robinson Cano - New York Yankees
Cano is killing the ball this year and leads all AL 2B in Average (.359) , HR (15) and RBI (53). Not sure why there is any questions who else to vote for, it was probably the easiest choice I made this year. Others: Dustin Pedroia - Red Sox and Howie Kendrick- Angels


SS- Elvis Andrus - Texas Rangers
I am sure this pick is not most likely everyones choice, but hear me out. Andrus leads all AL SS (qualified) in Average (.291), Sb's (21), and Runs (51). I figure Jeter is a lock to make the team so why waste a vote on him, go for a guy who leads off for the best hitting team. He also has a great glove in field. Others: Alex Gonzales- Blue Jays and Derek Jeter - Yankees


3B - Adrian Beltre - Boston Red Sox
As much as I dislike this player this was an obvious choice. Beltre is having a monster year for the Red Sox. He is hitting .340/ 12 HR/ 52 RBI. Him and Evan Longoria have the same exact amount of HR and RBI, but Beltre is batting .340 and Longoria .297. Beltre also has one of the best gloves at 3b. Others: Evan Longoria -Rays, Michael Young- Rangers, Alex Rodriguez- Yankees.


C- Joe Mauer - Minnesota Twins
He is a fan favorite and is also having a great season, so I can't see why not to vote for him. He is hitting .304/ 3HR/ 33 RBI, he is third in AL Catcher's in RBI's. He also has a great glove and like I said he is someone people want to see in the game (including this blogger). Others: John Buck - Blue Jays, Victor Martinez - Red Sox, Kurt Suzuki - Oakland.


OF (3) - Josh Hamilton - Texas Rangers
Hamilton in just killing the ball this year, and is another fan favorite. But he really deserves to be an all star starter. He leads all AL Outfielders in Average at .346 and also has 18 HR/ 57 RBI.


Carl Crawford -Tampa Bay Rays
Crawford makes the team because he is a great fielder, runner, and base stealer. He leads all AL OF's in runs (56) and tied for second in SB's. He also has 7 HR and 38 RBI. Sorry Ichiro but there is a new guy in town.


Vernon Wells - Blue Jays
Wells has had a resurgence this year with the Blue Jays and is batting .285/ 19 HR
second in AL OF)/ 47 RBI as well as 44 runs scored. Wells numbers are just all around good, and I belive a Blue Jay should be starting this game based off how good the team has been hitting the ball. Wells also has one of the best arms in the game in the field.



Others: Ichiro - Mariners, Alex Rios - White Sox, Torri Hunter - Angels, Shin-Soo Choo - Indians

DH - Vladimir Guerrero - Texas Rangers
I know this makes 3 Rangers starting in the game, but they lead the the universe in offense and seeing Vlad come back to play in Anaheim should be fun sight. Plus Vlad really is deserving of the spot, he is hitting .327/ 15 HR/ 60 RBI/ 48 Runs.
Others: David Ortiz - Red Sox, Jose Guillen - Royals, Jose Bastista - Blue Jays


Starting Pitcher - David Price - Tampa Bay Rays
Price is having a season that shows why he was taken #1 overall in the draft. He leads the AL in wins with 11 and is second in ERA (2.44). He also has 84 K's and plays on a good Rays team. It would be nice to see some new blood starting in the game this season.
National League
1B - Albert Pujols - St. Louis Cardinals
This was the toughest choice I had to make, but its Pujols,,why shouldn't he make start? Well him, Joey Votto, and Adrian Gonzalez all have almost the exact same numbers, its almost scary how close they are. Pujols is batting .306, Votto .305, and Gonzalez .307. Pujols has 16 HR so does Votto and Gonzalez. Pujols has 51 RBI, Votto has 50, and Gonzalez has 49. Votto and Pujols also have the same exact number of SB, while Gonzalez and Pujols have the same amount of Runs (41)but Votto trumps them with (47). I give the nod to Pujols because he is a fan favorite, perennial MVP candidate, and leads in OBP. Others: Joey Votto - Reds, Adrian Gonzalez - Padres, Ryan Howard - Phillies.



2B - Brandon Phillips - Cincinnati Reds
Phillips leads all NL 2B in runs (57)and is batting .311/ 9HR/ 25 RBI/ 10 SB and unless you haven't watched the highlight he is always make some amazing catch or play in the field. The Reds are another surprise team who I would like to see get a starter in the game. Others:Martin Prado - Braves, Chase Utley - Phillies, Rickie Weeks - Brewers.


SS - Hanley Ramirez - Florida Marlins
Ramirez is my pick because he is having a great season once again, batting .296/ 11 HR/ 44 RBI/ 14 SB/ 41 Runs. Among qualified SS he is 3rd in batting, 2nd in HRs and 2nd in RBI (Juan Uribe leads in both those categories) . So why did I chose Ramirez over a player on my own team? Well as much as it pains me to say no one wants to see Juan Uribe start the All-Star game and Ramirez has a better average, stolen bases, and scores a tad more. Others: Juan Uribe - Giants,
Troy Tulowitzki - Rockies, Jose Reyes - Mets.


3B - David Wright - New York Mets
Wright is having a monster first half, much to my surprise. I looked at the stats and did not know he was doing so well this year. He is hitting .300/ 14 HR/ 61 RBI/ 13 SB/ 42 Runs. He is also the best 3B fielder in the NL and is another fan favorite and all around good player. Others: Scott Rolen - Reds, Casey McGehee - Brewers, Ryan Zimmerman - Nationals.



C- Miguel Olivo - Colorado Rockies
I bet no one else saw this pick coming. Catcher is a cateogry where most people pick players who they have picked every year before but I do not see why. Olivo is having a great season for the Rockies hitting .295/ 10 HR/ 34 RBI/ 31 Runs and even 4 SB. Among NL C's he is 3rd in runs scored, 2nd in HR, and leads all in RBI's, OPS, and SLG. He has the same Fielding % as Yadier Molina so he can field as well. Others: Brian McCann - Braves and Rod Barajas - Mets.


OF (3) - Andre Ethier - Los Angeles Dodgers
Ethier has had a big season for the Dodgers, a season where he missed a few weeks with an injury. But he is still batting .317/12HR/ 46 RBI. His numbers would probably lead the league if he wasn't out.


Ryan Braun - Milwaukee Brewers
Braun is becoming one of the most consistent players in the majors. He is having another great season batting .301/ 10 HR/ 47 RBI/ 11 SB/ and 47 Runs. I like seeing him play the game and would love seeing him start in the all-star game.


Andrew McCutchen - Pittsburgh Pirates
A Pirate starting??! Yep, I was looking at stats and he leads the NL OF in SB (19) and is second in Runs (48, Matt Kemp has 52), and he is on a terrible team! Plus he can play CF and is batting .301/ 7 HR/ 23 RBI.

Others: Colby Rasmus - Cardinals, Jayson Werth - Phillies, Corey Hart - Brewes, Chris Young - Diamondbacks, Shane Victorino - Phillies, Carlos Gonzalez - Rockies.

DH - Adrian Gonzalez - San Diego Padres
Again this could just as easily gone to Joey Votto, but the Padres have been the most surprising team in the majors this season. They do deserve to have a starter in the game and I am sure they will have a lot more pitchers represent them. Others: Joey Votto - Reds, Ryan Howard - Phillies, Corey Hart - Brewers, Troy Glaus - Braves, Adam Dunn- Nationals, Jayson Werth - Phillies,



Starting Pitcher - Ubaldo Jimenez - Colorado Rockies
I want my NL to win this year, having Ubaldo starting with his own catcher Olivo calling the signs would be nice. Plus let's face it this is one of the easiest choices I could make. Jimenez is having a season for the history books. He is 13-1 with an era of 1.60! Thats all I need to say.

Toy Story 3

I know its only a kids movie but damn so far Toy Story 3 is probably my favorite movie of the year! If you haven't seen it I would strongly recommend you get your ass out to the theatre and see it now. It is getting to the point where CGI movies could be up for Best picture oscars, especially since they have upped the number of nominees to 10. For a movie like Toy Story 3 I do not see why it shouldn't be nominated it far superior then most live action movies released this year.

Anyway I loved this movie because, well it has to do with growing up and letting go of things you once held close. As a kid I had more then my fair share of toys (mostly GI Joe, Ghostbusters, and Starting Line-Ups) thanks to my father working at Toys R Us for twenty years. Toys were very important way to connect with my dad and my brother when I was a kid. When I started to grow I would collect less and less toys and only bought an occasional sports toy. I had to stop collecting and get on with being a grown up (of sorts).

In the movie Andy (the kid from Toy Story 1 and 2) is now going off to college and has to make the same choices that we all do as we grow up, what do you do with these plastic things that once meant so much to you? Sure you can throw them in the attic or display them but they never get played with. Then you have your own kids or move out and you no longer have space or time for your childhood relics. Toy Story 3 is a movie that really delves into the toys and the choices we make. Of course they are just plastic but the movie does a good job of showing how the toys would feel if they were real.

If you have to see one movie right now, I wouldn't bother wasting your money on Jonah Hex (but Megan Fox is hot!) or Shrek the Third(the first one was okay and every sequel since has been terrible). I have seen the movie twice now and both times I enjoyed it just as much. I saw the movie with 4 other heterosexual males and we all admitted to getting choked up near the end of film. Go see a movie that will take you back to the time when you were a kid and playing with toys is all that mattered to you.

Fantastic Planet

I am never going to say I have a rich knowledge of music, I just know what I like. When I was a kid in middle school I used to listen to whatever was popular. Back then it was like Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch and MC Hammer. It is weird to say but my life changed one day when I heard the song Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm by the Crash Test Dummies. I would always listen to the rap stations on the radio but I heard that song playing on my brothers radio and kept it on that station, which I believe was KOME 105.3, an alternative rock station. After that I always into alternative rock. Ok, so enough about the history but yes I like punk, alternative, and music like that.

I probably heard Failure on KOME back 1997, they had a somewhat hit single in Stuck On You. The band never really had another hit after that, but somehow I went out and bought that album. I have traded in tons of CD's since then but I always held onto Fantastic Planet, currently I have been listening to the album more and more and realizing that it is becoming one of my favorites. The sound is nothing revolutionary but I just dig the hell out of the album. Check out the single from the album here:



I have been looking up Failure recently, they bad disbanded in 1997, a year after Fantastic Planet was released. I remember buying an older albums of theirs a while ago, but it just didn't stick to me like Fantastic Planet did. After Faliure's break up they went on to form other bands. The man singer Ken Andrews went on to form the band's Year of the Rabbit and On. Other band members went into bands like A Perfect Circle, Vercua Salt, Lusk, and Queens of the Stone Age to name a few.

I also found out that a lot of other people enjoyed Failure's album as much as me. Fantastic Planet has a small yet loyal following. The album is being released on vinyl today. The aforementioned song Stuck on You was covered by Paramore.

The album has a perfect 5 out of 5 star review on amazon's page (out of 106 reviews). Its nice to know that other people appreciate this band and this great album. I will leave you with one more cut from the amazing album, the song is called The Nurse Who Loved Me. This song is also covered by A Perfect Circle on their album Thirteenth Step.

Horror Flicks

So I have recently been watching a lot of movies, including some good and not so good ones. I signed up for netflix again, and now they have the instant watch movies. It helps that I got a new cpu with a high def screen. Last time I had netflix they didn't really hype up the instant watch movies. Now they have thousands of movies to choose from! I love that you can watch a movie online now or just watch a tv show you missed on the cpu, life has never been easier to attain the media you would like. So here are some of the horror movies I have watched recently:

Necrosis : I will start out with a shout out for this movie because my uncle was assistant director on this one. Necrosis is a stuck in a cabin, snow in type movie. It has to do with seeing ghosts of the Donner party. I think for a low budget movie it sets out what it means to do, namely it has some good scares and is interesting for most of the movie. Look for brief parts from pop star Tiffany and horror legend Michael Berryman. Here is the trailer:


Dead Snow: I watched this with my friend Dennis (click HERE to see his review). We both had about the same thoughts on Dead Snow, it has its moments but overall is nothing worth getting too hyped up over. I do like that it has to do with nazi zombies, thats a lethal combo! The movie took too long to get started and like Necrosis is a trapped in the snow type movie. They had some good romero type zombie kills in the movie as well. Overall this is a just an average type rental. I would say rent this and Necrosis back to back and have a snow in horror movie night.



Drive Thru : I was flipping the channels late one night with my buddy Jeremy and happened to see the description for Drive Thru on the On Demand menu. It said something about Horny the clown killing people, and I new I had to watch it immediately! It starts out really promising with some wiggas getting deep fried but overall the movie just is a let down. It does have some funny puns that relate to fast food, and they story is a total rip off of Nightmare on Elm Street. I hear they are doing a sequel to this, good luck. I will say it does have some laughs so I guess I wouldn't say it was a total bust for being a free watch.




Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon: I got a recommendation to check out this movie from a friend and I thought it was the best out of all the movies I have listed here. I really didn't know what to expect when I went into seeing it but I was really shocked how good it was. If you like slasher movies I think you enjoy this behind the scenes look. You get to know Leslie Vernon as he plans his murders, you get to know the killer and why he kills. There a few good twists and I thought this was a smart way to do a slasher movie, switching between a documentary style and horror movie style. I have heard they are doing a sequel, I am on board for that!

3D or not 3D

Ok so lately 3D has been bugging me, I like the notion of a movie being made better by seeing it in 3D and lately it seems that most movie companies make a movie into a 3D event because it makes more money that way. Avatar sort of started this craze on it's way to becoming the top grossing movie of all time. The movie was pretty good to me, and was worth seeing in IMAX 3D because it was filmed to be seen that way. I have no problem with Avatar (well besides that it wasn't even that great of a movie) but I wish it never started this whole 3D trend because now everything is being released in 3D, as the next 3D movie event! Please. Give me a fucking break. I cannot say I am not to blame, when I go see a movie with a friend they end up wanting to see it in 3D and being an avid movie goer (and usually a nice friend) I agree to pay the $3 extra and see it in 3D.

The recent movies I have seen in 3D are: Avatar, Alice In Wonderland, and Clash of the Titans. After seeing all three only one was really needed to be seen in 3D, Avatar. The others were not really needed to be in 3D because being in that medium did not add anything of great value to the story. Alice In Wonderland was an average movie to me, nothing really extraordinary going on and the 3D was not really used to make it better in anyway. Clash of the Titans is where I get pissed. So I learned there is two ways to do 3D, one is when they change the movie into 3D after the film is done which = shitty 3D. The other way is when the movie is actually filmed in 3D the entire way, which is the actual only way I will now see 3D movies.

I have also heard that 3D prices are on the rise, which is another thing I find to be lame. With more and more 3D movies out you think the price would decrease not increase. One major problem I have is that they do not allow you to reuse your 3D glasses (if they are the same ones you bought last time). Then they want you to recycle the glasses after the movie, I feel if I paid for them why the hell shouldn't I keep them? But then if I do keep them I just have like 4 pairs of useless 3D glasses. So I am saying maybe they cut you a discount if you have the 3D glasses, maybe just half off the extra $3 or something, nothing major but I feel there is a need for some sort of discount for people who already have purchased the glasses. Similar to when you bring your own bag to Safeway and get a small discount for not needing to use their bags, plus both examples save resources (or does anyone know if they re-use those glasses after the movie?).




The 3D craze seems hear to stay. I recently asked my dad, a movie goer since birth if he thought that 3D was just a passing fad. He said it usually has been in the past and I was hoping he was right. I don't see the need to see every movie in 3D. Yes the positive is that it leads to some cool visual effects and if used correctly can make a movie fun. It is also helping Hollywood to release some projects they may not get the green-light otherwise, and it is always good when movies make money because they can possibly make more movies or give someone new a chance to showcase their skills. But I also see the upcoming 3D releases on the horizon and 3D seems here to stay, at least for a while longer.

Upcoming 3D movies:
Shrek Ever After
Toy Story 3
The Last Airbender
Despicable Me
Cats & Dogs: Revenge of Kitty Galore
Step Up 3-D
Piranha 3D
Resident Evil: Afterlife
Legend of the Guardians: Owls of Ga'Hoole
Jackass 3D
Tron Legacy
and many more....

So what I am seeing here is a lot of children's movies as well as a few horror movies. The one's that I would want to see is, Piranha 3D and Tron Legacy. I think I will pass on Jackass 3D, but it may be the first movie to have a 3D penis, so its got that going for it.



To be nice I will list the top movies that I think 3D has added to the movie. These films are Monster House, Avatar, and My Bloody Valentine. In fact I would say My Bloody would be almost unwatchable but the 3D made it into a fun movie, they did a good job using 3D on that one. I recently watched Avatar in non 3D, and to be honest I didn't think less of it. The movie is visually stunning either way and I could focus more on colors in regular 2D.

Bad Movie Screnning

Some people see a bad movie and feel ripped off. Sure today you put down $10 to see a movie and maybe even $3 more if you want to see it in 3D. But sometimes a bad movie can be so bad that it turns into something of a cult classic, or a movie you and your friends quote because, well, it just sucked so bad. I enjoy seeing some bad movies from time to time and just having a beer and saying what the fuck just happened?! I recently had a bad movie screening with a good friend, you can also read his blog here.

First up we watch a movie I had never head of. I was not aware of The Room a recent movie (2003). The brainchild behind the room is Tommy Wiseau he stars, directs, and wrote the movie. The movie had a brief theatrical run in 2003 but never found its audience until later on. Wiseau is said to be American, but his voice in the movie is best described as "Borat trying to do an impression of Christopher Walken playing a mental patient." The movie is so bad that it was awesome! There was at least 4 sex scenes in the first twenty minutes of the movie alone. The acting and line delivery was so bad that you couldn't help but think that the movie was made to get laughs. There are random times that the main characters will toss around a football, I was told this was because Wiseau wanted everyone to know that this was an American movie, and what is more American then throwing around a football? Overall the movie wasn't unwatchable bad but script is just so bad that its hilarious. Since the movies release it has gained a cult following and still plays at midnight in L.A. Wiseau actually shows up at many of these showing selling dvd's, t-shirts, and soundtracks to the film. Wiseau seems to be aware that his movie had a following even though it may not have been for the reasons he wished. Wiseau said “I'm happy, because I prepared all this stuff, and I wanted people to have a good time...When you see The Room, you can yell, you can scream, you can express yourself — that's the idea.". Here are some clips from The Room:




And the original trailer:



After The Room we started watching a movie which considered to the worst movie ever made, Troll 2. Troll 2 was not as fun to watch because unlike the room the dialogue was not even all that funny and the movie is just plain bad. I would consider it to be one of the worst movies I have ever seen. The effects are horrible, just kids decked out in cheap Halloween costumes. I seriously never thought the movie was released in 1990! I thought it was for sure an early 80's film with all the terrible effects. In fact the movie is so well known as being one of the worst movies ever made that recently they made a documentary called Best Worst Movie, a documentary all about the film Troll 2 and how it has a following and what the actors think when they look back at their time making Troll 2. Check out that trailer here:


Here is what is considered one of the worst line delivers in movie history:


And the original trailer:

Giants 2010

Last year the San Francisco Giants made a huge leap, winning 88 games making a 16 game improvement from the year before. This year I wanted to go through the line-up and predict who I think will do good or bad, and throw out some stats. I will only stick with players who I know are starting this time. I did this last year as well ( 2009 Predictions).


STARTING FIELDERS

C - Bengie Molina -- Molina is back, it was a tad surprising that they brought the big man back but I have no problems with it, besides he could be the slowest runner in MLB history. But he can command that staff (last two years he has worked with Cy young winner Tim Lincecum) and can still hit. With Buster Posey a good bet for a late season call up I am not sure how long Bengie will start.

Last Year I said: .280/ 15 HR/ 80 RBI
He Did: .265/ 20 HR / 80 RBI
2010 I Predict: .273/ 16 HR/ 72 RBI


1B - Aubrey Huff -- Wasn't with the team last year, but should get his fair share at 1B duties this year. I am not sure about his glove but I have heard he is average and he did used to play 3B so he should be okay. I think he could have a solid season, if nothing else he should be an offensive improvement over Travis Ishikawa, but I can also see them taking him out of games when they have the lead late in games.


Last Year I said: N/A
He Did: .241/ 15 HR/ 85 RBI
2010 I Predict: .262/ 15 HR/ 79 RBI


2B - Freddy Sanchez -- If only this guy could stay healthy! He came to the Giants in a late season trade and was an immediate upgrade at 2B. He got hurt though, and is hurt again to start this season. I believe once he is fully healthy he will be a vital part to the team.

Last Year I said: N/A
He Did: .293/ 7 HR/ 41 RBI
2010 I Predict: .297 / 7 HR / 75 RBI


SS - Edgar Renteria -- He is coming off a bad season last year, so the only way to go is up! He usually is the type of player who has a bad season followed by a much better season. I am also not sure how long he will start with Uribe around.

Last Year I said: .275/12 HR /65 RBI
He did: .250 / 5 HR/ 48 RBI
2010: .267 / 7 HR / 58 RBI


3B - Pablo Sandoval -- No one including me could have ever imagined the break out season that Pablo had last season. Yes, he should have been an All-Star but the guy can flat out hit and had a monster season. He is easily the best hitter on the team, and with some discipline at the plate could be a great.

Last Year I said: .325/ 12 HR/ 84 RBI
He Did: .330/ 25 HR/ 90 RBI
2010 I Predict: .319 / 26 HR / 97 RBI


OF - Aaron Rowand -- He switched to lead off role for the team last year, which hurt his RBI total. He is not a typical lead off man but he did well when he was leading off last year. He tends to get in funks from time to time.

Last Year I said: .288/15HR/74 RBI
He Did: .261 / 16 HR / 64 RBI
2010: .276 / 13 HR/ 60 RBI

OF - Mark DeRosa -- The Giants signed DeRosa because he can play OF. 2B, 3B and he can hit the ball for some power and is a good RBI man, well good for the Giants anyway. Like all hitters who go to AT&T Park I look for some of his number to dip. I am glad to have him on our team, I was very upset Giants didn't get him for last years playoff push.

Last Year I said: N/A
He Did: ..250 / 23 HR / 78 RBI
2010: .280 / 20 HR / 85 RBI


STARTING PITCHERS

Tim Lincecum -- Two years in a row this young man has won the Cy Young. That alone is just crazy! I am so glad he is on our team that we resigned him up for more years. He is always fun to watch and I see no reason why he will not have another great season.

Last Year I said: 16-8/ ERA 2.76/ 240 K’s
He did: 15-7 / ERA 2.48/ 261 K's
2010: 17-6/ ERA 2.57/ 259 K's


Matt Cain -- Cain finally got the run support that always alluded him and was able to make the All-Star team. A lot of people think Cain can still do even better if everything goes right. He is also still younger then Lincecum.

Last Year I said: 14-12/ 3.64 / 180 Ks
He did: 14-8 / 2.89 / 171 K's
2010: 15-9 / 3.20/ 175 K's


Barry Zito -- Zito who has struggled with the club finally made some nice improvements last year. He lowered his ERA more then a run and was more consistent with his pitching. He is still not worthy of how much he makes, but if he can have another nice year I think I will be happy.

Last Year I said: 12-13/ 4.54/ 120K’s
He did: 10-13 / 4.03 / 154 K's
2010 : 11-12 / 4.21 / 142 K's


Jonathan Sanchez -- His no hitter was awesome to see last year and this guy still has some nasty stuff, but that's never been the problem with him. He just needs to trust his stuff and make good decisions and he could be an all-star like guy.

Last Year I said: 11-13/ 4.33/175K’s
He did: 8-12 / 4.24/ 177 K's
2010: 12-10 / 4.08 / 183 K's


RELIEF

Bullpen - Brian Wilson had another outstanding season as the closer and set up men Jeremy Affledt, Sergio Romo around the bullpen is becomming a strength of the team. Brandon Medders, up an comer Dan Runzler also round out the bullpen corps.

Bench - Juan Uribe had a perfect season for a back-up player last year. He could fill in at SS, 3B, or 2B and he is sure to get a lot of at bats this year. Eugenio Velez is a young speedster who could also play anywhere in the OF and also can play some SS/2B if needed. I always thought he could have a good year if given the chance, but he is becoming very valuable off the bench and made many clutch hits last year.


OVERALL
Last year was a nice step forward for the Giants. The pitching is the strength and they tried to upgrade and keep the core players from last year, which they did! They had the most wins for a non-playoff team in the NL last year and I think if they make a few moves they can make the wild card in 2010. Either way it will be fun to see what happens!