How They Got Here: The San Francisco Giants is a
one-by-one look at how each member of the 2012 World Series Champion San
Francisco Giants found their way to the squad. We'll look at all of the
players on the roster, as well as notable players who did not make the
postseason roster for whatever reason and the coaching staff and general
manager. Part twelve tells us of the young relief pitcher George Kontos.
George Kontos was born on June 12, 1985, in Lincolnwood, Illinois. He went to high school at Niles West High School in Skokie, Illinois. He was named High School Baseball Player of the year in Illinois for the 2003 school year. A tri-sport athlete, he also lettered in golf and basketball. He attended college at Northwestern University, and despite his unattractive collegiate statistics, he was a fifth round draft pick of the New York Yankees in 2006. He began with the Class A Short Season Staten Island Yankees in Staten Island, New York, of the New York-Pennsylvania League, working fourteen starts with a 2.64 earned run average and eighty-two strikeouts over seventy-eight and one-third innings pitched. In 2007, Kontos was assigned to the Tampa Yankees in the Class A Advanced Florida State League. He appeared in nineteen games, seventeen of which he started, with his end-of-season numbers reading 4.02 for earned run average, 101 strikeouts, and ninety-four innings. He made another step up in the 2008 season, pitching in the Class AA Eastern League with the Trenton Thunder of Trenton, New Jersey. Here, he posted 3.68 earned run average with 152 strikeouts in 151 and 2/3 innings over twenty-seven starts. Kontos was only able to make thirteen appearances in 2009, and his season ended in June after tests revealed damage requiring Tommy John ligament surgery to repair his elbow. Between Trenton and the Class AAA International League with the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees in Scranton, Pennsylvania, he produced a 3.15 earned run average over thirteen starts, with sixty-three strikeouts over seventy-one and one-third innings. He returned in 2010, pitching with Tampa first, before stepping up to Trenton again, and then ending the year in Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. He made twenty-four appearances, primarily working out of the bullpen to assist his injury rehabilitation, posting a 3.60 earned run average, thirty-eight strikeouts, and forty-five innings of work. On December 9, 2010, the San Diego Padres drafted Kontos from the Yankees in the Rule 5 Draft, but after a lackluster spring training showing, he was returned to the Yankees organization. Kontos spent most of the 2011 season pitching in Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, making forty appearances (four starts), and the statistics read a 2.62 earned run average, ninety-one strikeouts, and eighty-nine and one-third innings pitched. The results were good enough that the major league Yankees decided to call Kontos up for September, where he made seven appearances over six innings. He had an earned run average of 3.00 and struck out six batters. Early in the 2012 season, the Yankees flipped Kontos to the San Francisco Giants to address their need of another catcher, and in that the deal New York received Chris Stewart to fill their void. Kontos was assigned to the Fresno Grizzlies of the Class AAA Pacific Coast League, and appeared in twenty-three games, in which he had a 1.71 earned run average, twenty-six strikeouts, and thirty-one and two-thirds innings to his credit before the Giants added him to their major league bullpen. In the big leagues, Kontos played from June 10th onward, making forty-four appearances with a strong 2.47 earned run average, forty-four strikeouts, and forty-three and two-thirds innings. He stayed with the team during their postseason run, pitching in mostly batter-determined situations, although his effectiveness was questionable. In his eight games, he had a 6.75 earned run average, but his performance was not detrimental, as he won his first World Series Championship when the Giants swept away the Detroit Tigers.
Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion.
Friday, November 9, 2012
Thursday, November 8, 2012
Thursday Night Football Week 10 2012
This week, we begin with an AFC South battle between the host Jacksonville Jaguars and the visiting Indianapolis Colts. Indianapolis started in the first quarter as Adam Vinatieri kicked a 31 yard field goal. The Colts added on as Andrew Luck ran 5 yards for a touchdown in the second quarter, and Vinatieri made the extra point. Indianapolis padded the lead with Luck running 1 yard for a touchdown, and Vinatieri again handled the PAT. Jacksonville got on the board with a 40 yard field goal by Josh Scobee. The Colts replied in the third quarter on an interception of Blaine Gabbert by Darius Butler, which was returned 11 yards for a touchdown, and Vinatieri supplied the extra point. The Jaguars took some back in the fourth quarter as Chad Henne passed 4 yards for a touchdown to Cecil Shorts, and Scobee was true with the extra point. Indianapolis answered with a 41 yard field goal by Vinatieri. This finished the scoring off at 27-10, with the Colts now at 6-3 while the Jaguars drop to 1-8.
Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion.
Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion.
How They Got Here: The Story of the 2012 San Francisco Giants Part 11
How They Got Here: The San Francisco Giants is a
one-by-one look at how each member of the 2012 World Series Champion San
Francisco Giants found their way to the squad. We'll look at all of the
players on the roster, as well as notable players who did not make the
postseason roster for whatever reason and the coaching staff and general
manager. Part eleven tells us about sidearm reliever Javier Lopez as we hit the one-third mark of our project.
Javier Lopez was born on July 11, 1977, in San Juan, Puerto Rico. He graduated from Robinson Secondary School in Fairfax, Virginia, before continuing his education at the University of Virginia. Lopez was drafted by the Arizona Diamondbacks in 1998 just under the age of twenty-one. He appeared in a handful of games with the Class A South Bend Silver Hawks in South Bend, Indiana of the Midwest League. He stayed with the Silver Hawks for the 1999 season, and over those two years, he posted a crooked 6.17 earned run average, along with 101 strikeouts over 143 innings, mostly as a starting pitcher. Lopez moved up to the Class A Advanced California League in the 2000 season, where he played for the High Desert Mavericks of Adelanto, California. The Diamondbacks changed Class A Advanced affiliations in 2001, meaning that Lopez transferred over to the Lancaster JetHawks of Lancaster, California in the same league. Throughout his time in Class A Advanced, he produced a 4.83 earned run average and 116 strikeouts over 160 and 1/3 innings pitched, mostly as a starter, but with some time converted into a relief pitcher. For the last part of 2001 and all of 2002, Lopez pitched with the El Paso Diablos of the Texas League at the Class AA level. Here, his statistics read a 4.90 earned run average, sixty-eight strikeouts, and eighty-six and one-third innings pitched. While not all that stellar, it was enough for the Boston Red Sox to draft him from the Diamondbacks in the Rule 5 Draft on December 16, 2002. The Red Sox then flipped him for a player to be named later (minor-leaguer Ryan Cameron) to the Colorado Rockies. The Rockies gave Lopez a major league job in 2003, and he pitched the whole year with the big league squad. His numbers read out as a 3.70 earned run average, forty strikeouts, and fifty-eight and one-third innings pitched out of the bullpen. His first major league win came on April 10th, and his first save was on August 12th. He began the 2004 season with the Rockies as well, but struggled, and was sent to Class AAA Colorado Springs to figure out his issues with the Sky Sox in the Pacific Coast League. In mid-August, he rejoined the team, and closed out the season with a 7.52 earned run average, twenty strikeouts, and forty and two-thirds innings pitched. He pitched himself to a 4.00 earned run average in Colorado Springs. The 2005 season brought a bit of change to Lopez's life, as he was placed on waivers by the Rockies early in the year, and claimed on April 14th by his original organization, the Arizona Diamondbacks. He stayed with them until mid-season, before being sent down to play in the Pacific Coast League with the Tuscon Sidewinders of Tuscon, Arizona. In Tucson, he pitched to a 2.22 earned run average, sixteen strikeouts, and twenty-four and one-third innings pitched, while his major league numbers read out as 11.02 earned run average, twelve strikeouts, and sixteen and one-third innings. The Diamondbacks decided to give up on the reclamation project, and granted him free agency after the 2005 season, allowing him to sign on January 9, 2006 with the Chicago White Sox. He never appeared with the White Sox at the big league level, only working in their organization at Class AAA Charlotte, North Carolina, with the Knights. Here, he saw a huge improvement in his statistics, as he put up a 0.55 earned run average and twenty-six strikeouts over thirty-three innings pitched. These were numbers for trading, and on June 15th, the White Sox did just that. Lopez was sent to the Boston Red Sox for David Riske. His initial time in Boston was strong, but as his effectiveness slipped, the Red Sox sent him to play for the Pawtucket Red Sox of the International League. His numbers here were a 4.86 earned run average with twelve strikeouts in sixteen and two-thirds innings. He earned a late call up to Boston, and ended the year with a line of 2.70 for an earned run average, over sixteen and two-thirds innings, while striking out eleven. Lopez was the victim of roster management in 2007, as he shuttled back and forth between Boston and Pawtucket throughout the year. His Class AAA numbers were almost the same in workload and efficiency, while he also managed his baserunners better by shaving almost a full run from his earned run average. His expanded role at the big league level saw a little regression, as he posted a 3.10 earned run average with twenty-six strikeouts and forty and two-thirds innings pitched during the regular season. He was assigned to the postseason roster that year as well, and appeared in five games for the Red Sox en route to their 2007 World Series Championship. He was not all that effective in his time, but was not used in high-leverage situations. Lopez avoided the minor leagues in 2008, pitching the whole year with Boston, and at a strong level too, with a 2.43 earned run average, thirty-eight strikeouts, and fifty-nine and one-third innings pitched. He made three postseason appearances during the short-lived Red Sox title defense, and showed growth in improving his playoff numbers. However, all three of those appearances came in losses, and the Red Sox were eventually eliminated in the American League Championship Series. Lopez could not repeat his success in 2009, and was designated for assignment by Boston on May 10th. He spent the rest of the year in Pawtucket, where he worked to a 3.18 earned run average with twenty-three strikeouts over thirty-nine and two-thirds innings. On December 18th, he signed with the Pittsburgh Pirates for the 2010 season, and he posted a 2.79 earned run average with twenty-two strikeouts over thirty-eight and two-thirds innings before being traded on July 31, 2010 to the San Francisco Giants. He cut his earned run average in half over the last two months of the season, and was selected for the postseason roster. He appeared in nine playoff games, mostly in high-leverage and late inning situations, putting up a 1.59 earned run average over five and two-thirds innings, striking out six. He picked up six holds and a win in that time, and earned his second World Series title as the Giants worked past the Atlanta Braves, Philadelphia Phillies, and Texas Rangers. Lopez found himself again working a mostly set-up role for the 2011 season with San Francisco, and during the full season, he achieved a 2.72 earned run average with forty strikeouts over fifty-three innings. This solidified Lopez as a premier lefty specialist, further accentuated by his sidearm delivery in pitching style. For 2012, Lopez again pitched out of the Giants bullpen, and was a part of the three-man closer committee after Brian Wilson's season ending injury. No matter the role, Lopez again pitched well, throwing a 2.50 earned run average with twenty-eight strikeouts over thirty-six innings, guiding the Giants to another postseason. He made the playoff roster again and was used in five games (none of which in the World Series), only allowing two walks over three innings of work, while striking out four. Lopez earned his third World Series Championship as the Giants swept the Detroit Tigers aside, and looks to continue to be a vital part of the Giants bullpen for years to come.
Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion.
Javier Lopez was born on July 11, 1977, in San Juan, Puerto Rico. He graduated from Robinson Secondary School in Fairfax, Virginia, before continuing his education at the University of Virginia. Lopez was drafted by the Arizona Diamondbacks in 1998 just under the age of twenty-one. He appeared in a handful of games with the Class A South Bend Silver Hawks in South Bend, Indiana of the Midwest League. He stayed with the Silver Hawks for the 1999 season, and over those two years, he posted a crooked 6.17 earned run average, along with 101 strikeouts over 143 innings, mostly as a starting pitcher. Lopez moved up to the Class A Advanced California League in the 2000 season, where he played for the High Desert Mavericks of Adelanto, California. The Diamondbacks changed Class A Advanced affiliations in 2001, meaning that Lopez transferred over to the Lancaster JetHawks of Lancaster, California in the same league. Throughout his time in Class A Advanced, he produced a 4.83 earned run average and 116 strikeouts over 160 and 1/3 innings pitched, mostly as a starter, but with some time converted into a relief pitcher. For the last part of 2001 and all of 2002, Lopez pitched with the El Paso Diablos of the Texas League at the Class AA level. Here, his statistics read a 4.90 earned run average, sixty-eight strikeouts, and eighty-six and one-third innings pitched. While not all that stellar, it was enough for the Boston Red Sox to draft him from the Diamondbacks in the Rule 5 Draft on December 16, 2002. The Red Sox then flipped him for a player to be named later (minor-leaguer Ryan Cameron) to the Colorado Rockies. The Rockies gave Lopez a major league job in 2003, and he pitched the whole year with the big league squad. His numbers read out as a 3.70 earned run average, forty strikeouts, and fifty-eight and one-third innings pitched out of the bullpen. His first major league win came on April 10th, and his first save was on August 12th. He began the 2004 season with the Rockies as well, but struggled, and was sent to Class AAA Colorado Springs to figure out his issues with the Sky Sox in the Pacific Coast League. In mid-August, he rejoined the team, and closed out the season with a 7.52 earned run average, twenty strikeouts, and forty and two-thirds innings pitched. He pitched himself to a 4.00 earned run average in Colorado Springs. The 2005 season brought a bit of change to Lopez's life, as he was placed on waivers by the Rockies early in the year, and claimed on April 14th by his original organization, the Arizona Diamondbacks. He stayed with them until mid-season, before being sent down to play in the Pacific Coast League with the Tuscon Sidewinders of Tuscon, Arizona. In Tucson, he pitched to a 2.22 earned run average, sixteen strikeouts, and twenty-four and one-third innings pitched, while his major league numbers read out as 11.02 earned run average, twelve strikeouts, and sixteen and one-third innings. The Diamondbacks decided to give up on the reclamation project, and granted him free agency after the 2005 season, allowing him to sign on January 9, 2006 with the Chicago White Sox. He never appeared with the White Sox at the big league level, only working in their organization at Class AAA Charlotte, North Carolina, with the Knights. Here, he saw a huge improvement in his statistics, as he put up a 0.55 earned run average and twenty-six strikeouts over thirty-three innings pitched. These were numbers for trading, and on June 15th, the White Sox did just that. Lopez was sent to the Boston Red Sox for David Riske. His initial time in Boston was strong, but as his effectiveness slipped, the Red Sox sent him to play for the Pawtucket Red Sox of the International League. His numbers here were a 4.86 earned run average with twelve strikeouts in sixteen and two-thirds innings. He earned a late call up to Boston, and ended the year with a line of 2.70 for an earned run average, over sixteen and two-thirds innings, while striking out eleven. Lopez was the victim of roster management in 2007, as he shuttled back and forth between Boston and Pawtucket throughout the year. His Class AAA numbers were almost the same in workload and efficiency, while he also managed his baserunners better by shaving almost a full run from his earned run average. His expanded role at the big league level saw a little regression, as he posted a 3.10 earned run average with twenty-six strikeouts and forty and two-thirds innings pitched during the regular season. He was assigned to the postseason roster that year as well, and appeared in five games for the Red Sox en route to their 2007 World Series Championship. He was not all that effective in his time, but was not used in high-leverage situations. Lopez avoided the minor leagues in 2008, pitching the whole year with Boston, and at a strong level too, with a 2.43 earned run average, thirty-eight strikeouts, and fifty-nine and one-third innings pitched. He made three postseason appearances during the short-lived Red Sox title defense, and showed growth in improving his playoff numbers. However, all three of those appearances came in losses, and the Red Sox were eventually eliminated in the American League Championship Series. Lopez could not repeat his success in 2009, and was designated for assignment by Boston on May 10th. He spent the rest of the year in Pawtucket, where he worked to a 3.18 earned run average with twenty-three strikeouts over thirty-nine and two-thirds innings. On December 18th, he signed with the Pittsburgh Pirates for the 2010 season, and he posted a 2.79 earned run average with twenty-two strikeouts over thirty-eight and two-thirds innings before being traded on July 31, 2010 to the San Francisco Giants. He cut his earned run average in half over the last two months of the season, and was selected for the postseason roster. He appeared in nine playoff games, mostly in high-leverage and late inning situations, putting up a 1.59 earned run average over five and two-thirds innings, striking out six. He picked up six holds and a win in that time, and earned his second World Series title as the Giants worked past the Atlanta Braves, Philadelphia Phillies, and Texas Rangers. Lopez found himself again working a mostly set-up role for the 2011 season with San Francisco, and during the full season, he achieved a 2.72 earned run average with forty strikeouts over fifty-three innings. This solidified Lopez as a premier lefty specialist, further accentuated by his sidearm delivery in pitching style. For 2012, Lopez again pitched out of the Giants bullpen, and was a part of the three-man closer committee after Brian Wilson's season ending injury. No matter the role, Lopez again pitched well, throwing a 2.50 earned run average with twenty-eight strikeouts over thirty-six innings, guiding the Giants to another postseason. He made the playoff roster again and was used in five games (none of which in the World Series), only allowing two walks over three innings of work, while striking out four. Lopez earned his third World Series Championship as the Giants swept the Detroit Tigers aside, and looks to continue to be a vital part of the Giants bullpen for years to come.
Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion.
Wednesday, November 7, 2012
How They Got Here: The Story of the 2012 San Francisco Giants Part 10
How They Got Here: The San Francisco Giants is a
one-by-one look at how each member of the 2012 World Series Champion San
Francisco Giants found their way to the squad. We'll look at all of the
players on the roster, as well as notable players who did not make the
postseason roster for whatever reason and the coaching staff and general
manager. Part ten tells us the story of longtime Bay Area pitcher Santiago Casilla.
Santiago Casilla was born on July 25, 1980, in San Cristobal, Dominican Republic. He went unsigned until 2000, when it was presumed that he was seventeen-year old Jairo Garcia. The Oakland Athletics signed him under this name and age, and he began his North American career with the Arizona League Athletics in Phoenix, Arizona at the Rookie level. His first season was 2001, and he appeared strongly in a handful of games. In 2002, he split time with the AZL Athletics and also a little time with the Class A- Vancouver Canadians of Vancouver, British Columbia in the Northwest League. He pitched effectively again for the season as a whole, working at a pace of over a strikeout an inning with an earned run average just above 3.00. He spent all of 2003 with the Class A Kane County Cougars of Geneva, Illinois, in the Midwest League. The tranquility he found in 2003 was replaced by utter chaos in 2004, where, working entirely as a reliever, he appeared in four separate levels of baseball. He began in Kane County, pitching to a miniscule 0.30 earned run average and forty-nine strikeouts over thirty innings. He stepped up to the Class AA Midlan RockHounds of Midland, Texas in the Texas League, and posted a 1.50 earned run average and thirty-two strikeouts in eighteen innings. He continued up on the ladder, appearing with the Sacramento River Cats of the Class AAA Pacific Coast League, and he produced a 3.95 earned run average to go with twenty-one strikeouts over thirteen and two-thirds innings. His last stop of the year was with the big league Athletics in Oakland, and his four appearances here were mostly forgettable. In 2005, he again made appearances in three places, with a short stint in Midland being used as a confidence booster before playing the bulk of the year in Sacramento. For the season, he ended with a 3.60 earned run average and 103 strikeouts over sixty-five innings in the minor leagues, and in a short pair of stints in Oakland, he showed much more poise over the course of three games. He was at the Athletics spring training camp in 2006, where he informed the team that he had lied about his age by three years, as well as telling them that his real name is Santiago Casilla instead of the Jairo Garcia alias he had been using. He again spent most of the year at Sacramento, although in late May he played in two games with the Athletics in Oakland. He had better ratios than the year previous, putting up a 3.27 earned run average, but his strikeouts (thirty-two) were one behind his innings pitched (thirty-three) for the year, the only time he did that over the course of a full minor league season. In 2007, Casilla appeared in Sacramento again to begin the year, recording a 4.12 earned run average, twenty-nine strikeouts, and twenty-four innings, before being called up to Oakland to reinforce a depleted bullpen for the rest of the year. With the Athletics, he posted a 4.44 earned run average for fifty and two-thirds innings, while striking out fifty-two. Casilla appeared in only a handful of minor league games during the 2008 season, rehabilitating an injury at Class A Advanced Stockton with the California League Ports, before moving along to Sacramento. The appearance with Stockton allowed Casilla to have appeared in six unique minor league levels. In the majors, Casilla posted very similar numbers to his 2007 campaign, with just a handful less strikeouts over a near identical amount of innings. He did shave half of a run off of his earned run average. The 2009 season was not nearly as kind to Casilla, and he again appeared in a game each with Stockton and Sacramento. His 5.96 earned run average was the worst full-season number he had posted, and his strikeout numbers dipped significantly as well. The Athletics had decided they had seen enough, opening the door for Casilla to take a trip just slightly to the west to play for the San Francisco Giants. He was signed on January 21, 2010 He began the season in the Class AAA Pacific Coast League with the Fresno Grizzlies, and was called up to pitch for the Giants in his first game on May 21st against the Athletics. From there, Casilla would dominate out of the bullpen, with a 1.95 earned run average and fifty-six strikeouts over fifty-five and one-third innings. He also made his first appearance in the postseason, appearing in four games with a 1.93 earned run average while pitching in a set-up or situation role as the Giants moved past the Atlanta Braves, Philadelphia Phillies, and Texas Rangers for a World Series Championship. In 2011, he spent April and most of May rehabilitating an injury with the Class A Advanced San Jose Giants of the California League, as well as with the Grizzlies in Fresno for a short period of time. Casilla returned to the San Francisco bullpen in late May, and posted strong enough numbers that the Giants decided he would pitch in a closer's role after an injury to Brian Wilson in mid-August. He ended the year with a 1.74 earned run average and forty-five strikeouts over fifty-one and two-thirds innings. Casilla finally avoided time in the minor leagues during 2012, pitching throughout the season with the Giants. Due to another injury to Wilson, Casilla served as the closer for the Giants from mid-April to mid-July, when Sergio Romo took over the duties. He ended the regular season with a 2.84 earned run average and fifty-five strikeouts over sixty-three and one-third innings pitched, and was an obvious choice for the postseason roster. He made eleven postseason appearances, mostly in a situation role as part of a larger plan by manager Bruce Bochy, and over the seven innings he worked, he produced a 1.29 earned run average en route to another World Series Championship with the Giants.
Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion.
Santiago Casilla was born on July 25, 1980, in San Cristobal, Dominican Republic. He went unsigned until 2000, when it was presumed that he was seventeen-year old Jairo Garcia. The Oakland Athletics signed him under this name and age, and he began his North American career with the Arizona League Athletics in Phoenix, Arizona at the Rookie level. His first season was 2001, and he appeared strongly in a handful of games. In 2002, he split time with the AZL Athletics and also a little time with the Class A- Vancouver Canadians of Vancouver, British Columbia in the Northwest League. He pitched effectively again for the season as a whole, working at a pace of over a strikeout an inning with an earned run average just above 3.00. He spent all of 2003 with the Class A Kane County Cougars of Geneva, Illinois, in the Midwest League. The tranquility he found in 2003 was replaced by utter chaos in 2004, where, working entirely as a reliever, he appeared in four separate levels of baseball. He began in Kane County, pitching to a miniscule 0.30 earned run average and forty-nine strikeouts over thirty innings. He stepped up to the Class AA Midlan RockHounds of Midland, Texas in the Texas League, and posted a 1.50 earned run average and thirty-two strikeouts in eighteen innings. He continued up on the ladder, appearing with the Sacramento River Cats of the Class AAA Pacific Coast League, and he produced a 3.95 earned run average to go with twenty-one strikeouts over thirteen and two-thirds innings. His last stop of the year was with the big league Athletics in Oakland, and his four appearances here were mostly forgettable. In 2005, he again made appearances in three places, with a short stint in Midland being used as a confidence booster before playing the bulk of the year in Sacramento. For the season, he ended with a 3.60 earned run average and 103 strikeouts over sixty-five innings in the minor leagues, and in a short pair of stints in Oakland, he showed much more poise over the course of three games. He was at the Athletics spring training camp in 2006, where he informed the team that he had lied about his age by three years, as well as telling them that his real name is Santiago Casilla instead of the Jairo Garcia alias he had been using. He again spent most of the year at Sacramento, although in late May he played in two games with the Athletics in Oakland. He had better ratios than the year previous, putting up a 3.27 earned run average, but his strikeouts (thirty-two) were one behind his innings pitched (thirty-three) for the year, the only time he did that over the course of a full minor league season. In 2007, Casilla appeared in Sacramento again to begin the year, recording a 4.12 earned run average, twenty-nine strikeouts, and twenty-four innings, before being called up to Oakland to reinforce a depleted bullpen for the rest of the year. With the Athletics, he posted a 4.44 earned run average for fifty and two-thirds innings, while striking out fifty-two. Casilla appeared in only a handful of minor league games during the 2008 season, rehabilitating an injury at Class A Advanced Stockton with the California League Ports, before moving along to Sacramento. The appearance with Stockton allowed Casilla to have appeared in six unique minor league levels. In the majors, Casilla posted very similar numbers to his 2007 campaign, with just a handful less strikeouts over a near identical amount of innings. He did shave half of a run off of his earned run average. The 2009 season was not nearly as kind to Casilla, and he again appeared in a game each with Stockton and Sacramento. His 5.96 earned run average was the worst full-season number he had posted, and his strikeout numbers dipped significantly as well. The Athletics had decided they had seen enough, opening the door for Casilla to take a trip just slightly to the west to play for the San Francisco Giants. He was signed on January 21, 2010 He began the season in the Class AAA Pacific Coast League with the Fresno Grizzlies, and was called up to pitch for the Giants in his first game on May 21st against the Athletics. From there, Casilla would dominate out of the bullpen, with a 1.95 earned run average and fifty-six strikeouts over fifty-five and one-third innings. He also made his first appearance in the postseason, appearing in four games with a 1.93 earned run average while pitching in a set-up or situation role as the Giants moved past the Atlanta Braves, Philadelphia Phillies, and Texas Rangers for a World Series Championship. In 2011, he spent April and most of May rehabilitating an injury with the Class A Advanced San Jose Giants of the California League, as well as with the Grizzlies in Fresno for a short period of time. Casilla returned to the San Francisco bullpen in late May, and posted strong enough numbers that the Giants decided he would pitch in a closer's role after an injury to Brian Wilson in mid-August. He ended the year with a 1.74 earned run average and forty-five strikeouts over fifty-one and two-thirds innings. Casilla finally avoided time in the minor leagues during 2012, pitching throughout the season with the Giants. Due to another injury to Wilson, Casilla served as the closer for the Giants from mid-April to mid-July, when Sergio Romo took over the duties. He ended the regular season with a 2.84 earned run average and fifty-five strikeouts over sixty-three and one-third innings pitched, and was an obvious choice for the postseason roster. He made eleven postseason appearances, mostly in a situation role as part of a larger plan by manager Bruce Bochy, and over the seven innings he worked, he produced a 1.29 earned run average en route to another World Series Championship with the Giants.
Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion.
Tuesday, November 6, 2012
How They Got Here: The Story of the 2012 San Francisco Giants Part 9
How They Got Here: The San Francisco Giants is a
one-by-one look at how each member of the 2012 World Series Champion San
Francisco Giants found their way to the squad. We'll look at all of the
players on the roster, as well as notable players who did not make the
postseason roster for whatever reason and the coaching staff and general
manager. Part nine tells us about infielder Joaquin Arias.
Joaquin Arias was born on September 21, 1984, in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. He went undrafted, and wasn't signed until 2001, when the New York Yankees took a chance on him. Arias began his career with the Gulf Coast League Yankees at the Rookie level, where he posted a .300 batting average and twenty-one runs batted in during the 2002 season. Arias moved up to the Class A Midwest League in 2003, where he played with the Battle Creek Yankees in Battle Creek, Michigan. Here, he hit .266 with three home runs and forty-eight runs batted in. Arias got his first time in the headlines in 2004, although it had nothing to do with his performance on the field. Instead, he completed the February 16, 2004 deal between the Texas Rangers and New York Yankees. The deal, commonly known as the Alex Rodriguez trade, sent Rodriguez to the Yankees with cash in exchange for another well-known player, Alfonso Soriano, and a player to be named later. Arias was that player, picked from an offering of five prospects that included now-star second baseman Robinson Cano. For the 2004 season, he played in the California League with the Stockton Ports of Stockton, California at the Class A Advanced level. Again, he hit .300, this time with four home runs and sixty-two runs batted in, as well as thirty stolen bases, establishing a speedy reputation. In 2005, Arias again stepped up, going to Class AA Frisco to play with the Roughriders in the Texas League. He hit .315 with five home runs and fifty-six runs batted in. This performance earned him a spot with the Oklahoma RedHawks of Oklahoma City in the Pacific Coast League at the Class AAA level. His numbers tailed off a bit for the 2006 season, as he hit only .268 with four home runs and forty-nine runs batted in, although he racked up twenty-six stolen bases as well. He also earned a call-up to the major league Texas Rangers, appearing in six games with a large amount of success. Arias was on the wrong end of luck for 2007, appearing in only five games the whole season, and due to injury, he sat out the rest of the year. He was back in Oklahoma City for the 2008, and so were his numbers, as he posted a .296 batting average with seven home runs and forty-nine runs batted in. He also returned to the majors, beginning on August 18th, and he would hit .291 with three home runs and nine runs batted in during his limited time. Arias didn't stick with the big league Rangers for 2009, appearing in only three midsummer games with them, failing to get on base, while the rest of his season was spent with the RedHawks. He had a down year there as well, hitting only .266 with five home runs and fifty-two runs batted in, but managed to find his way back to the Texas Rangers for the 2010 season. He began the year in Arlington, and spent most of his time there, although he appeared with the Frisco Roughriders for eight games to rehabilitate an injury in May. Arias started out strong with the Rangers, but was traded on August 31 to the New York Mets in exchange for Jeff Francoeur and cash. Oddly enough, at the end of the disappointing 2010 campaign, Arias was selected off of waivers by the Kansas City Royals on November 4th, and just over a month later, Francoeur signed a free agent deal with the Royals as well. He never played for the big league Royals squad, being designated for assignment on December 19th, and playing the season with the Omaha Storm Chasers of the Pacific Coast League. Arias had very weak numbers in Omaha during the 2011 season, and was granted free agency on November 2nd. On December 15th, the San Francisco Giants signed him, and he began the season with their Class AAA affiliate, the Fresno Grizzlies of the Pacific Coast League. He was called up to the Giants on April 25, 2012, and spent the rest of the season with them. During the year, he hit his first major league home run (he finished with five for the year), as well as fielding the final out of Matt Cain's perfect game on June 13th. His season statistics included a .270 batting average and thirty-four runs batted in to go with his five home runs mentioned above. The 2012 season also brought Arias his first postseason experience, where he was mostly used as a ninth inning defensive replacement at third base for the rotund Pablo Sandoval. He went three for eight in the postseason, and his defensive prowess was much appreciated on the way to the Giants' 2012 World Series Championship.
Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion.
Joaquin Arias was born on September 21, 1984, in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. He went undrafted, and wasn't signed until 2001, when the New York Yankees took a chance on him. Arias began his career with the Gulf Coast League Yankees at the Rookie level, where he posted a .300 batting average and twenty-one runs batted in during the 2002 season. Arias moved up to the Class A Midwest League in 2003, where he played with the Battle Creek Yankees in Battle Creek, Michigan. Here, he hit .266 with three home runs and forty-eight runs batted in. Arias got his first time in the headlines in 2004, although it had nothing to do with his performance on the field. Instead, he completed the February 16, 2004 deal between the Texas Rangers and New York Yankees. The deal, commonly known as the Alex Rodriguez trade, sent Rodriguez to the Yankees with cash in exchange for another well-known player, Alfonso Soriano, and a player to be named later. Arias was that player, picked from an offering of five prospects that included now-star second baseman Robinson Cano. For the 2004 season, he played in the California League with the Stockton Ports of Stockton, California at the Class A Advanced level. Again, he hit .300, this time with four home runs and sixty-two runs batted in, as well as thirty stolen bases, establishing a speedy reputation. In 2005, Arias again stepped up, going to Class AA Frisco to play with the Roughriders in the Texas League. He hit .315 with five home runs and fifty-six runs batted in. This performance earned him a spot with the Oklahoma RedHawks of Oklahoma City in the Pacific Coast League at the Class AAA level. His numbers tailed off a bit for the 2006 season, as he hit only .268 with four home runs and forty-nine runs batted in, although he racked up twenty-six stolen bases as well. He also earned a call-up to the major league Texas Rangers, appearing in six games with a large amount of success. Arias was on the wrong end of luck for 2007, appearing in only five games the whole season, and due to injury, he sat out the rest of the year. He was back in Oklahoma City for the 2008, and so were his numbers, as he posted a .296 batting average with seven home runs and forty-nine runs batted in. He also returned to the majors, beginning on August 18th, and he would hit .291 with three home runs and nine runs batted in during his limited time. Arias didn't stick with the big league Rangers for 2009, appearing in only three midsummer games with them, failing to get on base, while the rest of his season was spent with the RedHawks. He had a down year there as well, hitting only .266 with five home runs and fifty-two runs batted in, but managed to find his way back to the Texas Rangers for the 2010 season. He began the year in Arlington, and spent most of his time there, although he appeared with the Frisco Roughriders for eight games to rehabilitate an injury in May. Arias started out strong with the Rangers, but was traded on August 31 to the New York Mets in exchange for Jeff Francoeur and cash. Oddly enough, at the end of the disappointing 2010 campaign, Arias was selected off of waivers by the Kansas City Royals on November 4th, and just over a month later, Francoeur signed a free agent deal with the Royals as well. He never played for the big league Royals squad, being designated for assignment on December 19th, and playing the season with the Omaha Storm Chasers of the Pacific Coast League. Arias had very weak numbers in Omaha during the 2011 season, and was granted free agency on November 2nd. On December 15th, the San Francisco Giants signed him, and he began the season with their Class AAA affiliate, the Fresno Grizzlies of the Pacific Coast League. He was called up to the Giants on April 25, 2012, and spent the rest of the season with them. During the year, he hit his first major league home run (he finished with five for the year), as well as fielding the final out of Matt Cain's perfect game on June 13th. His season statistics included a .270 batting average and thirty-four runs batted in to go with his five home runs mentioned above. The 2012 season also brought Arias his first postseason experience, where he was mostly used as a ninth inning defensive replacement at third base for the rotund Pablo Sandoval. He went three for eight in the postseason, and his defensive prowess was much appreciated on the way to the Giants' 2012 World Series Championship.
Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion.
Fantasy Football All-Stars Week 9 2012
Quarterback: Carson Palmer
Running Backs: Doug Martin, Adrian Peterson, and Mikel LeShoure
Wide Receivers: Brandon Marshall and Eric Decker
Tight End: Brandon Myers
Kicker: Phil Dawson and Robbie Gould
Team Defense: Chicago
Defensive Players: Brian Urlacher and Michael Boley
Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion
Running Backs: Doug Martin, Adrian Peterson, and Mikel LeShoure
Wide Receivers: Brandon Marshall and Eric Decker
Tight End: Brandon Myers
Kicker: Phil Dawson and Robbie Gould
Team Defense: Chicago
Defensive Players: Brian Urlacher and Michael Boley
Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion
Monday, November 5, 2012
Monday Night Football Week 9 2012
This week, the offensive powerhouses of the host New Orleans Saints and visiting Philadelphia Eagles go at it. New Orleans began in the first quarter as Patrick Robinson picked off Michael Vick and took it 99 yards for a touchdown, and Garrett Hartley made the extra point. Philadelphia got on the board in the second quarter on an Alex Henery 22 yard field goal. The Saints padded the lead as Chris Ivory ran 22 yards for a touchdown, and Hartley nailed the extra point. New Orleans struck again as Drew Brees passed 1 yard for a touchdown to Marques Colston, and Hartley handled the extra point. The Eagles chipped away in the third quarter as Vick found DeSean Jackson for 77 yards and a touchdown, and Henery tacked on the PAT. Philadelphia got closer with a 37 yard field goal by Henery. The Saints shot back as Brees passed 6 yards to Jimmy Graham for a touchdown, and Hartley booted in the extra point. This ended the scoring at 28-13, with both teams moving to 3-5.
Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion.
Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion.
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