The tenth week of the 2012 season closes out with the Pittsburgh Steelers hosting the Kansas City Chiefs. Kansas City began in the first quarter on a 12 yard touchdown run by Jamaal Charles, and Ryan Succop made the extra point. The Chiefs added on in the second quarter as Succop made a 22 yard field goal. Pittsburgh got some back as Shaun Suisham made a 35 yard field goal. The Steelers tied the game as Ben Roethlisberger passed 7 yards to Mike Wallace for a touchdown, and Suisham had the equalizer by kicking the extra point. Pittsburgh retook the lead on a Suisham 31 yard field goal in the fourth quarter. Kansas City tied it with a 46 yard field goal from Succop. The Steelers won the game in overtime on a 23 yard field goal by Suisham, for a 16-13 final. Pittsburgh is now 6-3 and Kansas City drops to 1-8.
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Monday, November 12, 2012
How They Got Here: The Story of the 2012 San Francisco Giants Part 15
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 fifteen tells us of the young shortstop Brandon Crawford.
Brandon Crawford was born on January 21, 1987, in Mountain View, California. He attended Foothill High School in Pleasanton, California, before continuing his studies at UCLA. He majored in physiological sciences, and played baseball for the UCLA Bruins from 2006 to 2008. He was named team Most Valuable Player in both 2006 and 2007, and was named to the Pac-10 Conference Team in the 2007 season as well. Crawford was drafted in the 2008 draft to the San Francisco Giants as a fourth round selection. To close out his 2008 season, he played in the Giants farm system, first with the Rookie level Arizona League Giants and then later with the Salem-Keizer Volcanoes of Salem, Oregon in the Class A Short Season Northwest League. He hit to a .375 batting average in five games. He took on an expanded role in 2009, and progressed rapidly up to the Class A Advanced San Jose Giants of the California League. Here, he had a line of a .371 batting average, six home runs, and seventeen runs batted in over twenty-five games, before stepping up to the Class AA Connecticut Defenders of Norwich, Connecticut in the Eastern League, where he played in 108 games while hitting to a .258 batting average, four home runs, and thirty-one runs batted in. Crawford struggled in 2010, beginning with San Jose again for a short time, before switching to the Giants' new Class AA affiliate, the Richmond Flying Squirrels of Richmond, Virginia, also in the Eastern League. For the season, he hit .236, with seven home runs and twenty-three runs batted in. Crawford looked to be in line for the starting job at shortstop for the big league Giants squad, but a broken finger at the end of spring training derailed this path. He appeared in rehabilitation games with San Jose, hitting to a .322 batting average with three home runs and fifteen runs batted in over fourteen games, before receiving his first major league call up on May 26th. He started playing on the next day, and became the sixth major league player to hit a grand slam in his first game. He was sent down to the Class AAA Fresno Grizzlies of the Pacific Coast League on July 31st to make room for the newly acquired Orlando Cabrera, and played all of August there. He hit only .234 during that time, while producing one home run and nine runs batted in. He returned to the Giants among the September call ups, and closed out a season that saw him hit .204 with three home runs and twenty-one runs batted in. Nevertheless, Crawford earned the Giants' trust with the shortstop job, and played all of the 2012 season as the starter. His hitting skills aren't all that pronounced yet in the early parts of his career, but his sterling defense makes him a very attractive option for the difficult fielding position. For 2012, he hit to a .248 batting average, as well as four home runs and forty-five runs batted in, and he earned a spot on the postseason roster. Here, he had a few key hits, including four of his seven postseason runs batted in during elimination games. Most memorably was his triple in Game 5 against the Cincinnati Reds in the National League Division Series, which began the scoring. While he didn't act completely as a hero in any given game, his defense was reliable and even clutch at times, and likely saved a run or two that may have cost him and his teammates the 2012 World Series Championship.
Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion.
Brandon Crawford was born on January 21, 1987, in Mountain View, California. He attended Foothill High School in Pleasanton, California, before continuing his studies at UCLA. He majored in physiological sciences, and played baseball for the UCLA Bruins from 2006 to 2008. He was named team Most Valuable Player in both 2006 and 2007, and was named to the Pac-10 Conference Team in the 2007 season as well. Crawford was drafted in the 2008 draft to the San Francisco Giants as a fourth round selection. To close out his 2008 season, he played in the Giants farm system, first with the Rookie level Arizona League Giants and then later with the Salem-Keizer Volcanoes of Salem, Oregon in the Class A Short Season Northwest League. He hit to a .375 batting average in five games. He took on an expanded role in 2009, and progressed rapidly up to the Class A Advanced San Jose Giants of the California League. Here, he had a line of a .371 batting average, six home runs, and seventeen runs batted in over twenty-five games, before stepping up to the Class AA Connecticut Defenders of Norwich, Connecticut in the Eastern League, where he played in 108 games while hitting to a .258 batting average, four home runs, and thirty-one runs batted in. Crawford struggled in 2010, beginning with San Jose again for a short time, before switching to the Giants' new Class AA affiliate, the Richmond Flying Squirrels of Richmond, Virginia, also in the Eastern League. For the season, he hit .236, with seven home runs and twenty-three runs batted in. Crawford looked to be in line for the starting job at shortstop for the big league Giants squad, but a broken finger at the end of spring training derailed this path. He appeared in rehabilitation games with San Jose, hitting to a .322 batting average with three home runs and fifteen runs batted in over fourteen games, before receiving his first major league call up on May 26th. He started playing on the next day, and became the sixth major league player to hit a grand slam in his first game. He was sent down to the Class AAA Fresno Grizzlies of the Pacific Coast League on July 31st to make room for the newly acquired Orlando Cabrera, and played all of August there. He hit only .234 during that time, while producing one home run and nine runs batted in. He returned to the Giants among the September call ups, and closed out a season that saw him hit .204 with three home runs and twenty-one runs batted in. Nevertheless, Crawford earned the Giants' trust with the shortstop job, and played all of the 2012 season as the starter. His hitting skills aren't all that pronounced yet in the early parts of his career, but his sterling defense makes him a very attractive option for the difficult fielding position. For 2012, he hit to a .248 batting average, as well as four home runs and forty-five runs batted in, and he earned a spot on the postseason roster. Here, he had a few key hits, including four of his seven postseason runs batted in during elimination games. Most memorably was his triple in Game 5 against the Cincinnati Reds in the National League Division Series, which began the scoring. While he didn't act completely as a hero in any given game, his defense was reliable and even clutch at times, and likely saved a run or two that may have cost him and his teammates the 2012 World Series Championship.
Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion.
Sunday, November 11, 2012
NFL Afternoon/Night Games Week 10 2012
Four games on late today, beginning in...
Seattle, as the Seahawks host the New York Jets. Seattle began in the first quarter as Russell Wilson passed 38 yards to Golden Tate for a touchdown, and Steven Hauschka made the extra point. New York tied it as Muhammad Wilkerson returned a Wilson fumble 21 yards for a touchdown, and Nick Folk booted the extra point. The Seahawks took the lead back in the second quarter as Marshawn Lynch ran 1 yard for a touchdown, and Hauschka knocked in the extra point. Seattle padded the lead in the fourth quarter as Wilson passed 31 yards to Sidney Rice for a touchdown, and Hauschka supplied another PAT. The Seahawks extended the lead as Tate passed 23 yards for a touchdown to Rice, and Hauschka booted the extra point again. The trick play closed out the scoring at 28-7, with the Seahawks now at 6-4 and the Jets go to 3-6.
Down south, the San Francisco 49ers welcome the St. Louis Rams. St. Louis started with a first quarter Sam Bradford 36 yard touchdown pass to Brian Quick, and Greg Zuerlein made the extra point. The Rams added on as Steven Jackson ran 7 yards for a touchdown, and Zuerlein made another extra point. San Francisco got on the board in the second quarter with an Alex Smith 14 yard touchdown pass to Michael Crabtree, and David Akers kicked the PAT. St. Louis padded the lead with a third quarter Zuerlein field goal of 27 yards. The 49ers pulled back with a 7 yard touchdown run by Colin Kaepernick in the fourth quarter, and Akers made the extra point. San Francisco took the lead as Frank Gore rushed 20 yards for a touchdown, and Akers made another extra point. The Rams retook the lead with a Bradford touchdown pass of 2 yards to Austin Pettis, allowing Zuerlein to make an extra point. The 49ers pulled even with Akers booting a 33 yard field goal. The scoring ended here, as the fifth quarter was silent, and the final was 24-24. San Francisco goes to 6-2-1 while St. Louis moves to 3-5-1.
Back east, the Philadelphia Eagles host the Dallas Cowboys. Philadelphia led off in the first quarter as Michael Vick passed 2 yards to Riley Cooper for a touchdown, and Alex Henery made the extra point. Dallas tied it with Tony Romo passing 11 yards to Felix Jones for a touchdown, and Dan Bailey handled the extra point. The Cowboys took the lead in the second quarter on a Bailey 30 yard field goal. The Eagles took the lead back in the third quarter as Nick Foles passed 44 yards to Jeremy Maclin for a touchdown, followed by Henery kicking the PAT. Philadelphia padded the lead as Henery was true on a 40 yard field goal. Dallas evened the score again as Romo passed 30 yards for a touchdown to Dez Bryant, and Bailey knocked in the extra point. The Cowboys took the lead in the fourth quarter when Dwayne Harris ran back a blocked punt 78 yards for a touchdown, and Bailey booted the extra point. Dallas extended their lead as Brandon Carr intercepted Foles and took the ball 47 yards back to the house for a touchdown, allowing another Bailey extra point. The Eagles got some back as Stanley Havili ran 1 yard for a touchdown, but Henery botched the extra point. The Cowboys put the game away as Jason Hatcher recovered a Foles fumble in the end zone for a touchdown, and Bailey knocked in the extra point for a 38-23 final. Dallas moves to 4-5 while the Eagles drop to 3-6.
Finally, the Chicago Bears host the Houston Texans. Houston opened with a first quarter Shayne Graham field goal of 20 yards. Chicago tied it in the second quarter as Robbie Gould made a 51 yard field goal. The Texans took the lead as Matt Schaub passed 2 yards to Arian Foster for a touchdown, and Graham supplied the extra point. The Bears chipped back in the third quarter on a Gould field goal of 24 yards. Houston extended the lead in the fourth quarter with a Graham field goal of 42 yards. This made it 13-6, with the Texans now at 8-1 while the Bears drop to 7-2.
Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion.
Seattle, as the Seahawks host the New York Jets. Seattle began in the first quarter as Russell Wilson passed 38 yards to Golden Tate for a touchdown, and Steven Hauschka made the extra point. New York tied it as Muhammad Wilkerson returned a Wilson fumble 21 yards for a touchdown, and Nick Folk booted the extra point. The Seahawks took the lead back in the second quarter as Marshawn Lynch ran 1 yard for a touchdown, and Hauschka knocked in the extra point. Seattle padded the lead in the fourth quarter as Wilson passed 31 yards to Sidney Rice for a touchdown, and Hauschka supplied another PAT. The Seahawks extended the lead as Tate passed 23 yards for a touchdown to Rice, and Hauschka booted the extra point again. The trick play closed out the scoring at 28-7, with the Seahawks now at 6-4 and the Jets go to 3-6.
Down south, the San Francisco 49ers welcome the St. Louis Rams. St. Louis started with a first quarter Sam Bradford 36 yard touchdown pass to Brian Quick, and Greg Zuerlein made the extra point. The Rams added on as Steven Jackson ran 7 yards for a touchdown, and Zuerlein made another extra point. San Francisco got on the board in the second quarter with an Alex Smith 14 yard touchdown pass to Michael Crabtree, and David Akers kicked the PAT. St. Louis padded the lead with a third quarter Zuerlein field goal of 27 yards. The 49ers pulled back with a 7 yard touchdown run by Colin Kaepernick in the fourth quarter, and Akers made the extra point. San Francisco took the lead as Frank Gore rushed 20 yards for a touchdown, and Akers made another extra point. The Rams retook the lead with a Bradford touchdown pass of 2 yards to Austin Pettis, allowing Zuerlein to make an extra point. The 49ers pulled even with Akers booting a 33 yard field goal. The scoring ended here, as the fifth quarter was silent, and the final was 24-24. San Francisco goes to 6-2-1 while St. Louis moves to 3-5-1.
Back east, the Philadelphia Eagles host the Dallas Cowboys. Philadelphia led off in the first quarter as Michael Vick passed 2 yards to Riley Cooper for a touchdown, and Alex Henery made the extra point. Dallas tied it with Tony Romo passing 11 yards to Felix Jones for a touchdown, and Dan Bailey handled the extra point. The Cowboys took the lead in the second quarter on a Bailey 30 yard field goal. The Eagles took the lead back in the third quarter as Nick Foles passed 44 yards to Jeremy Maclin for a touchdown, followed by Henery kicking the PAT. Philadelphia padded the lead as Henery was true on a 40 yard field goal. Dallas evened the score again as Romo passed 30 yards for a touchdown to Dez Bryant, and Bailey knocked in the extra point. The Cowboys took the lead in the fourth quarter when Dwayne Harris ran back a blocked punt 78 yards for a touchdown, and Bailey booted the extra point. Dallas extended their lead as Brandon Carr intercepted Foles and took the ball 47 yards back to the house for a touchdown, allowing another Bailey extra point. The Eagles got some back as Stanley Havili ran 1 yard for a touchdown, but Henery botched the extra point. The Cowboys put the game away as Jason Hatcher recovered a Foles fumble in the end zone for a touchdown, and Bailey knocked in the extra point for a 38-23 final. Dallas moves to 4-5 while the Eagles drop to 3-6.
Finally, the Chicago Bears host the Houston Texans. Houston opened with a first quarter Shayne Graham field goal of 20 yards. Chicago tied it in the second quarter as Robbie Gould made a 51 yard field goal. The Texans took the lead as Matt Schaub passed 2 yards to Arian Foster for a touchdown, and Graham supplied the extra point. The Bears chipped back in the third quarter on a Gould field goal of 24 yards. Houston extended the lead in the fourth quarter with a Graham field goal of 42 yards. This made it 13-6, with the Texans now at 8-1 while the Bears drop to 7-2.
Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion.
NFL Morning Games Week 10 2012
Eight games on early to keep me busy. First up...
The Minnesota Vikings host the Detroit Lions. Minnesota was first to score in the first quarter with a 3 yard touchdown pass by Christian Ponder to Jarius Wright, and Blair Walsh booted in the extra point. The Vikings struck again as Walsh made a 48 yard field goal. Detroit got on the board in the second quarter as Jason Hanson made a 41 yard field goal. Minnesota shot back with a 23 yard field goal from Walsh. The Vikings added on in the third quarter with a Walsh field goal from 23 yards away. The Lions answered with a Matthew Stafford touchdown pass to Brandon Pettigrew for 16 yards, and Hanson made the PAT. Minnesota responded as Ponder threw 20 yards to Kyle Rudolph for a touchdown in the fourth quarter, and Adrian Peterson ran the two-point conversion in. Detroit shot back as Stafford passed 1 yard to Titus Young for a touchdown, and Hanson made the extra point. The Vikings extended their lead as Peterson ran 61 yards for a touchdown, and Walsh made the extra point. Minnesota struck again as Walsh made a 33 yard field goal. The Lions chipped away as Stafford passed 11 yards to Calvin Johnson for a touchdown, and Hanson knocked in the extra point. This was as close as it got, with Minnesota holding for a 34-24 win, improving to 6-4 while Detroit drops to 4-5.
Down in New Orleans, the Saints bring in the Atlanta Falcons. Atlanta led off with a first quarter touchdown pass of 1 yard from Matt Ryan to Mike Johnson, and Matt Bryant tacked on the extra point. The Falcons added on with a Bryant field goal from 37 yards away. New Orleans shot back with a 56 yard touchdown run by Chris Ivory, and Garrett Hartley made the PAT. The Saints took the lead with a second quarter Drew Brees touchdown pass of 29 yards to Jimmy Graham, and Hartley made the extra point. Atlanta regained the lead as Ryan found Tony Gonzalez for 2 yards and a touchdown, and Bryant booted the extra point. New Orleans took the lead back as Brees found Graham again, this time for 14 yards and a touchdown, and Hartley again made the extra point. The Saints extended the lead on a third quarter Brees touchdown pass to Marques Colston for 7 yards, and Hartley supplied the extra point. The Falcons answered with a Ryan touchdown pass to Gonzalez, good for 6 yards, and Bryant iced the drive with the extra point. Atlanta pulled closer on a Bryant field goal of 20 yards. New Orleans replied with a Hartley field goal from 31 yards out. This was all they needed for a 31-27 win, with the Saints now at 4-5 and the Falcons falling from perfection to 8-1.
Back north, the Cincinnati Bengals host the New York Giants. Cincinnati started with a 56 yard Andy Dalton touchdown pass to A.J. Green in the first quarter, and Mike Nugent supplied the extra point. The Bengals added on with a Dalton touchdown pass of 11 yard to Andrew Hawkins, followed by another Nugent extra point. New York got on the board as Lawrence Tynes kicked a 23 yard field goal. Cincinnati replied in the second quarter as Nugent made a 28 yard field goal. The Giants got some more as Tynes made a 31 yard field goal. The Bengals extended the lead in the third quarter as Dalton passed 10 yards to Jermaine Gresham for a touchdown, and Nugent tacked on the PAT. Cincinnati kept going as Dalton found Mohamed Sanu for 10 yards and a touchdown, and Nugent made another extra point. New York got some back as Andre Brown ran 2 yards for a touchdown, and Tynes booted the extra point. This was as close as they got, falling 31-13, with Cincinnati going to 4-5 and the Giants dropping to 6-4.
Over in Baltimore, the Ravens host the Oakland Raiders. Baltimore opened with a first quarter Justin Tucker field goal of 48 yards. The Ravens struck again with a 1 yard rush for a touchdown by Joe Flacco, and Tucker handled the extra point. Oakland got on the board as Sebastian Janikowski kicked a 32 yard field goal in the second quarter. Baltimore padded the lead as Flacco passed 5 yards to Dennis Pitta for a touchdown, and Tucker knocked in the extra point. The Ravens struck again as Tucker made a 34 yard field goal. The Raiders answered with a 55 yard touchdown pass from Carson Palmer to Darrius Heyward-Bey, and Janikowski was there with the extra point. Baltimore extended the lead with a 7 yard touchdown run by Ray Rice, and Tucker booted the extra point cleanly. The Ravens kept going in the third quarter with Flacco passing 47 yards to Torrey Smith for a touchdown, and Tucker booted the extra point. Oakland answered on a 30 yard touchdown pass from Palmer to Denarius Moore, and Janikowski was there with the PAT. Baltimore replied as Flacco and Smith met up again, this time for 20 yards and a touchdown, and Tucker finished the drive with an extra point. The Ravens added insult to injury by botching field goal attempt, which led to holder Sam Koch running the ball in 7 yards for a touchdown, and Tucker knocked in the extra point again. The Raiders shot back with a 47 yard Janikowski field goal. Baltimore quickly replied as Jacoby Jones returned the kickoff 105 yards for a touchdown, and Tucker made another extra point. This ended the scoring at 55-20, with the Ravens moving to 7-2 and the Raiders dropping to 3-6.
Up in New England, the Patriots welcome the Buffalo Bills. New England began in the first quarter on a Stephen Gostkowski 43 yard field goal. The Patriots padded the lead as Stevan Ridley ran 1 yard for a touchdown, and Gostkowski made the extra point. Buffalo got on the board in the second quarter as Rian Lindell kicked a 41 yard field goal. New England shot back as Danny Woodhead ran 15 yards for a touchdown, and Gostkowski made the PAT. The Bills answered with a 14 yard touchdown run by Fred Jackson, iced off by a Lindell extra point. The Patriots replied as Tom Brady passed 2 yards to Rob Gronkowski for a touchdown, and Gostkowski handled the extra point. Buffalo clawed back with a Ryan Fitzpatrick touchdown pass of 3 yards to Scott Chandler, and Lindell tacked on the extra point. New England extended the lead as Brady passed 18 yards to Woodhead for a touchdown, and Gostkowski easily made the extra point. The Bills responded with a 1 yard touchdown run by Jackson, and Lindell was there with the extra point. The Patriots got some back in the fourth quarter on a 48 yard field goal by Gostkowski. Buffalo came closer on a Fitzpatrick touchdown pass of 2 yards to Donald Jones, and Lindell supplied the extra point. New England replied as Gostkowski made a 27 yard field goal. They held on for a 37-31 win, with the Patriots now at 6-3 and the Bills at 3-6.
Way south, the Miami Dolphins bring in the Tennessee Titans. Tennessee got going in the first quarter on a Jake Locker touchdown pass to Kendall Wright, good for 9 yards, and Rob Bironas kicked in the extra point. The Titans added on as Chris Johnson ran 17 yards for a touchdown, and Bironas handled the extra point. Tennessee padded the lead in the second quarter as Colin McCarthy picked off Ryan Tannehill and returned the ball 49 yards for a touchdown, allowing a Bironas extra point. Miami got on the board when Dan Carpenter kicked a 40 yard field goal. The Titans responded as Bironas made a 37 yard field goal. Tennessee extended the lead in the third quarter as Locker passed 26 yards for a touchdown to Jared Cook, and Bironas supplied the PAT. The Titans kept going in the fourth quarter as Bironas made a 38 yard field goal. Tennessee rolled along as Bironas made a 53 yard field goal. This produced the 37-3 drubbing of a final, with Tennessee now at 4-6 and the Dolphins falling to 4-5.
Staying in Florida, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers host the San Diego Chargers. San Diego quickly struck first in the first quarter as Philip Rivers passed 80 yards to Danario Alexander for a touchdown, and Nick Novak tacked on the extra point. Tampa Bay tied it with a 3 yard touchdown pass from Josh Freeman to Dallas Clark, and Connor Barth had the equalizing extra point. The Chargers took the lead as Rivers found Antonio Gates for 13 yards and a touchdown, with Novak making the PAT. The Buccaneers answered in the second quarter as Barth made a 40 yard field goal. Tampa Bay took the lead by blocking a punt, which they recovered as Adam Hayward ran 29 yards for a touchdown, and Barth kicked the extra point. San Diego shot back with Rivers passing 3 yards to Malcom Floyd for a touchdown, and Novak supplied the extra point. The Buccaneers claimed the lead in the third quarter as Freeman passed 15 yards to Tiquan Underwood, and Barth made the extra point. Tampa Bay extended their lead in the fourth quarter as Leonard Johnson picked off Rivers and took the ball 83 yards for a touchdown, allowing another Barth extra point. The Chargers got some back as Novak made a 34 yard field goal. The Buccaneers padded the lead as Barth made a 45 yard field goal. This was good for a 34-24 win, and Tampa Bay now sits at 5-4 while the Chargers are 4-5.
Finally, the Carolina Panthers host the Denver Broncos. Carolina opened in the first quarter as Cam Newton passed 4 yards to Greg Olsen for a touchdown, and Justin Medlock handled the extra point. Denver tied it with a Peyton Manning touchdown pass of 10 yards to Brandon Stokley, and Matt Prater had the equalizing extra point. The Broncos took the lead in the second quarter with a 76 yard punt return for a touchdown by Trindon Holliday, and Prater made the extra point. Denver extended the lead on a Prater 53 yard field goal. The Broncos kept going in the third quarter on a Tony Carter interception of Newton, returned 40 yards for a touchdown, followed by a Prater extra point. Denver extended the lead in the fourth quarter on a 27 yard field goal by Prater. The Broncos got defensive as Mike Adams sacked Newton for a safety. The Panthers shot back with Newton passing 5 yards to Olsen, and Medlock handled the extra point. Denver padded the lead as Ronnie Hillman ran 5 yards for a touchdown, and Prater booted the extra point. This was good enough to win 36-14, with Denver now at 6-3 and Carolina dropping to 2-7.
Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion.
The Minnesota Vikings host the Detroit Lions. Minnesota was first to score in the first quarter with a 3 yard touchdown pass by Christian Ponder to Jarius Wright, and Blair Walsh booted in the extra point. The Vikings struck again as Walsh made a 48 yard field goal. Detroit got on the board in the second quarter as Jason Hanson made a 41 yard field goal. Minnesota shot back with a 23 yard field goal from Walsh. The Vikings added on in the third quarter with a Walsh field goal from 23 yards away. The Lions answered with a Matthew Stafford touchdown pass to Brandon Pettigrew for 16 yards, and Hanson made the PAT. Minnesota responded as Ponder threw 20 yards to Kyle Rudolph for a touchdown in the fourth quarter, and Adrian Peterson ran the two-point conversion in. Detroit shot back as Stafford passed 1 yard to Titus Young for a touchdown, and Hanson made the extra point. The Vikings extended their lead as Peterson ran 61 yards for a touchdown, and Walsh made the extra point. Minnesota struck again as Walsh made a 33 yard field goal. The Lions chipped away as Stafford passed 11 yards to Calvin Johnson for a touchdown, and Hanson knocked in the extra point. This was as close as it got, with Minnesota holding for a 34-24 win, improving to 6-4 while Detroit drops to 4-5.
Down in New Orleans, the Saints bring in the Atlanta Falcons. Atlanta led off with a first quarter touchdown pass of 1 yard from Matt Ryan to Mike Johnson, and Matt Bryant tacked on the extra point. The Falcons added on with a Bryant field goal from 37 yards away. New Orleans shot back with a 56 yard touchdown run by Chris Ivory, and Garrett Hartley made the PAT. The Saints took the lead with a second quarter Drew Brees touchdown pass of 29 yards to Jimmy Graham, and Hartley made the extra point. Atlanta regained the lead as Ryan found Tony Gonzalez for 2 yards and a touchdown, and Bryant booted the extra point. New Orleans took the lead back as Brees found Graham again, this time for 14 yards and a touchdown, and Hartley again made the extra point. The Saints extended the lead on a third quarter Brees touchdown pass to Marques Colston for 7 yards, and Hartley supplied the extra point. The Falcons answered with a Ryan touchdown pass to Gonzalez, good for 6 yards, and Bryant iced the drive with the extra point. Atlanta pulled closer on a Bryant field goal of 20 yards. New Orleans replied with a Hartley field goal from 31 yards out. This was all they needed for a 31-27 win, with the Saints now at 4-5 and the Falcons falling from perfection to 8-1.
Back north, the Cincinnati Bengals host the New York Giants. Cincinnati started with a 56 yard Andy Dalton touchdown pass to A.J. Green in the first quarter, and Mike Nugent supplied the extra point. The Bengals added on with a Dalton touchdown pass of 11 yard to Andrew Hawkins, followed by another Nugent extra point. New York got on the board as Lawrence Tynes kicked a 23 yard field goal. Cincinnati replied in the second quarter as Nugent made a 28 yard field goal. The Giants got some more as Tynes made a 31 yard field goal. The Bengals extended the lead in the third quarter as Dalton passed 10 yards to Jermaine Gresham for a touchdown, and Nugent tacked on the PAT. Cincinnati kept going as Dalton found Mohamed Sanu for 10 yards and a touchdown, and Nugent made another extra point. New York got some back as Andre Brown ran 2 yards for a touchdown, and Tynes booted the extra point. This was as close as they got, falling 31-13, with Cincinnati going to 4-5 and the Giants dropping to 6-4.
Over in Baltimore, the Ravens host the Oakland Raiders. Baltimore opened with a first quarter Justin Tucker field goal of 48 yards. The Ravens struck again with a 1 yard rush for a touchdown by Joe Flacco, and Tucker handled the extra point. Oakland got on the board as Sebastian Janikowski kicked a 32 yard field goal in the second quarter. Baltimore padded the lead as Flacco passed 5 yards to Dennis Pitta for a touchdown, and Tucker knocked in the extra point. The Ravens struck again as Tucker made a 34 yard field goal. The Raiders answered with a 55 yard touchdown pass from Carson Palmer to Darrius Heyward-Bey, and Janikowski was there with the extra point. Baltimore extended the lead with a 7 yard touchdown run by Ray Rice, and Tucker booted the extra point cleanly. The Ravens kept going in the third quarter with Flacco passing 47 yards to Torrey Smith for a touchdown, and Tucker booted the extra point. Oakland answered on a 30 yard touchdown pass from Palmer to Denarius Moore, and Janikowski was there with the PAT. Baltimore replied as Flacco and Smith met up again, this time for 20 yards and a touchdown, and Tucker finished the drive with an extra point. The Ravens added insult to injury by botching field goal attempt, which led to holder Sam Koch running the ball in 7 yards for a touchdown, and Tucker knocked in the extra point again. The Raiders shot back with a 47 yard Janikowski field goal. Baltimore quickly replied as Jacoby Jones returned the kickoff 105 yards for a touchdown, and Tucker made another extra point. This ended the scoring at 55-20, with the Ravens moving to 7-2 and the Raiders dropping to 3-6.
Up in New England, the Patriots welcome the Buffalo Bills. New England began in the first quarter on a Stephen Gostkowski 43 yard field goal. The Patriots padded the lead as Stevan Ridley ran 1 yard for a touchdown, and Gostkowski made the extra point. Buffalo got on the board in the second quarter as Rian Lindell kicked a 41 yard field goal. New England shot back as Danny Woodhead ran 15 yards for a touchdown, and Gostkowski made the PAT. The Bills answered with a 14 yard touchdown run by Fred Jackson, iced off by a Lindell extra point. The Patriots replied as Tom Brady passed 2 yards to Rob Gronkowski for a touchdown, and Gostkowski handled the extra point. Buffalo clawed back with a Ryan Fitzpatrick touchdown pass of 3 yards to Scott Chandler, and Lindell tacked on the extra point. New England extended the lead as Brady passed 18 yards to Woodhead for a touchdown, and Gostkowski easily made the extra point. The Bills responded with a 1 yard touchdown run by Jackson, and Lindell was there with the extra point. The Patriots got some back in the fourth quarter on a 48 yard field goal by Gostkowski. Buffalo came closer on a Fitzpatrick touchdown pass of 2 yards to Donald Jones, and Lindell supplied the extra point. New England replied as Gostkowski made a 27 yard field goal. They held on for a 37-31 win, with the Patriots now at 6-3 and the Bills at 3-6.
Way south, the Miami Dolphins bring in the Tennessee Titans. Tennessee got going in the first quarter on a Jake Locker touchdown pass to Kendall Wright, good for 9 yards, and Rob Bironas kicked in the extra point. The Titans added on as Chris Johnson ran 17 yards for a touchdown, and Bironas handled the extra point. Tennessee padded the lead in the second quarter as Colin McCarthy picked off Ryan Tannehill and returned the ball 49 yards for a touchdown, allowing a Bironas extra point. Miami got on the board when Dan Carpenter kicked a 40 yard field goal. The Titans responded as Bironas made a 37 yard field goal. Tennessee extended the lead in the third quarter as Locker passed 26 yards for a touchdown to Jared Cook, and Bironas supplied the PAT. The Titans kept going in the fourth quarter as Bironas made a 38 yard field goal. Tennessee rolled along as Bironas made a 53 yard field goal. This produced the 37-3 drubbing of a final, with Tennessee now at 4-6 and the Dolphins falling to 4-5.
Staying in Florida, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers host the San Diego Chargers. San Diego quickly struck first in the first quarter as Philip Rivers passed 80 yards to Danario Alexander for a touchdown, and Nick Novak tacked on the extra point. Tampa Bay tied it with a 3 yard touchdown pass from Josh Freeman to Dallas Clark, and Connor Barth had the equalizing extra point. The Chargers took the lead as Rivers found Antonio Gates for 13 yards and a touchdown, with Novak making the PAT. The Buccaneers answered in the second quarter as Barth made a 40 yard field goal. Tampa Bay took the lead by blocking a punt, which they recovered as Adam Hayward ran 29 yards for a touchdown, and Barth kicked the extra point. San Diego shot back with Rivers passing 3 yards to Malcom Floyd for a touchdown, and Novak supplied the extra point. The Buccaneers claimed the lead in the third quarter as Freeman passed 15 yards to Tiquan Underwood, and Barth made the extra point. Tampa Bay extended their lead in the fourth quarter as Leonard Johnson picked off Rivers and took the ball 83 yards for a touchdown, allowing another Barth extra point. The Chargers got some back as Novak made a 34 yard field goal. The Buccaneers padded the lead as Barth made a 45 yard field goal. This was good for a 34-24 win, and Tampa Bay now sits at 5-4 while the Chargers are 4-5.
Finally, the Carolina Panthers host the Denver Broncos. Carolina opened in the first quarter as Cam Newton passed 4 yards to Greg Olsen for a touchdown, and Justin Medlock handled the extra point. Denver tied it with a Peyton Manning touchdown pass of 10 yards to Brandon Stokley, and Matt Prater had the equalizing extra point. The Broncos took the lead in the second quarter with a 76 yard punt return for a touchdown by Trindon Holliday, and Prater made the extra point. Denver extended the lead on a Prater 53 yard field goal. The Broncos kept going in the third quarter on a Tony Carter interception of Newton, returned 40 yards for a touchdown, followed by a Prater extra point. Denver extended the lead in the fourth quarter on a 27 yard field goal by Prater. The Broncos got defensive as Mike Adams sacked Newton for a safety. The Panthers shot back with Newton passing 5 yards to Olsen, and Medlock handled the extra point. Denver padded the lead as Ronnie Hillman ran 5 yards for a touchdown, and Prater booted the extra point. This was good enough to win 36-14, with Denver now at 6-3 and Carolina dropping to 2-7.
Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion.
How They Got Here: The Story of the 2012 San Francisco Giants Part 14
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 fourteen is about outfielder Angel Pagan.
Angel Pagan was born on July 2, 1981, in Rio Piedras, Puerto Rico. His early life was in a rough neighborhood, but baseball helped Pagan escape the perils of his home life, and he was drafted in 1999 in the fourth round by the New York Mets. Pagan began his professional career in the 2000 season with the Kingsport Mets of Kingsport, Tennessee, in the Rookie level Appalachian League. Here, he hit .361 with eight runs batted in. For 2001, he played in the Class A Short Season New York-Pennsylvania League with the Brooklyn Cyclones, before stepping up to the Class A Capital City Bombers of Columbia, South Carolina in the South Atlantic League. Between the two teams, he hit to a .312 batting average and twenty runs batted in, again failing to record a home run and acting more as a speed threat. Evidence of his speed comes from his three triples and thirty-three stolen bases. He started 2002 with Capital City again, and then progressed to the Class A Advanced St. Lucie Mets in Port St. Lucie, Florida. The majority of his season was spent with Capital City, where he hit .279 with one home run, thirty-six runs batted in, and fifty stolen bases, as well as five triples. In his sixteen games with St. Lucie, he added a triple, a home run, and ten stolen bases to his numbers. He played the full 2003 season with St. Lucie, hitting .249 with a home run, five triples, thirty-three runs batted in and thirty-five stolen bases. In 2004, Pagan progressed rapidly, joining the Class AA Binghamton Mets of Binghamton, New York in the Eastern League, where he posted a .287 batting average, eight triples, four home runs, sixty-three runs batted in and twenty-nine stolen bases, before ending the season with the Class AAA Norfolk Tides of the International League. He added three triples and four stolen bases in twelve games at this level. Pagan played the full 2005 season with the Tides, and hit to a .271 batting average, with ten triples, eight home runs, forty runs batted in, and twenty-seven stolen bases. On January 25, 2006, Pagan was purchased by the Chicago Cubs, and played all positions in the outfield for most of the season. His only time in the minor leagues was to rehabilitate an injury suffered on April 15th, and he made seven appearances split between the Arizona League Cubs in Mesa, Arizona at the Rookie level, and the Iowa Cubs of the Class AAA Pacific Coast League. He was strong in the first half of the season, but faded to a .247 batting average with two triples, five home runs, and eighteen runs batted in a down year. July 2nd was a bright spot, as he turned twenty-five, celebrating with his first two career home runs. Pagan started 2007 in the Des Moines with the Iowa Cubs, hitting .250 with three triples and home runs, nine runs batted in, and four stolen bases before being recalled. He again filled in at all spots in the outfield, playing until August 7th, when the disease colitis took him out of the lineup. He ended the year with a .264 batting average, as well as two triples, four home runs, and twenty-one runs batted in. The 2008 season began with Pagan being traded back to the Mets in exchange for Corey Coles and Ryan Meyers, both minor league players, on January 5th. Pagan played left field for the Mets, but went on the disabled lsit on May 12th. After a spectacular catch five days earlier, Pagan suffered a shoulder injury, which he attempted to rehabilitate with the Gulf Coast League Mets at the Rookie Level, as well as with the St. Lucie Mets and the Brooklyn Cyclones. It was with the Cyclones that he aggravated the injury and was required to undergo season ending surgery of July 29th. Pagan began 2009 with the New York Mets after recovering from the previous season's injury, but only played half of May before suffering a groin injury. He made his rehabilitation appearances with St. Lucie and then with the Buffalo Bisons of the Class AAA International League. He returned on July 10th, and had much excitement in his time with the Mets. He hit a grand slam on August 1st, and twice fell short of the cycle, once for a double and another time for a home run. He ended the year with a major league line of .306 for batting average, as well as eleven triples, six home runs, thirty-two runs batted in, and fourteen stolen bases. This was his best major league season so far. He was able to avoid the minor leagues in 2010, playing the entire season in New York. The results were strong, as he hit to a .290 batting average, seven triples, eleven home runs, sixty-nine runs batted in, and thirty-seven stolen bases, although his defense was lackluster. May 19th was a highlight, as he began a triple play from center field and also hit an inside-the-park home run in the same game. The 2010 season helped establish Pagan as a reliable everyday player in the majors. He continued his strong play in 2011 for the most part, but suffered an injury on April 21st and had to appear in St. Lucie for rehabilitation again. While his average dipped to .262, he still provided speed (four triples and thirty-two stolen bases) as well as modest power (seven home runs and fifty-six runs batted in). However, the Mets were uninterested in retaining his services for the next season, and traded him on December 7th to the San Francisco Giants in exchange for Andres Torres and Ramon Ramirez. His new start with the Giants was a star making season. He hit a solid .288 batting average, with a National League-leading fifteen triples, as well as eight home runs, fifty-six runs batted in, and twenty-nine stolen bases. He was firmly entrenched as a lead-off hitter this season, and carried that role into the postseason. He played in every playoff game, hitting only .188 with a triple, two home runs, and six runs batted in, while stealing a base in the World Series to activate Taco Bell's Steal A Base, Steal A Taco promotion. More notably, Pagan provided sterling defense at key times to keep the Giants alive, and it was his spectacular plays that helped propel the Giants to the World Series Championship.
Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion.
Angel Pagan was born on July 2, 1981, in Rio Piedras, Puerto Rico. His early life was in a rough neighborhood, but baseball helped Pagan escape the perils of his home life, and he was drafted in 1999 in the fourth round by the New York Mets. Pagan began his professional career in the 2000 season with the Kingsport Mets of Kingsport, Tennessee, in the Rookie level Appalachian League. Here, he hit .361 with eight runs batted in. For 2001, he played in the Class A Short Season New York-Pennsylvania League with the Brooklyn Cyclones, before stepping up to the Class A Capital City Bombers of Columbia, South Carolina in the South Atlantic League. Between the two teams, he hit to a .312 batting average and twenty runs batted in, again failing to record a home run and acting more as a speed threat. Evidence of his speed comes from his three triples and thirty-three stolen bases. He started 2002 with Capital City again, and then progressed to the Class A Advanced St. Lucie Mets in Port St. Lucie, Florida. The majority of his season was spent with Capital City, where he hit .279 with one home run, thirty-six runs batted in, and fifty stolen bases, as well as five triples. In his sixteen games with St. Lucie, he added a triple, a home run, and ten stolen bases to his numbers. He played the full 2003 season with St. Lucie, hitting .249 with a home run, five triples, thirty-three runs batted in and thirty-five stolen bases. In 2004, Pagan progressed rapidly, joining the Class AA Binghamton Mets of Binghamton, New York in the Eastern League, where he posted a .287 batting average, eight triples, four home runs, sixty-three runs batted in and twenty-nine stolen bases, before ending the season with the Class AAA Norfolk Tides of the International League. He added three triples and four stolen bases in twelve games at this level. Pagan played the full 2005 season with the Tides, and hit to a .271 batting average, with ten triples, eight home runs, forty runs batted in, and twenty-seven stolen bases. On January 25, 2006, Pagan was purchased by the Chicago Cubs, and played all positions in the outfield for most of the season. His only time in the minor leagues was to rehabilitate an injury suffered on April 15th, and he made seven appearances split between the Arizona League Cubs in Mesa, Arizona at the Rookie level, and the Iowa Cubs of the Class AAA Pacific Coast League. He was strong in the first half of the season, but faded to a .247 batting average with two triples, five home runs, and eighteen runs batted in a down year. July 2nd was a bright spot, as he turned twenty-five, celebrating with his first two career home runs. Pagan started 2007 in the Des Moines with the Iowa Cubs, hitting .250 with three triples and home runs, nine runs batted in, and four stolen bases before being recalled. He again filled in at all spots in the outfield, playing until August 7th, when the disease colitis took him out of the lineup. He ended the year with a .264 batting average, as well as two triples, four home runs, and twenty-one runs batted in. The 2008 season began with Pagan being traded back to the Mets in exchange for Corey Coles and Ryan Meyers, both minor league players, on January 5th. Pagan played left field for the Mets, but went on the disabled lsit on May 12th. After a spectacular catch five days earlier, Pagan suffered a shoulder injury, which he attempted to rehabilitate with the Gulf Coast League Mets at the Rookie Level, as well as with the St. Lucie Mets and the Brooklyn Cyclones. It was with the Cyclones that he aggravated the injury and was required to undergo season ending surgery of July 29th. Pagan began 2009 with the New York Mets after recovering from the previous season's injury, but only played half of May before suffering a groin injury. He made his rehabilitation appearances with St. Lucie and then with the Buffalo Bisons of the Class AAA International League. He returned on July 10th, and had much excitement in his time with the Mets. He hit a grand slam on August 1st, and twice fell short of the cycle, once for a double and another time for a home run. He ended the year with a major league line of .306 for batting average, as well as eleven triples, six home runs, thirty-two runs batted in, and fourteen stolen bases. This was his best major league season so far. He was able to avoid the minor leagues in 2010, playing the entire season in New York. The results were strong, as he hit to a .290 batting average, seven triples, eleven home runs, sixty-nine runs batted in, and thirty-seven stolen bases, although his defense was lackluster. May 19th was a highlight, as he began a triple play from center field and also hit an inside-the-park home run in the same game. The 2010 season helped establish Pagan as a reliable everyday player in the majors. He continued his strong play in 2011 for the most part, but suffered an injury on April 21st and had to appear in St. Lucie for rehabilitation again. While his average dipped to .262, he still provided speed (four triples and thirty-two stolen bases) as well as modest power (seven home runs and fifty-six runs batted in). However, the Mets were uninterested in retaining his services for the next season, and traded him on December 7th to the San Francisco Giants in exchange for Andres Torres and Ramon Ramirez. His new start with the Giants was a star making season. He hit a solid .288 batting average, with a National League-leading fifteen triples, as well as eight home runs, fifty-six runs batted in, and twenty-nine stolen bases. He was firmly entrenched as a lead-off hitter this season, and carried that role into the postseason. He played in every playoff game, hitting only .188 with a triple, two home runs, and six runs batted in, while stealing a base in the World Series to activate Taco Bell's Steal A Base, Steal A Taco promotion. More notably, Pagan provided sterling defense at key times to keep the Giants alive, and it was his spectacular plays that helped propel the Giants to the World Series Championship.
Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion.
Saturday, November 10, 2012
How They Got Here: The Story of the 2012 San Francisco Giants Part 13
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 thirteen is about young first baseman Brandon Belt.
Brandon Belt was born on April 20, 1988, in Nacogdoches, Texas. He attended Hudson High School in Lufkin, Texas, and in 2006, he was drafted by the Boston Red Sox in the eleventh round, but he chose not to sign with them, moving along to San Jacinto College in Pasadena, Texas. In his freshman year of college, he was again drafted in the eleventh round of the 2007 draft, this time by the Atlanta Braves, but he again chose not to sign. He transferred to the University of Texas at Austin, and in his junior year, he was drafted a third time, in the fifth round of the 2009 draft by the San Francisco Giants. Belt signed this time, but closed out 2009 in college. For 2010, he entered the Giants farm system, beginning with the Class A Advanced San Jose Giants of the California League. He played a majority of his season here, making seventy-seven appearances at first base, while hitting to a .383 batting average, ten home runs, and sixty-two runs batted in. He jumped up to the Class AA Richmond Flying Squirrels of Richmond, Virginia, in the Eastern League, where he expanded his fielding repertoire to include both left and right field. With the Flying Squirrels, he posted a .337 batting average, nine home runs, and forty runs batted in. He closed out the year with the Fresno Grizzlies in the Class AAA Pacific Coast League, where he hit .228 with four home runs and ten runs batted in a short thirteen game trial. Overall, his 2010 season saw hit hit .352, with twenty-three home runs and 112 runs batted in. He made the San Francisco opening day roster in 2011, and made his debut on March 31st. His first at bat was a single off of Clayton Kershaw, but besides the next day, when he hit his first home run, his first major league stint was a disappointment. He went to went down to Fresno again on his twenty-third birthday. He stayed there for the rest of the month and most of May, but returned for two games at the end of May. He suffered an injury in the second game, a hairline fracture, and was placed on the disable list. He returned to the Giants after rehabilitating his injury in San Jose and Fresno on July 19th, but was sent back to the Grizzlies after August 2nd. He continued his ping-pong-resembling season by returning to the Giants on August 13th, and the next day he hit two home runs. He stayed with the San Francisco Giants for the rest of the season. In the majors, he had a .225 batting average, nine home runs, and eighteen runs batted in, while in Fresno he posted a .309 batting average, eight home runs, and thirty-two runs batted in. He also earned the nickname "The Baby Giraffe" during the season, in regards to his style of fielding fly balls. In the 2012 season, Belt spent the entire year in San Francisco, compiling a .275 batting average, seven home runs, and fifty-six runs batted in. He easily made the postseason roster as the starting first baseman, and sat out only one game during the playoffs, the October 18th game in the National League Championship Series against the St. Louis Cardinals. He was mostly ineffective against the Cincinnati Reds in the National League Division Series, but hit a timely home run against the Cardinals in Game 7 en route to a 9-0 victory, as well as a triple in the clinching game of the World Series to start the scoring to sweep out the Detroit Tigers. In only his second major league season, Belt gets the honor of being named a World Series Championship, and his clutch hitting helps him hold the honor in its fullest.
Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion.
Brandon Belt was born on April 20, 1988, in Nacogdoches, Texas. He attended Hudson High School in Lufkin, Texas, and in 2006, he was drafted by the Boston Red Sox in the eleventh round, but he chose not to sign with them, moving along to San Jacinto College in Pasadena, Texas. In his freshman year of college, he was again drafted in the eleventh round of the 2007 draft, this time by the Atlanta Braves, but he again chose not to sign. He transferred to the University of Texas at Austin, and in his junior year, he was drafted a third time, in the fifth round of the 2009 draft by the San Francisco Giants. Belt signed this time, but closed out 2009 in college. For 2010, he entered the Giants farm system, beginning with the Class A Advanced San Jose Giants of the California League. He played a majority of his season here, making seventy-seven appearances at first base, while hitting to a .383 batting average, ten home runs, and sixty-two runs batted in. He jumped up to the Class AA Richmond Flying Squirrels of Richmond, Virginia, in the Eastern League, where he expanded his fielding repertoire to include both left and right field. With the Flying Squirrels, he posted a .337 batting average, nine home runs, and forty runs batted in. He closed out the year with the Fresno Grizzlies in the Class AAA Pacific Coast League, where he hit .228 with four home runs and ten runs batted in a short thirteen game trial. Overall, his 2010 season saw hit hit .352, with twenty-three home runs and 112 runs batted in. He made the San Francisco opening day roster in 2011, and made his debut on March 31st. His first at bat was a single off of Clayton Kershaw, but besides the next day, when he hit his first home run, his first major league stint was a disappointment. He went to went down to Fresno again on his twenty-third birthday. He stayed there for the rest of the month and most of May, but returned for two games at the end of May. He suffered an injury in the second game, a hairline fracture, and was placed on the disable list. He returned to the Giants after rehabilitating his injury in San Jose and Fresno on July 19th, but was sent back to the Grizzlies after August 2nd. He continued his ping-pong-resembling season by returning to the Giants on August 13th, and the next day he hit two home runs. He stayed with the San Francisco Giants for the rest of the season. In the majors, he had a .225 batting average, nine home runs, and eighteen runs batted in, while in Fresno he posted a .309 batting average, eight home runs, and thirty-two runs batted in. He also earned the nickname "The Baby Giraffe" during the season, in regards to his style of fielding fly balls. In the 2012 season, Belt spent the entire year in San Francisco, compiling a .275 batting average, seven home runs, and fifty-six runs batted in. He easily made the postseason roster as the starting first baseman, and sat out only one game during the playoffs, the October 18th game in the National League Championship Series against the St. Louis Cardinals. He was mostly ineffective against the Cincinnati Reds in the National League Division Series, but hit a timely home run against the Cardinals in Game 7 en route to a 9-0 victory, as well as a triple in the clinching game of the World Series to start the scoring to sweep out the Detroit Tigers. In only his second major league season, Belt gets the honor of being named a World Series Championship, and his clutch hitting helps him hold the honor in its fullest.
Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion.
Friday, November 9, 2012
How They Got Here: The Story of the 2012 San Francisco Giants Part 12
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.
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.
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