How They Got Here: The Story of the 2012 San Francisco Giants Part 30

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 thirty wraps up the player segment with World Series hero Pablo Sandoval. 

Pablo Sandoval was born on August 11, 1986, in Puerto Cabello, Venezuela. He attended Cento Estudio in Carabobo, Venezuela, and later went undrafted, signing as an amateur free agent with the San Francisco Giants in 2003 at the age of sixteen. He first appeared in the minor leagues during the 2004 season, playing in the Rookie-level Arizona League with the Giants affiliate there. He worked as a catcher with in the Arizona League, hitting .266 with twenty-six runs batted in. He also hit five triples, which was impressive for someone of his larger stature. He made a jump to the Class A Short Season Northwest League in 2005, where he played for the Salem-Keizer Volcanoes in Oregon. He made the transition to third base at this time, an unusual position for a left-handed person. Sandoval had taught himself to be ambidextrous, allowing him to be versatile in the field. With the Volcanoes, he posted a .330 batting average as well as three home runs and fifty runs batted in. His slow but steady progress continued into 2006, as he advanced to the Class A South Atlantic League to play with the Augusta Greenjackets of Augusta, Georgia. His numbers fell off a bit, as he hit only .265 with one home run and forty-nine runs batted in. Still, he earned a promotion for the 2007 season to play with the San Jose Giants of the Class A Advanced California League. He improved here, posting a .287 batting average while smacking eleven home runs, hitting five triples, and driving in fifty-two runs. He began the 2008 season here, appearing in sixty-eight games in which he hit .359 with twelve home runs and fifty-nine runs batted in before a promotion to the Class AA Connecticut Defenders of the Easter League in Norwich, Connecticut. Over the next forty-four games, Sandoval hit to a .337 batting average as well as eight home runs and thirty-seven runs batted in. He earned a major league call up, making his debut with San Francisco on August 14th. He was an everyday player here, playing at both third base and catcher, as well as first base. He hit .345 in forty-one games, while hitting three home runs (the first coming on August 27th), and twenty-four runs batted in. One particular play occurred when Sandoval was attempting to score, eventually being successful in dodging the tag from the catcher. Barry Zito promptly game him the nickname Kung-Fu Panda for his surprising agility. He became the everyday third baseman in 2009, while also working at catcher and first base. Sandoval had a very good season, hitting .330 while adding twenty-five home runs and ninety runs batted in during a breakout year, and highlights included his first grand slam on July 6th and his first splash hit (a San Francisco-area term for home runs hit into McCovey Cove, which is located beyond the outfield) on July 30th. Sandoval struggled more in 2010, as he had added weight and became less effective with his bat. He hit only .268 with just thirteen home runs and sixty-three runs batted in during the year, and appeared in only six postseason games during the Giants playoff run that year. With only three hits in seventeen at-bats, Sandoval was mostly an afterthought during the run, with Juan Uribe manning third base in his place as the Giants beat the Atlanta Braves, Philadelphia Phillies, and Texas Rangers for the World Series title. He still received the World Series Champion title, but it was far from earned in the eyes of some. Sandoval came back in 2011 much more fit, having dropped thirty pounds during the Giants' Operation Panda campaign. His season stalled in late April after he broke his hamate bone, requiring a month and a half layoff. He made his rehabilitation appearances with San Jose and also the Fresno Grizzlies of the Class AAA Pacific Coast League before rejoining San Francisco on June 14th. He was named to the All-Star Game for the first time despite missing such significant time with the injury. He ended the year hitting .315 while hitting twenty-three home runs and seventy runs batted in during the shorter season, and his biggest highlight of the year came on September 15th, when he hit for the cycle, another impressive feat for the large third baseman. He continued his success in 2012, although he again missed most of May and part of June due to injury. Regardless of that, he made another All-Star Game, starting at third base. He put his name in the history books with the first ever bases-loaded triple in All-Star Game history off of Justin Verlander, helping pace the National League to their 8-0 victory. He ended the regular season hitting .283 with twelve home runs and sixty-three runs batted in, a down year for him but still very valuable. He was not an afterthought in the San Francisco postseason run this time. He appeared in every postseason game for San Francisco, hitting .333 with one home run and three runs batted in against the Cincinnati Reds in the National League Division Series. He then worked to a .360 batting average with two home runs and six timely runs batted in during the National League Championship Series. When the Giants faced elimination in the NLCS, Sandoval provided at least one run batted in over each of the three games. Sandoval's iconic moment, and arguably the best moment of the postseason (despite my deep appreciation for Marco Scutaro, the following feat by Sandoval was slightly better) game in Game 1 of the World Series against the Detroit Tigers. Facing the same pitcher as he had when he hit the triple in the All-Star Game, Sandoval again tormented Justin Verlander by hitting two of his three home runs for the game off of him. The three-home run game placed him in the company of Babe Ruth, Reggie Jackson, and Albert Pujols as the only players to accomplish the feat in a World Series game, and he was the only one to do it in his first three at-bats. He ended the World Series as the Most Valuable Player, hitting .500 against the Tigers with three home runs and four runs batted in (all of the latter in Game 1 alone), as the Giants swept Detroit to give Sandoval his second World Series title. And this time he can say he earned it.

Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion, and don't think this series is over yet. There are three more posts to come, detailing some of the behind-the-scenes figures that helped the Giants get where they are.

KHL November 27th 2012

Again a day with only one game, which game from Kazakhstan, as Barys Astana hosted Yugra Khanty-Mansiysk. Mikhail Biryukov for Yugra and Teemu Lassila for Barys stand in the creases. Khanty-Mansiysk led off with a first period goal by Maxim Belyaev, coming off of Anton Krysanov. Astana tied it when Vadim Krasnoslobodtsev scored, thanks to Talgat Zhailauov and Victor Hedman. Barys took the lead in the second period on a Fyodor Polishchuk goal, courtesy of Roman Savchenko and Dustin Boyd. Astana added on as Zhailauov potted the puck, with the help of Krasnoslobodtsev and Hedman. Barys continued with a Maxim Spiridonov goal, made possible by Brandon Bochenski and Nikolai Antropov. Astana extended the lead with a Savchenko goal, assisted by Zhailaumov and Krasnoslobodtsev. Barys padded the lead on a and unassisted Konstantin Rudenko power play goal. Yugra got one back in the third period when Linus Videll scored, and Vitaly Sitnikov and Kirill Dyakov picked up the helpers. This made it a 6-2 win for Barys, with the three stars going to Zhailauov, Krasnoslobodtsev, and Savchenko, while Hedman gets an honorable mention.

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Fantasy Football All-Stars Week 12 2012

More clinching should have happened this week, and there are only two more weeks until the playoffs. It was another rough week for my fleet of seventeen, as even the mighty fell in some places. Here's who most likely was not on my team this week.

Quarterback: Cam Newton
Running Backs: Bryce Brown and Arian Foster
Wide Receivers: Dez Bryant and Julio Jones
Tight End: Charles Clay (this is what the post-Gronkowski world has come to)
Kicker: Rob Bironas
Team Defense: New England
Defensive Players: Janoris Jenkins and Steve Gregory

In addition, I have only six of my seventeen teams in the playoffs. Most are on the outside looking, so I'm not expecting more than ten.

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Monday Night Football Week 12 2012

Tonight's game has the under-performing Philadelphia Eagles host the equally disappoint Carolina Panthers. Philadelphia opened with an Alex Henery 36 yard field goal in the first quarter. Carolina took the lead as Cam Newton passed 24 yards to Gary Barnidge for a touchdown, and Graham  booted the extra point. The Panthers added on as Newton found Brandon LaFell for 43 yards and a touchdown, and Gano knocked in the extra point. The Eagles replied with a 41 yard field goal by Henery in the second quarter. Philadelphia chipped away as Bryce Brown ran 65 yards for a touchdown, but they failed on the two point conversion attempt. The Eagles got the lead when Henery made a 45 yard field goal. Carolina retook the lead in the third quarter as Newton ran 1 yard for a touchdown, and Gano was there with the PAT. Philadelphia edged ahead as Brown ran 5 yards for another touchdown, and Henery supplied the extra point. The Panthers took the lead back in the fourth quarter as Gano made a 23 yard field goal. Carolina padded the lead as Newton ran 2 yards for a touchdown, but Gano missed the extra point. This made it 30-22, a final, with both team now at 3-8.

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How They Got Here: The Story of the 2012 San Francisco Giants Part 29

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 twenty-nine talks about journeyman infielder Marco Scutaro. 

Marco Scutaro was born on October 30, 1975, in San Felipe, Venezuela. He was signed at the age of eighteen as an amateur free agent by the Cleveland Indians on July 26, 1994. He entered the Indians farm system in 1996, playing for the Class A Columbus Red Stixx of Columbus, Georgia in the South Atlantic League. Here, he played in eighty-five games, hitting .251 for a batting average, with three triples, ten home runs, forty-five runs batted in, and six stolen bases. In 1997, he was promoted to the Class A Advanced Kinston Indians of Kinston, North Carolina, in the Carolina League, before a late season promotion to the Class AAA American Association to close out the year with the Buffalo Bisons of Buffalo, New York in the . Between the two levels, Scutaro hit to a .271 batting average with six triples, eleven home runs, sixty-five runs batted in and twenty-three stolen bases. For the 1998 season, Scutaro spent much of his time with the Class AA Akron Aeros of Akron, Ohio in the Eastern League, before earning another late season promotion to Buffalo, now in the Class AAA International League. Here, he hit a .311 batting average with six triples, eleven home runs, sixty-six runs batted in, and thirty-three stolen bases. Throughout this time, Scutaro played primarily at second base, but also spent time at shortstop and third base when needed, becoming a versatile utility player. He spent all of 1999 in Buffalo, hitting .273 with two triples, eight home runs, fifty-one runs batted in and twenty-one stolen bases. Scutaro also spent a large majority of 2000 with the Bisons, hitting to a .275 batting average with five triples and home runs each, as well as fifty-four runs batted in and nine stolen bases, the beginning of a decline in his base-stealing abilities. Scutaro was sent as the play to be named later in the July 28, 2000 deal between the Indians and Milwaukee Brewers that sent Kane Davis, Paul Rigdon, and Richie Sexson to Milwaukee in exchange for Jason Bere, Bob Wickman, and Steve Woodard going to Cleveland. Appearing in four games at the end of the season with Indianapolis Indians (despite the name, a member of the Milwaukee farm system) in the Class AAA International League, Scutaro looked much stronger than he had in his time with Buffalo. He spent all of 2001 in Indianapolis, hitting .295 with three triples, eleven home runs, fifty runs batted in, and eleven stolen bases. At the start of the 2002 season, Milwaukee waived Scutaro to make room for Nelson Figueroa on their roster, and on April 5th, Scutaro was acquired by the New York Mets. Scutaro remained in the International League, playing with the Norfolk Tides of Norfolk, Virginia for much of the year. He produced at a .319 clip, with six triples, seven home runs, and twenty-eight runs batted in, before a promotion to the major league Mets on July 19th. His debut came on July 21st, and he was used primarily in a pinch-hitting role with a low level of success. The 2003 season was a roller-coaster for Scutaro, who began the year in Norfolk. He had two stints in both Norfolk and New York during the year. With the Tides, he hit .311 with three triples and nine home runs, as well as thirty-two runs batted in. With the Mets, he struggled, hitting only .213 with just two home runs and six runs batted in a mostly pinch-hitting role. He did get some starts second base during his time, but not enough to make a difference in his numbers. On October 9th, 2003, Scutaro was selected off of waivers by the Oakland Athletics, and here he crossed paths with yesterday's featured player, Barry Zito, who pitched with the Athletics from 2000-2006. During 2004, Scutaro played at second base after Mark Ellis suffered a season-ending injury in spring training. Scutaro, now with a full season to work with, responded well, hitting .273 with a triple, seven home runs, and forty-three runs batted in. When necessary, he also covered third base, shortstop, and left field. Later in his tenure, he would also appear in right field and as the designated hitter. In 2005, Scutaro was most often a shortstop for Oakland, but his numbers regressed from the previous season. He ended with a .247 batting average and nine home runs as well as thirty-seven runs batted in. He was quickly becoming a reliable but unspectacular player in his major league time. Scutaro rebounded slightly in 2006, ending that season with a .266 batting average, six triples, five home runs, and forty-one runs batted in. He also made his first postseason appearances, playing in all seven games Oakland played in the playoffs. During the three games against the Minnesota Twins in the American League Division Series, Scutaro hit four triples and knocked in six runs, but his bat cooled mightily as Oakland was on the other end of a sweep in the American League Championships Series versus the Detroit Tigers. He did about the same level of play in 2007 as the year before, hitting .260 with seven home runs and forty-one runs batted in. At the end of the season, Oakland traded Scutaro to the Toronto Blue Jays for minor league player Kristian Bell and prospect Graham Godfrey. In 2008, Scutaro filled in the Blue Jays lineup at a number of spots as injuries to teammates required a short-term option to fill the holes. He posted his usual numbers of a .267 average and one triple, with seven home runs and sixty runs batted in. He settled down in 2009, playing primarily shortstop for a majority of the season as the starter, and he had his best season here. Scutaro hit .282 with a triple, twelve home runs, and sixty runs batted in. He became a free agent at the end of the year, and signed on December 4th with the Boston Red Sox. He remained reliable with the Red Sox, and also managed to haunt the Twins again. In the first game at Target Field, Scutaro recorded the first hit in the history of the park, and also the first out. He would go on to have a final line of a .275 batting average, eleven home runs, and fifty-six runs batted in. In 2011, Scutaro was still with Boston, and hit to a .299 batting average with one triple, seven home runs, and fifty-four runs batted in, all in a campaign interrupted by an injury that cost him a month. He made his rehabilitation appearances in June with the Pawtucket Red Sox of the International League. With numbers like these slightly above his career average, Scutaro was getting better as he got older. Boston activated his contract option in 2012, and then traded him to the Colorado Rockies on January 21st, in exchange for Clayton Mortensen. Working in the crowded Colorado infield, Scutaro only managed a .271 batting average and just three triples, four home runs, and thirty runs batted in. The trade looked like a bust for the Rockies, so at the deadline, they flipped Scutaro with cash to the San Francisco Giants for Charlie Culberson, a prospect. Many laughed at the Giants for making such a minor trade when they were in the heat of a division race with the newly free-spending Los Angeles Dodgers. Acquisitions such as Hunter Pence and Scutaro were not thought to make San Francisco much better as a team. Scutaro quickly proved the doubters wrong, kicking into a gear unseen before by hitting .362 over the final sixty-one games of the season, and he added a triple, three home runs, and forty-four runs batted in, the latter number being nearly fifty percent more than he had for all of the first four months with Colorado. He covered third base for the injured Pablo Sandoval when he first arrived, before providing a huge boost of stability to the very weak second base platoon. At age 36, Scutaro knew time was running out for a World Series title, and he continued his beastly run in the playoffs. While he was largely ineffective against the Cincinnati Reds in the National League Division Series, Scutaro became a rallying point once the Giants went down 3-1 to the St. Louis Cardinals in the National League Championship. Here, he hit an amazing .500 with a record tying fourteen hits against the Cardinals. He crossed the plate six times and knocked in four runs, while producing an iconic moment after the Giants clinched a World Series title at the end of Game 7 by standing in the pouring rain at AT&T Park with his hands in the air. Most of this was done after he appeared to be hurt by a Matt Holliday takeout slide in Game 2. Against the Detroit Tigers in the World Series, Scutaro was not as dominant at the plate, but made a huge defensive play on Gregor Blanco's throw to get Prince Fielder out at home plate in Game 2, coming across the field to act as the relay man before firing to Buster Posey at the plate. Without that big play, Scutaro may never have been seen as the hero two games later, in the tenth inning of Game 4, when his single gave Ryan Theriot time to score the go-ahead, and eventually World Series-clinching run. Because of his huge performance in the postseason, including the .328 batting average and eight runs batted in, Scutaro is receiving heavy interest in the 2012 offseason. Scutaro can rest easier now knowing he has won it all, but as a free agent, he needs a place to play for 2013, and hopefully he continues to get better as he ages.

Follow me on Twitter @KipperScorpion.

KHL November 26th 2012

Only one game today, as Dynamo Moscow hosts their neighbors to the north, Atlant Mytishchi. Anton Khudobin for Atlant and Alexei Volkov for Dynamo tend the twines. Mytishchi began in the first period as Andreas Engqvist scored a goal, with the help of Roman Rukavishnikov and Nikolai Lemtyugov. Atlant added on in the second period as Fyodor Tyutin scored a power play goal, powered by Nikolai Zherdev and Ilya Kablukov. Mytishchi kept going on a Maxim Mayorov goal, fueled by Sandis Ozolins. Moscow got on the board with a Janne Jalasvaara goal, coming off of Nicklas Backstrom and Alexander Ovechkin. Atlant replied in the third period on an Alexander Shevchenko goal, made possible by Viktor Stalberg and Ozolins. Dynamo answered with a Leo Komarov power play goal, passed from Ovechkin and Backstrom. Mytishchi finished the scoring at 5-2 with an empty net goal by Zherdev, thanks to Ozolins and Kablukov. The three stars went to Ozolins, Zherdev, and Kablukov, while Backstrom and Ovechkin get the honorable mentions.

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NFL Afternoon/Night Games Week 12 2012

Four games on to wrap up the day, beginning in...

San Diego, as the Chargers host the Baltimore Ravens. San Diego started in the second quarter as Philip Rivers passed 21 yard to Malcom Floyd for a touchdown, and Nick Novak supplied the extra point. The Chargers added on with a Novak 47 yard field goal. Baltimore got on the board in the third quarter on a 43yard Justin Tucker field goal. San Diego answered in the fourth quarter on a Novak 30 yard field goal. The Ravens got some back as Joe Flacco passed 4 yards to Dennis Pitta, and Tucker handled the extra point. Baltimore tied it with a 38 yard field goal by Tucker.

A bit to the east, the Arizona Cardinals host the St. Louis Rams. Arizona led off with a first quarter Beanie Wells 1 yard touchdown rush, and Jay Feely knocked in the extra point. St. Louis tied it in the second quarter as Janoris Jenkins picked off Ryan Lindley and returned the ball 36 yards for a touchdown, allowing Greg Zuerlein to make the extra point. The Cardinals took the lead back as Wells ran 12 yards for a touchdown, and Feely again handled the extra point. The Rams tied it again when Sam Bradford passed 37 yards to Lance Kendricks for a touchdown, and Zuerlein knocked in the PAT. Arizona struck again on a 32 yard Feely field goal. St. Louis fired back with a Bradford touchdown pass of 37 yards to Chris Givens, and Zuerlein supplied the extra point. The Rams extended the lead on another Jenkins pick six of Lindley, this time for 39 yards and the score, and Zuerlein was true on the extra point. St. Louis padded the lead in the fourth quarter as Zuerlein made a 19 yard field goal. This made it 31-17, a final, with the Rams now at 4-6-1 and the Cardinals dropping to 4-7.

Further east, the New Orleans Saints welcome the San Francisco 49ers. San Francisco began with a first quarter Colin Kaepernick touchdown run of 7 yards, and David Akers supplied the extra point. New Orleans tied the game as Drew Brees passed 6 yards for a touchdown to David Thomas, and Garrett Hartley booted the extra point. The Saints took the lead in the second quarter as Brees found Marques Colston for 10 yards and a touchdown, and Hartley again made the extra point. The 49ers tied it when Ahmad Brooks intercepted Brees and took it to the end zone for a touchdown, allowing Akers the equalizing extra point. San Francisco took the lead in the third quarter with Kaepernick passing 6 yards to Frank Gore for a touchdown, and Akers booted the PAT. The 49ers got some more when Donte Whitner returned an interception of Brees 42 yards for a touchdown, and Akers kicked in another extra point. New Orleans replied as Brees passed 2 yards to Jed Collins for a touchdown, and Hartley was there with the extra point. San Francisco shot back on an Akers 27 yard field goal in the fourth quarter. This was good for a 31-21 win, with the 49ers now at 8-2-1 and the Saints falling to 5-6.

Finally, the Sunday Night game is in New Jersey, as the New York Giants host the Green Bay Packers. New York opened in the first quarter as Andre Brown ran 2 yards for a touchdown, and Lawrence Tynes made the extra point. Green Bay tied it with Aaron Rodgers passing 61 yards to Jordy Nelson for a touchdown, and Mason Crosby was there with the extra point. The Giants took the lead back when Manning passed 16 yards to Rueben Randle for a touchdown, allowing Tynes to make the extra point. New York struck again as Tynes made a 43 yard field goal. The Giants padded the lead as Manning passed 9 yards to Victor Cruz for a touchdown, and Tynes again supplied the PAT. The Packers answered on a Crosby 28 yard field goal. New York fired back as Ahmad Bradshaw ran 13 yards for a touchdown, and Tynes booted the extra point. The Giants kept going in the third quarter when Manning passed 13 yards to Hakeem Nicks for a touchdown, and Tynes knocked in the extra point. The fourth quarter went scoreless, so the final favored New York 38-10, and they improved to 7-4 while dropping the Packers to the same mark.

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