Giants sign Pat Burrell and fill their need for a hitter who can’t field and strikes out a lot

That is according to Andrew Baggarly of the San Jose Mercury News, and why would he lie to me?

But it strikes me as an odd move.
Yeah he got a bunch of big homers when he came over to the Giants after being cut by Tampa.

And sure he is a graduate of Bellarmine Prep in San Jose was a local kid who helped the Giants win their first World Series title by the Bay.

But let’s face it, a lot of Pat Burrell‘s production was a burst of power to prove Tampa Bay wrong… then he regressed into being the hitter that the Rays saw fit to cut.

He hit a combined .142 in the post season and went hitless in the World Series.

Hey you fans of sabermetrics… do you know what his OPS was in the World Series?

.133

That’s not his batting average.
That’s the sum total of his slugging percentage and his on base percentage.

And oh yeah, he had to be replaced for defensive reasons.

He struck out 11 times in the 4 games he played in the World Series and frankly looked like a guy who was done.

I thought, as did no doubt everyone else in the Solar System, that the Giants were going to pat Pat the Bat on the butt and say “Thanks for your help, here’s your second World Series ring in three years, good luck.”

Perhaps with his up and down career and having earned nearly $70 million in his career that this could have been the best way to go out… as a champion.

But he found a better way.
Cash another $9 million in checks.

I thought an outfielder like Austin Kearns (who can actually play the field) would have been an ideal fit for the Giants. And he would have been cheaper too.

But who am I to judge?

So look forward to a whole season of Pat Burrell playing 6 innings a game and striking out.
It’s good work if you can get it.

October Collision Course

Two teams had walk off wins today that were thrilling and made me really hope they face off, for many different reasons.

The Giants won this afternoon thanks to a pair of home runs by Pat Burrell, a shot by Sandoval and a walk off by Torres.

I guess all of my begging and pleading for the Giants to sign Johnny Damon wasn’t necessary. Torres has done the job just fine.

And Pat Burrell has turned into the best mid season pick up for the Giants that I can remember since Rick Reuschel in 1987.

Meanwhile, across the country, the Giants arch rival Dodgers had their season basically end in a disastrous 9th inning that was partially caused by the spell and hexes cast onto the the L.A. Bullpen from this young Phillies fan.

As gruesome as the 9th inning was for Los Angeles and it seemingly will put a nail in the coffin of the Joe Torre era in Chavez Ravine, it also shows that the Phillies are peaking at a very advantageous time.

Any time you are down 9-2 in the 8th inning and can pull off the win, against a team with a winning record no less, it is time to pay attention.

I think the Phillies and Giants are on a collision course that will meet in October.

Now there is one problem with that prediction… as of this writing, both teams are in second place. The Giants and Phillies are tied in the loss column for the Wild Card.

Maybe that is where the collision will be.

Imagine a Wild Card play in game with Tim Lincecum versus Roy Halladay or Roy Oswalt.

But truth be told, I think both teams are making the post season. It will be only a matter of time before the Phillies leap frog the Braves.

And we’ll see what happens with the Giants after this weekend’s series with San Diego.

But Holy Cats, I want to see the Giants and the Phillies square off for meaningful games in October.

Not only will there be the intrigue of two teams with multiple aces…

Not only will there be the return of Pat Burrell to Philadelphia…

Not only will there be two passionate fan bases playing in new beautiful ballparks…

But my dad is a huge Giants fan.

And his brother, my uncle Don is a huge Phillies fan.

The potential fireworks between the brothers with meaningful games in October is too wonderful to avoid.

Now a potential Giants/Phillies showdown was thwarted before… in 1993 when the Giants won 103 games and missed the postseason because they were inexplicably in the same geographical division as the Braves.

So once again the Braves could stand in the way of a Giants-Phillies showdown.

Let’s go Giants and let’s go Phillies… if the Red Sox can’t make it in October, I had better experience some other family fireworks!!!

The Giants are making all the right moves… SO WIN ALREADY!

I’ve been calling for the Giants to make some key moves since May.

And because the San Francisco front office evidently listens to me, they’ve been taking my suggestions.

Burrell is a Giant and homering.

Posey has been recalled as has Bumgarner.

And now the Giants took a risk by dealing away a terrific pitch caller in Bengie Molina. But they are putting Posey behind the plate where he should be for the next 10 years and they brought in Chris Ray who should give the bullpen a little depth.

The sum total of all these moves?

A 6 game losing streak.

And not just any losing streak… the last 4 have been to the Dodgers and the Rockies, two of the teams that they are bunched up with in the NL West race.

What the hell? They are improved and yet have dropped nearly a week into the loss column.

Let’s pick it up, Giants. You’ve got 3 more in Coors Field, and I am heading up to the Bay Area this weekend and will spend some time with my dad, the biggest Giants fan I know.

He’s happier when the Giants are winning and I want a happy dad.

You’ve got the pieces… WIN!