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Giants rant 8/5/08

• The Giants’ new middle-infield look is attractive defensively and also has shown potential at the plate.  Burriss has shown immaturity on the basepaths and needs to work on his stroke from the left side with hitting coach Carney Lansford.  The signing deadline for the first year player draft is less than two weeks away and we haven’t inked deals for any of our top 4 picks.  This is worrying.  Buster Posey apparently wants 8 figures, and with the progress of Pablo Sandoval in CT Brian Sabean has to ask himself whether Posey is worth that to the organization.  Gallaspie could be a steal if we sign him for less than a million advanced, and I’d love to see him in Scottsdale playing Fall Ball in the AZ instructional league.  Instructional league is going to be loaded with Giants prospects this year, a testament to the depth of our farm system.  What will become of Taschner, Roberts, Aurilia, Molina and Castillo?  The Mets might pick up Aurilia off waivers, and that would dump a solid 1.5 million off Sabean’s pay roll.  With Castillo and Bowker appearing to get all of the playing time at the corners it probably won’t hurt the Giants’ depth chart if they bring somebody like Dan Ortmeier to replace him from Fresno.  Valdez says he’s good to throw off a mound soon which is encouraging for our suffering pen.  Espinelli has been a let down for me, but Hinshaw and Romo look to be solidifying their roles for next season.  If Lowry can get back into the rotation and we can put Kevin Correia back into the pen for extended relief than I think that would be stellar.  What about a pen of the following for next season:  Correia, Hinshaw, Romo, Taschner (if we can keep him), Walker, Valdez, Wilson?  Kevin Frandsen is a big question mark for next season.  If he’s healthy he isn’t a bench player, and I don’t think he fits anywhere other than third base for us.  That will be an interesting development.  Where he ends up playing the most in instructional league could indicate where the front office sees him next season.  End transmission.  ps.  Dear Jonathan, start throwing first pitch strikes man!!!

Final thoughts 8/5/08

• President Bush started his tour of Asia today, and apparently was not received well.  I often wonder how people of my age across the globe have been effected by this administration.  Would their response to injustice in America, and by America, be similar to mine?  How can I learn from their form of protest and activism to make mine more effective?
  
• The new U2 album is going to be amazing.  I can just feel these things.  This will be as substantial as the beginning of their consumerism phase, just not as well received commercially as Achtung Baby.
• Asthma has been put on the list today, but I’m pretty sure it was already on there.
• Lots of rain = good times at Chiva Falls and Sabino Canyon before fall semester.

Outta dodge

I’m on my way to the Pacific Northwest on Saturday.  It’s shaping up to be a solid vacation away from the desert in between summer and fall semesters.  Hopefully I’ll come back rejuvenated and ready to dive into a few more insanely expensive textbooks.