Buster Posey

[McCovey]

Here is some info on the Giants #1 draft pick in this year's draft. The Giants are really high on him. Here's a good article from back in April. He actually played several position including pitcher. I like that. It shows he's a good athlete.

Posey, the consummate student-athlete, key to Florida State's success

By Heather Dinich
ESPN.com

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- It's not often Florida State baseball coach Mike Martin actually goes out and recruits players. The Hall of Fame coach leaves that job to his assistants.

http://sports.espn.go.com/photo/2008/0412/ncaa_posey_200.jpg

Buster Posey has played nearly every
position for the Noles.



Buster Posey, though, was different. This one, they told him, he had to see.
Posey caught the attention of pro scouts as a junior at Lee County High School in Georgia with a 10-1 record on the mound and a 1.53 ERA. Even more impressive, though, was Posey's monstrous .544 batting average, school-record 46 RBIs and the fact he struck out just nine times. Posey was a legitimate two-way player -- he could pitch and hit. (Oh, and his 3.9 grade-point average wasn't too bad, either.)
Florida State had to get Posey before Major League Baseball did -- he was drafted by the Angels in the 50th round of the 2005 draft.
"When you've got a guy like that, you've got to send the boss out to close the deal," said Mike Martin Jr., the coach's son and one of his assistants. "We try not to do that often, but we had to."
It was a smart move.

What they didn't know is just how good Posey would be -- as a shortstop, a catcher and a closer.

After one season as an All-American shortstop (because the Seminoles needed one), Posey experimented with catcher (because the Seminoles needed one) -- despite never having played the position in his career. This season, as a junior, not only is Posey one of the best catchers in the country, but he is also the biggest bat and the top scholar in the lineup. Posey is a major reason Florida State (31-3) is in position to possibly face Miami for the ACC championship and extend its season beyond last year's loss to Mississippi State in the regional round.
Virginia coach Brian O'Connor called Posey the "best catcher in college baseball" following his team's back-to-back extra-inning losses to FSU on April 6.

"That guy is one of the top picks in the country in my opinion," he said. "He's a plus defender behind the plate, which is rare to find anymore in this game, and he's an offensive guy behind the plate. He's so athletic behind the plate … you just don't see that.

"It was great foresight on Florida State's part -- their coaching staff's part -- to convert him to a catcher. He's going to be a great player in this game for a long time."

http://sports.espn.go.com/photo/2008/0412/ncaa_martin_posey_200.jpg
Mike Martin went out of his way to
bring Buster Posey to Florida State.

Martin Jr. said he doesn't even want to think about playing without Posey -- a very real scenario for next season if Posey decides to enter the draft. Posey has already taken the step of hiring Jeff Berry, who is now an "advisor," but would become his agent.
"I'll be shocked if he doesn't go in the first five picks," Martin Jr. said. "I'll tell anybody that will listen: Having been with him for three years, he's Jason Varitek behind the plate and he's Derek Jeter as a hitter. I really believe that. He's that good."
The only thing that's certain, though, is that Posey is staying put behind the plate. (Except when he's pitching.)
"Catcher is where Buster Posey belongs," Martin said. "He literally just negates the running game. Guys don't get big leads off of first base with him back there. His arm is second to none in our program."
The Seminoles almost missed it.

One day last September, Martin Jr. and associate head coach Jamey Shouppe approached Martin and said, 'Let's try Buster behind the plate.'"
"I thought they were kidding," Martin said. "We went out there and watched him take five balls from the machine and I said, 'My gosh, this guy looks like he's been catching all his life.' The rest is history."
At first, Posey wasn't exactly comfortable with the position -- literally.
Last season, he would watch TV crouched like a catcher to help stretch his hips and get his body used to the alignment. He also had to get used to using his body to stop the ball in the dirt instead of trying to catch it.
"There's some good and bad about starting as late as I did," Posey said. "The good being I didn't have any bad habits from little league. The bad is I did have to learn a lot to catch up."
Not that anyone could tell.

In his first season behind the plate, Posey threw out 40.9 percent of potential base stealers and had a .994 fielding percentage. As a sophomore, he was the youngest finalist in the history of the Johnny Bench Award, which is given to the top catcher in the nation.

And all the while, he's kept his grades up -- way up. Posey, a finance major, was named to the President's List last spring for his 4.0 GPA, and made the Dean's List in the fall of 2005 and 2007.
What else does Posey do besides play baseball?

"School? There's nothing else to do, is there?" he said with a straight face. "Baseball and school, that's about all I do. That's about it, but I wouldn't have it any other way. I enjoy it, I really do. You have to."

http://sports.espn.go.com/photo/2008/0412/ncaa_j_posey_200.jpg
Jack Posey is following his brother's
footsteps.

Offensively, Posey leads the ACC in four categories, including batting average (.469), runs scored (47), total bases (112), and slugging percentage (.862). He was recently named the ACC's player of the week for his .625 batting average, team-high 10 hits and two home runs.
It's no coincidence the defending Atlantic Division champs started out 12-0 and are currently in the midst of a nine-game winning streak.
"We're off to obviously a surprising start," Martin said. "I never dreamed we would be where we are right now, but Buster Posey has played a big role in that."

Jack Posey, a freshman infielder and designated hitter at FSU, said he never expected to see his older brother behind the plate.
"Not coming out of high school," he said. "That was a big surprise. He's always been able to just take stuff in stride and do the best at it."
Jack Posey has started 10 games, but isn't at the same level as his brother -- yet. That hasn't been a point of contention in their relationship. In fact, Jack loves watching Buster excel. They share the same memory of their high school state championship game -- the last time they played on the same roster. Jack watched as Buster, the leadoff batter, hit a home run on the first pitch, against one of the top pitchers in the state.
"It's a great feeling," Jack said. "It doesn't get old at all."
"Playing together on the same college team," Buster Posey said, "that's always going to be a very special memory."
The question now is how quickly it will become one.

[McCovey]

A scouting report from minorleaguebaseball.com.

http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/events/draft_report/y2008/index.jsp?mc=posey

[McCovey]

Buster Posey Recipient Of Johnny Bench Award
The award is presented to the nation's top collegiate catcher.

June 27, 2008

Wichita, Kan. - Buster Posey was the recipient of the 2008 Johnny Bench Award as announced by the Greater Wichita Area Sports Commission in conjunction with AT&T and Papa John's Pizza Friday, June 27 at the Greater Wichita Sports Banquet. The award is presented annually to the nation's top collegiate catcher as voted on by Division I baseball coaches.

This marks the second straight year that Posey was named a finalist for the Bench Award. He finished second in the balloting a season ago becoming the first sophomore to achieve such a feat.

The other two finalists in 2008 included Stanford University's Jason Castro and Coastal Carolina's Dock Doyle.

"I am so excited for Buster," said head coach Mike Martin, who was in attendance at the banquet Friday night. "Buster had an outstanding season and is very deserving of this award. His outstanding play both on the offensive and defensive side played a major role in helping our ball club get back to the College World Series. Plus, I have to give a lot of credit to both Michael (Martin, Jr.) and Jamey (Shouppe) for coming up with the idea of moving Buster behind the plate after his freshman year. It was a move that paid huge dividends for our program over these last two years."

Posey finished the season as the national leader in six offensive categories including batting average, hits, RBI, total bases, slugging percentage and on-base percentage. The Leesburg, Ga., native became just the fourth student-athlete in Atlantic Coast Conference history to capture baseball's version of the triple crown as he finished the season leading the league in batting average (.463), home runs (26) and RBI (93).

Just last week, Posey was honored for his stellar work behind the plate claiming the Rawlings Gold Glove Award as he posted a .983 fielding percentage in 62 starts. He closed out the 2008 campaign throwing out 40.7 percent of would be base stealers while registering six pick offs. Posey committed just eight errors on the year closing out the season with a 12-game errorless streak. He had just four errors over his last 62 games.

Posey was named Player of the Year by Collegiate Baseball, Baseball America and Rivals.com in 2008. He also captured the Dick Howser Trophy and received consensus first team All-America accolades. Posey added Most Outstanding Player of the Tallahassee Regional after hitting .474 (9-for-19) with five home runs and 13 RBIs in leading Florida State back to the College World Series for the first time since 2000.

In the ACC, the junior catcher was named Player of the Year while nabbing first team accolades for the second consecutive year. He finished the regular season batting .479 in 30 league games leading the Seminoles to their second straight Atlantic Division title and the number two overall seed in the ACC Baseball Championship.

Posey was chosen fifth overall by the San Francisco Giants in the 2008 Major League Baseball First Year Player Draft.

[McCovey]

Buster Posey Captures ACC Triple Crown
The junior catcher becomes just the fourth student-athlete in ACC history to win the triple crown.

June 26, 2008

Tallahassee, Fla. - In a feat rarely seen in baseball at any level, fans in Tallahassee and nationally were treated to a little piece of history in 2008. Adding to an already impressive resume, Buster Posey became just the fourth student-athlete in Atlantic Coast Conference history to capture baseball's version of the triple crown as he finished the season leading the league in batting average (.463), home runs (26) and RBI (93).

The last player to win the league's triple crown was FSU's Marshall McDougall who hit. .419 with 28 home runs and 106 RBI in 1999. Maryland's Derek Hacopian (1992 - .421 average, 23 home runs and 84 RBI) and Clemson's Denny Walling (1975 - .421 average, 13 home runs and 60 RBI) complete the short list of triple crown winners in ACC laurels.

Posey set the Florida State single-season record for batting average hitting .463 (119 hits in 257 at-bats) in 2008. The average eclipsed the previous school record of .455 set by J.D. Drew in 1997. He ended the year with a career-high 20-game hit streak. It was the fourth time this season that Posey put together a string of double-digit hit streaks. The Leesburg, Ga., native registered hit streaks of 13 games, 12 games and 11 games this year.

Thanks to a five home run outburst in the NCAA Tallahassee Regional, Posey became the first Seminole to reach the 20 home run plateau since McDougall and Matt Diaz hit 28 and 21, respectively in 1999. Posey added two more blasts in the Tallahassee Super Regional bringing his season total to 26 home runs, the most in a single-season since Eddy Martinez-Esteve clubbed 19 in 2004. Posey's 26 dingers tied him with Chris Cawthon for seventh place in a single year among Seminole players.

Posey's 93 RBI were the most since 2002 when Ryan Barthelemy drove in 94 runs. Overall, the junior catcher guided the Seminoles to its best hitting season in school and ACC history as Florida State ended the year with a team batting average of .355. The mark surpassed the previous record of .350 set a season ago.

Nationally, Posey fell just short of completing the triple crown sweep. He finished the year ranked first in average and RBI and tied for third in home runs falling two behind LSU's Matt Clark and Georgia's Gordon Beckham.

Dating back to 1968, there has been only one student-athlete to win the NCAA triple crown as Indiana's Mike Smith led the nation in average (.490), home runs (27) and RBI (95) in 1992.

[Bear]

This guy sounds like the real deal. I hope so for the Giants sake.

What do you know about minor leaguer C.J. Ziegler. I hear he may be a 1B prospect.

[McCovey]

This guy sounds like the real deal. I hope so for the Giants sake.

What do you know about minor leaguer C.J. Ziegler. I hear he may be a 1B prospect.
Ziegler is in the Arizona League right now. In seven games he's hitting .407/.452/.889 with 3 HR, 11 RBI, 4 R. Why is this college kid in low A-Ball :shrug:? I think he'll be moved up to San Jose very soon. I'll try to dig up some scouting reports. He's a big kid, 6'4", 225 lbs, 22 years old.

[Bear]

For all the bitching we do about the Giants farm system they seem to be doing a pretty good job of bringing in prospects. Now if they can only make it to the big club!:rolleyes:

[McCovey]

For all the bitching we do about the Giants farm system they seem to be doing a pretty good job of bringing in prospects. Now if they can only make it to the big club!:rolleyes:
It does seem that the Giants have some hitting prospects now. Still they haven't developed a quality starting position player since Bill Mueller. And Mueller wasn't really a quality player until after he left the Giants.

[Bear]

It does seem that the Giants have some hitting prospects now. Still they haven't developed a quality starting position player since Bill Mueller. And Mueller wasn't really a quality player until after he left the Giants.


What no love for Pete Happy?:pound::pound:

[McCovey]

Pete Happy? :shrug:

[Bear]

Pete Happy? :shrug:


Pedro Feliz!:pound:

[McCovey]

Pedro Feliz!:pound:
That went completely over my head! :pound:

[Bear]

That went completely over my head! :pound:

I find that hard to believe!;)

[McCovey]

I'm a little excited about this kid, Posey. He seems to be a good athlete, smart kid (3.93 GPA), and a quick learner. I hope he signs soon so he can get through the Giants' farm system quickly.

[Bear]

There was talk on the radio today that if he signs soon the Giants plan to give him a September call-up. Is that soon enough.;)

[McCovey]

There was talk on the radio today that if he signs soon the Giants plan to give him a September call-up. Is that soon enough.;)
Sure why not. I'm hoping he starts at San Jose so I can go check him out.

[McCovey]

There's no word yet on Posey signing. What's taking so long? :shrug: The draft was over a month ago. I hope Posey doesn't blow this year by not signing. Losing a season of development is a bad idea.

[McCovey]

Still no news of Posey's signing. August is around the corner. Sheesh. :rolleyes:

[McCovey]

Still no Posey signing. This is getting ridiculous! :rolleyes:

[Bear]

Still no Posey signing. This is getting ridiculous! :rolleyes:

I hope Brian Sabean feels his chair getting hotter. :mad:

[McCovey]

I can't find any details of the issues that are holding back Posey's signing. :shrug: Both sides are keeping it close to the vest. But the Giants only have until August 15th to sign Posey or they loses the rights to Posey. :rolleyes:

[Bear]

I can't find any details of the issues that are holding back Posey's signing. :shrug: Both sides are keeping it close to the vest. But the Giants only have until August 15th to sign Posey or they loses the rights to Posey. :rolleyes:

And if this happens Sabean should lose his job. This Kid should have been locked up before they drafted him. It is too improtant a pick to lose.

[McCovey]

And if this happens Sabean should lose his job. This Kid should have been locked up before they drafted him. It is too improtant a pick to lose.
Well I don't think the Giants could have signed him before the draft because the Giants didn't have the #1 overall pick. But they really should have worked hard to sign him right after they drafted him. It's already August and the single A leagues only have about five weeks in their seasons. So even if the Giants sign Posey right away he's lost lots of playing time in '08 which will only delay his development.

[SF Kid]

Don't worry Bear Sabean isn't losing his job. Clearly he has some rather compromising Polaroids of somebody to have lasted this long. Don't see that changing no matter how bad he screws up. The team is just poorly run. Pretty simple concept.

[McCovey]

The Giants have 9 days to sign Posey. :o






POST #700!

[McCovey]

From albanyherald.com, July 14, 2008


Posey, Giants mum on negotiations


More than a month removed from the MLB Draft, Leesburg’s Buster Posey and the San Francisco Giants – who picked Posey fifth overall – still have yet to agree to terms.

Danny Aller (danny.aller@albanyherald.com)

When the Major League Baseball All-Star break officially begins today, the game’s present stars will take the field in at Yankee Stadium in New York.
But across the country in San Francisco, the Giants continue to wonder about the status of its future ones.
The Giants’ top four draft picks taken in the June 5 MLB First-Year Player Draft remain unsigned, most notably its first-round selection at No. 5 overall, Florida State junior catcher and Leesburg native Buster Posey.
And unfortunately, neither side is saying much about where the negotiations stand.
"When we're in the process of signing new players, whether a free-agent or a drafted player, we really don't discuss or characterize negotiations out of respect for both sides," Bobby Evans, the Giants' director of player personnel, told The Herald during a telephone interview Friday afternoon.
"We want to be helpful, but I'm not sure what to say beyond that. We just don't talk about negotiations (that are still ongoing)."
Attempts to reach Posey or his reported representative, Jeff Berry, were unsuccessful. Posey returned to Leesburg last week after winning the Brooks Wallace Award in Lubbock, Texas, and will be in New York on Wednesday as one of the finalists poised to win arguably college baseball's most coveted honor, the Golden Spikes Award.
With the Giants' top four picks still unsigned, it doesn't appear unusual that Posey and the team haven't reached terms. In fact, Evans said that of the 50 players the Giants selected in the 2008 Draft, only "22 of the 50 are currently signed." All players have until Aug. 15 — the MLB deadline for anyone taken in the 2008 Draft — to ink a contract.
However, the clock may be ticking faster for Posey than others.
While Evans is the point man for negotiations with the FSU star, San Francisco GM Brian Sabean was quoted in a Santa Rosa (Calif.) Press Democrat report July 4 as saying that if Posey was not signed by the All-Star break, that per organizational policy, Posey likely would be issued a 2009 minor-league contract and would miss the remainder of the 2008 minor-league season.
"It would probably be a post-dated contract if he waits that long," Sabean told the Press Democrat. "If you've laid off and don't get out till that time, really the rest of the minor league season is an exercise in futility, to waste that protection year."
The "protection year" Sabean speaks of means, according to MLB rules, college players do not have to be protected on the 40-man roster until after their third season, which would assure Posey would be a member of the Giants' organization through at least 2011, rather than 2010 if he was to sign a 2008 minor-league contract and immediately go into the Giants' farm system.
When asked about Sabean's comments, Evans said he hadn't read the Press Democrat article, but then added: "If Brian said that, then ... he runs the show. That's certainly been our policy we've operated under in the past, but I'm not prepared at this time to say (definitively) what we would do if he's not signed before the All-Star break because I haven't read Brian's quote."
Of course, there's always the other option — and it's one both sides likely don't want.
If Posey and the team don't come to terms by the Aug, 15 deadline, he would then have the option of either returning to Florida State for his senior year or playing for a non-MLB-affiliated organization for a season until he could re-enter the draft the following season. Such was the case of former Florida State star and Lowndes native J.D. Drew, who was drafted No. 2 overall by the Philadelphia Phillies in 1997, but when he and the team couldn't agree by the deadline (Drew and agent Scott Boras reportedly wouldn't settle for less than a $10 million signing bonus), Drew chose to play one year for the St. Paul Saints of the independent Northern League.
One year later, Drew re-entered the MLB Draft and was taken fifth overall by the St. Louis Cardinals.
And not signing is an option Posey likely is keeping open, according to the player's comments to The Herald in May when it was reported he would likely be a Top 5 pick by MLB.com.
When Posey was asked if it was a forgone conclusion that he would not return to Florida State for his senior year no matter where he was taken in the 2008 Draft, he responded: "It would matter where I was selected and what kind of deal I was offered, and if it was fair. I wouldn’t say that no matter where I was selected, however, I’m leaving for (the majors). But I would like to start my professional career."
According to an ESPN report on the day of the draft, Posey was looking for a signing bonus in the neighborhood of $12 million, although those reports – by Posey, his representative or the Giants -- have never been confirmed. So far, only two of the draft's Top 10 picks have been signed: The Tampa Bay Rays' Tim Beckham (No. 1 overall, $6.15 million bonus) and the Florida Marlins' Kyle Skipworth, (No. 6 overall, $2.3 million signing bonus).
Evans said that typically the Giants aim to have their draft picks signed "within 10 days, barring postseason expectations, like the College World Series or other delays."
Once signed, however, the Giants' process of getting them onto the field is swift.
"First we get them out to Arizona for a physical. Upon completing the physical, depending how much time off they've had, we try to work them back in slowly in a kind of mini-spring training," Evans said. "But no matter who it is, we proceed cautiously. It could've been a number of weeks or months since a guy has played, or even 10 days in the case in some of our pitchers, we try to get everyone up to speed as carefully as possible."
Of course, in the case of Posey, first things first, says Evans --- and that's agreeing to a contract and getting the Leesburg star's talents in a Giants uniform.
"Buster had a great year, no question about it. We are happy to have drafted a player who really rose to the occasion in college baseball and led Florida State in so many different ways," Evans said. "He was projected as being a solid major-league player one day, both offensively and defensively.
"But ultimately, as you imagine, if a player doesn't sign, it's up to him at that point what he does with his career."

[McCovey]

I don't how I missed this. But Posey won the Golden Spikes Award for college baseball's top player! This is quite an honor, like the Heisman Trophy for baseball.


USA TODAY, July 17, 2008

NEW YORK (AP) — Florida State's Buster Posey won USA Baseball's Golden Spikes Award on Wednesday, becoming just the second catcher to be honored as the nation's top amateur player.

Posey, the Atlantic Coast Conference player of the year, led the NCAA in batting average (.472), on-base percentage (.572) and slugging percentage (.908). The junior led Florida State with six saves and did not give up an earned run in eight appearances.

He was the fifth overall pick by the San Francisco Giants in the June draft.

The other finalists were Georgia shortstop Gordon Beckham, Missouri pitcher Aaron Crow, San Diego pitcher Brian Matusz and Arizona State third baseman Brett Wallace.

"Each year it becomes increasingly more difficult for our selection committee to select just one athlete for the Golden Spikes Award, and 2008 was no different," said USA Baseball executive director Paul Seiler, who presented the award to Posey at the Sports Museum of America. "Buster Posey, however, separated himself from the other candidates with an exceptional year both at the plate and as a leader of his Florida State ballclub. We are honored to present him with the 2008 trophy."

The only other catcher to win the Golden Spikes Award in its 31-year history was Jason Varitek, who received it in 1994 when he was at Georgia Tech.

Last year's winner was Vanderbilt pitcher David Price, who was drafted first overall and is playing in the minor leagues for Tampa Bay.

Other notable winners of the Golden Spikes Award were Giants right-hander Tim Linecum; Phillies outfielder Pat Burrell and All-Star game MVP J.D. Drew of the Boston Red Sox.

[McCovey]

Here's a great photo of Posey. He looks like a serious young man. :)

[McCovey]

The Giants now have just one week to sign Posey. :mad:

[Bear]

The Giants now have just one week to sign Posey. :mad:

Listen to the pod-cast on KNBR with Sabean. He is acting like its a done deal.:confused:

[McCovey]

Listen to the pod-cast on KNBR with Sabean. He is acting like its a done deal.:confused:
That's great news! :beerbang:

[McCovey]

The more I read about Posey the more I am impressed by him.


2008 College Player Of The Year

Posey's season is one for the ages

By Aaron Fitt, Baseball America
June 12, 2008

Three years ago, most scouts thought Buster Posey's future was on the mound. Two years ago, he was a standout freshman shortstop at Florida State. Last year, he moved behind the plate and earned second-team All-America honors in just his first season ever catching.

In 2008, Posey turned in one of the finest seasons ever by a college catcher, earning him Baseball America's College Player of the Year award. Heading into super-regionals, Posey led the nation in batting (.468), on-base percentage (.572), slugging (.897), RBIs (86), hits (109) and total bases (209). He was just two behind the national leader in home runs with 24—more than triple his career total heading into the year. And his stellar defense and leadership behind the plate helped carry the Seminoles to the brink of the College World Series for the first time since 2001. That entire package also made Posey the No. 5 overall pick in the draft to the Giants.

We featured Posey in depth earlier this season, so we'll let others do the talking this time. Those who have coached Posey and coached against him, as well as Posey himself, tried to put his historic season in context.

Florida State coach Mike Martin: "I honestly think it was Posey's leadership more than anything else that got us through the regional (after losing the opener to Bucknell). He just has a calmness but yet a firmness about him that filters over to the freshmen. We really have a young club. So it's Posey's leadership more than anything. And of course when the leader produces like he did, it's almost unreal. I wanted to give him the second Bucknell game off from catching—I was going to DH him. He looked me in the eye and said one word: 'What?' Immediately the magic marker wrote '2' beside Posey.

"I guess the most remarkable thing about Buster's year is the desire to have the ball in his hand in the last inning of a one-run game. You'll see guys back off of that that maybe haven't pitched in three weeks. Posey will look you in the eye and say, 'I'm ready.' He is one of a kind. They just don't come along every five years like this guy. I've been here 34 years, I've never had a catcher used as a closer, never had a closer go out there and not give up a run in seven or eight appearances—and each time the game is on the line. He is one special player, and I'm proud to say student-athlete. Because that's what he is, he's a student-athlete.

"Last weekend, his last at-bat in the first Tulane game, we had a lead. I'm standing there where I always do, and I looked up, and everybody was standing up. Sixty-two hundred people. Every single person in the stadium was standing up—screaming for Buster. He had hit two home runs already, and they're all standing up. And I'm thinking, 'My gosh, what kind of pressure must this be on a 21-year old guy?' Then the next night, they're serenading him with a song that a hundred of the Animals (FSU's fans) have written about Buster. They're singing, like: 'Buster Posey, he'll hit a home run or he'll walk, or he'll throw you out.' They're just serenading at the top of their lungs. Then all of a sudden the people pick up on the words. That's some kind of pressure. J.D. Drew did not have a song written about him, and people did not stand up and cheer the whole time he was hitting. It was a special moment in my career to see the reaction of appreciative fans, truly watching one of a kind.

"I've never had a player like Buster Posey. I'm not saying he's the best I've ever had, but I've never had a player like him. And I might not ever have a player like Buster Posey again.

Miami coach Jim Morris: "Well, he destroyed us; he was outstanding. I've heard Mike Martin say he thinks (Posey) might be the best player ever to play at Florida State, and I would have to agree with him, and I've been competing against Florida State for 25 years. Every phase of the game—he can hit, throw, receive, hit home runs—he's just outstanding in every phase."

Florida coach Kevin O'Sullivan: "As far as going from a shortstop/righthander and in only two years learning the catching position as well as he has is quite an accomplishment, and not only learning the post but excelling at it is quite amazing. He receives the ball well, it's clean, he's got a strong arm, and on top of that he's added some power to his bat as he's gone along. He's improved in all parts of his game. With his body, there's certainly more room for growth. He's an athletic kid, and who knows how much stronger he can get?

"I think he's certainly separated himself from the rest of the top players in the country. He's just kind of a quiet leader on that team. He's certainly handled the pitching staff very well; he makes them go. He's durable, and to be where he's at now from where he started is pretty amazing."

Tulane coach Rick Jones: "He's an outstanding receiver, he's got a great throwing arm, an accurate throwing arm, and that's why they close with him. When you watch him between innings, you can see he plays the game the right way. His numbers are throwback numbers, to 10 or 15 years ago—you just don't see those kind of numbers anymore, especially in that conference. It was really fun to watch him play in that regional, except that we were playing him. Having coached Jason Varitek for three years, I see a lot of the same qualities: makeup, leadership, he's under control, he just seemed like another coach on the field. It goes past the ability. He's always under control. He's that guy in the middle of the lineup where we say, 'Oh man, I hope he comes up with nobody on.'"

Buster Posey: "It's tough to really reflect on (the season) right now. It's been a whirlwind. It's been a lot of fun, it really has, I've enjoyed it.

"I'd say probably the biggest change for me since I got to Florida State is just my maturity as a player and understanding the game better. Being able to play under Coach Martin for three years and having two years of experience in the Cape, you learn the game a lot better, and I feel like I have a better understanding of the game and how it's played, how it should be played."

[McCovey]

Apparently, Posey had one of the great college baseball seasons ever, especially for a catcher.

In 68 games Posey

257 ABs, .463/.566/.879, 26 HR, 21 doubles, 4 triples, 119 H, 89 R, 93 RBI, 57 BB, 29 Ks, 5 SB

-2008 Golden Spikes Award (given to the best amateur baseball player)
-2008 Johnny Bench Award (given to the best catcher in college baseball)
-2008 Dick Howser Trophy (College baseball's version of the Heisman Trophy)
-2008 Brooks Wallace Award (given to the best college player by the College Baseball Foundation)
-2008 ACC Triple Crown winner
-2008 1st Team College All-American
-2008 Baseball America's College Baseball Player of the Year
-2008 NCAA Academic All-American

[Bear]

Apparently, Posey had one of the great college baseball seasons ever, especially for a catcher.

In 68 games Posey

257 ABs, .463/.566/.879, 36 HR, 21 doubles, 4 triples, 119 H, 89 R, 93 RBI, 57 BB, 29 Ks, 5 SB

-2008 Golden Spikes Award (given to the best amateur baseball player)
-2008 Johnny Bench Award (given to the best catcher in college baseball)
-2008 Dick Howser Trophy (College baseball's version of the Heisman Trophy)
-2008 Brooks Wallace Award (given to the best college player by the College Baseball Foundation)
-2008 ACC Triple Crown winner
-2008 1st Team College All-American
-2008 Baseball America's College Baseball Player of the Year
-2008 NCAA Academic All-American

This all means nothing to me unless he signs with the Giants!:mad:

[McCovey]

The Giants have until late Friday night to sign Posey! :mad:

[McCovey]

The Giant have until 11:59:59 pm Friday (8/15/08) to sign Posey. :mad:

[McCovey]

Ok, I just found out if the Giants don't sign Posey they get the #5 pick in the '09 draft again plus their other top pick as well. So it wouldn't be a total loss. IMO Posey is being greedy. Some points

The top pick in the '08 draft signed for $6.15 million. The #6 pick signed for $2.3 million. Posey is NOT going to get the $12 million supposedly he is asking for. If he doesn't sign he has two options.

1) Return to Florida State in '09
2) Play in an independent minor league next spring until the draft (like J.D. Drew did 10 years ago)

Either way Posey loses IMO. If he returns to Florida State he's unlikely to reproduce his huge '08 season in '09. If he goes the independent league route and he struggles his draft stock will drop significantly in '09. I bet the Giants are offering somewhere in the $5.5 million range. :rolleyes: Come on Buster, just sign the damn contract and get your professional career going. We need you at AT&T Park ASAP!

[Swede]

Rookies have attitudes. Whatever happened to proving your worth? Alex Smith.... big bucks and can't throw a pass down field. Athletes need to understand that they are pricing the family out of profesional sports. There will be a change, but when?

[Bear]

Rookies have attitudes. Whatever happened to proving your worth? Alex Smith.... big bucks and can't throw a pass down field. Athletes need to understand that they are pricing the family out of profesional sports. There will be a change, but when?

When the fan says BASTA! (Enough)

[McCovey]

Fan will never say BASTA! They love their sports way too much. Look how much fans are willing to spend on the NFL. It's just not the ridiculously high ticket prices but when you go to a game how many fans are wearing team jerseys, and other team clothing? All that stuff is really expensive! Fans pay way over $100 for a team a jersey. Fans buy stupid helmet phones, team beer mugs, team towels, etc. How much do fans pay for their NFL cable packages just so they can watch eight games at once on Sundays? All this stuff makes the NFL filthy rich! And baseball is doing the same thing. :rolleyes: And fans will NEVER stop watching sports because they are addicted to sports.

[McCovey]

Rookies have attitudes. Whatever happened to proving your worth? Alex Smith.... big bucks and can't throw a pass down field. Athletes need to understand that they are pricing the family out of profesional sports. There will be a change, but when?
That's not really true. If player salaries were to be cut by 50% across the board immediately do you think the teams would pass that savings on to the fans? No way. :rolleyes:

[SF Kid]

No, they'd just put it in their pockets and SMILE, baby!

[Swede]

Some put it up their nose, drink it down and drive, bet on dogs, etc. If I got caught doing what many of the pro's do, I would be publically trashed and fired from my job. They get to keep their millions and their job. Something is not right.......

[McCovey]

There is still no news on Posey signing a contract. The Giants have about 62 hours to sign him! :mad:

[Bear]

There is still no news on Posey signing a contract. The Giants have about 62 hours to sign him! :mad:

Tic, Tic, Tic the clock is running out on Posey, and on Brian Sabean's career.

[McCovey]

Seriously, If Sabean fails to sign Posey he should be fired! :mad:

[SF Kid]

Seriously, If Sabean fails to sign Posey he should be fired! :mad:Forget it Mac. Sabean isn't going anywhere. He is our cross to bear (no pun intended). :D

[McCovey]

Forget it Mac. Sabean isn't going anywhere. He is our cross to bear (no pun intended). :D
I know! :(

[Bear]

I know! :(

Do not be so sure with a new managing general partner coming in. All bets are off when he take control.:nono:

[McCovey]

I'm hoping the new managing general partner will take a thorough look at the organization and make the appropriate changes.

[McCovey]

According to the San Jose Mercury News, the Giants have signed Posey! Finally!


Giants set to hand Posey an estimated $7.5 million

REPORTS PLACE BONUS IN $7.5 MIL NEIGHBORHOOD

By Andrew Baggarly Mercury News
08/13/2008

HOUSTON — The Giants are on the cusp of signing first-round pick Buster Posey to a major league contract worth roughly $7.5 million, industry sources told the Mercury News.

The signing bonus, while spread over multiple years, would obliterate the club record for an amateur player. Dominican teenage outfielder Rafael Ramirez received $2.55 million in July.

It's also would exceed the $6.15 million that Tampa Bay gave to the first overall pick, high school shortstop Tim Beckham.

Giants player personnel director Bobby Evans declined to confirm the buzz among industry-wide sources, saying said the club would announce deals once they have been completed. But General Manager Brian Sabean said earlier Wednesday that the club might not sweat to the 11th hour of Friday's deadline.

"Possibly, but it's getting closer,'' Sabean said.

Posey, who won the Golden Spikes award as the best amateur player in the country, led Florida State to the College World Series and projects as a Gold Glove catcher with premier offensive skills.

The Giants also went beyond the recommended slot value to sign their third-round pick, Texas Tech outfielder Roger Kieschnick. He received a $525,000 bonus, $40,000 over the recommended amount. The club didn't announce a deal with their fourth-round pick, UCLA shortstop Brandon Crawford, but Bruins officials have been told that he signed for $375,000 — exceeding slot value by $92,000

[McCovey]

More confirmation...


Top-pick Posey rumored to have signed
08/14/2008 4:10 PM ETBy Chris Haft / MLB.com

HOUSTON -- All signs point toward the Giants inking catcher Buster Posey, their No. 1 selection in June's First-Year Player Draft, before Friday's 9 p.m. PT deadline.

Though no formal announcement was scheduled, club officials spoke privately of the signing as if it were a done deal. The San Jose Mercury News reported that Posey will receive a bonus of approximately $7.5 million.
Posey, a Florida State University product, won this year's Golden Spikes Award as the nation's top amateur player and was the Draft's fifth pick overall.


Meanwhile, the Giants officially announced the signing of UCLA shortstop Brandon Crawford, their fourth-round selection. He hit .302 with 53 runs scored, seven home runs and 51 RBIs in 60 games this year and finished with a .319 average in three seasons for the Bruins. Industry sources said that Crawford received a $375,000 signing bonus.


San Francisco has now signed 26 of its first 31 draftees.

[McCovey]

There is still no offical confirmation from the Giants' organization that Posey has been signed. But it appears than he has. He has been spotted in Arizona, at the Giants minor league facility.


Top-pick Posey reportedly near signing
08/14/2008 4:05 PM ET
By Chris Haft / MLB.com

HOUSTON -- Indications, including a published report, are that the Giants are nearing an agreement with catcher Buster Posey, their No. 1 selection in June's First-Year Player Draft, before Friday's 9 p.m. PT deadline.

Though no formal announcement was scheduled by the club, the San Jose Mercury News reported that Posey will receive a bonus of approximately $7.5 million.

According to other published reports, Posey recently checked into the Giants' training facility in Scottsdale, Ariz., to undergo a physical, another sign an agreement could be forthcoming.

Posey, a Florida State University product, won this year's Golden Spikes Award as the nation's top amateur player and was the Draft's fifth pick overall.

Meanwhile, the Giants officially announced the signing of UCLA shortstop Brandon Crawford, their fourth-round selection. He hit .302 with 53 runs scored, seven home runs and 51 RBIs in 60 games this year and finished with a .319 average in three seasons for the Bruins. Industry sources said that Crawford received a $375,000 signing bonus.
San Francisco has now signed 26 of its first 31 draftees.

[SF Kid]

Where there is smoke there's fire. I'm sure it's done.

[McCovey]

Where there is smoke there's fire. I'm sure it's done.
Let's just hope so. :)

[McCovey]

Now that Posey is in the Giants' fold I wonder where will he debut professionally. He hasn't played since I think June so he's got to be rusty. I think A San Jose may be too tough a league to start out. He may start at low-A Augusta instead.

[SF Kid]

I wish I knew but I have no idea what exactly is taken into consideration for starting a player at one level or the other. I was under the impression the amount of money they are paid had something to do with it. It's kind of a pressure thing.

[McCovey]

I think since the minor league seasons are winding down they might just put him where he might get the most ABs. I wouldn't be surprised if he was sent to San Jose to play in the California League. He is a polished college player or so they say.

[McCovey]

Some heads up where Posey may end up at this year.


Posey beats deadline, signs with Giants

BY STEVE ELLIS
FLORIDA TODAY
August 17, 2008

Buster Posey has never been much for making predictions. That won't change now that he's taken his first step from Florida State -- where he was the nation's top player this past season -- to professional baseball.
Posey left any timetable for reaching the major leagues to his new employers -- the San Francisco Giants who signed the catcher to a record $6.2 million bonus late Friday night.

"Obviously it's been a life-long dream of mine to get to this point," said Posey, who led FSU to a College World Series as a junior. "The biggest thing is the opportunity that I have to hopefully become an impact player for the San Francisco Giants for a long time."

But the Giants management, who would like to see Posey on a fast track to the big leagues, also was vague on the subject during a teleconference that included Posey and Giants Director of Personnel Bobby Evans.
"I don't like to put a timetable on anybody," Evans said, "and I am definitely not going to put one here on Buster."

The Giants signed Posey just before the 11:59 p.m. MLB deadline. The fifth overall pick in June's draft, Posey will report to their team in the Arizona Rookie League this week. From there, he could land at Salem in the Northwest League's short season that ends in early September.
Posey is not guaranteed an invitation to spring training, but that is a possibility, according to Evans. Talk of a timetable was not the only question that Posey deflected. When asked about the contract negotiations Posey only said that he was glad they were over.

FSU coaches never believed Posey would return for his senior season and he acknowledged that it was time to sign.

"Florida State for the past three years, I can't say enough about it," Posey said. "I've enjoyed it. But you know what? It's time to move on. I'm excited about getting started."

[McCovey]

Lincecum speaks on Posey.


Lincecum can appreciate Posey's challenges

John Shea, SF Gate
Sunday, August 17, 2008

(08-17) 04:00 PDT Atlanta - -- Buster Poseygot his record-setting $6.2 million deal. Now the real work begins.

The Giants said Posey, the fifth overall pick in the June draft, will spend a few days in the Arizona rookie league, then get reassigned. It's expected he'll go to Salem-Keizer of the Northwest League. Either way, he won't spend much time in pro ball this year. Salem-Keizer's season ends Sept. 3.
Two years ago, another highly touted college player selected by the Giants began his pro career, but Tim Lincecumgot a head start. He signed June 30, 2006, and made eight starts - two at Salem-Keizer, six at Class A San Jose.

Lincecum went a combined 2-0 with a 1.71 ERA, setting the tone for 2007, when he got an invitation to the Giants' spring training camp and tore up the Pacific Coast League (4-0, 0.29 ERA, five starts). By May, he was in the big leagues.

"Part of my contract was getting invited to spring training, but it's not like I earned it," Lincecum said. "I still had to prove myself."

Posey's contract does not guarantee an invite to spring training. But with his signing bonus three times bigger than Lincecum's $2.025 million, it's likely the Giants will want him there.

Posey's new teammates will include players who received no signing bonus. Asked if some minor-leaguers treated him differently because of the money, Lincecum said, "A lot of guys will judge you by that and not see the real person."

Lincecum said he tried to make sure the money wasn't an issue, saying, "A lot of signing bonuses come because of what you did in college. Once you get the signing bonus, what you did in college doesn't mean anything. You've got to prove yourself all over again."

Lincecum said he didn't put pressure on himself. "The expectations were mine, not anyone else's," he said.

He didn't hear about Posey's bonus - the largest in draft history - until told by a reporter before Saturday's game. If Posey reaches the majors and catches Lincecum, it would be an all-Golden Spikes award battery.
"That would be cool," Lincecum said.

[McCovey]

Still no word on where Posey will make his professional debut. http://www.augk18.dsl.pipex.com/Smileys/waiting.gif

[McCovey]

As I expected Posey has been assigned to Arizona Rookie League. He debuted on Friday, 8/22. He played in two games. He's 2 for 9 so far.

http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?n=Buster%20Posey&pos=C&sid=milb&t=p_pbp&pid=457763

[SF Kid]

I'm skeptical of anybody named "Buster"... LOL...isn't that the name you always give to your dog?

[McCovey]

I'm skeptical of anybody named "Buster"... LOL...isn't that the name you always give to your dog?
Well Buster Keaton was pretty funny. :pound:

Posey's full name is Gerald Demp Posey III. :p

[SF Kid]

Here Buster, here Buster. Time to go for a ride. :rotf:

[McCovey]

Here Buster, here Buster. Time to go for a ride. :rotf:
:shrug:

[SF Kid]

Just kidding.

[Bear]

I'm skeptical of anybody named "Buster"... LOL...isn't that the name you always give to your dog?


Better than Mutt or Triger!:eek:

[McCovey]

I'll keep a daily log of Posey's progress. Today, the AZL Giants lost to the AZL Angels 6-4.

Posey
2-4, 2 R, double, K

Season:
(4 for 13) .308/.308/.462, 2 doubles , 0 BB, 2 K

[McCovey]

Posey had a big night last night He went:

Posey
3 for 3, HR, triple, 3 RBI, 3 R, 2 BBs.

The HR is the first HR of Posey's professional career. :beerbang:

Season
7 fo 16, .438/.500/.938, HR, 3 doubles, 1 triple, 2 BB, 2 K

[SF Kid]

Thanks for the update. So does he comes up here to the big club in Sept.?

[McCovey]

Thanks for the update. So does he comes up here to the big club in Sept.?
I seriously doubt that he will. It's a HUGE jump from the Rookie Arizona League to the majors. He'll probably get an invitation to spring training in '09 though.

[McCovey]

After just seven games in the Rookie Arizona League, Posey has been moved up to the short season Salem-Keizer Volcanos of the Northwest League. He went 0 for 3 in his first game.

[SF Kid]

After just seven games in the Rookie Arizona League, Posey has been moved up to the short season Salem-Keizer Volcanos of the Northwest League. He went 0 for 3 in his first game.What? I'm putting him on the Bear's "get rid of him list"... :pound:

[McCovey]

What? I'm putting him on the Bear's "get rid of him list"... :pound:
:pound:

[McCovey]

I'd like to add that even though Posey went 0 for 3 in his first game with the Volcanoes he did get two walks and scored a run. And I just love players that can still help a team even if they don't get any hits. :beerbang:

[Bear]

09/04/2008
By Chris Haft
MLB.com

Giants fans living in the Bay Area can see catcher Buster Posey, the club's No. 1 Draft choice, playing this weekend for the organization's Class A San Jose affiliate.

Posey has joined the reigning California League champion Giants, his third team in a week, for their North Division playoff series against the winner of the Modesto-Stockton three-game mini-series. The North Division series opens with games in San Jose on Saturday and Sunday, at 6 p.m. PT and 5 p.m. PT, respectively.

Posey helped the Giants' Arizona Rookie League club win its championship last weekend, hitting .385 with one home run and four RBIs in seven games. He then collected three hits in 11 at-bats with two RBIs while spending three days with short-season affiliate Salem-Keizer, which captured its division title.

Playing for Florida State University, Posey won every major college player of the year award in 2008 by capturing the Golden Spikes Award, the Dick Howser Trophy and the Brooks Wallace Award in addition to claiming the Johnny Bench Award given to the nation's top collegiate catcher. Posey, 21, was named Player of the Year by Baseball America and Collegiate Baseball after leading the country in batting average (.463), hits (119), RBIs (93), total bases (226), slugging percentage (.879) and on-base percentage (.566). He hit 26 homers in 68 games.

This guy is really on the fast track! :D

[McCovey]

I think the Giants are trying to get Posey as many ABs as possible since he signed very late. I'm sure Posey will play in the Arizona Fall League as well and will probably get a spring training invitation. Who knows, perhaps he'll get a call up to the big leagues in a few weeks to give him a taste of major league pitching. The kid is talented for sure.

[Bear]

Gwen Knapp
Sunday
September 7, 2008

Buster Posey received jersey No. 49 purely by coincidence, according to a vice president for the San Jose Giants. The clubhouse manager who assigned the number to Posey this week is different from the one who gave it to Tim Lincecum here two years ago. He couldn't have understood the significance.

But the parent club 50 miles to the north hopes these two end up sharing a lot in the coming years - All-Star trips, national awards, playoff games, perhaps even the nickname that Lincecum acquired in the minors, the Franchise. Lincecum, courting the Cy Young Award in his second major-league season, already has arrived on the big stage. Posey simply has arrived in San Jose, where he played for the Class A Giants in their California League Northern Division playoff opener Saturday night.

In front of 3,713 fans, a record crowd for a San Jose playoff game, Posey strode to the plate to the sounds of his college walk-up music, ZZ Top's "Tush." He flied out to deep center in his first at-bat, then walked, struck out and finally singled in a run during an eighth-inning rally for a 5-3 comeback win over the A's affiliate from Stockton. Posey also threw out a runner.

After the game, player personnel director Bobby Evans and former Giants manager Felipe Alou visited the clubhouse. As he shook hands with Posey, Alou, a Florida resident, told him that he had followed his career at Florida State.

Over the last eight days, Posey has been on three teams, going from the rookie league in Arizona to the short-season Class A club in Oregon and then to Municipal Stadium in San Jose. The hectic pace compensates somewhat for the two months he spent away from the game, waiting out the drama of his contract negotiations. His agent and the Giants agreed to a $6.2 million signing bonus right at the deadline on Aug. 15.

"It was 11:58, I think," Posey said and gave a quick grin.

That's pretty much all he had to say about the moment, which kept the Bay Area in suspense, hoping that the Giants hadn't squandered the No. 5 pick in the draft on someone they couldn't or wouldn't sign. For all the hype and anxiety that surrounded him, Posey doesn't seem like the type to create a soap opera.

He doesn't particularly enjoy talking about himself, and when he met with two reporters after batting practice, he kept his answers short and simple, delivering them politely. During the contract standoff, he said, he let his agent handle the business affairs and just assumed that he would go back to school for his senior year if the deal didn't materialize.

In the lag between the College World Series and the end of contract negotiations, Posey worked out and spent time with his family in Leesburg, Ga., and with his fiancee, Kristen Powell. They've been dating since the end of high school, and they're planning a January wedding. His life, in other words, went on as usual.

"I feel like I love baseball, but baseball doesn't define me," Posey said.

But for the Giants, he is absolutely a defining player. Because of the organization's inability to cultivate many everyday players in the past decade, the anticipation and anxiety about Posey's development has inflated to proportions usually reserved for an NFL draft pick. Posey grew up a Braves fan, and though he studied Giants history after they chose him, he said he was unaware of this particular shortcoming.

Besides, it appears that he is a natural at filling gaps for a team.

A freshman All-America shortstop at Florida State, Posey agreed to become a catcher when his coaches pointed out that they needed someone there. He made the transition without inhibiting his offense, a fairly remarkable achievement for someone who had not caught before.

But like most college catchers, Posey didn't call pitches. It's assumed that he will adapt well because he was a good student; the finance major said his college grade-point average was close to 3.8. But pitch selection, and the psychological care and feeding of pitchers, rarely come immediately to a young player.

San Jose manager Steve Decker, a former catcher, planned to step in and call pitches for Posey if necessary, but after the game, he said he didn't need to do much of it. Decker said that Brian Harper, a roving catching instructor for the Giants, had done some research on developing young catchers and confirmed what they both suspected. The most successful catchers tend to spend at least 300 games in the minors before they make the move to the parent club.

As of Saturday, Posey was on Game No. 11. So it could be awhile before he sets up behind the plate and calls a game for Lincecum. For now, they'll have to be connected through the imaginations of Giants fans, and that jersey.

"That's neat, I didn't know that," Posey said after Saturday's game, when a reporter told him about the number's history.

At the end of the weekend, the jersey will be auctioned off. Juliana Paoli, the club's vice president of marking and public affairs, said the team keeps jerseys for three years, so this one dates back to Lincecum's time. In other words, only a washing machine separates their sweat.

Paoli insists the auction was not planned to coincide with Posey's arrival. It was simply No. 49's turn to go on the block. But premeditation wouldn't be such a bad thing. In fact, the Giants can only hope that 10 years from now, the buyer has a fabulously valuable souvenir and considers it part of the team's grand plan.

osey's season stats

At Florida State: Hit .463 in 68 games with 26 home runs, .566 on-base percentage, .879 slugging percentage, 93 RBIs.

In Arizona League: Hit .385 in seven games with one home run, three doubles, one triple, five walks, .484 on-base percentage and four RBIs.

At Salem-Keizer short-season Class A: Hit

.273 in three games with two doubles, three walks, .429 on-base percentage and two RBIs.

At San Jose Class A: Went 1-for-3 with a walk and an RBI while debuting in a playoff game.


Man if all these kids pan out the Giants are going to be a fun team to watch.:beerbang:

[McCovey]

I love Posey but I think some Giants fan are getting carried away. Posey has been a pro ball player for less than three weeks. If he's going to be the Giants future catcher he's going to need at least 150-200 games in the minors at catcher to be ready. I would think 2010 would be the earliest we'd see him up in San Francisco. :)

[SF Kid]

Posey has been a pro ball player for less than three weeks.:rotf:

[McCovey]

:rotf:
What's so funny? :)

[McCovey]

On the way home from work I was listening to the Giants game. The giants announcers mentioned that Posey was at the game and that he was going to go play in the Hawai'ian Winter League.

[Bear]

By Mark Emmons
Mercury News
09/10/2008

The raw numbers and eyewitness accounts of Buster Posey's baseball exploits stretch the bounds of common sense.

As in, tall tales.

At Florida State, Posey led the nation in almost every offensive category. In one game, he played all nine positions and hit a grand slam. A natural shortstop, he took up catching as a college sophomore and then, as a junior, threw out 41 percent of would-be base-stealers. As a pitcher, he saved six games, never allowing an earned run.

When four teams passed on Posey before the Giants picked him in the June draft, Florida State Coach Mike Martin said: Yeah, well a couple of NBA teams didn't take Michael Jordan, either.

"All I can tell ya is Buster Posey is a Jason Varitek," added Martin, pausing for effect, "... who can run."

Rice Coach Wayne Graham said Posey "might be the best draft pick ever."

Adding to the too-good-to-be-true story is Posey's polite demeanor, his 3.8 grade-point average, how he hasn't spent any of his $6.2 million bonus and will marry his high school sweetheart in January.

Do we need to add that he steadfastly refuses to brag?

"I'm the wrong person to talk about myself," said Posey, 21, who joined the San Jose Giants for the California League playoffs. "It's just the way I was raised. I'm from a small town and my mom and dad brought me up to, as corny as it sounds, let your actions speak for themselves."

His actions are shouting. Just a few weeks into his pro career, he has already been promoted twice. But Posey also seemed unburdened by the high expectations for him among Giants fans weary of a farm system that hasn't produced an All-Star position player since Matt Williams.

"I guess I don't really know much about that," he said. "I just feel like whatever it is I'm going to do, I will do it as hard and as well as I possibly can."

"Buster" might be the perfect baseball name, but it had to grow on Gerald Dempsey Posey III.

"I've been called Buster since I was born," Posey said. "Of course as a kid, you get picked on a lot for a name like that. But I definitely like it now. It's who I am."

Posey also makes clear, though, that while he loves baseball, "It doesn't define who I am."

He grew up in the southern Georgia community of Leesburg, which has a population less than 3,000. He graduated fourth in his high school class before heading to Florida State and starred immediately at shortstop.

After his first season, Martin's son — a Seminoles assistant — broached the idea of moving Posey to catcher to fill a need.

"I just looked at him and said, 'Sure, let's take our All-American shortstop and slap catcher's gear on him,' " Martin recalled. "I thought he'd look like a Little Leaguer out there. But dad-gum, after five pitches he looked like he had been there his whole life."

This season, Posey's mind-bending statistics included a .463 batting average, 26 home runs and 93 RBIs in 68 games as he swept every major player of the year award.

It's no wonder the Giants were thrilled he was on the board when they selected. But on Aug. 15, as the midnight signing deadline approached, the team still hadn't reached a deal with Posey.

"It was like 11:58, I think," Posey said of when an agreement finally was struck that gave him the largest signing bonus in Giants history.
Life has been moving fast ever since. This boy of the South has hopscotched around the West from Scottsdale in the Arizona Rookie League to Salem-Keizer (Ore.) in the Northwest League and then San Jose.

One reason for bringing him here was so he could work with Manager Steve Decker, a former major league catcher who is credited with helping develop Pablo Sandoval, who started the season in San Jose before rocketing up to San Francisco.

While Decker said "we'll help him get better," Posey showed in his debut Saturday that he might not need that much assistance. He almost homered on the first pitch thrown to him, went 1 for 3 with an RBI single, threw out a baserunner and impressed the Giants brass with the way he caught touted right-hander Tim Alderson.

It's why General Manager Brian Sabean said the next day: "He was as advertised. He was a scout's dream."

Although Conor Gillaspie, the 37th overall pick in June, was promoted to San Francisco last weekend, Posey won't be joining him. (He hasn't even seen AT&T Park.) Instead, he'll head to the Arizona Instructional League and then the Hawaii Winter Baseball league for further grooming.

Posey said he has been given no indication that he'll do anything other than catch. But John Barr, who oversees the Giants scouting department, said the organization doesn't want to put any limitations on his versatility.

Well, except pitch.

But Martin, who has witnessed so many of Posey's feats, has learned never to doubt his ability.

"It would be a bold statement for me to say Buster could be a big league pitcher," Martin said. "But not a stretch of the truth."

After reading this article I think it is possible Molina is gone at the end of this season.:eek:

[SF Kid]

Good.

[Bear]

Good.

The Kid is "Mr. Upbeat"!:rolleyes:

[McCovey]

Let's not carried way here. Asking Posey to jump to the majors in '09 is asking a lot. I love the kid. He's got some serious big-time talent. But he's not Dave Winfield or Bob Horner, two college kids that skipped minor league ball completely. Or maybe he is. :bananadance:

[McCovey]

The Kid is "Mr. Upbeat"!:rolleyes:
No, he is "Mr Sunshine"! :rotf:

[SF Kid]

You two can shut up. :mad:

[McCovey]

You two can shut up. :mad:
:pound:

[Bear]

You two can shut up. :mad:

Just proves are point!:pound:

[McCovey]

Hey, Posey has started his winter baseball season yesterday in the Hawaii Winter League. Some guys just have it tough, don't they? :p He plays for the Waikiki BeachBoys! In his first game he went 0 for 3, 1 BB, 2 Ks. Here is the boxscore.

http://www.hawaiiwinterbaseball.com/statistics/box_score?gid=2008/09/27/honwin-waiwin-1

[Bear]

Hey, Posey has started his winter baseball season yesterday in the Hawaii Winter League. Some guys just have it tough, don't they? :p He plays for the Waikiki BeachBoys! In his first game he went 0 for 3, 1 BB, 2 Ks. Here is he boxscore.

http://www.hawaiiwinterbaseball.com/statistics/box_score?gid=2008/09/27/honwin-waiwin-1

This guy will be in S.F. before we know it. He is on the very fast track.;)

[McCovey]

Bear,

How many minor league games do you think Posey needs?

What's interesting about the Hawaii Winter Baseball leagues is that it has top prospects form the Japanese professional leagues as well. Ichiro played in this league years ago.

[Bear]

Bear,

How many minor league games do you think Posey needs?

What's interesting about the Hawaii Winter Baseball leagues is that it has top prospects form the Japanese professional leagues as well. Ichiro played in this league years ago.

That is very hard to say having never seen him play. If he is as good as they say 50 to 75 games :rolleyes:

[McCovey]

Why is Posey's league called the Hawaii Winter Baseball League if their season ends December 16, five days before the winter season begins? :pound:

[McCovey]

In Posey's second game (October 1st) he went 2 or 4 with a double. He's hitting .286 now.

[McCovey]

Apparently, the teams in the HWBL have expanded rosters. Posey's team have 29 players on the roster and are carrying three catchers. Through The BeachBoys first five games, Posey has played in just two of them. :lame:

[McCovey]

October 4th, Posey's 3th game, he goes 3 for 3, 2 RBI, 1 R, 2 BB.

http://www.hawaiiwinterbaseball.com/statistics/box_score?gid=2008/10/04/waiwin-nshwin-1

Posey is now batting .500 in three games.

[McCovey]

October 5th, Posey's 4th game. He went 1 for 4, 1 R. He's hitting .429 now.

http://www.hawaiiwinterbaseball.com/statistics/box_score?gid=2008/10/05/waiwin-nshwin-1

[McCovey]

This Hawaii Winter Baseball sucks. Posey isn't playing everyday. His team played on October 7th and 8th and Posey sat both games. :mad:

[SF Kid]

Doesn't the big club have any say in how the players are used in general?

[Bear]

Doesn't the big club have any say in how the players are used in general?

Not with some of these clubs in winter ball. There are players from many different teams on the same club so it is possible the Dodgers might have a catcher on the same team who needs time too.;)

[SF Kid]

Thank you. Makes sense. :D

[Bear]

Thank you. Makes sense. :D

The Bear always makes sense!;)

[SF Kid]

The Bear has been full of •••• for over 55 years that I know of but you know what they say...

``...give a monkey a typewriter and he'll spell a work -- eventually" http://sfgiants-forum.com/forum/images/icons/icon3.gif

[Bear]

The Bear has been full of •••• for over 55 years that I know of but you know what they say...

``...give a monkey a typewriter and he'll spell a work -- eventually" http://sfgiants-forum.com/forum/images/icons/icon3.gif


The SF Kid can't handle the truth! :smack:

[McCovey]

:pound:

[McCovey]

A scouting report form the first week of the hawaii Winter Baseball League.


Aloha: Notes from Hawaii Winter Baseball

By Jason Grey
ESPN.com
Friday, October 10, 2008

Hawaii is known for many things: Surfing, hula dancing, luaus. This year it's also known as a place to go to see a lot of top prospects. Hawaii Winter Baseball boasts many recent high draft picks, all plying their trade on the island of Oahu.

Hawaii Winter Baseball is a developmental league in which prospects from the lower levels of the minors join up with some players from the Japanese and Korean leagues for a month and a half of games. It's similar to the Arizona Fall League, which features many top prospects from Double-A and Triple-A.

The fans are very passionate about the individual clubs, with each of the four teams having an assortment of merchandise rivaling any minor league team. It's a tremendous atmosphere to watch some games.

A couple of things to note:

1. Take the stats from the league with a grain of salt. While the Arizona Fall League is known as a hitter's league, in Hawaii, it's all about the pitching. Both stadiums the four teams use are havens for hurlers. Les Murakami Stadium is an all-turf field, with no dirt in the infield, allowing grounders to take true hops. It has huge areas of foul territory, and the winds knock down deep flies and keep them in the park. While Hans L'Orange Park is a bit of a bandbox, the swirling winds in the outfield also make it difficult to hit the ball out.

2. I scouted the league for the first week of play, and while some players had continued to work in other instructional leagues since the minor league season ended, others were coming off of a three-week layoff and still getting back up to speed, especially pitchers.

With that in mind, my observations from the island:

• Oakland's Chris Carter hit just .259 in the high Class A California League this season, but he also blasted 39 homers and slugged .569. In 506 at-bats, the first baseman drew 77 walks and struck out 156 times. Carter looks as advertised in Hawaii, showing big raw power and excellent bat speed. He's been worked carefully by opposing pitchers, but has been perfectly willing to take his walks, and has not been chasing the stuff just off the outside part of the plate. He's vulnerable to getting jammed on the inner half, which could be exploited more as he moves up the ladder, but he should hit for enough average to be a middle of the order hitter in the big leagues.

• The Yankees' Andrew Brackman, the last pick of the first round in 2007, finally made his professional debut after undergoing Tommy John surgery, and showed some great raw stuff. The Yankees knew what they were doing, drafting him even though they knew he was likely to have the surgery. The big, 6-foot-10 righty is hitting a consistent 95-96 mph with arm-side run, and pairing it with an 85-89 mph straight change. He is also throwing two curveballs into the mix; a high-70s knuckle curve that profiles as a plus pitch, and a high-60s slow curve. If you ever saw Zack Greinke's slow curve a few years ago before he dropped it from his repertoire, you'll get the idea. Brackman doesn't use the slow curve often, but will throw it on occasion to keep batters off-balance. He's still battling his mechanics, keeping his delivery too closed at times, and is having the predictable command issues that occur after a ligament replacement in the elbow, but the important thing is his raw stuff has come back, and the 22-year-old could start moving quickly next season. He profiles as a potential front line starter.

• The Yankees had another first-round pitcher there as well in Jeremy Bleich, a 21-year-old lefty from Stanford, who was a supplemental first-round pick this June. His fastball was clocked between 88 and 91 mph with easy arm action, and he coupled it with a potential plus pitch in an upper 70s curveball. Though he has a changeup, he put it in his back pocket for his first outing. He had some command issues, leaving the ball up in the strike zone way too much, but if nothing else he profiles as a solid bullpen arm in the big leagues, and perhaps more if he can find more consistent command.

• Some catchers who were drafted early also made appearances in this league, including San Francisco's Buster Posey. I've seen Posey for a few games in rookie ball, and then a few games in Hawaii, but he hasn't looked great so far. His stats are fine, but he hasn't looked like the Brian McCann (http://javascript%3Cb%3E%3C/b%3E:newWin%28%27http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/players/fantasy?playerId=6309%27%29)-type player you're expecting to get when you hand him $6.2 million dollars as the fifth pick in the draft. Don't get me wrong; he's looked like a solid-average major league catcher, but not an All-Star thus far. He hasn't looked bad, just average, both offensively and defensively. He doesn't generate a lot of backspin on the ball, he's showing limited raw power, but he's been decent behind the plate. To be fair, we're still only a few games into his professional career, and he's still getting back into the swing of things after a layoff. Posey is going to be more of a line-drive contact hitter who can take the ball to all fields.

One catcher who has looked great so far is Houston's Jason Castro, who went five picks after Posey in June. His calling card is going to be power, and he generates plenty of it. Although his swing can get a little long at times, he generates plenty of leverage, has good bat speed through the zone and can turn on good fastballs. In many respects, he's been more impressive than Posey thus far.

Another quality catcher in this league is Austin Romine, son of former big league outfielder Kevin Romine. The Yankees picked him in the second round in 2007, and, at 19, he's one of the youngest players in the league. I liked his smooth swing and line-drive stroke; He profiles as a solid offensive catcher in the majors.

• One of my sleepers in the past draft was outfielder Roger Kieschnick, whom the Giants picked in the third round. He's been battling a mild elbow injury that has limited him in the field, but he's a potential five-tool player. Kieschnick's biggest issues are a swing that is a little stiff and a lack of consistency. However, he commands the strike zone well, hits the ball hard and has shown he can go the other way with authority.

• File this name away: Bradley Emaus. Emaus was an 11th-round pick in the 2007 draft, but batted .302 with a .463 slugging percentage in the Florida State League -- a tough league for hitters -- in his first full season this year. The stocky, 5-foot-11 third baseman wields an impressive bat. He's what we call "short to and long through," meaning he's short to the ball and his bat stays in the strike zone a long time, both very good things. He's been squaring balls up constantly, and he's going to be a big league hitter.

Quick notes: Yonder Alonso, a first baseman who the Reds took seventh overall in the past draft, arrived a couple of days after I left, so I didn't see him. Outfielder Dominic Brown, a top Phillies prospect, had not arrived yet either. … Reds shortstop Todd Frazier has played all over the field in Hawaii, including first base and left field. His bat is going to play in the big leagues, but I doubt he's going to stick at short, which won't help his stock with fantasy players. … Michael Taylor is a big, 6-foot-6 outfielder the Phillies took in the fifth round in 2007. He hit .346 with 19 homers and a .557 slugging percentage across two levels of Class A ball this year. He looked in much better shape from when I saw him in the past, and is an intriguing name to watch. His swing is a bit long and his bat speed isn't that great, but he has good pitch recognition and could start generating more buzz next year.

Jason Grey is a graduate of the MLB Scouting Bureau's Scout Development Program and has won two Tout Wars titles, one LABR title and numerous other national "experts" competitions.

[Bear]

A scouting report form the first week of the hawaii Winter Baseball League.

It will take more than this guys take before I write off Mr Posey.:nono:

[SF Kid]

A "solid-average" major league player. What the hell does that mean. He has no way of knowing that.

[McCovey]

It will take more than this guys take before I write off Mr Posey.:nono:

A "solid-average" major league player. What the hell does that mean. He has no way of knowing that.

I hate it when scouts say crap like this. It's one thing to evaluate a player's present skills. It's another to try to predict who a player will turn out in 5-6 years. That is simply impossble to do with any sort of confidence or accuracy. Scouts have been wrong time and time about lots of players. Look at all the # 1 picks that didn't do anything (Shawn Abner!). The classic counter-example is Mike Piazza. No one thought he had any potential as a major leaguer. He was drafted in the 62nd round of the draft simply as a favor to Mike's dad. :rolleyes: I find it hard to believe that the greatest hitting catcher ever didn't show at least some baseball potential in high school or in college. :nono:

[Bear]

I hate it when scouts say crap like this. It's one thing to evaluate a player's present skills. It's another to try to predict who a player will turn out in 5-6 years. That is simply impossble to do with any sort of confidence or accuracy. Scouts have been wrong time and time about lots of players. Look at all the # 1 picks that didn't do anything (Shawn Abner!). The classic counter-example is Mike Piazza. No one thought he had any potential as a major leaguer. He was drafted in the 62nd round of the draft simply as a favor to Mike's dad. :rolleyes: I find it hard to believe that the greatest hitting catcher ever didn't show at least some baseball potential in high school or in college. :nono:

I bet baseball was the last thing on Mike Piazza's mind in High School. That is why he was drafted so low. He most likely had the skill sets.:cool:

[McCovey]

I bet baseball was the last thing on Mike Piazza's mind in High School. That is why he was drafted so low. He most likely had the skill sets.:cool:
Actually Mike was undrafted out of high school :p. He played two years at Miami-Dade College and was drafted in 1988 at age 19.

[Bear]

Actually Mike was undrafted out of high school :p. He played two years at Miami-Dade College and was drafted in 1988 at age 19.

I rest my case. You can't tell me the skills where not there. No just his mind was not there!:pound:

[McCovey]

I rest my case. You can't tell me the skills where not there. No just his mind was not there!:pound:
I'm not sure what you mean, Bear. I agree with you about the skills being there. My question is why didn't the professional scouts see those skills? :shrug: I have to believe those skills must have been fairly obvious.
'

[Bear]

I'm not sure what you mean, Bear. I agree with you about the skills being there. My question is why didn't the professional scouts see those skills? :shrug: I have to believe those skills must have been fairly obvious.
'

My guess is that he had a rep. that said to the scouts that he was not serious about the game. His interest may have been else where. These guys look at a total person and have to make judgements about what kind of person this kid will be 5 to 10 years forward. I once knew a guy who had Tim Lincecum talent but had a 10 cent brain. All he wanted to do was get it on with any young girl in a skirt and baseball came second. Teams do not want to invest in a player like that. ;)

[SF Kid]

:goodpost:

I think I know who you're talking about but I forgot his name.

[McCovey]

My guess is that he had a rep. that said to the scouts that he was not serious about the game. His interest may have been else where. These guys look at a total person and have to make judgements about what kind of person this kid will be 5 to 10 years forward. I once knew a guy who had Tim Lincecum talent but had a 10 cent brain. All he wanted to do was get it on with any young girl in a skirt and baseball came second. Teams do not want to invest in a player like that. ;)
I see. I guess Piazza got real serious really fast! :p

[Bear]

:goodpost:

I think I know who you're talking about but I forgot his name.

I am surprised you remember your own name!:pound:

[SF Kid]

I am surprised you remember your own name!:pound:That was very insulting. But then I'm used to dumb stuff like that from YOU. Bears are dumb after all.

:pound: :righton: :toast: :neener:

[McCovey]

That was very insulting. But then I'm used to dumb stuff like that from YOU. Bears are dumb after all.

:pound: :righton: :toast: :neener:
Bears may be dumb but they are cunning!

[SF Kid]

Bears may be dumb but they are cunning!Cunning. :rotf:

Does any of this apply to the Bear we know?

cun·ning adj

1. clever or artful in a way that is intended to deceive
2. showing skill, shrewdness, and ingenuity in planning or doing something
3. attractive in a pleasant delicate way (informal) :eek:

n
1. the ability to deceive in a clever subtle way
2. skillful ingenuity or grace in doing something :chuckle:

[McCovey]

My guess is that he had a rep. that said to the scouts that he was not serious about the game. His interest may have been else where. These guys look at a total person and have to make judgements about what kind of person this kid will be 5 to 10 years forward. I once knew a guy who had Tim Lincecum talent but had a 10 cent brain. All he wanted to do was get it on with any young girl in a skirt and baseball came second. Teams do not want to invest in a player like that. ;)
And this is where I think scouts go wrong. It is not possible to determine how a person will be like in 5-10 years. That doesn't even make sense.

[McCovey]

Cunning. :rotf:

Does any of this apply to the Bear we know?

cun·ning adj

1. clever or artful in a way that is intended to deceive
2. showing skill, shrewdness, and ingenuity in planning or doing something
3. attractive in a pleasant delicate way (informal) :eek:

n
1. the ability to deceive in a clever subtle way
2. skillful ingenuity or grace in doing something :chuckle:

:shrug:

[Bear]

And this is where I think scouts go wrong. It is not possible to determine how a person will be like in 5-10 years. That doesn't even make sense.

On this point we disagree. You can tell if a person is serious or a flake. Mature or immature. Maybe you can't but most of the time people can and do.:cool:

[McCovey]

On this point we disagree. You can tell if a person is serious or a flake. Mature or immature. Maybe you can't but most of the time people can and do.:cool:
Sure you can tell if a person is immature or mature, serious or a flake right now. No one can tell whether someone will be immature and a flake in 5-10 years. The scouts thought Mike Piazza was a flake and will always be a flake. Well, they were dead wrong. Piazza went from being a flake to a serious professional ballplayer in a hurry. And that scouts should try to understand why they were so wrong.

[Bear]

Sure you can tell if a person is immature or mature, serious or a flake right now. No one can tell whether someone will be immature and a flake in 5-10 years. The scouts thought Mike Piazza was a flake and will always be a flake. Well, they were dead wrong. Piazza went from being a flake to a serious professional ballplayer in a hurry. And that scouts should try to understand why they were so wrong.

A person is judged by their actions. If you want people to change how they look at you change your actions. What you are asking for is impossible. I would not invest in a company that had no control of itself no matter how good it looked on paper. :nono:

[McCovey]

Something is going on with Posey. It seems he hasn't played in about a week. :(

[Bear]

Something is going on with Posey. It seems he hasn't played in about a week. :(


This might answer your question!;)

10/14/08 5:00 PM ET

Posey sent to instructional league

Catcher transferred from Hawaii to Arizona for more at-bats

By Chris Haft / MLB.com

Giants fans need not worry about Buster Posey. The club's No. 1 selection from last June's First-Year Player Draft didn't tumble into a volcano, fall off a surfboard or get lost at a luau.

Posey's disappearance from Hawaii Winter Baseball box scores can be easily explained. Sharing time with two other catchers, he played only four games for the Waikiki BeachBoys in the Hawaii Winter Baseball league before the Giants whisked him last week to their instructional league camp in Scottsdale, Ariz., for steadier activity.

"He was playing every third day there [in Hawaii]," Giants director of player personnel Bobby Evans said. By contrast, Evans noted, Posey has appeared in games daily at instructional league. Evans said that Posey will remain there until the program ends Saturday.

Despite performing sporadically for Waikiki, Posey was hitting .429 (6-for-14), demonstrating the form that helped make him a consensus choice for college player of the year at Florida State.

Posey's arrival enhanced the Giants' collection of talent in Scottsdale. Angel Villalona, the highly touted Dominican slugger, is among the approximately 50 players refining his skills there.

"He's very enthusiastic about being here and taking full advantage of it," Evans said of Villalona, who hit .263 with 17 home runs, 64 RBIs and 29 doubles for low Class A Augusta last season.

Signed as a third baseman two years ago, Villalona has continued to play primarily first base. Evans suggested that Villalona, by the time he reaches the Major Leagues, could end up like Pablo Sandoval, the rookie sensation of 2008 who plays first base, third base and catcher.

"I think Villalona's going to be similar in that he'll be able to do both [first and third]," Evans said. "But his focus right now is on first."

The Giants hope that Villalona, 18, will advance to high Class A San Jose next year.

Outfielder Rafael Rodriguez, who signed with the Giants in July for a $2.55 million bonus, is another instructional league participant. It's an education for the 6-foot-5 Rodriguez, who's still just 16.

"He looks great. He's taking a lot in," Evans said of Rodriguez, who's likely to begin next season at extended Spring Training as the Giants bring him along slowly -- much as they did with Villalona.


I believe the Bear said the other day that the reason Posey was not getting enough at bats is the other catchers on the team. It looks as though I was right!

[McCovey]

Another sign of the Giants ineptitude. :rolleyes: They didn't know before sending Posey to Hawaii that he would only play every three days? And what exactly is the "instructional league camp"? Are they playing actual games or just practicing? And what happens after the instructional league ends on Saturday?

[SF Kid]

Why does this guy deserve a 14 page thread?

[SF Kid]

^^^ :)

[Bear]

Why does this guy deserve a 14 page thread?


He is the second coming! The saviour of the franchise! The chosen one!:p

[McCovey]

Why does this guy deserve a 14 page thread?
Because we have nothing better to do with ourselves until spring training starts in February? :shrug:

[SF Kid]

He is the second coming! The saviour of the franchise! The chosen one!:pYep.

Because we have nothing better to do with ourselves until spring training starts in February? :shrug:Good point. Wait...it's football season. I have plenty to keep me busy between college and pro it's like going to heaven without dying. :D

[SF Kid]

When do we gat to page 15?

[SF Kid]

Not yet.

[SF Kid]

Shese.

[SF Kid]

D'oh...still on page 14. WTF?

[SF Kid]

I give up. :D

[Bear]

Giants first-round draft pick Buster Posey may have received the first promotion of his young career; although some may argue that going from Waikiki to Phoenix isn't necessarily a promotion. However, the Giants need more than minor league success if they hope to contend.
The Arizona Fall League, where Posey was sent, has a history of launching promising careers. And while it's far from certain that Posey will follow in the footsteps of Jimmmy Rollins, Rafael Furcal, Derek Jeter, Mike Piazza, and Albert Pujols to name a few, it will certainly be an experience will instill confidence and maturity for the 21-year-old catcher.

The 2008 Golden Spikes winner will get more at bats in Scottsdale than he would have in the Hawaiian winter league, where he was splitting time with two other catchers. In the part-time role, Posey went 6-14 good enough for a .429 clip.

Now Posey will join Kevin Frandsen, the Giants farmhand who is perpetually on the verge of major league success, and mythical minor league savior Angel Villalona, on the Giants fall league affiliate. This is a time for optimism. The Giants seem to be 180 degrees from where they were last October, but optimism doesn't win games. Every season brings promising young prospects up through the ranks, and many more of them turn out to be Todd Linden than Tim Lincecum.

Let’s hope the Giants promising prospects are ready to deliver soon.


I think this is where he should have been all along.

[McCovey]

This is good news, Bear. Posey should be playing every day so he can reach the big club ASAP. I'm sure he'll get invited spring training in '09 and probably start the season in Double-A.

[kar120c]

Buster Posey is back in Hawaii, and seems to be hitting well (.474 BA). He is having trouble with passed balls (7 so far) - which could be the reason he was sent to AFL.

Here is a link to recent lines...

http://www.mccoveychronicles.com/2008/10/23/641585/winter-lines-10-21-and-10

[McCovey]

Buster Posey is back in Hawaii, and seems to be hitting well (.474 BA). He is having trouble with passed balls (7 so far) - which could be the reason he was sent to AFL.

Here is a link to recent lines...

http://www.mccoveychronicles.com/2008/10/23/641585/winter-lines-10-21-and-10
Thanks, kar120c! :awesomework.gif

I didn't know Buster was sent back to Hawaii. I'll keep track of his progress.

[Bear]

Buster Posey is back in Hawaii, and seems to be hitting well (.474 BA). He is having trouble with passed balls (7 so far) - which could be the reason he was sent to AFL.

Here is a link to recent lines...

http://www.mccoveychronicles.com/2008/10/23/641585/winter-lines-10-21-and-10

Great info.. Thanks. You are an addition to the board.:clap:

[McCovey]

The latest Waikiki BeachBoys stats. Posey has played two game since his return to Hawaii.

http://www.hawaiiwinterbaseball.com/statistics/individual?team=wai

[SF Kid]

Only 10 for 21? Pfffft. :bugeye:

[Bear]

Only 10 for 21? Pfffft. :bugeye:

The Kid does that in his dreams very time. But they are his dreams!:pound:

[McCovey]

I think Posey is starting to get used to using a wood bat. That must be a strange change for high school and college players to go through.

[SF Kid]

I always used a wood bat. Pffffft.

[Bear]

I always used a wood bat. Pffffft.

I seem to remember a plastic bat was your bat of choice.:pound:

[SF Kid]

You were too busy giving up runs to notice.

[Bear]

You were too busy giving up runs to notice.


Notice what? One, two, three strikes your out! Back to the bench Kid. :pound:

[McCovey]

Posey went 1 for 3 with 3 runs scored, 2 RBI, 1 BB on October 24. He is now batting .458/.567/.583 in seven games.

[Bear]

Posey went 1 for 3eith 3 runs scored, 2 RBI, 1 BB on October 24. He is now batting .458/.567/.583 in seven games.

If he keeps this up he will be in SF by mid 2009! This is a serious not a joke take.:eek:

[McCovey]

If he keeps this up he will be in SF by mid 2009! This is a serious not a joke take.:eek:
I'm not sure about the quality of the Hawaii Winter Baseball League. But Posey is having a fine start to his career. I'm curious to see where the Giants start him in '09. I suspect he'll start in the California League (high A-ball)

[SF Kid]

Settle down Bear.

[kar120c]

Thanks for the kind words, Bear.

[McCovey]

Posey continues to rake. He's hitting .481 now.


Waikiki Walks All Over Honolulu

Kyle Galdeira
10/28/08

Waikiki took advantage of 13 walks, including four with the bases loaded, issued by Honolulu pitchers as the BeachBoys bested the Sharks, 12-9, this evening at a muggy Hans L’Orange Park.

Alfredo Silverio paced Waikiki with three hits and three runs, while Buster Posey and James McOwen each drove in three runs on two hits.

The BeachBoys (11-11) trailed 6-2 until the squad rallied for four runs in the sixth inning thanks in part to Todd Frazier’s third home run of the season coupled with a two-run double from McOwen. Posey then singled in McOwen to tie the score at 6-6, and the San Francisco Giants prospect boosted his batting average to .481 in the process.

Waikiki then took a 9-6 lead in the eighth frame thanks to bases-loaded walks to both Yonder Alonso and Roger Kieschnick, followed by a Todd Frazier sacrifice fly that plated Posey.

McOwen and Tony Thomas Jr. collected back-to-back RBI triples in the ninth, and the BeachBoys padded their lead, 11-6. Thomas Jr. then came home on a Posey sacrifice fly, affording Waikiki yet another insurance run.

Shintaro Masuda led the Sharks at the plate with two hits, while left fielder Michael Taylor drove in two. Bradley Emaus also hit a solo home run, his second long ball of the season, in the fifth inning.

Kazunori Yamamoto (2-0) notched the win for Waikiki as the reliever tossed 2 1/3 scoreless innings and struck out one. Jeremy Papelbon got the final out of the game to nail down the win, and notched his third save in the process.

The Sharks (13-9) sent seven pitchers to the mound, and the staff combined to issue 13 free passes. Starter Connor Graham walked five and surrendered two runs through 1 2/3 innings, but did not factor in the decision. Michael Broadway (0-2) took the loss, surrendering three runs while recording one out.

[McCovey]

Here is the boxscore for the October 28th game.

http://www.hawaiiwinterbaseball.com/statistics/box_score?gid=2008/10/28/waiwin-honwin-1

[McCovey]

Posey has a great game on October 29th!


BeachBoys Blank Struggling Sharks

Kyle Galdeira
10/29/08

Waikiki starter Mitsuo Yoshikawa tossed six scoreless innings, struck out a season-high nine
batters, and scattered six hits as the BeachBoys bested Honolulu, 9-0, tonight at Hans L’Orange Park.

With its fifth straight victory aided by the 16-hit barrage, Waikiki improved to 12-11 on the year and, coupled with Honolulu’s fifth consecutive loss, now stands one game behind the Sharks in Hawaii Winter Baseball’s East Division race.

Buster Posey paced Waikiki with four singles and three RBIs, while teammate Yuji Onizaki chipped in three base hits including a double. BeachBoys designated hitter Alfredo Silverio picked up an RBI single in the eighth inning to extend his season-high hitting streak to 10 games.

The BeachBoys got out to a 1-0 lead in the third frame on Posey’s RBI single that scored Johan Limonta.

Waikiki then increased its lead to 5-0, sending nine hitters to the plate in the fourth inning. The red-clad squad plated four more runs thanks in part to Limonta’s two-run single, and Posey’s second RBI single of the contest. Posey, the No. 5 overall selection in the 2008 First-Year Player Draft by San Francisco, increased his batting average to .515 on the season with the four-hit effort.

Posey collected his third RBI single in the eighth when he brought in Tony Thomas Jr., and Yonder Alonso doubled in Posey to increase the BeachBoys lead to 7-0. Ensuing batter Todd Frazier tripled to right field, scoring Alonso, and providing Waikiki with another insurance run.

Tony Cruz led Honolulu (13-10) at the dish, going 2-3 and improving his batting average to .423. Cruz, a prospect with the St. Louis Cardinals, also notched his eighth double of the campaign in defeat.

Yoshikawa improved to 2-1 on the season, and Steven Richard of the Seattle Mariners added two scoreless innings of relief in support of Waikiki.

Sharks starter Johnny Venters (2-2) took the loss, surrendering five runs on five hits through three innings while striking out two.

The teams return to Hans L’Orange Park tomorrow at 7 p.m. for the finale of a three-game series.

[McCovey]

Posey does it again. :beerbang:


BeachBoys Win Sixth Straight, Sweep Sharks

Kyle Galdeira
10/30/08

Waikiki put together a three-run rally with two out in the seventh inning to best Honolulu, 5-2, and complete a three-game sweep of Honolulu tonight at Hans L’Orange Park.

The victory, coupled with Honolulu’s sixth consecutive loss, moved Waikiki into a tie with the Sharks for the Hawaii Winter Baseball East Division lead. Both squads now sport 13-11 records.

BeachBoys starter Andrew Brackman of the New York Yankees dominated the opposition, and improved to 3-3 on the year after allowing one earned run on four hits and striking out seven.

Despite not factoring in the decision, Honolulu starter Satoshi Nagai racked up a league-high 11 strikeouts in six innings. The Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles hurler surrendered two earned runs on seven hits while lowering his earned run average to 1.80.

Yonder Alonso paced Waikiki with three hits, while Buster Posey and Damon Sublett notched two base knocks apiece.

Sublett, another Yankees prospect, homered to right-center field in the fifth inning, and plated Johan Limonta with the two-run blast to put Waikiki up 2-0.

However, the Sharks notched the score at 2-2 in the home half of the frame when Eric Eiland reached on a Sublett error that allowed Greg Veloz to score from second. After Ruben Tejada singled up the middle to move his teammate to third base, Ryo Hijirisawa drove Eiland home on a sacrifice fly to left field for the tying run.

The BeachBoys surged ahead to a 5-2 lead in the seventh frame as Posey and Alonso each notched RBI singles with two out, and Roger Kieschnick doubled home Posey to give Waikiki some breathing room and put Brackman in line for the victory.

Dominic Brown led Honolulu with two hits, including a double, in defeat.

Roy Merritt (1-2) was saddled with the loss after allowing the two go-ahead runs to Waikiki in the seventh inning.

Honolulu travels to Les Murakami Stadium for a three-game series with North Shore running from tomorrow through Sunday. First pitch is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.

[Bear]

And you don't see him in SF in 2009? I do! At least by mid year.:beerbang:

[McCovey]

And you don't see him in SF in 2009? I do! At least by mid year.:beerbang:
I don't know. The Giants may want to be cautious with Posey. The Giants management has researched catchers and they believe a catcher needs about 200 games in the minors. However, most of the great catchers in history needed far fewer games. Let's see how Posey does next year. I suspect Posey may start the year at AA Connecticut.

[McCovey]

More Posey...


Waikiki Rallies Past West Oahu
Kyle Galdeira
11/02/08

Waikiki scored twice in the ninth inning to cap a 6-5, come-from-behind victory over West Oahu this afternoon at Hans L’Orange Park.

Trailing 5-4 in the top of the ninth, the BeachBoys knotted the score as Marquez Smith laced a leadoff home run over the left field fence off reliever Cliff Flagello. Buster Posey then singled and moved to second on a wild pitch before coming around to score the go-ahead run on Yonder Alonso’s single.

Waikiki (15-12) jumped out to a 3-0 lead thanks to a three-run second inning capped by Tommy Giles’ RBI triple to plate Johan Limonta. Waikiki added another run in the fourth on a solo home run from Tony Thomas, the first long ball of the season from the Chicago Cubs prospect.

The CaneFires (13-14) answered with a run in the bottom of the fourth as Caleb Gindl doubled to lead off the inning, moved to third on James Skelton’s ground out, and came home on a Waldis Joaquin wild pitch. West Oahu then narrowed the deficit to 4-3 in the sixth inning as Gindl singled in Greg Burns, and eventually came home on a Skelton sacrifice fly.

Despite managing one hit, West Oahu brought across two more runs and took a 5-4 lead in the seventh inning thanks to some shaky defense on the part of Waikiki. With two out and the bases loaded, BeachBoys reliever Kazunori Yamamoto unleashed a wild pitch that allowed Kyle Peter to score, and Posey followed the errant pitch with a throwing error on which Logan Schafer came home.

Alonso led the way at the dish for Waikiki with three base hits while teammate Alfredo Silverio chipped in two doubles.

Gindl and Schafer paced the CaneFires with two base knocks apiece in defeat.

Yamamoto (3-0) earned the win after striking out four and allowing an earned run through two innings.

Flagello fell to 1-2, surrendering two runs on three hits, and blowing the save in the ninth.

Both teams have scheduled days off tomorrow, and resume play on Tuesday.

[McCovey]

Posey's daily line.


Date AB R H RBI BB SO LOB AVG 2B 3B HR
09/27 3 0 0 0 1 2 0 .000 0 0 0
10/01 4 0 2 0 0 0 0 .286 1 0 0
10/04 3 1 3 2 2 0 0 .500 0 0 0
10/05 4 1 1 0 0 0 1 .429 0 0 0
10/21 5 2 3 4 0 0 0 .474 1 0 0
10/22 2 2 1 0 0 0 0 .476 0 0 0
10/24 3 3 1 1 1 1 0 .458 1 0 0
10/28 3 1 2 3 2 1 0 .481 0 0 0
10/29 6 1 4 3 0 1 1 .515 0 0 0
10/30 5 1 2 1 0 2 2 .500 0 0 0
10/31 3 1 2 0 0 1 0 .512 0 0 0
11/02 5 1 1 0 0 0 1 .478 0 0 0
. 46 14 22 14 6 8 4 .478 3 0 0

OPB: .545
SLG: .543

[Bear]

Does he have any HR's. I would like a little power from our catcher.:)

[McCovey]

Does he have any HR's. I would like a little power from our catcher.:)
No HRs yet and only three doubles. I'm not worried. Lots of players don't show power when they first switch from an aluminum bat to a wooden one.

[SF Kid]

Does he have any HR's. I would like a little power from our catcher.:)You're kind of a demanding fan. Shut up and take what the great Brian Sabean gives you. :p

[McCovey]

You're kind of a demanding fan. Shut up and take what the great Brian Sabean gives you. :p
:pound:

Actaully Posey has some serious talent. He's definitely is a cornerstone type of player the Giants can build on.

[Bear]

:pound:

Actaully Posey has some serious talent. He's definitely is a cornerstone type of player the Giants can build on.

No one has answered my question. Does this guy have any power?:confused:

[McCovey]

No one has answered my question. Does this guy have any power?:confused:
Well he jacked 26 HRs, 21 doubles, and 4 triples in 68 college games in '08.

[Bear]

Well he jacked 26 HRs, 21 doubles, and 4 triples in 68 college games in '08.

Well he did this with metal bats, so it tells me very little.:(

[McCovey]

Well he did this with metal bats, so it tells me very little.:(
Well he doesn't have much professional experience yet. Eariler this year he hit one HR in seven Arizona Rookie League games. He hit zero HRs in three California League games. That doesn't tell us much, either. :o Posey has played in 22 professional games so far.

[Bear]

Well he doesn't have much professional experience yet. Eariler this year he hit one HR in seven Arizona Rookie League games. He hit zero HRs in three California League games. That doesn't tell us much, either. :o Posey has played in 22 professional games so far.

Time will tell all. Its just the fact that the Kid does not have much time.:eek:

[McCovey]

Time will tell all. Its just the fact that the Kid does not have much time.:eek:
:pound:

[McCovey]

Posey only goes 1 for 5 but with an RBI.


BeachBoys Dig The Long Ball

Kyle Galdeira
11/04/08

Waikiki collected 13 hits including three solo home runs en route to an 8-6 victory over North Shore tonight at Hans L’Orange Park. With the win, the BeachBoys improve to 13-1 when scoring first this season, and 13-0 when leading after seven innings.

Tony Thomas Jr. led Waikiki with three hits including a solo home run, while teammates James McOwen and Roger Kieschnick each added solo home runs. Buster Posey picked up an RBI single, and extended his league-high hit streak to 12 games while improving his league-best batting average to .451.

Waikiki (16-12) got out to a 1-0 lead in the first as Alfredo Silverio singled in Yonder Alonso with two out.

McOwen, of the Seattle Mariners, put the BeachBoys up 2-0 in the home half of the second with a solo home run that sailed well over the right field fence. Ensuing batter Thomas Jr. cranked the Yasutaka Hattori offering over the fence in left for his second home run of the season, and the solo blast provided a three-run cushion.

Kieschnick hit his fourth home run of the season on a solo shot in the third inning that cleared the bullpen well beyond the right field fence. The BeachBoys went on to add three more runs in the frame, thanks in part to RBI doubles from Damon Sublett and Austin Romine, and posted a 7-0 advantage after three innings.

North Shore (12-16) rallied with five runs in the fifth inning thanks in part to a two-run double off the bat of Kyle Martin, and RBI singles from Jason Castro and Yamaico Navarro.

Castro paced the Honu hitters with three base knocks on the evening, and improved his batting average to .348.

Waikiki starter Mitsuo Yoshikawa (3-1) earned the win despite allowing five runs on eight hits through four innings. Jeremy Papelbon closed out the game with a perfect ninth inning, and notched his fifth save of the season.

Hattori fell to 3-2 on the season after allowing seven runs on eight hits through 2 1/3 innings.

The squads return to Hans L’Orange Park tomorrow at 7 p.m. for the finale of a two-game set.

[McCovey]

Posey goes 0 for 4 in his November 7th game. He's "down" to a .418 BA. :p

http://www.hawaiiwinterbaseball.com/statistics/box_score?gid=2008/11/07/honwin-waiwin-1

[McCovey]

OK, Posey through 11/11/08. Posey is in a 1 for 16 slump.


Date AB R H RBI BB SO LOB AVG 2B 3B HR
09/27 3 0 0 0 1 2 0 .000 0 0 0
10/01 4 0 2 0 0 0 0 .286 1 0 0
10/04 3 1 3 2 2 0 0 .500 0 0 0
10/05 4 1 1 0 0 0 1 .429 0 0 0
10/21 5 2 3 4 0 0 0 .474 1 0 0
10/22 2 2 1 0 0 0 0 .476 0 0 0
10/24 3 3 1 1 1 1 0 .458 1 0 0
10/28 3 1 2 3 2 1 0 .481 0 0 0
10/29 6 1 4 3 0 1 1 .515 0 0 0
10/30 5 1 2 1 0 2 2 .500 0 0 0
10/31 3 1 2 0 0 1 0 .512 0 0 0
11/02 5 1 1 0 0 0 1 .478 0 0 0
11/04 5 0 1 1 0 2 3 .451 0 0 0
11/07 4 0 0 0 0 0 1 .418 0 0 0
11/09 4 0 0 0 0 1 1 .390 0 0 0
11/11 3 0 0 0 1 1 0 .371 0 0 0
. 62 14 23 15 7 11 9 .371 3 0 0

OPB: .444
SLG: .419

[McCovey]

Posey had a two hit game yesterday. :beerbang:

Yonder Alonso Powers BeachBoys Past Honu
Kyle Galdeira
11/12/08


Yonder Alonso cranked a game-winning solo home run in the bottom of the tenth inning with two out and a full count to guide Waikiki past North Shore, 3-2, tonight at Hans L’Orange Park.

Because Honolulu lost earlier in the day, Waikiki now leads the Hawaii Winter Baseball East Division by 1 ½ games. The BeachBoys need a win or tie in one of their remaining two games—both of which are against the Sharks—in order to lock up the division, and earn a berth in the HWB Championship Game on Nov. 16 against HWB West champ, West Oahu.

Alonso paced Waikiki with two hits, including a double and the game-altering big fly, and teammate Buster Posey went 2-5 with a double as the San Francisco Giants prospect improved his batting average to .373.

The Honu (14-19) established a 2-0 lead thanks to solo home runs from Kyu Hyun Moon in the second inning, and Jordan Parraz in the sixth frame. The home runs marked the first long balls of the season for both players.

But the BeachBoys (18-16) countered with two runs in the home half of the sixth on an RBI double from Alonso that scored Damon Sublett, and a RBI single off the bat of Alex Garabedian to plate Posey. Honu reliever Brett Hunter came on with two out and the bases loaded, and struck out Johan Limonta to end the rally.

Parraz led the Honu at the dish with a team-high two hits in defeat.

Jeremy Papelbon (1-0) notched his first HWB victory after holding North Shore scoreless in the top of the tenth inning. Waikiki starter Andrew Brackman of the New York Yankees received a no-decision after throwing five innings through which he surrendered the two home runs, walked five, and struck out three.

Dustin Richardson (0-2) took the loss for the Honu after surrendering Alonso’s home run. North Shore starter Jason Godin did not factor in the decision despite tossing 4 2/3 scoreless innings in which he scattered two hits and struck out four.

Both squads have tomorrow off, and return to action Friday.

[LinCycum]

I hope Posey gets up here soon :)

[Bear]

I hope Posey gets up here soon :)

I look for him to be with the BIG club by mid year. We will see soon enough.;)

[LinCycum]

Its funny cause I hate Florida State, but now that Buster plays for SF, I like him now ;)

[SF Kid]

Its funny cause I hate Florida State, but now that Buster plays for SF, I like him now ;)That's always how it works. I hated Romanoski until he became a Raider! :D

[McCovey]

OK, Posey through 11/14/08.


Date AB R H RBI BB SO LOB AVG 2B 3B HR
09/27 3 0 0 0 1 2 0 .000 0 0 0
10/01 4 0 2 0 0 0 0 .286 1 0 0
10/04 3 1 3 2 2 0 0 .500 0 0 0
10/05 4 1 1 0 0 0 1 .429 0 0 0
10/21 5 2 3 4 0 0 0 .474 1 0 0
10/22 2 2 1 0 0 0 0 .476 0 0 0
10/24 3 3 1 1 1 1 0 .458 1 0 0
10/28 3 1 2 3 2 1 0 .481 0 0 0
10/29 6 1 4 3 0 1 1 .515 0 0 0
10/30 5 1 2 1 0 2 2 .500 0 0 0
10/31 3 1 2 0 0 1 0 .512 0 0 0
11/02 5 1 1 0 0 0 1 .478 0 0 0
11/04 5 0 1 1 0 2 3 .451 0 0 0
11/07 4 0 0 0 0 0 1 .418 0 0 0
11/09 4 0 0 0 0 1 1 .390 0 0 0
11/11 3 0 0 0 1 1 0 .371 0 0 0
11/12 5 1 2 0 0 0 0 .373 1 0 0
11/14 3 0 0 0 0 1 0 .357 0 0 0
. 70 15 25 15 7 12 9 .357 4 0 0

OPB: ???
SLG: ???

[kar120c]

Posey's teammate - fellow Giant Roger Kieschnick - has cooled off quite a bit, afeter a good start. Although he has 6 more HR and 10 more RBI than Posey, his AVG is down to .236 vs. Posey's .338

Last 10 Games:
Date OPP AVG AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO SB CS
Nov 01 @WO .500 4 1 2 1 0 0 2 1 1 0 0
Nov 02 @WO .000 4 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 3 0 0
Nov 04 NS .400 5 1 2 0 0 1 1 0 2 0 0
Nov 05 NS .000 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0
Nov 07 HON .000 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 2 0 0
Nov 08 HON .000 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 0 0
Nov 09 HON .500 4 1 2 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 0
Nov 11 WO .000 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0
Nov 14 @HON .333 3 1 1 0 0 1 1 0 1 0 0
Nov 15 @HON .000 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0

Entire Season AVG G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO SB CS OBP SLG OPS
Buster Posey
Season Totals .338 19 74 15 25 4 0 0 15 7 15 0 0 .405 .392 .797
Roger Kieschnick
Season Totals .236 32 110 15 26 5 2 6 25 16 46 0 0 .333 .482 .815

Good to see the power numbers, but he may need some more time to develop into a more consistent hitter.

[Bear]

However even though he is not ready to help the big club today there is hope for Roger Kieschnick. Thanks for the information. I hope with time he will make it.:beerbang:

[McCovey]

I am not high on Roger Keischnick at all. In his first 32 games, he has 46 strikeouts with just 16 walks. Forty-six strikeouts? That is terrible. Young players that strikeout a lot become old players that strikeout a lot. :( So we have a player that has a low BA, strikes out a ton, and doesn't draw walks. I doubt Keischnick has any sort of major career.

[McCovey]

Posey hits a three-run homer in the championship game! :beerbang:


BeachBoys Extinguish CaneFires, Win HWB Title

Kyle Galdeira
11/16/08

Waikiki received a three-run home run from Buster Posey, and posted a 5-1 victory over West Oahu to claim the 2008 Hawaii Winter Baseball Championship this afternoon at Les Murakami Stadium.

The league title was the first for the BeachBoys franchise, and Waikiki improved to 8-4 when facing the CaneFires this season. This season marked the third consecutive year in which the BeachBoys reached the championship game, and the first victory after the team fell to North Shore in both 2006 and 2007.

Mitsuo Yoshikawa notched the victory as the Waikiki starter allowed a run on four hits through five innings, and struck out five. Steven Richard picked up the save after holding West Oahu scoreless through the game’s final four innings, and allowed a hit in the process.

Brian Friday put West Oahu on the board first with an RBI single up the middle in the home half of the second inning to plate James Skelton.

The BeachBoys answered with two runs in the third thanks to James McOwen’s RBI single to center field that scored Tony Thomas Jr., and Roger Kieschnick’s fielder’s choice ground out to first base with one out and the bases loaded that allowed McOwen to score from third.

Posey, the fifth overall selection in the 2008 First-Year Player Draft, provided Waikiki with some breathing room on a three-run home run with two out in the seventh inning. The San Francisco Giants catcher laced the Fumikazu Kimura offering over the wall in right field, and provided the BeachBoys with the final 5-1 advantage.

CaneFires starting pitcher Cody Scarpetta took the loss after surrendering two runs on four hits through 2 1/3 innings.

[Bear]

I am not high on Roger Keischnick at all. In his first 32 games, he has 46 strikeouts with just 16 walks. Forty-six strikeouts? That is terrible. Young players that strikeout a lot become old players that strikeout a lot. :( So we have a player that has a low BA, strikes out a ton, and doesn't draw walks. I doubt Keischnick has any sort of major career.




Well I guess Bobby Bonds and Dave Kingman had no ML career!:eek:

[Bear]

Now that I think about it many great players had problems with strikeouts.

Reggie Jackson - 2,597
Sammy Sosa - 2,306
Jim Thome - 2,190
Andrés Galarraga - 2,003
José Canseco - 1,942
Willie Stargell - 1,936
Mike Schmidt - 1,883
Fred McGriff - 1,882
Tony Perez - 1,867
Dave Kingman - 1,816

But I guess they never had great careers either?;)

[McCovey]

Now that I think about it many great players had problems with strikeouts.

Reggie Jackson - 2,597
Sammy Sosa - 2,306
Jim Thome - 2,190
Andrés Galarraga - 2,003
José Canseco - 1,942
Willie Stargell - 1,936
Mike Schmidt - 1,883
Fred McGriff - 1,882
Tony Perez - 1,867
Dave Kingman - 1,816

But I guess they never had great careers either?;)
Sure those were great players (except for Dave Kingman). Most of those players became great players despite having high strikeout totals. They are NOT the norm, they are the exceptions. It much more common for a young player to flame out because they can't control the strike zone.

Let me introduce you to:

-Earl Cunningham, Cubs #1 pick in 1989
-Jeff Jackson, Phillies #1 pick in 1989

http://www.thebaseballcube.com/players/C/Earl-Cunningham.shtml

http://www.thebaseballcube.com/players/J/Jeff-Jackson.shtml

Take a careful look at his strikeouts and walks. :p They are many many more players like Cunningham and Jackson than the players listed above.

Even players that have great success in the minors but have poor strikeout to walk ratios struggle in the majors. Take the Angles Brandon Wood who had one of the greatest minor league seasons in recent memory in 2005, .321/.383/.672, 43 HR, 51 doubles, 115 RBI, 109 R, in just 130 games. Are you fricking kidding me?! He had great minor league seasons in 2006-08 as well.

http://www.thebaseballcube.com/players/W/Brandon-Wood-1.shtml

He still has a chance to be a good major leaguer but so far in 97 major league games he's hitting .174/.199/.283 with 76 strikeouts and 6 walks. He's only be 24 years old next season but until he can control the strike zone he'll never be a quality major leaguer with a 76/6 K-BB ratio. Seriously, what do they teach teens in youth baseball these days? We now have a 200 K guys in the majors. :(

[Bear]

You and I could argue for weeks about Kingman and even though I think he is way short on being a good human being I know what he can do on the field and he was a great player. His not being in the Hall is only because of how he handled the press and the reporter he sent a rat to. Anyway, we can agree to disagree but you will not be able to change my mind on Kingman and his ability.:eek:

[McCovey]

You and I could argue for weeks about Kingman and even though I think he is way short on being a good human being I know what he can do on the field and he was a great player. His not being in the Hall is only because of how he handled the press and the reporter he sent a rat to. Anyway, we can agree to disagree but you will not be able to change my mind on Kingman and his ability.:eek:
Ok, just so I understand it correctly as to not misunderstood you. You are saying that it is your belief that Dave Kingman was a Hall of Fame caliber player? I just want to make sure I understand your position. :)

[Bear]

Ok, just so I understand it correctly as to not misunderstood you. You are saying that it is your belief that Dave Kingman was a Hall of Fame caliber player? I just want to make sure I understand your position. :)

Compared to many who are in without question. Is he a all-time great? NO! Is he better than many super-stars of today? YES!

[McCovey]

So it looks like Posey had a solid first year in pro ball albiet a bit short. This bodes well for hinm in '09. I wonder if the Giants will start him at A ball San Jose, or AA Connecticut? I think he'll get a spring training invitation for sure.

[Bear]

So it looks like Posey had a solid first year in pro ball albiet a bit short. This bodes well for hinm in '09. I wonder if the Giants will start him at A ball San Jose, or AA Connecticut? I think he'll get a spring training invitation for sure.

I agree about the spring training invite, and I think if he does well at spring training he will go to AAA Fresno. They are going to get this guy to the show as soon as possible. I look for him to be the back-up in SF by mid year and take over on opening day 2010. :beerbang:

[McCovey]

You don't think that's big jump for Posey? He only played three games at single-A San Jose.

[Bear]

You don't think that's big jump for Posey? He only played three games at single-A San Jose.

That is just my opinion but to answer your question no I think he can handle the jump.:)

[McCovey]

Hers' a great action shot of Posey. The kid looks intense!

[McCovey]

Posey was named to the HWB 2008 All-League Team! :beerbang:

HWB 2008 All-League Team

11/16/08

1B: Yonder Alonso (Waikiki)
2B: Mark Hallberg (West Oahu)
3B: Bradley Emaus (Honolulu)
SS: Kyle Martin (North Shore)
OF: Dominic Brown (Honolulu)
OF: Kyle Peter (West Oahu)
OF: Cyle Hankerd (West Oahu)
C: Jason Castro (North Shore)
Utility: Buster Posey (Waikiki)
Starting Pitcher: Kyle Bloom (West Oahu)
Starting Pitcher: Jeremy Bleich (Waikiki)
Starting Pitcher: Satoshi Nagai (Honolulu)
Relief Pitcher: Kaimi Mead (Honolulu)
Relief Pitcher: Jeremy Papelbon (Waikiki)
Relief Pitcher: David Pfeiffer (Waikiki)
Pitcher of the Year: Satoshi Nagai (Honolulu)
Offensive Player of the Year: Cyle Hankerd (West Oahu)
Defensive Player of the Year: Marquez Smith (Waikiki)
Most Valuable Player: Mark Hallberg (West Oahu)

[kar120c]

I agree about the spring training invite, and I think if he does well at spring training he will go to AAA Fresno. They are going to get this guy to the show as soon as possible. I look for him to be the back-up in SF by mid year and take over on opening day 2010. :beerbang:

I, too, believe that Posey will get an invite to ST. However, I believe he is ticketed to AA (Connecticut Defenders) for three reasons:
1) New Connecticut manager is Steve Decker (former ML catcher) will be able to work with him on his catching skills.
2) Connecticut will have two of the best young arms in the entire organization - MadBum and Tim2 - on that staff. Giving Posey a chance to work with them (and they, with him) would be a good idea.
3) It is a respectable jump from low A to AA for anyone to make. If he tears up AA, he could move to AAA later in the year. And frankly, the Giants of 2009 look like they are set at catcher (Molina, Sandoval if needed). They need not rush Posey.

This seems like a reasonable course to take, IMHO.

[Bear]

I, too, believe that Posey will get an invite to ST. However, I believe he is ticketed to AA (Connecticut Defenders) for three reasons:
1) New Connecticut manager is Steve Decker (former ML catcher) will be able to work with him on his catching skills.
2) Connecticut will have two of the best young arms in the entire organization - MadBum and Tim2 - on that staff. Giving Posey a chance to work with them (and they, with him) would be a good idea.
3) It is a respectable jump from low A to AA for anyone to make. If he tears up AA, he could move to AAA later in the year. And frankly, the Giants of 2009 look like they are set at catcher (Molina, Sandoval if needed). They need not rush Posey.

This seems like a reasonable course to take, IMHO.


I totally agree with your first two points and can see that this might be his first stop. However I still feel the Giants want all their young guns in place as soon as possible so they can grow together as a unit. Its not like Posey is coming out of high school as teams at the college level he was playing at are playing at a high level already. ;)

[McCovey]

I, too, believe that Posey will get an invite to ST. However, I believe he is ticketed to AA (Connecticut Defenders) for three reasons:
1) New Connecticut manager is Steve Decker (former ML catcher) will be able to work with him on his catching skills.
2) Connecticut will have two of the best young arms in the entire organization - MadBum and Tim2 - on that staff. Giving Posey a chance to work with them (and they, with him) would be a good idea.
3) It is a respectable jump from low A to AA for anyone to make. If he tears up AA, he could move to AAA later in the year. And frankly, the Giants of 2009 look like they are set at catcher (Molina, Sandoval if needed). They need not rush Posey.

This seems like a reasonable course to take, IMHO.
Some great points, kar. :awesomework.gif MadBum, tim2, and Buster make a great trio to building a championship foundation on.

[kar120c]

I totally agree with your first two points and can see that this might be his first stop. However I still feel the Giants want all their young guns in place as soon as possible so they can grow together as a unit. Its not like Posey is coming out of high school as teams at the college level he was playing at are playing at a high level already. ;)

Hidden between the lines of my third point is this: If Molina is still with the Giants after the July trading deadline, how much playing time could a called-up Posey be expected to receive at catcher? Molina's desire to play all the time is well known. Since niether of us see Molina in SF in 2010, it seems that the catcher's job in 2010 will be Posey's to lose. That said, might not the extra few months of regular playing time in AA (or AAA, if it works out that way) benefit Posey more than a (perhaps small) part time role with the big club in 2009.

You never know how a club will handle someone with a bright future. I remember many were for bringing up Lincecum out of ST in 2007. Sabean said no. He went to AAA and dominated, and was brought up later that year, in June. Sandoval was just 20 when he was bumped from AA to the Giants in July (another good decision). Other guys seem to spend forever in the minors, when they seem to be ready for an ML shot (Nate S.). Only Mr. Sabean knows why (I suspect Sabean was not happy with Nate's decision to play in the Olympics, but that is just a hunch).

One more thing. I do believe if Posey does very well in AA (or AAA) in 2009, a September call up to the show is certainly in the cards. Give him a taste of MLB life, have him come to ST again in 2010, and let him take the job with the big club after that.

That does not seem like an unreasonable course of action to me. Of course, if he hits .600 in CT, or Molina gets traded or injured, then he may force the Giants hand, but that will be dealt with if/when the time comes.

[Bear]

Game, set, match! You win! :clap:

[McCovey]

More info on Gerald...


One of a Kind (http://sfgiants.mlblogs.com/archives/2009/03/one_of_a_kind.html)

By Joan Ryan

I talked to Buster Posey's college coach, Florida State's Mike Martin, last week. I wanted to know about Posey's transition to catcher two years ago when he was a sophomore. He had earned All-American honors as a shortstop his freshman year and also pitched. But Martin needed a catcher - someone who could be the leader on the field.

"I thought when he put the gear on for the first time, he'd walk like a duck,'' Martin says. He didn't.

"After three pitches, I said, 'You got to be kidding me.' He looked as if he had been catching all his life - the way he could frame a pitch, the way his mitt looked like a pillow, the fact he didn't snatch at the ball. He looked very polished.''

Not that Martin was surprised.

Posey is one of those kids who seems to have stepped out of the pages of a Hardy Boys novel. Square-jawed, clean-cut, straight A's, polite, hard working. A finance major, Posey made the President's List in spring 2007 for his 4.0 GPA, and the Dean's List in the fall of 2005 and 2007.

When Posey took over as catcher, everything changed, Martin said.
"Best leader I ever had,'' he said. "He treated everyone with respect, but if someone needed to be dealt with, Buster dealt with him. We would have never gone to the World Series without him.''

In the NCAA regionals last year, FSU lost its first game and was facing elimination. Over the next four games, Posey batted .500 (8-for-16) with five home runs and 13 RBIs. FSU outscored Florida, Bucknell and Tulane 74-35 to reach the College World Series.

In his final at-bat as a college player, Posey came to bat in the top of the ninth with bases loaded and two outs and FSU behind by three runs. Martin says that one at-bat encapsulates Posey's disciplined approach to the game.

"He doesn't chase a single pitch,'' Martin said. "He draws a walk - playing the game exactly how it's supposed to be played. That (at-bat) shows what he is all about - some guys would want to be the hero, but Buster put together a great at-bat and turned it over to the next guy.''

Unfortunately, the next guy grounded out, eliminating FSU from the series.
Posey was such a force at FSU that fans created a song called "Hail to the Buster'' and sang it whenever he came to bat. Martin said in 29 years of coaching, he has never seen a player have the impact Posey had.

"There ain't nobody like Buster Posey,'' Martin said. "One of a kind. I'll never coach another Buster Posey.''

Posey married his high school sweetheart, Kristin, in their hometown of Leesburg, Georgia, in January.

In case you wondered, Posey's full name is Gerald Dempsey Posey III. His father, known as Demp, was nicknamed Buster as a kid and passed it on to the oldest of his four children.

[TkleMstr52]

Good find

[SF Kid]

The thread LIVES.

[McCovey]

The Giants have historically been really weak at catcher. Quick, who is the greatest catcher in Giants history? Tom Haller? Bob Brenley? That's a pretty thin list. As far as I can tell the only S.F. Giants catchers that have made All-Star teams are:

Bob Schmidt 1958
Ed Bailey 1961, 1963
Tom Haller 1966, 1967
Dick Dietz 1970
Bob Brenley 1984
Benito Santiago 2002

That's it?! Since 1971 Giants catchers have just two all-star appearances. :( Perhaps Posey can be the Giants greatest catcher ever. :beerbang:

[McCovey]

Posey has been reassigned to the Giants minor league camp.


Posey finally leaves big league camp
Giants prospect had good experience learning from Major Leaguers

By Chris Haft / MLB.com
03/29/09 9:01 PM ET

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- Buster Posey's inevitable departure from big league Spring Training more closely resembled a see-you-later than a farewell.

The Giants reassigned their prized catching prospect to Minor League camp after Sunday's 1-0 exhibition loss to the Milwaukee Brewers, but the move theoretically wasn't a demotion. Ideally, it'll hasten Posey's development, as he's expected to play every day with other top farmhands at high-Class A San Jose.

Though Posey was in Major League camp to gain experience and knowledge, he often looked like somebody competing for a job. He hit .300 (9-for-30) with two home runs, seven RBIs and a .533 slugging percentage. The 22-year-old finally appeared a little overmatched at the plate Sunday, striking out twice in an 0-for-3 afternoon while playing the entire game.

He's not ready yet, but the Giants believe he could be ready soon. Posey still must learn the art of calling pitches. Still, since starting catcher Bengie Molina will become eligible for free agency after this season, Posey's timetable could be accelerated.

"We think a lot of Buster," Giants manager Bruce Bochy said. "He's a talented player. We wanted him to get the experience of playing with these guys and also get a look at him."

Posey, who won last year's Golden Spikes Award as the country's top amateur player before the Giants drafted him fifth overall out of Florida State University, gained a sense of the considerable difference between college ball and the Majors.

"The experience for me was good because it gave me a chance to see the speed of the game," Posey said. "... I felt like I made the adjustment pretty well and I felt like I learned a lot."

What Posey learned encompassed all aspects of the game, though a large portion of his education involved catching.

"There's little nuances I picked up," he said. He learned not only by listening to coaches and veterans such as Molina, but also by watching exhibition-game opponents.

It was initially believed that Posey would go to Minor League camp in early March, but the Giants waited until only three games remained on their Cactus League schedule to reassign him.

"I didn't know the time frame, but I didn't think I'd stay this long," he said.
Posey, who received a $6.2 million bonus, set a simple yet oft-unattainable goal for himself as he enters his first full professional season.
"I hope it stays the same with me my whole career -- for me, it's to go out and be consistent," he said. "I think that's one of the big keys to this game. When you look at the guys who've played for so long, they've maintained that consistency."

Posey's not the only Giant likely to use the Minors as a stepping-stone. Another is right-hander Joe Martinez, who blanked Milwaukee for four innings Sunday to lower his spring ERA to 4.12. Martinez, who led the Eastern League last year with a 2.49 ERA, has aligned himself as a leading candidate to be summoned to the Majors if or when the Giants need to replace an injured or ineffective starting pitcher.

"I hope I've shown that I can compete and give them some quality innings," said Martinez, who hasn't yet been officially demoted. "I hope that if they need me, they feel comfortable calling on me."

Martinez, 26, relies on a sinking fastball to coax opponents into hitting harmless grounders and lifting innocuous popups. Though he's not renowned for striking out hitters, he fanned Milwaukee's Prince Fielder with two runners aboard and one out before escaping the first inning.
"If my fastball has movement and a little life on it, that's the biggest thing," he said. "It's not necessarily how hard I'm throwing."

Besides trimming Posey from the spring roster, the Giants optioned first baseman-outfielder John Bowker and right-hander Osiris Matos to Triple-A Fresno, leaving 32 players in camp. Both had chances to make the club but would have needed excellent Cactus League performances to do so.

Bowker, who batted .255 with 10 home runs and 43 RBIs in 111 games with the Giants last year, hit .211 with two homers, 10 RBIs and a .351 slugging percentage this spring. He also had a team-high 15 strikeouts in 57 at-bats. Matos, 1-2 with a 4.79 ERA in 20 relief appearances for the Giants last season, allowed only one earned run in his first 10 Cactus League outings but was sent down with a 4.22 ERA in 11 games.

Chris Haft (Chris.Haft@mlb.com) is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

[TkleMstr52]

Posey will be back, I dont know about Bowker, I liked his start last year but can he be consistent in the bigs? Matos? I like his delivery but do not know how effective he can be in the bigs.

[McCovey]

I just a phone call from Buster Posey! It's a recorded message from the San Jose Giants, and it starts, "Hi, I"m Buster Posey, starting catcher for the San Jose Giants..." :beerbang:

[TkleMstr52]

Nice, whats he selling?? Haha

[McCovey]

Nice, whats he selling?? Haha
He was encouraging me to come see the San Jose Giants play. :)

[TkleMstr52]

I would be going to as many of those as possible if I were closer!! Are tickets reasonable there?

[McCovey]

I would be going to as many of those as possible if I were closer!! Are tickets reasonable there?
The cheapest tickets are the general admission tickets which are $10.

http://www.sjgiants.com/subcontent.aspx?SecID=175

[TkleMstr52]

Cant beat that!!

[McCovey]

Cant beat that!!
And it doesn't really matter where you sit at Municipal Stadium. You're on top of the baseball action anyway.

[TkleMstr52]

Nice, how many seats?

[McCovey]

Nice, how many seats?
Currently it holds 4,200. It was build in 1941-42 as a Works Progress Administration project that was part of President Roosevelt's New Deal. And it only cost $80,000. The stadium has some really cool history.

[TkleMstr52]

Im gonna try and get to a game or two at some point this season!!

[McCovey]

Im gonna try and get to a game or two at some point this season!!

:awesomework.gif

[McCovey]

With Gerald just pounding the ball at San Jose how soon do you guys think before he's promoted to AA Connecticut?

[Bear]

With Gerald just pounding the ball at San Jose how soon do you guys think before he's promoted to AA Connecticut?

The better question would be how long before he is with the BIG club. He may skip the other levels and come straight to AT&T!:eek:

[McCovey]

The better question would be how long before he is with the BIG club. He may skip the other levels and come straight to AT&T!:eek:
That's not likely to going to happen IMO. He's simply not ready for the majors at this point. The jump from A-ball to the majors, without any intermediate stops, is a rather large one. Sandoval started at San Jose last year, then went to AA Connecticut for several months, then debuted for the Giants in mid August. I can see Posey doing the same.

[Bear]

That's not likely to going to happen IMO. He's simply not ready for the majors at this point. The jump from A-ball to the majors, without any intermediate stops, is a rather large one. Sandoval started at San Jose last year, then went to AA Connecticut for several months, then debuted for the Giants in mid August. I can see Posey doing the same.

Never say never!;)

[McCovey]

Never say never!;)
Boy, you just want Posey up in SF, like, right now, huh? :D

[Bear]

Boy, you just want Posey up in SF, like, right now, huh? :D

Yesterday!:D

[McCovey]

It looks like Posey is the real deal, a potential All-Star caliber catcher than can hit and play great defense. The SF Giants have never had one of those before.

[TkleMstr52]

It looks like Posey is the real deal, a potential All-Star caliber catcher than can hit and play great defense. The SF Giants have never had one of those before.

Two words, A and J :pound:

[TkleMstr52]

With Gerald just pounding the ball at San Jose how soon do you guys think before he's promoted to AA Connecticut?

What did he do now?

[SF Kid]

Does he win? :pound:

[McCovey]

Posey is having a poor May. :o

9 for 54, .167/.250/.185, 0 HR, 2 RBI, 1 double


Ouch! :(

[TkleMstr52]

That is a scary number!! Yikes

[McCovey]

A good Mark Purdy article.

Purdy: Future looking up for Giants prospect Posey

By Mark Purdy
Mercury News Sports Columnist
05/26/2009

The Giants of San Francisco are starving for a good hitter.


The Giants of San Jose have a nice juicy steak waiting for them. Just not yet.

Buster Posey is the steak's name. And there must be times when he does indeed feel like a piece of meat. From the day the big league Giants made Posey their No. 1 draft pick a year ago and subsequently paid him a $6.1 million bonus, the 22-year-old catcher from Florida State has been talked about more as a commodity than an actual human being.

Is he ready yet? When is he going to be ready? How does he look? Is he filling out? Is he worth the money?

On a sunny spring afternoon at Municipal Stadium, the minor league Giants have just concluded batting practice. Posey is inside the clubhouse, attending a baseball chapel session. Manager Andy Skeels is sitting in the dugout and answering the same Posey questions he has heard for the past two months.

"It's part of the hyper-news cycle we live in today," Skeels says. "Every game he plays gets overanalyzed. Buster doesn't have a whole lot of experience as a professional. And the organization can't put all of that experience into a player at once, like it's a protein shake or something. I think that once he shows — and the organization decides —that he has mastered this level, he'll be out of here."

That doesn't mean to the major leagues, of course. It means Posey will advance to Double-A, one escalator level up from the Class A San Jose team. The best hunch is that the promotion will occur in late June or early July. But even if Posey progresses as expected, he probably will not be the full-time catcher in San Francisco until 2011. Any sooner would be pushing it.Skeels is right, though. The push is definitely on. Because the San Jose Giants are just down the road from AT&T Park, Posey has become the coming-attractions trailer for fans of the big club who keep dropping by to see him.

And what do they see? Pretty good stuff. Skeels says Posey "had a strong start, hit a little bump in the road and has picked it back up again." His batting average is dancing around the .300 mark. He has frustrating nights at the plate, but many more happy ones.

Also, if you watch his defensive work behind the plate, it is abundantly clear that Posey is in charge of the game. At 6-foot-1, 205 pounds, he could probably stand to add some bulk. And after the short college seasons, we'll have to see how Posey handles the longer grind of the 140-game minor league schedule.

He's plainly a man on a mission. When he does emerge from the clubhouse, Posey says he has 10 minutes to talk, tops. He is focused on infield practice, then on the game ahead. He is precisely what you want in a player whom you want to be precise. It explains why, even though Posey is among us in San Jose, he is not exactly a true San Jose citizen.

"I spend a lot of time here at the field," Posey says. "I mean, I guess I'm out here a majority of the time. So I haven't gotten to know the area. My goal is to just get better as a player, coming to the park and doing it every day."

Posey drives a Mercury Sable, not a yo-look-at-me SUV or foreign sports car. His wife is in town to help handle the practical side of his life — the banking, the grocery shopping, etc. They've been to Oakridge Mall a couple of times. They live in the guest quarters at the home of Kevin Frandsen's parents, who offered Posey the room when he spent spring training on the San Francisco roster with the San Jose native. Mostly, the couple eats in.
"I really haven't had time to find any favorite San Jose restaurants," Posey says. "You know any good places?"

For him, that constitutes a demanding question, says San Jose Giants president Jim Weyermann. He is used to having players ask for favors — transportation, free concert tickets, other special considerations.
"Buster hasn't been in my office yet asking for anything," Weyermann says. "And I can't say that about every first-round pick who has been through here."

Skeels uses another story to illustrate Posey's attitude. Two weekends ago, the Giants were playing in Modesto, where it was 115 degrees. They were on the 12th day of a 14-day trip. Posey had caught most of the games. His legs had to be weary. But in the seventh inning, running the bases, Posey slid hard into second base to break up a double play.

"He competes," Skeels says. "This kid's a gamer, whether it's as a catcher or running the bases or in the batter's box. You would think that's a universal trait among players. But it's not. Guys who play hard for 27 outs are a rare breed."

The manager pauses.

"My fear," says Skeels, "is that people will expect him to be an All-Star before he's even in the big leagues."

Understood. But for the Giants of AT&T Park "... well, compared with most fears, isn't that a good one to have?

[Bear]

Great post Mc! Posey I am sure will be a great Giant.:beerbang:

[McCovey]

Great post Mc! Posey I am sure will be a great Giant.:beerbang:
I think Posey has a chance to be something special. The kid LOVES to play baseball. That kind of attitude will certainly endear him to Giants fans everywhere.

[Bear]

I think Posey has a chance to be something special. The kid LOVES to play baseball. That kind of attitude will certainly endear him to Giants fans everywhere.

Another Pablo Sandoval!;)

[McCovey]

Another Pablo Sandoval!;)
Remember the Humm Baby Giants? Will Clark, Robby Thompson, and Matt Williams were three hard nosed players. I loved Robby Thompson. His uniform was always dirty. The current Giants need more of that girtty mentality.

[Bear]

Remember the Humm Baby Giants? Will Clark, Robby Thompson, and Matt Williams were three hard nosed players. I loved Robby Thompson. His uniform was always dirty. The current Giants need more of that girtty mentality.

I think we maybe over looking Emmanuel Burriss. I think he maybe in the big picture for the Giants.:o

[TkleMstr52]

I dont think I will ever like Posey as much as Sandoval!! Pablo is just a pleasure to see on camera. Burriss is having a nice run and I hope it continues once he gets to DC, his hometown.

[McCovey]

I dont think I will ever like Posey as much as Sandoval!! Pablo is just a pleasure to see on camera. Burriss is having a nice run and I hope it continues once he gets to DC, his hometown.
That's ok. You can like both, right? :)

[Bear]

That's ok. You can like both, right? :)

I don't know. Some people can't multi-like.:pound:

[McCovey]

I don't know. Some people can't multi-like.:pound:
:pound:

[McCovey]

Man, Posey is on fire again! :beerbang: In June he is hitting .393/.520/.714. :bowdone:

[Bear]

Man, Posey is on fire again! :beerbang: In June he is hitting .393/.520/.714. :bowdone:

Could this be the reason why the Bear does not want the Giants to draft more catchers.

[McCovey]

Could this be the reason why the Bear does not want the Giants to draft more catchers.
Here we go again. ;) Bear, lots of high schoolers get drafted at one position and get moved to other positions. I know you know this. Players like Dale Murphy, Carlos Delgado, and Craig Biggio were minor league catchers that got moved when they reached the majors. Delgado didn't play a single inning at first base in the minors. If Tommy Joseph develops into a big time power hitter, and Posey is entreched at catcher, you don't think the Giants will try him at another position? Another possibilty is that Joseph could develop into Posey's backup. Or he could be traded. The future is not set.

[Bear]

Yes we are beating this dead horse to life. All I am saying is you can't tell me that there is not a high school outfielder in this entire country who has the raw hitting talent of this kid. This makes me question the scouting system for the Giants. It would be nice not to have to teach these kid a new position along with getting the ready to play at the MLB level.