This will probably not be a popular sentiment, but I think the Giants made a mistake in letting Pedro Feliz go. They'll tell you they made him an offer, but it was a lowball deal that showed they didn't really want him back.Look, Feliz has always had his flaws at the plate (it's an even bet that in this photo, he ended up swinging through the ball). He seldom met a first pitch that didn't deserve a hack.
Yet in fastball situations, Feliz wasn't a guy you wanted to face. In his four seasons as an everyday player, Feliz averaged 21 homers, 32 doubles and 84 RBI's a season. Very decent numbers in a ballpark that's far from friendly to righthanded hitters.
Feliz' true strengths were his glove and his versatility. The man my buddy Bob insists on calling "Happy Pete" (use your Spanish-to-English dictionary) is a 3rd baseman by trade, but he's spent time at 1st base, in the outfield, and even at shortstop in a pinch. Despite an aberrant spell in 2006 (a season in which he made 21 errors), Feliz was always a superb 3rd baseman, blessed with a well-above-average arm.
Giants GM Brian Sabean just e-mailed season ticketholders to tell them the team plans to build its post-Bonds editions on pitching and defense. Does it make sense, then, to give up on a quality defensive player who's shown he can drive in runs?
Perhaps Kevin Frandsen will make me forget Feliz, since the Giants seem ready to let him share the 3rd base job with Rich Aurilia, who will turn 37 this season. I hope so. But for now, it feels like a misplaced bet.
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3 comments:
Hi, I agree with you completely. Feliz is seasoned and did his job well at 3rd, and gave us hope when he came up to bat. What is going on in Giantland? Some oldies, but goodies, and some kids that need a lot of seasoning. I guess the verdict isn't in yet, and we'll see. By the way, I'm a regular listener of KCBS and really enjoy you all. I particularly like your enthusiasm for sports, etc. I'm glad I found your blog.
Is this supposed to be a joke? Feliz may be a decent 3rd baseman but he's way too streaky a hitter. Good riddance.
Ah yes, the man who was responsible for a couple of people at KNBR losing their jobs. At least it sounded like that talk show host was referring to Feliz when he made the infamous comment.
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