Tagged: 2013 Opening Day
12 Days Till Opening Day
Twelve. Twelve days. That’s it. The Grizzlies’ 2013 season kicks off in 12 days on April 4th for Opening Day.
Tim Lincecum, who wore jersey number 12 in his brief Grizzlies career in 2007, helps us count down to the big day.
Lincecum’s Grizzlies career looks like this:
4-0 record (5 starts)
1 ER in 31 IP (0.29 ERA)
46 strikeouts and 11 walks
.119 batting average against
For Fresno, four of Lincecum’s five Grizzlies starts were at Chukchansi Park, so the opportunity for everyone in the Central San Joaquin Valley to see the two-time Cy Young winner before startdom was there.
In fact, Lincecum’s last start with Fresno (at Chukchansi Park nonetheless) was a record-setting performance. The right-hander struck out 14 in six innings, setting the Grizzlies franchise record for most strikeouts in a single game. What’s more impressive about Lincecum’s final start in Triple-A is that he didn’t walk any of the 21 batters he faced. Everybody knew on that April 29th day back in 2007 Lincecum was destined for bigger things in his career.
Lincecum is also one of the 17 of the 25 Giants on the 2012 World Series roster that have played for the Grizzlies in their careers.
Of course, as everybody has heard, Lincecum ditched the long hair for a more clean cut look. As seen in the photo above, he fared well with the shorter locks. Based on the logic of haircuts (which is probably more along the lines of illogic of haircuts), the 2013 season could be a bounce back year for Lincecum.
14 Days Till Opening Day
Two weeks away! There are 14 days until Opening Day, and Francisco Peguero helps bring us closer to the 7:05 pm against the Tacoma Rainiers at Chukchansi Park.
The outfielder made his Grizzlies debut in 2012, playing in 105 games for Fresno and batting .272/.297/.394 with 20 doubles, 10 triples, 5 home runs, and 68 RBI.
His 10 triples tied Nate Schierholtz for the second-most by a Grizzlies hitter for a single season in franchise history.
Peguero was pegged (yes, that was intentional) for another season in Triple-A to start Spring Training this year after the San Francisco Giants re-signed Angel Pagan and Hunter Pence and brought back Andres Torres after his one-year absence from the Giants organization.
Peguero, however, did not get the memo regarding the Giants’ outfield situation being all but decided. In 18 Spring Training games, Peguero is hitting .364 with 3 doubles, a triple, and 5 RBI. His .364 batting average only trails Brandon Belt for the highest clip on the Giants (min. 40 AB).
Peguero is competing with Cole Gillespie for the Giants’ fifth outfield spot. The Giants would probably not prefer to have Peguero sitting on their bench and possibly stunting his development, but sometimes roster decision-makers can’t argue with results.
15 Days Till Opening Day
Fifteen days until #FGOpeningDay, and to help us count down, we look back at former Fresno Grizzlies outfielder Jason Ellison.
The Lewis-Clark State College product was drafted by the Giants in the 22nd round of the 2000 June Draft. The outfielder was entering the pro ranks after helping lead Lewis-Clark State College to back-to-back NAIA World Series championships.
Ellison is one of four different former Lewis-State College baseball players to play for the Giants in their pro careers, joining Frank Williams, Marvin Bernard, and former Grizzlies manager Steve Decker.
Ellison played in 347 games with the Grizzlies from 2002-2006. He batted .318 (443-for-1,392) in a Grizzlies uniform over his career, hitting 82 doubles, 14 triples, and 19 home runs to go along with his 108 RBI.
On the Grizzlies’ all-time career records list, Ellison is 2nd in stolen bases (71), 5th in doubles and hits, 6th in triples, and 7th in games played.
Ellison’s career with the Giants organization ended in 2007 when he was shipped from San Francisco to the Seattle Mariners organization in exchange for left-handed pitcher Travis Blackley. Ellison went to South Kitsap High School in Port Orchard, WA and lived near Seattle in the offseason at the time, so the move was welcomed by Ellison.
Ellison’s last season in pro baseball was in 2009 with the Philadelphia Phillies organization. He played in 125 games for Triple-A Lehigh Valley in ’09, batting .261/.332/.339 with 20 doubles, 5 home runs, 37 RBI, and 15 stolen bases. He went unsigned entering the 2010 season, thus ending his pro career.
In addition to playing for the Giants in the big leagues, the native of Quincy, CA also played for the Seattle Mariners, Cincinnati Reds, and Texas Rangers.
19 Days Till Opening Day
Closer and closer…#FGOpeningDay is now 19 days away! Nate Schierholtz, who wore jersey number 19 with the Grizzlies, helps bring the 2013 opener closer to reality.
The Reno, Nevada native donned a Grizzlies uniform between 2007 and 2009, with his ’09 appearance being an MLB Rehab stint. In his first year at Triple-A, Schierholtz batted .333 with 31 doubles, 7 triples, 16 home runs, 68 RBI, and 10 stolen bases in 109 games. The right fielder eventually made his Major League debut in the same season as his Triple-A debut, playing in 39 games with the Giants in 2007.
In 2008, Schierholtz proved his worth at the Triple-A level again, batting .320 with 22 doubles, 10 triples, 18 home runs, 73 RBI, and 9 steals in 93 games.
On the Grizzlies’ all-time career records list, Schierholtz is tied with Fred Lewis for the second-most triples with 17.
Schierholtz also holds the claim to be the first Grizzlies player to hit for the cycle. He turned the trick on May 26th, 2008 at Las Vegas.
Schierholtz is a Bay Area native as he grew up Danville, California, which is about 35 minutes from AT&T Park in San Francisco. After one year at Chabot College, Schierholtz was drafted by the Giants in the second round of the 2003 Draft.
Schierholtz was a third baseman coming out junior college. He played 134 of his first 166 professional games at third base before beginning his switch to the outfield in 2004.
“Nate the Great” signed with the Chicago Cubs this past offseason. Through 13 Spring Training games, the left-handed hitter was batting .344/.389/.563 with 2 doubles, a triple, a home run, and 6 RBI.
Did the Grizzlies’ roster just take shape?
Several moves were made today at the San Francisco Giants big league spring training: 21 players were reassigned to minor league spring training.
Several players were optioned to Fresno’s preliminary roster: Ehire Adrianza, Nick Noonan, Juan Perez, Roger Kieschnick, Jake Dunning, Chris Heston, Dan Otero, and Sandy Rosario. Each of these players is on the Giants 40-man roster.
Meanwhile, Boof Bonser, Steve Edlefsen, Heath Hembree, Michael Kickham, Tyler LaTorre, Mitch Lively, Shane Loux, Ricky Oropesa, Adam Duvall, Brock Bond, and Gary Brown were each “reassigned.”
Looking at the list of cuts today, most stand out as potential Grizzlies on Opening Day (April 4th). Adrianza and Noonan appear to be future Grizzlies up the middle of the infield. While Noonan has experience at second base, third base, and shortstop, Adrianza has played in 582 career games at shortstop and 1 at second base. Bond has played both second and third base in his career. The switch-hitting, on-base machine could fill wherever Noonan is not playing (or vice versa).
Perez and Kieschnick are going to be a part of a potentially loaded Grizzlies outfield to start the season. Perez has spent the last two seasons at Double-A Richmond, including a 2012 season in which he batted .302 with 11 home runs and 18 stolen bases (33 attempts). Kieschnick, despite missing three months with a shoulder injury, led the Grizzlies with 15 home runs in 2012.
Other possibilities in the Grizzlies outfield include Brown, the Giants’ 2nd-best prospect according to MLB.com, and Francisco Peguero. Peguero has stood out this spring, batting .424 in 13 games with the big club. He is competing with Cole Gillespie, Andres Torres, among others, for a spot in the Giants outfield.
LaTorre was assigned to minor league camp after returning from his time with Team Italy at the World Baseball Classic. LaTorre appeared in 2 games with Italy, going 1-for-4 with a walk.
Bonser, Heston, and Kickham are the frontrunners for the Grizzlies starting pitching staff. Bonser used the 2012 season to recover from Tommy John surgery. The right-hander started out of the bullpen with Fresno last July, but slowly worked his way back to a starting role. In 307 career games, Bonser has started 245 of them. Heston and Kickham are the rising prospects, who recently gained the attention of the Giants brass. Heston was the Eastern League Pitcher of the Year last year while Kickham is a hard-throwing left-hander. Those can be hard to find.
Dunning, Edlefsen, Hembree, Lively, Loux, Otero, and Rosario are candidates for the Grizzlies’ relief corps. Loux has plenty of starting experience in his career, but he pitched solely out of the bullpen in 2012. Rosario is the latest addition to the Giants organization. The right-hander posted a 1.04 ERA in 25 appearances with the New Orleans Zephyrs in 2012 while leading the team with 16 saves. The Grizzlies’ co-leader in saves from yesteryear, Hembree, will be looking to improve himself in the early part of this season to make sure he can crack the Giants’ roster soon.
First Look – Crawford Bobblehead
Yes, yesterday was the “21 Days Till Opening Day” mark.
Yes, we missed it, but that was because we were too busy announcing our exciting promo schedule for the 2013 season.
So, as an apology, we are offering the first look of the Brandon Crawford Farm Grown bobblehead (wearing his Grizzlies jersey number 21).
Pinterest Contest for Free Opening Weekend Tickets
Calling all Pinterest lovers! The Fresno Grizzlies Opening Weekend is right around the corner and it’s time to get your tickets Pinterest style.
Pinterest is the place to pin everything that you love and find interesting. What’s more interesting than FREE tickets to see your Fresno Grizzlies? Join our Pinterest contest to be eligible for FREE tickets to any game during Opening Weekend!
The winner will get to enjoy a night at Chukchansi Park on us as the Grizzlies take on the Tacoma Rainiers. There will also be an incredible fireworks show Thursday and Friday that you will not want to miss. Join the competition by following the simple instructions below and start pinning!
- Follow the Fresno Grizzlies Pinterest Account
- Create your own Pin Board labeled “Fresno Grizzlies Baseball Pins”
- Repin at least 5 of our pins onto your “Fresno Grizzlies Baseball Pins” board
- Email the link to your board to grizzliesmedia@fresnogrizzlies.com
- The most pinteresting and amusing “Fresno Grizzlies Baseball Pins” board, selected by the Grizzlies social media team, receives 4 free tickets to one of the opening games at Chukchansi Park April 4th-7th.
Contest ends Tuesday, April 2nd.
GOOD LUCK!
*Winners will be notified through email.
28 Days Till Opening Day
Buster Posey, the Grizzlies catcher in 2009 and 2010, wore jersey number 28 with Fresno. And, how convenient, we are 28 days from Opening Day on April 4th at Chukchansi Park.
Sure, Gerald Dempsey Posey III is becoming the face of Major League Baseball. That is pretty easy when your list of accomplishments from a single season include:
- NL MVP
- NL All-Star (starting catcher nonetheless)
- NL Silver Slugger
- NL batting title
- NL Comeback Player of the Year
- NL Hank Aaron Award
- Willie Mac Award
- And…World Series champion (just a small feat)
Add those honors from 2012 to his 2010 NL Rookie of the Year award, 2010 World Series win, and 2008 Golden Spikes Award, and Posey has established quite a resume over just 2 years and 161 days of Major League service time (with a good chunk of that burned up by the devastating leg injury suffered in 2011).
While with the Grizzlies, though, Posey batted .337/.421/.535 with 21 doubles, 11 home runs, and 54 RBIs over 82 games. For his entire Minor League career, he batted .333/.427/.542 over 172 games. It’s pretty difficult to put up those numbers in the minors and not almost command the expectations of being the next big thing when you arrive in the Majors. So far, Posey has met and exceeded all hopes and dreams of the Giants and Giants fans alike.
Fun fact: Buster Posey and Madison Bumgarner were the first all-rookie starting battery in a World Series game back in 2010 since Spec Shea and Yogi Berra started for the New York Yankees in the 1947 World Series. Both Posey and Bumgarner started the 2010 season as Fresno Grizzlies.
29 Days Till Opening Day
Brandon Belt, who wore jersey number 29 with the Grizzlies in 2011, counts us down to Opening Day on April 4th at Chukchansi Park. The left-handed hitting first baseman is one of the 17 of the 25 players on the Giants’ 2012 World Series roster who has played for the Grizzlies at one point in their careers.
“Baby Giraffe,” as his nickname goes, has played in 62 career games with the Grizzlies over the 2010 and 2011 seasons. He holds a .291 batting average with 12 home runs and 42 RBIs in a Grizzlies uniform.
Belt was a rapidly rising star in 2010 as he led all of the minor leagues in OPS (1.075) while also finishing 2nd in the minors in batting average (.352) and OBP (.455), 4th in RBIs (112), and 7th in slugging percentage (.620).
The 2011 season was little more rocky for the native Texan. He shuttled between San Francisco and Fresno, playing in 49 games with the Grizzlies and 63 with the Giants.
Then, in 2012, Belt became a World Series champion. Any 2011 disappointments were quickly awash.
Belt enters this year’s Spring Training with the security of the Giants starting first baseman job lined up. With the starting job in tow, Belt is 12-for-25 with 3 home runs and 6 RBIs in 8 games. Spring Training stats are moot once the season starts, but Belt is doing his part to carry plenty of momentum into the regular season.
31 Days Till Opening Day
Ryan Lollis, sporting jersey number 31 during the 2012 season, helps us count down to the 2013 Opening Day on Thursday, April 4th at Chukchansi Park.
Lollis, 26, played at the Triple-A level for the first time in his career last season. Over 50 games with the Grizzlies, the Houston, Texas native batted .309 with 9 doubles, 2 triples, 3 home runs and 21 RBIs. He also posted a .393 OBP and .434 SLG.
The left-handed outfielder’s stint with the Grizzlies was unexpected, but due to injuries and Major League promotions during the middle of July, Lollis was able to get his first taste of Triple-A action. He became the Grizzlies’ everyday center fielder immediately after his first game on July 12 at Tucson.
One of Lollis’ standout performances from last year was his 3-double performance on August 2nd vs. Nashville. His final double of the night proved most vital as it was a walk-off hit to give the Grizzlies a 4-3 win in 11 innings.
Lollis began the 2012 season with Class A Advanced San Jose. He batted .296/.347/.418 over 75 games with the Giants.
He holds a .299 batting average with .364 OBP and .405 SLG over his 4-year career entering 2013. Lollis was drafted by San Francisco in the 37th round of the 2009 Draft out of the University of Missouri.
Yard Work 