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Strikeouts For Troops

I was fortunate enough to have had the opportunity to attend "Barry Zito's Strikeouts For Troops Giants Jam Fundraiser" this week and it was one of the coolest events I have ever been to. All the proceeds from the event went to the Strikeouts for Troops project which helps aid war wounded troops in their recovery and rehabilitation. Barry Zito put on an excellent show as he played his guitar for his sister's band and even sang in a few songs. I was not able to make it in time to see Omar Vizquel's performance, but other than that, I don't have any complaints. One of the highlights of the event was the auction, in which a few Giants' players jerseys were auctioned off, and the auctioneer was none other than Mr. Barry Bonds. Even Bonds didn't disappoint when he got the microphone in his hand. Among a few of the players I had a chance to speak with were Noah Lowry, Mark Sweeney and Russ Ortiz. I must say, Mark Sweeney is one of the coolest ballplayers that I have had a chance to meet. I also had a chance to meet Fox Sports Net Warriors' sideline reporter, Matt Steinmetz. I hope to soon have link up with a spot where you can donate to the cause if you would like.

I wish I could keep the positive vibe going throughout this whole post, but the Giants happened to suffer another heartbreaking loss to Rockies late on Friday night. It was almost identical to the one that they coughed up back in Denver about a month ago, and it was Matt Cain who was victimized both times. However, the Giants didn't deserve to win the game Friday night. If you take away that Bengie Molina pop-up that Todd Helton lost in the wind, the Giants would have scored 2 runs. It's frustrating when the offense does so little vs. a team like the Rockies, who have the worst pitching in National League. Matt Cain was also shaky all night, and I am very surprised it took until the 7th inning for the Rockies to finally get to him. Until Cain can start using his pitch count more effectively, he isn't going to put himself on that next level of the elite starters in the league. His stuff is awesome, and if he just stays in the zone, he is very difficult to deal with. When he starts walking people, and he gets to 3 ball counts with every other batter, he gets himself in trouble. That being said, he's only 22 years old, so I expect to see some inconsistency in him. Even when he doesn't have his command, he has proven that he is still a tough assignment for opposing hitters. If he's this good without his command, imagine what he'll be like when he gets a consistent release on the ball?

Comments

Anonymous said…
Zito's a really nice guy, I got to meet him a few times when he played for the A's. Real down to earth.
4:48 PM
Anonymous said…
Cain and Lincecum are the ones giving the Giants hope for the future. I just hope they don't get hurt.
5:18 PM
Anonymous said…
Do you think Cain will ever be the ace of that staff? Why?
6:13 PM
Trevor Cole said…
J- I do think he will be eventually. He has all the makings of an ace, the only thing that is holding him back from being even better is his wildness. Pitch count keeps forcing him out of games around the 7th inning. A good sign is that even though he gets behind in counts a lot, he's still not being hit very hard, and he's still putting in above average performances. Remember, he's only 22.
6:44 PM
Anonymous said…
You know who Cain reminds me of? Jake Peavy. And you know what Peavy's problem was? He always threw every pitch at 100% max effort. Which is why he'd have 100 pitches in the sixth inning. Once he learned to back off, and Greg Maddux has had as much to do with that than anyone, his pitch counts have gone down, and his effectiveness has gone up. All Cain needs is experience and he will become a top five pitcher in the NL.
8:24 PM
Anonymous said…
I don't know about top 5...
9:07 PM
Anonymous said…
for sure top 5...at least! Cain has the most unquestionable potential of that staff.
11:58 PM
Trevor Cole said…
Yeah, I'd have to agree that Cain does have the potential to be a top 5 NL starting pitcher. He's already probably in the top ten as we speak. When he's on, he's just as tough to handle as guys like Peavy and Smoltz.
11:57 AM
Anonymous said…
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
1:32 AM
Anonymous said…
Wow, that loss today was just plain ugly, swept by the Rocks. Sorry Giants fan's, you shouldn't expect anything more than .500 ball out of this team.

Trevor, I heard about the k's for troops, will there be one next year?
1:35 AM
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