Giants Busted: Posey Out for Season

Well, one of the Giants worst nightmares came to fruition last night, and if you saw the play that snapped Posey's shin bone, I think every Giants fan in America felt that one a little bit!

There just isn't much to say but when Scott Cousins collided with Buster, it was a "WOW, the Giants' best player's leg just practically snapped!", reaction from me. Then the severity of the injury started to sink in as he lie there (you know it's bad when the opposing player sticks around). I mean, look at it, I didn't want to post the picture at first, but this is the last of Posey we'll likely see in 2011, going out like a champ and putting his body on the line in effort to save the game for his team. It was a clean play by baseball standards though, and Cousins feels horrible about it, tearing up in an interview. It seemed too surreal to be happening, such a weird baseball injury and it happens to the last guy in the world it can, if your a Giants fan. He was the last guy on that roster they could afford to lose and they've lost him. Even a Tim Lincecum season-ender wouldn't bring the daily impact that losing Posey will, so if you think losing Lincecum for the season would be worse, your wrong (everyone knock on wood). The Giants clear strength is their pitching, so much so that they have a guy getting paid $18M on the DL because they're simply too deep with starters. They needed every single bat they could afford to get, and some. Pablo Sandoval's injury was a big set-back, but he's coming back in a few weeks, Posey's done for the year. The great game-caller with the stellar arm, the leader, the captain, the all-around best ball-player on that team is no longer in use for the 2011 season, barring a medical miracle, but the Giants still have to play on, and hope Sabean has something up his sleeve like he did last year!

I don't think it's settled in quite yet, still. Reading the words on the Yahoo Sports page this morning saying: "Season Over?" over the picture of Buster Posey, it was like being punched in the stomach. I knew last night it wasn't good, but I was hoping for a sprain or a 2-month thing, back by the All-Star break, maybe, but with the leg broken, a return this year is about 99% unlikely. So in the short-term, it looks like it will be Eli Whiteside playing daily, as they don't really have any other options that are major league ready. They could go out and try and woo Bengie Molina back out of retirement, as Giants pitchers raved about throwing to Bengie over the years, and he's more of a threat with the stick than Whiteside or Chris Stewart (Posey's call-up replacement). Brandon Belt is also back in attempt to help out the offense, as he and Brandon Crawford (replacing Mike Fontenot) also took the bus to San Fran with Stewart. However, I highly doubt they stick with the Stewart/Whiteside combo all year. They'll have to deal for one, which everyone now knows they need and can make them pay in trade accordingly, or hope Bengie hasn't added on an additional 20 pounds in retirement, cause it wasn't too long ago that he was playing in the World Series and playing well. Another name mentioned by some writer was Pittsburgh's Ryan Doumit, who I'd be all for, but Pitt. probably would want too much for in return.

Then there's the shortstop situation still waiting to be resolved, although I think that will take a back seat for a week or two while the Giants figure out their catching situation. Young Hector Sanchez is tearing it up in San Jose right now, who's got 8 homers and 38 RBI hitting .313. Problem wth that, is that it would be literally throwing the 21 year-old into the fire, as he's never been above A ball and has caught only 150 games total in the minor leagues. That leaves the likes of Ivan Rodriguez, Chris Snyder and Miguel Olivo (my #2 choice behind Doumit) as the most likely targets for Sabean.

Again, I think Doumit would be choice if they can get him, then you could do a 3-way rotation with him, Posey and Brandon Belt at 1st base next season (doubt Posey catches full-time right away when he does return). However, the Pirates will want somebody in return of value like Nate Schierholtz or a prospect or two for him. Doumit does also have experience in the outfield, though not sure how good he is out there... This is just a sucky situation, and in every article I'm reading about it, you can see the sympathy in even the national writer's work, mentioning that no baseball fan wants to see that kind of stuff happen to a player like that or any player, even if your in the same division. It was very similar to the situation with Stephen Strasburgh last year, where all of baseball kind of felt for the guy after all the hype the such success early on.

Anyway, all I can say Giants fans, is keep your heads up, and lets hope this brings the team closer together and everybody steps up and fills Buster's shoes! We know this team never will quit, and there's still a long ways to go. The Giants are a first place team, reigning champs, so even with a solider down, they'll focus on baseball, and settle back in after a day or 2.