Bay Area Buzz 7/26: A’s Routed, Make-or-Break for Jenkins, Giants Should Not Sell
By FanSided
July 25, 2013; Oakland, CA, USA; Los Angeles Angels second baseman Howie Kendrick (47) congratulates right fielder Josh Hamilton (32) and designated hitter Albert Pujols (5) for both scoring against Oakland Athletics starting pitcher Dan Straily (67) during the fifth inning at O.co Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
"Nearly three months ago, the A’s outlasted the Angels 10-8 in a 19-inning epic at the Coliseum.Since that marathon, which began April 29 and ended April 30, Oakland hadn’t allowed more than seven runs in a home game. That is, until the Angels’ 8-3 romp Thursday night.The Angels tagged Dan Straily (6-4) and the Oakland bullpen for 12 hits, all but one of which were singles. Every member of the Angels’ starting lineup had at least one hit, except for Howie Kendrick.– Steve Kroner, San Francisco Chronicle"
2013 a Make-or-Break Year for Jenkins
"As a first-round selection, much is expected of him to perform. He showed off his speed in college, routinely getting past defenders with fluid body control and improved route running. Jenkins led the Big Ten with 90 receptions and hauled in at least four catches in each game during his senior season. He could have provided the 49ers offense with some big-play firepower, but given the team’s depth at receiver last year, Jenkins was not forced into the spotlight from the get-go.However, the NFL is on another plane from the Big Ten. Professional cornerbacks are gifted with greater size and years of playing experience compared to collegiate secondaries. To help combat bigger, physical corners, Jenkins gained about 10 pounds in the offseason, putting him at roughly 200 pounds. Playing at a heavier weight should help him get through the grind of a 16-game season.– Travis Chan, Yahoo! Sports"
Giants Should Not Sell Big at Deadline
"The Giants are not the Cubs, who open a three-game series at AT&T Park on Friday and are selling off assets to build for the future. The Giants are one year removed from a World Series championship and heavily invested in some awfully good players, such as Matt Cain, Madison Bumgarner, Buster Posey, Marco Scutaro, Angel Pagan, Sergio Romo, Santiago Casilla and so on.I also believe that some of the team’s problems in 2013, namely the poor pitching, can be pegged partly to fatigue after the long 2012 season, short offseason and longer-than-usual spring training due to the World Baseball Classic. I don’t see that as a potential problem next year if the Giants fail to reach the postseason.The Giants can and should contend again in 2014, so right off the bat it makes little sense to deal away players under team control through 2014 and beyond.– Henry Schulman, San Francisco Chronicle"