Bay Area Buzz 10/23: Giants Lose Game 2, LeSean McCoy, LaMarr Woodley
Bay Area Topics
Giants Lose Game 2
"Giants manager Bruce Bochy used five pitchers in the sixth inning Wednesday night, and if you think any good can come from that, you must sell TV airtime for a living.You know those coal fires that have been perpetually burning in the Pennsylvania hills for decades? That’s pretty much what happened in the Giants’ 7-2 loss to the Kansas City Royals in Game 2 of the World Series.The Giants lost control of a 2-2 game, as well as a chance to take a commanding edge, and it wasn’t just a fastball or two that got away from them. Rookie Hunter Strickland totally lost his composure after getting hit hard again, Tim Lincecum’s long-awaited postseason debut ended with an injury and Giants manager Bruce Bochy was left to contemplate several decisions that backfired as the Royals split these first two games at Kauffman Stadium.Did Bochy stick with Jake Peavy too long, asking a pitcher with flat stuff at the outset to face the Royals’ middle of the order a third time to start the sixth? Did he rue leaving in left fielder Travis Ishikawa – a first baseman out of position who didn’t have a strong arm and once threw to the wrong base — because he was leading off the seventh?And did he get fooled into a false sense of security after Strickland threw a scoreless inning a night earlier? The rookie faced two batters in the five-run sixth, giving up a two-run double to Salvador Perez and a homer to Omar Infante – his fifth allowed this postseason – as the game, and cooler heads, slipped away.Strickland shouted at Perez even though it didn’t appear he was provoked, and benches partially cleared before order was restored.There were other missteps too, including Brandon Belt getting thrown out on the basepaths. But there’s little to be gained from dissecting a corpse after a 10-story fall. The Giants are headed home for Game 3, and they hope there’s nowhere to go but up from here."
–Andrew Baggarly, CSN Bay Area
LeSean McCoy
"Proposed trade No. 3:Eagles trade running back LeSean McCoy, linebacker Brandon Graham and 2015 second-round and fifth-round picks to the Oakland Raiders for their (potential No. 1 overall) 2015 first-round pick…The Raiders are in the driver’s seat to produce the pick that delivers Mariota, who has already mastered Kelly’s mind-melting, slash-and-burn offense. There is a leap of faith required here, even with Oakland the NFL’s only winless team. The Jets, Buccaneers and Jaguars all reached Week 8 with a single win, but the Raiders’ difficult remaining schedule — two games each versus the Broncos and Chiefs, plus the Seahawks and 49ers — leaves them with the best chance to land the top pick.The Raiders need bodies. This deal brings them four, two of whom can help immediately.McCoy’s salary cap number for 2015 is a heady $11.9 million, but it drops to under $9 million in 2016 and under $8 million in 2017. And the Raiders have plenty of cap space in the coming seasons.Although McCoy led the league in rushing in 2013, Kelly seemed comfortable with Darren Sproles playing late in the recent oh-so-close game against the Rams. Plus, there are whispers of friction between Kelly and McCoy. Graham, a former first-round pick, has never quite been the player the Eagles imagined. In the 2014 draft, the Eagles were sitting with the No. 22 overall pick but didn’t pull the trigger on Johnny Manziel because they believed either he wasn’t the answer or Foles was. There are legitimate doubts about the latter. The Eagles can negotiate a new deal with Foles after this season but might be unwilling to give him a stout long-term pact. Foles hasn’t demonstrated an ability to run Kelly’s zone-read, and Mariota would allow him to expand the offense to its fullest potential. That’s a prospect that would make the Eagles even more dangerous.The Raiders likely will have a new coach next year. If the personnel department feels Derek Carr is the answer at quarterback, improving the talent around him is the priority. This trade is the best way to do it."
LaMarr Woodley
"It appears that LaMarr Woodley’s career after leaving the Pittsburgh Steelers will be heading to the injured reserve as the 2014 Free Agency signing from the Oakland Raiders brought in to provide a veteran outside pass rushing presence is reported to de done for the season with a biceps injury. Something that may put Woodley’s future in Oakland in doubt as the former Super Bowl champion has a contract the Raiders can dump in the offseason for little dead cap money.…Woodley’s time in Oakland may be coming to an end as his deal is one the team does not need to commit to, with his injury and poor play in his six games as a Raider it is unlikely that general manager Reggie McKenzie or a new regime in 2015 keeps him around. Expect a young Raiders defensive end to take Woodley’s place for the time being as things continue to fall apart for the AFC West cellar dwellers."