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troutman · 03-21-2012, 11:11 AM

Difficult decisions for SF Giants on reserves
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/articl...SPQQ1NN04M.DTL

Outfielder Gregor Blanco, a 28-year-old Venezuelan whose speed has been the talk of the Cactus League, is as close to a stone-cold lock as any nonroster invitee could be.

Blanco has been a blur. He nearly had an inside-the-park home run in his first game of camp, an intrasquad game. He has scored from second on a wild pitch, gone from first to third on a grounder to the right side and turned a routine single to right into a double.

Bochy declared that Blanco is faster than Andres Torres. In 14 Cactus League games, Blanco has played center field as well as Torres did. As a plus, Blanco has gone 16-for-36 (.444) with a .512 on-base percentage.

If Blanco is all but assured one bench spot, four are up for grabs.

One will be a backup catcher, with Eli Whiteside and Chris Stewart in a competition too close to call, particularly because Whiteside has demonstrated he can throw now that his right elbow is healed.

That would leave Brett Pill, Brandon Belt, Ryan Theriot, Mike Fontenot, Emmanuel Burriss and Joaquin Arias competing for three jobs.

03-21-2012, 11:11 AM	#319
troutman Unfrozen Caveman Lawyer Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Crowsnest Pass Exp:	Difficult decisions for SF Giants on reserves http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/articl...SPQQ1NN04M.DTL Outfielder Gregor Blanco, a 28-year-old Venezuelan whose speed has been the talk of the Cactus League, is as close to a stone-cold lock as any nonroster invitee could be. Blanco has been a blur. He nearly had an inside-the-park home run in his first game of camp, an intrasquad game. He has scored from second on a wild pitch, gone from first to third on a grounder to the right side and turned a routine single to right into a double. Bochy declared that Blanco is faster than Andres Torres. In 14 Cactus League games, Blanco has played center field as well as Torres did. As a plus, Blanco has gone 16-for-36 (.444) with a .512 on-base percentage. If Blanco is all but assured one bench spot, four are up for grabs. One will be a backup catcher, with Eli Whiteside and Chris Stewart in a competition too close to call, particularly because Whiteside has demonstrated he can throw now that his right elbow is healed. That would leave Brett Pill, Brandon Belt, Ryan Theriot, Mike Fontenot, Emmanuel Burriss and Joaquin Arias competing for three jobs.