It's a shame they hadn't given this some more thought a year ago, when Ichiro Suzuki was available. If they had been smart and gone seriously after Ichiro, the money the Giants would have saved not spending all their time looking for every available right fielder in the world--and running up a phone bill as big as the FBI's in the process--would have more than made up for the cost of acquiring the talented Mr. Suzuki. And besides, with Ichiro at the top of their order, the Giants would have won the extra games they needed to make the playoffs.
Shinjo, with his range in the outfield, was born to dash into the right field power alley in San Francisco, one nearly as large as those at Koshien, where Shinjo used to ply his trade.
After applying himself to the task of becoming a major league regular with the New York Mets, Shinjo suddenly finds himself striving with new teammates for new fans in a new city.
Although Shinjo was surprised by the deal, Mets scout Isao Ojimi was floored. Shinjo was his man. In the summer of 2000, you could count the people who thought Shinjo could make it in the majors on one hand and still have enough fingers left over to keep a grip on your large cup of beer.
Ojimi sold the Mets on Shinjo and negotiated the entire deal himself.
It was a personal triumph. The Mets got a decent year out of Shinjo and
then sold him down the river. He might have a better year in 2002 due to
more familiarity with the competition, but he is at an age, where his body
is no longer maturing and his ability to improve physically is rapidly
diminishing. In other words, there is every reason to believe that Shinjo's
value as a major leaguer will never be higher than it is right now. Whether
Shawn Estes is the pitcher the Mets need is another story, but he has a
proven track record and that doesn't come cheap. Ojimi's ability to spot
and secure Shinjo's services allowed the Mets to expand their talent base
in Steve Phillips current trading frenzy.
!!!
Seeing Phillips in action this winter, one gets the impression the Mets' general manager spent his formative years separating suckers from their cash by running three-card Monte and shell games on the streets of Manhattan.
The story we didn't read from the recently concluded winter meetings in Boston was that Phillips spent most of his time in a hotel hallway while suspicious but greedy GMs hovered around his card table.
"Keep your eye on David Justice everyone," Phillips barked. "That's all you have to do to be a winner. Look. Here he is at Yankee Stadium. Look again, he's still in New York but now he's with the Mets. It only costs you one pitcher to play. One lousy starting pitcher and you can get Mike Piazza. There's nothing to it. Just tell me where big Dave is and Mike Piazza is yours for any starting pitcher you name."
With Giants GM Brian Sabean looking like an eager player, Phillips sweetened the deal.
"Look," Phillips said. "I'll show you where Justice is. See him smiling in his Mets cap? What could be easier? Shawn Estes for Mike Piazza? Talk about a trade.
"And if you can't spot Justice sitting here at Shea Stadium, I'll still give you a couple of budding stars for Estes. Desi Relaford, what a talent. And wait. There's more. Tell me where Justice is now and I'll throw in this kid Chinjo. Look what he did as a rookie--you can't lose."
That was too much for Sabean.
"Will you tell Piazza he's a Giant or will I," chuckled Sabean. "Justice is with the Mets."
To which Phillips said: "Sorry friend, you must not have been watching. David Justice is with the A's. I'll call Relaford and Sinjo and give them the good news. Want to play again. You've still got plenty of pitchers. Another time perhaps?"
Sabean slumped away, shaking his head and talking to himself, Phillips could be heard hustling up more business.
"Anybody else want to step up and play? How about you sir? You look
like you know a good deal when you see it..."
!!!
To a lot of Japanese fans unaccustomed to teams making so many big deals, the numbing flurry of trades must seem like something of a shell game.
Some Americans who come to Japan and criticize the local product for everything from the food at the ballpark to the size of the scoreboards have blasted the lack of trades in Japan as a weakness, yet more proof that Japanese teams don't know how to operate.
There are massive trades in Japan but they are few and far between. But what difference does it make that Japanese teams are reluctant to trade their stars in blockbuster trades?
Big trades allow teams to rapidly reorganize their talent structure. But for fans, the primary value of trades seems to be as a topic of conversation.
The scarcity of big trades makes the winter that much longer and more
frustrating--especially if your team has a surplus of talent at one position
and a glaring weakness at another.
!!!
As to how the Giants might use the Prince, one commentator here thought Shinjo would be a regular batting at the top of the Giants lineup. The man's name will not be revealed here to prevent him the embarrassment of an investigation by the authorities. Anyone who considers Shinjo a competent leadoff hitter in any league, little or otherwise, has been introducing some very bad drugs into his system.
There are some people who think that Shinjo looks like a leadoff hitter. He's a graceful athlete who runs well. But is that who you want batting in front of Barry Bonds and Jeff Kent, a guy who looks like a leadoff hitter?
Unfortunately for Shinjo, teams don't get bonus runs for image. The best leadoff hitter is, in every case, the guy who makes the fewest outs. Bonds would be the greatest leadoff hitter in baseball. He's not, for the simple reason that he has slightly more value in the middle of the lineup and thus doesn't get put in the top spot.
But what about speed? Surely a leadoff hitter has got to have speed, like Ichiro, so he can disrupt the opposing defense.
Speed is a great asset at the top of the order, but putting somebody fast at the top of the lineup and calling him a leadoff hitter doesn't mean he will reach base. And if you are going to give more plate appearances to one person in your lineup, doesn't it make sense to give them to a guy who reaches base often, thus making fewer outs and creating more opportunities for his teammates to bat?
Shinjo, whose main offensive strength is his ability to drive the ball,
does not hit for average and he doesn't draw walks. He is a good base runner
but that doesn't make him a leadoff hitter. And the Giants won't use him
there until Sabean starts making out the lineup.
The Hot Corner appears each Thursday in The
Daily Yomiuri .