8/20/08-Augusta @ Kannapolis

I wanted to go to Kannapolis the following night to watch Bumgarner pitch or another night to see Scott Barnes pitch, but my schedule wouldn't allow it, so I "settled" for Wednesday night's game....

I was looking forward to seeing Gordon Beckham play. I know quite a few Giant fans were convinced this guy was going to be our first round pick in the 08 draft.

I was immediately struck by how small the guy is. I don't see how he will keep up his college power numbers, he is just too small. That being said he has a really fluid, pretty swing. He looks like he uses a really light bat, it looks like a toothpick, but he sure has great control over the bat. He had two hits on the night and both of them were hard hit balls to right field. In his second AB he lined a fastball into the right field gap on a fastball and in his third AB he lined a slider through the hole between the second baseman and the first baseman. His fielding looked to be pretty smooth and his arm strength looked OK, but his accuracy was suspect at least on this night. He threw one ball away and the first baseman had to scoop out another poor throw from him. One thing is for sure about the kid, he is a really nice kid, plays the game hard and enjoys himself. Any coach would want this kid playing on your team.
As for the Giants.....Angel got the game off, he was in the on-deck circle as Nestor Rojas struck out, so I didn't get to watch him play any. Nick Noonan had a great game. He drew two walks, which is quite a feat for him. He also made one of the plays of the year in the field.....Let me explain.....

There is a runner on first with Kannapolis batting, the batter hits a ground ball deep into the hole between first and second. Noonan is playing second for Augusta and goes to his left into the hole, into shallow right field to field the ball on the run. You expect him to jump up and try to throw out the guy who is running to first, right? Nope, without even looking Noonan jumps and in midair guns the throw across the diamond to third as he somehow knows the baserunner on first will round second and go to third....