2011 San Jose Giants Season In Review
The Giants won their seventh consecutive first half North Division title (2005-2011) to extend their California League record. San Jose posted a remarkable 51-19 first half record - 13 games ahead of the next-closest team in the division (Stockton). The 51 victories also tied a team record for most wins in a half set by the 2009 club.
Included in San Jose's first half success were a pair of 12-game winning streaks that vaulted the club to the division title. The Giants first won 12 in a row from May 19 through May 31, posting four shutouts and allowing just one run two other times during the streak. At the start of the win streak, San Jose's division lead was just one game. By the end, it was at a commanding 10-game advantage.
Consecutive losses followed the streak before the Giants rattled off 12 wins in a row again from June 3 through June 16. In the midst of the second long winning streak, San Jose clinched the division crown and a spot in the playoffs. The Giants had never won more than 11 games in a row during their first 23 years in existence, but accomplished the feat twice in less than a month during the 2011 campaign.
San Jose completed the second half with a 39-31 record - two games behind the division-leading Modesto Nuts. However, the Giants still posted a winning record in all five full months during the regular season while their 90-50 overall mark not only was tops in the California League, but second-best in all of Minor League Baseball. San Jose rolled to another long winning streak claiming 11 straight victories in July before a solid stretch in August of 16 wins over 22 games as they geared up for the playoffs.
Unfortunately, the Giants' playoff run would be brief as the wild card Stockton Ports earned a three-games-to-one victory in the North Division Series. After the clubs split the first two games at Municipal Stadium, the Ports pitching staff led the way in Stockton combining for just two runs allowed and 26 strikeouts over Games Three and Four to wrap-up the series. It marked the first time since 2008 that San Jose did not reach the Championship Series.
INDIVIDUAL ACCOMPLISHMENTS
With the Giants posting the top record in the California League, there were several notable individual accomplishments during the 2011 season.
* A remarkable six San Jose players were named to the midseason California League All-Star team, including five pitchers. Starters Chris Heston, Kelvin Marte, Craig Westcott and Zack Wheeler along with relief pitcher Heath Hembree were selected to the team. Hembree did not participate in the California-Carolina League All-Star game in June due to a promotion to Double-A Richmond just days earlier. Additionally, center fielder Gary Brown was chosen and batted leadoff during the All-Star contest.
* Three Giants players and pitching coach Brian Cooper also received mention on the postseason California League All-Star team. Brown was named Cal League Rookie of the Year while Westcott and catcher Tommy Joseph joined the star outfielder on the All-Star squad. Cooper earned the California League Coach of the Year honor after San Jose led the league in earned run average for the seventh time in the last eight seasons.
* Brown enjoyed a tremendous first full professional season with the San Jose Giants in 2011 leading the club in batting average (.336), runs scored (115), hits (188), triples (13), stolen bases (53) and on-base percentage (.407). He was also second on the team in doubles (34), tied for second in home runs (14) and third in RBI's (80). A consistent performer throughout the entire year, Brown hit .328 with six home runs, 47 RBI's and 32 stolen bases during the first half before batting .346 with eight homers, 33 RBI's and 21 steals in the second half. He followed his outstanding regular season by hitting .375 with seven runs scored and five doubles in four playoff games. Brown led the Cal League in hits and triples while ranking second in runs scored and stolen bases and third in batting average. A 2010 first round draft pick and Futures Game participant this year, Brown also set the San Jose Giants record for hits in a single-season.
* The strength of the Giants all year was their outstanding pitching staff, most notably the starting rotation. Four pitchers ranked among the top five in the California League in earned run average, including the ERA champion Heston (3.16). Andy Reichard (3rd, 3.38), Westcott (4th, 3.42) and Marte (5th, 3.47) also ranked in the top five. In addition, Wheeler was among the league leaders in ERA and strikeouts at the time of his trade to the New York Mets in late-July. Out of the bullpen, three pitchers had tremendous success as the San Jose closer. Hembree was the top reliever in the league during the first half compiling 21 saves to go with a 0.73 ERA before his midseason promotion. In fact, Hembree still finished the regular season with the most saves in the league despite spending the last 2 1/2 months at the Double-A level. Mitch Lively stepped forward as a dominant closer early in the second half and went 17 straight outings from May through July without allowing an earned run. Down the stretch, Jake Dunning was nearly perfect finishing games collecting saves in 10 out of 11 opportunities while positing a 1.50 ERA in July and a 0.87 ERA in August.
* Other hitting standouts this season included the catcher Joseph, who led the team in home runs (22) and RBI's (95). The youngest player on the team (20), Joseph hit 16 of his 22 home runs and batted .301 after the All-Star break. Second baseman Ryan Cavan was a steady contributor all year with the fourth-most doubles in the league (38) to go with 12 home runs, 90 RBI's and a .270 batting average. First-year pro Jarrett Parker added 13 home runs, including four in the playoffs while utility player Alex Burg emerged as a top power threat blasting 14 homers - all after June 1. Shortstop Ehire Adrianza returned to the Giants in late-June after a serious hand injury during spring training and batted .300. Third baseman Chris Dominguez was one of the most feared power hitters in the league during the first half blasting 11 home runs to go with a .291 batting average before a midseason promotion to Richmond. Catcher Hector Sanchez also enjoyed a fantastic first half driving home 46 runs and blasting eight homers in just 42 games. Sanchez earned a promotion to Triple-A Fresno in early-June and then continued his meteoric rise through the organization with a call-up to San Francisco.
FUN FACTS
Fourth-Most Wins In Team History... San Jose's 90 wins overall this season were the fourth-most in team history. The 2009 squad holds the San Jose Giants single-season record for wins at 93-47.Team Records... The Giants set a team single-season record for doubles this year with 306 eclipsing the previous mark of 292 held by the 2005 club. San Jose's 139 home runs and 814 runs scored were both second-most in team history. The Giants tied their team mark for road wins in a single-season with 46. San Jose fashioned a 46-24 record on the road to tie the record set in 1991 (46-22). The Giants also shattered the previous team record of eight consecutive road victories when they claimed 16 straight games away from Municipal Stadium from May 19-June 12.
Big League Debuts... 10 former San Jose Giants have debuted in the major leagues so far this season, including seven with San Francisco: Brandon Belt (March 31), Brandon Crawford (May 27), Conor Gillaspie (June 6 *had previous big league time in 2008 before he played in San Jose), Hector Sanchez (July 15), Steve Edlefsen (August 21), Eric Surkamp (August 27) and Brett Pill (September 6). Joe Paterson (Arizona - April 2), Henry Sosa (Houston - August 10), and Antoan Richardson (Atlanta - September 4) also debuted with other teams. 148 former San Jose Giants have now reached the major leagues.
Franchise Attendance Record... The Giants set their single-season franchise attendance record this year. San Jose finished the regular season with a total attendance of 222,547 to break the previous record of 211,054 (2009). The Giants average per game attendance was 3,225 - second in the California League. 2011 marked San Jose's third straight year of at least 200,000 in total attendance.
TOP 10 GAMES
A subjective ranking of San Jose's top 10 games from the 2011 season:
10. May 6 at Bakersfield (17-7 win): One of the top offensive displays of the year as the Giants match a season-high with 23 hits in a 17-7 blowout in Bakersfield. It was 13-0 Giants after just 3 1/2 innings while both Gary Brown (5-7, 6 RBI) and Alex Burg (5-6, 4 RBI) finish the game with five hits.
9. August 14 at Lancaster (7-5 win, 10 innings): A thrilling extra-inning win to complete a four-game sweep at Lancaster. Jarrett Parker connects for a two-run go-ahead homer in the top of the 10th lifting the Giants to the victory. San Jose hits four homers in the game, including two from Ehire Adrianza. This game caps a series in which the Giants blast an incredible 15 home runs.
8. August 25 vs. Stockton (11-5 win): Gary Brown had an outstanding year with the Giants, but his best performance may have come on this night in a convincing win over the Ports. The All-Star finishes 5-for-5 with two doubles, two home runs, five runs scored and four RBI's to delight the hometown crowd.
7. May 31 vs. Stockton (2-0 win): The Giants set their team record for longest win streak with a shutout victory over the visiting Ports. It's San Jose's 12th straight win and fittingly, it's a shutout - the fourth of the streak and one of a league-leading 14 during the season. David Mixon, Mitch Lively and Heath Hembree combine on a four-hitter.
6. June 9 at Modesto (11-5 win): San Jose entered the game with a commanding 11 1/2 game lead in the first half standings, but officially clinched the division title with this series-opening win at Modesto. The Giants are in front 8-1 after 2 1/2 innings and cruise to the victory behind four hits from Chris Dominguez and three RBI's from Ryan Cavan. After the final out, a wild celebration ensues in the San Jose clubhouse as the Giants wrap-up a berth in the playoffs.
5. June 10 at Modesto (2-0 win, 13 innings): A day after clinching the first half crown, the two division rivals battle to a scoreless tie until Luke Anders smacks a two-run double in the top of the 13th inning. San Jose pitching is once again dominant as Kelvin Marte tosses seven scoreless innings with three hits allowed before relievers Hector Correa (2 IP), Mitch Lively (3 IP) and Heath Hembree (1 IP) combine for six hitless innings out of the bullpen. Lively works out of a runner at third, nobody out jam in the bottom of the 11th.
4. July 13 at Visalia (5-4 win): Down 4-2 and with two outs in the top of the ninth inning, the Giants rally in Visalia. Brandon Belt keeps the game alive with a two-strike, two-out RBI double before Jarrett Parker ties the game with a single and then Tommy Joseph puts San Jose in the lead with an RBI double. It's one of two games all season that the Giants comeback to win after trailing into the ninth inning.
3. May 23 at Stockton (12-9 win): The Giants complete a rare three-game sweep in Stockton to move five games in front of the Ports in the first half race. Hector Sanchez is the star of the slugfest becoming only the second player in San Jose Giants history to hit three home runs in a single game. Sanchez finishes with six RBI's while Gary Brown adds four hits.
2. September 11 vs. Stockton (13-1 win): In what turns out to be San Jose's last win of the year, the Giants even the Division Series at a game apiece with one of the most dominant playoff victories in team history. Tommy Joseph and Jarrett Parker connect for two home runs each to lead the offense. Joseph finishes with six RBI's while Chris Heston fires seven scoreless innings on the mound.
1. May 16 vs. Stockton (10-9 win, 18 innings): Perhaps the most incredible regular season game that the San Jose Giants have ever played. On a cold and damp Monday night (and eventually Tuesday morning), the Giants defeat Stockton in an 18-inning marathon that takes five hours and 38 minutes to play. The Giants overcome deficits in the 11th, 13th and 18th innings. Ryan Cavan's solo homer with two outs in the bottom of the 11th ties the game before Jarrett Parker's RBI double with one out in the bottom of the 13th again brings San Jose even. The Ports appear headed to victory with three runs in the top of the 18th, but the Giants again battle back. Chris Dominguez singles home two runs before a Nick Liles sacrifice fly ties the game. Then with the bases loaded and two outs, Parker's grounder is mishandled by Ports shortstop Dusty Coleman for an error allowing the winning run to score. The game was delayed briefly a few innings earlier as the umpires needed clearance from the league to waive the curfew rule that no inning can begin after 11:50 PM.
A LOOK TO 2012
The Giants will open the 2012 season on Thursday, April 5 at Modesto before beginning their home schedule a week later on April 12 versus the Bakersfield Blaze. San Jose should once again field a competitive team that could include 2011 first round draft pick Joe Panik. The Northwest League Most Valuable Player this summer, Panik, a shortstop, hit .341 with six home runs and 54 RBI's in 69 games with the Short-Season Salem-Keizer Volcanoes. Many of the top players from the Low-A Augusta GreenJackets team that reached the playoffs will likely be headed to San Jose. Shawn Sanford (10-10, 2.55 ERA) was named South Atlantic League Pitcher of the Year while fellow starting pitcher Taylor Rogers (12-10, 2.91 ERA) also ranked among the league leaders in earned run average. GreenJackets third baseman Adam Duvall ranked fifth in the league in home runs (22) and third in RBI's (87) to go with a .285 batting average. Catcher Andrew Susac, a 2011 second round draft pick out of Oregon State and a top prospect in the organization, could also join the San Jose Giants next season. Be sure to visit www.sjgiants.com throughout the offseason for all of the latest team news and 2012 roster projections.