Yahoo article about Belt being sent down

I read this and actually felt moved to comment on it:

http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/blog/big...pphu-container

The following is my comment on this guy's take:

What is this guy smoking?

"In 2010, they didn't bring Buster Posey(notes) north out from spring training when he clearly was the team's best catcher."

Posey DIDN'T EVEN PLAY CATCHER for the most part prior to being called up. While Posey deserves huge props for picking up the position quickly, and with minimal growing pains (there were a few), he "clearly" wasn't better than Whiteside let alone Benngie Molina coming out of spring training last year. Posey was brought up when he was because the team wasn't hitting, so they took a shot. A shot that paid off huge to be sure, but to say he clearly needed to be in the line up or playing catcher after his 2010 spring training performance is ridiculous. It's simply playing "Monday morning quarterback " a year later after he had the season that he did.

"The Giants simply don't want to make hard choices"

Belt was brought up because of injuries. Fifteen games later you have Ross coming back, Huff who is less than a great fit in the outfield and Belt who isn't hitting. This seems like a hard choice to you? Let me help, Belt sits. The idea (for anyone who's forgotten) is to win baseball games. Now it's too bad that rather than sitting on the bench there's not some kind of "Minor League" where Belt can continue to work and be developed... Oh wait a minute there is!!! This hard choice suddenly doesn't seem so hard.

I think/hope that Belt will be a very good major leaguer, and when circumstances and Belt's development dictate Belt will surely be given another shot. But anyone who didn't see this move coming a week ago simply needs to start paying closer attention.

Thoughts anyone?

It was a mistake to big Belt up to begin the season due to an injury issue. The timing of the Ross injury made it an easy decision to have Belt start the season although keeping Ishi would have been a better choice to start the season at the time.

But here we are, Belt is back in Fresno playing with Ishikawa. I am thinking that if Belt gets his game together, he will be back by June 1. and someone will be traded.

^ That's a good point about Ishikawa. Still I can see why the team was tempted to experiment with Belt. I can also see why they sent him back down. Again, I found that writers take to be totally idiotic. If his game's ready I'd love to see him added in June, but only if he's ready. As of right now I think he's better off playing every day in Fresno rather than once a week or so in SF.

Something related to this kind of thing I just found out, is the way a players salary changes. I know someone who has begun working with a guy who played for the Grizzles for four or five years before hanging em up recently. Apparently there's a magic number of days (15 I think, can't remember for sure). Once a player reaches that number of days in the Majors, that player will always make the Major League minimum salary, even if they've been sent down and are playing in the minors. Obviously to guys who are right on the bubble that 15 days (or what ever it is) is something they dream about since it's the difference between making just enough to live on and $400k+. If the magic number is indeed 15 days at least Belt goes back to Fresno knowing that no matter how long he's there, he'll be making a very good living. Not bad for a 23 year old 5th rounder who was in single-A a year ago!