Watch this video on YouTube.

Due to a camera malfunction, Williamson’s response to the last question was cut short. Here’s the rest of his answer.

“… a string of bad luck for both of those guys but I definitely think they deserve a chance at the next level and I hope they get it.”

Follow on Twitter: @giant_potential

Thankfully, projections are just … projections. It’s what makes sports interesting. If every major league club’s top prospect proved to be what they were supposed to be, Jesse Foppert would have two World Series rings and be king of San Francisco.

“Wait, who’s Jesse Foppert?”

It’s okay. He’s busy hanging out with Eddy Martinez-Esteve.

There’s something awesome about Tom Brady being picked in the sixth round. Being passed on 198 times. Seven rounds, and you can find three Lombardi Trophies in the scraps.

Baseball is even crazier. The depth of minor league baseball is practically infinite compared to basketball, football and hockey.

Needless to say, top talent are grooming and refining their games under minimal spotlight. Here are some of San Francisco’s top unranked, unnoticed prospects:

Tyler Mizenko | Class-A Augusta GreenJackets | RHP | 28th round, 2011

As of today (May 15), Mizenko hasn’t allowed a run — earned or unearned — in 18 innings as Augusta’s closer. According to Scoutingbook.com, Mizenko features a “heavy mid-90s sinker” that isn’t even his strikeout pitch. Apparently his “nasty” slider takes care of that. It’s his first full season of professional ball after spending 2012 in Salem-Keizer playing short-season.

2012: 24 G, (3-0), 1.99 ERA, 13 SV, 31.2 IP, 27 H, 9 ER, 0 HR, 5 BB, 29 K

2013: 17 G, (1-0), 0.00 ERA, 11 SV, 18.0 IP, 6 H, 0 ER, 10 BB, 18 K

Most impressive has to be his 15 total walks in 49.2 professional innings. He walks a batter every 3 1/3 innings. Oh, and he’s just one of two pitchers in ALL professional levels to have pitched more than 14 innings and allowed zero runs. Wouldn’t be surprised if Mizenko finds himself in San Jose before the season ends.

Matt Duffy | Class-A Augusta GreenJackets | SS | 18th round, 2012

Not to be confused with this Matt Duffy, San Francisco’s Matt Duffy is a 6’2″ shortstop with fantastic OBP numbers in just his second year of pro ball. After having a mediocre short-season with Salem-Keizer, Duffy has been batting anywhere from 2nd to clean-up in Augusta’s lineup and doing decent damage from the shortstop position … and still getting on base.

2012 (Salem-Keizer): 47 G, 45-for-182 (.247/.361/.286), 4 doubles, 1 HR, 16 RBIs, 26 BB

2013: 38 G, 40-for-134 (.299/.417/.440) 8 doubles, 2 triples, 3 HR, 27 RBI, 27 BB, 19 K

Should be starting shortstop in San Jose come 2014.

Chris Marlowe | Class-A San Jose Giants | RHP | 5th round, 2011

Originally selected by Toronto in the 21st round in 2010, San Jose right-handed starter Marlowe chose not to sign, moving up 16 rounds to San Francisco a year later. Marlowe is coming off a tough-luck kind of year in Augusta where he managed to have solid numbers all around … expect for his 1-9 record. But 2013 has been good thus far to the 23-year old Texan.

2012: 30 G (14 starts), (1-9), 4.20 ERA, 83.2 IP, 66 H, 39 ER, 5 HR, 59 BB, 86 K

2013: 6 GS, (2-0), 1.69 ERA, 32.0 IP, 26 H, 6 ER, 0 HR, 14 BB, 22 K

Rumor has it Marlowe sports a 93-95 mph fastball and sometimes tops at 97. Andrew Baggerly rated his mid-80s curveball as the best in the organization.

Devin Harris | Class-A San Jose Giants | RF | 48th round, 2010

Harris has never been highly touted. And honestly, no one really paid attention to him until this year. After hitting 12 home runs spanning 367 at-bats in 2012, Harris has gone off in 2013. When his mammoth streak ended on May 1, Harris had completed a six-game stretch in which he put up these numbers: 11-for-25 (.440), 7 HR, 16 RBIs. He was clearing the fence every third at-bat. Scary good. He’s only hit one homer since, but nonetheless, having a breakout year.

2010 (AZL/SK): 41 G, 41-for-150 (.273/.317/.407), 12 doubles, 2 HR, 18 RBIs, 9 BB, 50 K

2011 (AUG): 108 G, 92×399 (.231/.310/.414), 26 doubles, 15 HR, 58 RBIs, 44 BB, 136 K

2012 (AUG/SJ): 104 G, 79×367 (.215/.301/.376), 11 2B, 12 HR, 59 RBI, 43 BB, 119 K

2013: 36 G, 40-for-145 (.276/.325/.607), 10 2B, 4 3B, 10 HR, 30 RBI, 10 BB, 33 K

Strikeout numbers are still very high, but going down. And OBP is not impressive. How he finishes 2013 will be very telling.

Justin Fitzgerald | Triple-A Fresno Grizzlies | RHP | 11th round, 2008

Fitzgerald has been hands down the Giants’ farm system’s best pitcher in 2013. He allowed just four earned runs in 6 starts with Double-A Richmond before being called up to Fresno. Has a low-to-mid-90s fastball and a sharp slider. Though his first Triple-A start wasn’t exactly great — 5.0 IP, 9 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 4 K — he’ll get a second go at it tomorrow night at home.

2008 (AZL/SK): 17 G, (1-0), 3.86 ERA, 21.0 IP, 5 SV, 22 H, 9 ER, 1 HR, 8 BB, 19 K

2009 (AUG): 39 G, (2-2), 3.70 ERA, 56.0 IP, 59 H, 23 ER, 4 HR, 27 BB, 63 K

2010 (SJ): 25 GS, (10-6), 3.45 ERA, 146.0 IP, 140 H, 56 ER, 11 HR, 46 BB, 116 K

2011 (RIC): 27 GS, (9-9), 3.51 ERA, 146.1 IP, 147 H, 57 ER, 7 HR, 55 BB, 111 K

2012 (RIC): 28 GS, (7-8), 3.22 ERA, 164.2 IP, 124 H, 59 ER, 8 HR, 60 BB, 130 K

2013 (RIC): 6 GS, (3-0), 1.09 ERA, 33.0 IP, 30 H, 4 ER, 2 HR, 8 BB, 41 K

One wonders why so many years in Richmond when his numbers there seemed to indicate he was ready for Triple-A. The fact that he was a closer in 2008 means he’s got good stuff, also.

THE WORST OF THE BEST

Gary Brown is having the worst season of his professional career with Triple-A Fresno. (Kyle Terada / USA Today Sports)

The majority of prospects inside MLB.com’s top-20 Giants prospects are having fine years thus far, including (3) Chris Stratton, (4) Joe Panik, (5) Heath Hembree, (6) Francisco Peguero, (7) Martin Agosta, (11) Clayton Blackburn, (16) Andrew Susac and (19) Ty Blach.

However, two in particular are off to horrid starts. Here’s the sad list:

Gary Brown | No. 2 ranked prospect | Triple-A Fresno Grizzlies | CF | 1st round, 2010

Everyone knows who he is. At one point predicted to be San Francisco’s starting center fielder by 2012. Now it’s May of 2013 and not only has Brown not put on a Giants uniform in the regular season, but he’s playing very poorly in Fresno.

2013: 38 G, 33×159 (.208/.272/.308), 9 doubles, 1 HR, 14 RBIs, 10 BB, 42 K, 4 SB, 5 CS

Lots of red flags here. His batting line is horrendous, he strikes out once a game and isn’t walking a ton — all in a “hitter’s league.” After stealing 53 bags in 2011 and 33 in 2012, just four in 38 games with five caught-stealing is troublesome. Let’s hope he turns it around.

Chris Heston | No. 8 ranked prospect | Triple-A Fresno Grizzlies | RHP | 12th round, 2009

Heston has been very good up until his eight starts with Fresno this season. He’s getting hit hard in the PCL (62 hits in 43.2 innings, .344 AVG). Here’s a comparison of his numbers from Double-A in 2012 and his numbers so far this season in Triple-A:

2012: 25 GS, (9-8), 2.24 ERA, 1 CG, 148.2 IP, 124 H, 37 ER, 2 HR, 40 BB, 135 K

2013: 8 CS, (4-2), 6.18 ERA, 43.2 IP, 63 H, 7 HR, 15 BB, 42 K

How he’s managed to go 4-2? Fresno has given him 6.75 runs of support during his 4 wins.

Follow on Twitter: @giant_potential

Gary Brown and Francisco Peguero are both 24-year old Fresno Grizzlies outfielders and San Francisco Giants top-10 prospects.

That’s about where their similarities end.

One is from Southern California, the other is from the Dominican Republic. One has four years of pro ball under his belt, the other has eight. One steals bags, the other does not.

But the most striking dissimilarity is their recent offensive play, and the one struggling might be the most surprising.

The center fielder Brown — San Francisco’s No. 2 ranked prospect according to MLB.com — hasn’t had the greatest success in the minors in his four-year trek. Aside from his award-winning 2011 season with Class-A Advanced San Jose (.336/.407/.519, 14 HR, 80 RBI, 53 SB), in which he won California League Rookie of the Year honors, Brown has been very mediocre, including a dreadful start to the 2013 season — his first with Triple-A Fresno.

In 25 games, Brown has just 18 hits, eight RBIs and one home run. His .180 batting average is the lowest qualifying average on a Fresno Grizzlies team that has five starters batting over .300.

Brown’s 2012 campaign with Class-AA Richmond was nearly a bust until a hot summer. He batted .279 in a pitcher-friendly Eastern League with 7 HR and 42 RBI, but only thanks to a .348 June and a .354 July. Without those hot months, Brown would’ve dropped to .222.

Mark Gormus / Richmond Times-Dispatch

Brown was at one point considered a high-ceiling, talented defensive center fielder with elite speed and a bit of offensive upside. While the stellar defensive is still there, scouts wonder why he is neither hitting in a batting average-boosting Pacific Coast League, nor stealing any bases. After 53 with San Jose and 33 with Richmond, Brown has just one stolen base in 24 games.

Then there’s Peguero; now in his eighth year with the organization, and second with Fresno. Playing at practically every minor league level, the Giants’ No. 6-ranked prospect has batted over .270 in all of his previous seven years, including three times over .300.

The year before Brown’s breakout season in San Jose, Peguero had an (almost) equally great year. Let’s compare their seasons with San Jose:

AVG/OBP: Brown: .336/.407, Peguero: .329/.358

Home runs: Brown: 14, Peguero: 10

RBIs: Brown: 80, Peguero: 77

Doubles/Triples: Brown: 34/13, Peguero: 19/16

Brown did play nine more games in 2011 for San Jose than Peguero did for them in 2010, so other than the higher on-base and significantly higher amount of doubles, the two had very similar seasons at the Class-A Advanced level.

Peguero batted .309 in 285 at-bats in the Eastern League, including five home runs, 12 doubles, six triples and 37 RBIs. In almost twice as many chances, Brown hit just two more home runs, five more RBIs and three less triples. Brown did, however, hit 20 more doubles than Peguero and have a higher on-base percentage (.347 to .318).

2013 has been good thus far to the Dominican. Aside from missing 10 days on the DL with a bruise on his non-throwing shoulder, Peguero has been red hot for the Grizzlies. With 27 hits in 60 at-bats, Peguero’s .443 batting average (though it doesn’t yet qualify) leads an already hot-hitting Fresno team.

Jeff Gross / Getty Images

Peguero’s DL stint isn’t slowing him down, either. Since returning on April 25, Peguero is 12-for-23 with two home runs, four doubles and six RBis.

Brown is 2-for-15 with a double, one RBI and four strikeouts in that same span.

The one consistent plus for Brown (aside from base stealing) is his on-base percentage. In any given season when both players’ batting averages are similar, Brown’s OBP is always higher. That’s due in part to the fact that Brown draws more walks than Peguero. Brown drew 86 walks from 2011-2012 in two full seasons (1097 at-bats), while Peguero has drawn just 96 in his entire career (2,473 at-bats).

It’s still April, but if these trends cease to reverse, Peguero could be much more relevant in September than Brown.

And maybe one final difference is the key: one doesn’t have a ring, the other does.

It just might be the other that ends up a significant Giant.

Follow on Twitter: @giant_potential

23-year old Bryce Bandilla has started his 2013 campaign with staggering numbers out of Class-A San Jose’s bullpen. | Conner Penfold/GIANT POTENTIAL

Selected in the 4th round in 2011, big 6-foot, 4-inch left-hander Bryce Bandilla is in his first full season with the San Jose Giants and thus far has dominated California League hitters. Through five games, the Sacramento, Calif. native has tallied 21 strikeouts in nine innings pitched. One thing is clear: the man loves to play baseball, and specifically, loves to relieve.

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San Jose Giants radio broadcaster Joe Ritzo spoke with me about your love for relieving. He says you’re an intense guy. Why do you like that role so much?

Usually when you come into the game, it’s a close game and as a reliever you just want to come in and shut the game down and keep the team where they are. It’s a pressure situation that I think I enjoy. The pressure is on you to get the job done and I love going out there and doing that. I love pitching in close games and pressure situations. It’s just my personality and my mentality.

Does that mean in the future, you’d like to close?

Sure, I just like to pitch. Starting, relieving, closing, whatever. I just like going out there and being on the mound.

You were in the starting rotation last season with the Augusta GreenJackets and now you’re in more of a relief role with San Jose. Ritzo mentioned you might not have liked being out there for that many innings as a starter. Any truth to that?

Coming from college to the Giants, I thought my role was going to be as a reliever but I didn’t actually mind starting. After awhile, I got used to it and settled into my role. But there’s just something about coming into the game and relieving that when the team is ahead by one run; I just love that situation. I think it fits my personality a lot better than starting. I don’t mind starting though. I liked it.

Bryce, you’re off to a hot start. I know it’s early but your numbers right now are obviously fantastic. Do you look at the numbers at all? Are you aware of your 21 strikeouts in 9 innings?

I don’t go out there and try to strike everyone out. I try to go get a win for my team or keep the lead for my team. I never go out there thinking, “Oh, I’ve got to strike people out.” I go out there with the team in mind trying to get the job done and if I strike people out, great. If I get three ground balls in a row, I get the job done the same. So, yeah I don’t really pay attention.

Watch this video on YouTube.

I was going to ask you, is your mentality to just go out there on the mound and do your thing and the strikeouts just come from that?

Exactly. The definition to me of pitching is getting outs. An out is an out. You get three outs in the inning, doesn’t matter if you strike them out, groundout, pop fly, whatever it is. But obviously as a pitcher you love striking people out. It feels good. You just know you’re dominating when you strike people out. But I go out there with one thing in mind which is to get outs for my team.

What pitch has been your best strikeout pitch?

My changeup has been pretty good lately but I’m walking people and I’d like to get that down. My fastball is working pretty good, too. It’s got a little late movement. Other than that, I throw a slider a few times for a strike. I throw it up there to just get it over. But fastball, changeup mainly and it’s been working pretty good.

Where are you topping out with your fastball?

95 MPH. Sitting around 92-93.

Favorite pitch to throw?

Fastball. I think it should be everybody’s favorite pitch. You’ve got to be able to get ahead with your fastball for any other pitch to work. I can just keep throwing fastballs up there even if my changeup isn’t working. I throw decently hard, not very hard. I just like my fastball.

Favorite specialty pitch? How did you learn those pitches?

I threw high school with just my fastball but when you get to college, you can’t do that. If you do that, you get hit a little bit. Our pitching coach Andy Lopez taught me a changeup my freshman year [at Arizona] and I kept working on it.  I used to try to throw a curveball in college but that didn’t work out. Usually I’m a changeup/fastball guy but I learned a slider now and it’s done pretty well for me. But all through college they taught me a changeup because it looks like a fastball, works in any count if you throw it with the same arm speed. So they were really big on changeup, changeup, changeup. So I just worked at it, worked at it, worked at it. When I got here, our pitching coordinator really pressed his changeup, too, so I was happy that from Arizona, I already knew that pitch well.

You said you’re trying to get your walks down. What brings you back into the zone when you get wild?

I just have to step off to the back of the mound and breathe and say, “Slow down, don’t overthrow.” When I throw balls, I’m usually opening up so I have to stay closed and stay forward to the plate and keep my head straight. Usually it helps a lot.

Growing up in Sacramento, did you follow the Giants or the A’s?

No I actually didn’t follow any of them. My mom is a big time Giants fan but I grew up liking the Braves. They were on TBS all the time. My dad, we grew up with him watching them. Chipper Jones, Andruw Jones, John Smoltz. I grew up loving them. But obviously now I’m a big Giants fan and a big Giants supporter.

Any high school or college coaches whose advice or leadership have stuck with you?

Definitely. My high school coach, first of all, I was in high school and was 18, thought I was the coolest person ever. He put me down pretty well my senior year so I was happy about that. He made me into a man to get prepared to go into college and pro ball. And then my coach at Arizona, he actually really helped me become a man and prepared for anything that could come in pro ball and to not feel sorry for yourself and keep working through it. That honestly helped me a lot. He was a great coach, still is a great coach. Obviously they won last year. They are two influential baseball coaches that have helped me along so far.

Talk about some of your childhood memories as a baseball player growing up. Was there a point where you knew that baseball was something you really loved and wanted to play for a long time?

As a little kid, probably at 10-years old, I was telling my dad that I wanted to play baseball. I guess it’s funny how it works out. God gave me the talent to be here and a little hard work never hurt anybody. God has put me here so hopefully it keeps going.

Baseball players can be a bit superstitious. How do you go about things? Do you have a pregame routine you stick to?

I don’t. I just come out here and honestly, I just love this game and love competing. Any chance I get on the mound, whether we’re down 20 or up 20, I’m going on the mound with the same attitude every time. I love coming out to the ballpark and getting to pitch. I come with the attitude saying, “I’m basically going to destroy you guys if you aren’t going to be able to hit me.” That’s the attitude I have to go out with. Sometimes it doesn’t work. You can’t be spectacular every time.

Being your second year, have you developed any close relationships with teammates you’ve moved up in the system with?

Yeah actually I have a few: [Josh] Osich, [Chris] Marlowe, [Myles] Schroder, [Kyle] Crick. Those are my pretty good buddies. Me, Osich and Marlowe are pretty good buddies now.

You guys probably hunt, don’t you?

They hunt but I’ve never actually been hunting. Playing baseball in California, it was just hard to. It would’ve been a hassle. They live in Idaho and Texas so it’s easy for them to go hunting. But I love outdoors, fishing, camping. I think that’s part of why we like each other so much.

Do you set long-term goals or take things in stride?

I got in trouble looking too far into the future so I just try to keep it day-to-day. So each time I pitch, I just try to go out there and get better. There’s always something you can work on after an outing. Last outing, I walked a guy in the eighth inning and I shouldn’t do that. I have to work on that. I just think about the things I need to work on after each outing. It’s a long season. Obviously everyone wants to go to the big leagues and win a ring. That would be my long term goal but right now it’s just to go pitch each outing.

Follow on Twitter: @giant_potential

HUFF JOINS CLUB, GOES 1-FOR-5 AS GIANTS LOSE 8-3

San Francisco Giants first baseman Aubrey Huff began his second rehab stint with Class A San Jose late Saturday afternoon. Huff’s presence brought crowds but no victory to Municipal Stadium as Visalia defeated San Jose 8-3 to start the three-game series.

Shawn Sanford started for the first time since June 25 when he gave up eight runs against Stockton in four-plus innings. Sanford kept Visalia relatively in check for most of Saturday’s outing, giving up two runs on four hits in four and a third, striking out three. He was pulled in the fifth for submariner Phil McCormick who, along with fellow reliever Edward Concepcion, allowed four more runs in just 2/3 of an inning.

The loss drops Sanford to 5-6 on the season.

Manager Andy Skeels pulls Sanford in the fifth. (Conner Penfold/Working Titles)

Joe Panik congratulates Carter Jurica following his lead-off home run in the first. (Conner Penfold/Working Titles)

Second baseman Carter Jurica‘s lead-off homer, his third of the year, ignited the crowd early as San Jose held a 1-0 lead into the fourth.

Jurica went 2-for-5 on the afternoon and is 13-for-38 (.342) with a homer and seven RBIs in his last 10 games.

Huff went 1-for-5 with an eighth inning single, eventually scoring on Brennan Metzger’s RBI-single. He batted third as the designated hitter, riding the elliptical bike often between innings.

Watch this video on YouTube.

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23-year old Josh Osich says he only has time for baseball and fishing. Thankfully for him, when he is playing baseball, he’s throwing mid-90s fastballs from the left side with ease. I sat down with the Oregon State alum to talk about playing again with Beaver teammate Andrew Susac, locating his fastballs better, and staying loose in the clubhouse. And fishing, of course.

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So Josh you just finished lifting. Describe what that’s like for you and if you can, compare or contrast it to how hitters workout.

Everybody has their own program. No one is really the same. Pitchers? They’re on the same schedule with lifting and stuff but each lift is different for each person.

You’ve been all over the place when it comes to being in the rotation and going back to the pen. You started a little bit at Oregon State. What’s it like going back and forth like that and what’s more comfortable for you?

It kind of throws you out of your routine if you keep coming back and forth but you have to get used to it and do whatever they want you to do. But I’d rather throw out of the bullpen, I’m more comfortable there.

Coming off Tommy John in 2010, you must have gone through a grueling period of rehab. Describe that for me if you will.

It took me about 11 months, right around there. I came back strong and then I was starting in 2011 for the Beavers on Saturdays and then just towards the end I ran out of gas. My arm was pretty much just worn out because it’s not really in shape yet after Tommy John. It’s right around two years you’ll feel the best.

You did have one bright spot in 2011 after the surgery, throwing a no-hitter against UCLA. How good was that for your confidence coming out of rehab?

It felt great. Can’t really do that unless your defense is pretty good.

Well, you struck out 13 so you were doing a pretty good job yourself.

Yeah well defense still played pretty well for me. It was just one of those days where you kind of blackout and don’t really know what happened.

Have your recent injury issues stemmed from your elbow?

My Tommy John’s been good. I’ve had just about every kind of injury possible except for my shoulder…my actual shoulder.

That must be tough for you.

Yeah just got to keep grinding.

Watch this video on YouTube.

So I talked with Andrew Susac about six weeks ago. How cool is it to have your old battery mate from Oregon State here with you in San Jose?

It’s great, it makes it a lot easier to get comfortable with sitting around if you know people and stuff but I knew some guys already like Ricky [Oropesa] we played against, Mitch Beacom was here for a little bit; he played for UCLA. [Danny] Sandbrink is from Stanford. We got a whole bunch. [Alex] Burg, I’ve played with Burg before.

How does the atmosphere in the clubhouse change on a day like today when a guy like Aubrey Huff is with the club?

It’s pretty much the same. Nothing really changes. We’re always just trying to have fun. If you let the game get to you, you aren’t going to have much fun. It’s going to be a struggle for the whole year.

How do you guys have fun? How do you stay loose?

Guys always playing pranks on each other, [Bobby] Haney doing impressions of people, that’s about it.

Who’s Haney’s best impression?

 [Dan] Burkhart, or [Andy] Skeels.

What are you specifically working on right now to improve your game?

Just location of my fastball and trying to get some innings in.

Your twitter describes you as a man who only has time for baseball and fishing. How accurate of a statement is that?

Whenever I have free time, I fish. That’s pretty much all there is time for.

What’s a typical fishing day like for you?

I just wake up early and get out there before it gets hot and then you come to the field.

Fly-fishing? Lake fishing?

Whatever, really. When I’m here I bass fish and at home I fly-fish. When I was in Oregon I was out on the lake because we had a boat. Pretty much. On the 23rd I’m going ocean fishing.

You head out to the lake with some teammates?

Drew Bowlin goes fishing with me and Chris Wilson is going to go ocean fishing with me. Pretty much just hanging out, having fun, getting away from baseball.

1B Ricky Oropesa went 1-for-4 with a double, but struck out in this at-bat in the 5th. (Conner Penfold/Working Titles)

BULLPEN STRUGGLES AS SAN JOSE LOSES SIXTH STRAIGHT

San Jose dropped their sixth consecutive game Wednesday night in Modesto, falling 9-0 to the Nuts who were backed by a seven inning, seven strikeout performance from ace Christian Bergman. The 24-year old right-hander gave up just four hits en route to his 12th win of the year.

Complications with the team bus delayed the arrival of San Jose until almost 6:00 PM, shortening warm-up time and batting practice, and it showed on the field. The Giants managed just four hits off Bergman and relief pitcher Isaiah Froneberger, who hurled two perfect innings to close the game.

Justin Schumer tossed five innings, giving up one run on two hits. (Conner Penfold/Working Titles)

SCHUMER SOLID ON SHORT NOTICE

Justin Schumer received late notice that he’d be starting, as lefty Josh Osich was slated to take the mound before management elected to move Osich back into a bullpen role. Schumer took the loss despite allowing just one earned run on two hits in five innings.

The loss was his fourth of the year and drops him to an even 4-4.

Watch this video on YouTube.

Watch this video on YouTube.

Though Osich didn’t get the nod, he came in to relieve Schumer in the sixth, struggling through the sixth and seventh innings before exiting after facing two batters in the eighth. Osich allowed three runs on four hits, though he struck out three with his fastball occasionally topping out around 93-94 MPH.

Osich, a sixth round selection in 2011, was teammates with catcher Andrew Susac at Oregon State University.

Watch this video on YouTube.

Watch this video on YouTube.

Watch this video on YouTube.

Watch this video on YouTube.

Noonan has 3 HR and 38 RBIs in the 2012 campaign. (Conner Penfold/Working Titles)

Fresno Grizzlies shortstop Nick Noonan is only 23-years old, but with five years of professional baseball under his belt, this Poway, California product is not your average minor leaguer. Drafted straight from high school in the supplemental round in 2007 (32nd overall), Noonan is in his first full season with Triple-A Fresno and is having his best all around year since his rookie season with AZL Giants. His current .297 average and 38 RBIs are both good enough for fourth best on the Grizzlies roster.

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Let’s start from the beginning. Back in 2007 you were drafted straight out of high school. What were the decisions and factors that went into making that decision?

I think with where I was drafted at, you know, being in the supplemental round, I felt it was a really good opportunity for me to sign and get into the professional system with the Giants. It was a tough decision. I was committed to Clemson and they have a great program and a good head coach but I thought with where I was drafted at that I’d have a really good opportunity.

Do you think it was the confidence you had in your game coming out of high school that made you think that you could benefit more from signing rather than going to college?

I think so. I did really well in high school and did well in the summer ball tournaments and I’d always played well against good competition so I had good confidence. But on the other hand I didn’t really know what to expect if I were to sign. So when I got out there I just realized that it was still a game and everyone’s out there trying to do the best they can. So I just kind of played loose and it worked out well.

How difficult was that jump from high school to professional ball?

It was big for me because I’d be facing what would be the top pitcher in our area every single day and that was kind of an adjustment and for the first week I really struggled. I remember thinking, “Oh my God, what the heck did I do?” These pitchers all throw hard and all have curveballs. The adjustment period came and I settled in to get my confidence going.

What was that adjustment period? One year? Two years? How long until you were be able to say, “Okay, I’m in the groove of things here”?

I think from when I started, it probably took a couple weeks to get really comfortable with the level of talent there was and then over the years I’ve always felt pretty confident. When your not doing well you start to doubt yourself but I’ve learned to move past that now. When you struggle, that’s part of the game. But you always need to be aggressive and mentally focused and just prepared for anything. Just go out there and do what you do.

Through that first difficult week that was so tough for you, did you have any mentors that you could go to for words of advice, maybe your father or an old coach that has helped you through that?

Yeah my dad and my family are always there for me. During the off season I go home and I’m always calling my dad and mom and so it’s nice to hear voices to get confidence. And sometimes it’s just not even talking about baseball and getting your mind off of it and then you get back to playing ball. It’s always nice to have family and friends there. One of my best friends, Robert, has always supported me and it’s always good to hear those little words of advice. They’re big confidence boosters to get me through some tough times.

I heard you worked on some things during Spring Training that you told the Fresno Bee have really helped you this year. Can you elaborate a little more on some of those things you’ve worked on?

I just worked on being aggressive off the fastball. This year it’s worked out. Not doubting myself and getting up there every single at-bat and just being aggressive, in smart ways obviously, but I think just being ready to hit has led to a lot of good things this year and it’s really got me back on track.

Talk about the difference in the pitching moving from Double A to Triple A.

In Richmond there are a lot of power arms; a lot of guys that throw hard and I definitely struggled in Richmond. The Eastern League is a tough place to hit. The ballparks are big, it’s hot and humid, the ball doesn’t really fly that great. But for me, there were no excuses. I was swinging at bad pitches and rolling over on balls. I had to learn how to hit and be smart with the pitchers. Being up here in Triple-A the pitchers have a really good plan of how they’re going to get guys out and so far it seems like with being patiently aggressive I’ve been able to get my hits and get back on track.

Talk about ‘patiently aggressive.” Does that mean you just sit patiently on those fastballs and when you see one you don’t hesitate?

Sometimes I wouldn’t say just sitting on fastballs, just being ready to hit a fastball. It’s hard because even though you’re looking for fastballs to drive, you’re on other pitches too and that just carries over to being ready to hit, whether it’s a fastball, a changeup or a slider. If I’m ready to hit and it’s in the zone, I’m ready to attack it and ready to do some damage with it.

Let’s go back to May 20: the day you had 8 RBIs. What was clicking for you that day?

It was a warm day in Texas and my first at-bat I saw a slider pretty well and I put a pretty good swing on it but actually fouled it off. Then he threw me another one and I just remember staying through the ball, so to speak. It’s kind of a common term in baseball for hitters, but I just felt like a was staying through the ball well that day. I got another slider and it was nice because I had a couple hits off a lefty which in the past has been kind of tough for me. That day I just kind of felt in the zone which was good, I swung at good pitches and stayed through it and happened to drive some.

Since that day, have you seen some changes in your confidence?

It was just one of those days that you can look back on and say, “Hey look, I can hang with anybody in this league.” If you don’t have that confidence, it’s going to be tough for anybody to hit here. Looking back on it, you just have to keep those days in your memory and know that I can hang with the best of them.

What are the biggest adjustments and improvements you know you have to make if you want to succeed in the big leagues?

I think adjustments are everywhere in the game. But specifically, lately in the last few games I’ve seen myself making changes from at-bat to at-bat. Whether a guy starts throwing in, backing off the plate a little bit or maybe I’m just ready for that inside pitch or the guy is throwing some sinkers away and I make the adjustment and go the other way. Seeing how they pitch me, I’ve got to make the adjustment right then and there, you can’t wait two at-bats or until the next game, you’ve got to be constantly ready to make those adjustments. I think just recently, for that example, is where I need to be.

Are there specific things you do, maybe in the cage or watching film, that you do to work specifically on that or on other things?

Yeah in the cage off of a tee, I’ll work away, on flips to work in and work on pulling the ball the right way, going opposite field the right way and not spinning off but driving balls and just putting good swings on them with the locations of different pitches.

How important is it for you as a hitter to be able to go both ways and be confident in doing so?

It’s huge. That opens the field up for a lot more hits. If you can only pull the ball, that only gives you fifty percent of the field. When that guy throws a sinker on the outside half and I can get a hit to left, now they’ve got to start pitching you and playing you different than what they thought they might be able to do. It’s no different than being able to play short or second or third. If you can hit it both ways it just improves your game that much more.

What would you say is the biggest strength of your game, and then to turn it around, what is your biggest weakness?

Strengths so far have been staying consistent within every spot that I’ve hit in the lineup this year. Whether it be hitting first or fifth or sixth, no matter what the situation has been I think I’ve kept a consistent approach and just worked on getting my hits and keeping the line moving for that next guy to come up and drive me in.

To be that consistent in each spot in the lineup, you must not have any superstitions on where you hit in the lineup.

Yeah I feel pretty comfortable with my approach and my personal ways of hitting, but like you said I have been superstitious in the past and I’ve hit well in the two hole and then moved down to hitting third and not hit as well and I’ve thought it was because I was hitting third. Well, you really only hit third for the first inning and then when you come up again you may hit fifth or sixth. So I’ve been really good at staying consistent and having that consistent approach.

Talk about a weakness, if you can think of one.

Weaknesses? Shoot, I don’t know. I know I have some…

Hey, if you can’t think of one maybe that’s a good thing. It says something about your confidence.

Well I’d like to work on some off-speed pitches. I’ve been getting hits on off-speed but to drive the ball with authority on an off-speed pitch is something that the great hitters can do and I think if I can do that more consistently, I can improve my game that much more.

One last question, we’ll stray away from baseball a bit. Other than something baseball related, what do you enjoy doing with your free time?

Lately, I’ve been enjoying going up to Millerton Lake. Having a little barbeque, getting to swim in the water, we’ve done that three or four times and it’s been a lot of fun.

That’s something you do with some teammates?

Yeah me and my roommate Charlie Culberson and Skyler Stromsmoe. We go up there and have a little barbeque and swim in the lake a little bit. I golf a lot. I plan on golfing a lot during the all-star break, probably three or four times. It’s just relaxing to enjoy a nice slow paced game.

Pill spent 36 games with San Francisco in 2012 before getting send back to Fresno. (Conner Penfold/GIANT Potential)

After spending September of 2011 with San Francisco and making the Opening Day roster this year, Brett Pill finds himself back with Fresno with an opportunity to improve his game and try to top a 25 HR, 107 RBI  Triple A-performance a season ago. I sat down with him Friday night in Sacramento to talk about baseball, life in the minor leagues and what he’s doing to be productive in Triple A.

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Let’s start things off lightly. Tell me about your Twitter name, @PillzRgood. What’s the story behind that?

It was spring training and we had “Dumb and Dumber” on the TV and I just had the standard @BrettPill6 or whatever it was and I heard that line [from the movie] and thought, “hey, why not?”

How do you think social media has had an impact on your career, especially with regards to the fan interaction?

You know, I had no idea about it. I tried to, I guess, stay away from it but we had FanFest up in San Francisco and saw what kind of fan base the Giants have and saw a few guys with it so I thought I’d try it out and, you know, it’s unbelievable. Last night we had fans come to the game and say something on Twitter like , “hey were going to be at the game.” It makes it a little easier for fans to get to know you and to send out what kind of message you want to have out there.

You’ve been on just about every minor league team in the Giants system. Tell me about some of your favorite teammates you’ve had a chance to get to know.

I played with Brock Bond for a long time; a couple years down in AA. Tyler LaTorre, Jackson Williams, those guys I’ve pretty much been with them every year. Other than that, some of the guys I’ve seen go up to the big leagues like Buster and Madison, when I went up there they treated me like I belonged there too, so it was just good to see those guys come and go up to the big leagues and to see them still be grounded.

It must have been nice to know those guys so well before going up to San Francisco.

Yeah, man, that team was easy. Everybody was having a good time and everybody was treating everybody the same. Even the veterans were awesome.

Are there any habits or routines that have stuck with you through the years or any new ones that you’ve got going?

I’m pretty much going to hit BP before every game, nothing really out of the ordinary. I’ll go out maybe 30 minutes before the game and stretch and run some sprints which everybody has you do in college, you know, to get away from the TV and the food to kind of get your mind right.

Pill hit 19 HR with 109 RBI in 2009 with AA Connecticut and 25 HR with 107 RBI in 2011 with AAA Fresno. (Conner Penfold/GIANT Potential)

In 2009 and 2011 you had easily your best statistical seasons. Tell me about those years. How were you able to be as good as you were?

Both years we had really good teams. In AA, Brock was the batting champ that year in 2009 so he was on base every time I came up so it was easy to drive runs in. And last year we had a lot of great hitters on our team that were older guys that were on base. I got good pitches to hit because we had such a good team and I wasn’t missing them very often. I just had a lot of fun. If you start off well it’s a lot easier to continue playing well. All the other years I started off bad, you know, had a bad April or something and I kind of started pressing.

You’ve mentioned your experience with the Giants a little bit already but it was that 2011 season that earned you that call-up in September, and then you got a spot on the Opening Day roster. What was that experience like for you?

It was awesome. I went into last season with it being my second year in AAA and I didn’t have a great season my first year. I struggled hitting and I didn’t know what was going to happen. I didn’t know if I was going to struggle again and I actually thought I would start the year in AA and play third. Then I got to start the year [in AAA] because some other stuff happened; the other first baseman got hurt so I just came here and tried to have a good time. I didn’t know what was going to happen so I just tried to enjoy the team and be a better teammate with the guys and it kind of worked out.  The pressure was off of me and I just went out and played like I did when I was four years old and just kept working at it the whole year. That was totally unexpected last September. The team was in a playoff chase and for them to call me up was a big honor because we were so close to making the playoffs. Things just kept working out.

I was at Petco the day you hit your first big-league bomb. Talk about that experience for you, what was the reaction like in the dugout?

That was probably the coolest part for me, because you know in the minor leagues sometimes you can get caught up in what your doing. You want to get called up and you get a little bit selfish. To see how everybody in the dugout was genuinely happy and jumping up and down and stuff, it was a good feeling. It made me want to stay there for a long time. Everybody is pulling for you. It was unbelievable. I’ll do that in the cage sometimes, you know, pretend like it’s first pitch, first at-bat. But now, you know, we’ll say “first at-bat in the World Series” or something, but for it to actually happen, to hit a home run like that , it was something else. I’ll always remember it.

Pill is congratulated by his teammates following his first major league home run. (Yahoo Sports)

How much of an effect do you think not playing everyday in San Francisco had on your game?

I think I had enough practice in BP and stuff like that so I think my game was okay, but for me it was more mentally. You don’t play for a few days and you finally get in there and so instead of just seeing some pitches and getting on base you want to hit a three-run homer every time so you kind of swing at some bad pitches that you shouldn’t have swung at and I get myself into trouble. It’s tough enough to hit big league pitching and then when you put extra pressure on yourself it gets even tougher.

What’s the biggest thing you’ve got to change in your game if you want to get back to the bigs?

It’s really just being more relaxed and not getting up there and swinging first pitch, no matter what. Because I did that up there and had a little success but then once big league pitching finds out about that, that will kind of spoil your fun. But I’m just trying to see as many pitches as I can and not swing at pitches that I don’t want to swing at.

Describe the life of a minor-leaguer.  You’ve been at it for 6 years now. And if you can, what advice would you give the new guys in San Jose, what would you tell them about how to work through the system correctly?

I think the biggest thing is to find a routine. Once you get to the big leagues there is a lot of things you can do outside of baseball. The Giants are pretty good about having strength coaches everywhere that you can do training with at home. So for me, you know, I’ll get up, go to the gym, get here early and stand in here on some bullpen and see some pitches. So I think it’s just finding your own routine and sticking with it and trusting that all your hard work is going to pay off.

Are there any distinctive features of each league that you’ve noticed?

Yeah I think AA had a lot of guys that throw really hard. In AA they really don’t command their off-speed stuff as well, and then in AAA you’ve kind of got your crafty guys with off-speed. AAA was probably the biggest jump for me because you actually have to see the ball, you cant just go in looking fastball. And then obviously up in the big leagues you’ve got everything; the guys who throw hard and off-speed stuff.

Do you set goals for yourself? On a daily basis or even a monthly basis?

I don’t really set number goals, but I’m kind of keeping track of if I can go the whole game and hit the pitches that I want to hit. If I can eliminate swinging at the 1-0 slider that’s a ball or the 2-0 slider. That’s what I’m really trying to do right now because that got me in trouble up there. I would get into a good count and they would throw me something that I shouldn’t be swinging at. So I’ve got to keep the power numbers up still but still be selective.