I can't believe I'm writing this given the seasons Aaron Rowand and Andres Torres had this year. They were complete opposites in the regular season. Rowand began the season as the starting center fielder, but was eventually replaced by Torres, rightfully so. Rowand ended the season batting .230 with 11 homeruns in 331 at-bats. Torres, on the other hand, came from out of nowhere. He batted .268 with 16 homers, 84 runs, and 26 stolen bases in 507 at-bats. He was a big reason the Giants made the postseason, an identifiable spark from the leadoff spot on a team that sorely needed it.
But...
Torres is batting a ghastly .120 in the postseason and has 12 strikeouts in 25 at-bats, including six strikeouts in nine at-bats in the last two games versus the Phillies.
He has no postseason experience and has looked completely lost at the dish.
Rowand, on the other hand, won a World Series with the Chicago White Sox in 2005 and was part of a strong organization in yes, Philadelphia, until he moved West in 2008.
Former players always have a way of coming back to bite their teams, and you can bet Rowand won't be an easy out against his former team.
Not to mention the strong lefty Cole Hamels is pitching in Game 3 for the Phillies. Torres batted .226 versus lefties this season in 133 at-bats. Rowand, to be fair, has been pretty bad against lefties the last two seasons, hitting .211 this season.
But you get the feeling if Rowand was given the opportunity he would make the most of it. It may be his one chance he can prove he can be a contributor to this marvelous postseason run of the Giants.
The Giants lose a little speed in center field if they were to make the move, but Rowand is no slouch either. He's a proven center fielder in the Majors, and as recently as 2007 he won a Golden Glove.
Rowand, despite his troubles in San Francisco, has always had the reputation as a do-or-die player. Gritty, determined, and never lacking in effort. In a do-or-die series, would he step up? I think he would.