Biggest Series of the Year
You can’t really understate the importance of the next 10 games for the Giants. San Diego is limping home but they are about to kick off a nice long homestand. If we stay around 2-3 games back for the next 10 days or so then we will POUNCE on the Padres when they fall apart on the 10 day road trip they have to stagger through starting on September 13th. September is their month to fall apart– their young arms are taxed and spent. But we don’t need to be 6 games back on the 13th, that could leave us with too much work to do……
So it all starts tonight against the *Done-gers*. I think they’ve got a team-wide check out going on right now. The owner-divorce is dominating the headlines, Matt Kemp can’t wait for his next date with Riannah, Fucal and Martin are in their rightful spot on the DL and Broxton is not fine despite what Torre will tell you. As long as we don’t get too tight I think we take 2 of 3 for sure this weekend……..
A Place To Talk About Giants Baseball 
Last month of the Fantasy League Season and this is how it shakes out:
Standings
Overall Points
Batting Pitching
Rank Team R HR RBI SB AVG W SV K ERA WHIP Total
1. Bladerunners 11 12 12 7 6.5 9 8 11 5 8 89.5
2. Giant Head 12 7 11 12 8.5 4 12 4 7 5.5 83
3. Flavor 8 9 6 11 5 6.5 9 9 11 8 82.5
4. Hillbilly Giants 5 8 9 3 10 11 3 10 10 11 80
5. Tizzle 9 11 7 6 2 8 5 6 12 12 78
6. Clowns R Us 6 5 10 2 6.5 12 7 8 8.5 8 73
7. NoTalent 7 6 5 9 3 10 11 12 3 5.5 71.5
8. Ferretball 3 3 3 10 1 5 10 7 8.5 10 60.5
9. Unca’s Army 10 10 8 5 12 1 2 2 2 3 55
10. PawliesPandas 4 2 4 4 4 6.5 6 5 6 4 45.5
11. Wilco Joe 1 1 1 8 11 2 1 3 4 2 34
12. IrishGiants 2 4 2 1 8.5 3 4 1 1 1 27.5
Overall Stats
Batting Pitching
Rank Team Total GP R HR RBI SB AVG IP W SV K ERA WHIP
1. Bladerunners 1335 727 184 725 107 .272 1169.1 76 83 1016 3.67 1.25
2. Giant Head 1296 759 171 687 122 .275 1028.2 64 116 858 3.57 1.28
3. Flavor 1271 707 179 651 119 .270 1103.2 69 94 989 3.42 1.25
4. Hillbilly Giants 1201 654 175 680 74 .279 1183.1 80 35 1015 3.44 1.22
5. Tizzle 1309 713 182 671 95 .264 1020.1 74 51 893 3.12 1.17
6. Clowns R Us 1312 690 150 683 73 .272 1264.2 93 55 976 3.54 1.25
7. NoTalent 1286 692 160 637 111 .265 1145.0 77 114 1081 3.69 1.28
8. Ferretball 1260 595 125 571 118 .263 1097.0 68 110 966 3.54 1.24
9. Unca’s Army 1189 725 180 673 89 .286 953.2 54 32 805 3.82 1.31
10. PawliesPandas 1246 631 118 575 86 .269 1062.1 69 52 879 3.63 1.30
11. Wilco Joe 973 534 116 492 108 .280 935.1 59 23 857 3.68 1.32
12. IrishGiants 1134 574 133 549 70 .275 947.0 60 46 686 4.28 1.33
Blade, funny how you are always in first when you post those standings.
I know, huh? Hahaha.
We need to take pitches early against Billingsley and get an early lead for Zito and then drive Billingsley out of the game.
This is it. September’s first road trip is here. The Giants have been up and down, inconsistent. Whatever you want to call it. Bottom line they are positioned to make a run for the post season and control their destiny. All they have to do is win.
Zito usually pitches well in LA and I am looking for that to continue tonight giving the club a good kick off to an important swing through the west.
Go Giants!!
It is time for Zito to suck it up and pitch the way he was in the beginning of the season!! The hitters do need to be loose so they aren’t swinging at just anything!!
I’m not one to protest the lineups or such here, but if it were up to me Cain would start tonight. OK, that’s not happening. And Zito’s best games this year have been against the Dodgers, so maybe he can generate whatever life he has left in that linguine arm of his and keep that addled brain from going Nuke LaLoosh on us and make a game of it.
But, if it’s the same ‘ol Zitshit that we’ve come to know and loath for way too long now, then he has to be on a very short leash tonight. 5-0 in the bottom of the 3rd will not cut it, especially since the Giants always struggle with Mrs. Cleaver. Except for Wilson, the bullpen is rested with an extra arm now in Runzler. I say if the deficit gets to 3 early, get him the hell out of there. There’s only 28 games left, and they cannot let Zito piss away any more opportunities to win.
Four of the five starters have pitched “A” games in their last goes. So Zito may as well join the party. Billingsgate, Lilly and Kuroda (sounds like a LaJolla law firm) are tough pitchers, but we’re not talking Ubaldos here. So with the Giants hitters having seen nastier starters these guys should not cow them.
Rockies having gone down in flames to the Fillies last night, its now pretty much just two races in the NL: Philadelphia and SF for the Wild Card and the Dagos and the Giants for the West. As the single team being a factor in both races and after Timmy’s stirring victory over Ubaldo, the Giants now should have up a good head of steam going into the Latrine.
This is pretty much where Giants fans wanted to be coming into the long September road trip ~ the team wholly in charge of its own destiny, with fully a quarter of the 28 remaining games against a tottering division leader. In an ideal world we also would like to have begun the trip against a faltering, flailing and bewildered bunch of LaBumbos, bewitched from their McDivorceCourt top on down to the dearly departed dreds of Mannywood gone to ChiTown.
So there we are Gang. Giants are primed, locked and loaded for Bear. Ladies first, please. Oh, Barbara…
It’s hard to have confidence with Zito pitching tonight, but maybe he’ll surprise the heck out of us and regain some of his mojo from earlier in the season.
Someone yesterday used a great word to describe how Zito looks. He looks “prissy.” Good call.
Prissy is ok for a pitcher, not so much for a middle linebacker.
Yeah I hope Zito has his stuff. Time to step it up!
Given his success in 4 starts this yr with LA, I look for a strong outing from Zito.
Babs is working on a 15 inn scoreless streak against the G’s, so obviously the hitters need to make some adjustments.
Now pitching for the San Francisco Giants…Prissy Gomez
For all you Gomez fans, jockey Garrett Gomez hops on the very live Tripp O Steel in the 7th today at Saratoga.
Fuck LA!!!!!….The Giants have won 5 of the last 6 games against the Bums including a sweep last time out.Holding them to just 15 runs in those games.Yeah Zito has sucked the 2nd half but not against the Dodgers having pitched great against them this year,1.95 ERA in 4 starts,he just got no support 5 runs in those games.Giants have more offensive weapons now, and much deeper squad then LA and they will prove it in this series.I’m predicting Sweep!!
And Denny, Pletcher unveils “Buster’s Ready” in the 6th at Saratoga. Watch the board….
Saratoga 7 th race…Equipment change for Brittish Banker…Blinkers On
Does that mean he races the full race with turn signals on?
Giants have been up and down the last month, down mostly. Starting pitching crap, until the last three games, where earlier form came back for the starters. No way I would expect Giants to win 2 of 3 in LA, especially with Zito in the mix. If we get 1 of the 3, I’ll take it, 2 of 3 is gravy. I agree with BF, hang around and stay no more than 3 or 4 back of Diego until they go on their roadie, then try to zero in on making ground up, and at least split when in San Diego. This thing could easily go down to the last weekend against the Pads — the Div and WC may both still be in play…
More for the Gomez crowd, Quotes from Pitcher Lefty Gomez…”Ive got a new invention.It’s a revolving bowl for tired goldfish.”
“No one hit HR’s the way Babe did.They were something special.They were like homing pigeons.The ball would leave the bat,pause briefly.suddenly gain it’s bearings.then take off for the stands.”
“The secret of my success was clean living and a fast outfield.”
“When Neil Armstrong first set foot on the moon,he and all the space scientists were puzzled by an unidentifiable white object.I knew immediately what it was.That was a home run hit off of me in 1933 by Jimmy Foxx.”
“I was the worst hitter ever.I never even broke a bat until last year when I was backing out of my garage.”
“Alot of things run through your head when your going to relieve in a tight spot.One of them was,”Should i spike myself?”
SF Gate sports has a list of the top 100 Giants of all time, NY and SF. I don’t know how long that has been there, but it’s worth a look. When you see guys on the list that go back to 1885 and such, you realize how long the Giants have been around as an entity. Actually, pretty impressive. No big arguments from me about who is on the list and where, especially regarding the old guys from the NY era. When the entire top 10 are all HOFers, you know you’ve got a pretty storied franchise. I will say Marvin Benard doesn’t even belong on the list, and he’s placed just ahead of Jimmy Davenport. Now, THAT is freekin ridiculous…
In the immortal words of Morticia Addams:
“Don’t torture yourself Gomez. That’s my job . . .”
Jimmy Davenport’s on the list? I saw him at the tail end of his career, so I never knew how good or bad he was. He sure isn’t there for his managing . . .
PS. Jimmy’s son was my daughter’s fast-pitch softball coach. Hell of a nice guy.
For his playing, I’d say he’s in the 50-100 range of the top 100. Disaster as manager. In the early to mid 60s, he was a very good defensive 3rd sacker, versatile infielder, and adequate hitter. Take Jim Ray Hart over him easily, though, and that’s why Davvy played other positions. Take Matt Williams over both. Other than Matt, and maybe Madlock, can’t seem to think of any really tip top 3rd basemen in the SF part of team history…
Apropos of nothing, The Addams Family was one of the funniest goddamn shows in the last 50 years.
The Munsters was a lame pathetic pale imitation.
THAT’s the Gomez I was thinking about….
Tried to get tickets for the SF v SD series at the end of the month. Fucker is sold out already.
Plenty of tix for the Sat and Sun games on StubHub. Prices gettin jacked up, but lotsa View Reserve and Bleacher available at not outrageous prices. If this thing goes down to that Sat and/or Sunday, the prices will go through the freekin roof. Maybe a better investment than the goddam stock market…
Hey, Loo. Thanks for the picks, but I don’t think I’ll need ’em….
Cat Nip Denny just won the 9th at Monmouth at 18-1. Can you say, Heeeeeee!
Snarkk, thanks. Forgot about that site. I will check there. I’m trying for the Sunday game.
I was thinking of going Sat or Sun that weekend, too. Then I remembered I havta go to a wedding. Friggin nephew, bad planning. If those games are for the Div or WC, there better be a TV in the church…
Was that Don, Unca?I used to be on the same Babe Ruth and High school teams with Don and Gary back in he 70’s.Man sure had a blast playing with those guys back then.And yes it was painful to watch what Jim Davenport went through as manager in 1985.Felt real bad for him.He was just at the helm at the wrong time.The next year,Roger Craig had Robbie and Will come up,and the rest is history.Jimmy had all the players that were declining or just having a bad season,which is just about everyone when you lose 100 games.
Yeah, Don. I was gonna say Dan. His daughter and mine played softball for the San Carlos rec leagues, what 14 years ago? He coached the team. Very nice guy and good coach. . .
Shit, time flies. She’s in college now. . .
If Cat Nip Denny ($ Christina Hendrick’s bust size) can win, then so can Zitshit tonight. Maybe the dumbass just needed the calendar to change over from August to September. Can’t get any worse than 0-4 (7.76), can it? I wish I had some concrete evidence to support a resurgence, but I’ll just stick to it being September. He’s due?
What does it say about one’s life when one doesn’t receive any mail for three days straight, not even junk? Speaking of junk, Zitshit is pitching.
I made the call this week that we will go 5-2 and the Dagos 2-5.
I am taking this shit a step further. We are sweeping the Badtardos this weekend!!! Count it!
What, in heaven’s name, is a Bad Tardo?
I don;t know, but it’s worse than a good tardo . . .
Snarkk: That really true about Marvin froggin Benard being listed among the top 100 Giants by the Chronic Call? For my money i’d much prefer Reuben Gomez. I’m pretty sure he was among the ’58 carryovers from the NY Giants. Almost middling to somewhat fair pitcher.
Headliner Latino pitcher didn’t show up till the team had already done its stint at Seals. Feller known as the Dominican Dandy ~ secondly most famous for beating Warren Spahn of the Milwaukee Braves 1-0 in mutual complete games, the high kicking Giant with the shutout. The 15th or 16th inning run on Milwaukee’s HOF lefty? Solo shot by one Willie Howard Mays.
For my money, once again, Marichal vs Spahn with the Willie walkoff was the classic Giants game ever.
Ahhh…Rueben Gomez
No joke, Stix. Or, should I say, what a joke. He’s ranked somewhere in the low 60s out of 100. http://bleacherreport.com/articles/447458-the-top-100-giants-players-of-all-time I did not remember, but Benard apparently won the Willie Mac award in 1999. Of course, the list is one guy’s opinion, but he did a lot of research on the old days, so I’ll give him some credit for putting the list together. There’s a pic of Speier (#61) in a minor league uni / cap that’s priceless, he looks about 17 years old. One thing I noticed is in a coupla photos of guys in the ’70s-’80s away unis, the large SF logo on the left side of the shirt below the city name is something I’d forgotten. I think it’s a good look, they should bring that uni back as a retro look for a few roadies. No Phil Nastu in the top 100. Don’t tell BF…
Hell Speier looked to still be in his early 20’s went he rejoined the team at 37
Speier’s always had a special place in my heart because he’s the only Giant I ever saw hit for the cycle. For one reason or another, I always missed the other ones
I don’t know why Speier never hooked back up with SF in some other capacity as coach, etc. He’s bopped around, now with the Reds. He was a SF fan favorite, as I remember. Anybody know if there was some incident, bad blood with ownership, etc? after his last time here?. He was a “good Giant”, as far as I know…
Would it have anything to do with Dusty Baker?
And I’d add, I have no idea what that connection would be but wasn’t he a coach with Chicago when Dusty was there as well?
In fact, looking again, those retro road unis have the SF logo in place of the city name. The logo on the cap with the logo on the shirt matches up nicely… Check out Kruk at #50 in this uni…
Snarkk, that wedding isn’t in Marin by chance is it?
Nope, down south. But, if yours has better reception food and a widescreen with the Giants on, can I go?…
Walnut Creek?
Nah, somewhere down near Monterey…
Yeah, I have a Matt Williams #9 jersey with the WS by the Bay patch on the sleeve. The SF logo on the left sdie. Always like that away uni . . .
Cool beans . . .
Yeah, Chris Speier was one of my faves as well. He and Tito Fuentes turning the DPs was always a gas . . .
Here’s a useless bit of trivia. I was looking up something else on Baseball Reference and ran accross RoY voting for 1986. Will Clark had 1 more vote than Barry Bonds
I’d forgotten they were rookies the same year. That’s pretty cool.
Who won?
Rank, player, team and # of votes
1 Todd Worrell STL 118
2 Robby Thompson SFG 46
3 Kevin Mitchell NYM 22
4 Charlie Kerfeld HOU 17
5 Will Clark SFG 5
6 Barry Bonds PIT 4
7 Jim Deshaies HOU 1
7 John Kruk SDP 1
7 Barry Larkin CIN 1
7 Bruce Ruffin PHI 1.0
Todd fucking Worrell?
No shit . . .
4 one time or another Giants that year
Huh. 5 of the top 6 ended up on the Giants . . .
Or, did we have Tim?
Who am I missing?
Tim not Todd.
Yeah. The Dodgers got Todd
Clark woulda had a lot more votes, but he lost about 60 odd games being out with a bad elbow, if memory serves…
Kind of cool. I didn’t remember Thompson coming in second
Reno, you got my juices going on tix. I’m set, now going Sunday the 19th vs. Brewers. Hope it’s warm. My kids are always jacked to go, maybe we’ll go a little early and see some BP…
Cool. I’ve got tickets for the Brewers game on the 17th. Buster Posey T-Shirt night
Cool, Ted. I’m figuring on a Giants sweep of the Brew crew…
I heard a snip this morning of Kruk on ESPN radio predicting Gmen win the division by 4. That pretty damn ballsy, he hasn’t done that on local radio…
Zito still pitching, Snarkk still pitching tumblers….
CF Torres
2B Sanchez
1B Huff
LF Burrell
RF Guillen
C Posey
3B Sandoval
SS Uribe
P Zito
Solid LU top to bottom. Things have sure changed.
Agreed, solid, and slow as molasses after leadoff. I said way early this year they needed three real bats, three. Sabes proceeded to get/bring up Burrell, Posey, and now Guillen. It just might be enough…
During Prohibition – we ran molasses into Canada – made a fortune – your father, too.
Joe Kennedy made millions off that game. Proceeds helped buy a presidency …
Jewish gangsters seldom get their due
I heard that live this morning myself, Snarkk. Didn’t see that one coming. If and that’s a big IF, the Friars played .500 ball the rest of the way, we’d have to go 21-7 to finish up by 4.
So according to Kruk, we’ll either have a 1 or 3 game lead heading into the final series with SD.
If the SOB nails that one, he can talk arm slots until the cows come home.
I will gladly take a Giants Div or WC win by one game, sneaking in at fuckin midnite with the opposition losing by balking in the winning run. So, if SF cruises to win the damn division by 4 freekin games, I’ll sure as hell kiss Kruk’s droopy ass…
BTW, any of you beer guys, check out the fall brew of Sierra Nevada. A brown ale aptly named the “Tumbler”. Nice stuff, now in a BevMo near you. Joe Bob says check it out…
No dead bodies. One hundred seventeen breasts. Multiple aardvarking. Lap dancing. Cage dancing. Convenience-store dancing. Blindfold aardvarking. Blind-MAN aardvarking. Lesbo Fu. Pool cue-fu. Drive-In Academy Award nominations for Tane McClure. Joe Bob says check it out
——————————
Anyone remember his bit part as a moron employee of DeNiro’s in CASINO?
Heh heh!!!
Yup. Joe Bob RULES!!!!!
Tumbler, eh? For whatever reason, I don’t like Sierra Nevada. Or Gordon Biersch for that matter. They try to get cute with the fucking spices and shit. It’s beer, not a fucking candle. Blue Moon Pale Ale is horse piss. Belgian style sucks.
Widmer’s got a new beer out I’ve been meaning to try. Love their wheat beer. Cloudy and lumpy. Good shit.
I mean, they’re OK. Blue Moon though, is flat awful.
Coors makes Blue Moon. Don’t get near the stuff…
For good mojo:
Henry’s latest tweet: BREAKING NEWS: Lincecum trimmed 2″ off his hair. CHECK HERE LATER FOR MORE UPDATES.
That’s good for 2 more MPH on the fastball, eh?
The question is, what part of his body was this alleged hair on?
Notes:
On Ford’s play. Flavor mused on whether it was a good risk- absolutely, because the score was TIED. Down one, if I’m the skipper it’s “Congratulations, glad you made it. Now maybe someone will loan you the grand you owe me for being a fucking idiot”…
Pretty neat trick how Mychael Urban can still speak with Zito’s pole firmly planted in his cheek.
Rule of thumb:
Down one: better make it without a throw
Tied: takes a perfect throw
Up one: go go go,…
I just bet the Giants to win the series– +130 was looking good and I also bet the +132 tonight. We’ve got a solid LU going and if Zito has anything left too fool us with it will show up tonight. If he’s throwing batting practice pitches that get turned into a pretty laser light show it could be time to shut him down and let (insert anyone’s name here) into his spot in the LU……
Way off subject but Pawlie, if you’re around, I still have that August 26th Sporting Green if you want it.
ted– he sent me the ok to send you his info and I spaced on contacting you. Can you just shoot me another email and I’ll get it over to you?
Another meaty matter resolved on the Flap…
Snarrk loved Zito last time and he bombed. Tonight he’s bearish. I kinda like our chances.
DelMar, Goggles McCoy in the El Cajon?
As I clearly showed a few times, Zitfuck is really month to month way more than first half/second half. Even last year, his best, the 2.93 second half ERA was due to a great August, in July and September he was 4.50+ each. So that may be the good news for now, he usually has just one absolutely putrid month per year.
Phils win 1-0. Looked like the Brew Crew were taking aim at those close fences and missing, 10 K’s in all for Philly pitchers.
Phils are in cruise control–nothing is fazing them, especially after they skull fucked the Rockies bullpen last night. They’ve been here before, done this….THe Padres are clueless and sputtering. To a degree, we are kinda clueless too. It’s been a while since games in Sept meant something where it wasn’t: hope+prayer+new math…….
Maybe Zito channels Houdini tonight- and each inning is a thrilling escape act.
Ahh cruise control. Should Zito come through tonight with what goes these days as a quality start, not more than 3 ER in 6 IP, the Giants Rotation might hit five-part harmony. No guarantee with Zits, of course. But five starters ranging from mediocre/decent to downright dominating could place the Giants into a cruise control situation. There’s enough defense, BP depth and game by game possibilities in the lineup to provide sufficient balance for a fully-engaged rotation ~ something we could envision once we realized Bumgarner was a keeper. Again, no guarantees, but the possibility is there and there more than for any other NL team, at least now that the Dagos’ young pitchers are running more and more on fumes.
An NLDS consisting of Braves, Phillies, Reds and Giants is looking like a parking zone for betting money, depending on the odds of course.
Yer catchin’ on , Max….
I’m mildly surprised that Posey is batting 6th tonight.
I’m changin things tonight to get Zito’s mojo turned in the right direction. Since he’s in La La Land, I’m goin with margaritas on the rocks to start; no scotch, unless a victory. That’s fan dedication…
You could have a drinking game, where you take a drink every time Krukow says “He hit a backspin seed.”
Max, good thing I missed Goggles. Need to cut him back in distance next time. Those In Excess horses are distance challenged. Twirling Candy goes Sunday in the Del Mar Derby. His latest workout on Saturday was a peach. Should be locked and loaded once again.
Zitshit better bring his ‘A’ game, whatever the hell that equates to, I’m in no mood for his shit.
Play Ball! and Beat LA!
So you’d start with Margaritas and finish with Scotch if they win? Clubber drinks Osama Gin Ladens… no wonder these guys are doomers, they’ve fried their brains. If you start with Margaritas at least finish with a fine tequila. You dudes drink like teen age boys.
The insults are no biggie, but putting me in the same sentence with Clubber is a low blow. However, I do have a Gran Reserva in a corner of the wine cellar somewhere, not a bad idea to sip on after Zito exits…
Channel 31 seems glitchy already.
In response to Ted’s POTD, I believe this man got his due. Just ask Bugsy Siegel.
All pro sports, as well as the NCAA, should thank God every day we have sports betting here… We have the only agency in the world that regulates the honesty of games.
–Meyer Lansky
One batter in and Scully is already on my fuckin’ nerves…
Alright, thank you Kemp. You suck, thanks.
Dennis, You’re not kidding. His freaking stablemate wins at 30-1.
Hearing Jon Miller say, “Zito blew a fastball right by him…” when said fb is only 86 mph is just wrong.
86 mph fastball. Jesus he just doesn’t have even a half inch margin for error
gotta love best friends..
Rihanna must have texted him to hurray up
Kemp, you suck…..thanks.
All losing aside, I’ve got no idea how zito’s fastball doesn’t get murdered every time he throws it. It’s got very little movement and it’s 86 freaking miles per hour
It’s so shockingly hittable, the batters are dazed the first time up. 2nd time through the order, they’re ready to tee off on it, as they ignore the curveball and wait for the count to turn to their favor…
Nice play, Furcal. Although I have no idea why he was jogging to firstbase in the first inning.
Zito should’ve learned to throw a screwball. He has the perfect motion for it.
Ah, that’s the Zito we all know and don’t love.
Son of a bitch! That’s the goddamn problem with Zitshit, his mistakes get crushed!
Fuckin’ Barrajas wrecked us with 2 HRs at Citifield in May. One off Sanchez and a GW off Romo…
Was just thinkin about that, Loo. We seem to get beat a good bit by his like. I recall Baker of the Cubs last year…
Yeah Ed, and then Henry Blanco Hit a GW HR the following night offa Mota.