Game Time Approach-eth
Tonight’s AZ line up is a joke— we should destroy them. I took the Giants at -210 because i thought it was a lock for them to win their 89th game on THE BONEY ONE’S birthday, but now I’m pissed I didn’t give 1.5 at even money. We destroy them tonight, 9-1……
A Place To Talk About Giants Baseball 
But if the Braves clinch the Wild Card and we finish tied with the Padres, then there is a one-game playoff in San Diego to determine the division winner correct?
Anyway, we clinch by Friday!
I think we clinch Friday night with 92. That game is looking very interesting.
PBS is showing the 10th Inning tonight, the Ken Burns documentary covering baseball from the strike on through the sterioid era. How dumb are they to show it right in the middle of a pennant race, when fans will be watching the games? Or are they banking on dvd sales from those of us who don’t have dvrs. Whatever. Strikes me as out-of-touch programming.
Franchez’s status update today should be the big news. Even without him for a game or two, they’ll be fine. Live yard tonight. KKing the Az big guys may be the key.
was really sad seeing Turner Field and Petco half empty last night…those fans are pathetic! I hope we have a fired up sold out crowd tonight to show the rest of the NL foes how we do it in SF!
Thanks to an old friend, I’ll be out there tonight. Never have sat in the Field Club section. I expect a G’s blowout.
Zambrano’s win last night must have taken a lot of air outta the Pads. Now there’s probably a better than 50-50 chance the Cubs will win at least one more in that contest. Wonderful news. Full game lead at last. Hardest to hit pitcher in all of MLB going tonight at McCovey Cove for the home team. Maybe the Snakes think its Drrrrty Pool, but China Basin is connected to the whole damn Pacific Ocean. Pressure is on the Dagos now. Giants should be all fired up for this one. Go get em guys! This one’s to make up for one of those squeekers the Pads won back in the Spring.
Max: Blowout would be perfect. Fry the Friars. Those usurpers deserve it.
Key tonight will be how Latos does. A 13.94 ERA in losing his last three starts.
With 3 righties pitching for AZ and a lefty bat in Fontenot, there’s no need to stick Franchez in there if they don’t have to, especially if he can’t make a throw.
The Giants’ longest winning streak is 5. If they can just string together another one, although the Snakes having won 5 of their last 6 won’t make it easy. Is it game time yet?
This is going to be a fun 6 games
MICHAEL: Good luck
Plewase don’t do that Chuck. I confuse easlily
Still tired after our trip to Coors (and what a trip it was), so maybe I’m a little delusional, but I’m getting the feeling of a sweep against AZ. I know they took 2/3 at ATT last month, but that was when our rotation was mired in failure. The matchups for the next three look good and the Giants can smell the finish line after the good road trip.
just keep winning 2 out of 3 and the fat lady sings.
Nice numbers for tonight:
The Diamondbacks have batted .189 against Sanchez in seven starts over the past two seasons, with Sanchez going 4-1 with a 2.45 ERA and 48 strikeouts over 40 1/3 innings. Lopez is 0-2 with a 7.46 ERA in five starts versus San Francisco.
Why are my posts getting deleted?
No, you put them on the last thread
I was wondering what Ted was talking about?
You all probably knew this but I didn’t until I read it in the Chronicle today. Apparently, Posey was a damn fine pitcher in college as well: “As a junior at Florida State, along with catching every game, he was the closer… 93-94 MPH fastball, a “plus” slider and changeup and great command… Opponents his .172 against…” him
Just more support for proposition that Posey must be moved from C to another position within a few years. He can definitely acquit himself well at first or somewhere else; his hitting is too important to have it negatively impacted by years of leg and knee wear behind the dish…
Read the article and you might feel different Snarkk. Apparently, those that know Posey best, including Buster himself, think he is a natural catcher and that’s where he should play. I get the argument to save him physically so he can play longer, but his value is most evident behind the dish.
Maybe “within a few years” but you should read the article Kevin attached below. It’s not even in the equation for now
I read the article, and the pitchers certainly seem now to have settled into a groove with the Buster, and that’s a huge plus. But, if they have a younger catcher worth half a damn in a coupla years, there hasta be consideration of a move. Joseph is supposed to be the top C prospect in the minors, right?, but his hitting (.691 ops) didn’t exactly set the world on fire at Augusta over 100 games this year…
Predicted high today in SF at 93 F. By gametime, probably around 80. Balls will be flying, so Dirrty needs to make Dbacks miss. I will gladly accept 2 outta 3 from Ariz, then move on to Pads at weekend to slug it out. Dbacks have not quit at all, and shouldn’t be overlooked. Hats off to Zambrano and Cubs for last night v. Pads. I like Quady the interim manager, held Z out till he could face SD and give SD the same competition the Giants got. Class move…
And they have to face Dempster tonight (although we blasted him his last time out).
here is a link to the article Ted is talking about. Sounds like I was all wrong about moving him to an infield position.
http://tinyurl.com/22rdlwx
All signs point to Buster being an outstanding catcher and team leader for years to come. I don’t see him moving to first until late in his career, the way Piazza did.
management has been seeing Posey as the catcher of the future. He does seem more valuable there.
93 in the city? WOW! September was always the best time of the year. 113 in LA? Let those fuckers fry.
Great article on Jesus Posey…he may very well go down as the dominant catcher of his era in the NL…no way you move him for a number of years. and he will never be tainted with the steroid era…God love his Son!
Sheeesh, Magnus. That’s harder than Chinese arithmetic. (For those who find that offensive, let me defend it: I could just as easily say Egyptian arithmetic. The point is that it is more difficult than performing equations or calculations in a foreign language, though everyone knows that equations and calcs are not in a verbal language. Or maybe they could be. I dunno. Speaking of Arabic vs. Roman numerals, arabic numerals really came from India. Nemaste. So there.)
Today’s NY Times points out how the Tampax Bay Rays, the Red [first playoff in 15 years; 12,000 fans], Braves, and Padres are not drawing. Pitiful. I’ve often thought SFG fans are too quiet, but we have been pretty darn loyal. I think. I hope.
Do you folks have NLDS tix? I shoulda bought some.
Just because.
If we get in the WS, I’m going. Period. In 2002, I didn’t and regret it. Even if I walked around the arcade by McCovey Cove, we would’ve won. I’m sure of it.
[Is the coffee too caffeinated here at Freedom of Espresso??!]
Pawlie, the poor attendance of the other front runners is perhaps partially due to the economy, moreso than in the Bay Area. California economy is hurting big time, but the Bay Area seems to chug along nonetheless when it comes to sports attendance if you’re doing well as a team (or even not, e.g., Dubs). A’s and Raiders have there own issues. Anyway, Reds and Rays are guaranteed playoff spots for a while, so maybe fans figure why bother going, just coast until the playoff games and save a few bux on parking and beer. As far as players complaining about poor attendance of front runner teams, I say the players need to STFU. Fans aren’t millionaires, they can do what they want…
Pawlie. During the second game at Pac Bell I was headed for the smoking deck, as I was passing Sabean’s box (my seats were in the club level) I thanked him for putting that team together. I held up my hand and we shook. Now, Sabes usually sits there with the light out and if you can even get him to grunt an acknowledgment you’ve done well. That day though he had folks in his booth and seemed to be in a pretty good mood. The next day, same deal I was headed to the smoking area and again thanked him and put my hand out. He just kinda nodded at me, so I reminded him that he shook my hand the day before and we won, out shot his hand. To this day I believe if I had gone to Anaheim and went through the same ritual, we would have won.
Would expect Snarrk is right. It was very warm the last time I went to a game and they scored 16 runs against the Reds. Sanchez was gone after 4 1/3 innings.
I’m hoping Padres utterly collapse and we become a Juggernaut [1630s, “huge wagon bearing an image of the god Krishna,” especially that at the town of Puri, drawn annually in procession in which (apocryphally) devotees allowed themselves to be crushed under its wheels in sacrifice. Altered from Jaggernaut, a title of Krishna (an incarnation of Vishnu), from Hindi Jagannath, lit. “lord of the world,” from Skt. jagat “world” + natha-s “lord, master.” The first European description of the festival is by Friar Odoric (c.1321). Figurative sense of “anything that demands blind devotion or merciless sacrifice” is from 1854**] of victory, making the weekend a series to enjoy in relaxed manner. My nerves are thin as it is.
** from the wonderful Online Etymological Dictionary
I think the cost of the online OED is worth it; who doesn’t? 😛
Well, it’s not like Posey is going to lose his world-class speed by remaining a catcher.
He certainly looks built for it. Kinda bolwing pin shaped . . .
Weird, I tried to post under Ted’s post a few times, and they wouldn’t take.
no one posts under Ted’s; he is the bottom line.
Looking forward to some fun baseball, just hope I can find some time for my job. If I promise to work through the world cup games maybe my boss won’t mind?
Atlanta fans have no excuse..they clamor all about Bobby Cox and wanting to see him go out as a winner, but then they dont show up for a home game last week of the season???? Pathetic.
The Braves fans are notorious for not showing up and that Atlanta metro reason has millions of people…just awful baseball fans. I realize there are issues with the stadium in Tampa and it slocation and they may be in cruise mode right now, but 10K at a home game for the likely AL East winner is a joke. Teams dont stick around in those type of environments forever.
But for the SD and Atlanta fans not to show up when they are fighting for a playoff spot is beyond economic/financial issues. Sit in the bleachers and dont buy anything if you are a real fan….
agreed
Atlanta metro region that is…remember the Pittsburgh fans did not sell out their stadium in the 1990 playoffs against the Reds?
I was just wondering…Wouldn’t it be weird,if the Giants and Padres clinched playoff spots during this weekend?What would the on-field celebrations be like?”Woo-Hoo!”We made the playoffs!”Uh well,so did we!” Seems like it would be awkward.
That would be pretty wild. There’s a scenario where the Giants and Padres both make the playoffs on the same day. Two clubhouse celebrations at the same stadium! It hasn’t happened yet, but someday it could.
Kat I think the Pads would have to do their celebration in the club house. Our house, our party.
Pawlie, I might contrast by positing that the Giants are as Apollo’s chariot, drawing the sun through the cosmos of the Stretch towards a sunset of ultimate victory via the efforts of his wild horses Pryoeis, Eous, Aethon, and Phlegon, aka Lincecum, Cain, Sanchee and MadBum…
And whither the Zitoid? Nay, he is not forgotten, but eyes must be cast averse. He is not among the fantastical horses leading the Giant’s chariot to victory. He is as Phaeton, the mortal son of Apollo. He cannot be allowed to drive the chariot, for if allowed to do so, his and the earth’s fate would meet their ultimate, conjoined disaster…
gulp
Kat, I would suspect if the Padres back into the wild card there would not be any flowing champagne at ATT…
Not true, I would think. However you get into the playoffs, the champagne flows.
Either way, it would be interesting to see how it played out. I’d really like to see that but only if it’s the Giants who took the division. Otherwise, *really* awkward
Economics? Pittsburgh this summer: $9 for a seat; $5 to park. Cheaper than Syracuse’s Carrier Dome and its nearby $20 parking. And that’s for an SU-Colgate football game. Nuff said.
Wanna pay the cable bill, or watch the Pirates lose again?…
There should be a pecking order of celebrations:
1. WC winner: Michelob, Bud Light, or similar. No spraying of alcohol.
2. Division winner: Cooks champagne, Corona and Corona light. Pouring over heads only.
3. Division playoff winner: Mumm or American Roederer champagne, Sierra Nevada or equivalent. Light bubbly spraying over team and staff only.
4. Pennant winner: Moet/Chandon, imported brews, full bubbly spraying over all in clubhouse.
5. WS winner: Full on Bachannalian celebration. Cristal, Veuve Cliquot; full panoply of US and German, Belgian beers, Montecristo or similar Havana cigars, owner’s choice of single malt Scotches. Discrete 420 in corner of clubhouse with Timmy. Huff dancing on training table in red thong. Kruk falling down drunk giving interviews. Full on champagne spraying, carrying on, and insulting/pouring beer and ice water bucket over head of Tim McCarver….
….and Madison Bumgarner screaming “I’ve been waiting for this my whole fucking life!!!”
Right after Will Clark shouts it again on the other side of the clubhouse…
nice pull! He’d have to have the really high squeeky voice though. maybe after a hit with timmie, like that scene from blazing saddles.
Torres cf, Fontenot 2b, Huff 1b, Posey c, Burrell lf, Guillen rf, Uribe ss, Sandoval 3b, Sanchez p
Timmy to pitch tomorrow, Bum on Thursday.
Look on last night’s thread for medical shit..
Lincecum goes Wednesday, Zits still goes against SD.
Torres CF, Fontenot 2B, Huff 1B, Posey C, Burrell LF, Guillen RF, Uribe SS, Sandoval 3B, Sanchez P
Jesus, I’m still pissed I gave that fuckshit my source for the line ups and then he takes that pleasure away from me. Low class, Dennis,
…I thought there was “honor” amongst thieves?!
Really, Vrr. I’m serious. Being the first to deliver the line ups to this hungry group of LU bashers was but a small pleasure, but a pleasuere nonetheless. Gee, what to do at three o’clock now? Iron my boxer shorts? Big whoop.
No need to win 5 of 6 to close this out. 4 out of 6 will do. Just win both series and it’s all done.
UC Berkeley just announced it is dropping baseball as of 2011 for budgetary reasons, and more to the point and reading the small print, Title IX compliance. This is not unexpected, but still an outrage, especially for me and thousands of loyal Bears across the country. I’ve been to many a game at Evans Diamond through the years, always decently attended, if not well attended, depending on weather and opponent. Though Sunken Diamond at Stanfoo is better, there is nothing much better than chewing a hot dog or sandwich lazing away a nice, warm late April saturday afternoon at Evans. You see the players up close, hear the chatter, hear the coaches, you can TELL which player or two might have a shot as a MLB player. There have been Bears in MLB including Kent, Bob Melvin and DLew. I can’t imagine not being able to watch the Bears vs. Stanfurd or UCLA or SC at Evans. Stanfoo usually kicks our ass, but that’s OK, it’s baseball. And, this baseball is the real deal, kids playing it mainly for fun, because the vast majority aren’t going anywhere professionally in baseball after they’re done. Larry Baer, you’re a Bear alum, get on the stick and use your contacts to do something to help privately fund this program. More to the point and let there be no mistake, the baseball program is being killed mainly because it has the highest penis count in one sport that can be eliminated in one fell swoop to meet the stupid Title IX proportionality rules. This Title IX horsemanure has got to be changed to stop punishing male sports, and I’ve got two Snarkettes at home. Fully funding women’s softball, but throwing the baseball program into the shitcan is just freeking outrageous. I am PISSED!….
I saw the story about the cal baseball and rugby teams getting *axed*. rugby is basically a club level sport anyway, but baseball!?!?!? That’s absurd. They’re saving about 5 million axing those two sports. You’re telling me that Kent, Nady, Adrian Gonzalez, etc couldn’t raise that fir a yr till they sort this out? Terrible…
Snarkk–don’t blame title 9, blame the cal athletic dept and the school. They didn’t lift even the slightest finger to raise the money to fix this. I know several cal alums who played sports there and not one of them got so much as a letter about this happening
Well, BF, the “axe” is chopping the baseball program totally. Rugby is being demoted to “varsity club” level, a created term, which I believe will allow it to still be funded to some extent by the university in the interim until 2014, but eventually it will be funded totally by outside sources, which I think will exempt it from the Title IX penis count. Rugby is now funded a lot by outside sources, anyway, there are no scholarships. This all runs downhill from this idiotic, dysfunctional state government, including UC Regents, because the outside funding sources would be available for baseball, it just can’t happen administratively under the current system and the lunatics running it. And that’s not a political statement one way or the other. I’m equal opportunity, a pox on ALL politicians in Sacramento. And Title IX does have a large hand in this, it is a good idea run amok in application, particularly in hard times. It has to be changed to be more flexible so it can recognize reality and the worth to young men of carrying on historical male sports programs…
I was talking to a guy just last weekend whose son got drafted by the Red Sox out of HS this past draft, but elected to go to Cal this year instead. He was telling me about the dawn to night- time workouts, etc. Jesus fucking Christ did kids like him on the team get fucked.
Mathematically, even 2 of 6 could do it, I believe.
Yep …. absolutely true
Although it’s possible I guess that the school is announcing this is the last season so doners can see that story and just come in and save the day. Otherwise, they fucked this up, 5 mil could be raised with a few ph calls. Who is cal’s “John arriaga?”
delicious irony tonight. As some know, my buddy Tom and I have a standing bet on whether the giants will win 89 gms this yr. I got 2-1 out of him, it shoulda been way more since the Vegas line was 82.5. Anyway, today we might win our 89th gm. I should say it’s a certainty. Today is tom’s birthday!!
Mathematically, even 0 of 6 can do it if SD loses out, but I’m still feeling a sweep of the snakes. That’s not something I think too often, or would say outloud (or post on a blog for that matter), but after seeing them this weekend, I’m feelin’ it.
Not to dwell on this, but the Padres losing out MEANS the Giants win 3. That’s all we were saying. The Giants could win the division by winning as few as 2 games.
We are Marlins fans, too, right? Misplayed flyball and some infield hits gives them the lead.
I know, I know … not the way to think
How long did it take after rereading your comment did it finally dawn on you?
Do posters reread comments? Is that expected? 🙂
Bagger: I’m feeling the snake sweep, too.
Good point. It would be pretty hard for both the Giants and Pads to lose out. The best way to go for the Giants would be to claim the division with a better record than the Reds and for the Pads to get the wildcard. That way SD has to go into Philly and we get the Reds at home.
Probably a better outcome. But, I’m not so sure that IF the Gyros had to play Philly first, that SF wouldn’t come out ahead. I think the Giants can go toe to toe with the Phils, the starters pretty much cancel out, and SF has a better overall Pen. The Phils might just be more vulnerable in a Divison series than the NLCS, because in the NLCS they might really be feelin it, be very confident and in a groove, whereas in a Division series, they might be coming in a little cocky and rusty after winning the division with 6 games to go. Punch ’em in the nose in a Game 1 with Timmy going, and who knows how it plays out in a short series?…
Both games in the third, but Braves and Reds are both losing.
Stop with the insane what if. And to think we had fucks bitching about discussing PS rosters.. look, right now it’s simple.They do no worse than keep it right where it is and they don’t play Philly in the first round- they take the division and play Atlanta. It’s almost impossible for SD to get the WC if we take the division.
Latest tweets from Baggs: Freddy Sanchez had a cortisone type injection. MRI confirms strained (not sprained) R shoulder. Bochy anticipates he can play tomorrow.
Bochy: main reason for rotation switch is to keep Lincecum on reg. Rest and give Bumgarner 2 extra days. Bumg. is totally fine, Bochy said
Edgar Renteria (cortisone in elbow three days ago) is better and fully available off the bench.
Anything else you’d like to know? Sorry, don’t know when the heat will subside, but I hope soon.
It’s too fucking hot!
It’s not impossible at all for the wc and the division winner to both come from the nl west. I’m watching anibel sanchez pitch a pearl of a gm right now vs the braves. If the giants and the pads take care of business in their current series it’s quite likely they both get in..
Fuck Philly, I’d play them in their park in a second.
Well said, ESPN already has annointed the Phils as WS Champs. It would be fanfukintastic if the Gyros gave the Phils a beatdown in whatever series it might be. Fuk Kruk (that’s the Kruk of ESPN…)
It’s ALMOST impossible. The Braves have to die. Think about it. The major factor is SD having the 3 with us.
In the book “Baseball Codes,” there’s some “one flap down” history. It turns out that Leonard was inspired to do the one flap down because the Cardinals organization gave the Giants players’ families such lousy tickets at Busch Stadium. It was his FU to the entire Cardinals organization.
—-
Another thing in the book, Kuiper says the A-Rod roll into Kent in ’98, which sprained Kent’s knee, wasn’t a dirty play. The “old school” ballplayers distinguished between a low-roll and a high-roll. A-Rod’s was a low-roll.
The point is kind of moot now, because it seems like any kind of rolling is completely out nowadays. Which is probably for the best.
Let’s say the Braves go 2-3. San Diego has to go 4-2 to win the WC, which means winning 2 of 3 from Chicago and 2 of 3 from us. Or sweeping the Cubs and 1 from us. I don’t see anything in how SD has played to make that likely. FAR more likely is SF/Atlanta, Cinn/Philly.
Wow- a billionaire trying to buy an election against a recycled former governor. Is this going to be an exciting debate or what.
Ghead,if you don’t get me your HR total prediction, Sandog will win a tie breaker. That’s team HRs for the year.
Team HRs? I thought it was team RBIs. Or did I miss an extra post somewhere
My 90 win prediction, which seemed so bold several months ago, now seems quaint and timid.
…not as bold as my 98 ~ but we were both laughed at!
I posted this back on a thread under BF’s and Snarkk’s comments about Cal cutting its baseball program completely. But I think it’s such an astonishing thing I’ll paste it here, too:
I was talking to a guy just last weekend whose son got drafted by the Red Sox out of HS this past draft, but elected to go to Cal this year instead. He was telling me about the dawn to night- time workouts, etc., his kid was “enjoying.” Jesus fucking Christ did kids like him on the Cal baseball team get fucked.
Exactly, Xoot. Supposedly, they can stay on scholarship and stay at Cal for up to 4 years, but obviously not play since the program is gone. Or transfer to another school and play without having to sit out year. Still bullshit of the highest order for kids with baseball skills and smart enough to get a great education, and committed to the university, moved across country, whatever, to get both. The kids almost ALWAYs get hosed in college athletics…
I projected 93Ws. If they come in at 92, I’m invitin’ Cuzzi to have some veal with me at Louis’ Restaurant…
Just think what Snarkk would have called with a decent GM and manager. 120?
Fuck yeah, mccann nailed at the plate by about 3 feet. Still 1-0
Twin, I know I almost posted the same thing. Snarkk? 93? If rowand wasn’t on the team u know that total woulda been triple digits…
Hudson gone, dude with a girls name still rockin it.
And that throw out at home was entirely on the braves 3rd base coach. He was actually out by about 12 feet. And mccann rounded third like he had powered down 5 pliney elders at 2nd…
You dudes always have it wrong. Some look at the glass half empty, some half full. If the glass ends up at 93, it’s still 93, regardless of how you looked at it while Bonehead and Sabes took six months to pour it…
Gibberish.
Phillies chose to go 8 days on the division series, that allows u a 3 man rotation. No way zits pitches if we can go 3 man, right?
Zito cannot, cannot be part of a 3 man. Absolutely not. Bochy doesn’t have a hook faster than the speed of light in a short series where you almost can’t recover from a totally worthless start…
Lincecum, Sanchez, Cain looks pretty good to me. Zito can fluff their pillows and break out the hand warmers.
This club is a great mix of young, old, hunger and experience.
I went with 91 but none of that shit matters now. What matters is the next 6 and the march to victory.
Go Giants!!!
Nobody has any thought of Zits as the 3. God, are we gonna get a bitch fest about THAT, now? It’s Lincecum, Cain, Sanchez.
oh well … Annabelle getting slapped silly now. It was a sidebar anyway
I don’t care, really, who the Giants would play in the Division series. First, just let there be one, and second, as long as it ain’t the Marlins…
I can’t remember exactly but wasn’t SF mathematically still in it at this time last year? Sure feels different in 2010. Wrapping up that series in Colorado was great. The Rockies looked liked our dispirited club of the past. This Giants club is looking to the future.
Yeah they were still in it until around game 158
Listening to those retro-giant calls that KNBR does before the games it’s obvious how Kruk’s HR call dominates the guys from the 80’s. “Kiss it goodbye”? What the fuck is that? “See ya later!”– kruk blows them away…….
“Kiss it goodbye” was originally Bob Prince’s call. It’s not the words, it’s the delivery. “The Gunner” was one of the greats..
I’m down with it being the delivery. Anyone can say “Outta here” but Kuip brings down the house with it and he saves his best for the best. I still think “Kiss it goodbye” is fairly gay but whatever, I never head Bobby Prince make the call so you could be right……..
Don’t you mean Kuiper?
yeah, fixed that.
Simmons’ was bizarre. “Tell it goodbye”? The Miss Manners call. “Excuse me, but that’s a long drive. I think, perhaps, that we can tell that one goodbye”…
if it’s OK with you…
I always thought “Godspeed” woulda been a good one…..
“Postage stamp that mother fuccccckkkkkker!” woulda been mine……..
How about, “Fuckin’ A, he really clobbered that sucker!”…
“Ith a homer ith a homer ith a homer ith a homer!!!”
“Bobby” Prince? The Gunner was never called Bobby in his whole life.
I call everyone Bobby if they’re named Robert. I’ve never heard of this dude, I’m sure that I’m dating myself terribly……..