1.78 ERA/.182 BA against
Those are the pitching staff numbers for September–and that includes the 10-run Zits game in Colorado. Truly amazing and probably the best month of pitching by a staff ever (Elias?)…..
After the Yankees clinched a playoff spot, my daughter’s grandpa, a diehard Yankee fan, barely cleared his throat in celebration. “They’re playing horrible, we’ll win nothing this year,” he grumbled. After I told him that if the Giants make the playoffs I was going to die my hair black and party like it’s 1999, he just stared at me with a confused look on his face…..
I cannot fathom the depth of the depression I will sink into if we lose 4 straight to the Padres right now…….
A Place To Talk About Giants Baseball 
Magic #1….playing at home….Matt Cain……Matt cain’s birthday…..orange Friday….Willie mac award pre game…..I seriously don’t think you could ever set up a more likely chance for good vibes and ultimate victory. I can’t even imagine the electricity in the yard tonight……
This from ESPN’s Jayson Stark, whose columns I truly enjoy:
NL Rookie of the Year: Buster Posey, San Francisco Giants
Full disclosure: I have to cast an official ballot for this award. So feel free to send me a sympathy card, because this is impossible. How could I not vote for Jason Heyward, whose .394 on-base percentage would be the sixth-best in history by a guy his age? How could I not vote for Jaime Garcia, the man who gave up three earned runs or fewer (in five innings or more) in the first 15 starts of his career, the longest streak in the last 35 years? And how could I leave phenoms like Gaby Sanchez, Chris Johnson, Jonny Venters, John Axford, Neil Walker, Mike Stanton and Starlin Castro off this ballot completely? I didn’t feel real warm and fuzzy about that, either. But if you think trying to figure out which names to cram onto a three-name ballot is rough, try deciding who ought to finish first. That makes the Grey Labyrinth look like Tic-Tac-Toe. I’ve changed my mind on this three times just this month. But I finally settled on Posey, and here’s why: Because, since the day he arrived in the big leagues (May 29), Posey hasn’t merely been the best rookie in his league. He’s been one of the best players, period, in his league. The only NL hitters who can match his .313 batting average and .511 slugging percentage since then are Albert Pujols, Carlos Gonzalez, Joey Votto and Matt Holliday. The only five NL rookies in the last 45 years to match or beat those numbers, in a season of 400 plate appearances or more, are Pujols (2001), Todd Helton (1998), Mike Piazza (1993), Ryan Braun (2007) and Hunter Pence (2007). And the only rookie catcher who has ever done better, since baseball defined what the heck a “rookie” was in 1957, was Piazza. Finally, when you factor in what all that — not to mention this guy’s emerging defense and leadership — has meant to Posey’s offensively challenged team these last four months, it pushes this guy just ahead of the pack. There might be eight rookies who deserve this award, but it’s Buster Posey who deserves it most — barely.
Apologies to: Heyward, Garcia, Sanchez, Axford.
Huff is third to Torres and Wilson as MVP. Buster is 4. I had forgotten about Pat, I’ll give him 5th. Huff would get it if t was only for offense. He’s respectable in the field, but Torres is Gold Glove caliber. Torres is #1 and #2 isn’t close.
…and this in an email from Blade3Colorado:
“Baseball? I have been following the Giants heroic march to the division title, but I have had no time to post at the Flap. Let everyone know that I said hi and as soon as I get settled, I’ll stop on by. I try to set my line up for Fantasy League in the morning. You can tell GH and Flav to “bring it,” because I plan on winning the title. Ha.”
Go Gigantes!
Pawlie, nice. I like Stark’s column too.
I think the homer last night sealed it for Posey. Of course I am a biased Giants fan but if Posey doesn’t take ROY I would question what game these voters have been watching ’cause it ain’t baseball.
We win 6-2 tonight.
FanGraphs has it, position players:
Torres
Huff
Posey
Uribe
Fruckie
Burrell
Sandoval
Pitchers:
Lincecum
Cain
Wilson
Sanchez
FWIW, the above replacement stats at baseball-reference give the edge to Huff as the team MVP.
The WAR order is:
Huff
Torres
Posey
Burrell
Uribe
Franchez
WAR at FanGraphs gives it to Torres.
Yep — and Andres and Aubrey are clearly a cut above the Posey and Burrell. Then there’s the rest.
And Burrell/Posey aren’t even close to those 2. Gomez gets it, sorry.
Yeah Loo..The Appendectomy clinched it for me as well.
Another Larry Baer marketing special for 2011
Andres Torres BOBBLE APPENENDIX NIGHT
On power from the 1 not even Rickey approached Torres’ year except in his MVP year in 1990. He had 33 doubles, 3 triples, 28 HR, 61 RBI . Torres is 43-8-16-62. I’m not saying Andres is Rickey’s equal, but certainly those numbers shed some light on just how remarkable Andres has been this year.
I’d be in Andres’ court as #1 if he hadn’t let the OBP slip over the year.
WAR——- HUUHHH!
Good God, y’all
What is it good for?
Absolutely nothing
Say it again
One of the all time great album covers.
Nice award presentation and a big congrats to Torres.
Now let’s go kick some Padre ass.
In Ball Four, Bouton recounts Tommy Harper’s speech to the crowd after receiving some sort of team MVP award:
Harper: ‘preciate it, thanks.
Loo – My favorite is when Tug McGraw got a pay raise after winning the series and was asked what he do with the money. Tug said “Ninety percent I’ll spend on good times, women and Irish whiskey. The other ten percent I’ll probably waste.”
I’ve always wanted to win the lotto just to use that quote (well that and the money).
I first narrowed it down to 3: Huff,Torres and Posey.
Finally, I narrowed the 3 down to 1: Huff Aubrey Huff has been the the most consistent,the best locker room leader,as well as a smart player in the way he keeps rallies going.Rarely hits into DP’s and he hits in the clutch,Torres and Posey have been great,but Huff has been everything to this year’s team.
Aaron Rowand makes an appearance and an impact of some sort later on.
Go Giants and Go Horse!
Yeah, he helps Timmy pop an extremely tight champagne cork…
Don’t discount the value of an Atlanta loss tonight…
Well, that’s swell, Kat, but Torres has been better than Huff with RISP, and Posey has as well. Huff has hit into 16 DPs, Torres 10. Just say you “vote” for Huff, I’d skip the reasons if I were you.
Guill-otined!!!
Franchez shoulder took the test…passed
Check that fuckers birth certificate. He’s too old.
SD is going all out. Bring it on, asswipes.
That should wake up this docile, uninspired crowd….
Matty almost did it again—2 out BS. That’s his bugaboo.
The jabbering jackass who is the Padres’ lead announcer looked at the replay (he says) and still declared that creaky ol’ Tejada should have been called safe.
Sorry, he was out by an inch. Not saying the ump saw it that way and that it wasn’t a “ball beat him” call, but he was right, for whatever reason.
Franchez looks like he’s on Cocaine. He needs to get the chill out lecture from kruk
stream torrent, anyone? can’t find the game…
Two perfect throws, imperfect tag.
where the hell are you, pawlie?
upstate NY
Anyone else having problems with mlb.com?
Looks like it’s game on for both squads.
Well, they hit Elway a little bit … even without getting a hit
It should be on MLBN as soon as the Brave game ends.
Damn. Thought Pat’s ball was gonna make it. Maybe if one of you guys would have voted for him in Flav’s poll it would have found the alley.
Yeah thinking the same thing Twin,one hell of a battle tonight.
Damn … thought it was end-of-the-bat. What do I know?
According to Latos, that shouldn’t count. Fuck Ludwick.
I’m calling that a lucky hack. No way he’s looking for a low curveball to hit out.
WTF? Should have gone with Zitssy.
Horseshit pitch from the horse himself.
Let the hand wringing begin….
How do you never throw the outside slider with 2 strikes? Wow … horrible call, horrible execution
The thing about switching the rotation is that for one of the few times Bochy is saying it’s not business as usual. He’s told Cain he HAS to do it and Zito that he can’t do it. Awful pitches to Gonzales.
Brutal!! Pitch was right down Broadway.
Buzkill hr
Cain comes up tiny … Zito and Sanchez have to come up big. No one can be too confident in that.
stfu
2 out bullshit from Cain again. He can’t get the third out. His numbers w/RISP and 2 away are numbing.
they better not get shut out by this clown!!
Pawlie try this…
http://justin.tv/kostaz01
Fruckie didn’t help, either.
Hit for Cain? Yes I do. You can’t get to the Padres bullpen behind in the game.
That’s why I’m not a major league manager
no…you’re just a fuckin joner…
Good point, Michael … parade of BS. 2 strike hit to the pitcher, Cain doesn’t execute the sneaky DP, Sanchez can’t hold the ball … etc.
OK – we just have to do it the hard way.
Pawlie try this…
Fuck, have there been some well-hit balls.
Did I say fuck? Fuck.
Unike last year, it’ a team that can overcome large deficits.
You’re not going to do shit the other way with that much air under it.
I sure hope so Mike!!
…Pawlie, try this:
http://www.justin.tv/b/kostaz01#/w/433083296
It’s workin’ great.
that is not the link…..
…it’s working great for me.
That was probably the best and only play of the year from a ball dude.
Cain’s numbers against SD this yr.
4.05 ERA 1.388 Whip
How about if we see how far they can fastballs?
FOX didn’t pay all that money so the entire country could watch Eli Whiteside catch tomorrow.
We get Yanks-Bosox here…
This screws (should it hold) with my plans for tomorrow. Big days at Belmont and Oak Tree at Hollywood (sounds funny, huh?) as you’re well aware of. No consideration at all I tell ya. No consideration at all.
most will be watching college football over fox…
I don’t know how “crisp” Cain is or isn’t. I know he’s not throwing the same pitches.
I’m starting to wish my TV feed was blacked out.
Funny game. Freaking Noodles Gorzelanny shut these puckers down last night on 3 hits.
Matt Stairs can hit one pitch. Cain hits his bat.
The dude what got 0% love on the Flap’s WillieMAc Award poll is up.
Feel remorse, people.
It’s good karma
Where was the remorse, people?
Cain hasn’t had a stinker like this in quite a while. It happens. He’s human.
It wouldn’t kill Zito to come up big tomorrow and actually pick up his teammate.
It would kill his reputation, though…
I didn’t bash Bochy’s lineup prior to the ballgame. I’ll take the Blame
Careful, Denny…
Maybe I should Fly Down first before I accept any Blame.
Zito really put him on edge the other morning (46.2 on Saratoga’s training track). Should be much closer than usual., which is a good idea from that cockamamie configuration. Home field advantage over his main comp, too. Like him, DMD…….. 9/2 on the ML.
I calculate 48 participants in that poll. Where are they??
If Zito throws well tomorrow and we win, he’ll start Game 3 in Atlanta.
I’m already looking forward to it.
Shit nothing but pain for Cain tonight.
“Jane! Stop this crazy thing!”
Well, if we have to lose. I’d much rather take it on the chin 10-0 than lose 3-2 on some fucking Eckstein bleeder in the 12th.
Yeah Den, but if we win, if we win 10 – 6, with Eckstein looking at his shoes. Now that my friend, would be beautiful.
Giants haven’t had a stinker since Aug 28.
So, Zito gets a chance at some redemption. He should be plenty motivated now. How ironic if he’s the guy that delivers and they win the div.
Yeah, Zito kind of owes us one, don’t ya think?
Something was just missing tonight. The crowd really wasn’t too into it from the gitgo.We need the little fat guy back in there so wee can see all those silly hats in the stands. He really gets’em going.