Beards: 2 Clean Shaven: 0
So who had the Giants scoring 20 runs in the first two games? The computer contest is likely over, I just don’t know who had the highest number. I am the worst computer contest contestant of all time, I think I went with 18 runs or something like that……
Is THIS the best the AL has to offer? Their pitching is atrocious. Maybe things turn around for them when they get back to wherever the Hell Arlington is but they’ve been soundly beaten in every facet of the game so far. Psychologically, I think they HAVE to be questioning themselves.
As Bee-Weeeezy said the other day, “Around here, we’re all about the beard.” That sums up the season nicely, doesn’t it? I’m not down with jinxes but I’m *down with the sickness* so I care one whit about typing these words: This series is over, we win……..
Nice to see some old friends show up on the blog last night. Don’t be strangers, this is OUR time right now……..
A Place To Talk About Giants Baseball 
Ticket prices have dropped considerably for Games 4 and 5 in Arlington since last nights loss…Tomorrow is still a big deal since its the first ever WS in DFW…I have a hotel tomorrow night near the airport but I am going to hold firm on not spending more than I should for a ticket for Game 3…If the Giants win tomorrow, Sunday prices will really drop…To be there for a potential WS celebration is going to be priceless!
Very nice. You are envied.
take it from me, go, just to be at The Ballpark, as it called with i-caps
Bochy seems to be leaning to DHing Huff and playing Travis at first. I like it.After a year of surprisingly good defense, Aubrey has given us a couple scary moments. And if ever a guy deserved a shot, Ishi is the man… I think he’ll like Colby Lewis.He’s made a sea change in his approach this year, he’s no longer passive early and setting himself up for that backfooter…
First time poster, long time “lurker” … just wanted to say I’ve been a Giants fan for over 30 years & no season has been as fun as this. Being a Giants’ fan, I find it hard to think it will be as easy as the first 2 games have been but I will be more than happy with it if it is. We’ve all dealt with enough drama. If this was 2 random teams I would want it to go 7 but right now I just want Texas’ flame extinguished asap. Like I have been saying “No more than 4”, just get it done. Memories just flood back about my parents buying me all sorts of “really orange” Giants gear @ Cooperstown in the late ’70’s & early ’80’s & the fact that they are 2 wins from winning it all is pretty surreal for me. My Dad has seen them win it all in NY & to finally witness it with him would be a dream I wasn’t sure would come true. This team is special – we may not ever see this again.
Welcome here, Since -78. Take your shoes off and stay awhile. I became a fan in ’55. Treasure this with your Dad. Literally priceless.
Thanks for your hospitality – a year after they last won it all – that’s pretty deep.
Got the gamer packed up. No games included, Xoot’s kids can probably give you a hint for a few. Definitely WOW ready, some of the first person shooters might need medium settings but it will run any game out there quite nicely indeed. If you’re not a gamer, it’s still going to give you graphics performance to die for. If you hook up the HDMI to an LCD TV you’ll get theatre quality sound for NetFlix, Hula TV, and other streaming video… love the old Rockford shows at 3 A.M. with Angel beggin’ ’em to shoot Jimmy… and remember- that fucker Myers is not dead…
“since78” I’ve Bren trippin on this too. How many games have I watched, listened too or read about. How many hours have I spent thinking about baseball. And here I am o. The cusp of experiencing something I’ve never experienced before. A new baseball experience. I’m not sure I’m ready for this..
I am not prepared either. I thought this year would be playoffs – wasn’t thinking World Series. I thought they would take the next step next year – but hey, I can’t choose fate. I did pick the Giants & Yankees for the WS on opening day though, but I always pick the Giants. I find myself really stressing out before each game – yet I am really enjoying this whole thing. I *am* enjoying it but I really want it to happen so much that it causes more stress than my job could ever muster. I hang on every single pitch, these guys are what baseball is all about. People at work tell me how impressed they are with the Giants but I know this is how it has been all year. One thing I do know – SF has represented this postseason.
My anxiety level has receded. For now. Overcome by something indefinable, something beyond joy. I’m telling myself, even if this become crushingly painful (and I really do not feel or believe that), it would not cancel out this momentous [moment-ous, Moment Us] reward and thrill.
Not sure I’ll get to the get to that point this year – no matter what I try to think, this means a lot to me. Not life & death, I know that for sure but winning would sure kick ass.
From Baggs: Pablo Sandoval is DHing tomorrow, Bochy said.
Fat people unite! I’m making tacos myself tomorrow.
Dennis….You can bet for sure that Panda wouldn’t need any help from Mariano Rivera to finish off a Chalupa.
We’ve all seen and read the comments from those to whom a ring for the Giants is all that matters. I don’t want to rain on that parade but baseball and this season is and will be memorable for me regardless of the outcome. Heartbreak is a part of life,the part that makes joy so delicious and success an achievement. I’ll say it a last time ( maybe): I love everyone everyone of you and you’ve all helped this most momentous year in my life become one for the ages…fuckwads…
Right back at ya…dunderhead
I didn’t know one of the side effects of Decadron was “sappiness.” Good to see ya feeling well.
OK: eat shit. That better?
Yeah, that works
You said what I, a writer, was trying to articulate, but you said it better, you ultimate fuckwad [UF] !
I must say this year, after Posey came up and they made that season turning trip back east to DC, has been something special. IMO, it’s surpassed ’87 as a beautiful surprise, to be sure. I am still saying take it one game at a time, and that has served me well so far this post season. If perchance they do not finish this well, it won’t extinguish all the great memories of this memory-filled season, however I have to be honest and say it would be a HUGE fuckin disappointment. I can taste this now, it is so, so close. But, one damn game at a time…
The book “Baseball Codes,” kind of blows a hole in the whole “Ryan beating up Ventura” story. The book starts with that story. Ventura only rushed the mound because his teammates told him to. He really didn’t want to do it. He wasn’t angry with Ryan. He gets to the mound and just stands there. Ryan grabs him and the so-called punches weren’t very hard. Ryan pulled the punches like a pro wrestler. Unfortunately for Ventura, who had a nice career, it’s what he gets remembered for.
One record i still marvel at is Nolan The ”Express” Ryan’s Strike out total of 5,714.I mean are you fuckin kiddin me.Nobody WILL EVER touch that mark.A super stud pitcher of any status would have to average 300 K’s a season for 19 straight years to pass him.Even Randy Johnson 2nd all time was a distant 2nd 839 K’s behind. In this day of specialist,protecting pitchers etc, the 56 game hitting streak of Joltin Joe will be broken before Ryan’s mark ever would. Book it!
Doesn’t he also hold the walks given up record?
Okay baseball geniuses, are there any other pitchers in the Hall that never won a Cy Young? And don’t be a wise ass and say Christy Mathewson or someone. I mean since it started being handed out. Obviously, there’s a lot of Cy Young winners that never got elected and won’t (like that guy…name escapes me…Dito? Lito?…it’ll come to me)
Was Marichal mentioned? He could have won it a few times if not for playing in the same era as Gibson and Koufax.
Good call, blade. Marichal and Niekro are the only ones I can think of
My 13yo, in Upstate NY, knows more about this team than any other kid in her school, and today she said she was so glad to see the Spanish teacher sub who teased and chided her when we were playin’ the Phrillies [typo intended]. She MADE HIM backtrack on all his talk about Phils this or Texas that and respect the Gyros out loud. She made him! Tough kid! I told her you’ll start seeing black and orange in these parts. Usually it is rara avis. She’s a little bummed about our club becoming less exclusive, but I told her that’s cool. After all, I’m pretty sure my deceased brother, when he said he was a Giants fan in ’55, had been a Yankees fan until Willie Mays came along. And how is Willie? Is he really sick? I’ve heard nothing on that.
I’ve been googling all day trying to find some word on Willie’s health. Nada, so far.
Here’s a mini-prediction, win or lose, the Jints will have a marked effect on GM approaches and will shatter the existing template (I dislike “paradigm”). This happened in ’83 when the O’s won with lots of reserves and role players. Point is: no team in memory, in any sport, incarnated “team” more than this team.
Actually, another “team” does come to mind . . . perhaps two. Both are from the SF bay area – Warriors 1974, and 49ers 1981.
Post note . . . So little was felt of the Warriors chances in the playoffs, even by their home fans, that the Coliseum Arena scheduled other events during the dates of the NBA playoffs. As a result, the Warriors did not play their championship series playoff games in Oakland; rather, they played at the Cow Palace in Daly City.
Is that why? I always thought they just *did* play at the Cow Palace in those days. Huh.
From 1966 on – when the Oakland Coliseum was constructed – they increasingly played their home games at that venue. I think it was 1971 when all home games were played there. They even played 6 “home” games in San Diego and a few in San Jose. I use to go to the games all the time, i.e., Clifford Ray was a friend of our family.
Very cool
Cliff Ray’s nickname was Johann, I believe. I remember as a teen listening to the W’s games during those mid 70s years. Bill King was an absolute master of the round ball game. He could put more descriptions into a game call than anyone I have heard before or since. Shakespeare with a microphone. “Here’s Beard up the front court, tatoos the dribble”…
Off topic but dennis mentioning Jame MacArthur (“Book it, Danno”) earlier reminded me. I have a large collection of films at home. And when an actor or director or whatever passes away, I try to pay them a small tribute by watching something they were in if it’s part of my collection. So I’m looking for what I might have with MacArthur. Only one thing. HANG ‘EM HIGH with Clint Eastwood. I totally forgot he was in that, playing the preacher at the town hangings. So I watched that around 10 last night. Very entertaining film and or flick.
I also liked James Mac Arthur as LT Weaver in Battle of the Bulge.He played a young LT,that helped Henry Fonda blow up the fuel depot against the Germans under their leader Col Hessler,to stop the Panzer tanks last ditch effort for fuel to continue their advance.Book em Danno job well done.
I seem to remember that the reason the Warriors couldn’t play in the Coliseum was because Ice Capades were booked there!!
Cracks me up how little respect the NBA used to get. Remember the playoff games that would be shown at like 11:30 pm?
Yeah, I remember too SanDog . . . It was deserved. Drug use and thuggery was rampant with the players. Them getting their “act” together and perhaps more important, Bird and Johnson coming into the league changed that.
For all the flak he’s caught on this blog (generally deservedly) for his mercenary ways and all, Larry Baer or someone in his promotional braintrust really came up with something this year: “It’s Magic Inside”.
San Francisco is this incredible City. Tony Bennett knows it. Most everyone who has ever lived there understands. Yet, with all that spiraling, tingling, effervescent grace and beauty which abounds in the City by the Bay, it has yet to field a World Championship team. It’s been 56 years since the Giants were the Champs ~ and then they were the New York Giants. It took awhile for The City to adopt the team ~ obviously longer for the team to adopt The City. Appears the wait is over, for both the City and the Team.
Fifty-Six is a magic number. It’s long been my personal one. Shouldn’t be spreading that all over the place, maybe, but everythings different now. The City and the Team have finally, fully, merged and melded. If you don’t believe me, writing this from 2,000 miles and 41 years away, go take a walk down California, or Pacific, or Turk, or over in the Avenues, or the Mission. Catch the buzz. Giants fever. Whole damn place has fallen in love.
It takes character to get a city like San Francisco to fall in love. But then the whole Giants team is loaded with characters. The match has been made. The City and the Team have found each other. And whoever would have thought that the HALLOWEEN MACHINE would be a silly little cable car.
I keep getting reminded by my friend from Chicago that 56 yrs is nothing.
I also keep thinking about Bartman when everyone starts talking parade routes.
So who are and wiilll be the most loved from this group? Timmy, Buster, Panda come immediately to mind. But how the Unholy Three have carried themselves has been an inspiration. : Edgar, Aaron, and the Zitman… Torres, Huff, Juan… the Cainer, Wilson, how can Cody be overlooked? Fruckie…. NO Whitey… this is such a disparate group who have bonded like no other in memory. Even Bonds looks rejuvenated watching them…
Good question, I think I’ll remember all of them fondly (even Zito) no matter how much I wished certain guys off the team at one point or another. Hell, I cursed them all at one point or another. But it’s like family, “we” as fans can do that to our team but if anyone else does, it’s time to throw down. If I were to vote though .. it’s Wilson.
I vote Timmy, for the obvious reasons. (“Fuck, yeah!”) He’s the wild-haired bad-ass heart of the franchise. Timmy never gives in, never compromises, yet as contrary as he is, everyone likes him. He’s the perfect rebel.
The rest of the team? There isn’t a wimp in the bunch (except Guillen, but. . . .). Even god damned Zito is showing his guts, working out and staying ready just in case. But it would be impossible to rank them.
In my own experience baseball has come a long way for me. Going from the late ’70’s with Lemaster, Hill, Ivie, Metzger & the lone star (not a TX reference) Jack Clark – to now was a great ride which isn’t over. I remember my best Slush Puppie cup which read “Jack Clark lights the spark at Candlestick Park.” Other favorites were “Curves on the corners Carlton” & “First base looks far when you face J.R.” The Sporting News was great when it was like a actual newspaper with tons & tons of stats every week. I remember McCovey’s last years & knowing he was a great player but past his prime, happy I actually saw him play though. Right now I am looking at pictures from a trip to the Hall in ’86. A photo of Bobby Thompson kissing his bat as Hal Shumacher looks on is a highlight. Side note: My Mom took care of Hal in the hospital in upstate NY just before he died … my Dad talked to him on the phone & Hal signed an autograph for him which reads “A pleasure to say hello to a real Giant Fan” Hal Schumacher, New York Giants 1931 – 42, 46. Also that was the year McCovey got inducted into the Hall … amazing how baseball brings people together. Sorry for the long post but I figure it’s an off day ….
’78—- sounds like you and I had a pretty similar Giants baseball upbringing. And don’t sweat the length of the post, Stix will ALWAYS out pixel you! I just popped a picture of Sandog up on the main page. He was nice enough to take a shitty sideways pic for me but it’s the thought that counts, right?
’78— we spend most of the Winter hashing and re-hashing stories and players from our past’s so don’t be shy about chiming in.
I’m going to try for an early bed after the Warrior game tonight. Sleep well, before I turn in I’ll see if the gentlemen from the other night are ripe yet….
G’night, twinnie! Rest up – you never know what tomorrow will bring, and you want to be ready.
You’re not going to the pond alone are you?!?! Remember, that Myers fucker isn’t dead!!!
Players change teams so much, that it’s hard to say who will be the most loved and remembered. I’d imagine Pablo hanging around and remain a very popular G. Of the rest, I think Cain could become a Gehrig figure, his durability and humility respected and admired. He is the everyman.
Max…Your right Matt Cain’s legacy will always endure.At only 26 yrs old,and yes even younger then Tim Lincecum.Matt Cain is the longest tenured Giant.Through out all the tough losses he’s endured throughout his young career,he has never complained and he never once put his head down.Always ready to take the ball,again the ultimate professional.Since becoming the longest tenured Giant,he also has become the most grounded,he has become the rock of this staff and this team.Lincecum the unquestioned “Rockstar,” Sanchez is the “Sizzle”,but Cain is the humble,quiet leader.Developing in his time how a New “Giants Way” of Baseball is played~Team First.
My 20 year old kid (accurately) decided his beard didn’t really look Wilson- or Romo-esque. So Sunday night, after the clincher, he dyed what beard there was jet black and shaved his head. He’s hitting the weekend costume parties with his Giants jersey on and his Cody Ross head shining. Of course, I’m sure he aced his mid-terms first.
Hahahaha that’s awesome. Xoot your kids seem like they hold their heads high everywhere they go
ROCK’N ROLL!!!
Excellent
Panda paid a lot of dues on the farm. As much as he seemed a meteroric figure, he was hardly overnight. A real question might be if he really wants greatness or love more. Mom needs to give him some tough love, not tender carnitas… make no mistake, he can still be a great hitter if he wants it badly enough.
I completely blew it last night, cut my hair and had absolutely perfect locks to glue onto a headband for a great beard-and threw it all away. I looked this morning ,as I had swept it unto the porch, blown away into the autumn morning…
Flav – your poll is impossible! First, I was like, it’s Wilson – incredible season, tying the saves record, the beard. But, then Huff – it’s like he willed this to happen he wanted it so much. Or, Uribe – seeming to bide his time until just the right moment to hit the winning hit or HR. Hey, why not Dirrrrty? He’s been a favorite for years, and it’s been a joy to see him mature into a real pitcher this year. Or, or, or…! Geez, how can I possibly decide on just one??? You are a cruel, cruel blog master!
That’s why I titled it “your guy”. That could mean anything. And fh here’s a tip: there’s no wrong answer. I took Wilson but could have taken any of them
I know, but it’s like asking me to pick a favorite child – just mean!
Okay, I went with Huff Daddy, for the reasons listed above. I feel bad, I hope the other guys’ feelings aren’t hurt!
Don’t worry about it, Nipper. Woo Hoo…
Shit, too much funny, crazy, cool, and heartfelt shit posted tonight to even comment on it. Kudos one and all . . .
It really is hard to describe the feeling that this really could be the year. This is a true team, in the greatest sense of the word. Yes, similar to the 75 Warriors. A bunch of supposed no-names and role-players (and Rick Barry) who went all the way and crushed the Bullets in 4. Saw game 2 at the Cow Palace, yes, because the Ice Capades were scheduled over the championship series at the Arena.
56 years since the last WS win? 56 game hitting streak for San Francisco’s own Joltin’ Joe? Lead off hitter Andres Torres, # 56. . . .
56 beers to go for victory!!!
Halloween party tonight. Going with the mohawk and gonna die the beard black. LET’S GO GIANTS clap clap clap-clap-clap.