The NL West Competition
John Shea’s “Answer of the Day” at The Gate starts off missing the mark and by the end kinda contradicts itself but gets it relatively right. He says “the roster isn’t all that different from 2010”. That’s utter horseshit. The 2010 roster wasn’t even the same as the 2010 roster—-at least when you compare the start of the season to the end of it. Our Opening Day outfield last year was DeRosa/Rowand/Bowker; didn’t quite end up that way. We had to endure the failures of Wellemeyer, ultimately replacing him with Bumgarner. Posey was absent for nearly the first 2 months of the season. We had to play about a third of the season with a significantly WORSE roster than we played with the last 2/3. What would our record have been like with a full year of a seasoned Posey and Bumgarner? We find out this year……..
2011 has a completely different look than the totality of 2010. We get Bum and Buster for a full year. We get DeRosa back (this will be huge, he can play every infield position plus the outfield). We get an in-shape Panda back. There’s the full-season of Cody Ross to consider (that could be huge or just a huge disappointment, we will see). And then there is always the Marc Kroon Factor (insert gay-ass smiley face).
I think gong into 2011 we are the clear cut favorite to win the NL West–the only thing we need to fear are injuries, something we haven’t really had to deal with too much over the last couple of years. But the Rockies and Dodgers didn’t add anything that scares me. AZ is busy shedding their strike out machines and cobbling together a starting 5 that is nothing to fear. And the Padres…who knows what the hell is going on over there.
I love our chances in 2011…….
(btw, if you can’t see how dominant my “18” is today over the Gate’s than you didn’t listen to too many Monster Ballads from the ’80’s)
A Place To Talk About Giants Baseball 
King of the hair bands.
You’re right Flav. The whole same team as 2010 is bullshit. I’ve wondered about this and the only thing I can come up with is the team gelled so well that it seemed like they were together all year. What Sabes proved is that you can cobble a team around pitching. Bochy proved you can manage those parts by being adaptable and moving things around.
Although there wasn’t any significant injuries to our pitching staff. If you think about DeRosa, Franchez, Rent and other issues the team overcame to become a Team, one would have to believe that the 2011 Giants will have a better regular season than 2010. Now, if they can match that magical Post Season, who knows? But I have to ask, why not?
Skid Row could contend for worst band off all time. But, in my opinion, you can’t get much worse than Motley Crue. A band that is so totally clueless that they couldn’t begin to understand how awful they are.
And it was absolutely hilarious how Nirvana and the grunge scene showed up and utterly destroyed the hair band scene overnight. It was over.
Slayer RULES ! ! !
But i digress . . .
Zumie, you a Meat Puppets fan?
Well, the roster isn’t all that different from the end of 2010.
The beginning of the season? Well, that’s a whole different animal . . .
Burrell’s arrival can’t be overlooked. I think just the fact that Burrell and Huff were reunited and were having such a blast can’t be downplayed. I mean, look at the clubhouse atmosphere 3 years ago. Toxic. Throw in Franchez, another guy who had pretty much toiled in obscurity with no hope of playoff action, added to the fun these guys brought to the field every day.
The vets were having fun and playing loose. Huff;s inside-the-park HR still ranks as one of the funnier moments of 2010. Pablo and Rowand took their knocks and demotions in stride, and were always ready to contribute when called upon. Guys like Schierholtz and Ishi could have gone the Frandsen route, and talked shit about missed opportunities, etc. but didn’t. The relievers were used to perfection. No one was overused, and the implosion that happened in SD didn’t happen here. Mainly because guys like Chris Ray and G Mota, fair to middling guys, got their chances and ate up valuable innings when needed most. The dog days of August.
It all lined up for the September run that ended in glory . . .
Woo hoooooooooooooooooooo
The team has a real shot at being a powerhouse- they were 10th in runs scored after thae break despite tying for most HR in the NL… There’s where Craig’s trio comes in- Panda, DeRosa, Belt. A couple of them come through,the West could be over by September.
Randy Johnson would definitely approve that count down pic. What’s next? Danzig?
FWIW, I’m not too worried about Panda. I think his troubles last year were due to his off-field problems. Mainly the divorce. With indirectly could have had something to do with the weight issues. Fit and focussed? Works for me . . .
De Rosa, who is supposed to be recovered from his surgery, will be a big help. He’ll make Font irrelevant.
Don’t forget the vision/goggle/lens imbroglio. We may not have heard the last of that.
Dudes, 18 and Life to Go? That song rocked…..
Chuck, yes on the Meat Puppets, definitely.
They used to play at the I-Beam on Haight all the time. Saw them a bunch of times.
Craziest one was in Oakland where they shared the bill with NWA. Yes, THAT NWA. Dr. Dre, Ice Cube, etc. One of the first attempts at combining thrash grunge with hardcore rap . . . weird vibe, but a great show.
Hi guys, no baseball newz from the UK.
Lining up to get my tickets for 2012 in London.
Just thought I would say hello.
(insert gay-ass smiley face).
Battle of the bands!
Flav, let me guess: you were 18 when that song came out?
BTW what ever happen with (was it) Journey and that guy that did the excellent Giants Song video?
Ashkon! I want that guy performing on opening day. Forget God Bless America — bring on Ashkon for the 7th inning stretch.
I’m just hoping Ratt never had a numeral in one of their album titles.
But I *am* looking forward to Led Zeppelin II.
Just to piss xoot off.
(insert gay-ass winking smiley face)
Right. We’ll have Mel Ott for 4, Bill Terry for 3, and fucking Led Z for 2.
Skid Row’s not exactly one of the greatest musical exports to come out of the Jersey Shore, but a great pic selection nonetheless, as usual.
2011 could be extremely different offensively than 2010. Starting the season with Ross and Burrell by itself is an upgrade. The potential upgrades, but unknowns, are the extent of re-vitalization of Panda and DeRosa (who can be plugged in anywhere). Add Belt, even at mid-season, and it looks like at least as good run production for the whole season as 2010, probably better, even without Uribe. Franchez back from another surgery remains a questionmark until we see how he’s doing in ST. My guess is he’ll be brought along slowly in ST due to the short offseason…
With precious few exceptions there has been very little good rock music produced since about 1976. From ’64-76 classic after rockin classic dominated the airwaves. Something happened after that. For one thing the FCC told a bunch of radio stations that they didn’t want so much of that sex n drugs n rock n roll stuff over the airwaves. Another thing was that the spirit of the times simply changed.
If you weren’t around for the Sixties and the first half of the Seventies, you missed out on the glory years. As far as i’m concerned there was very little music from the 80’s which could be and was enjoyed by anyone who did not grow up during that dreadful decade. Unfortunately, the decline has continued. My tastes lately have been running to the Bluuz.
I take it you’re not a big Christopher Cross fan, Stix
I’m guessing you weren’t into the late 70s and early 80s punk bands
The Blasters and Los Lobos are the greatest gifts out of LA since Raymond Chandler. They rose up in the late 70s early 80s and, essentially are still going. Punk, etc., blew the hell outta the weak rock of the late 70s and killed disco. We should always be grateful for that wave of anger.
Don’t forget X and Fear, I also liked the Gun Club outta LA
Speaking of ’70’s rock bands, did I miss anything on how twin’s Transthoracic Echo went?
I haven’t heard Ted.
Transthoracic Echo would make a good band name, hard to beat Throbbing Gristle tho.
The test was good- so I’m on for surgery 6 A.M tomorrow. I’ll shoot you a note when I’m able.
Mike, all of all the best — and our HTPC doing fine. Excelsior!
Go Twin!
Zumie, the Meat Puppets used to play at the I-Beam on Haight all the time. Saw them a bunch of times. Kurt Cobain was a huge fan.
Craziest MP show was in Oakland where they shared the bill with NWA. Yes, THAT NWA. Dr. Dre, Ice Cube, etc. One of the first attempts at combining thrash grunge with hardcore rap . . . weird vibe, but a great show.
You ain’t looking in the right places, Stix . . .
BLEEP!
Chuck, I loved the I-Beam. Used to live a block up from Kezar so I was able to walk down the street to get there. Getting back home was another story.
I lived on Cole and Waller back in the day. A little too close to the action sometimes, but fun regardless. All those bars and clubs were walking distance. Last time I checked the Gold Cane was still there. . .
My favorite was the bowling alley, not for Rock and Bowl, just the bar itself.
My old band played the I-Beam a couple of times. What a pain in the ass getting our gear into that place was
Yup, Playing behind the pool tables had to be a bitch . . .
Mine too Ted, going up those stairs was a bitch for loading. At least the Fillmore had that lift (imagine they still do).
What was yer old band, Ted?
I never had the privelege of playing at the Fillmore. Used to gig a lot at the Stone, Holy Cow and the Mab. Even played The Old Waldorf once. Who was that guy who ran the Mab? Les? or Nes? He’d always say “You guys are my paborite band!!”. Well, yeah, sure. Our fan base was small but they all were raging alcoholics.
Chuck, we were called Wrot Iron. A heavy metal sounding name but we were more like Def Leppard than, say, Motorhead. Later the lead singer and I were in a band called Spank. With them I didn’t gig as much but we made one recording. My understanding is it did pretty good.
In Malta.
Ness Aquino (sp), played a benefit for him about 4 or 5 years ago in the old space.
The I Beam. Jeezus. Woman I lived with in the early 80s loved the I Beam. I must’ve taken her there well over a dozen times. Only show I remember is Romeo Void. I hated the I Beam, due to the bs bands she dragged me to see. Meanwhile, I took her to the Old Waldorf, the Stone, the Keystone Berkeley, Berkeley Square, etc. Muddy, Albert Collins, Albert King, Fabulous TBirds, Stevie Ray, The English Beat, X, the two great bands previously mentioned, etc., etc.
What was that guys name at the Stone? Bobby something. I didn’t like that place at all. Did you ever play Wolfgang’s? Those stairs from the back stage area up to the stage almost killed me one night.
Although, of course, everything would’ve been different if she’d dragged me to hear you guys play. No such luck.
Oh yeah, I remember Wolfgang’s. Another pain in the ass. I don’t remember the guy’s name at the Stone. I just remember they used to give you a VHS of your gig from the TV monitors all over the place. But the sound was awful and everytime they switched camera, the tape went BOIING. And once, they gave us a bucket of beer before a gig. That was fairly decent of them.
Oh, and the Waldorf would feed you a big dinner before opening. That was also fairly decent
Never played the Waldorf but the Fillmore, Maritime Hall and the Music Hall always fed the bands and staff, that was cool
Man, I’ve never played any of the places you guys played but I did play at Hotel Utah, Paradise Lounge and some spot on Haight near Kezar. Can’t remember the name of that place, though. Thems was some drunken days.
Wow, swick. That bring back *more* memories. I know we played the Paradise Lounge but I can’t remember if we played the Hotal Utah or not. It’s all kind of mixed together. I know I’ve been there though. And there was some place, I think on Folsom, that had like 3 floors with a different band on each floor but I can’t remember the name. You got about 12 feet to set up the whole damn band. Or was that The Holy Cow? It’s all a big tossed salad
That sounds like Paradise Lounge, Ted. I remember playing there and they had so many different stages. One band would finish and the next band would get started on a different stage. That place was pure insanity.
Any of you guys have stuff online? I’d love to listen. I was never in any bands that managed to accomplish much, fan-wise, but we did record some stuff that I still enjoy listening to. It’s a little off-color but you can check it out here:
http://www.ilike.com/artist/search?artist_qp=kozlo+swicky
Thanks for clearing that up. I’ll have a listen when I get home. SHit, my stuff’s so old, it’s still on cassette
Better link, I think – you can listen to the whole album…
http://www.ilike.com/artist/Kozlo+Swicky
swick – Don’t forget the Oasis – they blamed us for cracking their pool cover because of the people dancing.
I played in some different jazz bands and stuff (even played Earthquake Macgoons when it was at the Embarcadero). The band I was in for 23 years that played at most of the venues I mentioned was a polka band we kinda started as a joke or to have fun (depending on who you talk to). Yes, I said polka.
Polka, nice! Any recordings to share online?
I think they blamed us at the Oasis as well, bozo. Must have been their running scam. And…uhm…polka?
I’m pretty sure there is stuff online. The bands name was/is (they still play but I left the band a few years back) Polkacide.
Hey Zum we did at least one show with Camper at the Farm.
Oh my God. The memories. Never in any bands, but a lot of my friends were. Played all those clubs. A friend played at the keystone in PA with the Paul Collins beat. The middle band didn’t show, so my friends band (Free Press) played before them to a packed house. Ronnie Lott and Cedrick Hardman showed up halfway thru my friend’s set. Too funny. Lott was on the Raiders at the time . . . Gave him shit about it, and he let me buy him a couple beers . . . I was jazzed about meeting Cedrick. Nice guy, but Jeesus, due was a plug. He was either in his last year, or retired. Shorter than I ever thought. He ain’t 6’3″ . . .
Ever hear of Wig Torture? The Mentors? Faith No More? All those guys played the Mabuhay/Paradise. A lot of those guys went to Hillsdale High.
The closest we ever got to fame was opening for Five for Fighting in Sacramento when they were just starting out. We also opened for Jonathan Richman – the dude who’s in Something About Mary – and the John Doe Experience. Once, I was touring in a hip-hop band and these club owners at a place called Hollywood Taxi in Springfield, OR, asked us to open for Blue Oyster Cult at the county fairgrounds. That sounded like a recipe for disaster and we backed out at the last minute.
We opened for Wendy O. Williams once. But she didn’t bring her chainsaw. We also opened for Randy Hansen in Marin somewhere, once. He used to make a living imitating Jimi Hendrix. When we played with him though he was trying to get out of that gimmick. Eventually, he had to return to it though
Good news, Mike. I mean, better than the worser news it could have been . . .
*worse*
Best of luck TF.
I’m not a big one for pitting decades of music against each other. Each decade had greatness and garbage. To say otherwise is just ignorance, in my opinion.
I will say the top 40 has never been worse than it is now. You have to look harder than ever nowadays to find the good stuff, but it’s out there.
In a more perfect world, Kathleen Edwards would have big hit records, but alas, pop culture is dominated by American Idol garbage these days.
I couldn’t agree more, Zumie. There’s some amazing music being created now – as long as you’re willing to turn off your radio and search for the good stuff.
Some of you mentioned the Hotel Utah….now, that’s a legitimate DIVE. I saw Mars Arizona perform there. The venue is literally a boat. I felt like I had to duck my head and walk at an angle in order to not to hit the ceiling.
Oh yeah, it’s a terrible place to be really drunk. I seem to recall that when we started out, they were a “pay to play” club – especially for a bunch of no-names from Sacramento.
swick was Guy booking the place at the time? I think he’s booking or owns Cafe Du Nord now, he was always more than fair with us. Our band didn’t really fit on that stage to well but we had fun there. Great place to drink tho.
I think it was Guy back then – it would have been around 1997-1999. Our bass player booked our out of town gigs. I’ve got a couple of buddies that play Cafe Du Nord these days and swear by that place.
The Stone was pay to play as well. Which pissed us off because they made a fortune on all the booze our small fanbase bought. And yeah, the whole American Idol style is pure dreck. Can you imagine how many great singers in the history of recorded music woudn’t even make it past the auditions? Sickening
I can just imagine the judges on American Idol listening to Bob Dylan.
How about Tom Waits? Billie Holiday?
Hah! Tom Waits! He’d be on their comedy reel.
But pay to play sometimes worked out because they had a ceiling. If you went over it, you made money. Just not as much as you could have otherwise.
Man, this brings back some great memories. Being in a band was great back when I had 50 single friends. Now, it seems like that 50 has been pared down to 8 and they’re all married and lame. Three of my friends still play in bands but two of them are terrible.
Only two of mine do. One of them actually makes a living at it. Not, like, Bruce Springsteen money or anything but enough that he doesn’t need a full time day job. And he’s got a house and 2 kids. They’re actually pretty damn good but they’re all cover bands. That’s why I stopped playing. I preferred writing our own stuff and just throwing in a cover here and there. But you can’t get gigs for that anymore. All the venues are gone. Some of the most money we made was when we rented a venue ourselves and charged admission. Places like the Irish Cultural Center or something. Some places in Marin as well. Of course, we had kegs which wasn’t exactly legal but…hell, we were young
Getting big when you write your own songs is so hit and miss. I saw this band last year here in Sacramento called Sea of Bees. There were 30 people in the club but the band put on an amazing show. Three months later, I read a review of their album by Carrie Brownstein in Pitchfork. It was like zero to sixty in no time flat. Seems like today you either rise fast or don’t rise at all.
You’re right. But that was my attitude, naive as it was. I knew the odds were long but I also knew if you wanted to *really* make it in the biz, you had to do originals. Otherwise you’re just playing weddings and birthday parties and such. Which is a lot of what my friend does now. But, shit, like I said, he doesn’t need to get a full time day job. It sustains him. And corporate gigs pay bank!
All things considered, I think I’d rather work for a living than play in a cover band. That was never my thing at all.
I was every bit as naive as you, Ted. I was sure that my crappy punk band was going to hit the big time.
Ha! A buddy of mine is in the cover band “hot for teacher”
Oh my God. The memories. Never in any bands, but a lot of my friends were. Played all those clubs. A friend played at the keystone in PA with the Paul Collins beat. The middle band didn’t show, so my friends band (Free Press) played before them to a packed house. Ronnie Lott and Cedrick Hardman showed up halfway thru my friend’s set. Too funny. Lott was on the Raiders at the time . . . Gave him shit about it, and he let me buy him a couple beers . . . I was jazzed about meeting Cedrick. Nice guy, but Jeesus, due was a plug. He was either in his last year, or retired. Shorter than I ever thought. He ain’t 6’3″ . . .
Ever hear of Wig Torture? The Mentors? Faith No More? All those guys played the Mabuhay/Paradise. A lot of those guys went to Hillsdale High.
Faith No More, yes. The other guys no. But hell, I played with or watched hundreds of bands. I can’t remember 1% of the names. Some shitty, some fucking face melting great. We were somewhere in between, I’d say. But few ever made it. Hell, even saw Motley Crue before they hit it bigtime. We all stared at each other and said “You’ve gotta be fucking kidding me! This guys are so bad, they may not make it out of town!”
I’d obviously make a great talent scout.
Faith No More was one of those crappy punk bands in the early 80s. They find Mike Patton, and boom, MTV darlings, and they rule the world for a little while. . .
The Mentors had the proud distiction of being featured in the congressional PMRC hearings. Hearing Tipper Gore recite “on your chest I leave a shit tower” just about killed me I ws laughing so hard. Their lyrics were way over the top sexual and graphic. Hey, it was the 80s. Golden Shower, Herpes 2, Clap Queen . . . ahhhh, good times.
RIP El Duce . . .
2 Flaps up, Twin. We all look forward to an update as soon as you’re able……..
I’ve known musicians over the years, but it wasn’t until I had kids that I really got to know a bunch of them — the type who give lessons to pay the bills. They live in a parallel universe to mine. They’re warm and humane and they seem absolutely sure they know what’s important in life. They often dress and groom oddly. I guess they just don’t much care about how they look up close — stage distance is fine. They’re often busy practicing for their own next performances when kids show up for the weekly grind. They stop, exit their wonderful musical world, and, for an hour or so, focus on a kid trying to earn a ticket there.
“At this point, only a fool ignores the fact that the Phillies are a far superior team than the Giants.”
Excerpted from Yahoo’s Passan latest on the G’s. This is bulletin board material.
All the band talk sure brings back memories. Some buddies of mine from back in the day played all over the bay. The Stone, Fillmore, Berkley Square. opened for Primes and Sublime. I remember them headlining for No Doubt one time. My buddy didn’t drink and brings me back stage to suck down all the alchohol I can get my hands on. That Gwen Stafani chick is back there pounding sandwiches. It was like she hadn’t eaten in days. Mayonnaise running down her arms and everything. Man that skank was nasty. My other (the singer) buddy ended up blowing her out in the bathroom.
Well, I was a member of The Partridge Family.
Your Danny Bonaduce!
The disappearances all make sense now.
“YOU’RE”
Decrept
Bonaduce’s age and IQ are both substantially lower than DJL’s. I never saw the Partridge Family tv show. I did, however, meet Shirley Jones one fine summer day in the mid 1980s. She was riding Amtrak from Oakland to LA, with her (apparently) odious husband Marty Ingels. She was short, still cute, and obviously a hopeless alcoholic. The full story of the train trip, however, is pretty fucking funny . . . .
Didja fuckher?
Cuz I would
And the whole time, I’d be singing:
I THINK I LOVE YOU!!
Was that the mother-son DH Lawrence themed upbeat incest hit? You’re a sick man, ted.
Shit. Okay. I’m sorta busted. But Shirley was his STEP-mom.
Hell, if I was David Cassidy…I woulda fucked her.
Morally wrong but….mm mm good
Hey, can someone confirm that April 12 is when they will raise the WS panner and give out the rings??
Kevin, Baggs at the Merc said It’s the April 8 opener against the St. Louis Cardinals for the championship banner and the players will receive their rings the following day — Saturday the 9th.
After all, Baer’s gotta milk the WS champeenship for all it’s worth. Can’t give out rings AND raise the banner in the same game. No way, that’s bad marketing. Somehow, I don’t find fault in him on this one….
Shit, they could give out a ring a day . . .
The opening series last season included the CY award to Lincecum. I’m still congratulating myself for buying lower box 3B line tickets to that one. The PR machiine always annoys. But damn — the ceremonies can be cool. Nothing like seeing the award live, and then being part of 40,000 fans roaring with approval.
The opening series this year will include Cody Ross and Cy Sperling discussing Hair Club For Men.
HEY!! $115,000,000 in payroll doesn’t just get picked up under the change in your couch!!!
Back away from that phone, ted. Hair implants, rugs, weaves — those are drastic measures. Don’t believe the before and after shots. Hey. This may help: First guy I ever met with obvious hair plugs in his forehead owned a fancy Porsche body shop in SF. I found the irony hilarious. But back to the point: back then, hair plugs were really expensive. He was spending a huge amount of his earnings on those plugs. He died a year later.
I’m very impressed with how many musicians are on this blog.
I was in a band back in the ’80s that played a few gigs in the Central Valley. The most fun was the rehearsals. Long jam sessions that I still have very fond memories of. One of our favorite songs was about a 10 minute version of Husker Du’s “Ice Cold Ice,” a song that’s about 3 minutes long on the Husker Du album.
Yeah, zum, I know what you mean. We used to invite folks to the rehersals as well. Told them to bring a little…herbal incentive.
I believe I remember doing a guitar solo to STAIRWAY for about 45 minutes.
It sucked. But nobody noticed.
Except the drummer
A little late, but let’s see . . ..
Saw the Meat Puppets a few times, the best show at the Keystone Palo Alto w/ Husker Du and the Minutemen on the SST tour. Kirkwood is probably the only guitarist you can laugh at and with at the same time.
Recently digitized my Thundertrain “Hot For Teacher” 45.
Faith No More did, umm, spawn Imperial Teen, a pretty smart outfit.
Favorite I-Beam show was Pere Ubu. They played “Final Solution,” which was amazing. Still the only reason to own the Max’s Kansas City compilations.
X at Barrington Hall, Gang of Four, Buzzcocks at the Temple Beautiful, Mekons and Pulnoc at the American Indian Center, Vulgar Boatmen at the Paradise, Agent Orange and Richard Hell at the Mabuhay, too many bands at the Berkeley Square . . . .
hey, in the early 80s I lived in a rent controlled apartment one block from B Square. Many bands, indeed.
We undoubtedly spent at least a coupla evenings choking on the same banks of cigarette smoke.
Looks like you boys had a good one going here today. No time to read through all the posts, but I have to give some love to Skid Row. In fact, if I hadn’t seen the Skid Row pic, I’d be in bed by now.
Their first CD is full of great riffs and the lyrics are so sophomoric, they’re absolutely hilarious. Who cares if about 6 of the songs sound exactly the same.
“T-Bone Billy just a-singing the blues, caught his lady with another man. Lit up a smoke and did some talkin’ with the back of his hand” (smack)
Good night lads. Snake Sabo