Finally Coming Home and It’s Kentucky Oaks Day, Baby
Who wouldn’t be excited about coming home? Unfortunately, I don’t think this will be a magical cure for what’s ailing us these days. We were unbelievably lucky to go .500 on that trip. We played bad teams and hit against bad pitchers yet we still managed to scratch out a win here and there. But counting on Eli Whiteside and Mike Fontenot to carry you to victory is probably not the blueprint for a return to the World Series. Ubaldo v Cain tonight. Ubaldo is pitching awful this year but he’s still got three wicked pitches so I expect tonight to be another *scratcher*…….
It’s Oaks day and I’m assuming most of you aren’t interested in me breaking it down. I’ll create a page to the right for it. One note: I left Beyer speed figures behind a long time ago. I am a Sheets disciple to the core. That’s the back bone of my analysis……..
The Flap Fantasy Baseball Standings
(Dirt falls, GH continues his schitzophrenic ways and Edd discovers that the loneliest number is actually *14*)
A Place To Talk About Giants Baseball 
The Bombers should be taken over by the League for being a disgrace to “Fantasy Ball!”
But they love all things Molina. You can’t beat that!
Still here in New Orleans and having a damn good time. Haven’t been watching any Giants games but I would have never thought getting through that road trip at .500 would be a good thing. I still think this team has the right parts they just gotta get em all fired up.
You know what they do the morning before the Derby? They scratch pigs.
Uncle Mo is an oinker.
I’m going for Stay Thirsty. That 10 bucks is for you DMD.
Blinkers off on Stay Thirsty. If he wins the price of XX Equis will hit the roof.
Cheers.
Surprised to see Sanchez gave up two big hits, the triple to reyes and the HR to beltran, more than anything. More disappointing than the walks and wildness to me.
Pitching has to carry the team through the offensive struggles. SF has some players that seem to hit better at home too, so see what happens.
POTD is a nice thought, but…did watching Vogs get lit up make you feel any better? Zito at least has enough sense to know he can’t just put the ball over the plate and get hitters out any more; he has to live on the corners, move in and out, throw his breaking stuff even slower than his fast ball.
And forget dumping Sanchez; he knows he can do better and will figure things out with rags help (tho msg from rj wouldn’t hurt). We can’t even replace Zito right now.
Randy Johnson doing anything important right now? What would it cost the Giants to hire him for a spell to be special tutor to Drrrrty? If his presence and advise was effective last season, it would stand to reason he could help Sanchez develop and maintain the kinda focus that could transform him into the totally dominant starter his talents would indicate.
Unit’s busy running a restaurant with Alice Cooper, down in AZ.
I can remember first coming to the Splash and I don’t remember which oneo of you guys said it but you basically said Baseball is a marathon not a drag Race, or to keep with this weekends theme, a horse race. The Giants are fine. I think if you are really honest with yourselves you know that the Giants were not going to hit like they did during the playoffs and the world series. The hitters will have their streaks, as long as they are in contention at the end of the year, I want them to have their hitting streak then also. The Giants are what 4-5 games out of first, I think last year they were closer to 10 games back. The Giants still have the right pieces, they will prevail.
RJ wasn’t here last year either, he’s getting way too much credit. There nothing wrong with Dirty that Johnson can fix anyway…
Kevin, they didn’t hit out of their minds in the playoffs, in fact they hit far worse than the regular season: .235, .297 OBP…
Vogelsong? I haven’t seen a guy get hit harder, the outs were loud, too. Not sure where Flavor got that he “battled”. He was slump shouldered, clueless…
Good to see you’re up and about today. Hope all is best as can be. Don’t forget to wear your big pretty hat for Oaks Day.
Pretty rocky, it was a rough day.
Hope you feel better today. Relax as best you can. I’ve always found watching a beautiful animal strut its stuff (even w/o betting) is very rewarding. Versus starts its Oaks coverage at 2 PM. Good luck and be well.
TF didn’t they hit better with RISP? it sure seemed like it. The BA was down, but they seemed to get hits when they needed them.
Can’t find the RISP numbers for the team, but sure they had some key hits. But let’s not forget that they were 51-30 the second half. They got a lot lot of cluth hits..
The “Big Unit”, 2-ft hotdog from “Cooperstown” restaurant, co-owned by Randy and Alice: http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_bbcK_3FueaI/S8vLWvrdIsI/AAAAAAAAGLk/SYcyX95JkNU/s1600/04-08-10_1540.jpg
Will Cain get the support that he’s due tonight vs Ubaldo and the Rox? Will home cookin be the solution to the pollution clogging up the timber as the Giants stand at the plate? Will they be as clueless against Jiminez as they were against those rinkydink starters out east? Will Tejada get booed outta Dodge, or will his touted personal pride rise to the occasion and provide some iota of what he was to have replaced in Uribe and Rentman?
Inquiring minds want to know.
stix, did you used to write for radio soap operas? I could swear I heard an organ playing when I read your post
Ted, I was thinking of the campy Batman and Robin series . . . If you recall, the series utilized a narrator (producer William Dozier, uncredited) who parodied both the breathless narration style of the 1940s serials and Walter Winchell’s narration of The Untouchables. He would end many of the cliffhanger episodes by intoning, “Tune in tomorrow — same Bat-time, same Bat-channel!”
Of course, Stix confused me momentarily by throwing a monkey wrench into the mix, by throwing in the Star or National Enquirer line (which Kev correctly identified). Grin.
either that or the National Inquirer.
A horseplayer should stop trying to bunt for singles and start swinging for the fences.
–Andy Beyer
Somebody needs to tell that to Fruckie w/ a man on second on nobody out.
Wow just received an email from a friend here at work, her niece is a breast cancer survivor, and MLB/SF chose her to be honorary bat girl this Sunday for the Giants game. She was only 32years old when diagnosed!!
http://www.kcra.com/video/27774167/detail.html
Best wishes to your friend. The Kentucky Oaks is having a “pink out” with breast cancer awareness in mind.
It’s a wonderful cause. One I’m proud to say I continue to support. Go Pink!
Very cool, Kevin. This hits close to home for me as well.
How can Stix not have posts nominated for POTW every week? Ridklus…
Son of a fucking bitch. I got SHUT OUT in the Oaks. NO Whitey bests here. Goddammit!
I believe our good friend, Mr. Loo had the winner, Plum Pretty. Congrats.
I’ll be honest, the shut out saved me money. I didn’t have the winner. She didn’t beat shit or Shinola in Sunland Park. Bob Baffert wins the Oaks. He has NO Whitey chance tomorrow in the Derby.
Baffert is a flipping genius. Would have been fitting for the female jock Rosie to win that one.
I got the horse right here, the name is Paul Revere and here’s a guy that says that the weather’s clear can do, can do, this guy says the horse can do
If he says the horse can do, can do, can do.
For Paul Revere I’ll bite
I hear his foot’s all right
Of course it all depends if it rained last night
Can do – can do – this guy says the horse can do
If he says the horse can do – can do, can do.
Horseracing. Yawn.
Playing the banjo: Ned Beatty wishes it only resulted with a yawn.
There’s a whole world of banjo out there that you know nothing about.
Hey, bud. C’mere a minute. Watcha doin’? Listen to this, it’s the fourth horse of the first race, Pappanick. How do I know it’s going to win? My UPS-guy tells. Guys who own the horses are regular customers. Every horse he has ever given me has won. See, they’ve been sandbagging and looking for a good spot. He’s been getting it light cause they’ve been using bug boy and the workout hasn’t been published. Now they are ready to run with it. They are gonna break his maiden. It’s going to go to great price, maybe 30:1. I’m telling you it’s a lock. Now, sure, it rained last night. But get this, this horse loves the slop. It’s in his bloodlines. His father was a mudda’, his mother was a mudda’. Come on, let’s call your bookie. Hey, don’t tell nobody else.
I love me some obscure Seinfeld references. But I don’t care what you say, I ain’t riding no roller coaster with the naked guy at Coney Island. But I will go have a couple Nathan dogs with ’em. I can’t pass up a Nathan hot dog, naked or not.
Actually, Seinfeld was referencing and old Abbott and Costello routine. But I can’t remember which movie. I think it was IT AIN’T HAY
Ubaldo Jimenez looks like he enjoys the outdoors. I say we send him on a canoe ride tonight.
Ethier extends his hit streak to 30. Fucking Dodger or not, that’s impressive.
The G’s record is 26. I was surprised who holds it.
Aaron Rowand, CF
Freddy Sanchez, 2B
Mike Fontenot, SS
Buster Posey, C
Aubrey Huff, 1B
Pat Burrell, LF
Nate Schierholtz, RF
Miguel Tejada, 3B
Matt Cain, RHP
I wish I could give Bochy some flack about tonight’s lineup, but I think he cheated and looked at my notes.
My favorite Giant is pitching tonight. Go Horse!
Hey, any of you “old timers” ever had the privilege of meeting Willie Mays. Since it’s his 80th birthday, I’d love to hear a Willie story or two if ya got ’em.
Dennis:
I “met” Mays at least twice. The first time, around the late 1970s, he was the grand marshal of a parade, maybe Memorial Day or Fourth of July or Labor Day. As I recall it, he was standing up in a booth or reviewing stand, something like that, greeting people. Awkward. For him and the public. I believe I shook his hand. Big strong grip but not a huge frame. Earlier that year, during spring training, when Mays was working for the Mets, I had sent a special delivery note to Mays in FL, asking for an autograph. No reply. Finally, I tried a second or third time, with a postcard of a NYC Big Apple, w/ a self-enclosed stamped envelope addressed to me. I got it back, autographed. So, when I saw and met Mays, I thanked him for this. He didn’t know what the heck I was talking about. I figured, leave the gods on Mt. Olympus. The second time was in Manhattan, at B. Dalton or Brentano’s bookstore. Pouring rain. The line snaked out of the bookstore into the street and wound around Fifth Avenue onto a cross street, near St. Pat’s. Cool to swap stories and love w/ the people in line for the book signing. When I got to Willie, he signed the book, and couldn’t talk. They kept the line moving. Kind of sad. In each case, I held no grudge toward Willie or his perceived prickliness; I knew he was most at home on the field.
Never “met” him but I’d seen him on the streets once in a while. But my Chinese dad kind of “worked” with him. Back in the ’60’s he was an assistant ops officer at an independent San Francisco bank called Golden Gate Bank. The president was a very innovative guy. He always came up with some kind of stunt to get free publicity. For example, he was the first banker to hire a black female teller. So he came up with the idea of making local sports figures “officers” of the bank. Ballplayers didn’t make then like they do now so they were more willing to go along with things like that for a reasonable stipend. So Willie Mays was made Vice President in Charge of …whatever. Had a desk set up in the lobby with his nameplate, business cards. And every once in a while in the offseason, he’d “report” to work and of course, the press was often there to take pictures and such. It was kind of a kick for the old man. Unfortunately, this president was also innovative with the bank books and it closed after 9 or 10 years.
Cool story.
Ted, thanks for sharing. Just what I was looking for — good story.
Say Hey Day, Orange Friday and Cain takes the bump. Sounds good to me.
Go Giants!
I know you guys are waiting with baited breath for my Derby picks. Keep your shirt on.
We got the Horse going tonight. After he and our Giants wins I’ll give ya the pony. This shit ain’t easy. I’m already working on my 3rd headache. There’s 19 to choose from. If you think I’m picking numbers outta of a hat, well, …
Wait a minute. I thought you already told us you were picking Paul Revere
Seriously. Matt Cain is, has been and will continue to be my favorite Giant. I just love his demeanor and moxy.
The Horse is everything I want to be. That horse is just cool as the $750,000 one that just got sold at the Keeneland September yearling sale. No need to take a picture, he’s a walking cover story.
Click.
I was at the game and saw that catch Gaylord Perry just described about Willie Mays and Bobby Bonds, where they both went up for the ball in center/right field . . . I couldn’t believe how high they both got and Mays ended up holding onto the ball. Back then, there was only an 8-10 foot cyclone fence.
I watched it on TV, in college, I’m sure it was a Saturday afternoon Game of the Week, NBC, Curt Gowdy. We were amazed. “It wasn’t even his ball.” Very cool you were there.
It doesn’t do Mays a disservice as a man to note that was not the lovable guy that revisionist history has made him out to be.He was complex, prickly, prideful to a fault…And the fans didn’t take to him, as great as he was. It’s gratifying that he’s mellowed but he’s still cranky old Mr. Wilson more than Mister Rogers..
I like this new “gamer” dude. Who’s the new lead-off / CF?
Hey, put Aaron Rowand in the starting gate. That was one mighty fine catch.
Exacta!
Probably my favorite baseball card ever:
Something i’d like to see would be Tejada developing Curly Joe Fontenot’s plate discipline.
I got your drift stix on what you meant, but couldn’t resist saying – Tejada is way past “developing” anyone’s habits, much less plate discipline.
Here in Cooperstown at the Lakeview Motel, on Lake Otsego (just what you’d expect, but no moans next door…yet) on Willie May’s 80th birthday [fine narrative at: http://atmlb.com/ksV7cy%5D and all set to see the WS trophy tomorrow and lots of Giants fans, I hope.
Cliff Lee gets 16 K’s and loses. Signing off soon; weak wi-fi. Late.
Twin, good to see you here. Excelsior.
Lee gets 16 Ks and NO W(hitey)?
I’ll give ya 3 guesses whose fantasy team Cliff’s on, and the first two don’t count.
I know . . . He’s on my other FL team. 16 SOs and loses . . . sheesh.
I know it’s been beaten like a rug, but that was a “good AB from the bat.”
It might be time for K & K to stop saying Cain & Tim are good hitters.
Dennis: up above [no, not in heaven] I gave you a “met Willie Mays” story.
H&R w/ runners at 1st and 2nd? Bold move pays off. Shit a sac fly. 3-0
Thanks for coming and drive home safely.
Pawlie, if you are still around, this is what I love about that article you cited (by the by, I never heard of this story, so it’s a first for me) . . .
“Shannon related that during a Cardinals game in San Francisco, a Giant hit a drive that landed deep in the outfield with Mays on second base. Noticing that every umpire was following the ball, Mays skirted third base, shortening his trip home by about 20 feet, and scored with ridiculous ease. Ken Boyer, playing third for St. Louis, demanded an appeal, but of course the umpires ruled Mays safe.
“Willie was in the dugout, laughing his butt off,” Shannon said.”
Ubaldo was in a funk coming into SF. Guess what, he has a no-no going?
One way to lower a 6.26 ERA. Let him face the current state of the Giants lineup.
Yeah, I’ve seen most of the games Ubaldo has pitched and as bad as he was going, I still don’t think he’s right . . . In other words, as you said Stix, this has more to do with the Giants being in a funk.
Mays has to be wondering how the fuck this team won the WS, while him and his 4 HOF teammates went nowhere.
No shit. Ha.
Although he always had major protection in the lineup, I never hear anyone say how little Mays had in the way of tablesetters. He practically had nobody, ever. Probably cost him a couple of hundred ribbies over his career.
OK, my Doomerism has taken over the better of me. We lose.
Flav’s prediction of 15-18 prior to the start of the season is looking like Sylvia Brown forethought.
“There’s a fine line between winning and losing.
Yeah. The finish line.”
Dennis: There goes your no-no. Ubaldo may have to settle for a one-hit shutout.
C’mon, Lady Gua Gua…
The only time I was close to Willie was at the Crosby golf tournament in 1981 or 82. I was in high school and was watching Willie’s group when he hit one in a fairway bunker right near a group of us. I can still picture him. He had a gold v-neck sweater on and a hat that said “Amana” that had a spot where you could hold extra tees. Someone in the group said something like “Willie, how are you gonna hit this shot?” He cheerfully went ahead and gave us a little tutorial on the art of the fairway bunker and ripped a nice shot toward the green.
Somewhere at my parents house I have a picture of him standing in that bunker at Pebble Beach.
teeeee—nada.
Maybe its time to buckle up that Belt. Too bad he can’t play 3B.
If they haven’t already, I would bet that one day soon, the Giants will present a WS ring to the great Barry Bonds.
Only thing G’s hitters have been able to do vs Ubaldo is run his pitch count up to 83 over four innings. Would be nice if they can at least keep up that rate in this inning and get him outta there by the sixth. Rox have some pretty decent relievers, but 4 innings may be a bit much for them. That all depends on Cain throwing like he did in the fifth.
You have no idea how funny that is, Stix.
Is it true that Miggie’s mother’s maiden name was Mendoza?
5 innings and 100 pitches . . . Ubaldo is gone after or during the 6th.
Fonte-yes!
I know *know* he said “he pulled this pitch” But first I heard “bitch”.
Posey with the fag tag but…RBI…….still…
No wonder Bochy has Curly Joe batting third. And it was the most successful out Posey has made in a month of Sundays. At least Willie doesn’t hafta watch his team get shut out for a birthday present.
Flem wondering if the Giants can turns Tejada’s hit into a rally – shit that is a rally!!!
I’m going to the game tomorrow. So excited – I splurged on a jumbotron message for my friend’s b-day. Go Giants!!!
Quite cool ferret . . . going to be there myself.
Burriss – dude still is not a consistently good bunter. Career AAAA player…
Alright. I’ve gotten serious and broken out the Four Roses Small Batch bourbon.
This is some good shit — rally bourbon. I’m not in a mood to waste this on a goddam losing effort. Giants need to stiffen and take this one home to the finish for Mays on his 80th…
Broke out the Irish Cream myself.
Bud Light and merlot. I know. I know. Spare me the lecture. I’m trying to hit the PK 4 tomorrow at Churchill. This combination of alcohol is enabling me to march on with the hopes of picking winners tomorrow.
Salute
They better keep it up against Rogers tomorrow. Pull the Trigger and get him like they did last month. Don’t like the Sunday pitching matchup. Too bad DeRosa won’t be eligible to play till Tuesday or so. Maybe he could stroke runs vs DeLaRosa.
While SFGate had a nice photo essay on Mays, here’s a nice, but writerly-long appreciation: http://joeposnanski.si.com/2011/05/06/willie-mays-turns-80-today/.
Mays was a childhood hero of mine; my CCD teacher used to call me ‘Willie Mays’. Although I vaguely recall seeing him at the Stick–I was a young kid and it was probably freezing–I did queue up for his ‘Say Hey Kid’ book-signing in DC. Got two books signed, one for grandfather, one for my dad. Although I was in my 20s, I was speechless–what exactly do you say to an icon? I have the new biography, and its next on my list–I finished ‘Satchel’ recently, and am nearly done with ‘Great Time Coming’ about Jackie Robinson. It’s not surprising that the current stories leave out the challenges Mays faced because of his race.
I wish the footage of Willie making the catch included the throw. They never show the complete throw, and even Willie says that was the greatest part of that play.
re: “The Catch” … In the Ken Burns “9 Innings” installment, some of team opines that — as magical as it was — it wasn’t even a concern for Mays. They say he had a way of tapping his glove before making a play like that when he “knew”. Not doing that if he wasn’t sure. They slo-mo “The Catch” to show the tap.
WTF with Buster? I know he just singled, but he has become Punch and Judy personified.
We need him to drive the damn ball. Not hit from the lady tees.
Has Huff always been such a shitty 2 strike hitter?
Yes
And no
What…the…fuck
Good call to halt Jesus by Flannery. He woulda been deader than Good Friday.
C’mon Shitholtz!
But HE woulda risen
Nate!
HOLTZ
Shitholtz! I love you, man.
Tie ballgame. Let’s do this.
Well how about a “OMFG” for that, Shierholtz
And somehow…Tejada. WTF
That was great, Nate. Willie be smilin.
ooooff… followed by Tenada. Well, some days you get the special anal sex evening. Some days, the clown takes it out asking, “does this taste … funny?”
Okay. That was just weird
Weird, compared to Giant’s torturous baseball? 🙂
Uhm…yeah. Butt (he said butt), whatever ….
“She’s like the Pele of anal sex!” Archer
Sorry, couldn’t help myself, that is one of the funniest lines I have EVER heard in a tv show. Anybody else watch?
heh… umm… not familiar with that show. The tv usually only goes on for Alton Brown and the Giants. Maybe I should broaden my horizons.
Rally bourbon, baby. It works….
This is great. I love watching the game and interacting with my fellow Flappers.
Win, Lose or Draw. The Flap is the place to be for the Giants.
Fontenot is almost making me forget Bob Schroder.
You were the last motherfucker to remember Bob Schroder