5 in a Row and Hello First Place. I’ve missed you, old friend…..

Posted in Uncategorized by Flavor on May 12, 2011

It’s impossible for me to pick a POTG– Tejada was huge. Dirrrty was gritty and fought through 6 innings–getting him that run in the 6th was huge to get him the win. Huff’s bomb. The bullpen was magnificent, as usual. I’m embarrassed to say I haven’t been out to a game yet this year. I can’t remember the last year that it’s been mid-may and I still haven’t seen a game. The last game I went to was Game 1 v Texas and I think about that night every day. It’s like I’m still feeding off it or something. Anyway, got to hit a game one of these days……

To answer Willie D—Darren Ford went to high school in New Jersey. His fastest 440 was 4.44 and I find that hard to believe. He looks like a sub 4.3 guy. I’d like to know what I could run a 440 in. I might have to do that this weekend. Of course, no video. Just me, a stop watch and the wind……..

The Flap Fantasy Baseball Standings

(There’s a new sheriff in town……..)

232 comments

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xootsuit said, on May 12, 2011 at 7:27 am

“He listens. You don’t have to be a psychologist to help Jonny at times. He knows right and wrong.” Bochy.

So sometimes you DO have play mind games with him? Talk about your back-handed compliments. Well, based on his performance last night, I would say JSanchez has decided to move on. He’s a complicated guy. But as his pitching has matured, and so has his character. Even with a wild FB he battled through the DBacks LU and handed the bullpen a very winnable game. His last outing ended with Righetti wood-shedding him for lack of focus. He took his lessons seriously. Nothing but good news there.
- James said, on May 12, 2011 at 8:08 am
  
  It is good news, but tempered by the fact that the Dbacks went out of the zone to put the ball in play several times. There weren’t a lot of close pitches taken. They didn’t have long ABs.
  
  The psychological stuff is always overrated.
- Unca Chuck said, on May 12, 2011 at 8:50 am
  
  Matured? 2 starts ago, he didn’t back up home and didn’t cover 1st on consecutive plays. Yes, he got called to the woodshed. Rightly so. And Bochy looked like he was going to punch him in the face. He’s 28. For all his drrrty stuff, he’s still wildly inconsistent.
  
  Nice scrapping by Sanchez, but really, the D-Backs helped him big time. They swung at a LOT of balls. Upton especially.
  
  A nice gutty win, but Sanchez needs to tighten his shit up. A patient team would have gotten more walks than AZ did. It’s a step in the right direction for Drrrty, but he’s got to be consistent for more than one game.
  - Nipper said, on May 12, 2011 at 9:07 am
    
    Chuck BLEEPS dirty!
  - xootsuit said, on May 12, 2011 at 9:20 am
    
    Those are the only cliches you can think of?
  - Unca Chuck said, on May 12, 2011 at 10:03 am
    
    Right. In his 2 previous starts, Drrty walked 12, hit 2 guys, gave up 7 hits and 6 runs, failed to cover home on a single, and failed to cover 1st on a grounder to 1st, all in 10 innings.
    
    One decent start, and all is right? Gimme a hit, skippy.
  - xootsuit said, on May 12, 2011 at 10:36 am
    
    We all know the recent history, upchuck. It’s the long look back that’s important. In 2009, for example, in a game against the Dodgers (I believe), JSanchez got RISP in an early inning and proceeded to throw 23 FBs in a row. Disaster ensued. Since then, he has learned to mix his pitches beautifully. Last night, especially early, his FB was wild. He used guile and talent to work through the jams, and he stayed calm, resolute, and focused. The fact that he was able to put together a performance like last night after two bad starts shows that he has matured mentally, that his head is catching up with his arm quite nicely. I think.
- mrmrbill said, on May 12, 2011 at 11:22 am
  
  “He’s a complicated guy.” … and no one understands him but his rosin.
stixwiz said, on May 12, 2011 at 7:44 am

First Place has such a nice, warm homy feel. Last year’s Champs did not have much time to bask in that feeling ~ way too busy dealing with more pressing and immediate matters such as Atlanta, Philadelphia and Texas. Though they are not going wire to wire with this May delivery it would be nice if the team gets the chance to bask in First for a whole bunch of while ~ say till Playoff time arrives once again.
blade3colorado said, on May 12, 2011 at 8:08 am

Headed to the game today – SEC 126, Row 39, Seat 15 . . . If you’re there, come on over and a beer has your name on it.

Go Giants!
Rough Trade said, on May 12, 2011 at 8:10 am

I will be surprised if they don’t take control of the division now and open up a nice lead by the break. Getting Torres back seems to have given everyone a lift.

What can you say about the bullpen? Devastating to have Lincecum Cain Sanchez Bumgarner turning it over to Ramirez Lopez Romo Wilson.
willied said, on May 12, 2011 at 8:14 am

Good pitching and D, timely hitting, classic formula. POTD says it all.
Nice to hear Kruk acknowledge Sanchez during the game. The “head case” comments are getting old. He is a competitor, something you value highly in any athlete of any age, who demands a lot out of himself. In a game with so much failure, in the position most often in the spotlight, there are going to be ups and downs and things beyond your control, and what is most important is how you deal with it.
As Kruk pointed out, he battled through the difficulties, outdueled his counterpart for AZ, and ultimately got the W.
Macdog said, on May 12, 2011 at 8:59 am

Flav, being here in Jersey I finally tracked down the source of that Ford pic. Doing a little more digging, Ford won the NJ Indoor Track 55-meter title as a senior in 6.47 seconds and was on the third-place 4×400 relay team. Here’s a little more on Ford from an article in an NJ paper earlier this week: http://tinyurl.com/3uxps2e
- willied said, on May 12, 2011 at 9:04 am
  
  thx man. state indoor champ, impressive.
willied said, on May 12, 2011 at 9:01 am

Ford apparently turned down a football scholarship to rutgers to play baseball. I’m sure if he would have stuck with it and run track in college his 40 time would have been lower.
It was neat to see footage of him working out on the bases with Kelley. Learning to read moves, using proper footwork, and just gaining experience on the bases are key for him. Hope he can continue to learn grow and help the team.
font, btw, current BA is all of 6 points better than Tejada…who is still 2 points higher than Huff.
Nipper said, on May 12, 2011 at 9:09 am

A few wins and you guys mellow out. No fights, squabbles, hurt feelings or egos bruised, it’s amazing!
blade3colorado said, on May 12, 2011 at 9:16 am

Kumbaya my Lord, kumbaya
Kumbaya my Lord, kumbaya
Kumbaya my Lord, kumbaya
Oh Lord, kumbaya

Someone’s singing Lord, kumbaya
Someone’s singing Lord, kumbaya
Someone’s singing Lord, kumbaya
Oh Lord, kumbayah

Someone’s laughing, Lord, kumbaya
Someone’s laughing, Lord, kumbaya
Someone’s laughing, Lord, kumbaya
Oh Lord, kumbaya

Someone’s crying, Lord, kumbaya
Someone’s crying, Lord, kumbaya
Someone’s crying, Lord, kumbaya
Oh Lord, kumbaya

Someone’s praying, Lord, kumbaya
Someone’s praying, Lord, kumbaya
Someone’s praying, Lord, kumbaya
Oh Lord, kumbaya

Someone’s sleeping, Lord, kumbaya
Someone’s sleeping, Lord, kumbaya
Someone’s sleeping, Lord, kumbaya
Oh Lord, kumbaya
Oh Lord, kumbaya
- TedSpe said, on May 12, 2011 at 9:38 am
  
  ha ha ha
twinfan said, on May 12, 2011 at 9:19 am

What was the generic Latino name that Snarrkles came up with when he was trashing one of them? Can’t remember it..anyway, good night for Torres ( no more adderall references, children), Sanchez, Tejada, Romo, Ramirez…Rowand has played an excellent CF but when Andres is out there you know he’ll get anything that isn’t over the fence…

Blanco, counting tonight, has 6 HRs against us, one I think was a walk off. And Gibson has him bunting-even with 2 strikes. Gee, with him, TwoTrips, and NotExactlyDickTracy there are some real genius managers in this division. And some morons trash “Bonehead”..
- TedSpe said, on May 12, 2011 at 9:39 am
  
  How can you forget? Gomez!!
- xootsuit said, on May 12, 2011 at 9:43 am
  
  Kruk and Kuip say Gibson’s name with reverence. It’s annoying as hell.
TedSpe said, on May 12, 2011 at 9:40 am

The psychological stuff is always overrated.
————————————————————
Yeah. If you ask me, anyone who goes to a psychologist is sick in the head
- xootsuit said, on May 12, 2011 at 9:45 am
  
  “Baseball is 90% mental — the other half is physical.”
  - James said, on May 12, 2011 at 12:04 pm
    
    And the other 100% is statistical.
Unca Chuck said, on May 12, 2011 at 9:50 am

Kurt Gibson looks to fall under the same category as Don Mattingly. Great players. Huge question marks as managers. The reason catchers overall are better managers than any other position is because they have to do more than scratch and chew during their careers. They actually have to think out there.

Bunting with 2 strikes and a guy like Blanco at the plate? Brilliant. I understand staying out of the DP, but the guy was 2-4 with a big fly . . .
- TedSpe said, on May 12, 2011 at 10:02 am
  
  Calling Gibson “great” is a bit of a stretch IMO. He was good. He could be an impact player at times but even when he won the MVP, if you look at the guys he beat out, that year was a crapshoot. Any one of them that got votes could have won and it wouldn’t have made any difference. Hell, he played almost 20 years and never made the All Star team? I think his iconic HR adds a huge percentage to a lot of peoples perception of him
- Unca Chuck said, on May 12, 2011 at 2:57 pm
  
  Like I said, I never liked the guy. Good? Great? Ehhhh.
  
  That fricking LA/Oak WS was like rooting for gonnorhea vs the clap.
blade3colorado said, on May 12, 2011 at 9:51 am

Interesting Forbes article on Yahoo regarding most underpaid players . . .

http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news?slug=ys-forbes_most_underpaid_baseball_players_051111
Unca Chuck said, on May 12, 2011 at 9:56 am

Poor bastard Pujols only makes $16 mill . . .

Kurt, Kirk, whatever . . . Never liked the guy anyway.

Wonder when Matt Williams gets the call to coach the D-Backs . . .
Del Mar Dennis said, on May 12, 2011 at 10:32 am

Torres CF, Sanchez 2B, Huff 1B, Ross LF, Schierholtz RF, Tejada SS, DeRosa 3B, 1st Place NO Whitey C, Cain P
- xootsuit said, on May 12, 2011 at 10:39 am
  
  What are the odds Buster gets more than one day off? 3-1 in favor?
  - Unca Chuck said, on May 12, 2011 at 10:44 am
    
    I’d like to see it.
    
    The (on) crack medical team? We’ll see . . .
  - Del Mar Dennis said, on May 12, 2011 at 10:47 am
    
    I’d be very surprised if Buster wasn’t back in the lineup in Chi-Town tomorrow.
- TedSpe said, on May 12, 2011 at 10:50 am
  
  Has there been a game yet this year that NO Whitey started where Posey didn’t pinch hit? I’m not making a point. I”m just asking because it seems that has always happened.
TedSpe said, on May 12, 2011 at 10:36 am

Nate the Great , Miggy, De La Rosa and NO Whitey?
Why not
- Del Mar Dennis said, on May 12, 2011 at 10:50 am
  
  Looks like I picked a good day to start Danny Hudson on my fantasy team.
  1st place fantasy team, that is…
twinfan said, on May 12, 2011 at 10:37 am

Yes, Gomez! How could I forget.
Underpaid? How about Andres Gomez? His WAR ( Wins Over Relacement-if you don’t understand it, that’s your problem) last year was 6.1.
(Buster 3.9, Huff 5.7, Linecum 5.1).
Yeah,that big bat is a big problem…
- TedSpe said, on May 12, 2011 at 10:46 am
  
  And those 16 bombs. No one knew he could hit that many because he never got enough PAs
twinfan said, on May 12, 2011 at 10:44 am

Using VORP, from the Forbes link, Andres was 41.5. Topping Suzuki, Ryan Howard, A-Rod..Yeah, but…he doesn’t bunt enough!!!
twinfan said, on May 12, 2011 at 10:52 am

Buster didn’t look too chipper after the game, and a little slurry. Can’t fuck with that stuff, I hope they’re extremely cautious.
- Unca Chuck said, on May 12, 2011 at 10:54 am
  
  And Chipper doesn’t look very buster . . .
  
  (wait a minute . . . de ja vu all over again)
Del Mar Dennis said, on May 12, 2011 at 10:55 am

Tiger shoots +6 on the front 9 and pulls the old, “my knee hurts” and withdraws from the Players Championship.
He should have thought about pulling out when he was banging all those whores that led to his demise.
Fuck him and his knee.
Bozo said, on May 12, 2011 at 11:07 am

I love afternoon midweek games. I used to schedule half day vacations so I could go to them. Had to be up front because work was onto me about using sick days on day games. Once when I got busted by my boss for it, I explained that there was a full medical staff at the ballpark and if anything did happen I was in the right place. We both agreed on the half day vacations after that.
- mrmrbill said, on May 12, 2011 at 11:31 am
  
  Your boss should have given you style points, at least! “Once when I got busted by my boss for it, I explained that there was a full medical staff at the ballpark and if anything did happen I was in the right place.”
  - Bozo said, on May 12, 2011 at 11:57 am
    
    They did relent on the half day vacation (before that I’d have to take a whole day) so it worked out.
- Kevin said, on May 12, 2011 at 12:08 pm
  
  You and Ferris had a hell of time at the game.
Del Mar Dennis said, on May 12, 2011 at 11:08 am

5 Ws in a row. A virtual tie atop the NL West standings. And dead LAST in the NL in runs scored.
Anyone who says they have this game figured out is full of shit.
twinfan said, on May 12, 2011 at 11:15 am

Hmmm… Isn’t it Tiger 14 Majors, Lefty 4?
Lefty might wanna bang a few whores..
- TedSpe said, on May 12, 2011 at 11:42 am
  
  Sound advice
TedSpe said, on May 12, 2011 at 11:39 am

Once I get better established at my new job, I’ll try to pull off a bozo myself. Enjoy the game, blade
- Flavor said, on May 12, 2011 at 12:33 pm
  
  new job? COngrats?
- TedSpe said, on May 12, 2011 at 12:39 pm
  
  Thanks. It’s not really “new” new, I’ve been here 7 months. But new enough that playing hooky might be frowned upon. As a rule, I generally give it a year.
  Well, not really a rule…more of a guideline
  - Unca Chuck said, on May 12, 2011 at 12:48 pm
    
    What about Los Tiburones? Are they going to play hooky or hockey?
dirtnrocksnreno said, on May 12, 2011 at 11:43 am

Chuck, funny I was thinking the same thing on that 2 strike bunt attempt. Didn’t Mattingly let the pitcher start the AB and make the change after ball 1 or some shit like that?
Unca Chuck said, on May 12, 2011 at 12:48 pm

Wow. A little carry today . . .
mrmrbill said, on May 12, 2011 at 12:50 pm

streamers, doesn’t look like kostaz will have the game on justin.tv today. So: http://ilemi.me/23802/1/Watch-San-Francisco-Giants-vs-Arizona-Diamondbacks/
- mrmrbill said, on May 12, 2011 at 12:52 pm
  
  ignore the big red “play now” or “download” buttons. It takes a minute for the ilemi stream to work.
  - eddacker said, on May 12, 2011 at 12:59 pm
    
    even mlb is like that, and they should be pushing it with their servers.
- TedSpe said, on May 12, 2011 at 1:03 pm
  
  Thanks mrmrbill
  - mrmrbill said, on May 12, 2011 at 1:07 pm
    
    Ted … could you email me, please? I lost your address from the last time we spoke. bill@magneticdiary.com
Unca Chuck said, on May 12, 2011 at 12:50 pm

Yeah I remember some shit like that, DNR.

Gawwwd. Dinkers . . . hate ’em.
eddacker said, on May 12, 2011 at 12:59 pm

NOW IS THE TIME
for Huff to get started
dang!
Unca Chuck said, on May 12, 2011 at 1:05 pm

No shit. An early lead would be a welcome relief.

A laugher. A rout. A day at the park . . . We got what, one easy game this year?
- mrmrbill said, on May 12, 2011 at 1:10 pm
  
  early lead granted!
Del Mar Dennis said, on May 12, 2011 at 1:17 pm

Those were some 0-2 cripples right there. You guys can thank me later for starting Hudson in our FL if/when he gets rocked.

NO Whitey gets caught looking. What a shocking development that is. .143
Del Mar Dennis said, on May 12, 2011 at 1:20 pm

How bout that Shitholtz!
Bozo said, on May 12, 2011 at 1:21 pm

Hell of a play, way to go Nate
mrmrbill said, on May 12, 2011 at 1:21 pm

ilemi stream crapped out. looking for another.
Unca Chuck said, on May 12, 2011 at 1:22 pm

Sweeeeeeeeeeeeet!!
Unca Chuck said, on May 12, 2011 at 1:40 pm

Vida Blue, Rich Rueschel, Schmidt?
mrmrbill said, on May 12, 2011 at 1:40 pm

ilemi stream just came back online: http://ilemi.me/23802/1/Watch-San-Francisco-Giants-vs-Arizona-Diamondbacks/
Unca Chuck said, on May 12, 2011 at 1:42 pm

Woooooooooo . . . nailed it . . .
xootsuit said, on May 12, 2011 at 1:54 pm

Wow. It’s so easy to find fault with Nate, but the man has some talent, and, man, that cannon arm is excellent.
mrmrbill said, on May 12, 2011 at 1:58 pm

ilemi stream crapped out again. Some days it just ain’t worth the effort to wake up and gnaw through the leather straps.
- eddacker said, on May 12, 2011 at 2:21 pm
  
  that’s why I spend the £100 for MLB tele, it is just not worth the hassle.
  - mrmrbill said, on May 12, 2011 at 2:26 pm
    
    I did that last year and couldn’t get a single game. Changed plans this year, and still get most, though not all.
eddacker said, on May 12, 2011 at 2:02 pm

A complete game shutout, I would expect nothing less
go giants
snarkk said, on May 12, 2011 at 2:23 pm

Nate with that great play in right, couple hits, RBI and the steal. If he steals that bag head first, he can’t get up and take third. That’s why I like a foot first slide that gives you the pop up capability to keep going. He’s making an effort to get more playing time, or get traded for a little something. I keep him. As for DeRosa, has he hit a ball really hard yet?…
snarkk said, on May 12, 2011 at 2:30 pm

Purrrfect throw by El Presidente. Tejada boots it, right in his glove. Wow…
Unca Chuck said, on May 12, 2011 at 2:35 pm

Whitehead! You start him Dennis?
Unca Chuck said, on May 12, 2011 at 2:36 pm

Oh shit . . . that ain’t good.
Unca Chuck said, on May 12, 2011 at 2:38 pm

Wow. That’s some professional shit there . . . Nice job, matty . . .
Unca Chuck said, on May 12, 2011 at 2:40 pm

Andy!!
Bozo said, on May 12, 2011 at 2:42 pm

Did you see Hudson on that pitch to Torres? The dude sighed and didn’t look like he wanted to throw that pitch. Good for Andres for jumping on it.
- Unca Chuck said, on May 12, 2011 at 2:44 pm
  
  Hudson’s left a few out there . . .
mrmrbill said, on May 12, 2011 at 2:43 pm

Andy and Opie!
Unca Chuck said, on May 12, 2011 at 2:43 pm

Huff! This is as close as we’ll get to a laugher . . .

Sorry Dennis . . .
- Del Mar Dennis said, on May 12, 2011 at 2:57 pm
  
  Are you kidding me? I dropped NO Whitey over a month ago. I only kept him on the bench as the team mascot until injuries dictated otherwise. Did I start Whiteside at catcher? I’ll start NO Whitey right after I drop Soriano.
  
  BIG AB here…JA needs to bear down…
snarkk said, on May 12, 2011 at 2:53 pm

Nice clutch jobs by Torres and Huff. Franchez would’ve gotten an RBI if they didn’t have the pickoff on. Cain is a tough MFer, after getting hit on the throwing paw…
Del Mar Dennis said, on May 12, 2011 at 2:58 pm

Fruckie still HAS to make that play. Son of a bitch…
Unca Chuck said, on May 12, 2011 at 3:01 pm

Fuck…. They get a lead, and promptly give 2 back . . .
Del Mar Dennis said, on May 12, 2011 at 3:01 pm

This shit is starting to unravel….Horse few years ago named Ravel. Another bum….
- Unca Chuck said, on May 12, 2011 at 3:02 pm
  
  Ravel’s Bolero is overrated as well . . .
  - Del Mar Dennis said, on May 12, 2011 at 3:12 pm
    
    Terrible AB from Tejada.
Unca Chuck said, on May 12, 2011 at 3:04 pm

There ya go . . .

Start singing “Hang on Loosely. . . “
Del Mar Dennis said, on May 12, 2011 at 3:05 pm

Well, Bochy said on his pregame that Wilson would only be used if the game went extras and it was necessary. We’ll see who he calls upon in the 9th.

I really think he wants to give ’em a day. I say we see Romo.
twinfan said, on May 12, 2011 at 3:06 pm

So? Romo? Lopez? Both? Let Ramirez finish? I say I’d go option C- Gomez.
- TedSpe said, on May 12, 2011 at 3:08 pm
  
  Yes. Gomez
Unca Chuck said, on May 12, 2011 at 3:06 pm

Nate’s having a day . . .
snarkk said, on May 12, 2011 at 3:08 pm

Can Tejada not bunt, either?…
Unca Chuck said, on May 12, 2011 at 3:09 pm

Not the wrist!
Bozo said, on May 12, 2011 at 3:10 pm

Make em pay Eli, make em pay.
snarkk said, on May 12, 2011 at 3:10 pm

The opposition is telling all we need to know on DeRosa. OFers shifted way towards right, for weak, late swing…
Bozo said, on May 12, 2011 at 3:11 pm

Crap. OK Pat, two out hitter now.
Unca Chuck said, on May 12, 2011 at 3:17 pm

Oh boy. A nice quiet 9th. Too much to ask for, Sergio?
- Del Mar Dennis said, on May 12, 2011 at 3:19 pm
  
  apparently so…here comes LOOGY!
snarkk said, on May 12, 2011 at 3:19 pm

Why not Sosa?…
twinfan said, on May 12, 2011 at 3:19 pm

Are they in a 5 game losing streak? Somebody seems to think they are.
eddacker said, on May 12, 2011 at 3:21 pm

And ~~the tying run~~ TORTURE is on first base
eddacker said, on May 12, 2011 at 3:27 pm

make that third base
snarkk said, on May 12, 2011 at 3:28 pm

Bochy overmanaging…
- TedSpe said, on May 12, 2011 at 3:29 pm
  
  Huh?
- Unca Chuck said, on May 12, 2011 at 3:30 pm
  
  Yer overguessing . . .
- mrmrbill said, on May 12, 2011 at 3:33 pm
  
  Bochy managing it just right.
- Jakesam said, on May 12, 2011 at 4:14 pm
  
  Absurd POTD.
Bozo said, on May 12, 2011 at 3:28 pm

Hell of a pitch
Del Mar Dennis said, on May 12, 2011 at 3:28 pm

Serious Picasso job there. One more…
Unca Chuck said, on May 12, 2011 at 3:29 pm

Wow nice sequence by Lopez there . . .
Unca Chuck said, on May 12, 2011 at 3:31 pm

Yowza . . .
Bozo said, on May 12, 2011 at 3:32 pm

YES
Del Mar Dennis said, on May 12, 2011 at 3:32 pm

Loogieeeeee!