There Are No Moves to Make
This morning, Mark Purdy is educating us all that the Giants offense isn’t working. Hey, thanks dude. I’ve been adding up all the pieces too and just couldn’t seem to come up with an answer. “Not working” is the answer? So, what is the solution….
His big ideas are DeRosa and Belt. Um. No thank you. DeRosa? Before his wrist snapped clean off he was grounding more balls to 3rd/SS than Rowand did in his worst stretches. I appreciate DeRosa for working hard to come back but I hold out zero hope that he will contribute anything other than ground balls to the left side of the infield…..
Belt is obviously more interesting but the Giants have mismanaged this kid so badly this year that I don’t think bringing him up with a move that wreaks of panic is something that will work out…….
I did like his idea of giving CF to one or the other and dropping the platoon. Honestly, Id probably give it to Rowand. Torres is just trying to hard this year (or something). I don’t doubt his effort for a second but the results just aren’t there……..
In short, it will be difficult to fix this O with what we have. The bounce I had hoped they would get from Beltran never happened. Last year, if you look at the last 2 months of the season, the Giants were winning games with the long ball. Most of those guys are gone or on the DL now or just plain sucking this year. So if the blue print to success is the 2010 version than I think it better if we didn’t try to follow it. We just can’t, we don’t have the offensive firepower in 2011. And if any of you disagree with this opinion, please start by explaining how Orlando Cabrera is a #5 hitter on a major league baseball team…….
A Place To Talk About Giants Baseball 
I can’t disagree with anything you wrote Flav. Per Yahoo, “The Giants are hitless in 17 at-bats with runners in scoring position in the three games against the Phillies this weekend. Over its last 16 games, San Francisco is batting .157 (16 for 102) with runners in scoring position. It got so bad that first baseman and crowd favorite Aubrey Huff was booed loudly by the home crowd after grounding out to Hamels.”
Wow! That’s pretty putrid. But ya know what? I still sleep well. I’m still optimistic. Here’s my analogy – I lost 11k on the stock market Thursday, but they were all paper losses (because I still have the stock). Big fucking deal. I went to a concert that evening and had a blast.
Same thing with the Giants, i.e., the season still continues and until game 162 is played, they are still in it. In other words, “don’t SELL the Giants short” and do something different . . . umm, like attend a concert.
I like your optimism blade…I have to admit it’s tough for me as a fan right now, but I keep reminding myself that it’s early august and thank god this is happening now! this is what helps me sleep at night…would like to see Nate back in right though and torres in CF
Interesting that you capitalize Nate but not God…
lol dloo…I think it auto
corrected:)
A week ago, after we took 2 of 3 in their yard with the only loss involving he who will hopefully never pitch here again, the sentiment was quite different, no? Hunter Pence suddenly makes Philly the best team by far, as the Merc guy said? Nice player, but I ain’t buying it.
Evaluating both teams when one is up and the other is down is unrealistic. I seem to recall hearing a lot of the same shit last year, when no one thought SF could match up with all the other teams and big stick offenses, and consensus was we were lucky to get in at all. As we all saw, the pitching held the other teams down, SF scored enough to win, and the parade was here and not in boston, new york, atl, philly or anywhere else. Even Philly blog fans know what can happen in short series, and they don’t want to see SF.
And while the offense has definitely not lived up to expectations except for Sando glorious rebound, the pitching is still excellent top to bottom, and defense is too (whitey has to go tho). Reds continue to slide and hopefully hernandez will be available, solid addition to what was already recently added. Not spectacular, just good solid players, and an improvement over what came before them.
This offense can still take off despite their current situation. Streaks make a team look worse or better than they actually are. Losing streaks are painful and frustrating and they never seem to end but they do!
Yes sir re bob, we was aglow leaving philly; not so much now. Tis a tough track these streaks, but only a new day and looking at the season picture keeps perspective. booing Huff is harsh, booing the team, non-productive. We will see an uptick in offensive success, our defense is decent and pitching will prevail.
this series has looked like the 2008 giants playing the 2008 phillies
ugh!
oh, and, Go Giants!
I think the belt to 1b discussion is for next year, not now. He could certainly get some starts in LF if you want to go that route, but that means somebody other than Huff sits. Since none of them are hitting, fair enough, but Huff is only one of the problems, and other than MDR or Sando, which would weaken the D, there aren’t near the options.
what I don’t get is how you can reasonably expect either MDR or belt to come in and just light things up. where has this ever happened before? When’s the last time either of these guys ever hit a ball hard? How can anyone “project” they would do so now?
Cabrera is a #5 the way Bengie Molina was a #4. Similar circumstances.
When everyone else is blind, the one-eyed guy is king . . .
Chuck is KING!
Listen to the fucking beatnik poet. What time’s your reading? That empty chair in the front row — that’ll be me.
There still isn’t anybody other than the Giants who’s going to win the division…
As far as Beltran, let’s get it straight- if he doesn’t step up it ain’t on Sabean and it ain’t on the other guys. Garko was on Sabean because he should have known that Ryan was no ugrade. Beltran was, by EVERY expert observer, the best bat available- and he’s hitting in front of Pablo and getting pitches to hit – they ain’t pitching around him.,no, if he fails, it’s because he gagged it up, there’s no blame anywhere else…
Now, since blame is the game around here- Cabrera in the 5 is on Huff, Ross, and the Cave Boy. When all three of those supposed middle of the order hitters go South, you’re left with, well- Cabrera..Nate is a total fucking mystery- it’s like a spell wears off. How does a guy EVERY fucking time he gets a shot, do the same el foldo? The dude everyone wants up to the one who makes you hide in the other room when he’s announced? If you want Belt, the best course is to dump Grok as soon as Belt’s 10 days are up..
Rowand or Torres? Andres still has the better OBP, as poor as it is, and he’s shown he can create runs when he does get on.
Here ya go, Huff in the 5
Torres CF, Keppinger 2B, Beltran RF, Sandoval 3B, Huff 1B, Cabrera SS, Schierholtz LF, Stewart C, Lincecum P
Or like I posted last night…Shit CF, Shit 2B, Beltran RF, Sandoval 3B, Shit 1B, Shit SS, Shitholtz LF, Shit C, P
Great, here we go again.
Very quietly, the Dodgers are now 8 back in the loss column. Don’t say I didn’t warn you…
It’s a lot different if they’re chasing two teams instead of one.
I think you warned us about that last year,
I’m going to have breakfast down at my little local Alley Cafe, they’re HUGE Giants fan there. Memorabilia like crazy. Hopefully some of that will rub off and bring me, and the Giants better luck today.
Have I mentioned that both Bochy and I are superstitious?
this lineup at least feels better…on paper!
The lack power is also to some degree symptomatic of the problem. Huff is no Pablo, yet he has only 32 walks this year. On one of the game broadcasts, I heard Beltran had counseled Sandoval to stay aggressive. Carlos himself has 1 BB in 42 PAs so far, which is definitely not his usual MO. Torres, Huff, and Burrell provided not only power, but a patient approach at the plate last year.
I wouldn’t pull Torres from the line up. He’s as likely to get it going as Huff is at this point.
Maybe Carlos should STFU and listen to Pablo.
Left out today: Rowand, Whitey, Font, Ross, DeRosa. If you’re not Vern or Vera, no LU bashing today.
It will change( God, I hope so), but Beltran’s OPS with SF is lower than Rowand, Torres, Nate, Ross, Fontenot, Huff, and WHITEY!!!! He’s edged out Miggy and Jonathan Sanchez, though.
I would start Torres every game for two weeks, make him bat LH exclusively regardless of opposing starter, and see what happens. His speed, if and when he gets on, seems to energize the hitting. Rohand as leadoff is a friggin joke. He should be kept on the pine for RH pinch hits only, or start only against a pitcher where he has a history of raging success that he just can’t be sat. If Torres flames, platoon Ross and Nate in CF. DeRosa? Lurie had a good stat this morning. He’s career 13 for 29 (.448) against Oswalt with an HR and multiple doubles, in Kruk words, “ownage”. Yet, DeRosa NOT starting. Bochy almost always plays a guy with history of success against the opposing starter, even if it’s something from a small sample like 3 for 7. 13 for 29 is outrageous ownage. So, WTF is DeRosa even here asked Lurie, in so many words, and I have the same question…
Maybe Bochy figures he can’t possibly keep that up.
I would agree with that thinking.
If that is the case, then DeRosa’s contract is dictating personnel moves, and that’s crap. I’d rather see Burrell on the 25. He’s probably healthy, he was in the scrum the other night, he’s just being parked until September. Burrell at least might run into one and hit an HR, and power is what the Giants desperately need. Over a month with no homers with a man on…
I had no prob with DeRosa being here but they’ve made some mystery PH choices as he sat. I’ve not been a Pill fan but you’d think this year’s numbers and his increased versatilty would have earned him a look if Derosa is just going to sit. Hell, add Edgar Gonzalez, Eldred, and Christian to that list.
If DeRosa is brought on the 25, he has to be ready to play. That is just simple baseball logic. If he is not ready to play, then there IS a mystery about why he’s here. He could be DFAd, nobody would pick him up, he goes back to AAA and rehabs more, then see what happens. If he doesn’t play much or at all, then management must be asked why a precious spot has been wasted for 20+ games on a team that can’t hit…
“It got so bad that first baseman and crowd favorite Aubrey Huff was booed loudly by the home crowd after grounding out to Hamels.”
That report from Yahoo sports is not true. I was there; there were a few scattered boos. Very scattered. “Booed loudly” should mean actually booed loudly, if written language is going to mean anything.
I disagree with BF that Belt has been mismanaged this season. The Giants had a need for him when the season started; and he didn’t do all that well. He’s just going to have to hang in there, and try to succeed with the opportunities given him.
Well, it was loud enough to hear on the radio, and be commented on by Miller…
I think the booing was from some folks in the lower sections, the season tickets. They paid a lot of money for their seats, so I don’t begrudge them their right to boo.
But if a news reporter says Huff was “booed loudly” that creates a false impression of what happened. On a scale of 1-10, with a “10” being the kind of booing Lasorda used to get, the booing Huff got was about a “1.”
But….any booing at all is something new, and means a threshold may be beginning to be crossed where more folks might join in on the booing. I hope not. That seems kind of bandwagony to boo guys that won us all a World Series last season.
A lot of silly talk, as usual, but Victorino gets the Eddie Haskell award for ” i wasn’t rushing the mound, I just wanted to ask Ramon a couple questions” ( Words to that effect)
I don’t think much of Selig, but he can show integrity for the game by bouncing Victorino for 10 games. No way should anyone be able to toss around an ump.
Howsabout a knuckle samich, Ramon?…
Keppinger’s one of the few Giants who hits the ball hard consistently. Even his groundouts are usually hit hard.
Wow- Beltran had hit into a doubleplay before I could even finish typing that.
Yeah, I like the guy. He can come back next season, find a place somewhere at SS or 2b or both for utility. Seems a solid player, maybe a .280 or better guy. That’s gold on this team…
I think there’s more likelihood of Torres getting going than Rowand regularly producing. And I think Torres can only do that with regular playing time, not spot starts. Rowand on the other hand, has had some good pinch-hits lately. I like him in that role and as Snarkk says, a spot start where he owns the guy. As for Belt, one way to force the issue is to produce when in spot starts and pinch-hitting; he’s done neither. Nate performed in those roles in 2009 and 2010 and won playing time for that. With Cody in the mix, and also not performing, but with a decent track record, I’d like to see Ross-Torres-Beltran regularly, and let Nate try to PH his way back in the lineup. Our bench has actually been a pretty big hole, outside of Fontenot’s brief run–and that was when he was inserted as a starter. Huff will continue his slow climb, will not reach 2010 numbers. But if he gets 18/80 that would be a real help. I think it’s still enough to win the division and perform well in the playoff–if the laggards improve even somewhat.
That DP was just bad fucking luck, which is the only kind they’re getting right now..
Agreed. I like the hit and run by Bochy, it just didn’t work out.
He’s trying to make things happen. That’s all I ask…
Yo Flav, BLBBawbag/Uglyfinder from the Splash here. Don’t want to look like I’m trying to spam your blog or poach readers or anything, but is it cool if I let people know about my Niners/Giants blog? jondowdsrevenge.wordpress.com
If anyone wants to come down and share your thoughts (in between Flap posts, of course) it would be more than welcome.
Sure, watch out for the idiots that Chuck let on his blog. Good luck, I’ll check it out.
Giants pitchers again giving up hits to opposing pitchers, and it bites them. Ouch.
Beltran’s ABs appear to have been now infected with Giants disease…
Well, it only took me 4 fucking days to get back from Idaho. Flavor, reacquaint yourself with couch. Couch, your master has returned….
Next time, take a car.
I did. Car broke down in Reno and a comedy of errors ensued………
Is it legal for Sandoval to hit behind Sandoval?
Maybe Huff put the rally thong on after that DP…..
WTF is Stewart doing? Bunting on his own with the bases loaded?
and then Lincecum does it too? Do these idiots realize that if you do that on your own with the bases loaded the runner at third is basically fucked at home unless it’s a perfect bunt?
I have a new metaphor. Giants trying to score a run is like trying pass a kidney stone…
Does this also work Snarkk? Giants trying to score a run is like an 80 year old man trying to lay his wife without Cialis.
Just wondering . . . Ha.
Yeah, it works if she’s 80, too.
If she’s 35, it’s worth the frustration…
That’s a play where the runner from third can go after the catcher and end the catcher’s season if they want to. That shouldn’t be left up to the whim of the runner to decide. Huff could have done damage to Ruiz if he had wanted to. I’m glad he didn’t. Baseball should deal with this stuff, but they won’t. Months after Posey’s injury, baseball is going to pretend that it never happened, and go on, business as usual.
Time for Selig to ride off into the sunset…
Like diving into a swimming pool and coming up with a glass of water, we got — *one* — run out of all that?
Should have scored two minimum in the 4th…bad execution hurts
A lot going on for one run- but face it- every fan in the Western world thought we were fucked for even one run when Stewart was up…
What the fuck is Amy babbling about?
How can you get 4 hits and barely, barely score 1 run?
Panda asleep at 2nd, doesn’t take 3rd on the Huff pop screw up.
Wonder of wonders, Stewart gets a hit, but Huff can’t run worth shit, gets held at 3rd.
Timmy can’t get a bunt into the infield, Huff can’t run worth shit, tagged at home
Only the Giants…
Sandoval should’ve also tagged on the long fly.
The secondbaseman was standing at secondbase on the Rollins drop. Panda couldn’t go far off the base, and there’s no way he beats a throw to third.
Panda wasn’t asleep, he had no where to go with that
Disagree with Loo, too. Doubtful Panda beats the throw from the leftfielder. For a FAST runner, that’s a somewhat chancey thing, tagging on that kind of play.
actually, Timmy trying it wasn’t the worst thing in the world. It keeps him out of the double play and who knows, maybe he gets lucky. But Stewart trying to bunt in that situation without Pablo knowing what was up AND with the pitcher on deck? That was just stupid……..
That Stew bunt try had to come from the bench. Stew is hitting freakin 209. Bochy probably wary of Stew into a DP, too, and get nada for the inning, so a safety squeeze attempt seemed right. I liked that early in the count. Bochy is trying today. Then, Stew inexplicably delivered…
every single time I watch Howard bat live he strikes out………
This Phillies team is beatable. I know their fans are already planning their trip to the World Series parade, but this is no juggernaut that’s going to automatically win 3 playoff series in a row.
Keep watching then…especially when they play LA
Let’s make Beltran predictions for this AB.
I predict he hits one over the CF’s head this inning.
Fuckin A.
Extend Keppinger now 🙂 …
That’s the thing that people mean when they say trust your teammates. Keppinger has to trust the next guy to get him in.
Unfreakinbelievable.
Giants hitters are so anxious, so nervous to get a run in, they just do everything except.get it done. Terrible AB by Panda. I guess contact play was on, that was brutal…
That was on Kepp- You don’t put the contact play on with no out..stupid baserunning.
Normally you don’t. But, the way he’s managing today, Bochy is all in to win this one. A good post-game question for Keppinger or Bochy…
Cabrera is stinging the ball every time…
And he puts the ball in play consistently, which puts him ahead of a few of the guys.
Quit the bitchin’…Lincecum has the lead now…sit back and enjoy…the dude knows he needs to stop this recent streak and has the balls and grit to make it happen…
Who the fuck are U?…
I’m the guy that sees how you guys are whining about winning a baseball game…
This is a Giants blog, come back with a better name, chump…
I’ve been here off and on for three years…I’ll come and go as i and Big Flav see fit…and the name rox…of course yours is fitting…must suck to be ‘friends’ with you…
I can escalate this just as well as you can OR we can just cool the bullshit…it’s on you…but don’t be a jackass for no fucking reason…
Better that your’re “off”. You started the bullshit, Jackass…
Yeah…NO!…you stirred the shit…per usual, reading back through your past posts.
Seeing how you don’t wanna cool it…
I’ll say this…You got bent reading my post about enjoy the game now that you have the lead and that’s when YOU went off on me…
Glad your having problems with your internet connection…I won’t need to read your shitty comments
This is truly torture today. Giants have a guy fresh back from the DL on the ropes in 2 straight innings, can’t put him away with a big hit. At least Cabrera clutched up and got the sac fly.
Hopefully, this is not the script for a bad loss where you totally outhit the oppo…
What a blast for Keppinger and Pence, to go from Houston to playing on division-leaders.
Are the Giants really snapping out of this?
Or, is Oswalt just totally rusty being fresh off the DL?…
Panda gets shit for not tagging when he would have been out by 10 feet, then gets the shit for a stupid baserunning gaffe by Keppinger… then a play to save a double- silence.
I return from breakfast at my lucky Giants-fans cafe and we have a 3-1 lead?
Do you believe in superstitions? I’ll have Bochy eating there next Sunday.
Well, they’d have fewer LOB if the 3 guys who stopped at third, hadn’t… follow?
TWIN–short version: replaced the sata cable and that seems to have done the trick. I’m going to pick up another one at Fry’s a install the new drive as a secondary one just in case.
I know I’ve been out of action for a week but who the fuck is Tony Bruno and how does he still have a job at KNBR after the “illegal alien” comment.?
Hope that’s it- tekkie rule of thumb- start with the cheap solution…
Don’t know if this goes through — the blog is screwing up on my end. Gotta run — go Giants!…
I think Huff hurt himself…
Thanks, Moe Howard.
I wouldn’t mind if this became a NON-SAVE situation…
TWIN– I’m also in the process of running a disc drive check to make sure there aren’t any faulty blocks. No idea what I just typed……
Let me know… nuthin’ worse than bum blocks
I should also point out that my buddy was quite impressed with the system you built……
Snarkk . . . Still here? Just read back the comments – Sandy is a stand up good guy (except for being a Bum fan) and congratulated us on winning the World Series last year. Just sayin’ . . . 🙂
yes, I should have said that too. I’m down with Sandy…….
Absolutely.
unlike every other team in the league, these philly hitters don’t take too many pitches from Wheezy
Yay!!!!!!!
Ballgame
And they stay in first as AZ rallied to beat LA…
Friggin Ransom no less
AZ won, too.
Tough call on POTG………My boy Kep or Tim?
Kepp 4/4. Loo, this is quite a day for you……….
I’ll take credit for today’s W because of my eating at the lucky Giants cafe. I’ll also take credit for the pork chops, eggs, French Toast, home fries, hashed browns, biscuits ‘n gravy, sausage and bacon.
no cherries jubilee to finish this fine meal off?
Damn Del…you eat like Damien guy…
I hope your American Standard has a dual flush mechanism for that meal.
LQTM but barely containing it……..
Cody Ransom hit a 2-run HR to win it for AZ
Was Brian BoCOCK on base?
Best news: Giants will NOT lose 100 games as they got their 63rd win today. So doomers will sag a bit. Second best news: Even though the Snakes Ransomed their win over the Bums, Giants cling to first with a whole half-game bulge. Third best news: With his gem against Philadelphia Timmy joins the double-digit win club once again with about nine starts to go. Slightly scary news: Pittsburgh lost their 10th straight, playing the Dagos. So they might be in the punctured hornets nest mood. Contrarily, they could be dooming and dragging as they head for the Bay.
Season series: 4-3 Philadelphia. This is not so dire if you consider the fact that only one slim game spells the difference between being one down and one up for the year against the team that has well and away the best record in MLB. Giants are now 11 1/2 games behind the Phillies if you look at it that way, as Timmy’s win was only the 40th loss for that team as against a shitpile of wins. Most other teams have not played as well against these guys as SF has.
Concerns: Beltran still dragging, but could bust out at most any time. His next four series will be against Pittsburgh ~ whose pitching seems to have tanked; Atlanta with a couple tough starters and about three nasties in their BP; Florida, a team now running on fumes but could get into a spoiler mode; and Houston, against whom the Giants will play approximately an eighth of their remaining contests. Contests, if you can call them that. Second concern: We are still sketchy and leery about Drrrty Sanchez. Third concern: Most teams would have scored about 7 runs against Oswalt today what with the opportunities.
Inspirational thought: After the Atlanta series the really tough opponents should be history. Team may be able to coast just a bit after the middle of the month.
good stuff stix!
When they’ve lost 7 of 8, you take the win and bitch about exactly nothing
Bingo. Take the win against the Phillies, lick the wounds, and hope the Pirates stay in a slump long enough for the Giants to get the ship righted.
Does Keppinger in the leadoff spot make any sense? Especially on days Torres sits?
From Baggs:
“I would compose an “Aubrey Huff can’t hit, run, throw OR FIELD” tweet. But he did steal a base.”
It is totally unprofessional for the beat writer to be trashing a player- and whether it’s true or not is irrelevant..I’ll add that Huff gave a true “gamer” effort tofday.
He’s been baiting his blog readers more lately. He made a sarcastic comment about the Giants favoring the veterans over players like Belt, which was basically trolling for comments on his blog.
The comment was something like “I’ve been covering this team for 8 years so it’s no surprise to me how they treated Belt.” This coming from a guy who is selling copies of a book about the Giants’ World Series championship.
Agree, it’s an ignorant statement. He also had two walks which the Giants haven’t been doing. A walk drives up Oswalt’s pitchcount and increases the likelihood he grooves something to batters who could use something grooved to them.
KNBR should cut all ties completely with Bruno. If they don’t, listeners should boycott his show, and threaten to boycott more of KNBR’s shows. I boycott a lot of the shows already because of their general lousiness.
ESPN had a brief note that Bochy called Bruno’s comment “racist.” It was, and good for Boche.
Bruno is finished on KNBR. Anyway he’s down in LA.
BLEEP!!
Bruno’s schtick got old with me a long time ago. He can be a pretty funny guy, but I just get tired of a one-dimensional act like his. Good on Bochy for calling Bruno out. Not only was Bruno revealed as an f’ing puke for the racist b.s, but calling Bochy a coward in the same sentence definitely was a punk move.
Whoa. Loo channeling Nipper. That’s just Shirley McClaine scary… 🙂
On the issue of Baggarly bagging on Huff and making the statement: “I’ve been covering this team for 8 years so it’s no surprise to me how they treated Belt.” The backstory is that Baggarly got raked over the coals HARD on his twitter feed by fans wanting to know why guys like him covering the Giants don’t ask Bochy and Sabean tough questions about the handling of underperforming vets. I think the fans giving Baggarly a hard time were out of line, but Baggarly made the mistake of taking it personally and came off a little bit like an ass whose main interest is protecting his access and not asking Sabean or Bochy any tough questions.
So his comments seem to be an attempt to put some criticism of the teams handling of the Huff/Belt situation into his work. Dunno if that is going to satisfy the screamers.