Another Dog Pile Finish to an Important Win
We’ve now scored 7 runs in the last 4 games and have improbably won 3 of them. If we had won all 4 you can bet that the guys at Elias would be trotting out a stat about least runs scored over 4 straight wins since 1897 or whatever….
I’m a little surprised that The Panda is the favorite for September MVP. He really hasn’t been hitting since he hurt his shoulder and the fact that he still can’t swing from the right side is a huge concern. It’s also a testament to his resolve that he is playing through all these injuries…….
Surkamp’s debut was noteworthy not because of his pin point control, which he didn’t really show last night, and not for dazzling stuff, which he doesn’t really have except for his curve ball, but rather for his ability to gut his way through 6 innings giving up a single run that really should go to Huff’s ERA, not his. It’s got to be so much more difficult for a starting pitcher to make his debut than for a position player to make one. All eyes are on you for every single pitch you throw. A dude making his debut in right field can pick daisies for half the game and really only get noticed at the plate or when he makes 3 or 4 plays a game in the field. The kid probably had some normal butterflies. His debut is out of the way and he finished it on top of a dog pile win. How great must that have felt for him?
And finally, welcome back Andres Torres. Ross has not been boss in your absence. Rowand has been…..well, you know. Here’s hoping that your presence in CF and at the top of the LU has a propelling effect on a team in desperate need of a jump start….
And now for a shout out to a great Giants fan, here a 2 pics of BLADE’S 2nd cousin Victoria as she met both The Panda and The Belt at an autograph signing down in Santa Clara.
A Place To Talk About Giants Baseball 
I just have this feeling that the season is going to come down to game 162 again.
Dirtn rock..
Schedule does not look good. last 4 series
SF 4@ Co, 3@ LA 3@ Az, 3 home CO
AZ last 3 series all at home
3 Pitt, 3 SF
3 LA
We better sweep those 3…
Well, you make sure to worry about those starting now..
Is she rocking a baby giraffe hat? I dig it.
From todays Houston Chroncile on todays Astro starter Bud Norris:
Bud Norris gets to check off one of the biggies on his major league bucket list today.
His 64th start in the major leagues will be the first time he gets to pitch at AT&T Park.
Norris (6-8, 3.73 ERA) is a native of Novato, Calif., which is about a half-hour away from the Giants’ home park.
“It’s a childhood dream to play in front of everybody, Norris said. “Playing in the big leagues is one thing, but going home and trying to beat up on your hometown team is definitely what it’s about.”
Norris attended San Marin High and started following the Giants back in the days they played at Candlestick. When the team moved downtown, he’d take the ferry down to catch the Giants games as often as possible.
“I came to a bunch (of games),” Norris said. “Back in the old days at Candlestick, I’d pay a dollar and go sit in the bleachers with some buddies. I’ve been to a lot more games in this stadium — probably 50. I was a big Giants fan growing up, and I’m proud of what they’ve done in the last year.”
At last count, Norris’ ticket request list was at 25. That doesn’t count the friends who nabbed tickets as soon as they had the dates of when the Astros were coming to town.
One of his dreams, he said, is to pitch for the Giants. Of course, the Astros have control of his services through 2015.
“I don’t know what the future is going to hold,” Norris said. “I’m with Houston now, and I’m going to pitch for them and do everything I can. But if the opportunity presented itself down the road, it would definitely be an honor to pitch here and play for my hometown team.”
Hope torres can breathe some life back into the lead off spot…that would mean top of the order shaping up nicely as Beltran is really starting to whack. Anyone behind him does anything, runs scored avg. should jump.
the new pitcher call up to make a start thing happens a lot, as Atl did it to us on the last road trip. The P is the one with the advantage as no one has ever faced him. Often these work out well for the call up. Surkamp gave up 4 well hit doubles, 3 early walks, a very wild pitch and an HB, but kept the Astros ( who are mostly kids besides barmes and lee) off the board til Huff blew his pickoff. Shea said he might not go again until Sept. 6 vs. Pads, after the Bax series, probably a good thing
I just think guys like him have the greatest potential to get lit up, akin to vogelsong. In other words, he’s not giving up bleeders and bloops, but blasts when he makes a mistake/the other team connects. I don’t think you could pitch Vogs vs. Philly or Brewers in their yard (or any AL winner) during the playoffs and succeed. to me he is the SP most likely to get hammered. I realize I am in minority here, just mho. “skeptical face” according to my gf.
WillieD–I partially agree with you. I wouldn’t start him on any road games but I would definitely give him a home start. You can legitimately question whether he keeps it going all year since he’s got a lot of innings on his arm this year and I think he’s getting into some uncharted territory. But the fact is, he’s got a 1.98 ERA at home this year. That’s a real number from this year, not a projected number or something he did LAST year. I say, roll with him at home……
That was a terrible game last night, I can’t believe anybody was stupid enought to watch it. Snarkkles had the right idea.
I just checked out Chuck’s blog, I figured it would be a hoot after last night’s Niner game. Jesus man, do you monitor anything over there? Currently, by my count, there are at least 4 death threats and/or aggravated assault threats against York and Alex Smith. That is really over the top. You know, threats like that on the internet are dealt with legally all the time. You can to jail for that shit…..
What’s he got over there, 3 or 4 crackheads? One of them, no names, is already being “observed” by authorities and 49er security.
well, by leaving it up there he’s hardly discouraging it. I think when get death threats and aggravated assault threats it isn’t too hard to make the call that those posts need to come down….
You’re under police surveillance, Mr. Kersey. You’re being watched…
Thanks for posting the photo’s of my daughter Victoria. It was her very first sports memorabilia show that she had ever attended, and she got to meet Brandon Belt and Pablo Sandoval!
We caught Belt at the end of his signing so nobody was around. I looked him in the eye and told him, “We need you to become one of the leaders on this team. You need to play the game like Troy Tulowitzki plays the game. If you take an 0-4, then forget about it and go get ’em again the next game! I told him that Troy is from around here (Santa Clara) and that I’ve gotten to know him, and he is a good guy.” Belt agrees that Troy is a good guy, and a good player.
End result of my pep talk…Tulowitzki goes 2-4 2HR’s, 4 RBI’s……Belt goes 0-4 with 3 K’s!
He’s a work in progress!
Finally, I crossed path’s with this terrific sports artist named Armando Delgado who was selling some incredible prints of the SF Giants. I actually bought one of his Sandoval & Lincecum prints. Armando has done a lot of work over the years for the Giants and the 49ers. Pablo Sandoval was so impressed with his work, that after he signed the print that I had purchased, he asked me to show his friend where I had purchased it!
Check out Armando’s website here: http://www.painteroflegends.com
great first post, CD. Blade is one of our favorite’s here at the Flap. Don’t be a stranger here and while you apparently suck at pep talks to pro baseball players 🙂 you look like you are doing a fantastic job raising your daughter as a genuine Giants fan. Keep it up…….
thanks for the link, there is some great work there. Some of it is a little busy and over the top for my tastes (like the Zenyatta piece) but I love that he’s a huge horse racing fan and that Cepeda piece is outstanding……
Greg, tell Victoria and Kathy I said hi . . . Flav, thank you for posting the pics . . . Much appreciated!
I didn’t realize how short Belt & Sandoval are…
Yeah, that’s a great site . . . Question – Who the hell is “Mark Wilson?” Is that Brian’s real name????
Old Raider QB (Marc)?
“The closer remains the most overrated role in baseball”, was a direct quote from James early AM on aug 25 thread re: trading Sanchez for Bell. I’d agree with him on this one. So far, small sample I admit. but the pen is handling not having wilson available to pitch quite admirably. Those who thought closer by committee wouldn’t work (chuck being most vociferous as I recall) have been refuted by the results so far.
Add in the activation of Romo, and to me losing wilson for however long he is out is least of SF worries. Rags, bochy and the guys out there, from mota and edlefsen to whomever comes in later, have been outstanding.
disagree. A successful closer can unravel pretty fast. You noted the small sample size and I will also note the shitty competition. In fact, no one really wants to talk about how we are ALL OUT every game to beat the worst the NL has to offer but that’s a fact, Jack…….
I understand, and I’m not denigrating wilson. But if even the best can and do unravel (including Papelbon, K-rod and Brad Lidge) I think that kind of supports my point. Most teams, when ahead late, win a very large pct of the time. to pay one guy, who only works in those situations, a ton of $$$ all year mostly to sit around seems like a poor allocation of money.
I think SF has enough depth to get along without wilson just fine, short term or longer. As to the comp, romo and the others have been getting out mlb hitters everywhere for quite some time. I just wish the Pads gave the Dbax as much hell as they give us….starting today at least.
there is a LOT going on at Delgado’s website. He’s a churn and burn artist for sure. But there are some very appealing posters. I might pick up a couple and frame them myself. My *money wall* at work could use some additions. –the Dravecky poster is awesome because I was sitting in the bleachers that day. I already noted the Baby Bull piece. Brian Johnson’s was electric. The Sunday Silence/Easy Goer poster will be my first purchase. Good stuff there……..
After reading Wilco’s 8:41 post, I want Norris in a Giant uniform ASAP. I always rooted for Grilli for the same reason. Back when SF drafted him, ESPN, I guess showed a clip of him getting the phone call at home and going insane because he wanted to be a Giant so much. Wheeler, on the other hand never heard of McCovey Cove.
Grilli [not on Pirates] is a local boy, despite what any official bio says. His father was a major leaguer and he’s from Baldwinsville, NY. Ironically, I don’t think Grilli ever ended up throwing a pitch for us.
excuse me: now on Pirates
Magnus, I must comment on something we may take for granted: your writing. Case in point: your post today is fun to read and informative and appropriately opinionated, to encourage comments. It’s not easy to come up with a “column” every day or so that is halfway interesting. And you get better and better at it. Thanks.
Well said, Pawlie. Flav’s the best.
There’s also a great topic in Room B that I wish you guys would check out and add something…
Nobody goes to Room B anymore. The guy with his cock in the tailpipe probably got more hits than “Trailer Trash 3D”…
It needs a splashier logo and a publicist. I always thought it had great potential…
thanks Pawlie. That’s ironic, today was one of those days I really couldn’t come up with anything other than the obvious to discuss. My threads rarely lead a discussion, you guys take it from the morning and run with it…
Ramirez had a loss, not a BS ( Doomin’ Denny’s most recent “Non-Save Situation” spiel)..so by my count, the post-Wilson closers have been successful 75 percent of the time, a number that would cost the closer his job. Obviously, 4 opportunities is too small a sample either way, so neither side of the argument can be proven by what’s transpired here. Nothing has been refuted.
With Wilson out, the “can’t bring the closer in a tie game” dictum would rule out at least half the bullpen.
Geeks at the Weather Channel must be so glum today. They are just gleeful with excitement when shingles and roofs and piers go flying.
Yeah, I was flabbergasted that some women anchor on MSNBC was a bit disappointed when the Hurricane was downgraded to a “tropical storm.” Moreover, she said that New Yorkers wanted to “brag” about being in a hurricane. Huh?
I did not see it, but following online DeRosa’s steal immediately reminded me of Darren Ford’s move vs. Colorado late last year, which was pivotal to our season. Is that a fair comparison? Let’s hope it is just as pivotal this year.
Ford’s thing was ballsy and electric. De Rosa’s was more of a shock that it actually was happening (the steal and then his decision to come home on such a short ball to the OF). As he turned around 3rd you could see his sheer will fueling his legs–perfect cut of the base paths and he was running as hard as he’s probably run in the last 3 years, lol. He was making it safely, in his mind, without question……
DeRosa got his steal on a botched hit and run and would have been out but for the great slide. That and his score were, in many ways, more impressive than Ford’s heroics.
Um, okay, so I’ll ask ya: who’s the BB in the POTG pic?
de rosa’s wife.
As I see it, there are two keys to september: Torres reverting to form and panda reverting to health. Bochy’s going to need to find a way to give Sandavol a day here and there to speed the recovery.
Flav, who won the prognostication award yesterday? it wasn’t me!
nobody had 2. BillBill went with three, then downgraded it to 2.9. Not good enough!
Curses! Missed it by –><– that much!
You really have to admire Panda for playing thru all his pain…I remember seeing him last weekend in Houston shagging balls before the game…He was walking like he has was trying not to shit himself…You know the feeling when you have to shit, and the only thing you can do is press your cheeks together and do that stiff legged waddle to the the shitter…That was Panda last weekend…Not sure if that was from the ball he fouled off his foot the previous weekend or the quad muscle…Maybe both.
Amy G: Surkamp and Runzler down to make room for Torres and Romo.
They’ll be back in a few days, of course.
@Schulman: Bochy says Sanchez not getting better; concern about season.
Well as I said a while back, he actually might not have made the postseason roster anyway…
Quite convenient to brag on a prediction rapidly becoming MOOT..
CBS site earlier had up a pic of Jerry Rice Jr., walk on hopeful at UCLA, who played for Menlo School. I coached a kid who played b-ball there for a few years that eventually wound up playing football for the Big Red of Cornell, up in Pawlie’s neck of the woods.
Anyway, Roger Craig’s daughter rometra also played at Menlo, before he got her out of there and into local powerhouse Mitty of San jose. all of a sudden she’s MVP of the league and one of 4 D-1 players on that team. She eventually wound up at USC. There was only one other D-1 girl in the entire league, and they beat the second place team by 40. Half court trapped the entire game, too against everyone.
see, this is the kind of shit that’s gonna not let me get a word in edgewise as you and SanDawg go back and forth. 🙂
You’re still coming right?
yes. One of the kids on that mitty team with roger craig’s girl played her college ball down in SD, Kerry Nakamoto. another one was at cal, Kristin Iwanaga. both super all around players, half japanese, who lit up the asian leagues on their club teams.
As Andres’ #1 supporter, hands down, even I must say that there is an inordinate amount of expectation being put on him for the stretch.some of it is actually quite humorous. OBVIOUSLY more should be put on Beltran’s shoulders. With that said- go Vungo.!!!!
expectation is the wrong word. “hope” is more like it. There really isn’t anything to suggest that Torres will magically recapture last year’s production. But there at least is the chance, he’s healthy and playing again. And I really can’t think of another guy on the team who is likely to turn their season around. Burrell, maybe. If Belt continues to strike out we might see us a lil’ Burrell, see if he’s got any pop left in that bat…….
“Hope” would describe your feeling, but not the general tone.
That guy swimming in the Bay….is that really a good idea? This year I learned that there’s a certain amount of mercury in the Bay leftover from the years of mercury mining in the Bay Area. I had never heard about the mercury mining in the Bay Area, and it turns out that’s how the San Jose Mercury News got its name. I never knew all that.
Bay fish so good. Yummy!
Nice couple of ABs from Huff and his presumed successor
If I had to rank the players who I think are most likely to produce/turn their season around, I’d probably go Beltran, Torres and Burrell before I went Rowand, Huff or Ross……..
Cain is just toying with these kids……
Another reason I’d like to see us try to work more counts to get walks: We need base runners jsut to break up the rhythm that all these average-ass pitchers get into from the wind up. And since just about everyone on our team is hitting .230 we simply don’t have the hitters to hit their way on base. That’s why we go so many consecutive innings where nothing happens. No hits and no walks. Meanwhile, Joe Dipshit is happy as a clam on the mound in a perfect rhythm….
There is a certain set procedure to the Giants offense these days.
A. Break up the no-hitter
B. Score two runs
C. Hope that it’s enough
cross *A* off the list!
If Keppinger dives for the tag, he would have gotten him.
Give the stros credit tho…cain walks the speed guy and he steals second right away. Sac bunt, sac fly and they are on the board.
Giants probably aren’t sweatin’ the 22 mil owed to Huff this year and next. They’re gonna sell double that # of those stupid giraffe hats (Huff’s the one who nicknamed him). Of course, if he keeps striking out every at bat, they might stop selling them…..
Marty Lurie had some usual idiots on this morning. When Caller #1 demanded that the Giants sit Huff and Ross for the rest of the year Lurie responded, as he usually does, with “who are their replacements.” Caller #1 goes “Pill and Belt”. Lurie goes “Belt is hitting .230 just like Ross and Huff.” Didn’t even phase the guy, he just kept going with it……..
Sando right now is just outside the top 10 in batting, tho without the necessary total of ABs to qualify.
End of season he would need 502, doubtful (currently 365 I think). Anybody know who was the last Giant not named bonds to be in top ten batting avg.?
Sandoval, 2009..
probably Kent (mvp season?).
I have no idea what possesses these people to bring their dogs to the game. What a gynormous pain in the ass that would be to manage. You have to keep them next to you or on your lap the entire time (dogs love sitting, without being able to move around, for 2–3 hours at a time with lots of other dogs nearby them). And then there is the crap/piss clean up that I’m sure is fun to deal with on concrete.
Woof!
found sando in 2009 (dumb of me not to recall that one) and winn in 2008 at .306.
For some reason, in my mind, I thought Sandoval’s 2009 was his first year when he came up in Aug so I dismissed him as a possibility due to not enough at bats. But I just checked, that was 2008 and he had a complete year in 2009 that I don’t remember. Weird. Winn did most of that with TB, do they let you count your full season stats if you split the year in both leagues? I mean, do they let you qualify for stats titles if you split the leagues in a season. I don’t think they do.
Willie McGee won the 1990 NL batting crown as a member of the Oakland A’s…
I brought my cocker spaniel to one of these back in ’97 and had a great time, might’ve been the first year they had it. Giants beat the Expos. We did the parade around the field before the game, which was pretty cool but a bit stressful worrying about the dog doing something on the warning track. As we went by the dugouts, the only player I remember checking it all out was Steve Kline, who was with Montreal.
Whiteside is just fucking worthless. Bochy gets a lot of slack for having to fill out a mish-mash LU of crap every day. There’s only so many different ways to smear that around. But Whiteside playing? Ever? Sabean is just as guilty for keeping him on the team.
How sure are they about Posey’s future as a catcher?
fairly sure. The Giants would be dumb to move him to 1st base or outfield, at least at this point in his career. His numbers are great for catchers but pedestrian for a corner infielder or an outfielder (not referring to the Giants CI’s or OF’s, obviously). Plus, he wants to catch. he’s getting paid to catch. And the Giants have no back up plan, as this year has shown. I’d be shocked if he wasn’t catching next year.
“mish-mash” ….”crap” …..”smear”…..sounds like the doggy park.
I would still support a Rowand for Carlos Lee trade, even in the offseason…
RHuff, RHuff!
I’m not convinced that was fair yet..
So they lied when they said it hit the foul pole?
Just checked- clearly fair.
I couldn’t tell on the replay. Don’t forget I’m 3,000 miles away…
Happiness is just nine/tenths of a run away!
whitey keeps moving away from this guy…time for something in on his hands.
They’re lucky he didn’t hit that out.
Beltran is absolutely fucking pathetic out there.
I guess everybody is at Snarkk’s drinking Scotch and watching the Soap network…
0-2 .190 hitter with the lead RBI..
He’s up to .201 now.
Yes, yes . . . damn, damn!
That’s why Mays never stole with McCovey hitting…
that’s f-ed up. His hand got back in there, the guy tagged him way up on the armpit.
Stros kept pitching derosa away, and he burned them again.
Game should be over right now.
When a player gets as steamed as DeRosa was, you know he’s right.
Boch has to get his money’s worth on those ejections and show a little emotion for Christ’s sake!
I’m not convinced the ump blew that call…looked to me like the tag got him on the forearm just as he touched the bag. Tough call—could have gone either way in my book.
The Ump probably changes his mind if Bochy spits..
no, huge blown call. And, as I’ve noted, Kruk loves to give those to the other team to show he’s no homer…
OMG, another Spread Flip advocate..
it was a terribble call, not close.
James: was that one of those good strike outs by Belt?
Will 4K Whitey actually bat again?
I could be wrong but it seems like Bochy has never PH for Whitey or Stewart all year.
This feels like a first.
Is it 0-2 on Rowand yet?
Or is Rowand batting for the Pitcher? I just got in, have been listening on the radio for most of the day.
After reading how Bochy and Rowand don’t get along, I can’t fathom why he hasnt been DFA’d yet.
No shit. Bochy is the LAST guy Rowand should be angry with after all of the chances he has been given. Any other manager would have pushed to DFA his ass a long time ago.
WJ, where did you read that? I hadn’t heard that.
I think baggs wrote about how they weren’t exactly dinner date partners, or something like that. Coulda been Carl Stewart, I can’t recall.
Up to Font . . . come on baby.
boy that blows.
Pffffft!
Damn. I hexed them; affledt and ramirez both give up runs.
Ugh. From dog pile to dog poop.
No willieD . . . I was the one that jinxed them, i.e., calling Melancon’s wife “handsome” the other day.
4 games out, with 28 to go. The math is starting to get a little grim.
Blade, besides talking up the pen not missing wilson, I also said that teams usually win anyway when ahead late. I doubt SF has lost a handful of games all year when ahead after 7, esp at home.
Eh, 4 out with 10 to play is grim. 28? We could lose 5 straight right now and still be semi cool. Lots of heart shown today. Next week they gotta show some runs.
Flav, that should be our motto for next week . . .
This week Heart and next week runs!
Ironically, I am now watching the Rockies and Dodgers game . . . Rocks had a 7-2 lead and the Bums have come almost all the way back at 7-6. Two outs in the 9th. Who knows . . . Rocks might win another Sunday game (something they haven’t done much lately you’ve probably read)
Math was “grimmer” last year- 6 out on this date.
Henry just asked Bochy about Tejada jogging to first on the bunt. I had noticed that, no idea why he wasn’t busting it. Hate to see non-hustle now.
I wasn’t watching then, but isn’t that unusual for Tejada? One of his attributes seems to be hustle and enthusiasm.
Yeah, we’ve all praised him for his hustle. Unless he had hurt himself, he wasn’t today.
Weren’t we 6.5 out this day last year?
6
http://tinyurl.com/4xdlrx2
If the D-Backs go 14-14, the Giants have to go 18-10 to set up the one-game playoff. It’s hard to visualize this team going 18-10, but then again maybe the D-Backs have a big stumble ahead of them. It could happen.
I think we all know it will be tough.
Well, I will say that the series v d-backs this weekend will be huge. We have to win that series. Sat night gm is the Flap Get Together. Good time to channel some flap karma into some runs and a win
Do you plan to record this momentous occasion?
Fuck yeah. Had we won today there would have been several exclamation points after “yeah”. San dawg is the man, I could hang with that cat every day. willieD will be wheelin’ it big time in the outter outfield. Ewisco, should he organize His calendar correctly will take the infield. I, of course, will be pitching to one of those orange netted back stop things from the 70’s. I expect our orange back stop thingy to get at least as many hits as Whiteside would have gotten, had I started him. Sorry, free styled this post whilst I wait outside for the BBQ to settle.
test
Yes . . . Remember, only number two pencils will be used.
I’m game. Is it gonna be in essay form or like jeopardy?
Oral
I hate to be a doomer, but this is why teams don’t repeat. The players are likely also saying…28 to go. No problem….
Why don’t we ever see Huff or Ross busting a water cooler with a bat?
Rowand, Whiteside,Tejada,Cabrerra,Huff,Belt,Derosa,Torres Huff, Ross all hitting under .250. TEN PLAYERS! Why do we think that is going to change?
The optimistic ones look at the pitching staff and the crappy division, dude…
How to tell you’re dealing with a doomer:
The post begins “I hate be a doomer, but”
“We’re a goner” is another one.
Hey, Flav, have you banned the name Juan Marichal from the blog? I tried to type it in Room B twice and it…I don’t know, vaporizes?
Okay. Obviously since the above posted, you haven’t banned his name. Nevertheless, it wouldn’t post in Room B
Twin’s a little more high brow than me–won’t let just anyone in, gotta KNOW somebody and shit. JK. I think it had something to do with that different email address you were using. Just go back to your usual one or pick one that isn’t so new-fangled. Spam filters don’t like new-fangled, they think it’s spam……
Yes. Neither his name nor Alex smith’s shall ever be spoken of under my watch…..
No dude, I’m double down with JM. Sometimes your email sends u to my spam filter for some reason. I’ll take a look after dinner
Quit worrying about the big issues like repeating. That will work itself out in September. If the Giants don’t make it so be it but having a bunch of nervous Nellie’s crying about it repeatedly over the course of the next few weeks will do no one any good.
I was talking about my spam filter. Where did you read “repeating” and “worrying about it” in this post?
Key hits or plays today in a game ultimately lost by the pen were from Huff, DeRosa, Cabrera, and Torres. Yes, I know it was a loss but SD is wrong that guys who previously struggled can’t have big Septembers. No, not all 10.. but it’s not unusual at all for a few to get hot.
In fact, as the season gets to the end, all it can take is a hit or 2 from a .200 hitter to be a difference maker..September baseball is a different season altogether..
I hate to be a polly, but… we’ve been right for a couple years ( AND this one, whatever happens).
Anyway, after 4 quiet at bats, we saw why so many thought that Vungo might be the spark Quite simply, there is no one else on the team who can and does turn getting on base into a run.
Giant obscurity and career mediocrity, Ron Pruitt, had the biggest hit of the almost miracle ’82 season…