Staying Confident While Reality Crashes Down Around You
6 out with 26 to play? No problem! I have stayed as confident as is Giant-ly possible over the last month despite the seeds of desperation growing into something that feels much larger than me this morning. I dreamed of August 23rd. That dream came and went with me staying confident. I dismissed 4 out with 28 to go as not a problem. Still confident. I bragged about The Knowing Dude Head Nod knowing more than you. I affirmed great confidence that we can beat the Cubs since they are built much more like we are than the scrappy, speedy (L)astros are. We promptly lose 2 straight (and neither game has been close) to this team supposedly “build like us”. Meanwhile the Snakes forgot how to lose and have won 8 straight putting us currently 6 back with 26 to play. In yesterday’s thread I said we had to win 5 straight or the season was toast. We lost 5-2. Snakes won easily…..
And here I sit trying to figure out how to back track out of that “toast” sentence from yesterday. My hands are folded together with my index fingers forming an upside down *V* tower that I am tapping gently against my lips. I have the faintest “knowing dude head nod” going right now……
And what I’ve decided is this: I was wrong to use the *toast* comment, it simply isn’t over yet. Do I feel confident in this team or any of my countless predictions that we would win the West by several games this year? No. That confidence is as dead as the bloody, shredded dead bunny that one of my cats brought in this morning. I have been forced to face who this team is and it is not who I thought they were. But it’s not over. Yet. We play the Snakes this weekend and if we sweep them we are still in this. Could that happen? Absolutely. Do I think it’s gonna? Well, I’ll just say this: I am lacking confidence that it will happen. But I will root for it to happen and in a fan’s world, *rooting* and *reality* don’t ever have to intersect for even a moment. But in a *moment* rooting can overcome reality enough to make a dream come true. That’s not some corny bs that I just scribbled out of my keyboard. Stop and think of sporting events in your life time where the result didn’t make any sense. Where the winning team didn’t *deserve* to win. The Cardinals went 83-78 in 2006 and won the World Series. Did their season record indicate *deserving* to win the World Series? Of course not…….
There will be something painfully perfect on Saturday night as The First Ever Flap Get Together goes down and I get to watch the game with some true Flapper fans. It could all end that evening. Or it all keeps going. Who knows. I am holding on to one last desperate shred of hope that we somehow luck our way into the playoffs this year. I don’t care if that looks pathetic and it’s a far cry from the confidence I once proudly owned. But I am a fan of this team till I die and there has been and will continue to be many times where my rooting doesn’t intersect with the reality of the situation. I imagine many of you feel the same way. Go Giants……..
A Place To Talk About Giants Baseball 
Very good post Flav . . . I will not give up until we are mathematically eliminated from the “dance.” Until such time, I’m all in.
Since I am finally doing half-assed good in our Flap Fantasy League now, I will make this analogy . . . At the beginning of June, I was floundering in 10th place, with 62 points (approx. forty some points behind the leader) . . . My team was made up of fine cheddar connoisseurs (and Flav knows exactly from where I speak). Fast forward to last night – I am in 3rd place, 95.5 points, 11.5 points from your ass.
Since you introduced me to FL baseball, I have NEVER lost in FL, winning baseball, basketball, and football championships. I am also going to win the other baseball league I am in. In short, I don’t plan on losing the Flap League and have a blemish on my record. Realistic? Of course not, but like the other Flap winners that frequent your blog, I don’t believe in EVER giving up and I wont.
Nor, will the Giants . . . and nor should each of you 🙂
I’m kind of inured to watching the offense struggle, but for me most disappointing has been watching the PS just not be good enough. Cain blew a late lead the other day, and the pen guys gave up runs in consecutive innings after SF had tied it. Watched Lincecum give up 3 bombs, and btw drivng home from work/ trip to the library heard Flems describe all the hard hit shots Vogs gave up (I stand by what I said couple days ago, he is most likely to get hammered of all SPs, and now it’s happening at home)…tho I’m less surprised at that, he put the team in an early hole, not good. Then afterwards Mota isn’t sharp and Ramirez can’t get out it before letting the insurance runs come in.
That was always SF trump card, that I thought could carry them through the rough times. More than anything, I really want a shut down game from Bum today. A quick and decisive W, an off day to recoup while the new blood rejoins the battle, and mano a mano vs. the Bax., our house.
Not to go all dooming, but i’m just not seeing the “fight” that they’re going to need to pull this out. Last year when they took one to the chin, they got right back up and threw a haymaker of their own. This group sseems to just sit on the mat, rubbing their chin wondering what the hell hit them. Maybe if pat the bat starts putting a bunch in the bleachers, huff might get fired up, which might ignite ross, which could, planets all aligning, get them rolling. I don’t see any of the other september call-ups providing that spark, though they could really help fan the flames should someone start the fire. Beltran looks like he’s going through the motions, though maybe that wrist is bothering him more than we know. It’ll be interesting to see if anything comes of baggs noting that Ross used the word “selfish” when refering to the lockerroom. If the finger pointing starts, it’s katie bar the door.
looking forward to saturday, win, lose or draw.
Saw a couple interesting article on fangraphs: one on Surkamp (pitching rich get richer) with some interesting saber numbers. Writer seems high on him as good addition to Cain Lincecum Bum SP leaders next year.
The other (overpay candidates off season) lists Cuddyer as someone writer suspects will attract a contract way over value (bad L/R splits, poor D range at 2B and OF, mediocre stats compared to other 1b)…and of course Sabean’s name comes up in blogger comments underneath.
I think if you asked SF fans, anyone paying Beltran anything next year would fall into that category.
One of your best posts, Magnus. Made my day. And it’s only 15 minutes after noon.
as dead as the bloody, shredded dead bunny that one of my cats brought in this morning.
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Cool.
And I don’t see no fat lady yet!!
Right on Ted!
Hey, they may do it, and they may not, but I’ve lowered my expectations a lot. It’s the only way to maintain sanity watching these guys scuffle through wasted opportunities, or get shut down by the like of JA Happ and IP Freely. They may turn it around starting today, but if they don’t, then we still have 2010. AZ isn’t slowing down. And a sweep is needed. We know this. They know this. Will September make a diff? Sure. Why not?
Come next year, who knows what we will see? The Giants would likely have the $90 million bench in Rowand, Huff, and Zito.
Burrell, Tejada, Fontenot, De Rosa, Affeldt, Ross, Mota, Whitey, Beltran, Stewart, Mr Clean, Cabrera, and maybe the big $$$ on the bench go as well. And whither Torres?
It’s gonna be crazy when this season ends, regardless of what happens.
I can easily see half of the current 25 gone next Opening Day. All the usual suspects of position players you mentioned will be gone, plus the Gamer and his .077 BA with 2 strikes will be somehow cleared out. They must get a decent, second catcher, they obviously don’t think much of Sanchez for near term help behind the dish. Affeldt, Mota, Ramirez probably, too. At best, Torres gets an invitation to ST to fight for a spot. The question is whether Sabes is up to such a task…
Right now, SF must go 19-7 (.731) the rest of the way to get to 90 wins, while Ariz needs only .to go 500 at 13-13 to get to 90, with their last 9 games at home. Today is as close to a must win as you can get for the Giants. They have to stay no more than 6 back heading into the Dback series to have a puncher’s chance. If they lose this one today and the Dbacks win tonight, making the lead 7 games heading into the Dback series, it’s over. In that case, the numbers get near impossible; 19-6 v. 12-13 to force a tie at 90 wins. I’m not counting on the Dbacks to finish out the string much worse than .500, their run scoring is too good, and the competition is weak, they’ve already had their losing streak.. Even to tie at 88 wins, Ariz would have to go 11-15 and the Giants would have to pull out of this nosedive in a totally improbable way…
if we go into Friday 7 back and sweep them we are then 4 back. And we still get to play them 3 more times. I have no confidence that is going to happen. But it could. Therefore, we are not DEAD if we lose today and they win…..
I would agree with you that they are not dead if they get 7 out by tonight, IF this were last year’s team. Compared to that one, this team has flatlined; it is not on the upswing. It has no energy, no pop, plus some clubhouse rumblings — nothing to suggest it can go on the necessary run — and that’s assuming Arizona finishes out at around .500. Would it be possible? Sure. But, heading towards the level of the ’51 miracle finish…
Exactly Flav. Where is James when you need him? Either him or another of the mathematical geniuses that frequent this site can explain the math, not withstanding the obvious probabilities that are staring us in the face. We all get that the Snakes have the advantage. Duh!
However, I’ve seen too many teams lose that thought they were in the driver’s seat, e.g., see San Diego last year or the 2007 Rockies.
The latter team trailed the Los Angeles Dodgers, the Arizona Diamondbacks and the San Diego Padres for most of 2007 Major League Baseball season – however – by August, Colorado showed a steady series of wins, while the Division-leading Dodgers began to struggle.
By September, the Dodgers were eliminated by the Rockies from playoff contention, and the Diamondbacks were expected to clinch the National League West division title. The Padres held a steady lead on the National League wild card spot. The Diamondbacks eventually clinched the NL West division title, but the Rockies shot up with one of the greatest comebacks in baseball history. They were a major-league best 20–8 in September, after trailing 6 games on September 1. They won their last 14 of 15 games, including 11 in a row, the most of any team in the 2007 season and an all-time franchise record. The only loss during that streak was on September 28 to the Arizona Diamondbacks, a loss that clinched the Diamondbacks’ playoff spot.
Hey, I hate the Rockies, but there is an example of “never say die.” More astounding is the fact that Rockies fans are a bunch of band wagoners. Giants fans in general, and specifically Flappers – are better than that. Go Giants!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Snarkk thinking…..thinking…
The season isn’t over until Twin says it’s over!
Isn’t this typical of baseball, yesterday’s heros are todays bums. Success can be so fleeting.
Is there not enough in life that must be dealt with by facing a perhaps grim reality ? The kid is a miscreant, the bills total more than the income, your hair is falling out…here’s what you need to understand to have the proper perspective on baseball: it’s unimportant. Sure, we yell at the ump, groan when Rowand grabs a bat, cheer wildly and boo loudly- but when they’ve won or when they’ve lost- you’ve only had three hours of diversion, hopefully enjoyable,but of no import..a couple of posters have said “not to be a doomer”, or words to that effect- well, then don’t. It doesn’t serve a purpose, it doesn’t make you feel better, it doesn’t change what will happen.. there’s not a reason in the world, whilst viewing a nine game deficit with ten to go, to not say: ” it ain’t over yet”..
Your best post since, well, maybe as long as I’ve been here…
I’d rank it about 223rd.
It is your best, or one of your best. A beautiful treatise on PERSPECTIVE. Thanks.
Look at Snarrk’s posts. He’s taking great pleasure in the misguided belief that only he knows the difficulty of the task ahead for the guys. He leaves out the most important bit of info as to overcoming that lead, though: it happens all the fucking time…
There is no pleasure in this reality. The thing that bothers me is the knowledge that the Giants management, even with callups, will not try things out of the box to make something happen until all hope is absolutely lost. They’re a sinking boat, with all hands bailing with cups when there is a bucket with a hole in it sitting over in the corner. They’d rather bail with cups until water is over the transom than at least try bailing with a less than perfect bucket…
Lifeboats anyone?
If the team had as much collective spirit as the gang here on the Flap, i’d be sporting the fullface grin and the “what, me worry?” tude of Alfred E. Newman. But i don’t see it with this bunch. Currently Giants hitters add up to one of the most dispirited gaggles in the game. Lately, the rot has made its way into the pitching staff as several have noted. The ‘it’s not our year’ bug has hit and hit and hit hard. Having said all this, all it would take is a single spark. A starter say ‘fuggit’ and throws a shutdown shutout. A position player suddenly goes all 2010 on us and has a five for five day including three extra base hits ~ and it goes viral with his teammates.
Baseball is something like five parts talent and four parts psychology. Right now this is a beaten-down bunch. Hopeless, in a word. Individually and collectively they are not fractionally as bad as their recent performance. Talent-wise, that is. Spiritually, psychologically, all the injuries, all the bad decisions have gotten to them. One guy needs to go Nova. Needs to explode. Needs to go all balls to the walls ~ and over them. Without that spark igniting them this team is toast.
Rowand and Tejada have just been DFA’d. Shake it up, baby!
There just went 95% of my bitching and moaning material. I’ll have to make good use of that remaining 5%.
Dennis share a beer with the “stay thirsty my friends” guy. Then go out and skydive!
No shit? Dennis, do you have a link to this news?
The natives are restless……
That lays to ruin the notion that management “will not try things out of the box to make something happen”. A shocker, though. Also Pill is up, Burrell activated.
The drums are beating….
Holy Shit — Sabean picked up the bucket!…
Holy Shit Indeed
The expression “toast” originated from a nickname given to NYG DB Elvis Patterson…
heard the same on KNBR … they’re reporting it’s a Bagg’s story coming up. Tejada DFA’ed. Rowand packing his locker (though they were careful to say that they weren’t certain if Rowand had been DFA)
baggs apparently tweeted about tejada and amy g tweeted about rowand. she also added that burrell is activated and pill’s contract has been purchased
Twin’s 10:08am post is excellent as Snarkk points out (despite the “wise one” rating it 223 on his hit parade). I watch/listen to the game in part, for the reasons Twin cited. Also, in part – because when I was a kid, my best friend and I would dream of making it to the big leagues. Not only dream, but take countless grounders, pitch to each other, i.e., we were consumed with baseball 24/7, where we were at the ball field until dark or when our parents went searching for us, calling us home for dinner. This continued in high school too; however, my friend and I did not have the talent to play MLB, much less minor league baseball . . . and that’s were the dream ended. That’s ok. We still loved the game and that never changed, nor the team we both grew up loving, the San Francisco Giants.
where we were at the ball field until dark or when our parents went searching for us, calling us home for dinner.
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Exactamundo, blade. In my case more often the playground but that’s probably a memory for everyone here.
Dont let the door hit you in the ass Miguel…sad conclusion for Rowand…
http://www.miamiherald.com/2011/08/31/2383877/tejada-rowand-designated-for-assignment.html
Henry and Baggarly both report that Rowand and Tejada were released. The pisser is not giving Miggy a chance at 20 HRs.. he was so close..
The end is never easy…..
LQTM . . .
Maybe this is THE spark!!?!!! All I know is I’m ECSTATIC that i don’t have to watch rowand’s batting stance anymore.
Boy am I jazzed! Gimme a bat and put me in coach.
Bochy said he was feeling sorry for the fans. I didn’t realize how much he meant it. And Dennis is right. He’s going to need some new material. Better make that emergency call to Bruce Vilanch
Bruce Vilanch? Last I saw of him he was sitting next to Whoopi on the Hollywood Squares.
My respect level for management just spiked. Whether these moves jump start anything, I dunno. But, more importantly, they were the right things to do. Management knows the water is just under the transom, and acted like adults to stop the boat from sinking. Getting rid of two sources of internal discontent has got to be a jolt one way or another to this moribund clubhouse…
moribund?
any other year, this “collapse” (I am not ready to throw in the towel) would have been gut wrenching, hair pulling “here we go again” meltdown in Giants history, but after last year, I am not losing any sleep over this. In fact, three straight nights of getting to bed early!!!
I am so at ease, I shot by best ever round of golf yesterday with an 81 at a Fred Couples designed course in Fairfax, VA! 9 pars and one birdie!!!
And there is always fantasy football…someone just needs to stop Flav from winning our league this eyar. As with the Giants, my fantasty team began its swoon in August, but as with the Giants, I am not giving up!!!
Management needs to spend the off-season building a proper lineup, one with speed at the top that can get on consistently and we need to go out and get that right-handed smasher to hit cleanup and part with J. Sanchez to get that done…
Wow. Tejada was a given, but Rowand? I figured they’d dragged his ass around this long, what’s another month?
Well, there you go. This certainly at least lets the players know that mgmt ain’t gonna sit back and let this slide go on without lopping some heads along the way. Bubbles is not far behind?
I’m down with the fact that J Sanchez is gone after this year.
Has that been reported as fact?
No, but I’d say the odds are about 70-30 that Mr Clean goes. . . .
The team is finding out that what they did with Bonds is turning out like is it now.
It almost worked in 2002. It did work in 2010.
Just substitute ‘pitching staff’ for ‘Bonds’.
In 2002 it was spare parts and FA cast-offs around Bonds.
In 2010 it was spare parts can cast-offs around a great pitching staff.
It could still work, provided they score more than the 2.4 they’ve been scoring recently.
Henry speculates that Kroon could also be on the way.
And Baggs said management immediately signed off on eating Rowand’s contract.They will attempt to trade both players, as early as today.
“Sabean: if this thing “gets ugly” they’ll look at kids for next year.”
may be looking at kids this year…
Before I forget, Stix’s 10:28am post below is also classic!
” If the team had as much collective spirit as the gang here on the Flap, i’d be sporting the fullface grin and the “what, me worry?” tude of Alfred E. Newman. But i don’t see it with this bunch. Currently Giants hitters add up to one of the most dispirited gaggles in the game. Lately, the rot has made its way into the pitching staff as several have noted. The ‘it’s not our year’ bug has hit and hit and hit hard. Having said all this, all it would take is a single spark. A starter say ‘fuggit’ and throws a shutdown shutout. A position player suddenly goes all 2010 on us and has a five for five day including three extra base hits ~ and it goes viral with his teammates.
Baseball is something like five parts talent and four parts psychology. Right now this is a beaten-down bunch. Hopeless, in a word. Individually and collectively they are not fractionally as bad as their recent performance. Talent-wise, that is. Spiritually, psychologically, all the injuries, all the bad decisions have gotten to them. One guy needs to go Nova. Needs to explode. Needs to go all balls to the walls ~ and over them. Without that spark igniting them this team is toast.”
Now if we can get a starter to light that “spark” as Stix has indicated above, maybe we have something here . . . Who knows? Releasing Rowand and Tejada may be the impetus for that happening . . .
Torres CF, Keppinger 2B, Sandoval 3B, Beltran RF, DeRosa 1B, Ross LF, Fontenot SS, Stewart C, Bumgarner P
The shake up doesn’t look to bode well for Huff or Belt… Lopez is a “please hit the shit out of me” RHer….
Chuck, yes, I can see where Sanchez is perhaps gone insofar as being a key trade chip . . . But, they need to do that in the off season, when cooler heads prevail.
By the by, yes, Gamer probably had to go, but I will ALWAYS like the guy. He gave 100% every day and regardless of what you might think, he was part of the 2010 World Series Championship and without his contribution last season, we would NOT have won the World Series. I could give a rat’s ass what anyone else says, but he will always be a Giant in my heart.
I’m not saying Snachez goes now, but that he will get traded this offseason.
But it’s not “fact”.
Ok. Likely. Happy now, skippy?
Fuck the grammar police.
These breaking news stories just in: Presidential candidates Bachman and Perry admit they’re actually athiests, North Korea becomes a democracy, Richard Simmons and Megan Fox announce their engagement, Elvis Presley comes out of hiding and O. J. Simpson finds actual killers from behind bars
LQTM. Good one Ted 🙂
How’s Jose Reyes lookin’?
So does this mean Sabean and Bochy won’t be looking for 35+ year old vets for next year. One can only hope.
No. It means they’re going to re-sign Bonds
Their acquisitions worked out pretty well. For all the bitching about this year, the WS was won in part because of many vets.The injuries did them in, if they don’t make it.
Memories are short- would you rather there was no WS last year? Well, without the old fucks, there wouldn’t have been.
Renteria 34, Uribe 31, lose those to and sign Tejada 37, Cabrera 36. not even close to the abilities of those first two!! If you read my post it says 35+ year olds.
Rowand’s 9th inning grab of the hard-hit ball to the wall to preserve Sanchez’s no-no will always be a great moment in his career here.
Too bad there weren’t more stellar moments.
AP reporting, “Sabean said he was working to try to move both players to other clubs within the day so they could “continue their careers.” The Giants have 10 days to trade or release both players, but would have to trade them to a contender before Thursday for them to be eligible for another team’s postseason roster.”
Sounds like there is a possibility of reinforcements, perhaps by tomorrow or within the 10 days mentioned above.
I can’t imagine them getting a major leaguer or good prospect for either.
We were so happy on the Splash when he was signed in 2007.
As some were when Beltran was signed.
He had just had an All-Star year
Actually Loo, I can only think of two Giants players where the fans were universally appalled at them joining the Giants – one is Barry Zito and the other is Ray Sadecki (traded for Orlando Cepeda). In both instances, the fans had it right.
Forgot who mentioned this, but someone said that Zito may be next. Correct me if I am wrong, but I thought they couldn’t release someone who is on the DL?
Send him to Houston for Carlos Lee.
This is a recording…
how stoked is Rowand? He’ll be a Philly or a White Sock by thursday….
They wont release Zito I dont think, he will likely compete for the 5th spot next year when we move JSanchez for a bat…but I guess we are going to find out what Brett Pill can do…I still think he is more JR Phillips than Will Clark…
They agree with you, his numbers demand a look, though. Of course, he’ll now spark the comeback.
Who else should we get a look at from the minors if we are out of contention next week or so?
Peguero, Hector Sanchez, Crawford are about it as prospects, and only Peguero is considered a blue chip type.
Hector probably tops off as a #2 catcher, Crawford is unlikely to ever hit, and Pill looks to be a role player at best. They’d have to make room for closer prospect Hembree, the best of the lot.
I really liek to see Peguero…good call
Ted suggested Barry Bonds GH 🙂
I tried to ignore that one blade and ted!! But if Mr. Bonds is out of the legal hot wire by next spring, I would not be surprised to see him at spring training as a roving hitting instructor…
How about auditions for Darren Baker & Nikolai Bonds?
They needed a couple of scapegoats, and I certainly won’t miss either one of them. But with the exception of Pablo and Kepp, the whole lot of ’em have stunk worse than a dead skunk on the side of the road. I doubt this will have much of an impact, but what the hell, they have to try something. So who takes over the #2 spot on the unofficial Boo-Meter?
as affable as he is, Huff has to be a candidate; his three-hoppers to the right are a mirror image of Rowand’s three-hoppers to the left
Probably Beltran (if he doesn’t start hitting with RISP).
He was #! last night, by a long shot. He’ll rival Tire Fire soon, if he doesn’t produce.
Well, it perked me up. I don’t know what was happening in the clubhouse, but it sounded sour. Tejada’s now-classic “I just work here” did it for me for him. I always thought Rowand was a gamer, as we say, but feckless for the most part for us. My fave memory of him is the throw to Posey to nail a Philly at the plate in the NLCS. We might not have won it without his throw and Posey’s play. I applaud Sabean and the owners for the mega-message: this ain’t over, it’s a new day, we mean business, let’s wake up — or YOU will be gone too. And the biggest message of all: last year was great (basking, anyone? I surely still am) but we have work to do now, not flash our rings.
Thanx for that little reminder, I remember Rowand contributing something in the playoffs but couldn’t recall what it was. What would really perk me up is a Giants win combined with an AZ loss before we unleash Matty, Timmy and Vogey with some late-inning Ford base-running upon the Snakes this weekend.
“ExtrabaggsAndrew Baggarly
Tejada apologized to Bochy and Wotus yesterday about pouting when asked to bunt. Bochy appreciated that, said incident had no bearing on DFA”
saw that, plus Baggs cited an unnamed player saying of Rowand earlier this week: “He’s doing everything possible to get out of here”
John Shea tweeting he just talked to Rowand, saying the move was best for all concerned, words like that
And Captain Renault was truly shocked, shocked to find gambling at Ricks… 🙂
What we obviously don’t need today is the same old stuff; what we obviously do need is a seven-run first inning. From OUR offense. And a three-pitch no-hit top of the first. Go [insert vocative comma] Giants!
@knbrmurph: Taking all life lessons from Michael Corleone, Dept: #SFGiants to Tejada, Rowand: “There’s a car waiting to take you to the airport.”
Godfather stole it from Goldfinger, where he told his man-servant, Odd Job, to take Mr. Solo to the airport. Uhh huh.
Who in turn stole it from Bugs Bunny:
Rocky:”How much do ya know?”
Bugs: “Who, me? Oh, I know a lots of things. Two and two is four, Carson City is the capital of Nevada, uh, George Washington was the first President.”
Rocky: “This guy knows too much, Mugsy. We’ll take him for a ride.”
LQTM
A couple interesting/curious points from Schulman’s report on the Rowand move:
“… the Giants still owe him roughly $14 million … – this is the largest chunk of money the Giants ever have eaten when cutting a player.”
Would they dare top that (inre: B. Ziro)?
“Rowand worked hard to find a stroke that would allow him to contribute, changing his stance many times, maybe too many times.”
I honestly don’t remember this — perhaps “The Squat” was bizarre as to erase the memory of other stances.
Aaron Rowand. DFA’d. No longer a Giant. Fnally. Sounds great.
He was, in 83 post-AS break ABs, at BA .205 and OBP .205. They should have dumped him in the offseason after the WS win.
Anyway, it is Day One of the post-Rohand/Gamer/Squatty era.
I feel better already. I hope the team does…
They went and did it. Both here on the Flap and amongst our lesser bretheren on other sites, posters were calling for heads to roll, for dead wood to be chopped down. Unexpected and a bit of a shock. But the DFAs of the two worst cancers on the squad sent a couple shots across the bows. The message is powerful and it will be heard. Too bad it took till the ultimate moment for callups to be eligible for the Postseason. That and the attendant slippage in the standings. But this may have come down in the nick of time.
Bonfire of the vanities has commenced. Dead wood is aburning. Huff and Belt are on notice, judging from today’s lineup. It should have been one of those guys and Beltran, but the recent investment of Wheeler obviated that option. So evidently Carlos is very much now the man on the bubble ~ if he realizes that and if he cares. Guess we’ll find out as he happens to be slotted smack dab in the middle of the L.U. once again. Non-performance today at the level of last night and he has to be benched at least for one game.
Was the move magic? Burrell’s return as the spirit of the World Champions revisited should light a fire under Huff’s besotted ass. Big partyboy or what, he still has the talent which made him Huff the Magic Dragon last season and a bombardier in St. Louis just a couple months back. Pat needs to ride his ass or whatever it takes to get him back to snuff. Pat the Bat coming in off the bench to deliver the new baby would be nice to see too.
Brett Pill is the wildcard. Good numbers at Fresno but some hold that don’t mean shit. This is his one good chance. A magic Pill? The Orange Kool-Aid Acid Test will be whether or not this newbie gets the nod from Brucie for several consecutive starts ~ or just more pondering the pine. If Bochy reverts to form and yo-yos Pill like he has done with Belt, the manager goes on my shit list. Sabean bit the bullet. I wonder if Bochy is under instructions to do so as well. One thing we know for sure is that Pill will be hungry as hell, champing at the bit and all that. Do or die time for his baseball career. Desperate times call for desperate measures. Sabean just took the measure of fan displeasure and made the call. Bruce should give the kid a chance. Perhaps popping the Pill is what this team needs right now. Nothing else has worked.
Huzzah . . .
Who knows? Maybe Burrell is the missing clubhouse piece. But this is a good thing. Tejada was dogging, Rowand has been quietly complaining for a while now. Zito needs to somehow vanish off the face of the earth, but tha’ll never happen.
Maybe Bow Tie will take a lesson from today’s cuts. Yeah, it hurts some, but not much. The fans are universally saying “Yes”, it’s about time”. It’s welcome news, the fans get it. The fans would “get” cutting or trading Zito for a box of Fritos, we’ve already written it off. There is very little PR hit, if any. Giants are already on the hook for Zito’s $45 million or whatever is left, that won’t change. And, they still keep the salary expense deduction off the partnership income statement for tax purposes…
But getting Ford back should inject some life into these guys. Shit, even Crawford might. He went on a tear on the farm, but has cooled off. So? Maybe he fnds his stroke here.
It would be nice, but he hasn’t hit anywhere above High A.
I think Rowand is more of a mystery than many care to acknowledge- what happened to cause the drastic drop off those first two years here? He was .291 .359 .804 in the first half 2008. 2009 he was .288 .348 .806 first half. Last year he had a decent start, then was hit, but came off the DL smokin’ hot for about ten days, then went feet up; opening the door for Burrell…
Its hard for me to figure what happened after those good starts. Beat up? What?
I think it was too much BP . . .
I’m pretty sure i’ve covered this. He’s got too many moving parts. especially his head. watch good hitters (and good golfers) and their head stays pretty still. when you’re young, you can have the sort of hand eye coordination to pull it off, especially with lots of practice. but as you get older, that changes and you can’t. I could be wrong, and i’m sure you’ll point that out, but it’s a reasonable explanation.
Belt didn’t ( or hasn’t) hit . It’s on him, not Bochy. Period.
Gary Brown named California League Rookie of the Year today. Brown, Tommy Joseph and Craig Westcott are all postseason All-Stars. ( rookie of the year, that’s funny. Spend two years there and you’re toast as a prospect)
Joe Panik MVP of Northwest league..
excuse my ignorance, but who is announcing w/ Miller?
Hey! The y caught a flare! Things are looking up!
That’s Kuiper . . .
thanks; figured it out after hearing him say “swwwwwwwwwwwwwing and a miss”
Again, no bunt with guy on 2nd, no outs. Stewie is maybe the best bunter on the team, Bum up next can get the sac fly done — which he did, had Font been at third after a sac bunt. Bum is nails today, you get one run up, things are looking better. ..
You can’t say Bum would have done the same thing. The only thing for sure is that he wouldn’t. You don’t bunt to get to a .114 hitter…
Snarkk. Enough with the bunting. You don’t bunt to GET to the pitcher. Unless it’s Micah Owings (or the babe) . . .
Com on Tran . . . 3 in a row . . .
Back-to-back!
Kepp should be a keeper for next year. Where, 2nd or short and/or utility, but the guy is solid…
Not even a question about that. I’d make him the odds on choice for SS
Hey you guys, what’s that thing called? Ya know, it’s when the ball gets hit over the fence? There’s fans out there? It’s a “house run” or something? Help me out. We just hit one of those thingys back to back
Burrell back on the roster. He probably secreted 3 hotties from the Marina into the clubhouse to help get the guys “loose”. Two guys go yard immediately…
Keppinger is under one more arb year…so I expect he will be the utility guy rather than Fontenot…