Opening Day, 2012……
I tried to muster up the interest in a *prediction* thread but it just isn’t happening. I think everyone thinks this team looks good on paper. With the recent roster decisions as well as being only a year removed from the World Series, I would *predict* that this is the happiest and most positive the Giants fan base has EVER BEEN going into a baseball season. And it’s not much fun to *predict* something if everyone is slapping each other on the back predicting the same thing……..
So I’ll say they win 91 and move on to a more interesting topic: What to do with Nate.
I think this one is a slam dunk decision. You trade Nate for a #5 starter. I realize at this point in the season there aren’t a lot of teams looking to trade any of their starting pitching. But it couldn’t hurt to try and there are a few teams out there who could use a 4th outfielder and might even find Nate interesting enough to start. Baltimore and Pittsburgh are two nice targets. Both fan bases are used to losing and probably wouldn’t protest too much about an early season trade. Never too early to wave the white flag in either of those cities…..
Now remember, Number 5’s aren’t too appealing, we’ve been spoiled in SF over the last few years. But if you subscribe to the “ABZ” approach to rooting for the Giants then you have to lower your expectations on who you can stomach as our Number 5. I’ll pause for a moment while you make that adjustment……..
Keep going………
Lower.
Ok, that’s probably low enough. If I had more time this morning I could get more creative than this, but here are 2 pitchers who I would try to trade Nate for.
Jason Hammel–He’s a ground ball pitcher who has spent the last few years in Colorado not throwing too many ground balls. Now in Baltimore, a change of scenery will probably do him some good. He’s making about 4 million this year, he rolls with an ERA in the high 4’s and I’ve got a restraining order against him that specifically states he’s not allowed within 500 feet of any of my fantasy league staffs. But again, if I flip the ABZ switch to “on” I can tolerate me some Hammel in the nether regions of my Giants pitching staff…….
AJ Burnett: AJ is making a lot of dough and is currently out for another couple of weeks healing his broken eye socket that he suffered on the first day of spring training when he bunted a ball into his eye. Steady Flavor, “serenity now, serenity now…” Deep break, ok….But I actually could see AJ having a decent year in 2012. Getting out of the AL East will do wonders to your pitching stats. And this guy DOES have good stuff, he just never really, as Krukow would say, *learned how to pitch*. If you’re looking for hidden silver lining, his xERA last year was like 3.83 (I left the Forecaster at work, but it was in that ballpark). That’s a lot better than his non-hidden 5.19 ERA. Anyway, Burnett is owed 16 mil a year over the next 2 seasons and while I think the Yankees are eating a lot of that I would be surprised if the Giants went this direction…….
But there are other #5’s out there who Nate could be traded for, I believe…….
There are a few changes to The Flap as we enter our final season. The BB’s of the day will be spending the spring on the bench. I might bring them back in the Summer, we’ll see. I’m leaving the BBOTD-POTD’s because I think it’s a funny list. And let me just say again, I had a blast this winter coming up with BB’s for you guys to *caption* (Tom Petty, if you’re reading this, just think “closet-ed” and you’re good to go 🙂 ). Your creativity was incredible. The core group of BB *caption* bloggers were (in no order and I might forget a few): Bozo, Snarkk, WILLIE-D,Chuck, Dennis, AllyKat, Ewisco, Kevin, ST, TED, MacDog, a little of Blade, EDD, Pawlie and (not enough of) Loo. And I appreciate your great tolerance on the *dark days* when I would post a BB who you likely greatly regretted clicking on. That was all about me LQTM, baby……..
There’s also an ex-Giants page to follow to the right. If you want me to add anyone let me know. I’ll see if Matt Downs made the Astros squad, and add him if he did. That *watch list* is from the Flap Fantasy League so it will list who owns the player (or it will say *FA* if no one in the Flap league owns him) and it will also list what percentage of fantasy players own him in all of the espn leagues.
Of course, there will also be a Flap Fantasy Baseball Standings page and you can check on that one at your leisure…….
And I will continue to list a link to purchase Pawlie’s book, *Baseball’s Starry Night”. I’m 80 pages into it, and I’m enjoying it immensely. He was on the clock to get the book out on time and there are some minor indications of this in the book. But the stories from *that night* that he re-counts from baseball fans in St Louis and Tampa Bay (at only 80 pages in I haven’t yet gotten to the fans in the other cities) are riveting and the *way* he presents it makes it very difficult to stop turning the pages. It’s obvious that he did a TON of research when writing the book. Plus, there is an underlying love of the Giants that weaves throughout, which we all appreciate. I encourage anyone who loves the game of baseball to purchase it…….
Start the freaking season already…….
A Place To Talk About Giants Baseball 
THIS IS YOUR FUNNIEST OPENING MONOLOGUE YET. Might not be the best one, most well-researched one, insightful one, or fill in the blank one . . . but falling down laughter one, first coffee in the morning through the nose one – yeah, this one accomplished that.
At what part did the coffee go through my nose? It was building to a crescendo and finally broke through at, “. . . I’ve got a restraining order against him that specifically states he’s not allowed within 500 feet of any of my fantasy league staffs.”
Classic Flav. Question – You’re retiring this year? 😦
yes. Post 1000. Today was #699. Having an end-date will motivate me through this year. I’m not burnt on it as I have been at points of other seasons. But I just don’t really have the time anymore. And as you can see, I like adding things to the blog and I can’t really do it any other way–that’s just the way I am. And that takes more time, time that I really don’t have. I already get up at 5am (or earlier) to get all my non-dad duties out of the way. I might keep the url and just leave the blog open. We’ll see. That’s not until the beginning of 2013 though……
Well, continue the good work. Chop, chop! Wanking the chicken will not be allowed after punching the clock. 🙂
Advocating removal for the last element of the Danville contingent? This is blasphemy…
94 wins. btw, when did i become a pink triangle with a bad mustache Groucho look alike?
I don’t want to disagree on this New Year’s day, but I gotta say I’m not ready to dump Nate.
Until the whole OF situation shakes out Nate may come in handy. Pagan a slow starter? OK. Blanco? I’m rooting for the guy but I’d like to see a bit more of him before I trade anyone.Anyway I think the plan for Zito is to try and get four innings from him then turn it over to Mota or Hensley. I’d think that’s one reason the Giants are carrying two long reliever types in the BP. Plus, where do you hide the guy? $46 mil is a lot to pay for Murph to have another assistant.
The BB of the day was fun it sure helped me get through a long spring. Some very funny stuff came out in that. I had some back and fourths with Ted early on that cracked me up.
I’m not looking forward to the last Flap post but I’m going to have fun here while it’s still available,
I’ve never been very high on this guy but, I wouldn’t cast him aside just yet, tho I understand the motivation. What did we get for Fred, anyway? I don’t see Nate drawing much to the team in a deal until he shows he can do something, unlike ST. And if the other guys hit (huff pagan melk blanco), he’ll have a hard time getting ABs.
I was thinking about this yesterday, that there won’t be anymore of rowand leading off, font hitting third, or nate at clean up, or our double dose of back up catcher suckiness in the starting LU every day. No more tejada, o-cab, bill hall either. Breath of fresh air in the LU, and pitching mostly intact.
we got 25K for Fred. Either that or we got 25K for Frandsen, i can’t recall for sure. BUt Nate is considered more valuable than Fred (in my opinion). For starters, he plays gold glove defense. Fred just played the outfield like he was using an actual gold glove. Nate is also a better hitter. I think you could pass Nate off to a team for a #5.
Wow, this is my lucky day — first game of the season and a chance to defend Fred. “Nate is also a better hitter. ” Unless you know something about how Nate will perform this year, the record doesn’t support this claim.
hmmn….fred had a couple decent years at the plate here, .780 and .790 OPS, with decent OB around .350 and slugging as high as .440 Nate’s best year, last year, OPS of .756, and of course got hurt again. Sure, defense matters, but it’s a reach to call him a better hitter. I just don’t think he brings anything of value in a deal right now except prospect/pen guy, and not any SP worth having.
If you want to bring in guys with ERAs in the high 4s/low 5s, that means SF is going to have to score early and often to be in a game whenever these guys pitch. No more wellemeyers, pls.
Finally real games! Thank goodness.
Yeah I would still keep Nate,he’s still the best RF to play the funky angles out there and has the best arm of all the outfielders.His D will come in handy,and Boch will use him alot in late innings for sure.
you said what I was thinking…I’d not be so quick to trade or drop Nate
I thought the pink triangle groucho look alike avatar was bad until i saw all y’alls. Nip, i hope that dump comes out eventually.
Sharks game last night was pretty hot, big comeback on the road, bunch of fights and chippiness. Hockey settles stuff on the ice tho–kings guy takes a run at couture and blasts him from behind into the boards, and the sharks go right at him then and clowe fights him later in the game. You don’t do that to our top scorer guy, mofo. Clowe knows he’s going to sit for 5, but sticks up for a teammate and against dirty stuff.
The AL/DH bs, a pitcher throws at a guy for whatever reason, his hitters have to take the payback, and he gets off scot free. It never gets settled, like stupid ass ubaldo nonsense, b/c he’ll never bat.
Freaking Roger Clemens was a total mental case (roid rage?) who constantly threw at batters in the AL. Remember the world series where he threw the bat at the guy? I was stunned when he went to the NL (Houston) and nobody threw at him. My first pitch would have drilled him. what a total punk.
Nate: 426 Games .273 BA .318 OBP .723 OPS
Fred 517 Games .267 BA .345 OPB .751 OPS
Nate should go. Or keep him and send his cult to Pittsburgh.
But what about his late-inning defensive prowess? I can’t let go. I stood behind him in the Knothole, Game 1 of WS. Most memorably, someone shouted to Vlad: “You’ll always be an Expo.”
Being a long time Nate apologist I would still say that until the pill/blanco/pagan thing shakes out it’s too early to talk about moving him along. And while it’s possible to get a fifth arm with him, it’s by no means a sure thing. I guess I should also include huff/belt as who knows what’s going to happen there. As for ABZ, the timing should be about right for BZ to get a few starts while Surkamp is healing. and then a decision can be made. Speaking of Surkamp, if we do end up trading for an arm, I think i would rather see us re-stock the minors with some pitching talent. it’s looking a little barren down there. Nate or whoever (whomever pawlie?) for not just one 5th arm but maybe a couple of promising pitchers at maybe the A level.
Enjoy the day my fellow Flappers. I look back at being at the phonebook last year when they opened there. what a freaking day. I was talking to John Diaz of the chron who i was sitting next to (we were in Chron seats) but had to stop talking because i was going to start crying like a girl. I did end up “leaking” quite a bit. Complete with a huge rowand hit to win it! The Gamer. Vaya con dios Gamer.
Water World. I enjoyed your last paragraph. I cried at AT&T too. Something in the air?
ew – I was crying and laughing at the same time, it was a beautiful day. I missed a lot of the actual game because I kept looking over at the flag. For you Big Lebowski fans, that flag really tied the yard together.
yes!! Crying AND laughing and clapping. It sort of reminded me of the all Star game at the Stick when they introduced Garvey and Lasorda. Booing, clapping and laughing my ass of. And who was the here? Garvey of course. If we had cheered him it would have thrown him all off his usual Candlestick game.
Yeah opening day, I took the day off so I could catch the whole game on TV. For us Irish Catholics this is Good Friday, holy day, as well opening day for the Giants should be. Mass is at 12:10, I will say a little prayer for no injuries, and a winning season. Oh and a big prayer for my Fantasy team, if the past 2 yaers are any indication, I will need all the help I can get. Even if it is a little divine intervention. I will probably have to say 3 Hail Mary’s for asking God to help my FB team, worth it!!
Anyway GO GIANTS!!!! 🙏🙏🙏
As I was saying on Twitter, I grew up in a strict Catholic household w/ no TV or radio, no sweets, no music on Good Friday. My older, Buddhiscopalian self allows a waiver for Giants Opening Day. Also, as I noted last year, OD is so weird for me. We win, I have unbridled, psychotic optimism. We lose, I fear 0-162. Everything is skewed. I can’t help it.
Yes, church every Sunday at 8:00 AM, when I grew up only had the big 3 for TV, and I was my dads remote!
At long last–2012 Giants opening day.
Let loose the hounds and at Bochy’s signal—UNLEASH HELL!!!
In “Hamlet,” Shakespeare uses the verb “unkennel.”
Shakespeare had a 25,000+ word vocabulary. Waddya want from me??!! 😉
Magnus, what a spirited and diverse post! And thanks again for the book shout-out. You are perceptive and right. I wish I could’ve said more about this or that, corrected or amended that or this, and rearranged or retooled such and such. I also would’ve liked to have included photos folks sent. Time ran out. And baseball and its fans are unforgiving on minutiae. I fully expect to get a “he did not bat .108; he was .108 on Sept. 23, you moron!” — stuff like that. (I’ll call you one day to share more.) But I’m having fun w/ it. Have been on 3 Tampa radio stations, and on a Boston radio station Monday morning, which will clearly need a different approach. I thought the ESPN Game 162 special was pretty decent; they need to sell a DVD of it with “Baseball’s Starry Night.”
Go, Giants!
They’ll get Brad Pitt to play you, of course . . .
My pick: John Slattery, of “Roger Sterling” fame on MadMen.
Would you believe Jackie Coogan?
don’t you have to be over 50 to even know who Jackie Coogan is?
I’m under 50 but know who Coogan is. Then again, I like silent films *and* The Addams Family
I am over 50. Well, I’m 50 . . . Til the end of the month
Come on! You couldn’t post the FB standings today? Unca’s Army has a 30 point lead and is cruising to the WS!!
This may be my one and only glory day . . .
It’s Opening Day…at Keeneland!
Trade Nate? I could give a rat’s ass. But I think we’d be better served trading a Tommy Joseph and hopefully getting a better SP in return than what Nate could fetch. Just for the record I’ll go with 88 wins and one of the Wild Card spots.
Good luck.
Tommy Joseph is the best power prospect in the system. As the Room A administrator, I understand that you have to trade value to get value in return, but a prospect who has never played above “A” ball is not fetching a starting MLB picher. Tommy is worth far more to us than he bring in trade.
Meh … Navy F18 crashed into an apartment complex in Virginia Beach a little bit ago. 😦
Huh. My new avatar looks like a snobbish, bubblegum flavored Chiclet.
On my screen, it looks like a gay Bond villain. :puzzled:
BREAKING: I just got a call from “Gio,” who is in my book. Rays’ Pres. Matt Silverman [who said he read my book on Kindle] just put a copy on Joe Maddon’s book. It was signed by the three Rays fans. I love Joe Maddon.
CORRECTION: copy of my book on Joe Maddon’s desk.
Congratulations!! btw, from your new avatar it looks like there’s a new sheriff in town!
Nate gets chance after chance, yet his cult says he gets none. No need to post the poppycock that he doesn’t get LONG enough, it’s bullshit. Whether it’s injury or declining performance, he blows the chance to keep is job everytime it’s handed to him. Yes, he has some value off the bench- but trade him while he does have value.
Branch Rickey: trade ’em in their prime.
Not to take anything away from Timmy (because he is the best IMO), but per Baggs, “Tim Lincecum is 1-1 with a 1.59 ERA in three opening-day starts. With his fourth assignment, he’s second only to Juan Marichal’s 10 lid-lifting starts.”
Wow! Shows you what a stud Marichal was for such a sustained period of time.
yes indeed; on my list of books I am catching up on: the Marichal bio Pink Prediction Loo kindly sent me
my own prediction? Nate will be this year’s Rowand w/ a late-inning Gamer hit
I know someone who was recently in Birmingham, Alabama, home of Rickwood Field. Weird tidbit: Bull Conner was the PA announcer for hometown favorite Willie Mays. He called it a true Don DeLillo moment.
Not whining….but….the Giants having to open on the road again this year seems kind of unfair, and against a tough NL West opponent again. Last year, that 1-3 start in Dodger Stadium seemed to put the Giants on an uphill climb all season.
I believe Henry made the comment that the Giants ask to open on the road so they have more home dates in the summer when tourism is up in the city.
Thanks, Dennis. I was wondering about that.
It turns out, I shouldn’t gripe.
Henry writes today:
“This will be the 21st time in the past 28 seasons the Giants have opened on the road. Don’t blame the league. The Giants traditionally ask for road starts so they can have more home dates later in the season, when the kiddies are out of school and tourists flock to San Francisco. The Giants are 20-13 in road openers since they moved west. They lost at Los Angeles last year but won in Houston the year before.”
Henry’s stats are a little incomplete, though. It would be interesting to know what the Giants total record is in those opening SERIES on the road. Just for the heck of it.
Man, my avatar looks angry.
Bronze Metal, World Series Champ. Talk about a charmed lif though eh?
I’m partial to Schierholtz because he represents D town but he’s best served in the reserve role as most here agree. Despite the differenc in offense I I think he’s a better all around ballplayer than F. Lewis. I base this on the fact that I don’t hear circus music in my head when the ball is hit in his general direction.
I sure do miss the derisive analyses of Fred’s fine motor skills. Wasn’t the circus once a positive association with defensive play?
Fred Lewis? He’s got nothing on Fred Couples. The 52 yo is -5 in the clubhouse and tied for the lead.
Go Fred!
Hooo-gan!!
I miss the monocle.
She was the greatest of them all. You wouldn’t know, you’re too young. In one week she received 17,000 fan letters. Men bribed her hairdresser to get a lock of her hair. There was a maharajah who came all the way from India to beg one of her silk stockings. Later he strangled himself with it!
Give me a break about Fred Lewis,if he’s so great how come he can’t land a job? Becaause he Sucks in the field,and would cost any team more runs allowed cause of it.
I think they should have tried him longer in RF myself — he might have shared those uncanny carom judgment skills with Nate. We’ll never know.
Fred had his flaws, as does Nate. That Fred was the better hitter is not arguable unless one is to play the” fuck the numbers” game. Nate is the better defender. Although even K and K noted that he did play well in the field this spring. I seriously doubt he’d bring a respectable starting pitcher..before they decided to keep Hector I proposed a reserve catcher, that’s more like it. As far as snickering at the 25 grand, obviously we got taken-as Fred was a regular for Toronto ( 480 AB).
we’ll see if. If the Giants trade Nate I am betting it will be for a lot more than 25K and when they pull the trigger on a deal. I suspect that happens after two things happen: Blanco shows he can be a legit 4th OF and Zito has 2 implosion starts…..
will you ever stop clicking on Zito? That is our job.
BTW DmD is right and that is a fright
Chapter 5 of Pawlie’s book, gotta stop now, GAME ON
hope you are liking it over across the pond, even w/o -oUr spellings
Nate is that much needed left-handed power bat off the bench some people fret about. Almost as important as that Rh power off the bench. 😉
Theriot gets the start at second tonight.
Geez last time I noiticed Hector is a switch hitter,and with more pop then Nate coming off the bench ST.
What’s the lineup?
Poor Pavlovic, already begging the morons to keep it clean.
Pagan CF, Cabrera RF, Sandoval 3B, Posey C, Huff LF, Belt 1B, Theriot 2B, Crawford SS, (Lincecum P)
First Giant HR of 2012? Being the chalk eating weasel that I am, I’ll go with the guy who’d be the 8/5 fav on the board — Pablo.
Let’s GO GIANTS!
First HR = Melky
you read Forecaster at work?
and I thought those LQTM BBs were a bit naughty
it is 11:36pm in Derbyshire and I am up and ready for 2012, god bless you one and all
First HR: Not tonight…
Mariano blows the opener…
Only fitting. CC was still in line for the victory. He didn’t deserve the W today.
Some of the bigger SPs took it on the chin today…CC, Shields and Gallardo all got rocked.
I thought Tiger Woods was supposed to be playing the Masters this weekend. Not taking a vacation.
Every time I look up all I do is see him on the beach.
Huff has the only HR against Kennedy, might as well make it two.
I may be thousands of miles away, but I imagine I am in box seats @ BOB, or whatever it is called today, looking into the visitor’s dugout. I see some nervous coaches.
Let’s get this party started?
So, the Gmen go from AZ to the BA for the Bay Bridge and back again to beat the #1 starter in a season opener?
no tension then
I have Ian Kennedy in our fantasy league, but you can’t hold it against me.
Autopick is for Pussies.
Here we go. Let’s get this thing started…Go Giants!
yeah, like you didn’t plan that?
Go Giants!
Just like I planned for the computer to draft me Johnny Damon.
Damn. Pablo just got under that one. I almost picked the winner right off the bat. Next AB.
two balls to the track, give me peace
look at those kids playing catch
that is pitcher/backstop love
Tim’s gone jet black.
GNR lover Bloomquist’s gone to Sweet Child O’ Mine.
Get a goddamn haircut.
he threw the goddam same pitch, but served
Another 3 mph shaved off the fastball . . . .
You should have heard Kruk this morning dismissing the fact that Timmy has lost something off his FB.
“It’s all about location and late movement.” If by late movement Kruk means how the ball lands in the LF stands 10 rows up, I concur.
is that the way my kids will remember seabiscuit? long hair?
Gibson moved Young up in the lineup for his speed and wanted to run on Timmy.
Why run when you can trot.
Fuck
hey, hey, the freak is up
in the zone
Maybe Tim’s no longer motivated by “picking up the dollar.”
Hey, James
Hey, Blade
Just got back from my walk about to the jungles of Newcastle, which you may know for their coal.
and the shipping
How far is Newcastle from Bury St. Edmunds and Cambridge (East Anglia) Ed? I spent two years there.
Rags: “you know that knuckler we were talking about? The time has come..”No, no. Not the KnockerBall!
Well since BF retired the BB, this certainly works for me
really, not a bad idea, if I am a hitter, I see nothing but changeups and (like every other hitter) wait on anything else.
Well that is not what I was hoping for the season to start. But hey 8 more innings
3-0 lead meant a loss for last year’s team. Let’s see some offense!!!
I’ve seen enough of Pagan. Bring in Bozo’s White Shark.
You give up three in the first, you forfeit any right to bitch about run support..
and tell me when, Seabisquit has trouble?
(early innings?)
NOW we need to score in fly ball park
I am not happy with the fly balls from Pagan, line drives please,
did anyone say?
Huff sucks
choking on the thong
They can still win it if they score 3.7…
Tim’s avg. 4-seam FB last inning was 89.5 mph. Seabiscuit could run around the track faster than that.
I am watching the ESPN feed, Seabiscuit is looking slow
there’s your book, none of Belt’s pitches were middle in
For the record, Tim has never “bitched” about run support, as far as I know.
But then again, it wouldn’t kill the Giants offense to score some runs.
It wouldn’t hurt HIM to not put them in the hole right away…
And I didn’t say he’d bitched, it was a general *true* statement . Is it now not OK to criticize the guy when he gives up 3 runs in the first?
It’s the way you phrased it. It could be read as implying that he has bitched about run support in the past.
If the Giants are going to lose 9-10 games a year to Kennedy/Kershaw they’re fucked. They have got to start scoring runs against those 2.
Speed kills. Go Pagan . . .
Oh yeah . . . Melky!
The Melkman delivers!!!!!!!!!!!