Brandon Crawford
He scored 2 runs last night (who didn’t?) and he had a couple of RBI knocks. It’s impossible to deny he’s hitting better in the 2nd spot. It’s unlikely he keeps that up since most people think he’s not up here for his bat. But his bat has been unexpectedly productive in moments this year, while his glove has been unexpectedly bad. Some people have defaulted to the obvious, which is that his struggles at the plate have contributed to his struggles in the field. I don’t really buy that. There was no pressure on him to hit at this level and he knew that going into the season–just take care of left side of the infield and he’d be all good.
Kuiper, a former infielder, said his problems stem from the fact that he’s taking a step back on too many balls to ensure a better hop. Kuiper went on to say that when in doubt an infielder should always be aggressive and charge the ball. Not having played infield for a major league team before, I’ll defer to Kuiper that this approach is the best and would hope that Wotus would pass along this nugget to young Brandon.
But another theory for Crawford’s bad defense this year crossed my mind as I watched the game yesterday: maybe he’s just not that good defensively. There was a play in the middle of the game where someone hit a ball up the middle, Crawford went to his left and dove for it and it clanged off his glove into center field. I watched the replay a few times and noticed that this was a *reaction* play so it’s not like he had too much time to think about it or that he took a step back or anything like that. He just kicked the play. We’ve been sold the line that Crawford is a very good/elite shortstop defensively. But any elite shortstop that I’ve ever seen makes those diving plays to their left almost look routine. Whether they make the play or not, you’re never surprised when they dive and come up with it because that’s just what an elite shortstop does. They make those plays. And if you watch that replay, Crawford doesn’t really even come close to making it. The dive is awkward and he really barely even got his glove on the ball despite being there to make the play.
So all I’m saying is, maybe we should ratchet down our expectations for him defensively. And if we do that, what are we left with? Brian Bocock?
A Place To Talk About Giants Baseball 
timmeh?
Flav—-yes and yes. (Regarding royal treatment for you in SD and me coming up to SF this summer) I need to start making some plans. I’m on break at the end of June. I’ll be in touch.
What’s the score? I took a break to play ping pong and drink Manhattans with a co-worker who was nice enough to bring my wallet to my house after I left the darn thing on the table at the dive where several us went to Happy Hour after work. I wasn’t driving and had a man-sized Maker’s neat chased by 2 High Lifes on an an empty stomach and wasn’t thinking too straight at the time I guess. Now I have to go to a dry cast party for a play my kids were in. Luckily ex #1 is going to come pick me up. Never underestimate the value of a cool ex wife. I should know—I’ve got two of them.
If you’re going to drink Miller High Life ( and I encourage you to do so), make sure it’s good and cold. Pour the damn thing on ice if you have to.
I left CA to go to college in NYC. I grew up drinking Coors and Olympia (ok, there were bouts of lucky lager too but let’s not go there). So I get to NYC and of course, no Coors (well, you could get it but it cost a shit load and tasted terrible because they didn’t keep it cold while they smuggled it across country). So I started drinking MHL. It was pretty damned cheap. But everyone kept drinking MINE and leaving me some piss water to drink. A store down the street started selling schmidts for $5 a case and so I bought that and didn’t feel so bad when I had it all disappear.
I still LQTM about that moment on the 5th tee or whatever when I thought I was gonna lose you to alcohol poisoning (2 beers)…
Fuck fuck fuck
speaking of disappear, there went the lead.
Fuck Timmy. He sucks.
I voted for Zito in my little poll. Me and the others in the 15% percentile are looking good at the moment.
SO
I am late to the game, but I just saw seabiscuit pitching like I know he can
OOPS
Christ Almighty ….The Wheels have all fallen off for Timmy again.He’s Killing US!!!
I’m not sure which is more infuriating:
1) Lincecum sucking dick right out of the gate and giving up a 3 spot in the first inning
or……
2) Lincecum pitching ok for 4 or 5 innings and then beginning to suck massive pole in the middle of the game……
Either way, fuck him……
*ABL*…….
jeez flav, don’t cross THAT rubicon.
Dil Mar, do not knock my man Timmeh, he is on his way back
‘except’ for that curveball
damn
And not 2 secs before he gave up that bomb, I had planned on commenting why Bochy hadn’t had the pen going earlier so he could possibly make a change if he wanted. But don’t think I’m blaming any of this on the skipper, because I’m not. This is ALL on Timmy once again.
Now Coughlan with his first of the year. He’s simply not competing when things start to get out of hand. You could be looking at the guy making Tim’s next start while they figure this shit out.
J.T. Snow used the “not competing” when describing Timmy earlier this week on KNBR.
But it was a little stronger than that. J.T. in not so many words called Timmy a “quitter.”
OK so the one-out guy has done it
shit
I must be the jinx as I started watching the game during that
Timmy fucked up weaving his way outta that last trouble. He Bochy in a situation in which he routinely blows.
Timmy’s going to hit Memorial Day with an ERA of 6.41.
Ed, I think it’s high time we take “Seabiscuit” out of stakes company and drop him into the claiming ranks.
I think $6,250 up at the Ferndale Fair Circuit is right up Timmy’s alley. Heeeeeeeee!
claimers are my favorite, next to the fair circuit.
Go, Giants
get off your ass, Timmeh
After the 5th I thought Tim might have turned the corner.
I was trying to change the font on my earlier “timmeh” to suggest that maybe, just maybe, a corner had been turned. alas, no.
speaking of lasses, good luck with yours.
Belt must be like a lot of hitters in that a hot streak will solve all this cold.
Tim is to pitching,like Belt is to hitting.LOST
BTW, when you are lost, and looking, the whole world is out there
I was worried when I tuned in and saw DJLoux was on the mound
That’s got my vote for POTD.
Zito ERA: 3.53; Timmy; 6.41. That’s almost a full three runs.
Any of youse guys that voted for Timmy wanna change your mind?
Low ERA for the year? Lincecum-book it.
so here is Bochy’s evil plan:
first we git the hitters going and
just when nobody has us winning
we git timmeh going
fuck you, he had the fastball, walks are walks, he needs the fastball
no excuses
the team was behind their starting pitcher, and now the game goes to shit
Now an error? Belt might get his next start in San Jose…
Posey throws a strike off his left foot
nice
watching this reminds me of one of the keys to the 2010 season: Those guys didn’t have an ounce of quit in them. We saw earlier this week when the brewers were up 8-0 how they fought back, though ultimately unsuccessfully. So, what do we have this year? TBD.
WOW
WHAT SWING
At this point, I can only say that the Melk Man seems to be able to do whatever the fuck he wants. Damn dude is on.
that was one of the most “ON” hits if ever there was one. Brilliant!
just when you want a nate moment
you get one
Nate.
: shakes head :
For what it’s worth, Kieschnick is still tearing up the PCL. The next Bowker? Or maybe for real?
.330 BA 13 HR 34 RBI 1.045 OPS
can he play the infield?
Twin thinking moves….
The Partridge Family Bus to San Jose and Fresno could get real busy.Keep that tank full Mr. Ruben Kincade as Shirley Jones and David Cassidy and Susan Dey sing all their wonderful songs to the Giant players.Yikes Brutal Bus ride.
Hey, Theriot, stupid
Not sure on that one ed. I think Crawford could have taken that himself.
Didn’t take Theriot long to fuck up.Error #49
Yo Theriot … The “4” of 6-4-3 means *you*!
He just takes the Aubrey Huff approach of covering second Mr.Bll
Fuck. Ryan the Riot wastes no time in being sucked into the vortex of doom that is being the 2nd baseman for the San Francisco Giants.
(it used to be right field)
BLEEP!
At least Chuck’s dog is still happy. Must be getting tasty treats.
What’s on second.
Is their any real reason why Theriot and Burriss are still on the team? Oh yeah Culberson sucks too.
To suck is human.
BOOS reign freely in Miami.
What’s on the menu for the Memorial Day BBQ?
I envision Ball Park® Franks, coleslaw and a shitload of Schlitz.
“Presidents take his birthday off.”
With Pablo on the DL, we have without question the worst hitting and fielding IF in the league.
And the place horse hasn’t even hit the wire yet.
And as I type, Belt stings a single. I’m a bigger Cooler than Bernie Lootz.
Blanco.
A hit and we are singing
#2 magic?
Who has Heath Bell in our Flap fantasy league? Oops.
tough loss, we are playing well
Hottest hitter in the game has to swing at that.
The Melk Man is a statue on 3-2. Damn. That pitch was pretty wicked.
It’s hard to knock our best player, but one would hope for at least a swing in that situation.
Go get ’em tomorrow. 1:00 game.
Strike 3 call on ball 4…Thanks for coming we’ll see you tomorrow, drive safely.
Came up a dollar short, But god damn, this team has fight.
If K & K make any excuses and/or tell me Timmy is “this close to turning it around,” I’m gonna punch the 50″ Panasonic Plasma.
Funny thing. 1st pitch of the game, a 93 MPH fastball, and Kruk says, “that’s a good sign.”
No, Kruk. A win would be a good sign.
Timmy is now 2-5, and the Giants are now 2-8 in all his starts.
Vote Zito!
DMD, I’m not going to root against the Zitter but I sure as hell ain’t laying any cash on the dude. As your new doctor and lawyer, I suggest you should do the same.
Otter: “Take it easy. I’m in pre-law, man.”
Hoover: “Thought you were pre-med.”
Otter: “What’s the difference?”
The Comcast dweebs are putting Tim’s fuck up on Bochy. Bullshit. This is supposed to be the ace- you let him get out of it or not. It’s 3-3 and the .106 hitting Coughlan is up..Tim has to handle that guy..
The “dweebs” are two former major league pitchers with pretty good careers. There’s a case to be made that Bochy could be a little quicker with the hook next time.
Is there ANYTHING you put on Tim? If he can’t handle Coughlan, forget the hook, get him out of the rotation until he gets his head together.
As I said then, I thought getting out of the 5th was a big thing for him. I’ll tell you this- if Loux gives up the lead, *you* are postal that Bochy took Tim out..
Being an ex–ballplayer does not mean the guy knows the game, many of the writers are more knowledgeable than many of the jocks. There are guys here who are smarter about the game. Maybe you..
I blame Tim’s fuck up on Shierholtz — not for any particularly good reason, but on general principle.
And Tim.
so true my man, so true
Never mind Pawlie’s book, DMD with the Comcast poll question . . . .
Dennis is running around the blog celebrating Tim’s struggles like it’s party time.
Weird.
Astros up 3-0 early on Kershaw. Who’da thunk it.
He’s human. But if he’s human than Timmy is goddamn Piltdown Man……
My main man off The Farm, Jed Lowrie, did a little damage off Kershaw tonight………
Once again, this loss is on our *ace* (in former name only). We are 2-8 in his starts. Do the math and check out what our record would be in we were 8-2 in those starts, a completely reasonable expectation of a 2-time CY winner.
Tim Lincecum is the single reason above all else that we are only 2 games over .500 right now.
ABL……..
ABL?
I temporarily retired ABZ a couple of weeks ago and am now rolling with *Anybody But Lincecum* until he gets his head out of his ass……..
hahaha. Funny I was going to quote your Anybody But Lincecum heading from the other day just before I read your post.
Whcih, sadly, show how slow I am
That and the defense, although that’s improved- and their record along with it.
Overall, I’m glad we made a comeback and are now split in the series. This game was totally winnable however. Tim is an enigma right now, probably to himself as well. I don’t understand what has happened to the defense, in particular the focus. I’ve watched only four games, so you all are better judges. Most of this seems mental to me–the ‘mental makeup’ kind as opposed to ‘down/in a funk.’ Flav makes a good point about Crawford, but his mental mistakes also occur on the basepaths. That ‘awkward giraffe’ look of Belt’s just to me looks like he’s not ready for prime-time; you get no sense of urgency from him. And neither of those guys are 19. We could probably switch Arias over to short once Pablo is back, but we’d still have the ‘vortex’ at second–know idea what’s happened to Theriot and Burriss. Both seem like they’re new to the position. Franchez looks decreasingly like an option. Posey himself has 7 errors and tonight a passed ball. As for first, Huff will need starts for us to know whether he can contribute. A week ago, I think I gave Belt another 100 ABs. He should still run out that string, but I’m looking forward to more opportunity for Pill.
I’m not panicking; we’ve been playing good enough the last several series. Despite Timmy’s play and Zito’s existential dilemma, the pitching has been really, really good. The hitting is coming around. But the problems we have 1/3 of the way into the season are not minor.
despite the injuries and the errors, to me, it’s still all about Lincecum. We are 2-8 in his starts. Reverse that for a 2 time CY winner and we are all good. You can pin this entire season’s record on him, in my opinion…..
Well, we got Blade’s PC cool as a cucumber again, that’s my highlight of the week. Oh well. Goodnight all and goodnight to my dear. Sleep well.
Night, twin
It’s not even Memorial Day, and Marty Lurie and his callers on KNBR are checking the Wild Card standings.
They all should be beaten to death with a Popsicle stick. A Vanilla-Caramel Swirl Ice Cream with
DOVE® Milk Chocolate and Cashews sounds mighty tasty right about now.
I’ll say!
And after that *then* you’ll beat them with the stick
Ahem…(cough, cough)… BOCOCK!!!!!! BIG TITTY!!!!!! And….(going to football) DICK BUTKUS!!!!
Goodnight, gentlmen (question mark). I gotta start another band
Aside from that last AB, Melky is hitting like a fat Tony Oliva…
DJ Loux…..funny!
DMD: If I make it to Belmont tomorrow, I’ll try to get you an autographed Affirmed/Alydar postcard. Their jockeys will be signing them in case you were confused…
DS Redux
Uhm….J
Thanks, Loo! That would be great. And thanks especially for clarifying who would be signing. Linda Rice has one going in the 9th — Adirondack Dancer. It was no surprise that the grandson of Northern Dancer found a new home on the sod last time out. But that’s who Frank the Cat likes. WTF does he know.
Good luck.
Isn’t the Adirondack an old slow river that keeps running?
Astros beat the Dodgers.
Maybe they can take over some of Timmy’s games for us, as well.
And neither of those guys are 19
I like that, both are growing, but should be already there. Once again it is the playing time. I am a creature of habit; ergo give them time to get their legs and tall trees will fall.
Hey, this is a bit off and I will re-post tomorrow night, but
In most films why are the female lovers always wearing a bra?
a) it is the way they do it nowadays
b) most women think given head is like a kiss good night
c) didn’t have time to undress
d) it isn’t about the chest anymore
So just now iam walking down the street in my second favorite city (Austin) donning my Giants cap of course….A group of six hot young twenty-something girls sitting on a bar patio yell “go Giants!”
Of course i just give the “knowing dude nod” and continue on my way…Oh to be young (er) and single again.