Summer Weekends With The Sounds Of The Giants — And Life
Yep, today’s the first summer Friday. Looking-forward-to-the-weekend smiles for most. Back in the murky past for the growing-up-guilty Catholics among us, like me, Friday was Fish Day. Ugh. But, for me as a baseball fan, summer Fridays did then, and still do, signal more — the anticipation of a great summer weekend — when listening to day-game ball was and remains more than just comforting background. Yeah, with baseball as backdrop, everything’s good – mowing the grass, playing ball and eating home made Kool-Aid pops with the kids, even working on Mrs. Snarkk’s endless honeydo list made way more doable via the miracle trio of Jon Miller, that little pocket Sony, and earbuds.
I can’t now imagine a summer weekend without listening, at least some of the time, to the Giants on radio. Well, actually, I can. I’ve lived in a few places in and out of this country too far away to get Giants radio, and before internet streaming. While in those places and times, the irresolvable lack of a Giants summer weekend connection somehow completely uncoupled me from baseball and where and how I grew up — like Valentine Smith in “Stranger in A Strange Land” — but, with no special powers. Now, transported back for good to my native Giantsland for well over a decade, the connection’s been patched. The Giants on weekend TV are great. But, compared to TV, there’s something special about disembodied voices describing a summer weekend day game. Call it nostalgia, imagination, soppy sentimentalism, or a lovely languorous rhythm. Whatever. In my brain the radio waves jump start exaggerated images while I chop the weekend weeds, or better yet, pound a cold Red Tail on the deck after the weeds succumb. Belt’s radio strikeouts are more distressing. Melky’s radio doubles more exciting, Crawfish’s miscues more critical. Vendors barking in the stands. Those audio images get mixed up and spiced with kid memories of listening to games on past, hot summer weekends while I slugged my ice cold, canned Shasta cola and ran in sprinklers with my first dog — all long gone, but never forgotten. And, with memories of those broadcasts that, as I grew up, gave me dependable summer friends — Lon, Bill Thompson, Al Michaels. Hank and others came a little later. But, even the odd abominations of the lesser lights added welcome background color to landscapes of my youthful summer weekends before mortgages and other nonsense — Art (“ground hugger”) Eckman, Phil Stone, David Glass, Joe Angel (he announced in the late ‘70s, too), Fairly, and yeah, even Lindsey Nelson.
Now, my Snarkkettes ask “How’re the Giants doing?” while I’m sweating and listening in the summer back yard, this time, my own. “Ah, they’re up by two in the 7th, looking pretty good”, or some such I say. They nod back, hopeful, knowing that a Gyros win always puts Daddy in a good mood. And that a loss means, well, you all know how that is. Then, they get on with jumping rope and laughing and playing with Snarkkmutt the Avatar lab, that big, brown doofus who will someday star in their own memories of Giants summer weekends.
Got any memories of YOUR Giants summer weekends? Let’s hear ’em. And, go out this weekend and make some great new ones…
A Place To Talk About Giants Baseball 
Tthese guys are sleepwalking.
Giants lack of pop really hurts in games like this. They can’t get anything going, but if they had a guy that could park one once in a while, with a guy on, they’d be back in the game and have a shot at it. It’s just too tough for them to string hits and ABs together late in games against decent relievers…
Ain’t it the truth, ain’t it the truth…
Huntz Hall quotes. Classy, my friend
I mean, Bert Lahr as well but for whatever reason..I like Huntz Hall better
Well, they do hit a fair number on the road- 31 in 35 games, 8th in the NL. But the problem is not they don’t have pop but that the two best power hitters are not hitting them right now. Buster and Pablo have plenty, but they’ve got 2 between them all month.
Both Buster’s.
Maybe they need a Pop of Sandusky in their LU.
Not sure where yer going with that one, AK.
Huh?
Sorry, but I don’t think Hensley should be pitching in an 8th inning when the score is close…
Wow. Never got that call all night.
Coming up is as good we got, “pop-wise”..
Time to bust out those dreams about a Belt jack…
Allllllllllllllllrightie, then.
Yeah, babY giraffe!!
Brandon baby!
Huge hit – gotta win it right here…
Whoever dreamed a double, that’s good, too!….
Gotta take the lead now….
Biggest clutch hit of Belt’s Career!Well Done!!!
How about that Belt, now get his ass in for the go ahead run!
Hardest hit ball Christian has had up here- and it’s *too*hard.
I just ran out of bourbon.
I hope that’s a good sign…
Amazing this game of baseball.Cook has been lights out all.year and the Giants light him up like a pin ball machine.Walks hurt him bigtime as well.
Hector baby!
Snarkk may have nailed it- one day off seems to recharge Gregor’s battery.
He’s a small guy, probably has a high motor the way he plays. A day off once in a while can really help, IMO. Even a hummingbird has to sit on a branch every once in a while…
God i love it when Boch and the whole bench are jacked up when there making this great comeback and take the lead.
I should run out of bourbon more often. I switched to some Reposado on the rocks with a lime, and we started scoring. Damn Blanco has had awesome ABs all night, that one paid off. Good on Christian, too…
That’s cuz you switched to the Blanco Reposado Tequila Snarkk.Always a rally pleaser.
They woke up!
Pretty soon Buster is only going to be catching Javier Lopez starts 😉
The Riot with the big sombrero
Angels finish off the Bums.
Get ‘er done, Casilla…
Channelling the Weeze
Yes!!!
It’s as it should be- the torture is back..
Ballgame!!
Doolittle, doolate for the A’s.
MOTHERFUCKER YAH
Huge comeback win! Which are rare late in games.Well Done Giants!!!
wow, they are back to the late inning scoring. Maybe this will bounce them out of the slumber they have been n of late.
fun game if you stayed for the full game; hard to watch the first half.
Considering how screwed it started, and the opposition, and the 9th inning comeback to win, has to be a top 3 game of the year. Maybe this turns the team’s and Timmeh’s mojo around.
Belt as POTG with that clutch double in the 9th.
I’m giving Timmeh POTG#2, he gave up NO hits after the first inning…
So Dirt is up tomorrow- I can hardly wait… Night all.
Yeah but you up Sunday, my brother. Get some rest, big guy
I’m trying to find an author to plagiarize. That’ll be tough with this group. Anybody here speak Bulgarian?
BTW, twin and Flav gave great advice on how to handle trolls. I just tested it and it worked. And amazingly enough, I didn’t delete anyone’s post nor reverse Jerry Sundusky’s verdict.
Thank God
Goodnight, gentlemen (?)
GIANTS FUCKING ROCK
(gonna watch some Kolchak: The Night Stalker re-runs now. Ahhhh. Life is good)
Try it on the “this offense sucks cock” dimwit..
‘
‘
Obviously, wrote too many bad jokes.
Just to let you know, twin…
done
Oh yeah.
BWAAAHAHAHHAHHAHHAHAHA
Okay, I’m having too much of a good time
Great way to wake up. In Winchester, VA. Almost as good as….Naw. But pretty AWESOME.
Woo Fucking Hooo! Bailed on the Sac-Fresno game last night after 8…game tied, and caught the Giant comeback on the drive home. Agree with Snarkk…has to be one of the top three games this year.
I met IrishKevin at the game last night. Thanks to Blade for helping us make the connection, and thanks to Kevin for the brew. Was good to meet another Flapper.
Have a great Saturday gents. I’ll be doing the dog agility thing in Dixon, but hope to be home for the first pitch. Weird-assed start time…4 o’clock.
You’re doing the dog-agility thing in Dixon?! Very cool! Please be sure to pay proper respects to the Milk Farm sign when you pass by–that was the venue for my 11th? Birthday meal.
Great win !