Return of the men who almost did it!
And here they are, your 2002 NL pennant winners:
Trey Lunsford, Tony Torcato, Calvin Murray, Cody Ransom, Tom Goodwin, Damon Minor, Troy Brohawn… oh, and some unknowns like Bonds, Kent, Snow, Schmidt, Nen..
They almost did it. Who woud you like to have a beer with? Dump a beer on? The guy you’ve wondered about? I always liked Reggie Sanders- had sort of a Hac-Man demeanor about him. Didn’t realize the guy hit over 300 HRs- and over 300 stolen bases.The Reggie Sanders Foundation supports children and adults with autism.
http://reggiesandersfoundation.org/index.htm#
If it was worth nothing else, and even if there were no lonely Russian girls waiting to meet us… the Internet enables us to find out more about men like Reggie Sanders- and settles a few bar bets to boot…
A Place To Talk About Giants Baseball 
I’d love to have a beer with JT Snow, m favorite player on this team. if I had to dump a beer on someone it would be Shinjo, who had a lousy year with the bat and who often struck me as a guy more concerned with looking cool than helping the team. of course I could be wrong, but that was the vibe I got from him. i’m excited to go to the game today. I hope Barry is there. Right now Im laying on my sisters couch downtown looking at the high rises and listening to the sounds of the city. my 14 yr old is sleeping soundly beside me. Its gonna be a good day.
Have a great day, Dawg!
Yeah, the 2002 team deserves their due. This is a day to celebrate what they did accomplish. Getting to the World Series, and taking it to 7 games IS a huge accomplishment.
Coincidentally, a friend of mine was cleaning out his garage recently and found a couple of 2002 NL Championship pennants that he’d never done anything with. He gave me one, and now I have it pinned on the wall next to the banner of the 2010 team that I have on the wall in the room that I use as an office. Pinning that 2002 NL pennant on the wall felt really good. I look at it, and I feel really good about the 2002 team. Obviously, the championship in 2010 has a lot to do with my good feeling about 2002, but that’s alright. It’s all part of the big picture of being a Giants fan. It’s all part of the great history of it.
Very cool, Dawg! Make it a kick-ass day and Go Giants!!!
I loved Sanders and getting Lofton was huge. But to sit down and have beers with? It’s got to be Dunston for me. I remember Woody and the rest of the pitchers always sitting next Shawon during games because he cracked them up. Yup, beers with Dunston. Playing catch with the man? No fucking way.
Will you check your E-mail, Bozo?
Got it twin, just sent my reply.
Well, I’m glad that Willie may possibly get rescheduled . That’s what I’ve been trying to get accomplished.
As I noted, finding out more about people is one of the great things about the Internet. Trey Lunsford? I can’t imagine a fan not wanting to know something about a guy like that. Turns out he has .500 career BA ( 2-4 ), got his first hit against Trevor Hoffman. A thumb injury, and later, Tommy John surgery..impacted and finally ended his career after the 2005 season. His minor league career suggests a good defensive catcher, with limited offensive skills- a better Whitey…
He resides in Mississippi with his wife Holly, who has a blog abut her family and recently became a nurse practioner.
Holly’s Blog: http://camdenl.blogspot.com/
sanders and lofton were both really good hitters with long careers of productive seasons, who unfortunately (for me anyway) left SF too soon. Lofton was a pretty damn good b-ball player at U of AZ too who got a lot of minutes. Usually it’s the baseball side of two sports where a guy like that suffers and gives it up–DeBusschere, Ainge, and of course Michael Jordan.
Enjoy, Dawg.
Willie, check your E-Mail. Starting with last night when I offerred you my spot, I ‘ve been trying to get you back on the schedule. This morning I asked Craig if you could take tomorrow since Clown isn’t doing it. Craig is now offerring that.
That’s fine, I think I’ve got everything figured out OK on how to get a thread up and rolling. No idea why it wouldn’t work yesterday morning. I can do tmw if that works out; I’m on the sched again in 10 days or so anyway.
I think most mgrs get far too much credit and blame as a rule. Who do you really like out there? As a “player’s mgr.” I think Baker’s best quality was his ability to get most out of a large group of guys. His bench guys were usually very productive, even with limited playing time.
Not that it’s bochy’s fault, but remember the “good” Nate and his .300 BA? Now it’s down to .248, his OPS is like .730 (for a corner OF), and he’s been stuck on 3 HRs since April. He’s turned into Michael Tucker.
Look at SF bench guys as a whole: Nate, Arias, Christian, Burriss and Hector, with Huff and his $11 mill on rehab in Jose. Hmmnn.
You’re welcome, Willie…And if you want, go ahead and do your new post now.
I was a different type of fan then. The new ballpark, the dreaded (by me) Dusty, thinking Nen was past his prime.
Two things stand out from that series. JT grabbing that baby out of the way of a runner. And I remember thinking Barry could have done more; to me he was that team and he was invincible. So I went and looked at his numbers from the series. OPS = 2.0 HRs = 4 AVG = .417
Fans can be so fickle
With the present campaign starting to look up and the ASG just around the corner it could not be a better time to celebrate past greatness. And the team that almost did should stir a lot of energy for fans old and new.
Add Dusty to my have a beer with. A buddy of mine met him at Slims (Dusty was with Dave Stewart). They talked a lot about music, my buddy was a record distributor at the time and send Dusty a ton of Blues and R&B stuff. Dusty sent back a nice note thanking him and told him to call him Johnnie B.
Kind of funny how baseball and music seem to go hand in hand.
I don’t know. For me, baseball and French Impressionism have always gone hand in hand
Yeah Ted, that Monet was a hell of pitcher. He just painted the corners.
you should have seen his impression of the babe. spot on it was.
Yeah EW, it was a stroke of genius.
Something else about mgrs.– for all the success he had, I think Joe torre did a better job handling the media than he ever did with a pitching staff. I’d say the same about Girardi too, and I’ll be interested to see how he handles things now that he doesn’t have Mo in there to close.
Contrast that with bochy, whose bland/pc public pronouncements we’re all familiar with, and how he handles a PS.
Pablo is starting the ASG at 3B. What? Conor Gillaspie isn’t available that day?
Wright deserved it but as I pointed out yesterday, Pablo is second to Wright in nearly any important offensive category. He’s also been the top hitting third baseman in all of baseball in 2 of his 3 years. And he’s a crowd pleaser.
The last thing this team needs is Pablo heading to KC and loadin’ up on all that great BBQ food. Unless of course he intends on bringing yours truly a couple of slabs of KC’s finest home with ’em.
Buster Posey C, Joey Votto 1B, Dan Uggla 2B, Rafael Furcal SS, Pablo Sandoval 3B, Melky Cabrera OF, Carlos Beltran OF, Matt Kemp OF
Today:
Blanco RF, Theriot 2B, Cabrera LF, Posey C, Sandoval 3B, Pagan CF, Belt 1B, Crawford SS, (Vogelsong P)
Excellent thread, Michael. Good stuff on Reggie Sanders…I really liked him, too.
Everybody has had good theads. I had to change today’s because it was going to be an All-Star Game thread. I figured Craig would do Belt, Zits, or Timmy 😉
A real bonus was the Holly Lunsford blog where I found she seems to have a “Rainbow” salad that might rival Vera’s Ambrosia Salad.I’ve asked for the recipe ..
Two I’d like to have a beer with would be JT (my favorite Giant that year) and Dusty. I mentioned a few days back that I met Dusty (and his dad) at a Sac Kings game. Very personable…a really like able guy. Class all the way.
I remember Reggie getting beat on with those damn rally sticks when he went up against the wall in right field late in game 6, I think it was. Total crapola by Angels fans. I was more pissed at their fans than the Angels as a team, because that was a darn good team, and I had no preconceived notions against them. I’d have a beer with Dusty. I’d ask him what the fuck he was thinking starting Livan in game 7…
I seem to remember that Reggie was very meticulous about his uniform. Like Rice was with Niners. Everything was just so-and he really did look good.
Pablo starting at 3rd in the ASG reinforces my view that this game is a joke popularity contest, though less of a joke than the other sports’ ASGs when it’s played. You miss nearly 6 weeks and 35 games and still start the ASG because it was a by product of ATT fans stuffing the ballot box to rightfully get Melky back in there? Wright should start, Pablo shouldn’t be there, though through no fault of his own, except maybe, at best, as a named backup…
snarkk, for the umpteenth time..it *is* a joke popularity contest. It’s not your “view” alone.. it’s what it is.
And Sandoval has nothing to be ashamed of. Granted, if he’s smart, and I think he is, he’ll treat it with reverance and humility but as the system stands, he has just as much right to be there as Willie Mays did in 1973.
The All-Star game simply isn’t what *you* want the All-Star game to be.
I love ya, man, but let it go
No, I’m not saying Panda should be ashamed, obviously he should be happy to go. OK, I’ll be positive, Ted. I’ll assume Panda’s mom won’t be doing his cooking while he’s in Kansas City. So, maybe he’ll drop another pound or at least maintain, over the 2 days he’s there. How’s that?…
Sure, sure and thank you, sir. Though that New Orleans food…probably makes Sandoval’s mom seem like a Euell Gibbons advocate.
This could be bad–
New Orleans? Are they playing first in the Superdome?…
Well, too bad. He lost out because of Unca Goobs in 2009, and we’ve had many players screwed because of the “popularity contest”. Of course Wright deserved it based on this year-but tough luck, David-grow a beard.
Excellent thread, twin, with one odd caveat. That was a weird team and didn’t seem to get along real well. It’s been said by better minds than mine (yeah, I know, narrow it down a little bit) that the high tension actualy added to the success. So–who’d I want to share a beer and chat with on that team what’s whom personality I would go into blind and not really know?…Benito Santiago or Reggie Sanders.
Closer to my age and they both seem to have had–pasts
Well, I guess if you twisted my arm and forced me to have a beer, I’d like to have a beer with Aaron Fultz. Fultz never amounted to much but Aaron seems like he could spin a good yarn and keep you entertained at the bar for awhile. And he seems like a likeable schmuck. Kind of like myself. Set ’em up barkeep.
Fultz is a Mormon. Enjoy the 7-Up
No shit? More beer for me.
I agree with what Ted posted at 11:32.With the 2010 team as perspective, the 2002 team didn’t have much to like (besides winning a lot of games and almost winning the WS). 2010 had Cody Ross, Pat the Bat, Huff, thongs, Uribe’s jazz hands, TImmy’s rockstar attitude, The Beard, BUster and more.
Truth is, I don’t miss a single thing about that team and if given the chance to pick a player to have a beer with, I’d probably pick Cody Ross……..
Well, if we’re talking the 2010 team, I’d pick Pat the Bat. Just for the chicks that woulds’t surround in sarongs.
Thusly
Yeah, I wouldn’t be too proud to happily and thankfully take Pat’s discards (of course I mean the chicks he DOESN’T bang (if there are any)– I certainly wasn’t talking about sloppy seconds….)
Nor I, sir, nor I
I’d follow that 2002 team again in a heartbeat. Not as good personal stories and as fun a team as 2010, but a kickass team and not much torture. I’ll take a winner with a coupla assholes over good stories and losers. 3rd in NL in scoring. 2nd in ERA. That was a damn good, balanced squad, which I prefer over the all pitch, no hit torture teams…
I could care less if Pablo got voted in and Wright was more *deserving*. When you vote it doesn’t say anything about how to cast your vote. It says nothing, you just click a box. I actually think it’ll be pretty cool to see all those Giants starting the game.
NL STARTERS:
1B – Joey Votto
2B – Dan Uggla
SS – Rafael Furcal
3B – Pablo Sandoval
C – Buster Posey
OF – Melky Cabrera
OF – Carlos Beltran
OF – Matt Kemp
Dan Uggla? Seven hits in his last 62 attempts and a season batting average of .235? Sorry, that was a wasted selection, with much more deserving candidates.
(seen snarkk and I above)
In the NL for 2nd basemen he is first in runs second in RBI & HR
Plus he has a cool name.
Uhh huh . . . If he’s so great, why has his manager benched him (Friday)? Moreover, he’s on your Flap team and you have benched him for the last few days. lqtm.
friday was his first game off all season. And I hate the lategame/earlygame gap in setting one’s lineup. (that being guys in earlygames are locked before lineups for the lategames are posted.) Seems my bench guys are always in early games and I cannot rotate them in for guys not starting in the late games.
And I don’t know if I’d call all star voting a “popularity contest.” Pablo’s not too popular right now, what with the cloud of “Santa Cruz” still undecided as well as having gotten fat again. And since when is San Francisco more popular than NY (at least in terms of *east coast bias*)?
Well, it’s a popularity contest in terms of whoever gets the most votes. So, the most motivated fans and teams with the best attendance should have the leg up. Selling out every game certainly helps Giants players get the ballots in front of their fans in the stands. As for the computer voting, that’s motivation and demographics in terms of fans with computers. Giants fans are playing by the rules, and since the rules allow 25 votes, then go for it…
If anything should be looked at it’s the absurd number of votes you’re allowed to cast……….
Am I “misremembering” or was there one ASG back in the 70’s where the NL team, or maybe even both squads, wore white cleats? I seem to distinctly remember Bobby Bonds leading off an AS game and wearing white spikes…
Snarkk, I’m not trying to change your mind, to each his own. But watch this tribute video and tell me you’d rather hang with the 2002 team over the 2010 team (regardless of the outcome of the WS)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SjmUuAn_Xcg
goddamn, I could watch that video a 1000 times and never get tired of it.
I’d probably wanna “hang” with the 2010 squad, sure, BF. No disrespect to that squad, I loved that squad for the characters, and the end result. But, my point is that 2002 squad get’s forgotten about how good it was, mostly because of that game 6 disaster. That was a very, very good team that had 95 wins, yet was still only the Wild Card in a very tough NL that year, and beat some good teams in their own yard (won deciding game 5 in Atlanta) and took first two in St. Louis) to get to the WS. I think it surely was a better team than the 2010 team, and would probably beat that team 6 out of 10 games. Not as good pitching, obviously, but still very good pitching, starters and pen, and crazy better hitting with power throughout the middle of the lineup. I just happen to like that kind of team better than the recent years’ teams. I love great pitching, but not at the expense of torturous run scoring on the other end of the see saw…
I’ll drink with Barry. Have you forgotten who his dad and godfather were? Imagine the stories if you could loosen him up and get him talking…
well, Barry doesn’t drink. And I seriously doubt that he’d be fun to hang out with in a bar, stone cold sober. Those stories wouldn’t come, Loo, I don’t think
Since he doesn’t drink, for his surly behavior there goes the bad drunk excuse…
He didn’t talk to his wife or the press and he’ll talk with you?
Everyone talks to me…they rarely get answers.
So between the two of you–2 to 3 hours of awkward silence.
Isn’t he a cousin of Reggie Jackson? now THAT is a guy that’ll talk.
I always thought the ultimate game for me would be watching it with Bobby and Willie. If you couldn’t learn something about the game and hitting with those two around, well, you might as well be watching The Sound Of Music or something.
Yeah, if you want to spend an entire 4 hours hearing how else everyone else but them sucks
Ted, I don’t know dude Willie was pretty humble awhile back. When someone asked him how much he thought he’d get paid if he was playing baseball today. I think he responded with, I’d probably make the league minimum. When pressed further he said something like, Well, I’m 75 years old (or however old he was at the time).
“Well, I’m 75 years old (or however old he was at the time).”
Love it!
I will be taking tomorrow’s post, I’ll E-Mail all of you so it’s clear…
Have a drink with: Bonds *and* Kent
Dump a beer on: Bonds and Kent
Like to know more about: Felix
The ASG: Snarkk, you’ve repeatedly posted that you don’t give a shit who goes, then you get all bent because Panda
got voted in. The voting hardly ever is just the current year’s production, and Pablo has earned it on career production, even with his subpar 2010 included. I can provide numbers but eyes glaze over when I do that. Trust me.
Bonds doesn’t drink? I’ll bring some of my ‘roids..
Sure, but are you going to go with him to the men’s room and shoot it up his arse?
See, that’s when you know who your *real* friends are
Maybe I have some “latent” care going on about the ASG, probably left over from my kid days when you only got to see most of those players once a season in that game, plus I don’t like to see unfairness, even when it doesn’t much matter…
Speaking of the 2010 team, I’d not only drink with each and everyone of those guys, I’d buy. Not that any of those guys should ever have to pay for a drink in SF, EVER. Really, the City should have a suite in the Fairmont rented out just in case Renteria happens to be in town.
They’re all rich and proud. I’d *insist*, *insist*, I say, that they buy *me* drinks.
Of course, I’d give them directions to the best massage parlors. Wouldn’t even accept my usual tip.
Gratis.
Scott Cousins is back on the Marlins. He just went in as a late-game defensive replacement. His name has a way of sticking in the memory.
Posey went from the devastating injury to All-Star game starter the next year. Remarkable comeback.
By PCL standards he didn’t do much to merit a recall. And he’s re-sucking up here so far. I was sort of hoping he’d resurface as a catcher…
I’m almost glad that Voggy didn’t make the AS team. Besides a few days of welcomed rest, can you imagine how pissed off he’s going to be? Shit, he might not allow an earned run the rest of the year…….
Good point. Plus, it’ll give Mrs. Vogy more time to give him more spiritual uplifting…
wow, gotta admit that was quite an anthem. Loved the guitar work. Jose Feliciano (remember that one?) last guy I ever saw try that.
Since I don’t think anyone’s mentioned him, I’ll have a couple cold ones with David Bell. That dude always seemed to come up with clutch hits. And he can bring the old man, too.
I am going with Woody to have a beer with, he has that game room at his house, so he must be cool to hang with
Jackie Greene singing the National Anthem for the Giants game. Cool. He was the opening act when I was at the Avett Brothers concert the other night.
He had his full band with him at the concert.
I appreciated the speeches from the players. They didn’t dance around the subject of the disappointment of how the Series ended, they dealt with it head-on in their speeches, but they also seemed to fully understand that their accomplishments are greatly respected and remembered, and they can also share in the 2010 championship. And the ’62 and ’89 teams, too. It’s all good.
It didn’t sound like anyone got booed. That was a good thing..
(grin)
That’s something Yankees fans would do to the ’01 team for not winning a 4th straight World Series.
Is Vogelsong:
1. Voggy
2. Vogy
3. Vogie
4. Vogey
5. Doesn’t matter…
I prefer to call him Johnny Joe Idaho.
Vague?
I use Vogie now. Just laziness, as with any long name. I resisted the ridiculous sounding “Ishi” for a long, long time before I caved..
Belt crushed that ball that went for an out.
Exhibit A for why LH FAs with pop put the Giants down the wish list…
I go with Vogs but “Johnny Joe Idaho” or JJI might be what I call him him going forward (thanks Zum).
All Star AB and RBI there for Buster…
How can the umps possibly have agreed that that pitch hit his hand? That is mind-numbingly bad umpiring…
Hey, if the umps can credit D. Wise with that foul “catch” the other day vs Cleveland, this HBP was nuttin’.
I’ve always called him Voggy, not because I subscribe to that stupid *put a Y at the end of one of the first syllables of your first or last name* but because it’s so NOT him. In this case, I think that’s the perfect nickname for him……..
and apparently, my 1:05pm post is spot on….
Or, not…
Flav, you know what I’m gonna say next, you jinxed Vogey!
Or not
I think it not coincidence that the Giants recent general troubles scoring has occurred while Blanco is having problems hitting and getting on base…
Miller and Flem have been harping on that exact sentiment the entire radio broadcast.
The White Shark needs to start swimming again.
Melky does it again. I think that Sanchez trade is working out for us.
It’s been obvious for weeks now. Blanco is critical for the Giants success, which is crazy for a guy that was not even on the radar at the end of last season…
Man that storm that just came through was intense. Didn’t lose power (yet). Get those runs back Giants.
We need a Giant HR sometime today, come on guys, somebody get it done…
Melky! with the clutch hit…
well, part of what I was going to talk about concerns blanco and if you think he can hold up over a full season. His back ups are nate and christian, and as has been mentioned before pagan and melk will be FAs, and at least one will command a big salary.
So can you live with what you have or prefer to add some insurance—quentin, victorino, or another bat?
I’d get another bat for sure. Burriss is still on this 25 man, but you wouldn’t know it for his (lack of) appearances the last few weeks…
Burriss must thank God every day for all the games he’s gotten paid for at the mlb level. I’ve got no idea how many that is. I think we drafted him in ’06 and he’s played well north of 50% of his pro career in the minors. But still, of all the mlb games he’s at (see: on the bench) I wonder how many he gets into, even as a pinch runner……….
I’m off the Quentin acquisition. He’s cooled off considerably and for some reason takes a lot of games off. I’d be fine with a Kelly Johnson or Polanco pick up at the break. That’s really all we need.
Don’t like the sac call for Melky…
Now that’s, what I’m talkin’ about
Melky must have done that on his own. I don’t know why you don’t send Pagan to steal with no outs.
Anyway, Buster comes through again with an All Star AB, and the go-ahead RBI!!…
Because it was Theriot not Pagan?
Theriot, not Pagan
I’m listening to radio now, thought it was Pagan…
what ever happened to arias?
Plays against lefties, and he’s no longer needed to spell Sandoval for defense. Of course, Pablo will now boot the next ball hit to him…
Last two ABs, Blanco has hit the ball on the nose.
I think Blanco really needs the AS break. I wouldn’t be surprised if Blanco gets it going again after the 4 days off…
This ump crew suxx, sheezus…
Romo is pretty darned good.
arias also has an OPS down near crawfords at .600 level…couple that with Theriot (.620 ish) and of course burriss who isn’t even at .600, and that’s some dismal offense from the middle IF. I’d also like to see someone other than posey and sando to back up Belt at 1b, preferably RH with some pop. And more mlb experience and clue than Pill had, before anyone brings back that idea.
Belt should have scored on Craw’s hit.
Flannery held him up for good reason- he can’t break for third until he knows the ball is through.
I’ve changed my mind, I don’t want to trade Belt.
The all important insurance run—seems like when you get it, it always comes in handy. Changes the game for team that has to rally and get a couple too.
A big bounding ball into the hole at short, Belt should have not hesitated going to third, and then with a look back, he could have scored pretty easily with his speed. It was not good baserunning; I don’t care what Kuiper said.
The thirdbaseman had gone towards the hole for the ball.
Even if Belt did go immediately, the ball was fielded in shallow left, and with one out you need to trust that someone can drive him in
Didn’t happen, but I’ll give credit to Reds PS. We beat Cueto, but they are tough and have pitched well this series. Factor in they have a bandbox home yard to throw 81 games in, plus other warm weather hitters parks in that division.
whew- we’ll take it. (grin)
Go get em Giants. Time to walk off.
How the fuck did he manage that?
Now that’s a clutch comeback from Casilla..
Well, considering, 3-3 looks awfully good. I like our chances to win this in the 9th now.
Arredondo a tough cookie though
Jose Arredondo sounds like an apprentice jockey who disappears when he loses his bug…
classic.
I’m at the pool and followed that on my phone. Looks like Casilla got out of a major jam there.
PR Burriss? No?
I agree, zum…
I’m not sure pitching to Pagan instead of Pablo is the best idea right now.
Yessirr!
What a fuckin’ chump!!!!
I rarely say this—LOL