Box Scores
I love box scores. Given the chance I’ll pore through them every day when the Chron arrives and scan them online on game day. The merc one online gives both sides of OPS, while the cbs site you can follow along with game tracker which also has blogger comments. In the Giants Philly finale their was an argument over Hunter Pence—one guy thought he should have been doing more this year at the plate, didn’t care for his defense and thought Amaro should dump along with other non productive players while the other guy defended him. I noticed last night with Utley and Howard back he hit sixth…and went 0-4. Mayberry, btw, hit 8th.
First thing I usually check is all the HRs. Sunday there were 39 hit overall, but only 13 of those came in the NL. Of the 26 hit in the AL, one was the first of the year for Kurt Suzuki, a guy I’ve always liked whose offense has fallen on hard times last couple years. HIs came off CC and he was pretty fired up about it. I also noticed Rajai Davis hit his 5th…I think we were all ready to dump the guy off on waivers when he was hitting .056 for us, but he has managed to stay in baseball and currently has an OPS of .730 for the Jays. He still racks up steals and hasn’t done badly for a 38th round draft pick by the Pirates, who traded him here.
My next thing is to add up total amount of runs scored, usually just in the NL. Last night, fairly typically there were 64 runs scored in the 8 NL games. In other words, “4.3 runs” would have been enough, on average. Would not have worked Saturday, however, when the total was 94. This was night of the 11-10 comeback by the braves and a game in which the light hitting astros scored 8 and got blown out as the DBacks scored 13 at home.
Blown saves have become a stat I always notice now. Last night featured an epic meltdown by K-Rod, newly appointed closer by the Brewers–two thirds of an inning, 3 walks 3 hits 4 earned. Given the closer perfect situation, brought in just to pitch the 9th with a 3 run lead, instead the Phils get a walk off sac fly to send the Brewers home losers once again.
There are other things I find interesting, such as extra inning games where guys often have really bad nights like 0-6, or you see how bad some of the starting pitching around the rest of baseball is—the Twins, Royals, Orioles and Rangers all started guys last night with an ERA over 5.00. As you might guess, the Rangers guy Feldman was the only one who emerged victorious.
I’ll leave with one more thought–the box score is also the source of that famous quote wherein a dribbler, bloop, or a misplayed ball from a fielder is charitably awarded a hit results in, “That’s a line drive in the scorebook. ”
A Place To Talk About Giants Baseball 
Weatherproof games: Athletics-Blue Jays, Braves-Marlins, Reds-Astros, Rockies-Diamondbacks and Yankees-Mariners
Rays-Orioles, Brewers-Phillies and Nationals-Mets could all have their start times pushed back due to thunderstorms, and Twins-White Sox may get doused in the later innings of their game, but none of these four contests appears to be in jeopardy of a postponement.
Thank you for that thread WillieD . . . It has special meaning to me. True story – my mom tells me that I learned how to read by reading the sports page and do math by browsing the box scores. 🙂
:B
Cool topic my man. I have always read the box scores first and after digesting those I can read the wraps/previews and finally the videos, condensed game or a re-watch off my MLB account.
I had a chuckle yesterday when I was watching an episode of ‘The Closer’. Brenda had some legal bills and was cancelling all unnecessary subscriptions. Fritz responds back that “you don read the newspaper, the box scores are the only way I can keep track of all the teams.”
Like taking your glove to a game the box scores are mandatory.
That’s a cool story, Steve.
I have always felt I could understand a whole game by reading the box scores. I love box scores, just look at Matt’s perfect game and if your like me, you’ll get pumped up reading it and remembering what you saw. Years ago, when Joe Boxer came out with their fancy shorts, I though box score boxers would be great. Basically just using World Series or special games (Babe goes yard 4 times stuff like that). Hell, I’d wear em. Could you imagine the jinx factor? “Honey where are my 2010 WS shorts? But honey, I need them for today’s game”.
There’s may too much info in today’s box scores- there was a simpicity in the old newspaper boxes. Maybe I’ll go into it further later depending on how things go.
A good box score is going to the bar and picking up on a fairly sober cute girl! Since I’ve been married I’ve not treid for any box scores.
zum posted a neat stat last night about Cards starting LU with everyone over .279. didn’t help them tho as Barbs held them to one run in 6 innings and LA held on. Couple years ago I used to see the A’s LU didn’t have hardly anyone over .250–the Swisher line I used to call it.
I’ve also been keeping track lately of what Giants A/S guys have been doing compared to the others. Last night of course they romped: 7 for 11 with a walk, scored 5 drove in 4 btw melk posey pablo. And I’ll second what bozo said last night—for a guy with a .660- some OPS, Theriot has been solid defensively and taken over 2b. Very pleasant surprise to me.
Oh, it’s also pretty cool to read Vogs ERA is now 2.36. what a beast (and not only to mrs. vogs).
Willied, Bumgarner has a 1.81 ERA in 59 2/3 IP at AT&T Park compared to a 4.24 ERA in 70 IP on the road. I am fairly certain (as I predicted a few days ago) the “Giants machine” will continue to bulldoze the competition at home. I’m still shooting for a 5 game or better lead by the end of this home stand. 🙂
I was thinking about Ichiro this morning, after reading an article about the trade. Obviously his numbers this year – .261-49-4-28-15 – are not Ichiro like. Even last year, he was not the same Ichiro. In fantasy, he is not even ranked in the top 50 outfielders anymore. Although, according to the article I read, the “Safeco Field effect has something to do with it; Suzuki’s OPS is 172 points higher in road games. Yankee Stadium should serve him well, not to mention being around all the New York run producers.”
Likewise, being on a powerhouse team like the Yankees should get his adrenalin going a bit more. Conversely, he will not have the opportunities batting lead off as he did with Seattle, since I think they have him slotted in the 8 spot.
The biggest shock for me though was finding out that he actually requested this trade. That’s fine by me, although I thought his relationship with the fans trumped his desire to be on a competitor. In any event, I like the fact that he wants to go out on a winning note, so this trade is probably a good thing for all concerned. It just seems weird and a bit sad, that he isn’t playing for Seattle anymore . . . sigh.
I didn’t know he’d asked for a trade until I read something on it. I was confused about him accepting the trade until I read that. I guess everyone wants a chance at the ring, although he should have requested SF if he really wanted it. Implied smiley face goes here.
lqtm. Yeah, what’sa matter with him (in best Italian idiom accent).
agreed, Steve, when he was mentioned here as a possible target we mostly agreed he would always be a sonic.
I expect some improved stats in NYC.
Yeah Ed, I am thinking he will be rejuvenated a bit and close his season on a high note.
Excellent topic WilleD. I have always loved the box scores, too, and they are one of the first things I look at for the day.
And the flip-side of those dribblers, bloops, and misplayed balls are the likes of Crawford getting robbed of a double last night. Won’t even show up as a hit in the box. Ah, the beauty of baseball.
Chi, you know this and I think you’ve even mentioned it before – when you are in the military overseas, you have the Stars and Stripes newspaper and that’s it (I am talking about the 70s, and have no idea if soldiers are packing tablets and laptops, along with their hand grenades/C rations) . . . For a Giants fan, that is like being denied water in a desert, when you consider the paucity of news, especially Sports news.
Yeah, I have no current point of reference, as I have not deployed in a long time. My last lengthy stint was the first gulf war, and we had limited access to the Internet, and the Stars and Stripes was still a desired commodity. Hell, during my 90+ day temporary duty assignment to Guam in the late 70s, the Stars and Stripes was IT…the ONLY damned source for baseball news. It was rough duty, but I made the best of the situation…taking the bus down to Tarague Beach (on Anderson AFB) for a daily snorkel. (Insert gay-assed smily face, here.)
further to my Olympics news, televised sports start tomorrow with women’s football followed the next day by men’s.
on Friday the real sports start: Archery followed by the opening ceremonies.
Last weekend I was watching a tune-up meet where the French vaulter tried and failed @ 6meters (just under 20feet) which reminded me of the USSR athlete Sergay Bubka who did vault 20feet+ in 1994 and today, 14 years later, still holds the record.
Olympics are great sport. Jamaica has the sprinters and Africa has the long distance runners with one bionic middle distance guy. The Soviet block was broken up and now we get stars from a dozen little European states.
In reply to yesterday’s post about beach volleyball and bikinis it may be a tempest in a teapot. Approved are waist length tops with small sleeves and shorts. There has been a bit of pressure coming from Muslim countries where female athletes are growing in numbers and success. They wanted head scarves allowed, and they MAY be in 2012 under a temporary, testing-the-idea ruling. However, the GB team had this to say:
Female beach volleyball players yesterday vowed that they would keep wearing their bikinis – despite admitting it was ‘upsetting’ that the sport was known only for skimpy outfits.
Zara Dampney and Shauna Mullin, who form part of Britain’s first ever Olympic beach volleyball team, said bikinis were still the best kit for the sport, despite rule changes which would allow them to cover up if they wished.
‘It’s perfect for our sport,’ Miss Mullin, 27, said. ‘We play in hot countries and I can’t imagine wearing anything else on the sand. I will still be wearing my bikini.’
and finally:
In a sign of what the world’s fittest sportsmen and women get up to in the Olympic village, a record 150,000 free condoms – 15 for each competitor – have been made available to them.
The phenomenal outpouring of prophylactics means there will be 50 per cent more available to athletes in London than the 100,000 handed out at the last Olympics in Beijing in 2008.
😆
😳 that would be 18 years on and still holds the WR
With that many free condoms, it sounds like many box scores are expected at the Olympics.
Bikinis are back in? Now you’re talking Ed, I was getting a bit worried about the sport.
And, 15 condoms a day? Damn, these folks truly are world athletes.
reminds me of the “Coolidge Effect” where the president’s wife and he were touring a chicken farm and the guide said, “our prize roosters can service 8 chickens a day.” Mrs. C responded “you should tell Mr. C about that!” When he did the president replied, “Same chicken every time?”. The guide said, “oh, no, different hen every time.” and the president said, “you should tell Mrs. C about that.”
The Coolidge Effect is taught in all universities today.
LMAO, Ed…that’s priceless.
I love it.
For the rooster, that’s a coop score, I suppose…
Really nice post Willied…Yeah I always read the box scores.Even noitce the Sac bunt or fly,to see if a guy who might have been struggling can still help his team by doing the little things.Box scores are a good way to evaluate trades as well especially in Fantasy leagues.
Blade,That is a stat on Bum,i wasnt aware of,how well he has pitched at home.Funny I remember he couldn’t buy a win and pitched pretty shitty at home when he 1st started out. He has really turned the corner on that stat at ATT.
Nor I Kat . . . Just saw it yesterday in the preview article for his start.
So, we knew it was coming…what do you all think about the move of Pablo to 1st/Arias at 3rd (maybe you all kicked this around ad nauseam when I was out of pocket over the weekend)? I don’t see this as a long-term solution…way I see it you really gain nothing in the Arias/BB swap, and you sacrifice D at 1st (although Pablo did have a nice play there last night).
It was a necessary move based on the fact that Belt is totally lost mentally right now. In fact, I don’t think there’s a better definition of *head case* than that dude, in terms of baseball players…..
I don’t think you’re sacrificing much D. Belt may be better than Sandoval but Arias is a better 3rd baseman that Sandoval so it’s probably about a wash.
Everyone knew he was scuffling and no one disagrees that he and the team needed for him to sit a couple out – but unless it’s temporary, any in house solution weakens the team. Because of their pitching, they could probably win the West with Eddie Gaedel at first but they’re going to need at least one OFer for next year, anyway.Where they should be looking-with or without Belt in the picture, is a RH OF/First baseman
.
Arias a better 3rd baseman? I don’t see it. Pablo has made some pretty spectacular plays at 3rd. Plus, he has tons more experience there than Arias (3,700 innings vs. 301). And lifetime FP at the position favors Pablo, slightly. I agree Mike, in that I said I don’t see this as a “long-term solution” and agree, I think that overall it weakens the team.
But, I also do not argue that Belt is “totally fucking lost” right now. Steward’s piece in the Merc talks about why not having Belt talk to Bonds (BB to BB). Bonds has said he would love to help in this capacity, and who better to help Belt get his head screwed-on straight. If nothing else it is an interesting concept.
in the current mental state Belt is in, and considering what an asshole Bonds can be at times, I think there’s about an 80% chance that Belt would be literally in tears at the end of that 10 minute convo…
I DO think Arias is a better 3rd baseman than Pablo. I think he’s got more range, he can come in on a bunt much faster and he’s got a cannon of an arm as we saw from his throw to end the perfect game……
I have seen Pablo come in on a ball (as you mention Arias doing), and bare-hand/rifle a throw. We can agree to disagree….but either way, I do not think one is “significantly” better than the other.
Bonds has seemed to turn over a leaf in recent years. He has publicly said he would love to work with Giants hitters. This said, why would Belt “literally be in tears” when he has an opportunity to talk to one of the best hitters of all time? I agree with Steward and think it would be a low (no cost) proposition that could benefit the Giants (and potentially Belt).
When I was a kid, my local newspaper didn’t have boxscores, it had the wretched LINESCORES. Yuk. All the linescores gave was the inning run totals, the battery mates, and who hit homeruns, and that was about it. It wasn’t until I looked through an SF Chronicle at the local library that I finally saw boxscores, and got to groove on all that I had been missing. Checking the Chronicle at the local library became a regular thing. The library also had a book called “The New York Times Book Of Baseball” or something like that, and it was a book of reproductions of game articles from the NY Times, including boxscores. Very, very cool book. It opened up the fascinating history of baseball to me. I could see an original article about Harvey Haddix’s 12 perfect innings game with the loss in the 13th, and see the boxscore from that game. Or the All-Star game where Hubbell struck out 5 legendary hitters in a row, and see the boxscore from that game.
Nowadays a look through the daily newspaper’s boxscores is a regular part of my day.
And one of the things I always look at in the boxscores is the attendance figures for some reason. I think it has to do with the fact that the Giants struggled so much with attendance, overall, during the Candlestick years; and now the Giants are one of the top attendance teams. It feels good to see the Giants dominant in that category. For so many years, we as Giants fans lived with the cloud hanging over us that Candlestick and low attendance might cause the Giants to move to a different city; and checking the attendance figures these days, is just a different way of looking at how teams are doing in their particular different situations.
I too regularly look at attendance. Can’t say why…and not sure I ever drew the parallel of attendance sucktitude at The Stick that you mention, Zume. Anyway…I do like to look at the attendance and guage how different cities are doing in this regards.
Z- I lived in LA for the entire 70s and 80’s. Cable wasn’t what it was today. In fact, for most of that time we did not have cable. The Giants were not covered very well in LA except LeMaster errors and Giant/Dodger games. The box scores were all I had. I always looked at the Giants attendance and sighed. Your post brought back those memories.
Zumie: Here’s a box score for you. Check the BA for the Angels starters.
http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/CLE/CLE200908180.shtml
It’s funny what some of us are drawn to in a box score. WillieD adds up all the runs in each league. Zumie looks at the attendance figures. I never do that. I’m usually drawn first to the stolen base line because I get a bigger charge out of one of my players stealing a bag than I do seeing them hit a bomb. Not sure why.
I don’t look at newspaper box scores anymore and haven’t for years. It’s fun to sift through the old boxscores at baseball-reference.com. Loo will often post an intriguing one from the 60’s or something. I look forward to those posts……
Growing up as a Giants fan in Jersey, the box scores were an absolutely essential part of being able to follow the team. It helped greatly that the local newspaper, which I delivered, was an afternoon paper and would have all the box scores from the west coast games. I usually focused on just the NL games and rarely the AL. And like Z, for some reason I would check out at the attendance, although I don’t do that much anymore since they now count tickets sold and not tickets used. It was always amusing to see 4 figures for the Giants’ weekday home games, then a slight spike into 5 digits for Saturday and then somewhere in the 20,000 range for Sunday. The other thing I used to enjoy was the Sunday paper with the long list of every player’s batting stats ranked by average, along with the team stats ranked by average. I don’t know when newspapers discontinued that, but I still miss it.
I’ve lived in NJ for 7 of the last 15 years. I read the Star-Ledger and the Bergen Record. West coast scores were just a bitch to come by. you couldn’t get last nights game and by the next day they’d moved on to something else. the internet helped in the later years.
OK, I have a blockbuster for you all (If you think it is dumb, please keep it to yourself, just trying to foster a discussion). I just want to get your thoughts and arguments why and why not. I think we have two needs right now: cleanup-type of bat and an extra bullpen arm and I think those two items gets us to the World Series if not another championship. But I am willing to go one step further as you will see:
Giants trade to the Twins: C Tommy Joseph, 1B Brandon Belt, OF Nate Schierholtz and either RP Clay Hensley or Eric Surkamp (or any other non-top tier pitching prospect) and OF Aubrey Huff (for financial purposes)
Twins trade to Giants: OF Josh Willingham, 1B Justin Morneau and RP Matt Capps (I know he is on DL, but this is conditioned on him not being seriously injured)
Why would the Twins do it: My calculations has Willingham, Morneau and Capps earning about $10 million more for the rest of the season, but most importantly this will save them $22.250 million next year and would push their payroll down to $45 mill for 2013, which would make them more able to rebuild and absorb that monstrous Morneau contract.
The Twins would get a future replacement for Mauer, who they can then solely use as a DH and/or 1B, with Joseph. Belt giives them a potential every day player at 1B if they want to focus on Mauer as a DH. The Twins get some insurance for Morneau’s previous issues with concussions by getting rid of him. Willingham and Capps are the primary needs for the Giants.
The Twins take Huff’s contract to try and make the financial hitt the Giants would take this year a little more balanced. I calculate the remaining salaries for the Giants in htis trade to be about $5 million for the remainder of 2012. So the Giants would have to eat a net $5 mill for the remainder of this year, which is chump change. But if the Giants could force the Twins to also take Freddy Sanchez’ contract, that would save about $2.5 mill more and lessening the hit on the Giants to about $2.5 mill more.
The Giants would add $22.250 to salary for 2013, but that would only push the contract to $104 million roughly for 2013. That leaves plenty of room to push Melky to a $15/mill 5 year contract range and keeps the 2013 payroll to around $120 mill. They would still need to then make an offer for Capps for 2013, but would be great insurance in case Wilson is not back. BWiddy is still arb eligible next year, so what do the Giants do to get a fair deal for someone that did not pitch at all in 2012. Would he take a two year deal around $10mill? Is that too much? If you offer Wilson $5 mill next year and Capps or Affeldt $4 mill, roughly pushes payroll to that $130 mill range, whcih would say goodbye to Angel Pagan, but no great loss in my estimation. Buster will also be in his first year or arbitration. But even pushing payroll to $135 mill for 2013 will not be a long term drag on the team as you will see.
You would still get an OF next year of Willingham in LF, Blanco (Brown does not appear ready) in CF and Melky in RF.
Morneau’s contract expires after next year, so no long term financial worries there and WIllingham has a super reasonable deal with just two more years at $7 mill each. Conceivable if you dont resign Morneau for 2014 to have a payroll with Melky at $15 mill and Willingham at $7 mill at $52 mill for 2014, a ton to bring Lincecum and BWiddy back if that is the decision they make. (What great shape Sabean has us in financially for 2014 and beyond!!!) They also then are in great shape to give Posey a nice long deal (at elast 5 years, buying out at least two of his free agent years). By 2014, you can also see Posey being the long-term replacement at 1B or at least splitting time behind the plate with Hector Sanchez.
I know I know, you all are ready to deem me brilliant with this idea:)
So potential lineup for the remainder of 2012:
1) Pagan/Blanco – CF
2) Theriot – 2B
3) Melky – RF
4) Willingham – LF
5) Posey – C
6) Panda – 3B
7) Morneau – 1B
8) Crawford/Arias – SS
That is a World Series winner!!!
Potential lineup for 2013:
1) Blanco/Brown – CF
2) Theriot (proven find) – 2B
3) Melky – 3B
4) Willingham – LF
5) Posey – C
6) Panda – 3B
7) Morneau – 1B
8) Crawford – SS
Potential lineup for 2014:
1) Brown – CF
2) Culberson/Noonan – 2B
3) Melky – RF
4) Willingham – LF
5) Posey – 1B
6) Panda – 3B
7) Sanchez – C
8) Crawford – SS
Well, I don’t see any indication that Morneau will ever regain his pre-concussion form, Capps hasn’t been a top closer for a couple years now- Willinghham alone would be a trade I’d consider. And exactly nonbody wants Huff for any reason and wouldn’t take him for free IMO.
I totally appreciate the time you put into this but I’m not on board. The only player out of those guys that I’d want is Willingham.
I agree. And to think they would take on Huff’s (or Freddy Sanchez’s??!!) contract? I don’t see that happening.
I also just do not see the Giants needing this type of move to continue to compete…and yes…go deep (read “World Series”) in the playoffs.
Surkamp has yet to pitch this year…he is still battling tendon problems in the left hand.
I’m also reminded of a story my uncle, a Phillies fan, once told me, although I have no idea if it’s true. Whenever the Phillies played the Reds, Larry Bowa kept calling Dave Concepcion “Elmer.” An exasperated Concepcion finally went up to Bowa and asked why he kept calling him Elmer. Bowa said, “Every time I look in the box score it says ‘E Concepcion.’ “
LMAO…that’s some funny shit, Mac. Bowa…local guy (Sacto) and what a red-ass…would make Jeff Kent look like a fucking saint!
sorry meant to say monstrous Mauer contract…I am going to be tied up at a congressional hearing, check bback with all your comments later..
Mac, when I was a kid we went on vacation every summer up to gold country where relatives lived near Yuba river. The daily chron arrived about 3 PM to the general store, and we’d walk into “town” (no stop lights) to get it. Once in a while, if the west coast games in LA and SF ran late you wouldn’t see anything in the paper on last night’s game. Still happens today every once in a while in morning edition of the Chron—the dreaded “n” next to the rundown of scores. Arrgghh!
*the dreaded *n*— totally! When I would spend the Summer up in Oregon at my grandparents I would wait for my grandpa to get home with The Oregonian each morning (he had to drive into town to get it) and about 50% of the time the Giants would get “n’d”. It was infuriating, lol…..
tell me about it; it’s an East Coast curse
In the mid-to-late 70s, I’d spend a week at my Grandma’s in the Poconos. The nearest town was at least 5 miles away, and I’d plead with her every day to make a run into town just so I could get a paper and find out how the Giants did. I’m pretty good I got “n’d” as well, but at least they’d run the previous night’s late game.
Hell, you get that…the dreaded “n” pretty regularly in the Sacramento edition. Used to piss me off to no end. If buying from a rack, I would steal a look just to see if the Giant box from the previous day was in the paper…if not, then I would buy a Sac Bee (even though I much prefered the Chron).
All of the 7 O’Clock starts get the “N” here. Of course, it’s mitigated by living where I do… then again, that’s offset by having to hire a privarte eye to find the paper in the morning.. but hey, the funnies are still there- and I’ll need all the humor I can muster up because Zeke bit the private eye… life is all checks and balances.
In LA we would just wait until “The Morning Sports Final Edition” came out. It would actually say that in big print in one of the upper corners of the front page.
Ah, maybe one of the benefits of living in Smell-A. No such monster available in Sacto.
I got out of LA in 1990! About that time, Al Gore invented the internet and now box scores can be seen during the game.
I like the topic of box scores. They tell a story. Doris Kearns Goodwin relates how she’d keep score (all right, that’s something a bit different) and then re-create the game for her father when he got home from work. And the components of the box score change over time. Remember the game-winning RBI, or GWRBI? They tried it for a while, and then gave it up. It evoked some controversy. Do you miss it?
I was always amused by things like:
a) grounded into double play for Perry in 7th
b) struck out for Herbel in 9th.
As if it they were doing these guys some kind of valuable favor…
Well, I guess it was. I think Perry owes that guy a steak dinner for taking care of that for him.
I’m gonna get the papers, get the papers….
Now go home and get your fuckin’ shine box.
Just got back . . . Some funny shit here, especially the post by Mac about Concepcion . . . Agree with Chi – almost fell out of my chair laughing. By the by, your 8:38am post was also spot on in regard to waiting for the “. . . Sunday paper with the long list of every player’s batting stats ranked by average, along with the team stats ranked by average. I don’t know when newspapers discontinued that, but I still miss it.” That was the first thing I did every Sunday morning, along with eating the breakfast my Mom would make for me . . . Which was humongous (3 eggs, usually 5-6 sausages or bacon, hash browns, and English muffin) and ONLY occurred on Sunday. I fended for myself the rest of the week. Ha. 🙂
I also related to Zumiee’s 8:14 post about checking attendance figures. I did the same thing, but it is now a waste of time for the Giants because it’s always a full house. However, I still do it every day for the Rockies . . . Wondering and waiting to see when these delusional fans will wake up and boycott the mediocre product on the field.
Me too. Always checked attendance especially the Stick days.
Well, back in the day, I could count 834 so it was always amusing when the paper said 5,834..
That’s hilarious, Twin…and probably so damned true (think Tuesday, night game at The Stick, against the Expos)….
Since the internet came along, I rarely check the newspaper for box scores. But I still look at them online, and if I missed watching a Giants game, the box is the first thing I’ll check. Of course, now there’s also the play-by-play to fill me in on what went down. One stat I used to obsess over, especially if the Giants lost, was LOB. That one might’ve come along later, I don’t remember it being a part of the box in the 70s.
Yeah, Berger, you have to give Rightwingers credit for being sinister enough to turn Gore’s comment about being on a Senate panel that approved the use of internet for the public into “I invented the internet.” It helped get Bush, Jr. elected, and we all know how well that worked out.
—–
I was reading a thing about Frank Deford the other day, and it mentioned something I’d totally forgotten about- his attempt at a daily national sports newspaper. It was called the “Daily National” or some other obtuse and ineffective name. It didn’t last all that long, if I remember correctly. He had the right idea, in his own pre-internet way, but he just was 20 years ahead of his time. What he was trying to provide for a fee, people get on the internet for free now.
Arias is better than Panda at 3rd defensively, better range, quicker, and so far looks like a more accurate arm. Panda has too many occassional bad throws on routine plays, that a good 1B cleans up most of the time. Pablo is OK at 1B, but he won’t be OK the first time he misses a routine short hop throw with two outs that lets a run score. Panda is not a LT solution at first, I would think everybody agrees. The calculus hasn’t changed in my book, a RH bat with some punch as 4th OFer or at least as a bench bat, and at least one other infield upgrade on the bench to replace Burriss that can actually hit a lick. Pen help is gravy. They may be waiting for Mota to come back in late August. I heard the other day he’s been working out in Florida keeping in shape. Wouldn’t be surprised if that’s on the back burner and in the plan; he’d have a fresh arm, that’s for sure…
Well, as I told Flavor…we can just agree to disagree on who is better at 3rd. And I do not believe one is substantially better than the other there, too.
I do agree with the “needs.” RH bat with pop is first, bench upgrade is next, and bullpen upgrade is gravy. And I would be down with Mota coming back after his suspension.
I agree that OVERALL, I want Panda at 3b. Arias is just a utility guy, but a guy obviously better to keep around than Burriss. But, I just feel Arias is a better fielder than Pablo, and if Arias is essentially going to sub for Belt, in the long run I don’t think that gets us very far…
Pawlie, I don’t miss the Game-winning RBI stat, because MLB could never figure out how to make it very meaningful. They started with whoever got the RBI to put their team into the lead for good getting the GWRBI. So, somebody who grounds out to give his team a 1-0 lead in the first inning could get the GWRBI, even if his team went on to win 14-0. The spirit of that stat should have been just for the dramatic moments at a game’s end, and MLB could never figure out a way to get that right, and they just finally gave up.
Loo, was Tettleton the answer you were looking for on your trivia question? If not, then there was more than one correct answer.
(g..r..i..n..)
I guessed that last nightabd then he never disclosed the answer.
Yeah, that’s how I got that answer. (grin) Loo’s clue said the name ended in T, though.
I tell ya it was John Twobigtitties.
I apologize – I passed out in the sink last night around the 7th inning. . Tettleton is correct. How’d you figure that out so quickly? Did you talk it out Wheel of Fortune style? My hint was that it started with a T…
I don’t see why Bonds and/or Clark wouldn’t be good for Belt with some hitting advice. WTF not? At minimum, it would get him away from Bam Bam, because whatever he’s selling, Belt ain’t buyin’…
They had Clark work with him as he was coming up. He even would take batting practice with Belt at Richmond. I think Bonds said something about knowing what the problem was, I do know he has helped players in the past (when they asked him). Pick one of those guys and tell everyone else to leave him alone, sure couldn’t hurt.
Forgot who mentioned it here, but apparently Miami is shopping Hanley Ramirez and Josh Johnson.
Yeah I heard that as well Blade,Hanley has really pissed off management.His last stunt taking his frustations out on a water coolerand fucking.up his hand didnt go over well.
I’ll take him though if the trade is reasonable.
Melk and the boys can straightened his act out.
He is a plus player this year overall – I’m fairly familiar with him because he’s on my Flap team. Essentially, only his batting average has lagged this year.
Kat, in the ESPN article I read last week, they indicated he hit a “fan,” so obviously I was thinking, “Great, the stupid fuck hit a fan and he will be suspended for a month plus minimum . . . that fucks up my Flap League chances.” It was only when I read a follow up article a couple of days later, that I found out it was a “blowing fan” (or who knows, they still might have had the frickin’ story wrong and he hit a water cooler as you said above). Too funny. 🙂
Maybe they should shop Ozzie…
You would get no argument from the Cuban community.
Excellent piece for those whinning about the treatment of Belt. As Ratto says, it’s always been that way, always will be. If Belt can’t handle criticism or failure, he outta look at doing something else.
http://www.csnbayarea.com/baseball-san-francisco-giants/giants-talk/Comparing-Belt-Hamilton-struggles?blockID=745481&feedID=2539
Ratto starts with a decent enough article that quickly changes into his typical doucebaggary. It’s funny to me that he wastes what little credibility he has left writing an article complaining about complainers when he is nothing but a big fat whiny fucking complainer.
LQTM…you nailed it!
Sometimes (many times?) I just want to say “shut up you fat fuck!”
chi and dirt, try having him sit a couple rows behind you on plane from SFO to Atlanta. Which wouldn’t have been bad except some idiot asked him how he got into broadcasting. I begged for crying children to sit next to me just to drown his whine out.
Looking to Ray Ratto for cogent advice on anything is a fool’s errand. He writes and talks to get a rise, a dumpy, sweaterized, low-cost version of Skip Bayless. Comparing Hamilton and his situation to Belt’s is asinine. Hamilton is a certified star veteran, a guy with a public, checkered past, ready to head into FA over the winter — so Nolan Ryan may have ulterior motives with regard to any or all of that to denigrate Hamilton in public. Belt has no such checkered past, and is a nobody in MLB except to scouts and Giants fans. Hence, there are no good reasons for team representatives to go molto publico with bashing this kid. I’ve been a Giants fan way longer than Ratto’s been around. I’ve never seen a Giants management team, and now the Giants broadcasters, rip a young kid with so little pro experience so publicly and so often. That’s normally taken care of in house. Media criticism and fan critiques are to be expected, particularly from sweater-vested Rattos trying to draw some attention to themselves. If Belt is not reacting well to clubhouse or coach criticism, that’s one thing, and should be handled in private. But, to ask a 24 year old trying to keep his head above water to take repeated PUBLIC hits from his superiors, the guys who are supposed to have his back, is quite another thing altogether…
I don’t really care for Belt and perhaps, part of the reason is what I read (and am influenced by?) about him in the media. However, your cogent evaluation of the situation does make a lot of sense.
This really hit home, “. . . to ask a 24 year old trying to keep his head above water to take repeated PUBLIC hits from his superiors, the guys who are supposed to have his back, is quite another thing altogether . . . ” Specifically, this makes me recall how fucked up I was as a 24 year old. Good post Tom.
The Belt Enigma, with-out a Sansabelt in sight! Snarkk, you just pulled the pants off that comcast guy. I bet Baggs groans a lot trying to work with him.
I’ve said that about Belt and his treatment many times, Snarkk. As have you and many others. But I fear the well is poisoned or close to it, with Belt and any future here. He’s probably our best piece to get a RH OFer/First baseman and I hope they’re working on that now.
The giants don’t have the prospects to go after Hanley (who is severely over valued, IMO). I could definitely see the A’s taking a swing at him though. They are loaded with prospects and Hanley would be better than anything they have in their current infield.
Agree…the Gigantes don’t have the bullets to set at that table. Back to what snarkk said at 11:39…all they need are some minor upgrades. Not that I wouldn’t want a player like Ramirez…just not in the current cards.
Well, we do have the prospects-if we want to pillage the farm system. And Hanley has damaged his “brand” to the point where he’s not even close to being worth what Miami would want.
Good point…no way I want to deal Brown, etc. for a player like Ramirez.
I would be shocked if Beane traded a bunch of prospects for a Hanley rental. A’s could afford him for 2 months, but they’d have to turn around and trade him in the winter or next spring because they’d choke on his contracted salary the next two years — $15M per, I think. So, they’d be in a position of weakness trying to trade him as potential trade partners would know the A’s were under pressure to unload him. It would be almost a guaranteed Beltran/Wheeler scenario…
I would never put it past Beane to sell, even this year. No predicting he will, just that it wouldn’t surprise me.
He’s usually selling, but usually selling older, expensive guys to get a packet of younger players. To get Ramirez, it would be the oppo scenario, which would be out of character. Unless, for some reason, he thinks the team can go somewhere in the playoffs. Wolff has said he won’t bet the farm to win a WS, whatever that means. One thing that is intriguing with this A’s surge. Let’s say by some luck and chance the A’s made it not only into the POs, but into the WS. Would that dampen, or hasten their departure from Oakland? I really don’t have a clue…
I wasn’t even talking about Ramirez in particlar, just the mystery that is Beanie at the deadline.
Roger that…
I want to be clear – I only said, “Forgot who mentioned it here, but apparently Miami is shopping Hanley Ramirez and Josh Johnson.”
I am not interested in his ass, unless someone wants to trade him to me for my other fantasy league team. Yes, he would be an upgrade over Jimmy “My wife doesn’t think I’m too old” Rollins.
I think all of us would agree that Belt looks visibly lost at the plate right now. Most of us would also probably agree that he needs a break and not run out to first base every game to engage in more failures. I think we mostly disagree on what’s fueling this *lost* look and his mounting failures at the plate.
Personally, I think it’s a combination of trying to make the changes in his swing that the team wanted him to make AND having to do it in-season AND then slumping and watching the slump grow to the point where now he’s worried about job security. All of that, to me, creates a very unsure hitter in the box right now……
What I DON’T think it is caused by is the public comments by Bochy/Sabean/etc.. This is a big, strapping young man from Texas. Guys from Texas don’t take shit and they don’t make excuses—especially the excuse of “my bosses are talking negatively about me and it’s made me lose my confidence” Boo fucking hoo. . To me, that’s nothing more than pussifying Brandon Belt. And I would bet that if you asked him if that’s the reason he’s so lost right now he’d look you straight in the eye and say something like, “hey, it sounds like you’re calling me a pussy. I’m no pussy.”
Now, all of this is just MY OPINION so don’t freak out. The fact is, not a single person in the world knows what’s really going on except *maybe* Brandon Belt himself…….
Well, I respect that opinion. And, maybe I’ve gone off the deep end defending this Belt kid. He’s an adult; but as a pro, he’s a baby. I’ll admit, last year’s stretch where he looked like the next Lou Gehrig got me going. Great defense AND a bat, what a combo. I want this kid to succeed, because if he does, the Giants will succeed. It would be great to have 1B finally taken care of for the next 7-10 years by a dependable player with pop, even though he’s LH which isn’t so great for this park. That position has been a black hole since JT left with Minor, Garko, Niekro, yada yada. I dunno, maybe it isn’t meant to be. But, I think it’s too early to give up on this kid. Crawford was hitting like shit and throwing balls into the stands for the first 1/3 of the season, but management never threw him under the bus. It was all “no problem, he’s our guy”. Now, Craw looks like he’s getting settled. With Belt, for some reason, the oppo treatment from management. So, get him to Fresno for a confidence injection, let him sit in a sweat lodge and meditate, whatever it takes. Insert Matt Williams analogy here. At minimum, management should just STFU about him in public. I just think if they trade him now, it will be a mistake…
Big strapping young men from Texas don’t usually cry when they are told they made the team. I’m pretty sure they start hooting and hollering while try to lasso something.
Check out his and Crawford’s blog “Brandon and Brandon” sometime. It does bring in their side of what’s going on sometimes.
Maybe that was the start of Bochy being PO’d with him, and to stay with BF’s motif, Bochy thinks Belt’s a pussy, lets him know it, and that’s the root of the “mental” block. Bochy isn’t into “touchy-feely”. Thing is, if Belt figures it out, he’d be around here a lot longer than Bochy.
Hey Boch, my dog just got run over.
Here, have a beer!…
RIP George Jefferson. Sherman Hemsley dead at the age of 74.
he’s movin’ on up, to a deee-lux apartment in the sky……
For some reason, I thought he’d be older than that…
No one, least of all me, objects to a reasonably stated opinion even if we disagree. But I know that any further participation in the Belt discussion from me likely has a poor outcome in store so I’ll just say that I’ll be discussing something else the rest of the day.
This Ichiro to NY has me intrigued. I’ll venture a little thesis from it. BF, you should chime in, you say you watch the Yanks a lot. The Yanks have not had ultimate WS success now for what, a dozen years? Despite all the players. I would theorize that they can’t develop a cohesive team that withstands PO pressure because of all the different players they constantly bring in. Super talent, but it constantly changes, off-season, ST, mid-season, and signifcant changes, per Ichiro — not just tweaks. We saw how poorly SF played at the beginning this year with all those new bodies trying to mesh their playing together. 100 games in, now things are looking better. How can you develop a “team” that you can depend on at crunch time, even if they are all talented, when the body count just keeps changing so much all the time?…
If that’s true, and I think it’s a sound theory, part of the problem is how each player deals with the pressures of playing in NY with the constant spot light that they’re under. Put it this way, Belt better hope he doesn’t get traded to the Yankees. It’s such a different culture in terms of expectations. Some guys can deal with it and some can’t. Personally, I’ve always felt like A-rod has faked his way through his time in NY. He thought he’d put the cap on and be good to go. But it doesn’t work that way.
The YES Network, which is outstanding, is like an entire universe. And they spend SOOOO much time interviewing these guys and dissecting the problems each player might be having–it wears on some guys, I think. It’s NOTHING like SF. It’s 2 totally different approaches to broadcasting and reporting……
Ah yes, the Sporting Green and the Box Score of “N”. ha ha, every other sport was there to read about. But being that I grew up in Boring Santa Rosa, CA. The Sporting Green was what was fought over. When I would separate the paper sections, it was sporting green on top, comics next and then the rest of the story. Back then it was the “E” column of the box score. If it was a close game I would think how many Errors did they commit to lose this one. Great topic Willied.
Belt and Hacker to the Rangers for Mitch Moreland anyone?
I too, love reading box scores. That’s where I learned to enjoy math. Figuring out the averages, ERA, winning percentages, etc. I lived in the Sacramento area for 38 years and I will read the Sporting Green over The Bee any day. But yeah, it does piss me off when there is an “N” next to the Giants night game. Thank goodness for the Al Gore invention.
Would love to see Paw Rugg (MadBum) go yard tonight and say 12 K’s. Can St. Louis help some Orange and Black brothers out tonight and beat the Bums?
Also, let us not forget to wish a Happy 48th Birthday to #25, Barry Lamar Bonds.
Yup. Happy Birthday BB.
Addressing only the Hacker part, I doubt anybody wants him. We’re looking at his upside and that’s as a decent career minor leaguer.
For DMD and any of the other horse players: A buddy of mine is co-hosting a live video chat on the Haskell in an hour (7 p.m. Eastern/4 p.m. Pacific). If interested, go to app.com and there should be a link for the chat. It will probably last about 15-20 minutes.
I agree that playing for the Yankees is different from anywhere else in MLB. This article that I read back in May before the draft confirmed what Flav and some others have pointed out. I was able to locate it again and I cut and paste a couple of the most pertinent comments from it . . .
Damon Oppenheimer, vice president of amateur scouting, said that the Yankees have a unique situation in that they are charged not just to find big league-caliber players but to predict if those young athletes can handle playing in New York. “We’re always looking to get players who can play for the New York Yankees and not just be Major Leaguers,” Oppenheimer said. “That is our shopping list, to see who can impact us. It’s not easy to be a Yankee, so sometimes we will take a little more risk to find somebody who can fit for us.
“There’s a big combination to be a guy that can play in New York. You have to be exceptionally talented, with high-end makeup and really special tools, because the guys that we have are guys that have All-Star potential and All-Star ceilings. We’re looking for somebody that can unseat one of those guys when it’s time.”
“Because we’ve had as much success as we’ve had on a regular basis, we’re always picking at the back end,” Cashman said. “It’s difficult. There’s a lot of waiting, and it puts us at the back of the boat in every round, but the philosophy is the same no matter what, which is to take the best player on the board.”
I hate the fucking Yank-Mees. Fuck ’em!
3B Ryan Roberts (Tattoo Man) DFA’d by D-backs today if anyone is interested.
Just say no to neck tats.
There are few things I like better than watching guys with neck tats fuck shit up….(that was for Edd, he likes that line) 🙂
Demp, without Roberts contribution last year, the Diamondbacks don’t go from worst to first in the division. He hit 19 home runs and posted a .768 OPS. Fast forward this year, both his OBP and SLG have significantly fallen, and he owns just a .663 OPS this season. However, I think that is partially due him having lost a lot of playing time. Consequently, I partially blame the quirky managing of Kirk Gibson.
I have no idea who will pick him up, but someone definitely WILL to determine if he is salvageable (which I don’t know either).
Depending on the price, there are worst options for an infield utility guy with a bit of pop. I doubt he’d clear waivers so we’d have to give up something. IMO. Not sure if he tops Justin Miller on the tats, though. Here’s Justin
Odic amor?
it’s odio not odic…..love/hate
MAC– I’m watching your friend’s vidcast now. Which one is he? The tall guy running it or the short dude with stains all over his shirt? I LOVED the reference to King Glorious, one of my favorite horses growing up. What is *Max’s Hot Dogs*? How good can a hot dog be?
I’m gonna be in Reno this Sat and Sun so I’ll definitely be betting the Haskell (as well as the Bing Crosby G1 Sprint at DM).
Thanks for the tip— I’ll tell ya, the ‘Dorf doesn’t send horses across country just for the sight seeing. I would expect a good run from him in the Haskell.
the play where those 3 dudes tossed Melky back on to the field was the top play of the night on ESPN….
I just watched it again. Melky’s grin says it all. That dude wants to stay where he’s wanted.
I sure hope the fans reaction to him, and his fellow players here, make a difference when it comes to negotiation time. I really don’t think it happens til after the season, but stranger things have happened.
5 years, $70 million? Something like that?
Melky need mention only two words — Aaron “Rowand”.
Then, the basement contract, below the floor, at 5Y @$12M for $60M, is immediately and laughably established. Is Melky worth only $2M/year more than the Gamer? If I’m Melky’s agent, I say no…
Regarding Ryan Roberts—despite the neck tats, I would take a swing at acquiring him if I’m Sabean. He plays 3rd, 2nd and LF. That’s some nice flexibility for us. Plus, he’s actually been hitting decently lately–not for power but he’s getting hits and scoring runs–he had a 2 sb game recently. I don’t see this as a guy who’s mailed in the year or who is mired in an overwhelming slump.
What would the price be? I’d give them Nate for him though that probably isn’t a fit for the D-backs. Something worth Nate would be fine with me. They could also have Burriss as a bonus. lqtm
They won’t trade within are division IMO BF.Besides why settle for Tat Boy, when you can get Hell Boy,and a better switchitter who has more power and better OPS and also plays three positions SS,2B,RF in Ben Zobrist.RH thump the Giants can use.
Just need to get on speed dial Sabes and see what the Rays are looking for.
I’ve never been a big Zobrist guy and he’s gonna cost a lot. But whatever, I’d take him at this point. We don’t need that much right now…….
We have no idea that such a such a trade is even possible, Kat. Or that the Rays will be selling- they’re on the fringe but still in the playoff picture. Beyond that we won’t be giving what they’d want and we’re not ponying up for a 4 or 5 starter. IMO. Additionally, the Giants, like everybody, need to differentiate between what would nice to have and what they need to have- with what they’d give up in mind. Your trade is one for guys we don’t need at the cost of ones we will need. Again, this is obviously just my opinion.
Jesus,as bad as Belt is struggling,he’s a freakin A/S compared to another young 1B I would of thought would have started making huge strides and that’s Justin Smoak,who has hit the skids so bad Seattle shipped him to AAA today.Freakin hitting .189 crappy OBP..and his last hit was after “The Doobie Brothers” broke up.
I think the Doobs still tour in their older incarnation… 😉
BTW, their manager owns the BR Cohn winery in Sonoma. Good reds…
Damm Snarkk ,I was up in Sonoma last month,but it was for the Nascar race.Mostly a Beer crowd especially Nascar where zillion of “Rednecks” come out from every State from the South. But hey,free tickets in the grandstands by the finish line and pit row was worth it.
I will check out that BR Cohn Winery next time im up there for.wine tasting,something the Rednecks don’t do.:'(
BTW,,Snarkk The Doobs will be Rockin the Mountain Winery in Saratoga on Sept fifteen,.,
get yourself a babysitter for the Snarkettets,and you and Mrs.Snarrk can rock the evenig away.It’s a great place to see a concert!!
My guess is Ichiro didn’t want to cede playing time to some future phenom kids in a rebuilding scenario. The M’s are going nowhere fast, esp in a division with big spenders like Texas (two time AL champs) and Angels. Sure he could get a sweetheart contract, but eventually (2 yrs max, imo) they give the rocking chair and he’s supposed to ride off gracefully into the sunset, whether he likes it or not.
Instead, he gets the chance to win it all and play for first class ride. He has been surrounded by media hordes his whole career, so NYC I’m sure isn’t something he doesn’t think he can’t handle.
Surprising to me is that M’s didn’t squeeze Yanks a lot harder, since only one of these guys seems worthwhile. Unless of course they just wanted to do Ich a favor and find a soft landing for him, very honorable thing to do. But if the two players they got turn out to be charlie williams and frank duffy, expect a ration from the fanbase.
Excellent thread this morning, Willie. I believe I, like you, are just a few here you still get a paper delivered in the morning. You can look at one a 100x online, but there’s nothing like holding the paper in hand and checking out the morning box scores.
check the boxscores so many times the night before there’s almost never any reason for me to check box scores in the morning. That’s the one downer about the internet, it takes away some of the little things I used to enjoy like checking box scores in my morning paper……
Baggarly on Jeopardy!
not a big Jep-Fan but I’ll watch a round or so before the game starts….
Belt says on his blog he has not lost confidence…
http://brandon.mlblogs.com/2012/07/24/clearing-up-some-misperceptions-brandon-belt/#comments
Nice to hear but he’s just doing damage control over his comments the other day. Here’s the part of the article from the ‘Gate, you probably already read it though:
“Belt went 1-for-20 with eight strikeouts on last week’s trip, his average falling to .231. He said after Sunday’s game in Philadelphia he needed to “get my mind right” and addressed fears of losing playing time, saying, “Some of that stuff creeps into your mind and you put pressure on yourself.”
The comments weighed into Bochy’s decision to rest Belt at least a couple of days.
“He said his confidence has been shaken a little bit. Well, you’re forced to make a move when you hear that,” Bochy said. “He needs a break to get that back. Get back to making good swings and making contact.”
Though Belt might have regretted his Sunday comments, spoken moments after the game, he admitted Monday, “The majority of time in baseball, it is mental. I know I haven’t been playing the way I can or should. It’s probably due to the mental part of the game.”
Wait, I thought “Baseball is ninety percent mental and the other half is physical.”
Interesting column by Brandon. Frankly, it sounds like he is taking responsibility for his poor play and not blaming anyone blame, except himself. I also like that he isn’t making excuses. His play speaks for itself, but I like the kid, if for no other reason then the fact that I perceive he is being honest and reflective about this situation. Not too many 24 year old kids are capable of that.
“The person who really wants to do something finds a way; the other person finds an excuse.”
~Author Unknown
agreed. And he referenced his football coach dad. To me, frankly, that supports my belief that he doesn’t want any excuses made for him. And the way he started out his blog post was firing from both hips……
he’s representing from Palo Alto. Nice. He should be able to beat these two book jockeys
Baggarly wins! That Alex Keaton question wasn’t all that hard. He scored big on the U.S. Grant question. I cringed when he missed The Who question. He thought Pete Townshend was the bassist! Come on, Andy!
He wagered almost all of his cash on that Double Jeopardy U.S. Grant question. Baggarly wasn’t playing it safe. He was “all in.”
He’s trying to say the right things. Belt.
Baggs jumps in the lead with a bold 4,000 dollar Daily Double after the first session.Stay tuned for more inspiring moves by the Baggmaster!
He just won again, that’s rad.
And he’s good TV. The Jeopardy folks have to be liking him. He’s personable and humorous. And he took that sailing question right to the wire. Pretty dramatic.
I only watched the beginning and the final jep Q. It was not a hard question but it was worded weirdly and I was worried he was going to write it the wrong way (like the other two).
Yeah, they were kind of tight on that answer. The woman wrote “Alex from Family Ties,” and that wasn’t good enough.
$60,402 and counting for Baggs. All thanks to that great Republican, Alex Keaton.
Wow,60 Grand in 3 days.Shit Baggs should fill a Suite at the Bellagio with Hot Babes and enjoy the entertaiment.
I re-read Belt’s blog post and I like it. I think he’s finally starting to figure some things out, at least when it comes to the media. Stop talking to them. If you’re gonna say something, say what you mean to say after you think it through. He’s being honest and that’s going to serve him well, I think.
And I appreciated his comments about his body language.
I’m not sure if he’s totally in touch with all this though–he talks about his confidence not being shaken and then he says this: “I’m feeling really lousy about letting the team down. We lost that game in Philadelphia because of me. I left so many guys on base. I didn’t come through when my team needed me. There is no worse feeling.”
That’s either very honest or a guy who’s lost his confidence. Or maybe shades of both……
I’ve been following the Brandon and Brandon blogs for awhile and in reading them it always reminds me how young these guys are. When Crawford was going through the yips, he was kind of mystified because fielding had always been so easy for him. The one where Belt was missing his dog and really didn’t know what to do with his time out there in Walnut Creek was also very telling.
I have to bookmark that page and read more of their stuff Clown.
Flav, I think you are spot on in regard to it being “shades of both.” In fact, he credits the media for accurately reporting what he said after the Philadelphia game, but regrets not “taking a few moments to gather myself before talking.” So yes, he was feeling down and a bit crestfallen about his performance. Who wouldn’t be? All of us who have played sports know what it feels like to fail immediately after it happens. Personally, I am amazed more F bombs aren’t thrown around by these guys immediately following a tough loss, especially by the player that makes an error, pitcher who blows a save, or, in Brandon’s case, not getting a hit in a tight game.
Anyway, for me, this humanizes him a bit more for me and again, thank you Snarrk for sharing.
Man,that ball was a smoking laser beam by Panda.
Panda . . . !
Zume, your comments about attendance reminds me of why I liked 1978 so much. The Giants got into 1st place early and stayed there most of the summer, so there was always good crowds that year. I think they ended up 5th in attendance. Unheard of for the Stick Giants.
I saw a couple of games that season, I think. They may have both been Dodger games. I vaguely remember seeing Bob Welch pitch against the Giants that season. I think the Dodgers won that game.
Cult of Nate (CON). (After I typed it, I realized I set myself up. Story of my life. Should call my life’s memoir “Leading with My Chin.”)
Baggs had been trying to get on Jeopardy for 10 years?!! Quite a waiting list.
You have to qualify to get on. Kinda like passing the bar I guess . . .
I know someone who almost never gets any questions wrong–he’s like 90% right. It’s annoying watching the game with him. He’s been trying to get on for years and hasn’t made it. He’s a doctor, presents well, nails all the questions.
Shit, I can only imagine what the players who get on do to get on.
Is Billy Hayes straight out of central casting or what? If the guys are headed put for a pop, the number one question has to be “Where’s Billy going?”
Pagan freezes on the flare
Yeah you right Chuck. By the time Pagan snapped out of it Nate was almost there..
Did that dumb fuck ump ever answer for calling out Crawford for no reason? Anyone read anything about that?
Nope. And I missed Crawfish getting tossed last night. Good for him. Looked like he almost broke his foot stomping the bag, though.
Bummie ain;t exactly looking on tonight. Although he just get that k.
Cool. StL is finally beating up on LA 8-2 in the 8th.
a 6-spot on Kershaw too
Sweet DP
Holy shit!! Panda’s got a future at 1st. Crazy play . . .
I don’t think so, man he almost killed himself. Helluva play all around tho.
Nice double play. I like Theriot a lot; brings some WS ring swagger. Is this first time for Pablo to start at first this year?
might be the best double play involving 3 stud plays by the 3 players involved that I can ever remember seeing……….Over-statement? Name another where all 3 do something that crazy…..
agree…pretty darned poetic, balletic, fantastic……uh-oh, Panda looks like he pulled a muscle; shite!
maybe not *best ever* but incredible. Theriot makes a fantastic play and then gets the ball stuck in his glove but he still manages to shovel it out. Then Crawford does like magical shit to elude the slide which was perfect for what it was intended to do. Pablo’s big ass doing the splits completed the play. Crazy!
what Crawford did to elude that runner cannot be understated. Incredible.
I’m a Nate fan, as you know. But I have to say it’s strange. He tells Henry Schulman he wants to play more — and presto — he does?! It’s that easy? I’ll make him my PR guy!
He also said he wanted to be traded. Not sure how that fits into a PR guy resume but what the hell.
I just hope that highlights-film double play doesn’t cost us Panda. Well, even if it does, we have character. We shall prevail!
Belt gets a shot at some type of redemption.
He needs a shot of sumthin’. Bud Light beer ain’t doing the trick.