The Say Hey Kid!!!
Nope. This is not a thread about Willie Mays. But he came to mind right away, yes? Because it’s part of the “Language of Baseball”, today’s topic. I’ve refered to this before but today it’s a topic. As for last night’s game, another Cainsterpiece. The pen was a touch scary but I’m getting used to it. A little. Arias was poppin’ right off the bat (?) so confidence was high right away and there’s few things more heartening than a sweep of the Dodgers
Now back to the topic. First the Giants have a lot of great nicknames in their lexicon. Stretch, The Count, Will the Thrill, Jack the Ripper. Even today’s players: The Freak, Panda, et.al (although I’ve never really been crazy about “Panda”). And some nicknames that have died in shame and shall be spoken no more (Melkman). Even Big Flavor’s name of this blog is part of the “Language of Baseball”. Not a nickname per se but we all know immediately as of whom it refers. And yes, another guy with a great nickname.
But, again, nicknames are a only part of “The Language of Baseball”. Baseball terms and certain vernaculars that everyone around here simply assumes everyone else knows. But sometime we forget that not everyone can give you a knowing-dude-head-nod. If I were to say to my mom “The last time Mahatma Kane Jeeves came up for a cup of coffee, he went yard his first AB” she’d think he decided to sit outside at Starbucks. Al fresco.
Mendoza Line anyone? Walk-off homer? The battery? Cycle? Ducks on the pond? Infield fly rule? Can of corn? And just who is this Tommy John and why is everyone having his surgery?
And the plethora of stats. Used to just be RBIs and ERAs. Now it’s oWAR. dWAR. oRAR. OBP. SLG. IBB. waaWL. OPS. OB/GYN. My personal favorite, WHIP. There’s that charming sabermetric term NERD. I say let’s keep Robert Carradine out of this. His dad and older brother were the legends.
There’s all sorts of nutty terms that some of us take for granted but some are, like, *really* obscure. Pop quiz, hotshots. Who can tell me what a “Golden Sombrero” is without giggling?
Here’s a favorite of mine. “Pythagorean Expectation”. Makes me think that, yes, even dinosaurs needed happy endings.
Then there’s the sayings or catchphrases that we all know but some no longer count. “Curse of the Bambino”? “The House That Ruth Built”? Memorable but both null and void today. “The Boys of Summer”? A Don Henley song. However there’ve been some additions in recent years (“There’s no crying in baseball” or “That one had some hair on it”)
We all know the annoying “Tomahawk Chop” but did ya’ll know there’s a “Baltimore Chop”?
How about the “Hot Stove League”? That’s us Flappers. A group of jamolks who, between seasons, still can’t stop talking baseball.
“Sistema Peralta”? Something pawlie brought up earlier this year about handling a pitching staff kinda like they do during the All-Star Game. Basically, splitting nine innings between three pitchers, three innings each.
It’s a little nuts but it’s all part of the mystique. Any cool favorites I left out? Leave us know.
Be the first to give us a…”quality start”
A Place To Talk About Giants Baseball 
SWEEP!
Last night a Met radio announcer called a home run a “parabola” over the LF wall.
Excellent thread Ted. Many baseball sayings and nicknames come to mind. Related to the Giants and Dodgers, I recall both clubs in a three-team race with the Atlanta Braves in 1982. The Dodgers eliminated the Giants on the second-to-last day of the season, 15-2. The Giants then returned the favor the following day, October 3rd, 5-3, thanks in part to a three-run home run by Joe Morgan known as “The Little Shot Heard ‘Round the World.” It remains the only time both teams eliminated each other in the same season.
Oh, the golden sombrero comes from hockey’s hat trick, three goals in a game. Yes, I giggled when I wrote that.
krukow the other night used the expression “mr. snappy” to refer to a nasty breaking ball, I think, I”d always heard uncle charlie used in similar fashion.
In the Driving Yogi book I just started, the title refers to guidry’s job during ST and first chapters center around his first years with Yanks late 70s. ’75 he’s in the pen with sparky lyle and our own dick tidrow and is asked what people call him. Lyle then says, “..we don’t go around here calling each other by our christian names.” After they find out he’s from Louisiana, guidry becomes known as “gator”, which sticks forever.
Shagging flies and my favorite, fungo. Who the fuck named it fungo and why?
When I was a kid, we would play “pickle,” a game where you would have two position players manning two bases, and a runner. Basically, it was a “rundown”. Having only two position players involved in the rundown (versus the 3 or more players involved) made it fairer to the base runner.
I have this baseball site bookmarked and I like this excerpt about the NY Giants and Brooklyn Dodgers rivalry . . . Wilbert Robinson (Dodgers, then known as the Robins, Manager 1914-31) and John McGraw (Giants Manager 1902-32) constantly feuded in the media. Prior to becoming Brooklyn Manager, “Uncle Robbie” had been a Giants coach but was fired by “Little Napoleon”, ending a 22-year friendship. One example of their bitterness came in 1916 when McGraw left mid-game during a Robins victory on October 3rd that clinched the pennant. McGraw said his players were laying down for Brooklyn while Robinson thought McGraw was jealous of his success. Robinson said that by leaving early, “He pissed on my pennant.”
Also, on June 23, 1910, Giants third baseman Art Devlin ran into the stands to fight Bernard Roesler, a Brooklyn fan who had been heckling him. Devlin knocked Roesler unconscious, more fans swarmed, and a full-scale brawl erupted as fellow Giants came to Devlin’s aid. Devlin was arrested and later paroled.
Opening Day of the 1912 season was so crowded that the police were called in for control and the game had to be called after six innings. Brooklyn lost to New York, 18-3. Baseball was serious business back then. I wonder if anyone – fan, player, manager – was ever killed in a fight over a game?
Good stuff, Ted.
Correct me if I;m wrong (me?) but I think Mr. Snappy is in regards to a particluarly devastating slider, while Uncle Charlie is a wicked curve. Texas Leaguer, duck snort, wounded duck, dying quail, seeing-eye single, worm burner, thousand hopper, all for cheapo singles.
The first time I heard ‘chin music’ as a kid, I thought is was the funniest thing . . .
Great writing Ted. Let’s not forget “Texas Leaguer”, “seeing eye single”, or Kruk’s famous “Grab some pine MEAT”.
Time to Stop the Chop tonight!
Many came from Bob Prince. “AN ALABASTER BLAST”
A Baltimore chop base hit that would go higher than normal due to the extraordinarily hard infield at Forbes Field
“ARRIBA”
Prince’s cry to Roberto Clemente to hit one up and over the wall.
“ASPIRIN TABLETS”
A pitcher would be throwing a ball so hard it looked as tiny and as hard to hit as an aspirin tablet. As in, “Veale’s firin’ aspirin tablets out there tonight.”
“ATEM BALLS”
Hard line drives right to an infielder – it was at ’em. “Law has his At’em ball workin’ tonight.”
“BABUSHKA POWER”
Prince developed babushkas that the women in the stands could wear to bring the Pirates luck. It was, in a sense, a later version of the Green Weenie.
“THE BASES ARE F.O.B.” (full of Bucs)
What was needed now, was a bingle, a dying quail, perhaps a bug on the rug…
“A LITTLE BINGLE”
A little hit; a small single; perhaps a bunt single. Just something that would get a Bucco on base.
“THE BLACK MAX”
“A BLOOP AND A BLAST”
A quick way to get two runs through a single (the bloop) and a home run (the blast), as in, “The Buccos are down by one run going to the bottom of the ninth. What we need here is a bloop and a blast.”
“A BUG ON THE RUG”
A basehit that skittered through the gap, particularly on artificial turf.
“BY A GNAT’S EYELASH”
A very small margin indeed, as in, “That ball just missed. It was foul by a gnat’s eyelash.”
“CHICKEN ON THE HILL”
A home run for Willie Stargell, begun by the fact that Stargell owned a chicken restaurant in Pittsburgh’s Hill District and that whenever he homered, the person at the counter would get free chicken. Thus, Prince would say, “We need a homer here. Come on, Willie, spread some Chicken on the Hill.” In one particular game, Prince said that if Stargell hit a home run, everybody in the restaurant would get free chicken. Stargell did hit the home run, everyone got free chicken, and Stargell sent the bill to Prince.
“CLOSE AS FUZZ ON A TICK’S EAR”
a little closer than a gnat’s eyelash.
“DON’T BOO STU, HE’S OVER-DUE”
A cheer to get firstbaseman Dick Stuart out of a slump.
“DON’T KNOCK THE ROCK”
Rocky Nelson, 1b-man alternating with Stuart.
“A DYING QUAIL”
A little bloop, a tweener, or a bingle; a hit that falls in like a shot quail would.
“THE GREEN WEENIE”
A device invented by the Gunner to jinx and perhaps spook opposing players, the green weenie was the size and shape of a hot dog. When pointed at the opponents and shaken, it rattled and supposedly put a jinx on them.
“HE COULDN’T HIT THAT WITH A BED SLAT”
This is what the Gunner would say when a batter chased a pitch way outside. Take one of the slats out from under a full sized bed and notice how much longer it is than a bat, and you get an idea that the batter was definitely chasing.
HE LIT UP THE LIGHTS ON BROADWAY”
in response to a called 3rd strike.
“HIDDEN VIGORISH”
Similar to the law of averages, it was the force which dictated that a player who was in a slump was due for a big hit, as in, “Stargell is Oh for his last eight, so with hidden vigorish he should get a big hit here.”
“HOOVER”
A double play by which the Bucs would clean up the basepaths. When someone complained that Prince was giving free advertising to a particular brand of vacuum cleaner, he tried to invent a story about President Herbert Hoover’s cleaning up corruption in Washington.
“HOW SWEET IT IS”
After suffering through some terrible Bucco teams in the early- 1950’s, Prince got to enjoy the taste of victory in 1960 and throughout the early-1970’s with the Battlin’ Bucs. The taste of a championship, a mid-season victory, or a home run that would put the Bucs ahead would draw out “How sweet it is”.
“KISS IT GOOD-BYE”
The most famous of Prince’s sayings; this was his well-known home run call.
“MARY EDGERLEY”
No one knew exactly who she was (or whether she was related to Jimmy Durante’s Mrs. Calabash), but Prince would end each broadcast by saying, “Good night, Mary Edgerley, wherever you are.”
“A #8 CAN OF GOLDEN BANTAM”
A can of corn; refers to an easy fly ball. Immortalized in 1970 when Matty Alou dropped a “can of corn” against the Cubs, and the Bucs had to wait another day to clinch their first pennent in 10 years.
“RADIO BALL”
“Koufax just threw Stuart his radio ball. He could hear it, but he couldn’t see it.” “Low hummin’ riser.” (Similar to a radio ball)
“RUG CUTTIN’ TIME”
“It’s rug cuttin’ time.” More commonly known as “crunch time.” “For all the money, marbles, and chalk.” Deciding moment. Crunch time.
“RUNNIN’ THROUGH THE RAIN DROPS”
When a pitcher gives up a lot of hits but doesn’t give up serious runs. Escapes without serious damage being done.
“SNAKE BIT”
Can’t get a break. The Bucs are snake bit tonight.
“SOUP COOLERS”
a high pitch was up around a sluggers mouth, or lips, or “soup coolers”. Prince often said Stargell was looking for a pitch up around his “soup coolers”.
“TWEENER”
A ball that got “between” the outfielders; similar to a “bug on a rug”, but it could occur on grass or as a “bloop” hit that fell in between fielders; hopefully, followed by a Bucco “blast”.
“WE HAD ‘EM ALL THE WAY”
Spoken after a close win by the Pirates, it indicated that we should have known all along that the Pirates would win. It was perhaps the father of Lanny Frattare’s “No doubt about it.”
Ahh,the.Golden Sombereo,striking out 4 times in one game and if their all looking you get the “Matching Poncho as well!!!!
Still on a major high from Sweeping my most hated team of alltime “T
he lowlife pond scum,barnnacle infested Dodgers!!
“The Giants just made my birthday today that much more special with that Ass Whipping SWEEP” Open up the Bar Flappers it’s a beautiful day.
I played infield in little league and even up to early high school years and thus played a lot of ‘pepper’ and threw the ball ‘around the horn’ a lot. And I will always hear Mel Allen’s “how ’bout that”…
Oh, and ‘charge the ball’. I’ve often used that over here teaching about metaphor.. one of my favs as metaphor for life… I learned that as a young ‘un from Jigs Shephard, my mostly always drunk but very effective little league coach…
“WHIP” is a rather misleading stat, BTW- since the signifigance of it varies totally depending on whether hits or walks are the main “ingredient”. 100 IP 120 hits 30 walks is a 1.50 WHIP but that is a totally different pitcher than 100 IP 90 hits 60 walks for the same WHIP. It’s also an amusing stat because it’s existence seems to presume that people can’t add two numbers. So this is a stat that should be done away with because the majority don’t treat it as it should be and really is- TWO stats…
As to last night’s game, if Santiago didn’t end the committee’s existence, it’s time to vote it out…
After two nights in a row, hope we don’t need him tonight- he’s quite obviously the only closer we have.
Penny: take your time, dude. I guess they can’t release him while he’s injured. Hopefully thete’s no thought of activating him when he’s “ready”, though…
Penny’s on ther Aubrey Huff memorial train ride to nowhere.
As in activate, cut . . .
the same case can be made for OPS, btw. 2 stats just added up together doesn’t make it one stat (or at least it shouldn’t, IMO).
Shit, I just want to see the team HIT at home like they do on the road. It’s not tlike they are jacking HRs all over the place. They’ve gotten a ton of timely hits on this roadie. And the last roadie.
I haven’t heard the plans for Huff. But it actually makes total sense to activate him Sept. 1. He does have power and in the stretch run even a single PH HR or double can be big.
He can also bunt.
That was pretty amazing- is that still the only bunt he’s ever attempted?
Most excellent, Sir Ted. And thanks for shuffling the batting order for me brother. Avett Brothers concert in Chico was fucking awesome.
Pretty common ones, but not mentioned so far: Big Fly. Grand Salami.
And Steve mentioned Golden Sombrero in regards to hockey (that is true), but I thought the Golden Sombrero in baseball was four Ks by a batter.
What a sweet ass sweep of LA Bumbinos. I had to take a couple of “piss breaks” during the concert and run out to check the score. We went for cocktails after the show and I caught the bottom of the 9th at the bar. BOO YAH! FUCK THE DODGERS.
“but I thought the Golden Sombrero in baseball was four Ks by a batter”.. that’s correct
And I don’t know if this was brought-up/discussed last night, but Adrian Gonzalez is on waivers again. Fuck I hope the Bums don’t get him. With their deep-assed pockets they are quickly becoming the Left Coast Evil Empire. FUCK THEM.
Along the lines of trying to teach baseball lingo to someone, well in 2010 when the Giants started making a run, my girlfriend started showing interest in the game. So, over the past couple of years we have gone to a number of Giants games, and she will sit down and watch games, too. She has been a quick student of the game, but pretty regularly I will throw out one of the aforementioned terms, and she’ll give me that “WTF are you talking about looks.” And I will explain. She is mind-boggled at the number of terms and complexity of the game (in a good way). I think she’s a keeper.
You had better hope she feels the same way 🙂
Zumie – we saw the Avett Brothers again (in Chico) last night. Different set, and different feel (strict no cameras, reserve seating, etc.), but while different than the show in Sacto (the whole crowd was on their feet in Sac the whole show)…equally as good. Damn! Those guys are awesome!
Just looking at September’s schedule. After two against the Cubbies to open the month, we have 9 against the Snakes (6 H, 3 A), 7 against the Rox (4 H, 3 A), 6 against Dago (3/3 H/A), and 6 against the Bums (3/3 H/A). Final series of the season in The Latrine.
I’d say September will be a “Put-up or Shut-up” kinda month. You either have it, or you don’t. Time to kick some NL West ASS!
I noticed that. Seems it is an NL West month. Should be a great way to spend some time. Lots of flap time.
Lets BLEEP the BRAVES!
Uh, we’ll leave that to you, Nip. Might get kinda crowded in the van, though.
Chuck, I sent you an email regarding that trade proposal.
Chi, very cool that you got to see the Avett Brothers in concert again. We’re looking forward to the next time we can see them perform. Excellent band, and it’s very encouraging to see a young band playing great stuff. It bodes well for the future of live music.
Already looking forward to the next opportunity to see them! Yes…very cool stuff…Gail and I really like their positive messages and mastery of their instruments, etc. Each time I have seen them, there are a fair amount of “kids” (teens, twenties, etc.) in the crowd (in addition to old farts like me)…and even some real kids (there was a young girl who I’m guessing was 7-8 dancing in the aisle.
As for baseball sayings, I’m fond of the expression “a snow-cone catch.” It captures the image perfectly.
I’m not fond of broadcasters saying that an outfielder will have to “get on his horse to catch that one.” It just seems really hokey and doesn’t add anything.
I seem to remember Ron Fairly using that one a lot……
“a one hop seed”, a “shinburner”, “ducks on a pond”” to name a few more.
It’s shinburger . . . in the kitchen, high cheese, dead red, head hunter, red ass,
The Gunner’s mentor was Rosey Rowswell, who originally did simulated games. “A Pirates extra-base hit was a “doozie marooney,” a strikeout was a “dipsy-doodle,” and the bases were never “loaded,” they were “FOB” (full of Bucs). His most famous trademark, however, was his outrageous home run call, “Raise the window, Aunt Minnie!” followed by his partner dropping a tray filled with nuts and bolts onto the floor, simulating the sound of broken glass”
I replied, blade . . .
Elephant ears
Krukow mentions the “Kangaroo court” quite a bit, as if it still exists. Does it still exist?? I NEVER hear players in the media talking about being fined like that these days, and I remember hearing about it in the past. I totally dig Krukow, but I do suspect him of shining us on sometimes.
Blade mentioned the game of Pickle….we called it “Hot Box” where I grew up. Just a really different era in those days. Kids would organize so many different kinds of neighborhood games without the help of adults.
Zits hasn’t had a very good August with a 7.52 ERA. I hope he can channel his earlier start against the Braves, where he went 7 IP and allowed only 3 hits and 0 ER in that 9-0 win. One can hope.
Today, I don’t even think kids, under the age 10 are allowed to go outside the boundaries of their front yard without parental supervision. What happened? Yeah, it was a different time. Every generation is different and I certainly recognize that. Back then, parents weren’t as paranoid about abduction, molestation, crime, etc. Today, kids are fatter due to little or no exercise and connected to the internet and their electronic toys. Sigh.
When I was growing up kids DID NOT stay indoors, unless it was a sleepover. Then, we would play risk, monopoly and ping pong, along with the electric and spinning wheel baseball games, popular during the 60s.
With friends, I would pedal my Schwinn Sting Ray (I had a POS Huffy for my first bike) bike miles to highway 280 during it’s construction, barreling down the steep dirt grades. Not certain, but I think all of us were pioneers for today’s mountain biking. Ha.
My mom would have to drag me off the ball field or basketball court for dinner. Typically, we would play 2-3 baseball games on a Saturday. Same thing with basketball. After dinner, especially during summer, we would be out playing ball games until dark, then hide and seek in the court that was across the street from where I lived. Literally, a dozen or more kids – who lived on our block – would be out until 10pm. More, if kids from other neighborhoods showed up. Frequently, we would challenge other neighborhoods in Saturday football games. The only time adults would be involved in our activities, were little league and Pop Warner football. I also recall the Parks and Recreation department flush with resources. They always had activities going on after school, and especially so during the summer. They didn’t charge for anything. Shit, they even had a trampoline set up, with lessons. No way that shit would occur today.
Yeah Zum, it was a different era.
Yeah, it boggles the mind that there’s a big nationwide “Play 60” campaign to encourage kids to play outside for a whole 60 minutes.
Wow! I didn’t know about this . . . I just Googled it and I’m flabbergasted that child obesity is bad enough to require a National campaign.
Confirming my thoughts ( unless Bochy was just using the threat as a tool, possible) , Tim seemed to be on notice that his rotation spot was on the line if he didn’t perform welll against the Bums.. hard to think tht Zito isn’t in the same situation. More in question might be whether Hacker gets the assignment if Barry fails.. I’d think so- if he can pull Zito after 4 and 3 runs down, Bochy would be ready to yank Eric quickly. But at this point, 5 innnings and 3 runs for Zits would be cause for deep relief. He should be able to handle that..
Adults suck…
No kidding, Zuum. I musta put 20,000 miles on my stingray. We used to have epic neighborhood ‘capture the flag’ battles.
Francisco Peguero called up to replace Justin Christian and his jammed wrist . . .
CF Pagan
2B Scutaro
3B Sandoval
RF Pence
1B Belt
C Sanchez
LF Blanco
SS Crawford
P Zito
Posey gets another day off . . .
BLEEP!
Will be interested to see Peguero-he’s a hacker extraordinaire, but he’s been very highly regarded as a top prospect…
Kids don’t even know what fun is anymore. We once lit a live rat on fire…
Did anyone eat it ? My brother and I made a salamander hot dog for my sister- and she did eat it.. well, one bite… that she spit out. I told her to think of it as training…
Actually we wound up using it as a hockey puck…
Zum—I was just going to post that we used the term “Hot Box” instead of “Pickle” when I was growing up in Woodland. Maybe that is a special Central Valley term for that game! Of course Hotbox had a different meaning when I got older, though I hotboxed with some of the same dudes I played hotbox with as a kid.
Twin–the Bob Prince stuff is all gold. My favorites are the Atem Ball and Bloop and a Blast—which Mark Grant will occasionally use during Padre telecasts. The pouring the nuts and bolts on the floor/broken window bit also kicks ass.
Prince was truly one of a kind. Unfortunately, many may remember remember him from when ABC put him and Uecker in the both ( with Warner Wolf ) with a “be funny” instruction. Two very funny men were suddenly very not funny. And Bob was a Buc announcer, a homer in the best sense, the national stage just didn’t work.
I like when broadcasters say: “He pours a strike in there.” It seems really right, although it’s unclear how the metaphor actually fits.
I always liked ex A’s broadcaster Monte Moore in the day.Especially when Danny Cater hit a HR ,he would say Danny hit a Tater Cater.
The homepage of the Giants website does not list Melky among the team leaders in any statistics – as if he never existed…
http://sanfrancisco.giants.mlb.com/index.jsp?c_id=sf
I guess he can forget about a WS share…
He’s lucky to have played for the Giants. If he had played for Josef Stalin’s baseball team, he would be tortured and forced to confess his crimes and then shot during the 7th inning stretch. 🙂
Nice play by Zits to nail that brain dead move by Uggly.
Damn, MLB is blacking out the game here. The Braves aren’t considered one of my local teams and there isn’t any baseball, at all, on TV. Bastards.
John, send me an email and I will give you info for the video feed to the game w/o downloads, etc.
blade3colorado@yahoo.com
Thanks Steve, I just sent the Email.
MLB makes more money off MLB.com and tv than they do on almost anything else. Whatever they’re doing they’re gonna keep doing it.
Flav, I live 10 hours (driving) from Atlanta. The only teams that I usually get blacked out is if the Giants are playing the Nats or Orioles. Or, if it’s on FOX or ESPN, so this is new. Believe me I’d much rather watch it on TV than my computer. Whatever, it doesn’t make my feelings towards Selig any more warm and fuzzy.
Rhode Island?
unca – Rhode Island? No. Islands, yes. North Eastern part of North Carolina. The Outer Banks (Nags Head, Kitty Hawk etc.),
Funny burning rat story. We were at a friend;s house having a bbq and caught a rat in the empty charcoal bag. SInce we were young and wasted it didn’t take long for someone to say “fire it up.” So we did. Lots of squealing followed by a smoking rat running out of the flaming bag. It ran into the bushes and we never saw it again.
And, just whagt does Blade 3 signify?
Nada, at least the number 3 doesn’t, except that blade, blade1, and blade2 weren’t available as email addresses. 🙂
Blade was given to me by a fellow Air Force rescue team member 30 odd years ago, when I was stationed in England . . . We were located on the flight line in our own building, where we were on alert status, so we slept, ate, and worked out there while on duty (i.e., we had our own exercise gym that we used during down time).
Anyway, I was really skinny (155-160 lbs wet, about 15lbs lighter than I am now), but fairly strong. While bench pressing 200lb, my buddy said something like, “Steve, I’m going to start calling you blade, because you’re skinny like a grass blade, but strong as a knife blade.” LOL. Anywho, it stuck while I was in the Air Force.
Twin — earlier you said something about Bochy’s comment indicating Timmy’s next start was at risk had they lost the Dodger gm. I’d like to read that, can you provide the link?
http://tinyurl.com/8ho2ye7
It was nevber directly said he would lose his next start, but Bochy made a point of the NEED for Tim to pitch well that night ,with all the writers.
Thanks. I hadn’t seen that article but I don’t read that website too often–too kloogy.
To me, those were just standard Bochy comments–totally non controversial. Who could argue that Tim needs to pitch better?
You might be right about Hacker getting a spot start but I don’t buy it unless there are multiple complete implosions by our two worst starting pitchers.
And with Zits throwing a SO tonight, it’s unlikely that this one gets counted against Zito. It’s another solid start, I forget how many there have been this year, 14? 15?
It could easily be argued that this has been Barry’s best year with us considering the timing of his good starts as well as the % of good starts he’s had.
People that hate him won’t acknowledge this, I know.
I was absolutely clear on more than one occasion that I hope they both make the idea of a Hacker start academic. So far so good. I disagree about what Bochy’s comments meant, but I had also said they might be a tool.
I see the struggles at home continue . . .
Nevermind . . . Panda!
Fab turn of third by Pagan. He’s got something up his ass right now…
I’m not down with the “burning animals” stories you guys. Hope those are jokes (bad ones).
Let’s pick a new topic
Got it Blade. Thanks man.
You’re welcome John.
Uggla dooshing up those basepath’s tonight, much to my enjoyment.
Fuggly’s got it goin’ on.
Wow. Easy steal by Belt there.
I like the topic, TedSpe. Over and out.
Oh yeah.
Sorry, that was for Belt’s double. I liked the topic too ted.
Now it’s Hector – oh yeah.
Wow. Nice explosion there.
Blancoo’s first hit in ages.
Or Tuesday, whichever was sooner..
Keep em moving.
Sheesh, this keeps up, the Commissioner’s Office will have the entire team peeing in a cup tomorrow.
Mr. Sanchez? Step behind this curtain.
Boo Yah! Nice to see the boys getting some productivity at home!
Thanks, Chuck for asking Steve about his email handle (blade) I had wondered that a few times, but had always forgot to ask…er, wtf were we just talking about????
Nice bunt by Pence a couple of innings ago…certainly caught me off guard.
Good idea to do that, he had to get something going for himself….
All in all Hector Sanchez has been a pretty darn good back-up catcher…
Especially so, when you still have the nightmare of El Presidente fresh in your brain pan.
Potd my man. (at least when I get off my phone). How quickly we forget the Whitey:Stewey misery
My god, Zito’s got me giving him a standing ovation here in front of the computer.
Mac, did you see my earlier post about Zits regarding his shutout earlier this season? He owns the Braves this year.
Yes. And Blade, I also remember you were the only one who threw any kind of support toward Zito before the season started. I sure as hell didn’t.
I got lucky. 🙂
Well, even after a bad August and first 3 weeks of September, Zito still sported a minus 4 ERA going the last week of 2010. If he finishes well, it will certainly be his best year. There’s way too much negative history to buy into him yet, though. Sorry- but it’s *his* history here that dictates caution.
Given that Lincecum allowed only 1 run vs. second place LA and Zito is shutting out the WC leading Braves, I don’t think bochy is pulling them from a start or leaving them off the playoff roster. I realize there are people here who would have put zito on the 360 day DL at the start of the season, but bochy didn’t and rolled with him. Having gone this far, I don’t see that changing. Maybe not what I would have done, but it worked thus far for bochy and the team.
And it’s not like he has a bumgarner to go to like 2010, with freaking hacker.
Exactly.
One thing I could do without is Zito’s new doo. It’s worse than the stash….
Hacker isn’t getting a spot start unless there is a major injury to one of our starting 5.
A I said before each of their last starts- one good/one bad the rest of the way would be good enough. And Bochy would never replace both on the playoff roster anyway. Even with Bumgarner, Zito didn’t lose his roster spot until the last start against San Diego. Bottom line, 5 weeks to go. It’s absolutely still possible for one to be left off the postseason roster, especially Zito because he would likely be the 5 and unneeded starter and he has no value in relief…
It would not be Hacker on the roster, that’s not in the equation at all- it’s Lincecum and probably *or* Zito. Maybe both but unless there was an injury, that woulsd not make sense, IMO…
Zito looks about 10-15 lbs. heavier this season…
All that lasagna his wife is making him.
Very cute. Letting Zits try to have a complete game
Very cute
uhmm..he’s gassed
I have figured out that Ted definitely has a job and often works late…
Close, Loo. Often that’s true. I’m an Anti- Money Laundering officer with a bank that has a HUGE Asian clientele. Who love cash. And it often keeps me late at work. But I’m also a crass actor. I just got back from a show. After receiving a really horrid/positive review from SFWeekly
There’s a Chinese Laundry joke in there somewhere…
Funny.
Hey!! BALLGAME
One need only observe Zito coming off the mound tonight to judge his character. He’s worth hundreds of millions of dollars. If you don’t think he wanted to close this single game out, more than he’s wanted anything in his life, then you are clueless about human behavior…
More than he wanted Alyssa? Nah…
He’s worth WHAT????????
No kidding. Those words were not for the kiddies at home.
Well, of course the night would not be complete without just a wee bit of torture…
Double play…denied