A Place To Talk About Giants Baseball

Before the witching hour, the perfect combination of World Series Celebration and All Hallows Eve…

Courtesy:  Mrs. Snarkk’s Jack o’ Lantern Carvery….

This is a thread awaiting reports from the parade later today. What parade you say? The one for these guys…

What the heck can I say? No complaints that my call of a “heart pounding” 7 game series win didn’t happen. I think that Game 4 could not have been a better showcase for what made this team the best. Virtually everyone who was in the game contributed to the win. A microcosm of the postseason, really the whole season. If a guy wasn’t hitting, he was excelling in the field.  Melky and Buster carried us, Blanco surprised, Melky went dowm-Pagan stepped up. The Brandons did what good young prospects are supposed to do- they  got better. And we’re getting used to some deadline magic- even the litlle known Mijares helped- Pence struggled but somehow got runs home anyway. I suppose I’ve digressed from where I started, darn, forgot his name, another guy gave us a lift…oh, yeah- Marco. Journeyman, might help some, solid, nuthin’ to write home about… well, send a telegram: “Scooter” was only the best deadline acquistion since…well, since ever. Name a better one. Of course he caps it off with the series game winner…

But perhaps even more impressive was what Bochy got out of the pitching staff. Lincecum was awful early and only acceptable late, MadBum and Vogie had poor stretches, Zito was very good early and then late (  and saved his best for when things were most dire) , only Cain was consistently solid. After Casilla faltered, Bochy went to the CBC and eventually Romo to close- the pen only got better.

I’ll leave you guys to take it from here- I’ve really gotten away from whatever I wanted to convey. It was a fine season but I’ll confess to loving them all. OK, this was a *bit* better than most…

Macdog posted a list late last night. It was simple and perfect:

1905
1921
1922
1933
1954
2010
2012

And while I appreciate all 7, only two of them are attached to the foundation of my soul. The players did the hard work and won the game and the ultimate trophy. But these championships (yes, that’s plural) have always been for the fans. For the same reason we hate Jose Oquendo and Marco Scutaro has no opinion of him, we the fans are the ones who fly these flags for eternity. And of course I’m not talking about physically flying them. But within us they fly, proudly, blown with the force of a wind that nature couldn’t duplicate. I’m so thankful for what this group of men gave me. Let’s face it, life sucks most of the time. Maybe it’s different for you guys but for me, it often just feels like a long grind….

And then there are moments like last night. And they go into a sort of a “holding cell” inside of us. We call on them whenever we want. If you ever want to feel a sense of pride or community or childlike happiness just think about this team and what they gave you last night. It’s like giving yourself a *knowing dude head nod* whenever you want. And sometimes, that’s just what we need, right?

The Flap is still open and we’ll stay open all Winter. I’ve taken the author schedule down but any of the Stable Boys are free to post a thread whenever the moment moves them. Those guys kept this place going when I was about to shut it down– they kept the Flap community together. And for that they deserve a “2-flaps up” salute. Thanks guys.

*Moments*>>>>>>Strung together they make up your life. I would have died happy with 1 but 2 will work as well. Swell with pride today Giants fans. we score we win and by *win* I mean *live*. And even though baseball has to stop right now there’s no finer way to watch it go. It’s the most perfect sunset I’ve ever seen and the best part is that it never goes down. How great is that?

We might not be the darlings of ESPN; we might not be a sports media cash cow. But anything else, ANYTHING, we have earned and claim rights to.
VICTORY!!.

One for the ages; incredible pitching; little known hitters; rock solid defense; old school tactics; fantastic fan base; home built; a team of: work, spirit, play, and just plain team. Adversity; against-all-odds; character; done with aplomb; winning decid_edd_ly. I am sure you get the idea.

Andres Torres knows, Jim Leyland knows, TWO-flaps-down, one giant step for the team that could.

To really get the spirit and flavor of last night’s victory Nottinghamshire is a place too far. I would like Craig to take us home on the first day of the rest of our championship reign.

Magnus, could you help me out here?

Two years ago, in this same spot, I was a blubbery mess. Here’s what I wrote the day we won the world series in 2010:

“I woke up this morning, rolled out of bed and noticed something unusual:

I was at the top of Mount Everest. I took off my goggles, looked around….It’s the biggest world I’ve ever seen. I would worry about sun blindness except for the fact that all the light is radiating from me, not towards me. So I’m just sitting here, quietly, writing the words that you’re reading now, atop this goddamn mountain. As a  Giants fan, I’ve been Sisyphus. And yet this morning, here I sit next to my boulder at the top of Mount Everest, unsure of what to do next. If any of you have any ideas, I’d love to hear them……..”

This year, I’m feeling none of that. There’s no mountain or sun blindness or metro-sexual *Sisyphus* references. There is just me making my coffee in the dark this morning and mumbling to myself about how freaking easy it is to beat this fat Detroit team.

And maybe this year I’ve just got too much perspective for my own good. I find myself focusing less on this impending accomplishment and more on my anger towards the national media. I’m not going to mention any names because it would be an indirect acknowledgment of their human existence and since I don’t think they deserve that I’m not going to go there. I have tweeted out my displeasure recently for at least one internet-media-whore.

I know why no one ever gives the Giants any credit. It’s for 2 key reasons.

1) Barry Bonds. There are countless writers and media people who will never let Barry Bonds stop them from carrying a personal bias against San Francisco. And they continue to punish the current team for their feelings about Barry Bonds. That makes no sense.

2) The Giants don’t have a bunch of players with standout saberstats. No one loves new numbers more than me. But the saber-stat world is not immune to a pendulum swing and that’s where we are right now. We’ve got lots of math-guys trying to force us into buying into every saber-stat out there. Go read articles at fangraphs for an hour and you’ll see countless examples of it. You feel stupid if you don’t just shrug and go, “Yeah boy, that x-FIP number really jumps out at you. That pitcher is SOOOOO much worse than his 15 wins were this year.”

Except for the fact that an xFIP number, just like almost every saber stat, has nothing to do with how many wins your team actually gets or how your team actually plays together. Saber-stats are good for one thing: possibly identifying a player who is either more or less valuable than the general population thinks he is based off the obvious stats that casual fans know about–HR’s, RBI’s, wins, ERA, stuff like that. This is very important in fantasy baseball and can make or break your season based on decisions you make to add/drop/trade/keep certain players. But in the real baseball world, saber-stats aren’t as important as wins or how a player will perform on a given day. The Giants don’t have too many fantasy studs on their team. And this concludes my second point for why the Giants so consistently get shit on by the national media.

The Chronicle published an article by Al Saracevic, who I suppose must be a writer in Detroit. It was a brilliant article that I read twice and it covers perfectly why we won last night, why we have won this post season and why we will be winning the 2012 world series. Here it is:

http://www.sfgate.com/giants/article/Ballgame-s-little-moments-equal-a-win-3987749.php

And you don’t need a calculator to figure out how the Giants are doing this. Just use your eyes. Momentum, confidence, cohesiveness, karma and a team performing successfully under pressure are the main reasons we are on the cusp of this great accomplishment.

I missed the parade in 2010.

I will not miss it this year.

My old HS b-ball coach, an italian guy who played ball with Curt Flood and Frank Robinson back in the day in Oaktown, had a favorite expression:  “When you got em by the balls, you gotta squeeze.”

This is the squeeze game.  We beat Sanchez or their pen, Tigers are down 3-0 and basically done.  If they can rebound, they’ll be fired up and pointing toward  another Verlander start game 5 monday when (in their dreams) they could go ahead 3-2.  Imo saturday is the pivotal game.  SF had best squeeze the life out of them, now.

Comerica Park. I don’t know much about their yard. I vaguely remember a few years ago the power alleys were shortened, although centerfield is still real deep. I’m sure the Tigers and their fans are hoping that will be enough to get their hitters going. Maybe. But one of the most basic things about baseball is WE GET TO BAT, TOO. And maybe Posey, Pence, and Belt get it going big-time in the extra-base department at Comerica Park. And, of course, THE PANDA will be sending a shiver of fear through the Tiger fans in the ballpark every time he steps to the plate. We can bang with the Tigers, as evidenced in Game One. Plus, we can play better small ball than them, when the opportunities arise, as evidenced in Game Two.

I found a photo of Comerica Park on the web. It’s got a cool centerfield view of the skyline. The Tigers hitters are the sleeping Tigers right now, but they have ability, of course. And they get their DH back in their home park. He’s been rotting on the bench at AT&T Park. Who will the Giants start at DH? Do you roll the dice with Huff, and hope that he has a Kirk Gibson-esque moment left in him? Can’t you just see Huff turning on a pitch and hitting a line-drive homer over the rightfield fence, and staggering around the bases? No? Too far-fetched? Arias or Theriot don’t really thrill the senses in this situation, IMO. I say go with Hector. Maybe he runs into one and becomes a World Series legend.

Enjoy the day, Flappers. We have a day to reflect on what the Giants have accomplished so far, and the challenges that lie ahead, and how the Series will hopefully end in our favor. The Tiger fans in the ballpark will be doing their best to try to match the intensity of the Giants fans. But the Giants are hardcore all-business old-school ballplayers. I heard Pagan being interviewed after Game One, and at the end of the interview, the interviewer said, “Well, I guess you want to get into the clubhouse to celebrate the victory with your teammates.” And Pagan said, “No celebration. We have a lot of work to do still.” And listening to the Giants being interviewed after Game Two tonight, it’s very clear, the Giants “get it.” They are in no way taking anything for granted, or are in any way taking the Tigers lightly. The Giants are ready to go into Comerica Park and PLAY BALL!!

and a nice one but just one game. I gave it a fist pump and a quiet YES and got ready to move on. I’m keeping my head down and my ammo dry. taking it one game at a time. i’m going to play within myself today, when i’m not outright playing with myself. Barry Zito, Game one winner. Maybe the Mayans have it right. Win or lose, a resurgent Undertaker would be really good news. Otherwise game 6 becomes a black hole. So, a tip of the cap to the Panda and back to work.

 

911Call-Giants

First off, I suppose I need to apologize to Nipper. Because this will be long. When Big Flavor asked to take my place yesterday, 2 things came to mind. First, hey, it’s Big Flavor’s blog, I’m just an apostle. Who am I to argue? Second, for Big Flavor to even ask such a thing, it meant he had something special. And lo, it twas to be. Flavor’s post yesterday was poetic, magical, inspiring and in good English. So once again, I’m here to put a stop to that.

Jean sent me her recap and an unbelievable photo for you all to enjoy tonight. Epic, Jean, and you are awesome……

__________________________________________________

So, it’s 1:00 Monday afternoon, and I’m supposed to be leaving in half an hour to head to SF when I have a flash of brilliance. I call my friend Deb, tell her my plan, and to my disbelief she agrees. (Trust me, after nearly 30 years of friendship, she has plenty of reason to doubt these ‘flashes’.) With ever increasing anticipation, I head down to the City – KNBR playing on my radio, laughing at odd moments just thinking about how lucky I am. Traffic is light, the rain that was coming down by the bucketful in Santa Rosa has turned into blue skies by Petaluma. All is right in my world.

I get to Deb’s house, and she puts the plan into motion, while I come check out the Flap. (See, I’m the idea girl, follow-up is always somebody else’s job). We get on the J Church wa-a-a-ay out in Noe Valley, which means we get to sit. At random intervals, we turn to each other and exclaim ‘I can’t believe we’re going to Game 7!!!’. As the train moves closer and closer to it’s destination, more and more happy folks join us – the buzz is growing. Even a transfer at Van Ness proves to be no problem, there is plenty of room on the train heading to the park. (By ‘plenty’, I mean of course that there was room for the two of us. The train was packed.)

We arrive at the park, and the crowd is fired up! Everyone is being very orderly, just happy to be there. Even in a town that treats Halloween as one of the major holidays, I don’t think SF has ever seen that much Orange and Black. We make our way to our seats, getting the ubiquitous rally towel at the turnstile. Stopping for a quick purchase at the t-shirt stall, we decide to get dinner before we sit – who knows when we will ever want to leave our seats. While Deb orders our dogs, Kenny Lofton is announced as throwing out the first pitch. I let out the first of what will be a ridiculous numbers of Woooo’s, turning toward the field, and right into a Cardinals fan’s face. I apologize, and he takes it well. (Bless his heart.)

Turns out that while Section 103 is ideally situated for ragging the opponent’s bullpen, row 21 – not so much. But, we are surrounded by some of the most fun people I could ever hope to share this Game 7 with: the dad and his two kids behind us; the lovely couple from Pleasanton next to me; the two kids in front; and the older couple next to Deb. All of us just ecstatic from before the first pitch. (I have little to say about the flyover – I thought it was very disappointing, no tummy rumbles or anything. Seriously, a silent flyover?!?!?!)

Onto the game itself: barely controlled insanity from the moment the team leaves the dugout. I warn my friend that we will be standing and sitting more often than at a Catholic wedding. It’s nearly impossible to see both the batter and the pitcher, what with all the rag-waving arms in the way, but I don’t care. Everything is going our way, and there is much high-fiving and hugging. Deb and I ask our neighbors to take a picture of us (see, I told you I had proof you were all with me last night). This sparks a conversation with the folks from Pleasanton, who make note of the website, and inform us that their boys, 4 and 6, misunderstood them when Hunter Pence arrived and he is forever to be known in their household as “Under Pants”. (Probably in my household, too.) Deb decides to go to the bathroom when Matheny pulls Lohse – rotten timing, but the bladder wants what it wants. We don’t even know about the crazy optical illusion that is Under Pants’ hit, but that makes the entire event no less magical for the crowd. And, it truly encapsulated the entire night – we all knew the baseball gods were on our side!

You guys watched the game, I’m not here to give a play-by-play, but I really wanted to give you a flavor of what it was like out there. I’m sure you heard the cheering in the top of the 6^th when Matty gave Holliday his notice. I’m not certain, though if you heard the unbelievable roar that erupted when the deluge began. It just seemed so darned perfect, so dramatic, so much more evidence that there was some higher power intervening on our behalf. And through the multitude of arms, bodies, umbrellas (gah!), I saw a truly magical moment. Remember the other day, when I posted about not knowing which were my memories of ’89 and which were from replays? Well, I will never forget how I felt when I saw Marco Scutaro throw open his arms, turn his face to the heavens and just enjoy the moment. Just thinking about it now, brings a tear to my eye – you don’t often see such a pure expression of unadulterated joy. It was the sort of thing that defines why I love this game so much. And, to have the final play be a Holliday pop up to Scutaro – only Hollywood rights those kinds of stories.

Are the Giants done? Hell no! They are playing at least 4 more games in an unbelievable finish, to an unforgettable season. The Giants are and always will be my team. I have my favorite Giants from over the years. But these Giants, and this team? Come what may, these gentlemen will always hold an especially dear place in my heart.

In 1978, California was nearing the end of a terrible 2+ year drought. I was very young at the time and don’t remember much about it. I do remember my dad having us flush the toilet with water from our pond in the backyard. Yes, this happened. We would go get a bucket of water from the pond, take it in to the bathroom, *go* and then pour the bucket into the toilet and away that weird potpourri would go. To me and my sister, it was like magic. And I guess it was us doing *our part* in conserving water.

I don’t remember anything else about the drought that year except for the way that it ended. My sister and I had come home from school and we were having a snack in the kitchen. All of a sudden it started pouring. I mean, POURING. It hadn’t rained like this in….I had no idea how long. We didn’t really know what to do so we just spontaneously decided to celebrate.  Maff and I ran out into the street and started dancing in the rain. I remember that moment like it was yesterday. We were so happy, so free, just dancing in the rain as it thundered down upon us…..

And when I saw this image last night, it instantly took me back to dancing with my sister in the rain back in ’78:

Then I thought about the last time we, as Giants fans, got to feel this way. It was October 24th, 2010 and here is the thread that I wrote that day:

https://oneflapdown77.com/2010/10/24/glory-today-but-destiny-awaits/

Sure enough, just like last night, it was raining in the Bay Area on the night the Giants clinched the pennant vs the Phillies. And as I said in that post, as I ran down the street through the rainy night in my bare feet…. “I’ll never forget that moment, it was a release I’ve never felt before. I can’t even describe what it felt like. It was like I was experiencing every moment of the 2010 season with each stride I took. I was re-living every hit, ever win, every loss, just….everything.”

So when the deluge in the 9th inning hit and I watched more rain than I’ve ever seen fall on a baseball field without the game being called, I couldn’t help but appreciate the moment we were watching unfold. It was the perfect way to celebrate this improbable season of hard work, will, relentlessness and an outright rejection of any ultimate outcome that involved losing. It was like the baseball gods were honoring what the 2012 Giants had accomplished by providing 800 million gallons of water to dance under, on and in….. It was one of the most dramatic sports scenes I can ever remember watching unfold live. The image of a soaked, stone-faced and motionless Mike Matheny on the dugout steps was the antithesis of everything our team was celebrating in the rain…….

And when the final out was secured I didn’t *tear ass down the street in my bare feet* like I did in 2010 when the same thing happened. It was far less dramatic. I gave myself one of ewisco’s quiet “yes” fist clenches, I tossed my index finger in the air and gave the tv and the men celebrating on it a few of the most genuine and emotional *knowing dude head nods* that I had in me.

I still can’t believe they pulled this off……..

I am going to try to keep this short, but it is difficult to focus, what with all the thoughts and emotions that have encompassed this joyous ride. Anyway, here goes…

First a couple of tidbits. I was listening to KNBR on my drive this morning (which I ALWAYS do, unless I am on the led sled). There were a couple of things I found really interesting.

First, to date, for this NLCS series, the Giants have had either NLCS or WS MVPs throw out the first pitch.

Will “The Thrill” For Game 1.

Benito “Benny” Santiago for Game 2.

For Game 6 yesterday, Jeffery “The Hack Man” Leonard was the man.

That leaves only ONE. And the mention was could it be Cody Ross? Just the talk about these first pitches, etc., gave me chills and goose bumps. So, would Ross throw out today’s pitch? Would he be welcome? I yelled to no one in particular (as I was driving alone), HELL YES! (And next year? Ross a Giant?? Well, that’s a different topic for a different day, because it is NOT YET time to fire up the Hot Stove.)

But I want to rewind and discuss The Hack Man. There was mention this morning too about an instance between Roger “THE Humm Baby” Craig (while manager of our Giants) and Hack Man. The story goes that Leonard showed up one day (not sure this was in the club house, dugout, etc.) with his hat on backwards. Craig politely told him to turn his hat around. There were supposedly some long stares, etc. but eventually Leonard turned the hat around because he had “huge respect for the man.” Anyway, I just thought that was a really cool story, and was another instance where I got the chills and goose bumps.

So here we are. GAME SEVEN, Flappers!

Seriously, it took FIVE elimination games to get here. Who woulda thunk it?

Game 3 – NLDS. San Francisco Giants 2, Cincinnati Reds 1. WP – Sergio Romo.
Game 4 – NLDS. San Francisco Giants 8, Cincinnati Reds 3. WP – Tim Lincecum.
Game 5 – NLDS. San Francisco Giants 6, Cincinnati Reds 4. WP – Matt Cain.
Game 5 – NLCS. San Francisco Giants 5, St Louis Cardinals 0. WP – Barry Zito.
Game 6 – NLCS. San Francisco Giants 6, St Louis Cardinals 1. WP – Ryan Vogelsong.
Game 7 – NLCS. San Francisco Giants starter: Matt Cain. Let’s GET IT ON!

One Day, One Game…To Play Another Day!

How to follow a game like last night’s with a thread?  Difficult.  But, way way more fun to do than the alternative of composing a thread about what is ahead in the offseason.  Fuck that noise.

The obvious must be recognized, and feted.  No reservations about it.  Barry Zito.  Barry FUCKIN Zito.  His line:  7 2/3 innings, 6 hits allowed, 6 Ks, no runs allowed, 1 walk (intentional), one sweet and memorable Zenbunt hit that knocked in a run and sent Zito into a contemplative trance as he stood at first.  The only Giants (or Cards) starter so far in the playoffs that has taken the bump into the 8^th inning.  Now THAT, fellow Flappers, is a “quality start”.

A lot of us, most of us, maybe all of us, figured the Giants had that “backs to the wall” win thing in them again, and said so ahead of it.  If anything, the Reds series taught us this squad is as tough as a road kill turkey on an Ozarks’ spit.  But, Zito in the role of Apollo?  Seriously?  I had him down as starter in name only, the guy that likely would hang for a coupla innings, then the Pen takes over to stave off disaster.  But, no.  It turns into his game, his win.  He spun that win like a spiderweb; he owned it, he controlled it, he sucked the Cards into it and smothered them.  The 13^th straight Zito start where the Giants win the game.  Given the situation, the elimination game, the quality of competition and the Cards’ record this year against lefties, this was by far, by far, his best, most clutch, defining game as a Giant.  Simply fantastic.  A professional that came through when the chips weren’t just down, they were under the damn poker table mixing with smelly socks and Tiparillo ash.

Observations come to mind like streaking meteorites in the Mojave night.  Fast, furious.  Only one walk, and intentional.  That’s cool; unusual, and critical.  Six strikeouts.  How does Zito get 6 Ks on this Card squad?  By ball movement, change of speeds, location, location, location, and no fear to throw inside and to contact.  Defense?  For some reason, Zito’s karma has changed this season from where the defense always seemed to give away outs behind him, to where it is working lights out FOR him.  And, the karma HAS turned.  Some line shots were right at people, but that happens when the Zen worm has turned.  Maybe the bad karma has jumped to Tim, where game leadoff bloops and a Hector’s dropped throw at the plate  further  manifested his  season-long bad Karmathon. Back to this one — Pablo with the stretch grab of the foul ground liner at third.  Scutaro with that wonderful all-in-one-motion sliding grounder grab into right field and turn around throw of a strike to Belt for the out.  Pence with that super slide catch in RF where the ball actually hit his right hand and caromed off into his Mays’ basket (check the slow mo, incredible bounce off his right hand INTO the glove).  To start all the goodness, the Cards Lynn throws that potential DP ball INTO and OFF OF the second base bag into centerfied, a possible sign of karmic goodness to come this Sunday.  Oh, and Zitman threw this gem into the glove of BUSTER, not Hector.  So much for disproving the comfort and success of pitching only to your favorite guy.

Oh, and Brandon Crawford is a man. Yeah, it’s official.   He of the triple down the RF line in Cincy that got that fateful rally going in game #5.  Last night, his  slap shot up the middle in Frame Four plated two, and that monstrously changed the tilt into the Giants favor.  Under our very own eyes this season, the kid has become a bona fide major leaguer.

What Sunday brings, we can’t know now.  All we know is that there WILL BE a Sunday game.  ATT  will be rocking, there is no doubt of that.  As I said in an earlier post, whatever happens Sunday, or Monday or even if we go on to win the WSeries again, when it’s all over, I’m going to miss this shit.  This is the REAL Reality show…

This thread is going to be a double whammy in honor of the Giants and 49ers both playing at the same time tonight. This is the 3rd time this post-season that both teams have played on the same day. The first occasion the Niners won big at home. However, the Giants lost 9-0 to Cincinnati. A week later was perhaps one of the darkest days in SF sports memory, as the Niners were embarassed by the NY Giants and the SF Giants couldn’t quite come back from their 6-0 deficit vs the Cards. The hope this Thursday night of course is that both teams come through in this very real crunch time for both teams.

Not all of you are football fans, but sorry, my thread tonight. The Niners are at the point of their season that will make or break their playoff run. Yes it’s early, but losing to Seattle at home would be a huge blow to their season. Gone is the euphoria of beating the Packers and the Lions. The Jets and Bills are but a distant memory after the smackdown delivered by the visiting Giants. I suspect Jim Harbaugh will tone down the gimmick plays, and try to get the team back to the style of play that got them their wins. Tough running, with short/mid-range passes liberally sprinkled in to keep the chains moving, and the defense fresh. Score early and keep Seattle’s quick strike offense off the field. Pressure their rookie QB Russell Wilson and force mistakes.

The Giants? Well, we all know the deal. 11 LOB. 7 RISP left dangling in the wind. Pence has caught his dose of shit for being little more than a cheerleader at this point. 0 RBIs in 8 games will get you that. Bochy likely won’t go ape-shit with the changes. That being said, I’d sure like to see Buster catching instead of Hector, and he and Panda swap spots in the batting order. I’d also like to see Pence and Belt swap spots (if Hector isn’t catching and thus Belt out). Timmy also gets his game on. He’s been nails as a closer so far, and was even stretched to 4 innings vs Cincy, so we’ll see how he does as a starter. I hope, at least early on, he pitches out of the stretch. This seemed to keep his shit in order.

There you go. Depending on how this goes, what follows could very well be a drunken screed about the impending doom of both my favorite sports teams, and the suckiness of life in general.

___________________________________________________________________________________

Well, not too hammered, but I am bummed. Spent the last 3 hours flipping back and forth between the games and scaring the shit out of the animals. As much shit at Timmy may or may not get, he was getting killed by ground balls early on. And of course the offense, minus Pagan and Scoots, was DOA. We don’t score, we don’t win. Pence got his 1st ribbie, on a solo shot, goddamnit. If he hit that yesterday, well, we’d be sitting pretty. Thing is, I didn’t like the decision to put Hector behind the plate. You have to wonder if Buster makes the short-hop play at the plate. That gets made and the bleeding is lessened. Shit, who knows? You just can’t weaken 2 positions and lose Belt in the playoffs. With every game meaning so much, the strategy sucks. I think everyone is pretty much down with this, and the bitch is, do we get the same thing tomorrow? Since Zito’s going, are we really going to sit Belt again? I sure hope not.

As for the Niners? Hey, winning ugly sure beats losing ugly. Smith had a not-so-spectacular game to say the least, but Gore was a monster. The defense was back to being fairly disruptive, but for a few drops by the Seahawks, this game could have gone a lot differently. I REALLY didn’t get Harbaugh not taking the safety at the end, though. The spread was 7, and the margin of victory would have been 9. Weird. It’s stuff like that where you scratch your head and think, hmmmmmmmmmm. Shit, this thing is getting too long.  Good night madams and monsueirs

So Dennis Z., a denizen of this e-den, emails me at 2:35pm Oct 16: “Paulie, I’m going to Finnerty’s for tomorrow’s afternoon game… to be with that Bay Area mood crowd will heighten my screaming!” And sis-boom-bah just like that I drive 3-plus hours to his beautiful house in the hills 70 miles from New York and we drive to Finnerty’s to watch Game 3 of the 2012 NLCS.

http://finnertysnyc.com/

I first heard about Finnerty’s during the World Series 2010 trophy tour. I met Dennis when the trophy came to Cooperstown, on May 7, 2011.

We had a grand time yesterday, driving through flickering sunlight, spying the Manhattan skyline in the distance like Oz as seen from Nutley, New Jersey, and cheering, clapping, and chanting in an exuberant sea of black and orange partisans, expatriates from a Left Coast nation.

But we lost. Which dampened my spirits like so much rain pelting the tarps covering the infield.

After a 3hr 28min rain delay, Dennis and I headed back into exurbia and the hinterland of our anxious hope, only to catch the last Sandovalian out, not even a whimper, in his living room.

I don’t know where to go with all this since details will be kept minimal with the hope this experience will become a full-fledged chapter in a forthcoming Giants’ fandom book.

I’ll pose some questions, if I may approach the bench, your honors:

— Where did you watch the game or listen to it?

— If you can’t watch at home or at the real game in person, where do you watch?

— Are all Giants fans as young as those we saw as Finnerty’s?

— Are Giants fans in NYC all that *hot* especially the Asian gals?

— What do with do with Pence (whose ABs elicited screams Reverend, Preacher Man, and other signifiers, but not with the result of any screaming single, double, triples, homers, or even outs)?

— Why did we not get a big bomb from SOMEONE?

— Mr. Belt, how could you TAKE that called third-strike pitch?

— What now, my loves?

Edd talked about Cain, his counterpart has had a very interesting and unlikely career. Kyle  Lohse was thought he might become the equal of even better than then Twin’s ace, Brad Radke.Never came about.    Then he fell of the map for 5 years, getting nobody out. Now in his 12th year he’s having his best year by far- what was expected of him 10 years ago. And making some nice bucks for it. He’s pitched in the postseason for 3 teams, and 6 years. He’s a strike thrower, 89-92 velocty, a sinker heavy guy who’s developed a decent slider as well. Despite heavy use of the sinker, he has a so-so 40% ground ball rate. We’ll need to do what Krukow preaches: look up. He’s very unlikely to walk guys, being aggressive is how a guy like Lohse is best attacked. With a total of 147 ABs, no current Giant has ever homered against him. Theriot is 12 for 22 with 2 doubles and 2 triples. Pence is .298 in 47 AB but with just 2 RBI. No else has any signiicant history.  If everybody except Panda can lay off the sinkers that begin low in the zone, he pitches to contact and we should make plenty of it…

Game 2 of the NLCS was a hearty win for the home team. 7-1 looks a bit more dominate than a 6-4 win by StL. We have broken the home field slump. We are now 1 & 3 in PO games at phone park. If necessary one or maybe two wins at home gives us the league championships and on to the WS.

Umpires were lacking in the Cincy series. They have not been too bad in this one. The one run STL got last night was on some bad calls and a pitcher double – our specialty. Then, later in the game, a blown call kept Blanco in the game and he eventually scored.
[rant]
The umpires are not out there to be perfect or to make sure the game is played perfectly. That would be a goal. The umpires are out there to keep things as close to the rules as they can. The way ML ball is currently played, at such a high level and fast pace, it is tough to get every call correct. This is partly due to having humans on the field and the human part of the game that I love. We have the technology to use one umpire per game and he (or she?) wouldn’t have to be on the field. Would you want to see games played likke that? Or are you willing to suffer the slings and arrows of human error? As we all know these things can balance themselves out as they did last night. And which is why I am never comfortable when my team is getting all the breaks. [/rant]

Bochy has reported xrays on Scooter’s hip are negative. I hope he is able to get a decent night’s rest ’cause that baby is going to be sore. With the resources available he should miss no more than one game. With Arias and The Riot we have that game covered.

Matt Cain, come on down

Cain ended the year with a seven inning shutout of AZ and a no decision in LA. He was 16 & 5 w/era @ 2.79 (nl leader @ 2.53) slightly better than his 2010 season numbers. One number from last year? He did not give up HRs in 2011(9), but for the last three years he has been very consistent and very good.
Flash forward to now and in October he has pitched 3 games and not made it to the sixth inning once. In three games in October he has given up 4 HR and 4 BB with 15 H and 11 SO. In three games. His ERA is over 5. He won game 5 in Cincy. He is the horse and a gamer.

Which Cainer will we see in StL?

Winning

This was not a good weekend for Bay Area sports. The Cardinal got completely jobbed by the review booth to give one of my most despised teams a gratis win. The Raiders lost on a last second field goal. The Niners….ugh, I can’t even type another word about whatever THAT was at Candlestick yesterday. San Jose State lost. Cal won. And The Giants lost Game 1 to the Fucking St Louis Cardinals. It was all bad and it had me doing a slow burn as I went to bed last night…….

Something has awakened within me and it’s none of that  fuzzy-wuzzy  *supernova* shit from 2010. It’s my genuine hate for the St Louis Cardinals. I especially don’t like their fans. For starters, they think they’re *better* fans than everyone else. There’s a myth out there that if you’re from the mid west you’re somehow a better fan than those from bigger city east/west coast teams. Of course, that’s a joke.

The Cardinals are no better or worse than Giants fans. Except this guy. Who doesn’t want to punch him in the face?

And maybe it’s just me still managing my slow burn from last night, but what’s up with the 2 birds perched delicately on each end of the baseball bat? Not exactly an imposing look.

But without question my hatred of the Cardinals goes back to the 1987 NLCS. As Zumie noted so eloquently in his post yesterday, that series is a memory that will always be with me. That ’87 team had all the great Giants names on it. Clark, Leonard, Williams, Thompson, Uribe, Brenly, Maldonado, etc….

St Louis had Jose Oquendo. If you don’t hate Jose Oquendo you’ve either got dementia or you haven’t been a Giants fan long enough…..

Here’s a fantastic tribute to my main man Will Clark. There are some epic scenes from Candlestick in this video, enjoy. At the 4:07 mark you will find the ’88 brawl. Will over-slid that bag by about 14 feet, lol.

http://youtu.be/c6mYKTk7ytw

That was one of the great fights in sports history, if you ask me. There wasn’t any dancing around or waiting for the guy next to you to hold you back. Will threw down immediately, with great force and furious anger–and his teammates exploded into that 4 on 1 fight like they were shot out of a cannon…….

I want the 2012 Giants to find the same fire that the ’87 guys had the day of that fight. I’m not doubting their effort or their resolve, with Hunter Pence screaming at them I’m assuming they are properly motivated. But if they could somehow channel some of the fight and the fire from the ’88 team it might give the 2012 crew that little something *extra*.

And if a fight breaks out between these two teams I am BEGGING for someone to take out Oquendo. He’s an old man now so maybe punching him is a little too much–Bochy body slamming him the way Pedro did Zimmer would be sufficient. You have no idea how big I’d smile if that happened……

______________________________________________________

Zumie had asked about my baseball card box. Here’s a pic of the Oquendo card that I fished out of the recycling and put back together for this photo–and you can also see the 4 unopened packages from 1990 (that he was also wondering about) 🙂 . I also found a Marc Kroon rookie card, which I thought was funny, for some reason. I think that dude is now the all time saves leader in Japan…….

OK I love the 2012 version of Giants and their balanced LU.  We get contributions up and down plus off the bench and no longer have to play station to station all the time.  Sure we have an MVP, but there is so much more.  And while I admire the steadiness of posey and the consummate professionalism of Scutaro at the plate, that’s not today’s theme. It’s the unbalanced ones, 3Ps–Pablo Pence Pagan.

Pagan did not have much love from this corner at the start.  His early days at leadoff coupled with some misadventures in the OF did not make for happy times.  After the AS break, tho everything changed. He solidified leadoff and CF position and ran the bases like  a demon.  He says all the right things and brings that latin fire and respect for the game I love.  El Caballo still gets a little Loco at times but I also did the energy he brings, and not just to the leaping end of game celebrations.

Pence is just odd.  Awkward might be an improvement.  From the way he roams around RF to his batting stance to his gyrations in the on deck circle, it is just a trip to watch this guy’s unconventional approach to everything.  But he has tremendous power, hustles his butt off, and gives pre game exhortations that would make any Texas HS football coach proud.

Pablo has been here for years now but some people just can’t adjust to what he is. He’s big…which has zero to do with how well he can hit. Hell he hit .300 last year when nobody else did jack.   He can swing at anything, but is also capable of hitting any pitch he can reach off a wall or over one.  He is great teammate who interacts animatedly with one and all.

So that’s my guys the 3 Ps

You get the good the bad and the ugly in equal parts

But that’s the whole Package

Which ain’t always gonna be Pretty

but sho is Productive

….are the true institutional memory of baseball. When the Giants and Cardinals start their series on Sunday, none of those players will be thinking about the ’87 playoffs, or the bad blood between the two teams in general in the late ’80s. And they won’t be thinking about the ’02 playoffs. None of the current players were around for any of that, unless they watched the ’02 series on TV. But we fans remember well those series in the past. This blog’s web address, of course, is named after Jeffrey Leonard’s homerun trot in that ’87 series! I can still remember Bob Melvin being thrown out at third in that bang/bang play in that 1-0, Game 6, like it was yesterday. Why no pinch-runner, Roger Craig? Why no pinch-runner? Kudos to Dave Dravecky for getting that bunt down with two strikes on him. And I could swear it was Don Zimmer coaching third for us that game, pleading with the ump about the call. Don Zimmer???? That can’t possibly be right, can it?

So, this will be two very good teams going at it in this 2012 NL championship series; two teams that will have mutual respect for each other as worthy opponents. The last two World Series champs, who’ve shown the baseball world the superiority of grind-it-out old-school National League baseball. The National League….winners of 3 of the last 4 World Series; and if the NL wins the World Series again this year, the sports media world can completely take a hike with their “oh, the American League has such LINEUPS…..lineups that are so…..SCARY….” Good pitching stops good hitting, and it’s one of the core truths of baseball and always will be. The National League pitches better, plays better defense, and just flat-out plays a superior brand of baseball.

This is a fun Final Four for baseball this season. And, in fact, it’s been an awesome playoff run for MLB so far, other than the Atlanta game being marred by a horrific ump call. And so, the Cardinals made it into the playoffs as the artificially created second Wild Card, rode a bad ump call into the divisional series, and made an epic ninth-inning comeback to get to the NLCS. The Giants made their own remarkable epic comeback to get there. This is good times. Oh, and for a nice little bonus, the Giants get the homefield advantage. Yeah, the team hasn’t been as lights-out dominant at home this season like recent seasons, but it will still be a very cool thing on Sunday to see the ballpark packed with 40,000 energized manic Giants fans, exhorting the team on to great things. The fans are the real institutional memory; and new history will be happening in this series. These two teams will be creating their own particular history vs. each other. Things will happen, competitive attitudes will store memories. These two teams may well bear some grudges for a while after this series. And the fans will remember this series long after all these players have moved on to the next phases in their lives, because that’s what we fans do. We carry the memories of the teams.

In the middle of game three, I posted something to the effect that stealing this game would be a huge hit to the reds and that the offense would come to life. Last night, I posted something to the effect that the stars were aligned and that the giants were going to win game 5. I also was ready to predict that we would defeat whomever (I was thinking the Cards) in the NLCS in no more than six games. But when the game began today I was nowhere near so confident. And yet, the stars apparently were aligned. So, do we care who’s next? I, for one, hate me some cardinals. Truly, intensely, hate me some cardinals. Do I want to see them next? Yes and no. I’m kind of stoked to see the nats do well. I would surely hate to lose to the Cards. But to beat them . . . oh, sooo sweet. I love the fact that whoever the giants face will have had to go five, deep into the rotation and hopefully deep into the bullpen. If I were purely a stat geek, I would root for the nats because the giants do so well on the road. Regardless, it’s over, giants win, in six.

And on we flap . . .

What a confidence building game yesterday.

Not for the Giants, for me.

I’ll keep this fairly short. The only minor complaint was Zito. Man, 2 and 2/3 innings??!! Not a surprise just a complaint. And *still* the Giants keep up the uncanny “Zito Win Streak” (cue the TWILIGHT ZONE theme).

And did I does or does I didn’t ask youse all to stop talking smack about Lincecum? I believe I does. Just as I earlier asked ya’ll SHHAADDUPP!!! On Pablo Sandoval!!!

And what’s with Pagan? I mean, I always liked him but he sure flexes his All-Star plays in a timely manner. Who the fuck does he think he is? A more talented Cody Ross? And the whole offense after 3 games. Looks like the ex-lax finally kicked in. I’m not sure giving Posey the proverbial 1^st base “day off” did anyone any good but at least it didn’t backfire.

Now–Men and ferrett– all this stuff you’ve heard about Giants not wanting to fight, wanting to stay out of the further post season, is a lot of horse dung. Giants traditionally love to fight. All real Giants love the sting of battle. When you were kids, you all admired the champion marble shooter, the fastest runner, big league ball players, the toughest boxers. Giants fans love a winner and will only reluctantly tolerate a loser. The Giants play to win all the time. I wouldn’t give a hoot in hell for a man who lost and laughed. That’s why The Giants have never really lost, and will never really lose a playoff series… because the very thought of losing is hateful to The Giants!!!!

Not saying it *can’t* happen cuz baseball is baseball. But the never say never attitude is so prevelant–it practically reeks.

That’s right, reeks…reeks? Wait a minute. I think I’m melting cheese in the oven. Hold on….

Okay, breakfast is ready. Anyway–CAIN vs. Lactose Intolerant

Flappers. Giants. All the way!!!

SEMPER FAI, MOTHERFUCKERS!!!!! HOOO-WAHHHHH!!!!

No big thread today, just a quick reflection on yesterday’s game, that hopefully will spark some conversation.

Here are some of my memories from yesterday that I saw as key to the game.

How about scoring a run without getting a hit. At the time, it knotted the game at 1, all while our boys had cranked-out NO hits. But, it tied the game.

And how about Vogel-TRON. After a horrid first inning (30 pitches, I believe), it was amazing that the Giants trailed only by a run. But, he picked it up and put in five strong innings. Most importantly, he kept the Reds at one run. Huge game for Vogey in his first post-season start.

And let us not forget the bullpen. Affeldt was money for two innings. Casilla was downright SCARY (there were a couple of really loud outs). Lopez got his one batter and Romo with two kick-ass innings to nail it down. Great job by the pen to allow us to get to Extras.

And then there is Gerald Demp III. Buster Ballgame. The guy all believe will be league MVP. He gets it all started in the 10^th with a single. Pence follows with more of the same. And I ask, what was with the decision to leave Pence in? Was it the fact that only Hector remained on the bench? Was it bravado? I have read no post-game stories, so I have no idea, but welcome your theories.

And then to score the winning run the way they did…Torture 2012, Baby! It never hurt so good! AND to do it off former Bum Broxton made it extra sweet.

I started night- before-last saying I had a good feeling about game 3. And that feeling carried over into yesterday. Blade had the same groove going, and posted Ashkon’s “Don’t Stop Believin’” video…the anthem for our Giants.

Zito gets the ball today in his biggest start in years. Has he redeemed himself? Will he with a win today? That is a story of and to itself.

Anyway, I have a good feeling about today’s game too. I am READY for some baseball! And with that…

Let’s GET IT ON!

Orange October – GO GIANTS!!!

With the club backed against the wall and everything at stake I can’t imagine a better candidate to start Game 3.

Answer.  It was really fucked.  Beyond fucking fucked, in fact.  If that’s possible, and I think it was.  Who the hell wanted the Reds first?  Friggin idiots.  😉  I’m going to beat Baggs to the damn filing deadline here.  It’s fresh, so what the hell?

Overriding all of the excuses or the explanations, the fact is the Reds just dominated.  They’re damn good.  They’re no fluke.  They’ve hit all year, and their pitching is the real deal and better than the Giants, ranking NL #3 in WHIP and ERA over the Giants #5.  Put that combo together for the oppo, and you’ve got a shot at getting boat raced in your house if you’re not razor sharp.  And, the Giants were as sharp as a straight razor left out in the rain.

What can be gleaned from these first two games?  First, the inexplicable, season-long home park funk continued.  In spades.  The oppo seems able to hit home runs with relative abandon at ATT compared to the Giants.

Next, what happened to the Giants offense that was raking in September?  Outscored 14-2 in these weekend games.  The key duo up top of Pagan and Scutaro went AWOL.  That’s what happened.  They keyed the September run, and set the table, and an attitude.  Thus far in the series, nearly zilch.  A combined 1 for 17 over both games.  Ouch.  That was killer.  The Cueto injury may have proven to be an omen.  A bad one.  Latos coming in there on the fly may have discombobulated the squad.  Not that it should have, but it may have.  Nobody else stepped up either to hit, so the fault spreads beyond the top two guys to everybody.  Tonight they seemed anxious as hell and trying to hit the damn 5 run homer, helping out fucking Bronson Pinchot who looked like an All Star out there instead of the OK, at best, pitcher that he is.  Pablo and Pence were putrid at 2 for 9 (including the meaningless double in the 9^th tonight) and 0 for 8, respectively.  Posey got some production and an HR.  But, the guys at the top flopped, and that set the tone.

Was the winning of the division early a curse?  Hard to say, I think NO.  Post-clinch, Bochy tried to keep everybody sharp, and played the regulars regularly.  If the early clinch had an impact, it wasn’t because of mis-managing personnel in the post-clinch period.  And, the Reds had their division sewed up, effectively, weeks and weeks ago.  Didn’t seem to impact them much, did it?

Dusty factor?  Were the Reds really jacked up about playing hard for Dusty, coming off his health issues?  I tend to not believe much in that fluff stuff.  If they weren’t jacked up just by playing in the playoffs, I don’t think having your manager coming back from a stroke is going to make a difference.  I give that a tiny role.

Pitching.   Eh, just showed how the 2010 playoff run was remarkable.  Timmeh pitched that first game at ATT v. the Braves and struck out 14 to win 1-0.  That set an amazing tone for the rest of the playoffs.  Here, Cain wasn’t really on in Game #1.  But, he only gave up 3.  He wasn’t totally hammered.  Bumgarner continued his not so good late season form.  He just didn’t have that killer slider, as has seemed to be the case the last month or so.  Bochy needs to answer for some questionable relief moves.  He didn’t manage the Pen with a real sense of urgency, IMO, as much as he did down the stretch trying to clinch early.  In game #1, bringing in Casilla while still just 2 runs down?  Why not Romo is the obvious question.  Those extra 2 runs given up there were devastating.  In game #2, the second stringers came in after Timmy had held serve down 4-0.   Faced with going down 2-0 in games, IMO you gotta put in your top 4 Pen guys right then and there to make sure you stay within a grand slam of tying it.  If you tie it up, worry then about who’s left in the Pen.  But, Mijares and Mota after Tim.  Seriously?  Then?  If you’re up, OK, go with what got you there — I get sticking with roles, but not when the ship is sinking towards 2-0.  You get the pumps working to keep from foundering, not the bucket brigade.  When you’ve got 4 top Pen guys, it’s all hands on deck time NOW to avoid going down more than 4 runs mid-game at home.

What now?  I expect the Giants will NOT roll over.  Vogy is going in game #3, he’s going to have that jaw jutting out as far as possible to keep the team close.  Hopefully, he won’t be wired so tight that he loses feel and spotting his fastball and cutter that he seemed to get back the last two starts.  And, the Giants have been nails on the road.  I would not be surprised if they came back to take #3.  They really need to score first to get some mojo going, get some leverage.  If they can bring it in game #3, then just move to game #4 –  the Zitman will have the greatest opportunity in his career to make a statement beyond anything he’s ever done.  I would NOT start Cain on short rest, gawd, it’s hard to say this, but I’d let Zito start it and have the shortest fucking hook in the history of the playoffs.  If he presents even the slightest whiff of faltering, the Bochy hook happens and it’s bring on the Marines.  If there is a game #5, well, we can worry about that then.

BTW, Timmeh coming in to pitch two excellent innings (pitching to the forbidden Posey) with a short warm-up and totally in the stretch will surely set off discussions about his future as a late reliever or even closer.  Did Rags just say “Hey Tim — warm up!, and five minutes later he’s in”?  I think pretty much, yeah.  Hey, a mid-career, even latter-career move from starter to closer worked for Eck…

I’m writing the thread today so Chuck can concentrate on the Niner game and whatever else fills up his Sundays…..

That was one of those games you could *feel* wasn’t quite right. Baseball is about breaks and I think last night’s game heavily favored the Reds (in terms of breaks). Sure, we got Cueto out of the game but that isn’t necessarily considered a good thing. Baseball players don’t deal with disruptions to their preparation very well. Not to mention that we got served 4 innings of Latos and this huge *gift* that everyone keeps talking about felt more like a booby trap.

The Reds pitched ok. Nothing special. Actually I felt like they showed some a fair amount of vulnerability. Latos was decent but we hit some rockets off of him that unluckily found gloves. He struck out 1 batter, he was hardly dominant. And Broxton and Chapman showed me nothing except that they are *get-able* later on in this series.

They’ve got lots of questions to still answer. Cueto might be able to come back in Game 3 but I wouldn’t count on it. And even if he does, the Reds pitching staff is now facing a major disruption (with Cueto having to leave early and Latos having to pitch 4) and we all know how baseball players are with disruptions to their routine.

And maybe I’m just being a homer, but I look at Scutaro and Pence’s combined 0-8 and it just didn’t look or feel that bad. They hit balls far and hard last night—they just found gloves. Bad luck.

Personally, I don’t like the idea of Cain pitching on short rest. If Timmy goes in 3 (and assuming there’s a Game 4) then I would absolutely go with Zito to start in Game 4. We’ve won 11 in a row when he’s taken the mound. That’s not something to fear it’s something to embrace. Now, if Zito doesn’t have it THEN you go with Cain as an emergency fill-in mid game.

But all of that is something to worry about next week. Game 2 is the only thing that matters right now……

Tell us one thing you will do today before or during Game 1 of the NLDS vs. the Reds to “help” the team win, whether by warding off evil spirits or by evoking friendly powers. Wear a special GIANTS shirt, cap, or jersey? Stick pins into a Johnny Bench bobblehead? Burn Dusty Baker toothpicks? Align your chakras? Rotate your tires?

Name it.

And may the baseball gods and goddesses be with us.

Go [insert vocative comma here] Giants!

Dear Baseball Blogger’s Alliance:

Since I don’t have an official vote with the BBA (pending) I am going to now release my votes for the winners of the 5 awards that are given out to 5 winners of each major end-of-season category.

I am not going to go with the conventional picks, no sane person could pick someone other than, say, Craig Kimbrel, for the Goose Gossage Award. So read slowly, I don’t want to have to explain it to you later. Not doing the AL, just the NL…..)

Here we go……

Manager of the Year (The Connie Mack Award): Easy one. It’s Bruce Bochy by a landslide.

Rookie of the Year (The Willie Mays Award): Angel Pagan. Did anyone realize he had 15 triples this year? But I digress, Angel Pagan is not up for this award. The Rookie of the Year in the NL is……..Bryce Harper. Pretty easy call, though Miley is getting some ink. Did Miley have to deal with the press dogging him every second of the day waiting to photograph a f**k up? I think not……

Top Reliever of the Year (Goose Gossage Award): You’d think I’d just hand it over to Kimbrel but I’m a little twisted and that’s quite in line with this next pick: John Axford. This f**k imploded 3 of my 5 fantasy teams until I unceremoniously waived him some time around the beginning of August. It felt so good…

But a funny thing happened. He stopped sucking. He went on a save spree that by the end of September made me punch myself in the face. Twice. Bad managing can earn professional baseball players fake awards. Deal with it…….

Cy Young (The Walter Johnson Award): Um, don’t expect me to say Dickey. And as much as I’d love to give it to Cain it is going to go to Cueto except for the problem of me not being able to give it to Cueto for fear of ultimate blog anarchy.

So I’m going to give it to Billy Swift because even though he deserved to lose it to Maddux in 1993 (who had an insane year) he was THE MAN that year and I think that after 19 years it’s time to finally honor him. Or we I could just give it to Lance Lynn who won 18 games this year and I think he’s a freaking terrible pitcher. But he out-pitched my expectations so….he wins.

Now for the MVP Award (NL) The Stan Musial Award: My obvious pick is Buster, as it should be, but people in general are idiots, and in an attempt to appreciate how stupid the country is I’ll give the MVP to Yadier Molina.

Huh? I know, the horror!

It would be like Romney winning the election……..

Relax, it’s not happening…….

It seems like we’ve hashed it all out already. Did I see that Arroyo is starting game 2? Lash me, beat me, tell me a what a dummie I am if I’m wrong- but I’m saying that gives the series to the Giants. I’m with Flavor on this- Latos had to be the guy at ATT. Bronson is a perfectly fine 3 or 4-but he’s 0-4 here and Latos just needs to show up to throw zeroes at us (  yes, I know he gave up 2 in Game 162 in 2010 ) . I think we win both at home- so who goes in Game 3 then? I think he has to give Tim the shot for the sweep… so without further ado- here’s what I want to see in a few weeks- then I’ll bask my ass off one more time

As unusual as 2010 WS WIN! was, being division champs today, with a couple of days rest and a team that looks to have a decent chance, is a heady, out-of-body feeling all its own.

I think we should just bask, talk about the season’s accomplishments our personal highs, how we appreciated what was done, watch the best-of-the-losers games and enjoy this day.
Tomorrow? – put the game faces back on!

CONGRATULATIONS — YOUR SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS — NL WEST DIVISION CHAMPIONS 2012

UP NEXT?

 __________________________________________________________

Posted by Flavor:

And I now present to the world, the Final Flap Fantasy League Standings. Edd, you dominated the rest of us with a 3.5 point *cherry on top of the soup* day yesterday (still not using that “soup” word right, am I?) . Congratulations to you and everyone who played hard till the end. Blade gave you a run for it but in the end, you were just too strong. DIRT gets an honorable mention for finishing 4th, almost as good as an improvement over last season as this year’s champion, Edd.

And . . . Kevin sent this pic in.

Boo hoo!

Although today I am B-A-S-K-I-N-G in the warm radiance of failure. Dodger failure. Sunscreen is not necessary……..

After the Dodger’s *big trade* went down on August 25th I was steadfast in my belief that this wouldn’t help them this year, that we would win the West and it wouldn’t help them in the future. I even wrote a thread on August 28th titled “The Worst Trade in the History of Baseball…”

https://oneflapdown77.com/2012/08/28/the-worst-trade-in-the-history-of-baseball/

There were a lot of opinions thrown out that day, and surprisingly most of us were level headed about this deal and  continued to walk the earth with decidedly un-bunched panties….

But no one said it any better than Salty:

Salty said, on August 28, 2012 at 7:33 am (Edit)

“As someone said when this bullshit deal went down, winning the West will be that much sweeter.”

And that is exactly how we all feel. Someone wrote a thread the other day (or maybe it was a question posed within a thread I can’t remember) asking how we would rate this season in terms of success if we don’t win the world series. I said it is definitely considered a success by just winning the West and that it would be considered a glorious, stupendous, outstanding, titanic success if they ended up being the team to knock the Dodgers out of the playoffs.

Glorious/Stupendous/Outstanding/Titanic Mission Accomplished…….

The next goal is the obvious one, it’s the biggy: Win the World Series. That will be what turns this season from *successful* to *magical*.

But this is still a moment that demands your time. You must get your B-A-S-K on.  B-A-S-K in the unfettered joy of the Dodgers FAILURE to make the playoffs in 2012. Make sure you spend an appropriate amount of time today enjoying this. Maybe it’s just a quick acknowledgment as you walk out the door this morning to work or maybe you pause during lunch to LQT-yourself about it.

Just don’t forget to do it…..

We won the West despite the Dodgers attempt to purchase it. This was a division that was won with hard work, team chemistry and superior managerial leadership.

It is a great day to be a Giants fan. Be sure to pass out lots of *knowing dude head nods* today to anyone and everyone you see wearing Giants gear…….

Phils as sellers?

Mets ahead of Marlins?

Cards with 3 guys in top ten batting not named pujols?

CBC?

Brandons a part of every day LU?

pads ahead of Rox?

Arias Hector Blanco going from ST to regular season contributors?

Pagan re-taking leadoff and making it his own?

What surprised you most about this regular season?