The Return of B-A-S-K-I-N-G
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…….
That had all the intensity Bochy could want for his squad to keep their edge. The GIDPs were frustrating and Dodgers seemed to get the bounces going their way, but great finish by all not named Mota, whom I suspect we have seen the last of. Kemp just doesn’t look like an MVP anymore, but maybe it’s our pitching.
Mattingly will have all off season to think of why he pitched to mr. clutch instead of Pagan. I know what his printout told him, but as K and K said, “That was the old Marco.” Loved how Romo controlled the tempo of those last ABs, stepping off and throwing to first with Abreu, who took his own sweet time coming to the plate, up there. couple lazy flyouts later and it’s all over. Nicely done!
Wonder if Mattingly will be back? Burned twice by Scutaro as Pavlovic points out.
Not only that, but Scutaro hit a game-tying single in the 8th in Monday’s game. Is there something Donnie Baseball isn’t seeing here?
Nice article on pavs blog at mercnews, but the pic of the dodger dugout filing out is priceless.
Enjoy winter, guys….you got the same seat I do for the playoffs…in front of the TV.
Yeah it’s great to be a Giants fan!
Great one Flav. I started basking as soon as that last out was recorded. Threw a post up on FB last night right after the game to the effect:
“Pack your fishing poles and gold clubs Dodgers! You are DONE! As in ELIMINATED!
Oh, we’ll play one for FUN tomorrow that has NO bearing on anything except to close out your season…FOR GOOD!
That sound you hear was the last bit of life slipping out of what was the 2012 LA Dodgers season.
And to beat them in Chavez Latrine…PRICELESS!
Orange October Baby! GO GIANTS!”
Best day ever watching the Bums fold like a cheap suit!! Giants Rock!!!!
Now the A’s will take care of.the Rangers and force them into a 1 and done,and they will be the Jim Kelly and the Buffalo Bills choking SB games!!
Well, not sure they exactly folded like a cheap suit. It was a pretty intense 3 innings (7th-9th) in my living room. But, the important point is their sorry asses are ELIMINATED! Fuck the Dodgers!
Good read from CSNBA on potential of Buster at 3B. Other good info on the rotation, too.
http://tinyurl.com/8odwavf
Will do some serious basking today! I was hoping the Bums would still be alive and kicking for this series. And then Monday night, it didn’t feel it was time yet. Dodgers needed to win one and Stl needed to lose to ratchet up the intensity, get the fans out there with raised hopes…then bleep them. This one’s for Wayne Franklin, mofos! Played out perfectly.
Humming that Dylan tune “It’s all over now, Baby Blue”… Excellent call, Stix.
Anybody know if there is a tractor pull or something this weekend at Dodger stadium?
willied mentioned the Plav article and photo which was good but I really like the tweet photo he mentions
Sorry, on that twit thing – here is a better link.
http://tinyurl.com/8v2s4yr
I’ve been under the weather (cold) for a couple of days, but last night’s game was like a massive vitamin B shot. Not too often you get to figuratively rub your rival’s nose in the dirt.
That being said, I know that I should remember the old Confucius proverb, “Before you begin on the journey of revenge, dig two graves.” However, with regard to the Dodgers I tend to agree with Robert F. Kennedy’s quote, “Don’t get mad, get even.” Enjoy Flappers . . .
🙂
i don’t want to get stoned here but while we certainly put the division away easily, as I said we would after the trade, the Bums made a good run for that last playoff spot- and that turned out to be very good for us. These last two games played like postseason contests, there should be no worry about losing our edge going into the playoffs- last night in particular had all the tension of the postseason- that the Bums did NOT “fold like a cheap suit” will make us all the tougher against Cincy.
Agree completely. Should set them up well. And Bochy now saying regulars will all play today to keep that edge.
Well, they’ll stone ya when you’re trying to be so good
They’ll stone ya just like they said they would
They’ll stone ya when you’re tryin’ to go home
Then they’ll stone ya when you’re there all alone
But I would not feel so all alone
Everybody must get stoned
Absolutely agree. I was on seats-edge for three damned innings. The Bums did not go quietly. And yes…that battle tests the Giants for what lies ahead. Great game, but I am happy our G-men were the ones who eliminated their nemisis.
Yeah, I’m very glad that Bochy played the regulars all the way to the end. And he played yesterday like the playoff game it felt like. The fricking Dodger fans were even into it. A first.
I’m sure his fellow catching brother Mike Metheny was happy about that. . . .
“Dodgers, playing for everything, can’t beat a San Francisco team playing for nothing.” – Bill Plaschke, LA Times
Said Matt Kemp: “We kind of failed.”
Kind of? Look up fail in the dictionary, Mr. Kemp. Your team is right there in the description.
It was somewhere around Aug 15 that the Dogs had a half game lead, and 3 at home vs the Giants when the wheels fell off.
Plaschke’s a dipshit. No mention of how stupid management was for taking on all that salary load? A-Gon’s underwhelming LA stint? They say they’ll spend like drunken sailors, but can they afford Kershaw on top of these other bloated salaries when he comes due in a year?
Plus, the Giants weren’t playing for nothing. They were playing for the right to knock LA out of the playoffs. Far from nothing. Bochy’s a class guy, and he would have played it straight up regardless of the circumstances.
Ellis needlessly getting thrown out at 3rd? Monumentally stupid play.
I am basking still. As my team walked like a man into taking the division it started (if I could dare). It has been the play of champions by this team that got my B-A-S-K on. And even though I have been walking all over this area the closest I have come to a Giants uniform is some guy in a funny hat, tights and a long bow. I see 3 or 4 Giants Shirts or hats a year and none have them been worn by a Gmen fan.
My B-A-S-K got bigger when, against my better judgement, I watched the game last night. It was fine. To see the doger fans all standing and make it stick was fine.
Yeah, for some reason, yesterday’s game DID feel like a playoff game. Maybe it’s only me gearing up for the real thing in a few days, but I was more psyched than usual when we downed the Dodgers yesterday.
If Bochy starts regulars today, fine, but don’t play for long. I don’t really see much point. The last two games were tight and taught, they’ve got their game faces on for Saturday. One AB and a coupla innings, then to the pine, that’s why you have guys like Justin Christian and Burriss in the clubhouse. No need to risk Scutaro or any other top player getting hit by a pitch, tweaking an ankle, or otherwise hurt for a game that means nada to nobody. How many LAngelenos will attend this one? Lots of yellow seats this late afternoon, for sure…
Agree with you totally on this one snarkk.
Playing to knock someone else out *is* nothing compared to fighting to get in.If the Giants were out of it it might mean more to them to end the Bum hopes. But under these circumstances the fans and bloggers think it’s a bigger deal than the Giants did. IMO. The Dodgers played hard and I’m sure Bichy and the team liked it- and the Cards had to love that Bruce did do “the right thing” .
I didn’t say it was, Mike. But it was certainly on their minds.
Plaschke seems to think the world revolves around the Dodgers and their wonderful in-season moves this season. As if it didn’t play into what went wrong for them. He’s ignoring the fact that they are going to be forced into salary dump mode at some point in the near future, and that Kershaw’s due a monster payday in a little over a year. They say they can afford it, but what happens if they stagger out of the gate next year, and they are 12 out in July/ Like Boston, they’ll be a little less stocked in the farm, and dragging around a ton of bloated salaries.
Whatever. I could give a shit . BTW, Plascke is the writer who penned that it took the Bums 10 years to get over Bonds’ little hotdog pirouette…he’s hardly a homer..
http://articles.latimes.com/2007/jul/31/sports/sp-plaschke31
Chuck, don’t misunderstand- I think it’s cool that they knocked the Bums out, and I’ve gone into great detail on why the trade was not a good one even beyond the player angle. I’m just not as rabid about knocking them out as some and in any case, I’m done with it. They’re nothing to me now.
Yeah, that was another hyper-bullshit Plaschke article. I never called him a homer. Just that he imports way too much gravitas on the Dodgers and their place in the baseball world. He’s a good writer, but that article is pure fiction. Fox and Murdoch gutting the team had little to do with the home run. It all would have happened regardless. Tha home run killed their season that year. Nothing more.
Unca, the dude writes for the LA Times, a lot of his world probably does revolve around the dogs. I don’t know if I’ve ever read anything by him before so I won’t get into that. So I don’t know what he said about the trade but I doubt Henry Schulman would have brought up the negatives if the Giants had made that trade, Jenkins maybe.
Not sure how to share this other than to list the young ladies name. If you have a FB account, query Krystle Gallardo (I met her through the Chron…young Bay Area gal), and am now FB friends with her. Anyway, she has a killer picture on her FB page. Side view of Buster at the end of his swing (hitting HR last night). Caption in white letters at the top read:
Looks like the Dodgers’ Playoff Hopes Have Been
and at the bottom in capital letters…
BUSTED!
I’m not doing it justice…it is every bit as good, if not better, than the tweet post that John shared earlier.
Check it out…
Now this is outrageous- Romney’s camp is saying that 47 percent of San Franciscans are gay blackberry toting wine sipping foodies. It’s totally true, of course… 😉
The riddle of Timmeh pitching poorly this season has been solved. Sources report that Tim, back in February in Scottsdale, after watching a late night video of “Trading Places”, and in a fit of pique with his father, secretly switched jobs with Luis the cab driver. Asked for comment, Buster Posey said, “We went south as a battery after he spit on me when I just offhandedly said Brazil had great soccer, but was a third world dungheap. Now, it finally all makes sense.” http://tinyurl.com/8uzpotv
That’s fucking hilarious…
I could see that being BW behind the camera.
Phils lead Nats 1-0 in the 4th.
So let me see if I have this straight. As it sits right now, we would play the Reds in the NLDS (Nats with best record would host the WC winner). Only way Reds secure home field throughout the playoffs (in which case we would play the Nats in the NLDS) is a Nats loss today and a win tonight (Nats won the season series 2-1 between the two), correct?
So, the Nats handed the Giants asses to them this year and Reds are playing great ball. Given that, do you have a preference as to who our Giants play in the NLDS?
Preference? FUCK to the NO!
I preferred the reds, but as of now, bring it on.
I will be watching the As game as the first game this evening.
Nats 2-1 thru 4. But more importantly, Teddy finally won the Presidents race.
Mac – Do you have MASN on? The announcer just said they were going to try and get an interview with Teddy, if he’d talk to them and if he was sober. Cracked me up.
Watching on the Philly channel, maybe they’ll interview the Phake Phanatic.
How could this happen??
so the home town mascot takes out 3 presidents and then runs escort till Ted heads home.
cool
Little O retiring, I missed it with all the Chipper news. great memories from him.
Vizquel (my favorite Scrabble word)?
Interesting. From the LA TImes’s Dylan Hernandez:
The Dodgers have the finances to make significant acquisitions this offseason, Dylan Hernandez of the Los Angeles Times reports. Chairman Mark Walter said the team will be able to spend “if it’s there and if it’s right for us.” However, Walter hinted that the team may hesitate to spend big on pitching, noting that “pitchers break.”
. . . and a great comment on the article:
Classic12•an hour ago−
Based on who they’ve spent on already, the club is well on its way to winning the 2009 World Series.
Let ’em spend until the fucking cows come home. And ask ’em how that quarter of a BILLION dollars worked out for them this year. Fuck them AND their deep pockets. They suck ass.
We’ve got the Reds.
Bring on the Reds!
A’s announcers said 12,000 fans lined up yesterday for tickets to the game today. 5,000 of the fans were from SF and heard to say, “It’s cheaper than going to losanges.”
A’s are getting pounded. I guess the A’s aren’t used to big crowds.
check that: A’s now pounding Rangers
Griffin has 65 pitches an 2 0ut in the third the A’s have a couple of Bobbles, make that 4 bobbles.
I think my feed is off, the catcher just missed one.
Barry Zito’s 4-seam fastball % thrown each year of his career:
2007: 55.3%
2008; 47.7%
2009: 46.7%
2010: 40.8%
2011: 27.1%
2012: 16.2%
Next year if he can stop throwing it into single digit percentages he might win 20🙂
Barry Zito’s cutter % for each year of his career:
2007: 0.6%
2008: 0.9%
2009: 5.2%
2010: 0.2%
2011: 4.8%
2012: 22.5%
He is throwing his slider more than last year (9.5% > 5.6%) but I had misinterpreted the data when I read it earlier this year. For some reason, under pitch type (at fangraphs) they lump the 4 seam and the 2 seam fastball together under FB% and then they lump the slider and the cutter together to come up with the SL% (which I had thought stood for *slider*)
And yet under Pitchf/x pitch type they break up the 4 pitches across the board FA (4 seam fastball), FT (2 seam fastball), FC (this is the cutter) and then SL (slider).
This probably is of little interest to all of you but it’s been bugging me for a while that the percentages weren’t adding up–until I just finally figured it out.
It isn’t his slider he’s throwing noticeably more this year, it’s the cutter (something Kruk has discussed many times. Now it finally makes sense).
now tell me how many cutters v sliders Kofax threw…
that is actually interesting to read because it has long been an interest of mine to be the guy who decides which pitch is which. Although it must be easier if you are at the yard close to the action.
A’s coming back. 5-2. 2 on, 0 out . . .
A’s tie it !
Wow, Josh Hamilton.
a lot of flubs this game and weak pitching.
It is great to see that there are 40,000 A’s fans supporting their team this year.
or,
this is the first game I have watched at Oakland and assume it is like this most games.
can someone tell me how to find the stats on wash-stl games this season?
If the A’s win, this is going to be quite the epic collapse by the Rangers.
Epic by Texas, great run by the A’s and a near total collapse in the AL east
Baggs just tweeted: “Giants will play at 6:37 pm SF time on Saturday.”
Wow, A’s are up 8-5. If they win, they would be just the fifth team since 1900 to win a league or division title trailing by as much as 13 games. The others are the 1914 Braves, 1951 The Giants win the pennant!, 1978 Bucky Dent Yankees, and 1995 Mariners.
Didn’t see your post, bro…and you provided additional info…pretty fucking amazing what the Fucking A’s have done this year.
Not the A’s…The Fucking A’s.
Bay Bridge Series, Part II (sans earthquake) would be awesome!
Oakland 8-5, bottom 6th…
Fuckin’ A(s). Texas had men on 2nd and 3rd, no outs, and don’t score.
Edd, this is likely their first sellout since they played the Giants.
are you guys watching this? the colisum is rocking
Fucking A’s did it.
this is why they say baseball is 162 games.
did they sweep texas?
Nolan will not be pleased.
Wait a minute, I can’t fucking believe it. That’s not Beane, it’s Brad Pitt…
Magnus, I just love your thread. Yup, you called it. It’s funny. I was very tired last night so I went to sleep before the game was over. I came back from the bathroom around 1:30 a.m. and hesitated to turn on the game or look at the score. The Dodgers have had some late-inning heroics, including against us in this series. Nevertheless, I opened up my laptop and put the game on via MLB.tv. Just in time to see Sergio Romo do the Niagara Falls on the last embers of Dodgerian hope. It was sweet. Just like southern iced tea. BASKING. GOT MY BASK ON. I AM A BASK SEPARATIST. BASKette WEAVER. Citizen of the Isle of BASK.
well, now I know my “did you think story” . . . Knew they had a chance at a wild card, but to catch Texas?
Melky was the biggest surprise, I did not see that coming.
Pagan I had always known could raise his game.
Posey with a return of 100 games at backstop and 20 more in the field felt like would be too much to hope for and winning the Batting championship and a couple more awards it looks like is a Giants 2012 history moment.
B-A-S-K-I-N-G
Nolan Ryan is now on anti high blood pressure medicine IV drip…
yeah, they are cascading, as in c-a-s-c-a-d-i-n-g
Bet the Express wished he could of pitched this one,along with their W/S failures the Rangers will be toast in their one and done game.Eat shit Rangers!!!
What’s so hateable about the Rangers?
I got Texas
AL
nope, that’s it.
wait – sometimes I think Nolans clothes are just a little TOO nice. As in – I wish I could afford that
I never found them esp. hateable; rather, a worthy opponent. Not to say I’m their fan. Their culture and history and prior ownership are enough to put me off — but I’m a rare guy here in that I loathe the Yankees even more than the Dodgers.
Actually I wuld like to play Tx or Oakland in the WS.
Nice babe behind the plate.
new subject.
Got to see that career minor leaguer Rich Thompson play in Tampa, and score as a pinch runner.
A’s look formidable. Young, dumb, and homer happy. Hat’s off to them, Beane and Melvin.
They don’t know any better to be nervous. Stretch run of truly historic proportions.
Cinderella season, could be a sorta, but not really, redux of the 2010 Gyros.
If you’re A’s ownership, RU really happy about this turn of events?
On one hand, it shows you can win in Oakland. Not good for the San Jose thing.
On the other, it confirms that nobody shows up in Oakland to watch even a team as fun and exciting as this one. Kinda cuts both ways…
Beane thought he had “built” a 100 game loser. Melvin,the coaching staff, and the players get all the credit in the world. I give none whatsoever to Beane.
Sabean gets credit for his moves that helped build a div winner.
Beane gets the same credit. He’s the GM. Not to give him credit for getting the various pieces from different sources, including Cespedes in particular, is just ridiculous…
Today, by the way, is the 61-year anniversary of Bobby Thomson’s home run — and the exact day that Dave Winfield was born.
I like this definition of basking : ” to flourish or feel secure under some benevolent influence or favourable condition”…it is not a state where one would feel animus towards the now vanquished opponent. Besides, nothing shames the bloodied loser more than a benevolent hand up from the victor. Here is where a bare hint of a smirk is perfect..
esp. the Sergio Snarky Smirk (SSS)
No, the head move was a balk, Vince.
You know, PK, in LA go FA _anywhere_ and there are beautiful women. grocery store, waiting for the bus, sports stadium. When I went to the British Embassy in Santa Monica to get my visa Jon Voight was standing in the lobby. and not standoffish neither. There are lots of stories in that town. would not want to live there.
“What’s so hateable about the Rangers?”
Seeing Bush’s mug bugs me but I don’t hate the Rangers, I do however hate the Dodgers and A’s. When they were in the WS together, I hoped they could both lose.
So when do managers have to announce their roster for the playoffs?
Edd I dunno. Here’s a dumb question: Do the A’s take the tarp off the upper deck for the playoffs? I’ve got no idea how many fans the O.Co holds with the tarp as opposed to without. But that’s a lot o’ cheddar to leave out if they decide to keep it tarped up.
sorry I had to pass out last night
I believe they do leave them on and can fit 40k in what is left w/ some SRO of around 4K
Ishikawa with 4 ribbies tonight and it’s only in the 6th.
Congrats to Buster.on being the Batting Champ. .336 is pretty damn good.
I’m a tad disappointed in the game 162 ending. Would’ve liked a tie in the AL East, just to see how wacky it’d get. Many, many people tell me: hey, it’s another book, etc. But, no, it isn’t. The whole deal about last year’s game 162 singularity was the convergence of three highly dramatic and improbable endings within minutes as the end point of two epic collapses. Still, some good stuff today. Triple Crown. Longo’s 3 bombs. As for books, no doubt a beat writer should — more probably, will — write about the A’s season. And it will be worth reading.
Miggy gets the triple crown. Been a while.
He’s come a long way. In Feb 2011 this is what he was saying:
“Do you know who I am? You don’t know anything about my problems,”
Tonight? Problems solved……
One hellofa year!
Congratulations Ed on taking the Flap League in style . . . You played hard all year and earned it buddy!
I gotta think 100+ points is not only playing hard but kicking some ass. I agree with Steve, congrats edd.
I was dead last night around the 4th inning and just awoke.
came here first, and big thanks to you both. will catch-up tomorrow it is my day as guest author
I’m enjoying the Gyros surprisingly EZ division win, but not basking. Enjoyed the Dodger elimination, but not basking. This is the result of 2010. Not satisfied with a division win any longer. Enjoyable, yes. But, not satisfied, not basking. Basking, for me, requires winning at least the NLCS. And, winning the WS obviously would facilitate some major basking…
If I were a Cardinal or Ranger fan…there’s only one thing that might-repeat-might make me feel better:
Goodnight…..you know
Curtis Granderson hit 43 bombs this year? Are you fucking kidding me? I thought he was a leadoff hitter, a Mickey Rivers kind of guy. there’s some crazy shit going down in the AL these days.
congrats to Edd for taking the Flap Fantasy League…..no small feat with some of the sharks we have swimming around here.