Celebrating an Improbable Pennant and Dancing in the Rain

Posted in Uncategorized by Flavor on October 23, 2012

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……..

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snarkk said, on October 23, 2012 at 3:03 pm

I don’t give a darn how many ABs the other guys have had. Huff is just a near non-contributor. 1 for 8 in the playoffs so far, plus one BB, one run scored. The chance of him doing something special is a total outlier. He can’t run. He’s not going to play defense. Peguero can strike out or pop up just as well as Huff, and Huff’s no great shakes at taking walks. Anybody, anybody else at least brings an able body and some skills. Huff brings a contract. Obviously, Bochy and staff have done a great job to get us this far. But, Huff being on the 25 is only a blip contribution to that job…
Salty said, on October 23, 2012 at 3:10 pm

I was not arguing for Huff. I was just looking at their LH DH possibilities. I guess it’s Hector.
wswin said, on October 23, 2012 at 3:23 pm

You know the roster won’t change now. Don’t count out a script in which Huff does something…strange things happen, and he played for the tigers in 2009.
- Salty said, on October 23, 2012 at 3:34 pm
  
  Yeah, we can dream of a Kirk Gibson moment.
twinfan1 said, on October 23, 2012 at 3:25 pm

Posey officially NL MVP,
- Salty said, on October 23, 2012 at 3:37 pm
  
  Before the WS?
  - twinfan1 said, on October 23, 2012 at 3:47 pm
    
    The votes are cast before the postseason.
  - Salty said, on October 23, 2012 at 4:45 pm
    
    Right, but it’s not announced until after.
unca_chuck said, on October 23, 2012 at 3:31 pm

Speaking of roster moves, who’s DHing? Posey? With Hector catching? Not my cup of tea.

I’d like to see Arias but all Detroit’s starters are RH. Does that really mean Huff is the DH?

I just threw up in my mouth a little . . .
unca_chuck said, on October 23, 2012 at 3:33 pm

I guess it could be Sanchez? I’d rather see Arias over him or all the others.
Alleykat it's said, on October 23, 2012 at 3:36 pm

Shit i’d give Theriot some.hacks at DH over.Huff.And he is swinging the bat pretty good right now.
snarkk said, on October 23, 2012 at 3:42 pm

Arias isn’t the greatest against RHPs, but come on, he can play the D at third, and Pablo DH’s. That’s far better than any scenario with Huff DHing.
Link to an amusing vid of Will Clark last night. No F bombs, + Amy G.
http://www.csnbayarea.com/giantsvideo?PID=hXWM2-_nT3i5vmHCUu8KaSQIr3PVFegMSymA2J#
Use same Link to Pablo vid, too. “we like to play with pressure on”. He’s spot on with that…
All the Tigers starters are RHPs, so I would think Hector would get a shot at DH in one or more of the Detroit games, but I still like Arias in there at 3rd, and Pablo DHs. Hector’s latest ABs were nasty bad…
- Bozo said, on October 23, 2012 at 5:14 pm
  
  IMO, Arias does not play third as well as Panda. He is OK as a fill in at Third or Second (I think he sucks as a shortstop) or as a pinch hitter for a Pitcher, but as starter? I’m in the No Fucking Way camp (it might be a small camp). It seems to me that most plays on the left side of the infield (that I’ve seen) are an adventure for the guy, either getting to a ball or picking it clean when he does.
James said, on October 23, 2012 at 3:51 pm

I also like Arias as DH, especially against Verlander. He easily turned around a 100 mph FB against Chapman in the NLDS.
- James said, on October 23, 2012 at 3:52 pm
  
  Besides, he’s the closest we have to ‘ol Jazzhands in the hacking dept.
twinfan1 said, on October 23, 2012 at 3:59 pm

I agree with Snarkk. Panda DH, Arias at third.
- James said, on October 23, 2012 at 4:15 pm
  
  That works, too.
  - twinfan1 said, on October 23, 2012 at 5:10 pm
    
    Someone pointed this out, forget who
    Last 3 games, Giants’ pitchers 3 RBI
    Cards team: 1
James said, on October 23, 2012 at 4:03 pm

“”Think about it,” Cardinals GM John Mozeliak said. “It really was a microcosm of our entire season. When you think about the times we struggled, we struggled offensively. We didn’t hit. There were times in the regular season where our starting pitching didn’t take us deep, and we were penalized for it. At times we had concerns about our defense, and that hurt us in this series.”

The astuteness of this analysis –pithy, yet sweeping — is simply breathtaking. Has one team ever experienced such vicissitudes before?
- snarkk said, on October 23, 2012 at 4:05 pm
  
  I’ve experienced them.
  Preparation H helps…
snarkk said, on October 23, 2012 at 4:12 pm

Total of 9 Venezuelans, incl. 5 Giants, on both WS teams for this Series, the most ever.
There are a reported 95 Venezuelans in MLB, also the highest ever. If that means the 40 man, that’s about 7.5% of the MLB roster population. If it’s 25 man, then its 12%. Either way, impressive for a country of 29 million…
- Salty said, on October 23, 2012 at 4:57 pm
  
  And, an impressive 6 Miss Universe contest winners. 😉
  - blade3colorado said, on October 23, 2012 at 5:25 pm
    
    Hands down, the more important statistic.
Bozo said, on October 23, 2012 at 5:36 pm

Zito, Bum, Vogs and Cain. According to Comcast.
- zumiee said, on October 23, 2012 at 5:40 pm
  
  Cool- they must feel like Bum fixed something in his side sessions. Timmy can be super-sub, which he did better with during the playoffs.
  - zumiee said, on October 23, 2012 at 5:44 pm
    
    Here’s hoping Bum fixed something in his side sessions. (grin) Of course, Timmy as a starter wasn’t a comfortable choice, either. I think it was TF who called it a coin toss between the two.
  - twinfan1 said, on October 23, 2012 at 5:58 pm
    
    Z, I think I might have also said I didn’t give a rat’s ass between the two.Maybe I was cranky that day, as surprising as that may be…
blade3colorado said, on October 23, 2012 at 5:43 pm

Pawlie’s settled in at my aunt Mary’s house and she is giving him a tour of the neighborhood . . . later, she is making dinner for him as well.

Umm . . . No word on the exchange students. 🙂
- Flavor said, on October 23, 2012 at 6:46 pm
  
  Cool of you to hook him uP. Did he sign anything yet? Tell your Aunt to show him the locked basement at the end of the tour 🙂
  - blade3colorado said, on October 23, 2012 at 7:01 pm
    
    Ha. I understand he even got his own room and bed to sleep in . . . I only promised a couch.
twinfan1 said, on October 23, 2012 at 5:51 pm

Not advcocating it, not saying it will happen, but they could activate Melky, you know. That’s a nasty group when Arias is probably the best hitter of the bench group.A performance *de-hanced” Melky might be better.
- unca_chuck said, on October 23, 2012 at 6:02 pm
  
  They’ve already burned that bridge I thought.
  - twinfan1 said, on October 23, 2012 at 6:08 pm
    
    They still can activate him, so in that sense the bridge hasn’t been burned. They’ve said they won’t do it.
  - Bozo said, on October 23, 2012 at 6:09 pm
    
    Nope, I’m pretty sure they dropped Christian to make room for Melky on the 40 man. If they added Melky, I don’t think they would drop Arias but maybe Huff.
  - Bozo said, on October 23, 2012 at 6:11 pm
    
    Sorry, my comment was meant for unca not twinfan1.
unca_chuck said, on October 23, 2012 at 6:00 pm

Maybe Mike (Pat) Metheny will sign Kevin (Chick) Corriea, and they can reconstitute Return to Forever.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jP8DcpFwGAc&feature=player_embedded
unca_chuck said, on October 23, 2012 at 6:06 pm

I wouldn;t be messing with putting Arias at 3rd as an alternative. If they are both going to be in, might as well leave Panda at 3rd.
- twinfan1 said, on October 23, 2012 at 6:13 pm
  
  Well, since they’re replacing Panda with Arias for defense now, I don’t see why they wouldn’t put Arias at 3rd.
- Bozo said, on October 23, 2012 at 6:28 pm
  
  I agree unca. I could be completely wrong on this and I’m way to tired to look it up but I don’t recall Arias being put into the game for defensive purposes during the POs. Maybe as a double switch or in a blow out but as a defensive replacement? Again, I’m tired (only a few hours sleep the last few nights) and my memory might not be the greatest right now.
  - Macdog said, on October 23, 2012 at 6:42 pm
    
    Arias came in late to play third for Sandoval in each of the last three wins.
  - Bozo said, on October 23, 2012 at 6:59 pm
    
    OK Mac, I stand corrected. I still think Pablo is a better defensive third baseman than Joaquin but that’s why I don’t get paid the big bucks.
unca_chuck said, on October 23, 2012 at 6:10 pm

Pablo;s been playing a solid 3rd. No reason to put in Arias out there on the biggest stage of them all. Fuck the righty lefty deal. When Arias is raking, he’s on fire.
- twinfan1 said, on October 23, 2012 at 6:25 pm
  
  I’m only pointing out what Bochy has been doing- he’s using Arias a defensive replacement for Panda. So if both are in, one as the DH, it would seem that Bochy would have who he thinks is the better defender playing third.
  - twinfan1 said, on October 23, 2012 at 6:28 pm
    
    With both playing, it has absolutely nothing to do with lefty-righty.
blade3colorado said, on October 23, 2012 at 6:30 pm

Still trying to process the Giants aggregate score of 20-1 in the last 3 games. Wow! The Giants didn’t just win against the Cards, they dismembered them like some psycho serial killer; ran over them with one of those giant (excuse the pun) mining dump trucks, that have wheels bigger than a house . . . and then backed up over them for good measure . . . I could go on, but you get the idea.
- Salty said, on October 23, 2012 at 6:39 pm
  
  Sounds like a scene from this season’s Son’s of Anarchy. Except they would also set them on fire.
twinfan1 said, on October 23, 2012 at 6:38 pm

Check out the Fangraph’s piece that says Huff is the best DH choice. I’m only the mesenger, boys.

http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/index.php/aubrey-huff-championship-factor/
Macdog said, on October 23, 2012 at 6:53 pm

From Baggs: “Giants might change roster, I’m told. Could go down to 11 pitchers. Adding Whiteside would allow them to DH Hector Sanchez in Detroit.”
Salty said, on October 23, 2012 at 6:59 pm

Salty said, on October 23, 2012 at 10:33 am

Don’t count out Bumgarner Reportedly they have found the problem with his delivery and he’s been working on that in bullpen.Don’t count out Bumgarner

Ok I confess. Ran into Rags early this morning and he told me Bum looked good to go.
- paulinasia said, on October 23, 2012 at 7:01 pm
  
  This would be excellent news if Mad Bum indeed is good to go….
paulinasia said, on October 23, 2012 at 7:00 pm

I love watching some of the MLB video summaries when they give 3 different calls of the same play… the national telecast, then local SF (usually Miller on KNBR), and then the local opposing team’s telecast. Three usually completely different takes on the same play. Particularly loved listening to the St. Louis commentary on the line drive by Lohse (sp?) that Crawford nabbed… they got so excited and so far ahead of themselves, something like: “It’s a base hit!! Oh no! The shortstop (the shortstop??) caught it.” ….. hah. And listening to Kuip’s call on Pence’s “weirdest hit of all time”, Duane got so excited he seemed to forget who the 3rd base runner was (Posey) when Jay mishandled it in the outfield “And Jay let’s it get past him, they’re going to send …. …. …… safe!” Too funny. Very exciting stuff.
twinfan1 said, on October 23, 2012 at 7:05 pm

OMG. They would *add* Whitey? Therefore possibly keeping Huff ? Sharp Objects alert!
- paulinasia said, on October 23, 2012 at 7:11 pm
  
  Indeed. Eli and Huff on the roster is kind of a head-scratcher… but, in Bochy we trust….
unca_chuck said, on October 23, 2012 at 7:17 pm

Huff is the best DH choice? Maybe 2 years ago . . .
Salty said, on October 23, 2012 at 7:20 pm

Not up on the DH rules. Was wondering earlier if Hector could be the DH and still replace Buster at C if need be. Apparently he could, but the G’s would have to forfeit the DH, meaning the pitcher would have to hit?
- zumiee said, on October 23, 2012 at 8:03 pm
  
  I believe you are correct. The pitcher would have to bat in that scenario. The team loses its DH rights in that situation.
ferrethead said, on October 23, 2012 at 7:35 pm

Awaiting some info from Flav, will give my first-hander shortly. Sooo happy!!! (Still, so very tired!)
- Flavor said, on October 23, 2012 at 8:32 pm
  
  did you get my email?
twinfan1 said, on October 23, 2012 at 7:41 pm

That Huff is the best DH choice is the opinion of the writer of the article.
blade3colorado said, on October 23, 2012 at 7:45 pm

A couple of keys to this series:

The Giants barely utilized their speed in the St. Louis series for obvious reasons, i.e., someone called Molina (who has the best “caught stealing” % in the major leagues (44.63%)). That wont be the case with Alex Avila, who has a 31.01%. Gerald Laird, the lesser half of a platoon, is much better at 35.2%, good for 8th in MLB. By the by, Buster is at number 10, with a 33.33%. Regardless of who the catcher is, in my opinion, the Giants need to steal more bases in this series.

As you all know, the Giants destroyed left handed pitching this season. Unfortunately, the Tigers have an all right handed staff. However, Max Scherzer is scheduled to start Game 4 of the World Series. I wish he was starting an additional game. He can definitely be had. Scherzer missed his next-to-last start of the regular season because of soreness in the deltoid area of his right shoulder. He then twisted his right ankle in Kansas City during the Tigers’ on-field celebration (idiot). More important than the aforementioned, is the fact that this cat is a “hot and cold” pitcher. He will almost always have a shit load of strike outs, but I’ve seen him destroyed as well due to control problems. I think Dirt had him in Fantasy League this year and he could probably provide some more info. Too bad we aren’t getting the 2011 Scherzer, sporting the 4.43 ERA . . . that guy was definitely inconsistent as hell.
blade3colorado said, on October 23, 2012 at 7:46 pm

Have you guys heard that Bum is pitching in the 2 spot?
- twinfan1 said, on October 23, 2012 at 7:59 pm
  
  Yep.
twinfan1 said, on October 23, 2012 at 7:57 pm

Bochy is old school. You’ll notice he never batted EIi in the 2010 series but he credits Vera’s Ambrosia Salad on the table after every win as being as key to the WS win as Edgar’s blast or Tim’s pitching. Vera was offered much- even a new Kitchen-Aid, but her price is firm- no Whitey, no Ambrosia.
Flavor said, on October 23, 2012 at 8:25 pm

So NOW Bochy thinks Bum has got his BP sessions going in the right direction?
That just confirms that he DIDN’T start him because of solid BP sessions in Game 2 of the NLCS.
And it still makes no sense to me why he would entrust him with an NLCS start if he was just *hoping* he’d pitch well. Either Timmy or Voggy could have taken that start……
And now we’re hearing that Bum’s all good to go?
Well, this will either turn out to be redemption for the last dumbass time he started him or another head scratcher.
I get why Bochy is keeping Tim in the pen—he’s better coming out of the pen and we have 2 starting pitchers who could easily implode early in the game.
If Timmy takes over for an overwhelmed Zito who takes over for an overwhelmed Bum?
I’m not predicting anything, I’m just asking the questions……….
- zumiee said, on October 23, 2012 at 8:32 pm
  
  Not to be picky, but Bum started game 1 of the NLCS. It did get that series off to a rocky start.
  - Flavor said, on October 23, 2012 at 8:40 pm
    
    Indeed, he did. And that’s not being “picky” unless you’re one of those crazies at Chez Flavor who just likes getting his order right. 🙂
    Sorry, just a normal Flavor *brain cloud*. Theme of the post doesn’t change though.
ferrethead said, on October 23, 2012 at 8:44 pm

Flav – just sent you an email.
Flavor said, on October 23, 2012 at 8:50 pm

Huff being the DH, which will never happen in a million years, is one of the dumbest things I’ve heard thrown out there in a loooooooooog time. Look, we are in a bad spot when it comes to the DH but it’s not the end of the world. In fact, the Tigers have their own share of problems with having to play NL ball the first two games. Vlad was a better DH than D-Young and look how that worked out for Texas when Vlad was trolling through right field…..
And that article at fangraphs was a hoot. It shows how far off fangraphs is to understanding how the game actually plays out. Can you imagine how hilarious it would be for Melky to just get popped into the LU without any at bats or any of his precious steroids?
Fangraphs is wasting our time with that article. Of COURSE Melky is preferred if he was playing every day and juiced to the nines with steroids.
Without those two things it’s not even interesting to talk about. He’s gone. And if he were here, magically, tomorrow in the starting LU he’s make Huff look like fucking Babe Ruth………
- James said, on October 23, 2012 at 9:51 pm
  
  The writer did acknowledge that it was unlikely that Cabrera would be the same player. The tone of the article wasn’t exactly heavy-handed, either. With the choices they have, I’m not so sure it’s possible to declare Huff as DH a complete absurdity. Of course, there is the small matter of his inability to run. What *isn’t* exactly smart is batting Hector Sanchez 5th in the order.
  
  I still like Arias as the player most likely to surprise.
  - twinfan1 said, on October 23, 2012 at 10:27 pm
    
    We don’t have a top notch DH.. of course, most NL teams don’t exactly search for that. Hector is not a good choice *AT ALL* unless they do add Whitey. and even then- how many hitters does take to score Hector and Buster from 2nd and 1st?
    How many you got?
twinfan1 said, on October 23, 2012 at 9:08 pm

Well, as with many sites, fangraphs has many writers, and they write good anf bad pieces. The same guy who wrote the silly Huff piece, has a good one on Vogelsong, IMO.

http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/index.php/ryan-vogelsongs-most-perfect-pitch/
wswin said, on October 23, 2012 at 9:09 pm

Tomorrow they will win for the 14th consecutive time in a game started by Barry Zito. His only start at home, he’ll walk off the mound to the chant of his name!
PawlieKokonuts said, on October 23, 2012 at 9:35 pm

So improbable as to get clouded in my own memory, this run. #gratitude