2 Weeks of Big City Lights Baseball In Upon Us
Easily and without question, we now embark on the most anticipated 13 games of the season. Sadly, that anticipation is tempered by our entrenchment in last place. But LA/NY/NY/LA looks good on paper, doesn’t it? Anyone back east going to any of these games?
I’d like to think we will call on pride, gamesmanship, professionalism—whatever we got left—to put forth competitive efforts for each of these games. I’d trade sweeping the LA Art Dealers this weekend in exchange for getting rolled the rest of the road trip. Not interested even a little bit in seeing Eye Google Boy and his band of idiots celebrating the division crown in front of us.
As long as Bochy has Pagan at the top of the LU for the next 4 in LA, I’ll feel confident that the team will take this serious and put forth a professional, motivated effort. If we go down there with our attention half-assed and everyone staring at each other waiting for the*other guy* to do something, this could be a long, ugly weekend…….
A Place To Talk About Giants Baseball 
Based on the team’s play over the last ten games or so, certainly the home stand (walk-off extra inning wins, comeback wins, getting that clutch hit w/RISP, etc.) I expect them to go down there with a lot of pride, and COMPETE. And they finally won a homestand (granted it was only 4-3, but I’ll take it).
I would be happy with a split, but man it would be sweet to take that series. Our G-Men are a game back form 3rd place…so there is no reason that they cannot make that Quest for Third (mentioned that late last night).
Yeah, “Quest For 4th” is cool, but I’ve also said Quest For 3rd is possible and would rock in lieu of missing the playoffs. Sherpas and Friars must go down!
Yep, me too, and I agree. Hey, a game back of 3rd…there is absolutely no reason they cannot do this, especially if they keep playing the way they have of late.
Looking ahead at the pitching match-ups against Los Bumbinos:
Tonight: Cain vs. Greinke
Tomorrow: Bum vs. Kershaw
Saturday: Tim vs. Nolasco
Sunday: Vogey vs. Volquez
Volques has an almost 6 ERA since coming over to the Bums, so maybe Vogey has a chance to get back on track.
Time to kick some Blue Bum ass.
HAHAHA . . . Pawlie, Flav and I are probably the only ones who know about the (alternative) reference to “kindling wood” that Pawlie cites in his POTD. Hilarious.
I’m looking forward to the last three with the Pads (just kidding, I think).
For those interested in hearing our Third Base coach with a guitar in his hand live, this is his offseason schedule so far. Also, here is information on his new CD with Jerry Jeff and Bobby Weir joining ol’ Number 1 on a few songs. Every cent of the CD sales goes to Bryan Stow, not money after costs, but every cent.
http://timflannery.com/91013/
Thanks for sharing. I have seen a number of his videos, and purchased a CD, but would love to see him live. Looks like I will get my opportunity.
What a quality human being, and ya gotta love him coaching 3rd. Love to watch him waving a runner in.
Losers always talk about pride, motivation, next year blah, blah, blah……Winners concern themselves with right now…….their fans show up to games late in the season ready for blood. Losers are stuck with past memories of glory and half empty upper decks.
Your right Nip…
Losers don’t even go to the prom.
Winners are fucking the Prom Queen & Cheerleaders!
I’d rather see Giants f-up the Yankees myself. There isn’t anything we can do about LA, except ruin the chances of them having a better record than another team in playoffs. It’s their division this year.
The Yanks, however, SF could seriously damage their chances of even getting in. That I could enjoy watching immensely regardless of who else gets in.
Btw, tho I’ve brought his name up a few times in trade rumors, I really like Romo. I just feel he is Giants single best trade chip that could conceivably be replaced in house without significant drop off.
I agree Willie. I too am a huge Romo fan, but agree he (and maybe another player or two) present the best chance at landing a quality player (OFer, etc.).
So, do you think if they dealt him in the off-season that Casilla and Hembree could hold down the closing duties next year? They are not going to trade Romo and go out and get a closer, so the option would be Casilla/Hembree, I think.
It’s just really hard to watch or read anything to do with LA for me. Couple lessons tho I think SF can learn.
First, depth. They have had injuries to significant players and gotten by with adequate subs and replacements. Vet guys like Punto Schumaker and Hairston Jr. plus the kid back up C have filled in well for them while guys like Hanley Crawford Uribe and Kemp were down. Kemp they have hardly missed. The puigs of the world don’t come around by accident either. Giants subs/replacements have been big disappointment.
Second for me would be pitching. They have 3 SPs that are having just as good or better a year as Bum, who is Giants only stellar SP all year. Jansen has grown into a solid closer too. Dodgers are near top of league in pitching stats and runs allowed, while SF is way closer to the bottom, all while playing at ATT. That has to change.
the dodgers were ,relatively, about where we are now before they started getting well. they were in last place at 30-42 on june 21.
what willie says about trading romo is right on. he’s been an excellent closer- which is, of course, why he’d bring a good return with the right package.
Did not see your post before I replied to Willie’s post on Romo. I agree.
i don’t know what willie thinks, but i posted that casilla/hembree would be the likely candidates to replace him. i’d start with casilla closing and hembree setting up.
He (Willie) had just mentioned earlier that he thought that Romo is one of the few pieces the Giants could deal and get quality in return. I had simply agreed with him (this prior to seeing your comment).
For me, the disappointment of 2013 will reach its nadir when the Giants hit the Big Apple next week. DJLoo dubbed it “New York Week” way back when, but now it’ll just be a week in New York. Oh, the wondrous possibilities this late-season part of the schedule held back in April and May: Go to a game at Citi Field and The House That Greed Built as the defending champion Giants storm New York City on the verge of clinching the NL West or a playoff spot, or at the very least be in contention for both. Combine that with a chance to ruin the Yanks’ playoff chances . . . well, there’s still that, my last remaining flicker of interest in a season that can’t end soon enough. Hopefully, the Giants will be up to the challenge of facing a team making a late-season playoff charge (aided in part by Tampa’s tailspin), otherwise, it’ll be the final coup de grace on this lost season. As of now it’s unlikely I’ll be able to attend any of the games, although I haven’t ruled out trying to get to one of the Yanks games. But this is why I rarely buy tickets in advance anymore.
I’m not a fan of interleague play and yes, I know it’s here for awhile (there should be an asterisk next to any and all records since it started). But, having any of those games in Sept, in my opinion, is probably the most fucked up thing Selig has done with his pants on.
I’m with WillieD. I’d like to see the Giants mess up the Yanks. The games with them will mean something to the Yanks, big time. Giants take 2 of 3 from them, and that is most uncool for the Yanks WC chances. As for LA, whatever. This division was done a month and a half ago, I doubt that these purchased Dodger players, most of whom were not farm raised, give much of a rat’s patootie whether they dance on the Giants grave. I think right now for LA fans, there’s more of a heated rivalry with the Pads. We’ll be lucky to split down there, realistically…
I would not doubt for a second that Ned Colletti will make a bid for Lincecum. If nothing else but to jack the price up for the Giants to stay in the game for him. If Tim were actually to touch down in the Latrine in Dodger Blue, the tearing of the Giants fan fabric would be about as shattering as it could get. I doubt he would do it regardless of the extra money, he knows that would be the ruin of his reputation here. Unless, for some reason, he’s PO’d at the Giants management…
i don’t get this knocking the fact that many of the dodgers were ‘purchased’. we’ve done it within the budget we have, and didn’t a padre or two make a dumb issue of it in 2010 ? in fact, we’d all be ticked off if sabean were handed the kind of money that ned was, and didn’t go out and get the best that he could with it.
as to fucking the yanks, sure- but that would be result of good play by whatever group bochy decides to put out there. if that screws the yanks, fine- but that’s a collateral benefit.
I only brought up the “purchased” idea with respect to the rivalry angle, or lack thereof. I thought that was obvious. I’ve no problem with paying to secure players that aren’t from the farm system, especially since with a dogmeat farm system at the upper levels, that’s the only way the Giants can remain competitive in the near term…
these are mostly the same group who we buried after the dodgers made the deals they thought would put them over the top last year. i can’t imagine that they have no delightful desire to send us out of la-la land in disgrace.
It’s quite easy and logical to imagine that Hanley Ramirez, Ricky Nolasco, Ryu, Greinke, Puig, et al coming from other organizations, leagues and cultures have no particular antipathy towards the Giants compared to any other team. The Dodger/Pads games the last few seasons have been battles; seen bean ball wars and way more hostility than the Giants/Dodger games…
well, except for the minor fact of the giants being the ones to kick their ass on the way to the world champinonship that the bums expected to win last year. sure, a couple who came this year may not care much, but they weren’t here for the spanking they got.
The players “purchased” through trditional free agency on the Dodgers? Uribe, Greinke, and Mark Ellis.
Puig and Ryu were international signings – so yeah you can say they were “purchased” if that makes you feel better.
Adrian Gonzalez, Hanley Ramirez, Carl Crawford, Andre Eithier, Ricky Nolasco – all acquired via trades – trades that included sending “home-grown” Dodgers elsewhere – even Nick Punto and Skip Schumaker were brought over in trades – this is what all baseball GM’s do to improve their ballclubs – nothing unusual about it.
Should be a fun series, some great pitching matchups.
Gee, thanks for the education, cocky. I had no clue about any of that, including what GM’s do. Where were you last year, cocky? The year the Giants kicked Dodger ass, and your team was dogmeat? It’s more than a bit comical for you to drop in here now and again to educate us when your team’s on the upswing. What’s unusual about the new Dodgers is their apparently unlimited pursestrings. Hey, if you’ve got it, flaunt it, I suppose. Until that luxury tax kicks in, that is. Remember, cocky, in the playoffs, there’s no guaranteed wins. Everyone starts from zero. Nothing about the Lasordas makes me feel better, other than to see them lose in the playoffs…
lol . . . good one snarkk.
By the by, I see ONLY 3 outcomes for the Dodgers Rooster: 1. They win the World Series Championship; 2. They lose during the playoffs or World Series, but avail themselves well – playing tough, tight, well pitched and near error free baseball games; or 3. They do a face plant during the playoffs or World Series.
Do the first two and I will give you props. However, if they do number 3., meh . . . I will continue to mock your team. 🙂
And if they do #3 I wouldn’t blame you nor would expect nothing less.
We all know the postseason is a crapshoot.
The top spending team per season from 1995-2012 (which was the Yankees for all but 2 of those years…Orioles-1998, Blue Jays-1995), the league’s top spending team made the playoffs 83% of the time, but only won 33% of possible pennants and 22% of all championships. Again, that’s for the entire period. These percentages have dropped during the years with greater revenue sharing.
When you combine the unknown variables of health and chemistry with the known historical evidence, co-owner Magic Johnson better not be making plans for ticker-tape parades through downtown L.A. just yet . . .
And especially when you cannot predict how highly paid studs will gel with each other or whether inflated salaries lead to inflated egos and deflated work ethics.
Year National Payroll Rank American Payroll Rank
2012 SF 8 Detroit 5
2011 STL 11 Texas 13
2010 SF 9 Texas 27
2009 Philly 7 Yankees 1
2008 Philly 12 Tampa 29
2007 Colorado 25 Boston 2
2006 STL 11 Detroit 14
2005 Houston 12 White Sox 13
2004 STL 9 Boston 2
2003 Florida 25 Yankees 1
2002 SF 10 Angels 15
2001 Arizona 8 Yankees 1
2000 Mets 6 Yankees 1
1999 Atlanta 3 Yankees 1
1998 San Diego 14 Yankees 2
1997 Florida 7 Cleveland 4
1996 Atlanta 3 Yankees 1
1995 Atlanta 3 Cleveland 9
AVERAGE 95-01 6.3 2.7
MEDIAN 95-01 6.0 1.0
AVERAGE 02-12 12.6 11.1
MEDIAN 02-12 11.0 13.0
WS CHAMPS 22.2%
PENNANT WINNER 33.3%
PLAYOFFS 83.3%
In short, the story for the Bums hasn’t been completed yet, so we shall see . . .
Sorry to bust in here — but I gotta ask: Are you sure that list is accurate? Imean, I don’t see the dodgers on it at all, and the Giants are listed three times. That can’t be right, can it? 🙂
lol. Yeah Xoot, I was wondering the same thing.
You have to get in Mr. Peabody’s Wayback machine and dial in 1988 before you see the Dodgers on a list like this. LMAO.
Years 2008 and 2010 have funky AL ranks. I guess what this confirms is the recently-old adage that all you need do is just get into the playoffs. Then, see what happens. Whoever’s hot at the end has a great shot at it. I’d like to see stats on who wins the WS compared to their record over the last month of the season, and how far in advance they clinched. IMO teams like Atlanta and LA who effectively have clinched way in advance are in danger. Whereas the teams like the Cards, Reds, and Pirates fighting it out until the end are sharp and dangerous heading into the playoffs. It’s an opinion others have written about. I’d like to see if the stats prove that out…
How can anyone really evaluate the Braves? They’ve the best record in the NL, built largely against a horrific division. Great home record, one under .500 roadies. Fanbase attention span worse than the Dodgers, which is hard to do. I just don’t see them getting into the WS…
What is up with that? Do you think all those years on TBS as America’s team watered down their fan support? Was it getting to the Playoffs so often the fans became jaded unless they were in the WS? It’s weird. The last game I was at in Atlanta was in 93, Giants and Braves going down to the wire. The place was packed (old Turner field, before the Olympics) the chop thing was mind boggling, maybe because it was so out of sync. The fans were crazed, so I don’t get what happened. It’s weird.
Braves fan base – Was it the humidity?
Blade, a tee shirt they used to sell in NOLA was “it ain’t the humidity, it’s the stupidity”. Not sure if that applies.
scutaro and pence were acquired in exchange for home grown players, giving the team 6 regulars in their run last year who were either home grown or obtained for a home grown player. also, cain, madbum, lincecum, and romo are from the system and lopez was acquired for home grown players. that’s comparable to the card’s last title as far as what the farm system produced . and the cards are rightfully thought to have perhaps the best minor league system. sabean has done a very good job in developing the farm system *and* in obtaining what’s needed through free agency and trades. there is now a temporary shortage in the top of the system, which will need to be addressed in the off season by those other means ( although a few of our prospects have received upgraded status as the year progressed). . as disappointing as this season has been, i’m not ready to re-crucify sabean just a year removed from their incredible 2012 championship season.
in 2010, the only position player from the farm who started regularly in the post season was buster. fruckie was obtained for alderson. the four starting pitchers were all home grown, a mlb first. wilson was also home grown.sabean had been roundly criticized for focusing on pitchers in the draft. it seems that he’s shown that he knows how to get it done by whatever it takes.
sabean had been roundly criticized for focusing on pitchers in the draft. it seems that he’s shown that he knows how to get it done by whatever it takes.
Thank you . . . What I have been saying for years.
The other day Krukow said that Romo is having an “outstanding” season. Krukow needs to better understand that words need to actually mean something. There’s no way that a closer who has SEVEN losses is having an “outstanding” season. Wrong word to use.
zum, our ol’ friend Kruk has to reach way further this year than usual for superlatives to counter the reality that bites. He’s good at car dealer commercials, so no surprise at his stretching of word meanings when it comes to the home team. He’d probably call Gaudin’s alleged groping incident a misunderstanding with a fan…
well, he’s been better than the ‘solid’ mijares 😉
Looks right to me Xoot.
Since the Dogpile havent been in a W/S since …Oh 1988!!!! Regan was Prez.
That’s a little dig for Rooster!
Pretty cool stat on Former A’s Terry Steinbach…He homered in his 1st AB and his last AB for Oakland
Wonder in the history of baseball,how often that has happened?
Yeah, I would not say that Romo has had an outstanding season, but I feel he has had a pretty damned good one. July is the month where the wheels fell off for him (5.63/1.375). Only one other month was his ERA over 3, or his WHIP over 1 (3.86 in May, but his WHIP was under 1). For the year his ERA is under 3 and his WHIP is 0.987.
The losses by a closer are less troublesome for me than a blown save. Romo has 33 saves and has blown 5.
Again, maybe not “wonderful” but pretty damned good.
I don’t have any problems with Romo as a closer. I just feel the team would do fine without him, especially if the Giants could use him to get a good LFer. He’s not dominant like a Kimbrel ( 87 Ks in 60 innings, 0.91 ERA, .84 WHIP), he’s really a set up guy. In the sense that I believe a closer is a hard thrower, a K-inducer type. Give me a Rob Nenn clone, and I’m cool. Though a rightful 2010 hero, not so much Wilson, with his 30+ pitch hypertension efforts…
it’s fair to note that, torturous or not, wilson’s save percentage here was slightly better than nen’s. results wise, they were really the same. wilson 21-21 w-l. nen 24-25. wilson 87 percent in svo, nen 86 percent. and while i appreciate nen’s sacrifice, wilson saved the last game of the ’10 series, robb did blow the save in that horrible game 6 in 2002.
i have less problem with kruk’s overblown praise than with the selective criticism. as to romo, i agree with many that he’s been a very good closer- the idea of trading a shitty closer in hopes of getting a good return is not real good thinking. he would not get us that corner outfielder with pop in a one-for-one trade but in the right package i think he would. and i think we have the in house pitchers to do the job in 2014.
The SF/LA rivalry has pretty much been perpetuated through the fans more than anything else since, oh, the 90s?
Hey Blade, that flooding around Boulder looks rough. You near any of this?…
No Tom, and you are right. Boulder is getting hammered right now. We had one road completely wiped out and it’s a miracle that the 3 drivers that went into the “drink” did not die (a friend of mine at the gym has to find an alternative route home from work). Raining right now as we speak, so Boulder will get worse probably. It’s located approximately 30 miles NW of me.
Follow up – Two towns are essentially cut off (Lyons underwater and Jamestown has had 10.5 inchs in 48 hours). Storm will get worse, expecting heavy storms tonight. HW 70, which is the main Colorado through fare, is a parking lot due to enormous pot/sink holes that have developed. Literally, dozens of roads are closed. National Guard called up. Live news video here . . . http://www.9news.com/
Stay safe.
Thanks John. I’m doing fine (3rd story of a 5 story condo/retail complex). I have some friends in Boulder and Jamestown though that are hurting. Hope they pull through ok.
The effective lifespan on closers is generally fairly short. The iconic guys like Eck, Rivera, Sutter, Lee Smith, etc. are the exception. It pays if you don’t get too invested in them as irreplaceable, because they obviously are replaceable. As we’ve seen here with the Giants. So, Romo being packaged to get an outfielder wouldn’t surprise me a bit…
Would not surprise me, either. And it would have to be “a package” with him being one of the pieces. But I am not sure that the Giants see the LF issue as being nearly as big an issue as you or others on the blog (especially if Pence is re-signed…and I think he will be). I would not be surprised to see a platoon again in LF, with Blano and Perez, or something along those lines. I want a corner OFer with pop as much as the next guy, I just don’t have a strong sense that it will happen. I think most of the focus is going to be on the pitching staff (filling in the starting rotation, and giving the bullpen a make-over).
Agree with much of what you guys have said in regard to Romo specifically and closers in general. They aren’t exactly a dime a dozen, but as many of you said, they can be had in-house or on the cheap via free agency/trade. If you don’t score a closer, look at the “handcuff” guys in-house (Casilla) or outside (other MLB teams). These set-up guys are closers in waiting and frankly, that’s where most closers have been promoted from.
Romo, yeah, he is a great trade chip and I wouldn’t mind seeing his ass traded or packaged with another player for a greater need, e.g., left fielder.
Slated to go to the 9/22 Sunday afternoon game. I say “slated” because one never knows what gets written, erased, or rewritten on the Palimpsest of Eternal Desire.
John, I know you live in a high humidity area and you’re practically from NOLA – My mind tells me that you can get acclimatized physiologically to any environment (altitude or humidity) after a couple of weeks, but man oh man, it’s those two weeks of getting used to it. Shit, I was staying at the W Hotel during a vacation in New Orleans and I would walk 50-75 yards and already be drenched with sweat. Longest time I was down there was a bit over a week, when our Federal agency sent volunteers down there for Katrina blue roof repairs and debris clean-up. I oversaw the safety and health aspects, which essentially amounted to drinking massive amounts of water and wearing a respirator (asbestos) and other PPE . . . We had numerous instances of heat stress (albeit, no heat stroke). Unbelievable conditions to work in.
I lived for 3+ years in Houston. I’m still sweating…
When I was in the Air Force, basic training was at Lackland AFB in San Antonio. You would think during November and December, it would be ideal weather. Fuck no. I experienced everything from my ears practically chipping off due to extreme cold (and a sadistic drill sergeant that would keep us at attention for an hour or more); and, extreme heat/humidity where you wanted to burn your bvd’s at the end of the day. 😉
Steve, I’ve lived here in the OBX since 08 and I’m still not used to it. In New Orleans, or anywhere that you add booze to the humidity you can go down pretty quick. As you know, from all your travels, ya gotta hydrate. I remember one time in New Orleans, a Labor Day weekend, not paying attention to drinking water, and I couldn’t make it to my hotel in the Warehouse District. I stumbled into a casino and the lady at the bar just looked at me and she started pouring me pints of water. No way, I would have made that last four blocks to my hotel and even though I knew that, at the time I didn’t (if that makes any sense).
Same deal when I used to play the Burning Man Festival in Nevada’s Black Rock desert. The humidity wasn’t an issue but it’s the desert and people forget about the heat when on a huge party (the BM motto was piss clear) so again, It ain’t the humidity, it’s the stupidity.
Bochy going with his “win tonight” line up. I like it.
i echo the others, hope you stay safe, steve..
Thank you Mike.
i’ve also thought that they’ll get just one corner outfielder, not two, and i’m in the pence camp if bidding doesn’t get too outrageous. but again, like many, i consider romo to be a guy who, with the right package, can bring us significant help. casilla was excellent last year until he encountered the blister problem. and he’s throwing better than in the last couple years. i’d have no problem with him closing until/if hembree is ready to take over. and remember- torture is just down the road- the beard is a free agent 😉
omg. henry says that wilson was snotty to bay area reporters.
Our pitchers field their position like dookie.
Zumiee, I think his name is Doogie Howser. He went to med school quite young, became a physician and then came out of the closet. No idea about his fielding skills though. 🙂
That works. Our pitchers field like Doogie Howser. (grin)
Beat me to my usual complaint, zum. If we don’t have the worst fielding pitchers in the NL, if not MLB, I want to know who’s worse. I put that mostly on management. I’d bet a lot that they rarely have the pitchers take an infield and practice the usual plays. If I’m wrong on that, then the pitchers ARE “dookie”…
The Giants have turned the comebacker double-play ball into rocket science.
Speaking of “dookie”, the whole team fielded like that in the last inning. What a lame performance…
YUP!
Hey, the Giants pitchers’ hitting is worse than their fielding. And their pitching is worse than their hitting! Straight ass smiley face.
Now, I’m confused…
Zumie, do you fear the situationist par excellence, Mssr. Ellis, will do us in tonight?
He’s clutch. (grin)
Panda making Greinke work there.
Some guy just called out of the blue to sell me a house remodeling job. I told him to screw off, my number is on the do not call registry, he’s violating the law. He said his company was associated with a charity, so it was cool. I said if it’s cool, give me all your contact info and I’ll make a complaint to the attorney general. So, he gives me a phone number and a company name, and his name (supposedly). I said great, we’ll see what the US attorney’s office has to say. He said it’s cool with the state. I said I don’t give an S about the state, you’re violating federal law. After, I go online and sure enough, there’s a company out there with that name in Hayward. I just filed an online complaint. Weird. We get loads of bogus sales calls, they always hang up when I threaten them. Not this time. If this is legit, then WTF good is this “do not call” list?…
as i remember it, there are huge loopholes in the dnc rule. don’t know if your caller was taking advantage of the loopholes or not. even after strenthening the law a few years agao, complaints about violations are at an all-time high.and even though they’re illegal , ‘robocalls’ are proliferating.
another k bros idiocy is their amazement when panda takes a pitch- tuesday he walked twice and the boys were like ‘how about that’ when he took a pitch in a subsequent at bat..actually he walks at about the same rate as pagan and slightly more than pence and crawford- he’s really rather average in his walk rate. our local guys should be expected to rebut popular misperceptions, not perpetuate them.
I realize his fielding is suspect, but it is a joy to watch Scutaro hit.
He could be the next Julio Franco or Manny Mota, and PH until he is 50.
The Giants fielding issues on the mound are no one’s fault but the individual’s. I doubt any teams have their pitchers, let alone their SPs, take much IF practice after ST, for fear of injury. they have off day routines that mostly involve running throwing and whatever core strength etc. work, but I doubt it involves much fielding or throwing of grounders. Even regulars don’t do much of it anymore.
Cain has been making that same throw since he was 8 yrs old. You can’t blame Bochy or Sabean when he throws it into CF. I know it’s frustrating to watch, but blaming mgmt. for every error is in Fire Sabean Now! territory.
Okay, this is weird. I was jumping around from one Asian porn site to another and ended up here.
Go figure
the internet throws you some curve balls sometimes, don’t it? 🙂
Yeah, really. At work, it’s always the other way around
Ted, you ought to visit Paulinasia with me. We would cure you of your online porn fixation.
Thanks, blade. Not really a fixation. More of a hobby.
That being said, sounds like a brilliant idea. We’ll talk later, big guy
Yep, how do I logon here and instead get redirected to Asian porn? Or, better yet, Paul in Asia’s email and “school” photos…
Brind Ruck
(the most politically incorrect, racist joke I could come up with. In honor of DJLoo. In more ways than one This will haunt me for all my years)
Ted, is it me or would Brind Ruck be the coolest band name? Better yet if it were in Shanghai, a brueglass band? I’m just trying to be inoffensive while being offensive. (Strike it from the record, your honor.)
Brueglass, pawlie? Oh you kid. And consider it stlicken
Outta gas here. Bring home a winner.
Scutaro’s commitment to playing this season from start to finish cannot be under appreciated. This dude has had a fucked up back all year and a mallet finger that would have been easily resolved with (season ending) surgery. He’s still managed to cobble together a .300 average on the season.
Well done Marco and thank you for your professional commitment to your trade and your team…….
I got mallet finger earlier this year as well (this is not a joke) and it can kind of goes away after a couple months. Not under playing Scutaro, just something I thought was interesting. Everyone kept telling me to go to a doctor to straighten it out but eventually it just did itself. However, there is a bone bump that’s still a bit visible
BF, have you seen anything in media about WTF is wrong with his back?…
Is it just me or does Big Flavor’s thread title make anyone else think of a Scorpion’s tune?http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pmE_l_dN9UM
Can the Giants think of more ways to F up? Sheezus. Even when they try a bunt, it’s Buster Keaton bunting or running. It’s as if this team is just familiarizing itself with how to play baseball…
Just as I write that, Pence loses the ball “in the lights” or otherwise misplays the drive into a hit. Cain visibly upset, that’s unusual…
Then Cain falls down fielding the bunt, still gets the out. Cain has pitched too well to get an L out of this game…
Not this year
But uh oh. The major tool. Puig
well, he’s made costly mistakes himself. but for sure, he’s pitched well.
Puig should not see anything in the strike zone
So Cain pipes a fastball? WHat the fuck? That’s where Posey wanted it.
Uhm…fuck
Puig always swings at the first pitch. Always. Why would you give him ANYTHING close on the first pitch? Dumbass pitching there — or dumbass execution…
I’m not a big believer in mistake pitches or calls, but throwing that arrogant piece of shit a strike there was just appallingly stupid.
Whatever. 2-1. Duck the Fodgers. Fucking West Coast Steinbrenner Wannabees
Kiss my ass, LA Douche Bags
Okay. I’m done
Well, folks, that run is the Giants season in a nutshell. Don’t catch a liner you should catch. Single. EZ steal of second with not even ONE Cain throw over to first on Gordon, a prime base stealer. Do get the out of the sac bunt, while falling on your ass. Do strike out Hairston, a rarity. But, then throw a “hit me” fastball on the first pitch to Puig, which he predictably clobbers for the double and RBI…
Again, losing is one thing, but giving the Dogs 6 outs one inning, losing shit in the lights, and generally playing inept ball just pisses me off no end.
Bingo. Just dumbassery all around, except Cain’s pitching until the Puig gimme pitch…
I missed all that? Thank God I had to settle for the Gamecast dots tonight.
Salud! Man I love seeing that.
The SB too.
If the whole blog knows you don’t throw a first pitch fastball down the middle to Puig, especially with the go ahead run on 2nd, why is it that Cain/Posey can’t figure that out?…
That’s mainly on Posey. Cain hit the target. Stupid call
Well, Cain could have shaken him off, and should have, but didn’t. I assume before the game/yesterday/whenever, they went over hitter tendencies. Puig ALWAYS looks to swing at the first pitch. You just cannot give him a hittable pitch there. Absolute dumbass baseball right there…
in the end it’s up to the pitcher what he throws, especially a vet. i agree with snarkk on this.
Fuck it. Who cares? It’s indicative of thew whole season, Lousy execution. Everyone knows he shouldn’t get a pitch to hit and he gets one.
Why bunt with a risp?
According to my Gamecast, the Pagan dot is rumbling . . .
Again, why bunt with a risp?
to put the lead run in scoring position.
Move 2 into scoring position, avoid the DP…
Belt’s a fucking RBI guy.
A sac bunt? By Belt? And, it worked? I’m speechless…
all too well for Donnie, unfortunately.
Belt does OK vs. LHPs, I might have given him a shot to drive in a run or hit the ball to right side and advance at least one runner. Oh well.
well- is the bunt with belt the right call? i’m waiting for the outcome 😉
Well, that outcome won’t help you now. The Giants are flat snakebit this season with RISP. Pence has been the RBI guy lately, so they had the right batter up there, but he produced the absolute worst result…
whatever happened wasn’t helping *me*, snarkk…
uribe made a pretty gutsy descision- pence was maybe 2 inches from beating that out. juan could have gone to home for the safer play.
Yarp
yeah that’s too bad. But, even Kruk knew they would walk Posey. so even if you did get 2 guys into scoring position you were taking bats out of the hands of Belt and Posey while giving up an out. I was wondering if they would run for Scut, which obviously didn’t matter at all.
If it’s the third inning, maybe Bochy doesn’t do that. But, in the 8th down by one, he’s got to tie it now, got to get that lead runner home. Belt is a DP risk. Posey hasn’t been that hot lately. If they walk Posey, Pence is up and he’s been an RBI machine the last few games, and he’s fast, so the double play isn’t in the mix as much with Belt. Seems reasonable to me…
The only flaw in the reasoning, Snarkk, is that Belt rarely GIDPs. 4 this year, 9 for his career. Pence now has 15 in 2013.
James, you know I love Belt. If there’s one down, you obviously don’t bunt Belt. With no outs, that has to be the call. I think any other manager in MLB makes that call at that situation in the 8th inning…
Donnie 2 Trips had his chess pieces lined up there.
Gee, who’d a thunk a first=pitch GIDFP?
A perfect bookend for this game to the inning (2nd?) where the Giants gave LA that first run. What a ClusterF game so far for SF…
Again, why bunt with a risp? With your best hitter in recent history.
So you could get your runners on 3rd and 2nd with one down and Posey/Pence up. Which they did. A mistake or fly ball scores the tying run. It was the right call. Pence failed to execute in the worst possible way. That’s it…
Not when you lose Belt and Posey to the bunt/walk.
Chuck, how many zillion times have they had runners on 1st and 2nd this year with no outs, and didn’t sac bunt, and ended up with bupkus? A zillion zillion?…
They might as well rename this team the San Francisco Steve DeBergs.
He finally got the right coaching in 1990.
Schottemheimer?
Dunno, the arbitrary excellence of that season at age 36 just struck me as funny.
Meow
DeBerg gets ripped a lot, but ya know, if he had a better defense, they coulda won some games with him. If, too, you maybe overlook some of those pesky interceptions…
He certainly banked up/fronted some great QBs . . .
Yeah, pesky.
Oh my God!!
I sound (read) like Nipper.
Not that there’s anything wrong with that
he had a considerably better td to int rate after he left here.
twin, getting all finance jargonish. I’m impressed, my friend
i’m working on a dictionary of confusing abbreviations. anything that’s easier for me and confounding for everybody else.
Nothing for nothing–but I still love the front of the Giants jerseys as it states the city’s name before one can button one’s button.
San Fra (wait for it) ncisco
Few people know this but when Bochy takes out a pitcher he always sings:
“Oh the old grey mare she ain’t what she used to be ain’t what she used to be ain’t what she used to be….”
Ted, post more often, willya? I luv that shit…
Luv your shit too, snarkk.
Uhm..that doesn’t sound right.
I mean I do but—I’ll shut up now
I thought I heard “I’m on the highway to hell . . .”
I’d be singing “Que Sera, Sera”…
No more bunts. Run.
Kuiper said “We’ll see what Bochy’s thinking.”
Bochy’s thinking there’s a fishing boat waiting for him in Baja California.
Now that’s funny . . . !
Actually, after he burped, he thought “I don’t remember eating that”
Giants might lose this 2-1 but I’m gonna look at all the things they have done at the plate last 2 innings.
Pagan leads off with a single then steals 2nd.
Scut fouls off 3 tough pitches and then takes ball four.
Belt gets the bunt down as asked.
Sando singles off Jansen to lead off 9th.
Perez steals 2nd as Jansen throws one to the backstop.
These are all things well done
And the Padres lost tonight. That’s something. (grin)
That netted them 0 runs. It must be the pitching.
Avert eyes. How do they fuck ihis up?
OK Chuck. I’ll blow your mind here. Bunt Perez home…
Here I wouldn’t Hey!!!!!!!! El Tiburon Blanco!!
Peraz on third. 1 out. This is getting interesting
Beautifull
Wow. Blanco clutches it up! The Giants ClusterFing is contagious. We’ll take that. Luv it!…
Un-avert the eyes!
Ha!! I peeked . . .
Run Gregor run.
Yeah! One of my fav stats, the Blown Save!
What an AB from Blanco, who takes the close pitch and then whacks a single to tie it.
Giants have put up a hell of fight tonite, win or lose. They might go down, but no quit in these guys.