18-3?
And they did that without Robinson Cano. I think this one was on tv, I’m glad I missed it. Between Romo, Petit and Voggy I’m not sure who’s sucking worse. I know it’s spring training but I’d prefer that my closer not get lit up like a Christmas Tree every time he takes the mound. I know he’s not throwing sliders but has anyone asked WHY he isn’t throwing sliders? I hope the answer isn’t ominous….
Chi picked a hell of a game to catch today, eh? I’m sure all the beers, dogs and rays got him through this forgettable game…….
No Morse and Pence tomorrow. Morse has a tight calf and Hunter hurt his elbow swinging. Both are expected to be fine in a couple of days…….
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Quick Scutaro thought: you know, the dude wasn’t a starter for the first 5 or so years he was in the majors, he was a utility guy. Just cause he’s making some dough doesn’t mean he HAS to be a starter. Heck, Andris Biedrens is making 9 million dollars this year, he’s been healthy since middle of December and he still hasn’t played a minute for the Jazz–and the Jazz stink.
Obviously, you have to have something better than what Scoots could give you but maybe playing a couple of days a week against lefties and pinch hitting is how he could best serve the team this year.
A Place To Talk About Giants Baseball 
In the great 1974 movie, “The Gambler”, James Caan doubles down on 18 and draws a 3…
It doesn’t get much attention, but this is one of the best movies Caan ever made. Love him sweating bullets during the Knicks (I think) and Lakers game that he bets on . . . and loses.
Glad you agree, Blade. An all-time favorite for me. It’s Lakers-Sonics that he listens to in the bathtub. Spencer Haywood beats him at the buzzer IIRC.
Loo, here is a great article by the Gambler writer about his experience making the film and getting Caan instead of De Niro to play the lead . . .http://m.deadline.com/2011/08/james-toback-on-the-gambler-remake-rudeness-and-disrespect/
Tremendous. Thanks, Blade…
I thought it was Jerry West who couldn’t make a free throw with 3 to make 2 when he sinks in the bath tub…
wswin: West got his own rebound after missing the third free throw and sank a 15 footer to put the Lakers up by one with few seconds to go.
Loo….that’s an even worse beat than I remember..how brutal is that
I think i heard jon miller say that romo has given up 12 runs in 3 innings. wow. and i too would like to know more about the sliderless efforts. one thing it seems to clearly show is that he can’t get anyone out with his other stuff.
lol, yes, he’s established that all his other pitches suck. On the radio they say his FB is missing it’s target by a foot. What’s up with that?
If Romo’s shot, it’s nothing to lol about…
I’ve come a long way on closers. Used to think the good ones were irreplaceable. I was wrong. I’d be more bummed if Morse went down. And remember, Bochy went closer/by/committee with brilliant results 2 years ago until Romo finally shook off the challengers. But there were lots of guys closing the deal in 2012.
Spring is a laugher.
to me, one of the keys to the season is whether someone can come up and help the club if something, like romo or scuturo, goes bad. that didn’t happen last year though it seemed like the cards were able to reload.
Agree, Craig. If Romo continues his suckitude, I don’t think the G’s will have any problem switching closers. Casilla, Hembree, this kid Law, whoever. I was always somewhat amazed Romo was able to be as effective as he was with just that one good pitch. Will always love the guy for freezing Cabrera with a “fast ball” to end the Series two years ago, but if he loses his role, not sweatin’ it. More concerned about a position player sucking or getting hurt. No way Scutaro is ready opening day, I don’t know why they’re even talking about that. And, bummer to see Voggie AND Petit (the supposed 5th starter replacement should Voggie suck) have problems, but I don’t think that will continue.
I am not certain, but Romo may not be throwing his slider because the pitch causes a lot of “wear and tear” on the arm. Lincecum has been known to avoid it as well in games that do not matter (i.e., spring training). I’m not concerned. Also agree with the Flavor comment about closers. They are a dime a dozen or at least a position that you usually can replace in house. I find it unfrickingbelievable that teams such as the Marlins throw money down the drain for guys like Heath Bell ($27 million/3 years). How’s that working out? Ha.
I read Romo is working on his change-up. Apparently still a work in progress.
I liked the Gambler as well. Hear they are doing a remake with Mark Wahlberg. And he’s losing 50lbs. What is it with these actors? Figure they have a good shot at an Oscar? Dostoyevsky, who wrote the novel, was a gambling addict.
Did a little myself today nailing “the dude” trifecta a few times in the SAH.
nice. didn’t think he had it in him today. Good for you.
Not a bad day’s work for the Mariner split squads. They defeated both the Giants and the Dodgers.
Giants still a respectable 6-4, although that score certainly won’t help their spring training Pythagorean record.
Too early to start worrying about Voggy? Moot question for me. I started worrying when I heard Sabes bought out his option, then turned around and was THINKING of re-signing him…
Giants signed Darren Ford to a minor league deal. Yes, THAT Darren Ford. I guess they need OF bodies in the minors just to fill out the rosters — otherwise I see no reason for this…
I guess a spot opened up when they made Todd Linden a hitting coach this year.
Hey Snarkk you watch the Cal men’s game? Cal missed its last 10 shots including every single one in OT but pulled it out at FT line. Since ASU lost to Oregon St. and got swept up there, Cal will get 4 seed and first round bye ahead of the other teams they were tied with. Clutch win after disappointing loss to Utes. Cobbs is beast. Exciting time of year to watch college teams fighting it out.
As I’m sure Monty will remind them, getting the bye didn’t help the women’s team who got outplayed by lower seed that had played the day before. Cal still might need another W or 2 to get in.
No, I didn’t get to any BBall teams this year. Usually, I get to at least one Sat aft game, but things just didn’t work this season. I’m really disliking these disjointed schedules they play now to cater to the Pac12 network. Yeah, I think Cal needs to win one game and get into the finals of the Pac 12 tourney to have a good shot at the NCAAs. I’m thinking 4 Pac 12 teams get into the NCAA, 5 would be a surprise to me…
Is there a pizza joint near the ballpark in Fresno? maybe they need Ford and Graham as pizza runners.
This for SDawg: never surprising when Vogs gets thrashed.
Seriously tho, SF pitching has been mostly good, esp SPs, so they were due. It still is ST.
According to Shea, Bum and most of regs go today vs. SmellA, which as I recall was gonna feature our esteemed colleague Chi with first live action. Enjoy, man.
After all the Dodger games the MLB network has shown in ST so far…..they’re apparently NOT showing this one today.
Aargh.
Figures, Giants get the short in of the stick in these ST games!
Too bad in his one,as you have a good matchup,the Giants highly rated prospect Edwin Escobar and that Cy Young guy Clayton Kershaw in a battle of 2 lefties..
Finished reading Earle Labor’s new biography of Jack London. It’s an excellent, well-researched, and well-written bio. Labor spent 20 years…..laboring over this book, and it turned out very well.
The last time I went to Jack London State Park was in 2012, and we listened to a Giants game on the drive home. The Giants lost to Pittsburgh that day, on one of the Giants’ usually difficult Eastern road trips; but all’s well that ends well. 🙂
Another underrated James Cann film was “Games” back in 1967, a mystery psychological thriller also starring a young hot Katherine Ross (Before Butch Cassidy even) Cann & Ross are a wealthy and bored married couple,into mind games, always trying to 1 up the other ..
James Caan damm phone!!
Re: the Romo discussion above, I get that he’s trying new pitches to see if he can expand the repertoire beyond sliders, since those are probably really tough on the elbow, but why isn’t he throwing ANY sliders? He needs to get those in a groove, I’d suspect. Unless he’s not throwing any to save the elbow and not let anybody get to see them for free. But, if he’s going to be the closer, he needs to get used to mixing up sliders AND the other pitches he’s trying to improve, right? I dunno, Romo’s been good, but I’m like BF, closers have turned pretty much into a dime a dozen IMO, they’re ripe for turnover every couple of years. Giants won in 2010 with the Beard, and who could imagine winning another ring without him — yet Romo got us to another ring in 2012…
Puig doubles on the first pitch from Escobar. First pitch. Kruk said it was a “challenge” fastball middle in. Did I mention FIRST pitch? WTF?…
Yeah, that’s not smart. Pitchers were getting Puig out last September by starting with junk and then using the fastball as an out pitch. He had some trouble with pitchers starting slow, then going fast.
I read that in a couple of the baseball season preview magazines. 🙂
My pick for favorite James Caan film is “Rollerball,” which I consider a darn fine science fiction film.
He was in a pretty good sit-com at the start of Fall 2013. I saw a few episodes and thought it was pretty funny. But I don’t even remember the name of it, and I don’t know if it got cancelled or not.
Ann Killion’s blogging the Giant/Dodger game, I guess. Pablo forgot his uni, but Baggs to the rescue. So, in ST, the players are responsible for the uni getting to the right place? 🙂
http://blog.sfgate.com/killion/2014/03/09/giants-dodgers-first-spring-meeting-in-far-off-glendale/
Fine play by Panda on uPig’s smash. All the talk about Pablo being in shape, but Posey is looking like he’s more solid this year too.
Dunno about the best Caan, but “Thief” is pretty good and it has the awesome Tuesday Weld.
About to buy tix for the first Thursday night game against the DBs, and the May series down in LA. I’ll charge the mound if anyone throws an early count fastball strike to Puig, even if he doesn’t hit it.
Nice one, James. Until Puig changes his approach, any Giants pitcher that throws a first pitch FB strike to Puig or a catcher that calls for one and holds the catchers mitt over the plate should be removed from the game by management immediately, and sent to Fresno for “reprogramming”. Second offenses should be treated more vigorously, maybe horsewhipping… 😉
What will be obnoxious is the inevitable first time we witness Puig go yard on a first pitch curve just off the plate or change up below the knees.
James Caan once made an uncredited appearance in a two-part episode of Get Smart. Apparently, he and Don Adams were good friends, so I guess Adams was able to get Caan to do a couple shows. By the end of the second episode, the two have an Errol Flynn-like duel.
I like “Thief” too, and a cool score by Tangerine Dream.
This Law kid had another good outing. 2/3 of an inning with 2k’s against the Giants “regulars” in a B game. I think he makes the big club…You heard it here first!
The 1986 KC Royals had Law & Orta…
I haven’t watched a single highlight of spring training — until today:
http://m.mlb.com/video/topic/8879100/v31484881
Scully was outta control on Escobar in the first- didn’t seem to know that he was a good prospect who might grab a rotation spot before the year is out- he even went so far as to say it was an insult to the fans to start him and repeatedly referred to Edwin as a back up pitcher and a “Class A” pitcher. And Vin didn’t seem to know that the guys like Lollis, Ford, Sy, Miller, etc. were kids over from the Minor League camp. I know it’s ST but a little homework is still in order.
BTW, I hope you guys caught it, it was on MLB.TV, free I think.
It’s the din of all that SABR rattling . . . .
Pretty amazing.
Good to see you posting, tf.
Thanks. Maybe catch you in another few days.
Crick was super wild and got hammered today by Giants vets in that younguns vs. vets game. I hope this kid hasn’t been hyped beyond recognition…
Escobar living up to the hype so far.
Thought Caan was pretty great in Misery. Good comeback movie . . .
Thief was good, Rollerball is still one of my favorite movies. Up there with Soylent Green. Brian’s Song was the 1st movie of his I saw. Es[pecially awesome.