Random Wednesday Thoughts
Another disappointing loss to a team that seems to have our number. At least we don’t have to play them in oppressive Washington heat but even with conditions more to our delicate liking, we are having trouble with them. Cain? We’ll see……
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If you want to see an unbelievable throw, check out Cespedes from last night:
http://m.mlb.com/video/v33614681/oaklaa-cespedes-throws-out-kendrick-at-the-plate
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Not sure how this has happened, but the Tampa Bay Rays have the worst record in baseball. With all the talent they have on that roster? Wither Maddon? How could that team have THE WORST record in baseball?
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Got any random Wednesday thoughts you want to kick around?
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NATS ……please leave town.
Cespedes has his ups and downs, but like fellow cubanos puig and Jose Abreu he’s shown he can be a force in mlb.
Adam LaRoche seems to do well here, I don’t know why he stiffed sabes when Giants were after him. Upshot of course was Giants getting Huff, rally thong and a ring. Werth is another guy that does too–I remember him hitting one out to RF, pretty rare thing for RH. Nats did blast some balls off Bum last night; Giants hit a few themselves but couldn’t come up with the clutch ones.
Machado and his scripted apology are still lame, and at 5 games he got off light. Capping guys with your backswing better not happen again without some genuine contrition for the opposing C. Keeping your emotions in check is a big part of performance in any sport, whether things are going well or not. so is sportsmanship.
As to Maddon, I’ve said this before—coach is only as good as his players. Rays have been terrible, and I think it’s gotten into their collective heads and now they are just gripping. Charlie Manuel used to get a lot of credit when the Phils had 6 all stars and tons of pitching. You got the best players, coaching is a lot easier. Lot of HOF mgrs. wind up getting fired few years after winning it all. Look how Bochy got run out of Dodge in Diego. I like Bud Black; but he obviously doesn’t have team or FO like Bochy does. I’d say he’s doing the best with what he has even tho he’ll get zero credit for it because they aren’t winning.
I want to find the Earl Weaver book “Weaver on Baseball Strategy” or something like that. Supposed to very funny and predates a lot of saber stuff from a different era (down on bunting high on LU with guys who get on base). Even he talks about telling Frank Robinson stuff like “Hit the ball hard Frank.” Also that he had half a dozen stock quotes he doled out to reporters on rotating basis. Worked pretty well for him.
Here you go, WillieD…the Weaver book can be had on Amazon…
http://tinyurl.com/pr3eagj
Props to Loo for his “Dishing with DeRosa” comment last night. That was LOL funny. I was gonna tell him that didn’t compare with her episode of “Diamond Girls” with Nicole V Chelsea Cain and Mrs. cowpuncher Belt doing the karaoke version of “Stand By Your Man.”
I just don’t get what the conglomerate of Comcast/csnbayarea/giants see in Amy g that they allow her so much air time and all the self promotion of her brand. To me she should be doing high school football for the Turlock titans. The whole sideline babe thing is truly lame to begin with and she doesn’t take it to any level beyond aimless pointless useless.
Don’t really care about Tampa, but you’re right, Craig, Rays seem to have talent, Maddon is always praised, so WTF. Maybe they’re one of the “it’s still early” stories. As for OUR SF Giants… Nats seem to have their number. I hate the Nats because I hate their announcers and fans, explained in previous posts, which is stupid, I know, but there you have it. Giants are going to make the playoffs this year, and Nats are a potential playoff foe, so really, the G’s need to step up and make a statement and slap these f-ckers these next 2 games. We all seemed to get a little starry-eyed with the way they’d been playing, but they’ve been outplayed in these 2 games at home. Cain needs to step up and Morse’s cowboy boots need to kick some ass today.
I would say the Giants were certainly outplayed on Monday night, but last night’s game was close, and the Giants were just a couple of key knocks (an area in which they have thrived this year) away from winning that game.
Yeah I saw Cespedes throw last night after the Giants game.
My jaw dropped,it was all the way from the warning track on the fly,and that was after he butchered it, and non chantly went after it. Still has to be Top 2 or 3 alltime throws!!
I’d like to see it from a few more angles.
the last angle is the best one. It was an unreal heave that was right on the $$$$$
CHrist, when did Wash get so tough with their starters? Fister and Strasburg, sure. Roark? Ex-reliever with a 2.91 era? Sheesh. Dude was 6-17 in the minors.
http://www.wimp.com/kisscam/
LMAO
One of the keys today: Score first.
Giants score first – 29-6
Oponent scores first – 13-17.
Also, we do play the Nats in their oppressive heat. G-men visit the nation’s capital August 22-24. That has not been a fun or productive trip the past few times.
I do agree that they need to make a statement the next two games (Paul’s comment at 7:42). Hopefully Cain can stop the bleeding today, and Hudson is back on track tomorrow (after having one of his roughest outings as a Giant in his last start).
Giants have lost 2 straight only three times this year. And three games straight only once. Let’s keep it that way.
If Blanco is to play in these games with good oppo pitching, he needs to figure out how to slap the ball, bunt, whatever it takes to try to get on base. Swinging away like a HR hitter is not going to get it done when these are going to be close games with our good starters going against theirs…
Just my take, but I thought last night’s game was well played by both teams. As Chi alluded to, we didn’t get the key knock and as a result, the Nat’s won. Not too worried about the Giants, as it seems the San Francisco Chronicle is. I haven’t read the article, but the headline is, “A Rarity – Giants Now Have a Losing Streak.” I guess technically, 2 lost games qualifies as a losing streak, but I find any mention of it – ridiculous.
I agree re: the “losing streak” comment from the Chron (I have not read the article, either). IMO it is way to early to get your boxers in a twist over the loss of two games. As I mentioned earlier, the Giants have lost two only three times this year, and lost three in a row only once.
Let’s see how this series pans out, and even then, regardless of the outcome, I am not going to be looking for any ledges on which to climb. (grin)
Forgot Wash won 98 games 2 yrs ago with most of these guys. Get Harper healthy and Gio back to form…they are formidable.
Usual no respect for the Giants…
Matheny names Pittsburgh’s Clint Hurdle and Braves Freddy Gonzalez his coaches for the A/S game!!
Guess he couldn’t handle having Boch on his staff after we opened a can of “Major Whoop ASS” on him in Stl Louis!!!!
He’s going with the other playoff mgrs. More a slight to two-step Don.
Well Donny 2 step is not a big league manager, he’s just a corporate kiss ass, along with the rest of the dodgers…
“To me she should be doing high school football for the Turlock titans.”
Ah, yer killin’ me, Willie. 🙂
I live a few miles from Turlock. They have two, count’em, two high schools. The original high school, the Turlock Bulldogs; and the newer one built about 10 or so years ago, the Pitman Pride, as in lions.
Pitman is, of course, now and forever known as the high school that Colin Kaepernick attended as a star athlete.
But the school is probably actually MORE famous for this video that went viral, from the school’s talent show this year. The video even appeared on several TV shows, like the Today Show. Some of you may have seen it:
I prefer his comment “she doesn’t take it to any level beyond aimless pointless useless”. that made me LMAO
My son bought tickets for tonights game. early Fathers day gift. So that right there should be good luck for the Giants to win!! Go Giants.
Enjoy, Kev.
That’s awesome, Zumiee, seeing as it’s the 10 year anniversary of the release of Napoleon Dynamite.
My random thought is that the Nats are playing very well. Pitching looks better than the Giants right now. And, Gio Gonzales isn’t even in the rotation right now, when he comes back, they should be very tough. These guys should win the NL East…
Gonzales has been the shits this season . . . or, at least he was before he went on the DL. His last 2 starts before going on the DL, he pitched 3 innings and gave up 5 runs; and the start before that one, he went 4.1 innings and gave up 7 runs. Gio is not Gio this season.
Maybe he was crap because he was hurt?…
Maybe, but his “crappiness” goes back to his first game on April 13th (where he gave up 6 runs in 6 innings). By the by, hard to believe he was hurt all season when he struck out 53 in 50.2 innings. In short, his problems have more to do with control (1.34 WHIP).
Here’s a link to Melky’s throw out to home from mid-depth LF on a sac fly attempt by the Brewers in 2012. Yeah, Melky was a putz, but at the time, we marveled at this throw. But, it’s not as good as Cespedes’ last night.
Click to 2:57 into the vid. http://tinyurl.com/k2m7g96
Yeah, that was a nice play, but pales in comparison to Cespedes’ throw last night.
Wait till the Giants get here in DC in late August…withering. We were married on an Aug. 29 and I think the pavement was melting, but maybe that was the hangover. Really really want to see a win tonight. Nats fans talking shit already…
and just saw that Cespedes throw..wow!
Yes, the Nats are playing good ball now, but I wouldn’t concede the NL East to them right now. Atlanta is playing some pretty good ball, too. Both teams have identical records now, with almost the same home/away splits.
Not sure if anyone has noticed, but Romo leads the majors in saves with 20. Sure would be nice to see him get an opportunity for one tonight. Although, I wouldn’t be too butt-hurt if Cain threw a complete game and won, either.
I look at it this way: some close games, even some close losses, are good for us in that it keeps us honest, makes us remember it is a long season, and the Giants are “entitled” to nothing. Builds character. That’s my rationalization for today.
As for the Tampa Bay Rays, my AL faves, if I had to name any, it is perplexing. As Maddon himself told his team, they are better than that. Yes, they were hurt by some key pitching injuries. Maybe they miss Fernando Rodney. But that team and its tiny fan base can’t afford to revert to its former losing ways. Little margin for error or failure. I say they will regain their footing so as not to be the worst team in baseball, but it will be too little too late. Hey, maybe we can get David Price, cheap.
Excellent point on our Giants and close games/losses, and keeping it real. I agree completely. With that said, I would love to see our boys go out and kick the living dogshit out of the Nats these next two games. (grin)
Some years are just not your year. Like last season for the Giants. The personnel didn’t seem to fit the results, but it happened nonetheless. I don’t see how a team continues in that lousy Tampa market…
Had similar thoughts on this. Team needed a quick kickass reality check. Giants are neither impervious nor imperative. But we still have a damn good team. Happened to get the Nats in town just as that bunch was hitting its peak. A solid, focussed Cain tonight and a bit of early inning heroics from the offense and we should be back on track.
Wow. That IS some throw. He almost OVERTHREW it, it was that strong. Shades of Clemente, though in RF. (Yes, yes, Mays and Colavito and Ellis Valentine, too.)
Melky Mekly Melky. Short and mercurial stint here in SF.
Who was that RFer for the Phillies?
The best RF arm I ever saw, Johnny Callison…
WOW!
Bleep! Woof!
I think we need new blood on the BBOTD page…might be a way to get our mojo going again.
yeah, I’ve been meaning to get to that. Probably not tonight but soon.
Yeah, it’s a long way from the playoffs, but these Nats shouldn’t take 3 of 4. Got to salvage the split. Besides, the dogs picked up a couple games in a couple days. Got to keep the dogs at bay.
Giants 2nd in MLB total attendance so far, 1st in % of stadium capacity…
http://espn.go.com/mlb/attendance/_/sort/homeTotal
1sstsnarkk? Do you know that there is someone here that looks almost like you?
What?
Look at the 5:15 post . . . Your twin is here.
I only see an ad on the right with a young girl — is that what you mean?
A Dodger loss and/or a Giants win tonight will loosen any sphincters that tightened up in Giants Nation in the last couple of days.
Panda reported out of the LU with an “illness”. Apparently coughing last night, but toughed it out and got hits…
This news from DodgerLand: “Chad Billingsley‘s latest bullpen session “didn’t go well,” and he’s now being shut down with a doctor’s visit in his future.”
Dodgers down 5-0. Gordon made a really cool catch in the game. I don’t have a link to it. It’ll be one of the “plays of the day” tonight.
HanRam not playing tonight because of a sore shoulder. Kemp thrown out of the game for arguing balls and strikes.
Sounds like just another day in Dodger paradise. My goodness, how much are they paying Kemp? First, he can’t play because he’s always hurt. Then, when he can play, he gets himself thrown out…
It was on his first AB, when he struck out. It’s what’s Donny 2X was lamenting about his players being selfish.
Phil Cuzzi is the home plate ump tonight. He’s the guy that made that bad call on Ishi at home a few years back, right? One of the lesser lights of the umpiring corps…
Cainer’s dinking around.
Can we get our starters to have a 1-2-3 first inning once in a while?…
3 walks and a seeing-eye groundball.
And a dribbler to the pitcher. 3-0 Nats!
Phuckmehard.
Sheezus, can our pitchers EVER cleanly field a grounder and make a play? WTF? That cost a run…
Ball 16.
4 walks? Positively Zitoesque. Even Lincecum hasn’t done this…
I think that is a first for Cain. Bochy would have pulled him after 40 I think. In fact, he may not go more then 2 innings, maybe 3.
Has more to do with throwing all those pitches all in one inning . . . 35-40 pitches consecutive without rest takes a lot out of you versus inning breaks.
Confirmed by Miller and Flemm. Cain has never until tonight walked 4 in an inning…
Just saw MrMrBill . . . Says hi. Hope he stops in.
Nats pitcher makes two fielding plays for outs. Wow. It CAN be done…
Sure, just not by us . . .
Any ideas as to what the hell got into Cain? Could the Nats have gotten into his head before the first pitch? Offense couldn’t do a goddamn thing to change the pace of the game. Hoping Belt heals up quickly. I’m getting doubts about Buster in the Cleanup spot through the season. Of course every team goes through sour stretches and at least Cueto put it to the LaBumbos tonight.
Yikes, come back from walking the doggies, and 3 hits, one run?
Pablo’s out? WTF?
Cain follows his shitty pitching and shitty fielding with a shitty bunt,
The trifuckta!
Time to tattoo Mr. Roark.
Oh man, Hicks with another brain fart AB…swings at the one in the dirt and lets the strike go by. Could have cut it to one there with a more productive out.
Zum, no offense meant to Turlock!
No offense taken. Amy G. would be a nice fit for the city. 🙂
By the way, former major leaguer Rusty Kuntz played college baseball in Turlock, at Calif. St. Univ. Stanislaus. Who can forget Rusty Kuntz?!
That’s the same school I tried out as a walk-on for the basketball team but got cut. I told that story on the Flap before.
And now for something completely different…. I don’t think any of you are doctors, but you’re the only ones I know who are live and online at the moment. Anybody ever had any experience with swollen feet? I mean, elephantiasis swollen. Not painful, just really swollen. Weird. I’ve had this for a couple days now, never had it before…
Were you on your feet more than usual lately? That can be a cause.
I’m on my feet a lot anyway, Zum, teaching a bunch of hours everyday… but no more than usual this week… I am on new blood pressure meds, maybe related…
Definitely could be related. Dude, you better check ASAP, the meds may be causing it. When it comes to medicine, I’m not a believer in random coincidences when it comes to new meds and weird crap happening to your body. Don’t know what you’re taking, but here’s something that says if you’re taking beta blocker blood pressure stuff, you have to watch for swelling of legs and feet, that is not cool. http://www.webmd.com/hypertension-high-blood-pressure/beta-blockers-for-high-blood-pressure When my mother’s doc gave her new meds for her dementia, within a day she started seeing all sorts of insects crawling on the ceiling and walls, and other hallucinations. Not a coincidence. Off the drugs, no more bugs…
I wonder if it’s the medication doing that.
Are you on a low-salt diet? Did you have a lot of salt recently? That would be my other guess, for whatever my opinion’s worth.
By no means a diagnosis, Paul, but a quick search produced this:
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/159111.php
That was going to be my thought as a possibility (water retention). I did not know it was called edema. Anyway, good luck with a quick diagnosis and recovery, Paul.
Dammit. Nice play by Zimmerman. I thought they were going to get a little two-out rally going. Need the breaks to start breaking our way…
Thanks for the input and links, guys, I knew Dr. Flap would come through… 🙂 Fortunately, my teaching ends this week so I can get off my feet a bit more. Even more fortunately, I’m getting the hell out of China in 2-1/2 weeks. Always happy to get out of here alive.
Not to pry Paul, but are you taking some western pills or some Eastern combo of ginger root and tail of newt? How is the health care situation over there?…
I know we have discussed it quite a bit over the past couple of days, but I’ll say it again…the Nats are all of a sudden looking like a solid team. And they don’t even have one of their best position players or pitcher.
Yeah, they don’t even have Harper for at least another few weeks…
A baserunner!
Shit just hit it to the right side Blanco. He gets so swing-happy.
Hicks with the surprise bunt single. I’m amazed. Was that his idea or Bochy’s? Probably his after another 2 Ks tonight…
I am telling you (this from the conversation the other day)…I would place 2nd as a priority over a pitcher at this point. Adding a SP creates an issue. Who goes to the pen, or is cut (and that is not happening). Between Hicks starting most of the time, and Adrianza and Arias…need an upgrade. If they got a legit second baseman, Hicks goes to the bench, and it is adios Adrianza.
Yeah, 2nd looks like it could become an issue. Hicks has run into a pothole on hitter’s road…
That’s what I’m talking about.
A base runner! And a DP…fuck….
Fuuuuck. This is getting old.
Arias is pretty much pfffft this year. Seems to always hit a grounder right up the middle, not necessarily hot, and teams are playing for that now…
I guess they’re due a dry spell. but come on, man!
The runner from the bunt hit scores! I rest my case…
😉
There you go. Panda. Nice and easy.
Keep it going…
Snarkk, the “health care” situation where I am in China is not good. You can become a “doctor” here by enrolling in a school you read about on a matchbook. I always fly to Bangkok when I need a doctor; good hospitals there, got my BP prescription there about 6 weeks ago and recently upped the dosage on recommendation of the doc there. It’s made by Pfizer, amlodipine, pretty common stuff, and I found it over the counter here. Assuming it’s real, but that’s never a safe assumption in China. I’ll get checked out when I get back to Sonoma in a few weeks. Health care situation in Saigon is pretty good, some good int’l hospitals, so no worries there. Just want to get out of China alive….
I have been taking Atenolol for probably 20 years or more and no issues. But I do know that a side-effect of some is water retention. Get better soon, Paul.
Thanks, Chi.
Paul, dude, don’t mess around with big-time foot edema for two weeks. That’s uncool for too long, don’t chance it. Just my non-medical opinion from 8000 miles away. Whatever you do, don’t see the Giants medicos when you get over here… 😉
Is pagan hurt? He’s been slapping at the ball and popping them to LF for 4 days now. No power, no drive, he’s not turning on shit.
I was wondering the same thing, Charlie.
Knee issue, I’m guessing is worse and more troublesome than they let on…
Aahhhh.
Arias: you mother fucking sack of shit
What’s up with that? Pence has had like 3 of those, and the HPB these last couple days.
Shit, when these guys stop hitting home runs. the offense dries up.
Posey: you missed
It’s a baseball game, skippy. Lighten the fuck up
ODB McDowell — used to play for the Rangers…
Why is Petit in here in a late innings deal? That’s not his usual MO…
Yep, game over likely now. Now 6-2. I don’t get putting in Petit in that situation. 9th inning is not his bag…
Yowza. 1 missed strike call, and you get 3 walks and 2 runs. Blech
The dreaded June Swoon? A few poorly pitched innings + only 5 runs in 3 games = losses, hopefully a trend that won’t continue for long. Or is Washington really that good?
They are now.
Giants were bound to hit a speed bump. Everything was going their way for weeks on end, that had to slow down. The Nats are good all over, with very good pitching. Giants would have their hands full if they met the Nats in the playoffs…
Huddy needs to just get out of the first inning tomorrow without suckage. Tired of this first inning giving up runs stuff. If he does that, it’s onward and upward and win one to avoid the home sweepage…
Agree, snarkk. As I said in my 10:18 post this morn, scoring first (statistically) is huge for this team:
Giants score first – 29-6
Oponent scores first – 13-17.
So yes…Hudson needs to hold them, and then our boys need to score first.
Also agree about how everything has been going the Giant’s way. The Nats prior to coming in, were only three games over .500, and were not exactly setting the world on fire.
Giants have lost three only once this year (longest losing streak – and it needs to stay that way).
Not really tripping on it…but sure as hell want to see a W tomorrow to stop the trend.
Shit, Cespedes made a near identical play to 3rd tonight. to nail Pujols.