Destroying the VMI Challenged Rockies Today
Normally, I would be bummed about the Giants returning home for a series since they’ve sucked so badly this year at AT&T. But today, I’m excited. Colorado has the worst visual memory index number of any team in baseball today at -25.97. Peavy should toy with them.
VMI is a fascinating tool I’ve used this year to assess pitchers and hitters on a daily basis. It factors in changes in altitude, humidity and temperature and how those changes affect a player’s visual memory and muscle memory. I encourage anyone interested to check out the VMI website at http://www.baseballvmi.com
Colorado is throwing a very bad left handed pitcher at us today. I expect all our hitters to feast on him and a handy win is likely forthcoming…..
A Place To Talk About Giants Baseball 
VMI? That Is where my fraternity started;)
Sigma Nu?
Visual Memory Index (VMI)? Sounds pornish.
I think I would score low on that scale with my wife!!!
I think most of us thought winning one game in DC would keep us happy, so we got that. Never seen our bullpen implode like that maybe since a late summer game in Colorado in 2010…time to beat up on the weak opponents for the remainder of the reg season…
At one point in 2008 or 2009, we had an implosion like that coupled with STARTERS imploding; add to that no hitting and….well, you know. I think this is just a blip. What disheartened me (well, not really, I went on with my day, away from the ledge) was the waste of unusual homers from Ishi and Blanco. To take a POSITIVE view, Panik, Ishi, Blanco, even Crawford in the right spots, and the rest of the offense, are giving us a different look. Is that a feeling or a reality? James can chime in.
I don’t understand it and don’t trust it. This team is still in the hunt that’s all I know. How they do it is a mystery to me.
Parity. Or LWS (league wide suckage).
Retweeted by Paul Kocak
DavidXF @SanDiegoGiants 56m
GIANTS STARTERS ERA SINCE THE ALL-STAR BREAK
2.39 – Bumgarner
3.32 – Hudson
3.57 – Vogelsong
3.58 – Peavy
8.07 – Lincecum
Huh. I totally thought you were bullshitting with the VMI index. Sounds like alchemy or spinning wheat to gold or some shit.
I need to get my own statistical system going. I got it! The PANOOB factor!
The Giants PANOOB factor for winning tonight is off the charts because the last time they played Colorado on a Monday after losing in Washington on a Sunday, and flew on Delta Airlines with an arrival time of 4:37 am, and Bruce Bochy sat in seat 12A, and the plane pulled up to Gate 32C, and Timmy took his first bong hit after he got home at 6:58 am, the Giants are unbeaten.
PANOOB.
Pulling arbitrary numbers out of butt.
no, I’m a big fan of VMI. It explains a lot of shitty/stud performances. It’s only useful 2 or 3 days a week though. The VMI website owner gave me a free year subscription as long as I promised to write a thread about it and direct to their website.
I suppose I could have written a more encompassing thread but it’s been 3 months, I felt like I needed to get it out there and I was struggling to find something positive to write after we gave up 12 unanswered fucking runs yesterday
Yeah, maybe Vogie wasn’t done.
Creative, Chuckster. Creative. Never thought i’d get that from a football fan. Guess i learn something new every day.
love it; love it
Well, they should have had a series win yesterday. Hard to second-guess Bochy and his decision to pull Vogey. The bullpen has been nails (lowest ERA in MLB going into yesterday’s game), so on paper, sure seemed like the right move. Speaking of Vogey he had yet another damned good start. It might warrant serious consideration to think about bringing him back for one year.
Anyway, you want to play .500 on the road, and they did just that. And even though they have sucked badly of late at home, it is time to make hay against the sorry-assed NL West teams like the Sherpas.
Our boys have 33 games left (this includes finishing the game against Colorado). So, they have 8 against the Sherpas 4 home, 4 away. 7 against Dago (4 home, 3 away), and 6 against the D-Backs (3/3 home/away). That is 21 of 33 games remaining against losing NLW teams. The other 12 are 6 against the bums (3/3), and 3 each against the Brewers (home) and Tiggers (away).
It is past time to find that magic of winning at home. If they cannot, you can kiss the post-season good-bye. 4.5 back of the bums and in the 2nd WC spot. Just do whatever it takes to get into the dance, and then, anything can happen.
I get it that they’re playing a lot of games coming against sorry-assed division opponents. But, the Pads play us tough, and with several months of bad ATT home juju against just about everybody, there’s no guarantee at all the Giants will pound the “weaker” teams. I’m up for one game at a time, and play good ball, wherever it is. Play good to good+ solid D, and keep the mental errors to a minimum. Keep the hitting on the upswing, and see what happens. I think they have enough to get into a WC game, because the competition for those two spots is just as iffy as the Giants, so WTF not? A WC game is a crapshoot, so if they get in, who knows? After that, I don’t think they have the starting pitching now to win a 7 game series. It’s Bum and then 5 innings + the Pen, pretty much, IMO. The callups are good coming up soon, they need some extra Pen arms…
A majority probably thought the Giants didn’t have what it took to win it all in 2010 and 2012, either. The point being, you get into the dance, get hot for a couple of weeks, and anything can happen. The main point I made (and you echoed) is that they have to start winning at home. If not…it is a moot fucking point.
I’m headed to the game tonight so just pencil in a W.
Well, like Chuck said, their cratering at home has to stop now. Otherwise it’s all over no matter who we play.
10-23 at home since June 8 isn’t going to fly.
VMI’s nickname is the Keydets.
Thinking of resigning Vogelsong (3.78 era 1.260 whip) consider he has given the Giants more bang for their $$ than several of the alternatives being touted during the off season.
Arroyo? 4.08, 1.290 whip, $23.5M. Done. TJ surgery.
Jimenez? 4.74, 1.526 $49M…Demoted to AAA. Ouch!
Haren? Better of late but still a 4.44 era for $10m.
E Santana 3.60, 1.257, for $14m.
I’ll hold my opinion on him until the season’s done. I thought sure he was finished, but he’s been doing well since early summer. Problem is he seems to tire early, and around the 5th inning, he just gets really hittable, his fastball loses whatever movement it has early on. His age is the real negative for me. Hudson’s age is showing up now, too. Whither the Hudson, Voggy, Timmeh triumvirate is very troubling heading into next season. Hopefully the Cain elbow cleanout worked, and next ST he’s back in the saddle with essentially half a season and an offseason of rest for that arm with a ton of mileage on it. I still don’t understand why they didn’t clean that thing out during a prior offseason. Peavy is a FA at the end of this season, I have no idea about him…
I would look for a younger alt as well.
I would take him straight-up right now over Tim L. I mentioned the possibility of signing him in my earlier post, and I do think it warrants consideration. Peavy may not be back next year, and the Giants will need a 4th or 5th starter. I don’t see them going onto the open market for a starter (especially a big, multi-year deal), so again…I think you have to give it serous consideration.
In a matter of a week it’s callup time. Do a quick look at the stats for Chris Heston at Fresno. Though we may get one good start from Petit, i’m wondering if the train-bust is not considering giving this kid a start or two. Timmy MAY still be effective at home, but on the road ~ fuggitaboudit. Maybe either Cody Hall or Hunter Strickland should get the call before the end of the month, with Gutierrez taking the Fresnobus, should he accept that assignment. Having #55 in the pen is quite sufficient for shaky relievers. Maybe Kontos would be preferable to either of the kids from Richmond. Fine by me. Get it done, one way or the other.
LaBumbos getting clocked by the Mutts yesterday means the season has not yet sunk into the welcoming waters of the Pacific. But SF cannot count on Bum’s losses. We need to win at home as everyone here has expressed in one posting or another. It could come from guys like Ishi and Panik and who knows, maybe even one or two in the middle of the lineup. Still wishing Bochy would bat Panik second and move Pence down one notch to third. Lengthens the L.U.
Yesterday’s boilover by Affeldt may be taken as a one-off ~ or in this case ~ two. In any event, though, SF should consider moving Jeremy in a trade during the off-season. Strickland, Hall and Law provide for a pool of potentially far less costly replacements.
Affeldt’s got a relatively big contract at $5M for a reliever at his age (36 next year), and given his ups/downs and groin injury history. Tough to move him IMO, even though he’s a lefty. When he’s on, he’s really tough. Trouble is, he’s not on all the time anymore…
As Tom states, with the Giants owing Jeremy 5 mil next year, no way in hell they get any value in a trade. Dude isn’t going anywhere. And why even consider trading him? He has a 2.72 ERA and 1.122 WHIP. His K/BB ratio is over 3-1, and he has given up only one HR in 46 plus innings of work. I still see him as a valuable part of the bullpen.
And i think Strickland Hall and Law (who is coming off TJ) are all RH. Kickham?
Buster’s actual salary goes up $6.5M next season to $16.5M, and Scutaro’s final $6M sure looks like dead money. At Posey’s price next year, they need to get more offense out of him…
I heard on radio that with that iffy bottom of their rotation, the Doghairs are considering picking up Colon on waivers from the Mets, unless somebody gets to him first. Dunno if the Giants would want to claim him and block the Doghairs, because the Mets just might release him and SF would have to take him. Tho, maybe that wouldn’t be such a bad thing?…
I doubt seriously the Mets give him an outright release. Too many teams have a need for a starter for them to give him away for nothing.
Give them Gary Brown. Looks like he’s going nowhere for the Giants, won’t even be a callup. Which brings me to ask why they wouldn’t even call up this kid to give him a few ABs. Hell, Tony Torcato got into more than a few games in SF. If Brown isn’t even called up, he’s gotta figure there’s no purpose in staying in this organization any longer other than to wait for a trade somewhere…
totally agree, Loo…
I love Vogey like a brother. What a great story he’s been…
Colon has about $10 million coming to him next year. The Mets will give him away not to pay that.
Kickham will be in the rotation next year even if he sucks. Maybe Petit, too.
Geez, Loo. I thought Colon was a FA next season. The Mets gave him a 2-year deal? Crazy. The only teams nutty enuf to take him at that price would be both moneybags LA teams. Kickham might not be any worse than Voggy by next year…
It’s true, snarkk. It’s a much discussed topic on NY sports radio.
I wonder if the Giants were nutty to give Huddy a 2 year deal…
It’s twue, it’s twue!!
Actually $11 million…
Yep…Colon got that 2 year deal, similar to Hudson. Mets on the hook for 11 mil. And agree with snarkk…only teams crazy enough to pick that up for the stretch would be teams 1) hurting for SPers (think bums and angels)
2) Teams with deep pockets (think bums and angels).
I think Colon ends up with one of those two teams for the stretch run…
Loo – I think the Giants were OK giving Hudson a 2 year deal. They needed a starter for a couple of years until one of the youngsters comes around. Mets have lots of options at SP, so it makes me wonder WTF they were thinking when they threw that kind of money at Colon.
Yes, definitely strange that they gave Colon 2 years in their situation…
CF Pagan
RF Pence
1B Posey
3B Sandoval
LF Morse
2B Panik
C Susac
SS Crawford
RHP Peavy
Go Giants!
I really don’t care for Colon, but if your parameters are hot pitchers since the All Star break, with the measurements being “foundation” type stats, (K-BB)/IP, ERA and WHIP – then Colon is better then any Giant pitcher and is ranked 9th in the MLB . . . ahead of stalwarts such as Strasburg, Hamels, Greinke, Iwakuma, Zimmerman, Cueto, Richards, etc.
http://sports.yahoo.com/news/pitching-by-the-numbers–riding-the-hot-hand-172535891.html
He just cleared waivers. 11 mil next year. Giants will need at least one starter (esp. if Tim is in the pen in 2015). So why not package something, and go for it. He would eat innings next year and could be a difference maker down the stretch. And maybe the Mets eat some of the salary. Bums and angels are both known to be interested (could be your 2014 “cockblock” similar to Cody Ross in 2010).
Seems like many of the recent juice convicts like Colon, Melky, Cruz, Peralta, etc. are doing quite well.
WTF is going on? Does anybody even know or care?
Well, they obviously got smarter about shit. Which is why Bud’s legacy will be steroids, and how he continually tried to sweep them under the radar. . .
No shit. He and all the owner’s (well, most of them) looked the other way like not a fucking thing was going on…
Waiting impatiently for tonight’s matchup, I’ve been reviewing the video of Morse’s Gold Glove efforts from yesterday.
I feel a huge game for Pagan tonight.
3 hits (2 XBH), plus a steal or two. (5-3-3-2 in the boxscore)
Loo, could you be more specific? :-p
Well, I left out the pulled hamstring.
I like Vogey’s public comments about being pulled. Diplomatic and respectful, just like the Skip.
I have no problem with Bochy pulling him. In the 5th he got hammered, but all at ’em shots, then the HR in the 6th. No way Bochy could expect the Pen to implode…
totally agree. If Voggy didn’t want to get pulled he should have pitched better. Everything off him that inning was LOUD
Absolutely. Great comments.
I’m not sure why Phlabloxxi or whatever his name is is getting edited. He’s not on the list of those that should be edited.
Scoots is done for the year, in case any of you missed that shocking announcement. He’s partying in Florida for the rest of the season
Watching Yankee game, I’m tired, dead ass tired, of hearing about “The Captain’s” farewell tour. Enough already. This “goodbye at every ballpark thing” is overblown and stupid. Give him a plaque on the last game of the season and send him off into the sunset.
BF, check your email…
at the very least, ESPn could stop calling him “The Captain” every single time they refer to him. I doubt anyone on the team walks around calling him “The Captain” to his face.
Maybe they could add an ALS challenge into each ceremony.
speaking of that, I just got challenged for that shit. Trying to come up with something creative…..
Susac might make a third baseman out of Posey and send Panda packing…
Jesus Christ Panik, WTF was that? Steve Sax reincarnated? That was the simplest throw you can make anywhere on the diamond
Blackmon just got the easiest fucking 360 feet of the year. 360 gifted feet. Merry fucking Christmas.
Wow, I wasn’t kidding when I said play one game at a time now, just play good to good+ defense. That was a joke of a set of defensive plays there…
Posey pulled a reverse Aubrey Huff when he broke for second base on that ball hit to Panik. Redeemed himself with that hard hit single though.
The Giants should crush this guy tonight, he’s a terrible pitcher……
reverse Aubrey Huff (RAH), good one
That mofo at third picked that ball Morse hit, outstanding play.
Was it precognition or merely applied common sense? Somehow i knew as he was coming to bat that Morse would gdp.
and that ball he hit was on a tee and he still fucking couldn’t do anything with it.
Susac is showing he has a lot of power—neither of his bombs pulled? POWER
Panik. Opening day, 2015, he’s the starting 2nd baseman. Barring injury, book it.
I actually agree with him on this post so I’m pulling this one out of spam
ODBBB
yoyoma@charter.co
50.131.244.147 Cleared by Akismet
Submitted on 2014/08/25 at 7:31 pm
Pence looked like a cocksucking sack of shit in that AB
You’re compensating for those sunshine and flowers threads with a vengeance!
thanks. There has to be a balance or the Flap will die.
Susac keeps hitting dingers and Posey’s move from behind the plate will be on the front burner next season…
SUSACtion.
I would love to see him come from behind the dish next year, but I think it will actually be more like 2016 when it happens. Susac as 2nd next year, and maybe he catches a starter or two. Belt, if healthy, goes to LF.
does Scutaro have another year on his contract? [not a smartass question]
Yes. 6.67 mil.
holy mackerel…they’ll be eating that one; don’t get me wrong; love what he did, but….
late payment on his 2012 heroics as far as I’m concerned.
What he did in 2012 is worth every penny of that 3 year, 20 million contract.
no doubt; *we* have a habit of doing that, very abundantly
quick off-the-game note: I know of at least two fellow editors here; check this out; great stuff:
http://www.theguardian.com/books/2014/aug/15/steven-pinker-10-grammar-rules-break#start-of-comments
VMI can’t account for this nonsense. And still, we are in the 4th inning and they don’t have a hit.
Four errors and a balk through 4 IP and three runs score. Is this for real?
I’m only following it online, but this is a very bizarre game.
This inning is like a bad acid trip…
watching him turn 2nd and lumber into 3rd was like a weird mushroom high….
And did you foresee it?
Methinks Crawford is seriously gassed. Duffy NOW!
I’ll say it again, Peavy getting all pissed off and screaming to himself is something that works against him. Blasting all that adrenaline through your body, when you’re supposed to be trying to focus, is just not a way to pitch. There is no argument against my point.
Agree. Bad energy all the way.
“There is no argument against my point.” I appreciate the precedent you’ve set here. 🙂
lol. I thought you’d like that.
Sounds like a Scalia majority opinion…
Can you make 8 errors in a game and win?
If Crawford were Mark Belanger, sure, let him play SS while batting near his weight — but 20 errors?! Gads.
agreed. I don’t care so much about the .220 average, especially with his ability to hit a bomb or a triple now and again, but the defense has got to tighten up or he needs to go
Any ideas as to why Bochy is hanging on him? Duffy may possibly make as many errors but he may get more hits than E-6’s.
Belanger hit his first ML homer in the same game Mantle hit his 500th…
this is the best stat I’ve ever seen someone pull out of their ass, Well done, Mr DJ Loo, and I mean that sincerely…..
haven’t stat checked this so don’t screw me on this Loo. 🙂
I watched it in black and white on Mother’s Day 1967…
Miami is sure putting the heat to the Halos: Seven-Zip.
Good stuff, Pawlie. As a former editor myself, I particularly remember always having to explain the “that vs. which” thing to even the best of writers I was dealing with (dangling preposition intended) ……..
I still have to look up affect v effect no matter how many times I read the definition I always end up heading back to google, just to be sure….
You effect your affect.
I never pass up a chance to use comprises instead of encompasses
Speaking of editing, I love that edit button. It simply isn’t possible to proofread until I’ve clicked Post Comment. I carefully select which errors and poor constructions to leave unaltered to achieve the right effect and affect.
Jezee, Paul, you read it all? It took me days; just finished it today. Point is, though I am a persnickety and fussy editor, as is Pinker obviously, I have concluded I am much more a descriptivist than prescriptivist regarding language; even the politically conservative William Safire was, if I recall rightly (he gave out buttons for the Doom of Whom). I am tired of people telling me, “Sister Mary Agnes Anthony, in ninth grade, told us……” or “we always had two spaces after a period in our typing class; therefore, …” And on and on. No more on all that here. Email me if you care to.
I skimmed, Pawlie…. 🙂 Yeah, me too, descriptivist, especially with the crap rules like split verbs and infinitives. But “that vs. which”… no, that remains one of my persnickety grammar things… 🙂
well, he destroys THAT notion; he’s a Canadian BTW; and note that his book is being published in the U.K. first
The clause that requires that which we abhor.
I hate those red neck beards as much red neck crew cut managers once hated Afros.
I posted something to that effect (affect?) just yesterday, James…
Damn, really? I honestly don’t remember reading it . . . . I do forget why I’ve walked from one room to another pretty regularly now.
This one feels like we’re going to wear it already. It’s games like this that make say FUUuUuUUUCK!!!!!!!
They bring me so down when they out hit teams 2:1 and still lose by2.
I’m feeling the effects of how this motherfucking everloving team affects my mood.
And we are going foul.
Loo doesn’t mess: http://www.mickeymantle.com/051467.htm
Belanger only had 20 career HRs, but had one in the first ALCS, in 1969. I didn’t realize he died so long ago.
http://www.baseball-almanac.com/boxscore/05141967.shtml
Flav, self-anger only worked for John McEnroe . . .
There’s a runner on, I’m feeling another Morse DP.
Whew, got that posted in the nick of time!
lol
No shit . . .
Aaaaand no shit.
fucking Morse. Hit into another double play, you fuck.
you wimp: why not call him a f*cking f*ck dumb*ss f*cking f*ckhead?
I’m leaving that for OD-Idiot. I’ll go check spam and see what he’s sent there….
mini-est of Flapalooza’s planned for tomorrow. Snarkk is going to be in my area and I want to give him the Scott McClain bat to go with the signed photo. All gifts from Twin. I love that bat but it’s time to pass it on. Everything material gets passed on…….
true zen master; I hold on to too much hashtag metaphor
I’m going to try to watch BF drink a beer as I drink a soda. Or, not…
They’re not really going to lose to this team again at home, are they?
When Morse didn’t score after his triple, it was in the cards
Peavey dogging the ump from the mound. Gotta love it.
shouldn’t he change the spelling of his name to Peeve-y? with Pet his first name?
And there’s the problem with dogging the ump from-the mound.
Yep, dog the ump, and they dog you. They are not at all above screwing with you, because they’re not called on it in any meaningful way…
There were 2 badly missed calls in that AB.
You know a double is coming.
Jesus, Bochy should be screaming at the ump.
Pitches too close to take with 2 strikes, unless you draw the walk.
Has Peavy done this shit his whole career?
I guess. Here comes the double.
Wow. Will be interesting to see how this sorts out…
Oh, fuck me sideways
He is out, but will NY see it that way…
They ain’t gonna give the Giants the out.
Fuck yes. They got it right!
And I’m typing in italics?
Let’s hope this wakes them up a little.
Yep. Pointless if they don’t score some runs. They need to win 3 of these 4 against the Sperpas…