Sunday

Posted in Uncategorized by Flavor on July 5, 2015

This trip is not going well. Gee, ya think?

Fortunately, today we get to let the entire world in on our misery with ESPN picking up the game.

Today, I’d settle for a loss as long as we play well. Don’t have guys getting picked off, the relievers hold sway, get a few hits, stuff like that.

A bad trip like this is hardly something that sinks the ship. I think it was 2012 when we got our asses handed to us on a platter on a similar sweltering July 4th weekend. So no time to panic.

But that doesn’t mean I won’t have my finger poised at the ready to click the channel to something else if we come out smoking copious amounts of pole……

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eddacker said, on July 5, 2015 at 8:56 am

How can you say that? Remote at the ready. Our boys need you. Don’t be a dastardly traitor.
🙂

Although, it will be half-time for the USA girls about the time of first pitch.
djloo27 said, on July 5, 2015 at 9:04 am

Willie: From the previous thread, good catch on Doby. I imagine he’ll get a token mention somewhere. It’s really a shame. I had to look it up, but his #14 was retired by the Indians:

http://cleveland.indians.mlb.com/cle/history/retired_numbers.jsp
djloo27 said, on July 5, 2015 at 9:13 am

Since we have a night game, you have all day to contemplate my brilliant trade proposal from last night.
Yes, it might need a little tweaking, but this team needs a jolt and some help..

So how about Belt, Lincecum, and Petit to the Mariners for Austin Jackson, Logan Morrison and J.A. Happ?
- giants54 said, on July 5, 2015 at 9:39 am
  
  Those 3 stiffs aren’t the answer.
  - giants54 said, on July 5, 2015 at 9:43 am
    
    They will never trade Lincecum even if they could get something in return and not eat the 9m. Too much sentiment.
- sandog said, on July 5, 2015 at 9:40 am
  
  I think it is a decent proposal, but I wouldn’t do it. First off, I simply can’t trade Tim after all he has done for the franchise—even if it makes good baseball sense to do so. But, even if I set those feelings aside, I think Belt is the best player in this group and I’d want a little more coming back if we sent him out.
  I do like the idea of getting LoMo and Jackson in Orange and Black though.
- willedav said, on July 5, 2015 at 9:43 am
  
  Mmm, Belt seems like best player in the entire deal; though AJ would be an improvement over Pagan, his OB this year is .297, not good for a leadoff. M’s probably do this in a heartbeat as they are 14th in AL for runs scored…if I’m SF I’d want a better SP (or SP prospect) or more likely some pen help. Which might mean sweetening the deal with a prospect instead of Petit.
  
  LoMo seems like a worse version of Belt, LH with lower offensive stats for everything except HRs. One decent season few years ago, but nothing since. Bench guy primarily–gotta wonder how he’d like that, and ATT not much friendlier yard than Safeco.
  Happ is nothing to write home about either, and has always been a 4-5 guy as SP, something Giants have already cornered the market on.
- Macdog said, on July 5, 2015 at 10:40 am
  
  Happ was the losing pitcher in Cain’s perfect game.
giants54 said, on July 5, 2015 at 9:24 am

Mets will be resting up for the G’s while they trudge home late tonight….Need a win bad.
sandog said, on July 5, 2015 at 9:50 am

@Willie–I think the Kings have made a nice couple of moves picking up Kostos and Belinelli. Their bench was awful last year and I’m glad to see them addressing that. I’m cautiously optimistic about some improvement this year.

Good call on Doby….broke in 3 months after Jackie Robinson. Robinson gets movies made about him, every team had to retire his number (I wasn’t a big fan of this idea) and gets tons of publicity. Doby doesn’t get squat and never has. Jackie was obviously a total stud on and off the field, but the lack of equity on this deal ain’t right.

The hater in me would like to see Japan take us out again, just to witness the fallout. I really can’t stand soccer.
I have issues, I know.
- willedav said, on July 5, 2015 at 10:00 am
  
  Yeah, nothing wrong with either of those guys. Rondo, I don’t know what happened to this guy, so it’s hard to see what you get if he is full time PG. Lot of skills–if they can keep DMC, intriguing.
  
  Hey, if you want to be down on soccer, check out some of the bio stuff on the guy Hope Solo is married to, Jeremy Stevens. Guy was investigated for assaults and DUIs from his college days through a stormy and short lived NFL career.
  She was also “warned” at one point (pre-Olympics I think) for using a diuretic reputed to be a masking agent for roids. Diuretics, at her age?
  
  Yeah, an L would hopefully get local ditz writer (and Bonds/ Niner hater) soccer Mom Ann Killion to STFU, though that is probably just wishful thinking on my part
willedav said, on July 5, 2015 at 9:52 am

I wonder what it would take to get Aroldis Chapman away from the Reds? He’s a year away from being an FA, unlike Cueto and Leake and a few other SPs. Trade for one of them and they could wind up being just a rental.

Leake got smoked last time out, while Cueto if you want to keep him is going to be really expensive, probably near Scherzer land, which is scary. But there’s no way a top tier SP is gonna come cheap, so the object would be to hold down the years if possible.

Again, Giants are scoring runs and not spending outrageously to do it, even without Aoki and Pence. As long as those 2 return I think SF LU is fine, but shoring up pitching, SP and pen, would be main goal of a trade, imo.
djloo27 said, on July 5, 2015 at 10:04 am

I’m concerned about Pence’s wrist. Someone mentioned DeRosa the other day and look how long it took for Teixeira to fully heal. What the hell is wrong with it anyway? The pitch broke his forearm. If the wrist damage is ligaments or something like that he might not be right for a year or more…
- snarkk said, on July 5, 2015 at 10:05 am
  
  Don’t worry, the Giants medicos got this.
  Gulp…
  - djloo27 said, on July 5, 2015 at 10:11 am
    
    lulz…
    
    BTW, I got “lulz” from Dirt. I like how it looks. Don’t know what it means but anything’s better than “lol” at this point.
  - djloo27 said, on July 5, 2015 at 10:12 am
    
    Never a fan of “lqtm”
    I don’t buy it…
  - snarkk said, on July 5, 2015 at 11:31 am
    
    I thought “Lulz” was the name of Liza Minelli’s less talented sister…
snarkk said, on July 5, 2015 at 10:05 am

Lots of folks want to trade Belt for this and that, mostly that.
Like Joni Mitchell sang: …you don’t know what you’ve got, ’til it’s gone…
- djloo27 said, on July 5, 2015 at 10:08 am
  
  Does that apply to Candlestick?
  - ewisco said, on July 5, 2015 at 10:57 am
    
    they paved paradise and put up a shopping mall.
- willedav said, on July 5, 2015 at 11:34 am
  
  Snarkk, you’ve stuck up for Belt all along, so I’m curious what you would do with him if Posey becomes full time 1b.
  - snarkk said, on July 5, 2015 at 11:45 am
    
    I’d trade him.
    The only way he stays is if Posey goes to third base, which is what I advocate. I don’t think it will happen, but it makes more sense to me than having a near gold glove 1bman playing out of position in LF, and a catcher with an arm good enough to play 3b play 1b. Posey would do just fine at 3b, and hit like a motha. As I said before, Joe Torre would be the role model — move from catcher to 3b, hit like a motha. People see how slow Posey is, but if he doesn’t catch, his legs will come back, he’ll get some quickness. If big lumbering guys like Scott Rolen and Tim Wallach can play a good 3b, Posey surely can with his background as an infielder. IMO Duffy can play anywhere, OF or IF, he could play a Zobrist type role. Plus, we know what Belt is pretty much, Duffy has only been on scene a little — we don’t know where Duffy’s eventually going to settle as a hitter, so penning him in now at 3b for any length of time is premature…
giants54 said, on July 5, 2015 at 10:34 am

Belt off to a good start in July, maybe another May after the crap June…

The dilemma with Belt is you take his LH pop out of there, leaves them with just Panik and Crawford with any power from the L side.

IF you get a LH slugging OF in return, he likely has the same problems with the park dimensions as Belt.

The solution is a dynamite young, switch hitting 5 tool OFer with power who is controllable for a few years. 😉

Like Aerosmith sang, Dream on…dream on
- mannyman46 said, on July 5, 2015 at 11:41 am
  
  Mickey Mantles don’t grow on trees.
zumiee said, on July 5, 2015 at 11:43 am

Bones don’t always heal perfectly. Pence’s didn’t. He has a little extra bone that is rubbing against a tendon, and it was causing pain, and it sounds like another minor surgery is in his future, in the off-season, to shave that bone a little. All because a jack-ass minor leaguer hit him with a pitch. A Cubs pitcher, who currently lead us in the last Wild Card spot. That sucks.
Hopefully, Pence’s pain becomes manageable for the rest of this season.
- snarkk said, on July 5, 2015 at 11:48 am
  
  Where are you getting this zum? I haven’t seen anything that talks about details on Pence, but I suspected something like you’re describing. It fits my hypothesis that Pence will not be right until next Spring…
  - zumiee said, on July 5, 2015 at 12:26 pm
    
    I read it in the SF Chronicle a few weeks ago. The phrase they used about the extra bone was a “bone callus,” a phrase I’d never heard before. They didn’t mention anything about a future surgery. That was my own prediction. They just gave the usual Giants double-talk about how they just needed to get the tendon to calm down. Double-talk like “calm down” is starting to irritate Giants fans. If he’s in PAIN, just say it. Use the word: pain. We can take it. We’re not little children. The Giants are SO PR-conscious regarding information about injuries that it does become an irritation sometimes.
  - snarkk said, on July 5, 2015 at 12:32 pm
    
    Thanks, zum. I don’t really pay attention to the Chronicle anymore, it’s website is horrendous, virtually useless, IMO. Anyway, I echo your sentiments. Giants fans don’t need to see players’ x-rays, but a little medical honesty would be nice. They’ve already sold the stadium out for the year, what are they worried about?…
  - zumiee said, on July 5, 2015 at 12:33 pm
    
    This site explains things pretty well. I didn’t know any of this. I haven’t broken a bone (yet). So the callus is normal. The shaving part is just something I pulled out of my hat, from my very limited medical knowledge, and may not be the thing to do at all.
    http://www.physioroom.com/injuries/bone_fracture/5_hard_callus_formation.php
  - zumiee said, on July 5, 2015 at 12:41 pm
    
    This site has a little more, and I include it because the illustration here shows a bigger callus. I didn’t find anything about tendon-related pain. Maybe I’ll look for that.
    http://www.hughston.com/hha/a.fracture.htm
  - zumiee said, on July 5, 2015 at 12:47 pm
    
    I found this, which mentions surgery options, regarding tendon pain:
    “Surgery is only done when these other treatment methods have failed to solve the problem. If that is the case, the area of tight tendon sheath that cause the painful and difficult tendon movements can be released. The inflammatory tissue can also be removed in an effort to create more space for the tendon to move freely.”
  - snarkk said, on July 5, 2015 at 12:51 pm
    
    Instead of going to the beat writers to find out what’s going on with the Giants, I’m going to stick with zum… 😉
pawliekokonuts said, on July 5, 2015 at 12:52 pm

‘Mickey Mantles don’t grow on trees.” Needs to find its way into a song.
pawliekokonuts said, on July 5, 2015 at 12:55 pm

I have very modest expectations for tonight’s game. Modest, as in near zero.
- pawliekokonuts said, on July 5, 2015 at 12:55 pm
  
  modest, as in chances the Greeks vote for the bailout
snarkk said, on July 5, 2015 at 12:55 pm

Yesterday we were talking about concussions and catchers and Hector, and I said essentially I would not play Hector at C anymore for health reasons, but the Giants apparently had other ideas.
Latest from Baggarly as of yesterday afternoon, which I hadn’t seen until just a few minutes ago;
“Heard that Hector Sanchez took another hard foul tip to the mask at AAA Sacramento, and is sidelined as a result.”

WTF are the Giants doing with this kid? IMO, if they continue to play him at C, it’s disgraceful. How many concussions do they want him to take before they throw in the towell on catching? If he demands to catch, then they need to cut him loose, let some other unethical organization put him behind the dish. Otherwise, see if he can play some other position, I heard he has tried 1b. If that fails, find a place for him in the organization in coaching, scouting in Venezuela, or whatever. He’s lived the MLB dream more than a little, it’s time to stop risking this guy’s brain health for the rest of his life. I could not present better evidence for the proposition to move Posey away from the C position before something bad happens to the team’s franchise player…
zumiee said, on July 5, 2015 at 1:08 pm

It’s being reported that the Pirates have claimed Ishi, last of the Yahi.
- djloo27 said, on July 5, 2015 at 1:32 pm
  
  They had him last year for a little while, too. They gave up on him quick…
snarkk said, on July 5, 2015 at 1:10 pm

Check out this Carter Capps dude and his pitching, I think he pitched against the Gyros in Miami.
This has to be blatantly illegal. I don’t understand how it cannot be, he’s throwing the ball from a spot 2 feet off the rubber. A 95 mph heater from that distance probably becomes like a 105 mph heater…
http://m.mlb.com/video/topic/21753540/v73287783/miaatl-capps-hopstep-delivery-analyzed
- willedav said, on July 5, 2015 at 1:32 pm
  
  yeah, Giants did a slo mo of this guy when he was in there.
  Blatant disregard of the rules. He leaps forward off the rubber, then throws. Get him outta here.
  
  Thanks for your take on Posey. At this point I’d agree it’s a good move, but Posey to 3b seems unlikely although it might ultimately be in Giants (and of course Posey) best interest. My take on Susac is that (like Duffy) he hasn’t been around near long enough to get a read on what type of hitter he is. Right now he’s a .250-ish hitter who has had problems hitting RHP, and has some D issues. I’d just hate to see Giants go back to rent a C days of Manwaring, Brett Mayne, yada yada.
  I think Belt is a better player than either Duffy or Susac, offensively and defensively, and given the PT should continue to improve. Giants of old days had unfortunate history of dumping off guys who shone once they left.
  - snarkk said, on July 5, 2015 at 1:58 pm
    
    IMO the calculus on Posey is pretty simple, but subjective, and there’s the rub:
    
    1. Are you going to win more games over a season with Posey playing at catcher as a catcher/pitch caller/game manager — or playing at first / third where his offensive production will be materially better compared to a season as catcher?
    2. To whichever alternative in item #1 offers the better outcome, assess it in view of a risk premium applied to his guaranteed career salary to account for the risk of him not playing at all due to concussion risk…
  - Carstie Clausen said, on July 5, 2015 at 2:05 pm
    
    Been on it for years now that the Giants have badly mishandled Belt from the get-go ~ particularly attempting to change his hitting style from an eyes on the ball slash hitter with occasional power to a big clouter. Then this running him out to LF while Posey gradually improves at First. Also been on the notion for the last year or two that Posey’s second position should be 3B. It’s totally logical. As for Susac, we don’t know enough yet to anoint him as permanent catcher. I’d say Buster catches 4 days out of the week, rests one and eases in at third for the other game or two.
    
    Madlock or Kingman anyone? Giants traded them off for peanuts back in the bad old days of the Candlestick curse on Horace Stoneham. Place must have been an Indian burial ground or something suchlike. No doubt that Belt could be a major bomber in a matchbox stadium. Houston would be a natural. I’m not opposed to trading BB9, but the return should be genormous, immense, monstrously huge. SF needs to lay back in the weeds on this. Let the offers emerge. Somebody might be willing to pay too much ~ or at least as much as Belt’s potential indicates. I would not take a #2 starting pitcher for him straight up ~ even a guy who would be under team control for a couple more years. Anyone recall the Cepeda trade?
eddacker said, on July 5, 2015 at 1:28 pm

I’ve heard it said that, because of the release point moving forward after his hop step, the speed of his 96MPH fast ball looks like 103. Reduced reaction time.
zumiee said, on July 5, 2015 at 1:35 pm

Houston’s Correa has talent that is off the charts. If the Astros win the World Series in the next few years, you’d have to say the “tanking” they did for a few years paid off well.
unca_chuck said, on July 5, 2015 at 1:48 pm

Yeah Snarkk, my daughter used to get busted for that when she was playing fast pitch softball. They called it crow-hopping.

It is insane that he gets away with that.
- djloo27 said, on July 5, 2015 at 1:54 pm
  
  I threw greaseballs in Little League thanks to Gaylord Perry.
  The guy in the drugstore never questioned why a 9 year old would buy K-Y jelly.
unca_chuck said, on July 5, 2015 at 1:52 pm

The problem with moving posey is losing defense at other positions. Buster has become very good as a 1B, but the rest dont do the move justice. Without a trade thrown in somewhere. Duffy gets all the rope he needs at this point. Belt in LFG is a downgrade defensively to Aoki even.
zumiee said, on July 5, 2015 at 1:52 pm

Mantle was mentioned….
there’s a new book about Mantle and DiMaggio. That was an interesting moment in Yankee history, that changing of the guard, in the middle of winning 5 championships in a row. A penta-peat?
http://www.amazon.com/Strangers-Bronx-DiMaggio-Mantle-Changing/dp/1629370274/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&sr=1-6&qid=1436129228
snarkk said, on July 5, 2015 at 2:27 pm

On that Capps motion, I did a quick proportional analysis, no quantum mechanics or Newtonian laws. Given that 1 mph = ball travels 1.467 feet/second, it takes the ball .434 seconds to travel 60 feet, 6 inches at 95 mph. Throwing the ball at the same speed from 58 feet, 6 inches, takes .420 seconds, a 3.3% decrease in possible reaction time for the batter. Corresponding increase in perceived speed of the ball would be to 98.14 mph. So, a 95 mph fastball would look like a 98+ mph fastball given that this guy jumps two feet forward from the rubber and then throws it. That’s a lot, even without some fancy pants speed/velocity equations. I think that spells illegal…
- snarkk said, on July 5, 2015 at 2:29 pm
  
  Zito should have jumped about 5′ forward, then thrown it, he’d still be pitching in the big leagues…
- zumiee said, on July 5, 2015 at 2:50 pm
  
  For whatever reason, MLB is going soft-hearted on Capps; I guess with the feeling that making him change would probably be the end of his baseball career at this point. How many pitchers can totally re-do their wind-up in the middle of their career?
  But having said that, the guy is cheating, and why go soft-hearted on a cheater?
  - snarkk said, on July 5, 2015 at 2:56 pm
    
    Probably. I can’t understand why they let the guy progress through the minors doing this. I couldn’t believe it when I first saw the motion. He jumps forward two feet, then pushes off his right pivot foot like there’s a second rubber two feet below the real rubber. The ball releases from his hand basically where the infield grass meets the edge of the dirt on the pitching mound. So, the ball starts on its way out of his hand probably around 52′ from the plate…
- xoot said, on July 5, 2015 at 3:00 pm
  
  the gun measures speed out of the pitcher’s hand so reduce the distance from the hand to the plate and the speed of its arrival has to be higher. Doesn’t it?
  - xoot said, on July 5, 2015 at 3:00 pm
    
    of the ball’s arrival, not the hand
  - snarkk said, on July 5, 2015 at 3:08 pm
    
    If he’s throwing 95, he’s throwing 95. The shorter distance just means the batter has decreased reaction time as if the velocity of the ball were greater had it left the hand 2′ farther back. I don’t know how the radar guns measure the speed, maybe the place where the pitcher lets go of the ball has nada to do with the gun speed that is registered. I’m sure James will weigh in here, and the answer will be that the Giants starters stink…
  - blade3colorado said, on July 5, 2015 at 3:37 pm
    
    It’s done by Doppler radar unit – that may be hand-held, vehicle-mounted or static. It measures the speed of the objects at which it is pointed by detecting a change in frequency of the returned radar signal caused by the Doppler effect, whereby the frequency of the returned signal is increased in proportion to the object’s speed of approach if the object is approaching, and lowered if the object is receding . . . Don’t ask me to explain string theory.
  - xoot said, on July 5, 2015 at 4:17 pm
    
    release a ball at 95 mph and it’ll be going faster 57 feet later than 59 feet later. I think that’s momentum vs. gravity, or something along those lines.
  - xoot said, on July 5, 2015 at 4:19 pm
    
    add to it the difference in distance to the hand and I guess you’ve got a double effect, and it sure does seem unfair
  - xoot said, on July 5, 2015 at 4:21 pm
    
    one article I just saw on line says a FB loses about 10% of its speed from the gun-measure moment at release to crossing the plate. Makes sense.
Carstie Clausen said, on July 5, 2015 at 3:06 pm

Bit of minor league dumpster diving that went under my radar till minutes ago. Tigers dropped Xavier Avery, originally an Orioles draft pick. The left-left outfielder was with their AAA affiliate, the Toledo Mud Hens. His stats there were .305/371/393. So a mid-20’s dude with no power spelled finis for Detroit. He’s done well at the plate in his two games for Sacramento to date. Stuffing or filling with Lollis getting to The Show? Most likely an AAAA type, but probably good for Sacville.
James said, on July 5, 2015 at 3:26 pm

Snarkk, gotta take care of this first before lamenting the pitching’s slide towards a 4 team ERA.

“Are you going to win more games over a season with Posey playing at catcher as a catcher/pitch caller/game manager — or playing at first / third where his offensive production will be materially better compared to a season as catcher?”

It is not a given that he will hit better with a move from catcher, and it is even less certain that his overall value to the team will be greater by no longer occupying an important defensive position that rarely sees players of Posey’s caliber, especially if the move is to one of the two least important positions on the field.

There’s no question that Posey’s 1B stats have been inflated by the disproportionate number of AB’s he’s taken against lefties while starting there (69 left handed SPs vs. 58 righties; normally that ratio would be *2-1* in favor of RHers). We can break it down a little more.

There were 2 seasons where the number of RH starters he faced while starting at 1B actually outnumbered lefties, 2010 and 2014. Not coincidentally, the splits were a little less favorable between catcher/1B those years:

2010 — 860/889 OPS . . . 12 left handed starters, 17 RH
2014 — 849/899 OPS . . . 14 left handed starters, 16 RH

Note that he still faced a lot more lefties than usual over all of these games.

Finally, no one mentions his stats as DH and PH. He has 75 PAs and around a 660 OPS. That’s not a huge number of PAs, but it does drop his non-catching OPS by 40 points, since we are talking about 595 PAs total.

If he’s lurking, the cold one wasn’t gonna do it this time, Lurker John, sorry.
- blade3colorado said, on July 5, 2015 at 4:26 pm
  
  All’s I know is that 11 people have been bitten by sharks in the N. and S. Carolinas. Consequently, I no longer believe you have a better chance of being hit by a coconut, struck by lightening, nor Posey is going to get laid tonight . . . Oh wait, I meant is going to hit better as a result of playing 1st versus catcher. 🙂
  - James said, on July 5, 2015 at 4:36 pm
    
    I’m deeply gratified by your realization, Blade, even if it wasn’t the pretty uncomplicated argument above that directly convinced you. 🙂 I’m now wondering how the relative chances of being killed by a shark have been affected by the disturbing trend you cite . . . .
- snarkk said, on July 5, 2015 at 4:39 pm
  
  James, you’re concluding that the reason he’s done better as a 1bman is largely because he’s faced LHPs when playing 1b. If he were catching those days with an oppo LHP, he’d have faced the same LHPs. He could very well have hit suckage against those LHPs while playing C that day, or he could have been even better against them that day as C compared to playing 1b. We can’t know. So, do you have career stats on what he hits against LHPs as C, vs what he hits against LHPs when he plays 1B? I can’t find that. He doesn’t always face LHPs just as a 1bman, so there have to be comparative stats against LHPs by position. To me, that split would be very interesting and more powerful to answer the question whether he’s a better hitter as a 1bman…
  - James said, on July 5, 2015 at 4:52 pm
    
    You’re right, Snarrk, the actual lefty/righty splits would be more definitive. I simply don’t care enough to put those together cuz it would be a fucking pain in the ass, and Blade would then really have a reason to think I was nuts :-). The stats that I have put together strongly suggest what those splits would look like, though.
zumiee said, on July 5, 2015 at 3:53 pm

The Mets are delivering a whooping on the Dodgers, 8-0 so far.
- Macdog said, on July 5, 2015 at 4:14 pm
  
  And the U.S. women doing the same to Japan.
  - zumiee said, on July 5, 2015 at 4:46 pm
    
    Yeah, even kicking one in from mid-field. Cool shot.
snarkk said, on July 5, 2015 at 4:48 pm

Gawd, Kruk and Kuip and the rest of them are just whining way too much on this late game, cross country trip following stuff. We get it. But, Suck.It.Up. Try winning the damn game tonight and make the trip tomorrow a little more enjoyable…
wilcojoe said, on July 5, 2015 at 4:50 pm

So a week ago there were eight Royals leading the All Star Vote and now only four get elected. As if this wasn’t already a farce, you gotta think it is now.
zumiee said, on July 5, 2015 at 5:02 pm

Congrats to Buster: starting All-Star catcher.
snarkk said, on July 5, 2015 at 5:06 pm

Cuzzy is still an umpire? WTF?…
zumiee said, on July 5, 2015 at 5:06 pm

American League

C: Salvador Perez, Royals

1B: Miguel Cabrera, Tigers

2B: Jose Altuve. Astros

3B: Josh Donaldson, Blue Jays

SS: Alcides Escobar, Royals

OF: Mike Trout, Angels

OF: Lorenzo Cain, Royals

OF: Alex Gordon, Royals

DH: Nelson Cruz, Mariners

National League

C: Buster Posey, Giants

1B: Paul Goldschmidt, Diamondbacks

2B: Dee Gordon, Marlins

3B: Todd Frazier, Reds

SS: Johnny Peralta, Cardinals

OF: Bryce Harper, Nationals

OF: Matt Holliday, Cardinals

OF: Giancarlo Stanton, Marlins

The NL manager picks the NL DH?
- wilcojoe said, on July 5, 2015 at 5:11 pm
  
  Do they have a DH? It’s being played in a NL park? The whole thing is a joke. I just don’t see how KC fans we’re going to suddenly let up on the ballot stuffing going into the final week. If I was one of the Royal ballot stuffers, I would be pissed right about now.
blade3colorado said, on July 5, 2015 at 5:10 pm

I keep forgetting to post this thought regarding Willie’s line, “I’ve followed baseball since the ’60s, and I think guys from Mays era would be disdainful of the idea of protecting a guy by moving him out of C.”

Actually, the 1960s were the start of managers being more cognizant of how many consecutive games catchers played at their primary position . . . Joe Torre actually was moved from catcher very early on (I think after 4 or 5 seasons). Johnny Bench, who began his career in the late 60s, also saw a lot of 1st base, OF, and 3rd base. If you want “iron men,” then go to the 30s, 40s, and 50s . . . Some of those dudes, e.g., Mickey Cochrane, Bill Dickey – catcher is all they played. However, even Yogi Berra played quite a few games at other positions (primarily outfield, i.e., not much of a break).

I also found this fascinating . . . Roger Bresnahan was the first catcher to wear shin guards following the example played by europeans in Cricket. Steve Yeager was the first to wear the flap below his mask to protect his neck, after a splintered bat struck him in the adam’s apple.
- willedav said, on July 5, 2015 at 5:53 pm
  
  Couple notable exceptions, granted. but Cs know the drill, and most live it as far as they can. I don’t recall any others doing that, except for a guy like Biggio who could play CF. Posey has said all along it’s what he wants to do and likes and he’s dang good at it, and I think most Cs feel the same way. It’s a badge of honor.
  I’m not downplaying taking one off the mask, but it’s been the same for 100 yrs–a tough job for tough guys.
  
  Something else: one of the A’s guys that got moved to 1b/OF said he missed being in the action–calling every pitch, making signals, talking to the P, et al. You are a part of everything and have to assess constantly what the D is like, what your pitcher has, what hitter is looking for, what ump is giving. I think Posey digs that a lot, and with 3 rings to show, he’s dang good at it.
  - blade3colorado said, on July 5, 2015 at 6:01 pm
    
    Speaking of “tough guys,” catcher Moe Berg is not only tough, he would probably kill someone too. Couple that with being a brainiac, I vote for him as the toughest of the tough. This story illustrates it . . .
    
    “Light-hitting, Princeton-educated Moe Berg managed to play 15 seasons in the majors. Recruited as a spy during WWII, Berg once listened to a lecture by Werner Heisenberg with orders to shoot him if the physicist hinted that the Germans were close to building a nuclear weapon.”
zumiee said, on July 5, 2015 at 5:12 pm

The worst thing about the All-Star Game is the decision a couple of years ago to give the players Thursday off, too. It’s too long a break, and it’s not how you grow the sport. One of the biggest selling points of baseball is the everyday aspect of it. That huge break is a slap to the fans, in my opinion. But, of course, they never ask the fans’ opinion.
- zumiee said, on July 5, 2015 at 5:14 pm
  
  And then MLB gripes about losing fans to other sports. The NFL training camps open pretty soon, but hey, baseball can take extra days off.
  - wilcojoe said, on July 5, 2015 at 5:19 pm
    
    And let’s not forget the NBA season now starts during the World Series. Also Opening day/night usually coincides with the NCAA March madness final game.
  - zumiee said, on July 5, 2015 at 5:26 pm
    
    Yeah, it’s almost kind of amazing how bad baseball has been in its history at marketing its sport compared to football and basketball. Baseball got lazy in the first half of the 20th century, assuming it would always be the national pastime, and then the other sports eventually caught and passed them.
Carstie Clausen said, on July 5, 2015 at 5:16 pm

Noting where Panik just lined out to left left me wondering about the BBIP factor considering the fact that during this recent slump the Giants have had what seems to be a disproportionate number of lineouts lately ~ many of them in critical situations. Any ideas or further info?
zumiee said, on July 5, 2015 at 5:23 pm

This has no bearing on the discussion about pitchers’ throwing speed, but I read in a baseball book earlier this year that the 60′ 6″ is measured from the front of the rubber to the BACK of the plate. I thought that was sort of interesting. I always assumed it was to the front of the plate.
gianthead said, on July 5, 2015 at 5:39 pm

Alright Flappers..checking in from the game. Gorgeous night, I need a stogie. Sorry Flav, my email is down so no pics….but the weather was fairly decent all weekend. Who got demoted for Adrianza? GO Giants..get one on this trip and get back to 3 out….
James said, on July 5, 2015 at 5:45 pm

I know many hate the strike zone graphic on ESPN. I think it’s a great addition.
- zumiee said, on July 5, 2015 at 5:48 pm
  
  I’m not even a fan of every pitch being shown from behind the pitcher. I’d like to see other angles mixed in, like they used to use way back in the day.
  - James said, on July 5, 2015 at 5:56 pm
    
    Every once in a great while, they seem to forget to cut to the standard shot before the pitch is delivered.
gianthead said, on July 5, 2015 at 5:48 pm

Does Voggy have 4 innings in him? 😦
- zumiee said, on July 5, 2015 at 5:50 pm
  
  When he goes into nibble-mode, it’s usually bad.
blade3colorado said, on July 5, 2015 at 5:55 pm

GH, I’m not absolutely certain, but I think Bozo might be at the game too. By the by, if you are monitoring the Flap Bozo, I am about 161 miles (in Rocky Mount) from the Outer Banks of N. Carolina. Give me a shout if you want to do lunch or dinner. I will be in the Outer Banks tomorrow.
- gianthead said, on July 5, 2015 at 6:07 pm
  
  Bozo in in the house….I guess safer than the NC beaches:) …late decision to attend for me. My kid was coming with a friend and I did not realize it was a night game and he is still a naive 15 year old and would probably end up in the wrong end of the Hood via metro.
  
  They were at the Friday night game and got lost on the way to the game and took the metro to the wrong board of town and ended up going all the way an extra 14 stops..knucklehead boys at this age….
zumiee said, on July 5, 2015 at 6:03 pm

The Giants are kinda boring lately.
- James said, on July 5, 2015 at 6:10 pm
  
  I’m not sure how I’d feel about an exciting 5 game losing streak.
willedav said, on July 5, 2015 at 6:10 pm

the droning on about Harper is just another reason never to watch ESPN again.
Just give him the plaque and set it up in cooperstown right now in the middle of the broadcast.
- zumiee said, on July 5, 2015 at 6:16 pm
  
  And now an exciting in-game interview with Scherzer. My favorite thing: the in-game interview!
Macdog said, on July 5, 2015 at 6:18 pm

We interrupt this interview to show you a home run by the Giants shortstop.
zumiee said, on July 5, 2015 at 6:20 pm

What a great interview; they almost missed Craw’s HR.
James said, on July 5, 2015 at 6:21 pm

Kruk and Kuip are old school and FOS often enough, but they are infinitely preferable to this crap.
zumiee said, on July 5, 2015 at 6:23 pm

I hate the interview; but especially if the team is going to mess around during the interview, then pull the plug on it. The broadcasters should say “We’re out of here,” and cut the interview off. A lot of times, like tonight, teams pelt people with stuff during the interviews. What’s the point?
- djloo27 said, on July 5, 2015 at 6:29 pm
  
  Great news about Pence from Bochy…
  - wilcojoe said, on July 5, 2015 at 6:32 pm
    
    Yeah, that came out of nowhere.
- blade3colorado said, on July 5, 2015 at 6:31 pm
  
  Got lucky and my hotel has the game on (must be because I am so close to Washington . . . dunno). Anywho, I agree with everything you guys are saying, especially the inane interview, made worse by not showing video of the game while the talking heads drone on. Mac, your spot on (funny too) when you say,
  
  “We interrupt this interview to show you a home run by the Giants shortstop.”
unca_chuck said, on July 5, 2015 at 6:30 pm

Can they get a shut down inning?
wilcojoe said, on July 5, 2015 at 6:31 pm

John Kruk always sounds (and looks for that matter) like he is sitting thru a time share presentation.
- djloo27 said, on July 5, 2015 at 6:47 pm
  
  lulz!
unca_chuck said, on July 5, 2015 at 6:32 pm

Wow. The Nats won the inning even though they didn’t score?

Interesting concept.
unca_chuck said, on July 5, 2015 at 6:35 pm

Looks line Susak got into porn on this roadie.
- djloo27 said, on July 5, 2015 at 6:46 pm
  
  lulz!
unca_chuck said, on July 5, 2015 at 6:40 pm

Boch drops the F bomb
Carstie Clausen said, on July 5, 2015 at 6:42 pm

Vogie’s big test comes in the bottom of the 5th with the top of the order coming to bat. If he can keep those first two batters from getting on base it could go okay or not so bad.
Macdog said, on July 5, 2015 at 6:46 pm

I didn’t think there was a worse ump than Angel Hernandez. This is bullshit, someone should throw Cuzzi out.
unca_chuck said, on July 5, 2015 at 6:48 pm

Wow. Just wow. Xyzzy’ shaving a bad night and the Giants pay.
wilcojoe said, on July 5, 2015 at 6:48 pm

Bochy looks like he is trying to hold a shit in his ass.
zumiee said, on July 5, 2015 at 6:54 pm

Well, that livened up the game. 🙂
gianthead said, on July 5, 2015 at 6:56 pm

Well he got into the 5th inning..that’s a positive…
unca_chuck said, on July 5, 2015 at 6:57 pm

Throw harp out for that.
zumiee said, on July 5, 2015 at 6:57 pm

Nice job by Osich. Did I spell his name right?
zumiee said, on July 5, 2015 at 7:01 pm

Congrats to the U.S. Women: World Cup champs.
Carstie Clausen said, on July 5, 2015 at 7:04 pm

Presumably Vogie was not hurt or anything. He did okay holding em to that single run. So Bochy faces the danger zone by inserting Osich to face three guys culminating with Harper and handles it just fine. It was two or three weeks ago when i started getting the feeling that Osich was ready for The Show ~ judging by his dominant work at Richmond and that fast call-up to Sacramento. Mentioned i thought he was ready here on the blog. Sometimes i get it right. Missed calls on quite a few pipeliners, so this one feels good.

Could be Bochy is actually grooming the kid for the long-neglected fireman role. In effect that inning was a step in that direction, though with a clean slate for starters.
- zumiee said, on July 5, 2015 at 7:06 pm
  
  Vogie was thrown out of the game by the homeplate umpire. So was Bochy.
- zumiee said, on July 5, 2015 at 7:07 pm
  
  Osich did well. He stepped up.
- djloo27 said, on July 5, 2015 at 7:30 pm
  
  Affeldt sure as hell won’t be back next year…
Macdog said, on July 5, 2015 at 7:14 pm

Maybe Wotus isn’t manager material.
pawliekokonuts said, on July 5, 2015 at 7:15 pm

I was watching at the house of local Giants fan who went to Bellarmine HS. Heard the ejections on the radio. Fun!
pawliekokonuts said, on July 5, 2015 at 7:18 pm

This fecking game is fecking pissing me fecking off.
unca_chuck said, on July 5, 2015 at 7:21 pm

Fick feck fuck. Fuhgeddabouddit.
gianthead said, on July 5, 2015 at 7:23 pm

So Bozo’s not in the house…
- pawliekokonuts said, on July 5, 2015 at 7:47 pm
  
  he might be at the game, right?
James said, on July 5, 2015 at 7:27 pm

Maybe I’m not so happy having my observations about missed ball/strike calls confirmed by that graphic after all . . . .
blade3colorado said, on July 5, 2015 at 7:36 pm

Nice play by Escobar, but wtf is that around his neck? A bicycle lock? Sheesh, I was just catching up to those multi colored Phiten necklaces, which have become the must-have accessory for many professional athletes, especially MLB players. Athletes claim that the necklaces improve their performance on the field because they are infused with something called “aqua-titanium ” which works like small magnets to realign the body’s biologic electrical fields. If so, is this considered a PED?
unca_chuck said, on July 5, 2015 at 7:43 pm

More like.a pud.
unca_chuck said, on July 5, 2015 at 7:44 pm

Of course
unca_chuck said, on July 5, 2015 at 7:45 pm

If we do win this game. It’ll rally help this roadie.
pawliekokonuts said, on July 5, 2015 at 7:49 pm

ugh
pawliekokonuts said, on July 5, 2015 at 7:51 pm

listening on radio…they made it sound as if Pagan took his time……sheesh, he made a real nice play when I was watching
xoot said, on July 5, 2015 at 7:51 pm

Tonight Osich had a bit of control trouble, as he did the other day. But his FB and cutter are excellent pitches. Might be just the LH the pen needs.
djloo27 said, on July 5, 2015 at 7:51 pm

Javier might’ve blown his All Star trip…
djloo27 said, on July 5, 2015 at 8:00 pm

I’ve had all day to think about my proposed Mariner trade. It’s even better than I originally thought.
- blade3colorado said, on July 5, 2015 at 8:06 pm
  
  Loo, I’m still in your corner . . . Make it so.
  
  Screw sentimentality – GMen better trade Timmy, Belt, and Petit, before they are worth less then the proverbial bag of balls. 🙂
  - djloo27 said, on July 5, 2015 at 8:13 pm
    
    Tim’s going there next year anyway. Belt won’t put up numbers that would embarrass us. And Petit looks like a journeyman who had a fluky great year. This team needs a big change. The guys we would get from Seattle aren’t superstars but I think they’d be good fits and help turn us around.
unca_chuck said, on July 5, 2015 at 8:02 pm

Kruk just babbles nonsensical bullshit
- djloo27 said, on July 5, 2015 at 8:05 pm
  
  So do we…
snarkk said, on July 5, 2015 at 8:12 pm

Well, this familiar disaster of an ECoast roadie probably guarantees the Giants won’t win the division, but the 2nd WC berth is probably assured now…
- blade3colorado said, on July 5, 2015 at 8:21 pm
  
  I don’t think so. If you recall, last season’s slide was significantly worse. Moreover, during the preseason and spring training, I think outside of myself, Chi, Pawlie, Bozo, and maybe 2-4 others here – everyone else had the Giants in a “transition” season, competing for golf times in October.
  
  Seriously, this isn’t that bad.
  - snarkk said, on July 5, 2015 at 8:25 pm
    
    Well, I’m still thinking this clearly is a “transition” season, particularly for starting pitching, which has yet to be figured out. I predicted them to be a WC #2 again, and I’m sticking with it…