Thursday!
What is up with all these pitchers hitting home runs? Bum you expect. But then Voggy goes oppo. Freaking Hudson hits one. And now Peavy rakes out his 3rd career bomb?
His revival this year has been epic.
Zito vs Hudson looming?
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A Place To Talk About Giants Baseball 
An off-day, soon to be followed by nearly five months of them. The players will have a chance to recoup and recover. We fans will soon enough be jonesing for baseball again. For me there is no replacement as NLF holds very little interest, NBA nun- and hockey not quite enough to follow it. Giants still possess the basis for a dominant team ~ that five-man+ homegrown infield. Addition of a starting pitcher and a solid outfielder and this outfit is loaded for bear ~ well, at least Cubs, Cards, Bucs and LaBumbos.
OK so Williamson is here plus:
Aoki
Pence
Pagan
Blanco
Byrd
deAza
Perez
Parker
Lollis and/or hologram to be named later.
So how many keepers, how many you throw back in the pond?
My gawd, the Reds pitching is just awful. Ron Herbel might have taken one of these guys deep.
The late Ron Herbel was the first Giant autograph I ever got.
The big stars couldn’t be bothered…
you still got it?
If I do, I’d love to know where it is…
Pagan, Pence, and Blanco are signed through next year, so they are a given to be on the club (Pagan, as long as he is healthy, and come ST next year, I think he will be).
I lay the odds at 50-50 that Aoki is brought back next year. (There is a club option at 5.5 mil with a .7 mil buyout).
Tomlinson is not on your list, but I think he gets every opportunity to make the club next year as a utility guy. I suspect they will give him some opportunities to play some OF, too (either in winter ball or in ST).
Parker, Perez and Lollis will get a look in ST, but no guarantee that any will make the club.
I have not seen enough of Williamson to get a feel how good (or poor) a chance he has to crack the big club next year.
Byrd I would give serious consideration at an extra OFer if they can get him for a decent amount, and short-term deal (one year plus an option, etc.).
I am like Loo…I want to like De Aza, but not sure he has shown enough to get a crack at making the club next year.
Too bad Huddy can’t hit off Zito.
If anyone’s bored, please check out my 2 potential conversation starters at the very end of the last thread.
Or don’t.
I liked your Willie Mac award question, Loo. Loo asked who of the following is most likely to win the award:
A) Duffy
B) Posey
C) Bumgarner
D) Crawford
Any others who have strong potential at winning it?
Posey and Bum have won it (but there have been a few who won it multiple times). I am leaning Craw on this one, even with the late-season injuries and being stuck on 19 HRs for what seems like forever.
Here is what I thought was a good article on the status of the team heading into next year. And no, by sharing this, it does NOT mean I have run the white flag up the damned flag pole yet!
http://grantland.com/the-triangle/mlb-san-francisco-giants-even-year-2016-world-series/
Assuming the players love Peavy the same way Bochy does, I could see him winning it……..
Thanks for the update on Hank Schulman, Loo. Though he wasn’t my favorite beat writter, I wish him well in his recovery…Gotta think it’s Crawford for the Willie Mac.
Yep Crawford. Duffy runs a close second. I would keep Aoki, Pagan just has not proved that he can stay healthy, so keep Aoki for lead off, he did very well till he got hurt. If the Giants don’t keep Aoki, who could lead off if not Pagan?
Giants have an option on Aoki. Pagan is signed for next year. If he is healthy (and I assume he will be), he will be your opening day CFer. Want to lose another beer, Kev?
😷😷😷 ⚾️⚾️⚾️
I think Duffy should be given a shot at leadoff if Angel flops or just needs a rest…
Hudson vs. Zito? Not if our boys are not mathematically eliminated. Put the best guy out there who gives you a chance to win, and a Hudson nursing a sore hip isn’t that guy, IMNSHO…
I appreciate everything both of them did in helping the Giants win a pennant, but time to give them their gold wristwatches and let them ride off into the sunset.
hard time typing. WE are OJK, zeke too. will look for cats when can return. At evac center in Calistoga. HOUse burnen to the geround. will check in when I CAN
My god Twin, so sorry to hear that. I was thinking about you the other day. You, Merna and the furry ones are in our thoughts and prayers.
Wow…so sorry to hear about the loss of your home, Twin. But thankful that you, Merna and the animals are ok. Blessings to you and yours, Twin.
Twin,&Merna, Zeke, and anyother critters you may have, are always in my thoughts!
So sorry to hear about your house, and all your possessions.
Take care, Kat
Devastating, twin, the Lake fire just became very real for me. The Butte fire already had. God Bless you and keep you safe.
Twin: So sorry to read about that. Wishing all the best and please let the Flap know if there’s anything we can do to help you and Merna get it back together again.
WHAT THE FUCK? Twin you guys got hit by that fire? Holy shit.
emailed twin. Not sure if he’ll get it or how he’ll check it. Or where they’re going to live. Wow, this news is just devastating.
Really awful. I hope they have relatives or friends they can stay with…
What terrible news. The good news is that they got out. Some didn’t make it out.
Was this a widespread fire that you guys heard about?
Loo – yes. This is a fire that in its first 18 hours grew from nothing to 40,000 acres. It was insane. High winds, low humidity, and multiple years of drought have primed Northern California to be a tinderbox.
I’m also leaning to Crawford edging out Duffy for the Willie Mac…
Loo, tonight’s game in KC has to get you a little jazzed up, right? I think KC takes them by a TD at least.
I’m very psyched for my Super Chiefs as they were known 45 short years ago. They better not lay a fuckin’ egg on national TV. I’m so sick of Manning humiliating them year in and year out. I want to see him on the ground a half dozen times. Statement game…
i HATE the Denver Broncos (nearly as much as I hate USC). Will stand with you on this. And while I was never a big Alex Smith fan I certainly never bagged on him the way some fans did. He’s a great guy and a good QB and I’d love to see him hand Manning an L tonight.
Diggity’s a Chief fan, too, I think…
there have been 2 huge fires up here recently—Valley Fire and Butte Fire. Twin is near Calistoga so he got caught up in the Valley Fire. As I understand it, several hundred homes have burned to ground.
I think the number is now up to about 600.
i forgot he lived up there to be honest. I mean, both he and his wife (especially his wife) have a lot pf physical issues and needs. I just can’t imagine what they’re going to do. As Loo said, hopefully they can stay with some friends. Pretty sure they don’t have any family in the area. Maybe a gofundme page is in order…….
I absolutely agree on the gofundme page. Twin may have rubbed some the wrong way over the years, but in my book, he is big time Flap family. We should do anything we can to help him and Merna get back on their feet. So sad…the fire and folks losing all of their possesions is one thing, but it is another when you know folks who personally lost their homes and possesions.
they need to change to infraction. It’s no longer *roughing the passer*. They should call it “jostling the passer” or maybe “Ruffling the Feathers of the passer”
Loo wrote: “The late Ron Herbel was the first Giant autograph I ever got.
The big stars couldn’t be bothered…”
That reminded me of one of the opening scenes in “Ball Four.” Bouton, as a child, begging Alvin Dark for an autograph, and Dark saying: “Take a hike, kid.” It sets the tone for what “Ball Four” is going to be.
I saw a recent interview with Bouton where he said that for a long time the Yankees shunned him, but in recent years they’ve been inviting him back to reunions. Enough water has passed under the bridge. Plus, just about everyone in baseball now recognizes “Ball Four” as being brilliant and, ultimately, good for baseball. The fans LOVE “Ball Four,” and I bet a lot of the players, past and present, do too.
The players that read, and how many is that? 🙂
Bouton tragically lost a daughter in a car accident. Unfortunately, I think that might have been a factor…
I didn’t know this. From Wikipedia:
“Things changed in June 1998, when Bouton’s oldest son Michael wrote an eloquent Father’s Day open letter to the Yankees which was published in the New York Times, in which Michael described the agony of his father following the August 1997 death of Michael’s sister Laurie at age 31. By juxtaposing the story of Yogi Berra’s self-imposed exile with that of his father’s de facto banishment, Michael created a scenario where not only were the Yankees placed under public pressure to invite his father back, but the article paved the road to reconciliation between Yankees owner George Steinbrenner and Berra.
In July 1998, Bouton, sporting his familiar number 56, received a standing ovation when he took the mound at Yankee Stadium. He has since become a regular fixture at Yankees Old-Timers’ Games.”
Some good halftime reading:
http://www.mercurynews.com/giants/ci_28832395/jeremy-affeldts-giants-career-could-be-winding-down
this was posted at the baggs blog…
I couldn’t find the KTVU footage that “Curly” mentioned last night, but I did find a news article with quotes from both Scotts (below). My God. Main Street in Middletown. I saw the photos on Twitter when it was happening–it looked like Hell. When I think of those two and Zeke with their health/mobility issues having to flee for their lives…
The Lake County evacuees are either in Kelseyville or Calistoga (Napa County Fairgrounds).
————————————
Merna and Michael Scott, both 68, nearly got stuck in their home on Main Street in Middletown on Saturday night. Both have mobility issues – Merna uses a wheelchair and Michael uses a walker – and neither drives, so getting out proved complicated.
“We could see flames all around our house, but we were just trying to hold out,” Merna Scott said.
“We’ve never been in a situation like that,” Michael added. “We called 911 and asked them if there was a mandatory evacuation and they said, ‘Hell yeah, get out!’”
http://www.idahostatesman.com/…
WOW> I have tried to confirm if they lost their home or not, will forward any info. I know he did some type of reverse mortgage vet program thing about 6 years ago and there are a lot of limits and contingencies on coverage, if any. The fact that they’re both physically restricted in many ways makes the present a huge concern.
I just checked Baggs blog, based on giants54 post above. He posted there the same message. Sounds like they did indeed lose the home. In addition to the quote he and Merna gave the paper, appears he was also interviewed on KTVU. Appears they are at a rescue shelter in Calistoga. Lots of good folks on Baggs blog offering their wishes and help as well. Just devastating, but if anyone can survive this, it’s Michael.
Twin: I don’t know what to say man, other than you are in my thoughts and I wish you all the best bouncing back from this. You’re a tough dude who has overcome a lot already, I know you can get through this as well.
“MIddletown”. I’ve been hearing about it for a week, it’s on the news day and night, I just never put 2 and 2 together. I have a few return addresses of old packages with *Middletown* on them including the McClain bat package.
I think Twin once said he had season tix to the Giants for like 30 years. The organization should help out a loyal fan in trouble (like they did for Brian Stow). It’s a fantasy but I ain’t kidding.
Considering all that he has been thru and the numerous connections he has made between the Splash, the Merc and here, it wouldn’t be out of the question. He was THE reason I read the Splash on a regular basis. He was the Don Rickles of the baseball blog world with his insults and jabs. It almost felt like a badge of honor to be called a “dunderhead” by him. Yet his knowledge of the game was second to none. You may have loved him one day but threatened to never speak to him the next. I will never forget the day Snarkk noticed his incoherent typing and connected with Craig to call for help. Not sure that saved his live (he must have more than his cat) but it certainly could have.
Yeah, I think a little help from the Giants, Hearst News Group, whoever owns the Merc and of course all of us is not out of the question.
Great post Wilco. I remember having similar experiences with Twin on both the Splash, and here. And yes, one day I could not stand the man, and the next all was good. I have learned more about the game of baseball from Twin than from anyone else (and I have let him know this). I agree with all the excellent suggestions:
gofundme page
Exploring having the Giants help
Getting the Merc and Chronicle involved, etc.
Yes Loo, I’m a Chiefs fan and for me, there is no more despised rival than the Broncos. I love that Elway is still affiliated with them as it makes the hatred continue to flow abundantly. When I think of Chiefs/Broncos, I think of the MNF game where Derrick Thomas completely lost it and started tearing guys helmets off and racking up personal fouls. I think he got ejected and I loved every second of it as it seemed like he cared just as much or more than I did. DT 58 in his prime was something else and I don’t think he fully gets the due he deserves.
I never asked for many autographs, mainly because I was just too shy. My first was Al Bumbry at the Coliseum. He was having a conversation with Dennis Martinez at the time. El Presidente couldn’t be bothered. To be fair, he was a young guy at that time and probably couldn’t speak a word of English. The Orioles were my AL team back in the day. I was a big Bobby Grich guy.
no surprise we’re on the same page. I agree with almost every single thing you posted here, including the Orioles part.
I loved DT, too but I thought he had a tendency to disappear in big games.
I respect Martinez for speaking candidly about his alcohol problem. He said that sometimes on the mound, all he could think about was the bottle of wine chilling in his hotel room refrigerator…
I hang in Airfield often not far from Napa. I could make a visit next week if things get stable and it would be of any help.
regarding Twin, who probably won’t be reading any of this until later: let’s gather more information and go from there. Not sure what we can do, but whatever we can do isn’t going to happen until more information comes forth. For now, 2 Flaps raised as high as we can raise ’em….
Yep, by the time the weekend is done they could both be in the loving confines of family love somewhere. I sure hope so.
Keep us posted BF, maybe there’s something we Flappers can do. Disturbing news for sure …
Coach Cowher and Deion, there’s a pair I could listen to until they show me something different.
Jim Nantz has a regular Thursday morning chat on KNBR. Bay Area guy with lots of experience doing what he does. He also does golf which is where I have heard him before.
Oh, Michael, if you’re reading this…. I join all Flappers everywhere in directing all my energies and thoughts to you and Merna….
Oh no, I’m very sorry to hear about Twin, all my thoughts and prayers are with him and Merna.
Twin, damn. Hope you and Merna are hanging in there. I had forgotten you were in that area.
And DJ, sorry for your loss tonight as well. Denver is on my least favorite team list but shit losing on 2 TDs with less than a minute left? Fuck.
Thanks, Chuck. I’m actually quite used to it.
For all the shit attributed to Alex, he gets fucked over in these bizarre losses.
Is there any way you twitter gurus can use twitter to find Oracle or somebody that knows what’s going on with him and Merna?…
Twin, so sorry to hear your bad news. I hope y’all are able to stay safe. I thought about you when I saw pictures of Torres and Flan, playing together at Slims. Pagan and Peavy were also there. From what I read Torres and Pagan lifted Bryan Stow up to the stage (Slims doesn’t have a ramp). Its a long video but thought you might get a kick out of it.
Take care, Twin.
Despite the tragedy of losing home and possessions, good to hear Twin and Mrs. at least got out safely.
Sorry for your loss.
Regarding the fire, Middletown is basically no more. Pretty much the entire town burned to the ground. I have seen a lot of wildfires in my days, but the devestation of this fire was unreal.
new thread.