Another Win, Another Irritating Krukism
I missed the end of the game. What can I say? I’m a baller with a bedtime. Kudos to those of you who clawed your way to that win.
“Money in the bank” goes tonight and I can’t see how they lose this game….
My newest irritation with Mike Krukow (after pitchers who “will throw anything at any time” and his constant pre-game blather about what type of strike that day’s umpire will be calling): always calling a runner fast or declaring that he has good speed. Regardless of how fast or slow they actually are…..
What bothers you most about our beloved K/K tandem?
A Place To Talk About Giants Baseball 
One of last night’s “keys to the game” was to get the crowd into it. I found that mildly annoying.
that sounds like a *Vida Blue* key to the game.
Yeah, maybe. I was watching in the sports book without sound. I know you’re always flaming Vida but I like the guy.
Here are a few Krukisims that come to mind:
-“Gottagetthat,gottagetthat,gottagetthat”
– The way he pronounces “squat” and Coors Light, the Worlds most refreshing “beer”
– “That’s a big league hang with em”
– Uglyfinder
– Horselaugh
– “ownage is ownage”
– and of course “grab some pine meat”
But yeah the pitcher and umpire schtick is defineltly the most annoying, with the pronunciation of squat and beer right behind.
All that being said, they are still ten millions times better than any other crew in the game. It will be a sad day for sure when they hang it up.
Kuiper’s “magic wandoo” was getting annoying; but mercifully, he’s not using it as much as he used to.
I could do without Krukow’s “all he got was what the little bird left on the rock.”
I love K&K. It’s a great broadcast team. Although, as I’ve said before, Kuip is kind of miscast. He’s better on radio.
historical origin of that term: the entire broadcast team started using that when they couldn’t really wrap their collective brain around the concept of BABIP. I found it to be mildly amusing at first. Then I just got irritated that they couldn’t understand BABIP…….
If you listen Kruk says mostly same things about everyone..” he’s got mid 90s fastball, he’ll cut it, sink it plus he has curve slider change up and will use all of them.”
Was listening along to phils 8th and agree with Mac post—no reason to issue 6 walks to the light hitting Phils.
half their starting LU last night was guys in the .650 OPS and under range. Note to Paul that’s why they are where they are–they had been getting great pitching and when it turned a little sour not enough offense to make up for it. They are last in NL almost all imp offensive categories–runs OB BA SLG OPS, in a hitters yard no less.
Second time I’ve seen or heard Gearrin walk in a run. With the D behind him, truly ridiculous. I know he’s been effective but watching him just bugs me. He is so freaking slow, from time he gets ball back from C. He walks around and fidgets, looks in, gets sign and then hesitates some more before finally throwing the pitch. And he does this every….single…pitch. If he was on Yanks or Red Sox their games would take 5 hours instead of 4.
I realize Pagan isn’t going anywhere, and hey he helped out big time last night. He has been much better hitter vs. LHP and Giants LU heavily skewed with LH. But we’ll see how he holds up and if he can keep that OPS in .700 range that’s the ceiling. Imo that’s all you can hope for, as opposed to Mac and Parker potential, some of which they are already showing.
When Giants signed Aoki last year I cringed because imo he was never going to be as good as Blanco, and he wasn’t. Blanco is still a better defensive OF than Pagan and I’m sure Bochy’s choice to back up CF.
Blanco, Pagan and Span should almost never start in the same game together. Bad synergy. Same-same, the Parker/Williamson duo should always get at least one start between the two of them. Better balance throughout. Ideal with Pagan might be to play him four games per week, two replacing Span and two at a corner. If Bochy can mix and match his outfielders like he does those bullies, i think we got a satisfactory outfield plus a reasonably potent bench.
I don’t think Pagan should play CF at all.
Dirt: Then who you gonna play in CF when Span is dragging?
Ideally Blanco spells Pagan or Spahn on their days off.
Wilco–good list and I mentioned the “squat” thing the other day and I can’t believe I forgot it today. I put *squat* up there right with all the top most annoying things he says…..
And I agree with everyone about K/K being better than everyone else. I mostly enjoy them. But hey, spend enough time around anything or anyone and you start to get annoyed. At least I do. Guess that’s why I never got married. lqtm
PaulinAsia and I call it “relationship proof.” Not referring to you, but us. 🙂
That’s superb.
Can I use it?
Five more in the books and we’re halfway through the season. We should be at 50 wins or better at that point. Nice place to be going into the second half.
The “eliminate me” and “gamer babe” schtick are probably the two things that annoy me most with Krukow. His scouting report has become pretty lame but I appreciate his insight on pitching. He often seems to really want to tell the viewer what pitch is coming which I find amusing.
I could go on forever, as I don’t care for K and K and regularly watch the other team’s feed , but will keep it brief.
I don’t like how Kruk always tries to be funny and acts like he know stuff when it is obvious he is talking out of his ass. To me, most of his humor is “housewife humor” meant to entertain people who really aren’t serious fans of the game. Good for ratings, I’m sure, but it doesn’t play well with me.
Kuip, I don’t think works hard at his craft. He regularly mispronounces names and doesn’t know opposing rosters very well. As opposed to Flemming, who I love, who nails all that stuff. If I ran the Padres, I’d woo Flem to come down and be the number one guy. On his first day, he’d be the best announcer in the history of the franchise.
I just don’t think KK cater to serious baseball fans. At least not to this serious baseball fan.
That’s a fair criticism, but as you say, they ARE good for ratings. The Giants have done a great job of marketing to women, and K&K are part of that. The little narratives they do with people in the crowd, especially families, is often very clever, and sometimes even poignant. The producers realized early on that it’s something K&K do well, and play to it.
Their obsession with ridiculing cotton candy, I could do without, though. We get it- the stuff is CRAP.
Cotton candy is nothing more than spun sugar ~ same crap as emanates from the mouths of prostiticians and presstitutes.
Ewisco brought this one up last night, “He back-spinned that one right out of here,” or any variation thereof, has more than overstayed its welcome.
I wish Kuip could come up with a different home run call than, “Outta here,” at least once in awhile. I still think Jon Miller is right up there with the best play-by-play guys the Giants have ever had, e.g. Hodges, Simmons, Greenwald, etc.
The MLB site has an interesting little tidbit about the Giants today. In their last 40 games the team is 31-9. In over 60 years only one Giants team has topped that, the ’54 World Champs who reeled off a 33-7 mark in one forty game stretch. That was the year Willie Mays narrowly edged teammate Don Mueller for the batting title on the very last day of the season. It was also the year i became a permanent Giants fan.
You know, like Miller’s, “Adios, Pelota!” Now that’s a good call, and it’s not the only one he uses.
Buster Posey……’s good friend Hunter Pence was a good one.
Other than some of those annoyances already pointed out — “squat” being the main one — I don’t really have any complaints about K&K. My biggest issue, on the radio side, is with Miller, but he’s much beloved here so I won’t get into that.
Say it, I’m interested to hear it.
One example: At times it takes him way too long to give the actual result of a play, which, not being able to see the game, I need to hear ASAP. There was a play last week, when Gearrin inexplicably threw to third for a force instead of going to second to try for a double play. It took Miller at least a minute, probably longer, before he finally said the Giants did get the out at third because he was too busy going on and on about what a dumb decision Gearrin made.
You know what Mac, you are spot on. I actually have noticed the same thing numerous times. Sometimes he gets so descriptive or focused on little details that he fails to mention the obvious yet crucial points of the game, such as whether or not the runner was safe or out. That is actually a major flaw in his craft that never gets mentioned.
I’m glad you mentioned this. I never really consciously noticed it but now that you say it he totally does that and it’s annoying.
One of K&K’s strengths is describing how a player or ump FEELS at a given moment. One of Kuip’s best moments was talking about the ump that ripped off the Giants on two huge strikeout calls against the Dodgers last year. There seemed to be some bad blood in the past between that umpire and Bochy. I remember Kuip saying: “Sometimes guys just don’t like guys,” which was the perfect statement as the camera showed the two men glaring hatred at each other.
I will admit that I do enjoy listening to Hawk Harrelson do White Sox games. His “idioms” are probably the best in the business. Now I probably only catch him five or six times a season, so it’s impossible for me to get tied of him. I just love it when the Sox make a miscue or get robed on a near hit and he says “dawdgumit” with his Souther drawl and really extends it to “daaaaawdgumit”. Reminds me of Roscoe P. Coltrane from the Dukes of Hazzard.
I like him, too! I thought I was probably the only Flapper who did.
Now that I have MLB TV I have a chance to listen to radio broadcasts of any team. I’ll have to give the Hawk a spin.
I love Miller, but a beef I have with him on radio is this (which a lot of radio guys do)….
“There’s a long drive to leftfield…..DEEP…..and foul.”
If you’re at the game or even watching the game on TV, you know early on it’s foul; but listening on radio they can screw around with you like that. Kind of annoys me.
Something I like about K&K is that they don’t overuse nicknames or first names like some broadcasters. The Rockies guys always use CarGo, for example. That’s annoying. The A’s guys always call Coco Crisp by the first name Coco. That’s fingernails on the chalkboard stuff.
I really disliked hearing the nickname El Duque for the Yankee pitcher. Talk about overused.
100% agree with this
The Diamondbacks using Goldie all the time, really gets to me.
That my #1 also, Bozo.
It has actually caused me to take drugs…
Again, no real issues with K&K . . . Go back a week or so when I posted this:
“I have to agree with Sarge (becoming a habit) – on the scale of all things Giants which irritate me, Krukow and Kuiper are barely noted. Maybe it’s because I am in Colorado and when I do access games, it’s via the internet and it’s just as likely to be the opposing team’s announcers – whom usually suck; or, it’s watching the pathetic ROOT announcers doing the Sherpas games. Or, maybe for you guys, it’s that old saying, “Familiarity breeds contempt.” Dunno . . .
My take is that they are the best and I have heard just about all of them (mostly because of my DFS involvement, where I will often switch to various games numerous times during an evening/day of baseball). That being said, my all time favorite remains Hank Greenwald, with the wry, humorous, low key announcing style.”
To be fair, zum, that’s an age-old broadcaster thing, but I do know what you mean.
I’m fine with Kruk, he’s a homer and it takes near child molestation allegations for him to get down on a veteran for crap play, but otherwise, I’ll miss the guy when he’s gone. His sundry Flapper-noted foibles are tolerable to me. Kuip is just fine, too. Other than the oft-mentioned post-game lip smacking, chewing, and swilling noises he makes while yukking it up on the “wrap”. That pisses me off more than anything. I haven’t heard him belch yet, but I’ve missed a few “wraps”. Unprofessional, uncouth, and just downright insulting to the fans, IMO. That’s what lofty status and bulletproof position allows you to do — some lame-ass, rude stuff. If you were talking with an acquaintance or even a friend in a public place, would you talk through a mouthful of popcorn or a ham sandwich? Why do it on 50K watts sending your chewing noises across the western US from Seattle to Denver to Phoenix? Utter bullshit. I’m getting pissed off just writing about it, so that’s enough… 😉
I don’t remember Russ Hodges at all, really. I’m sure I heard him for the first few years of my Giants fandom, but I really have no recollection. The tapes I hear of his game descriptions are usually short, so it’s not a good sample size. This may be heresy, but from what I hear, I’m not that impressed. I know a lot of Flappers liked Greenwald, but he was “meh” for me. Didn’t like his voice, didn’t like his style, his storytelling was OK. Always seemed to me he needed to have his electrical cord plugged in, low energy. His kid Doug is eerily similar. I hope the Giants never employ Doug for the Giants broadcasts. As for Hank, I’d rank Flemming higher. And, he’s just OK for me. Comes off as a smarty pants sometimes, hard to describe. He is better now, more comfortable at criticizing players when they screw up or fail to recognize a situation and play accordingly. Sometimes he annoyingly explains situations that are so obvious, the explanation is unnecessary. Giants fans listening to the game aren’t going to be rookies, most likely. He’s not a storyteller, which is what usually separates better announcers from the rest. To me, he’s an improved version of Steve Physioc…
So, who’s your favorite?
My top 3 Giants announcers:
Lon
Jon Miller
Al Michaels
Top 3 worst:
Art ‘ground hugger” Eckman
Lindsey Nelson
Tim McCarver
Best Duo:
Lon and Al Michaels
Kruk and Kuip
I despised Lindsey Nelson. Me and a friend swore that he was pulling for the other team when calling games. Lon and Al was a great combo.
Mac, I see zum had a similar complaint. That is a maddening habit. I’ll have tune in to a radio broadcast and hear for myself. I wonder if it’s something he carried over from doing so many TV games over the years.
Al Michaels only did a few seasons, but I remember liking his radio calls, mostly because I listened to a ton of games on KSFO and I also met him once at the Stick. A buddy and me mistakenly walked into the broadcast booth, well before the game, and he chatted us up for a few minutes. Nice guy.
This is back when they didn’t have the ridiculous security like they do now. In the ’70’s you bought a bleacher seat and ended up in the boxes. I’m a photographer, but do you know how many times in my life I wish I had a camera with me? Dozens, and that was one of them. 20/20 hindsight.
Broadcasters can have a lot to do with people becoming fans of a certain team. Back in ’71, the fact that the Giants had the great Lon Simmons and the A’s had the awful Monte Moore sealed the deal for me.
Monte Moore! I remember that guy.
He would sound like a used-car huckster when he did his broadcasts. Finley’s perfect broadcaster.
Radio was so huge, with so few games on TV. The few Giants games on SF Channel 2 came in kind of fuzzy on our antenna in the Valley. Every TV game was played in a snowfall. No Valley affiliate carried the games in those days.
And, as has been mentioned before, the Giants were so rarely the NBC game of the week.
I think the art of the radio broadcast is slowly being lost, what with the internet, cable TV, etc. Whereas it used to be the only way to follow your team, outside of going to the games, now it’s like the third or fourth choice. That’s sad, because the best guys could really draw you into the game. Most of the guys coming up now are TV guys, IMO.
Yeah, with so many visual options available, I only listen to the radio broadcasts when I’m driving. And it’s a treat. I like the Giants radio guys a lot, and Kuiper, too, as I said, when he’s doing radio.
I can only barely remember Michaels and Nelson doing Giants broadcasts. I guess I wasn’t listening to nearly as many broadcasts during those rough late-’70s seasons. I tended to just follow those seasons in the newspapers more.
Bit off today’s hot topic. Ain’t i most of the time? Did another trawl through the pipeline and saw a number of items of interest, but one factor stood out. Suppose Cain does not make a full recovery with a reversion to the old beloved, too often Cained Horse. Who you gonna call?
Over the last couple weeks Adalberto Mejia got the call from Richmond, where he was slaying E.L. batters with superb stats. No, not to The Show, but to Sacramento. He’s started two for the Rivercats and is 1-0 over 13.1 I.P.’s. In those innings he has given up 11 hits and five earnies with one home-run for an ERA of 3.38 (not at all bad in the PCL). What really stand out are the rest of the stats. He has surrendered exactly ONE base on balls against 14 Special K’s…which is better than one per. His WHIP stands at 0.90.
My take is that if Cain caint, or if (heavens forfend) we have an injury in the Rotation, Suarez goes full time longman and Mejia gets the call. Should neither of those scenarios transpire i’m virtually certain we will see the 23 Y.O. in September.
I remember MIchael’s vividly. I was just starting to get into the game, my dad would have the transistor radio on down at the stables. I’d watch him work and we’d listen to the game. He wasn’t doing much work, just putting up a fence or feeding the horses or whatever. But it’s easily some of my first baseball memories and it was some of the first memories of spending time with my dad. The rest of my childhood? Well, I’ll always have those Al Michael’s memories. 🙂
Great thread today, lots of good posts. I like that Miller is getting a little flak, though I do like him very much. I do wish he were a bit more critical. Flem is much more likely to criticize, which is another reason I like him.
Flem is actually my all time favorite GIants announcer, with Miller #2, so for me, we’ve got an incredible radio team right now. Worst ever for me was Ron Fairly with David Glass right behind him.
PS My house is out of danger. I’m in Mexico at the moment on a surf n golf trip, but look forward to being back in my bed tomorrow night.
some people go stay in a Red Cross shelter when they get displaced during a natural disaster. San Dawg goes surfing in Mexico. I fucking LOVE IT!
Sometimes I think SD is fucking with us when he speaks of his love for Flemimg. His ranking Flem as his #1 Giants announcer is confirmation of that.
He’s a zigger in a sea of zaggers. Always goes contrarian.
Very good to hear you are ok SD … Seemed like touch & go for a moment there …
As for the topic of the day … I have to agree with what SD just said. Fleming is my guy, and it is mostly because he is not afraid to be critical of the team or individuals. I like K&K but find myself more and more tuning into the other teams announcers. The other day it took me only about 3 seconds of listening to Kruk’s spiel to say to myself: “no, I don’t wanna hear this drivel today”. I changed to the other feed.
Years ago, living in San Diego, I enjoyed listening to Matt Vasergian and Mark Grant. I thought Matt called a good game, Grant was highly irreverent and entertaining and the two of them together were an excellent combo.
It must be difficult for the announcers to be openly critical when they are traveling with the team all the time and forming relationships with players. So, in that regard Fleming strikes me as the guy with the most guts.
I’ve been impressed with Vasgersians’s play by play for the MLB Network and the playoffs, and the studio work he does with the MLB Network. And he’s the perfect foil to Harold Reynolds during the Hot Stove season.
Al Michaels is terrific. Probably the best living sports broadcaster. Great voice, great calls, great sense of humor. I was never a big fan of Chris Collinsworth until he started working with Michaels on SNF. Probably the best National duo in sports today.
What I would really love to hear is a Flap Nation podcast kind of condensed game/recap/summary/synopsis. Maybe a rotating 3 Flap Crew combination with (no particular order) Flav, Zum, Loo, Blade, Stix, LJ, Chi, Pawlie .. others too, of course (no offense to any I left out) … man, that would be something!!
Of course, I love this blog and it ain’t broke, so I’m not suggesting fixing anything … I’m just fantasizing kicking it up to the next level with some over the top rope battle royal, blow by blow, last man standing, “live” banter Even if it was only half as good as what you guys write, it would be SPECTACULAR!
Just trippin’ …
All great folks, and I’d like to meet more of them someday. And we all have so many baseball memories and thoughts to share. I rode the BART for 45 minutes with Snarkk one time, and we didn’t even come close to running out of baseball things to talk about.
I thought of that conversation again just a couple of days ago. One of the things Snarkk said was how difficult, over the years, it has been for teams to put away the Dodgers in the bottom of the ninth at Dodger Stadium in a close game. It’s just the darned-est thing. And the Nationals found that out when they allowed the little league walk-off HR.
Trayce Thompson has hit 2 walk-off HRs already this season. How often do you see a player have 2 all season, much less before the All-Star break?
It doesn’t mean the Dodgers always win in the bottom of the ninth, but it often gets dicey for the opposing team.
Yep, a unique bunch of individuals. I love it when Flappers go off on political tangents … Highly entertaining and informative too.
I’m still trippin’ …
In my head, I imagine what many of your voices sound like and to speculate what the discourse would be like between just 3 of you reviewing, say a crucial LA/ Giants, Opie/Bum matchup … well, it makes my ears water!!
I listen to a lot of comedy podcasts and they seem like they aren’t to difficult to put together. A Flap podcast simultaneously involving people literally from the four corners of the Earth would be another whole kettle of fish … But, WOW! Wouldn’t that be something? I don’t have the technological skills or know how to understand how it could be done. A Skype connection would seem to be the most obvious possibility.
Trippin’ … Trippin’
Maybe it’s a Gibson World Series HR legacy. The way the ball flew so easily and quickly off his bat. The baseball world has seen that replay a zillion times, and maybe it’s deep in the psyche of opposing pitchers.
I guess I’m off base from a lot of you. I haven’t any real problems with K & K, I even have a Kruk jersey that I had made up before the 02 season. It did get me a couple of Kruk salutes from the booth, so that was kind of cool. I think they bring the right amount of homer to the booth.
I’m OK with Miller except I like him better doing National broadcasts and at times, he comes across as a bit pompous to me.
I dislike Fleming, he comes across as Miller’s sniveling little lap dog to me. I get the feeling he doesn’t really like the Giants and is just there to get a national gig. Sorry, I just don’t like the guy, although I don’t hate him as much as I did Ted Robinson. In my mind Ted was a huge jinx and he seemed so happy when the other team did well against us.
Again being off base from a lot of Flappers, I was always a Hank guy, I liked his humor, stories and the pace he used in calling a game.
Just got back from a long needed vacation! A few days in Reno then a freakin Road Trip to Hotter then Hell Arizona ( Apache Jct, my parents who have passed have a place there, next to the Superstion Mountains) A/C a must of course, e Pool you bet!, plenty of Beers, Maragaritas, wearing my Giants Swag tank top, cap just to piss off D-Back idiot fans which I enjoyed,since they can’t say much since we’re kicking their asses along with everyone else’s in are division!! Thinkin of you Lisle when I was down there since I noticed you move to Bisbee?
Yeah Kat! I had to look up Apache Junction. Looks like a beautiful spot. We don’t get the Sugaro cactus at this elevation which is a bit disappointing as they are really something to behold. We also don’t get quite the heat that the lower elevations, like Phoenix and Tucson areas, get but its still been hot here. The locals are telling me it is unusual for it to be as hot as it has been here
A couple of days ago we had rattlesnake aversion training for our dogs — it was surreal having a real live snake crawl around on our property (their camouflage is incredible) — and yesterday they got their rattlesnake vaccine … $$$$!!!! Such is life in the desert.
I almost stepped on a rattlesnake when I was on a family camping trip in Wyoming, when I was 15. My dad ended up killing the snake. In retrospect, that’s kind of sad.
The guy that trained our dogs (40+yrs exp) told us that its been observed lately that r-snakes are not rattling so much now .. scientists attempting to discover the reason … a few interesting theories, one being that they have learned that when they reveal themselves it ususally results in their demise.
Interesting idea. The evolutionary explanation of that would be that the ones that didn’t rattle as much lived more, and were able to reproduce more, and the trait of not rattling as much has become more common.
All brought about because of more humans in their habitat now, with the continued human population growth. 7 billion on the planet, and growing.
what’d you do in Reno? When I’m in Reno (about 6 times a year) I spend about 92.4% of my time in the El Dorado Poker Room
Well BF I made a deposit at Mustang Ranch that was draining( just kidding)
I have a sister that lives there a blink off highway 80 called Mogul one exit pass Boomtown.
Funny you mentioned El Doraldo cause we went there had a few beers at that Blues Pub and played blackjack and video poker.Also hit up Peppermill& Atlantis.Played a couple 9 hole courses, And also we took her kayaks over to Stampede Reseviour and cruised the lake which was a blast.
“Relationship Proof”
Sure Loo, as long as you give me attribution when you’re on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon (which I know will happen some day).
It doesn’t really make sense why the Giants would be playing a 7:00 Saturday homegame. There’s no good reason for that.
there used to be a rule with Fox Sports about not playing during a Sat game they were broadcasting but I don’t think that’s in play anymore
Sorry Zum, I must be thick .. I thought Sat nite games, home or away, were relatively common place these days.
Even if there was an issue with Fox, the Fox game is at 4:00 today, which would have allowed for a 1:00 game. But like you say, BF, I don’t think that rule is in effect anymore anyway.
Saturday night games are common for some teams around MLB, but 7:00 Sat. games are not common for the Giants, as far as I can remember. So instead of playing in the beautiful weather of a day game, it’s going to be played as a night game, which is often cold. It’s not as big a deal for the players, but for the fans, it’s a big difference. Giants fans are hardy souls, and they’ll show up, regardless; but when the Giants and MLB have a chance to give them a day game, I think they should do that.
That all makes sense .. and I suppose a 10pm start for Eastern fans like Loo makes it even less inviting, even if it is a Sat nite.
A Giants fan at the game tonight, wondering why it’s a night game on a Saturday.
Off topic … maybe its already been mentioned but if not, for those who like political dramas, Trumbo, starring Brian Cranston is a very good watch.
One good thing (the only thing) about Giants on Sat evening start. I can listen to the game while grilling my 3 lb Chateaubriand, and sipping a chilled Italian Moscato d’Asti deck wine. First time this season I’m going to grill. First I’ll do a starter of some grilled Corvina. Dinner with summer green bean, corn and tomato salad, and a toasty, sourdough bagette. Not to forget the Girard Syrah to wash down the medium rare Chateau. By the end of that, I may not care if the Giants win…
lulz!
I’m grilling some Alaskan King that I’ve had marinating all day.
I’m micro-waving a Hot Pocket…
Jim Gaffigan has a pretty hilarious bit on hot pockets. Check it out on youtube if you haven’t seen it
The Cubs are losing to the Marlins; the Giants have a chance to take over the MLB lead in victories.
Still trying to figure out why the Rockies ate the remaining 41 mil owed to Reyes. Yes, they have Story and yes Reyes has a lot of baggage. But my understanding about their ownership is that they didn’t part ways with money that easily…….
Flavor, you’re right about the Rockies not liking to “part ways with money that easily.” It would take a few paragraphs to list the reasons why they want to get rid of Reyes, but the four main reasons are:1. He’s a poison in the locker room, e.g., has stated on more than one occasion that he wants to be on a “winner” franchise, implying that the Sherpas are sad sack losers (yep, they are, but that attitude doesn’t fit in with the Sgt Schultz mind-set of “I know nothing” or the kick back kumbaya Weiss regime; 2. He’s definitely not a $22 million dollar player . . . Although, he is a $7-8 million type player that the Mets are grateful to have for the league minimum; 3. Story’s emergence which you mentioned; and, 4. The main reason – they couldn’t find any other imbecilic GM stupid enough to trade with them.
My guess on the evening night games is two fold. Higher TV ratings in the evening when more people are at home is the main reason. But I would also suspect it’s to appease the players as well who hate day games. Especially for road teams coming to SF which is an extremely popular destination for families of players and staff. It allows them to spend a day in the city with their families who might otherwise not want to travel to say, Houston 😉
Like you said Zum, the fans are going to come regardless of what time they play.
actually, as of late last night, the Giants had nearly 4 times the amount of tickets available on stubhub than the team who had the second most available (7.5K > 2K)
That really has more to do with the fact that Giants fans are much more knowledgable about Stubhub and other online means of selling tickets. I have actually called into the local Houston sports talk shows to complain about how few listings are available for Astros, Rockets, Texans games compared to other markets (specifically those on the west coast).
Season ticket holders in Houston would rather eat their unused tickets than sell them on the secondary market. As someone who shops for deals on online tickets, it completley baffles me.
McCutcheon picked a good time to bust out. 🙂
Joe Blanton struggling. Go figure.
Keep matriculating around the bases, Pirates!
True story. There is a section at Minute Maid park directly behind home plate called the Diamond Club (face value begins at $300). Private lounge, all you can eat table service, the whole nine yards. Bush the First and Barbara sit there, Nolan Ryan, et al.
A couple of years ago I was given a couple seats for free from an acquaintance whose investment firm had season tickets there. I asked him why is it that I have never seen a ticket on StubHub in the Diamond Club for less than $400. I mean, why not take $75 instead of eating it completley? He said it was pretty simple. Everyone in the Club knows one another for all intents and purposes. “You don’t want to be the guy who sells his seats on Stubhub to some obnoxious “kettle” just to make a hundred bucks. God forbid it’s a Mexican. If you do, you sure as hell are going to hear about it the next time you’re at the Club.”
That pretty much sums up the difference between fans in SF and those in the south. Telling that story reminds me of the time Bill Neukom casually sat in the stands at Minute Maid Park with not a care in the world. It finally dawned on me why he didn’t choose to sit in the Diamond Club.
Thanks for sharing that, WJ.
Great story!
Wow, amazing story.
I have to admit when Bow Tie became the GM back in 08, just before the 09 season, I made fun of his “The Giants Way”, thinking it was just new GM bullshit. Man, was I wrong. Neukom was/is a genius. His vision and theories are (IMO) why we are where we at today (and the past 6 years). Plus, as Wilco points out, he was/is one cool dude.
Baggs wrote this back in 08 and I’m reminded how focused old Bow Tie was.
http://blogs.mercurynews.com/giants/2008/10/07/bill-neukom-articulates-the-giants-way-and-yes-it-includes-a-bit-of-moneyball/
Well, Locke, who shut-out the Giants for 6 1/3, held the Dodgers to 1 run in 7 innings.
That gif was a good one Zum. South Bay today it was 90, I’m in shorts and not a lot else with AC and ceiling fans in small apt., pretty typical for night games. Cracks me up to see Giants fans all bundled up during summer.
Mac, saw today Warriors signed Monmouth nemesis A J English of Iona to play on their summer league team.
Did see 2nd round of draft selection of Brooklyn’s finest Isaiah Whitehead from Seton Hall–lotta guys jumping up and down in Hall gear as he headed on stage.
Yeah, not a bad deal for English. Sometimes it’s better not to get picked in the 2nd round. Whitehead might be good someday, but he should’ve stayed another year in college.
Watching the copa america. The flopping is truly amazing. An american guy got hit in the foot fell down like he was shot and grabbed the shin of the OTHER leg and rolled around until they stopped play. Just one example. And I thought the NBA was bad.
Wow, just saw review in LA times of “Eat that Question: Frank Zappa in his Own Words” new documentary by German director Thorsten Schutte (a name Frank would have had fun with I imagine) playing in West LA, of mostly short clips including one not long before he died.
I don’t really care for Miller that much anyway, but the radio pairing of he and Fleming is awful. All the others treat Fleming like he’s their little brother and he sounds like a version of the Boy Wonder himself often.
I don’t blame him for checking out all his other options, but I wouldn’t miss him. I often catch just start of games/pregame (I have very short car commute normally) but Flem gets stuck doing all the stupid stuff like intro to the Anthem, time and weather, and Miller makes a joke out of it as he gets to call the start of the game while Flem is on permanent latrine duty.
Ive heard there is a whole load of shit going down around Zappa’s estate amongst the family. That seems sad and somewhat ironic.
For me Miller is ‘ok’ but tiresome at times. I do agree with whoever it was that said earlier they perfer him on the national broadcast over the regional Giants games. It does seem that Fleming always acquiesces to Miller and K & K. I figured that was only because he was the junior guy on the team and he was being polite. As for Fleming’s abilities, for me, sandog nailed it with his 9:44 today.
“Bourjos has been hot.” Um that hasn’t been true in a long time. guy has .270 OB/.650 OPS.
Galvis is hitting .220 and there are only 2 guys in LU over .239.
Can’t believe Bum walked that guy after 0-2 start.
Stop walking crummy Phils hitters!
Go Bucs.
Bourjos is a career Mendoza line guy. Good defender and blazing fast, but that’s about it.
I want to meet the guys who categorize every pitch every pitcher in the Major Leagues throws every year. What a job.
LOL. I’d buy them all a beer.
We do love the 5-4-3 around here.
Oh, that’s why we got rid of Joseph . . . Actually, I like the guy, but that was a no brainer dribbler.
They’re building this guy’s pitch count. Always good to get into the opponents bullies
check out the OB numbers on almost all the phils LU–under .300. These guys just don’t know how to hit yet.
I realize they are playing a lot of young guys, but it doesn’t say much for E Burriss if he can’t hit well enough to make this team.
I think the time is nigh upon us to let Pagan take over the lead off spot. In early May I suggested we give him until the end of June. He’s got another week in my books and I doubt he will make a major shift by then. I truly thought he would come around but I have to admit it ain’t gonna happen. A light hitting .250 guy is not what we want at the top of the order. His defense is respectable but we need a lot more from a bat at the top I’d say.
After that ringing shot to end the 4th, I’m inclined to agree.
Another reason for MLB umpires to attend NBA fitness and diet 101 course.
The congalistas
Pagan has the elephant ear thing going. Probably y he’s hitting well
Although BB9 is among the league leaders in Walks, doubles, OBP and OPS he does not rank nearly as high in runs scored or batted in. The last inning was a prime example of a phenomenon for which i know of no stats. It’s been numerous times already this season where he was in the middle of a short congaline, advancing a runner into scoring position, often in two out situations. Panik scored. Belt did not. Anybody know of a site where enabling a run is statistically happening?
There was no reason to start Blanco ahead of Parker tonight.
Wow Zumiee: Are we on the same wavelength. I was just about to post the exact, same sentiment, but am glad i read your post before duplicating. Last night my take was that Span and Blanco should not, or only rarely start in the same game. One or the other. Give the kids a shot. They are the future.
And the Mac/Parker duo was coming off a good week. Then benched just as they were heating up.
They put more HR pop in the lineup.
A natural catcher, Joseph looks a little out of place at first base. But, he did what he had to do to get to the big leagues. He also looks significantly older than 24. He looks like a love child that Chris Evert and George W might have together……
7,900 tickets available on stubhub for the game tomorrow. Next highest is 3,200 for the Reds game
I just texted my ticket broker buddy about why there is always such a discrepancy on available tickets and he said there’s only 2,400 available on stubhub, not 7,900. But it’s a direct link from espn to stubhub so I’m not sure why there would be such a lag. I have no idea why this interests me so much but it does……
It’s pretty interesting.
🙂
lol good 1!
Nice pick by Craw.
During the ESPN game tomorrow night they’re going to go on and on and on about Kershaw, but there are several pitchers who are having stellar seasons so far, and Bum is one of them. With Cueto, the Giants have two of them.
sorry, but he’s got 141 k’s and 7 walks. That is insane and I am in awe of the season he’s having.
True, but how many more wins is he producing for his team than the next 5 best pitchers? I don’t think all that many more.
I would need the stat for team wins for each pitcher’s starts and I don’t know where to find that.
I have always been fascinated by K/BB ratio so that’s why Kershaw’s this year is blowing my mind.
I posted what I don’t like about Kruk, making excuses for when a Giants pitcher is pitching like crap. With that said, being that they were players I think that is one reason they call a good game. And when you have to listen to someone for 3+ hours you are always going to find something about that person that annoys you. Personal I couldn’t stand Al Michaels, his voice is annoying. And of course I agree, I hated Tim Carver! He was a complete asshole!!
Dodgers lost 7.5 back, 8 if the Giants win
Cue Zum’s Clint Eastwood head nod, please…. 🙂
You got it!
This should never be posted till the game is won.
I hope you’ve both learned this hard lesson..
The Giants have a knack for making middling pitchers look really good.
It’s pretty hard to make a case for best pitcher for someone who isn’t Kershaw. The dude’s numbers are ridiculous. That said, I’d rather have a Bum and Cueto over just Kershaw.
Thanks, Zum… 🙂
Oh phuck.
Are ytou fucking kidding me?