Expectations
I can’t bring myself to discuss yesterday’s disgusting blow game. And to be clear, that’s what it was. You can’t put the whole thing on Casilla. We stopped scoring in the 5th, Strickland sucked. Casilla had nothing yesterday. It happens.
And still, we are 1 game up in the NL. How could this be? Without citing numbers (you guys all know what the numbers are) I decided to go through each position on the team and see if that position is meeting, exceeding or failing to meet pre-season expectations.
LF: EXCEEDING. Pagan has been better than I thought he was going to be.
CF: FAILING TO MEET. Span has way too many games where he does absolutely nothing.
RF: FAILING TO MEET. Not really Pence’s fault because of injury, but I expected more production out of RF this year.
3rd Base: FAILING TO MEET. Whether it was Duffie or Nunie, 3rd base has not been good this year. Although that’s not really fair to Nunie who has had the significantly better overall year. He needs to get it going here though.
SS: EXCEEDING EXPECTATIONS. Crawford has been brilliant.
2nd Base: FAILING TO MEET. Again, partly because of injury, but even when he’s been playing he hasn’t been as good as I had expected.
1st Base: I’ll go with MEETING EXPECTATIONS just because Belt has been pretty bad since the end of June.
Catcher: MEETING EXPECTATIONS. Buster is Buster. I’d like to see more for all that dough but nobody seems to have a problem with him so I’ll go with “MEETING.”
SP: FAILING TO MEET. Not by a lot. But I expected more from Smarge and thought either Peavy or Cain would rise from the ashes. Bum has been great and Moore is who I thought he was. But still, Cueto and Smarge and Cain are 60% of the rotation and they have not been reliable, collectively, at any point this season.
RP: the only guy I trust out of our bullpen is Derek Law. That’s it. That’s not good.
“FAILING TO MEET” led my list. And yet…..
still in first place. What to make of that?
A Place To Talk About Giants Baseball 
Great evaluation. Only exception I would take to your evaluation is starting pitching. I think it has met expectations. No love for Cueto? Since the all star break, we have lost a lot of close games, e.g., I think you even asked me or made a statement about Bum being snake bit by a lot of low scoring games. I think Cain and Peavy I didn’t expect too much out of this season. I thought Alphabet out performed in the first third of the season and has been hit and miss since then. Overall, I like him a lot and the light seemed to go off in his head in his last start, about using some of his “slow speed” stuff and locating his fastball better. Many of us commented on this and more important, he acknowledged it in interviews.
In my comment below, I agreed with Craig, but think I am with you on the SP. It is borderline, IMO.
Interesting take. Especially coming off of such a brutal game that has me thinking back to the devastating Spilbourghs game. I do think expectations is an interesting topic for this group. I think in some cases some very unrealistic expectations are out there on the blog. Buster is never going to be a 30 homer 110 RBI guy. Span is not going to hit 300 and steal 50 bags. Casilla is not Eric Gagne.
Bottom line though, is that it is amazing that we are in first place with so few guys having really good seasons.
Yesterday was a brutal punch to the gut. I think we have what it takes to come off the mat and still be a playoff team, but I do think it’s going to be a rough ride.
yeah, I tried to avoid talking about last night’s game because it was such an emotional punch to gut. But I wonder if it’s hanging over the collective head of the team. How could it not?
Yeah, that’s the thing- these blown games do have a lingering effect on the team, IMO.
Fair points. For me it’s BP, SP & CF in that order and mostly for all the reasons you mentioned. Span may be the best center fielder on the roster but I don’t remember so many bizarre plays from Pagan. Maybe Span gets to more balls but his routes result in poor positioning making the catch more difficult because he sure seems to have a lot of balls just pop out of his mitt. Pagan’s contract drive has been a pleasant surprise for sure. Hopefully Booby doesn’t give him 3 years in the off season.
Oh I don’t think there is lingering effect. Nice thing about baseball is you are right back out there–and lot of guys have woken up at the plate last few games so maybe that does carry over.
As for expectations, the fill ins have largely exceeded them. From Pena to Mac to Parker to Brown to Gillaspie all have been lot better than maybe mgmt. thought.
Guys like Duffy and Panik exploded 2015 and then regressed. If you thought they were both .800 OPS guys, well lot of others didn’t and those guys so far have been proven right. Pence is hard to figure, very streaky hitter with multiple injury issues. Like Belt, when he’s going bad he’s really hard to watch.
Giants though just have to better than LA which should work out OK. Fwiw, vaunted Cubs pen blew last 2 games of their home series with Cards. Last night was classic meltdown by Rondon in the ESPN game, 4 runs allowed and 2 bombs in 2/3 of an inning after he came in with 3-1 lead. Happens even to team with best record.
Willie, you often make irrelevant comparisons and use them as a feeble attempt at perspective or to give the Giants a pass. When you’re 30 games over .500, have the best record in baseball and have been red-hot of late, blowing a save is not of the same magnitude as a team that has been staggering for 6 weeks blowing a 7-1 lead at home. Two teams going in opposite directions. Your comparison is apples to oranges, at best.
Everyone one here know that blown saves happen to all teams. Right now lots of things are happening to the Giants with alarming frequency, most of them bad, and none of those things have anything to do with the Cubs. Unless they figure out a way to get things turned around, but quick, being “better than L.A.” will not work out OK, it’ll be a major challenge. No team can simply rely on another to keep losing, regardless of how many head-to-head games with them are remaining.
174 runs score yesterday/49 HRs, wow, esp for a Sunday. 8 teams got at least 8 runs, including Pirates who pinned 11 on LA. Dodgers pen worked 15 plus innings last 2 days so they aren’t in great shape either.
And of course, this time next week Giants go down there for 3
Cueto hasn’t won a game since July 6. I’m not putting all that on him but a decent amount goes his way. He really is the tipping point for me when I went “Failing to Meet” for the SP’s. Had he been better since the break, I would have said “Met Expectations”
19-24 for the small 3 starters. 9-16 for Cain/Peavy. Moore has proven to be fairly solid, if not for the walks/pitch count. However, he is keeping the team in games. Which can’t be said for Cain and Peavy. So the hope is the pitching gets a bump going forward from the addition of Moore.
The absolute pisser to yesterday’s game is that Casilla was starting to look like his old self. A series win against a tough opponent would have been sweet, esp with the Dogs losing.
Well, if the season goes down the toilet this week, we’ll have a strong memory of the pivotal moment.
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I continue to marvel at the awfulness of this pitch.
In wiffle-ball, it was the pitch you were always looking for, the slow hanging curve that falls right into your wheelhouse. Easy to judge, and easy to crush.
Brown had the target low and outside, this pitch is only about 2 1/2 feet off target…
I’d like to know what Rags and Bochy do after these blown saves by Casilla. Especially one as dramatic and damaging as yesterday’s. Do they go over the pitches with him, look at the mistakes, figure it out in a video room with the catchers? Would like the beat guys to find out, but I know that’s a tall order…
I seriously think they see Hank Schulman as kind of a lovable goofball, who gets crumbs on himself when he’s eating in the press box. I doubt they ever get a tough question from Schulman.
Baggs asked tough questions and got boycotted by the team. Pavlovic probably steers clear of tough questions. He gets to be on TV, and he doesn’t want to mess that gig up by asking tough questions, like Baggs did.
great rundown on the beat guys. Schulman spends most of the game tweeted out negative stuff to his followers who are obviously sending him heckling tweets
Well, I’m sure they wait til about 2 hours after the game and the emotion of the moment has passed. Maybe even wait til today. I don;t see them flying off the handle and going nuts.
I think that is one of the very telling strong points of this coaching staff.
Coming out of games like this, they usually bounce back pretty well. At least that’s how it has been. Whether this is some sort of belllwhether moments remains to be seen, but I think this may help in the long run.
While I defended Casilla in the opening, it’s been irritating to read about the Orioles *explosive offense*. Look, Casilla was throwing cookies right down the middle of the plate. The Padres would have hit them just as far.
for you DFSers, another cool $4 tourney today at DK– top prize 50K
If they keep Casilla closing, then the bench ought to take over the pitch calls. There is no way Casilla should be throwing a curveball when he’s ahead 0-1. Some borderline pitch on the outside of the zone, like the target, has to be the call….
this is what you get multiple times a day from @super70ssports
total gold every time. I have no idea where he gets all these pics from.
That IS damn impressive.
LMAO…that is some funny shit.
Holy shit. I could spend hours looking at that stuff.
Chuck, when he tweeted this out, no joke, I went to try to buy it online. But they only sell XL, no XLT. If any of you are on twitter, and you like to laugh out loud, you have to follow this cat.
If Bochy is going to continue to send Strickland and Cassila out there then I agree either Bothcy calls the pitch or Bochy tells Strickland and Cassilla they cannot shake off the catchers call. Kruk even said this morning on KNBR that Cassilla should know when his curve is nooner being effective. If he does not recognize it Buster or Brown should. If the game had been close the whole game then I woul not have a problem with them loosing, but when you have a 7-1 lead going into the 8th well then that is just too much to handle. I knows this is going off emotion but if I never see Strickland for the rest of the season I would be happy.
Casey McGehee is starting and playing 3rd base for Det today. That blows my mind.
Wow…
a lot of complaining about the bullpen. Look, these are the guys we have. You stick Law into close and you get the same problem with Casilla in the 8th. Strickland and Casilla have both been very good lately. Strick hadn’t given up a run in 8 appearances. Casilla hadn’t given up a run in 7 appearances. The one guy I don’t trust is that fucking lefty reliever but there has to be a reason we gave up Bick and that catcher. The bullpen has been *good enough* for a couple of weeks. These guys aren’t machines, they’re going to have bad games. The point is, there’s no one else to turn to. If they had failed repeatedly this year I would want it addressed too, but they’ve all proven (except that fucking lefty reliever) that they can be successful as a reliever for the Giants this year.
That lefty reliever better strt showing he’s worth what Evans gave up for him, otherwise they just spent a good part of minor league capital for another Osich or a guy not even that good…
Off topic . . . While in Boston and New York, my 4 year old Moto X finally made me realize that I needed a new phone with “staying” power, e.g., Chi’s phone was like the Energizer Bunny taking photos throughout the day, while mine crapped out after 2/3s of the day was completed. In short, the battery’s amperage was significantly reduced from years of use. I loved that smart phone and it served me well on many trips. Excellent photos and a very fast processor.
Fast forward upon my return from the East coast I was due for a Sprint upgrade and essentially, the only criteria I had, besides the processor being fast and shooting decent photos, was that it be SMALL. I hate those humongous phones or phablets as they are sometimes called. Consequently, I read all the reviews and decided on the new Apple Iphone SE, which came out in April. It is the smallest smart phone on the market, but it has the processor guts of the Apple Iphone 6S plus, top of the line model. Consequently, it is faster than the 6s Plus AND ALL ANDROID PHONES (even the Galaxy 7 in many tests). This is primarily because it is driving less real estate (pixels) on the screen. Has the same front camera (albeit, the selfie camera is not as good), better battery, and all the other features, except 3D touch. Last, but not least, you don’t have to download any of those stupid antivirus and malware apps and other apps to prolong battery life. If any of you guys dislike those big honking “phablets” and your eye sight is still good, I would recommend this Apple SE phone.
Back to baseball 🙂
You were leaning that way during our trip back East Glad to hear you pulled the trigger, and like your choice. I still like my “phablet” (iPhone 6s Plus). I like ’em big (that’s what she said!)…
I actually like your phone quite a lot. Even the 6S Plus isn’t as big as those Android phones. Almost pulled the trigger on your phone, but I got a better deal on the SE, and the reviews I read also influenced me.
Boy, outside of opening day, I have not been to a game in which our boys won. I am almost ready to quit going to games, and just send those ducats along to Zumiee and have him go!
Beautiful day yesterday. My daughter and I rode the ferry from Vallejo. That is THE SHIT! Fuck driving into the City. We also met up with a couple of friends of mine from my active duty Air Force days (late 70s). One of them is from Maryland, so she is an O’s fan. My other friend Pam is originally from Massachusetts, but is a huge Giant fan. We had a blast on the ferry, and met-up during the 4th inning at the CF garden. Saw the Giants go up 7-1 down there, and thought we had the game in the bag. Fuck!
The ending was just surreal. When Casilla was pitching to Trumbo, I was saying to myself, and to my daughter, they may pitch around him (given he had hit a bomb earlier). I mentioned by doing so, they would be bringing the go-ahead run to the plate. What happens…Cueto walks Trumbo on I think four pitches and then gives up the fucking three-run bomb. I was frosted!
Still a fun day, but it hurt to lose one like that. Well, wipe that shit off and t-it up for Vogey tonight.
I am in agreement with you Flav on your meeting/not meeting expectations. And yes, it is a head-scratcher that we are still in first place.
nice update. You need to take Zumiee to a game with you. Dude is AutoWin
Flav, you touching any of the Cincy/Miami game? Pulled out due to numerous weather reports. I hate when that happens.
got 2 different confirmations that the Cinn game will be ok. I’m not telling you to change but I have players from that game.
No, I’m fine with my revised LUs.
Sweet brother, I may do that next time. The ferry terminal is only 20 minutes away from me. And you how I really enjoy the Mare Island Brewing Company which happens to be right there in the terminal. Sounds like you had a real good time. Hopefully I’ll be able to get to another game this season. We’ll see how it goes….I have no words for yesterday, was following on GameDay and when I saw the IN PLAY- home run. I nearly threw my phone. Welp, dust it off and have at it again tonight.
seriously, where does he get these pics. Solid gold.
first one:
Kevin Roth @KevinRothWx 35m35 minutes ago
Kevin Roth Retweeted KD
Could definitely see a pop-up impact play later, but at this point I’m OK with pitchers in CIN if the reward is high
second one:
DFS Weather @WeatherDFS 1h1 hour ago
One storms just cleared through CIN with another small isolated cell just south. Game should start on time.
final (from the first guy)
Kevin Roth @KevinRothWx 23m23 minutes ago
⚾️☔️ MLB weather in a tweet: CIN, DET, TEX, all have some risk… To me the risk in all spots looks fairly low.
That’s awesome that you rode a ferry into the ballgame, Chi; I’ve never done that, and am vowing to do that at some point. I would catch a ferry at Jack London Square in Oakland, I think.
That Orioles team was a freak-show. I’ll be amazed if they can win a World Series like that. A lineup full of guys swinging for the fences all the time. The Dodgers are somewhat like that. The batting averages don’t impress that much, but there’s HR pop all throughout the lineup. The Giants pitchers need to solve their own rampant HR-issues.
lol, wtf? Does he have Alzheimers?
I think he means post 9-11, but in realuty there hasn’t really been any planned and executed attacks on US soil by a trained terrorist carrying out an attack under Obama’s presidency like what Paris and Istanbul have seen (unless people thinknthe the Boston bomving was a result of actual training) but as with the others I think they are just a bunch of lone wolf psychopaths using their religion as a reason to kill and we’re psychopaths regardless.
Regardless of what he means – Flavor is right – Guiliani is losing it, along with his pal, Trump. By the by, this upcoming election will be the biggest landslide ever (greater than when Johnson kicked Goldwater’s ass). I have ZERO concerns about this imbecile being the President.
GH, you’re right – all of our so-called terrorists are lone wolf “wannabee” ISIS terrorists. Consequently, it’s almost impossible to stop these psychopaths, mostly because they are not communicating with others (i.e., cells).
When Cory Gearrin comes back who goes? They already have 13 pitchers.
It should be Peavy or Cain. But that’s highly doubtful.
it would be Peavy way before Cain
I’m ready to dump Javier Lopez…I just checked out Susac’s stats and he is a miserable 2-30 with their minor league team since the trade and looks like on a 7-day DL…
yeah, me too. If that fucking lefty reliever didn’t have a double digit ERA, Lopez might be the guy to go. Hmmmmmm, what about this fucking lefty reliever? Would the Giants pull the rip cord on that guy so quickly? Just musing…..
I bet Gearrin himself gets sent out. I hope I’m wrong and Peavy goes, but I don’t see that happening.
I’ll be shocked if they send Gearrin out. If they buy the theory that his shoulder had been bugging him for several days BEFORE he hit the DL, bringing him back to the ‘pen would be a big boost.
Blackmon just hit another bomb. Unbelievable hot streak going on the last couple of weeks (most of it accomplished on the road, which makes it more amazing).
Representing the tying run at the plate, Casey McGehee just hit into a double play to end the Tiger game…….lqtm
Hey, carry 14 pitchers. Send Adrianza off. Then in late innings Bochy can mix and match like crazy until everybody in the dugout near him needs to gear up in Saran Wrap…
Timmy pitching tonight for the Salt Lake Bees……
Man, that post made me unbelievably sad.
i know, doesn’t that suck?
Yeah, sad in one way, but makes me respect the guy even more. He wants it. He could walk away and count his cash, but he wants to see if he can grab a bit of magic again…
Yeah and this is why – Timmy laid it all on the line each and every start. I never, ever heard him make excuses, complain about his career, team mates, etc. Always positive. Shit, I bet right now, he is giving tips to his minor league team mates and definitely, acting like a regular person, not some disgruntled superstar.
Just saw your post snarkk after I posted. Same thoughts about Timmy. Right on man.
I will never have negative stuff to say about Tim. Unless he goes Ty Cobb on us or something. I have a weakness for him, I’ll admit it. He was huge in that first 2010 championship, and I will never forget it…
Giants are expert at turning bases loaded and less than 2 out into Phhhhhttttt. Panik coaxes a walk for an RBI, so Nunez follows with a swing at the first pitch for a nothing dribbler as third out. Pence swung at the first pitch, too, for a worthless out…
Nailed him.
Amazing how Giants find ways to friggin not score…
LOL Kelly. He really is the worst. Yeah, let’s send the back-up catcher with one out and Pagan coming up. Kelly can’t seem to take into account the factors in these situations.
LJ, I guess you missed the post I made yesterday where I called out Casilla and Strick for blowing up, and Law did too. No excuses, they all contributed to O’s comeback.
As you yourself admit, it happens all the time, and as Flav said earlier they are not machines; it’s gonna happen and Giants relievers are not going to go 0.00 ERA rest of season with “clean innings.”. So how do you deal–get back on the horse, get back into routine or in your case explode on fellow bloggers for their “feeble attempt.” whatev. I doubt Casila teammates or coaching staff take that approach.
The Giants and the Cubs tho, are equals, as both teams are in first place in their divisions. If, as I stated before most important thing to me, Giants stay ahead of LA and win the division, Giants and Cubs are most definitely apples-apples, 0-0, even steven. And that is NOT irrelevant.
Was that the best the crowd could do for Vogey?
If R Kelly threw up a stop sign there….
Yep, he did. Another fuck up for Kelly. Maybe even two more.
You talking about the ovation for Vogey at the bottom of the first? I thought all 19,000 fans were cheering their hearts out.
Kruk says he sent him and that Pence did the stop on his own. I dunno, I didn’t see the replay and barely heard what Kruk was saying as I was walking back into the room. There’s really no good answer. Either Kelly sent him (a fuck up) or the players are now making these decisions on their own (not good).
Pirate feed showed one replay where Kelly was initially sending him, then threw up a stop sign–although he may have done so after Pence held up on his own.
It seems like we fuck up anything having to do with a play at the plate on both offense and defense every fucking time these days.
When players get traded, they trot out the ol’ “It’s just business”, etc. For all fans whose hearts are warmed by this greatest of all sports, we don’t like to think of it that way. But really, if baseball *was* business, there would be a lot more termination of staff for non-performance (see R. Kelly)… 🙂
Jesus. This guy is getting annoying.
Moore is a walk machine.
3.9 BB/9 IP in his 6 year career.
These guy knows what to do with the bases loaded anyway.
Oh. My. God!!!!!!
Moore looks like somebody to me, but I can’t quite place it. Sometimes I want to say Mike Torrez, others Adam Corolla, but I think there is someone else out there.
Pence! Those bush league bullpens strike again! Shitcan the beer garden and put in some big league bullpens.
he reminds me of Rob Nen.–but only with the hat on
Shit I like ,em there. At least it ain’t the hill in Houston.
God forbid we run here.
One summer evening back in the day, when I was living in Cow Hollow, I was out walking on Union Street, and ran into Robb Nen and some of his friends, they were looking for a local restaurant. I pointed out where it was. Nice guy. That same evening, I came across the great Joan Chen walking her baby in a stroller. I remember thinking at that time, I’m never leaving San Francisco…. 🙂
Very cool!
that’s a great story.
I know it doesn’t work this way, but when a pitcher like Vogelsong plays for the Giants for multiple seasons, you would think our position players would know him inside and out. Instead, we’re more or less baffled by him. Go figure . . .
Cool throw from Nunez!
And another one!
The great Nunez doesn’t need legs. LOL
maybe that’s what Lisle was talking about when he said Nunie throws bounce throws from 3rd to first. lulz
What’s Nunez think he is Brooks Robinson?
2 terrific plays back to back…
A 5-pitch inning for Vogey. I don’t think he had 5-pitch at-bats in his last couple years with the Giants.
clever
those bouncing throws from Nunez are very slick–quick, true, good hops. Belt can scoop those all day.
Moore is less.
Man, we suck. 😦
Hey, Blackmon just made the final out in Rocks’ loss, lulz.
Yeah, in the grand scheme of universal sucktitude, the Rockies suck more than us.
Jesus that ball was scalded into the Cove.. Moore laid it right in the wheelhouse and the wheels are still spinning…
Nunez making his trade look like something.
Meanwhile, the other two trades are looking pretty dicey…
If the Giants were smart they would make Roberto Kelly the new 3 rd base coach at their new Baseball Academy camp in the DR..,
I swear to god I can’t take much more of this. 7 hits and 3 walks in 5 =2 runs. 4 hits 3 walks = 5 runs. Pence is at 2-0 with 2 on and he swings at a pitch a foot wide for a weak grounder to 1st.
Span with the dinger? Well, how about that.
Time to pull Vogey — that’s the Vogey I remember at the end of his Giants tenure…
Grey lives matter!
Lqtm. We need a cone from behind win instead of a go from ahead loss.
Blanco 5 for his last 45, Oh for his last 17…
Now that was classy of are Giant fans giving Vogs the standing ovation and for him to acknowledge them back with the knowing nod tip of the hat!!!
Real Class, From a standup guy!
Moore to me looks like Andre Either and that’s not a good thing looking like a Dodger!!
I can see that, nice call.
Thanks Dog!
Thanks for playing our game, Kontos!
You will not be advancing to the lightning round.
lulz
Neither will we…
I got a fund raiser piece of mail today from Herr Trump. I’m mailing back his Business Reply Envelope with some love notes, postage courtesy of his campaign…