RV’s And Almost NoNo’s
I remember being in my backyard on Tennyson in Palo Alto listening to Scott Garrelts try to finish off a no hitter. I think it was ’88, maybe ’89. He had 2 outs in the 9th and someone hit a ball up the middle, base hit. I fell to my knees and screamed out “you have GOT to be KIDDING me!” It was very “John McEnroe”. Last night wasn’t as desperate. We needed the win most of all and we’ve had enough no hitters since then to make Moore’s near miss not sting too badly.
I really enjoyed last night’s posts. I found this photo of the day me, Steve, Chris and Dave (buddy who ran into Kruk at the store) set sail on our meandering trip around the western US. Wanna say the route was LA, Vegas, Grand Canyon, back to Bay Area. Still best friends with those dudes today. Think this was ’92. Goddamn, I wish there was an “after” pic. Cooter.
A Place To Talk About Giants Baseball 
Awesome photo!
I can’t believe I’m the only one devastated by the non no-hitter. Ok, maybe “devastated” is a little strong, but this team needed a reason to cut loose and celebrate a little bit–and that would have been it.
Was I devastated? No. But, when the doink hit landed I did yell the F word in my hotel room…
I appreciate that. I yelled “DIVE, fucker!” at the top of my lungs, and tried to immediately post the same thing, but got dropped off the blog site for a few seconds.
Jackson with you Blade..
…and I get it that perhaps historically we haven’t always won 20 out of 25 after after throwing a no-hitter, but you have to look at the context here. We’ve been the WORST team in baseball for 6 weeks after a first half where we had the best record in baseball and a 6 game lead over the Dodgers that we have more than pissed away. You guys have been calling for a spark—a team meeting, flip the spread, tirade from Bochy, animated body language etc…. Personally, I think all of that is bullshit, BUT the players accomplishing something special on the field, I DO think is meaningful and could wake this team up.
Did a rolling batchelor party about 20 years ago where a buddy rented a 35′ motor home and there were 8 of us plus a designated driver (he only smoked).
Loaded the thing up full of supplies. At the first turn getting on to the freeway someone didn’t button the fridge door shut and we lost about 20 beers. After a 2 hour unfuck, we were on our way.
Spent 3 days in Reno. It fairly resembled Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. Still haven’t seen any pics of that trip. Thank God.
Paul O’Neill break up Scotty’s no no? He was thorn in Giants side while he was with Reds.
Maybe this puts to rest all the hate on Evans for dumping Duffman. giants SPs not named Bum and Cueto have an ERA of almost 5.00. They had to do something. If Moore becomes Dodger killer all the better, considering they’ve beaten Bum last 4 or 5 times out.
Moore has looked decent, if not for all the walks. However, this was a great start to build off of.
I think the Braves will be someone to cure our ills, then the dusty snakes.
I’ll be at tomorrow’s game. Peavy?! Well, I drew the short straw on that one. 🙂
This will be a true test of your powers!!
I don’t think I could name 2 Braves besides Freeman and Julio Teheran. As we all know these kind of SPs and players in general seem to haunt Giants. We do have Zum going on Saturday tho, right?
Cubs go into Latrine this weekend, fresh off sweeping 3 from Pads. This Bud’s for you Norris newly activated call up SP Dodgers are running out there tonight. Last time out he got bombed iirc.
Pence, another issue with legs, is really worrisome. Parker and Mac can’t get here soon enough. Even J Miller admitted G Hernandez has never hit much as mler; everyone hits in Coast League (Puig is at .396 fwiw) so .300 meaningless. This was calling card of all Giants chump OFs like Kieschnick—hit .300 in AAA, .240 at ATT.
Braves do still have Markakis, subject of Flap discussions here for a while. Also the guy from AZ, Inciarte.
They beat DBax in AZ 3-1 last night as an SP named Matt Wisler threw a 6 inning no hitter himself and allowed 1 run through 8, lowering his ERA to 4.92.
So what would be their VMI coming from AZ (100+ outside) hitters yard to weekend in SF (highs in low 60s during the daytime) with 2 night games at ATT?
I’ll take a look at vMi when I get to my computer and get back to you
as you suspected, Atlanta has the worst VMI on the board for hitters at -9.72. Anything worse than -7.00 is significant.
Moore was a brilliant pick up for short and long term. We would have absolutely no chance with both peavy and cain in the rotation regularly. Plus, he’s only going to get better a year removed from TJ
The Garrelts 1-hitter. Same score as last night. Big crowd at the ‘Stick.
http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/SFN/SFN199007290.shtml
The Braves recently brought up shortstop Dansby Swanson, former #1 pick in the draft, attained from Arizona in the Shelby Miller trade, I think.
So…..you just know Swanson will get his first major league HR this weekend against the Giants. You know THAT has to happen.
But the Giants should still sweep anyway. But certainly nothing less than 2 out of 3.
What a moment to wake up last night…I was drifting off when Crawford made that great play and then the third out being made in the bottom of the 9th.
I take a tinkle and come back and Kruk is speaking about no hitters thrown by opposing pitchers at Fodger Stadium. Now I think I must be dreaming. I rewind the DVR back to the end of the 8th and see the zeroes on the box score. Man what an exciting bottom 9.
I was hoping he would keep throwing off speed and away but oh well. I would have rather had two wins in LA than a no-hitter…
This back thing has been killing me…off to get hopefully a nice prescription this afternoon.
Sorry awakened bottom of the 8th for that third out..damn large fingers that you know what means for the Mrs…
i love that you include when you fall asleep or wake up in nearly every post
Sorry to hear that, GH. I finally got through my back problems just yesterday. Things are calming down. Drank a bottle of Makers 46 in about 7 days. Norco and whiskey.
Musta seen this guy like 5-6 times. Never disappointing,
Great tune.
Is the guy on the right Skippy from Family Ties?
And was catching up on San Dog’s Harvey RV road trip idea. My boys back home do an annual camp out in North Half Moon Bay that they call Man Kamp. You all can Flap Fest…
Perfect spot off Hwy 1 toward the beach. Large camp site with absolutely no one around and you are maybe 50 yards from the beach. There is a Grove of trees to give good protection from the evening wind. The place is a short walk to one restaurant pub. They usually get 40-50 guys out every year. They put up an entire sound system and you can blast the Van Halen all night and not person will complain.
Half the guys put up tents, another quarter probably sleep in their cars (none of those knuckleheads have thought about an RV) and another quarter bail for the closest motel. But if I recall, everyone kicks in maybe $30 and that covers about 40 Round Table pizzas for the dinner portion. I was so hammered the last Man Kamp that I attended maybe 3 years ago that Round Table (which had not had since college) was the best God damned pizza I think I ever had in my mind at that moment…I think I was a good 8 slices that night…
Harvey must visit this place you speak of. Sounds like heaven on earth.
don’t let me down on that HMB trip with Harv.
So fun…I only have the energy to do Man Kamp about once a decade. Don’t see how those guys do it every year…my wife would probably divorce me if I did. But those guys look forward to it every year…
First of all .. nice remembrance pic of you and your true buds…40 years later I’m still enjoying good times with my frat brothers… makes getting old that much easier to deal with… very very special.
As for the Giants, I don’t if I could have had a better high from this team by my going into full unknown of last nights’ win until 10am and turning on MLB … and the results…. quite inspiring…to say the least….
almost better than sex…almost..
Could it be anything more of a swing of the pendulum with the Moore and Span and Panik performance?
Could it be the later than I predicted ‘turning of the worm’?
Could it be the shot in the arm to the team starters to see their 0-3 #4 do what he did?
Could it be something maybe getting into the heads of LA as they take on the Cubs now?
Could it be the emotional drive of the 44k Giant fans tonight that pushes aside anything the Braves can muster?
Let me enjoy this feeling that last night’s performance is an aligning of the stars for this team.
Somehow I think every member of the Giants is thinking the same.
Time for that well deserved shot of whiskey and a salute to the boys’ flag.
GO GIANTS!
Dennis, my above Man Kamp story is all of my fraternity brothers as well…
I didn’t notice it before Flav, I did not know you hung out with Dwight Clark…
The dude next to me is Steve, he hates that pic. Thinks it makes him look like he’s got a pare body. Next guy is Chris, he posts here as BirdDog sometimes. He’s the guy who flies down from Portland all the time, the guy who’s son caught Cody Ross’ throw in 2010. And the dude all the way on the end is Dave. You can see Dave today if you scroll back to the July 10th thread and he’s in the pic with Krukow at the grocery store. All 4 of us went to Lewis and Clark together.
Yes I remember he was the one who ran into Kruk in your Nevada getaway.
I’m already putting the HMB trip on the calendar next Summer. I just blocked out “Summer” and will adjust accordingly as the dates maturate.
I’m in!
I’ll drive the “Skinkmobile” over to the coast to party with the clan..OOPS that’s not the KKK clan I presume??
Chia Blade will be a definite…
Sounds like “Harvey” is the winner. Does San Dog still have to get approval to make it official?
I’ve never seen the old movie but Harvey is the imaginary bunny right???
Yup. A Hitchcock film iirc.
Erp. No, I’m thinking of The Trouble with Harry.
Or is it Donnie Darko?
Chuck..Trouble with Harry is a great great movie. Young Shirley Maclaine…gorgeous…
I was at that Garrelts game, Mac. Closest I’ve come to seeng a no-hitter live.
My daughter traded her tickets with a friend a couple years ago that turned out to be the Cain perfecto. She’s still mad abou that one.
I turned down tickets to the Dirty Sanchez no hitter because I was anxious to get back to San Dog. We ended up staying overnight in Fresno and went to the Grizzlies game, where Eugenio Velez was batting lead-off. It was a harsh toke when they announced over the PA that Dirty threw a no-hitter.
My partner (the other partner doesn’t “get” the beauty of giving the RV a name) loves Harvey, so that is looking tough to beat. Dieter is also a finalist. Not only do we like the name, but his name is Darren and mine is Peter, so we got the blend thing going on that one. Freddie is still a dark horse contender as well.
Tyrone and Rooster were brought forward, but did not advance. Yolanda is also a possibility. We prefer male names, but we met a Yolanda at the bar after consummating the deal, so there is a connection there as well.
Isn’t Dieter the name of Pawlie’s buddy who runs Finnerty’s?
That is a point for Dieter.
RV Keen?
…and that is a point for Harvey. And fuck yes, if we go with Harvey, I’m gonna find that card on EBAY and have it up on the wall somewhere.
Harvey Danger?
I just changed it to one I like better and actually owned.
I acquired this card along with Ed Bailey and Bob Hendley in exchange for Dick Bertell and Len Gabrielson.
So awesome.
You swapped out the card already????
Yeah, see above…
Just bought the one you had on ebay for $2.51 out the door. If Harvey isn’t the final name, I will send it to you.
Off to run the scoreboard for high school football for the night, have a good one fellas!
Jesus, were all players in the early 60s IN their early 60s?
Didn’t the gals in League of their Own sell Harvey Candy Bars?
Could be good for another vote..
Ha! A Harvey Danger reference. Basically a one-hit wonder band. The song was pretty cool. “Flagpole Sitta.”
By the way, if your only help in a barroom brawl are the guys in this band, then you’re in some serious trouble.
Quite possibly my favorite “one hit wonder” song from the 90’s. Infectious melody and hilarious lyrics. Great tune.
Zum…Harvey Danger does a kick ass cover of the English Beat’s Save It For Later…
A.J. Pollock is back for the D-backs, just in time for next week’s series vs. the Giants.
We’ve all become resigned over the years to how nothing ever comes easy for the Giants, ever. 🙂
Hill back in time for the Dodgers series. Cespedes back in time for the Mets series. And on and on….
It makes us tough!! 🙂
Dbacks are in total disarray, so naturally they’ll play SF tough. Sports radio chatter here in Phoenix is ripping Dbacks management a collective new one. All sorts of reports about ineptitude, and my buddy LaRussa was in full defense mode. Offseason here could be brutal…
And in the vein of the 80s, if you missed the 70s, this is what it was all about (if you weren’t into disco)
20 minutes guitar solos, 10 minute drum solos, and heavy guitar face.
Interesting article on the life of minor leaguers, a current class action lawsuit against MLB by minor leaguers, including a big portion about Giants farmhands. It’s in the Washington Post. Just google “Baseball’s minor leaguers pursue” and you’ll find it…
Hey, I see Cal opens the post-Goff era Down Under tonight vs. Hawaii. They gonna cover the 20-point spread?
I’m not excited even a little bit about playing Atlanta. Coming off a pretty emotional game I’m worried we are going to be flat as fuck for this….
Scott Garrelts was a good pitcher. I liked him back during his days with the team. 10 years in the majors, all with the Giants. 69-53. Not bad at all. Remarkable how similar the 2 box scores are.
Seemed like him and Kelly Downs were always hurting. I think that’s around when they started blaming Roger Craig and the splitter for wrecking arms…
1.CF: Denard Span
2.LF: Angel Pagan
3. C: Buster Posey
4.SS: Brandon Crawford
5.1B: Brandon Belt
6.2B: Joe Panik
7.3B: Conor Gillaspie
8.RF: Gorkys Hernandez
9.SP: Jeff Samardzija
With that lineup, the GIANTS are scoring 10 runs….lulz….WORD!
Was it last week there was pic of Gorman Thomas up from that funky 70s website?
Kuenn was mgr. of those Brewers right–Harvey’s Wallbangers? Yount Molitor Lezcano Oglivie C Cooper…
So Harvey is not a done deal…no love for Freddie Fender Dog?????
Mac, Cal will likely be a lot like they have been–capable of exciting offense (lost most all the flashy wideouts) and very suspect D.
Previews yesterday didn’t look good, lot of new faces in secondary and D-line/lbs.
Fighting Rainbow Warriors aren’t Pac12 level team tho, so just gotta hope they don’t embarrass the league.
We’ve got a college football…I had to get a better down…went Cal and the under!!!
mm taking the under any game Cal’s in is a gamble. QB is grad transfer from Tex Tech who threw 46 TD last year and is used to running spread and so is new co-ordinator, running game is good. They’ll score points, but might not stop anyone.
Ok I will take a 59-7 game…
That’s Sonnys MO, score a ton, give up more…
Poor Hawaii, after playing in Australia gets to travel to Ann Arbor next week.
Sarge will be in attendance for the festivities this evening.
http://nypost.com/2016/08/26/trading-an-awful-hitter-has-dodgers-completely-bummed/
Gorkys Hernandez ? Seriously?…
Shout out to San Dog and the best one hit wonder to emerge out of SD and a great song to blast to 11 on the original recorded cut….and a good motto so good for out Giants comeback…Ditch Digger…
Was that Star Spangled Banner singer joking? Stanford Professor? He has nothing else to do with his life that was horrible
Not a good start for the under…
I’ll take a 60-0 game…
Niners playing, too; busy sports night in the Bay Area.
That baserunning gaffe made no sense.
Gorkys has no idea how to play in out park..
That Muhammad of Cal had a nice run for the first score. He was instrumental in helping me win a $500 pot on FanDuel last year, my biggest score to date.
What’s the news on Pence?…
“Mild” hamstring tightness. Could ph tonight. Day to day, so they say.
The Giants medical staff have got it under control.
He’s screwed.
🙏
Some 2-out conga line action!
wow couple really nice line drives from Belt and Panik early cushion.
Get that Panik bat going!
Wait a second — I thought Belt sucked…
He’s insanely streaky.
Although James would probably say streakiness isn’t much of a thing. The vast majority of players are streaky.
I can see that point.
This Cal game might hit the over by halftime.
or 30-27.
Sabean mentioned a week or so that he just wanted to see some consistency. He’s right about that, this team has seemed to be maddeningly inconsistent from game to game, among individual players, and the team as a whole. I would add that I’d like to see the team be consistently *good* from here on….
Holy fuckin’ shit!
What he said!
Pagan crushed that. Braves VMI not looking too good…scoreboard neither.
Stomp the piss out of ’em!
Austin Slater???
Harvey the RV? I sort of expected a borderland theme. No self-deprecating smileage, rather something lento y suave. Not El Cajon Grande. Hey, how about this: Gigante
Has anybody under 80 ever drank this?
My Mom still loves that stuff. Nope, she’s 86….
I’ve enjoyed this over ice in some fine Iittala glassware.
That’s hilarious Loo. My late Italian grandfather used to drink that. Definetly an old man’s drink of choice.
I’m lucky I can still get my geezer favorite in most places:
Well, the Braves are pretty bad, that’s clear.
2 wins in a row sounds like the winning lottery ticket right about now.
Gorkys instead of Parker. Oh well.
Ron Gant is pitching now?
Span has definitely turned the corner. Another clutch knock.
Yeah, Zum, I don’t get it either. Did Parker do or say something to piss someone off when he was up with the club before? Has he been the shits in Sacto? He didn’t always perform brilliantly, but he had some games in the field and at-bat that were pretty good. Potential spark any time he comes up.
Did you hear Jon Miller raving about red hot 23 y.o. Sacto OF, Austin Slater?
He’s hitting very well with Sac-town. His power threat in the Giants lineup would be helpful.
Talking about Williamson.
I don’t know much about Slater.
Oh, I thought you were talking about Parker. Austin Slater, gotta love that name. The OFer Who Shagged … Balls? …….. Coonrod too, I want to see that guy as a September call up….
Yeah, I did mean Parker. I transpose their names all the time. Drives me nuts. 🙂
I don’t know the rules at all, but I just assumed we’re seeing Maxim Gorkys Park because they want a free September call up for Parker.
Cubs’ Heyward is a bigtime rally-killer. What a stiff.
They might need some of these runs tomorrow.
Why they throw Belt anything other than low and in breaking balls or fastballs up is a mystery to me.
I think in the past few years, blocking balls in the dirt has become the #1 job of the catcher.
There was a time when it was no higher than #5, IMO…
Craw flashing those Gold Glove skills.
It was not at all obvious he would become such a valuable player after the first couple of years.
There are a few reasonable hypothetical formulas you can imagine for salvaging a division title. My current favorite is Smarge and Moore keeping their ERAs under 4.00 for the rest of the season.
That would be nice. 🙂 I would also add Pence starting to hit consistently from the heart of the lineup.
Smarge & Moore
And pray we score…
Wring those hands and sigh
But know the stats are on our side
Nice string of pitching these last 3 games, opponents scoring 1, 0, and 0. Rollin’, rollin’, rollin’… keep them pitches rollin’….
Cubbies tie it in the 9th….
Hey Loo, glad you’re still here, I feel like I’m talking to myself here. Which I do all the time anyway, so it’s nothing unusual….
I think everyone else is watching football, Paul…
GHead: Nice call on Rocket From the Crypt. Damn right…nice little SD rock band. I saw them live a few times and I bet James has too as he has a little bit of history with the underground SD rock scene back in the day.
Sarge:Nicely done tonight! Way to bring it home.
Loo–I like the new pic you have going with your handle. I don’t have to order that card on Ebay, cuz I GOT that card in a binder somewhere in my house right now.
The Harvery’s Wallbangers reference has me thinking “Sixto” might not be a bad name for the RV. It has a latin flavor that will play well south of the border, plus I saw Sixto Lezcano play minor league ball for the Sacramento Solons at Hughes Stadium when I was a kid AND he and I share the same birthday. My partner might not go for that one, but I can probably buy exclusive naming rights on the rig for $50—$100 tops.
Solons . . . . so close to Solano.
Rocket From the Crypt, far too close to the vastly superior and much earlier Rocket From the Tombs: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aBJGBk3mR4o
I had to do something for Jim Ray. Hoping he’ll remove the curse…
I told this story on the Splash many years ago. Back in the late 70’s, I was at a club in the city called Adam’s Apple with my future wife. She was quite a looker (among other things) at that time. Anyway a bunch of Milwaukee Brewers were there and they were obviously leering at her. When I came out of the bathroom she was on the dance floor getting dry-humped by none other than my favorite Brewer, Sixto Lezcano…
Just thnk what would have happened if he had been Sexto…
That’s actually what it looked like on the napkin I had him autograph for me…
6-4 Cubs!
Cubbies get 2 more in the 10th….