A Place To Talk About Giants Baseball

What A Moment

Posted in Uncategorized by Flavor on October 22, 2016

It’s no secret that during the off season it’s a grind to find things to *main thread* about every day. But this one is easy.

pawliekokonuts said, on October 21, 2016 at 7:14 pm (Edit)

I dialed the number someone kindly shared with me. [Long-ish story I can’t get into. The info was handed to me. My first thought was: What? No way I can call him. I was told I had to tell him about the book. I demurred. Until today.] I was that nine-year-old boy trying to call Willie Mays, as described at the outset of ‘Chasing Willie Mays.’

What would I say?

He answered right away. I knew it was him.

‘Hello, who is this?’
‘This is Paul Kocak. I wrote a book…’
‘Wait a second, I can’t hear you.’
His voice was high-pitched, almost plaintive, but calm, cordial, familiar. Comfortable and conversational.

As I was intoning the familiar ‘can you hear me now?,’ I realized it wasn’t just me or my phone, though I might’ve been mumbling a little from nerves. His TV was too loud. The curse of old people. He had left his phone to turn down the television. I could hear the volume receding.

‘I had to turn the TV down.’

‘What can I do for you, sir?’

‘I just wanted to let you know I wrote this book. It’s about you, and my love for the Giants. When I was nine years old I tried to call you, and here I am calling you now from Syracuse, New York.’

‘I heard about that book.’

‘Really? I…’

‘…yeah, it was on a New York station.’

I had yet to be interviewed on a NY station, though a station in Stamford, Connecticut, had interviewed me the day before. But who knows?

‘So, I was wondering if I could send you a copy.’

‘Sure, send it to the ballpark.’

‘Oh, okay. At 24 Willie Mays Plaza.’

‘Yes, sir.’

‘I don’t want to intrude on your day. Thank you so much, sir. Thank you, sir. Bye now.’

Clearly, my ‘thank yous’ extended over decades and went deeper than this call and far beyond me.

That was it, more or less. I cannot describe how welcoming, charming, easy, and gracious he was. If some stranger had called my number out of the blue, I would be more suspicious, apprehensive, annoyed. He left the feeling we could’ve talked longer. I didn’t want to abuse the privilege. It went easy once I made up my mind to do it. Oh yeah. There was a tiny voice in the back of my head saying: This is Willie Mays. You’re talking to Willie Mays. Live. This is your childhood reenacted with a different ending.

He couldn’t have been sweeter or more hospitable.

So, aside from a nap or two on a day with torrential rains, that was my day.

_____________

If you want to read Pawlie’s book “Chasing Willie Mays” you can find it online here:

https://www.amazon.com/Chasing-Willie-Mays-Paul-Kocak-ebook/dp/B01M0XIPCO
_____________
If you want to read another retro post by Minnesota’s #1 hoe-shaker you can find it here:
Denny was whining about the length of Timmy’s hair and Stix had had enough. Bonus post today. Two for the price of none.
stixwiz said, on July 25, 2010 at 1:54 pm (Edit)

FU haircut Dennis! Stooooooopid retro attitude. Timmy’s problem is not his hair. It’s an inability to come up with a killer out pitch after getting two strikes on a batter

stixwiz said, on July 25, 2010 at 2:06 pm (Edit)

Dennis. You are stuck in sixth grade with the nun threatening to whack your wrist outta general principles. Timmy represents SAN FRANCISCO, not friggen Okrahoma City.

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  1. gianthead said, on October 22, 2016 at 9:08 am

    https://goo.gl/images/AgMyUz

  2. willedav said, on October 22, 2016 at 9:10 am

    Stix going off on Denny is pretty funny. Lincecum certainly was crowd fav in his day.

    I don’t have dog in Cal-Stanford, but Cal is not boring to watch(take the freaking OVER) and the QB and playcalling are fantastic.
    Stanford and NFL bore the F out of me for most part. I’d watch college all day if not for work.

    Warriors blowing people out in preseason behind Steph (28 in one half vs. Blazers) and Durant. Centers are below avg., tho McGee might bring some fire off bench to protect rim, but what a LU.

    Only way to get them is keep them on perimeter shooting Js, hope for cold night, and make hay vs. bench and go inside to get Green and others in foul trouble.
    Last year their bench scoring didn’t impress me and they haven’t done much to improve that, so when couple starters are out they are vulnerable. Otherwise, don’t get caught standing under the net.

  4. gianthead said, on October 22, 2016 at 9:11 am

    These damn Internets…trying to post funny Putin Trump Bad Hombre meme..f this.

    • gianthead said, on October 22, 2016 at 9:18 am

      Sell a million books tomorrow Pawlie…

      • djloo27 said, on October 22, 2016 at 9:23 am

        I guarantee one…

  6. gianthead said, on October 22, 2016 at 9:15 am

    Stix’s reference if intended or not to Okra-homa is frigging hilarity trebled…

  7. djloo27 said, on October 22, 2016 at 9:22 am

    I think Stix is 100% sane.
    Xoot’s post about him the other day was right on the money.

    • gianthead said, on October 22, 2016 at 9:53 am

      Pot calling kettle….:)

    • djloo27 said, on October 22, 2016 at 9:55 am

      Final paragraph from Xoot’s post the other day:

      Stix stepped over the line. But is his political fervor insane? Don’t be so sure. Amateur psychology is probably worth less than amateur lawyering. Stix is a complex, intense, and broadly self-educated guy who for some reason decided at this point in his long life to take a stand, despite the odds. I can’t justify shooting a rifle at a helicopter. But I also can’t condemn the rare person i meet who refuses to knuckle under.

  8. alleykat69 said, on October 22, 2016 at 11:38 am

    Stix could still go with the Red Dawn invasion defense especially out in bum fuck Minnesota..

  9. snarkk said, on October 22, 2016 at 12:36 pm

    Finnerty’s — supposed to be all things Bay Area? Looks like Raiders and fans are persona non grata, looking at the bar website — what’s up with that?…

  10. djloo27 said, on October 22, 2016 at 1:28 pm

    From POTD – Best of:

    Carstie Clausen said, on July 13, 2015 at 8:22 am(Edit)

    Baseball has nothing over the NFL when it comes to spectacle. That “sport” is made for television. It is so reminiscent of the latter days of Ancient Rome with its gladiatorial contests complete with wildly gesticulating half-drunken crowds and guys getting carried off the field on stretchers. At least the “gladiators” are only badly injured and not thumbs down dispatched in a grisly ending. Oh well, give it a few years and a deepening corruption in our society and maybe the echoing will be more to the liking of the more quickly sated of the fans.

    Baseball contrarily, is not so much spectacle as it is poetry in motion ~ slow motion and far too slow for the many contemporary Americans who have like totally grown up into faux adulthood knowing nothing more than the dubious pleasures of instant gratification. When you consider the geometry of the diamond and the balance between defense and offense and the million and fourteen different nuances and subtleties peculiar to the sport, baseball becomes a multidimensional chess match, an amazing synthesis of ballet at its finest and Herman Hesse’s Glass Bead Game.

    Baseball is a spectator sport ~ even if over the radio or the internet. It is not spectacular and closely calculated to guzzle and gorge. Baseball is perhaps the highest emanation of the deepest strains of true American culture. It is NOT a spectacle.

    • Flavor said, on October 22, 2016 at 2:48 pm

      Twin used to give me shit for never giving Stix POTD honors. Said he tries harder than any blogger at the Flap. lol. Twin was a piece of work. I haven’t talked to him in a couple of months and he’s not answering the few recent emails I sent him. Hope he’s ok.

    • snarkk said, on October 22, 2016 at 3:52 pm

      Of Stix’ replays so far, this I like the best. Not a lot of wordsmithing, or plays on words. Simply captures much about how I feel about baseball…

  11. djloo27 said, on October 22, 2016 at 1:32 pm

    Does any one know where I can pick up Herman Hesse’s Glass Bead Game?
    Sounds like fun.
    Toys ‘R Us doesn’t carry it…

  12. snarkk said, on October 22, 2016 at 3:56 pm

    Tonight’s game is Kershaw’s biggest test so far in his career. He’s had a good playoffs, contra to his previous playoffs’ history. This is THE game where a HOFer shows up, where Koufax would spin a gem. He needs this one to move comfortably to the top tier…

    • zumiee said, on October 22, 2016 at 4:46 pm

      Totally agree.

  13. zumiee said, on October 22, 2016 at 4:45 pm

    Stix’s disdain for the violence of football seems hypocritical to me now, in light of his having fired a gun at people.

  14. gianthead said, on October 22, 2016 at 5:25 pm

    Knock Kershaw out now…

  15. Flavor said, on October 22, 2016 at 5:35 pm

    So far….not a gem.

  16. zumiee said, on October 22, 2016 at 5:38 pm

    Baez wouldn’t lay off of the high fastball out of the zone. That would have been a nice third run.

  17. zumiee said, on October 22, 2016 at 5:47 pm

    I had never heard of that Herman Hesse book. I might have to check it out. When I was in high school, I had an English teacher who was progressive in his attitudes, and one of the books he assigned us to read was Hesse’s “Siddhartha.” Very cool book. I think that same teacher also assigned us the novel “Earth Abides.” Students with other teachers were being assigned drudgery like “Great Expectations,” but we were reading cool stuff.

  18. snarkk said, on October 22, 2016 at 5:54 pm

    Saw an article where if the Cubs go to the WS, they would entertain putting Schwarber on the Series roster. He’s way ahead of rehab, and has been taking BP for over a week. He could DH…

  19. zumiee said, on October 22, 2016 at 5:59 pm

    Big hit by Fowler, but….the “get caught in a run-down on purpose so the guy can score” is the stupidest play in baseball, in my opinion, and it needs to go away. I’m surprised in this SABR world we live in now that managers are still allowing that play to happen. The Cubs runner was clearly going to be safe at home. Dexter just gave away an out for nothing. That play seems like a relic left over from another generation.

  20. zumiee said, on October 22, 2016 at 6:15 pm

    Congratulations, Pawlie, on the chat with Willie Mays! Awesomely cool. And I totally understand not wanting to overstay the conversation. I met one of my biggest music heroes several years ago, Peter Buck of REM, at a music festival, and I had the opportunity to thank him for his music, and he really appreciated that, and I shook his hand, and took my leave, and it was a pleasant moment, and I will always treasure that moment. If I’d had the slightest moment where I felt I had been a burden or had overstayed the moment, that would have made the memory different. It’s better to end those celebrity encounters sooner than later in my opinion.

    And congratulations on the publication of a terrific book. I enjoyed the book very much and encourage everyone to read it. It’s a pleasure to read. Pure baseball pleasure.

    • pawliekokonuts said, on October 22, 2016 at 6:22 pm

      you’re the best, Teach

    • Flavor said, on October 22, 2016 at 6:40 pm

      i still haven’t read it, but I have it. PK don’t take that the wrong way, I just don’t carve out too much book readin’ time into the day. But I will read it and when I do I’ll give it the proper focus it deserves…..

      • pawliekokonuts said, on October 22, 2016 at 7:06 pm

        I totally understand. I’m quirky. Someone might give me a book I ASKED for and then I don’t read it for years. I have to be ready.

  21. zumiee said, on October 22, 2016 at 6:17 pm

    Now Baez strikes out on a pitch in the dirt. This is the dude that the Giants gave up a big hit to on an 0-2 pitch? That’s just completely unacceptable.

  22. blade3colorado said, on October 22, 2016 at 6:22 pm

    Perfect! A Kershaw post season classic which leads to a Bum face plant. Go Cubs!

  23. pawliekokonuts said, on October 22, 2016 at 6:27 pm

    So,

    1. I sell 2 books at Bobby V’s and give away 2. Louise from 4th grade bought one.

    2. I come back to the hotel and half of Mumbai is in the lobby, saris and all. I exaggerate. Maybe it was the set for a Bollywood feature. Fire alarms were squawking. It passed. Hope the wedding is quiet.

    3. The game is on at the bar but not in my room. I don’t own a TV; it would’ve been a treat. Fuckit.

    4. There’s nothing worse than a loud hotel. Pray for me.

    • willedav said, on October 22, 2016 at 6:48 pm

      good luck PK. Anyway this will be streamed or carried over airwaves so we can follow along on left coast?

      • pawliekokonuts said, on October 22, 2016 at 7:07 pm

        The Saga of the Loud Hotel? Or Finnerty’s? IDK. Kind of doubt it. Call up Amy G.

      • pawliekokonuts said, on October 22, 2016 at 7:08 pm

        …and thanks…Monday is the New York Giants Preservation Society; right up their alley

  24. willedav said, on October 22, 2016 at 6:36 pm

    Watching Pat Mahomes II, son of former relief pitcher Pat Mahomes play QB for Texas Tech and lead them in big game vs. Okla Sooners, down 20-17 second quarter.

    Um, wilco is losing to K-State death knell for UT’s Strong? Notice U of Houston getting rolled tonight by SMU too–that head guy was supposed to replace him right?

    • willedav said, on October 22, 2016 at 7:02 pm

      wow this kid can throw on the move, scramble out from pressure and score points with leg and arm. only a junior. good ballgame holding his own vs. B Mayfield and Sooners as Red Raiders lead at half 24-23. Had a beauty of a 75 yard TD pass after a scramble called back too.

  25. zumiee said, on October 22, 2016 at 6:51 pm

    This is me watching the Cubs/Dodgers right now:

    • blade3colorado said, on October 22, 2016 at 6:57 pm

      Me too, except I’m eating Pho for breakfast.

      • blade3colorado said, on October 22, 2016 at 7:41 pm

        Not acceptable Loo.

      • djloo27 said, on October 22, 2016 at 7:46 pm

        Sorry, just a reflex. Deleted.

      • blade3colorado said, on October 22, 2016 at 7:53 pm

        Thank you

      • djloo27 said, on October 22, 2016 at 7:58 pm

        Don’t hate me…

      • blade3colorado said, on October 22, 2016 at 8:04 pm

        Never

      • djloo27 said, on October 22, 2016 at 8:13 pm

        Thanks…

  26. snarkk said, on October 22, 2016 at 7:01 pm

    Well, Kershaw didn’t get it done.
    Still has the playoff no go mojo…

  27. gianthead said, on October 22, 2016 at 7:02 pm

    Loved watching them push Kershaw past his expiration date…no bullpen confidence…

  28. Flavor said, on October 22, 2016 at 7:02 pm

    I don’t hate Kershaw, he seems like too cool of a dude to hate. And frankly, watching the Cubs pre-celebrating and their idiot fans gearing up to sing that dumb song after the game is over (come on, who stays after a game is over to sing?) has got me with some mixed feelings about this. Of course the Dodgers getting bounced AGAIN is going to be sweet but I am a long ways a way from being a fake-Cubs fan tonight……..

  29. snarkk said, on October 22, 2016 at 7:07 pm

    Cubs fans better not celebrate too soon. There’s a few innings to go, and LA can hit a dinger or two. Roberts brought Jansen in to stop the bleeding right now with season on the brink…

  30. zumiee said, on October 22, 2016 at 7:13 pm

    Whoever wins this series, better not sleep on Cleveland. That Cleveland team reminds me a lot of the Giants’ 2010 team. Totally flying under the radar, and playing gutsy playoff baseball.

  31. zumiee said, on October 22, 2016 at 7:16 pm

    If the Cubs win this series, I really couldn’t care less who wins the World Series. I’ll probably watch some of the World Series, but my interest level will be very low.

  32. blade3colorado said, on October 22, 2016 at 7:16 pm

    Not going to over analyse this game, Kershaw, Cubs fans, etc. I know that the alternative of the Dodgers winning, with Kershaw leading the way, coupled with our disgusting collapse against the Cubs, would be a thousand times worse.

    • zumiee said, on October 22, 2016 at 7:17 pm

      It would be nice to see the Dodgers keep wasting their Kershaw years, a once in a generation pitcher for them.

    • blade3colorado said, on October 22, 2016 at 7:22 pm

      Post script – so fuck the Bums, Kershaw . . . and Rooster too. Enjoy that post season dinner Rooster. We’ll see ya when pitchers report in spring training. lulz

  33. zumiee said, on October 22, 2016 at 7:27 pm

    Game 6, 8th inning. This the “Bartman inning” that the Cubs have to get through. The broadcasters start talking about the “goat curse,” and the Dodgers get a hit. lulz.

  34. zumiee said, on October 22, 2016 at 7:30 pm

    We Giants fans know, you GOTTA catch some breaks to win a championship, and that at’em ball for the double play is the kind of break you need. Plus Toles’ error in the first inning.

    • zumiee said, on October 22, 2016 at 7:31 pm

      That Toles error probably really rattled the Dodgers.

      • gianthead said, on October 22, 2016 at 7:50 pm

        Or KERSHAW giving up the early run probably shook their frickin world🎃🎃🎃🎃😀😀😀😥😥😥

  35. zumiee said, on October 22, 2016 at 7:35 pm

    Maybe Kershaw’s back was hurting him tonight. His breaking stuff wasn’t good tonight. The Cubs batters weren’t off-balance against him.

  36. zumiee said, on October 22, 2016 at 7:37 pm

    If the Giants’ had had a good closer this year……I know, I know, let it go…. 🙂

  37. Macdog said, on October 22, 2016 at 7:46 pm

    LA LA LA LA, hey hey hey, GOODBYE!

  38. gianthead said, on October 22, 2016 at 7:46 pm

    All is right in the world….now go Indians….

  39. djloo27 said, on October 22, 2016 at 7:47 pm

  40. djloo27 said, on October 22, 2016 at 7:48 pm

    Get busy, Rooster…

    • Flavor said, on October 22, 2016 at 7:49 pm

      awesome.

    • Bozo said, on October 22, 2016 at 7:50 pm

      I bow in your general direction, Mr. Loo.

  41. zumiee said, on October 22, 2016 at 7:49 pm

    The Dodgers: 28 years of futility in a row, and counting.

  42. Flavor said, on October 22, 2016 at 7:49 pm

    annoying. Fuck it, I am rooting hard for the Indians. lol

  43. Bozo said, on October 22, 2016 at 7:49 pm

    I guess the Dodgers have the wrong Magic.

  44. djloo27 said, on October 22, 2016 at 7:51 pm

    Rizzo looks a little like Ron Santo…

  45. zumiee said, on October 22, 2016 at 7:52 pm

    And here’s the Dodgers’ post-season award:

    • zumiee said, on October 22, 2016 at 7:56 pm

      (The Giants, too.) 🙂

  46. gianthead said, on October 22, 2016 at 7:55 pm

    It is the great unknown if we could have taken the Fodgers. With that ugly bullpen of ours I don’t know but likely would have had Bum potentially pitch in 3 games. But I’ll take the year we’ve had as long as the F heads from LA CONTINUE THEIR MISERY…then it has been a successful year…

  47. zumiee said, on October 22, 2016 at 8:17 pm

    Oh those happy Dodger fans:

    Everything is trash
    goodnight

    Posted by shawism on Oct 22, 2016 | 7:49 PM

    YOU MISERABLE FUCKING OFFENSE

    Posted by NYAsFan on Oct 22, 2016 | 7:49 PM

    What a bullshit game.

    Posted by OB12 on Oct 22, 2016 | 7:51 PM

    Fuck Joe Maddon and his dumb ass beard!

    Posted by Freddy V on Oct 22, 2016 | 7:51 PM

    The odometer now moves to 28 years without a World Series appearance, let alone a championship.
    And I grow old with them.

    When do pitchers and catchers report?

    Posted by The Foils on Oct 22, 2016 | 7:51 PM

    Not soon enough

    Posted by Falcon_Fury on Oct 22, 2016 | 7:52 PM

    When super bowl ends
    fuck the super bowl

    Posted by NotJoeTorre on Oct 22, 2016 | 7:53 PM

    there are so many flaws that need fixing. farndrew have lots of work ahead of them. the guys we like might leave, the guys we would love to see go, we are either stuck with or have negative value. look forward to the hot stove season even though some people hate rosterbation.

    Posted by ClayDavis on Oct 22, 2016 | 7:52 PM

    And to top it all off
    We won’t have Vin next year, I honestly can’t even…

    Posted by Falcon_Fury on Oct 22, 2016 | 7:53 PM

    That makes it even worse

    Posted by MarshalltheIrish on Oct 22, 2016 | 7:55 PM

    It was a fun year
    But falling short of a WS in Vin’s last season, capped by Kershaw getting rocked again in an elimination game, isn’t what any of us hoped for. This team is loaded for the future no doubt, but right now I don’t really want to take solace in that. The team played like shit the past three games and that leaves a bad taste.

    Congrats to the Cubs. Not exactly painful to lose to a team with a fanbase that starved, and a team that outstanding in all facets of the game. At least it’s not the Giants or Cardinals for the 1,000,000th time.

    Just wish it was us.

    Posted by MarshalltheIrish on Oct 22, 2016 | 7:54 PM

    I just wish it wasn’t on us playing shit baseball for 3 straight games. The Cubs played well. No denying it. But we were terrible after Game 3. That’s the part that aggravates.

    Posted by urbino on Oct 22, 2016 | 8:02 PM

  48. djloo27 said, on October 22, 2016 at 8:20 pm

    Sure is a beauty…

    • zumiee said, on October 22, 2016 at 8:32 pm

      “I was president when it happened!”

  50. Macdog said, on October 22, 2016 at 8:32 pm

    Gallant is a postseason hero.

  51. PaulinAsia Banh Bao said, on October 22, 2016 at 8:35 pm

    With LA gone, I feel now begins the post-season. Even with the World Series still to be played. Good for the Cubs, they destroyed the Dogs the last 3 games… but I’m pulling for Cleveland. Kershaw… I actually like the guy, of course would love him if he was a Giant, but not sorry he coughed it up again in a deciding game. And Pawlie, I’m still trippin’ on your phone call with Willie. Amazing.

  52. djloo27 said, on October 22, 2016 at 8:37 pm

    Several of these kids are now grandparents:

    • unca_chuck said, on October 22, 2016 at 11:58 pm

      Maybe the coaches. . .

      • djloo27 said, on October 23, 2016 at 6:09 am

        Just piling on the Rooster.
        I should find something better to do…

  53. eddacker said, on October 22, 2016 at 11:13 pm

    very young grand parents indeed.

    i agree with BF when he said he doesn’t hate Kershaw. I like him as a pitcher. His team sucks. But what really sucked for me was the media (fox and ) telling us what a post-season super hero Kershaw is. Based on what? He is a very good pitcher during the regular season and the playoffs. Nothing more. And now his post-season greatness has cratered, as it should. Fox has zero credibility with me, even in sports.

  54. unca_chuck said, on October 22, 2016 at 11:57 pm

    Hyperbole, thy name is sports. ESPN is equally as bad. At least with the breathless proclamations with little merit.

    Got to go with the Cubs due to family ties, but I’m not going to be paying too much attention.

    Stanfoo loses 10-5? Jesus.

    Going to the Niner game tomorrow. Haven’t been to a real game at the new digs, so I’m curious as to how good (or bad) it’ll be.

  55. Flavor said, on October 23, 2016 at 6:24 am

    Bruce Jenkins ‏@Bruce_Jenkins1 9h9 hours ago
    I get Giants fans blindly hating everything Dodgers-related, but Kershaw is one of the best people I’ve met in any sport. Tough night.

    • zumiee said, on October 23, 2016 at 7:49 am

      Notice how sportswriters and broadcasters always get their digs into fans. We “blindly hate” according to Jenkins.
      Jenkins can bite me. The fans financially support all of the sports industries. We’ll dislike which players we want to.

      • blade3colorado said, on October 23, 2016 at 8:04 am

        Awesome post. Agree completely.

  56. sandog said, on October 23, 2016 at 6:46 am

    Kershaw does seem like a great dude, but man am I glad the Dodgers got a lemonade it. And Ohio State lost yesterday as well

  57. sandog said, on October 23, 2016 at 6:52 am

    Good sports day for the hater side of me. Also went with my boys to see my daughter in her high school play last night and Joe Musgrove was in the audience. One of his older sisters is the director of the play, and I thought it was cool that he made an appearance at his alma mater to support her. My son was talking to him at intermission and apparently he has a place on the beach in Encinitas for the off-season. Life sounds pretty darn good.

    • djloo27 said, on October 23, 2016 at 8:18 am

      It’s not.

      • zumiee said, on October 23, 2016 at 8:25 am

        Life is grand!

  58. unca_chuck said, on October 23, 2016 at 8:39 am

    Jenkins invites vitriol by being a blatant Dodger fan writing for the Giants.

    As for the ‘blind’ bullshit, well, it held true league-wide when baseball wasn’t about switching teams every 3 years. The players were as invested in all this as the fans until free agency got us all to root for laundry.

    Poor Bruce is just an angry little cur because his team lost. Boo hoo. Fuck off weasel . . .

    • blade3colorado said, on October 23, 2016 at 9:04 am

      I rarely read Jenkins, since I am located out of the State now. I do recall him always trying to be smarmy and witty, but failing miserably in my opinion. I honestly didn’t know he was a closet Dodger fan, but it wouldn’t surprise me.

      Zum and you are spot on. I might have blindly rooted for teams when I was a kid, but now I can take sports or leave it . . . literally for years – see 49ers and football in general, for the reasons that (again) Zum and I think Loo cited yesterday. Same thing for basketball. I have liked it the last few years, but I have gone decades ignoring it too. As you pointed out Chuck, we mostly root for laundry today. Sad. I’ve enjoyed the Giants during the last 6-7 years because they’ve seemingly made me forget most athletes are all about the all-mighty dollar.

      Chi signs off his emails with a quote from some old time ball player (forgot who and am too lazy to look it up), who is asked what he does in the off season . . . He answers by saying that he sits by his living room window during the fall and winter waiting for Spring training to start again. Baseball and all sports were a lot more simple before free agency.

  59. djloo27 said, on October 23, 2016 at 9:25 am

    If the Cubs win it all my only interest will be whether or not they bring back Bartman for the flag raising.
    I think they would…

  60. Flavor said, on October 23, 2016 at 12:10 pm

    • willedav said, on October 23, 2016 at 1:23 pm

      Kershaw did get out pitched again, but his team forgot to score and he did otherwise dominate what little life their post season had singlehandedly.
      I was reading MLBTR story and many of posts were about what Dodgers do—with Turner and Jansen (FAs) primarily.
      The rotation is spotty as playoff showed, Hill is 37 and injury prone, OF a big ? whether or not it includes Puig, and you have to wonder how much they continue to spend in future.

  61. snarkk said, on October 23, 2016 at 12:16 pm

    Of course we root for laundry now. We did before, but now more than ever.
    WTF do A’s fans root for that team? Not because there are players that they can invest in, that’s for sure. Being a fan now is definitely because of a sense of belonging, of shared sacrifice and joy with a group of others — namely other fans, and just enjoying the game for the game’s sake. It certainly isn’t because the players are overwhelmingly attractive, nor are they “loyal” to a team that brought them along. The players make so much more money than fans, there is little connection. Buster Posey or Matt Cain — they don’t really give a shit about the common fan. I mean, really care. It’s obvious when you see them at games. Why would they– with guaranteed contracts? Watch them, they barely give fans the time of day at games and in Spring Training. The fan-friendly players now are the guys that don’t make much money — yet. Other than Timmy, I can’t think of any of the recent Giants that really move the needle individually for me as a “fan”. That was because he was unique, quirky, was enormously successful and helped bring the first championship — and seemed like a good dude. Cain, I could give a shit to meet that guy, he could give a shit to meet me as a fan. I wouldn’t wait in an endless line at Fanfest to get a scribbled autograph from these guys. Stretch I would love to meet, Timmy too. Belt, I would probably have lunch with the guy at Olive Garden and ask him WTF he never blocks a pitch down the LF line to get an easy double. The rest, whatever…

    • zumiee said, on October 23, 2016 at 1:49 pm

      We fans are the true keepers of the institutional memories of MLB.
      I get really annoyed when a sportswriter or broadcaster starts a sentence with: “Fans forget….”
      No, we don’t forget.

      • zumiee said, on October 23, 2016 at 1:56 pm

        At least, not nearly as much as sportswriters and broadcasters seem to think we do.

    • blade3colorado said, on October 23, 2016 at 10:31 pm

      Great post Tom. I’m beyond caring too much about Jenkins or other idiotic writers. Similarly, I get it that the way things use to be, where we did relate to the players and they to us, is forever gone.

  62. snarkk said, on October 23, 2016 at 1:15 pm

    I’m rooting for the Cubs. NL over AL is my thing, unless NL = Dodgers.
    DH league must not be rewarded. Cubs with 103 (vs 94 of Cleveland) wins and don’t get the home field Series advantage is a joke; perfect example of why this AS game outcome thing should be shelved…

  63. willedav said, on October 23, 2016 at 1:45 pm

    Wow, Unc bringing the magic. Best Q of football all year for Niners. gotta run to b-ball, hope SF can get another W.

    • willedav said, on October 23, 2016 at 1:51 pm

      No illusions, I realize they suck and don’t have near enough talent to compete. But for players sake I hope they can at least scatter those sniffing the carcass for a while.

      You know one of funniest lines from Sanford and son, Redd Foxx is having “the real big one” and tells Lamont, “I can feel the buzzards circling the house.”
      A door slams and camera pans to scowling Aunt Esther.
      And Fred says, “Oh no. The lead buzzard is already in the house.”

      • zumiee said, on October 23, 2016 at 6:25 pm

        Buzzards descending.

  64. zumiee said, on October 23, 2016 at 6:16 pm

    My 2-14 prediction for the Niners is looking good.

    • Flavor said, on October 23, 2016 at 7:25 pm

      So is my wine bet with Chuck.

    • snarkk said, on October 23, 2016 at 7:26 pm

      I was wildly optimistic at 5-11. I hope they lose the rest. This season is essentially meaningless. They need to get as high a draft position as possible, then fire Baalke and the entire front office except Gamble. I’m not paying attention to them anymore. They’re at least 3 years out from being relevant at all again. Unfortunately, ownership can’t be fired. Too bad Joe Lakob doesn’t own the Niners…

    • alleykat69 said, on October 23, 2016 at 7:37 pm

      Hey I’m 1-0 went to the opener when somehow which still shocks me they made the 🐑 Rams look like us and beat em 28-0 go figure?

  65. zumiee said, on October 23, 2016 at 6:19 pm

    The Dodgers set an MLB record for most playoff appearances in a row without making the World Series. It’s 9 or 10, I can’t remember which.

    • snarkk said, on October 23, 2016 at 7:29 pm

      May the streak continue…

    • blade3colorado said, on October 23, 2016 at 10:34 pm

      Held by who (before)?

      • zumiee said, on October 23, 2016 at 10:41 pm

        Good question. I don’t know.

      • zumiee said, on October 23, 2016 at 10:42 pm

        Orioles, maybe?

      • blade3colorado said, on October 23, 2016 at 10:54 pm

        Interesting to find out who???

  66. mrsprtdude said, on October 23, 2016 at 7:37 pm

    Out of town…I like Kershaw in general. respect how good he is. Living in SoCal can be tough because Lakers, Dodgers, and USC fans such bad winners. So full of themselves. Nice to See LA go down with kershaw at the front..Shut them up for a while. The best part is one of my LA Dodger loving friends complaining how the front office doesn’t spend enough money:)

    • blade3colorado said, on October 23, 2016 at 10:56 pm

      I like Kershaw too – as you, Flav and others have noted. Just dislike the Dodgers so much! He is a gentleman and good sport though – always humble.

  67. zumiee said, on October 23, 2016 at 9:56 pm

    With the Cubs and Cleveland in the World Series, the Dodgers now have the 6th longest streak in MLB of not winning a Pennant. Only the Nationals/Expos, Mariners. Pirates, Brewers, and Orioles have longer streaks.

  68. zumiee said, on October 23, 2016 at 11:23 pm

    When the media calms down a bit from their Cubs-hysteria, they’ll notice a Cleveland team that pitched some shut-down ball against two good offenses, the Red Sox and Blue Jays.


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