The Head is Off Limits
The baseball Gods sprinkled some opening day magic at AT&T yesterday with a play I can’t recall ever seeing. Bases loaded, pitcher swinging bunts the ball…..and 3 runs score. That was fantastic. Of course, the day could have ended in disaster. Heck, it still could. I am not a Posey disciple but I understand his value to the team. He is the cornerstone of any season-long success we have, even more so than Madison Bumgarner. If he gets hurt, as we found out in 2011, we’re screwed.
If I’m running an mlb team, I have a simple rule for my franchise player: You are not allowed to throw a ball at his head. If you do, there will be a penalty and it will be painful. If someone accidentally gets hurt, if there are suspensions, fines etc…whatever. Do not throw at his head.
The problem with baseball, as well as the current world we live in, is that there are no consequences anymore. At best, they’ve all been watered down to delayed or implied consequences. I blame the internet for most of that. Intent does not matter. If you hit a batter in the head, someone (ideally you) should get beaned as a penalty. If you don’t agree with that, how about my idea below?
These pitchers can hit the tip off the dick of a donkey. Retaliation can be done with firm mercy. To do nothing is a tacit admission that you are weak and that you allow your franchise player to be a human target. I can’t imagine a worse message to send to your team, your fan base and to the rest of the league……
Sadly, the pussification of baseball has entrenched itself beyond repair. Here is a secondary option: We need a rule change. If you hit a batter in the head you should be EJECTED from the game. Period. I go back to my tip/dick/donkey point. Work inside if you want, work in the vicinity of the head if you dare, but do NOT hit someone in the head. If you do, you are GONE. And fined. In football it’s called *targeting*; you hit someone in the head or neck area, you’re gone. At least that’s the rule in college, I think the pros, too. With what we know about head injuries now, whether the pitcher means to do it or not, hitting someone in the head should trigger an instant ejection.
Don’t work near the head. Franchise player. Role player. Doesn’t matter. Stay away from the head.
A Place To Talk About Giants Baseball 
I would be down with that rule change, Flav. I do believe when Moore hit Peralta, that was the “retaliation.” Should have been T. Walker, or better yet, Gold-dick. I just hope Posey is OK, because I agree with you, he is an important cornerstone to this team.
Great day at the yard yesterday. Met up with Sarge for some pre-game festivities at the Polo Grounds (watering hole across the street from the yard). We did not have a ton of time to hang-out, but it was certainly good to raise one with a fellow Flapper.
In the 4th when the Giants put up those runs, I told my daughter and my friends in the row in front of us, I would put on a safety squeeze. Sure enough, Moore tries to bunt at the first pitch. I then said I would try a “butcher boy” play. Not sure that is what went down, but yes, a fucking swinging bunt (and two errors on the play) ended-up plating three. Hey, when you are 1-6 and struggling to win games, you take ’em any fucking way you can.
Beautiful day yesterday. Perfect baseball weather. I just love the energy in the ball park on an Opening Day. And getting a win made the long drive home satisfying…
Let’s get a little streak going. Hell, a win today (two in a row) would be a fine start!
always curious about what it costs to go to OD. How much did you spend on tix, food, parking etc?
Well, it is not a cheap endeavor. Unlike most other games, you pay a premium for being in the mix on opening day. We sat lower box 134. Two tix were $350. Now here is the CRAZY part. You can score those same tickets for about $20 today! I know…un-fucking-real.
Opening Day is just a father-daughter tradition I have had for a long time (actually, I have been to every home opener since ’78, the exception being the strike year). Parking was FORTY FUCKING DOLLARS (up from I believe $35 for opening day last year). I drive a Toyota Tundra and burned about a tank of gas (filled-up this morn to the tune of $51). Since I scored the tickets, my daughter got our grub and drinks. I had probably four or so beers and a cocktail throughout the day (figure roughly $50-$60 there) and a Sheboygan Brat ($10). So, you can see that Opening Day is not cheap, but WTF…it IS opening day, and I just love that vibe.
I could not believe that the same tix today are only $20. Lots of season ticket holders sell their tix for opening day, and the haul from that sale funds a big chunk of their season ticket costs. Crazy…
cool, thanks for sharing. How much are the brews this year?
YW, Flav. You know, since I bought the tix, I did not pay for any brews yesterday. But I doubt you find one for under $10.
Only bummer was that I really did not get a chance to chat a lot with Sarge. We were in the Polo Grounds and the place was a fucking madhouse. Very hard to carry on a conversation. But it was cool to see him again, and raise one for our Giants.
Great to see you Chi! Too bad we couldn’t hang out longer, but yes it was a zoo in there.
As far as beers go, I think we’re looking at 10.50 or 11 for a Bud. Fact is, I dare not put that swill anywhere near my mouth. I don’t get to drink too often anymore so I’m gonna drink something good. Makes 7 a pint at the watering hole a bit more palatable.
I am very ok with an automatic ejection for hitting a guy in the head.
there’s a guy named Rookie Davis pitching for Cinn today. He’s gonna get blasted, right?
LA got to watch Cubs (who eliminated them last year) raise the banner, win on a walk off single vs. Jansen in bottom of 9th, get an off day to think about it and then tmw the Cubs get their WS rings. Awesome.
When the NBA has that ceremony for host team it’s gotta suck to have to sit there and watch it if you are a rival team they beat. I know I’d want to run them out of their own gym.
Love that the bumbinos were the ones who get to share this experience with the Cubbies.
this is hilarious
my aunt was a flight attendant for United for many years back in the day. She said they did this shit all the time there just weren’t cameras around, lol
United suxx, I’d rather walk if that were the only choice…
“tip/dick/donkey point”, a new program from United?
I heard somewhere the guy was on a buddy pass. Not sure if it’s true, but if so, then he’s totally in the wrong. My wife used to work for Continental and we got bumped flying all the time. But we flew for cheap all over the place.
All United had to do was keep upping the ante. Someone would have taken the voucher/cash offer/whatever. First the leggings and now this. Bad form regardless of the right/wrong aspect. United blows. Kathy still knows a lot of people that work for united and said the new mgmt sucks compared to the Continental days.
what I hear from frequent travelers at work is these guys are most disliked by wide margin. There are many other airlines I hear good things about, Singapore Emirates Virgin but United is pretty much reviled for customer service.
Couple weeks I go to Portland for 3 day co meeting…interesting to see what happens with NBA first round. should be high scoring series, fun to watch…maybe not so much for their hometown fans.
i went to school up in Portland during the Drexler days. Portland fans were so fucking smug and uppity about the trailblazers back then, I’ll never forget it. I hope the Warriors kill them. I must admit, I am a big Dam Lillard fan tho
I hope Smardj is better tonight than his 10.13 ERA. Dude had some good stuff (9 Ks in that last game) last outing, but he also left the damned ball up and gave up three bombs. That shit isn’t going to flush for long. I would be fucking ESTATIC to see our boys win two in a row!
A’s are removing the tarp from upper deck and selling tix up there for $15 each. Long overdue move, IMO, although $5 seems like a better price point
This is being advertised as breaking news, bigly news, for A’s fans. Sad!
As Loo mentioned, hockey takes care of this stuff right away. Somebody runs at or clips one of your top scorers, retaliation is swift and decisive, often involving gloves being dropped. Anyone taking extra swipe at puck in goalmouth after a whistle gets jacked up immediately.
While I don’t agree with immediate ejection I do agree in this case the message needs to be delivered.
If you give the opposing goalie a harmless “snow shower” you can expect to get punched (unless you’re playing my pussy Rangers)…
Are you expecting any funny stuff as a result of the Kreider-Price incident three years ago?
One other note from yesterday at the yard. Barry Lamar was in the house. They acknowledged this and put him on the scoreboard video.The place erupted with chants of BARRY BARRY BARRY…our little city by the bay loves Bonds…
In last night’s Mets-Phillies game, Philly reliever Edubray Ramos threw a pitch over the head of Asdrubal Cabrera, all because Cabrera apparently celebrated a bit too much after hitting a game-winning HR off Ramos in September last season.
and my feeling is, if you want to fuck around with that so be it. But hit someone in the head/neck and you are EJECTED from the game and heavily fined.
Giants policy seems to be pussies about Retaliation, that needs to change!!
Get a big lead if ever possible and let Sticknine drill someone instead of a starter you’ll lose early, Strick at 100 in a ear flap sends a powerful message..
just like Loo’s pussy Rangers. I know nothing about hockey but if it ever comes up in casual convo I am going to call those motherfuckers out as the biggest pussies on the ice!
Strick may not have the best command to be the designated Retaliator…
unfortunately, the pussification of baseball and the rest of the world makes retaliation less of an option. This pisses me off. As a secondary option I respectfully ask Rob Manfred to consider my rules change of pitcher ejection for hitting a batter in the head.
Great hockey vid from 2 weeks ago of Sharks enforcer M Haley decking Predators guy who drove him face first into boards from behind with an elbow to the head. Nashville was up 3 goals late at the time. Haley skates right over to the guy, who backs away and then drops him with one shot. He takes match penalty and is suspended a game but did his part.
.
comments from bloggers universally support Haley and say this is how things should be done if league isn’t going to protect players from dangerous unnecessary hits. Let players take care of it on the ice.
i got this from someone on twitter and I can’t find who it was or I’d give them credit. It hasn’t been said enough times what an absolute STEAL we got in the trade for Matt Moore. Utter thievery.
“Matt Moore earned his 1st victory of ’17 and is 5-0 with a 1.59 ERA in his last five starts at AT&T Park dating back to last year.”
That was from #SFGStats.
thanks. It’s not someone I follow and I copied it and didn’t get the entire tweet and then couldn’t find it.
And I don’t recall who, but there were Flappers who questioned the trade (giving up Duffy and a couple of prospects for a quality starter). I thought it was great then…love it even Moore, now.
the negativity was 100% based on the sadness of Duffy leaving. I was too busy being exciting about getting a legit #2/#3 lefty that we have under control for multiple years to be distracted with Duffy being part of the package. It was a fantastic trade. Duffy still isn’t even playing and even when he comes back I would like to see how his production rivals what Moore has given us (and will continue to give us). Hell, I prefer Nunie over there even without the Moore production
Buster is on the 7-day concussion protocol list.
The fighting is one of the reasons hockey will never be bigger than it is. It has a core of fans, but it won’t break out to the mainstream. Watching two hockey players punch at each other, while the referee stands there watching like a doofus, is a total turn-off.
In the NFL, 60 year-old referees jump into the mix to break it up. You gotta respect that aspect about NFL refs.
Fighting is really not a big part of the NHL anymore, Zum. Generally, one team’s goon fights the other team’s goon and it briefly riles up the crowd. The fun days of the bench clearing brawl or 5 guys pairing off are long gone. I was high up in the blue seats when the Bruins climbed into the stands to fight the fans postgame back in ’79. Of course the fans got no help from their pussy home team who went and hid in their locker room. Awesome sight and memory…
For today’s stupid quote from a Trump team-member:
Sean Spicer: “Even Hitler didn’t use chemical weapons.”
The idiocy of these clowns is apparently boundless…
Posey to the 7 day DL, Tim Federowicz called up from AAA
What about Brown?…
I have no idea, but I wonder if Brown is out of the infamous “options.”
Well they better have a backup plan if Brown’s not the man, cause somebody has to backup Fedex if he gets banged up and can’t finish a game..
Only smart move they could make. FedEx &ElPresidente come on down!!
Cespedes 3 HRs tonight in Philly, and it’s only the 5th inning.
He woulda looked good in a Giants uni. 🙂
Could’ve been had easily after his first Met-go-round.
Major FO fuck up…
Another sad day for music 🎶
J Geils 71,found dead in his Massachusetts home, their saying natural causes, but still be investigated.. Great band.. Freezeframe,Love Stinks albums classic shit that rocks forever!!
RIP JGeils
surprised he was 71.
WTF do they consider natural causes at age 71?
So if Smdj nails someone in the 1st inning does he get ejected?
Maybe they should save that for Cain tomorrow.
Good idea. And Matt’s good at it…
that can be Cain’s parting gift to the team before he hits the DL with a ghost injury
Smarge just earned many, many man points from me. Well done, son.
Yup, payback dealt.
Goldschmidt, to his credit, made no issue of it.
Agreed, that was textbook payback. Both sides handled it well.
Fuck
Smarj just gave up 3 line drives in a row to the pitcher. I’m not sure I’ve ever seen something like that.
has a pitcher ever hit a HR into McCovey Cove? I hope not.
Nice job, Gorky
That is some fucking Gorked-up OF play! Fuck!
2 things: this guy is hard for me to watch pitch. He’s a disaster waiting to happen. And whoever said Hernandez is a “brilliant” defender was smoking some good shit.
Gorkys is only hitting .087, but he sure can play defense.
Sure not the Say Hey kid out there, fucking Gorky Porky 🐷 sure screwed the poop on that effort for 3 runs!!
The Say Nay Kid…
Fred Lewis would have at least gotten some glove on that!
Willie Mays with a walker makes that play!!
That’s how a CF makes a play!
Pollock’s a true center fielder, Gork’s a hatchspring of Mork..
I would’ve loved to see Span track that big drive down with his usual lazy stride and last second reach. Of course, now that his hip is bad again, that probably wouldn’t’ve happened. Gorkys looked lost and scared losing that ball.
Same look Fred Lewis always had.
Sure miss the days of Maddox,Matthews&Bonds patrolling the OF..
Marrero’s .067 vs. Gorkys’ .087 is a horse race.
Yeah, but they’re racing backwards….
lulz
Gorky’s just isn’t ready for this level. He seems pretty overwhelmed.
While most of us have been pining for management to go out and get a legitimate LFer, I wouldn’t be surprised to see Pagan back in the fold very shortly….
If MRI machines had wings, he would’ve been here already…
Like I’ve said before P/A that ship has sailed on Pagan, no way he returns. Boch could never depend on him, healthy one day, ailment the next.Reports a lot of teammates couldn’t wait for that contract to expire. Yeah he was above his norm last year, oh contract prove myself again Year, but the Giants didn’t bite on a often injured, defensive liability, weak arm,cancer in the dugout, and it looks like most major league teams see the same in him..
Yeah, AK, agree… I wasn’t saying it’s what I wanted, just might be the *easy way* to sort of maybe possibly solve a problem in the minds of management….
the C in the dugout comment is interesting. according to most public reports Pagan was the leader of the player boycott that got Baggarly canned as comcast’s beat guy. He certainly is intense. And his physical health is suspect. . . . So.
I have floated a lot on Pagan over the last week or so. While he is available he wants a ML contract and 4-5 mil. Unfortunately, ain’t happening. I think they tinker around with Upton and Stubbs until going big before the trade deadline. I expect they go get an OFer (REAL OFer), then.
Still cannot believe that butcher job by Porkys Gorkys was scored a triple. That fucking ball was catchable, IMO. 🤡 No offense to our local clown.
And WTF, let’s strand a couple of runners while we’re at it.
I see we faced Cy Young yet again.
Gorkys looked good last year. Too much time thinking about it?
Fuck!
Just saw the vid of Gorkys butchering that fly ball in deep left center. He slowed down to camp under it, then just whiffed on it. That’s a three base error. Let’s face it, this outfield is just north of doggy doo, and was predicted as such. This outfield needs a re-tool, and none too soon. If Blanco hadn’t been re-signed to a minors deal with the DBacks, he’d probably be back in the SF system right now. Giants OF situation is officially a joke, and the joke is squarely in the laps of Sabevans….
A lineup with two sub-.100 players, a backup catcher and a 35-year-old shortstop just can’t compete with a lineup of real hitters.
Somebody convince me that Gorkys Hernandez is, right now, better than Angel Pagan…
I’d take Blanco in a heartbeat.
Pains me to say it, but I’m starting to miss Blanco. That’s how bad this OF situation is…
I NEVER said that. I have been politicking HARD for Pagan, NOW. The shit they are trotting out there in CF and LF is an embarrassment t.
We should be making hay on these shit teams. Instead we are getting taken to the woodshed.
Bad penny year indeed.
Hey! Can we come back?
Oh boy. The whiff king.
We wish.
Ramirez could easily turn out to be another whippin boy for the flap nation. Left some real cookies to rake by D-backs..
Kat, there’s more than a few whipping boys right now. Starts with Sabevans…
Fuck.
DP…of course. Sigh…
Marrero is this year’s Exhibit A that spring numbers mean squat.
Somewhere Randy Elliott is choking on his beer.
Yep.
True. But I think most here expected a bit more production than this shit. I know I did.
Too bad Marrero couldn’t have just struck out.
With that poke into the corner by Panik, that DP stings ever so much more…
Come on gameface
I’ll be damned. Tying run to the plate.
We need another of those bases juiced swinging bunts…
Panik, professional hitter gets the run in where another feeble outfielder failed..
Oh boy. Here we go with 3 and out.
Fuck Gorkys.
The two lineup killers strike again. This can’t go on.
Not a single strike thrown . . . .
You can’t have a name like Gorky and be successful in the bigs and #66 what’s the deal?His idol Puig by any chance??
Gorkys is Spanish for “belongs in Sac”…
During my Boston years in the ’80s, there were some pretty entertaining teams, but there were also some years when I’d go to Fenway and look out at the field and see…. Dave Stapleton at 1B, Reid Nichols in the OF, Glenn Hoffman at SS, Somebody Sullivan catching… and I’d think, really? This is the best we can do? With Marrero and Gorky playing in the OF at the same time, the same thought crossed my mind.
Belt, Pence, and Hill? Back-to back-to back, right?
Pathetic AB by Hill…
Say what you will about Belt, and I’ve been a big supporter of him, but I don’t ever remember him hitting .200….
I’m sorry to say I have evidence of precedents.
Yeah, figured you might… I just don’t remember it….
Would like to see them at least get to Nunes here…
Craw PH here?
Nooner and Hunley coming up big.