This Is Going to Get Ugly
I’m trying to figure out the line up today and don’t see a way that the fledgling trifecta of of Gorks/Marrero/Hill don’t make the starting 9.
It’s April.
How did this all fall apart so fast?
The o/u in Colorado today is 11. It’s gotta go under, right? Unless Colorado scores 12?
A Place To Talk About Giants Baseball 
Craig, I had to laugh at the photo of the “Flap 8” crew at the Phone Park you posted on Face Book this morning . . . Your comment about us being more than adequate replacements for the 2017 SF Giants cracked me up. I have to agree we would give the current SF Giants starting 8 a run for their money. Here’s my LU:
1. Batting leadoff because I am writing this LU is yours truly – go write your own LU if you disagree. Ha. I still have wheels, although they haven’t been tested in years. I also get to play SS. Because again, I want to.
2. Snarkk is in the 2 hole. Why? Fuck if I know, except like me, I know he had speed when he was a young fella. At least, that’s what he told me. Going to slot him in at second base too.
3. Has to be Flavor. No two ways about it. He also gets to prop up left field . . . Finally the black hole in the outfield gets a real athlete who can smash like Barry of old and patrol his turf without falling on his face or screwing up his shoulder when he has to make a catch at the wall.
4. Our 3rd baseman, San Dawg . . . Nimble feet, with quick reflexes and able to make the backhand play down the third base line. Also adept at fielding a bunted ball, slow roller, or chopped ball without difficulty. Fear the Dawg at clean up!
5. Zumiee takes over Belt’s position. Taller than Belt, he’ll be able to make all the plays Brandon does and more. No problemo holding a runner on or receiving throws from his infielders. Sheesh, adding Zumiee to this LU at number 5, pitchers will be shaking in their boots, after already facing Flavor and San Dawg.
6. Unca Chuck. Why? Because our LU is already “Murderers Row” and there’s only so many slots in the LU. Regardless, Unca can be played at leadoff or the 2 position when Snarkk or I need a breather. Going to put Chuck behind the dish. I know he can frame pitches as good as Buster and no one will steal on his arm.
7. Has to be James. He also gets to patrol left field. I also forbid him to make any videos with Mrs. James!
8. Mr. Pawlie “Say Hey” Kocak is our CF. He’ll be “chasing” the ghost of Willie Mays, but I have no doubt he is up to the task. Easily is better than &#^%!@ Gorkys.
nice! Although I’d make one change: bat James up higher in the order. That high OPS is getting wasted in the 7 spot
Yeah, him and snarkk were hard to figure out, although both talk about OBP, OPS and the lost art of bunting all the time.
those were great pics from that day. I still have one of those shirts Snarkk sent me. He set the whole thing up behind scenes too, nicely done.
Yep, thanks Snarkk, the shirts are beloved.
That means all the other Flappers are the pitching staff! Willie, Dirt, Paul, Giant Head, Sarge, Lurker John, Irish Kevin, and all the others.
With my batting skills, you guys will need to have a low ERA. 🙂
not with my noodle arm. strictly a blanco type spray hitting OF. Played softball into my 50s, but at that point more time and energy spent at post game wrap than anything.
Blade,I know I’m need the pics but you need a 9th player and I played little league thru high school ball starting pitcher along with ex Giant lefty pitcher Keith Comstock in high school,who was traded to the friars later in the steal of the century for Kevin Mitchell, Dave Dravecky& Craig Lefferts!
I can also play Outfield and the Hot Corner and of course fill all drink requests..Sincerely Kat
I’ll gladly be the super sub. I can play 2B, SS, or some OF. Gorkys move the fuck over…
Outside of that, I am a hell of a bartender…😉
Hope Steve Kerr is OK. He’s 51 yrs old with severe back problem which I hope do not prevent him from being able to guide Warriors season through its most crucial month.
Agreed. That was the bad news from last night’s fine win…
Belt has been announced as our LFer today. I’ll cover anything, ghostily speaking, he can’t get to.
Schulman says no team in the NL has made the playoffs in the WC era losing 12 of 18.
Cheers.
Yeah, I heard similar from KNBR the other day. They said the last 8 WS winners, all had good to outstanding Aprils. No below .500 Aprils. I’m sure at least a few WS winners in history were below .500 out early, but history is against this start. If they turn 1/3 of the team over by August, well, maybe that’s the history buster needed…
All of you other Flappers are on the 40 man roster . . . You could be called up quick, so be ready. No getting your skink on (or whatever AK describes as shit faced)!!!!!
blade, I was a RHed Craw, only faster wheels ! First leg on the 440 relay team, best out of the blocks!
For the good of the team and you putting the LU together, I’ll hold down 2nd base, no prob. This glove will travel.
And look for plenty of pop out of the second hole. I had, still have, some damn strong wrists and forearms for my size. Power sprayed to all fields, with legs for EZ doubles. 15 or so jacks from the second hole is a friggin lock, with an OPS well over .400. I call for bunts a lot, but that doesn’t mean to get a hit I have to put ’em down… 🙂
I knew I was right about you. James will have to make do batting 7th and prove me wrong!
didn’t James say he hit the batting cages? And it wasn’t any 70 mph slop either.
Question.
My eyes might not be so good these days.
When I see two baseballs coming at me from the pitcher, which one do I swing at?…
Is Ishi avaiable? The team is so dreadful, these aren’t even jokes; they beg for attention as desperate options.
I’m not a Monday morning guy. I’m not an ANY morning guy. (You don’t want to know when I got up today.) But I’m actually looking forward to Monday morning. Why? ROSTER CHANGES. Schulman hints they will wait till Monday. I’m craving roster moves. Hungering. Salivating. Lusting for. GorkyPark and MarereerERROR best be gone. Or let’s walk from the table, as Leonard Cohen recently sang — and then did.
My guess is none of these guys they will DFA will be picked up, they’ll end up back in Sac. It’s early for picking up waived players, but still, if they don’t get picked up, it will confirm their quality in the eye of GMs…
shouldn’t we have had this discussion weeks, months, ago?
vive la France
Today’s LU. Belt to LF, Hundley in for pop. It takes an injury to get to this lineup? They should have done this a week ago for a couple of games. This one should score a handful of runs today.
Span likely out 2-3 weeks–same injury he had in 2012. Just put him on the shorty DL and move on so the squad is not down a man, like they usually do on “day to day” BS that lasts a week. This guy rivals “Glass” Franchez for injuries, but not near as productive when he’s in. What a Bust of a signing. Unfortunately, putting him on DL would possibly keep Gorkys on the 25, they bring Stubbs up in Span’s roster spot. I hope more than that happens. Like DFA Marrero, too. Get some new bodies up, they can’t possibly be worse…
1. Eduardo Nunez (R) 3B
2. Brandon Belt (L) LF
3. Hunter Pence (R) RF
4. Buster Posey (R) 1B
5. Brandon Crawford (L) SS
6. Nick Hundley (R) C
7. Joe Panik (L) 2B
8. Gorkys Hernandez (R) CF
9. Jeff Samardzija (R) P
EZ prediction for the day.
Arenado dongs off Smardzxxx.
Hopefully, only one, and not a granny…
I’m reading national sports writers reporting that Kerr is out for the rest of the Blazer series however long it goes. He’s in serious pain, and they’re not sure why. Can barely walk…
You guys got some names to put to those faces? I recognize Blade, Craig, Pawlie and San Dawg from previous pictures. Zume, you in there? Chuck?
Left to right, top row: Unca Chuck, Zumiee, Flavor, San Dawg, James
Bottom row: me, Pawlie, snarkk
Thx
I forgot to mention Loo should be the manager of the Flap team, reading us the riot act if we’re not playing well, and occasionally knocking over the postgame spread. 🙂
You know I can have a skink on easily be over .008 and still be a better hitter then Gorkys’ .065 batting avg!!!
Giants will arrive in NY next month with a record of 9-23.
I wonder if Pence can be unloaded for anything decent at the deadline…
lol
I doubt it. Just me, but I really thought he looked old on that play Friday night. Didn’t look too hot on the Blackmon double to the gap either. That being said, if this isn’t the pretense for a team do-over, I don’t know what is. So yeah, IMO they should off load him at the deadline. Just doubt he will be worth much.
This might be sacrilegious, but I think they should off load Posey too, while he is still worth more than a bag of balls. I might even endorse one of those GH pie in the sky trades.
Oh, the desperation . . .
Get rid of the alphabet pitcher too.
We had an unbelievable run that will last old fans like us a lifetime.
The latest dark age has begun…
It sure looks like it right now. This team just flat looks bad.
If this turns into the bad penny year it looks like early, then go with it, and make lemonade out of lemons. Bring up as many youngsters as reasonable, and maybe some a stretch, to make the year productive for 2018. I can handle that. What I wouldn’t want is a crap year, while not using it to develop the future…
mm still think it’s more of a reload. Young bats plus Hwang in Sac Blach and Beede as SPs and other young arms in pen. IF with Arroyo somewhere is set, plus Posey.
That list from Jenkins about all the OFs Sabes traded for–Leonard Mitchell Burks Lofton Sanders Burrell et al– is impressive (Pence is on that list Cody Ross too) and if Evans can make any moves like that it sure would help more than any Stubbs brother.
Leonard and Mitchell were pre-Sabean, I’m sure…
Yes you’re right way before his time.
I think Bochy’s had enough, too. I could see an amicable parting in the near future using his health issues as the explanation. They would never fire him…
He’s got a right to hang around as long as he wants. But really, why would he? He’s got the rings and the $$$, he could just sit on a boat and fish the rest of his life. Good for his heart, too.
I hope Cueto opts out before he goes down the Cain drain…
Dang. Trying to look up Craw’s numbers since the bad news He’s gonna miss a couple days Wed and Thurs vs. LA next week too.
6 for his last 38 said Schulman. Ouch.
Does Gorkys wear a glove or a cesta?
Jai alol.
That’s my boy Okert…
Watching to see if the Rox can get to the over all by themselves is still of interest to me
Worst record in the NL after this game is complete; and only percentage points removed from the worst record in MLB.
This looks more and more like a continuation of last year’s post All-Star break suckitude, when Giants were one of MLB’s worst teams at 26-42 before winning last 4 for slightly less putrid 30-42.
Yep.
Just got back from a hike with a friend . . . I couldn’t watch anymore.
Sherpa broadcasters are whooping it up in the broadcast booth, enjoying beer brats at the moment.
Well, we’ll see if the Rockies can maintain this season, if they can conquer the altitude-related health issues. They claim to have made adjustments in conditioning, diet, and hydration. We’ll see. I don’t dislike their team. They have some talent, and their window might be opening.
Bumgarner is assured of 2 things. He won’t be rushed back this season and he won’t be getting a new deal from the Giants…
Assuming Bum returns healthy in July, I would love to know want type of haul he could bring in return? The Giants wouldn’t have the balls to trade him, but with club control for two more years at a bargain basement rate, you might be able to snag a couple Top 25 MLB prospects in return. For those of you that scoff at that idea, I think our only Top 25 MLB prospects in the last two decades are Posey and Bumgarner.
The Yankees, Cubs, and Pirates all have two players within the Top 25 MLB Prospects. The White Sox have three in the Top 25.
Now we’re talking about trading Bum?
If the offer is right, absolutely. No one on this club should be untouchable, especially a starting pitcher in his eighth big league season.
totally agree
Ryu hasn’t been pitching well, but he’ll probably stifle the Giants pretty well tomorrow night.
Everyone else has, why not him.
Bum won’t be 28 until August. I don’t see the Giants bagging on a new deal for him because of this fuck-up. He’s don’t way too much for the organization, he’s too good of a pitcher. I think you end up losing overall if you trade him, regardless of who you get in a return. The rotation would be gutted.
28 yes, but let’s not forget he is in his eighth major league season. He is probably at the peak of his career as we speak, playing on a last place team, with a two years of club control remaining. If you ever were to trade him, it would be this July.
I flipped over to the A’s game and learned they sell a sandwich at their stadium called The Kaval. For $14.99, a fried chicken patty, and hamburger patty, bacon, lettuce, tomato, onions, pickle, and mayo, on a buttermilk waffle.
Gonna pass.
I’m slated to go to the May 10 game. Have already lost interest…
I was looking forward to going to that one – not anymore. Do you have tickets already?
Flavor has wisely told me to skip it…
I’m also going May 10.
They’ll keep bargain Bum at least until the trade deadline of his last contract year which I think is 2019.
Depends where they’re at and how he’s looking at that point…
At this rate, to me it’s a given they’ll have to trade Cueto at the deadline, if not sooner. He’s going to bolt, so ya’ gotta get something for him. Trade him to the AL — Boston or NY and milk them for top prospects, especially an OFer. Sox system is always loaded. Beede up to take Cueto’s place, and get his S together to start 2018 with experience in the Bigs…
Cueto just said the other day that he wants to finish his career in the AL.
Adios…
I think that’s a good idea, especially the part about getting an OFer in return. Cueto should easily be worth that given his potential value to a playoff-bound team.
Posey moving is a pretty big fairy tale. He’s still got ~$100-$110 million left on his deal. Which yields 3 teams that could take him. And you know who they are.
Bum back in July is optimistic. I don’t see him going anywhere unless they get a shit-ton for him.
As in an entire starting OF with an SP thrown in.
And yeah, Kerr is having his migraines again. He may be out for the rest of the playoffs. Not sure if this is a part of the complications from his back surgery or if he had these before.
Point is with the Giants, they need to either show that they are all-in on this season by making changes NOW, or they just go into play-the-kids mode. At least try something different. Span going down is good. They should give Gorky a dirt bike when we get home.
Heard the post-game crew positing this thought that the young guys aren’t ready for the long haul of a regular season, immediately followed that by, saying ‘well, if guys get hurt, they’ll bring them up.’ Just heard Affeldt say that and thought, how stupid does he think we are?
Absofuckinglutely stupid. Jesus.
Dirt bike is good Unca . . . also, they should buy him a set of Ginsu knives and frozen hamburger paddies.
It seems like the Giants are in the minority when it comes to bringing up young players “too early.” I see guys all over the league getting shots at 22-23 years old. If there was ever a time for the Giants it’s now. This embarrassing joke of an outfield has simply got to go, and with Bum down it’s logical to see a pitcher coming up.
Zumiee, I went for a hike with a friend, i.e., the game was too depressing. Anywho, in regard to your 2:37pm post . . .
You’re spot on. The Sherpas on paper, look like the team to beat in the West in my opinion. However, as I have stated many times in the past, they’ll have to show me some staying power after the All Star break. I have seen this story too many times to be fooled again. That being said, the Sherpas are stocked with studs and have a good bullpen and pitching staff . . . on paper.
This team has done an excellent job of rebuilding their team in the last 3 years, starting by getting rid of Tulowitzski (by the by, he went on the DL this weekend) and rebuilding their pitching staff organically. Similarly, all of their main position players come from within the system. Quite a job they’ve done for a mid-market team.
I remember Arenado yelling at a teammate in the dugout last year for not hustling on a play. I think they’re getting the culture of losing changed. I guess at some point some credit is going to go to Bud Black. He seems to be a good fit for them.
I saw that game and yes, it was something you rarely saw a Rockies player do, with the exception of Tulo (to his credit. Unfortunately, Tulo couldn’t stay on the field to back up his talk, so it was wasted).
I like Black way better than Walt Weiss.
Black was a good hire. figuring out how to pitch at home is a challenge and I think he is smart enough guy to make that happen. They already have good D and a young powerful LU and maybe some of these guys are sick and tired of Giants and LA ownership of division. they’ve given both what for so far.
7 of the next 10 games are vs. the Dodgers. Good times!
To Bum’s credit, his injury on the weirdness scale, pales in comparison to these guys. Rickey Henderson missing games due to frostbite still has me laughing to myself.
http://mentalfloss.com/article/29000/24-most-bizarre-injuries-baseball-history
#1 with Griffey and his nutcracker pretty hilarious and I’m sure painful Blade.,
#3 with Marty Cordova and his fried face ordeal with sensitivity of sunlight as a baseball player even better!
Side note… Chris Brown should of made the list when he told Roger Craig :”I can’t go today skippy cause I woke up this morning with a sprained eyebrow sleeping on it”🤔😴
Love watching Murphy torture the Mets. First inning slam off Wheeler…
Ownage is ownage.
Arroyo got 4 hits today for Sac, including the walk-off hit in the 9th.
Depressing series on a lot of levels, but for me most disappointing are the SPs. Second day in a row they give up 6+ early and put team in a big hole. Moore’s ERA is almost 6 and Smardz was 6 coming into today. Cueto gave up a bunch too in a yard he usually dominates. As James said earlier, 200 innings of shit pitching will doom them like if Peavy was still here.
with Bum on sidelines Cain has best ERA of entire SPs. Hope he can keep that up and Blach is ready.
8 runs in 3 days in Colorado says as much about the hitters as it doesn’t about our shitty pitchers. Maybe more.
Bochy after this loss: “”These are our guys and they’ve been through this.” Uh, yeah, Bruce, that’s actually the problem: one of the worst teams in baseball at the moment because, these are our guys…. Hope the rumors of changes a’comin’ are true.
That’s been one of his fall-back lines for a while now.
Other than Bum being gone for at least 2 months, I am not concerned with the pitching. Sherpa Field does that to all teams. However, the lack of hitting – especially here in Denver – is what CONCERNS me. This was an opportunity for all of our hitters, especially the “buck fifty crew” in center and left (Span, Marrero, and Gorkys) to get off the schneid. Instead, they all face planted. Frankly, I am happy about Span potentially going on the DL.
I think the Giants brain trust can’t wait too long to start “throwing shit at the wall and see what sticks” from our minor league teams. Me? I want to see that Korean stud given an opportunity. Hoping that he is the next Eric Thames. If not, next in line . . . Arroyo, Williamson, Morse, Slater, or fill in the ________ .
Agree about Hwang and Arroyo getting a shot, and soon. How could management possibly think those 2 are “not ready” compared to what we’ve seen so far?
Looks like I may have a convert in Blade on the trade Posey possibility. And of course my argument all along has not been to actually trade him but to see what the market will bear for him. The way this season has imploded (and I think it has indeed and completely imploded and will stay imploded), no way in hell do I trade Bum for anything. The way his contract is set up, we would be fools to trade him. Now the $20 some odd mill for Posey for a few more years is the one I really weigh seriously about dangling him.
Was it James or Snarkk who suggested that we might as well try and move Cueto if there is a chance he opts out anyway. If they can get a solid hitting prospect for Pence…then…
Go All In on the Japanese Babe Ruth and stick him in left and slot him #2 behind Bum in Cueto’s spot. Blach #3, Beede #4 and Moore #5 and hit the road Smardjamcanmansuck. Release Spam tomorrow…get Donger and Arroyo in tomorrow’s lineup…
snarkk and it was an excellent idea.
Most excellent…
Arroyo, since Crawford is on the bereavement list, should get the starts at short and Donger to third. Let’s see how they look.
I would not be shocked to see Bochy announce an early departure…
Trading Cueto is a given. No one will take on Posey’s contract and if they did the package in return wouldn’t be worth it. Bum and his team friendly contract is the only one on this club that could bring back legit, “Lindor or Correa” type talent. This team is going to have to break some hearts (I.e trading a Bumgraner) and suck for a couple of years in order to replenish the farm. If they don’t make the difficult moves, and ownership isn’t willing to break the bank on FA’s they could end up with overaged vet’s with no trade value and they will suffer for 5 or more years.
Flappers are always 2 to 3 steps ahead of the Giants brain trust, insofar as thinking out of the box and/or knowing the REAL status of the team. We don’t tell ourselves fairy tales. We’re grounded in 50 plus years of disappointment (prior to 2010).
what gets said for publication I think you have to take with grain of salt. bochy is epitome of vanilla, going out of his way to NOT call out individual players, another reason his guys love and respect him. He didn’t chastise Bum either. He doesn’t have another CF beside Hernandez which I would bet changes immediately. But he has done some things differently as Belt has played LF and RF and Nunez was in the OF too and he stuck Nunez at top of the order..
Expect more shuffling of deck chairs when Craw misses last 2 games of first Dodger series.
Nunez is 5 for his last 29 with 1 BB (so that’s a .200 OB) and a steadily dropping below .700 OPS. He has 2 XBH, doubles, all month. Today he led off game, swung at first pitch and grounded out. Huh?
I’d love to see Hwang take over 3b and provide some much needed pop. Hwang did some play LF the other night tho apparently not real well. Btw he and Arroyo they have to give more to a position of power like 3b.
Well, apparently I was telling/selling myself a fairy tale and yes, I still think with a few tweaks this could be a championship year. But I’ve got to admit, April has been one fucked up month.
An optimist, I like it.
Posey will be a Giant for the length of his contract. Bum under his current contract and what he means to the franchise isn’t going anywhere anytime soon. Span will probably play out his contract. Smarg-inal has an unmovable contract that the Giants won’t eat. Most tradeable deadline guys are Pence, Nunie and Cueto and I’d love to send Lemon Can back to Washington.
In reality, I don’t expect any of those guys except Nunie to be dealt…
Sadly I agree. They have a sellout streak they need to keep alive. I think the casual fans that fill the stadium have no interest in Top 20 talent they have never heard of, or rebuilding/reloading. As soon as they make that first “sale”, the proverbial white flag will be waved. Their better off, using the “bad penny year” excuse and promising great things to come in the next even year.
Viewed through this weekend’s series with the Sherpas, I can understand the trade/eat the contract noise. Again, I have seen some great pitchers, including Kershaw, get eaten alive by Coors, so I’m not too concerned about our pitching staff or bullpen (which has been outstanding thus far this season). Ergo – Bum’s contract is too team friendly, and consequently, he isn’t going anywhere.
The 2 black holes in left and center are killing us though. Related to the aforementioned, I think that Flavor did not bestow Nunez with the “great and all-knowing and all-powerful power” of mental toughness necessary to play right field, left field and 3rd base. This uncertainty is weighing on the all knowing and all wonderful Nunez. Nunez needs to concentrate on one position and only one position to be effective. Similarly, the added pressure of batting lead off might be too much to ask of him as well. If they can fill the 3rd base or left field hole with someone from the minors, than I would reassure Nunez of whatever his role is going forward and leave him be. Personally, I would like him to hit 5th or 6th . . . Which means I’m ready to experiment with Belt at lead off.
Loo, Mac: my Mets buddy already has the tix; we’re supposed to go down and back the same day. I want to wiggle out of it.
Yeah, I’m committed (or maybe should be committed) to going, it’d be cool if you can make it. Hey, Mets aren’t exactly on fire either.
At our age you don’t need an excuse not to do something…
Joe Nathan is closing for the Syracuse Chiefs.
I’m not sure we really need to be talking about a huge overhaul at this point (yet); if the FO had done what most of us thought was necessary in the off-season (closer, LFer, improve the ‘pen), things probably wouldn’t seem so bad. Unfortunately, and some of us here saw this coming, CF has also become a problem, thus escalating the OF problem into a disaster. Call up Arroyo, and the IF looks good; ‘pen hasn’t been too bad lately; starting pitching will probably be fine, even without Bum for a couple months; it’s just that damned outfield. Not unsolvable. Shoulda solved it months ago, but hey, better late than never.
I’m sure the Giants will be happy to not see the Rockies for a while. They do look tough.
I would bring up Arroyo right now. The guy is raking at a mind-blowing clip at AAA, even given it’s the PCL. His confidence and timing isn’t going to get any better as a prep for MLB duty. Screw arbitration stuff. Let’s get a young player up here to a team with offense in the bedpan, and let him play the season at MLB so he can get a foundation for his next decade of play. Maybe he’d be ROY…
Joe Johnson is still a bad-ass basketball player as the Jazz even things up with the Clippers. He was a beast in the 4th quarter. Good series going there.
yeah that was very cool comeback in 4th Q to beat the clips without Heyward.
can you believe Joe Johnson has made 199 MILLION in his career? Jeez, mama’s don’t let your babies grow up to be cowboys, let ’em grow up to be NBA players
Catching 2 of 4 against the dodgers this week. The club’s performance so far this season is putting a damper on my expectations.
Won’t surprise me if we play the Dodgers tough—though there is no logical reason to expect that to happen.
Seems like the Giants often surprise us against a good team after we all give up on them.
Glad to be missing this clusterfuck. Off visiting Charleston and the SC coast on a brief vacation. Haven’t been to the batting cages yet this year, but I always have it set to Romo/Zito mph. Last year I was still making consistent Kuiper-like contact while swinging at everything, meaning my low OPS ass doesn’t really belong in the line up.
Whatever your OPS is, manager blade will need your contribution. It’s clearly got to be above Gorkys level…
The question is, do you still have options. If so, fuhgettaboutit, you’ll be playing in Sacto…