Baseball Is Life
Joe Panik becomes Mike Benjamin. Pablo Sandoval becomes Johnnie LeMaster. Baseball has a way of connecting itself. It also helps us keep track of our own history. For instance, I’d rather remember listening to John Montefusco’s no hitter on the radio than remember that was the night my parents told me they were getting divorced. Fans catch shit for caring too much but this shit means a lot to us. It’s the timeline of of lives. We were all about to watch Game 3 of the ’89 World Series when that earthquake hit.
And this season will get marked down in our lives, on our timelines, the same way ’85 did. The problem with that is that back then I was a lot younger. Still had hope. Aged now, I’m not looking forward to what this team *could* become in the future. I’d rather look back on the dots on the timeline……
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A Place To Talk About Giants Baseball 
Wow! A fucking win. How’d that happen?!
Only 24 days until Pitchers and Catchers LEAVE (and take all the other fucking dead weight with them).
And only 13 losses away from that magical 100 loss season. Come on boys…show us your suckitude and get this shit done. The ’85 squad needs some company, and there needs to be some heads rolling in the front office.
Flav – love your analogy on baseball being a timeline of our lives. It is! And yes, I remember EXACTLY where I was the minute the Loma Prieta hit. I had just got home from work. Grabbed a beer and sat down, tuned in the pre-game, and BOOM!
And I have not said it for a while, Craig, but again, thanks SO MUCH for keeping this place alive. I love our community that is Flap Universe!
Long season drags on, good for the players and mgmt. to have a game like last night. You could see it in dugout shots after Panik’s 5th hit. Couple loud HRs from Mac and Hundley, even pen guys held Rocks to 3 and Giants get the Nepal gorilla off their backs, Slater makes things happen right away.
Games like that where baseball is fun again are why I hope they have more of them rest of the way. Good to see Cueto look OK too and hold Rocks down til bats got going.
Craig i’m echoing Chi..Just as magical as 2010. Ok NOT but still so thankful i have other flappers to complain to, analyze to, and dream about next year and beyond with. Who would care if not for you guys? My wife? Kids? Friends? NOPE..Thanks again!
Absolutely, sportdude. I have made so many lasting friendships here via a couple of Flapaloozas and also my trip with Blade last year to NY and Boston. In Boston and NYC Blade and I met the one, the only DJ Loo and Macdog, and were joined by SanDawg and his son in NY. Just a really cool community and great aggregation of Giants fans.
It is THE BEST.
I wonder if we’ll ever do it again…
Flapalooza, Loo? If you bring yourself out here, I can guarantee we will. I have a place for you to stay, if you don’t mind hanging out in a small foothilld town of hillbillies! 😉
Outside of that, I want to make another trip to the east coast at some point, and when I do, you know there will be a ball game or two involved!
After all the years of interacting with you here, I was absolutely stoked at the prospect of meeting you in person. And the actual happening of that did not disappoint! I would love to hang out with you again, dude!
Same here, Chi. You’re so positive.
A rare quality in Brooklyn people…
Seriously, brother. Anytime you want to come out, my home is your home.
The Giants weren’t 100% committed to winning this season, and probably won’t be next season, either. If Pence is a starting outfielder for the Giants next season, then that’s not being 100% committed to winning. That’s just playing a guy because of his contract. And there are other issues with the roster, too, of course.
What’ll probably happen is that the front office will say that Pence has to compete for a starting job, and then he’ll hit .240 in Spring Training, and somehow still be the opening-day starter. What a surprise. Also know as the “2017 Matt Cain scenario.”
Pence is currently rocking a .677 OPS.
We’ve also gotten to enjoy Gorkys’ .652 OPS this season.
And Span’s .747 OPS is off-set by some of the worst defense we’ve seen from a Giants starting centerfielder since I don’t when.
Well, Pence is signed through next year at 18.5, and has a full no-trade clause. So the chances of him NOT being a starter next year are slim, and none.
I don’t think it’s a lack of commitment to winning. I think it’s just the only way they know how to do it. And they’re stubborn. It worked before, the player performed before, in the eyes of the Giants side office there is no reason Pence, Span, etc… can’t get back to the production of their best years. It’s really a weird take on building a roster year to year, but it’s how they’ve always done it.
Good reality check, Flav. I think you are right.
Pence split 2 yrs playing half of them (158 games total) though when he was healthy the OPS was .800-ish. Now that he’s back in the LU and playing regularly, he’s awful. He’s gotta go. Giants have to send the message—you aren’t part of the solution any more, you’re part of the problem. Dodgers have no problem doing this, others too.
And of course he’s hardly the only one. All playing him any more is going to do next year is keep you in last place.
One of my old guy musical heroes who is still alive though unable to play is Sonny Rollins, 87 today. As Bozo pointed out last year when I brought him up, great stuff on his f-b page.
That picture of Panik is perfectly exposed.
Lol. My eyes see if differently. That is, the eyes I used to have before they were blinded by the over exposure of that photo
Magnus, one of your best posts ever, and the replies that followed. In 2014 I was watching Game 7 with Yankee Stadium Mystery Companion. I was talking on the phone to my youngest. It was probably as the game ended, Panda flat on his back. My voice caught. “You’re not going to cry, are you?” YSMC said. I checked it. On my own, I would not have minded sobbing as I had in 2010 and 2012. Without shame. It was cruel of her to say that, because she knew how invested I was. To her, and many, it’s about sports, which, to them, equates to a silly competition. No. It transcends that. Baseball is only a vehicle, a path to something grander and noble. You either get that or you don’t. Great writers (John Updike, Stephen King, Roger Angell, Red Smith, dozens of others) knew that. And we are as privileged to know the same.
Great post, Pawlie.
There is so much fail in baseball and for Giants fans and players there’s been way more than we’re used to lately. That’s why I’d like to see the season end with some good play over the last month, esp from younger hitters and pitchers, to serve a little notice they might not be this bad next year.
It doesn’t appear to me it is a last place rotation (Cueto Bum smardz at top end) so you have to hope mgmt. is able to make necessary adjustments everywhere else. And pay whatever you need to acquire more talent.
The yard is close to full, plenty of $$$ coming in. Give them something credible to believe in and watch.
Aren’t we in the top 8 spenders?
Yep – 7th.
https://www.cbssports.com/mlb/news/heres-every-mlb-teams-opening-day-payroll-for-2017/
D-Backs at 26th…and looking pretty damned good right now.
Please share your opinions of the picture I posted. How’s it look to everyone?
Looks like Panik has a line of cocaine stuck from his left ear to his left nostril..
Panik’s expression? “This record 3-game hit streak will get me traded. Hopefully to the Yanks or Mets. No way I wanna end up in Tampa or KC…”
RE: the picture. It looks like it was painted by the woman who did a painting of my dog (Gail had it done for my BD). Outside of that, I would say it is overexposed.
I’d say oversaturated.
I just don’t see big acquisitions happening with the Giants this off-season. Cain’s salary comes off the books, but I’m assuming Craw, Belt, Bum, and Posey all probably have bump-ups coming in their salaries from their contracts. I haven’t checked on that. The team refuses to cross the luxury tax line on the payroll (even though they no longer have to make stadium payments.)
I think it’s more of 2017 next season, unfortunately. I have no idea how they’re going to sell that turd-sandwich to the season-ticket holders. It’ll take every bit of sales acumen that Larry Baer has in him.
OK, I looked it up. Here’s the major bump-ups next season:
Belt, +13 million (!)
Craw, +7 million
Melancon, + 6 million (LOL)
(Cueto, actually -2.5 million)
Will Smith will be arbitration-eligible. Could he possibly be expecting a raise?
Bumgarner becomes a free-agent after ’19. Do the Giants want to get him locked into a longterm deal soon? That would be a huge contract. Otherwise, he goes free-agent, and that’s the last we see of him in a Giants uniform. He will be a hot commodity on the market. His playoff aura will be a huge draw.
As much as we are angry about things, there are tons of fans who think all we need is a couple tweaks.
And who’s to say they are wrong? They could get bounce-back years from Craw, Panik, Belt, Moore, a healthy CaIn and Cueto. Arroyo comes into his own, yadda yadda yadda. They get 2 good OFers and a couple three pen guys and voila we aren’t doishit at least.
Regardless of what anyone thinks though, their strategy is pretty much cast in stone. We saw it this last offseason. And they prolly won’t catch a lot of shit for it. Unless next year is worse than this one.
Part of the problem, though, is that the Giants are in the toughest division now. All four of those other teams are going to be tough opponents for at least the next few years.
The Pads are dog meat until they aren’t. And obviously I meant Bummie, not Cain.
Goddamn. Gronk looks slow and old. My FF team is counting on him.
Great thread post Flav.
Well, he and Le’Veon Bell.
As always, Flav, this place is much appreciated.
i know you guys appreciate this place you don’t have to keep saying it. You CAN keep saying it but I get it and I agree with you.
OK, I’ll bitch about NFL officiating then. Jesus fucking Christ. NE gets every goddamn break in just about every goddamn game.
14-4 in penalties this game.
Tyreek Hill is a cool player. Smith with a couple bombs of his own tonite. Pretty good start to season for no fun league…especially given all the offseason turmoil that’s already happened.
Alex Smith having the game of his life.
If they could just ley off the flag fest shit would be much better
Yeah Mr. Game manager has never looked this good! And who in the hell is Kareem Hunt?
I’m trying to pick him up right now in my FL, this guy looks like the real deal. as does the Chiefs tonight..
3rd round pick from Toledo I think, Kat. He’s only playing cause Spencer Ware went down for the year.
And now Eric Berry gone too, I’m sure. Plenty for a Chief fan to be happy about but always a dark fuckin’ cloud…..
Yeah Loo,
Not a bad debut for Hunt, just set a all time record for a rook in his 1st start with 246 yards from scrimmage, All he needs now is Lyrnyrd Skynyrd’s “On the Hunt” music coming out of the tunnel . Chiefs will milk 🍼 this dude hard, hope he holds up..
They sure will. Doesn’t look like a burner, but what a debut!
Torn fuckin’ achilles for Berry…
Kershaw got an L tonight. That’s very groovy.
that Chiefs QB sure fired off a bunch of strong accurate throws. wtf can’t the 9ers . . .