Colorado and Closers
I actually don’t mind going to Colorado as long as both the Giants and the Rockies are going there at the same time. When it’s the Rockies sitting there waiting for us, it’s more dangerous. Tonight both teams are coming to Sherpatown with a similar visual memory index. It’s a more even playing field. Again, if VMI interests you I encourage you to read about it here:
https://www.baseballvmi.com/baseball-indices-sports-weather
I have found it to be an invaluable tool to assist in helping build daily fantasy baseball teams…..
I have some thoughts on Melatonin. Actually, the closer role in general. I feel like the Giants have been screwing this up since they signed Armando Benitez back in 2004. The A’s do a lot of lame stuff but their approach to the closer is something SF really should pay attention to. As Melatonin was unable to finish a game with a 4 run lead I thought of this text that The Bone (my A’s fan buddy) sent me a couple of weeks ago:
In baseball, free agent signings are a huge risk because the players are locked up like servants for so many years before they can leave their original team. Money changes people, not to mention what all those years of playing BEFORE they get to their new team does to the body, the arm, etc. Paying a closer a fortune doesn’t make a lot of sense and is, in fact, kind of a lazy thing to do.
The Giants need to be more like the A’s when identifying stud closers. Draft them, develop them, trade for them if they’re young and controllable. But do not, ever again, sign one to big free agent money.
A Place To Talk About Giants Baseball 
not baseball related, but if you want to laugh out loud…
https://theconcourse.deadspin.com/criminal-couples-harrowing-attempt-to-escape-convenienc-1827242416
Dude, that is fucking hilarious! Love when the bitch breaks through the ceiling. I nominate both for Darwin Awards!
it really is classic.
The 2018 Giants are a textbook of cautionary tales for GMs. Several bad long contracts: Melancon, Smarj, and Longoria.
Agreed. And this is why Blade and a few others were pushing so hard to just go straight to a rebuild. I see that take. I just never thought it was going to happen and since it was never going to happen I’d rather them do what they can in the now to improve the team and take their shot. And that’s what is unfolding this year. We were never the best team in 2010, 2012 or 2014…until we won the final game of the post season….
At this point in my fanhood, with 3 beauties in the bank, I just want an exciting year with a chance. I’m happy to go year-2-year. There are going to be bad years. But there were those who thought this year would be a *faceplant* and that was BEFORE all the injuries happened. We are hanging in there and that’s good enough for me.
Well said.
What Flavor said…
The Giants did very well with closers during the 3-in-5 when they went with the hot hand each time. Three different closers for the three championships is an amazing thing.
exactly. And the two times they tried to pay for one they got burned.
I posted this late last night. Oakland Coliseum view before it was ruined by Mt. Davis in the mid-1990s. A very nice view.
And nice outfield bleacher seats.
From time to time, I used t hop on BART and then pay $2 for a LF bleacher seat, mainly to watch Rickey play. The seats they have out there now suck.
They totally fucked that place up, all for Al, and now the Raiders are Vegas bound.
Not sure on the closers the A’s have developed lately other than Doolittle, but it’s pretty easy to id those from the Giants lately, who would be Strick and no one. Moronta I’m hoping breaks cycle.
The Affledt Lopez axis were all brought in, so was Casilla. Wilson had limited time of being effective before blowing himself up and so was Romo tho he did last longer. Present guys all brought in–Dyson Smith Watson Melancon.
It’s been same issue as OF–Giants can’t develop any from farm and drafts so you have to acquire them somehow. I do agree closer isn’t someone to spend $$$ on; set up guys generally more important.
developed OR traded for when they were still young and controllable. You can’t deny that Treinan isn’t worth a shitload right now.
treinen sure. But track record history of others? Who is he talking about? Doolittle up and down guy who gets raked and bounced out of closer role. SPs like Straily Pomeranz Ross Gray different story. Otherwise, all their young pitching seems to get hurt a lot including this year.
Except for the massive foul territory, it was pretty nice. I’d forgotten that it ever looked like that.
Makes you wonder if the A’s will try to convert it back after the Faiders leave.
There probably isn’t the money for that. I wonder how much the city of Oakland chipped in for Mt. Davis, only to be burned by the Raiders 20 years later anyway. And the baseball ambience of the stadium was ruined.
Unfortunately, like Candlestick Park in its time, the stadium produces very little in local revenue of people eating at restaurants and staying in hotels. People just commute to it.
A relatively cheap alteration would be to put seats in some of that foul territory, after the Raiders leave. That would be a nice addition.
“Mount Davis cost approximately $500 million to build, with the cost shared by Alameda County and the city of Oakland. From then it cost the county and the city a shared $20 million a year in debt repayments, which had the side effect of the city having to lay off police officers. In 2015, Alameda County paid off the remaining $100 million of debt from its own surplus reserves, arranging for the city to continue annual payments to the county on its share of the $100 million.”
Benitez, lol. I was inside Mel’s Bowl in Redwood City watching J T blast that game tying bomb off him, tremendous moment even tho Mets D Hamilton messed it up later.
Next thing you know Sabes signs him, to chorus of WTF? that proved to be prophetic.
Love to be able to go back and see his explanations for that one.
It was just lazy gming. Like “we don’t have the time to find a closer in our system so let’s just go out and pay for one”. Huge mistake. And while no one could have predicted the melancon breakdown, he was still another massive gaffe. Don’t want to risk guys getting hurt, don’t sign guys with a million miles already on their arm.
A stats guy on KNBR the other day with Marty Lurie said Bum is showing clear signs of wear. The delta between his highest velo and his average velo has been shortening since last season. That is a big time signal he’s on the downslide…
A number of pitchers lose velocity and still pitch well. Maddux was one. He lost a solid 3-4 MPH between 2007-2008.
Yeah, Bum is wily enough and has three good pitches that he should continue to be productive in the coming years, imo. He’s a smart pitcher and that’s ultimately what gets it done.
I was at that game. The pandemonium of Snow’s bomb was short-lived, but it was still an epic moment…my first Giants post-season game.
I miss 3-way trades.
Oh, and Craig, that video was very funny.
it had a lot of twists and turns to it, lol
A’s closers last 5 yrs:
Casilla 16 saves Treinen 13 last year
R Madson
T. Clippard
S Doolittle 2014 when they were good he’s still going
G. Balfour 2013 again when the were good tho they did have P Neshek
they flipped at least a couple of those guys for something better. And if they trade Treinen they will receive a boatload
Giants sign a supposed top tier kid:
https://www.cbssports.com/fantasy/baseball/news/giants-marco-luciano-inks-2-6-million-deal-with-giants/
nice, beat me to it
Cool.
Anybody missing Blanco yet?…
he’ll be back; like him
plus, as a member of the Luciano family, he’s *protected*
LOL
this is a big deal. The Giants usually get the fringe international prospects. Not this time!
Why? After watching another Yankees prospect last night, the 21 year old Torres kid, who’s tearing it up in his first full year, I always find myself asking why the hell the Giants aren’t bigger players in this arena. They have a strong connection to and history with the Latino community. They used to be players, back in the ’60’s. So, WTF is going on now?
remember, the Yankees traded for him. I think they got him for Chapman (who then just resigned with them, nice move). At least the Giants are doing something NOW.
I didn’t know they got him via trade. Still seems like NY gets an awful lot of good talent from Latin America. Hopefully we’ll see Luciano within 3-4 years.
The Torres/Chapman trade was a win/win for both teams. The Cubs got a closer (albeit only a rental) that helped them win their first World Series in a bazillion years, and the Yankees got a tremendous young talent.
It IS hilarious that the Yanks got Chapman back again through free agency.
How about the Dodgers trading Kemp for Grandal, and now the Dodgers have both players, and the Padres are in last place?
It’s even more amazing that they had the energy to go out dancing after the game…
… they were sooooo ahead of their time!
Most of these pitchers are pussy now days when “Real Men pitched in the 60’s 70’s”
With the Giants’ front office putting their best effort into the payroll hard ceiling narrative the only place I anticipated an addition is the bullpen so maybe trading for a player with the potential to close in the future? More likely they’ll add a Ramon Ramirez type which may not be so bad. That dude was lights out in 2010.
Seeing a lot of talk re Samardzija not reclaiming his spot or getting traded (who would want him?) but I just don’t see it. If I remember right he made accommodations for the Giants when he first signed by reaching out and waiting on Cureto etc and that good soldier stuff goes a long ways with Sabevans. Besides, Suarez and Rodgriguez have hardly even made a turn through the league and Stratton is wobbly at best. Upcoming roster moves are going to be interesting. To me Johnson, Gearrin, Stratton and maybe Holland after getting knocked around yesterday are on the bubble. Hard to see them jobbing a vet like Holland but he and Stratton are essentially the same pitcher in 2018.
I read about that epic game when I was just a kid. It’s as mind-blowing now as it was then. They do not, as they say, make them like that anymore.
There’s a pretty decent book on it, by Kaplan
Great shot of the Coliseum. Went there a fair amount growing up and as a young adult. Lots of good memories. Haven’t been there since Mt Davis built and I have mixed feelings about ever going back.
Easy to say now to never sign another closer to a big free agent deal, but when you have a good team that consistently blows leads late because you have scrap heap dudes and unproven young guys closing, it is a morale killer big time. I absolutely loved the Melancon signing and don’t remember much dissention about it posted here other than the far-fetched “we shoulda signed Jansen instead” posts and maybe some standard griping about the years and $.
Obviously, it hasnt worked out at all, but I thought it was a great move at the time—addressing far and away our biggest need.
Yeah, the Melancon signing came in the off-season after the Giants’ 9th inning meltdown in game 4 vs. the Cubs that ended the Giants’ 2016. A lot of us wanted something major to be done, and Melancon was an aggressive move by the organization that a lot us were OK with, myself included.
The move, unfortunately, went south quickly. He blew the save in the first game of 2017, and it just fell apart for him that season.
Why would signing Jansen have been far-fetched, Dog? He was a FA who would’ve taken the best offer like anyone else. And the added bonus of weakening our arch rival…
What seems so refreshing to me is that I don’t even give a shit who the opponent is next….. over .500/ under .500 record…This team seems to be saying…. we’re recovered….we’re ready…..bring it on….btw Cueto will be joining us…
That itch I mentioned yesterday is turning into a rash….
spray some windex on it
LoL!…..hey is that Cueto?
My thoughts too san dog! 2016 was awful. I still feel like we may have gone all the way if we get to next game with the Cubs (vs the epic meltdown). Cueto was waiting, and all the pressure would have been of the Cubs because of the hype they were generating. Not sure if we could have beaten Clevland, but the Dodgers? Yup.
To have that bad taste still there in the off season be fixed ( i thought)? I was excited….
The only reason the ending of 2016 doesn’t bug me more is because the Cubs eliminated the Dodgers in the next round.
With all the hype the Cubs have gotten the last few years, they’re not even all that great this season. They might just be a “one and done” on championships with this core of players.
I was definitely all-in on the Melatonin signing, I’m not revising history. At the time I said we need the help NOW, we’ll worry about the last 2 years of the deal when we have to worry about it. But I definitely thought he would have filled a need. Nobody knew he was injured so the plan has failed miserably. And, at the time of the signing the Benitez shit was pretty far away from my memory.
But now with the failed Melatonin signing so fresh in our immediate faces it is clear: do not sign closers to big FA deals. Ever. Just say no.
Apologies if this has been covered last couple of days. Per CBS Sports:
“Cueto (elbow) came out of his rehab start Friday feeling fine and may not need another one, Jack Magruder of The Sports Xchange reports.
Cueto tossed four scoreless innings for Triple-A Sacramento, striking out six while walking one, hitting one and allowing four hits. He’s expected to throw a bullpen session Monday, at which point the Giants will decide whether his next start will be of the rehab or major-league variety.”
Seems pretty fast heal for an elbow ligament strain = minor tear. I hope the Giants medicos have been working on his throwing elbow…
Come on down, Johnny C . . . no need to waste another start in Sacto. Unless Chi is going to the game
Nope. Giddy up and bring him back…
1. Gorkys Hernandez (R) CF
2. Brandon Belt (L) 1B
3. Andrew McCutchen (R) RF
4. Buster Posey (R) C
5. Austin Slater (R) LF
6. Brandon Crawford (L) SS
7. Pablo Sandoval (S) 3B
8. Joe Panik (L) 2B
9. Madison Bumgarner (R) P
Pablo takes a pitch to the elbow, shrugs it off and straps it on the next day.
This was the Steve Bedrosian deal of 1989:
June 18, 1989: Traded by the Philadelphia Phillies with a player to be named later to the San Francisco Giants for Dennis Cook, Charlie Hayes and Terry Mulholland. The Philadelphia Phillies sent Rick Parker (August 7, 1989) to the San Francisco Giants to complete the trade.
i wonder what Rick Parker is doing these days.
Big series at the Rox, for this reason: The Giants have teased us a couple times already with an impressive start to a road trip — sweep at Atlanta, 2 of 3 in D.C. — only to waste it and then some in the very next series –falling flat on their faces in Philly, getting gutted by the Marlins. Time to stop that trend and show us and the rest of the division they’re for real.
There’s an Apple commercial featuring a song called “The Artist Growing Old.” I’m sure you’ve all seen the commercial. The song is from a low-fi recording by a singer/songwriter named Daniel Johnston. He literally records his albums on cheap tape-recorders. Basically his home-made demos are his albums. He’s a quirky character. I don’t know his whole story. He also does artwork; some of it for t-shirts. His most famous design is the one Kurt Cobain often wore. You might remember it.
I guess that t-shirt is an album cover, also.
When I watch the Giants games on the phone, the same commercial usually runs over and over during that given game. The other night it was the Apple commercial with that song playing over and over, to the point of annoyance. Then yesterday, I heard the song played in its entirety on a college-type radio station out of Philly that I listen to.
Yeah, you can hear him click off the tape-recorder at the end of the song.
It’s a nice song, but the over-played commercial drives it into the ground.
I love independent radio stations like that.
I just listened to the whole song. That’s a very repetitious song. He needed a musical change in the middle somewhere.
It’s an interesting song, but it went way too long.
I had the song title wrong. It’s called “The Story of an Artist.”
Another of his shirts I’ve seen is “The devil has Texas.”
According to Wikipedia, Johnston has a history of mental health issues.
“In 1990, Johnston played at a music festival in Austin, Texas. On the way back to West Virginia on a private two-seater plane piloted by his father Bill, Johnston had a manic psychotic episode; believing he was Casper the Friendly Ghost, Johnston removed the key from the plane’s ignition and threw it outside. His father, a former US Air Force pilot, managed to successfully crash-land the plane, even though “there was nothing down there but trees”. Although the plane was destroyed, Johnston and his father emerged with only minor injuries. As a result of this episode, Johnston was involuntarily committed to a mental hospital.”
It’s true, Zumiee. I was able to locate newsreel footage of Johnston leaving the scene of the plane crash…
Well, they landed safely, all’s well that ends well. 🙂
Many years ago there was a documentary out about his life, and I vaguely remember some stuff from the film. I mostly remember that he is extremely reclusive.
some fucking “friendly” ghost he is
yeah!
“i wonder what Rick Parker is doing these days.”
Or for that matter, Jarret Parker.
Baseball-playing career possibly ended by the outfield wall, still a young man.
Oh snap!
he passed the Wonderlic test? I’m amazed.
I guess the NBA uses the AIQ test.
Gorkys!
Nothing suspicious!
exit velocity was only 98 mph–Coors light HR. If he were juicing, it would’ve been much faster. imo.
Cousins REALLY wants a ring. A 1-year deal for $5 million. Seems like the players’ union wouldn’t like this.
Although I don’t know when he can start playing, coming off the Achilles injury.
Boogie Cousins, wow. I luv Dubs ownership/ management. They really think outside the box, to use a worn phrase. The dude could be a nothing or could be a huge contributor. Meanwhile if he contributes, he proves his worth for a next big contact. I wish Lacob owned the Giants. He should buy the As, he’d turn that thing around in 4 years…
I don’t know the details, but one of the news pieces I saw mentioned some type of salary exception, which is why they are getting him for $5 mil.
Terrible decision by Craw; horrible call by the ump.
Wooh, the pop-up bailed out Craw.
IDK what Gorkys is doing, but I like it. I wanted the guy DFAd a million times. So I have to give him props. This better not end like Melky, though. Like I always say, I don’t assume anything about anybody anymore …
Some day a player will look like this:
LeBron is pretty close already…
htf could Bochy justify starting Pence over Slater these days? Can’t be done.
A couple final thoughts on the closer discussion from earlier:
Jansen was far-fetched because there was no way in hell he was gonna leave LA. That was when they were spending money like crazy and they weren’t going to be outbid. Plus, they had a great young collection of talent poised to make annual playoff runs. Plus, all these young rich guys love living in LA.
And Melancon was injured when we signed him? How do you know that? He went like 52/55 on saves the year before, so did he hurt his arm over the winter? I think it was just bad luck he got hurt after coming to us. I don’t think the Giants did anything wrong.
Having said all that, my appetite for a big deal for a closer next time around ain’t so hot either.
I don’t think we’ll know for sure whether Melancon was damaged goods. Certainly has an odor to it. Why didn’t the Nats re-sign him?…
Boogie Cousins to the Dubs?!? That is fricking awesome.
If Belt catches crap for hitting into the shift, then so should McCutchen…
90 degrees at Coors? This tilt could end up 12-11…
I’d have been happy with Ariza. Cousins just for the playoff run next year is outstanding. All he has to do is get healthy by May,
Although the T counter may get broke. We already led the league last season. This season they’ll double it.
Nice job by Belt to score on that single.
Yep, Boogie might only be useful from March or April on. But, that would be crazy with him at the 5.
Draymond can teach him how to deep breathe and not get upset — ha ha…
Crazynshit, there. I like it.
Slater has got to play, regularly!
Slatey!!
Slater !!!!
Saves a pair of runs right there. Imagine Pence stumblin and fumblin on that.
And, Slater doesn’t even have the glove Duggar has…
WOW!!!
Cousins to the Dubs? Are you kidding me?
Kinda takes the sting out of losing Javale.
lol yeah. I’m starting to move on emotionally from that big hit, scoring Cousins has fueled that
Diggity– of course I don’t have any inside info on Melatonin being damaged goods but with the Nats not even trying to sign him and him being injured nearly immediately it looks to me like that was the case.
Cousins 25 PPG, 10 RBG & 5 APG last year in 48 games before his injury. Those are some rarified numbers. If he can get that achilles right, this move may have pretty well negated the Lakers getting LeBron.
And he’s still only 27 years old.
He’s the most skilled post-up person in the NBA. He has all the post-up moves. And not a bad outside shooter, and passer. Talent was never the issue.
In his mind, he never commits fouls.
Then he’ll fit right in with the W’s. lol
One year deal, so Boogie likely won’t stick around without a LOT of machinations from the other guys.
Bum not exactly fooling everybody…
I hate DeMarcus Cousins. He’s a bully who cries like a girl—two things I have about all men rolled into one man. Anyway, this is going to test my patience as a Warrior fan but I’m guessing I’ll get over it if he comes in and plays a team game and stops jacking up 3s all the time
Draymond will observe Cousins and pat himself on the back for his new found maturity and restraint.
Belt is picking it tonight.
Craw took 5 pitches outside of the strikezone and he gets called out by the ump. More terrible umping.
The catcher jerked his glove a foot after catching the ball and the ump gets fooled. Wow.
Dodgers already beating up on the Pirates. Didn’t take long.
There’s your ballgame right there.
Bum not too sharp.
Same old horseshit in CO
Now what?
Neither is Moronta
That’s about as good an outcome as we coulda gotten.
If Moronta finishes the inning at this score.
I hate colorado
Oh fuck.
What the fuck is Crawford doing there? “Desmond runs well” He doesn’t run THAT FUCKING WELL
Craw’s throw looked weird the whole way. He threw a slow curve to firstbase.
Crawford had all day to make that play. What an idiot.
Throw to the bag, Craw… Hansen should be running first pi
Nevermind
Nice choke job in colo fucking rado
This is the type of game where they miss Longoria. Pablo isn’t much of a hitter from the right side.
Oh well. Hopefully another hiccup rather than the full meltdown.
Quite an outing from Blach.
Thanks for playing our game. Next!