Weaklings In A Man’s World
Freese homered. Bell homered. Diaz homered. These are not home run hitters. The Giants can try to cobble together all the fringe-OPS guys they can, if they can’t hit the ball out of the park they will continue to be one of the worst teams in major league baseball.
Other teams hit home runs at AT&T. I always wonder what Sabean thinks when he sees ball from opponents getting rocketed out of the yard. And then our guys try to get walks, hit the ball the other way and hopefully get the coveted “good at bat” from Kruk regardless of the outcome.
I am so tired of having a team that can’t hit the fucking baseball every single fucking year…..
______________________
I received this from PaulinAsia this morning. He and Blade having lunch in Saigon. Flap Nation represent.
A Place To Talk About Giants Baseball 
Back story on the photo is that Miss Vietnam was eating at an adjacent table with her nanny, mother and child. Yes, both Paul and I are kicking ourselves for not getting video/photo evidence. We thought my wife had taken photos, but apparently she didn’t. Regardless, she was very gracious and nice to us.
Oh, and the restaurant is owned by yours truly (actually, I bought it for Linh, my wife and she runs everything . . . Thank God).
i saw a video ad on facebook of your restaurant, the food looks VERY good. Congrats.
Thanks Craig . . . The food is delicious. Essentially, most of the menu items are all noodle dishes from Phu Yến Province, where Linh’s family is from.
Despite the food being good, business was quite slow. However, the video commercial you mentioned was a big assist in getting the word out about Linh’s restaurant. In fact, the turn-around in customers occurred the night Craig joined me for dinner. Seriously, the place was quite dead prior to that evening.
Again, thanks for the kind words.
Good assessment of our bomb power, or lack thereof.
We also can’t steal bases per an article I just read. Pretty bad when your catcher – the slowest guy on your team – is actually one of the best in assessing when to steal. Crawford is the worst. No idea where he keeps thinking he can swipe a base (getting thrown out 26 times and only being successful 27 times in his career). Ditto for Cutch, who actually use to be a good base stealer. Over the last four years, he’s been thrown out 23 times in 60 attempts . . . 70% is deemed effective.
Not much to say but, “I agree.” The wheels are starting to come off this wagon. Why do I have the sinking feeling things will look much the same next year?
Great pic, just like NYC one. Good luck with restaurant Blade. Very tough labor intensive business.
Paulinasia and Macdog look like they could be brothers.
You’re a bit right about that, Joe, I think there was a Flap photo of the 2 of us earlier this year…… but then again, a lot of us seem to be late 50s early 60s white guys with grey hair, so….. 🙂
February, Asbury Park, New Joisey.. .
It’s just pathetic that Pence’s still suits up.
He has no pride left to just walk away.
Pisses me off some of these players from the past, just hang around for the check..
I’ve always thought that hitting to the opposite field was a Bam Bam approach that he started on the guys while coaching in AAA. I haven’t checked hitting location charts so I could be way wrong but I always thought that was how young guys like Panik and Duffy had early (surprise?) success. If I remember right, teams even started to employ a LH shift on Duffy before we traded him.
When Freese, Bell and Diaz are handing you your ass in your own park it’s time to re-evaluate everything. I understand it’s not on the table to rebuild, they see this as a remodel, but at some point the writing has to be read. The brass can only hide their heads in the sand for so long. This is how baseball is played now. You HAVE to have power. No more whining about the park factors. It’s not the park. It’s the fucking hitters.
I’m sure they thought Cutch would do more than his anemic long ball output. Longo as well. The well ran dry on them. Pat the Bat and Morse they ain’t. They were expecting 20 each from them. And of course they hung their hats on Pence not falling into the abyss, Crawfish hitting 18ish, Belt not getting hurt every other weekend, and Posey doing more than nothing.
I didn’t want them to blow the team up this season. I thought it was worth a go for it this year, and I’ll stand by that. But, a really really strong case could be made for blowing things up this off-season. Whether Baer could get on board with that, that’s an open question. At heart, he is a marketing guy. He sees things through that lens.
I am with you Craig on being sick of the Giant’s pathetic offense. Fuck, the suck! Glad I went to bed early last night.
Oh, and then I see in the box this morning that our boys also committed three errors.
Still hoping Cutch changes laundry befor this series ends. Just Do It!
The errors, Melonhead and Law sealed the deal.
Don’t forget Pence at the Fence Error.Wasnt even at the wall hits the middle of his glove and rattles out for a 2 Base error..Hes just useless in the field and with his fungo…
I missed it as I had given up as the Niners made their improbable scrub comeback.
They had 3 trade pieces realistically to start the year. Bummie, Panik, and Crawfish. Panik’s stock has sunk, Crawfish remains to be seen, and Bummie is pitching well but not at his dominant levels of before. He’s still worthy. If they dump him though they won’t get enough in return. Panik will get you little more than a couple of AA fliers. The Fish could get something from a team in desperate need of a SS.
Blowing up the team, which is the right call now, would guarantee 2 if not 3 years of desolation. The pitching may be there with these kids coming up, and the semi-surprising pen, but we don’t score, we don’t win.
Standing in front of the “Horshshoe” football stadium at Ohio State. Pretty impressive, massive….
Friend of mine’s kid went there and he went to the Ohio State Michigan game a couple years back. Said it was incredible.
U of W in Seattle was funky as F. Right on Lake Washington tho.
Awesome place to watch a game, dude.
I still think that with our crap farm system and cumbersome contracts, a tear down leaves us completely void of talent and makes us a total laughingstock team—one that could lose 120 games and go down in history with the 62 Mets and 2000? Tigers. AND, we’d still have a huge payroll, to just add to the humiliation.
No thanks.
Rebuild the farm system in the next 3-4 years while trying to add pieces that can combine with our core to keep us competitive in the meantime.
Put a young, talented team that grows together on the field in 2021.
Yes, my brother!
Yup.
Capital idea, SanDog. I third the motion…somebody get on the horn with Booby and get his ass in gear.
It seems we have the pitching in decent shape. Starters and pen. Even without Cueto. I mean, it isn’t terrible anyway.
Can we get hitters? Ones that will come here? Is Harper real? I think he’ll just use our desperation to get a better deal somewhere else (NYY).
The front office strategy of dumpster diving will prolly continue.
We have a better chance of getting Tommy Harper…
What’s the deal with Blade and PIA?
What are you guys doing?
Are you having fun?
great questions. Man, they live a long way away. “Are you having fun?” is a great question we should all ask ourselves.
It’s still hard for a dinosaur like me to comprehend going to Vietnam voluntarily…
I’m miserable.
Law optioned. More time for him to flitter around on his phone, tag his wife in photos and grow dem titties daily, ever so slightly….
Law and order news:
Posey should be 7th. Jeebus. Good to see Randy in the lineup. WITH Duggar and SlSlater.
man, this guy didn’t do much statistically but boy did he ever fire up the Splash comment section. Fred Lewis. Welcome home.
Yeah I’ll never forget his baseball glove, where his pocket was made out of cement..
Shit, only two more games to make that easy dump of Cutch….
1. Andrew McCutchen (R) RF
2. Buster Posey (R) C
3. Evan Longoria (R) 3B
4. Brandon Crawford (L) SS
5. Austin Slater (R) 1B
6. Alen Hanson (S) LF
7. Joe Panik (L) 2B
8. Steven Duggar (L) CF
9. Derek Holland (S) P
Shit…didn’t see you posted the line-up Mac.
BTW – great picture of our Vietnamese Mafia brothers….looking good boys!
I did not catch much of the Niner game. Checking out the box…THIRTEEN receivers with a catch.
Kid who impressed me Chi was Ricky James a 7th rounder from Tennessee St. Made a tough grab on Jimmy G’s 1st completion on 3rd down to move the chains,and later caught the game winning TD from Mullens the 3rd stringer..
He could be a real steal.Getting on the field with the 1st string shows me Shanny sees something in him as well..
Thanks for the info/insight, Kat.
Richie James..
this is ridiculous, Barry better get this….
Will always remember the game in Houston (my nine year old’s first baseball game) in which Fred threw me a baseball that I got Lincecum to sign.
awesome.
Totally!
Hopefully the $ 399.00 wasn’t his life savings…
So are any of the Giants beat writers going to mention the “juicier” part of Barry’s career amidst all the praise this weekend? Probably not. It’ll probably be an A’s beat writer that will do that.
Barry absolutely should have his number retired, but it wouldn’t hurt to see some balanced reporting on him this weekend. Maybe Bruce Jenkins will step up.
I mean, what’s to report? He took steroids for half his career, everyone knows that. I don’t need any commentary or asterisks or any of that bullshit to know how I feel about Barry. Retire that number. I love Barry Bonds for life.
Thank you. Someone’s needed to say that for a few days now.
I bet they surprise Barry by retiring it in his dad’s honor as well…
Yep. Thanks, Flav. Just can’t buy into that, Zume, for the same reasons Flav mentioned.
God bless Freddles. May he walk forever with Jesus Alou…
Austin Jackson is going to be NL Player of the motherfuckin’ week….
not a bad LU given circumstances.
Love SD post, doable IF they can do better job of evaluating talent, at every level. Bart looks like winner for 1.
As far as payroll, giants can handle it. doesn’t seem like coincidence to me that SF LA NY Yanks (and others) all
suddenly decide to stay under lux tax. Collusion pure and simple–hey I’m not paying that a… x $$$$$. Screw him and his agent said one of them and the rest went along with it and convinced others.
Giants were all in on Stanton and Ohtani which would have blew the lux tax into the next galaxy. And then when they didn’t get them sabes folded his cards and went to the dollar table and AJax is in CF. Meanwhile no L Cain no Marlins and Pence who should have been DFA’d last year is still around.
Loo, per your 4:02, Steve can speak for himself, but as for me… yeah, mostly having fun. But really, I’m not doing anything all that different from any other working schmuck anywhere: renting an apartment, going to work every morning, coming home late afternoon, and then having to decide a) what to eat for dinner and b) which massage girl to invite over. Ok, so maybe a little different. I’m in my 15th year “over here” (one little change, recently moved to Hanoi after many years in Saigon), so it’s just business as usual for me, just choosing to do it all in a usually interesting, occasionally maddening, low cost of living developing nation in southeast asia. And yeah, the girls (countless of ’em) are certainly part of the draw and mostly where the *fun* comes in. So, that’s that.
I don’t have what it takes to make such a drastic change.
D.H. Lawrence can explain it better…
“The world doesn’t fear a new idea. It can pigeon-hole any idea. But it can’t pigeon-hole a real new experience. It can only dodge. The world is a great dodger, and the Americans the greatest. Because they dodge their own very selves.”
-D.H. Lawrence
More about the girls, please.
Flavor has gotten more people together in the U.S. & Vietnam than Henry Kissinger.
That is historically unprecedented…
And mostly making love, not war, so there’s that…
Mostly drinking…
exactly. And now you’re revving me up again about that stupid fuck WaterParkDave who I am 10 TIMES THE CELEBRITY and I’m not sure even what to do right now……
10,000!!!
My McCovey Cove Dave fantasy:
Way to go, Android.
i’m not a big traveler, I stay pretty locked into the west coast. I respect the lifestyle of PIA and Blade it’s just not for me. I’d never leave the US there’s just too much I’d miss here. But I get why people bail, to each his own……
i will be headed to Kentucky Downs on the weekend of Sept 7/8/9. Always wanted to go there. Everyone is invited, you get there you stay with me and I pay all your expenses. Hit me up if that’s yo jam
Is betting an expense?
lulz…can’t wait to hear Craig’s answer on this one.
Way to drive em in, Slater.
Cutch desperately showcasing himself…
And Panik, not so much…
yeah that was bad. Pirates were playing IF back so ground ball to right side or deep fly scores a run.
Panik is a better player than this; error last night got the 5 run inning started too.
Craig, I do miss some things, but not much.. clean air, drinkable water out of the tap… LJ, the “girl culture” has to be seen to be understood. Back in ’02, before my first Asia trip, I was dating a VNmese woman in Palo Alto when I was working at Stanford, she was divorced but still friends and law partners with her ex, also VNmese, and they would travel to VN sometimes for business, and she would say she didn’t like going with him because “he always goes with the girls.” I didn’t really know what that meant until I got over here. VN (and other countries like Thailand, Cambodia, etc.) is very patriarchal and doesn’t have the socio-economic infrastructure to give women much freedom or opportunity, so a lot of the girls come to the cities from the countryside (where they are often dirt-poor commodities) to earn money for their families, further their education, etc. Of course there are hookers, but I don’t do hookers… different levels of situations for these girls, many of them single moms. Looking for a husband, or even just a boyfriend, or even just an opportunity to improve their English, travel around with a foreigner, learn about life, and yeah, have some fun. I’ve had a few real girlfriends, but most of my VNmese girl friends tend to be the equivalent of friends with benefits. You gotta keep your eyes open, some are very clever, but mostly, they’re good companions.
That’s cool Paul. I’ve seen most of Europe in my life and I’d like to at least visit SE Asia at some point. I can’t deny that hearing about the women makes it even more appealing. Thanks.
A Flap-a-Loosia?
looks like SF has dodged the first time facing chump kid pitcher blues so far.
Looks like Gaylord’s lost some weight in his old age.
You know what that usually means…
Yeah, he’s not looking so good there. He had a place close by us but sold it a few years ago.
He inspired me to load up the ball in Little League.
I was probably the only 9 year old on Earth that was buying KY jelly…
Slater hasn’t homered since the French-Indian War…
Fuck, I thought it was since the Revolutionary War.
imo that’s a weakling AB. Duggar is NOT gonna hit the ball out of the yard to LF. Pulling one to RF down the line maybe otherwise no.
STOMP THE PISS OUT OF ‘EM!!!
Alright Posey.
Good inning.
I just saw that CSNBA “Good, Bad, and The Ugly commercial (four teams battling it out for the west). Now that’s laughable.
Yep…I am officially there…no way they make the dance this year. If I’m wrong, I’ll buy any and all of you lunch and drink of choice at any future Flapalooza.
Do it if you’re right, bro!
Maybe in NYC, Loo. I want to come back for a longer stay. I still want to see the site that was once the Polo Grounds.
It’s a great place to take an outdoor leak…
Probably almost as good as my driveway or backyard. 😉
Pirates twitter on cbs site not too happy with hurdle letting the pitcher hit there with 6 relievers in pen.
giants looking to add on, good idea.
Duggar getting it done!
Dugger double.
yaha pull the ball into the corner nicely done.
Duggar may have a Darren Lewis type of career.
BFD…
Posey with a night.
Yeah yeah yeah…Posey with four hits. Hit a fucking HR, already.
What was the over/under we all commented on earlier. SanDawg got the ball rolling on the commentary.
I think the Pence/Posey over/under for HR’s the rest of the year was settling at 4.5. I thought that was low, but I dont think either guy has homered since.
I had neither hitting any.
So Krukow does some more rewriting of history tonight. Tonight we hear that 2007 was a season “filled with anticipation” for Bonds breaking the career HR record. Does anybody remember 2007 that way? I’m thinking no.
I pretty much remember that season as a joyless slog toward the record, as even Giants fans were admitting the steroid use.
Again, Barry did enough before the 2000 season to merit number retirement AND being in the Hall of Fame.
I just think the Bay Area sports media, of which Krukow is a part, has a journalistic responsibilty to at least reference the other stuff a little.
I don’t like seeing Krukow chipping away some of his own integrity. I like Krukow a lot. I don’t like losing a little respect for him and Kuiper.
I was into the chase for the record, and really could care less whether Kruk or any of them mention the era. I am with Unca, if they want to talk about the steroid eraon general, so be it, but to bring up dirt on Bonds, at this time, doesn’t work for me. That’s just me.
Funny thing is, it’s not like the issue has been solved.
For me, 2007 was all about Vinnie Chulk…
Let it be Lowenstein
Allowing something like that to make you lose respect for those two is ridiculous. Half to two thirds of MLB were juicing during that era. Before that, ballplayers ate amphetamines like candy, for decades. Prior to that, gambling and fixing was the order of the day. The HoF is littered with thugs, criminals, jerks and alcoholics. It’s not a sorority house.
Kruk and Kuip interface with the fans in an intimate way and have for years and they are employed by the Giants. They’re responsible for turning a lot of non-baseball people into Giants fans, my two aged aunts among them. They are beloved. Sometimes the schtick gets a little old, but I wouldn’t trade them for anyone else, truth be told. Come listen to Dave Sims and Mike Blowers call games for a couple of weeks. You’ll run back to SF screaming and thanking the baseball gods that K&K are still around. Kruk and Kuip are NOT going to start in on the whole steroid debacle on the eve of Bonds having his number (deservedly) retired. Ain’t gonna happen.
And I’ll say it again, BB is the best hitter I’ve ever seen, period. Steroids, no steroids, it doesn’t matter. The best. Him not being in the Hall is a travesty. Give it a rest.
Great post, LJ!
You fucking nailed it LJ! You just need to let this dog lie, Zume. Look, I respect you Evan, but no one is buying what you’re selling, and it’s getting old.
Krukow is wearing rings courtesy of the organization that employed Bonds. I don’t think he is going to say anything about it. Then again, I don’t think they would rain shit on him for doing so. It’s his choice to do as he pleases. He’s earned that much I’d think.
If he was ranting about rampant steroid use in the league, Clemens, Canseco, and the hundreds of other players and not Bonds, then I’d feel that it is warranted. He has his rosy view of the game and the league, so that’s how he portrays it. Everyone knows the deal.
And the hits keep on coming.
So this team goes from not being able to hit jack shit, to EVERY starter, including the pitcher, having a knock tonight. Feast or Famine, baby! It’s The Giants Way!
2-0 loss tomorrow. Unless we GO 32-14 TO FINISH THE SEASON AND WIN THE WEST!!!!!
Uh, no.
I guess the “ugly finder” line just won’t die until someone actually does.
Maybe…
Got a good pick of Freddie Electric somehwere .. ..
Hurry up!~ Throw a pitch!
AH shit.
The Oaf would not have survived that play…
Will Holland be able to finish 6 innings with an 8 run lead?
Well that answers that.
6.1!!
You make good points, Chuck. No one expects a color analyst to be Edgar R. Murrow.
It just bums me out a little about K&K.
The media is different than the fans.
We have a president that is trying to destroy truth in news media. This is what’s coloring my feelings about all this.
Giants Nation is supposed to pretend for a weekend that everything’s groovy about all of Barry’s accomplishments? That price is too high in my opinion.
The national media is already doing stories about how Giants fans will always turn a blind eye to Barry’s steroid use. That’s just not true. Giants fans aren’t blind to anything. I don’t like us being characterized that way.
This far after the fact, I say fuck it. You either indict the whole era and every player in it or you just move on.
No one has to pretend anything. It’s fairly ballsy of the Giants to do anything for him. Seeing as they took out all the stuff that used to be there. No one else seems to be embracing the players who were accused. Not that I’m really paying attention to the A’s or the Cards, the Yanks, Boston, etc.
I’m with Charlie. This far down the road, when a whole boatload of players were juicing, who cares. I definitely do not think it would be appropriate to dig up anything about foods during this time of retiring Bonds’ number.
We’ll have to agree to disagree, Evan, because I just can’t buy into anything you’re pushing in this regards.
Wil be traveling tomorrow but hope to see some of the Bonds thing if it shows up on MLB or baseball tonight. Barry Bonds was the best hitter baseball has ever seen for a 5 year stretch and we got to enjoy it all.
In 5 seasons 2000-2004 In Pac bell park…..
Just a few amazing stats..258 homers and an ASTOUNDING 872 walks ( ave 174 a year).
4 MVPs and one 2nd, where it was ridiculously given to Jeff Kent. WOW!
Lurker…you got the MLB package? If yes, you ever check out a Met’s broadcast? For me, that is the gold standard of TV broadcasts and those guys eat Kruk and Kuip for lunch.
But of course, to each his own. Kruk and Kuip just don’t do it for me. Too much trying to be funny and too little information and insight. I do love our radio team though–especially Flemming.
Who are the announcers? Keith Hernandez and ? Or is it Gary Darling?
Gary Cohen is the play by play guy and I think he’s the best in the business. Color guys are the quirky Keith Hernandez and more straight-laced Ron Darling. Sometimes Keith is the color guy, sometimes Darling, and sometimes both of them, which makes for some variety.
You know I’m with you on that SD, but Lurkie’s 9:28 is solid…
The Mets crew is great. I don’t always agree with them but they make a lot of great points every game.
“Andrew Baggarly
@extrabaggs
Hello, Giants. What time is the news conference for Barry Bonds this weekend? Oh. There’s no news conference? OK. When is his media availability? Oh. There’s no media availability? OK. #awkward”
Wow.. Can you say DFA?
Double DFA
Oh fuck. Buccos with the grand salami…