LA Begins It’s Typical Face Plant
There are a lot of things I don’t like about how baseball is played today but the main one is that post season stud pitching performance seem to be a thing of the past. What has happened to the dominant starting pitcher? Last night was absurd. And the Dodgers are finding out they aren’t playing the Brewers who had about 20 holes in their team. The Red Sox aren’t fucking around and LA is screwed.
Hank Greenwald. He is, without question, my favorite team announcer of all time. I loved his voice, his sense of humor and he was a part of the first wave of winning Giants teams of my lifetime. I was so sad yesterday when I heard the news of his passing….
Sorry to hear of Hank’s passing. He was neither my favorite nor most disfavored announcer. In my time as a Giants fan. Nonetheless, surely an important and memorable part of Giants history in SF…
His voice just takes me back to my childhood. It’s like a smell or a song, it’s quite powerful.
Greenwald was great at b-ball too. Together with the great Bill King they were just fabulous.
Funny to see Baer, as Giants spokesperson, saying things like him being “a key link to our fans …” since Baer was the guy that originally severed it and caused Greenwald to leave Giants in the first place.
Don’t recall full context from Greenwald bio but gist of it was Baer didn’t think radio broadcasters were very important and treated them accordingly.
OK I get maybe Opie didn’t have it, but the guys Roberts brought in didn’t get job done either. Madson let 2 of the inherited runners score and then Wood did the same thing when Nunez bombed the game wide open.
Just can’t see Roberts (or Cora for that matter) with his analytics iPad in his hand taking Jack Morris out after 4 innings in a 1 run game.
Roberts made a clown move taking out Baez – who had struck out two and given an intentional walk, to bring in Wood, who got taken deep by Noonie. Granted, Roberts was hoping Cora was asleep and wouldn’t sub Devers (so he could take advantage of the “lefty lefty” situation), but Cora outsmarted him by bringing in Nunez.
One other thing, why was Wood even on the post season roster? Up to that point, Wood had a 2.70 ERA and 1.50 WHIP in the postseason and was a wreck in September, posting a 6.57 ERA that month. Conversely, Baez has been a stud in the postseason, with a 0.00 ERA and 0.60 WHIP (10 strikeouts in 6.2 innings).
Three more saved and ties John the Baptist..
Hank Greenwald
I wonder if Pawlie ever heard Hank announce Syracuse basketball games? Going to have to ask him when we chat on the phone again. I just cut and pasted this hilarious Greenwald excerpt from the MLB site:
“Though Greenwald often sounded glib on the air, he maintained a strict code of professionalism. For example, he urged Kuiper never to refer to the Giants as “we.”
“For a former player, that’s almost impossible. because everything is ‘we,'” Kuiper said. “‘We need a hit here. We need to score some runs.’ He was really a stickler about that. He didn’t punish me if I said it, but he’d let me know, ‘So far you’ve used it only three times tonight.’ ”
Greenwald also lectured Kuiper about the importance of preparation. Mischievously, Kuiper would bring a folder full of blank typing paper to the press box. Said Kuiper, “It would have been a little embarrassing if he said, ‘Hey, can I see some of those notes?'”
Kuiper described Greenwald as an “old-school” broadcaster who preferred radio to television. This became clear before a Giants telecast from Pittsburgh’s Three Rivers Stadium, when the opening segment he taped with Kuiper exceeded the time limit. To demonstrate his annoyance over having to record a second take, Greenwald began his next try by saying, “I’m Hank Greenwald along with Duane Kuiper, and we’re at Two Rivers Stadium.”
Said Kuiper, “That’s how quick he was. We were always afraid that if you’re working with him, you were going to be the guy not to get what he just said.”
Saves
Kuiper passed those lessons on to Kruk. Kruk was an abject homer in the beginning. I mean he is now but not like he was.
Man, I had forgotten Greenwald’s Warriors work. He and Bill King were special. Heady days.
Hank was my favorite as well. Loved hearing his stories, loved his pace, humor and his timing.
Since Kershaw did his bullpen work yesterday, does that mean he pitches today? AFAF. 😉
Hank was OK, but not in the same galaxy of basketball announcer as Bill King. Chick and Bill had that galaxy all to themselves…
I like to tell people I’ve found something I’m really good at,and that’s retirement…
Hank Greenwald
It’s great to get some satisfaction and knowing nod to watch former Giant Nunez stick the final form in the Dogpile last night! Well done 👍
Fork
I see Kershaw is staying consistent in his post-season appearances. 😂
While Hank G was by no means my favorite Giants announcer, I did like him and had big respect for him. Was lucky enough to meet him through the window of the broadcast booth at spring training many moons ago (got his, Krukow and Kuiper’s autograph). RIP, Hank.
Happy Birthday to Dirt and Macdog!
So, do the bums trot out Opie on short rest today?
His pen work the last game messed him up.
😂
Hah! Hey, dumber things have happened. It seemed dumb to me at the time. Like a ploy. Like they are trying to make him look like Bummie.
Thanks Chi! Six years ago today was Pablo’s 3 HR game!
Wow. That’s cool. That was one helluva day for Giants fans.
Worst Annoucer ever was Lindsay Nelson!!
“His suits came off the thrift store rack”
Yeah, that guy sucked, at least as a Giants announcer. It always seemed like he was pulling for the other team.
“Look at this hat. It’s awful. You should get a free bowl of soup with this hat. . . . It looks good on you, though.”
Rodney in Caddy Shack. Great line.
in some ways I hope LA gets a game in this series just so we see Rooster again before next April.
Remember what he said Flav, he has no expectations and is just happy to be here . . . uhh, yeah, right.
That is such bullshit. When you’re a true fan, and your team is in the World Series, you want your team to win more than damned anything.
No shit, chi. Rooster sounds like a guy resigned to losing.
“Like a ploy. Like they are trying to make him look like Bummie.”
I had that exact thought at the time. It seemed kind of like a stunt, to give Kershaw that last inning as a big spotlight moment. They could have gone with someone else in the 8th and had Jansen ready to get 3 or 4 outs. That Brewers team was dead in the water that game.
And, who knows, it may have messed Kershaw up for his start last night.
Hah! See my 12:21 above that.
I missed that news about Hank Greenwald…I spent endless hours listening to him…wow what a loss!!
Price looks like he’s revreting to form.
Price is nibbling. The Dogs usually kill that.
Fat pitch to piggie.
Wow. In-game ads? Thanks, Fox.
When google offers a blank check to embed in game YouTube ads I’m sure every network will say ok sure
Wow. All this with none on and 2 out.
I think I’m liking two out, situational hitting better than HRs. These guys are nuts with two outs.
Cock a Doodle Do! That Rooster ain’t crowin’….
ROFL!
I just heard that Boston hit 10 grand slams this past regular season. 10. I believe the Giants had none; I might have missed one. That is an amazing stat…
They are sticking with Price as well. I guess this is old school 2014 baseball.
Specs Kelly sure doesn’t nibble, dude rates back and fires 🔥
When Kelly is on, he is damned near unhittable. When he’s off, it can get ugly quick. I’ll take that good with his occasional bad.
Gotta love this guy Kelly,
Geez no cackling from Rooster 🐔?
30 years and keep counting my man..
I envy a team like Boston, that can keep throwing 100 mph guys out their and no how to use it!!
Some dazzling OF play this post season. It’ll take a series of impossible miracles to give the bums the ghost of a chance now, however. A four game sweep would be sweet
Fox in a panic about a potential 4 game sweep. lqtm
BOOM BOOM, Out Go the Lights!
Two down, two to go.
Not bad, just wait until Boston gets hot.
Price with some redemption.
Let’s wrap this puppy up in 4!
I don’t want to hear Buck’s voice for anymore then that!
Talking about old school baseball, I need to try to find the link to a CNN (yes, CNN) article I read about what’s wrong with baseball. The guy was citing stats about decreasing attendance and viewership and was blaming the “new” way of baseball and that the 3 most common plays now are homers, walks, and strikeouts, which means *most of the time* there’s actually no action on the field. Interesting take. He suggests lowering the mound yet again, and favors a rule that infields must always have 2 players to the left of 2nd base and 2 to the right, claiming that these defensive shifts are making players focus on launch angle and HRs to get the ball above the shift, etc. Watching the Sox do situational hitting with 2 outs (of course also with the occasional big knock) does make me miss a solid ground attack of hits strung together….
This column Paul?
https://www.cnn.com/2018/10/19/opinions/baseball-comeback-opinion-frommer/index.html
I believe the link Steve shared is the article you mention. Good article, and IMO, a lot of truth there. I would be down with lowering the mound again, and a rule to prohibit shifts. I personally don’t care for the pitch clock idea.
Hope all is well on the other side of the globe, Paul.
How sweet it is, the Dudgers go down 0-2 and Steph is going off on the Wizards. Best of all, the Dodgers troika of trolls is as silent as a morgue.
I appreciate you not changing your avatar. You’re almost as loyal a fan as I am and I don’t remember anything about the 49ers before the day Mike Singletary pulled down his pants in the locker room.
Oh, shut it, Sophrosyne.
curry must’ve reached his point count cutoff
Yeah, Steve and Chuck, that was the article, thanks.
I have a topic (not baseball related) that I want to raise here on the Flap… about Social Security. I’m pondering something, and maybe some of you here have some insights. I’ll post that later, for the *day off* from baseball…
Saw Curry highlights. The guy is part Jordan, part Curly Neal. Has there been or will there be anyone like him again? No and No. Enjoy this time. It’s like the 70s Raiders and As; 80s Niners; the 3 in 5; a fleeting place and time never to happen again…
Curry was amazing last night. 23 poitns in the 1st quarter. 51 at the end of the 3rd, and he didn’t play again. Probably his best shooting night of his career.
The best shot he made all night was one that didn’t even count. Should have been a continuation just for the awesomeness of it.