When Champions Champion
I’d like to think it happened like this: down 10 to the woeful Marlins headed to the top of the 9th, the vets gathered the team into the tightest circle they could and put out the call for a rally.
Belt spoke first: “We can’t lose by double digits to this team.”
Buster: “Exactly. We are world champions. Losing by 10 or more, again, that’s not in our championship DNA.”
Crawford: “Yes. Losing by 10 again is not in that book Bill Neukom wrote.”
The team emerged from that inspiring meeting as 1 unit and began the 9th inning with the eye of the tiger in…….all of their eyes. Knowing home runs were the most unlikely source of production they fell back on what they know. A single, a double, a sac fly and an infield single. But when Duggar popped out to third it felt the same as when Salvy Perez popped out to third and The Panda did this:
Well, ,maybe not completely the same. But goddammit they whittled that loss down to less than 10–The vets put out the call, the rest of the team knew what was in front of them and they made it so.
Will they build statues of this 2019 team? Unlikely. But they’ll go down in our history because of valiant efforts like last night. How lucky are we? I’ll leave that to others to decide……
I don’t think I’ve ever seen the word ‘champion’ used as a verb before. I’ll have to ponder that.
The Warriors will try to champion their way through Game 1 tonight.
Champion can be used as a verb, from Merriam-Webster:
transitive verb
1 archaic : CHALLENGE, DEFY
2 : to protect or fight for as a champion
championed the ladies chivalrously in the tilts
3 : to act as militant supporter of : UPHOLD, ADVOCATE
always champion the cause of the underdog
Kudos
Am I missing something but doesnt the NBA finals start tomorrow??? Have I lost a day in my life???
In the news this morning:
“Ex-MLB player Angel Pagán and professional baseball player Orlando Román were rescued at sea this morning.
Authorities informed that the men were rescued off the coast of Puerto Rico at 7:09 am, Tuesday morning after a 15–foot wave flipped their boat. They were accompanied by a minor.
The boat capsized between the river mouth and Cibuco beach in the town of Vega Alta, Puerto Rico.
Vega Alta is in the northern coast of the island, roughly an hour away from San Juan.”
At first reading at your post I thought I may have missed something going to bed early last night…you had me fooled. Puts into highlight Will Clark’s comments I noted yday that this team does not give a shit. When you have a team who does not give a shit, it is time not just for a house cleaning but an organizational sea change and that means Baer and I think the entirety of the coaching and management staff not named Farhad…I would like to see the face of Baer’s wife when she is told that Baer’s gravy train just crashed into the mountain!!!
NBA Finals tomorrow. I’m sticking with Dubs in 5. Durant plays, doesn’t play, doesn’t really matter.
I’m going to hedge because without KD, Draymond has to play Kwahi and Toronto could go real big with Lopez and Ibaka playing the same time and we then probably forced to have Iggy play Kwahi instead and put Draymond on Kwahi…think this is going the toughest finals if KD does not play the whole series and pray we win in 7. If KD can play by game 3, maybe we can win in 6. Pray for a split in Toronto…
So great…gives a whole new definition to throws like a girl…
Baer et al failure to fess up to the needed rebuild is now blowing up in their faces. Baggarly said this am to take a good last look at Bum starts. He’ll be gone soon. So, Let the change begin…
Everyone piece they can move, including desks and clocks and lights need to go…they also need to show that the ship of state is changing and go ahead and buy out the Longorias and Melancons if they chat trade em.
I get that Toronto will be a tougher challenge than Portland, mainly because they play defense. But I still don’t see how they score. Dubs have at least 3 different guys who can guard KL. After him, Siakim? Who will score for them? Don’t say Lowry…..
Lopez can sit out there and hit some threes and I forgot Siakam. They play big I would get the ball inside and try to get the Dubs in foul trouble. That would then open the floor for Kwahi and Lopez free to hit some 3s. Lowry will be a handful for Steph to cover and I could see Klay on him when Van Fleet is in there and switch Curry to Van Fleet…it is going to be a tough series without KD. Kwahi has shown how money he could be…will also think playing in Toronto will be the most intense crowd the Warriors have faced in the Finals…Cavs fans essentially were muted for much of the 4 finals in Cleveland…
Lopez playa for milw my man
Lol. Getting old. Big whitish guys all the same!!! Gasol and then go big and cause some havoc…
Nothing beats this one.
Ok even better
This ownership group is very reluctant to buy out or eat deals. Zito/Rowand cost Magowan his job.
Smargle/Longo/Melonhead/Cueto cost Sabevans theirs.
Baer stays at the face, and whipping boy, of the team while the ownership group hides in the weeds counting their money.
ownership group hasn’t faced a crisis like this before. Plummeting attendance, businesses outside the park being ruined, they are going to have to do whatever they can to fix this and if dumping some high salary guys speeds up the process I bet they get convinced to start eating (salary)
Well, some of these guys and gals have been around since the heady days of 1992 when Magowan and company bought the team. I don’t really think this changes their thought pattern. They’ve been through a lot with this team.
Baer needs to go away like a bad rash!
I really think others within will force him out!
You all have to admit it’s been refreshing not seeing this “2 face Flim Flam Man” around..,
Sure, but none of the ownership group dares set foot outside the shadows. They NEED a whipping boy.
Shit, even acting CEO Rob Dean hasn’t made a peep since being appointed interim CEO.
Got to think the Warriors will just overplay Leonard and take their chances with the rest. It doesn’t look like he’ll crap out like Lillard did, but still and all, Leonard has played a lot of minutes and they will wear him down in the end.
This might go 6 but I think it goes 5 as well.
Haven’t seen Yank’s Frazier much, but apparently he’s an awful defensive outfielder.
My gut feeling is Bum will be dealt elsewhere…
That’d be fine with me. I know you don’t mind it, but no way I want to see Bum pitching for the Yanks.
Me either, Mac. Rather see him in some baseball hinterland like Mwocky or Minny…
Still will take him in 2 seconds and stick him in left..Bonds couldn’t do much out there for a few years…
Thanks, Mac, for definitions of “champion” as a verb. I momentarily forgot those. But I still was thinking of how BF used “champion” to mean “a champion playing like a champion.” To champion, in that way. I still can’t remember it being used that way, which is cool. Fun with language.
Sorry I got the Game 1 night wrong. Sorry for any confusion caused on that. I read some graphics wrong on ESPN.
It’s not just women that have messed up the ceremonial first pitch. Plenty of guys in this compilation:
people think Draymond is a dirty player, people gonna say he’s full of hubris in this answer he gives. But if you listen to what he’s really saying this is the shit we should be teaching our kids.
I wish the Giants had even half the leader that Dray is for Dubs. Posey? Not even close. The guy is a ghost. Bum? Hard to do when not everyday player and on trading block. Dubs cannot afford to lose Dray to injury in finals…
I think leadership qualities of a player shrink when they’re not performing well. Who on the Giants is performing well enough to get in anybody’s face?
Will Smith, maybe? But he may not have the type of personality to do it.
It’s hard enough for a pitcher to be the leader, but a reliever? Even harder.
Pence was the last guy who could rally the troops. His last 2 years of injuries and ineffectiveness left him on the outside looking in though.
Hard to disagree on Posey. Just not a lot of leadership there or anywhere on the club tbh.
Pence was Draymond…
The Pirates are doing a good job of bringing Reynolds along at a measured pace. He’s not starting everyday, and they are giving him good match-ups, apparently. OPS over .900 after 100 ABs.
I’m guessing only fantasy players and Twins fans are really paying attention to the 20-games-over-.500 Twins. I don’t think I can name more than one player on their team. I think OOO is a bench player for them.
Is Mauer still playing? Is he still catching?
I think he retired…
I know Kepler is a young stud and they picked up Nelson Cruz. And think Adrianze actually starts…Sano as well…
Is it just me, or is Posey’s batting stance getting more Rowand like?
Belt ties it up.
Nice double play.
Hey, they didn’t botch a rundown!
1-1 game Bum throws only 81 pitches and Boch pulls him? I’d be pissed, he doesn’t looked to thrilled..
Bochy is saving him for the Phillies.
And just like that Melonoma will give Bum a loss!!
Pffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffft
Duggar seems hellbent to put himself on the ILL. Nice to see the unmistakable form of Romo warming up in the pen. That guy added a lot to the clubhouse during the glory years.
He’ll get a plaque on that stupid wall outside the ballpark…
Yep. Hope he strikes out our pathetic side. No fucking idea why Bochy didn’t let Bummie pitch.
Protect him for trade?…
That’s gotta be why he was pulled.
2 months away?
The Bust that is Melanoma just keeps on giving.
If SF ate 75% of his salary to move him for just a bag of balls, would any team do that deal?
I don’t think so. 90%, maybe…
No. Watson and Dyson should get us something.
No matter how many runs behind or what inning it is, Fleming has this dopey habit of telling you what the score will be if a Giant hits a home run – and he says it as if it happens all the time…
Flem is the worst. His other bad habit is to harp on the same thing over and over and over. Listen for it next time, he does it all game. If a pitcher is having a hard time finding a plate he talks about it multiple times in between pitches. If a pitcher is getting hard hit, same thing, he repeats it in different ways over and over and over again.
It’s grating.
Fuck, Pillar. That was 4′ outside.
I wonder if Posey might’ve lost some respect in the clubhouse for his non-action in the Strickland/Harper dust-up…
Strick told Posey to stay out of it. I guess he didn’t have to. I think Posey was the only one he told.
Not able to watch the game but looking at the box score, looks like another managerial blunder handling the pitching…but you all tell me. Was 1-1 game and he brings Melancon to close the door???
Bummie gave up a base hit to lead off the 7th and Bochy pulled him.
A young hitter like Duggar doesn’t stand much of a chance against Romo, that’s probably why he pitched around Crawford.
Even though they looked like S to me in Spring Training, I thought this 2019 version of the Giants could not possibly be worse than last year’s version. I think I was wrong…
63-99 pace…
I think I said they would be lucky to break 60 wins.
OSF
We all hoped for improvement, but the core of the team is another year older and further declining.
A bad team finds various ways to lose.
No hitting, when you get (like tonight) good pitching.
No pitching, when you get good hitting.
Or, like this squad often, no hitting, when you get no pitching…
Not quite Ashkon but this is pretty good.
that was crazy good. Better than Ashkon’s stuff but he did it first so I gotta put him on top for that.
Bleacher Report’s mock draft:
“10. San Francisco Giants: SS Bryson Stott, UNLV
UNLV shortstop Bryson Stott or West Virginia right-hander Alex Manoah? That has seemingly been the question for the Giants throughout the predraft process. Given the ongoing struggles of Brandon Crawford and the dearth of middle infield talent in their system, Stott makes a lot of sense. He’s hitting .369/.498/.636 with 19 doubles and 10 home runs this spring, and he should have no problem sticking at shortstop.”
Melissa Lockhard essentially agrees:
“Stott controls the bat well and takes his share of walks, two qualities the new Giants regime is looking to emphasize. He has added more power during his junior season at UNLV, reaching double-digits in home runs for the first time in his career. With his 6-foot-3 frame, Stott should continue to add more power as he matures physically. He is an above-average runner with the arm strength for the left side of the infield and the speed for center field, should he need to move positions. Stott has a mature approach at the plate, and the Giants should be able to move him aggressively.”
Good stuff!
I saw someone elses’s mock draft that had the Giants taking a 3b named Josh Jung.
back in the early 90’s Bob Fitzgerald was looking for a better nickname than the one he had at the time: Young Bob.
So I called up KNBR and gave him my nominee: Carl Jung Bob.
He said “I’m a man of the people Craig, don’t ever forget that” and he hung up on me. I guess it was too academic for him.
Wonder if that guy who did the music video is the same guy who did one about Trump, using Gilbert/Sullivan’s “Modern Major General”. Can’t find it but that was very well done as well.
Bochy’s mind at the moment:
HR derby at Dodger Stadium again.
Mets closer getting stomped.
It’s going to be a few years before the Giants can compete with this.
As we all know, the Dodgers put 8 position players in the lineup that all swing for the fences all game, and it works, because of the juiced ball. And climate change has changed how Dodger Stadium plays. It’s a bandbox now.
Thanks for posting the Green video and the Dub3 video! Brilliant!
Do you guys ever wonder if Pence used PEDs in the off-season? He probably didn’t, but some folks are going to wonder. His turnaround is miraculous or suspicious, depending on how you see it.
At 36 it is a little suspish, as my kids say.
I don’t know. If all he needed was a little swing adjustment, why didn’t he do it 2 years ago? Instead he collected his $36 mill and sucked.